People in the Tang Dynasty, Jian'an style

"Ptah~Ptah~" Cheng Yaojin spat on his hands, then slowly swung the hammer above his head, and then, under the gaze of the surrounding civil and military officials, he smashed it down with all his strength.

"Boom~"

Li Wenbin only heard a loud bang, as if a bomb exploded next to his ear, making his head buzz, and at the same time, cement fragments flew everywhere.

Many people who were close by were unable to dodge in time. Those who reacted quickly covered their faces with their wide sleeves, while those who reacted slowly felt pain on their faces from the cement fragments. Those with a bad temper started cursing on the spot, but unfortunately Cheng Yaojin was very thick-skinned and did not take the curses of the crowd to heart at all.

When the dust settled, everyone looked at the stone slab that Cheng Yaojin had smashed and were surprised to find that the hammer head of the oversized hammer was embedded in the cement slab. A large hole had sunken inward on the surface of the cement slab with the hammer head as the center. However, even so, the cement slab did not break. It was much harder than many stones.

"Your Highness, this thing is of great use. If used to build a city, it will not only be quick and convenient, but also several times stronger than those built with bricks and stones. It is truly a powerful weapon bestowed by God on our Tang Dynasty!" Li Jing, who had been watching Li Wenbin's performance silently from the beginning, suddenly stood up and said. The God of War is the God of War. Before Li Wenbin said anything, he had already seen the military value of cement.

Li Shimin's eyes lit up after hearing this. He originally thought that cement was only used for building roads, but after Li Jing's reminder, he realized that cement should have other important uses.

This naughty boy Li Wenbin has really grown up and brought me many surprises.

"If we use this material to build roads, there will be no more transportation problems on the grassland. Even if something happens, the army can arrive the next day and put down the disaster in one fell swoop. If all the roads in the country can be replaced with cement roads, then transportation will be developed, freight will be smooth, and all industries will prosper. Our Tang Dynasty will be more prosperous. Even if it takes several years or even decades, the cement road must be built." Fang Xuanling is worthy of being the future head of the Tang Dynasty's civil servants. He has a long-term vision that no one else can match. He immediately saw the importance of transportation.

After hearing what Li Jing and Fang Xuanling said, other people also talked about it. Some were in praise, while others were hesitant. But no matter what their attitude was, they all knew that this cement was definitely a good thing that would benefit the country and the people.

"Your Highness, I have something to ask you?" At this moment, the voice that Li Wenbin hated to hear the most asked him.

The person who spoke was Changsun Wuji.

"Oh? Lord Changsun, please speak!" Although he hated this sinister person, Li Wenbin had to answer the question. Li Shimin and others also looked at the two.

"This cement is indeed amazing, but I wonder how much it costs?" Changsun Wuji smiled slightly and asked the key question right away.

Li Shimin and others who were excited just now also calmed down and looked at Li Wenbin nervously. This cement is good, but good things are generally very expensive. If the cost of cement is too high, it will not be worth it.

Li Wenbin smiled slightly. As a person from later generations, how could he not know the importance of cost-effectiveness of goods.

Although he didn't know the materials and labor costs of cement, Bai Qing, the person in charge, knew it very well, so Li Wenbin waved to Bai Qing and said, "Lord Changsun asked a good question. Although I provided the cement firing method, the specific operation was done by Bai Shucheng, so let him introduce it to everyone."

When Kong Yingda and others heard that cement was actually invented by Li Wenbin, they were hesitant. No wonder Li Wenbin was in charge of this matter.

Bai Qing's legs were shaking with excitement. He walked to the center of the venue tremblingly and saluted to Li Shimin and the officials, saying, "I am Bai Qing, the Deputy Chief of the Office of the Chief of Works. I pay my respects to the King of Qin, and to all the gentlemen."

"Hurry up, how much does this cement cost?" Li Shimin asked anxiously.

