If it were in the past, Crown Prince Li Ying's words would certainly have angered the ministers.
Crown Prince Li Ying was even mentally prepared at this moment.
However, what surprised him was.
When these words came out, all the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.
No one refuted him at the first time.
Many ministers subconsciously turned their eyes to Prime Minister Zhang Shuo who was standing in front of the crowd.
Zhang said his eyes slowly closed, looking calm and composed.
The other ministers also kept their mouths shut and had no intention of speaking.
The reason is very simple. Su Che had said before that all ministers could invest in it and share the profits, which would be very profitable.
When it comes to opening up the sea for business, these officials who are at the highest positions of power are not fools. They all know how much profit is involved.
If the imperial court is willing to take the lead and lead officials like them and the aristocratic families behind them to open up overseas trade routes, then they will definitely be willing.
but.
There were always some young people in the court. At this moment, the counselor Han Xiu stepped forward and said seriously, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, opening up the sea to trade and competing with the people and foreign countries for profits will undermine the prestige of our Celestial Empire. I think this matter needs to be discussed."
After these words were spoken, Crown Prince Li Ying actually felt relieved. He thought no one objected and he didn't even have the chance to say what he had prepared.
At this moment, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji was sitting on the dragon throne, holding his forehead with his hand. He did not speak, but let the crown prince and the counselor argue.
Crown Prince Li Ying glanced at his father, then at the Imperial Counselor Han Xiu, and said seriously, "Imperial Counselor, this is not true. This is not about competing with the people or foreign countries for profit. The court is taking the initiative to open the sea. This is to expand the shop and take the initiative to spread the majesty and reputation of our Great Tang to the whole world at home and abroad."
After a pause, Crown Prince Li Ying continued, "This is a pioneering move that inherits Emperor Taizong's ambitions. It can also further confirm the prestige of the Tang Dynasty. How can it be said to undermine its majesty?"
After these words were spoken, the Counselor was stunned for a moment and was about to speak.
I just heard the Crown Prince Li Ying continue to say: "I have a question for the Counselor. Before the implementation of the official mountain and sea system, the people could mine and sell salt. Since then, these things have been banned. Is this not competing with the people for profit? Should the right to sell these be returned to us?"
Even in ancient times, salt was not so scarce because it was a necessity, and the government controlled the sale of salt, making it a highly profitable industry.
The sale of salt has also become a very important part of national income.
In a sense, this is considered competing with the people for profit.
Han Xiu, the Imperial Counselor, was speechless when he heard this. He frowned and said, "Officials have existed in the mountains and seas since ancient times. They are important tools of the country. How can they be compared with opening the seas for business?"
Crown Prince Li Ying asked directly: "How can the Grand Counselor be so sure that opening up the sea for commerce cannot become a national priority?"
After hearing this, the Imperial Counselor was completely speechless. He could only bow and then return to his seat.
When Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji saw this scene above, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Li Longji was in a very good mood.
When Li Longji was still the crown prince, Han Xiu was recommended as a virtuous person because of his good reputation, and was appointed to work in the Eastern Palace, where he came into contact with Li Longji.
After Li Longji came to power, he naturally began to promote Han Xiu.
But Han Xiu, although he had a gentle personality, was upright and incorruptible. He followed Wei Zheng's example in every aspect and kept an eye on Li Longji for advice.
This made Li Longji very depressed, so of course he was very happy to see him being humiliated.
Li Longji clapped his hands lightly and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you are right. Guanshanhai can be a national treasure, and opening the sea for business is also possible! This matter can also enhance the prestige of our Great Tang, with a hundred benefits and no harm. What do you think?"
As soon as these words came out, all the officials in the hall responded in unison: "Our emperor is wise!"
"Okay!" Xuanzong nodded and glanced around the court.
Originally, Xuanzong was going to keep all the money from the opening of the sea for himself...
But this kind of thing is not acceptable.
Su Che stopped him.
Su Che knew it very well.
Eating alone will cause jealousy.
