Li Hong left Liang Xiaoren and Yuwen Rong, whose eyes were shining with excitement and who were eager to try, at the Daming Palace construction site, hoping that they could complete this difficult task in two days. He also introduced two hardworking people to them, telling them that if they needed any help, they could go directly to these two people.

After explaining these things, Li Hong left the Daming Palace construction site in the eyes of Yan Liben who was half-believing and half-doubting. The next thing to do was to wait for Yan Liben to send him the "Goose Exchange Post".

Yan Liben looked at Li Hong's back and always felt cheated. He calmed down and finally decided to take a gamble.

If the prince lost, he would not be able to and would not dare to really take the "Preface to the Lanting Poems" for himself, but as long as he could see the original and copy a piece of it, he would be satisfied.

What is coming will eventually come. Li Hong cannot take the initiative to look for his aunt Wu Shun. Doing so will only cause a chain reaction and make the whole situation develop towards an irreversible situation.

As for all these things, Li Hong had always ignored the roles played by Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang. Now, looking back from the beginning, he found that the biggest damage to Taiyi City was not the loss of mercury, but the interference of these two people.

Aunt Lanling's warning was obviously correct. The two uncles were not instructed by just one person.

It is now clear that the theft in the medicine room was instigated by the emperor, and the loss of two batches of mercury was obviously instigated by the queen mother.

In this situation, both the Emperor Father and the Empress Mother were using the Wu Family to attack anyone who had a conflict of interest with them.

...

...

Part of the lost mercury was found at my aunt's place. Does this mean that my mother wanted to use me to punish my aunt and cousin Helan Minyue?

The theft in the medicinal kitchen was caused by the emperor's intention to punish Helan Minzhi himself and serve as a warning to his mother, the empress?

The Emperor and the Empress were using each other's people, and then using Li Hong to punish them?

Today, I made a bet with Yan Liben. Although it was a sudden decision, I have been thinking about his "Goose Exchange Post" for several days. He planned to use the "Goose Exchange Post" to present to his father to balance the punishment of his aunt and cousin.

Bai Chun, Jingzhe and Liebao have been busy searching for the "Kapok Robe" these days. This is the gift they plan to give to their mother after punishing Wu Yuanqing, Wu Yuanshuang and Helan Min.

"I, Wu Shun, greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I, Helan Minyue, greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Wu Shun and her daughter formally saluted Li Hong in the main hall.

"Aunt, why do you have to be like this? Get up quickly. Cousin, you should get up quickly too." Li Hong came back from Daming Palace and saw the mother and daughter kneeling down as soon as he entered the door.

Although Wu Shun is two years older than her mother, she has obviously taken good care of herself. At the age of 40, she looks like she is around 30. When she stands with Helan Minyue, they look more like sisters than mother and daughter.

Helan Minyue's charming and seductive appearance resembles Bai Chun no matter how you look at her. She is wearing a white dress made of expensive fabric, obviously trying to make her look as elegant as Bai Chun. However, the complicated bun on her head and the jewelry shining with gold make her look much more tacky.

She is totally different from Bai Chun, who has a dual temperament of being as light as orchid and as charming as a lady.

"I wonder what important matter has brought you here today, Aunt?" Li Hong led the two into the main hall and sat down as host and guest.

Xiaoxue obediently served tea immediately, and then stood beside Li Hong, ready to receive the prince's orders at any time?

Wu Shun forced a smile and said softly, "Auntie came here to apologize to Hong'er."

Wu Shun took advantage of the situation. Since the prince had always addressed her as aunt, it would be a bit too formal if she continued to formally call him the prince.

Moreover, the prince addressed them as family members. Doesn't this mean that he treated this matter as a family affair rather than a state affair?

Li Hong's mind was not on the mother and daughter at the moment. The relationship between these two people and his father was complicated, so he couldn't do too much, otherwise his father would definitely not let him off the hook.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Hong sent Wu Shun and Helan Minyue away, and then fell into deep thought.

This time, the test given to me by my father and mother was obviously not just a test. It involved too many complicated secret struggles between the two people. Just as I thought, both of them were using the Wu family to set up a trap, but I was the most uncomfortable one, caught in the middle.

Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang seemed to have discussed it with Wu Shun and her daughter. Not long after Wu Shun and her daughter left, the two of them appeared in the East Palace together and asked to see Li Hong.

The purpose of the two this time was the same as Wu Shun and her daughter, they came to apologize with a clear attitude. Similarly, they also expressed their dissatisfaction in their hearts.

The reason for their dissatisfaction is the same as that of Wu Shun and her daughter. That is, since we are a family, Prince, you cannot just focus on making money for yourself. You have to at least help us.

Taiyi City was built specifically to make money for you. As royal nobles, they did not share any benefits. Instead, they had to be treated the same as other merchants. This made them feel dissatisfied and despised, so they came up with the idea of ​​smuggling goods privately.

