Everyone knew the importance of rice ripening three times a year to the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty had a large population and a food crisis had always existed. Especially in this era, natural disasters occurred frequently and many people were starving.
Especially in the north, if not for the opening of the Jinghang Grand Canal that transported rice from the south to the north, the food crisis in the north was slightly alleviated. However, no one would complain about having too much food.
Every dynasty knew the importance of food. As long as there was food, the people would not starve, and the rule of the dynasty would be extremely stable. Every time a dynasty was destroyed, the people would not be able to make a living. Because they could no longer live, they would rise up and rebel.
With such good rice, at least the Tang dynasty would not have to worry about food for a hundred years. Such a great contribution could be said to be tempting. However, Meton took the lead and everyone could only envy. However, today, there was someone who intercepted it.
"Isn't this the rice that Mo Jiazi mentioned at the Western Regions Conference?" The officials in the hall discussed and pointed at the bag of rice seeds carried by the eunuch. Even Su Lingnong could not wait and rushed forward to check it himself.
On that day, at the Western Regions Conference, Meton lured the Johor merchants with a large sum of money. Greedy for money, they revealed that there was rice ripening three times a year in Johor. At that time, it spread throughout Chang 'an and everyone heard about it.
"Yes, this is the rice ripening three times a year that the Johor merchants mentioned at the Western Regions Conference," Feng Zhidai said proudly. He only said that the Johor merchants offered it, deliberately downplaying Meton's role.
"The rice ripening three times a year is actually real. If it can be promoted, I'm afraid it will be a blessing for the Tang dynasty!" The officials exclaimed and looked at Feng Zhidai with a bit more playful eyes.
This was first mentioned by Meton at the Western Regions Conference to lure the Johor merchants to say it, but now it was offered by Feng Zhidai. I'm afraid the twists and turns in this matter will make people ponder! "
Feng Zhidai couldn't help but reveal a proud smile. When the news of the Western Regions Conference reached his ears, he immediately felt a rush of excitement. Others were skeptical of this rice, but his Feng Family had lived in Lingnan for five generations. Naturally, he knew that the further south the rice went, the faster it matured. This rice that matured three times a year was very likely to be real.
Johor was one of the countries in the South Sea, and the Lingnan Road was the southernmost point of the Tang Dynasty. The Feng Family was in an awkward position. On the one hand, they were valued by the imperial court and controlled Lingnan. On the other hand, they were guarded against by the imperial court. As the eldest son of the Feng Family, staying in Chang 'an as a hostage was the best proof.
If he could personally obtain this fine rice seed, he would definitely be able to make a great contribution. He would definitely be able to show his loyalty in front of the Emperor. It would even be possible for him to return to Lingnan.
Although he enjoyed glory, splendor, and wealth in Chang 'an, he had to be a guest in a foreign land. How could he be as free and easy as calling the wind and summoning the rain in Lingnan Road?
Therefore, he personally wrote a letter and rushed to Lingnan Province to persuade Feng Ang to retrieve the Johor rice from Johor as soon as possible.
When Feng Ang heard this, he gladly agreed. If this was true, then his Feng Family would definitely make a great contribution! If this was false, then they would not have lost anything. At most, they would have made a trip for nothing. The risk was small, but the reward was big.
His Feng Family did not lack wealth or status. What they lacked was the opportunity to show their loyalty to the imperial court. At this moment, a great opportunity was placed in front of him. How could he not grasp it tightly?
Moreover, in Lingnan, there was no lack of sea merchants. When he sent a caravan to Johor, he indeed heard from the locals that there was indeed rice that ripened three times a year.
Immediately, he was wild with joy. After transporting it back to Lingnan, he did not stop. He rushed to Chang 'an City and presented it to the imperial court on Li Yuan's birthday.
As for Meton, in their eyes, he was just a little kid. This matter concerned the interests of their family for several generations. They did not hesitate to offend Mo Jiazi. After all, he was a duke and Meton was just a marquis.
"Interests move people's hearts!"
The nobles in the imperial court sighed in their hearts. However, they understood in their hearts that in the face of such a great contribution, who could resist? Some people even lamented in their hearts, why didn't they think of it earlier? It was Feng Ang, the old fox, who took the credit in advance.
"As far as we know, the Johor rice was only revealed by Meton when he lured the Johor merchants with a lot of money. It is not good for the Feng Family to be greedy for credit!" Cheng Yaojin suddenly said in a loud voice.
Li Shimin immediately looked at Feng Zhidai with a scrutinizing gaze. Feng Zhidai panicked. He suddenly knew that if he lied, he would be disliked by the Emperor. He nodded calmly and said, "Yes, the Johor rice was indeed first discovered by Marquis Merton. However, the Minister knows how important this rice is to the Tang dynasty. If we have this rice, the people of the Tang dynasty will no longer suffer from hunger. How can such an important thing be used in the hands of profit-seeking merchants?"
