The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 104: I Can Die at Xi
By the Taiye Lake, Li Chengqian watched a group of craftsmen compacting the foundation and preparing wood. A total of 135 people were building a villa for his father.

"Minister Xu, how did the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works get their wages calculated in the past?"

Hearing this, Xu Xiaode hurried forward and bowed, saying, "An ordinary craftsman gets sixty coins a day, and an experienced craftsman gets one hundred coins a day."

He flipped through the account book and said, "There are seven experienced craftsmen now..."

"That's enough." Li Chengqian interrupted him, walked along the edge of Taiye Lake, and whispered: "I arranged for you to work in the Ministry of Industry without your opinion. How do you feel about the Ministry of Industry? Are you used to it?"

Xu Xiaode said: "I can adapt."

Li Chengqian walked back to Xuanwu Gate with his hands in his pockets and reminded him again, "I have looked at the accounts of the Ministry of Works in the past six months and found that the Ministry of Works has spent a lot of money in the past two years. My father and I have always been frugal. Who do you think is wasting money like this?"

Xu Xiaode hesitated to speak, and bowed, saying, "I have also seen the accounts of the Ministry of Works. Master Yan said that I served as the Minister of the Ministry of Works just to manage the accounts."

Li Chengqian nodded.

"Speaking of the money spent by the Ministry of Works recently..." Xu Xiaode hesitated to speak. The Ministry of Works did spend a lot of money in the past two years, but the culprit of this "spending" was none other than the father of the current crown prince, His Majesty.

"Why don't you say anything again?"

Xu Xiaode bowed again and said, "I will definitely keep an eye on the accounts in the Ministry of Works."

Li Chengqian looked at Xuanwu Gate and sighed, "It's not enough to just keep an eye on the accounts."

"From now on, whenever the Ministry of Works needs money or craftsmen, I will report it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Yeah." Li Chengqian patted his shoulder heavily and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Xu Xiaode hurriedly saluted and watched the prince walk into the Xuanwu Gate.

His Highness's arrangement has a deep meaning. Xu Xiaode inexplicably feels that the account in his hand is very heavy, very heavy...

The operations of various departments in the court were finally smooth, and everyone in the court breathed a sigh of relief. The officials of the Ministry of Personnel were replenished. In addition to replenishing the various departments in the court, officials from all over the country were also replaced, and some officials who were illiterate or incompetent were replaced.

It was a rare free day today, so Changsun Wuji went to visit his uncle when he had time.

Gao Shilian waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand, looked at the book in his hand, and whispered: "Where is Gao Lin? Didn't I say that if you come, I will drive you away every time you come."

Changsun Wuji said, "Uncle, Gao Lin is buying rice and flour."

Gao Shilian said in frustration, "I forgot that he is out. You don't need to be so polite here. I can't drive you away. Please do as you please."

"uncle……"

Gao Shilian said slowly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince had a quarrel with His Majesty?"

Changsun Wuji stood aside and nodded.

Gao Shilian turned the page and continued reading the book, saying, "I knew that you could only maneuver around. You would never dare to support the crown prince to contradict His Majesty."

Zhang Sun Wuji wiped the sweat from his forehead, sat down and said, "How dare my nephew..."

Gao Shilian snorted coldly: "No future."

"From childhood to adulthood, my uncle has always regarded my nephew as a loser."

"You are still so useless now."

"I'm sorry to disappoint my uncle."

Gao Shilian lay on his side in frustration, wanting to scold him but unable to do so. He said slowly, "Scolding a useless nephew is really unnecessary. It's useless to scold him for so many years. I'm tired."

Changsun Wuji sat aside.

"How is Guanyin's health?"

Speaking of his sister's health, Changsun Wuji said quickly, "Divine Doctor Sun said that she has gotten better."

"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hadn't done everything he could to keep Dr. Sun, how would your sister's health be?" Gao Shilian said unhappily, "You don't know what's good for you."

Changsun Wuji lowered his head and said nothing.

This nephew was so loyal to the emperor that he was even a little blindly loyal.

Gao Shilian whispered, "Although emperors are not good people, at least His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really treats the Changsun family as elders."

"That's what my uncle said."

Gao Shilian asked again: "How are you doing recently?"

Zhang Sun Wuji replied: "Your Majesty has lifted the ban on the Eastern Palace, and all the court officials are relieved."

"Ah."

Gao Shilian nodded slowly.

"After the results of the imperial examination were announced, the court officials were replaced, and some officials from various places were replaced..."

"I didn't ask you that."

