Duke Qi's Public House.
The Minister of Official Personnel Affairs, Zhangsun Wuji, had just approved the punishment for dereliction of duty issued by the Department of Works to Peace Lane's Wuhou Shop.
His butt was still aching from the last spanking. Zhangsun Wuji had wanted to use this opportunity to sentence the Marquis Captain Si Chen of Pingkang Lane to exile for three thousand miles. However, when he thought of his sister Zhangsun Wugou's warning and the news that his eldest son Zhangsun Chong had found out at the Wannian County Office, he knew that he could not touch Si Chen.
His Majesty was protecting Sichen!
I really don't know what His Majesty is thinking. After being beaten by a ninth-grade Martial Marquis, the dignity of the Tian family has been offended, yet he still wants to protect the other party?
Could this be the embodiment of His Majesty's broad-mindedness?
Originally, Zhangsun Wuji was worried that the Emperor had left Si Chen, this impartial and strong law-enforcement brute, to sharpen a knife and make a move on Xi City!
However, there was no movement for a long time. Perhaps he was overthinking.
"Master, Zhangsun You from Xi City's Heavenly Craftsmanship Workshop is here.”
The old butler stood at the door of the study and said respectfully.
"Oh, let him come directly to the study."
Zhangsun Wuji's eyes lit up and he immediately said.
After some investigation, he found out that the miraculous fire truck of Pingkang Workshop was transported from the Heavenly Workshop of Xi City, and it was very likely that it was manufactured by the Heavenly Factory. Therefore, he wanted to ask Zhangsun You, who was in charge of the Heavenly Workshop, about the situation.
"Master, you were looking for me?"
After a while, Zhangsun You entered the room and bowed respectfully to Zhangsun Wuji.
In terms of seniority, Zhangsun Wuji was his fourth uncle, but Zhangsun You did not dare to claim kinship like this.
"Yes." Zhangsun Wuji nodded." The waterwheel that put out the fire in Pingkang Lane was made by your workshop?”
" Yes," Zhangsun You replied respectfully." It's the chief of Pingkang Lane's Wuhou Shop. A month ago, he entrusted our workshop to make it according to the drawing. I didn't expect it to be of great use in this fire…"
"What?" Zhangsun Wuji interrupted him and asked in shock," You're saying that Si Chen provided the blueprint and entrusted you to make this waterwheel? It wasn't something that the craftsmen in the workshop had recently developed?”
That made sense. If the Heavenly Workshop had any new results, Zhangsun You would definitely report it to him, the family head.
Zhangsun You was a little surprised that the family head knew Si Chen's name and quickly replied,"It's indeed the blueprint that the captain brought. I'll arrange for the craftsmen to build according to the blueprint. As it was not completely completed, he did not know how effective it was, so he did not report it to the family head in time.”
If the waterwheel couldn't produce water or operate after the production was completed, it would be a failed test subject, and there would naturally be no value in reporting it to the family head.
"Do you still have the blueprints?" Zhangsun Wuji pondered for a moment and asked.
"He's still in the Heavenly Workshop."
"Quickly bring it over!"
……
The next day, Zhangsun Wuji brought the blueprint of the Water Dragon Carriage that Zhangsun You brought over and rushed into the palace to meet the Sage.
At this moment, in the Yin and Yang Hall of Taiji Palace, Li Shimin was discussing a major matter related to the national economy and the people's livelihood with Fang Xuanling, the head of Zhenguan.
"Your Majesty, since you have asked me to be in charge of salt production and sales, I dare not refuse. However, in the name of the official salt of the imperial court, he had to fake all the state-owned salt workshops and shops that sold salt as merchants. This was really a little…too troublesome.”
Fang Xuanling was thin and elegant, like a middle-aged scholar. He smiled bitterly and spread his hands, expressing his confusion.
He felt that His Majesty's brain must have been paralyzed! But he could not say that.
"What trouble?" Li Shimin said nonchalantly," All the deeds are signed under the name of the merchant, Li Wang, and Li Wang is me! These workshops and shops are all under my name. Doesn't that mean that they belong to the imperial court?”
Fang Xuanling tried to persuade Li Er again."Your Majesty, if we use merchants to operate official salt, we will have a lot more work to do with the various departments of the imperial court. Moreover, the approval of all kinds of documents had to be delayed. In addition, if this matter was used by those aristocratic families to slander His Majesty, it would also be troublesome.
Please consider it carefully, Your Majesty."
"In addition, I think that it is inappropriate for His Majesty to agree to give 10% of the profits to the civilian who offered the technology for purifying saltpeter! Once such high-quality and cheap official salt was sold, the entire country would definitely eat official salt. The profit from the salt was probably not much less than the annual national tax. Giving 10% to this person was no different from sending the Great Tang's gold and silk into one person's mouth!”
Fang Xuanling's two points were very important.
However, he didn't know what Li Shi Min was thinking.
"Minister Fang, don't say anything else. I've made up my mind!”Li Shimin firmly rejected all of Fang Xuanling's suggestions." I have my own intentions for using the name of a merchant to manage official salt. As for your worries about the folk mutant who offered the saltpeter purification technique, it's completely groundless to worry about the excessive profit of 10% of the salt!”
"As long as we lower the price of salt and crack down on the merchants who hoard and sell salt, so that the people of the Great Tang can buy salt at cost price, how can salt profit exceed national taxes? The imperial court did not make official salt to compete with the people for profit, but to benefit the people!
The total profit was meager, even if that extraordinary person who contributed salt got 10% of the profit, how much would it be?”
Li Shi Min couldn't help but smile. Si Chen still wanted to take advantage of him, the emperor. He wouldn't be able to eat anything if he taught him!
Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly. Things were not as simple as the Emperor thought. The official salt was now on sale, and salt would become a necessity for all the people of the Great Tang. The cheaper the unit price, the greater the amount used. Thanks to the low cost, the total profit of salt would be astonishing!
However, when he thought about how the salt market was currently under the control of several aristocratic families, and that the Emperor's " deep meaning " might be in the aristocratic families and not in the official salt, Fang Xuanling stopped remonstrating.
At this moment, Zhangsun Wuji was led into the Yin and Yang Hall by the chamberlain.
"Ancestors, you came at the right time!"
Li Shiming saw Zhangsun Wuji and immediately asked," I heard that the waterwheel that extinguished the fire in Pingkang Square came from Heavenly Craftsmanship Square. Have you found out the results of your investigation? What exactly happened?”
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