Chapter 44
The situation took a turn and did not go in the direction Liu Ju had expected. It was obviously impossible to continue.
After all, the two people in front of him were almost "prostrated in front of him", in the truest sense of the word. If he still insisted on "settling the score", it would seem a bit deliberate and not generous enough.
"Well, since you have sincerely admitted your mistakes, I will mercifully forgive you." Liu Ju snorted, "But this matter will also serve as a lesson for you.
"I heard someone say that without investigation, one has no right to speak. I think this is absolutely true. We should never take things for granted or just look at them superficially. We must investigate thoroughly and understand the inside story before making any comments.
"Don't you think so?"
The Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of the Ministry of Finance nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes."
Liu Ju looked at Ji An again.
Although Ji An was a troublemaker, he was not unreasonable. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, your words are reasonable. I have learned your lesson and will keep it in mind in the future."
The others were also very tactful and followed suit to express their opinions.
Liu Ju nodded in satisfaction: "I am not such a stingy person. If that's the case, let's forget about it."
Everyone: ...
Huo Qubing's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Haha, he has to admit his mistake to you one by one just for a word. How petty!
He turned to look at Liu Che: Your Majesty, you don't care about it and just watch the fun?
Liu Che had a smile in his eyes, standing still as a mountain, just watching the fun.
Huo Qubing: ...Okay.
I always feel that Your Majesty is pampering the Crown Prince a little too much nowadays.
After letting out his anger, Liu Ju brought the topic back to the topic. He looked at the Minister of the Imperial Household and the Minister of Agriculture and said, "You all want this job, but have you ever thought about what you would do if it were given to you? Do you have a plan in mind?"
They were both stunned. It had happened so suddenly that they were so focused on securing the job that they hadn't had time to think too much.
Liu Ju turned to the Minister of the Imperial Household and asked, "You said that the Imperial Household has craftsmen and a glass kiln, and that it can be implemented immediately with just one order from the Emperor. So, I want to ask you, how do you plan to implement it?"
"I've shown you all these things today: display cases, windows, mirrors, ornaments, and accessories. Would you like to sell them all at once?"
The Minister of the Ministry of Finance nodded: "Of course."
These are all profitable businesses, and we can't just give up any of them.
Liu Ju pointed to the list in the survey summary and said, "Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, every emperor has built mausoleums and towns, and relocated people. It's fair to say that of the ten most powerful and wealthy families in the world, Chang'an and its mausoleum towns alone account for six or seven."
This is the truth, and even six or seven is a conservative estimate. Therefore, no one can refute it.
"Do you think the Shaofu's limited number of craftsmen and a kiln factory can possibly meet their needs? Not to mention that craftsmen and a kiln factory can only guarantee production. Beyond that, don't they also need a storefront, an office, and someone to manage sales? How do you plan to solve these problems?"
"If we have to recruit new people and set up everything, then the advantages of your few craftsmen and the kiln factory will be minimal. It will be no different from handing it over to the Minister of Agriculture to start from scratch."
The Minister of Agriculture was delighted: "Your Highness is absolutely right."
The Minister of the Ministry of Finance was anxious and was about to speak up to try to persuade him, but he saw Liu Che raised his hand to stop him and looked at Liu Ju seriously: "Do you have any idea?"
Everyone was stunned. Liu Ju winked playfully and said, "I do have some ideas."
He leaned over, close to Liu Che, and said slowly: "Father, if the court were to summon craftsmen, build furnaces and kilns, renovate shops, and arrange installation and sales staff, wouldn't the entire process be too cumbersome?
"It takes a lot of time and inevitably requires a lot of money. Even if we can earn it back later, why not save it if we can?"
Liu Che raised his eyebrows: "How do you save money?"
"Your Majesty forgot that when I was developing glass, I made some production information public and sincerely invited everyone to participate. Many of them already have glass kilns."
Liu Che's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood what he meant.
