Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 394 Sanctions
Empress Wu didn't think much about it, but explained the details to her mother.

The next time is too important for her.

She believed that no one could understand her husband better than her and knew how much he valued Feng Chan. This Feng Chan would definitely be unprecedented and grand.

As long as she becomes a part of it, participates in it as a queen, and makes a story about an empress and empress, no one will question her identity and background.

Who dares to say that a queen who can participate in the consecration ceremony in front of hundreds of civil and military officials, kings of the surrounding countries, and envoys is not qualified?
If anyone dared to speak, it would not only be humiliating one person, but also the emperor Li Zhi, and even the country of Datang.

This plan can only succeed and cannot fail.

Empress Wu was confident in her own abilities, but what she was worried about was her mother and sister.

At this moment, news came from outside that the Korean lady was asking for a meeting.

Empress Wu was about to let someone announce her entrance, but she saw that Mrs. Han had already stepped inside with a gentle shake.

Behind the other party was a maidservant.

The Northeast is bitterly cold, and most people here like wine. But since the Tang army imposed an economic blockade on Goguryeo, Goguryeo immediately issued a ban on alcohol to avoid wasting food.

People cannot go without salt for a few days. Goguryeo is surrounded by seacoasts, so there is no need to worry about salt.

The Tang court's economic blockade greatly affected the people's livelihood in Goguryeo.

Unlike other nobles who opposed reforms, the Yi family

This army has not yet moved, but he is already showing signs of fatigue. What will happen in the future?

The others rose up to resist and were killed one by one by Queen Seondeok, Anchuan, and Kim Yushin.

Boy Yuan looked at the crowded tavern and sighed secretly.

Her tone was a bit arrogant, but she thought in her heart that she was already the emperor's woman, and a mere maid dared to stop her without a slap, which was already magnanimous on her part.

Salt, fine silk cloth, literary couches, glutinous rice and other items were in short supply, seriously affecting people's livelihood.

In recent years, Silla was besieged by two countries in Haidong, and its own market was not good.

Empress Wu waved her hand for the maid to go down.

The maid followed behind with an anxious look on her face.

But in the face of Chen Qingsi's harassment and blockade, Goguryeo felt like it was in imminent disaster and could not stand it.

Boy Yuan was drinking tea in a dilapidated tavern in the county.

Empress Wu glanced at her sister calmly, with a trace of suspicion flashing in her eyes. Her sister's complexion seemed to be more rosy than before, and Hu Meier, who was somewhat similar to her, had watery eyes and a bad feeling. The feeling came to my heart...

In order to show its kindness to the old nobles, the Silla royal family saw the decline of the Yi family, and the nobles who did not have much real power received special preferential treatment.

Drinking tea in the tavern also shows the embarrassment of Goguryeo at this moment.

Wu Shun had always been convinced by his younger sister, but today he said uncharacteristically: "Okay, I understand. If the maid hadn't opened her eyes and blocked her from entering, I wouldn't have given her the cold shoulder."

If this matter spreads, I'm afraid people will laugh out loud.

The whole country advocates low prices, but the Yi family relies on their own power and convenience, and through smuggling trade, they live a pleasant life.

Mr. Yuan didn't move. The attendants who had been standing behind him laughed and greeted each other.

Since the Sui Dynasty, Goguryeo has been threatened by the great powers of the East. It has survived with its national resilience and is still the dominant force in the Northeast.

As the eldest son of Yeon Gaesumun, Yeon-san was promoted to the throne at the age of nine. He was appointed as the younger brother of Jung-ri at the age of fifteen. He was appointed as the eldest brother of Jung-ri at the age of eighteen. He was appointed as a general with military power at the age of twenty. At the age of twenty-three, he also held the position of Jung-ri. The eldest brother, his status in Goguryeo is second only to a few people.

In particular, the shortage of salt, silk fabrics, and couch cloths caused panic throughout Goguryeo.

At this critical moment, Empress Wu couldn't help but say a few words: "Sister, don't be reckless in the palace. Maybe you are just an inconspicuous little person, but you can cause fatal harm."

