Taking the opportunity to retaliate against His Majesty Li Er for his proud behavior just now, Yang Fan did not dare to go too far.
Just when His Majesty Li Er was about to lose his temper, Yang Fan quickly changed the subject and said, "Why is sister Gao Yang alone? Aren't Mei Niang and the others with you?"
"Oops! It's all Mr. Lang's fault, I almost forgot." Princess Gao Yang patted her white forehead, and then said: "Mei Niang asked Gao Yang to ask your husband. They haven't been to the Chamber of Commerce in Junyangfang for several days and want to ask you. Not going?"
Yang Fan, who was about to get rid of His Majesty Li Er, of course agreed wholeheartedly.
"Of course we'll go together. How about taking a look with sister Gao Yang? We'll stay there for a few days. There are some very interesting novelties in Junyangfang."
Accompanying an old man is not as enjoyable as accompanying several beauties.
However, His Majesty Li Er's face turned dark again, and he glared at Yang Fan fiercely, feeling that this guy was not pleasing to the eye.
He was the emperor and the most powerful person in the Tang Empire, but Yang Fan didn't invite him, which made him very unhappy.
After all, wherever he went before, he was always popular like a star. When did he get so ignored?
If it were in the past, His Majesty Li Er would definitely reprimand him or directly kick him.
In his opinion, as long as he doesn't like this kid, he will just scold you and hit you. There is nothing wrong at all?
We are not only the emperor, but also your father-in-law. Do you dare to fight back?
But now, His Majesty Li Er is in a good mood.
After all, the problem of farming cattle had just been solved, so he didn't want to put too much trouble on Yang Fan and just expressed his dissatisfaction with a snort.
"Although I allowed you to resign from the post of Minister of Rites and promised to give you overseas trade jurisdiction, it is really unbearable to see you hanging out with merchants all day long."
"Young people should be enterprising. I am afraid that you will go astray, so why not give you another official position to sharpen your temperament so that you can become a pillar of the court in the future!"
His Majesty Li Er directly turned on the elder mode.
The meaning is also very obvious, which is to persuade Yang Fan to engage less in business and focus on officialdom.
If others heard this, they would probably jump with excitement.
It is a supreme honor to receive such sincere teachings from the emperor.
It means that your official career will be smooth and prosperous in the future!
Such a good thing, I am afraid I can wake up from my dream with laughter...
But Yang Fan was a little disapproving of it. He was submissive on the face, but he was full of curses in his heart.
What the emperor said was better than what he sang.
Although she spoke grandly and even played the family card, I was afraid that she didn't want to escape from his grasp and could only move under his nose.
Besides, you, the emperor, are very poor. If we hadn't been with merchants, how could you have lived a good life?
If you can, don't share the cake from me?
What's more, since you don't want to associate with merchants, why do you, an emperor, look like you are about to move when you hear that we are going to Junyangfang?
Haha, in fact, we have already seen through your emperor’s tricks!
Don’t you just want us to invite you to go together? Not as expected...
His Majesty Li Er will naturally not try to figure out Yang Fan's little thoughts.
As for you, Yang Fan, what can you do?
Could it be that the shore of the land is the land of the king?
We are the emperor, and we can go wherever we want. As for whether you agree or not, haha!
However, His Majesty Li Er is more concerned about another matter, which is Yang Fan's official position.
This kid is so evil, he would be a little uneasy if he stayed away from his sight.
What's more, without that kid, it seems a bit impossible.
So the topic was raised and asked: "How is the development of the Chamber of Commerce in Junyangfang?"
Hearing this, Yang Fan was a little surprised!
When did His Majesty Li Er start to care about this? Doesn't this guy look down on business ethics?
Yang Fan still answered truthfully: "It is increasing steadily every month. Maybe the taxes paid to the court this year may be hundreds of thousands more."
His casual question made His Majesty Li Er even more shocked!
Last year, the taxes paid by Junyangfang amounted to more than one million yuan, accounting for almost 1/20 of the total taxes of the imperial court.
