(Two-in-one chapter!)
"Oh! That's right! Yesterday, I heard from Chengqian that you have a new method of growing White Stack Flowers. It can save on seeds and also increase the harvest. Is this true? "
In the Ganlu Palace, after giving orders on the war, Li Er talked to Li Zexuan about farming. Recently, Lantian County had been bustling with activity to grow White Stack Flowers.
Hearing this, Li Zexuan clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this method was something that my master spent a great deal of effort researching. It is indeed exceptional, but as for how good it is and how good it is, it still needs to be tested. If Your Majesty wants to promote growing White Stack Flowers throughout the Great Tang, why don't you wait until next year or the year after? At that time, you might not even need to buy White Stack Flowers seeds from the small Nanyang countries. You can just find me!"
Having his plan exposed, Li Er was slightly embarrassed. Immediately, his expression returned to normal. He smiled and said, "Oh? This means that you are quite confident in your method? That's good! My Imperial Plantation can also open up some wasteland. In a moment, I will have Chengqian send people to Guangdong to buy some White Stack Flowers seeds. When the time comes, I will copy your method and plant White Stack Flowers in the Imperial Plantation! "
Since Li Zexuan was so confident, Li Er decided to believe in Li Zexuan and make a "risky investment". When the time came, the White Stack Flowers he received could be used to make winter clothes for the imperial concubines and princes and princesses.
Speaking of which, it was quite sad. Although he was the emperor, when he had just ascended the throne, the national treasury had been emptied. He and Empress Zhangsun were used to living frugally. Many of the people with large wealth wore winter clothes made of White Stack Flowers, but none of his imperial concubines and princesses had ever worn them!
He knew Li Zexuan's character very well. Anything that could make Li Zexuan so confident was basically a sure thing. Therefore, he planned to take advantage of Li Zexuan's "east wind" to make a small fortune!
When Li Zexuan heard Li Er's words, he couldn't help but feel sad for Empress Zhangsun, Li Chengqian, and Changle. Who said the royal family was happy? Looking at all of them being 'detained' by Old Li to the point that they couldn't even afford to wear cotton-padded jackets, they were truly a disgrace to the Great Tang Empire!
"If Your Majesty has such intentions, then I will immediately write a letter and have my men bring back more seeds. When the time comes, I will directly distribute them to Your Highness!"
Li Zexuan cupped his hands and said.
Li Er nodded and said, "En! That's for the best! "
However, the following conversation between the two of them was a little "unbearable to the ears"!
"But Your Majesty, why don't you give me the money needed to buy the White Fold Flower seeds first?"
"Scram! Bastard! Do you think I will go back on my word? "
…
After 'scramming' out of the Sweet Dew Hall, Li Zexuan was silently criticizing Old Li for being unkind and wanting to cheat him of the seed money when he bumped into three people.
"Hey! Xiao Xuan! Why did you stay in the palace for so long? If you still didn't come out, I, Old Cheng, would have gone in to get you! "
Cheng Yaojin slapped Li Zexuan's shoulder and said in a muffled voice.
Li Zexuan said in surprise, "Why haven't you all left yet? I thought you all had gone back! "
The people waiting for Li Zexuan at the palace gate were Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and Niu Jinda, the three old generals closest to him.
"Hey! The three of us have nothing to do when we go back, unlike Yuchi Laohei who has to go to the military camp to deploy troops! Let's go! Let's talk as we walk! "
Cheng Yaojin said sourly. Then, he smiled and said, "Speaking of which, Xiao Xuan! Recently, there has been an uproar in Lantian County about receiving free White Fold Flower seeds. We old fellows have all heard about it. We also heard that you taught the farmers a new way to plant the White Fold Flower. You can't hide it from us! "
Li Zexuan asked in confusion, "Why? Uncle Cheng, Uncle Qin, Uncle Niu, are you also planning to plant the White Fold Flower in your fief? "
Qin Qiong smiled and nodded. "We heard that Xiao Xuan has a way to increase the survival rate and production of the White Fold Flower. We old fellows also want to join in!"
Actually, it was mainly because the greenhouse vegetables last time had let them taste the "sweetness". This time, knowing that Li Zexuan wanted to plant the White Fold Flower on a large scale in his fief, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Niu Jinda also wanted to let their farmers follow in Li Zexuan's "footsteps" and make a small fortune!
Speaking of which, they were all born in war. Usually, they did not have as many good ideas as Li Zexuan to make the farmers' lives better. Therefore, they could only follow whatever Li Zexuan did. Basically, it was as if Li Zexuan was indirectly helping them take care of the farms!
