Li Er pretended to be angry and said: "You are now the Marquis of Jiayuan of the Tang Dynasty, and you have just obtained a fief, how can you still devote yourself to studying the business of merchants and what kind of system you have become." ”

Wang Xiang said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty also knows that the minister has recently married another wife, and the family has an extra mouth to eat, and it is not okay to make money without working hard." ”

Li Er was stunned, and said with a smile: "What a new prince, I am cheap and obedient, I was really shocked to hear that you married Princess Gaochang back, but this matter is fine, so I don't have to worry about any more chaos in Gaochang." ”

"You see, the minister can be regarded as taking the initiative to dedicate himself to the peaceful coexistence of the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions."

Even took the initiative to dedicate himself, Li Er shook his head helplessly and scolded with a smile: "Okay, don't talk nonsense, what is the method of making salt." ”

"Your Majesty has agreed?"

Li Er pondered for a moment and nodded: "If you really have a way to make the people of the Tang Dynasty eat salt, the sale of this salt will be ...... Divide your share. ”

"Ishei ah......"

"What, aren't you satisfied?" Li Er squinted his eyes.

Wang Xiang said with a look of resentment: "Aren't we paying back the previous glass business......

"That's glass, salt and iron are the country's heavy weapons, I'm afraid there will be many people who oppose this success, and you are still not satisfied."

In fact, Wang Xiang has been prepared in his heart, he is already very satisfied to be able to divide one percent, don't underestimate this one, I'm afraid those big families will covet it, salt is different from glass, salt is a necessity and a consumer product, no matter when it comes, it is a steady stream of benefits, and the most important thing is that salt is firmly in the hands of the government, that is to say, the people of the Tang Dynasty can share one percent of it if they want to eat salt.

And the reason why Li Er attaches so much importance to the salt making method mentioned by Wang Xiang is not only so that the people of the Tang Dynasty can eat salt, but also because of the Guanzhong clan.

The Li family was originally also a family gatekeeper, so Li Er has been very jealous of these family members since he ascended the throne, although the government strictly prohibits the sale of illicit salt. But which of these big families secretly did not buy and sell private salt, and the benefits of private salt were too great.

Although Li Er knew that they secretly bought and sold private salt, he was afraid of the power of the family and had to turn a blind eye, but in this way, the power of the family would only get stronger and stronger, which was what he was most worried about. If the method of salt making mentioned by Wang Xiang can really make all the people of the Tang Dynasty eat salt, then the private salt trading in the hands of those families is naturally not a concern.

Wang Xiang got the 10% income promised by Li Er and was about to say the method of making salt, Sun Simiao got up and said, "Poor Dao will go to dispense medicine for the queen." ”

In fact, he went to dispense medicine. I just want to avoid it, in Old Man Sun's opinion, if there is a good way to make salt, it should be known to all the people in the world, so it is the blessing of the people, but he also knows that neither Wang Xiang nor Li Er has such plans, so it is okay not to listen.

Wang Xiang was still a little embarrassed, but Li Er said with a normal expression: "There is Lao Sun Dao Chang." ”

Sun Simiao arched his hand and withdrew from the Lizheng Palace.

When Sun Simiao's figure disappeared, Wang Xiang whispered to Li Er: "Sun Daochang is a trustworthy person, he won't talk nonsense." ”

Li Er sighed and said, "So there are some things that he still doesn't know." ”

Wang Xiang was dumbfounded, it turned out that Li Er could see more clearly than himself. With Old Man Sun's temperament, even if he knew the method of making salt, he would not say it, but he would definitely not feel good in his heart. Sure enough, I still don't know how to do it.

"Okay, now you can talk about what kind of salt-making method can make the people of Datang eat salt."

In fact, the method of salt production that Wang Xiang said is very simple, that is, seawater drying salt.

"Sea salt?" Li Er frowned, "This method exists in ancient times, but the salt from the sea is very bitter and difficult to eat, and the brine salt is poisonous and inedible." ”

In the Tang Dynasty, the method of frying salt and frying salt was mostly used, because the brine salt in the seawater was as toxic as the mineral salt, and the ancients did not know how to filter it. Therefore, most of the methods of frying salt and frying salt are used, but there are not many non-toxic salt lakes that meet the requirements. Moreover, the method of frying salt is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it does not produce much salt.

Wang Xiang smiled and said: "In fact, whether it is the salt from the seawater or the salt in the salt mine, it is the same as the salt produced by the method of frying salt, the reason why the brine salt is poisonous and bitter is because it contains impurities, as long as there is a way to remove impurities, then it is the same, there are not many non-toxic salt lakes, but the sea water is ......."

Li Er's eyes lit up: "Do you have a way to make brine salt into ordinary table salt?" ”

Wang Xiang nodded and said: "Actually, it's not difficult, as long as the dried sea salt is filtered and dried again, then the brine salt will become ordinary table salt." ”

"Filtering?"

Wang Xiang explained the reason why the brine salt is toxic and the principle of filtration, and Li Er was suddenly amazed. He touched his chin and asked, "Is it really feasible to dry salt in seawater?" ”

"The minister can guarantee that it is absolutely feasible!"

Li Er narrowed his eyes and was silent, Wang Xiang wondered, what else did he think about such a good thing.

Just when he couldn't help but ask, Li Er spoke: "In this way, the fief I gave you is still a treasure land. ”

What? What's the matter with the fiefdom?

Wang Xiangqi said: "What does this have to do with the minister's fief? ”

Li Er shook his head and said, "Actually, I gave you a fief, and many ministers are against it in their hearts. ”

Wang Xiang was immediately unhappy: "The minister worked tirelessly to go to Gaochang, and only after nine deaths did he complete His Majesty's task, and after he came back, he risked his life to try cowpox to solve the danger of smallpox." Your Majesty gave vassals fiefs, why should they object? ”

Li Er glanced at Wang Xiang: "Okay, I know that you have suffered a lot of grievances, but the fief is indeed a little overstepping." It is precisely because of your several meritorious deeds, and because the fief I gave you is only a barren land along the coast, that they did not say it, and now it seems that your fief has become a treasure. ”

Wang Xiang's face turned dark when he heard this, and the housekeeper of the king was happy when he heard the fiefdom, it turned out that people just picked a barren place that no one looked down on to send them away.

Li Er was speechless, and hurriedly said: "Actually, it's not a barren place, it's just not as prosperous as Chang'an......"

It's really hard to believe what he said, at least Wang Xiang doesn't believe it, don't look at the coastal cities of later generations, one by one, they are so rich that they are rich, in ancient times, coastal cities meant small fishing villages. That kind of place is not suitable for farming, and it is good that the people live by fishing, and they can expect to have some taxes, no wonder no one objected.

It is said that the fiefdom, Wang Xiang has not yet figured out where his fief is, and it seems that it is still a coastal place when he hears Li Eryi.

Don't look at Wang Xiang's ugly face, in fact, he is still very excited in his heart, others don't look down on the barren land along the coast doesn't mean he doesn't look down on it, in his opinion, it is a really good place.

Deliberately put on a dejected expression and asked, "I don't know where the fief given by His Majesty to the minister is?" (To be continued.) )