Liu Ju continued, "I have two plans. The first is to have them cooperate with the imperial court. They would invest the capital, and the imperial court would only provide the technology and teach them the craft. The profits would be divided according to a fixed amount."
"The advantage of this method is that the court only needs to select trustworthy partners and not worry about anything else, and then wait for the money to come. The disadvantage is that the glassmaking method needs to be taught to the other party.
"To prevent them from harboring dissenting ideas, Father must issue a decree. Anyone who dares to disclose this law will be charged with treason, and their children and relatives will be implicated."
Liu Che frowned slightly, feeling that this was not a good idea. Even if a decree was enacted, there was no guarantee that there would be no accidents.
He asked, "What about the second option?"
Liu Ju raised his eyebrows. "Secondly, the imperial court will take full control of the glass kilns and craftsmen in their hands. As compensation, the imperial court will grant them agency rights."
Everyone was puzzled: "May I ask, Your Highness, what is an agent?"
"The court agent is responsible for all matters other than glass production, such as opening a shop, installing windows, selling goods, etc. Of course, all expenses incurred are borne by themselves.
"The court can sell the finished goods to them and let them run the business themselves. They can decide how to sell them and at what price, as long as it's not too outrageous. Of course, they will also be responsible for their own profits and losses.
"In this way, the imperial court is considered the supplier, and the money earned is the payment for the goods supplied to the agents.
"If Your Majesty feels that the court has delegated too much power, you can choose to give the items to them for free. The selling price will be set by the court, and they cannot change it privately.
"The profits will be divided accordingly. Your Majesty will decide on the appropriate ratio. I think 30/70 or 20/80 is fine."
Regardless of whether it is 37 or 28, the imperial court naturally takes the majority share, and the so-called "agents" take the smaller share.
The Minister of Agriculture's eyes sparkled. "Excellent! Your Highness, this method is truly brilliant! The profit from glass is considerable. Even if it's only a few, if you only need to maintain the shop and subsequent chores without having to bear the cost of production, the income will still be considerable.
“There must be people who are desperately trying to offer their own glass kilns and craftsmen in order to obtain agency qualifications.
"This ensures that the price setting power of glass remains in the hands of the imperial court, eliminating the need for anyone to profit from it. The kilns and craftsmen are also under the control of the imperial court, thus largely eliminating the risk of leaks of production methods.
"It also cuts off the agents' prying eyes. Even they can't calculate the cost. This makes the glass truly a secret of the imperial court."
The more he talked about the lunar calendar, the more excited he became. He slapped his thigh repeatedly and said, "It's really brilliant! How did His Royal Highness come up with such an ingenious method?"
Liu Ju looked up, feeling extremely proud.
The Minister of Agriculture turned to Liu Che and said, "Your Majesty, I think your second plan is more suitable than the first."
Everyone nodded, all sharing the same thought.
Liu Che was naturally the same.
The barrage was shocked.
—Fuck, forgive my lack of culture, but I'm all for the "fuck." Can you say he's worthy of being the crown prince? When modern perspectives are combined with the perspective of imperial power, this suggestion is simply... I don't know how to evaluate it. Downstairs.
——In a word, you took away other people's glass kilns and craftsmen for nothing, and made them work like slaves for you, helping you with business and after-sales, and only gave them 20% to 30% of the profit, and you called it "granting" them the agency rights?
——What a black-hearted capitalist! If this happened now, he would definitely be criticized to death.
You mentioned the present. This was in ancient times. Considering the profits from glass, some people would rush in. Furthermore, they don't know the cost of glass. They might even think it's incredibly expensive, thinking they don't have to worry about manufacturing, just focusing on the most cost-effective sales and after-sales service, and thus getting a huge bargain.
—What a bargain… you above me… Ahhh, that’s really the truth when I think about it. Damn, my mentality as a social animal who is exploited by capitalists every day is about to collapse.
