"Your Majesty, this matter is indeed the fault of Japan, but I also ask Your Majesty to grant Japan ten days of grace. If Nakamura Kawao cannot be handed over to you after ten days, Nakatabe and the entire Japanese nation are willing to accept the punishment~!"
In the Japanese palace, after the guards left, Queen Tuigu bowed slightly to Li Xiaogong and said.
Without even thinking about it, Li Xiaogong shook his head and said: "I have a sacred mandate, and there is no way I can stay in Japan for ten days. Yang Fan will return to Chang'an tomorrow~!"
Queen Tuigu's expression was stagnant, as if she was a little unprepared for this result. After thinking for a moment, she said:
"In any case, it was the Japanese country that caused the Tang Dynasty to suffer losses. The Etian Department is willing to offer thousands of catties of brass and one hundred thousand taels of silver as compensation~! After capturing the remnants of Nakamura Chuan Yuichi, the Etian Department will send envoys to When we get to Chang'an City, we will leave it to the prince with full authority~! I wonder what the prince wants~?"
Li Xiaogong couldn't help but breathed slightly, and secretly thought in his heart that the Japanese country was really rich and wealthy~!
What does Datang lack now~? The most lacking items are of course silver and brass~!
The territory of the Tang Dynasty was very vast, but the detection and mining technology of gold, silver and copper mines were not very advanced, so the annual silver output in the country was only about fifteen thousand taels. Yes, you heard it right, fifteen thousand taels~ !
This fifteen thousand taels of newly refined silver, coupled with the local officials from various places collecting private silver and giving it to the emperor, and sometimes states and counties also converted the taxes paid into silver and transported it to Beijing. This silver was usually cast The rectangular silver collar is one foot long and two inches wide. There are more silver collars of fifty liang and one collar. The weight, fineness, origin of the silver, the name, official position, year of the tribute, etc. should be engraved or written on the collar.
Therefore, silver was not a currency in circulation in the Tang Dynasty.
Think about the later dynasties. Corrupt officials often embezzled tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands taels. For example, Yan Song in the Ming Dynasty embezzled 30,000 taels of gold and more than two million taels of silver. He Shen of the Qing Dynasty embezzled 800 million taels of silver. , more than the imperial court’s ten-year income. Compared with these corrupt officials, the Tang Dynasty’s silver reserves were really weak~!
There is also brass. The Tang Dynasty has been recovering and recuperating in recent years. Domestic development is booming. People's lives have improved. The demand for copper coins among the people is naturally greater. However, there are only so many copper mines that the imperial court has discovered. At this time, There are no banknotes such as "Jiaozi" and "Baochao", so the Tang Dynasty has been short of money in the past two years~!
The Tang Dynasty, at least, did not dare to play like the Japanese country, which was so rich and wealthy and could just casually take out a thousand kilograms of brass.
"Ten thousand jins of brass and one hundred thousand taels of silver. After capturing Nakamura Chuanxiong, he must be personally escorted to Chang'an by a person of sufficient status and weight in Japan. In this way, I can pretend that nothing happened~!"
Li Xiaogong thought about it for a while, then looked at Queen Tuigu and said lightly.
The lion opens his mouth~!
The bearded guests on the side couldn't help but glance at Li Xiaogong in surprise, and then the lion opened his mouth~!
If ten thousand catties of brass were brought back to Chang'an, it would definitely be enough to solve the court's current money shortage!
Shanbei's eldest brother Wang pursed his lips and clenched his hands vigorously. Even though he belonged to the conservative side of Japan, he still couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when facing Li Xiaogong's lion's big mouth.
Empress Tuigu narrowed her eyes slightly, then gritted her teeth and said: "Your Majesty, these ten thousand kilograms of brass are really..."
"No need to say anything~!"
Li Xiaogong waved his hand and interrupted directly: "There is no room for negotiation on this matter~! Does the queen know that the twenty soldiers who died in the battle were the most heroic soldiers of our Datang, as well as those innocent crew members, and now they They were all buried in the sea, with no bones left~!
Before I went to sea, the Holy Emperor once said to me. If there is an invading enemy, we will definitely annihilate them with all our strength! The people of the Japanese country killed our soldiers and people of the Tang Dynasty. Logically, I should send troops to attack directly, but because of your love for the Tang Dynasty, the king is extra generous. Don't bargain anymore~ ! "
Li Xiaogong's arrogance is vividly displayed at this moment~!
Weak countries have no diplomacy, while strong countries retain hegemony. This sentence is also vividly displayed at this moment~!
Queen Tuigu closed her eyes. After a while, she sighed and said: "Okay~! As per the prince~! But the amount of brass and silver is huge, please give me two days of grace~!"
She weighed and struggled in her mind for a long time before agreeing to the condition of "losing her power and humiliating the country".
Li Xiaogong said calmly: "Two days are too long. We must prepare ten thousand catties of brass and one hundred thousand taels of silver before noon tomorrow~!"
Empress Tuigu gritted her silver teeth, and after a moment, she said: "Okay~! I'll try my best~!"
Li Xiaogong didn't feel dissatisfied. He looked around and said, "Then I don't know who the queen plans to send to escort Nakamura Kawao~?"
Queen Lagu thought for a while and said: "This matter is of great importance, and I want to stay in court tomorrow..."
"Your Majesty~! I am willing to escort Nakamura Kawao to the Tang Dynasty~!"
Empress Tuigu originally wanted to let the ministers discuss this matter at court tomorrow morning, but before she could finish her words, the eldest brother Shanbei stepped forward and bowed:
"I have admired the culture of the Tang Dynasty for a long time. I am going to the Tang Dynasty to gain some knowledge. When I come back, I can serve the Japanese country and share your Majesty's worries~!"
Queen Tuigu's brows twitched, and her expression suddenly turned ugly. It was obvious that she didn't want her eldest brother Shanbei to go to the Tang Dynasty.
Li Xiaogong squinted his eyes and looked at Shanbei's eldest brother, King, and then said: "Earlier, I said that there is a person with enough weight. Who are you~?"
Shanbei's eldest brother did not show anger because of Li Xiaogong's contempt. He raised his hands and replied: "I am Shanbei's eldest brother. I am the current purple crown prince of the imperial court. Prince Shotoku is my late father. I wonder if you can give me this chance." ~?"
(Previously, Prince Shotoku divided officials into twelve grades, and used the color of the crown as a distinguishing system. That is, great virtue, small virtue, great benevolence, small benevolence, great courtesy, small courtesy, great faith, little faith, great justice, small justice , Dazhi, Xiaozhi and other twelve levels, each level uses the corresponding color to make the crown and hat, and the purple crown Dade is the first grade)
"Prince Shotoku~?"
Li Xiaogong whispered in his heart that he had heard a lot about Prince Shotoku's deeds when he was on the ship. He knew that this man had a great reputation among the Japanese people, which was basically equivalent to Li Er's reputation in the Tang Dynasty. .
So, he nodded and said: "Haha~! Okay~! It's just you~! Now that the matter has been discussed, I will take my leave~!"
After that, he stood up and prepared to leave with the bearded guest without any delay.
Queen Tuigu and her eldest brother, King Shanbei, said goodbye behind the scenes.
After leaving the palace gate, Ono Yoko stepped forward and smiled flatteringly: "Your Majesty, please come this way~! His Majesty has prepared a carriage for you~! It's late at night, you two must be tired, and you can just rest in the carriage for a while~ !”
Li Xiaogong thought for a while, then nodded and said: "Yes~! Come forward and lead the way~!"
"Yes yes yes~!"
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