At the foot of Mount Zhongnan, a new city rose from the ground six years ago. After six years of careful planning, layout, and construction, it has now become a prosperous city that is completely different from all the cities in the Tang Dynasty.
The area that stretches at the foot of the mountain and is surrounded by a Great Wall-like wall is now the center of Tang Dynasty's commercial development. It is also regarded as a top-secret place of the Tang Dynasty and outsiders are not allowed to approach.
Whether it was glass, mirrors, crystal, new metallurgy, fine wine, etc., including the beautiful jade from Lantian County, not far from this new city, and various porcelains that have always been loved by the Tang people, they were all transported from here to various parts of the Tang Dynasty, or to other countries.
All these are seen by outsiders as the superficial products of this new city, that is, Taiyi City. As for what secret industries this city is engaged in, no one knows.
Because in the fenced area behind Taiyi City, the prince's guards are guarding there every day, and outsiders are not allowed to approach.
At this time, on the flat and wide official road, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove into the city. Many Tang people and foreigners gathered at the city gate, looking forward to it. After confirming the carriage's sign, they quickly ran to the teahouses, wine shops, and restaurants in the city to inform their shopkeepers. Upon hearing the news, the shopkeepers hurriedly paid the bill and ran out in a hurry.
Suddenly, several prosperous and wide streets in Taiyi City were filled with anxious businessmen. They stood on the streets, quickly identified the direction, and then hurried to a mansion in the center of the city with their servants.
When all the merchants drove their carriages or rode horses to the gate of a courtyard in the center of the city, the carriage that passed by the gate of Taiyi City just happened to slowly drive into the courtyard.
The merchants looked at each other and muttered in their hearts, "Fortunately, it's not too late. We have to ask for more shares today anyway."
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The carriage stopped at the gate of a villa in the yard. The curtain was immediately opened by the servants waiting at the door, and a woman in white clothes slowly walked out from inside.
Bai Chun looked up at the azure sky, and after the carriage drove away, she looked at the merchants gathered at the door with her beautiful eyes and said calmly, "Let them wait in the meeting room."
Bai Chun has grown taller than she was six years ago, and now looks slender and graceful. However, her charming temperament is becoming more and more enchanting, and the charm in her glances, gestures and movements always gives people an indescribable feeling of enchantment and absolute beauty.
In recent years, I have become more and more fond of wearing white dresses, and they are made of white coarse cloth, not noble fabrics such as silk.
Her long, inky, translucent hair was no longer combed into various buns like before, but simply tied with a white rope behind her head to her hips.
Such a strange dress does not seem abrupt or weird in this era when all kinds of buns are popular. Instead, it makes people feel that Miss Bai looks the most beautiful in this dress.
But to use Li Hong's words, it is: "It's a pity that her temperament is so bad, she is dressed like a fairy who is not in touch with the world."
Every time Bai Chun heard this, he would grit his teeth and question the prince: "Can I change my temperament? Can you blame me for being born with this?"
Or she would look up at her pretty face and say conceitedly, "Charming, alluring, and charming temperament is not something that every woman in the world can have!"
"Miss Bai, please." The steward pushed open the door and respectfully invited Bai Chun to go in first.
Although Bai Chun has no official position, no name, and no status, no one in the Tang Dynasty dares to look down on this woman. Because everyone knows that she is the prince's person and is in charge of the restricted area behind Taiyi City for the prince.
Taiyi City seemed to be a city-state independent of the Tang Dynasty. In name, Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu were the officials of Taiyi City, but in fact, Miss Bai Chun had the final say in the entire Taiyi City.
Moreover, Lord Xu and Lord Li seldom come to Taiyi City. They always complain that there are too few people in Taiyi City and too many floating population. Just leave it to Bai Chun.
Bai Chun, who had rested for half an hour, slowly appeared in the conference room when many businessmen in the conference room were almost getting impatient.
The entire conference hall was simply decorated with a three-meter-long conference table with clusters of flowers in the middle and dozens of large and comfortable chairs on both sides.
Bai Chun held the agenda in his hand and walked quickly to the first seat at the head of the conference table and sat down. The middle seat was empty. Only the Crown Prince or His Majesty would sit there. No one else would dare to touch that chair, which was wider and more comfortable than the other chairs.
The two maids who came with Bai Chun quickly distributed the documents they had prepared to the merchants present.
Bai Chun's soft voice said calmly, "These are the maximum amount of goods we can give you this month."
After he finished speaking, the merchants sitting there frowned and thought, thinking about how to divide the goods when they returned. After all, the amount given this time was a lot less than last month, especially the mirrors and crystal jewelry.
"Ms. Bai, in previous years, foreign merchants were not allowed to buy and sell crystal and glass. Why were they allowed to take such a large share this time? You promised me last month that you would pay me the amount I gave you this month." A businessman held the receipt in his hand, his brows twisted into a rope. He would have no way to explain himself when he went back.
Bai Chun smiled charmingly, and suddenly the whole conference room seemed to be bathed in a spring breeze, causing many businessmen present to tremble with joy.
"This is a temporary permanent decision. I'm sorry that I failed to inform everyone in time last time..." Bai Chun said.
