"Well..." The Minister of Works and the Minister of Revenue exchanged a glance, and then the Minister of Works responded:
"Your Highness is absolutely right. The imperial court does control many mines, many of which are high-quality iron ore."
"However, these iron ore mines are scattered throughout the Tang Dynasty, some far from Chang'an, and transportation costs are high and takes time."
"Furthermore, iron ore mining requires a lot of manpower, and the mines currently don't have enough manpower..."
Li Haoze raised his hand to interrupt the Minister of Works and asked directly, "Oh? Then there is no one near Chang'an?"
The Minister of Works was choked by Li Haoze's question, and then replied: "There are indeed some iron mines near Chang'an.
But the scale is not large, and most of it has been mined by the imperial court for many years, so the output is limited."
"Your Highness is asking about high-quality iron ore!" Li Haoze emphasized again when he saw that the Minister of Works was avoiding the main point.
The Minister of Works looked embarrassed. "Yes, there are, but those high-quality iron ore mines are privately owned, and the imperial court has no right to mine them."
Having said that, he subconsciously glanced at Changsun Wuji with a hint of cryptic meaning in his eyes.
Although the Changsun family did not rank among the noble five surnames and seven noble families, it became a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty because Changsun Wuji was deeply favored by the emperor.
Their power extended beyond the imperial court and even into the key mining sector.
In fact, those coveted high-quality iron mines near Chang'an are all private property of the Changsun family.
Li Haoze carefully captured the subtle changes in the Minister of Works' eyes, and he already understood the secret in his heart.
As everyone's attention gradually focused on Changsun Wuji, he remained calm on the surface, but his heart was turbulent.
He knew very well that the Changsun family had been dragged into the iron ore dispute and it was difficult for them to remain neutral.
So, he decided to take the initiative and seize the initiative.
Thinking of this, Changsun Wuji took a step forward, took a deep breath, and calmed the excitement in his heart.
Then, he bowed solemnly to Li Shimin, his voice firm and sincere: "Your Majesty, I have a request."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at Zhangsun Wuji, and said in a steady voice: "Assistant, what is the important matter that requires such seriousness?"
"Your Majesty, His Highness Jinyang is willing to share the burden of the imperial court and undertake the important task of manufacturing armor. I deeply admire him.
In this time of need for the imperial court, the Changsun family is willing to contribute its modest efforts to the Tang Dynasty."
He paused, looked around, and after making sure everyone's attention was focused on him, he continued:
“The high-quality iron ore near Chang’an is indeed owned by the Changsun family.
These mines have always been the pride of our family and our important assets.
However, when the court needs us, how can our Changsun family only care about our own selfish interests and ignore the interests of the country? "
At this point, Changsun Wuji's voice gradually became excited: "Therefore, I have decided to donate all the high-quality iron ore near Chang'an to the court free of charge!
These iron ore mines will be at the imperial court's disposal to help strengthen the Tang Dynasty!"
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar.
Donating private mines was almost unprecedented in the history of the Tang Dynasty.
Changsun Wuji's action undoubtedly shocked everyone.
Li Shimin was also quite surprised. He looked at Zhangsun Wuji with a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "Fuji, are you serious?"
Changsun Wuji nodded, his expression firm: "It is absolutely true, I will never break my promise.
Although these iron mines are privately owned by the Changsun family, when the country needs them, how can I forget the public interest for my own?
I am willing to donate all my iron ore to the imperial court."
Li Shimin was deeply moved when he heard Zhangsun Wuji's impassioned speech.
He knew very well that Changsun Wuji's move not only represented strong support for the court, but also demonstrated his deep trust and absolute loyalty to him.
Li Shimin walked up to Zhangsun Wuji and personally helped this important official to his feet: "Fuji, I deeply admire your loyalty and responsibility.
Your actions not only solved the court's urgent need, but also made a huge contribution to the stability and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty."
A tear flashed in Changsun Wuji's eyes. He knew Li Shimin's temper very well and knew that the emperor would not let his loyalty and efforts go to waste.
He bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I have only fulfilled my duty.
As long as the court needs me, I am willing to sacrifice my life for it."
As expected, Li Shimin was immediately moved and promised, "Okay, okay! Fu Ji is truly a loyal and good minister to me!"
"However... these iron mines are the private property of your family."
“Although I am the Son of Heaven, I cannot arbitrarily seize the property of my subjects.
Since the Changsun family has generously donated, I will never let you make unnecessary sacrifices."
“How about this: the imperial court will purchase the iron ore mined within these three months at market value.
Three months later, these mines will still be the private property of the Changsun family!"
When Changsun Wuji heard Li Shimin's promise, he was filled with endless gratitude.
He took a deep breath, tried to calm his excitement, and then solemnly expressed his gratitude to Li Shimin:
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your consideration and kindness towards the Changsun family.
The Changsun family has been deeply blessed by the Emperor, and we should be loyal and dedicated to the court."
He paused, turned his gaze to the "little princess," and continued:
"Your Highness Jinyang has the courage to shoulder heavy responsibilities and resolve problems for the court. I sincerely admire your responsibility and courage.
To this end, I have decided that within the next three months, all iron ore mined by the Changsun family will not be sold at market value.
Instead, it was donated to His Highness Jinyang free of charge to help him successfully complete the armor manufacturing task."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was another round of surprise in the court.
Li Haoze was also surprised. He didn't expect Changsun Wuji to make such a huge concession.
But he quickly recovered, bowed deeply to Changsun Wuji, and said gratefully, "Duke Zhao is so generous. I am truly grateful to you."
"But are you sure you want to send it? Do you see those steam engines behind me? Their mining speed is beyond your imagination."
The reason why Li Haoze said this was naturally because he didn't want to owe this favor.
He does this and has the confidence to do so.
That is, he came from the later generations and could easily find out where there were rich iron mines that had not been discovered and mined.
Changsun Wuji smiled slightly, his eyes revealing determination and confidence: "Your Highness Jinyang, since the Changsun family has decided to make the gift, we will never break our promise.
We are fully aware of your Highness's capabilities and responsibilities, and we believe that steam engines can greatly improve mining efficiency.
However, this gift is not simply for the iron ore output, but also a gesture of support from the Changsun family to His Highness and the imperial court."
In fact, the reason why he was so generous to the little princess was naturally because he had his eyes on her future prestige and status and planned to make an advance investment.
"Okay!" Seeing that Changsun Wuji was so insistent, Li Haoze had no choice but to agree.
He turned to the group of ministers and asked, "Now that the iron ore problem has been solved, do you have any other questions?"
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