Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 193 Your Majesty, I hereby request that the salt and iron monopolies be abolished.

Wen He was taken aback. Meeting Li Shimin's meaningful gaze, he was secretly surprised.

He never expected that Li Shimin would actually ask him to come out and endorse the text.

Something was off; he suddenly sensed that Li Shimin's gaze was strange.

Wen He pondered for a moment, and then suddenly understood what Li Shimin meant.

This isn't about making him come out to endorse something, but rather to make him come out and retaliate against the humiliation he suffered at the hands of the aristocratic class.

He truly deserves to be called the strongest emperor of the Tang Dynasty; he is vengeful and vindictive. I like that.

"cough!"

Wen He coughed lightly, feigning modesty, picked up the tea on the table, and took a sniff.

He's still young, and drinking tea isn't very good for his health, so he usually just smells the aroma of tea to satisfy his craving.

"Your Majesty, it's not that I'm unwilling to answer, it's just that this tea-frying..."

He paused deliberately at this point.

Those gentry and people from Guanzhong were listening intently, and when he suddenly stopped, they felt a burning desire to hear him speak.

Having read many novels in his previous life, he knew very well how unpleasant it was to experience such a fragmented narrative.

I was so frustrated, I wanted to grab the author and give him a good beating.

Under the intense gazes of those people, Wen He continued unhurriedly, "I sold some before, but it was only a little over a thousand shi, and I only earned thirteen thousand guan, which is really not worth mentioning."

"One thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), thirteen thousand guan (another unit of dry measure)!"

Sitting at the end, Cui gasped.

The elderly man surnamed Lu standing next to him wished he could raise his hand and slap himself.

The others were even more dumbfounded.

"However, those were all inferior teas, which His Majesty approved for sale to the Turks. The tea you are drinking today is not ten strings of cash per stone, but one string of cash per tael."

As soon as Wen He finished speaking, a member of the gentry's hand trembled, and the teacup fell from his hand, spilling tea all over him, but he was completely unaware.

Many people looked down at the tea in their hands.

One string of cash and one tael of silver—this isn't tea they're selling, it's copper coins!

“There are also higher-grade teas, which would cost ten or a hundred strings of cash.” Wen He said, smiling as he glanced at the others in the hall.

They were all stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

It's not that they haven't seen good things; these people have enjoyed everything.

But those in their positions are not thinking about enjoyment, but about the development of their families.

Will anyone actually buy it?

Someone questioned.

Wen He looked over, and in her memory, this person seemed to be from the Li family in Taiyuan.

"If you, Mr. Li, have the leisure and refined taste, would you be willing to find a secluded place, listen to the flowing water and mountains, and brew a pot of fragrant and pleasant tea with a few close friends?"

"As the saying goes, 'The flowing essence cleanses the body and bones, and the clear and refreshing essence purifies the heart.'"

Wen He held up her teacup and took a gentle sniff.

He didn't really know much about tea; he just started drinking it because the former director of the orphanage used to like it.

However, he had never tasted any good tea.

As for what I just said, it was purely to fool these people.

Selling tea at a good price is easy: exquisite packaging, hiring literary figures to endorse it, and finally writing some elegant and refined poems.

I guarantee there will be a bunch of pretentious people rushing to buy it.

Then you won't have to worry about not being able to sell it for a high price.

“But this is tea, not food,” the old man from the Li family said calmly.

He meant that although the price of tea was high, it was not a necessity like grain.

So not everyone will buy it.

Wen He smiled nonchalantly.

"Ordinary people can't afford refined rice, and some can't even afford brown rice, so they can only eat wheat bran. But aren't you all still stockpiling grain at home?"

"Moreover, given your status, would you be willing to share something with those you despise?"

When people become rich and powerful, what they want is face and status.

Just like a famous internet saying from later generations: "What level are you at, watching the same TV as me?"

If everyone could afford to drink this tea, then tea would truly be worthless.

"Farm tools, tea, and..."

The one following Wen He was exceptionally long.

Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.

They haven't forgotten why they came today.

"And paper."

Changsun Wuji glanced at Wen He out of the corner of his eye and interrupted her.

The latter curled his lip dismissively and said, "Yes, and paper too. I won't keep you in suspense any longer, let's get straight to the point. According to the Ministry of Works' statistics, the cost of one ream of paper is..."

Wen He held up one finger.

Everyone present couldn't help but focus their attention on his fingers.

What does it mean?
One hundred strings of cash?

Ten strings of cash?

It can't always be the same.

"One hundred coins."

"This is impossible!"

The old man surnamed Cui shouted and slammed his hand on the table.

It's remarkable that he's so healthy at his age, managing to leap up in one bound.