"The Rebirth of Financial Giants"
Moreover, His Majesty Li Er has not yet calculated the dividends he received.
According to his agreement with Yang Fan, he holds 50% of this chamber of commerce, plus 10% from Cheng Yaojin's trap, plus 30% borrowed from Yang Fan, and His Majesty Li Er will keep 90% of the profit.
This dividend is an astronomical figure, more than eight million yuan.
Although Yang Fan has hidden a lot of costs, His Majesty Li Er is already very satisfied!
But Yang Fan said that there might be more this year. In other words, the Zhongyi Hou Mansion brought nearly tens of millions of wealth to him and the court out of thin air.
This boy is really a god of wealth!
His Majesty Li Er stroked his short beard and beard under his chin, and thought to himself, why not take this kid to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and become a minister?
You know, the Ministry of Civil Affairs cannot make ends meet every year.
Soon, His Majesty Li Er denied it again.
Even if Yang Fan is quite talented at amassing money, he doesn't think this kid can manipulate a country's finances.
After all, what the Ministry of Civil Affairs wants is not just to make money, but also to know how to plan.
Yang Fan is still young now and has an undecided temperament, so he cannot act too hastily.
But thinking of Yang Fan's profit, His Majesty Li Er was a little jealous.
You must know that that is millions of dollars, so much money, for a family, it is also a huge wealth.
Although His Majesty Li Er received 90%, the money was used for the expenditure and construction of the entire Tang Dynasty, which was a bit stretched.
And Yang Fan had a monopoly of 10%, and all the money went into this kid’s pocket!
Comparing the two, His Majesty Li Er suddenly felt dissatisfied, so he turned his eyes and asked: "What did you use so much money for?"
Seeing that His Majesty Li Er was thinking about his money again, Yang Fan really wanted to yell at him, but he still had no choice but to explain: "Your Majesty, Junyangfang's expenses are very large, and Wei Chen has no money left."
Unexpectedly, His Majesty Li Er did not go into details, but asked casually: "So much money has been used up? It must be that the firearms workshop has spent too much, right?"
Only then did Yang Fan understand that His Majesty Li Er was thinking about his firearms workshop.
But Yang Fan was a little confused!
Haven't the manufacturing processes for the pistol and Hongtian Lei been given to him?
Yang Fan thought for a while and said respectfully: "The firearms workshop does not cost much...it's just that the production cycle is relatively long..."
His Majesty Li Er was immediately speechless.
He found it really difficult to stay calm while chatting with Yang Fan.
Because this bastard never talks the way you expect.
For example, in the sentence just now, I asked you about your firearms manufacturing status, just to know how many you produced.
Then you only need to explain in detail how many were produced. If you say "not too many" in such a general way, who the hell knows how many were produced before?
Seeing that His Majesty Li Er had a bad look on his face, Yang Fan was also speechless.
The emperor's temper was too weird, and he was always sullen. Could it be that he was menopausal?
But he soon thought of the reason why His Majesty Li Er asked.
The only possibility is that the imperial court encountered difficulties when manufacturing firearms.
To produce firearms, in addition to the manufacturing process, you must also have good steel and lathes... to speed up production.
But these devices were redeemed from the system, and Yang Fan didn't want to expose these things.
So I just copied the manufacturing process to His Majesty Li Er.
Although it can be produced by hand, it is definitely several times more difficult. Is His Majesty Li Er thinking about his firearms workshop again?
Thinking of this, Yang Fan quickly said: "Your Majesty, the firearms in Junyangfang are all handmade and extremely difficult to make. Now the guards in Junyangfang are not equipped with firearms!"
"The batch of firearms given to His Majesty last time were all owned by the firearms workshop."
Although the scale of the firearms workshop in Junyangfang is limited, it is definitely sufficient to be self-sufficient, but Yang Fan does not dare to show off in front of His Majesty Li Er.
After all, this emperor wants to grab something good when he sees it, which is really shameless.
Seeing Yang Fan guarding him like a thief, His Majesty Li Er glared at Yang Fan. He was not a robber. Is it really necessary?
