Li Longji's favorite prince had always been his eighteenth son, Li Mao. This was because Li Mao's mother, Wu Huifei, was the one that Li Longji was most satisfied with. The relationship between husband and wife was very good and they loved each other very much. Li Mao was the product of their love, so it was normal for him to be more favored than other princes.
Before Wu Huifei's death, Li Longji had personally promised her that he would always take good care of and love Li Mao. It was clear that he intended to make him the Crown Prince. Li Linfu had also repeatedly told the Emperor that Li Mao should be made the Crown Prince. In other words, if nothing unexpected happened, Li Mao would replace Li Heng as the Crown Prince.
However, perhaps the Heavens were jealous of Li Mao's happiness in the first half of his life, so they wanted to make him suffer more in the second half of his life. Yang Yuhuan, who had been in love with him for five years, had actually caught Li Longji's eye and was extremely infatuated with her.
This also seemed to indicate that the father and son had the same aesthetic standards. Both of them had taken a fancy to Yang Yuhuan and were extremely infatuated with her. The son had been depressed for many years because of her, and the father had been willing to be reviled by future generations to steal his daughter-in-law for him.
Li Longji could steal his daughter-in-law because he liked Yang Yuhuan too much. For her, he would do anything. However, at the same time, he did not hate his beloved son Li Mao. On the contrary, after stealing his daughter-in-law, he had always felt that he owed Li Mao. This feeling was in his heart and could not be seen by outsiders.
What outsiders could see was that Li Longji had stolen Li Mao's princess and made him mourn for the Emperor for three years. It seemed that he would no longer love this youngest son of his. Many of the officials who had supported Li Mao before did not dare to continue supporting him. Even Li Linfu, who had once suggested that Li Mao replace the current Crown Prince, seemed to have drawn a clear line with Li Mao.
Yang Guozhong, the new nobleman of the Tang dynasty, was even more afraid to get close to Li Mao. He needed to keep a distance from Li Mao more than anyone else. After all, his surname was Yang, and he was Yang Yuhuan's brother. He needed to avoid arousing suspicion.
As a result, Li Mao became a motherless child and was not welcomed anywhere. Gradually, he was isolated. It was only when Li Longji bestowed House Wei to Li Mao and treated Li Mao well in many aspects that the officials of the court gradually improved. However, their attitude towards Li Mao was not as warm as before. They only treated Li Mao as an ordinary prince, no longer a favored prince.
Because they did not know what the Emperor was thinking, many ministers in the court did not dare to make any bets. Only a few adventurous ones dared to contact the Prince and express their loyalty.
As for these adventurous ministers, as long as their status was not very high, the Emperor would not interfere. He let the Princes have their own wings. This way, they could check and balance each other, which was beneficial to his rule.
In many dynasties, there would be the Crown Prince's party and the Prime Minister's party. These two forces would check and balance each other. At the same time, they had to obey the Emperor's orders. This was extremely beneficial for the Emperor to rule the country.
Many departments also had such a situation. Under a chief officer, there would be more than two adjutants. These adjutants checked and balanced each other. At the same time, they served the chief officer, which highlighted the chief officer's power.
Ang Lee did not care about the affairs of the parties. He did not want to join any of them. He just wanted to live a comfortable life. However, not joining did not mean that he would not interact with them. It was good to chat with the Princes occasionally.
The production of the high-end flashlights went smoothly. In less than ten days, more than thirty flashlights of different shapes were produced. There were flashlights made of gold and silver. There were all kinds of patterns engraved on them. Among them, the flashlight that was to be given to the Emperor was engraved with a dragon. The rest were also engraved with auspicious beasts, flowers, and so on.
Since these things were produced, they naturally had to be sent to the houses of the influential people immediately. The timing of the gifts was also very important. This could save a lot of trouble. If he had to send the gifts one by one, it would be too tiring.
Taking advantage of the opportunity of the morning court, Ang Lee brought all the flashlights. These flashlights were to be given to the influential people. It did not matter who they were given to, as long as they were given to the highest officials in the court.