Li Zexuan smiled and said, "Since the three uncles have this idea, then when I go back, I will send people to teach the new way to plant the White Fold Flower to the three uncles' farmers. At the same time, I will also send some new farming tools over! Moreover, to tell you the truth, His Majesty also mentioned this matter to me just now. In the end, His Majesty decided to plant the White Fold Flower in the Imperial Plantation! "
When everyone heard that even Li Zexuan wanted to use Li Zexuan's method to plant the White Fold Flower in the Imperial Plantation, they could not help but be filled with confidence in Li Zexuan's method. Niu Jinda smiled and said, "Then this time, we will have to bask in your glory again!"
Li Zexuan hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Uncle Niu, please don't say that. All of you have taken good care of this nephew on a daily basis. What does this small matter count as? Oh, right, since the uncles also plan to plant the White Fold Flower, then I will get people to buy more seeds from Guangdong! "
"Hey! Xiao Xuan! No need, no need! The number of farmers in our families can't compare to yours, and we don't need much seeds. I have already asked the Hu merchants in Xi City to think of a way to get them. Xiao Xuan, you don't have to worry! "
Cheng Yaojin hurriedly said.
A hint of awkwardness appeared on Qin Qiong and Niu Jinda's faces. Then, they took two steps to the side at the same time, creating some distance between them and Cheng Yaojin.
Li Zexuan asked doubtfully, "Uncle Cheng, I have already sent people to buy all the seeds from the Hu merchants in Xi City. Where else can you go to buy more? "
Cheng Yaojin chuckled and said, "Hehe! Those Hu merchants naturally have their own methods! I have already told them that if they do not hand over 1800 jin of seeds within half a month, I will go and smash their shops! They can go to the Abbasid Caliphate to transport more seeds, or they can send ships to Guangdong to buy from the Nanyang merchants. In any case, I, Cheng Yaojin, only need to pay for the seeds! Furthermore, the Hu merchants in Xi City have all agreed! How about it? Xiao Xuan? Isn't my method better than yours? "
"… Good! Cough cough, Uncle Cheng's method is indeed good! "
Li Zexuan was instantly speechless. He could not help but observe two seconds of silence for those Hu merchants in Xi City. They were truly unlucky to have met this old hoodlum, Cheng Yaojin. Abbasid Caliphate and Great Tang were separated by a thousand li. If those Hu merchants did not want their shops to be smashed by Cheng Yaojin, they would most likely have to travel through the sea to find their enemies in the business world — the Nanyang merchants to buy seeds!
Truly lamentable!
After leaving the palace and passing through the Vermillion Bird Avenue, Qin Qiong and Niu Jinda, because they were taking different paths, returned home. Cheng Yaojin, on the other hand, was still able to follow Li Zexuan for a while longer. At this moment, Li Zexuan recalled the doubts he had in the royal court today.
Thus, he asked, "Uncle Cheng, what is the background of that envoy Xieli sent, Ashina Simo? It seems like many officials in the royal court are familiar with him, and he even addressed himself as a subject to His Majesty. What is going on? "
Cheng Yaojin was stunned. After pausing for a moment, he sighed and said, "Ashina Simo ah! This person is actually also a man. He was originally an Eastern Turkic noble, the son of Ashina Tuliushe. In the 19th year of Founding Emperor, Qimin Khagan of the Turks fled to the Sui Dynasty. The tribes of Mobei supported Ashina Simo as the Eastern Turkic Khagan. After the internal affairs of the Turks stabilized, Qimin Khagan returned to the Eastern Turkic Khagan, and Ashina Simo took the initiative to give up the position of Khagan!
However, as Ashina Simo looked more like a Hu and not a Turk, Chuluo Khagan suspected that he was not from the Ashina race. Simo had been through the two generations of Chuluo Khagan and Xieli Khagan, and he was often a Jianbi. However, in the end, he was unable to manage the military and set up a Jianbi.
In the first year of Wude, Ashina Simo had been an envoy to Great Tang many times. Currently, many old officials in the royal court were familiar with him. In the 8th month of the 7th year of Wude, Xieli Khagan and Tuli Khagan led their troops to invade Tang. The current emperor led his troops to defend against the Turks and explained the pros and cons to them. Thus, Xieli Khagan sent Simo and Tuli Khagan to meet the emperor and ask for peace. The emperor agreed to their request.
