Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 126: It’s not about rebellion! It’s about self-preservation!! [Subscribe please]

"Slander! This is absolutely slander!!"

Zhang Ping shouted excitedly.

Pei Xuan's face turned pale with anger. He stared at Fang Xuanling and said, "The Minister of the Central Secretariat said that the Crown Prince was plotting a rebellion. Do you have any evidence?"

Fang Xuanling rolled his eyes inwardly, but calmly corrected himself, "It wasn't me who said His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was plotting a rebellion. Someone secretly reported to Your Majesty that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was plotting a rebellion!"

"Who! Who secretly reported to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that he was planning a rebellion?!"

Zhang Ping pushed Pei Xuan away and glared at Fang Xuanling, "We are the chief officers of Jiangling. Who knows more about Jiangling than us?!"

"I don't know who made the secret report, but His Majesty asked me and Lord Wei to investigate this matter in order to get to the bottom of it!"

Fang Xuanling continued indifferently, "Since you two are the chief officers of Jiangling, please cooperate with me and restore the reputation of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

As he spoke, he waved to the soldiers who rushed in, and the latter immediately left the hall.

Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping looked at each other, then at Fang Xuanling, suppressed the shock and fear in their hearts, and returned to their seats.

They won't admit it anyway.

But Fang Xuanling continued, "I'm asking you, is there anything unusual happening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in Jiangling?"

"What does the Minister of the Central Secretariat refer to?" Pei Xuan asked back with a frown.

"Although I do not believe that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would rebel, this matter is an investigation ordered by His Majesty. I request your cooperation, my Lords. Otherwise..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhang Ping interrupted him: "Your Highness the Crown Prince has made many reforms in Jiangling, but those reforms are all for the purpose of making Jiangling better!"

Fang Xuanling raised his eyebrows and said with a bit of amusement: "Using a barren mountain to plot against the entire Jiangling, is it also to make Jiangling better?"

"This"

Zhang Ping's heart trembled, and he subconsciously looked at Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan narrowed his eyes and said solemnly, "Could it be that the person who made the secret report falsely accused His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of treason because of this incident?"

"Whether it is a false accusation remains to be investigated!" Fang Xuanling said calmly.

Pei Xuan snorted coldly, "If this is the reason, then there must be something wrong with your Majesty's hiring!"

"Be bold!"

Fang Xuanling slammed the table and said, "How dare you question His Majesty?!"

"It's not that I question Your Majesty, but Your Majesty simply doesn't understand the whole story!"

Pei Xuan said fearlessly, "Your Highness is doing this because Jiangling was a mess before Your Highness came. This includes me and Commander Zhang, neither of us know Your Highness very well. Therefore, Your Highness is unable to carry out his orders, and so he resorted to this desperate measure!"

"Then I would like to ask Governor Pei, what kind of policies did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince implement in Jiangling?" Fang Xuanling asked with some interest.

"This"

Pei Xuan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "To be honest, I don't really understand the essence of His Royal Highness's decree, but Jiangling has indeed become different from before!"

"Why is it different?" Fang Xuanling became even more interested.

Pei Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Originally, the tenants of the local wealthy families had little enthusiasm for farming. Ever since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince issued the Land Rental Order, all the land of the local wealthy families has been rented out to the tenants. He only collects a portion of the rent each year, and gives the rest to the tenants. Those tenants have become very motivated, and their entire families, young and old, have joined in the farming!"

"what?"

When Fang Xuanling heard this, he was completely stunned: "Those local nobles actually agreed to let tenants share their land?"

"At first, they really didn't agree, but then His Royal Highness the Crown Prince promised to compensate them commercially, so they agreed. Later, they even felt that this was a very wise choice!"

Pei Xuan laughed and said, "Because the money they earn from business is much more than the income from land!"

"This"

Fang Xuanling looked strange: "This is simply unbelievable"

"Yes, it is incredible, but if you look at the goods we brought, you will understand why those local nobles made such a choice!"

Zhang Ping smiled and said, then shouted to the door, "Bring in the gifts we prepared for the Minister of the Central Secretariat!"

