The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 318: Zhinu's Career

After Princess Jinyang finished her words, the Imperial Observatory became particularly quiet.

Li Chunfeng smiled helplessly again and said, "I have been away from Chang'an for too long."

"I congratulate Taoist Master Li on writing a book that will be passed down through the ages."

"This is just what I have learned in my life. Please forgive me for making fun of you, Your Highness."

Little Sizi held the whisk in his hand and asked again: "Mingda, can you learn it?"

Li Chunfeng placed a book on the table and said, "You can learn it."

These three simple words mean that they are like a book given to you for you to learn on your own.

Little Sizi was used to the Taoist's attitude, so she walked to the gate of the Imperial Observatory with the book in her hands. She stepped over the threshold and sat on the steps in front of the gate to read the book.

Occasionally, three or two officials passed by, and when they saw the little Princess Jinyang, they all saluted with a smile.

Little Sizi was sitting in the sun reading a book very attentively.

According to Donggong's teachings, it is not good to read by a dim oil lamp, and if you can read in the sun, don't read indoors.

At this moment, Mingda was absorbing these difficult-to-understand knowledge from the Taoist priest's books.

In the Imperial Observatory, Li Chunfeng took out a picture. On the picture was a compass. There was a compass drawn in a table in every row and column.

When Li Chunfeng hung it on a wooden frame and pulled the rope on the side, the wooden frame slowly rose, and the full picture of the picture was revealed.

The map was very large. Li Chunfeng used the eight trigrams as coordinates and drew a compass on each coordinate.

This is a huge table, and inside the table are the directions and orientations of the compass.

Li Chunfeng explained: "I conducted a basin experiment at various latitudes and recorded the rotational deviation and direction of leaves floating on the water. The further south, the smaller the deviation, and the further north, the larger the deviation."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

Li Chunfeng stroked his beard and said, "This shows that our earth is rotating, and the curvature of the earth is different, just like a rotating ball, but we can't feel it."

It turned out that Li Chunfeng had traveled to so many places in the year since he left Chang'an, crossing the Yangtze River in the south and going north to Liaodong.

However, Li Chunfeng used Taoist language to explain these changes, and he also had some ideas of his own.

After Li Chengqian came out of the Imperial Observatory, Xiao Sizi followed him.

“Don’t read while you’re walking.”

Hearing this, Xiao Sizi obediently put away the scroll, and held the scroll and the whisk in her arms. She asked, "Royal brother, can Taoist Li go one step further?"

Li Chengqian led her back to the East Palace and said, "I don't know."

She added: "Sister also wants to be as powerful as Taoist Li."

Li Chengqian smiled helplessly and said, "Okay, but you have to start with the knowledge you have now."

"Ah."

In the spring of the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, it was the Grain Rain season.

There are obviously fewer people working in the fields than before, and more people working in workshops.

A new batch of items in the Ganlu Palace has been replaced, and the damaged items have all been put away and will be dealt with when His Majesty returns.

Outside Ganlu Palace, Li Chengqian listened to Yu Zhining's report, which was all gossip in the court.

In general, Guanzhong has always adhered to the parallel development of light workshops and agriculture.

The working class still did not appear in the Tang people’s cognition, but perhaps it would not be long before that happened.

Nowadays, the salaries of craftsmen are getting higher and higher, and the artisan class of the Tang Dynasty is shifting towards technology. Instead, craftsmen nowadays no longer pursue beauty, but practicality and skills.

The spinning wheel has been improved six times, and someone has even come up with the prototype of the sewing machine, but it was just an idea, a hypothetical technology, and such a machine would definitely be expensive.

If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. The importance of manufacturing tools and production tools has been brought up time and time again, which is a very good phenomenon.

That is to say, the craftsmen and students now often say this sentence.

This is like Taoist Master Li Chunfeng using Taoist language to explain the earth's rotation.

More Tang people would also use their own language to explain each link of industrial production.

Yu Zhining said, "Your Highness, it is the busy farming season, but there are fewer people working in the fields than in previous years, while there are more and more people in the workshops. Some Confucian scholars say that if Guanzhong continues like this, the people in Guanzhong will starve to death."

Li Chengqian waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand, looked at the newly blossomed flowers beside the Ganlu Palace, and asked, "What is the current grain price?"

"Your Highness, a dou of rice costs nine cents."

"The price has increased again?"

"Yes." Yu Zhining responded and found that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed indifferent to the matter.

He took out a roll of silk and said, "The letter from the King of India has arrived."

Li Chengqian said casually: "Put it aside."