Zhu Di once opened up the sea and made a fortune by using Zheng He's voyages to the West.
But most of this money went into Zhu Di's treasury.
So later, when Zhu Di died, all those nautical charts and data were burned to ashes in a fire, and there was no more talk of voyages to the West.
As a result, some families along the coast opened up the sea to do business and engage in smuggling and trafficking, becoming extremely wealthy, with all the money going into their own pockets, and no longer having the slightest connection with the imperial court.
During the Ming Dynasty, the number of vassal states that paid tribute was extremely large and the frequency was extremely high, forcing the Ming Dynasty to limit the number and frequency of tribute.
For example, the Jurchen Nurhaci personally came to Beijing to pay tribute eight times, and his younger brother Shurhaci also came to Beijing to pay tribute four times.
Although Nurhaci later rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, he was quite enthusiastic in paying tribute before that, and everything was for his own benefit.
The profits that can be made from the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road are simply too great.
But if one were to take all the benefits by himself, he would not be able to go far.
so.
Under Su Che's suggestion, Xuanzong finally compromised and decided to play with his ministers and the aristocratic families behind them.
When they heard the emperor say in person that he wanted to open up the sea for trade and that he would take the lead and let the royal family, nobles, and important court officials contribute money or people, everyone present was excited and looked anxious.
Su Che had mentioned this matter once before, but it was just his words after all and did not count. Only the emperor's words at this moment were the final word.
Soon, as the discussion began, the court suddenly became as lively as a vegetable market.
Originally, almost all ministers in the court were opposed to doing business overseas.
But when they heard that the emperor was going to take them to play together, make money together, and share the money together, their faces changed instantly.
Even Prime Minister Zhang Shuo, who had previously said righteously, "How could I be a greedy person?", actually contributed the most money at this moment and accounted for a large share.
Even Han Xiu, the counselor who had spoken out against it, had now contributed money and people.
The officials in the imperial court are a group of people standing at the pinnacle of power in the Tang Dynasty. When this group of people unite and work together, the resources and power they can mobilize are extremely terrifying.
Regarding the matter of opening up overseas business, Su Che originally only provided some superficial suggestions and some general ideas.
If he were to be put in charge of this matter specifically, he would need to coordinate various departments, and the affairs would be complicated, so the progress would inevitably be delayed again and again.
But at this moment, with these important officials of the court talking and discussing together, the progress was improving almost visibly.
The construction of ships, the preparation of sailors, the number of naval forces, sea charts and compasses, various weapons at sea, the purchase of goods for trade , translation along the way, the food that sailors and naval forces need to buy, the preparation and training in advance, and the formulation of routes...
In addition to these, various detailed regulations and laws related to maritime trade are also constantly being improved. With everyone contributing their opinions, the regulations and laws will soon be improved.
Originally, although Su Che had an idea of ​​these things and knew how to prepare, he still had to proceed step by step. At this moment, all the officials in the court came together and solved these problems in no time.
The progress was so fast and the efficiency was so high that even Emperor Xuanzong, who was sitting on a high throne, was surprised - when did his ministers become so powerful?
He suddenly understood why Li Bai had strongly suggested that he should take the officials of the court to open up the sea together and share the profits that he had originally kept for himself.
Although these important court officials were ministers of the royal family and were indeed loyal, if Xuanzong took all the benefits of opening the sea for himself, he would inevitably encounter many obstacles. If he took them along for the fun, things would go smoothly and more smoothly.
The world is bustling with people seeking profit! The world is bustling with people seeking profit!
Although Emperor Xuanzong had seen through these ministers long ago, he still didn't expect them to be so real...
If I were to take all the spoils and monopolize the benefits of opening up the sea, would these people still be as dedicated and hardworking as they are now?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
After the negotiations on opening the sea were completed, Emperor Xuanzong handed the matter over to Crown Prince Li Ying and gave him full responsibility.
However, although it was handed over to Crown Prince Li Ying, Su Che still handled the matters behind the scenes.