Feng Zhidai secretly changed the concept. Although he admitted that Meton made the first contribution, he deliberately nitpicked on Meton and picked out Meton's mistakes. He thought that Meton missed the opportunity and made himself look good.
As soon as Feng Zhidai said this, many ministers immediately nodded. In this era, the status of merchants was really low and their reputation was not good. The rice that was so important to the Tang dynasty was decided to be in the hands of merchants, which made the people immediately biased toward Feng Zhidai.
"The Minister was worried, so he tossed and turned, so he wrote a letter to father, asking him to exchange this good rice from Johor and immediately send it to Chang 'an as a birthday gift to the Retired Emperor." Feng Zhidai said with conviction.
"This is the best gift I have received."
Li Yuan immediately laughed heartily. This kind of thing that could stabilize the Tang dynasty as a birthday gift really made Li Yuan very satisfied.
"How did you confirm that the rice that can be harvested three times a year is real? Aren't you afraid of making a trip in vain?" Li Shimin narrowed his eyes and said.
Feng Zhidai said proudly, "As long as it is useful to the Tang dynasty, even if there is a slight possibility, I and my father will go through fire and water without hesitation."
Everyone sighed in their hearts. This time, the Fengs really got a big bargain. With such a contribution, as long as it was confirmed next year, the Fengs would definitely be favored by the Emperor. As long as the rice was there, the Fengs would definitely benefit immensely.
Meton suddenly sneered in his heart. No matter what Feng Zhidai said, he could not cover up the fact that he stole the credit. What he really cared about was not the contribution of the Johor rice, but that after the Fengs got the rice, they did not even inform him and tried to take the credit alone.
At this time, he remembered that the Johor rice might have been among the caravans that entered Chang 'an a few days ago. For two days, Feng Zhidai did not inform the Mo family. It could be seen that Feng Zhidai's ambition to take the credit alone had already been set.
"Marquis Merton, please don't blame me. I overstepped my authority in this matter. The sooner this rice appears in the Tang dynasty, the sooner the Tang dynasty will benefit." Feng Zhidai turned to Meton and cupped his hands, saying meaningfully, "I did this for the country."
In the contribution of the rice, it seemed that Meton just moved his mouth and did not even spend 50 taels of gold. However, the Fengs went to the ocean to get the Johor rice and took a big bite of this great contribution.
"Minister Feng is really loyal to the imperial court."
Li Shimin nodded in his heart. He did not object to the officials fighting for the credit. Although the Fengs were suspected of fighting for the credit, in the end, the Tang dynasty benefited.
Meton smiled and said naturally, "Minister Feng, you must be joking. The Johor rice is not something that only the Mo family has. What right do I have to blame you?"
Feng Zhidai suddenly smiled proudly. In his view, Lingnan was the closest to Johor. The Johor rice should be the Fengs' contribution. It was just that Mo Jiazi took the initiative. Now, the Fengs were just taking back the credit that they deserved.
He purposely presented it on the day of the Retired Emperor's birthday because he knew that no matter how dissatisfied Mo Dun was, he wouldn't dare to make a scene at the Retired Emperor's birthday banquet. After today, the Feng family's contribution would be set in stone.
Many officials sighed in their hearts. After all, Mo Jiazi was still young. If he received the news and immediately went to Johor to get the rice, he would definitely be able to take the credit for himself. However, he wanted to enjoy the fruits of others' work and let the Johor merchants transport the rice themselves. Who could he blame if someone else took the credit?
Meton changed the topic and said sarcastically, "However, I have said in the Western Region Conference that whoever can bring back good rice for the Tang dynasty will be greatly rewarded. This matter was first proposed by the Johor merchants. The Fengs will transport the rice back from Johor. Naturally, the 50 taels of gold will be divided equally between the two families. After the Retired Emperor's birthday banquet, I invite Minister Feng to the Mo family village. The 25 taels of gold will be given to you.
"20 taels of gold!" All the officials were stunned and couldn't help but laugh.
Meton's move was too insidious. It made all the efforts of the Fengs into a farce. How could the Fengs go to the ocean for just 25 taels of gold?
25 taels of gold may seem a lot to ordinary people, but to the Fengs who controlled Lingnan, it was just a drop in the ocean. How could they put it in their eyes?
"The Fengs serve the country wholeheartedly. Mo Jiazi, how can you measure our contribution with these useless things?" Feng Zhidai's face changed color. The Fengs went to the ocean for a great contribution. Even if they could not take all the credit, they wanted to take most of the credit. How could they let Mo Jiazi use a little bit of gold to get rid of them?
"Good, I admire loyal people like Minister Feng the most." Meton suddenly applauded.
All the people in the palace looked at Meton in surprise. They did not understand why Meton was so excited when he was robbed of his credit. Could it be that he was so angry that he became muddle-headed?