Before he could finish his words, a foreign businessman not far away interrupted him excitedly and said, "Miss Bai, are you saying that you will leave us a portion of these things every month?" He looked at Bai Chun with excitement on his face, but didn't care at all about the price which was 40% higher than that of the Tang Dynasty.
"Yes, from now on, these items that originally belonged exclusively to the Tang Dynasty will be left for you, and there will no longer be favoritism." Bai Chun said with a smile on his face.
In his heart, he almost cursed Li Hong to death. This guy was simply too bad. Back then, Jingzhe and Liebao were sent to Qiuci to contact the Tang Dynasty craftsmen. In the end, it seemed that he used these people, as well as his own unremitting efforts over the years, and finally built a huge business intelligence network in the Western Regions.
I received information some time ago that it seems that Persia and the Arabs may have already made glass. Although the transparency is still far inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty glass, if they are allowed to develop, I am afraid that within ten years or so, they will be able to catch up with the original Tang Dynasty glass manufacturing technology.
After a brief thought, Li Hong ordered Bai Chun to sell glass and other accessories to the Western Regions starting this month, in order to make the Arabs, Persia and other countries give up their plans to make glass.
Although this was something that all the countries in the Western Regions had been looking forward to day and night, Bai Chun could not be happy. That black-hearted guy had set the price 40% higher than the price he sold it to the Tang Dynasty merchants, which would have made him a fortune.
Moreover, she had another important thing to do this time, which was to make small glass bottles that could be held in the palm of your hand according to Li Hong's drawings. They were said to be used for a kind of spice. By then, these things would make more money than other things.
Now, the Daming Palace behind the Taiji Palace has begun to be built this year at the suggestion of His Majesty, and the glass, cement and other items used require Bai Chun to come to Taiyi City to supervise.
As for the instigator of all this, he was currently in the Ganlu Hall of the Taiji Palace, sitting at a desk with the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, concentrating on drawing something.
"I won't draw anymore! How can you draw if you can't even explain it clearly yourself?" The ten-year-old Crown Prince Li Hong threw the charcoal pencil in his hand, leaned back on the chair, and gave up.
"What's not made clear? It's your poor drawing skills." His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi, retorted after looking at a few simple lines on the table and seeing how he could easily outline a human face.
At first, Li Hong spent a long time drawing cotton but couldn't get it to look like it, and was once ridiculed by Bai Chun. Later, after a deep self-examination, he suddenly remembered the sketching method from his previous life. So after drawing a self-portrait for Bai Chun, he never drew anything else in these years.
Today, they came to pay respects to their father, and the two talked about Li Zhi's father, Li Hong's grandfather, Li Shimin. Li Zhi felt nostalgic, so Li Hong suggested that his father describe it and he would paint it.
But the father and son worked hard for nearly an hour and did draw a few pictures, but none of them satisfied Li Zhi.
Wu Mei sat behind the father and son, holding the self-portrait that Li Hong had just given her and Li Zhi, and looked at it and watched the scene with amusement. It was rare for such a situation to happen in the royal family.
Li Zhi picked up the portrait of Empress Zhangsun on the desk and looked at it for a long time, then murmured, "Your grandmother's painting is 90% similar, but I always feel that there is something wrong with your grandfather's portrait. I say again, if you can't paint it well, I will send you to Baekje!"
"Father, Tubo and Tuyuhun have started fighting. You should send me there." Li Hong said as he picked up the charcoal pencil on the desk.
"They are just a war between two countries. As long as it does not affect the Tang Dynasty, we will let them go. But Baekje wants to restore its country again, and I am afraid that there will be more troubles due to the injustice." Li Zhi picked up the porcelain cup improved by Li Hong, took a sip of tea and said.
"Actually, you don't have to worry about what's going on there. Apart from the regret that our grandfather was defeated in three expeditions, you can't see anything beneficial to our Tang Dynasty if you send troops there. Moreover, that place is poor and has bad water and mountains. Now that you have made them feel your power, why not withdraw Liu Rengui and others and put them on the side of Tubo? After all, this is our biggest threat." Li Hong started to paint again according to the image of his grandfather Li Shimin that Li Zhi had just mentioned.
"Boy, tell me what you are thinking. You have made enough money in the past few years and now you are eyeing my military power?" Li Zhi asked without raising his head as he watched Li Hong quickly paint on the paper.
Wu Mei, who was standing behind him, was startled when she heard this. She placed the two paintings on the desk with trembling hands. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Hong speak to his father in an indifferent tone.
"No, I'm not interested. That's your business. I haven't figured out the six rates yet. Once I figure it out, I will start with your twelve guards." Li Hong said while painting.
"Hmph, you better explain to me first why the glass sent to the Daming Palace is 10% more expensive than the glass sold to the people!" Li Zhi snorted in dissatisfaction and slapped Li Hong on the back of the head.
Li Hong drew a line with the charcoal pencil in his hand, and a big line was scratched on the originally majestic face of the emperor on the white paper on the desk. His expression immediately became distorted, as if he was complaining about these two unfilial descendants who had destroyed his image of being mighty and wise.
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