Li Sheng and Li Hongcai did not discuss a safe way to leave the cabinet, just when Li Sheng said goodbye to Li Hongcai and returned to the study. The porter came to report that Cui Qingyuan was here. Li Sheng only remembered when he heard Cui Qingyuan coming, he had ordered him to get the secret recipe for spirits this morning. After Li Sheng asked the porter to bring Cui Qingyuan, he took out a stack of paper from the cabinet next to the desk and placed it on the table, which was the blueprint of the distiller that Li Sheng had drawn before and the secret recipe for brewing spirits.

"The villain Cui Qingyuan pays a visit to Master Hou."

Li Sheng said with a smile: "Get up, sit!" ”

Cui Qingyuan sat on the chair on the side and said, "The villain brought some seeds of white stacks, please see if it is what you are looking for." ”

Li Sheng hurriedly stood up and walked towards Cui Qingyuan, Cui Qingyuan saw Li Sheng get up to pick it up, hurriedly stood up, and handed over a beautiful lacquer box in his hand. Li Sheng took the lacquer box from Cui Qingyuan's hand and hurriedly opened it, and a black husk appeared in front of Li Sheng's eyes, wrapped in a layer of white cotton wool cotton seeds.

Li Sheng was very happy, he didn't expect that he would be able to find cotton so quickly. According to the memory of Li Sheng's previous life, cotton was only popularized and planted in a large area in the Ming Dynasty, and a large number of people were introduced to the interior of the country, which should be the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, people only used cotton as an ornamental object, and did not think of using cotton as clothing and daily necessities. Li Sheng wants to use cotton in advance this time and vigorously promote it as a cash crop.

Li Sheng said excitedly: "Yes, that's what I'm looking for." ”

Cui Qingyuan wondered, is a white stacker so happy? It's just a flower that is planted in the yard.

"Master Hou, if you like to raise flowers, I have some from the Western Regions there, do you want me to bring a few pots to Master Hou?"

Li Sheng is not interested in anything else, the little thing in the Western Regions, Datang now has it. Unless he can get high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, Li Sheng is really not interested in pepper, cucumber, garlic, carrots, grapes, watermelons, etc., these are seasonal vegetable and fruit crops, which cannot be stored for a long time at all, and they cannot have immediate effects, and Li Sheng does not plan to engage in these things now. At this stage, only food and clothing are the main thing.

Li Sheng waved his hand and said, "Forget those things, they won't be of much use to me." However, the white stacks you sent today, I can give you a credit in front of Your Majesty. ”

Cui Qingyuan was stunned, can this white stack go up to the sky? Could it be that Bai Diezi has other functions? Cui Mingchuan's heart was full of questions. couldn't help asking: "Master Hou, how can this white stack make meritorious service?" ”

Li Sheng walked back to his place and sat down, and said, "Does this white stack bloom white flowers like cotton wool?" ”

Cui Qingyuan didn't know why, and asked, "The white stack is a white flower." But what is this cotton wool? ”

Li Sheng was confused, the word cotton did not exist in the Tang Dynasty, so naturally there was no such word as cotton wool. Li Sheng felt tired of explaining this, so he said: "This white stack can be woven and used as a quilt." The flowers that bloom are called cotton, and cotton is called cotton wool when the seeds are removed. Do you understand this time? ”

"Can you weave? Can you make a quilt? ”

Cui Qingyuan was completely stunned, he had been planting white stacks for several years, and he never thought that white stacks could weave cloth or anything, but just planted him as a flower.

"You don't understand it, so you just wait for Your Majesty's reward. Before the spring of next year, you can collect more seeds of white stacks, plant a few acres, and I will tell you how to weave cloth. ”

As soon as Cui Qingyuan heard His Majesty's reward, he became excited. said in a loud voice: "Hou Ye rest assured, Hou Ye rest assured." Although there are not many plants in the villain's house, there are many people in Qinghe County and the surrounding areas who grow white stacks, and I guarantee that I can get a lot of white stacks of seeds. ”

Now that the season for planting cotton has passed, Li Sheng is too lazy to talk about it. So he handed a stack of papers on the table to Cui Qingyuan.

"Here's the secret recipe for the spirits and the drawings for the distiller, you take it back and see for yourself. Once it is made, spirits can be produced when there is wine. ”

Cui Qingyuan stood up excitedly, took two steps and took two steps to receive the secret recipe drawing in his hand.