"Your Highness, the materials used in this cement are very common and cheap, but it consumes a lot of charcoal during calcination, and all the consumption is on fuel." When saying this, Bai Qing pointed to the standing cement slab and said, "For example, this cement slab, the cement used plus sand and stone, the cost is about fifteen cents."

"Fifteen cents?" Li Shimin frowned. This price was not low. You know, the current price of grain is only five cents per bushel. If you want to build a cement road from Chang'an to Luoyang, it would cost at least four or five million strings of cash, according to a rough estimate!

And how much tax did the Tang Dynasty collect in a year? It was all gone just by building a few cement roads.

"Father, what Secretary Bai said is only the current cost. If cement is fired on a large scale in the future, the cost can be further reduced. I estimate that it will definitely not exceed ten cents. Moreover, as the technology improves in the future, the price will have room to fall."

Li Wenbin stepped forward and made his assurance, and his words were immediately agreed by Bai Qing.

"If we can get the price down to less than ten cents, we will build the road even if it means losing money. This is a holy act that will ensure the eternal existence of the Tang Dynasty!"

When Fang Xuanling heard this, he could no longer hold back and stood up and spoke with great excitement.

After hearing what Fang Xuanling said, many far-sighted officials also agreed and asked Li Shimin to ask Li Yuan for permission to have the Ministry of Works be responsible for expanding cement production.

Some cautious ministers did not object, but only suggested that a few roads could be built first to see the effect. If it was feasible, it would not be too late to build on a large scale.

Li Shimin agreed and immediately went to the palace to ask for an audience.

It’s just that he left quickly and came back even faster—and the results he brought back did not surprise Li Wenbin.

The old man really refused.

But his reasons were very sufficient - the national treasury was not sufficient, the Turks were restless, and it was unknown when a war would break out.

Also, although the Tang Dynasty is a wealthy and powerful country, it still needs money everywhere.

Although Li Shimin argued with reason, the final result still made him dissatisfied.

Chapter 122: You are all thousand-year-old foxes. What are you playing with me?

What made Li Shimin feel even more disheartened was that this was clearly a great thing that benefited the country and the people, but in the mouths of Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng, it was like a flood and a beast.

This really made him confused.

After returning to the palace, the depressed Li Shimin locked himself in the study and sulked.

"Your Highness, the King of Qi requests to see you." Just then, a servant from the palace came to report.

"What is he doing here? Is he here to see me make fun of myself?" Li Shimin didn't want to see Li Wenbin, but when he thought about how he had just offered cement to him, it would be a bad idea to turn him away. So he changed his mind and said, "Let him in."

"promise."

Li Wenbin came in quickly and seeing Li Shimin's depressed look, he guessed the result.

"Your Highness Prince Qin, what's wrong with you? Are you depressed?"

When there were no outsiders around, Li Wenbin would never call Li Shimin "father".

"Humph, my father and the crown prince rejected my suggestion. They refused to admit that there is such a thing as cement." Li Shimin said depressedly, "The crown prince even said that I was drunk in broad daylight, so I said such nonsense."

As he spoke, he drank the wine in the glass in front of him in one gulp, then slammed his fist heavily on the table: "I just don't understand. The cement is clearly there. They only need to take a look to know it, but they insist on doing this. Can you understand my feelings?"

Seeing his depressed look, Li Wenbin sat opposite him without any hesitation: "Your Highness Prince Qin, compared to this, what I don't understand is, is it fun for you to play this trick in front of me?"

Li Shimin frowned: "Wenbin, what do you mean? I don't understand."

Li Wenbin rolled his eyes and said, "You are the King of Qin of the Tang Dynasty, but you just acted like a political novice. If you were really like that, you would have been eaten alive by the prince. How could you not understand why they did this? I am only asking you now, do you really not understand?"

Li Shimin blinked his eyes: "What if I really don't understand? What if I pretend not to understand?"

"If you really don't understand, then I will go to the East Palace to find Crown Prince Jiancheng and express my loyalty to him. If you are pretending not to understand, I just hope that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin will stop playing these childish family games. We are all adults, so just say whatever you want to say. There is no need for this!"

