With Zhangsun Wuji's agreement, all the pressure was focused on Meton. Today, the Tang dynasty's iron industry was divided into two parts. Other than the 20% that Zhangsun Iron Industry had, the remaining 80% was in the hands of the Mo Family Village. In theory, the undeveloped iron ore should also belong to the Mo Family Village.
However, the officials did not agree. According to Meton's previous strategy, Mo Jiazi, who was still in the process of reviving, would definitely take the opportunity to offer the iron ore to the country to please Li Shimin.
However, Meton's next move stunned everyone.
"This subject opposes the Salt and Iron Official Camp!" Modun stood out proudly.
"Ah!"
No one expected Mo Jiazi to oppose the Salt and Iron Industry. All along, the Mo Family's philosophy had always been to uphold justice, and the Salt and Iron Industry was also a form of upholding justice.
"The Mo Family has indeed changed. They actually betrayed the Mo Family's philosophy for benefits!"
"I didn't expect that even the great Mo Jiazi would betray the Mo Family for benefits."
"Is such a Mo Family still the selfless Mo Family?"
… … …
Suddenly, there was an uproar in the imperial court. Everyone was criticizing Meton or using righteousness to suppress the Mo Family in an attempt to force Mo Jiazi to agree to the Salt and Iron Industry.
In an instant, Mo Jiazi was condemned by everyone. It was as if not handing over the iron industry was a huge mistake.
Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh. The benefits of the Salt and Iron Industry were self-evident. Now, the only iron industry left in the Tang dynasty were the Zhangsun Family and the Mo Family. These two families were the closest to him. It was the easiest time for the imperial court to implement the Salt and Iron Industry. However, he didn't expect Meton to oppose him for benefits. This was the first time. This made Li Shimin feel betrayed.
Zhangsun Wuji naturally sensed the change in Li Shimin and couldn't help but reveal a trace of a smile. Mo Jiazi was still too inexperienced when it came to controlling people's hearts. Once Mo Jiazi lost his Saint Heart, what waves could the Mo Clan cause?
Mo Jiazi bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your subject has a reason to object. Your Majesty, please listen to your subject."
Li Shimin took a deep breath, neither joy nor anger showed on his face as he said, "Minister Mo, please speak."
Meton naturally heard the faint estrangement in Li Shimin's words and could not help but sigh. "First of all, steel is the Mo Family's food, the foundation for the Mo Family to soar, the lifeline of the Mo Family. Now that the Mo Family has finally taken control of its lifeline, it is naturally impossible for us to give it up so easily."
All the ministers couldn't help but sigh. They naturally knew the reason why the Mo Family's Village controlled 80% of the Tang dynasty's iron supply. It was because of Mo Jiazi's counterattack when the major iron companies besieged the Mo Family's Village.
However, although they understood, the imperial court was unwilling to retreat in the face of huge benefits. After all, the imperial court now needed too much money.
"Secondly, the Salt and Iron Official Camp system is not a good system. Carrying out the Salt and Iron Official Camp system is harmful and has no benefits." Meton said firmly.
"It's simply a bunch of nonsense." Tang Jian's face flushed. The Salt and Iron Official Camp was his proudest masterpiece, but it was actually criticized by Mo Jiazi to such an extent.
"Mo Jiazi is too arrogant. The Salt and Iron Official Camp can quickly improve the Tang dynasty's finances. Now that the Tang dynasty is in urgent need of money, with this money, it will definitely make the Tang dynasty go a step further." Zhang Liang, the Minister of Works, supported the Salt and Iron Official Camp in order to obtain the super large iron ore.
"It's just killing the goose that lays the golden eggs." Meton sneered, "The Salt and Iron Official Camp can certainly increase the wealth of the imperial court in a short time, but it will stifle the development of the iron smelting industry. I have read the history books and found that the Salt and Iron Official Camp has done a lot of harm. The output of iron materials has decreased and the quality of iron materials is inferior, but it is still sold at a high price. Now the Tang dynasty needs refined steel, special steel, stainless steel, and even various more advanced steel materials in the future. Once the Salt and Iron Official Camp is implemented, the technology of the iron smelting industry will stagnate and even regress."
