It is said that it is better to die than to live, but when people come to the end of their lives, rather than sinking into extreme pain, quick liberation may be the best choice.

The imperial doctor prepared some poison on the spot, and Li Chengqian personally fed the medicine to Fang Sheng.

Fang Sheng, who was originally in great pain, fell asleep not long after taking the medicine, but the sound of breathing became weaker and weaker.

The imperial physician carefully examined the medicine bowl and rinsed it with water several times before he said, "Your Highness, this medicine will make people feel no pain, and it will pass away quietly in their sleep. Originally, there should not be such a medicine in the palace, if you didn't speak, the old man would not have prepared it, and I hope His Royal Highness will keep it secret for the old man. ”

Li Chengqian nodded, took out the money bag from his sleeve, and gave it directly to the imperial doctor. The imperial doctor took the money bag, said "Your Highness Xie", and left quietly.

Wang Sheng was also the same age, and when he saw that the imperial doctor was gone, he closed the door and said to Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, Fang Sheng can be sent by you personally, this life is already worth it." I just don't know if there is such a blessing when the old slave reaches the end of his life. ”、

After finding a chair and sitting down, Li Chengqian said: "Yes, the torment of you is not so bad now." Father, queen and queen are all people who can listen to reason, after Wei Zheng and others went to the book, didn't they release more than 2,000 palace maids? What's more, do you think my father doesn't know what we're doing? He just didn't care about it. In the future, he warned his subordinates to be honest. Father may not mind you making some small moves, but if you go too far, you will directly attract the most violent blow. ”

Wang Sheng nodded, and they were vaguely aware of this. However, at the beginning of the formation of the alliance, they had no other ideas, and they were very strict in this regard, and there was almost no possibility of accidents.

"Your Highness, Chief Manager Fang seems to have gone."

Xiuxiu observed very carefully, and Fang Sheng's chest, which was still undulating just now, had no movement.

Stretching out his hand to test his neck, Li Chengqian retracted his hand and said to Wang Sheng: "Send him out tomorrow, he will leave the palace in two days, and then I will go to pay tribute to him." ”

Hearing this, Wang Sheng and the others all knelt on the ground.

With a sigh, Li Chengqian got up and left the house. At this time, it is said that a person cannot be touched for a short time after death, and it is estimated that the reason is similar to that of a mortuary for a few days before being buried. Although Fang Sheng had completely left, the rules still existed, and Li Chengqian didn't mind that he stayed in the East Palace for another day.

Wang Sheng and the others knew that this was the greatest kindness of the prince, and they were extremely glad that they had taken the risk to contact His Royal Highness the prince.

Before leaving Fang Sheng's house, a eunuch in his twenties knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, before Chief Manager Fang left, if you say that you have no choice, you can appoint a slave maid as the head of the East Palace, and the slave maid Fang Shan is the godson of Chief Manager Fang." ”

Eunuchs have no queens, so they generally recognize their godsons and pass on a certain surname from generation to generation. The bitterness of this period is not enough for outsiders.

Since it was recommended by Fang Sheng, Li Chengqian nodded and agreed: "In this case, you can take over the responsibilities of the head of the East Palace." ”

Although I thought about letting Zhang Yun take Fang Sheng's place, thinking about Zhang Yun's skills, busy with all kinds of chores in the East Palace, it was really a big deal.

Early the next morning, the emperor recovered, and the news of his return to power reached the palace. I don't know how many people breathed a sigh of relief, and how many sighed. Li Chengqian knew very well that during this time, Chang'an City was not as calm as it seemed. Beneath the seemingly calm sea, I don't know how many undercurrents are surging. At least, the Dark Guard alone has spied on more than one family that has summoned family generals. It's just that when they don't take actual action, they can't find out whether they are friends or foes.

Seeing that it was about to enter June, Li Chengqian left the East Palace without hesitation and went to the Institute of Engineering to supervise the refining of stone resin water. 、

Stone resin water, in fact, is oil, this thing has been used as early as the Han Dynasty. It is recorded in the water that lubricating oil is extracted from the water of the stone grease, but it does not cause much repercussions.

