Su Dingfang suddenly felt as if he had been opened to a new world. His eyes were bright and he exclaimed: "Is this still possible?"
Li Yuanji waved his hand to signal Su Dingfang not to make a fuss.
These are just basic operations.
The more high-end ones can sell tickets, that is, admission tickets for water transportation and sea transportation.
Let those wealthy businessmen with wealthy family backgrounds pay a large sum of money or a large amount of grain first, and then allow them to do business through water transportation and sea transportation.
Then after they get used to this method, they slowly reduce the number of tickets and increase the price of tickets.
Every year, a large amount of money can be made from the tickets alone.
The most important thing is that as long as you leave a certain amount of profit for them and keep them profitable, even if you push them to the ground and exploit them, they will still follow you.
Of course, there are more advanced operations, but they are a bit unscrupulous.
Using the simple folk customs of the Tang Dynasty and using unscrupulous methods, it is easy to corrupt the people of the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, it is better not to take it out unless absolutely necessary.
"Your Highness, does he have a more powerful method?"
Su Dingfang saw that Li Yuanji was very calm and there was no wave on his face. He immediately guessed that Li Yuanji had other methods and immediately asked ecstatically.
Li Yuanji rolled his eyes at Su Dingfang and said angrily: "You should do these things first, and don't be too ambitious. Besides, buying and selling is not your specialty, so don't invest too much energy in it.
You'd better find some businessmen who are proficient in business but have little background, bring them under your command, and let them help you make suggestions and handle this matter for you."
Su Dingfang was stunned and said: "Doesn't that mean that the power of water transportation and sea transportation is given to them? If they use this to make profits and develop into a giant, it will also be a harm to our Datang."
Businessmen were the objects of feudal dynasties that were strictly guarded against in every dynasty.
After Lu Buwei made a bad start, kings of all dynasties gave merchants a dangerous label.
Therefore, the ancients, especially the ancients who controlled a certain amount of power, were very resistant to the idea of businessmen becoming powerful, or even having businessmen control a certain amount of power.
Su Dingfang is no exception.
Li Yuanji didn't care.
In this era of strict hierarchy among scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, merchants were at the lowest level. All kinds of laws and all secular rules strictly restricted merchants.
In this case, even if the businessman has a certain amount of authority, he can easily eradicate certain harm caused by it.
After all, a businessman with no armed force and no social status cannot withstand the destruction of any armed force.
"It doesn't matter, I won't watch them grow up anyway, and you certainly won't either."
Li Yuanji said calmly.
Su Dingfang said hurriedly: "It is not a good thing to raise tigers to cause trouble."
Li Yuanji looked at Su Dingfang strangely, "It is indeed not a good thing to raise tigers to cause trouble, but are you sure that a businessman with no background is a tiger?"
In this era where there are classes and wealthy families, and everything depends on background, a businessman without a background or a backer is just a pig.
No matter how fat they are or how big they are, they are still pigs. They cannot turn into tigers or become a disaster.
Su Dingfang hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said: "They are not qualified to be tigers..."
Li Yuanji spread his hands and said, "That's it."
Su Dingfang hesitated and said again and again: "I will still be more careful about them."
Li Yuanji nodded and did not express much opinion. He just told Su Dingfang: "You can handle this kind of thing yourself."
Su Dingfang nodded solemnly and said no more.
Li Yuanji didn't speak anymore, but just sat silently on the dragon boat, admiring the golden beauty of the autumn leaves turning yellow and gathering along the embankment of the sea pond.
In the evening, when the afterglow of the setting sun reflected the water of the sea pool red, Su Dingfang got off the boat accompanied by the breeze on the pool.
After leaving the palace, he began to discuss with Samurai Yi and made some adjustments to the water and sea transportation. At the same time, he began to look for suitable merchants.
At the end of September, a down-and-out businessman named Shen Mingsanlang was spotted by Su Dingfang and recruited into his house.
In early October, Su Dingfang began to spread the word to the outside world, saying that he would open some holes in water transportation and sea transportation and bring everyone together to make a fortune.
Since the imperial court had not yet lifted the ban on water and sea transportation, these were all carried out in secret.
But even so, well-informed dignitaries and the spokespersons of wealthy families in the court still swarmed into Su Dingfang's house.
The reason why this happened was that Li Xiaogong once let it slip when he was attending a banquet hosted by Li Deliang, saying that he, Su Dingfang, Luo Shixin and others had made more than one million yuan in half a year through water transportation, and they should catch up soon.
A year's worth of taxes in the Tang Dynasty.
This word got out for some unknown reason, and then spread among the royal family, relatives, and civil and military officials.
Then everyone found out that Su Dingfang was going to open up the road to water transportation and sea transportation, so they all rushed to Su Dingfang's side.
