The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

As Wang Youde opened the wine jar and sealed it, the rich aroma of wine filled the entire hall, and the young palace maids couldn't help but secretly sniff it.

Li Shimin squinted his eyes, looking completely captivated.

"Young man, I've heard that Yuan Tiangang is a heavy drinker. This brewing method was passed down to you by him."

Changsun Dan was filled with anxiety, hoping that Yuan Tiangang would never appear before Li Er. The first lie was to save himself, but once the first one happened, he couldn't resist the temptations that followed, because it was the best way to cover up the secret, bar none. At this point, he could only bite the bullet and answer:

"Wine can be used to make medicine. The brewing recipe for Immortal's Intoxication was indeed taught by Master Yuan. I brewed only thirteen jars the first time. I opened one jar for the wine tasting and opened two more jars when testing the Dragon and Phoenix Lanterns. I gave the remaining ten jars to my aunt. From now on, I will send thirty jars to my aunt every month."

Li Shimin laughed and said, "You've got some conscience, kid. That's good, that's good. Guanyinbi, look at this kid, he only has you, his aunt, in his heart. I, the Emperor of the Great Tang, have to rely on you to drink good wine."

Empress Zhangsun naturally understood Dan'er's thoughts and was extremely pleased. Knowing that the palace maids also had the habit of drinking wine to keep warm, she smiled and instructed Wang Youde:

"Let the palace maids in the palace also have a drink."

Wang Youde smiled and agreed. The palace maids all thanked him in unison, secretly envying Zhang Tao'er and wishing they were the ones serving wine behind the county magistrate last night.

Changsun Dan thought to herself that Empress Changsun truly deserved to be called the most virtuous empress in history; even towards the palace maids, she was so approachable. She rose and replied to Li Shimin in a serious tone:

"Your Majesty has many old wounds from your early years of fighting. As you get older, these wounds are more likely to recur. The Immortal's Wine I am sending you now is only a semi-finished product. The wine that will be sent later will be a medicinal wine with added medicine. It will only be supplied to Your Majesty. Sending it to my aunt is also to prevent Your Majesty from drinking too much and aggravating your injuries."

Li Shimin was overjoyed upon hearing this. In recent years, his old injury had been aching from time to time, especially on cloudy and rainy days. No wonder the pain had disappeared these past few days. The Immortal's Intoxication brewed by this kid, though only half-finished, already had such an effect. Wouldn't the finished product be even more amazing?

Little did he know that this "Immortal's Intoxication" wine had a high alcohol content. Drinking it could not only numb the nerves but also resist the invasion of cold air, which was incomparable to ordinary low-alcohol wines.

Li Shimin was overjoyed. He had originally intended to get the boy to reveal the brewing secret, but as the boy said, the Immortal's Drunkenness was only for his own use and for healing old injuries. He was afraid that the brewing process was too difficult and could not be done carelessly, so he immediately gave up on the idea.

Besides, he couldn't finish thirty jars a month, and he could give some of the rest to the old generals who fought alongside him. How many of them were still in good health, especially Qin Qiong, who could barely walk now?

After praising it several times, and considering the cost of its production, he jokingly asked:

"I cannot drink your wine for free. Whatever its value, my private treasury will pay for it."

Changsun Dan was waiting for these words. He dared not take Li Er's money, but the city license for opening the winery was something he had to ask for, so he quickly replied:

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler who cares deeply about the world. If you spend a fortune brewing wine, you will inevitably be criticized by censors and slandered by historians every day. I have another kind of wine that is relatively simple to brew and tastes slightly inferior to Immortal's Intoxication. Your Majesty only needs to grant me a winery license, and I can use the income from the winery to brew this Immortal's Intoxication for Your Majesty."

Although Li Shimin was very tempted, Changsun Dan's proposal was contrary to the laws of the Tang Dynasty. If Changsun Dan could find a way to obtain a license plate, Li Shimin could turn a blind eye, since that was how aristocratic families operated.

Seeing his father hesitate, Li Chengqian quickly said:

"This matter does not require the Emperor's approval. Brother Dan only needs to have the family members of the servants in the mansion come forward, and I will make a call to the Imperial Treasury. Obtaining a city permit will not be difficult."

Li Shimin thought to himself, "My son is so clever," and laughed it off.

"I cannot interfere in this matter. I have summoned you here today to discuss the disaster relief and mulberry planting in Youzhou and Jizhou. I would like to hear your and Chengqian's opinions."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Dan realized there was hope. He decided to have Zhou Youniang collect the market token. Since the Crown Prince was willing to help him, he should also give him a generous gift. He winked at the Crown Prince, thinking, "I'll just give him the question, and he can solve it."

"Planting mulberry trees in Youzhou and the other two places does present some difficulties. First, it is just the beginning of the project. The people have no food at home and are not confident. They may resist it for a while. Second, if the silk is collected by each household individually, the merchants may squeeze the price. Third, although the cost can be reduced to the lowest level by spinning silk and weaving brocade on the spot, it requires unified technical support and the establishment of a unified purchase and sales channel."

Li Shimin nodded and looked at Li Chengqian: "What does the Crown Prince think?"

After returning to the Eastern Palace yesterday, Li Chengqian had indeed thought about it for a long time, and what he said was largely the same as what Changsun Dan had said. Now that he was asked to answer, he was even more confident:

"Your Majesty, I believe your thoughts are comprehensive. The main inhabitants of Youzhou and Jizhou are the soldiers of the Zhechongfu and their families. Almost every household owns permanent land. If we want them to agree to plant mulberry trees, the government can lower the price of rice to two coins per dou. Local people can provide their household registration and each person can purchase up to three dou per month. This is enough to feed them. Those who agree to plant mulberry trees on their land will receive a subsidy of two hundred coins per mu from the government. However, the silk harvested in the first year will be bought back by the government at half the market price. In this way, the people will have money to buy grain and can also make a profit from selling silk. Naturally, they will no longer resist. The government will only pay a batch of fees in advance. When the silk is bought back, there will even be some surplus income."

Li Chengqian paused:

"To prevent the people from taking the money and then selling the silk to the merchants at the original price, we can restrict the silk trade between the two places and prohibit the transportation of silk between the two places. In this way, the court will not suffer any losses."

Li Chengqian's answer was even more perfect than Changsun Dan had expected, and he couldn't help but praise him:

"Your Highness's idea is excellent. This way, the court will not suffer losses, the people of Youzhou will be grateful to Your Majesty, and once the first problem is solved, the rest will be much simpler."

Li Shimin was greatly pleased. After downing a large cup of wine, he sincerely praised Li Chengqian for the first time:

"The Crown Prince's plan is brilliant. Wang Youde, write it down word for word. I want to show those old fogies from the aristocratic families just how wise my son, Li Shimin's son and the heir apparent of the Tang Dynasty, is."

Empress Zhangsun's eyes were slightly red. This was the first time the two children had worked together to handle state affairs. They were so in sync, so close, and even so perfect. This was also the first time Erlang had recognized and praised his godson in this way. Dan'er had grown up, and his changes had already affected many people.

Li Chengqian was deeply moved. His younger brother's question was so timely, it was as if he had seen the answer in his own heart. Finally, his father could see him!

Wang Youde copied a plan of response from the Crown Prince from the Imperial Diarist and presented it to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin stared at it for a long time, as if admiring a peerless piece of jade, before finally frowning and rubbing his temples.

"Go on, now that the plan is finalized, I still need to consider where the money will come from."