Chapter 149: The Imperial Pen

The small bridge and flowing water here are hidden between the lush forests and bamboos, which is very quiet.

Li Yu took Emperor Zhou E to a small pavilion and sat on a stone bench. The rest of the people were standing outside the pavilion, waiting for Li Yu's summons.

Li Yu and Zhou Ehuang enjoyed the beautiful scenery and chatted a few words from time to time.

Time passed quickly, the sun gradually set in the west, and soon it was dusk.

Emperor Zhou E looked at the sky, "Your Majesty, let's go back, it's getting dark." ”

"Well, it's time for dinner. Today, the widow is in a good mood, and I want to give a banquet to a few people, Guo Neishi, you go and prepare. ”

Guo Neishou agreed and hurried away.

Emperor Zhou E thought about it and said, "Your Majesty, I'm a little tired, so I won't go." You men go, I'll leave Qi Jiuniang behind and talk to her. ”

Li Yu nodded in agreement, and everyone returned to the Rouyi Hall the same way, and Emperor Zhou E took Qi Jiuniang in.

By this time, it was already dark. Several eunuchs led the way in front with lanterns. Li Yu led the crowd around several palaces and came to a tall and majestic building.

Everyone walked up the stone steps to the front of the palace gate. Cui Daoshu looked up and saw that there was a plaque hanging on the gate of the palace, which was engraved with the words 'Yaoguang Palace'.

The chamberlain opened the door, and Li Yu walked in first. It was lavishly decorated, and there were many cases in the hall, which was supposed to be a place for banquets.

Li Yu sat on the high platform and said to everyone: "Everyone sit down, don't be restrained. ”

Xu Xuan sat first on the right-hand side, Cao Deshun sat opposite him, and Choi Daoshu sat down next to Cao Deshun. A few palace maids came in and served refreshments to everyone.

Li Yu took a sip of tea and said: "Cui Gongzi, you must have something to do when you come to Jinling, according to the widow's thoughts, what you want must be not small, isn't it?" ”

Cui Daoshu and Cao Deshun glanced at each other and knew that the drama was coming. He stood up and said respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, this time I came to Jinling to discuss a business with Brother Cao. ”

"Oh? Speaking of which, the widow also wants to know. ”

"Your Majesty, if you can allow this business, it will bring some benefits to you and the people of the Tang Kingdom."

"What's the benefit?"

"Your Majesty, if the business is completed, Brother Cao and I will donate 100,000 yuan to the palace every year."

Li Yu was a little moved, "One hundred thousand? The two of them are really generous, what kind of business is it? I don't know what benefits it can bring to the people? ”

Cui Daoshu said firmly: "It's salt, high-quality salt." And the price is much lower than the salt sold on the market now, which will definitely bring benefits to the people. ”

Li Yu was shocked, and secretly thought in his heart.

Xu Xuan was puzzled and asked, "Young Master Cui, where did you get the salt?" Is it really cheap? ”

Cui Daoshu replied: "Lord Xu, I have several righteous brothers, and they have discovered a large salt mine on an island overseas, where the salt is of extremely high quality and easy to mine. As a result, salt can be sold at a very low price. ”

Seo Hyun then asked, "Where is that island?" ”

Cui Daoshu shook his head and said, "I don't know, it is said that it should be thousands of miles away." It was discovered by a few of my brothers. Every time, they used a boat to transport salt to Mingzhou and entrusted my Cui family to sell it. ”

Xu Xuan asked again, "How many of your brothers also keep it a secret from you?" ”

"Yes, the origin of salt is their lifeblood, and they don't say anything to anyone, and I'm no exception."

Li Yu was shocked and asked, "Young Master Cui, if the widow allows you and the Cao family to sell salt, how much do you want to sell it for?" ”

Cui Daoshu replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, we are going to sell it at fifty-five wen a catty, and the quality of this salt is definitely much better than the salt on the market." ”

Cao Deshun also stood up, and Shi Li said: "Your Majesty, I have asked the housekeeper to investigate, and now the price of salt in Jinling City ranges from sixty-five to one hundred and twenty wen. The quality of the salt brought by Cui Gongzi is about the same as that of about 100 yuan. ”

Li Yu was shocked and asked eagerly, "Is this true?" Did you bring the salt? ”

Cao Deshun said: "Back to Your Majesty, I didn't bring it. ”

"Then send someone to fetch it, and the widow wants to see it."

Cao Deshun agreed, walked to the door, and said a few words to a eunuch. The eunuch hurried away.

Li Yu asked again: "Young Master Cui, if you sell salt in my Tang Kingdom, how much can you do every year?" ”

"Your Majesty, the amount now shouldn't be very much, about a million catties per month. It is estimated that it will increase year by year in the future. ”

Li Yu asked again: "Xu Qing, do you know how much salt my Tang Kingdom needs every year?" ”

Xu Xuan said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, the minister is good at poetry and classics, and he really doesn't know about people's livelihood!" ”

Li Yu smiled, "Xu Qing, it's the widow who is in a hurry." Let's summon the officials of the household department and ask. ”

Cao Deshun hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the grass people know something. China's current population is about 4 million, and if a person eats 10 catties of salt every year, it is estimated that the whole country needs about 40 million catties a year. ”

Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief, the country needs 40 million catties of salt every year, and now Cui Daoshu can provide 10 million catties every year, which has little impact on the market and cannot cause nationwide turmoil. If Cui Daoshu can provide high-quality and low-cost salt, and can also give himself 100,000 yuan a year, it is definitely a good thing for the country and the people.

