Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

"Lizhi, tell me, how exactly does your brother-in-law implement this salt administration system?"

Seeing that she was asking seriously, Li Lizhi answered solemnly.

"The core of the new policy can be summarized in eight words: allow coarse salt to be left unregulated, while state-run refined salt will be controlled."

"There are no restrictions on coarse salt. People can mine and sell it as they please. There will be no tax increases or monopolies. It will be exactly the same as before. The common people will eat coarse salt just the same as in the past, without spending a penny more."

"Refined salt is different. The refining technology is strictly controlled by the Imperial Household Department and is not allowed to be passed on to outsiders or be privately manufactured. All refined salt is produced, priced, and sold uniformly by the government, exclusively for the powerful and wealthy merchants. The price is high, but those people can afford it and are willing to pay it."

Li Yinxun understood: the poor ate coarse salt and their lives continued as usual, unaffected; the rich ate refined salt and spent a lot of money to maintain their dignity, and that money went directly into the national treasury.

After listening, Li Yinxun remained silent for a long time.

She was rapidly processing the logic behind this policy in her mind.

The tax on coarse salt was not increased, which protected people's livelihoods and stabilized public sentiment. The interests of ordinary people were not harmed in the slightest, and the foundation of society remained unshaken.

The strict control of refined salt by the government turned the refining technology into a core resource monopolized by the state. The high consumption of the wealthy class was used to fill the national treasury, which was essentially using the money of the powerful and wealthy to support the country's accounts.

The punishments were lenient, there were no harsh policies, and the people were not disturbed. There was no forced ban on coarse salt, no coercion of people to switch to expensive refined salt, and no forced consumption or disguised exploitation.

Without affecting the interests of established families, the powerful and wealthy could afford to buy refined salt anyway. On the contrary, because the quality of refined salt far exceeded that of coarse salt, they competed to buy it and took pride in using it. They were not being exploited, but were willingly paying for it.

Gentle, wise, and extremely visionary.

Li Yinxun sighed sincerely.

"My brother-in-law is really amazing."

Only now, witnessing firsthand how he used an ingenious salt administration system to both enrich the national treasury and harm the people in the slightest, did she truly appreciate the weight of that emperor's wisdom.

This is the kind of emperor who fits the historical logic.

He amassed wealth in a measured way and governed with clarity.

Prioritize the well-being of the people before considering the nation's future; never exploit resources to the point of exhaustion.

Compared to previous dynasties that treated salt taxes as a cash cow and forced people to sell their children, the Zhenguan era was so mild that it was almost unlike the style of a feudal dynasty.

This is what a real emperor should be like!

How can the arrival of a time traveler turn the emperor into a giant baby who asks about everything? If the emperor and his ministers all become his underlings, what's the point of sitting on the throne?

Li Yin suddenly remembered a question, "How come your restaurant can use refined salt? Has the imperial court loosened the supply restrictions?"

Li Lizhi nodded. "Which restaurant in Chang'an isn't backed by powerful figures? Father is simply allowing them to use the refined salt they bought for their own restaurants. That's practically doing them a favor for free. Once you've tasted food made with refined salt, who would want to go back to eating bitter coarse salt?"

"To put it bluntly, the idea is to first establish the reputation of refined salt within the elite circles. Once they can't live without it, the price will be lowered, layer by layer. In the end, refined salt will completely replace coarse salt, the common people will no longer eat bitter salt, and the national treasury will have a steady stream of income."

Li Shimin also learned about the term "GG" on his mobile phone.

"Aren't you afraid they'll sell it secretly?"

"Auntie, there's no way to prevent it. They can only pray they don't get caught."

After listening, Li Yinxun couldn't help but clap her hands lightly twice.

The little princess couldn't understand, but when she saw Li Yinxun clapping, she grinned and clapped her hands too.

The group left the restaurant. Night had fallen, and the streets were even more bustling than before.

"Why are there so many people today?" Li Yinxun asked, turning her head.

Li Lizhi explained with a smile, "The curfew is being lifted tonight as an exception, and people are free to go out and play."

Looking out, vendors lined up along Zhuque Avenue, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The shouts of vendors selling flatbread, sugar figurines, and sachets of sachets and mugwort rose and fell.

A street performer was showing off his fire-breathing and knife-swallowing tricks on a street corner, attracting layers of onlookers.