One cut, one hundred sheets of paper according to the specifications of Tang law.

In other words, the cost of Wenhe Paper was only one cent per sheet.

The Cui family has its own paper mill. Although he doesn't know the cost, their paper costs at least 100 strings of cash, and that's the worst kind.

But now Wen He tells him that it costs one hundred coins per knife.

This was more than a bolt from the blue for the Cui family; it was a catastrophe.

Other aristocratic families and Guanzhong regions that owned paper mills also found it hard to believe and came out to question it.

Wen He shrugged with a smile and said, "You will all see the results in a month."

He didn't care whether these aristocratic people believed him or not.

This was a deal between Li Shimin and them, not his.

If the gentry don't believe it, that's even better; they can then produce and consume their own products.

If Li Shimin hadn't wanted to use these to exchange for salt and iron from aristocratic families, he wouldn't have wanted to give them away.

Unfortunately, in this era, salt and iron were of paramount importance.

One concerns the people's livelihood, and the other concerns the army of the Tang Dynasty.

It's a pity we can't go any further. If we could have gotten our hands on all the copper mines as well, that would have been great.

Perhaps we could consider unlocking artillery technology ahead of schedule.

With the current technology of the Tang Dynasty, making firearms is too difficult; they can't even make iron pots now.

However, copper is too scarce, so future gunpowder weapons will still have to rely on hand grenades.

However, if the Tang Dynasty could establish state monopolies on salt and iron, the national treasury would have money, and Li Shimin could then allocate a portion of it to oversee scientific and technological research and development.

Are you still worried about not being able to research and develop blast furnace ironmaking and steelmaking methods?

He may not understand, but he can offer some ideas.

Now it remains to be seen whether these aristocratic families and the Guanzhong region will be tempted.

Li Shimin remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned that they would refuse.

Changsun Wuji was somewhat restless, his eyes constantly scanning those people.

Wen He, on the other hand, remained indifferent, ignoring the fact that it didn't concern her.

Anyway, he still has a powerful weapon in his hand. If the aristocratic families really fall out with him in the future, he will take it out to retaliate.

However, that thing is too dangerous; it could even overthrow the imperial power if one is not careful.

It's best not to let it happen unless absolutely necessary.

After all, the person sitting in that position was Li Shimin. "Your Majesty, I have a report to make!"

Suddenly, the old man surnamed Wang appeared in the center of the main hall.

The aristocratic people were taken aback. Before they could even turn over, they saw Yuwen Shiji and Xiao Yu also get up.

"Your Majesty, I also have something to report."

"Oh, do you three find this tea delicious? If so, I will have Jia Ying send some to you."

Li Shimin asked the question knowing the answer already.

The fact that the three of them stepped forward at this moment couldn't possibly be because they wanted some tea.

At this moment, a few more people came out from the Guanzhong region.

Upon seeing this, the aristocratic families were greatly surprised, and some of them couldn't help but stand up and come to the main hall to pay their respects.

"Your Majesty, we have a report to submit."

The others were also tempted.

This is a matter that concerns the future development of their family.

If this were the Sui Dynasty, they wouldn't need to care about the emperor's thoughts at all.

At that time, they had both manpower and soldiers.

If all else fails, hide inside a fortified village.

However, although they have people, His Majesty above has soldiers.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Li Shimin slowly put down his teacup and said with a smile, "May I ask what reports you gentlemen have to report?"

Just as the old man Wang was about to speak, Yuwen Shiji spoke first: "Since the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world has been in chaos, and ambitious people have risen up everywhere. Fortunately, the Heavenly Emperor took pity on us and sent down a true Son of Heaven to establish the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

"Now that the Great Tang has just been established, although the world is unified, everything is in need of rebuilding. It is thanks to Your Majesty's tireless efforts day and night that the Great Tang is at peace today. However, the national treasury is empty, the people have difficulty eating two meals a day, and they have no warm clothes in winter. This is our fault."

These high-sounding words almost elevate Li Shimin to the heavens while simultaneously degrading themselves to the dust.

A scholar is a scholar.

Wen He felt that if she were to speak, she would only say one sentence: "Your Majesty, I surrender. We have an agreement: the salt and iron belong to you, but all those things from earlier belong to me?"

However, Yuwen Shiji deliberately praised her first before getting straight to the point.

"I believe that salt and iron are of paramount importance to the nation. Guan Zhong's governance of Qi began with the state monopoly of salt and iron, and Shang Yang's transformation of Qin was similar. This is why Qi became the hegemon and Qin became the powerful state. I hereby propose that Your Majesty establish a state monopoly on salt and iron."

