Xiao Wu nodded, "My daughter will remember it."
The couple saluted the warriors Xun and Zhang Gongjin.
"Teacher, Duke Ying, we are going back to Chang'an City now."
Zhang Gongjin stroked his beard and said, "Da'an came to visit me. This child is much more sensible than before."
"Students think that Da'an looks dull and dull, but in fact he is the smartest of the three brothers in the teacher's family. He just lacks guidance."
Zhang Gongjin said with emotion: "It's better for this kid to be a little more silly, a little more stupid."
Li Yue said goodbye to his wife, and the couple took Xiao Wu out of the village and got on the carriage home.
Everyone is happy that the construction started smoothly. It seems that although the first step of the Lishan Industrial Cluster has been bumpy, the result is finally good, but most of the people in the village are illiterate now.
Cultivating cultural quality is a very important task. The more we develop, the more we realize the importance of talents. Now Lishan is too short of talents who can carry out management.
Xiao Wu is very sensible, and she is very quiet sitting next to Li Yue.
"The accounts have been coordinated this time. In the future, we only need to check the entries and exits. However, Xiaoyi has more accounts to do, and I don't know if she will make mistakes."
While Li Yue was talking, he also helped Xiao Wu tidy up his hair.
"The cotton has been arranged. I asked Shangguan Yi to find He Bian for help regarding the oil. The results will come in a few days."
"Why can't cotton from outside the customs come in?"
Zhang Yang looked solemn, "Most of the people escorting the cotton are from the Western Regions. The Western Regions in the brigade are also soldiers from Gaochang. Naturally, they cannot be easily put into the customs. It is good to be able to let a dozen people into the customs."
"General Cheng Yaojin has always been open-minded in his conduct. It is inevitable that he will make harsh remarks when dealing with him. If you want more benefits, your husband must be cautious."
Aunt Yang was escorting behind the carriage on horseback.
Zhang Yang looked at Chang'an City in the distance, "Actually, our family has quite a lot of connections in Chang'an City. We don't necessarily have to find General Cheng. The old Cheng family has a strong family tradition, so just deal with Chu Mo."
"I don't know why. After I met General Cheng last time, I felt unhappy for several days. Everything went wrong. Is there something wrong with this guy's horoscope?"
After going home to sort out the accounts and planning matters, the couple spent a few days at home. Li Yue patiently taught Xiao Wu mathematics. From counting before, she now knows how to add and subtract within ten.
Zhang Yang came to the East Palace early to take charge.
Li Chengqian came back from the morning and was playing with sandbags.
Walking to Da'an, Zhang Yang asked: "Has Changsun Chong come to see the prince in the past two days?"
Zhang Daan also folded his hands, "Not in the past two days. I go to Hongwen Hall every day to record what people are talking about. I said that Mr. Changsun invited many people to study those two questions."
"Is there any result?"
Zhang Daan shook his head.
Li Chengqian's movements of hitting the sandbag were precise and precise. He stretched his legs and punched the sandbag one after another without moving his body. Zhang Yang couldn't help but curiously asked: "What a weird posture. Does His Highness the Crown Prince practice like this?"
Zhang Daan nodded, "Well, I haven't stopped day after day."
After punching the sandbag, Li Chengqian wiped his sweat, "I got up late today and came to pack the sandbag after the court. As you said, persisting for a long time is good for the body. Now that I don't punch the sandbag for half an hour every day, I feel uncomfortable all over." , I feel refreshed after the fight.”
"His Royal Highness, you still need to persist. If you stop for a while, it will be difficult to persist."
"Don't worry, Gu Hui will insist that this sandbag is not durable. One sandbag can only be used for three days. I am thinking of using leather to make a stronger sandbag in the future."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has taken another step closer to the comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, body and beauty. It is gratifying to congratulate him."
The two of them walked into the East Palace. Zhang Yang stood up and said, "I wonder if the prince is free today?"
Li Chengqian washed his face and put on clean clothes, "Just tell me, I have nothing to do today."
"I want to visit someone. I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince can go with me."
"Who is it?"
"General Qin Qiong, I don't know how he is doing."
Li Chengqian nodded, "That's fine."
Before setting off, Li Chengqian also brought some musk that was only available in the palace out of the palace.
Zhang Daan followed step by step. Zhuque Street was the busiest in autumn.
"I heard that the rice harvest in your village is about to be harvested?"
"It's almost time. The harvest should be ready in November at the latest." Zhang Yang thought for a while, "The harvest shouldn't be too good. It's still a bit late to plant it in August."