This time, he had to put down his body and turn into a businessman to discuss business with Silla's smugglers.

Although the Yi family did not hold power and no one entered the political center of Silla, they received considerable preferential treatment in the local area.

As the curtain opened, a middle-aged Confucian scholar who was a capable philistine walked into the tavern.

Because she was abused by Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang when she was young, Empress Wu had sympathy for her mother and sister and was very conniving towards her mother and sister.

Chen Qingsi's move was too cruel.

Woju County, Goguryeo.

It was just that the navy of the Tang Dynasty took advantage of their unpreparedness, sailed from Tsushima Island, attacked their salt farm in the east from the East Bay, demolished and destroyed all the facilities, and sprinkled poison in their salt pond, which was extremely vicious.

"Young Master, people are here."

The tavern has also been turned into a teahouse.

Empress Wu was in the palace and knew this very well.

Boy Yuan watched quietly. He had already found out the true identity of the middle-aged Confucian scholar. He was a servant of the Yi family of Silla.

The Eul clan of Silla is also a Wang clan with a long history in Silla, and their ancestors have made great contributions to Silla. However, he was marginalized because of his opposition to the reforms of Queen Seondeok, Acheon, and Kim Yoo-shin.

However, the Yi family did not participate in it because of the lack of talent in the family, and survived by luck.

When he was in Chang'an, even though he knew it would bring harm to his reputation, he couldn't bear their suffering and came to protect them.

It’s bitterly cold in the Northeast. Without silk fabrics and couch cloths to keep out the cold, a large number of people will freeze to death.

As for materials such as silk fabrics and couch cloths, they are essential items to keep out the cold.

If the Tang army attacked in winter, they would not even have anything to protect their soldiers from the cold. How could they fight in the wind and snow?

Everyone in Goguryeo was worried about this, but one day, they accidentally learned that the black market in Goguryeo was full of coarse salt, silk fabrics, couch cloths and other materials.

This little thing even alarmed Yeon Gaesumun.

Yeon Gae So-moon asked Yeon-boy to take charge of this matter.

After a detailed investigation, Mr. Yuan has figured out the identity of the other party and decided to meet him.

"Young Master, this is the manager Bai I told you about..."

The attendant paused and said, "Guanshi Bai, this is my young master, Mr. Yuan."

Guanshi Bai was about to bow, but when he came to his senses, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned around and planned to leave.

Soldiers who had been hiding in all directions stood in front of Guanshi Bai and escorted him back.

Steward Bai looked gloomy and said, "Brother Hu, you killed me!"

The attendant named Hu replied: "This is to give you a fortune."

Boy Yuan said at this time: "Guanshi Bai doesn't need to care about my identity, just treat me as an ordinary businessman. Guanshi Bai has goods on hand, and a certain person has gold, silver, leather, and old ginseng. The price I gave It’s even better, and you can purchase all kinds of materials in your hands without limit, so why not?”

Manager Bai trembled his lips and said, "If you are discovered, you will lose your life."

Yuan Nan said: "Isn't what you are doing now also a life-saving job? These materials will eventually be in our hands. Instead of trouble, it is better to spread it out and save the process of going around the black market. You and I It's a one-to-one transaction. You give me the goods and I give you the price. How much do I want?" Manager Bai didn't dare to speak. After a while, he said: "I can't decide this. I need to go back and discuss with my master... …”

Boy Yuan smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, I'll wait for the good news from Bai Guanshi. You can tell your master that the cooperation has been very pleasant in recent business transactions."

Steward Bai ran away with a sad face.

This time, Boy Yuan did not stop him.

Boy Yuan drank water made from tea grown in the mountains of Goguryeo, and his mouth was tasteless. There was no mint or spices in this tea, so it was not for human consumption.

Boy Yuan spat out some tea foam and said, "You can continue to interact with him. Don't be afraid of losing money. Buy more coarse salt and silk. As long as you survive this period, you'll be fine."

Any sanctions are time-sensitive.

It may feel difficult at first, but after all, people will not let themselves choke to death, and there will always be a way to solve it.

