Wang Zi'an still underestimated the strength of the Changsun family's caravan and the determination of the Changsun family. This time, the Changsun family used ten large ships to capture the rice. The rice that Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji brought personally was only a drop in the bucket.
Not to mention that his farm could not be cultivated, even if Li Shimin gave him all the farms near Chang'an, he probably would not be able to cultivate it.
Although he knew that Changsun Wuji was speculating, he still had to admire this man's courage.
Moreover, it is obvious that the Changsun family has also tasted the benefits brought by this matter very smoothly. This time I went to Linyi in person, overcame all difficulties, and brought back Changsun Chong from Linyi to occupy the city. He was promoted to a higher rank on the same day.
From the fifth-rank Fengche Captain and guerrilla general, he suddenly became the fourth-rank Sinong Temple Shaoqing, and even his title was changed to the corresponding Qingche Captain.
Not just three levels in a row, but five levels in a row!
Moreover, unlike the previous titles of Captain Fengche, the Shaoqing of Sinong Temple was in charge of the affairs of the world's crops, which was an important position of real power in the DPRK.
With this merit, Changsun Chong jumped directly over the door frame of the fifth rank, truly entered the court's sight, and became the highest-ranking and most dazzling official among the second generation of Chang'an.
This speed of promotion has exceeded the norm.
Because of this incident, Changsun Wuji, who was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, wrote repeatedly to the court and personally asked for his son's resignation, but Li Shimin rejected them all.
"Chang Sun Chong worked tirelessly on expeditions overseas to bring back high-yielding rice seeds for the imperial court. He has made great contributions to the country and the people. How can I be stingy with your lord's reward and chill the hearts of all the meritorious ministers in the world——"
Seeing Li Shimin's resolute attitude, Changsun Wuji had no choice but to accept the reality. He took Changsun Chong to thank the court again and again before the matter came to an end. Even if others are envious, they can only watch.
Who doesn't have such a powerful maritime caravan?
This is the case in any era. It does not mean that you are rich, you can build this kind of caravan. Without a strong family background, decades of experience accumulation and connections, and without the acquiescence of the court or even the emperor, you want to have such a caravan. Such a huge caravan is simply a fantasy.
Similarly, anyone who owns such a caravan means that he has countless wealth and resources, and it also means that he will never let it go easily.
Youzhou.
Although the New Year has passed and Chang'an has begun to gradually get warmer, Youzhou is located in the north, where heavy snow is still flying and dripping water turns to ice.
Prince Yan's Mansion.
Li Youhe's uncle Yin Hongzhi, who was also demoted to Youzhou by Li Shimin because of the Yin Chengzhi incident and served as the captain of the Yanwang Palace, and the old man who lived in seclusion in the backyard of the Yanwang Palace and grew vegetables all year round and was called Ninth Brother by Chang Jiu, were holding them. Tea and soup, sitting around the stove.
Li You put down the tea cup with a somewhat impatient expression and looked at Yin Hongzhi, who had a gloomy expression.
"So, what do those people in Chang'an say?"
"Everyone in that group of people is an old fox. How can they open their mouths at this stall..."
Yin Hongzhi shook his head, a look of helplessness flashed across his face.
That group of people are just a bunch of old foxes who eat people but don't spit out their bones. They all swear by it when collecting money, but when their efforts are needed, they change their faces one by one.
Li You was so angry that he slammed the coffee table and cursed angrily.
"This group of male thieves and female prostitutes are dishonest bastards, hypocrites! They have eaten and drank from me, and now it's time for them to contribute, and they have done this to me again. They really think that I am easy to bully!" "
But no matter how furious he was, it couldn't change any facts.
In the end, I could only sit there and sulk to myself.
"What to do now? Keep throwing money?"
Li You reluctantly raised his head and looked at Yin Hongzhi. Yin Hongzhi subconsciously glanced at Yin Jiuge, who was holding the tea cup and keeping silent.
Yin Jiuge was the former leader of the Yin family's private army and the controller of the Yin family's underground power. Now the actual controller of the Yin family, even Yin Hongzhi, who is now exposed to the public, actually has to respect him.
Yin Jiuge seemed as if he hadn't seen him before, sipping the tea in his cup unhurriedly.
Yin Hongzhi instantly understood the thoughts of his family head.
His eyes flickered for a moment, and he looked at Li You and shook his head gently.
"I'm afraid this isn't about money anymore——"
At this point, Yin Hongzhi paused and added.
"What's more, we can't give it away even if we want to - we have no money..."
Li You:! ! ! ! ! !
His face changed drastically, and he stood up suddenly.
