The carriage rumbled slowly forward along the street.
On the way back, Qin Huaidao frowned and thought in the carriage. He had just had a long talk with Yuchi Baolin. The problem of military training was not big. The biggest problem was sea ships. If he built sand ships, Fu ships and Guangzhou ships, it would not be the same as the Tang navy.
The difference is that the craftsmen of the Tang Dynasty can only build these ships and not other sea-going ships. It seems that they have to rely on themselves.
Existing sea-going ships are all driven manually, which is slow and labor-intensive. It would be great if they could be driven mechanically. Is it a diesel motor or a steam engine?
"It seems difficult."
With a sigh, Qin Huaidao was attracted by the noise outside. He opened the car curtains and took a look. Countless people were heading in the same direction. Each of them had angry faces and cursed something. The Forbidden Army did not stop him. Qin Huaidao was a little surprised and shouted: "
Mavericks, go ask what’s going on.”
Xiao Niu is the son of Niu Laosan in Qinjiazhuang. He joined the Qinjiazhuang guarding team and had excellent training results. He was selected to help Qin Huaidao drive the carriage. He was also smart. He agreed, jumped out of the carriage and stopped someone to ask a few words, and came quickly.
He walked to the carriage and whispered: "Sir, they said they went to the county government to argue that there is no salt at home."
Qin Huaidao nodded and was about to leave, when he suddenly noticed a large group of people walking on the street. They were all dressed up as Imperial College students, shouting petition slogans, such as the salt merchants were unethical, the court was incompetent, the people had no salt, and the water was in dire straits.
Head towards the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
"This is……"
"Is it such a big fuss?"
A smile appeared at the corner of Qin Huaidao's mouth. The students of the Imperial Academy are all passionate young people who are easily incited. Behind each of the key individuals stands a prominent family. They are all second generation officials and will be the pillars of the country in the future. If they are not handled well, big things will happen. Now there is a problem.
Li Er has a headache.
"Let's go back."
"Here!"
The carriage started again and headed out of the city.
Cheng Yaojin hurried over with a team. He looked familiar at the leaving carriage. He had important things to do and did not bother to check. He quickly led the team to catch up with the Imperial Academy students. It was difficult to stop them. He signaled the team to clear the way to ensure everyone's safety.
Soon we arrived at the Ancestral Temple.
The students of the Imperial Academy rushed into the Ancestral Temple and sat in meditation. Someone shouted to Cheng Yaojin: "Duke Lu, we are sitting here in meditation and waiting for the Holy Lord to deal with it. If we don't deal with it for a day, we will not retreat for a day. We will not die for the sake of the people of the world."
regret!"
Cheng Yaojin's teeth hurt, and he couldn't hit or scold him. Seeing that everyone was just sitting quietly and not messing around, he calmed down and was about to go to the palace to meet the saint, but he found the Imperial Academy offering wine and a group of doctors.
He also came, sat down in front of the students, and sat in meditation with him.
Kong Yingda, a great scholar of the Imperial Academy, was a great scholar of his generation. He was so angry that he wrote an eternal article. Not to mention the emperor, even he himself would have a bad reputation for eternity and become a stain on his life. He quickly stepped forward to persuade him: "Kong offered wine, why bother?"
"Disciples of saints, why should we be afraid when we petition for the people?" Kong Yingda said coldly.
A doctor next to him echoed: "That is, if the people have no salt, how can they survive? The mistakes of the previous Han Dynasty are the lessons of the past. If salt is not solved, the world will be in chaos. When the Tang Dynasty is in turmoil, we should petition and die.
No regrets either.”
"The merchants are unethical, do not sell the salt they have, and hoard it. They deserve death."
"Please, Your Majesty, give an explanation to the students and people of the world."
Angry voices sounded out one after another, and the crowd was excited.
Cheng Yaojin's brain was buzzing when he heard this. He wished he could give each of them a slap in the face and then grab him and beat him with a hundred military sticks. But his reason told him that he couldn't do this. He glared at Kong Yingda, gave some instructions to his subordinates, and left in a hurry.
Not long after, Cheng Yaojin met Li Er in Ganlu Hall and reported the petition from the Imperial College teachers and students.
Li Er did not expect that the teachers and students of the Imperial Academy would go to the Ancestral Temple to petition. Wasn't this a slap in the face and telling his ancestors that he was incompetent in governing the country? This is simply unreasonable.
"Nonsense, what do they want to do?" Li Er was angry, murderous intent surging in his eyes.
Cheng Yaojin didn't know what the people in the Imperial College wanted to do. You can go to the streets or come to the imperial city to petition, but going to the Ancestral Temple is too much. It's like someone coming to your ancestor's tomb and accusing you of all kinds of wrongs. Who can bear this? But the matter is very important.
Cheng Yaojin did not answer the call.
They are all second-generation officials, future pillars, so beating them is definitely not enough, and scolding them is useless.
At this moment, Li Er was so angry that he wanted to kill someone. Isn't this adding to the trouble in this troubled year? Han Sheng said: "A bunch of bastards, don't they have any salt at home? Or are they too poor to eat salt? The common people can survive, and they are not making trouble.
, Why are they making trouble? Cheng Aiqing, tell me."
Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Cheng Yaojin had no choice but to bite the bullet and replied: "Back to the Holy Spirit, they really can't buy salt, but poor people can buy salt."
