Chapter 49 Words of Innovation
Robbery?
I want your recipe because I think highly of you!
You not only don't offer it to me with open arms, but you also dare to try and take advantage of me.
Li Shimin's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
If it weren't for the fact that everyone was watching, he would have definitely beaten Wei Shuyu's buttocks to a pulp.
"Xuancheng, what are your thoughts on the ice issue?"
Li Shimin ignored Wei Shuyu.
If I can't handle you, surely I can handle your father?
If your dad backs down, would you still dare to disobey?
“Your Majesty, last night when I heard about Shuyu selling ice, I also intended to give him a good scolding, but he persuaded me…”
Your humble servant bowed in response.
"Hmm? Haven't you always advocated against competing with the people for profit?"
"Wei Shuyu is selling ice at such a high price; he's exploiting the people!"
Li Shimin cursed angrily.
"Your Majesty, ordinary people simply cannot afford such expensive ice..."
Wei Zheng replied honestly, "Moreover, Shuyu has already promised me that he will only work this summer, and after autumn, he will make the formula public."
"There are still more than two months left, aren't you going to do anything about it?" Li Shimin sneered.
"I have already written a memorial on this matter, and I was planning to present it to Your Majesty later," Wei Zheng said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
I arrived at Dali Temple halfway through the morning court session today.
He hadn't even had a chance to report this matter yet.
"oh?"
Li Shimin laughed in exasperation: "Does Wei Shuyu think he can justify his greed for wealth?"
Wei Zheng took out a memorial from his sleeve and respectfully presented it.
Wang De took it and then presented it to Li Shimin.
After Li Shimin unfolded it and read it, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper...
"Innovation?"
Li Shimin looked at Wei Shuyu: "Xuancheng, what is the meaning of your memorial..."
“Your Majesty, this was not my idea, but that of my son Shuyu,” Wei Zheng emphasized again.
Damn it.
Can you please stop showing off your son all the time?
"Shuyu, what is this innovation?" Li Shimin asked Wei Shuyu.
"Your Majesty, I am not good with words. You should ask my father instead."
Wei Shuyu kicked the ball back.
"..."
Li Shimin was furious.
These two men from the Wei family, father and son, are they having fun playing tricks on me?
He slammed the memorial onto the table, his face turning purple with rage.
"Cough cough..."
Wei Zheng glared at his son, as if to say, "Why are you being modest when you have such a good opportunity to show yourself?"
Now that Li Shimin was angry, he had no choice but to answer.
"Your Majesty, as the memorial states, many things in the Tang Dynasty are simply inherited from the Qin and Han dynasties, lacking innovation..."
"If the imperial court offers rewards, the art of investigating things in the Tang Dynasty can develop rapidly by pooling wisdom and wisdom!"
"Shuyu summarized it for me in one sentence..."
"As long as the Tang Dynasty continues to innovate, everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the sea... will one day be realized!"
"It's just like making ice."
"In the eyes of ordinary people, it might be considered divine magic."
"But in reality, it only requires water and one other material to make..."
"In ancient times, there was Lu Ban, the ancestor of carpenters, and later Cai Lun, who invented papermaking..."
“I was initially very angry when Shuyu sold ice this time, but he persuaded me.”
"If the ice he painstakingly invented could be easily taken away and bring him no fame or fortune, then why would he bother to innovate?"
"The same applies to ordinary people. If the court doesn't offer incentives, how can they expect to share their skills?"
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that, in order to promote the study of natural phenomena in the Tang Dynasty, those commoners who have made innovative contributions be richly rewarded!"
After he finished speaking, Wei Zheng bowed solemnly.
Li Shimin was completely captivated by Wei Zheng's rhetoric.
Upon seeing Wei Zheng still bowing, he quickly stood up and stepped forward...
"My dear minister, there's no need for that. I was being reckless this time."
Li Shimin helped Wei Zheng to his feet.
This is Wei Zheng.
When she was serving the country, Li Shimin was madly in love with her.
When Li Shimin confronted him, he felt as if he wanted to skin him alive.
"Your Majesty, although the Tang Dynasty's methods of investigating things have made some progress compared to the Qin and Han Dynasties, they are still largely similar..." Wei Zheng continued.
"What you say is quite right, my dear minister." Li Shimin nodded. "However, reform and innovation are matters of great importance. We will discuss this matter in detail at the morning court session!"
"promise."
Wei Zheng obeyed the order.
There are many high-ranking officials in the Dali Temple now, and they have not raised any objections, so the matter is basically settled.
"Shuyu, your father didn't blame you for selling ice this time, so I won't say anything either. I just hope you won't be so greedy and break the hearts of the people."
Li Shimin then warned Wei Shuyu.
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I'm just earning some pocket money and helping my father get a few new clothes. Look at him, his clothes have several patches on them," Wei Shuyu replied with a smile.
With Li Shimin's personal confirmation, the ice-selling business was now completely secure.
His Majesty's word is law; who would dare to compete with him for business in Chang'an?
"It's good that he has this filial piety."
Li Shimin responded with a sentence, then suddenly seemed to remember something...
"Your duel with Huailiang and Chong'er should be starting soon, right?" Li Shimin asked.
"Yes."
Wei Shuyu responded.
"Since you still have the leisure to fight, you should go to the military camp ahead of time to prepare for war."
As Li Shimin spoke, he shouted, "Shubao!"
"Your subject is here!"
Qin Qiong took a step forward.