"Ahem, alright." Li Shimin didn't know why, but he felt much more relaxed. "Wenbin, let me ask you, do you have any good ideas?"

"Isn't this much better?" Li Wenbin glanced at his Oscar-winning father. "It's very simple. As long as the throne is in your hands, you can do whatever you want. You think cement is beneficial to the country and the people, then it is beneficial to the country and the people. Who dares to say no?"

"But..." Li Shimin looked very hesitant.

"My Prince Qin, you are not still dreaming that the emperor will come to his senses and make you the crown prince, are you?"

"Otherwise, if you don't become a prince, how can you become the emperor?"

"The current emperor has never been a crown prince, so how did he become the emperor?" Li Wenbin revealed his cards.

"This, you——" Li Shimin's expression changed drastically, "How can you say such treasonous words?"

Li Wenbin pondered for a while, then nodded slowly and said, "I understand. In fact, the King of Qin wants to be the emperor and have a good reputation, right? You want both, but you are too embarrassed to admit it, so you are going to let me find a reason to convince you, and then you can put the blame on me with peace of mind - you originally wanted to be a good person, but it was all because of me, a bad guy, that you made a mistake and suffered eternal regret, right? This way you can have no burden, right?"

"Wenbin, please don't misunderstand me. Since I have ascended the throne by then, I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"You are really great, Your Highness. No wonder you can become the King of Qin!" Li Wenbin gave a thumbs up and praised, "You are really a bad guy, much better than me!"

Li Wenbin figured it out and laughed out loud, praising and rewarding him.

He looked up and found that Li Shimin's skin color had changed, as if he came from Africa. He said, "How about I give you a way to ensure that you don't have to worry about your reputation at all?"

The muscles on Li Shimin's face twitched involuntarily, and he asked, "What method?"

"Since we want to play, let's play it more realistically." Li Wenbin whispered, "We can do this - let the bad guy let me do it, pretending that I have seized your power and sidelined you, then launch a rebellion, kill the crown prince Jiancheng, and then force the emperor to appoint me as regent. Then, force the emperor to abdicate and become the emperor emeritus. You will be the emperor and I will be the regent, with all the power of the court in my hands. At that time, you will come out to quell the rebellion..."

Li Wenbin clapped his hands and said, "At that time, you will be justified and have a legitimate reason to start a war. Then, people will support me and I will collapse at the first sign of trouble. Then, you can be a real emperor without having to bear any responsibility."

"How is my plan? How does it compare to your previous one? Is it perfect?"

Li Shimin thought about it and smiled: "Not bad, not bad, it is indeed much better than my plan. But..."

His voice suddenly rose: "Do you think I don't know? You say it's acting, but I'm afraid that when you act it out, it will become real, right?"

"By that time, I won't even know if I can save my life, so why would I stand up to suppress the rebellion? And what's the point of doing so? I'm afraid that by that time, the grass on my grave will be three feet high!"

So you understand? ?

Li Wenbin sat back in his original position, squinting his eyes and said, "Then the King of Qin is probably going to treat me in the same way, right? Just as you just said, I'm afraid that by then I will really become a traitor who can be killed by everyone. As long as the King of Qi is alive, the troubles in Tang will not end."

We are all thousand-year-old foxes, why are you playing Liao Zhai game with me?

Li Wenbin was sure that if he dared to openly persuade Li Shimin to rebel, he would be pushed out as a scapegoat in the end.

Even if you don’t die, you will roll down the toilet on a mountain - you will become infamous!

The father and son sneered at each other, but they both felt a sense of mutual respect in their hearts.

Li Wenbin stood up and bowed to Li Shimin: "Your Highness, Prince of Qin, you must make the decision on this matter yourself. No one else can replace you. If you want to prevent the brave generals under your command from being disappointed, I advise you to make a decision as soon as possible. Otherwise..."

"The consequences are disastrous. That's all I have to say. Goodbye, Your Highness the King of Qin!"