—What's the point of collapsing? The agents are making money. It's a small percentage, but for them, it's not a loss. With their manufacturing skills, a lifetime of working in a glass kiln might not be as good as being sent out to work for the imperial court for a year. So it all depends on your perspective.
Liu Ju nodded in agreement. That was the truth, so he absolutely wouldn't admit to being black-hearted. Humph.
Liu Che said calmly, "In this case, the Shaofu's glass kiln and craftsmen will not be so important."
Since the takeover is to be carried out, no matter who takes charge of this matter, there will be no shortage of glass kilns and craftsmen.
The Minister of Agriculture was delighted, but the Minister of the Imperial Household was somewhat dissatisfied. However, before he could say anything, Liu Ju spoke up, "Indeed. So, what do you think, Father, if we leave this matter to the Minister of Agriculture?"
Liu Che smiled and asked, "Why is it the Minister of Agriculture?"
"Glass is a very profitable business and should not be underestimated. The Minister of Agriculture is in charge of the state's grain supply, agriculture, and people's livelihoods. Anything entrusted to the Minister of Agriculture can be directly used for state and people's affairs.
"The Imperial Household is solely responsible for the affairs of the Imperial family. The taxes collected from mountains, seas, and lakes cover the daily expenses of the Imperial family. Even the officials under the Imperial Household, such as Lu Kaogong, are in charge of military equipment and weapons. These are matters of national and military importance, and funds are allocated from the Minister of Agriculture."
Liu Che chuckled. The brat was quite good. His thoughts coincided with his own.
The military equipment of the Shaofu could be attributed to the state, and it was legitimate to allocate funds from the Minister of Agriculture. However, the Shaofu was the royal treasury and was not suitable for handling such a huge amount of money.
One should not enrich private treasury and weaken the national treasury.
The Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of the Ministry of Finance may not have understood this principle, but they each had their own selfish motives.
But now that the two giants have expressed their views, the matter is settled.
The Minister of Agriculture was delighted. The Minister of the Ministry of Finance, though regretful, said nothing more.
Liu Ju looked at the Minister of Agriculture again and said, "I'll leave the matter to you, but I have a few requests that you must fulfill."
"Your Highness, please speak."
"Everything you see today, except the houses, was built by Qi Yuanniang. The ingenious design was jointly led by Qi Yuanniang and Bai Shan, and the money required was paid for by the Qi family. Not to mention that the glass was invented by them.
"When I invited everyone to brainstorm and study glass, I said that whoever succeeded would be recognized as a great meritorious service and rewarded handsomely. Qi Yuanniang didn't ask for a reward, but I couldn't refuse. One shouldn't break a promise, and I, the Crown Prince, can't do that even more.
"The Qi family's glass kiln and its craftsmen can be handed over to the imperial court as I suggested before. This will facilitate the court's overall management. You can also send someone to supervise, but you can't completely kick Qi Yuanniang out. You must retain some of her authority."
The chief agricultural officer was stunned: "Qi Yuanniang? Is she a woman?"
"Yes. You've seen her. She was the girl who greeted you at the maze exit, showed you the mirrors and ornaments, and explained the details."
Everyone was stunned.
At that time, they wondered why His Highness let a woman be in charge of these things, but they didn't expect it was because of this.
It was actually a woman who developed glass!
Liu Che raised his eyebrows slightly. "I heard that you accepted a woman as your disciple, but is she also one?"
"Yes. Qi Yuanniang is very good." Liu Ju nodded and pointed to the bamboo slips on the desk. "These two documents are the summary of her investigation."
Liu Che was quite surprised. So were everyone else. This woman was quite capable.
Liu Ju's mouth curled up with great joy: "I now have a disciple."
It was obvious that he didn't quite understand the meaning of "disciple". Chunchun felt the novelty and excitement of finally having a subordinate.
Liu Che raised his eyebrows and his eyes swept over the two bamboo slips.