Soon, several servants came into the hall carrying boxes of gifts.

Fang Xuanling stood up with a puzzled look on his face and slowly walked forward to check.

It's not that he coveted the gift, but he was curious about what the gift was.

Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance, then smiled as they walked over to the boxes. Each opened one and introduced, "Minister Zhongshu, the contents of this jar are tea leaves, our Jiangling specialty, Tuanhuang tea. Simply steep it in boiling water, and the aroma will immediately fill your nose, the color will fade, and the tea will have a sweet aftertaste!"

"And this, this is our Jiangling silk, soft as down, delicate and smooth, feels like clouds to the touch, light and breathable."

"This is cane sugar, sweet and delicious, with a pleasant fragrance."

"Oh, by the way, this is MSG made from dried shrimp, mushrooms, and sugar. It's a kitchen seasoning that makes dishes more delicious."

"This is Jiangling Baijiu, it's quite strong, with a spicy and punchy first taste and a mellow and sweet aftertaste."

"Also, these handicrafts, dried seafood, fruits and vegetables are all specialties of Jiangling."

"This"

Seeing the dazzling array of goods in the box in front of him and Pei Xuan and Zhang Ping's endless introductions, Fang Xuanling felt like his brain was about to explode.

He never imagined that there were so many things in the world that he had never seen.

This is too strange!

Is this still the era we live in?!

"Wait! All of you wait!!"

Fang Xuanling raised his hand to interrupt Pei Xuan and the other two's introductions, then looked at them with uncertainty and said, "Are all these things you brought here made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in Jiangling?"

"Some of them already existed in Jiangling, but we overlooked them. Some of them were found by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. However, these things are all related to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" Pei Xuan explained with a smile.

Zhang Ping echoed, "Yes! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is busy with the development of Jiangling every day. How could he have time for rebellion?"

As he spoke, he revealed his indignant expression again and angrily shouted, "I think some people just can't stand seeing Jiangling develop well!"

The corners of Fang Xuanling's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to support his forehead.

He was also a little confused by this matter.

But he couldn't rush into this matter, so after a moment's deliberation, he said to Pei Xuan and the others, "I still need to report this to His Majesty. You should go back and wait for news!"

"What should we do with these things?" Pei Xuan asked hesitantly.

Fang Xuanling's face darkened: "Didn't you just say that it was sent to me?"

"But, the gift list is in the letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If we..."

"Alright, alright, I understand. Leave the letter here! Hurry up and go to the Ministry of Personnel to register for the assessment!"

Before Pei Xuan could finish his words, Fang Xuanling interrupted him impatiently with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, okay, okay, let's go register right away, right away!"

Zhang Ping was the first to react. He quickly put down the letter and then gave Pei Xuan a look.

Pei Xuan understood instantly and smiled.

Soon, the two left Fang Xuanling's mansion.

At the same time, at Changsun Wuji's mansion.

Shortly after Fang Xuanling left the banquet, Xue Wanche also left.

Because he was going with Changsun Wuji to pacify Liang Shidu tomorrow, he needed to go back and make preparations.

Changsun Wuji seemed to have made preparations long ago. He was still at the banquet, slowly enjoying the wine and delicious food.

"Father."

Changsun Wuji had just finished drinking a glass of wine when he heard Changsun Pingting calling him from outside the door.

He opened his drunken eyes, looked up, and couldn't help but smile faintly: "Pingting! Come, come to your father!"

"Father, mother asked me to persuade you to drink less!" Changsun Pingting walked slowly to Changsun Wuji's side and raised her hand to stop the hand that was about to pour the wine.

Changsun Wuji shook his head and smiled, then looked at Changsun Pingting and asked, "Is your mother still angry with me?"

"This"

Changsun Pingting opened her mouth, wanting to say something but stopped herself.

Changsun Wuji gave a bitter smile and sighed, "Even if you don't answer me, I understand. Your mother must still be angry!"

"Since father understands everything, why did he agree to my cousin's request? Don't you know that the private salt business is not only profitable for my family, but also the pillar industry of my grandfather's family?"