After saying this, he bowed deeply.

The elderly Mr. Wang, who had been beaten to it earlier, followed closely behind.

"I second the proposal."

There was nothing he could do; Yuwen Shiji had already said all the nice things, so he could only second it.

"I second the proposal!"

Inside the main hall, even those who had been hesitant earlier had to stand up and express their opinions.

As Cui and Lu watched their former allies bow their heads, what could they do?

If other families were to obtain those farming tools, seeds, and papermaking techniques, they might not be able to shake their resolve in the short term.

But what about a hundred years from now?

The reason why the gentry are gentry is that they do not care about immediate interests.

Rather, it's the long history and centuries-old tradition of a family that, in their eyes, is nothing more than nouveau riche.

So they had no choice but to bow their heads.

"Ugh."

Li Shimin sighed.

He rose from the throne and stepped down, looking utterly astonished.

"I am very relieved by your determination. However, such an important matter cannot be decided in private. How about you write down your petitions and leave them with me, so that we can submit them together during the grand court meeting in two days?"

This must be the Tang Dynasty version of the Warlords.

If they later go back on their word after leaving the note, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor.

At that time, Li Shimin will have no more scruples.

This is Li Shimin's method; everything is as gentle as a spring breeze and a gentle rain.

"The ministers obey the order."

Dozens of people were writing notes together, which was quite a spectacular sight.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a phone to record this scene.

After they had all finished writing their notes.

Then the distribution of profits began.

They all assumed that Li Shimin would decide how much each family would receive.

The distribution of resources, whether more or less, is naturally based on each family's influence and their relationship with the Li family.

Both the Taiyuan Li clan and the Guanlong Li clan appeared very confident.

Li Yuan was from the Guanzhong Li clan, but he also had connections with the Taiyuan Li clan.

As the saying goes, you can't write two Lis with one stroke, so they naturally weren't worried about getting less.

At this moment, only Cui, Lu, and Dugu felt uneasy.

"Regarding farm tools and grain seeds, you can consult with the Ministry of Works. As for tea, that is Jia Ying's private matter. You gentlemen can go and discuss it with him yourselves."

Li Shimin waved his hand and surprisingly became a hands-off manager.

Wen He was left there in a daze.

"Damn, you really can't stand seeing me have even a moment of free time."

He turned around and saw pairs of eyes as fierce as wolves and tigers.

The gazes cast upon him all carried a chilling kindness.

He immediately felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stood up and said...

"Ahem, Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered that I haven't given the lesson to the Prince of Zhongshan today. I shall take my leave now."

"Indeed, it's already this late. Very well, go and give Gao Ming his lesson. You will have lunch with me and the Empress later."

Li Shimin smiled and nodded.

He was praising Wen Gaohe, and also telling those gentry and people from Guanzhong not to have any wicked thoughts.

Unless you are truly willing to let your own women become Wen He's concubines.

Wen He bowed and retreated under those scorching gazes.

This startled the gentry and the people of Guanzhong, who immediately became anxious.

"Your Majesty, the magistrate of Wen County is very busy and knows nothing about the tea matter. When may we pay him a visit?"

The man from the Li family of Taiyuan stepped forward and asked.

"There's no rush. That brat just sold a batch of tea. Although he made some money, he also took a portion of the imperial treasury. To be honest, I'm ashamed, but what can I do? He's my son-in-law."

Li Shimin smiled kindly, seemingly talking about something unrelated to the main topic.

But anyone with discerning eyes could tell that Li Shimin was telling them something.

He also had a share in the tea business.

If you dare to force Wen He, you should think carefully.

Furthermore, a portion of the money you earn in the future will also belong to me.

Everyone felt only bitterness in their hearts.

This new emperor is far more cunning than the retired emperor.

No wonder the former Crown Prince, Prince Qi, and even the retired Emperor were no match for him.

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then continued.

"After the reign title is changed, that brat will go to collect new tea, saying it is some kind of top-quality spring tea. At that time, I will let that brat host a banquet at my home."

"However, the salt and iron affairs are a matter of national importance, and the people of the world cannot wait. How many days can you gentlemen complete the handover with the Ministry of Revenue?"

Li Shimin asked with a smile.

Although he spoke in a gentle, soothing tone, it felt more like he was holding a knife to their throats.

Those present now understood why Changsun Wuji would be the future Minister of Civil Affairs.

His Majesty is not giving them any chance at all.

But those small families have no say in how decisions are made.

Therefore, the gentry looked to the five surnames and seven prominent families, while Guanzhong looked to Yuwen Shiji, Gao Shilian, Dugu Shi, and others.

It all depends on whether they're willing or not.

(End of this chapter)