Only the best flashlight made of gold was prepared for Li Longji.
The morning court was generally early. It started when the sun had just risen. However, many ministers, in order to prevent themselves from being late, generally came much earlier. That is to say, when many ministers arrived at the palace, the sky was still dark. This was the time when the flashlight played a role.
Although there were already street lights along the way of the palace, if they were really afraid of the dark, it was also possible to use a lantern. However, the advantage of the flashlight was not comparable to the lantern and electric light.
The electric light was fixed and could not be moved. Even in the palace, it was impossible to install electric lights everywhere. There would always be places where the light could not shine. Although the lantern was mobile, it could also be used for illumination. However, the light and portability of the lantern could not be compared with the flashlight. Ang Lee dared to bet that as long as these officials used the flashlight, they would probably never want to use a lantern again.
In order to carry these flashlights, Ang Lee brought two attendants to carry these things. The best one was in Ang Lee's arms. It was prepared for the Emperor.
When Ang Lee arrived at the palace, more than half of the ministers had already arrived. Only a few ministers had not arrived yet.
"Assistant Minister Li, what treasures are your attendants carrying? Two full bags! "
"This can't be another invention of some kind, right?"
"Could it be a ten thousand mile sound transmission machine?"
The ministers guessed when they saw the large bags behind Ang Lee's attendants.
Ang Lee smiled and said, "These are gifts for all of you. However, there are not enough of them. Not everyone will have a share. If you are interested, take one. We will produce more in the future."
After saying that, he smiled and looked at the ministers.
"Oh, there are more treasures. We have to see it."
The minister said excitedly.
Ang Lee winked and asked the two attendants behind him to take out all the flashlights from the bags and distribute them to the ministers.
"Come, give me one, give me one."
Although these ministers were not young, they were in a good mood to watch the show. They were all fighting for the treasures that Ang Lee invented. In their hearts, anything that Ang Lee fiddled with was a good thing. After all, Ang Lee had shocked them many times.
However, there was nothing special about the flashlights this time. At least, in Ang Lee's heart, this invention was nothing special.
"Hey, it seems to be made of silver. There is glass and a light bulb in front. It's a light! Such a small light. "
"There is a button in the middle. Can it light up?"
"It can light up when you hold it in your hand. That's a good thing! Let's try it. "
"Oh! It really lit up. Haha! It's quite bright. "
The ministers quickly lit up the flashlights in their hands. This made them very excited. They felt that they were holding something good in their hands.
"What is it? Let this old man see."
Li Linfu's health had suddenly deteriorated recently. However, he still dragged his sick body to the morning court. He just came a little late.
Under normal circumstances, the higher the rank of an official, the later they would arrive. That was the only way to reflect their status. Those who arrived early were basically small fries, and the important ministers were the last to arrive. Li An, on the other hand, was only a little early because he wanted to show off his new invention.
Today's morning court session was held in the Political Announcement Hall. It was considered a mid-level court session. The largest court session was held in the Hanyuan Hall. It was only held a few times a year. Most of the fifth rank and above officials in the capital were present.
"Good morning, Right Prime Minister."
The ministers hurriedly saluted. Several ministers actively handed the flashlights in their hands to Li Linfu, but Li Linfu could only take one.
"Not bad! This is much brighter than a lantern. It can shine in any direction. It's also very convenient to hold in the hand. It's not very heavy. This must be another invention of Assistant Minister Li! A pillar of the nation! "
Li Linfu's voice was not as loud as before. He looked at Ang Lee beside him as he spoke.
"Right Prime Minister, I just came up with this a few days ago. It's a battery. This is a new batch. If it can be mass produced in the future, ordinary people can also afford to use it."
Ang Lee answered very happily.
Li Linfu frowned and thought for a moment. He nodded and said, "This is a good thing! We will definitely report to His Majesty and mass produce such a good thing as soon as possible. Don't you think so? "
After saying that, he looked at the ministers.
"Yes, yes, yes. It's a good thing!"