Li Shimin could not help but hesitate for a while. These were all the criticisms of the Salt and Iron Official Camp. If it were before, he would not have cared about it. However, the Tang dynasty was no longer what it used to be. Ordinary iron materials could no longer meet the needs of the Tang dynasty. Instead, it needed professionals like the Mo family to study and improve the secret smelting techniques day after day.
"Moreover, the Salt and Iron Official Camp will gather all the iron in the world in the hands of one official. It will easily lead to corruption and abuse of power. When the time comes, the Mo family will have to buy iron at a high price, shoddy iron materials, or even have no iron to use." Meton said bluntly.
The officials could not help but frown. They were naturally aware of the drawbacks of the Salt and Iron Official Camp. If they were in Mo Jiazi's position, they would probably not agree with the Salt and Iron Official Camp.
"Finally, I am not going against the Salt and Iron Official Camp because I am following the teachings of Mo Sheng, not because I am betraying the ideals of the Mo family." Meton retorted.
"Mo Sheng's teachings are simply nonsense."
"Mo Sheng will teach the Mo family to scheme for their own interests."
The officials refuted one after another.
Meton explained, "In Master Mo's secret writings, it is said that in the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Southwest, there is an evil dragon. It requires all the villages to offer a young girl and gold and silver every year. The evil dragon is very powerful. Many people wanted to get rid of this evil, but in the end, they never returned. Over time, no one dared to go against the evil dragon. Until a young man, who trained hard in martial arts, embarked on the path of dragon slaying when the evil dragon asked for his beloved girl as tribute."
The officials were all intelligent people. They immediately understood what Mo Jiazi was implying. They could not help but look at Zhangsun Wuji. Zhangsun Tiexing formed the Iron Alliance with the intention of besieging Mo Jiazi, forcing the Mo family to buy iron at a high price and publicizing the secret of stainless steel. Wasn't it also an evil dragon? And Mo Jiazi's counterattack against Zhangsun Tiexing was probably referring to himself as a young dragon slayer.
"The young man went through arduous trekking and went through many fierce battles before finally defeating the evil dragon. He protected his beloved girl and the wealth of the village." Merton said.
Zhangsun Wuji's face was ugly. He naturally knew that the Zhangsun family's actions were disgraceful. But as he handed Zhangsun Tiexing over to the imperial court, these things would become a thing of the past. However, Mo Jiazi compared it to the story of a young dragon slayer, nailing the Zhangsun family to the pillar of shame. Perhaps the disgrace of the Zhangsun family would be remembered for generations to come.
"A young dragon slayer requires great wisdom and courage." Li Shimin sighed.
Meton shook his head and said, "No, if the story ended here, it would naturally be a happy ending. However, Mo Sheng's wisdom made me blush with shame. After the young dragon slayer, he sat on the evil dragon's corpse and looked at the gold and silver in the dragon's den. In the end, greed blinded his mind. He grew horns on his head and wings on his back. The young man turned into an evil dragon. Mo Sheng sighed and said, 'A young dragon slayer eventually became an evil dragon.'"
"What a good young dragon slayer eventually became an evil dragon."
Instantly, all the officials in the imperial court were shocked. If the story ended when the young dragon slayer came to an end, all the officials in the imperial court would just treat it as a story. But in the end, the young dragon slayer turned into an evil dragon, which made the fable of this story infinitely higher. Even though they were in high positions, they couldn't help but sigh at Mo Sheng's wisdom. The young man in front of them turned into an evil dragon. Could the evil dragon that he killed be transformed from those young men who didn't come back? This was simply a cycle of fate. It was thought-provoking.
Emperor Wu of Han had good intentions in promoting the salt and iron official camp to increase the Han Dynasty's finances. However, in the end, it was crudely made and caused great discontent among the people. Zhangsun Tiexing's original intention was to collect iron for the imperial court to supply military and civilian needs. But in the end, he joined forces with the major iron companies to besiege the Mo Family Village for profit. Their original intention was good, but they turned into an evil dragon in the end.
"What about the Mo Family Village? Now that the Mo Family Village has won and has already occupied 80% of the share of iron in the Tang dynasty, will the young man from the Mo Family grow into an evil dragon?" Suddenly, Zhangsun Wuji asked coldly.
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