Science is like this, if no one studies it, there will be no progress, so that Yan Liben has to listen to the prince explain the truth before he can make equipment for refining gasoline.

The place where the gasoline is refined is by the Weishui, and although it is summer, Li Chengqian still does not dare to be careless. Gasoline really doesn't have much to do with the season, it's going to be ignited, but it doesn't matter if it's spring, autumn, winter or summer.

It is safest to separate the open flame from the distillation equipment. Although using hot water as a heat source is a bit unqualified, in this era, Li Chengqianning can exchange efficiency for safety.

The sphere of the hot air balloon has been sewn, Li Tai has tried it with a bellows to blow hot air, and the large ball sewn out of thick silk can retain the heat for a long time.

In front of the equipment, workers poured buckets of stone grease water into the pipes, and after evaporation and condensation, the terminal of the equipment flowed out of the light yellow liquid.

Smelling this familiar smell, Li Chengqian happily took a jar and led Li Tai to the river to do experiments.

Poured some on the ground, although it seems to seep into the ground, but when it encounters an open flame, it will still rise a flame. The gasoline on the ground was used as a "fuse", and after lighting a whole can of gasoline, a stream of flames directly blew out, and Li Tai was dumbfounded.

"This is gasoline? Brother Huang, this thing is so flammable? Compared to it, the fierce fire oil or something is simply weak! ”

Pointing to the black smoke brought by the combustion of gasoline, Li Chengqian said: "It is flammable, but its most dangerous place is also here. Therefore, if we want to make the hot air balloon fly, we must not be impatient, because we will not be given a chance to repent after the accident. ”

Li Tai nodded, looked at the altar that had exploded into pieces, and asked cautiously, "Brother Huang, you said, can this thing be made into a weapon?" ”

Li Chengqian said without hesitation: "Of course it can, after testing the sealing conditions, as long as it is safe, it can be assembled to the army." The battle of Tuyuhun will not end like this, I have a hunch that it is very likely that a counterattack will evolve into a full-scale war between the Tang Dynasty and Tuyuhun, which is just right to be assembled to the army and clean up the bastards of Tuyuhun. ”

Thinking about the power of the gunpowder weapon, Li Tai suddenly shuddered. There are many grasslands in Tuyuhun, and the development of the war is bound to drag on until autumn. In the autumn grassland with fire, it is hard to imagine how miserable Tuyuhun will be.

Seeing the advent of gasoline, Li Chengqian was full of confidence in the success of the hot air balloon. Lao Zhang, who went to the Western Regions, had already sent back a letter, saying that he had found the news of Huo Huanbu, and it was estimated that he would be able to bring it back soon. After seeing the finished product, you can look for it in Datang. According to Li Chengqian's knowledge, there is no shortage of asbestos in Datang, and the reason why no one has found it is only because everyone habitually thinks that Huohuan cloth is only available in the Western Regions.

Asbestos is one of the best insulation, gasoline is already available, all that remains is the making of flamethrowers. Although the technological conditions of Datang cannot be compared with later generations, it should still be able to be made.

After assigning Yan Liben the task of making flamethrowers, Li Chengqian drafted a document to the Ministry of War. Du Ruhui, the old fox, will pounce directly when he smells the fishy face. In the early days of gasoline, whether it was used in hot air balloons or in the military, it was categorically impossible to popularize. It's terrifying, but it's a little bit worse than gunpowder. Because, the most oil springs are not Datang, and in a few years, the Western Regions will also start to use oil as a weapon.

Li Tai has nothing to do now, so he eats cake in Li Chengqian's study. After the paper was written, he asked, "Brother Huang, how do I feel that you are here to flee?" Could it be that you have provoked your father again? ”

"Fart, it has nothing to do with my father, speaking of Qingque, do you also feel very uncomfortable by your father's side?"

