The Tang Dynasty started from saving Empress Changsun

Chapter 228 The advent of glass
Looking at the dazzling array of glassware in the room, even though the people present were all well-informed dignitaries, they felt extremely shocked.

They have seen Liuli before, and they don't lack all kinds of jewelry and jade, but this is the first time they have seen hundreds of glass products placed together.

So much so that many people's eyes are dazzled, thinking that they are in a dream.

Not to mention them, even if Chen Jingke came over, he would be surprised to see these artifacts.

In addition to cups, plates, vases, mirrors, etc., there are also dozens of types of hairpins, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings.

Take the head hairpin as an example, there is a blue glass head hairpin, this blue color comes with the material, and no other materials are used to neutralize it during refining.

(Blue colored glaze is very common in history, and most of the unearthed glazed cultural relics are of this color.)
There is also a transparent glass hairpin, with all kinds of crystal glass flowers on the hairpin, just like ice flowers.

Glass products in the 21st century are much more exquisite than this, but this is ancient times. Those craftsmen can make so many tricks after only touching glass for a few days, which is really admirable.

For the people present, what made them unbelievable was the quality of the glass.

It was crystal clear, more beautiful than any fine jewelry they had ever seen, and they even couldn't believe it was Liuli.

"Saint...Saint, is this Liuli?" Chai Shao said in a dry voice.

The eyes of everyone looked over in unison.

Li Shimin was very satisfied with everyone's expressions, and said: "Barely, it can be regarded as colored glaze, but the materials used are completely different from colored glaze, and the difficulty of making it is also many times more cumbersome."

"In order to distinguish it from Liuli, I named it Glass."

Everyone was an old fox, and immediately heard the voice-over, these things were fired in the royal workshop, and many people's thoughts began to come alive.

Li Shimin scanned the crowd, his eyes stopped for a moment on some people, and a sneer flashed in his eyes.

"Do you think selling these glasses can solve the problem of insufficient money and food in the court?"

Tang Jian still had a little shock on his face, but he still said very pertinently: "Selling all these glazed...glasses will indeed solve the urgent need of the imperial court, but the country's long-term plan lies in the long-term..."

Li Shimin thought that this was a good answer, so he interrupted him and said, "What if there are so many every month?"

"Hiss." There was a gasp in the hall.

Tang Jian swallowed, and said in a trembling voice: "The sage said that there are so many glasses sold every month?"

Li Shimin didn't answer him directly, but said: "The glass making technology was discovered by the queen, and all these things belong to her."

"I spared my face and didn't ask her to intercede, so she agreed to share the profit after the sale with the imperial court, but she also put forward a condition."

Having said that, he paused for a moment, looking at the crowd as if waiting for someone to talk to them, but they all lowered their heads and did not speak.

Changsun Wuji wanted to answer subconsciously, but he thought that the other person involved was his sister, so he closed his mouth helplessly.

Seeing that the scene was about to be cold, Cheng Yaojin said calmly: "This item is priceless, and the [-]% profit of the imperial court is already taking advantage of the empress."

"If her condition doesn't violate the etiquette, it's not impossible to consider it, but I don't know what condition the empress has?"

Li Shimin glanced at him appreciatively, and then said: "The Queen asked the imperial court to decree to protect the formula of the glass. If anyone dares to spy on the secret formula, he will be punished as treason."

"Wow." Everyone lost their composure and discussed a lot.

The overall meaning is that this kind of thing is unprecedented, and the imperial court came forward to protect the formula of a luxury product, which is too child's play and cannot be done like this.

However, some objected and some agreed. Tang Jian was the first to support it: "If the imperial court can get this financial source to fill the treasury, there will be a foundation for building rivers and conquering Gaochang."

"So I think it's not impossible to agree to the condition of the empress, but the imperial court's share is too small, so it must be increased."

Fang Xuanling came out and said: "If the empress is willing to hand over the secret recipe to the imperial court, it is not impossible for the imperial court to protect it."

"However, as Tang Shangshu said, [-] to [-] points is too little, and it is considered that [-] points is the best."

Li Shimin said: "No, September [-] is too much, six or four points."

Fang Xuanling thought for a while, and said: "Eighty to two points, if it is less, I am afraid that it will be difficult to explain to the court, and the officials will not agree."

Li Shimin said in embarrassment: "Seventy-three, otherwise I won't be able to explain to the queen."

Fang Xuanling said without retreating a step: "Eighty-two points, the empress is virtuous and open-minded, I believe she will agree."

This... the people present were a little dumbfounded, what's going on?Didn't you just talk about the conditions just now? Why did you suddenly talk about the share?
Who said to agree to this?You, Fang Xuanling and Tang Jian, didn't ask for our opinion, so you agreed on your own initiative?Do you still have colleagues like us in your eyes?
You are just singing oboe with the emperor, trying to settle this matter in a daze, how can this work.

Especially those who were already opposed to this matter, they were even more unhappy, and they were ready to stand up and oppose it.

However, before they could speak, another person stood up.

Cheng Yaojin said: "The minister also agrees with [-] points. The imperial court decrees that the protection must be big, otherwise it will not be enough to convince all the officials."

Yu Chigong followed closely, and said: "I also think Fang Xiang is right."

Hou Junji also stood up and said: "I think the condition of the empress can be agreed."

Then seven or eight people stood up to support this matter, and they were all powerful factions. Now it is not easy for others to oppose it.

Everyone is not a fool, the queen's formula and the conditions raised by the queen are all the emperor's excuses.

To put it bluntly, this is a matter of negotiating terms between the emperor's internal treasury and the imperial court's treasury, and how much of the profit from selling glass goes to the inner treasury and how much goes to the state treasury.

Now that so many people have come forward to support it, the matter is almost a foregone conclusion, and their opposition will have little effect.

But it is really not reconciled to ask them to support it. Once the matter is a foregone conclusion, how can they pry into the glass production technology?
Such a big piece of fat is right in front of them, but they can see whether they can eat it, how can they be willing.

At the moment of embarrassment, someone moved in his heart and came out and said: "Your Majesty, the production technology of colored glaze has existed since ancient times, and there are people in the Tang Dynasty who can refine colored glaze."

"Wouldn't it be too unfair to them if the imperial court banned their production? It might provoke criticism from the people."

Those who opposed were inspired and said one after another: "Yes, please think twice, Your Majesty, you must not do this to compete for the interests of the people."

Li Shimin had been guarding against this move for a long time, and immediately said: "Masters, you are worrying too much. As I said just now, glass is different from colored glaze in terms of material formula and production techniques."

"The imperial court decreed to protect the secret recipe of glass, not the secret recipe of colored glaze. It is easy to distinguish between the two."

"This..." Looking at the crystal-clear glass in the room, those opponents really couldn't close their eyes and say that the two are the same.

At this time Wei Zheng finally spoke, saying: "Eighty to two points, if His Majesty agrees, I agree that the imperial court will decree the secret recipe to protect the glass."

(End of this chapter)