After half a month of 'secret' discussions, Su Dingfang finally sold a total of sixteen tickets. In addition to the five surnames Qiwang and Guanlong Bajia, there were also the Langya Wang family, Lanling Xiao family, etc.
Some well-established aristocratic families also got tickets.
For a time, the mood in Chang'an City changed when talking about boats.
However, this change is not a change for the bad, but a change for the better.
Anyone who can make a fortune through water and sea transportation smiles so brightly that they can't hide their molars when talking about ships.
】
Those who did not get tickets and were unable to make a fortune through water and sea transportation were naturally unhappy.
After trying it many times to no avail, someone gave Su Dingfang some advice.
However, what is strange is that after this incident was exposed, it was suppressed by the vast majority of officials in the court before it caused any waves.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The guy who lit the cannon was not only dismissed from office, he was also charged with having sex with Empress Taimu during her mourning period and being disrespectful to Empress Taimu.
, and were dispatched to the west of Liangzhou.
How pitiful God is, when Empress Taimu drove Hexi to the west, the Tang Dynasty had not yet been founded.
I don’t know how this crime was established, but it was established anyway, and all the procedures were completed within half an hour at an astonishing speed. The government officials from Wanan and Changan counties were also in place.
, escorted the unfortunate guy to Liangzhou West.
After that unlucky man's misfortune, there was only one person left in the court who dared to talk about water transportation and sea transportation.
This man is Li Gang, who is famous for his uprightness.
I don’t know whether Su Dingfang slept with his concubine or kidnapped his granddaughter. In short, he showed great perseverance in this matter.
I visit the Butokuden Hall almost every other day.
He didn't even enter the main hall. Even after he ran to the front hall, he would let people know and stay there all the time.
This forced Li Yuanji to take some time to come to the front hall to see him.
"Your Majesty Li Gang, please see Your Highness..."
No, here it comes again...
Li Yuanji entered the front hall of the Wude Hall with tears in his heart. When Li Gang bowed to salute, he walked to the middle of the hall, weakly slumped down on the couch, and said angrily: "Master Li,
Why are you here again? Didn't I tell you? I have already asked Su Dingfang and sent people to check, and nothing like what you said happened."
Li Gang was complained about, but he was not upset. He was obviously used to it.
After bowing again, he said seriously: "Your Highness, everything I said is true. The reason why you didn't ask Su Dingfang why is that it is obviously Su Dingfang who deceived you. The reason why the people in Dali Temple did not find out the evidence
, apparently blocked by Su Dingfang."
Li Yuanji said speechlessly: "So Su Dingfang has colluded with the people in the court?"
Li Gang said without hesitation: "That's it!"
Li Yuanji asked: "Then do you have any evidence? If there is no evidence, I can't investigate further. After all, Su Dingfang is also a well-known figure now. The Qing and Shaoqing of Dali Temple are also considered important ministers of the Tang Dynasty.
Hide your face."
Li Gangyi said sternly: "Now everyone inside and outside Chang'an City knows about this matter. Your Highness only needs to take a walk in Chang'an City to know that everything I said is true."
Li Yuanji let out a long breath and said: "Mr. Li, what everyone says is that it is just a rumor with no conclusive evidence. Not to mention that everyone inside and outside Chang'an City knows it. Even if everyone in the Tang Dynasty knows it, I can't do it anymore.
check."
Li Gang frowned slightly, straightened his face, and said righteously: "Is Your Highness going to allow such evil people to do whatever they want in the Tang Dynasty because of the evidence?"
If these words were passed down to future generations, they would be scolded to death.
But in Datang, there would be no problem.
Because in the Tang Dynasty, it was possible to convict someone based only on guesses, or even just on the identification of those in power and important ministers.
Evidence or not is not important to those in power.
For important ministers, sometimes it is not important.
Specifically, it depends on whether convicting this person is beneficial to the Tang Dynasty. If it is beneficial, innocence can be turned into guilty. If it is not beneficial or even harmful, then guilt can be turned into not guilty.
This is the characteristic of the Tang Dynasty and also the characteristic of all feudal dynasties.
Li Yuanji said dumbfounded: "Master Li, Su Dingfang is also an important minister of our Tang Dynasty. Punishing him without evidence is really hard to convince the public."
When Li Gang heard this, his brows furrowed even more tightly. He also realized that he was a bit too hard on others, and immediately said: "Then just give him a beating. Don't let him be so unscrupulous. I will punish him after I collect all the evidence."
.”
Li Yuanji opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
I'm afraid I won't be able to collect all this evidence in this lifetime.
After all, from top to bottom, except for him, Li Gang, everyone else was helping Su Dingfang. How could he possibly collect evidence?