So, when Crown Prince Li Ying received the order, he subconsciously glanced at Su Che behind him, his eyes full of gratitude.
Before.
Because Xuanzong favored Concubine Wu Huifei, he gradually neglected his son.
Concubine Wu Huifei hoped that her son could become the crown prince, and she often whispered in his ear.
This made Crown Prince Li Ying feel a sense of crisis.
Since ancient times.
The relationship between the crown prince and the emperor is rarely very good, and they are basically like water and fire.
The crown prince is the heir to the throne and the future emperor. As long as he exists, he will easily threaten the uniqueness of the emperor's power, which is intolerable for the emperor.
Furthermore, as the emperor aged while the prince flourished, the emperor would feel jealous.
In theory, a normal prince or crown prince can be the second-in-command. It is natural for conflicts to arise between the second-in-command and the first-in-command, especially when the relationship lasts for a long time.
The emperor would easily become suspicious and think that the prince wanted to rebel.
When an emperor is strong, long-lived, and has many sons, his crown prince is basically unstable.
Many princes have a wish deep in their hearts that they dare not say out loud - that is, can the old man die sooner? Explode the imperial seal soon!
The position of the crown prince is one in which you can't do a bad job, but you can't do too well either. It's really a dilemma.
The prince is a monarch in front of his ministers and a minister in front of the emperor. How he handles these two identities determines the relationship between the prince and the emperor.
This is not something that ordinary people can handle.
Supreme power is poison. Between the continuation of the empire and their own power, most emperors would choose the latter, which results in most talented princes being killed.
There are many wise men around Crown Prince Li Ying, and he is well aware of how embarrassing his situation is. He walks on thin ice every day, afraid of making mistakes. But if he has too many concerns, he will become a useless person in the eyes of the emperor, which is even more uncomfortable.
However, with the appearance of Su Che, everything seemed to have taken a turn for the better.
Su Che is very strong and he has to do whatever he is asked to do.
It was like a strict teacher treating a student, with no scruples at all because of his status as the crown prince.
But such a strong attitude actually made Crown Prince Li Ying feel at ease. He subconsciously thought that he only needed to listen to the words of the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor.
Doing so is often the best solution, which makes Crown Prince Li Ying trust Su Che even more.
At this moment in the court, many people noticed the subconscious actions and gaze of Crown Prince Li Ying, and they immediately understood who would be responsible for opening up the sea for business in the future.
So after the court was dismissed, Su Che immediately received a lot of invitations to banquets, and the attitude of the court officials towards him instantly changed 180 degrees.
Before, he was almost a public enemy, but now, he became a celebrity in the court in an instant. Even Zhang Shuo no longer looked at Su Che with disapproval. Instead, he spoke to him in a friendly manner and invited him to the banquet so that everyone could have a good time together.
Reality is often just that realistic.
Su Che accepted the invitation happily without being self-righteous.
At this time, Crown Prince Li Ying also wanted to attend the banquet and try to build good relationships with these important officials of the court. Su Che just glanced at him and asked, "Did you remember all the things that were said in the court today?"
When these words came out, Crown Prince Li Ying was stunned, and then said awkwardly: "I only remembered some of them..."
"Then you should find someone, such as the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, to ask clearly, and then draw up a relevant plan and make preparations for opening the sea. These have not been done yet, so why are you attending the banquet?" Su Che said very impolitely, not giving the prince any face at all.
Li Ying was stunned for a moment, then looked at Su Che and asked, "What about you?"
"I'm going to drink." Su Che said as a matter of course.
Li Ying: “…”
He originally thought that the teacher was responsible for this matter and would handle it for him, but things were obviously quite different from what he expected. Su Che threw everything to him and had no intention of intervening at all.
"Okay..." Crown Prince Li Ying nodded helplessly, and then looked for the figure of the Secretary of the Central Secretariat in the crowd.
The Secretary of the Central Secretariat was a subordinate official of the Minister of the Central Secretariat.
The Minister of the Secretariat was the highest official in the Secretariat.