Chapter 123 I Have a Little Donkey

Concubine Yang was sitting on the bed, holding two red hairbands in her hands, looking a little absent-minded.

That day, she told Li Wenbin about Concubine Yin always finding fault with her, and he immediately made it clear that he would definitely vent her anger.

Concubine Yang originally thought that Li Wenbin would use some sinister tricks - such as poisoning her food or disfiguring her.

But what was unexpected was that a mere piece of pastry would cause Concubine Yin to lose Li Shimin's favor.

After learning the news, Concubine Yang felt both happy and worried.

What made me happy was that Li Wenbin was so capable that he had done what I had begged him to do in just a few days without leaving any loopholes.

As for worry...

It is the red hairband in her hand.

Yang Fei promised Li Wenbin at that time that if he could help, she would tie his hair into two ponytails.

This was Li Wenbin's initiative. Yang Fei didn't know what to say about tying her hair into two ponytails.

But the unknown is what makes people afraid.

After learning that Li Wenbin came to the palace to see the prince today, Concubine Yang prepared two red ropes for tying ponytails.

When she thought of the way that bad guy tortured her in bed, her face turned red, and she tightly grasped two thin ropes in her hands for tying her pigtails.

But until the evening, the enemy still hadn't shown up, which made Yang Fei feel relieved but also a little disappointed.

She had just finished bathing and was wearing a clean white robe. The clothes were light and soft. Although they were loose, they were tight against her chest, and the undulating folds of the robe revealed her beautiful breasts faintly.

Yang Jier's beautiful hair was gathered into a bun in front of her bulging left chest, like a long, soft and shiny black stream running on the undulating snowfield.

Her robe was tied loosely around her waist with a belt, revealing a large area of ​​skin at the neckline. She had just showered, and the bedding on the couch was made of fine fabric, soft to the touch, and really relaxing.

Her long wet hair draped over her shoulders, making her face look extremely soft and charming. She held a horn comb in her bare hands, gently combing her shiny, silky hair.

Yang Fei, who had always been dignified and serious in front of outsiders, now looked gentle and charming in her unadorned light dress.

Accidentally, the horn comb fell to the ground.

Yang Jier just sighed slightly and picked it up.

Li Wenbin, who was standing outside the window, felt a burning sensation in his heart.

Yang Jier was now kneeling on the ground, and his round buttocks, slender waist and smooth back were clearly visible to him, which made his heart tremble instantly.

Yang Jier has become a fully ripe peach. She lies there with her waist stretched out, revealing her roundness, just like an "or2".

As for ordinary women, at most they look like orz.

Don't underestimate the slight difference between "z" and "2". Sometimes a slight difference can shock people's hearts and arouse endless reverie. Moreover, her posture is very easy to make people think of wrong things. I really want to lean over and gently hug her from behind and do something unspeakable.

Li Wenbin was a man who couldn't be more normal. He couldn't control himself and was stunned. By the way, he was too mentally stimulated and unconsciously had an instinctive swallowing reaction.

There was silence in the room. Yang Jier heard it immediately. She turned around in surprise and noticed where Li Wenbin was looking. Her whole face turned red with shame in an instant, and even her ears and neck turned a light pink.

She quickly stood up and faced Li Wenbin, then looked up and saw that her face was even redder and her eyes were even more charming. She tilted her head again in an instant, and her hands were tightly wrung until they turned white.

Li Wenbin's heart almost melted when he thought of Yang Jier's charm in bed.

He chuckled and jumped in through the window.

As soon as he came in, Yang Jier hugged him tightly.

Looking at that, it seemed as if he might disappear at any moment.

"Don't worry, I'm here. By the way, where are the twin tails we agreed on last time?"

Yang Jier blushed, lowered her head, and slowly loosened her hands.

Li Wenbin stroked her soft hair, stared at her shy and pretty face for a while, leaned over, kissed her little mouth, and said, "Jill, go ahead."

Yang Jier showed a hint of doubt in her eyes, and opened her mouth slightly: "Oh..."

"Ah."