Duke of Zhenguan

Chapter 133 So they came to deliver money!

More than ten teahouses and taverns in the east and west markets of Chang'an, which did not usually hire storytellers to attract customers, suddenly hired storytellers.

The story in the book "Tenant Zhang Sanlang" is a ready-made example. Besides idle scholars, merchants and wealthy households also liked to go to teahouses and taverns.

Many of them were just there for the fun of it, never imagining that the Pei family in the book was the same Pei family they sometimes envied.

Until a storyteller casually remarked, "These are all true!"

Are the events in the book true? Did the old patriarch of the Pei family and his daughter-in-law have a son?

As a result, the Pei family suddenly found themselves in the eye of the storm.

Although Pei Ji no longer holds real power, he still retains the title of Duke of Wei and the title of Minister of Works, and the Pei family remains one of the most powerful and influential families in Chang'an.

The city of Chang'an was peaceful and serene under the night sky, in the courtyard of the Duke of Wei's mansion in Guangde Ward.

Pei Ji sat in the main seat, his eyes slightly closed, his expression neither sad nor happy.

Below him sat people from the other branches of the Pei family, as well as a dozen or so people of Pei Zhongyu's generation.

Besides the Pei family, the guest seats were also occupied by members of the Du, Wei, and Yang families.

On the carpet in front of everyone, a brand-new copy of "Tenant Zhang Sanlang" lay quietly. Pei Zhongyu's face was flushed, his chest heaving, and he angrily said to Pei Ji, "This Zhenguan Bookstore actually dared to print and sell such a book so openly! And those storytellers who suddenly appeared—Father, are they trying to ruin our Pei family?!"

"Those officials you colluded with a few days ago, including Fu Renjun, were also trying to ruin him. Now that he has used some means to destroy the Pei family, isn't it only natural?"

"In your eyes, which one of you is the type to suffer a loss?" Pei Ji asked softly.

Pei Zhongyu hesitated to speak, and said awkwardly, "Father, these storytellers are easy to deal with. Just find some idlers to handle them. But this bookstore is different. A few days ago, some idlers who didn't know any better went in and caused trouble. Their legs were broken on the spot. I heard that even their third leg was crippled!"

The child asked some people to buy thousands of sets of books, but the books in the bookstore seemed endless, and printing books is not cheap.

How come the bookstore sells it so cheaply? And the book is printed so clearly, and the paper is of the highest quality. Why would they spend so much money just to deal with our Pei family?

"How much did it cost?"

Pei Ji glanced at his son, picked up the book from the ground, handed it to him, and asked softly, "What's the difference between this book and the previous ones?"

"what?"

Pei Zhongyu took the book blankly, flipped through a couple more pages, and said hesitantly, "The handwriting is much clearer, and there are these strange symbols—"

"Those are called punctuation marks. I heard that Yan Xiangshi came up with them. Some time ago, His Majesty inexplicably granted Yan Xiangshi a title. Do you know why?" Pei Ji asked.

Pei Zhongyu shook his head subconsciously.

"Ha!" Pei Ji glanced at Pei Zhongyu and said, "Yan Xiangshi invented a method to print books quickly. I heard that for the past two months, carts and horses have been transporting paper to the imperial estate outside the city day and night. Erlang, His Majesty has not only found a method to print books, but may have also improved the method of papermaking!"

If I'm not mistaken, this book will likely become increasingly cheaper in the future; we just don't know how!

After Pei Ji finished speaking, he glanced around the room and sighed softly, "The matter of salt hasn't been long ago, have you all already forgotten?"

The mention of salt caused everyone in the room to change color, and Pei Zhongyu's face turned ashen, because salt had suddenly appeared in various parts of the Tang Dynasty.

The refined salt that appeared was used to fill all the wealth accumulated by the Pei family over decades.

Even now, the Pei family's warehouse still has hundreds of thousands of kilograms of salt piled up, and it's refined salt that they can't sell at all.

"Does Lord Pei mean that His Majesty was prepared for this all along?" A middle-aged man with a gloomy face suddenly asked from the crowd.

"It was more of a fluke; printing the book was probably just something I did on a whim."

You can't control what happens at Zhenguan Bookstore, so don't be confused. As for those storytellers, let them tell their stories. My Pei family has been around for hundreds of years, and we've seen all kinds of storms.

A few underhanded tricks are nothing to fear!

The key to victory or defeat now lies in the drought and locust plague! As long as the drought and locust plague occur as the celestial signs foretell, there is still a chance for things to turn around.

"If Your Majesty truly has a way to resolve the locust plague, we are in grave danger!" Lady Pei sighed.

"Lord Pei, is this matter related to that farmer's son?" Cui Guinian, who was sitting at the end of the table, suddenly asked.

"A peasant's son?" Pei Ji sneered, saying, "As far as I know, this boy has a close relationship with Wang Ji, and perhaps even some connection with that Wen Zhongzi! He's not just a peasant's son!"

Cui Guinian seemed to be deep in thought.

The following evening, just as Lin Chuan and Xu Laosan returned home, Lin Jiu greeted them and said softly, "Eldest brother, a man named Cui Guinian wants to see you!"

Lin Chuan was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Where?"

"He's in the main hall in the front yard. Oh, by the way, he brought a lot of things, all very valuable! I've never seen many of these things before. Should we accept them?" Lin Jiu said in a low voice.

"That's quite sincere. Since they're being so generous, why not accept it? Take it!" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

Upon arriving at the main hall in the front courtyard, Lin Chuan saw Cui Guinian sitting inside and bowed warmly from afar, saying, "Young Master Cui, I am so sorry for not greeting you sooner! I am so sorry for not greeting you sooner!"

"Haha, you're too kind, Lord Lin!" Cui Guinian stood up and returned the greeting, his face full of smiles.

"I just heard from Uncle Jiu that Young Master Cui brought a lot of things. Young Master Cui is so polite, it makes me seem stingy. By the way, has the salt that Young Master Cui mentioned last time been resolved?"

"I happened to hear about a purification method from a craftsman in the Imperial Workshop. I'll write it down for Young Master Cui in a bit, as a way of returning the favor!" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

Cui Guinian's expression froze. They had already obtained the formula for purifying salt by bribing the craftsmen at the Longyou salt fields, but it was inconvenient to talk about it. He could only smile and agree, "Then thank you very much, Lord Lin!"

"Young Master Cui, you're too kind!" Lin Chuan waved his hand with a smile.

After chatting for a while, Cui Guinian suddenly said to Lin Chuan with a sincere expression, "These past few days, the Zhenguan Bookstores in both the East and West Markets have been bustling with activity. I never imagined that County Earl Lin would even know the method of printing books—"

—”

Many people had guessed this, and Lin Chuan wasn't surprised. However, he certainly wouldn't admit it, so he smiled and shook his head: "Young Master Cui has misunderstood. That's a method passed down in the Yan family, but it doesn't concern me!"

"Haha, I misheard. I heard that the incense shop in the East Market is also your family's property. I came here today to cooperate with Lord Lin and open incense shops in every prefecture of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Lord Lin only needs to send some people to manage it; I'll take care of the rest!"

"Oh? What percentage profit does Young Master Cui want?" Lin Chuan asked with great interest.

"One step is enough!"

So they came to deliver money!