Never mind. I'm just your disciple after all. Since I have some talents and can help you with some things occasionally, then just let me do it. As long as I'm happy, that's all.
He thought so, and so did others, but they didn't take it too seriously.
After all, she wasn't an official in the imperial court. A personal subordinate of the Crown Prince, whether she was a retainer, a guest, or a staff member, and whether she was male or female, was the Crown Prince's business.
As long as she is not one of the evil women who seduced and led the prince astray, they have no right to say anything, nor do they need to say anything.
The Minister of Agriculture bowed his head and replied, "Yes. I will arrange for her to be one of the responsible persons, jointly managing the Qi Family Kiln Factory with the person appointed by the court. What do you think, Your Highness?"
Liu Ju nodded and continued, "Also, you can take over the mirror maze here, but I have decided to hand over the shop to Qi Yuanniang.
"As per the rules, the profits will be shared between the Qi family and the imperial court. However, in view of Qi Yuanniang's achievements, I would like to give her an additional 10% on top of the established share.
"Although the production cost of glass is not high nowadays, that is because the research and development has been successful and the process has met the standards. The research and development process was extremely costly, and the Qi family has already reached the bottom. Qi Yuanniang is my person now, and I cannot let my own people suffer any loss."
Everyone: ...I understand, Your Highness, you really don't have to be so blunt.
Without waiting for the Minister of Agriculture to speak, Liu Che said, "Yes."
It was only 10% more, and that was just for the shop Qi Yuanniang was in charge of, so the amount wasn't huge. Qi Yuanniang was a smart person, and smart people naturally knew what to do. At least half of this money would go into the Crown Prince's Palace.
Since it's for my son, there's no need to hesitate.
He even took the initiative to say, "The design of the mirror maze is complicated. Since it was led by Bai Shan and Qi Yuanniang, and you yourself participated in the design, there is no need to give the Danong Ling. I will still leave it to you.
"Whether you want Baishan to be responsible, Qi Yuanniang to be responsible, or find someone else, it's all up to you. How do you think?"
Liu Ju was stunned, then suddenly became happy: "Okay. Then I'll ask them to come up with a few more ideas and change the placement of the mirrors and the direction of the passage every once in a while.
"Otherwise, it's always the same thing, and it'll get boring if you do it more than once. By changing things up from time to time, the Wuling youths' interest will last longer.
"If they find it boring in the future and fewer people visit, the mirrors inside can be refurbished and sold. It won't be a waste at all. As for the venue, it can be used for other things."
This was not part of his plan, so it didn't matter whether he took it or not, but since it was given to him, he just accepted it.
The comments said that he could act for both public and private interests. The interests of the country must always come first; this is the bottom line. But he should also balance his own interests without compromising those of the country, without conflict or contradiction.
Liu Ju was not at all shy and did not refuse at all. In fact, he became more and more excited as he spoke. After a while, it seemed that he had already figured out how to make long-term use of it and make the most of it.
Liu Che couldn't help laughing.
The Grand Minister of Agriculture, having received the glass head, didn't care about the maze at all. He said with great enthusiasm, "Your Majesty's arrangements are excellent. The mirror maze can only be used to its full potential in Your Highness's hands. I wonder if these are all the requirements Your Highness has mentioned? Are there any others?"
A sentence brought Liu Ju back to his senses: "Oh, there's one more thing."
Grand Agricultural Order: ???
There really is one. You're asking for a lot.
"Does the Minister of Agriculture have any thoughts on the locations of the stores owned by the agents who work with the imperial court? Should they decide for themselves, or should the imperial court decide? And where do you plan to choose? Inner Chang'an, or within the mausoleum?"
The Minister of Agriculture thought for a moment and said, "The inner city of Chang'an is home to many royal relatives and dignitaries, and there are two markets on the edge of the city, east and west. The wealthy merchants and gentry of each mausoleum town also live in the city center, and the city center also has markets selling goods, so there are many people coming and going. It is the perfect place."