In the 8th month of the same year, Ashina Simo came to Chang An to meet the emperor of that time, who is the current emperor emeritus. The emperor emeritus summoned him to the front of the imperial bed and praised his sincerity and gave him the title of Heshun Commandery Prince. Thus, in today's morning court session, Ashina Simo called himself an official, which is reasonable! "
After hearing this, Li Zexuan nodded his head in realization. He then sighed and said, "I didn't expect Ashina Simo to have such a deep relationship with Great Tang. Furthermore, from what Uncle Cheng said, he can be considered a righteous man!"
What Li Zexuan did not know was that according to the original development of history, in the 4th year of Zhenguan, after the Tang army destroyed the Eastern Turks, Ashina Simo and Xieli Khagan were both captured by the Tang army. Later on, Li Er recognized Simo's loyalty and appointed him as the Right Marquis General and Governor of Huazhou. Thus, Ashina Simo became one of the few Turks in the history of Great Tang!
After bidding farewell to Cheng Yaojin, Li Zexuan brought Pang Feiji and rushed toward Mount Yun.
Along the way, Li Zexuan could not help but sigh in his heart as he looked at the commoners who were struggling to make a living, the merchants who were hawking their wares, and the children who were playing around in the streets. The war between Great Tang and the Turks was about to arrive. The current peace would probably be gone soon, right?
The Turkic Khaganate had over a million soldiers. The information he had obtained from Li Er had given Li Zexuan a huge amount of pressure!
Millions of soldiers might not be much to modern people, but in the ancient times where there were few people, they were basically an invincible existence! One had to know that the total population of the Great Tang was only about 20 million! Not to mention that the Turks lived on the grasslands and on horseback all year round. The physical strength of their soldiers was more or less better than that of the Great Tang. This war was really going to be a fierce one!
Although in the original history, the Great Tang had completely defeated the Turks, there were no absolutes in the world. Facing such a strong Turk, if there was a slight mistake, the Great Tang had the possibility of being overturned! Furthermore, the current Great Tang had already deviated from the original historical path in many areas. Who could guarantee that they would be able to win again?
Once the Great Tang was defeated, everything he had in this world would be destroyed. Li Zexuan would definitely not allow this to happen!
"… Marquis! Marquis? "
Li Zexuan, who was meditating, suddenly heard Pang Feiji's shout. He could not help but frown and ask, "What's the matter?"
Pang Feiji asked carefully, "Marquis, is there going to be a war again?"
Li Zexuan did not want to hide it from him, so he nodded and said, "En! How did you know? "
Pang Feiji replied, "In the morning, I saw three groups of foreign envoys in front of the palace gate. They all seemed to be Turks, so I guessed that something must have happened at the borders of the Great Tang!"
Li Zexuan let out a faint sigh and said, "You guessed right. Our peaceful days are almost coming to an end right away! Let's go back to Yunshan ~! Hyah ~! "
"Yes ~! Marquis ~! "
Pang Feiji looked worriedly at Li Zexuan's back, then hurriedly urged his horse to chase after him. As he ran, he asked, "Marquis, did His Majesty send you to lead the army to war this time?"
"Not this time! But it might not be the next time! "
"If Marquis goes to war, I will definitely follow by Marquis's side!"
…
The imperial court wanted to send troops to attack Liang Shidu, and the Right Guard Camp in Chang 'an City was constantly being mobilized. The officials of the six ministries were also extremely busy, and the various government offices were still brightly lit even in the middle of the night. The war had just ended not long ago, and the people of Chang' an City once again "smelled" the scent of war!
Thinking back to the day when the Turk envoys appeared in Chang 'an City, the people could not help but talk about it. Was the crisis of the Turks two years ago about to happen again? Were the Turks going to break the treaty and attack the Great Tang again?
In an instant, many people in the city were in a state of panic!
However, this situation did not last long. The day before the army set off, the imperial court suddenly posted notices in the city, announcing that Liang Shidu had occupied the northern side for many years and did not practice benevolence, causing the people to suffer. The emperor could not bear to see the people suffer and decided to summon Liang Shidu to surrender. If Liang Shidu was not willing to surrender, the Great Tang would attack the northern side!
After knowing that the imperial court was not going to war with the Turks, the people of Chang 'an City heaved a sigh of relief. Then, they began to sing praises for Li Er's compassion for the people.
From this, it could be seen that the Turks were not only a huge mountain in Li Er's heart, but also an insurmountable mountain in the hearts of the people of the Great Tang!
…
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