Li Hong laughed in his heart. Who on earth gave them this idea? They violated the rules and privately sold the forbidden items of Taiyi City, smuggled mercury and items from the herbal medicine room in the restricted area of ​​Taiyi City, and in the end, it became their fault?

Who could be the person giving them advice behind the scenes? This person is a promising lawyer with a sharp and ruthless vision, and he immediately hit upon his weakness, which was that as a prince he was too stingy, and only thought about himself, forgetting to give a share to the entire royal family.

This was exactly the question that Li Hong had begun to ponder over the past few days, after hearing Lan Ling's words when he left that day. As a crown prince, he only knew how to make money, but didn't know how to share a share of the profits with the royal nobles?

Doesn't it seem too stingy? In this way, won't it put oneself in a selfish situation in terms of reputation?

While Li Hong was still thinking, Hua Meng came to report that royal family members were visiting, as well as several of his father's younger brothers and two uncles.

Li Hong's first reaction was to go back and check the almanac. What day was it today? Was it agreed upon? Why did they come to his own palace to look for him?

The almanac was originally a new thing, but since Li Hong's movable type printing, various books have been printed in recent years. After several years of development, the almanac (imperial calendar) has become a fairly common book, at least it can be bought in both the east and west markets.

There were Prince Ji Li Shen, Prince Zhao Li Fu, Prince Cao Li Ming, Prince Yue Li Zhen, plus the two Li Hongs who could be called imperial grandfathers, Prince Han Li Yuanjia and Prince Huo Li Yuangui. The main hall of the Prince's Mansion used to receive distinguished guests suddenly became lively.

His father is only 34 years old this year. Among these uncles who are younger than his father, the youngest is only 26 years old this year. They are all in their prime.

Li Hong needed to greet everyone one by one, and after he finished greeting, Li Hong felt a little confused. The host and the guest sat down again, and Li Yuanjia and Li Yuangui naturally sat at the top of the others.

Looking at these people, Li Hong was a little confused. If these people all supported him, wouldn't it be enough for him to rebel against his father? However, he just thought about it briefly, but didn't dare to really think about it.

If there was a rebellion, I would probably have to dethrone my father and bring up my mother. After all, the couple were both very good at political tactics, otherwise, the Guanlong Group headed by Zhangsun Wuji would not have fallen so quickly.

After these imperial uncles and grandfathers chatted with him for a while about family matters, Li Yuangui and Li Yuanjia got to the point. Coincidentally, they all came for the wealth of Taiyi City, just like the previous two groups of people.

Everyone cried poor and said that they were worse off than the people of Chang'an. Li Hong wanted to shed a few hypocritical tears after hearing them.

After each of them finished expressing their "difficulties", Li Hong finally spoke: "My dear uncles and grandfathers, although I want to help you, I am still young. All the goods in Taiyi City are our royal property. Even if I want my uncles and grandfathers to make them, I am afraid that my father will not agree, right?"

After Li Hong finished speaking, he looked at the few people who were silent, their expressions were waiting for him to express his attitude. The attitude of the few people was that they would not leave until you let go today. Li Hong sighed, stood up from the chair and said: "My dear uncles and grandfathers, you should all know the "Salt and Iron Theory" written by the famous Han Dynasty scholar Heng Kuan. It is the grand strategy of state-run salt and iron, liquor monopoly, equal distribution, and price stabilization. Taiyi City seems to have a lot of wealth now, but Hong'er can't continue to expand all industries for the time being. The Tang law has a system of supervision. If Hong'er shares the burden with all the uncles and grandfathers, my father will blame him, and Hong'er can't bear it alone."

These words made all the royal nobles present nodded in agreement thoughtfully. However, Li Hong thought in his heart: You are trying to make things difficult for me. Okay, I will kick the ball back now. Unless my father agrees to them, I have no other choice.

"As long as you uncles and grandfathers can convince my father, I promise to teach you all the secret recipes of both refined salt and snow-white sugar. But there is one thing I would like to ask you uncles and grandfathers to agree to. All the descendants of our Li family must have one legitimate son studying in my Chongwenguan, instead of all of them being born out of wedlock as it is now!" Li Hong said while looking at them.

Everyone present knew that his Chongwen Academy in recent years had deviated from the orthodox learning of the Imperial Academy and the Hongwen Academy. Who knew what his offspring would become after a few years if they were sent here? That was why they sent the unappreciated concubine's son here to give him face.

But seeing Li Hong's determined expression, Li Yuanjia thought for a moment and said, "Okay, if His Majesty agrees, Hong'er, and you are willing to teach us, we will send our children to your Chongwenguan to study."

"Thank you, Grandfather Emperor. If you can convince my father and send someone to study at Chongwenguan, I promise to teach them how to use glass and crystal."

After the imperial uncles whispered to each other, they all had some thoughts in their minds. They temporarily agreed to Li Hong's request and then left one after another.