"Mo Jiu has arrived!"
Modun walked into Taiji Palace with his head held high as a guard announced his arrival. His expression remained unchanged as he walked through the crowd of officials.
"Minister greets Your Majesty!"
Meton walked to the front of the officials and bowed to Li Shimin.
Li Shimin nodded and said to Yu Zhining, "Minister Yu, Mo Jiu has arrived. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!"
As for Morton's exquisite residence as Princess Changle's bridal chamber, he had mixed feelings. From the perspective of a father, he was naturally happy that his son-in-law treated his daughter with such sincerity. However, as an emperor, he had no choice but to set an example for his son-in-law to treat his daughter with such sincerity.
"Mo Jiu, did you build a three-story bridal chamber?" Yu Zhining asked.
Meton nodded and said, "Yes, I did. Minister, this bridal chamber is prepared for the wedding in a month. It is three stories high and about 30 feet high. It is within the limits."
All the officials nodded. 30 feet high was within the limits. The entire Taiji Palace was about 60 feet high. Even on the streets of Chang 'an, 30 feet high buildings could be found everywhere.
Yu Zhining asked again, "Although it is within the limits, did you use steel, cement refined by Taoist alchemy, porcelain from Hebei's Xing kiln, and glass?"
Meton admitted without hesitation, "Yes, I did!"
When the officials heard Meton's admission, they were in an uproar. Steel, porcelain, and glass were all extremely expensive items on the market of Chang 'an, not to mention cement refined by Taoist alchemy. It sounded extremely expensive.
"Your Majesty, Mo Jiu is a member of the imperial family. In order to curry favor with the princess, he built a bridal chamber that is extremely extravagant. This cannot be allowed to continue. If everyone imitates him, won't the extravagance of the Sui Dynasty reappear? Your Majesty, please reconsider. "Yu Zhining bowed.
Li Shimin was expressionless as he turned to look at Merton. "Meton, do you have anything to say?"
Meton sneered and said, "Previously, Lord Quan mentioned that he was afraid that the Princess would be wronged and would not be used to living outside the palace. He was worried that she would be wronged in the Minister's home. Now that the Minister is building a new house, Lord Yu is being criticized for being too extravagant. You've already said all the good and bad things. What else do you want me to say? According to Lord Quan's wishes, how should we build a house to your satisfaction when marrying the Princess?"
Many officials still remembered Quan Wanji's words. Now that they saw Yu Zhining's memorial, they couldn't help but frown. The Imperial Censor's opinion was always on one side and the other. Once their sons were married to the princess, if they were put in a difficult position, they would be in the same predicament as today. If they did a good job, the Imperial Censor would impeach them. If they didn't, the Princess would be unhappy.
Yu Zhining stubbornly said, "It's not wrong for Lord Quan to be worried about the Princess. I'm monitoring the performance. Your extravagant style is also loyal to your duty. How can you say that the two are the same? Your new house is not just extravagant. A house that costs over a thousand strings of coins. I'm afraid that you won't be able to find a house as expensive as this in Chang 'an! "
Even Li Shimin couldn't help but frown. A house that costs over a thousand strings of coins? Even building a palace wouldn't cost that much. Meton was indeed a little too much.
Meton looked at Yu Zhining curiously and asked in surprise, "Who told you that I spent over a thousand strings of coins?"
Yu Zhining coldly snorted and said, "The Confucian journal has already listed all the materials used in your new house. Let's talk about the steel first. You spent at least five thousand catties of steel. Steel is an important weapon of the country. It's not even enough to make swords for the frontline soldiers. Yet, you actually buried it in the wall. It's not just extravagant, it's simply a waste. What do you have to say about this?"
Meton suddenly understood and said, "You're talking about steel! It's more than five thousand catties of steel. It's a total of eight thousand catties of steel. It's all made in my own workshop. I didn't spend any money to use it! "
"It's made in my own house!"
"I didn't spend any money!"
…
Everyone was stunned by Meton's fallacious reasoning. Even Li Shimin was stunned. It seemed that what he said made sense! How could he talk about money when he used his own things!
Yu Zhining suddenly vomited blood. He didn't expect that Meton didn't calculate based on the market price of steel. Instead, it was as if he didn't have any wood to build a house and cut down a tree in his house.
"Do you know the market price of Mo's steel? How much is eight thousand catties of steel?" Yu Zhining roared.
Meton didn't care and waved his hand and said, "I don't care about the market price. My Mo's Village started with workers. The steel produced is like the grain harvested by the farmers. Is it because the price of grain is high that we can't even eat our own grain?"
Suddenly, many courtiers couldn't help but laugh. Among them, Cheng Yaojin laughed the loudest. He couldn't help but give Meton a thumbs up.
Meton's words were crude but reasonable. How could he not use the things made in his own house? It was simply nonsense. In this way, Yu Zhining was indeed meddling in other people's business.
