Tang Dynasty: The poisonous scholar in the Eastern Palace, please abdicate and let the wise one take

Chapter 271: Kill two birds with one stone?
Prince's residence.

Li Chengqian looked down at the empty teacup and reluctantly asked for another refill.

He didn't know how many cups of tea he drank.

After the court was dismissed, Yu Zhining informed him that Su Chen asked him to come to the prince's residence to discuss important matters.

But after arriving at the Prince's Residence, he learned from the doorman that Su Chen and Du He had gone out early in the morning, apparently because of matters concerning the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry of Revenue needed money, and he told Su Chen about this idea, but why did the Ministry of Works also come to join in the fun?
Is it because Duan Lun didn’t get the money in the court today, so he went to Su Chen for help?

Why didn’t I hear Duan Lun mention this?
"The master is back."

"Has the prince arrived?"

"I've been waiting for half an hour."

Su Chen's voice came from outside, and Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief. This guy finally came back.

It was worth it that he waited here for so long and drank so much tea.

Su Chen walked in with a smile, and saw Li Chengqian looking at him with resentment, "I just talked with Masters Duan Lun and Dai Zhou about ways to make money, and came back a little late."

Li Chengqian: "The Ministry of Industry is also going to get involved?"

Su Chen nodded, "Yesterday when you said that the Ministry of Revenue should be rich, Lord Duan found me, hoping to make the Ministry of Works rich as well, so that at least there would be money for the holidays."

"So I took the opportunity to discuss making cotton clothes with Master Dai and invited Master Duan to come over to discuss making money together."

"Lord Dai has agreed to let Du He take over the management of cotton clothing production. They will select the site, and the Ministry of Works will provide personnel to build the workshop."

"30% of the profits from cotton-padded clothes should be sent to the Ministry of Revenue."

"What about the Ministry of Industry?"

Li Chengqian frowned, "How does the Ministry of Industry make money?"

Su Chen: "The Ministry of Works will form an engineering team to undertake large and small construction projects, not only officials in the court, but also civilian architects can participate."

Li Chengqian: "Will this work?"

Su Chen smiled and said, "Of course, the Ministry of Industry has no shortage of craftsmen, and as long as they change the construction method, they can quickly build and repair all kinds of houses."

“Change the way of building?”

"Yes, the architectural style of the Ministry of Industry nowadays mostly retains the mortise and tenon joint craftsmanship of carpenters, and is formed by combining various exquisite structures."

"So I provided them with a new idea, using lime and mud as new materials for building houses. This way, a lot of time can be saved when building houses."

Su Chen gave a brief explanation, but Li Chengqian was confused and didn't understand clearly.

But it doesn’t matter. We’ll know in a few days whether this works or not.

Li Chengqian muttered in his heart and nodded, "So, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue will soon be able to get back on track?"

Su Chen: "Yes, as long as they continue, they will have money in their accounts within a month."

"They won't come to me to cry poor this time."

Li Chengqian grinned, "In the court today, Dai Zhou wanted me to prepare festival rewards for the ministers, but it seems that it is not necessary."

Su Chen shrugged, "Maybe I can't catch up."

Li Chengqian: "..."

Su Chen: "But I can show you a clear way."

"what?"

"Persian merchant Roshan, do you still remember him?"

"of course."

This person has a good relationship with Su Chen and has helped them before. How could Li Chengqian forget him?

Su Chen said in a deep voice: "Roshan wants you to come forward and rebuke the attack of the Arab Empire."

Li Chengqian frowned. "Whether it's Persia or the Arab Empire, they are thousands of miles away from our Tang Dynasty, right?"

"Even if I issue a ceasefire order in the name of the Tang Dynasty, will the Arab Empire really stop the war?"

"meeting!"

Su Chen grinned, "If they don't stop fighting, then fight!"

Li Chengqian looked puzzled, "Sending troops to attack the Kingdom of Daqin? Stop it."

Su Chen waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "This is the main reason why I came to you today!"

"Wang Xuance's muskets have been trained for a while. They need a proper battle to verify the results of their training!"

"So, after I learned about what happened in Persia, I thought of this."

"I will introduce Roshan to you. He will pay you enough to settle the issue of festival rewards for the lords in the court, and you will agree to personally stop the invasion of the Arab Empire."

"You will send General Wang Xuance to personally lead 500 elite soldiers to accompany A Luohan to Persia."

"As long as the Arab Empire does not withdraw its troops, Wang Xuance will lead these people and attack directly..."

Su Chen quickly expressed his thoughts, which made Li Chengqian's scalp tingle.

