The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 111 What virtues and abilities does Li Chengqian possess?
"What a trick!"

He now finally knew what the Crown Prince had been secretly busy with at the imperial estate.

It is not a whimsical toy, nor a mere utensil or tribute, but a "jade salt" that is powerful enough to shake up the salt industry and even threaten the very foundation of the nation!
What alarmed him even more was that the Crown Prince was not simply making good salt for profit, but rather binding it with such a grand and ingenious plan as the development of Xizhou and the issuance of bonds.

This series of actions—public fundraising, the bestowal of divine salt—were interconnected and executed with incredible speed.

In particular, this "bond" policy, nominally raising funds for the country, avoids the suspicion that the crown prince is borrowing money or engaging in business.

The ingenious mobilization of private financial resources demonstrates the boldness of its concept, the thoroughness of its considerations, and the precision of its understanding of people's hearts...

The person behind the Crown Prince is an extremely shrewd individual.

Li Shimin slowly put down the salt grains, picked up the "Proclamation to the World," and his gaze swept over the powerful words on the page once more.

This is not a conspiracy, it is an open strategy.

Put everything out in the open, utilize the rules, guide public opinion, and gather strength.

They took the right path, yet achieved results that ordinary tricks could not.

This style reminded him of the grand vision that Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui had created for him back then, and even... added a touch of unpredictable mystery.

A strong desire to explore, mixed with a sense of loss that he had not anticipated, quietly welled up in his heart.

This person possesses such extraordinary talent that he can transform Gao Ming in a short period of time, teaching him to be patient, to strategize, and to use such manipulative methods...

Why not directly assist me?
Is Li Shimin, the Heavenly Khan who created the prosperous Zhenguan era and ruled over all heroes, less attractive than his own son?
He believed he was eager to recruit talented people and would only appoint those with exceptional abilities.

Even former enemies, such as Wei Zheng, who had served Li Jiancheng, could be entrusted with important responsibilities and regarded as role models, as long as they were truly talented and loyal to the country.

Why would this wise man prefer to remain hidden in the shadow of the Eastern Palace, carefully shaping the Crown Prince, rather than stand before him, bask in the Emperor's favor, and share in the grand event?

Are you afraid of me?

Li Shimin frowned.

Judging from their methods, they are following the right path and not resorting to underhanded tricks.

Such a person must have a bright and upright character; he should not be a timid or cowardly individual.

Does he think I can't tolerate him?
Or... does he believe that Gao Ming is a better choice, one who can better realize his ambitions?

This thought made Li Shimin feel inexplicably irritated, and even a little angry at being slighted.

What virtue or ability does Li Chengqian possess?
How could I have won the favor of such a talented person?

Does this expert have a problem with his eyesight?

He stood up and walked to the palace window.

Throughout his life, he fought countless battles, quelled numerous rivals, ascended the throne, and worked diligently to govern the country, confident that he could command the talents of the world.

But right under his nose, a person of extraordinary talent was helping his son.

He knew absolutely nothing about it.

This feeling of being out of control made him extremely uncomfortable.

The sense of loss gradually transformed into a resolute determination.

No, this person must be found.

Such great talent being buried in the Eastern Palace is a loss to the court and makes him uneasy.

He needed to know what kind of person this was, why he chose the crown prince, and what his ultimate goal was.

But the methods must be gentle.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart.

This person appears to be guiding the Crown Prince onto the right path, and his actions are beneficial to the country.

If force is used, unforeseen circumstances may arise, potentially pushing the person to the opposite side or frightening them into complete hiding.

What he wanted was for this Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick to reveal themselves willingly, or at least for him to see their true colors. "Wang De," he called out in a deep voice.

Wang De, who had been standing by, immediately stepped forward silently and bowed to receive the order.

"Reveal my imperial edict," Li Shimin's voice regained its usual calm.

"Add more capable personnel to keep a close eye on all people entering and leaving the Eastern Palace, especially the officials who have been in frequent contact with the Crown Prince recently."

"I need to know who they met each day, what they said, and what they did. Remember, this must be kept secret, without disturbing them, and especially without letting the Crown Prince find out."

He wanted to unravel the mystery from these subtle details and find the figure hiding behind the scenes.

"As you command," Wang De replied in a low voice.

At almost the same moment, in Yanshoufang, Chang'an City, in a prominent mansion.

This is the residence of the Duke of Yun, and also the residence of Cui Renshi, a former official of the Sui Dynasty, a current court official, and one of the key figures of the Qinghe Cui clan in Chang'an.

Although it was late at night, the study was still brightly lit by candlelight.

Cui Renshi did not go to bed. He was dressed in his usual clothes, sitting on a folding chair, with two items placed in front of him.

One was a copy of the "Letter to the Wise and Virtuous" issued by the Crown Prince's Palace, and the other was an open brocade pouch containing pure white, snow-white fine salt.

He stretched out his slightly thin fingers, picked up a small pinch of salt, examined it closely, touched it lightly with the tip of his tongue, and then fell silent.

The pure saltiness and unadulterated taste caused a barely perceptible tremor to flash across his deep eyes.

He wasn't alone in the study.

Two more people were sitting to the left.

One of them was an elderly man in his fifties, dressed in a dark silk robe. He was Wang Yu, one of the elders of the Wang clan of Taiyuan in Chang'an.

His brows were furrowed, and his fingers were unconsciously tapping his knees, clearly indicating that he was restless.

Another person, slightly younger, around forty years old, with a refined appearance but sharp eyes, was Lu Chengqing, a representative of the Lu family of Fanyang.

He was looking down at the "Letter to Wise Men of the World" repeatedly, as if he wanted to chew every single word.

After a long silence, Cui Renshi spoke slowly, his voice carrying the composure of someone who had long held a high position, yet it could not conceal the gravity within.

"Speak, Your Highness. What is Your Highness's intention this time?"

Wang Yu was the first to raise his head, his tone filled with disbelief.

"What is his intention? Isn't it clear enough? He wants money, he wants to bypass the imperial treasury, bypass us, and directly extract huge sums of money and grain from the people! 150,000 strings of cash and 200,000 shi of grain! What a huge appetite he has!"

Lu Chengqing put down the copybook and took a deep breath.

"It's not just about money and supplies. If you look closely at this proclamation, you'll see 'jointly build the border and share the benefits,' and 'bond circulation.' This is not just simple lending; its purpose is... to gather momentum."

"They will bind the hearts of merchants and the people of the world, as well as some of the public opinion in the court and the countryside, to the Eastern Palace and his Crown Prince Li Chengqian, to a corner of Xizhou!"

"This is... a scheme to win people's hearts and minds and build a private treasury!"

"Private vault?" Wang Yu sneered.

"How will he repay? It's a two-year term, and he still has to pay interest! In a place like Xizhou, relocating people, cultivating land, building cities, and maintaining an army—aren't all of these bottomless pits that devour money?"

"Within ten years, being self-sufficient will be a luxury, let alone giving back to others."

"How much of the taxes, labor service, and corvée labor of the imperial court can be collected in the first few years? What output does the Crown Prince's palace have to support this mountain of debt?"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice unconsciously rose.

"According to the system of our dynasty, the main taxes of the state are rent, labor service, and tax. Rent is millet, labor service is silk in exchange for labor, and tax is silk and cloth products."

"All funds were collected from registered households and commoners, with a fixed annual quota. The funds were collected by the prefectures and counties, deposited into the Ministry of Revenue's granary, and then disbursed by the imperial court. The expenses of border prefectures and military garrisons mostly relied on central government transportation or local purchases, but these still required funds from the national treasury."

(End of this chapter)