"Here."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince just said this and did not look at it.

Yu Zhining added, "Your Highness, Master Du He is going back to Chang'an."

"Well, I know."

Until Yu Zhining followed the prince to the Shaofu Palace, the letter from the King of India was left on the table and no one looked at it.

There are many more bird calls in Guanzhong, and the birds have all returned.

Li Zhi and Li Shen were walking in the fields. They placed a light windmill in the field and waited for the windmill to turn and drive the two pieces of wood at the back. When the wood hit the pottery jar below due to the rotation, a crisp sound was heard.

The three old farmers looked at the two elegantly dressed young men strangely.

Fourteen-year-old Li Zhi watched the windmill turning and heard the sound of the pottery jar being knocked. He said to the old farmer beside him: "Everyone, as long as you have this thing, you can drive away the birds and mice that come to eat the grain."

Li Shen was very distressed because his royal brother always made things that looked useful but were actually of little use.

The old farmer held a hoe in his hand, frowned and looked at the windmill in the distance, and whispered: "The crops haven't been planted yet, what's the point of doing this?"

Li Zhi said: "It's useless now. When the grain is ripe, more people will need it, especially when it's time to dry the grain."

The old farmer discussed it in a low voice for a while, and finally agreed to give the two young men a dilapidated house next to the field.

Li Shen said: "Did you do all this just for this room?"

"Brother Shen, you don't know that land in Guanzhong is very valuable now. There are more people moving into Guanzhong now, and the land that can be used to build houses is even more valuable. Xu Shaoyin and Chu Suiliang often fight because of this."

"But this warehouse is so shabby." Li Shen walked into the warehouse.

"It will be fine after a little repair." Li Zhi was full of fighting spirit, and added: "After this place is built, we will make things here and sell them to others, and we will make a fortune."

Li Shen was still a little hesitant, and whispered: "Do my brother and sister know about this?"

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "No."

"This……"

Seeing Li Shen's hesitation, he already had some idea in his expression, and knew that this matter would probably not last long.

Li Zhi said unhappily, "If you don't want to, then go away. I'll do it alone."

After saying this, Li Shen quickly walked out of the hut.

Originally planning to be independent, Li Zhi stood alone in this small room, feeling a little more frustrated, Shen Di really left. Looking at this huge warehouse, Li Zhi felt that he might really have to do it all by himself.

A moment later, Li Shen came hurriedly again.

Li Zhi asked, "Why are you back again?"

Li Shen opened the package and found two steaming hot steamed buns. He handed one over and said, "I saw the guy selling steamed buns on the roadside a while ago. Let's eat first and talk later."

"it is good."

The two brothers sat in the warehouse eating baked buns and talking about their future plans.

But Li Zhi didn't know that someone had already reported his every move to the Jingzhao Prefecture.

A servant from the palace came running over and said, "It's rumored that Du He is back!"

Li Zhi was chewing a toasted bun when he walked outside the warehouse. He saw a group of people in the distance, pulling a cart of goods behind them.

The two men ignored the grease on their lips and walked forward quickly.

There were many people watching at this moment. Li Zhi and Li Shen followed them back to Chang'an City until Du He brought the goods into Jingzhao Prefecture.

When the wooden boxes were opened one by one, Li Zhi saw that they were filled with cotton cloth.

Yan Qinli counted the goods and said, "A total of 20,000 rolls of cotton cloth."

This is Du He's achievement in Luoyang. With these 20,000 pieces of cotton cloth alone, plus his other industries, this man is enough to become the richest man in Guanzhong.

However, most of the time, Du He only manages production and does not engage in trading.

This has always been Du He's principle. He built workshops to produce goods, but never participated in reselling.

Li Zhi and Li Shen were sitting in the backyard of Jingzhao Prefecture, leaning against the wall, and could hear the conversation between Du He and Xu Jingzong in the main hall.

"Fortunately, Jingzhao Prefecture gave me cotton, which allowed me to recover my capital in Luoyang in a short time."

"How much money have you recovered now?"

Du He replied: "Fifty percent. If you don't give the cotton cloth to Jingzhao Prefecture, but give it to other merchants, you can earn another 20 percent."

Xu Jingzong smiled awkwardly and said, "I am ashamed to have caused harm to Master Du He."

"Xu Shaoyin, don't feel guilty. I would rather not have the 20%." Du He also grew a beard. He was in his early twenties. There was no arrogance in his eyes of a noble son. Instead, there was a bit of calmness and sophistication.