"If the fields in Guanzhong can be cultivated in this way, wouldn't it be 10% more grain tax?"
Zhang Yang explained: "The prince's words are wrong. The reason why Lishan can grow rice is because of the water source provided by the Weishui River, which allows us to open up paddy fields."
"Most of the acres in Guanzhong are not paddy fields, and it is also related to the weather. If spring comes later this year and winter comes early, rice will not be grown."
Li Chengqian nodded and said, "When you say that, you don't know much."
"Actually, there's one more thing. We in Lishan don't plan to cultivate any more fields in the near future. Our focus is still on the factory."
】
As they walked along, Li Chengqian asked curiously: "You want to put more manpower into the factory."
Zhang Yang did not deny, "Your Highness, you can get food by farming, but you can't get wealth. It is difficult for a generation facing the loess farming to raise a scholar. In today's era when books and ink are expensive, it is necessary to cultivate a scholar. It’s very costly.”
Smiling with relief again, Zhang Yang continued: "If people have money in their hands, they can afford more books, so reading will not be difficult."
"Of course, from an economic perspective, it is unrealistic to increase the income of the entire Central Plains so that people can afford books. We still need to lower the prices of books."
"By the way, some people have been talking a lot about the East Palace recently."
"What do you mean? Someone is gossiping?"
Li Chengqian put one hand behind his back and rolled up his sleeves in front of his chest, "At first, because of the topic, those literati were blocked from the East Palace. Now they have a lot of opinions about the East Palace, and some people are talking about it."
Zhang Yang nodded and said, "It turns out they have some objections."
Li Chengqian added: "I'm not worried about myself. I'm just worried that their more and more words will endanger you. If they reach the ears of my father, it will inevitably cause more trouble."
"Actually, I don't care too much about reputation."
"I know you don't care about reputation, you just want to be cautious."
After thinking about it for a while, Zhang Yang said with a smile: "It's better to make a suggestion box and let them put their opinions into the box. It's called turning bad things into good things."
"In this way, people's opinions can be sent to the East Palace, which will naturally reflect the prince's virtue of being receptive to words. Their words will also be eliminated invisible. His Royal Highness will be one step closer to the all-round development of morality, intelligence, body and beauty."
Li Chengqian laughed uncontrollably, "This person is really too..."
"Yes, it's all the cleverness and tricks of a common villain. It's not surprising."
While talking, he had already arrived in front of Duke Yi's mansion.
When the visitor knew that it was the Crown Prince who was here, he hurriedly went to report it.
Qin Qiong came to greet him personally, "I have met His Royal Highness, Master Zhang."
Li Chengqian helped Qin Qiong who was saluting, "General, there is no need to be polite. In fact, Zhang Yang is coming to visit today, so let's come together."
Qin Qiong invited the prince and Zhang Yang into the mansion. After the three of them sat down, stacks of dishes were served.
"Your Highness, the general is a rough man, and there is no elegance in the family..."
"It doesn't matter, I just came to visit the general." Li Chengqian interrupted.
"Actually, it's good to be simple like this." Zhang Yang picked up a vegetable and ate it.
Qin Qiong was a little embarrassed, "There is no wine at home."
"I haven't been drinking recently. For the sake of health, the general shouldn't drink either."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is right."
While talking, Qin Qiong looked at Zhang Yang, held up a bowl of tea and said: "I heard that Lishan made the secret recipe of Jin Chuang Medicine public and did not seek money. I will not be impressed by this kind of mind. I would like to propose a cup of tea to Master Zhang instead of wine."
Zhang Yang also held up the tea bowl, "The general is joking. The secret recipe of Jinchuang Medicine is simple. Even if Lishan doesn't make it public, someone will study it."
Qin Qiong's complexion is much better than before. Even if the three of them don't drink, they can talk for a long time just listening to Li Chengqian and Qin Qiong talk about the past.
Zhang Yang cupped his hands and said, "I heard that General Niu Jinda is currently stationed in the Hexi Corridor?"
Qin Qiong stroked his beard and said, "Exactly."
"Now there is an additional business in Lishan, but this business is related to outside the customs. I have asked the general to help me with something."
Qin Qiong nodded and said: "I said before that I owe you a favor. If you have the courage to make the golden sore medicine public, I should help you."
Zhang Yang hesitated, frowning and thinking.
After the words stopped, Li Chengqian asked: "What is it that makes you so difficult?"
"Then I'll tell you now." Zhang Yang stood up, "I wonder if the general can send his troops to go to the Hexi Corridor to help me get some cotton."