Li Tai nodded, took a bite of the cake, and chewed it for a long time before saying: "Although it is very unfilial to say this, it is true, especially after Li Ke left, this feeling is even stronger." Brother Huang, it is estimated that it will not be long before I get married, do you think that after I get married, will I be sent to the fiefdom? ”

Putting down the pen, Li Chengqian said helplessly: "It is normal for Li Ke to be sent to the fiefdom, you are different, do you think that your father allowed you not to be an official, but you said it casually?" Don't worry, you won't leave Chang'an. Besides, you are such a smart person, leaving Chang'an is a loss. When the hot air balloon is researched and the experiment is safe, our brothers will ride the hot air balloon through Chang'an and show them that what smart people can do is not even what ordinary people can imagine! ”

As soon as he talked about this, Li Tai was excited. Although the real name of this kind of behavior is "showmanship" and "swaying", he just likes it.

"I'm going to go and see how Yan Liben's research goes."

Seeing that Li Tai had left, Li Chengqian sealed the official document and sent it back to Chang'an with the processed folds.

The businessmen who became rich for the first time suddenly found that they were richer than before, but there was no place to spend the money they earned. There are so many expenses at home, and blindly generating income is just a continuous accumulation of goods, as if.... It doesn't make much sense.

In fact, such a situation is still due to the lack of the consumer market. At the beginning of commercial liberalization, the first development was the living consumption items such as firewood, rice, oil and salt, and when the basic living conditions were achieved, there was confusion. What is lacking at this time is the market for spiritual needs, and when the basic life can be satisfied, people should develop in the direction of enjoyment. Saying a thousand things and ten thousand, enjoyment is the greatest need of human beings.

It won't be long before the various products in the interior of Datang will begin to increase the scale of transportation. East and West, South and North, things are expensive to leave their hometowns is a truth that has long been discovered, but business has not really carried this point forward.

The documents were sent out on the first day, and the next day Du Ruhui wore an official uniform and sent his honor guard to visit the college.

The visit was extremely formal, and Li Chengqian could only meet Du Ruhui with formal etiquette, and even the dialogue was not to sit on a high chair, but to prepare a pattern of playing the right thing, and the two of them had a cup and a pot, and a cold mat.

After greeting each other, Du Ruhui took out the paperwork, put it on the table and said: "Your Highness sent the documents of the Ministry of War, Wechen has already read it, Wechen didn't expect His Highness to be able to make a new weapon that is not inferior to gunpowder." Last night, Wei Chen visited several Zhuguo generals overnight and asked them to judge the power of this weapon called 'gasoline'. According to the words of the British Gongwei Gong, this kind of weapon can directly strengthen the strength of the army more directly than gunpowder weapons.

In this case, Wei Chen came today to ask His Highness for the production method of this gasoline weapon, and the Ministry of War should formulate relevant systems as soon as possible, set up a workshop, and transport it to the Tuyuhun battlefield as soon as possible to study and judge its power. ”

Seeing Du Ru's solemn appearance, Li Chengqian suddenly stopped kneeling, but changed to cross his knees: "Du Shangshu, you have a good calculation, if gasoline is made into a weapon, the power is unparalleled, and the by-products of gasoline production are also profitable." The engineering college has turned the refining of the stone resin water into a finished product, okay, you want to leave the recipe with empty teeth, so aren't the craftsmen of the engineering college working in vain? ”

guessed that Du Ruhui would rush over, but Li Chengqian didn't expect that this guy would want to get gasoline for nothing through official business. If it is Yan Liben who receives it, I am afraid that he will not be able to bear the pressure, after all, Lao Du is the secretary of the military department, and he is one of the few bigwigs in the court. However, the military department is still in front of the prince, and he is not majestic.

Seeing the prince say this, Du Hui was stunned for a moment, and his expression changed almost instantly: "This, since His Highness thinks that the military department should pay something, it is okay, I don't know what His Highness is worth?" ”

Li Chengqian smiled and shook his head: "It's not about the price, but I want to give the engineering college some elements, so let's do it, after the military department gets the recipe, the gasoline used for military funds, regardless of the profit from the sale of lamp oil, will be distributed to the engineering college 20%, and then summarized and filed by the household department, how about it?" ”

Du Ruhui smiled bitterly, but could only agree. He knew very well that it was the crown prince who received him today, and this was already a good result. Twenty percent of the dry shares, the military department is not a loss in any case.