Meton nodded and said, "The Fengs are so loyal to the Tang Dynasty. It is the fortune of the Tang Dynasty. There is an apple tree in Persia and other places. It is very delicious. Once it is introduced, the people of the Tang Dynasty will benefit a lot. The Pyramid Kingdom has excellent medical skills. If the Fengs can take it back, the people of the Tang Dynasty will be able to save a lot of lives. There is a chrysanthemum in the far west that can repel mosquitoes. If the Fengs can take it back, the people of the world will no longer be afraid of mosquito bites in summer. … "
"Persia in the Western Region, the Golden Tower State, the Far West State …" Feng Zhidai's mouth was wide open. His original plan was to get great credit for the Feng family, but he didn't expect to go to the distant Far West State.
"I have never been to these places!" Feng Zhidai suddenly wanted to cry but had no tears. It was so far away. It was almost ten thousand miles away. If he went there, he would definitely die.
Meton smiled and said, "Didn't the Fengs say that if there is a possibility, they will go through water and tread on fire without hesitation?"
"Uh!" Feng Zhidai was suddenly speechless.
"These should have been brought by the merchants of the west. Didn't Minister Feng say that they should not be handed over to merchants who only care about profits?" Meton asked.
Feng Zhidai's face suddenly turned red.
Seeing this, Li Yuan waved his hand and said, "The far west is too far away. Let the merchants of the west bring it! If it is useful, the Tang Dynasty will not be stingy with money. "
Meton sighed and said, "Retired Emperor, you don't know. This could have been done before, but it can't work now. You don't know about the Zi Gong Atonement."
"The Zi Gong Atonement." Feng Zhidai's face immediately turned pale. He loved Confucianism and naturally knew about the Zi Gong Atonement.
"Legend has it that the state of Lu has a law. If the people of Lu become slaves in other countries, after the merchants redeem them, they can go to the state treasury to claim the ransom. Confucius's disciple Zi Gong (Duanmu Ci) redeemed a person of Lu abroad. After returning home, he refused to accept the state compensation. After Confucius knew about it, he said, "Zi Gong made a mistake. From now on, the people of Lu will not redeem slaves from other countries. Receiving compensation from the state will not harm your character. But if you don't receive compensation, no one in Lu will go and redeem their own people who have died. " “
Zi Lu saved a drowning person. That person thanked him and gave him a cow. Zi Lu accepted it. Confucius happily said, "From now on, the people of Lu will be brave enough to save drowning people." At the scene, there was a great Confucian scholar who recounted the story of Zi Gong's redemption.
Suddenly, everyone looked at Meton and Feng Zhidai differently. This time, Feng Zhidai was Zi Gong, and Meton was Zi Lu.
Meton used a large sum of money to attract foreign merchants to bring all kinds of useful seeds to the Tang dynasty. It seemed that the journey was long and slow, but because of the huge profits, there was a steady flow of seeds.
Feng Zhidai directly went to Johor to get seeds. It seemed that he was wholeheartedly doing the Tang dynasty a favor, but he cut off the Tang dynasty's way of importing seeds. If the foreign merchants did not get any benefits, why would they be willing to continue to ship seeds to the Tang dynasty?
At this moment, everyone looked at Meton differently. They sighed in their hearts. Mo Jiazi was indeed Mo Jiazi. He was able to resist the temptation of such a contribution. Everyone was limited to what was in front of them, but Mo Jiazi could see so far ahead.
Without the Feng family, the Tang dynasty would still be able to get Johor rice, and even more. The Feng family just brought this time forward a little.
Suddenly, Li Yuan looked at Feng Zhidai with a little more disappointment. Although he had abdicated, he was still concerned about the future of the Tang dynasty. After all, this was the country he fought for.
"In ancient times, there was Zi Gong saving people. Today, there is Meton buying seeds. Good, he is indeed a young man of the Tang dynasty!" Li Yuan looked at Meton and praised. Meton's move really made everyone look at him with new eyes. Who would have thought that Meton actually had such a long-term plan?
"This subject is loyal to the country. Your Majesty and Retired Emperor, please investigate clearly," Feng Zhidai said in fear.
Moreover, Li Shimin suddenly remembered that cotton, which was also important to the Tang dynasty, was only in Gao Chang's country, which was much simpler than crossing the ocean. However, Meton was still not stingy with money and bought cotton seeds from Gao Chang's merchants. In this way, the difference between the two was obvious!
"Although all of you have different motives for your actions, all of you are thinking for the Great Tang. We are greatly comforted, and the Imperial Court will naturally recognize your loyalty. Today is the Retired Emperor's birthday, so there is no need for anything else," Li Shimin said.
After all, on the surface, the Tang dynasty was still profiting, and Feng Yi was guarding Lingnan. The imperial court relied on him a lot. Naturally, it was not good to punish him, so they could only smooth things over.
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