Xu Qilin scratched his head, stepped forward with his careful steps, added a few pieces of broken charcoal to the small charcoal stove, and then looked at His Majesty Li Er playing.

It's fun, haven't you? Xu Qilin didn't dare to speak easily, but he was blind in his heart.

"Sit down!" His Majesty Li Er waved his hand, put down the tea set, picked up the book to read, and commanded without raising his head: "Cook tea for me." ”

"Yes." Xu Qilin responded, sat opposite His Majesty Li Er, and skillfully operated.

The water on the charcoal stove was boiling, Xu Qilin picked up a small pot and made some tea, which was more skillful than when he invited Ma Zhou to taste tea before, and the tea brewed out was much better.

In summer, it is better to drink jasmine tea, the faint floral fragrance, wrapped in heat, spreads.

"Your Majesty, please." Xu Qilin brewed the tea and offered it respectfully with both hands.

Well, His Majesty Li Er has actually been peeking at it, taking the tea, sipping it lightly, tasting it carefully, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

"It tastes good." His Majesty Li Er finished drinking a lamp, put down the teacup, patted the book next to him, and said, "This "Book of Tea" is better written, is it going to be printed?" ”

Xu Qilin refilled another cup for His Majesty Li Er, and said: "After Weichen is to be re-transcribed, he will enter the palace tomorrow and present it to His Majesty." If His Majesty grants permission, Weichen will print and publish the book. ”

His Majesty Li Er stretched out his hand and clicked on the payment on the book, and asked, "This Lu Yu is your master?" ”

"Exactly." Xu Qilin said: "Although I don't say anything about the teacher, I don't regard a certain as an apprentice, but I have benefited a lot from the grace of teaching, and I dare not forget it." ”

His Majesty Li Er showed appreciation and said, "Respecting the teacher and respecting the Tao is a matter of course. However, if your master does not accept you as an apprentice, can you say it? ”

Xu Qilin thought for a while and said: "The family teacher said to a certain person: You don't need to look for a teacher far away, you are a fairy and a teacher." Love and hatred are not exhaustive, and it is difficult to seek the Tao, and people and I still have vain apprenticeship. I pondered it for a while, but I still couldn't understand it all. ”

His Majesty Li Er pondered for a moment, pondering repeatedly, and it was indeed a Taoist mantra, which sounded simple, but contained profound truths, and couldn't help but sigh: "If you don't say that you can understand it at your age, even I don't dare to say that I know everything." If you are a master in the world, it is a pity that you can't see it. You can be taught a thing or two by this master, and it is also a chance to create, and you should cherish it earnestly. ”

"It's a pity that Weichen is just an ordinary man, I'm afraid it will be difficult to comprehend the mantra of the family teacher." Xu Qilin smiled and said: "The understanding is like this, Weichen also wants to open it, there is no need to force it." ”

His Majesty Li Er rolled his eyes, obviously not agreeing with Xu Qilin's attitude, but he didn't continue to nag, but asked instead: "You want to print this "Book of Tea", not just to make a name for the teacher, right?" ”

"Your Majesty." Xu Qilin arched his hand and said: "Weichen thinks that tea is unique to the Central Plains, and it has more advantages than silk, porcelain, ironware and other things......

Historically, tea, a green leaf that contains China's wealth, glory and superb political and diplomatic wisdom, has been given too many meanings, economy and hegemony, war and peace.

The reason why tea has such an important role is because it has become a strategic commodity, which has made the northern nomads have a huge dependence.

And the real inclusion of tea in the country's economic development was in the Tang Dynasty after the Anshi Rebellion.

In order to raise food and wage for the war to eliminate the separatist forces, the imperial court began to titheize tea - one-tenth of the income from the sale of tea would be levied as a tax.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Wenzong came up with another solution, that is, the tea system, which made tea a state-monopolized transaction, and the government purchased and sold it to solve the problem of tea pricing.

Since the establishment of the tea system in the Tang Wenzong period, it has become a national policy that has lasted for thousands of years, and it was not canceled until after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

By the time of the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court used the weapon of tea very skillfully. As a result, the tea and horse market has become a "fake market is easy to control with restraints" and "tea is the best policy", which has been tried and tested repeatedly.

"Nowadays, the production of tea is not high, which is actually related to eating habits, and the publication of "The Book of Tea" by Wechen is also a reminder of the driving role."

Xu Qilin roughly described the important role of tea, and finally said his purpose, "Weichen dared to ask His Majesty to give the "Book of Tea" to the officials of various tea-producing places, and ordered them to persuade tea like persuading farmers and mulberries to expand the planting area and increase production. Afterwards......"

His Majesty Li Er listened quietly, still skeptical about the prospects depicted by Xu Qilin, but he decided to give it a try.

After all, tea must reach a certain output before it can have the role of a strategic material as Xu Qilin said. And the formation and popularity of tea drinking habits also take time.

"Tubo will also be made of tea?" His Majesty Li Er asked uncertainly.

Xu Qilin replied very firmly: "Weichen can be sure that in time, tea will become an indispensable daily necessity for the plateau region and the grassland desert people. ”

His Majesty Li Er nodded with a deep groan, and said, "How will the purchase, pricing, and trading of tea be operated?" ”

Xu Qilin took a sip of tea and said: "According to Weichen's opinion, the imperial court buys half or sixty percent of the output of the gardeners, and the price is two to three times lower than the market price in previous years, including taxes; The rest of the output can be negotiated with the merchant or sold freely; The imperial court could levy a tea tax from the tea merchants, or they could pay it on a tithe. ”

After a pause, Xu Qilin continued: "Tea merchants and orchards are only allowed to sell tea in China, and they are not allowed to enter the border market for trading; The tea trade with the Tibetan and northern nomadic tribes was limited to the border cities and was limited to tea purchased by the government. ”

His Majesty Li Er raised his eyebrows, and his heart couldn't help but churn and be shocked, this is a huge profit!

The tea purchased by the imperial court was not only tax-free, but also monopolized the border market, and the price could be greatly reduced when exchanging cattle, horses, furs, and medicinal materials. After the transaction is completed, these goods are transferred to the domestic market, and it is not a luxury to double the price.

There is also the tea tax paid by the tea merchants, which will also be a huge amount of financial revenue, which will be enriched into the national treasury.

As the lowest level of tea commodity circulation, plantation households, although the state procurement is compulsory, but if the price is set reasonably and the taxes are paid, there is still a very secure income, and there is no need to worry about the tea not being sold.

As for the remaining tea, according to the understanding of later generations, it can be regarded as self-cultivation. Or you can pick it up and sell it to the market, or sell it to a tea merchant, and you can get more flexible additional income.

Speaking of which, this is already the best way Xu Qilin can think of.

From ancient times to the present, it is the hardest and most exploited at the bottom. Either the government buys and sells all of them, or the businessmen buy them at a low price, and the big bosses never get their turn to make money.

"Although it needs to be improved, the ideas and methods are not bad, although there is a suspicion of competing with the people for profit, but it is also for the sake of the country's prosperity, not from foreign invasion, and long-term peace." His Majesty Li Er thought for a long time and set the tone, which also made Xu Qilin breathe a sigh of relief.