"Villain, thank you for your great kindness!"

Li Sheng saw Cui Qingyuan salute him, and said with a smile: "You don't have to be grateful to me, we are a cooperative relationship." I will give you wealth, you help me defend the family, we are win-win and mutually beneficial, no one apologizes. ”

"No matter what the purpose of the Hou Ye is, the Hou Ye still deserves this courtesy. What Hou Ye did was for the people, not for personal gain, and the villain also got such a big benefit from it, shouldn't he thank Hou Ye? ”

Li Sheng was also a little proud when he heard Cui Qingyuan say this. Although he himself knows what he is for, it is still a matter of pride to be adored by others.

"Go back! I still have a lot of work to do. When you've made something, I'll take a look at it and teach you some details. ”

Cui Qingyuan bowed and said, "The villain retires!" ”

After Li Sheng waited for Cui Qingyuan to leave, he collected the cotton seeds and put them in the cabinet. Then he walked back to his desk and began to write a note. He wants to write down the joint operation he and Li Hongcai said today, the opening of an exchange, and the implementation of multi-party control. This is a method of official economic control over Datang, and the government has absolute control over all commercial activities such as commercial taxation, commercial markets, commercial operations, and commodity trading. If Li Sheng's recital is passed and implemented, then Datang will have absolute control over the national economy, and will definitely have a certain curbing power on the problems of commercial monopoly and inflation.

Cui Mingde has been carried back since Yipinju, and there has been no sound from the entire Cui family, and no one has come to the county office to trouble Li Sheng, as if nothing has happened.

The time agreed between Li Sheng and the squires of the world came, and many squires came to the county government very early. It was not yet noon, and the front yard of the entire county government was already full of people. Li Sheng instructed the officials to open the yamen and let the people come in to watch. As soon as this news came out, the people who heard the news crowded the entire yamen.

There were no tables in the front yard of the county office, only a few rows of chairs, and a table and three chairs were placed at the entrance of the lobby, much like the decorations of later meetings. This was also arranged by Li Sheng, and it was made according to the way the meeting was held in later generations.

Only Zhang Wenshu came to the Zhang family today, and Zhang Wenqi did not come. The people of the Cui family have not yet arrived, Li Sheng looked at the sky, it was almost noon, and without waiting for the people of the Cui family, he walked directly to the main seat and sat down.

"Second Master Zhang, how did you get down there, didn't you leave a place here?"

There were three chairs behind the table, which were prepared for Li Sheng, the Zhang family, and the Cui family. Li Sheng saw Zhang Wenshu sitting in the audience, so he called him.

"Master Hou, how dare I, a civilian, be on an equal footing with Master Hou?" Zhang Wenshu clasped his fists below and saluted.

"You are a representative of the squires, so naturally you have to sit on the stage. Don't worry so much, come up quickly. ”

Zhang Wenshu still didn't dare to go up, and the squires below all looked at Li Sheng, and couldn't understand how Li Sheng had built such a platform, isn't this against common etiquette?

Li Sheng saw that he couldn't come up, and said again: "You can't come up, if you don't come up, I'll pull you." ”

The people in the courtyard were surprised, although the squires had already comprehended Li Sheng's temper yesterday, they were still shocked. You speak like a country man with a county order, and you don't have any majesty at all, does this damage the identity of the county order?

Zhang Wenshu was helpless, he didn't dare to let Li Sheng go down to pull him, so he had to walk over by himself. Li Sheng pointed to the chair beside him, and Zhang Wenshu did it helplessly.

"County Lieutenant Cui." Li Sheng shouted again.

Cui Qingyuan was originally in the back with Li Hongcai, working in the county hall. Hearing Li Sheng call him, he hurriedly walked out of the lobby.

"Li County Order, what are your orders?"

Li Sheng pointed to the remaining chair and said, "You sit here on behalf of the Cui family." ”

Cui Mingchuan knew as soon as he heard it that Li Sheng didn't hold back his fart. Why didn't the Cui family come, it was not that they didn't want to return the land. You let me sit here, and then everyone agrees to return the field, and if I don't agree, won't it be a shame? If you agree, how can you explain to your eldest brother when you go home.