As Wei Shuyu's disciple, Qin Shandao must have participated in the fight, so he followed along.
"You are in charge of this matter, and you must ensure that it is 'fair and impartial'."
When it came to fairness and justice, Li Shimin emphasized his words.
no way.
Wei Shuyu was the one who prevented him from marrying off his daughter.
"I obey the decree."
Qin Qiong accepted the order.
"Now that everything has been taken care of, Wang De, return to the palace."
Li Shimin gave the order.
Just as he turned to leave, Wei Shuyu suddenly called out to him.
"Your Majesty, are you really not considering buying my ice? I can give you a further discount..."
"How about 40 strings per 100 jin?"
Li Shimin showed no hesitation and turned to leave.
“30 strings per 100 jin is also acceptable.”
"20 strings of cash, that's the lowest we can go."
"10 strings of cash? That's a blood-sucking price!"
"It's free!"
Swish...
Li Shimin immediately turned around, his face full of smiles.
"Shuyu, I have long seen that you are a filial person. I was just testing your patience before."
"I don't need much, just send 1,000 catties to the palace every day."
Two taels of gold = 10 taels of silver.
0 taels of silver = 10 strings of copper coins.
0 strings of copper coins = 10,000 copper coins!
How much does rouge cost in a rouge shop?
Ordinary ones cost a few coins, good ones cost a few dozen coins, and top-quality ones cost several hundred coins at most.
Such a large block of ice is a rare find in the summer!
Is it worth only an ounce?
"How much is your ice?" a local resident asked.
"One pound of ice, one string!"
Choi Shin-ki's arrogant reply.
hiss……
The people gasped in shock.
Knowing that ice cream was expensive was one thing, but when they actually heard the price, they were still shocked.
This price is too expensive for them.
"Get out of the way..."
Just then, another group of friends poured out of the shop.
Fang Yi'ai took the lead, walking at the very front, while his companions carried the water vat behind him, chugging along.
"What is this?" a commoner asked.
“This is chilled orange juice!” Fang Yi’ai explained as he stepped forward into the crowd.
What is chilled orange juice?
"It's just orange juice mixed with ice cubes, it's refreshing and delicious!"
You can play it like this?
The people were shocked, but most of them swallowed hard.
They've never even eaten an orange, let alone ice.
Oranges are a product of the south, so you can imagine how expensive they would be if they were transported to Chang'an.
"Is this for sale too?"
Although they knew this was something they couldn't even dream of, the people still asked.
If they were unscrupulous merchants, they would definitely turn around and leave.
However, these children of officials have very peculiar thought processes; they might just give it away.
Just look at Choi Shin-ki struggling with the ice cubes on the sidelines.
What are you planning to do with that axe? Chop ice?
“Of course.” Fang Yi’ai nodded.
What is the price?
"Two hundred coins a bowl!"
Wow...
The people shook their heads repeatedly, saying it was far too expensive.
Just as I was feeling disappointed, Fang Yi'ai spoke up again...
"But if any of you refer a customer to buy ice, you can get a free bowl of orange juice!"
Is this really true?
Several people started to get restless.
They may not have money, but that doesn't mean their relatives and friends don't.
"Do you think I'm short of money?"
Fang Yi'ai glared, feeling insulted.
The people gave an awkward smile and hurriedly fled.
How much is your ice?
Just then, a portly, wealthy man walked up.
He was covered in sweat and kept wiping it away with a handkerchief, but he still couldn't stop sweating.
"One guan and one jin!" Seeing a customer coming in, Choi Shin-ki immediately perked up.
"A pound? In this heat, what if it melts when I get home?" the wealthy man frowned.
"Why don't you find a cotton-padded coat to wrap yourself up in?"
What's your attitude?
"This is my attitude, are you going to disagree?"
Splash...
Seven or eight friends surrounded them, staring intently at each other.
"Fine, I won't buy it!"
The wealthy man angrily turned and left.
Choi Shin-ki raised his head, like a victorious rooster...
The people were dumbfounded.
I always thought this kid was a bit off his game.
They refuse business that's practically handed to them, and even want to beat up customers...
000 jin?
You're really daring to ask for that.
Wei Shuyu secretly rolled his eyes.
"Your Majesty, the ice can be free, but you must send me some people. We can't make this much ice."
Li Shimin was an emperor.
If you really want to find out, the ice recipe is definitely not going to be kept secret.
Rather than doing that, it's better to hand it over openly and you might even get some benefits in return.
Having the "royal patron" label is just a gimmick; it might even boost sales.
They gained manpower and a good reputation, so it wasn't a bad deal.
"Can."
Li Shimin agreed without hesitation.
Before leaving, Li Shimin patted Wei Shuyu on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Shuyu, try harder, and maybe I'll be in a good mood and marry Gaoyang to you."
Wei Shuyu: "..."
"His Majesty!"
Yuchi Gong quickly spoke up, his eyes filled with resentment.
You promised you wouldn't compete with me for a son-in-law position!
"Ah, Jingde, I almost forgot." Li Shimin chuckled. "Back to the palace, back to the palace..."
Yuchi Gong was quite anxious; he felt it was necessary to expedite his daughter's contact with Wei Shuyu.
This time, he defeated Cheng Huaimo and offered advice on governing the country. What if someone steals it from him?
no!
I need to take the initiative.
A chrysanthemum-like smile bloomed on his charcoal-faced man, and Yuchi Gong stepped forward...
"Nephew, are you free at noon? Why don't you come over to my house for a visit?"
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