"What do you mean?" A flash of surprise flashed in Li Er's eyes.
Cheng Yaojin hesitated for a moment, then said truthfully: "The salt merchants in Chang'an City have no salt to sell, but the poor people working in Qinjiazhuang can buy snowflake salt, and the poor people working in Qinjiazhuang without anyone can find acquaintances."
Buying on behalf of others is still four coins per bag, and the price remains unchanged, but no businessmen, scholars, or nobles work in Qinjiazhuang. They usually do not make friends with the poor people, cannot find buying agents, and there is a lack of salt at home."
"Wha...what?"
Li Er really didn't know about this situation. After hearing this, his face changed drastically and he asked: "What do you mean, farmers can buy snowflake salt through various methods. Qinjiazhuang not only sells salt to workers, but also to their acquaintances."
, but businessmen, scholars and nobles cannot buy salt?"
Cheng Yaojin nodded and said nothing. Of course his family was not short of snowflake salt, but he couldn't tell.
"What is he doing?" Li Er was furious, his eyes were red, and he looked like he was going to kill someone.
Cheng Yaojin still didn't answer and responded with indifference.
But Li Er was furious and out of control, shouting: "He is trying to win people's hearts and isolate the court. Does he want to rebel?"
The crime of rebellion is not a small one. Cheng Yaojin decided to say something. He coughed slightly, attracted Li Er's attention and said: "Huaidao likes to be free and unrestrained, and it is impossible to rebel. I can use my neck to kill him for this."
Guarantee, but it is really inappropriate to only sell snowflake salt to farmers. How can scholars, farmers, industry and merchants treat it differently? The minister mentioned this to Huai Dao, but Huai Dao said that there is not much salt. If it is not sold to workers, there is no intention to produce it.
, the loss is huge, of course, he also said that if the Holy Spirit feels it is inappropriate, he can not sell it and close the industrial city."
"He is threatening me!" Li Er yelled angrily.
Cheng Yaojin curled his lips and did not answer.
There are tens of thousands of people working for Qinjiazhuang, which means tens of thousands of families, and tens of thousands of lives and deaths. If Qinjiazhuang is really closed down and people are deported, the consequences will definitely be more serious than the lack of salt.
Blocking people's way of making money is like killing your parents!
Tens of thousands of people are rioting in Chang'an City. Who can stop them?
Who dares to order suppression?
Li Er also thought of this, and a feeling of powerlessness came to his heart. He sat slumped on the dragon couch and stared straight ahead, his eyes a little unfocused. The majesty of the emperor was based on the support of countless people, and no one supported it.
The emperor is a loner and can be replaced at any time.
People's support is everything!
The main hall fell into dead silence, the temperature dropped sharply, it was depressing and solemn.
Everyone in the hall did not dare to express their anger, and they did not even open their eyes, they were all frightened.
For a while, Li Er, who had always been conceited and talented, felt lonely as a hero. His distracted eyes fell on Cheng Yaojin, with more expectations: "You are close to that boy, please help me go."
At this moment, Li Er seemed a bit older, a bit helpless, and a bit bitter.
How could it be so embarrassing for a noble Lord to submit to his subjects, admit defeat, and compromise?
Cheng Yaojin was not stupid and did not agree immediately. This was a thankless job for both parties. His two sons worked with Qin Huaidao and earned tens of thousands of silver coins from one business trip, which was several times more than his annual salary. It offended him.
I can't afford it. Of course, the Holy One can't afford it either, I can only hide.
After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Yaojin said: "Your Majesty, I can go and deliver the message, but he may not listen."
"Does he dare to resist the decree?" Li Er's anger surged up again, his eyes were as sharp as a knife. Seeing Cheng Yaojin lowering his head and saying nothing, he suddenly thought of something, and his anger was released again. That boy would not resist the decree stupidly.
There is a handle, but there will be a bunch of conditions that cannot be fulfilled.
If you have not yet been rewarded for your efforts in quelling the rebellion, even if you resist the decree, there is nothing you can do unless you first grant a reward.
Thinking of this, Li Er had an idea. Instead of the two of them confronting each other, it would be better to retreat in order to advance. What if he was given an idle prince with no real power?
As long as he is awarded the title of Duke, he and the imperial court will have great righteousness, the soldiers of the world will be united, the government will be stable, all aspects will be accounted for, and he will have enough reason and name to make demands, and at least the salt shortage problem will be solved.
Anyway, an idle prince with no real power is worthless, so the problem is not big.
At this moment, Li Er suddenly became enlightened and found that many problems could be easily solved. After careful consideration, the more he thought about it, the more advantageous he felt. An idle county court with no real power only needed to pay more salary, but with this status, Qin Huaidao could
You have to do things for the court, otherwise you will be disloyal, and the court will be able to reprimand you, or even dismiss you, and take back your title, which is a complete gain without any harm.
"Why didn't you think of it before? You just suppressed it."
Li Er's eyes lit up and he said, "Go to the Ancestral Temple first, be careful of causing trouble."
Cheng Yaojin saw that Li Er's tone changed drastically and he no longer needed to go to Qinjiazhuang. He was full of curiosity, but without asking any more questions, he agreed and left in a hurry.
"Come, I'm here to see you, my dear wife, Xuanfang!"