At this point, Changsun Pingting's expression became extremely complicated. She didn't dare look at Changsun Wuji anymore, but muttered to express her doubts: "Is it just to win?"

"Correct!"

Changsun Wuji admitted frankly: "Just to win!"

"But."

Changsun Pingting was about to say something, but was interrupted by Changsun Wuji: "Pingting, father wants to ask you, has your cousin failed in anything he has done recently?"

"This"

Changsun Pingting hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Although I don't know much about my cousin, through my observations over this period of time, I've found that whether in Chang'an or Jiangling, he always manages to do something incredible!"

"Yes! That's the reason! Father can't go against him! Do you understand?" Changsun Wuji said seriously.

Zhang Sun Pingting was still a little puzzled when she heard this: "Aren't we relatives? He is your nephew!"

Zhang Sun Wuji laughed. "Since ancient times, there has been no such thing as family affection among emperors. You still don't understand!"

"But, my cousin is only eight years old. How could he be so heartless?"

"If you treat him as an eight-year-old child, you are totally wrong."

"According to Father, is my cousin's closeness to us all fake?"

"That's not what he meant. He just wanted to strengthen himself and protect himself!"

"Self-protection?"

Hearing this, Changsun Pingting seemed to understand something and said with wide eyes, "Is it Your Majesty?"

"It's not a problem with your Majesty, it's a problem with that position."

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed, "Cheng Qian is very uneasy about that position. He doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the previous crown prince."

"That's why he chose to go to Jiangling, away from the fighting in Chang'an, right?" Changsun Pingting asked as if she suddenly realized something.

Changsun Wuji nodded with satisfaction, then reached out and touched his daughter's hair, saying with a smile: "Our Pingting has grown up. If she is a boy, my Changsun family will give her a son."

"That's what my father always says!"

Changsun Pingting interrupted Changsun Wuji with some dissatisfaction, saying, "What's wrong with being a girl? Girls can also achieve great things!"

"Back then, wasn't Princess Pingyang Zhao also a girl?!"

"hehe."

Changsun Wuji smiled, but did not argue with Changsun Pingting on this issue. He then changed the subject and said, "You went to Jiangling, did you find anything?"

"This"

Changsun Pingting hesitated for a moment and said, "If Father hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten. I feel that Jiangling doesn't seem like the capital of our Great Tang!"

"Oh?"

Changsun Wuji raised his eyebrows and immediately became interested: "Why is that?"

But then Changsun Pingting said as if recalling something:
"I can't explain why exactly, but some things are very strange. For example, the stool my father leaned on was a small one, while the stools in the Jiangling government office were very large, with backrests. People could sit on them and it was very comfortable."

"And Jiangling's tea, with its fragrant aroma and delicious taste. The strangest thing is the people of Jiangling, who are very different from the other prefectures we passed through. They all have a smile on their faces and are polite to each other. They don't pick up things on the road, and they leave their doors open at night."

"What's even more amazing is the food. It's no worse than my aunt's stir-fry, and the flavor is richer and more delicious."

"So, I understand!"

Hearing the strange things his daughter mentioned, Changsun Wuji narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully: "Cheng Qian should not only want to reform the salt industry."

"Then what does he want to reform?" Changsun Pingting asked curiously.

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled, then uttered two words meaningfully: "Tang Dynasty!"

"This"

Zhang Sun Pingting was filled with surprise and couldn't help but blurt out, "He wants to compete with Your Majesty for power!?"

"Shh!"

When Changsun Wuji heard what Changsun Pingting said, he quickly made a hushed gesture to him and said in a very serious tone, "Don't tell anyone about this. Do you understand?"

"But father, how dare he do that? Doesn't he know the taboos of His Majesty?"

"Father--!"

Before Changsun Pingting could finish her words, Changsun Chong's voice came from outside the door.

Changsun Wuji looked at Changsun Pingting deeply and said in a deep voice, "What's the matter?"

"Father, when I just came back, I ran into the Governor of Jiangling and the Governor-General of Jiangling. They brought me a gift, saying that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had asked them to deliver it!"

"This"

Changsun Wuji and Changsun Pingting exchanged a glance, then asked, "Where are they? Please invite them in!"