Over the years, Du He has experienced a lot of things and met many people.

Jingzhao Prefecture and Duhe complement each other. Without Jingzhao Prefecture, there would be no Duhe today. And the current Duhe should give back to Jingzhao Prefecture, which is also reasonable.

Xu Jingzong asked, "Are you coming back to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Du He said: "How can I, a mere merchant, meet His Highness? This is not good for His Highness. It is not a good thing for merchants to be around the Crown Prince."

"I can arrange it. Just treat it as a chance encounter."

"That's not good either. No need."

Du He refused again. Seeing that Yan Qinli had already bought the goods, he said, "I will take my leave now."

Xu Jingzong bowed and said, "These cotton cloths have helped Jingzhao Prefecture solve its urgent needs. Thank you very much."

"It should."

Only after Du He left did Li Zhi and Li Shen come out from the backyard and ask, "Xu Shaoyin, how rich is Du He?"

Xu Jingzong smiled softly. Du He was indeed very rich, richer than most people in Guanzhong.

The Jingzhao Du family is a county surname in Guanzhong and one of the representative aristocratic families west of Hangu Pass from ancient times to the present. This time when Du He came back, he first went home to worship his father.

The Jingzhao Du family has had a good population in recent years. Du He is the child of Du Ruhui. He can take charge of household affairs and also look after recent family affairs.

My brother Du Gou went to Dengzhou to serve as an official and has not returned for many years.

The old woman next to her was talking about the changes that had taken place in the Du family of Jingzhao Prefecture over the past year.

The Du family of Jingzhao Prefecture was also divided into different branches, and Du He was just a branch independent of the Du family of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Another servant came to report, "Sir, Minister Du is here."

Du He nodded and said, "Let him in."

"Here."

Du Zhenglun walked quickly into the mansion.

Du He bowed and said, "Brother."

Du Zhenglun is Du He's cousin, and the two families are very close. Du Zhenglun always followed his father around.

"Your Majesty has not yet returned to Chang'an. The power of the court is now in the hands of the Crown Prince."

Du He interrupted, "Don't tell me about the affairs of the court."

Du Zhenglun added: "I heard that you are doing very well in Luoyang."

Du He suddenly smiled and said, "It's just money."

After all, it's money. Du He knows very well that the wealth he possesses is enormous, but it is just money. Money can make you rich, but it can also make you penniless.

The Du family’s achievements are the money bag that the prince needs at any time.

Jingzhao Prefecture needed cotton cloth to stabilize the price, so the Du family needed to send the cotton cloth to Chang'an.

Money can also make the Du family rich, and Du He can make the people around him, including this cousin, live a good life.

Du Zhenglun also wanted to ask Du He whether he had any contact with the prince recently, or received any instructions from the prince.

Du He said to him, "Brother, don't worry too much about the relationship between me and His Royal Highness. If His Royal Highness says a word, I can offer my entire fortune. That's all."

Since he said so, Du Zhenglun would not continue to ask questions and make himself look stupid.

The prince made Du He the richest man in Guanzhong. Would he do something to steal his family's property?
Or perhaps money is too insignificant in the face of power.

Or is it that Du He and the prince have a deep friendship?

Even if he loses his money, Du He still has many friends, but if he turns against the prince, he will really be left with nothing.

Du Zhenglun also came to Du Ruhui's spirit tablet. Seeing that there was no one around, Du He also went about his business. He bowed towards the spirit tablet and said, "Uncle, don't worry. Du He was a kind child before, and he is still kind now."

It is rare for a person to maintain a pure heart, especially for those who do business.

The next day after returning to Chang'an, Du He planned to go to Jingyang. There was a tavern built in the south of Chang'an City. In fact, this place was also built by him. It was used to accommodate students taking the imperial examinations because the housing prices in Chang'an City were too expensive.

In the words of His Highness, this should be a collective dormitory, which can now accommodate thousands of people. However, after its construction was completed, it was handed over to the Jingzhao Prefecture for management, and all the residents are students from Chongwenguan.

Less than two miles out of Chang'an, the carriage stopped.

The driver said, "Sir, someone is here to see you."

Du He stepped out of the carriage and saw that the two young men were none other than Prince Jin and Prince Ji.

Before Du He got off the carriage, Li Zhi stepped forward and said, "I have a method for making a water-powered millstone. If I can get help from Brother Du He..."

After listening to Li Zhi's speech, the general meaning was that he wanted to make something and needed money.

"If Brother Du He can give me enough money, I should be able to rebuild Guanzhong."

(End of this chapter)