If Yang Fan had the ability to read minds, he would definitely nod in agreement.
However, Yang Fan did indeed somewhat unfairly accuse His Majesty Li Er!
Although the imperial court encountered difficulties in manufacturing firearms, His Majesty Li Er never wanted to rob Yang Fan's firearms workshop.
He just didn't want Yang Fan to be so idle and waste his talents.
But he was afraid that Yang Fan would refuse, so he went around in a big circle. His Majesty Li Er thought about it for a while, and then said in a deep voice:
"Artifacts such as muskets are indeed powerful weapons for killing people, but they are also too difficult to manufacture. General Hong Tianlei has been researching for several months, but there has been no progress..."
"I plan to set up a department that specializes in R&D and manufacturing of these sharp weapons. As the saying goes, there are specialties in the arts. Since you invented these things, you will be in charge of this department..."
Hearing this, Yang Fan was shocked and quickly declined: "Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible. I am young and frivolous. How can I be qualified to take on such an important task? Your Majesty, please find another mature and steady person to serve as your superior." Of the policy!"
What a joke!
This was like jumping out of the sea of fire and into the wolf's den again. He still wanted to have a few days of leisure.
If nothing unexpected happens, this newly established department will be directly under the jurisdiction of His Majesty Li Er.
Even the slightest disturbance must be closely monitored by His Majesty Li Er. Doesn’t he have no freedom at all?
Although those who can take charge of this department must be His Majesty Li Er's confidants.
But being monitored every day, and every move cannot escape His Majesty Li Er's control, the psychological pressure is really too great.
It's worse than death. It's better to become the Minister of Rites. At least you can dry nets for three days and fish for two days.
The reason for such resistance, in the final analysis, is Yang Fan's soul from later generations.
No matter how much you follow the local customs, you will inevitably have the loose and casual character of later generations, which is incompatible with the native Tang Dynasty people.
Just like before, even if someone did something outrageous, no one would say anything because of their status, and they would just take action if they wanted to.
Even if you hit someone in the end, it would just be passed down as a fun thing and it would be harmless.
But if His Majesty Li Er is stared at every day, wouldn't he suffer a serious crime?
This is absolutely impossible!
Seeing Yang Fan's refusal, His Majesty Li Er was not angry. Instead, he raised the corner of his mouth and showed an unsmiling smile, which made Yang Fan feel frightened.
When Yang Fan was looking a little hairy, His Majesty Li Er spoke!
"Haha, you are a mature and steady man? I think you can be called a mature man who seeks the country, but you actually let me be manipulated by you. Aren't you very proud?"
These cryptic words made Yang Fan suddenly wet his back with cold sweat, and his whole body shivered. He swallowed his saliva and said tentatively: "Wei Chen is stupid, I don't know what your majesty means by this? How can we dare to plot against your majesty?" Isn’t this looking for death? I haven’t lived enough yet!”
His Majesty Li Er smiled coldly again: "You deliberately angered me and asked me to remove you from your official position. Isn't this a plot against me?"
"You are so evasive about making a weapon that makes the empire strong. Is it because you have a disobedient heart?"
Hearing this, Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat.
Immediately, he was filled with doubts. If he doesn't obey your arrangements, does he have a disobedient heart?
His Majesty Li Er's words were a bit harsh.
Before Yang Fan could answer, His Majesty Li Er continued: "What's more, firearms are important weapons of the country. I don't dare to take the risk and let others get involved at will."
"Although the empire looks strong and peaceful on the surface, in fact there are many people who are secretly trying to do bad things."
"There are even many people who are stumbling upon me, waiting to see me make a fool of myself. Some people are even staring at the throne below my butt."
"So, I need someone I trust to make a sharp weapon as soon as possible so that the Tang Dynasty's army can be armed to the teeth. Then we will see who dares to make mistakes."
Hearing His Majesty Li Er's heartfelt words, Yang Fan fell silent.
It is undeniable that His Majesty Li Er was not very happy with his role as emperor.
The remaining ministers of the former dynasty, the five surnames and the seven nobles, and even the aliens who submitted to the Tang Dynasty...