All the ministers were full of praise for Ang Lee's invention.
"By the way, Assistant Minister Li, how is the Ten Thousand Mile Sound Transmission project going?"
Li Linfu asked with concern. At the same time, many important ministers also came up. It was obvious that they were very concerned about this project.
Ang Lee looked at the crowd with a smile and answered truthfully, "The Ten Thousand Mile Sound Transmission project is very complicated. It's not that easy to succeed. However, I will do my best. Sooner or later, I will make such a machine. Otherwise, how can I live up to His Majesty's teachings and everyone's expectations?"
"Assistant Minister Li, you're too serious, too serious."
All the ministers said with a smile.
Not long after, Yang Guozhong and several important ministers all arrived. They also looked at the flashlight and felt that this treasure was good. They walked together to the main hall.
Before entering the hall, Ang Lee saw the little eunuch beside the Emperor hurriedly passing by. He quickly stopped him and gave the flashlight made of gold to the little eunuch. He taught him how to use it and then let him give the flashlight to the Emperor.
The morning court in the Political Announcement Hall was not held every day. It was only held once every few days. After all, if it was held every day, the Emperor would be tired to death.
Before the Emperor entered the hall, the ministers must first enter the hall and line up, quietly waiting for the Emperor's arrival. In other words, there was a period of time in the middle for the Emperor to tidy up and rest.
"Your Majesty, this is what Assistant Minister Li brought. He said it's called a flashlight. It can illuminate. Take a look."
The little eunuch respectfully handed the flashlight to Li Longji.
Li Longji rested for a while and was about to go to court. Seeing the little eunuch bring such a thing, he thought it was very interesting. He smiled and said, "This can light up. Don't tell me. Let me try it out myself."
After that, he carefully looked at its appearance and then gently turned on the switch.
The little eunuch's eyes were shone. He quickly took a step back and then took another step forward. He said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this thing is good! It's much brighter than a candle. "
Li Longji weighed the flashlight and said with a smile, "It's a good thing, but what I'm most concerned about now is the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Plan. Compared to the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Plan, this little thing is too far away."
Although he said this, the little eunuch could see that Li Longji still liked the flashlight in his hand. After all, this little thing was very convenient. It was much more convenient than holding a lantern. Moreover, it was brighter.
The reason why he said this was because he was worried that Ang Lee would use his mind in the wrong place. If he scattered his energy, would it delay the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Plan?
Of course, he would never think that the flashlight was a part of the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Plan. It could also be said that it was a by-product of the plan. The battery inside was very important to the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Plan. Without the battery, it was difficult to make a telegraph.
"Your Majesty, Assistant Minister Li brought a lot of flashlights today. The rest are shells made of silver. They have been distributed to the ministers."
The little eunuch said.
Li Longji nodded and walked to the main hall to attend the imperial court.
He had already understood Ang Lee's intention. This was the rhythm of mass production. He had seen all the things and found them to be very practical. As long as he gave the order, the imperial court would produce them on a large scale. However, Ang Lee had invented too many things. If all the industries were managed by the imperial court, the pressure on the imperial court would be too great. After all, many officials were corrupt and inefficient in doing things. Therefore, for the sake of the Tang Empire's interests, it might be better to hand over some important industries that were not very profitable to private individuals.
The railway system was related to the country's fate and huge interests. Li Longji was unwilling to give it up. The manufacturing of armored vehicles, artillery, and black gunpowder was also related to the safety of the Tang Empire. Naturally, they could not be handed over to private individuals. After all, the imperial court was fully in control of them. As for some industries that were not so important, Li Longji would not mind letting private individuals handle them. For example, many cement factories and iron mines in the Tang Empire were basically in charge of them. The imperial court only needed to be responsible for purchasing them. The value of gold and silver mines was too high, so the imperial court naturally had to mine them in person.
"His Majesty has arrived."
After a loud and clear voice, Li Longji went to the imperial court.
"Long live His Majesty."
Ang Lee and the ministers knelt down and saluted together.
"Everyone, please rise."
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