Qin Qiong's reputation is very good both among the heroes back then and now in the military.
Even if Qin Qiong does not serve in the army, there are still many military men in his house.
As an idol in the martial arts community, Qin Qiong's appeal is still very strong even if he does not use his military position.
"It turns out it's such a small thing." Qin Qiong nodded, "Just write a letter to Niu Jinda, and then send someone to transport it."
Zhang Yang added: "It's just that there is a lot of cotton, and it needs to be transported back and forth for a long time, but we can give you the cost of transportation, and the price is definitely the most suitable."
Qin Qiong smiled and said: "You can make the secret recipe public, so that more soldiers can have medicine on the battlefield. This small favor is nothing, I will make arrangements here."
"Thank you very much, General."
"Compared to this little effort, I can't live up to the original favor."
The conversation in the mansion was heard outside the door, and a man who looked like a boy kept listening. When the conversation was over, Qin Qiong said goodbye to the prince and Zhang Yang, and he hurriedly left.
The content of this conversation was quickly written down and sent to Li Shimin.
The conversations between the prince, Qin Qiong, and Zhang Yang were all recorded in eucalyptus.
"Is this why they went to see Qin Qiong?"
Li Junxian nodded and said: "Everything that was said has been recorded. The general has asked me several times and checked that there are no mistakes in what they said."
The troubles in Chang'an City cannot be hidden from His Majesty's eyes. The important generals in the court, including Li Jing, Yu Chigong, Li Daozong, Qin Qiong and others, are all being watched by His Majesty's eyes.
These were all done secretly, and even the Queen and His Majesty's most trusted people did not know about it.
Li Shimin read the content of the above conversation and said, "Zhang Yang still cares about his cotton."
Li Junxian replied: "Your Majesty, I will send someone to inquire around and find out that the contacts between Zhang Shilang and the Western Regions are indeed beneficial. Zhang Shilang will buy cotton every time, and there will be money exchanges every time. Our human eyes can see Mr. Zhang gave me the money."
Li Shimin burned the silk that recorded the conversation, "So the matter between Gao Chang and Zhang Yang is just a transaction?"
Li Junxian knelt down on one knee and lowered his head and replied: "This is the only thing that has been found so far."
Li Shimin nodded and looked at the candlelight, "How is the factory in Lishan? Is cotton really made into cotton cloth?"
"Lishan is very exclusive, and only uses Lishan's own people. Our people can't get in, but the general will always keep people watching around the village. Whenever anyone enters or leaves the village, a certain general will Let someone record it.”
Li Shimin nodded, "Step back first."
"I will retire at the end."
After Li Junxian left, Li Shimin took out a scroll of silk, which was sent from the Kingdom of Qiuci. It wrote about the various changes in Gaochang. Today, Gaochang has 30,000 soldiers, and they are brave.
The original slaves turned into brave warriors in an instant, guarding the throat of Gaochang's trade routes, making it impossible for the robbers in the Western Regions to attack. The slave rebellion replaced the old nobles of Gaochang, but made Gaochang's trade better than before, and the taxes collected Less, too.
They read to the people of Gaochang, paid more attention to etiquette, treated others in a friendly manner, reduced penalties, and accommodated the population. Their step-by-step development seemed to make Gaochang the overlord of the Western Regions.
The war between Gaochang and the Western Turks had calmed down for a while, but now the situation is rising again. However, facing the increased military morale in Gaochang, the Western Turks, who are like a piece of loose sand, can only give in step by step.
This was all recorded by the king of Qiuci Kingdom and sent to the palace.
All the countries in the Western Regions are afraid of such a growing Gaochang. As Changsun Wuji said, there must be an expert behind Gaochang.
Gaochang, which had experienced a slave rebellion, many Western Region forces planned to carve it up at this time, but before the carving up of Gaochang began, the slaves used actions to tell all the Western Region forces that Gaochang was theirs.
Li Shimin doesn't believe it now that there is no expert guidance behind Gao Chang.
Seeing that Gaochang, a place of wealth in the Western Regions, could develop and grow, Li Shimin's eyes became even more intense.
The emperor, who was bent on establishing great achievements, stood up slowly. He walked to a huge map and looked from the Hexi Corridor to the Western Regions, and then from the Western Regions to Tubo.
The light of the oil lamp was shaking, and Li Shimin's eyes were gloomy.
It was getting dark soon. Zhang Daan left the East Palace and came to a wine shop in Chang'an City. The owner of the wine shop took care of him warmly and served him a stack of mutton, a large bowl of millet rice, and a jug of wine.