The Secretariat was the decision-making body, responsible for drafting and issuing the emperor's edicts.
This position is one of high power and is currently held by Prime Minister Zhang Shuo.
At this time, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat behind Zhang Shuo hurriedly came out and said respectfully: "Your Highness, I have written down the content of the previous discussion in the court word for word. Please move over and discuss the plan with me."
Hearing this, Li Ying heaved a sigh of relief and said quickly: "Then thank you for your help!"
"It's what we should do!" said the Secretary of the Central Secretariat politely.
"When you are done, let me see it first, and then I will show it to His Majesty." Su Che said casually.
"I understand." Li Ying nodded.
"Go quickly, we're going to drink." Su Che waved his hand.
When Li Ying left, the people around him looked at Su Che with strange eyes.
Because Su Che's attitude towards Li Ying was too casual, which was not like the attitude towards the crown prince at all. Isn't he afraid that the future crown prince will make things difficult for him when he ascends the throne?
Even though the emperor is still alive, the prince is still the prince.
But the prince's status is still noble, and few people dare to be so disrespectful to him.
Su Che turned around and said with a smile: "Everyone, let's go! Come and welcome me!"
"Let's go." Zhang stroked his beard and said with a smile.
Following this group of important court officials, Su Che came to Zhang Shuo's mansion.
This is an extremely luxurious mansion.
The courtyard is surrounded by pink walls, with green willows hanging all around, three gatehouses with hanging flowers, and corridors on all four sides.
The courtyard is connected by corridors and dotted with rocks. A plaque with the words "Bi Chi Er Chang" hangs on the five-room porch.
The entire courtyard is magnificent and elegant, the garden is gorgeous and exquisite, the backyard is full of roses and hibiscus, and there is a pond.
The entire house, whether it is tables, chairs, doors, windows, or beds, is covered with carvings.
The true wealth is fully reflected in these details.
Su Che looked around the house, then looked at Zhang Shuo and said with emotion: "This house is so luxurious, aren't you afraid that the Imperial Censor will impeach you?"
Zhang said with a chuckle, "I was a little worried at first, but after what you did, I'm not so worried anymore."
This was a cunning old fox. He was very surprised and delighted by Su Che's appearance.
When Su Che heard this, he was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.
Zhang Shuo was a leader in the literary world. For a person like him, embezzlement of money and acceptance of bribes would have no impact at all.
Xuanzong would never punish him for such a small matter. He would only use it as a handle to make him work wholeheartedly.
To some extent, this is also a form of self-pollution.
In the huge banquet hall, several charming dancers, wearing light clothes and long sleeves, were performing ethereal dances. Musicians were playing beautiful music earnestly, and maids were pouring wine and entertaining guests. It was a scene of great joy.
Su Che drank his wine, narrowed his eyes slightly, and glanced at the many important officials of the court present. Behind these people, there were more or less aristocratic families.
In the first few years after Xuanzong ascended the throne, he worked hard to govern the country. His method was to win over a group of powerful families and attack another group of powerful families. When land was seriously annexed, he used this method to reduce the power of many aristocratic families, so that the equal-field system and the military service system could continue to be maintained.
However, such behavior also accelerated the growth of aristocratic families, turning many families into behemoths. This behavior is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, and does not fundamentally solve the problem.
So after a few years, the problem will arise again.
But that was the best solution that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang could do.
The establishment of the Tang Dynasty was carried out with the support of aristocratic families.
Emperor Taizong of Tang also took some so-called measures, which did have some effects, but they were more intended to suppress the gentry outside the Guanlong gentry, such as the Shandong gentry next door.
During Wu Zetian's reign, she used Shandong gentry to suppress Guanlong gentry, but Shandong gentry eventually became a new aristocracy, aristocratic families and clans. Xuanzong also suppressed them, but with little success.
The imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty was basically used to select talents from the upper class of society. Its essence was a mechanism for selecting talents within the upper class of society.
Just in terms of the imperial examination, it is almost impossible for children from poor families to make a name for themselves through it.