Yu Zhining's face turned red and roared, "Are you using it for yourself? Eight thousand catties of steel was buried in the wall by you. How wasteful is this? How can Mo Jiu defend himself? "
Meton pretended to be enlightened and said, "You're talking about this! Since I saw Emperor Wei crack the secret of the earth dragon turning over last year, I've always been worried. What if the earth dragon turns over one day in Chang 'an? I don't care. But if the princess is in danger, I can't absolve myself from the blame. With eight thousand catties of steel as the foundation, even if the earth dragon turns over, it can still ensure the safety of the new house. "
All the courtiers couldn't help but be moved. Although the earth dragon turning over was rare, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't encounter it. If they had such a strong house, they would be free of worries.
Yu Zhining looked helplessly at Meton's nonsense. The earth dragon turning over was a rare occurrence. How could it happen in Chang 'an so coincidentally? In this era, there was no awareness of earthquake prevention. In his opinion, Meton was purely talking nonsense.
Meton looked at Yu Zhining mockingly and said, "As for the waste you mentioned, it's even more nonsense. When steel is placed in cement, it won't rust at all. After 180 years, if the house is renovated and smashed open, the steel inside will still be intact. It will still be a piece of good steel. How can it be wasted?"
"180 years?" Many courtiers of the Ministry of Works nodded secretly. Mo Jiazi had used real materials. In their opinion, once the new house was completed, it wouldn't be a problem to support it for 180 years. There weren't many houses on the market that could support it for 180 years. According to this, there was a merit in this house.
In an instant, many courtiers were moved. The new house built by Mo Jiazi was safe, strong, and durable. It couldn't be more perfect. Many people began to consider whether they should build one for themselves in the future.
Even Li Shimin's eyes couldn't help but flash. For the royal family, the word "safe" seemed to have a special meaning. Meton's new house was as safe as a fortress.
Yu Zhining suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness. Mo Jiazi was indeed a slippery catfish. Originally, he wanted to impeach Mo Jiazi, but unknowingly, it became a publicity event for Mo Jiazi's new house. He clearly felt that many courtiers were moved after hearing Mo Jiazi's explanation.
He originally wanted to ban this kind of unhealthy practice, but he didn't expect that more and more courtiers were moved. They wanted to own such a house. Was there any justice in this world?
Thus, he began to decide not to argue with Meton about the steel bars. Instead, he shifted his focus to the ceramic tiles. These tiles were produced by Hebei's Xing Kiln. It couldn't be produced by the Mo family's own workshop! Porcelain was also extremely expensive. He didn't believe that Mo Jiazi could come up with a reason.
"You're talking about ceramic tiles! There are two kinds of ceramic tiles. One is pasted on the wall for aesthetic purposes. From afar, it looks like white jade and is extremely beautiful. It can also protect the house from the wind, sun, and rain. The other type is pasted on the floor of the house. It is as smooth as a mirror, and even a speck of dust can be seen. "Meton said with a puzzled expression.
"Pasted on the floor!" Yu Zhining felt that his intelligence had been insulted. Porcelain was as white as jade, and most of them were used to make utensils, tea sets, and bowls. However, Mo Jiazi not only pasted it on the wall, he actually made it into ceramic tiles and pasted them in the house for people to step on.
Li Shimin also couldn't help but feel a headache. He was deeply speechless about Meton's unconstrained ideas. Paving the road with bricks and paving the house with porcelain, was there anything in the world that Meton didn't dare to step on?
Other ministers were also stunned. They really couldn't imagine what kind of experience it would be to fill the house with porcelain. However, they knew that it must be a kind of ultimate enjoyment. Many ministers were born in rich families. They couldn't help but sigh that Mo Jiazi really knew how to enjoy life.
"Pasting the wall with porcelain and paving the roof. Mo Jiazi, you're really extravagant and crazy." Yu Zhining roared with a flushed face. It was unknown whether he was excited because he was angry or because he thought that he had caught Meton's weakness.
"By the way, I didn't pay for these ceramic tiles. I provided the ink technique to Hebei's Xing Kiln to make ceramic tiles. The Mo family's village also made the machinery to press porcelain. These ceramic tiles can be used to pay off the debt." Meton said casually.
Hebei's Xing Kiln was a famous official kiln in the Tang dynasty. Naturally, they couldn't say that they didn't have money. However, the Mo family's village proposed to pay off the debt with goods. Hebei's Xing Kiln naturally agreed.
Yu Zhining was extremely depressed. According to Meton's theory, he was afraid that the machinery in his house would be used again. It was as if he didn't spend any money.
"Glass with a radius of ten feet?"
"It's made by my family."
"What about the cement made by Taoist alchemy?"
"The two families cooperated."
…
The more Yu Zhining asked, the angrier he became. The glass was also made by his family, and the cement was made by the Mo family and the Dao family. Even the workers who built the house were Mo Jiazi's brothers. According to Meton, he only spent some money to build such a luxurious house.
"Lord Yu, your eyes are indeed sharp. I spent a total of five strings of money to buy so many bricks. Moreover, they are all cheap red bricks. If they were green bricks, I would have spent a lot more money. Unfortunately, I am only a Secondary Rank 6 official, and my salary is meager. I am unable to let the princess live in a green brick house. I am truly unworthy of Your Majesty's love." Meton said with a face full of shame.