If you are doing business, then there is nothing wrong with choosing the most prosperous and busiest commercial district in each place.
But Liu Ju shook his head gently: "You're narrowing down. The Minister of Agriculture has seen so much today. Don't you have any other ideas about the layout of my place?"
The Minister of Agriculture was confused. What did this mean?
Liu Ju continued, "What do you think of letting them open all their shops here? This place is adjacent to the inner city, and to the right are Baling Town and Nanling Town. Whether it's the royal family and dignitaries in the inner city or the wealthy merchants in the mausoleum towns, they are all very close.
"To the left are Changling Town, Maoling Town, etc. Although they are relatively far away, it only takes an hour to get there by horse and carriage, so it is very convenient to travel back and forth.
"There's already an optical shop, a mirror and glassware store, and even a fun and interesting maze. If we put all the other glassware shops here, the name alone would be enough to draw a lot of people."
"We can use glass to create some ornamental structures along the way, like the terraced greenhouse we just saw, or other interesting things. Wouldn't that be more attractive?
"And then, what about inviting some other businesses to move in? Perhaps a brocade shop, a restaurant, a wine shop, or even a jewelry store, to satisfy all the needs of tourists and strollers. What does the Minister of Agriculture think of this place?"
The Minister of Agriculture... The Minister of Agriculture was so shocked that he couldn't react at all.
Liu Ju asked himself and answered, "This place will become the most prosperous glass street in Chang'an! If the glass shops were in the East and West Markets and the mausoleums, it would be more convenient for buyers, but it would lack some of the other interesting features."
"For the imperial court, it was too conventional, scattered in locations, lacked distinctive features, and all it made money from was the glass business.
"If we gather them here and build some appropriate features, we can use the glass to attract the world's attention and attract people to come. Then all kinds of businesses will flourish."
Everyone:!!!
It's actually possible!
Liu Che's eyes flashed and he subconsciously clenched his fists.
Liu Ju narrowed his eyes and said, "What's the most important thing for a place to develop? Population.
“What if there was a place that intensified people’s excitement and made them reluctant to leave? What if there was a place that was the only one in the world, a place that everyone wanted to see?
"People gather spontaneously. They need food, drink, and clothing, and they also need to satisfy their inner desires for pleasure and enjoyment. And what about the various industries that develop with them? Naturally, there are opportunities for them to flourish."
"When all industries are booming, gold and silver need craftsmen, cloth shops need weavers, and restaurants need ingredients...
"Through all these efforts, ordinary people now have more channels and opportunities to make a living.
"By then, Chang'an might become a place that people all over the world yearn for, or even..."
Liu Ju suddenly paused, thinking of the prospects described in the comments, his heart was filled with excitement, and his blood was boiling. He took a deep breath, and his voice involuntarily trembled a little: "It may even spread widely and become a dazzling Oriental Pearl in the eyes of foreigners!"
Everyone:!!!
Liu Che took a deep breath and looked at Liu Ju with shock in his eyes, which then turned into great joy!
As expected, the son resembles his father. He is indeed my eldest son, and his ambition is so big! Well done!
The ministers were even more shocked. They were only thinking about the country, but you were actually thinking about going abroad?
But……
Everyone hesitated, and before they could speak, Liu Ju spoke first, "I know it's difficult to achieve this with glass alone, but who says that glass is all we have now and will always be?"
Everyone paused.
Yes. The Crown Prince had created countless things before, and every one of them had astonished the world. He was still young and had limitless potential. Who said he would stop here? Who said the Han Dynasty would stop here?
Everyone's blood was boiling. Even though they knew it was a cake, it looked so beautiful and delicious, who could resist eating it?
"Yes, Your Highness is absolutely right. Your Highness's foresight and foresight are beyond my reach. It is my path that has narrowed, indeed it has."
