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

Chapter 286 Staying in Chang'an City and being reused are two different things!

Xue Yuanchao finally sat down.

Although it is somewhat inappropriate at this time, we also have to consider who is sitting opposite us.

The prince did not refuse Su Chen's invitation, and the other three did not speak either, obviously agreeing to let him sit at the table.

If he refused, it would be somewhat ungrateful.

Su Chen smiled and introduced Xue Yuanchao, "This is the Crown Prince, this is the Eastern Palace Chief Clerk Yu Zhining, this is the current Prince Consort Du He, and this is the General Zhao Jie. We know each other today, and we will inevitably interact with each other in the future."

Every time Su Chen introduced someone, Xue Yuanchao stood up.

There is no doubt that most of those who can sit here are the prince's confidants and right-hand men. How dare Xue Yuanchao neglect them!
Xue Yuanchao suddenly felt fortunate that he came at the right time today!
"Xue Yuanchao, Hedong Xue family, I have heard of your name."

Li Chengqian picked up a piece of mutton and said with a smile, "When the second branch of the Lu family was plotting a rebellion, you and Su Bin sent a lot of files together."

Xue Yuanchao stood up immediately and said, "The Crown Prince is so busy, how can he still remember these things..."

"Sit down and talk."

Li Chengqian waved his hand, "We are all family here, don't be restrained like you are outside."

Xue Yuanchao glanced at Su Chen, but Su Chen's attention was on the mutton in the pot and he ignored him.

Xue Yuanchao smiled awkwardly, and after sitting down, he said, "Your Highness is right."

Li Chengqian: "I also heard that you are quite famous in Hedong Road and have great talent?"

Xue Yuanchao said modestly: "I am still far behind Master Su and Lord Yu."

Du He looked up, "What about me?"

Xue Yuanchao's eyelids jumped, and he said hurriedly: "Compared to Duke Du, he is naturally far inferior."

Du He chuckled, "Look how scared you are. I was just joking with you."

"I don't even know how much I weigh. How can I compare myself with scholars like you? That would be asking for trouble."

Xue Yuanchao: “…”

Zhao Jie said with a smile: "This is my first time coming to the Prince's Residence. I'm already nervous in front of the Prince, and you're teasing me?"

Du He smiled, picked up the wine jug and poured a glass of wine for Xue Yuanchao.

"Mr. Du is not allowed to..."

"It's okay, we'll be familiar with each other later."

Su Chen smiled and picked up a piece of green vegetables with chopsticks and placed it in front of Xue Yuanchao, "Don't be so nervous, we all have two shoulders to carry a head, can they still eat you?"

Yu Zhining nodded in agreement: "Mr. Su is right. The fact that you can help the prince proves that you have good vision. Since we are all family, there is no need to be so reserved."

Xue Yuanchao smiled and nodded, but he didn't feel relaxed at all.

I originally came to visit Su Chen, but who knew that the prince and others were present when we met...

It’s like you’ve made all the preparations to meet your future business partner, but you didn’t expect that your future boss is already there.

Although the boss was polite, could Xue Yuanchao let go?

"Did you receive the letter Xue Li sent you?"

"received."

Xue Yuanchao nodded, put down his chopsticks, and said in a deep voice: "He said in the letter that he hopes I can come to participate in the civil service examination in mid-winter."

"Although I am not very knowledgeable, I have done enough homework in advance after learning that I came to Chang'an City to participate in the Ministry of Personnel Examination. I am still confident about this Ministry of Personnel Examination."

As long as he passed the Ministry of Personnel examination, he could stay in Chang'an City. How could Xue Yuanchao not be serious?
Su Chen smiled and said, "Don't be so nervous, it's just an exam. I believe that with your talent, it won't be a big problem."

There are some things Su Chen didn't say directly.

Even if Xue Yuanchao failed the exam this time, with their means, it would not be difficult to keep Xue Yuanchao in Chang'an City.

However, whether Xue Yuanchao can be used or reused still depends on his personal ability.

This civil service examination is an opportunity.

Xue Yuanchao also understood his situation. Although he had successfully established a connection with the Eastern Palace, whether he could stay in Chang'an City and be reused depended on his real ability.

Besides, staying in Chang'an City and being reused are two different things!
Relying on his previous merits, even if he failed the exam this time, he could still stay in Chang'an City and work. Perhaps Li Chengqian would just give him a small official position.

But if you succeed and come out on top, you won't just stay in Chang'an City.

There is a high possibility that he will become an official of the Eastern Palace!

In the future, when the crown prince inherits the throne, his position will naturally rise!
"I see."

Xue Yuanchao nodded.

As if he had thought of something, Xue Yuanchao took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Su Chen, "Mr. Su, this is the letter that Mr. Su Bing asked me to pass on to you when I came here."

"A letter from Su Bin?"

Li Chengqian looked up and saw Su Chen smiling, "I just told Su Bin some things before."

Li Chengqian teased, "I now feel more and more that you are closer to them than I am to them."

"The purpose is the same."

Su Chen smiled and opened the letter, "Would you like to take a look?"

Li Chengqian shook his head. "You've arranged everything, why should I worry about it?"

Su Chen nodded and his eyes fell on the letter.

Xue Yuanchao's eyes swept across Li Chengqian and Su Chen. It was hard to imagine that this was a conversation between a businessman and the current crown prince.

Xue Yuanchao felt that he still underestimated the relationship between Su Chen and Li Chengqian!

If Li Chengqian really sits in that position at that time, Su Chen will surely be as powerful as the two brothers of the Huo family.

Military tactics can be used to plan strategies and win battles thousands of miles away, while civil tactics can be used to govern the country and assist in building a lasting legacy.

After reading the letter, Su Chen threw it into the fire.

"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Su, what are you doing?"