In today's terms, the imperial examination was just a formality, and the places for children from aristocratic families had already been decided.
The so-called imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty claimed to have broken the monopoly of aristocratic families on official careers, but it only broke a hole in the previously indestructible wall, allowing people from the middle and lower classes of society to move up through this hole. The opportunities they could get were pitifully few, and the height they could rise to was completely restricted.
Later, Huang Chao became completely desperate about the so-called imperial examination and realized who controlled the society, so he crazily slaughtered those aristocratic families. This was partly the reason.
The so-called thousand-year-old families are like parasites to the dynasty itself. They constantly suck the blood and flesh of the dynasty and do not care about the collapse of the dynasty at all, because no matter who is in charge of the country, someone is needed to manage it.
They only care about their own wealth and interests, so how can they care about the life and death of the country?
How can we govern a country with a group of insects like this?
Su Che grasped his sword, and although he was slightly drunk, murderous intent was already evident in his heart.
But he still endured it. What if he was killed?
It is impossible to kill all such people.
Kill the aristocratic families, the scholarly cliques, and the landlords and gentry...
There is no end to killing.
Therefore, the only thing that can be done is to transfer internal conflicts to the outside as much as possible, and to force blood transfusions by the way of being a sage inside and a king outside, so as to maintain a relatively peaceful world.
At this moment, everyone was toasting and drinking, enjoying themselves. Some were reciting poems and writing essays. It was a very happy scene. Zhang said with a smile, "Brother Taibai, do you want to write a poem too?"
Su Che glanced at Zhang Shuo, then looked at the officials in the court, and said with a smile, "Okay!"
With a chuckle, Su Che drew out the sword from his waist. With a clang, the sword flashed with a cold light. The temperature in the air seemed to drop a little. When everyone saw this scene, they subconsciously shrank back.
Su Che waved his hand, asking the dancers to make way, and then started dancing casually.
The murderous sword was waving, and the sharp sound echoed in the air. The people who were originally slightly drunk could not help but sober up a little at this moment, and many people even touched their necks subconsciously.
This is real murderous intent, the kind that can only be accumulated after having been on the battlefield for a long time and killing countless people.
The guards accompanying Zhang Shuo's pupils shrank slightly and the hairs on their bodies stood up!
"The guest from Zhao wore a tasseled coat, and the hook from Wu shone with frost and snow. The silver saddle shone on the white horse, which galloped like a meteor."
The slightly tipsy Su Che danced with the sword and spoke casually.
The room was very quiet at this moment, even the musician stopped involuntarily.
Some maids who were serving wine were originally talking in low voices with dignitaries, but when they saw the sword dance and heard the poetry, they were stunned and stared blankly at the young man who was dancing with the sword.
Zhang Shuo was stunned when he heard these two lines of poetry, and he recited them subconsciously: "The Zhao guest's Hu tassels are slender, and the Wu hook is bright in frost and snow. The silver saddle shines on the white horse, which gallops like a meteor..."
Simple and clear poem, at that moment, Zhang Shuo seemed to be able to see the scene - the Zhao knight's hat was casually decorated with Hu tassels, the Wu Gou sword was as bright as frost and snow, the silver saddle and the white horse complemented each other, and they galloped like shooting stars.
The poems are simple, but catchy and make people feel like they are in the scene!
When this poem came out, many people's eyes lit up.
Song Jing couldn't help but clap his hands and listened carefully to the next game.
Su Che swung his sword again. The sword was so sharp that it seemed to be about to bite someone. He continued:
"Kill one person every 10 steps, and leave no trace in a thousand miles. When the work is done, leave, hiding your identity and name."
When this poem came out, Zhang Shuo, who was originally ready to applaud, swallowed the word "good" abruptly. He was a little afraid that this sword would really cut him, so he did not say anything for a while.
However, he was indeed overthinking it. Su Che did not start a massacre. At this moment, he took the wine jug, took a few gulps, and finished reciting the second half of the poem.