Li Yu's heart was moved, he thought about it repeatedly, but he didn't find anything wrong.

At this time, the outside waiter came to report, and Zan Xin came to restore his life. Li Yu nodded, and the chamberlain went out, and soon brought General Zan in.

Zan Xin walked four or five meters in front of Li Yu, took out a few pieces of paper, and bowed to give a salute, "Back to Your Majesty, the minister has already taken Qi Jiuniang's document of selling her body, please take a look at it." ”

Li Yu waved his hand, "No need, you can leave it to Cui Gongzi." ”

Cui Daoshu took the paperwork, looked at it carefully, and Shi Li said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, this document is fine." Thank you also to General Zan. ”

Zan Xin grinned and said loudly: "Young Master Cui doesn't have to be polite, it's all thanks to His Majesty's heavenly might. When a certain family arrived at Fengsong Pavilion, the people there were stupid. I said that His Majesty left Qi Jiuniang in the palace, so they obediently took out the paperwork, and they didn't dare to put a fart. ”

Li Yu laughed, "Zan Qing, you are still so vulgar. The widow asked you to study hard, but you just wouldn't. ”

Zan Xin said embarrassedly: "Your Majesty, the minister is a rough blank, and he can't change it in this life." ”

Li Yu waved his hand and told him to retreat. At this time, many chamberlains and palace maids walked in, all holding exquisite utensils, and placed them on several cases in front of everyone.

The palace maid poured wine for everyone again, and retreated to the back to serve.

Li Yu raised his glass and said, "All the gentlemen drink well." ”

Everyone raised their wine glasses, and after Li Yu drank it, they drank the wine in the glass one after another.

Li Yu picked up the chopsticks and ate them first. Everyone also ate some carefully.

At this moment, more than a dozen women in costume walked in, followed by seven or eight luthiers with musical instruments.

After the luthier sat down, he began to play. More than a dozen women danced to add to the feast. Everyone watched the palace dance with great interest, Xu Hyun used to watch such a dance before, and felt that it was the same, and there was nothing new.

Cao Deshun entered the palace for the first time, so he felt very novel and looked at it dizzily. Cui Daoshu saw that he looked like a dirt bun, and smiled secretly in his heart. In his later life, he had never seen any difficult dances on TV, so he didn't care.

At the end of the song, after the women saluted Li Yu, they all retreated.

Guo Neishou walked in, holding a tray in his hand. He walked up to Li Yu and raised the tray high, "Your Majesty, the salt has been taken, please take a look." ”

Li Yu took a closer look, and there was a celadon plate in the tray, on which were some white particles as white as snow.

Li Yu nodded, and a eunuch walked over, pinched a little salt, and put it in his mouth.

After a while, the eunuch bowed down and said, "Back to Your Majesty, this salt tastes very good, there is no bitter feeling, it is a high-quality salt." ”

Li Yu was very happy, looked at Cui Daoshu and asked, "Cui Gongzi, can you guarantee that all the salt is in such condition?" ”

Cui Daoshu stood up and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, Cui swears in the name of the ancestors that all salt is the same color. If I deceive Your Majesty and the people of the Tang Kingdom, I will go to hell and will never be able to live forever! ”

Cui Daoshu knew that Li Yu believed in Buddhism, so he swore a poisonous oath. Li Yu really believed his oath, and said gently: "Young Master Cui, I hope you can keep your oath, this matter is not approved." ”

Cui Daoshu and Cao Deshun glanced at each other, they were both excited, and hurriedly got up to salute Li Yu and thank him for his grace.

Li Yu smiled and waved his hand, "The widow hopes that the two of them can abide by the law and be good businessmen, and bring benefits to the people of the Tang Kingdom." Come on, get pen and paper. ”

A few attendants brought the four treasures of the study, brought a table, spread out the paper, and sharpened the ink.

Li Yu walked to the table, picked up the pen, concentrated for a moment, and began to write.

Everyone gathered around to watch and saw Li Yu write two big words 'snow salt'.

He asked the chamberlain to stamp the seal and said to Cao Deshun: "Mr. Cao, after you go back, engrave this character into a plaque and hang it at the door of the shop selling salt, and no one will dare to touch you." ”

Cao Deshun gave a deep salute and thanked Li Yu for his protection.

Li Yu returned to the high platform and exchanged glasses with everyone, and the atmosphere was very warm. After about an hour, Li Yu became a little drunk.

He stood up and said to the people, "The widow is a little tired, so let me stop here today." Then he walked away with the help of the chamberlain.

Everyone sent Li Yu away, and then under the leadership of the eunuch, they walked towards the gate of the palace.

Halfway through, Cui Daoshu saw Qi Jiuniang waiting on the side of the road, accompanied by several chamberlains and palace maids.

She ran over, happily took Cui Daoshu's sleeve, and whispered, "Childe, have you drunk too much today?" ”

Xu Xuan next to him quipped: "Jiuniang, don't worry, Cui Gongzi didn't drink too much, and he won't delay spending the night with you." ”