"Where is my king's money——"
"In order to open up relations with Chang'an and win over people close to us, our Prince Yan's Mansion has been spending a lot of money in the past few years. We used to have that sea channel, which we could barely maintain, but now that sea trade road has been taken away by His Majesty... "
Having said this, Yin Hongzhi shook his head with a wry smile and did not continue.
The meaning is very clear, because Li Shimin took away the maritime trade route, they suddenly cut off their largest source of income.
Now, in just a few months, the financial situation of Prince Yan's Mansion has already gone into trouble.
Snapped--
The tea bowl was smashed to pieces.
Li You's face looked a little ferocious.
"Prince An, I and you are at odds with each other!"
Chang Jiu accidentally bumped into Yin Chengzhi, who was working at the Dongshan Glazed Factory in Wangzi Andong, and was interested in stealing the glaze technology. However, he never expected that before he could obtain the glaze technology, he would be arrested by Wang Zi'an and Li Junxian. Got it right.
Stealing the chicken will lose the rice.
Without acquiring the glazed technology, the maritime trade route was lost!
That was the basis for the Yan Palace to maintain its huge expenditure.
Over the years, whether it was the private army of the Yin family, the soldiers he trained according to the regulations, or the expenses for opening up connections with the imperial court, as well as the extravagant living expenses of the Yan Palace, they all relied on this extremely rich maritime trade route.
Now, it’s gone!
After being angry for a long time, he finally calmed down the anger in his heart and looked at Yin Jiuge with a cold look.
"Master of the Yin family, don't you just admit it like this? That is the economic lifeline of your Yin family. Without this trade route, I will be frugal and garrisoned in the fields. But if you don't have that passage, your private armies can still do it. Can it be maintained?"
When Yin Jiuge heard this, he raised his eyelids slightly and glanced at him.
Naturally, he couldn't see such a childish provocation, but he still asked noncommittally.
"What do you want, King Yan?"
"What do you want? I want that bitch to die! He actually dares to go against me and ruin my big event——"
Li You looked at Yin Jiuge with a ferocious expression.
"Over the years, I have provided shelter and help to you. Now it's time for you to show your respect to me!"
The anger flashed across Yin Jiuge's eyes, but his face remained calm and there was no hint of happiness or anger in his voice.
"It is said that Wang Zi'an has the courage of a king. He can carry a stone lion of seven to eight hundred kilograms and break into the palace of the Wang family in Taiyuan alone. How can an ordinary person be his opponent? You are sure that for this moment of loyalty, you have to use it. The power that our Yin family has hidden for many years?”
"King Yan, you must not do this—important matters are the most important—"
Fearing that Li You would be impulsive and want to fight with Prince An, Yin Hongzhi on the side quickly spoke out to persuade him.
Hearing that the important matter was important, Li You finally showed a look of hesitation on his face. He pondered for a long time before saying bitterly.
"Is this the end of it?"
Although he was unwilling to do so, he did not dare to act rashly. He had also heard people mention Wang Zi'an's prowess. If the assassination failed and His Majesty was alarmed instead, then something big would really happen.
When he asked, Yin Jiuge took a sip of tea and said calmly.
"Of course not-"
When Li You heard this, he immediately became energetic and subconsciously leaned forward to look at this old guy who was showing off every day.
"Don't worry, why have I, Yin Jiuge, ever been so cowardly? I have already made arrangements for this matter. This time, I not only want to get the method of making Liuli, but also make him pay for what he has done. A terrible price!"
As soon as he said this, Li You's eyes couldn't help but light up. He picked up the kettle and poured a cup for Yin Jiuge himself.
"What's the master plan of the Yin family?"
The three of them gathered together and murmured for a long time. Li You's eyes became brighter and brighter as he listened, and he couldn't help but slap his hands at the end.
"Very well, Prince An is a dog thief. This time I will definitely teach you a painful lesson -"
After finishing speaking, he hesitated and added.
"If it's not absolutely necessary, try not to hurt her personally——"
When Yin Jiuge heard this, a smile appeared on his lips.
"I didn't expect His Highness Prince Yan to be a brotherly person..."
Before Li You's face turned dark, he had already smiled and nodded.
"Your Highness, just don't worry. As long as there is a slight possibility, we will not harm her at all - after all, we don't want to force the one in the palace to fight with us..."
Li You nodded and turned to look at the wind and snow outside the window. It seemed that he saw a scene in Chang'an through the snow and wind, and a smile of gloating could not help but appear at the corner of his mouth.
"Qingque should be leaving Beijing at this time -"
Having said this, he stretched out his hand and gently caught a snowflake.
"I heard from people that my good brother left the capital most probably because Prince An, the thief, spoke ill of him in front of my father. Guess, with my good brother's temperament, will he leave the capital?" He will take risks and use all his power to eradicate the scourge of Wang Zi'an..."