"I stopped by Xinling to have a drink, and took off my sword and laid it across my knees.
He gave the roast meat to Zhu Hai and held the cup to toast Hou Ying.
Three cups of wine make a promise come true, and the five mountains seem light.
After my eyes were dizzy and my ears were hot, my spirits were high.
Save Zhao and wield the golden hammer, HD is shocked first.
Two heroes of all ages, making the city of Daliang famous.
Even though I die, my chivalrous spirit will remain fragrant and I will never be ashamed to be a hero in the world.
Who can write for you, the Taixuan Sutra in your old age? "
As Su Che finished reading the poem, everyone in the banquet hall was speechless and shocked.
No one expected that a poem spoken casually by this young and successful boy could be so shocking!
This poem is simply too crazy. Every sentence is unrestrained and murderous, but it is so crazy that it convinces people. This poem deserves this title!
Very well written!
All the officials in the court are knowledgeable and experienced. Although most of them are from aristocratic families, they can stand in this position not because they are good-for-nothings.
It was the first time they heard such a unique poem!
I was very surprised for a moment!
Su Che's previous two articles, whether it was "Rather Be Friendly with Foreign Countries Than Become Domestic Slaves" or "The Wealth of Nations", had a major flaw in the writing. They were so straightforward that there was not a single flourish of rhetoric, and the style was very obvious.
It makes people subconsciously feel that this person's writing skills are very average.
But what they didn't expect was that Su Che, while dancing with the sword, blurted out a poem that stunned everyone.
How could a human being write this poem with such uniqueness and unprecedented wildness?
The dancers and maids looked at the young man in front of them, who casually put away his sword and continued to drink, with their eyes dazed.
Among the crowd, He Zhizhang, the assistant minister of rites, was also a man of great talent. He was the number one scholar in the Yiwei exam in the first year of Zhengsheng during the reign of Wu Zetian. He was awarded the title of Doctor of Four Subjects of the Imperial Academy and later transferred to the title of Doctor of Taichang. Prime Minister Zhang Shuo, who was the editor of the books in Lizheng Palace, invited He Zhizhang to join the academy to co-write "Six Classics" and "Wenzan".
After hearing this poem, he stood up and asked excitedly, "Such a poem cannot be written by a mortal. Are you a god from heaven who was banished to the mortal world?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was awakened, and everyone looked at each other in surprise.
The profound insights of his previous works "I would rather be friends with foreign nations than my slaves" and "The Wealth of Nations" are beyond the reach of ordinary people. Now, this poem full of heroic spirit is even more impossible for ordinary people to write.
Could it be that Su Che is really a deity from heaven? An immortal who was banished to the mortal world, isn’t this a banished immortal?
Zhang Shuo listened to this and murmured, "What a banished immortal!"
"Are you really a banished immortal?" Song Jing asked stupidly. He now completely believed this statement.
It's because there really are immortals in this world. The seven immortal mountains stand on the mountains beyond the mountains. The immortal emperors are high above, watching everything in the human world. They rarely interfere in anything in the human world, but they do exist, and this is an undeniable fact.
Li Bai was so young, yet he could write articles like "I would rather be friends with foreign nations than with my domestic slaves" and "The Wealth of Nations", and also create such heroic poems. Who else could he be but a banished immortal?
"Exiled Immortal?" Su Che was stunned when he heard this, then he laughed out loud and said uninhibitedly: "I am the Exiled Immortal Qinglian!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other in surprise. Was this an admission?
He Zhizhang asked, "May I ask the exiled immortal, what is the name of this poem?"
"Song of the Knight-errant." Su Che said with a smile. This poem was written by Li Bai, so he copied it without any psychological burden. Copying himself, can this be considered plagiarism?
"A chivalrous man's journey..." He Zhizhang murmured, and couldn't help but sighed: "What a chivalrous man's journey!"
"Those who can write poems like "Xia Ke Xing" and are unwilling to cooperate with the opening of the sea for business will probably be in trouble..." Song Jing couldn't help but whispered after hearing this.