After the agreement was made, he handed over the recipe to Du Ruhui. After reading the production method of gasoline, Du Ruhui was surprised: "It's so simple? Same as steamed wine? ”

"It's that simple, it's a pity that all dynasties and dynasties don't pay so much attention to the hundred workers, as early as the Wei period, there was lubricating oil in the water scripture injection, why until the Tang Dynasty, no one has made progress in this regard?"

It has always been a chronic disease of the Central Plains people. Even in later generations, they did not avoid this, and it was clear that the development of science could make society progress, but the reality is that people would prefer to be out of the king. In the long history, only a few people have promoted the development of science, which has to be said to be a sadness.

"His Royal Highness wants shares for the College of Engineering, just so that the College of Engineering can devote himself to study, Weichen understands."

After receiving Fang Zi into his arms and carefully protecting him, Du Ruhui got up to say goodbye.

The production of gunpowder weapons has always been controlled by the emperor himself, and this time, although Duan Zhixuan and Fan Xing dispatched 60,000 troops, the troops equipped with gunpowder weapons were only 4,000. If the Ministry of War can mass-produce gasoline as soon as possible, it may be able to supply it to the military.

Du Ruhui's abacus was very good, but when the time came to mid-July, he had to suspend the gasoline workshop and return the public funds applied for to the household department. Because, in the area of Longyou and Jianghuai, there were warning signals at the same time. Longyou had a dragon turned over, and its earthquake was even transmitted to Chang'an, and there were countless victims, even the Tang army that had counterattacked Tuyuhun and penetrated into the interior of Tuyuhun had to retreat, one was that the supply of grain and grass was not available, and the other was that Longyou needed disaster relief.

As for the Jianghuai area, it is even more tricky.

"Your Majesty, the east of the Kushan Mountain, the south of the Yellow River and the lower reaches of the Zhun River have been flooded by torrential rains and floods, and there are countless displaced people in Shandong, Henan, Huai and Hai. Although the history of the state assassins temporarily appeased the people, the treasury could not afford the money and food used for disaster relief! Although the army that counterattacked Tuyuhun has been withdrawn, the balance of the treasury is already the limit for disaster relief in Longyou, and there is probably nothing that can be done in the Jianghuai region. ”

Above the court, after the eldest grandson Wuji finished speaking, there was no sound, and no one dared to make any abnormal noise at this time. Internal and external troubles erupted at the same time, almost forcing the imperial court to a dead end. If the disaster relief problem in the Jianghuai region cannot be solved, the reputation that the imperial court has accumulated over the years will be ruined. The trouble is so great that it will even develop to the point of changing the dynasty.

"Open the Internal Affairs Office, and the East Palace will also pay for it, Prince, no problem, right?"

Li Chengqian left the table and said: "The East Palace is willing to do its best to provide disaster relief, but although the Emperor, the Internal Affairs Office and the East Palace are rich, compared with the disasters in the Jianghuai region, they are still a drop in the bucket!" ”

The emperor is rich, and the crown prince is rich, but the combination of the Internal Affairs Office and the East Palace is still small compared to the area affected by the disaster. It is no exaggeration to say that even when the treasury is at its fullest, it will show a sense of powerlessness in the face of such a disaster.

"I know, but if I don't do this, is there any other way?"

For the first time, the emperor on the throne showed a pained expression on the top of the main hall.

Everything that has happened this year is sad enough to count it alone, let alone one after another that doesn't give people time to breathe. Even if he is not as confident as him, there is a sense of powerlessness at this time.

The emperor is not omnipotent.

The eldest grandson Wuji's eyes rolled, and he suddenly had an idea, and he bowed his hand to Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, Weichen has an idea, the bank...."

To everyone's surprise, the prince directly refused: "No! Absolutely not! The wealth accumulated in the bank does not belong to the bank, and no one can do anything with it, not even the state! Zhao Gong, believe it or not, the collapse of trust in banks is no less harmful than the inability to provide disaster relief! ”