The Minister of Agriculture was extremely excited, rubbing his hands together, and eager to try, as if he couldn't wait to contribute to the great blueprint drawn by Liu Ju.
Liu Ju turned the topic back and calmed their enthusiasm: "Don't worry, you have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. We have to wait until Marquis Bowang leaves the Western Regions before we can talk about it. Our most important thing right now is our country."
Everyone's attention was drawn back.
Yes, we need to do things well at home first before we can talk about foreign countries.
Yes, that's right, they can't rush. No great undertaking is accomplished overnight. It's just a matter of waiting, of doing something. Just do it!
"But even within the country, we shouldn't limit ourselves to the present. Although Chang'an alone accounts for six or seven of the world's wealthy merchants, you can't just abandon the remaining three or four. Moreover, there are also the princes of the counties and kingdoms in the local areas." Liu Ju's mouth curled up, "They are not short of money."
Great Farmer Order: !!!
Everyone:!!!
"With Chang'an Glass here, who would still want the inferior colored glass of the past? Would the local tycoons be tempted? Would they be willing to show their sincerity by holding their colored glass kilns? And could the major princes resist following suit and buying in?
"Grand Minister of Agriculture, please look beyond the capital. All prefectures and counties can establish glass kilns belonging to the imperial court."
After saying that, Liu Ju turned to look at Liu Che and blinked.
Liu Che raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he realized something.
Liu Ju glanced at the ministers and quietly approached Liu Che. "Father, I've heard you talk about the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, the rebellion of Prince Liang, and last year's rebellion by Prince Huainan. I feel that although not all the princes have ulterior motives, we shouldn't act too aggressively, but we can also be on guard."
"I know that my father has embroidered emissaries. We can quietly dispatch them to infiltrate the area and use the glass incident to trade with the wealthy and powerful princes. With close ties, wouldn't their movements be clearly understood, making it easier to obtain information?"
Liu Che:!!!
The ministers who were far away and didn’t hear anything at all:???
No, why are you and your son whispering to each other openly? What are the words we are not allowed to hear? Why did His Majesty's face change?
Wei Qing, who was nearby and just happened to hear it, felt his heart sank, and Huo Qubing opened his mouth wide: My God, are you playing such a big game?
Not only are you thinking about emptying the wallets of the princes, but you are also thinking about reaching out to them?
Your Majesty is using the Embroidered Uniform Envoy secretly, but you are placing it directly and openly under their noses. You really have an idea. It is hard to guard against.
In particular, it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.
When people enjoy the convenience brought by glass windows and mirrors, as well as the psychological sense of superiority and vanity that they get, some people even profit from them.
Even if the princes found out later and wanted to get rid of the glass kiln, I am afraid that the palace ministers and wealthy families who had been spoiled by the court would not be willing to do so.
Especially what Liu said was right. Although he only has Liuli now, who says that he will only have Liuli in the future?
Rebellion by the princes is very costly. If Liu Ju's novelties become more and more numerous and take away most of their money, what will they have left to rebel?
If this strategy is carefully planned and used properly, it can not only draw the princes, ministers, and local gentry to the imperial camp, but also directly weaken the financial power of the princes.
Liu Che thought for a moment, and his eyes gradually became deep.
He suddenly stood up, his expression serious. "Return to the palace. All the ministers, follow me to the Xuanshi Hall. The suggestions made by the Crown Prince today need to be carefully planned and the specific rules discussed."
In addition, the matter of the princes' embroidered clothes must also be carefully arranged, but this matter does not need to be made public.
Liu Che's eyes were deep and there was a gleam of light in them.
Liu Ju yawned, and went to sleep happily as soon as he returned to the palace, completely ignoring the huge sparks caused by his "thunderbolts" one after another.
As for how busy, excited, and unable to sleep his father and his ministers were tonight.
Liu Ju said, what does it have to do with him!
The world is big, but when I’m sleepy, the most important thing is sleeping.
No rebuttal accepted!
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