…
Outside Chang'an City.
Ten miles long pavilion.
Li Tai was dressed in a simple robe and a snow-white cloak. After more than a month, his round and bloated figure had slimmed down for the first time. He looked a little more shrewd and capable than before.
After bidding farewell to the relatives and friends who came to see him off, as well as a few sisters and a few young brothers who came to see him off, he boarded the carriage with a gloomy look, leaned against the carriage, listening to the rumble of wheels, and not only felt slightly Absence.
Years of hard work turned into nothing in one day.
How can it be so easy to say let go?
"It's easy to say that the sky is brighter when you take a step back..."
He sighed softly, raised his hand to lift the car curtain on the side, and looked back at the road with complicated eyes. Some of his close friends in the past had already begun to turn their heads, and several brothers and sisters who were friendly to him also started to turn around. Stepped on his carriage. Under the setting sun, Chang'an City looks more majestic and solemn.
Now that his condition has recovered and the New Year has passed, the delay in leaving Beijing that he had worked so hard to obtain has no effect. During this period, he mobilized almost all the forces close to him and made suggestions to the palace through various channels. He wanted to continue to stay in Chang'an, but without exception, he was severely rejected by his father.
And he finally had no reason to stay in Chang'an, and no need to stay any longer. He knew that his father must know that these were his means to stay, but it was obvious that this time his father really wanted to stay. What is important is that I have made up my mind to convey a very clear attitude to myself through this matter.
"Your Highness, are you really willing to leave here -"
Cui Xiangzhi saw Li Tai looking at Chang'an in the distance, silently, and reluctantly advising from the side.
As the most capable assistant in Prince Wei's palace, he naturally had to follow His Highness Prince Wei to Yangzhou, but how could he be willing to do so?
A family like theirs has always been unwilling to put eggs in one basket, and his egg, undoubtedly the egg that the family valued more, was assigned to the Palace of Wei Prince, and he himself was also ambitious and wanted to follow The king of Wei did something great.
It was going smoothly, and he had almost seen hope, and he was just glad that he had boarded the big ship of King Wei.
Who knows, suddenly the boat capsized...
"Whether you are willing or not, does it matter now?"
Li Tai came back to his senses and looked at Cui Xiangzhi beside him.
"Brother Cui, you and I have known each other for many years. With your talent and knowledge, you could have great potential, so why bother wasting your years with me, a loser..."
Cui Xiangzhi couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Xin said, you think I am willing, isn't it because I followed you too closely before and have already been marked by you?
If I go back now, not only will I gain the reputation of betraying my master, but I can't even hope to gain the trust of others.
For example, His Highness the Crown Prince, how could he trust a former confidant of His Highness King Wei?
"Why did His Highness the King of Wei say this? It is Cui's honor to follow His Highness - not to mention, a blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. If anyone says this, we will have completely lost hope..."
Cui Xiangzhi originally just said it casually, but before he finished speaking, his eyes lit up.
Yes, who said we have completely lost hope?
“Brother Cui, it’s me who has caused you trouble——”
Li Tai looked at his former confidant with complicated eyes.
Thinking about how I used to call out friends and have a lot of guests, now I feel frustrated and the only one with me is this Cui family member.
"Where did His Highness the King of Wei say this? A loyal minister does not serve the two masters. He dare not claim to be loyal, but he also knows the word loyalty."
Having said this, Cui Xiangzhi bowed slightly.
"What's more, major events have not yet been decided, and it is too early to say this. There are no outsiders here. I can't say anything serious. Your Majesty is now in the prime of life. How can it be so easy for the prince to want that position? In this process, as long as there is some skill Something is wrong..."
At this point, Cui Xiang smiled and said nothing.
Your Majesty and the Crown Prince are father and son, as well as monarch and minister.
What is the most taboo thing among monarchs and ministers?
There is such a guy who is both a son and a minister. He is thinking about his position as a king all day long and is waiting to take over. Especially when the king is still young and powerful and does not want to delegate power, the son who wants to take over will... It's even more dangerous.
Li Tai was already a little disheartened, but when he heard this, the idea became as passionate as a resurgence.
"Brother Cui, listening to your words is worth ten years of studying. Fortunately, I have your help. Whenever I make a difference in the future, I will definitely share the wealth and honor with Brother Cui."
Cui Xiangzhi and Li Tai looked at each other and smiled, feeling quite sympathetic for a moment.
As soon as the thoughts come together, the mind becomes alive.
Li Tai looked back at the city in the distance and said with a smile.
"My brother Yan Wang is not a good-tempered man. Tell me, after suffering such a big loss this time, will he take the risk and settle the score with Prince Anasi..."
(End of chapter)