Each and every one of them seems to have surrendered at the feet of His Majesty Li Er and the powerful Tang Empire.
But in fact, they all have evil intentions, waiting for His Majesty Li Er to make a mistake and remove him from the throne.
Even the prince always stared at the seat under Li Er's buttocks, which made His Majesty Li Er sleepless and restless at night.
Therefore, for the workshop that manufactures firearms, he must have someone he can trust absolutely.
In the opinion of His Majesty Li Er, Yang Fan, who has always remained neutral, is the most suitable.
This is why he wants Yang Fan to lead this department.
After all, the Tang Dynasty may seem like a beautiful place, but in fact His Majesty Li Er's current situation is absolutely precarious.
The firearm is the sharp sword in his hand, which can destroy everything that blocks him.
Why did His Majesty Li Er always want to prepare for an expedition to Goguryeo, ignore the advice of many ministers, and even go his own way?
Doesn’t His Majesty Li Er know how difficult it is to conquer Goguryeo?
His Majesty Li Er knows better than anyone else!
But what Li Er knows better is that he must rely on his unparalleled achievements to firmly suppress all different voices.
Of course, it's not that His Majesty Li Er is afraid of these people.
As a person who dares to kill his brother and his father in prison, what else does His Majesty Li Er dare not do?
He just didn't want to see those who opposed him getting more and more violent, and finally had to force him to raise the butcher knife high and cut off this prosperous era of Zhenguan.
It's not that I don't dare, but that I'm unwilling or unable...
In this time and space, no one can understand His Majesty Li Er's mentality better than Yang Fan.
Thanks to this, he was able to accurately understand the character of His Majesty Li Er and master his way of doing things.
His Majesty Li Er seemed to be filled with emotion and a little excited: "Do you know my difficulties? Could it be that I can't do as well as the dissolute and unscrupulous Yang Guang?"
"Or is it because of my achievements and my army that I can't make these people surrender? I hate these people who keep saying they serve the country and the people."
"I hate these people, their selfishness and self-righteousness, so I really don't dare to let others do it for me."
Yang Fan did not dare to interrupt, for fear of disturbing His Majesty Li Er's feelings, so he became a qualified listener.
"Yang Fan, I am very optimistic about you! You are young but have extraordinary talents. You have become a rope in the Ministry of Rites in just a few months. You are born to be an official. Why are you obsessed with business and unwilling to benefit the officials? People of the world?"
"You seem to be called Bangchui, but I can also see that you actually have a beautiful heart, especially when it comes to doing things, you are especially proficient."
"Underneath the vulgar and reckless behavior, there is a precise grasp of the situation. This is rare!"
His Majesty Li Er said very pleased.
Yang Fan was a little helpless.
Is His Majesty Li Er brainwashing him?
Do you think I am a three-year-old child?
Say a few words of chicken soup for the soul, then scream and organize a charge into battle?
Looking at Yang Fan with a look of "You are still talking about lotus flowers, I am standing still", His Majesty Li Er was a little surprised and laughed.
They all say that this kid is like a donkey, and will fall back if he is not led away, and that is indeed the case.
"You have to know that the trust I have given you must be upright in your mind no matter what you do or do."
"Even if you are scheming against others, you must put your calculations in the open so that others can be convinced even if they lose. This is called conspiracy!"
"Only those who conspire can plan the world! They spend their whole day contemplating conspiracies. Over time, people become gloomy and stingy, like wild dogs in the gutter. How can they achieve great things?"
This is the ultimate chicken soup for the soul. Is His Majesty Li Er planning to be a life mentor?
He was puzzled, but he could also hear that His Majesty Li Er was not completely unaware of the reasons for Yang Fan's resignation.
Sure enough, His Majesty Li Er glanced at Yang Fan sideways and said in a serious tone: "Do you think you are the only one who is loyal? There are many people who are loyal to me, but I don't want other people to get involved."
Looking at the hysterical His Majesty Li Er, Yang Fan suddenly realized that His Majesty Li Er had no choice but to do this!