After the banquet, news about Li Bai's "Song of the Knight-errant" spread like wildfire throughout the capital of Chang'an. This poem is full of heroic spirit. Anyone who has read it will be deeply shocked and impressed.
This poem is in a completely different style from other poems.
Soon, this poem became popular not only in Chang'an, but also throughout the world.
Also becoming widely circulated was another nickname of Li Bai - the banished immortal on earth!
Legend has it that he is not a mortal...
But he was an immortal who was banished from heaven to the mortal world.
This title is very appropriate and is a very reasonable explanation.
Soon, even Emperor Xuanzong had heard of the name and seen the heroic poem.
Even Li Longji had to admit: "This poem is really amazing. It's the first time I've seen such a poem. I didn't know that poetry could be written like this!"
…
"Are you really a banished immortal?" Prince Li Ying looked at Su Che curiously.
Su Che looked at the plan in his hand carefully and said without raising his head: "You can treat me as you are."
"Okay." Li Ying nodded: "How is my plan going?"
"Not bad." Su Che gave a fairly fair evaluation: "The plan is written, and the next step is execution."
"The imperial court wants to open up the sea for trade, and there will definitely be people who are unwilling to cooperate. You should have people prepare themselves and get ready to kill." Su Che said casually.
"Opening up the sea for business is a joint decision made by all the officials in the court. How could anyone dare not cooperate?" Li Ying said with some surprise after hearing this.
"You have to understand one thing: money can move people's hearts. If the profit is great, businessmen will even sell ropes to strangle themselves..." Su Che said calmly.
"As long as the profit is high, merchants will even sell ropes to hang themselves..." This directly shocked Li Ying. He murmured, "Is there such a crazy person in this world?"
Afterwards, Li Ying nervously conveyed the plan and Su Che's words to Xuanzong.
Xuanzong looked at these plans and listened to Li Ying's words. He said without denying it: "He is right. You should be prepared."
"I understand, kid." Li Ying lowered her head.
As expected, as the imperial court opened up the sea to trade, some wealthy businessmen in the country soon joined forces with some foreigners and even some Hu merchants to protest.
They accused the Tang Dynasty court of stealing jobs from the common people. They said that it was inappropriate to compete with the common people and foreign countries for profits.
In Chang'an City, inside and outside the West Market, merchants from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Goryeo, Baekje, Silla, Japan and other countries and regions gathered together. They had only one goal, which was to ask the Tang Dynasty court not to open up the sea for trade and not to compete with them for profits.
They knew that if only a few people protested, the Tang court would definitely not care, so almost all foreign merchants took the initiative to unite and carry out various protests.
They walked out from the various neighborhoods of the West Market, united together, and walked out of the West Market.
"The Tang Dynasty is the Celestial Empire. How can it compete with barbarians like us for jobs? Is this the etiquette that the Tang Dynasty should have?"
"It is totally wrong for a great country like the Celestial Empire to compete with barbarians like us for profits!"
"The Tang Dynasty cannot do this. It will make its reputation overseas very bad!"
"The Tang Dynasty is the Celestial Empire, the leader among all nations. How could it do business with barbarian merchants like us?"
"We need to see the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. We want to see the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"
These businessmen marched in groups, shouting in unison, and they looked very angry.
Previously, after hearing about this, they tried to bribe the officials they had bribed before to help resolve the issue.
However, the decision to open overseas business was made jointly by the emperor and all the officials in the court. The officials they bribed would never help them.
Unable to solve the problem through this channel, their only choice is to stick together.
now.
People from the government office who were responsible for maintaining order came and tried to get them to return to their own neighborhoods and stop making trouble.
But this group of foreigners pretended not to understand and pushed the yamen runners without any scruples, not taking these ordinary yamen runners and soldiers seriously at all.
Given their identities, no soldier or runner would dare to take action.
As the situation became more and more serious, the imperial court mobilized more people to stop the protesting foreign merchants.
"go back!"
"Everyone, go back!"
"No more protests!"