"Father, they left a gift and left, saying they were going to the Ministry of Personnel to register for the assessment and would come visit you next time!"

Hearing this, Changsun Wuji frowned slightly and said, "Bring the gift in!"

"Yes!"

Chang Sun Chong responded, and then he walked in holding a small cloth bag.

"Ok?"

When Changsun Wuji saw the small cloth bag, his face darkened. "I told you to bring all the gifts in! Don't you understand me?!"

Changsun Wuji loved and hated this son.

What I love is that he is my eldest son.

What he hated was that, as his eldest son, he was not at all capable.

However, when Chang Sun Chong heard what Chang Sun Wuji said, he felt very aggrieved: "This is all the gifts the two adults sent!"

"Oh!"

Changsun Wuji slammed the table and was about to lose his temper. Changsun Pingting beside him quickly comforted him, "Father, calm down! Let's take a look at the contents of the cloth bag first!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she took the small cloth bag from Changsun Chong's hand and opened it in front of Changsun Wuji.

All I saw inside were white particles that looked like snowflakes.

"What is this?" asked Changsun Wuji with a frown.

Changsun Pingting sniffed it and felt it was a little familiar. She stretched out a finger, dipped it gently in the cloth bag, and then put it in her mouth to taste it.

Changsun Wuji and Changsun Chong both looked at the expression on Changsun Pingting's pretty face.

When Changsun Pingting put her finger into her mouth, her expression instantly became distorted, as if she was in pain.

Changsun Wuji was so scared that he almost thought Changsun Chong was going to poison his sister.

However, after a brief moment of twisting her body, Changsun Pingting's face erupted with an expression of extreme surprise: "This... This is salt!?"

Salt?
After hearing what Changsun Pingting said, Changsun Wuji and Changsun Chong couldn't help but move closer to the small cloth bag.

The thing inside is snow-white, with distinct grains, like fine sand. It turns out to be salt?
Changsun Wuji knew that Changsun Pingting couldn't be talking nonsense, so he also stretched out a finger and dipped it in the fine snow salt in the cloth bag to taste it.

As soon as he took a sip, he felt like he was struck by lightning.

That’s right, the thing in this small cloth bag is salt.

And the taste of salt.
There is no other strange taste, no bitterness, only pure saltiness.

The Changsun family is the largest private salt merchant in Chang'an, and their understanding of salt is naturally unmatched by ordinary people.

But even the refined salt consumed by the Changsun family does not taste as good as the snow salt in this cloth bag.

However, the salt produced in most places in the Tang Dynasty had a strange taste.

Only a few places produce salt with a pure taste.

But pure taste does not mean that the color can be as white as the salt in the cloth bag.

Therefore, when thinking about the salt industry reform proposed by Li Chengqian earlier, Changsun Wuji reacted instantly.

Regarding the salt industry reform, Li Chengqian asked Changsun Pingting to come back and tell him, not to discuss it with him, but to inform him.

If he didn't agree, the credit would be the final deal between the uncle and nephew. If he agreed, the things in this small cloth bag would be the iron lock that bound the Changsun family.

From now on, we will prosper together and suffer together.

You know, once the Changsun family loses their salt business, what they will face is not financial income, but being targeted in all directions.

"Ah!"

After figuring out the key, Changsun Wuji couldn't help but laugh bitterly: "How ruthless!"

"Father."

Changsun Pingting opened her mouth, wanting to say something but stopped herself.

Changsun Wuji glanced at her and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh: "From the day that father accepted his help, father was involved in the game. Do you understand father's choice now?"

"Um"

Changsun Pingting nodded silently without saying a word.

Chang Sun Chong, however, looked puzzled and asked, "What on earth is going on? It's just a bag of salt. We don't lack salt at home!"

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but blame Li Chengqian.

"What a fool, my cousin! Why did he send a bag of salt? Is he looking down on my Changsun family? I think father should stop helping my cousin from now on!"

"Father, what are you doing? Father, I was wrong—ah! Stop hitting me, father!"

　【Seeking monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, follow-up subscriptions, full subscriptions】

　　
　
(End of this chapter)