Cui Mingchuan said very pretentiously: "Li County Order, I can't do the Cui family's affairs. ”

Li Sheng also knew that Cui Mingchuan couldn't sit on the throne, so let him attend the meeting, Li Sheng did have his own plans. Cui Mingchuan is a member of the Cui family no matter what, as long as he attends, the Cui family has to agree to the matter of returning the field, and he has to agree whether he agrees or not. Since Li Sheng has this plan, he will definitely not let him run.

"County Lieutenant Cui, I just let you represent the Cui family, not let you be the master. Don't worry, I will never let you call the shots about Yu Min's affairs. ”

Cui Mingchuan thought to himself, if I believe your words, I will definitely be cheated. So he said: "Lord County Order, there are a lot of land deeds handed over by the squires just now, and Lord Li and I are too busy to be busy, so I'll go and help Lord Li!" ”

"What's the matter, if you want to sit down, you will sit. There is no one from your Cui family, can you represent it? I invite you to sit down, won't County Lieutenant Cui give me face? Li Sheng saw that the soft one was not good, so he came to the hard one.

Cui Mingchuan saw Li Sheng's dog-faced temper, and said that he would turn his face. I had to do it very reluctantly, as if I had been wronged by something.

Li Sheng saw that Cui Mingchuan had come down, and said: "I took a look just now, and all of you here have paid the land deed, and some have not paid the land deed. No matter what you think, the decree that the government will return to the people will not be changed. As I said yesterday, I will compensate you elsewhere. Yesterday I was with my grandfather and my guards. After nearly a night's work, I finally made the soap. Do you want to see if it's worth the ploughing in your hands? ”

Li Sheng said to Lu Kui and the others standing behind him: "Come on, take out the soap and bring a few basins of water." Let them try the effects of soap. ”

As soon as Lu Kui waved his hand, several officials brought out several large basins of water, and another official dragged a wooden plate covered with a cloth. Behind him were two servants, carrying a table, and placing it in the open space in front of several rows of squires. Several officials put the wooden basin containing water on the table and turned away, only the official dragging the wooden plate stood in front of the table.

"A few of you come out, try the soap to see if it works." After Li Sheng finished speaking to the squire below, he said to Zhang Wenshu and Cui Mingchuan, who were sitting on the left and right: "Let's try it together." ”

Cui Mingchuan didn't know if he wanted to go to Li Sheng, but Li Sheng looked at Zhang Wenshu's expression and definitely wanted to go over and try it. So Li Sheng stood up directly, like a table with a wooden basin and walked over.

There was a lot of noise among the squires below, and there was a debate over who would try it first. Li Sheng was upset when he heard this, so he said: "Don't fight, there is a lot of soap, come and try it!" ”

Hula, people got up and came over, and Li Sheng, Cui Mingchuan, and Zhang Wenshu were all tight.

Li Sheng uncovered the cloth on the wooden plate, and twelve pieces of golden and transparent soap appeared in front of everyone's eyes. Everyone was attracted by the golden transparent soap, and all kinds of voices of admiration and praise continued to sound.

Zhang Wenshu picked up a piece and sniffed it in front of his nose. A fragrance seeped into his nose, and Zhang Wenshu said, "Master Hou, you have added spices." ”

"Yes!"

"Don't just look! Try washing your face. Li Sheng said.

Zhang Wenshu put down the soap and picked up a handful of water to splash his face. Li Sheng taught him how to make soap on the side, and waited for Zhang Wenshu to finish washing and wipe his face. said: "Master Hou, this soap is indeed good for washing the face, and it is ten times better than the pancreas." After washing, it is not only clean, but also refreshing, and the mood feels a little refreshed after washing. ”

When the squires heard Zhang Wenshu say this, they were all eager to try. Li Sheng also saw that if there was no scene in the front yard of the yamen today, the whole people would not be able to get by.

Cui Mingchuan was originally not interested in the soap that Li Sheng said, but after seeing the golden and transparent soap, Cui Mingchuan also wanted to try the feeling of soap after washing his face. When Zhang Wenshu washed, he also washed his face together. After he finished washing, he looked at Li Sheng in surprise, a little incredulous, such a good thing was actually made by Li Sheng.

"Master Hou, can I take a piece?" He was afraid that Li Sheng would think of something else, so he hurriedly explained: "I want to bring a piece to my wife." ”