Was all this what you expected?
Agreeing to Roshan's request would not only instantly solve the problem of the court being short of money, but it would also be possible to use this matter to verify the results of the training of Wang Xuance and others during this period!
Kill two birds with one stone and kill two birds with one stone!
Li Chengqian pondered: "Can Wang Xuance and the others really give it a try?"

Su Chen nodded: "We have a good understanding of cooperation, but the new weapons need field testing, and there is no suitable place in the Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian asked again: "What if the Arab Empire obeyed my order and really withdrew its troops?"

Su Chen raised his lips slightly, "Prince, do you know why most of the Han Dynasty's envoys died on other people's territory?"

Li Chengqian widened his eyes, "You don't mean to..."

Su Chen smiled and nodded.

Li Chengqian was silent.

Why did the envoys of the Han Dynasty die in a foreign country and on other people’s territory?
It’s because these envoys are seeking death!

There was a Han Dynasty envoy who was sent to another country. When the emperor of that country warmly entertained him, he said in a dignified manner, "I think the queen mother still has her charm..."

If he doesn't die, who will?
Then the envoy died and the Han Dynasty sent troops.

Since the purpose of Wang Xuance and others' expedition this time is to verify the results of the training, there must be bloodshed.

It doesn't matter whether the Arabs withdrew their troops out of fear of the Tang Dynasty's majesty, or whether they ignored Li Chengqian's orders.

What’s important is that the soldiers of the Arab Empire are still in Persia.

The soldiers of the Arab Empire are perfect living targets!
Li Chengqian scratched his hair, "It seems... it's not impossible."

After making up his mind, Li Chengqian said in a deep voice, "Then you can let Roshan come to the court tomorrow in the name of Persia."

Su Chen smiled and nodded, "No problem."

After the two sides chatted about some details and the possible reactions of the King of Wei, Li Chengqian got up and left.

Afterwards, Su Chen came to Roshan’s shop and informed him of the matter.

Roshan was deeply grateful for Su Chen's help. "Mr. Su, if it weren't for your help this time, the people of Persia would have suffered greatly from the brutal persecution of the Arab Empire."

"Hey, Brother Luo, you are too serious."

Su Chen smiled and waved his hand, "I am just a middleman. Whether the prince and the officials in the court will agree to this depends on Brother Luo's performance."

"Although the Crown Prince is currently the regent, there are still many things that need to be considered, including the opinions of the civil and military officials in the court."

"If the ministers disagree, the prince will be in a difficult position."

Roshan nodded in understanding, "I understand what Master Su means. I will take care of this matter."

"it is good."

Su Chen smiled and stood up, "Then I won't disturb you from your work. Goodbye."

"Please come in, Mr. Su."

After seeing Su Chen off, Roshan immediately ordered A Luohan to prepare gifts and visit the residences of the officials.

As for Su Chen, he took Sun Qiang for a stroll in the West Market.

Pei's ready-made clothes.

Su Chen looked at the shop not far away with a smile. This was the shop that Pei Mingli had taken over.

As for the materials and female workers, Su Chen did not arrange anyone to inquire about Pei Mingli's preparations. He believed that Pei Mingli had thought of cotton-padded clothes to keep warm and would definitely make all the necessary preparations.

"Let's go check out the school."

Su Chen opened his folding fan and took Sun Qiang to the school.

However, when Su Chen and his companion passed by a seafood shop on their way to the school, they unexpectedly ran into an official from the Ministry of Industry, who was discussing the purchase of shells with the seller.

“The price is too high, lower it a bit.”

"Sir, this is already the lowest price. After all, it's delivered from the seaside, and the cost is here." "You also know that I'm from the Ministry of Industry. We have a large demand. As long as your shells are of good quality, I guarantee that all the usage of our Ministry of Industry will come from you. Even if the price drops by another 30%, you will still make a profit!"

"No, no, at most 10%."

"Forget it then."

"No, no, no, sir, don't leave, I'll reduce the price by another 10%!"

"Very good, first give me 100 kilograms of shells to inspect the goods."

"what?"

"..."

This guy is quite interesting.

Su Chen glanced at it with a smile, "The efficiency of the Ministry of Industry is really high."

Sun Qiang nodded. "In just over a month, three schools have been built. This is rare."

Su Chen smiled and took Sun Qiang to a school.

The location of the school is very good, and it can influence five or six surrounding markets.

However, because the teacher has not yet taken up his post, the school is currently empty.

It is estimated that after Li Chengqian meets with Liu Sansi and others, these schools will be officially put into use.

"Brother Su."

"Brother Liu?"

Su Chen looked over and said with a smile, "Brother Liu, are you coming to the academy to take a look around?"

Liu Sansi smiled and nodded, "The officials from the Ministry of Rites came today and said that they would come to the palace to meet the emperor at the court meeting tomorrow."