All the officials looked at Meton's performance speechlessly. How much were bricks worth? Just a piece of glass could probably buy a lot of bricks.
Yu Zhining was so angry that he almost fainted. Fortunately, he was much younger than Quan Wanji, so he didn't make a fool of himself.
Even Li Shimin couldn't stand it anymore. He said coldly, "In that case, shouldn't I give you a raise?"
Meton immediately laughed dryly and said, "No need, no need. When this official takes up the position of Commandant Ma, I will be a Secondary Rank 5 official. At that time, my salary should be enough."
Li Shimin coldly snorted and said, "Since you didn't spend much money to build the house, I will forgive you this time since you are eager to get married."
Now that Meton's house had been built, Princess Changle's wedding was approaching. Could Li Shimin tear down the house? When the time came, where would Princess Changle get married? Now that Meton had justified himself, Li Shimin took advantage of this situation to get off the donkey.
"Your Majesty, this wind cannot blow! If Your Majesty doesn't punish Mo Jiazi today, in the future, the Tang dynasty will definitely follow suit and build houses like this! "Yu Zhining cried out with a pained expression. He looked as if he was worried about the country and its people.
The other imperial censors also stepped out to persuade him. The entire Taiji Palace suddenly fell silent.
Seeing this, Meton became angry. He suddenly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this official has something to say. I am willing to refute it."
Li Shimin took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He said sternly, "Speak!"
Meton stood up and looked around at the imperial censors and civil officials. He said, "When the ancestors were still alive, the common people didn't wear clothes that covered their bodies. People mostly wore animal skins and linen clothes. When the first person put silk on his body, was it not a luxury? Our ancestors mostly lived in caves. When the first person walked out of the caves, was it not a luxury to build a wooden house for himself? Later on, wooden houses became brick houses. Was it a luxury? Now, it seems that it wasn't. Instead, more and more of our ancestors started wearing silk, and more and more common people lived in wooden houses and brick houses. No one thought that this was a luxury anymore."
Many officials nodded thoughtfully.
Meton continued, "And this three-story reinforced concrete building that I built is the first wooden house, the first brick house, and the first silk. A house is a home. People all want to live in a safe, spacious, and comfortable home. This house cannot be washed away by water, burned by fire, or shaken by earthquakes. It can keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Even if it's cloudy, the house will still be bright. Who doesn't want to own such a house?"
After Meton finished speaking, almost all the officials fell silent. Many of them who had experienced poverty couldn't help but sigh. To own such a bright house was probably the dream of all poor people.
"I am going to get married and have a family. I need to build a sturdy and beautiful house for my new house. This house is the best house that I can build. First, it's not extravagant and wasteful. I use gold, silver, jade, silk, and precious wood. Second, I don't take up too much space. The space I use is only 30% of the size of Taiji Palace. Even if I were to marry a pretty girl from a humble family, I would still build a house like this and let her live like a princess. "Meton said proudly.
Li Shimin nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but feel gratified. Princess Changle didn't choose the wrong person. Mo Jiazi was indeed a good match.
"You think that I am extravagant, but I think that I have created a new way of building. Just like the first person who built a wooden house, he didn't build it for extravagance, but to let his family live a better life. All the materials that I use to build a new house can be mass produced. In time, such houses made of cement and steel will be spread all over the Tang dynasty, just like brick and wooden houses. There will be no hidden danger of burning a few streets, no worry of termites gnawing on wood, and no risk of houses collapsing. This is not my wild talk, but it will come true one day. You will find how ridiculous today's accusations are." Meton snorted coldly.
"This is just your imagination. It's just a quibble for your extravagance!" Yu Zhining argued.
Meton looked coldly at Yu Zhining and said, "The purpose of the Esoteric Debate is to let the people live a better life, not to criticize and obstruct an attempt that is supposed to benefit the world. Lord Yu, you have gone astray on the path of the Sage."
"Little brat, you don't know what you are talking about. How dare you talk about the path of the Sage!" Yu Zhining was furious and rebuked Merton.
He had always thought of himself as a great Confucian. His Confucianism had reached the peak, but Meton had accused him of following the path of the Sage. How could he bear it?
"On the second day of the second month, there will be a Mohist exhibition outside the southern gate. I will be waiting for Lord Yu to listen to the path of the Mohist's Sage." Meton bowed solemnly and handed over a ticket.
"Good, then I will definitely pay you a visit!" Yu Zhining said through gritted teeth.
At this point, the original reason for Mo Dun's impeachment had become a laughingstock. Naturally, no one brought it up again. Yu Zhining originally believed that even if Li Shimin, in order to take care of Princess Changle, would be partial to the son of Mo and would certainly offer compensation for his blunt remonstrance.
However, under Mo Jiazi's sharp words, he had become a petty person who made trouble out of nothing. This time, he deeply understood Quan Wanji's difficulties. Mo Jiazi was actually so difficult to deal with.
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