"Opening the sea for business is the imperial court's decision. Your protest is useless!"
However, when they saw that the Tang emperor was not going to solve the problem but was going to suppress them, they shouted in unison: "We want to see the Tang emperor!"
"We want to talk to the Emperor of Tang!"
There is no way they can back down until their problems are solved!
soon.
With the pushing and shoving, the conflict soon broke out.
Some excited foreign merchants, relying on their large numbers, directly beat to death several yamen runners and soldiers.
After someone was beaten to death, these foreign merchants calmed down immediately, realized that they had made a big mistake, and scattered like fish and birds in an instant.
By the time more soldiers arrived, none of the foreign merchants were left.
A young captain looked at the bodies of the runners and soldiers with an unpleasant expression on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, "These damned foreign barbarians, how dare they do this?"
The dead were yamen runners and soldiers. These people were from the lower class. Even if they were dead, these foreign merchants still thought that the law would not punish them as a whole. There were so many of them and countless people were implicated. What could they do to them?
But people died, after all.
Something big happened.
This matter involved too many foreign merchants. Both Crown Prince Li Ying and the people from the Honglu Temple were extremely nervous and had no idea how to deal with it.
There are too many people involved. Do we have to arrest all those foreign merchants and those Hu merchants? How big of a commotion would this cause?
Crown Prince Li Ying found Su Che and sought his help.
This made Su Che feel a little strange. He asked, "What should we do if a wealthy businessman in the country kills a soldier at the gate of Chang'an City?"
"Catch them first, then interrogate and convict them, and finally kill them." Crown Prince Li Ying said without hesitation: "If we can't find out who killed them, everyone will be convicted!"
"Then why do you hesitate when you meet these foreign merchants?" Su Che asked curiously.
As soon as these words came out, Crown Prince Li Ying was speechless. He said helplessly: "Because this matter involves friendly countries, it is easy to damage the prestige of the Tang Dynasty overseas."
"So, even if overseas wealthy businessmen kill our Tang Dynasty's yamen runners and soldiers, we can let them go?" Su Che asked back.
"Of course not. This problem is very serious and a big deal. It is absolutely impossible to compromise easily. So I am also very troubled about how to solve it." Li Ying shook his head and said.
"So...why don't we just do what the wealthy businessmen in our country do?" Su Che shook his head and sighed.
"This will cause a stir overseas!" Li Ying said with a tingling scalp. "If it was a wealthy domestic businessman, it would be easy to solve, but this involves foreign businessmen, and it's an international case. If we do that, it may affect our overseas business... Master, do you understand?"
"I've always understood." Su Che stared at Li Ying and said calmly, "The one who has never understood is you, not me."
"I said it from the beginning that foreign merchants who dare to cause trouble should be killed."
"It would be easy to deter these foreign merchants by killing a chicken to scare the monkeys."
"But you didn't dare to kill them, didn't dare to deal with them with thunder, and just let them cause trouble."
"Now that such a big thing has happened, I am even more timid and don't know what to do..."
"The solution has always been simple, you just don't dare to do it."
"You have always been hesitant and timid. You really don't have the spirit of a king at all."
"It's really not a pity for the slaves to die, but friendship with foreigners is the most important thing?"
Hearing Su Che's words, Crown Prince Li Ying's face flushed with shame. He gritted his teeth and said, "I know!!"
"No." Su Che said calmly: "You don't know, and you don't understand."
“There is no real friendship between nations, no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”
"The truth is always only within the range of the crossbow arrow!"
"The barbarians overseas all fear our power but not our virtue. Using benefits to win them over is only a temporary measure. They have never been our friends."
"What if we kill all the overseas merchants who dare to cause trouble? What can they do?"
"Since they have paid tribute, they are nominally our vassal states. If a father beats his son, does he still need to worry about his son's objection?"
"If those barbarians overseas dare to object, sever ties with us, and prevent the Tang Dynasty from opening up the sea for trade..."
"Then mobilize the heavenly army to conquer the rebellious country!"