"I think it's because of the enlightenment of the new school, so I thought about coming to the school in my spare time today. I never thought I would run into Brother Su."

Su Chen smiled and asked, "Are you used to living in Chang'an City?"

Liu Sansi: "I do feel a little alienated. After all, I'm a newcomer. I might get used to it after a while."

"Human nature."

"Brother Su, why are you here?"

"Just wandering around and taking a look."

Su Chen said casually, "After all, this is a teaching strategy proposed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so there must be no omissions."

Liu Sansi: "Brother Su is absolutely right."

Su Chen smiled and extended an invitation, "Since we happened to meet, why don't we go for a walk together?"

"Brother Su, please."

……

The next day.

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Li Chengqian handled government affairs as usual and asked about the movement of reinforcements heading to Songzhou.

Hou Junji stepped out holding a tablet in his hand and said, "Your Highness, the army has arrived in Bashu. The King of Wu has provided some food and fodder for the soldiers to fight."

"All the 50,000 civilians on this trip were full of fighting spirit. No one fell behind or escaped. They had already arrived in Songzhou ahead of time."

Good guy.

These laborers are really fast.

Everyone was surprised.

Although food and fodder must be sent before troops move forward, how can the speed of civilians match that of the army?
However, thanks to Li Chengqian's superpowers, these people arrived in Songzhou ahead of schedule.

With a large amount of food and fodder sent over, Songzhou will definitely become more stable.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Hou."

Hou Junji: "Crown Prince Liao Zan."

Li Chengqian turned his gaze to the Ministry of Works, "Master Duan, does the Ministry of Works have any other questions?"

Duan Lun's heart moved, and he strode out, "Your Highness, I have something to say."

"speak."

"The Ministry of Industry has recently developed a new construction method that can build a large number of houses in a short period of time and put them into use."

Duan Lun said solemnly: "After careful verification, I found that the lime produced by burning dolomite, shells and other materials is far more effective than glutinous rice juice!"

“If it is used properly, it can not only avoid insects and ants, but also stand for hundreds of years.”

Li Chengqian: "Really?"

Duan Lun: "It is absolutely true. I have verified it last night. Its production cost is low and can greatly reduce costs."

Dai Zhou glanced at him and said, "Okay, so Su Chen gave you this idea?"

Li Chengqian: "Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, Lord Duan's move is undoubtedly a good thing that will benefit the people of the world!"

"Crown Prince Liao Zan."

Duan Lun smiled and casually took out the memorial, "Your Highness, after careful consideration last night, I felt that lime and other materials should be used in conjunction with new construction craftsmen, so I have conceived a new foundry team for the Ministry of Works. Please review it, Your Highness."

besides?

Dai Zhou looked surprised.

How many good things did Su Chen give him?

Li Chengqian nodded, took the memorial and looked it over, "Not bad, not bad."

"Minister Fang, you guys should take a look too."

Fang Xuanling took it with a smile and passed it around to read.

In order to ensure that the new construction method is more efficient, a new construction team must be formed. The specific details of this construction team are not recorded.

It is obvious that Duan Lun has his own little thoughts.

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji looked at each other, and all three of them smiled and nodded.

It’s okay for the Ministry of Works to have its own little ideas, as long as they can complete the tasks assigned by the court.

"What do you think, gentlemen?"

"feasible."

Fang Xuanling said: "I agree with Mr. Duan's proposal."

Zhang Sun Wuji and others spoke up one after another: "I second the motion."

Naturally, there is no need for people to object to things that can increase revenue and reduce expenditure, save money and improve efficiency.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Then I'll leave this matter to Lord Duan to handle."

Duan Lun: "I obey the prince's order."

Li Chengqian looked around and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites stepped out and said, "Your Highness, the Persian prince Arohan wishes to see His Royal Highness."

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian pretended to be surprised.

The other ministers were also discussing the matter.

Prince of Persia, why are you asking for an audience at this time?
"Xuan."

A Luohan strode over with a serious look on his face, followed by Roshan.

"Foreign minister A Luohan pays respect to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty."

"No gift."

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, "The Persian prince wants to see me, what's the matter?"

A Luohan said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, Persia has always been peaceful and has never had disputes with other countries. It has maintained close exchanges with the Tang Dynasty through the Silk Road and has a harmonious relationship."

"But the Arab Empire is relying on its strength to bully the weak. It has long had the intention of annexing Persia. Even though it knows the relationship between Persia and the Tang Dynasty, it still turns a blind eye."

"Foreign ministers implore His Royal Highness to take action, rebuke the Arabs, order them to withdraw their troops, and return peace to Persia."

"I beg the prince to help me."

(End of this chapter)