There were also stalls selling lanterns—lotus lanterns, rabbit lanterns, carp lanterns—the flickering candlelight casting a warm glow over half the street.

This bustling market scene is enough to show the Tang Dynasty's tolerance and openness towards commerce.

The imperial court did not severely suppress private trade; instead, it encouraged commerce during festivals, allowing people to trade freely and enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Night Market Opens to a Huge Crowd; Cleverly Solving Lantern Riddles Brings Ward Off Evil Spirits

As soon as the group left the restaurant and stepped onto the street, Li Yinxun noticed something was amiss.

The streets were bustling on the way here, but it was still dark, and most of the people were spectators leaving after watching the games during the day. But now that night has fallen, the streets are not only not less crowded, but even more packed than during the day. They are shoulder to shoulder, bustling and noisy, and you have to walk sideways and move slowly.

"Why are there so many people today?" Li Yinxun asked, turning her head.

Li Lizhi explained with a smile: "During the Dragon Boat Festival, the imperial court made an exception and lifted the curfew. For three days, the night market in Chang'an will be open all night, and people can enjoy themselves at will."

Li Yinxun was slightly taken aback.

Curfew—a fundamental system of urban management in the Tang Dynasty. Every day at sunset, the gates were closed, the ward gates were locked, and pedestrians were not allowed on the streets; violators were punished with twenty strokes of the cane. On ordinary days, the nights in Chang'an were quiet; those within the ward walls rested peacefully, while those outside were deserted.

But tonight is different.

On Zhuque Street, vendors lined the street, stretching as far as the eye could see. Sellers of sesame cakes, sugar figurines, sachets of mugwort and sachets, and seasonal fruits called out their wares in a cacophony of voices. At a street corner, a street performer entertained the crowds with fire-breathing and knife-swallowing acts. There were also stalls selling lanterns—lotus lanterns, rabbit lanterns, carp lanterns—the flickering candlelight casting a warm glow over half the street.

This bustling market scene demonstrates the Tang Dynasty's tolerant and relaxed attitude towards commerce. The imperial court did not severely suppress private trade; on the contrary, it encouraged commerce through festivals, allowing people to trade freely and enjoy themselves to the fullest.

The little princess rode on Guo Qian's shoulders, her two little hands clinging to his forehead, her big eyes darting around, and her mouth never closing.

"Auntie, bunny."

The little princess pointed to the rabbit lantern, and Li Yinxun looked at Li Lizhi, who didn't have any money from the Tang Dynasty.

Li Lizhi had no choice but to pay, and the little princess grinned, "Thank you, sister, I love you."

Chengyang also wanted a rabbit lantern.

It was the first time for both little girls to visit a night market in the Tang Dynasty, and they were filled with excitement.

As we walked, a cheer suddenly came from ahead.

The crowd formed a dense circle, and no one knew what they were doing inside, only the sounds of applause and cheers could be heard.

"Shall we go take a look?" Li Yin's interest was piqued.

The accompanying Imperial Guards stood guard around them, silently pushing through the crowd, and the group successfully squeezed to the front.

It turned out to be a lantern riddle guessing activity for the Dragon Boat Festival.

In the center of the field, a colorful tent was erected, with dozens of lanterns hanging from the top. Each lantern had a red ribbon tied to it, on which a riddle was written.

In the center of the decorated pavilion was a tall table with a brocade box on it. The box was half-open, revealing a small ornament inside.

Li Yinxun looked around, somewhat curious.

"It's just a riddle game, why are so many people gathered here?"

A young man who looked like a scholar overheard this and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"My lady, you may not know this, but the grand prize at tonight's lantern riddle extravaganza is no ordinary item. It's a talisman for warding off evil spirits and protecting the home during the Dragon Boat Festival—the only one of its kind in the entire night market of Chang'an!"

Li Yinxun followed his gaze to the brocade box.

The ornament in the brocade box is about three inches long, in a reclining posture, resembling both a tiger and a lion, but with a single horn.

The entire piece is covered in a blue-green glaze, with dark green patterns outlining the scales. The glaze is warm and lustrous like jade, and it gleams with a faint, precious light under the lamplight.

With its single horn slightly upturned and its eyes wide open, it is small yet majestic, clearly the work of a master craftsman.