Zhao Jie waved his sleeves to disperse the smoke in front of him, "I spent a lot of money to buy this high-quality charcoal. What value does it have after what you did to it?"

Su Chen was stunned for a moment and looked towards the stove.

"Brother Su?"

Seeing Su Chen staring at the stove without saying anything, Zhao Jie felt that he had said something wrong, and hurriedly tried to make amends, "It doesn't cost much, Brother Su, you don't have to do this."

Li Chengqian and others also looked at Su Chen strangely.

Su Chen smiled and said, "Everyone, don't be nervous. It's just that Zhao Jie's words just reminded me."

"remind?"

"What did I remind you of?" Li Chengqian and others looked curious.

It's just a stove and some good charcoal, what kind of reminder can it be?
Su Chen picked up the wine glass with a smile, "Prince, do you still remember our cotton-padded jacket plan?"

Li Chengqian nodded, "This is a major event that will benefit the people of the Tang Dynasty."

Su Chen pointed to the stove in front of him, "This one too."

stove?

Everyone frowned in thought.

Xue Yuanchao looked at Su Chen, then at the stove. This thing was naturally very effective for keeping warm in winter.

but……

"Master Su, ordinary people don't have extra money to buy charcoal."

Xue Yuanchao said softly, "Even if they have time to go into the mountains to collect firewood, they still need the consent of others."

Everyone believes that when wine enters a hero's stomach, seven parts of it turns into moonlight, and the remaining three parts turns into sword energy, and when he speaks out of his mouth, it is half of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Actually it is not.

All the mountains and forests within the Tang Dynasty were either controlled by the imperial court or in the hands of wealthy families, gentry and businessmen.

Ordinary people need their consent if they want to enter the mountains, let alone go into the mountains to chop or collect firewood?

Otherwise, once discovered, the worst case scenario is that you will be severely beaten and have all your firewood taken away. The worst case scenario is that you will be sent to the government office, forced to serve for several years, or even die in a foreign land.

Bai Juyi once used the perspective of a charcoal seller to explain the difficulty of charcoal making and the plight of charcoal sellers.

Su Chen nodded, "I understand this."

"But I'm not talking about charcoal, I'm talking about a stove, a stove that doesn't use wood."

"A stove without wood?"

Li Chengqian and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. "Is there a stove in the world that doesn't use firewood?"

"Of course!"

Su Chen smiled and said, "So I said, it was Brother Zhao who reminded me."

"and then?"

Li Chengqian looked expectant.

Su Chen just glanced at him calmly, then shook his head and said, "You won't understand even if I tell you, so why waste your time?"

Li Chengqian was immediately unhappy, "How do you know I don't understand if you don't tell me?"

Su Chen smiled and said after a moment's hesitation: "This stove has a simple shape. It can burn just by adding charcoal. There will be no smoke rising and it will not make people dizzy."

"But there is a kind that burns and emits a pungent smell..."

"Mr. Su, are you talking about coal?"

Xue Yuanchao understood what Su Chen said in an instant.

After Su Chen glanced at him, he continued, "This thing is used for heating, and it is also very effective for cooking."

"If it can be mined and utilized in large quantities, no one will freeze to death on the roadside this cold winter."

Li Chengqian took a sip of wine and looked at Xue Yuanchao curiously, "Do you know coal?"

Xue Yuanchao nodded: "This thing can indeed burn, but because of the pungent smell, it is rarely used by people. Most of them are poor families who use it to keep warm, but this thing is poisonous."

"Many people in Hedong died of poisoning due to using this kind of coal."

"impossible."

Du He immediately refuted Xue Yuanchao's statement, "Since Brother Su mentioned this item, it is enough to prove the desirability of this item."

There is no doubt that Du He now has an inexplicable trust in Su Chen.

Even though Xue Yuanchao gave an explanation, Du He still didn't believe it and felt that coal must have some magical uses that no one else had discovered.

"good."

Su Chen smiled and said, "Du He is right. Coal does have its merits."

As he spoke, Su Chen turned his gaze to Xue Yuanchao, "Of course, you are not wrong. Coal is not poisonous at first, but once it burns, it becomes poisonous."

"What does Mr. Su mean?"

"We just need to use it a little bit to expel the poisonous gas from the room. Use the fire and the heat instead of the poison, and we will be safe!"

Xue Yuanchao seemed to be thinking about something.

Li Chengqian was completely confused. "So, what exactly is coal?"

"Your Highness, coal is a black, flammable stone."

"So that thing is called coal."

Li Chengqian suddenly realized that he had seen or heard of this kind of thing before, but he didn't quite understand it.

Turning his gaze to Su Chen, Li Chengqian continued, "So you have a way to use coal for heating and cooking without causing poisoning?"

Su Chen nodded with a smile.

Li Chengqian seemed to have thought of something and asked, "How does the price of stone coal compare to that of charcoal?"

This question stumped Yu Zhining and the others.

With their status and position, how could they have ever come into contact with such low-level things?
“There is absolutely no comparison!”

Xue Yuanchao said: "The price of coal in Hedong is almost zero."

"what?"

Li Chengqian and the others were stunned, "For free?"

Xue Yuanchao shook his head. "It's not free, it's free. Some coal is found in the open air, so there's no need to mine it. You can just take it home."

"But because of its toxicity, few people use charcoal."

For an instant.

Li Chengqian and others understood what Su Chen meant.

Although coal is poisonous, its toxicity can be removed. Most importantly, coal can be picked up easily and no one will pick it up even if it is found on the street!
Once the toxicity of coal is removed, it can become a cold-keeping product that costs nothing at all!

Especially for those poor people, this is something that can save their lives!
"I understand!"

"Brother Su, what do you think we should do about this?!"

(End of this chapter)