His words were interrupted, and Zhangsun Wuji continued, "As long as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in charge of the allocation of money and grain, supports the trade, and the Eastern Palace does not involve the Ministry of Personnel or other matters, then my nephew will be at ease. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is involved in more and more things, then my nephew will be very annoyed."

Gao Shilian asked, "What are you worried about?"

"My nephew is not annoyed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but by the relationship between His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He will be annoyed if they quarrel again."

Gao Shilian smiled contemptuously.

Zhang Sun Wuji lowered his head and said, "I am sorry to have embarrassed you, uncle."

As he was speaking, Changsun Wuji saw another abacus and frowned, saying, "This is..."

Gao Shilian explained: "The East Palace sent it to me. I don't know how to use it, so I just hung it on the wall."

"I didn't expect the prince would give the abacus to your uncle."

Gao Shilian asked, "Why? Didn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince give it to you?"

Changsun Wuji looked at the abacus and sighed in disappointment.

In Jingyang, a large group of women sat in front of the workshop. They put tea leaves into cloth bags, each bag containing three or two taels of tea leaves.

Xu Jingzong said, "Master Du He, now people in the Western Regions are asking about soap. If they all want to buy soap, shouldn't we sell it to them?"

Du He put down the abacus in his hand and whispered, "This year, Guanzhong's soap is in its peak season again. Guanzhong still doesn't have enough to sell, so let's sell these tea leaves first."

Xu Jingzong emphasized again: "But people in the Western Regions all want to buy soap, and they are even willing to pay first."

Du He sighed, "So what? The soap must first meet the needs of Guanzhong."

Xu Jingzong asked in confusion: "Is this what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked for?"

"Yes." Du He nodded slowly, and then continued: "The money is in their hands and will not disappear, but the soap is in our hands. We have the final say on how much we want to sell. Don't be swayed by money."

Businessmen are all influenced by money, but Du He wants to be a businessman who is not influenced by money.

He continued, "Soap is not something they can buy just because they have money. Don't exhaust the resources. County Magistrate Xu must know that when you sold 10,000 bars of soap to the Prince of Gaochang, it was a huge loss for us. Please pass on the message."

Xu Jingzong was puzzled and asked, "Why is it such a huge loss for us if the Gaochang prince bought 10,000 bars of soap?"

Du He nodded and said, "That's right. It was a huge loss for both the people of the Western Regions and the Jingyang workshop, because the Gaochang prince alone consumed the entire Western Regions' soap quota for a year."

"Share?"

Jingyang’s business philosophy has always been very advanced, because Du He makes money very quickly.

When people in the Western Regions were offering money to buy soap, Jingyang was not selling it. Shangguan Yi came hurriedly and asked, "What are we selling now?"

Du He said calmly, "Has Murong Shun rested well?"

"I just came back yesterday and I'm still asleep now."

"Tell him to take these tea leaves to the Turks tomorrow and sell them to them."

"But the Turks have no money, so they trade their sheep for soap."

"That's fine. Then use the Turkic war horses to exchange for tea." Du He ordered again: "There are three portions of tea in total, one for Mobei, one for the Turks, and one for the Tibetans."

Shangguan Yi asked again: "Where are the people from the Western Regions?"

Du He frowned and said, "Don't consider it."

Sometimes, there is no need to question Master Du He's decisions, because these decisions are not his own ideas, but the arrangements of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

For the entire Jingyang, what crops to plant, what to do, and how to arrange business are all decided by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Therefore, Shangguan Yi felt that Xu Jingzong kept asking Du He why, why and why?

There is no point in this kind of thing.

Even if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince says one word, all the wealth of Jingyang will be wiped out.

Du He would do as he was told, because everything here was built on a word from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Success is due to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and failure is also due to a word from the Crown Prince.

The fate of everyone in Jingyang is in the hands of the prince.

If everyone in Chang'an now knows that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the current Majesty are not on good terms, and even a few days ago, the Crown Prince and His Majesty had a big fight.

But in Jingyang, this is the place where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has the final say.

After listening to Du He's instructions, Shangguan Yi saw Xu Jingzong talking to Ying Gong. In a small room, County Magistrate Xu was complaining to Ying Gong.

"What on earth is Mr. Du He thinking? Is he keeping so much soap to store ashes?"

Wu Shigui was sitting in the house, smelling the fragrance of tea, while his daughter Xiaowu was sitting in the inner room, learning to write.

After listening to Xu Jingzong's complaints, Wu Shigui put down the tea bowl in his hand and said, "I will not participate in the management of Jingyang. What you said is not something I can influence."

Xu Jingzong was discouraged and said, "Master Du He would rather sell tea to the Tibetans than to the people of the Western Regions."

Wu Shigui smiled and said, "Xu County Magistrate, Jingyang's plan is not to make money in the short term, which means he must have a bigger plan."

"A bigger plot?" Xu Jingzong waved his sleeves and said, "Isn't it just a business, a matter of buying and selling? What's there to plot?"

Wu Shigui said slowly: "Long sleeves are good at dancing, and people with a lot of money must be good at business."

"What is the implication of Mr. Ying's words?"

Wu Shigui whispered: "If a man does not think about the future, he will have immediate worries. Since there is no need to fight for the immediate benefits, then there are bigger plans."

Xu Jingzong still clicked his tongue in confusion.

Wu Shigui laughed again and continued, "Xu County Magistrate is the county magistrate. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince only asked you to build Jingyang, but never said that he wanted you to participate in the soap business. Now that the Crown Prince wants to preside over the mutual market, he must be plotting for greater benefits. Xu County Magistrate should sit in your position and do your own thing."

Xu Jingzong sighed in discouragement and could only leave quickly.

After the guests left, Xiao Wu came out from the inner room. The ten-year-old girl laughed and said, "Daddy, this Xu Jingzong is so stupid."

Wu Shigui stroked his beard and said, "You should call him County Magistrate Xu."

Xiao Wu asked again: "Dad, when are we going to Chang'an?"

Wu Shigui asked, "Are you thinking of meeting Xu Hui again?"

"Daddy!"

Seeing his daughter's pleading look, Wu Shigui said: "After finishing these things in Jingyang, I will go back to Chang'an for a walk. I also want to see the emperor. I heard that he has stopped drinking."

Xiao Wu nodded heavily and said, "Okay, Daddy must keep his word."

Wu Shigui stroked his beard and smiled, "When did a father ever break his word?"

During the six months that Duke Ying was in Jingyang, he participated in the management of Jingyang and introduced many old business friends from Bingzhou to Du He.

Therefore, most of Du He’s connections now are also from Bingzhou back then.

These resources became the basis for Du He to expand his business.

After three busy days in Jingyang, Wu Shigui set off for Chang'an.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly stopped in front of Chang'an City. Wu Shigui went to see Xu Xiaode first. Xu Xiaode was now the Minister of the Ministry of Works and was building a summer villa for His Majesty.

Therefore, since he came here in vain and did not see Xu Xiaode, he left his daughter to the care of Xu Xiaode's wife, while Xiaowu and Xu Hui could play with her.

He felt relieved and went to the palace quickly.

In the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian was eating cucumber and reading the article sent by his uncle.

Li Daozong stood aside and said, "After arriving in Weinan County, this Pei County Magistrate did not start a war. He probably did not take the three-year plan that His Highness gave him seriously at all."

Li Chengqian said: "If Pei Shouyue is not suitable for this job, find a way to join the army later."

"Join the army?" Li Dao Zong was even more puzzled and said, "This man is a scholar who entered the government through the imperial examination."

Until now, in Li Chengqian's cognition, people are mostly suitable in certain positions.

This led to the idea of ​​growing grapes in Jingyang, and in later generations Jingyang became a good place to grow grapes.

Then Pei Xingjian would become an important general of the Tang Dynasty in later generations, and this should also be correct now.

Until now, Li Chengqian still couldn't figure out what went wrong in his estimation, and why Pei Xingjian was a scholar?
It would be fine if he was a scholar, but why was his level of scholarship so poor that he could only barely pass the imperial examination?

The same is true for Li Yifu.

This kind of cognition from later generations made Li Chengqian feel uneasy.

For example, such a person should be good at getting things done. Therefore, this kind of cognition has been verified from Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi.

This is doable, but right now...

Li Chengqian began to feel confused about the application of this cognition. Could it be that he really had misunderstood it?
"If Pei Shouyue can't be a good county lieutenant, then send him to the Hexi Corridor to guard the border for me."

Li Dao Zong whispered: "This is not good."

Li Chengqian asked: "What's wrong with that?"

Li Dao Zong winked and said, "Your Highness, this is a bit too much. This should be the business of the Minister of Personnel, Duke Zhao. The promotion of officials has nothing to do with the Eastern Palace."

After taking a bite of cucumber, Li Chengqian said casually: "The Minister of Personnel is my uncle."

"Even if Duke Zhao agrees, Prime Minister Fang may not let Your Highness go."

"Fang Xiang is my teacher."

Li Daozon wanted to refute again, but he couldn't find a reason.

(End of this chapter)