The Tang Dynasty did not allow them to dry salt on the beach, so they carried seawater in buckets to places far away from the coastline to make salt.

If you don’t have silk fabrics or couch cloths, then raise a large range of chickens and ducks and use chicken and duck feathers instead.

In short, everything can be solved, but we need to survive this period of time.

Baekje, Ungjin.

Liu Rengui is reporting to Chen Qingsi the results of his trip to Silla.

"The King of Silla had no objections to the governor's arrangements, and even leaked to us the spies they had hidden for decades."

It turns out that the Yi family has surrendered to Queen Seondeok early and has been working for the reformists.

His smuggling was permitted by the Silla state. Many of the good things Silla had paid tribute to the court over the years and its own economic development were through smuggling, exchanging materials unique to the Northeast and China from Goguryeo, and then through exchanges with the Tang Dynasty. maintain friendly relations with North Korea and expand trade.

Chen Qingsi said: "They are really willing to give up."

Liu Rengui: "The King of Silla also said something about this. He said that sooner or later, Goguryeo will be owned by the imperial court. When the time comes, it will trade directly with the imperial court, and it will be open and honest. This kind of smuggling business will not need to exist."

Chen Qingsi shook his head and said: "Everything is soft from head to toe." He added in his heart: "You are worthy of being the ancestor of the Korean Bangzi Kingdom. Both your ancestors and your grandchildren are of the same virtue."

"Compared with them, Goguryeo's reaction was much more tenacious."

As Chen Qingsi spoke, he handed Liu Rengui the information on Goguryeo's response to sanctions.

Liu Rengui looked at it for a moment and said, "What a respectable opponent."

Compared with Silla's kneeling, there is a sharp contrast with the unyielding tenacity shown by Goguryeo's domestic leaders in the face of the embarrassing situation of being besieged on all sides.

Just based on this courage and backbone, the resilience inherited by the nation is not comparable to that of Silla.

I wonder if they would feel unlucky if they knew that the future Bangzi would regard them as their ancestors.

"They want to survive this period, but we can't let them do that."

Chen Qingsi slapped the table with her palm and said: "Send the order and strictly investigate the smuggling. Anyone who discovers it will be punished for collaborating with the enemy and his family will be exterminated!"

As Chen Qingsi used thunderous means to investigate smuggling, there was a sudden uproar, and the shortage of various materials in Goguryeo skyrocketed.

No matter how good the price is, many people still choose to give up when faced with real genocide and beheading.

As a result, Goguryeo had fewer and fewer means to obtain supplies.

It’s still Woju County.

Steward Bai and Attendant Hu were so noisy that their faces turned red.

Waiter Hu was so angry that he took out the saber from his waist, slashed it on the table and cursed: "Your surname is Bai, you damn person should be surnamed black. From head to toe, including your heart, you are all black. I am today I want to dig out your heart and see how it turns out. Do you dare to ask for five old ginseng for a stone of coarse salt? And the silk cloth and couch cloth are more expensive than leather? Are you serious about doing business? It's robbery, robber."

Manager Bai also had red eyes. He pulled his clothes, revealing his wheat-colored neck, and patted it with his hand: "Chop, chop it off with one knife, I'm so happy. What's going on now, don't you know? Damn Tang! Ting, it's much more sinister than that. If you catch one, you'll get a bunch of them, and now their heads are all hanging on the road to Goguryeo. Maybe one day you'll see my head on the road. For my wife and son. Who would dare to do this business? If it weren’t for the threats from you sons of bitches, I wouldn’t take the risk if I didn’t do it.”

Manager Bai's eyes were red, and he patted the table and said, "That's the price. If you agree, the deal will be done immediately. If you don't agree, I won't go back. Just give me a knife and have a good time."

The two of them quarreled till their faces turned red, but in the end, Waiter Hu compromised.

The Tang Dynasty was grasping too tightly, and their response measures still need time to be rolled out.

Now the Tang Dynasty obviously does not intend to give them this time.

In order to buy time, even if you lose again, you have to admit it.

It's just a drop in the bucket of what you get.

On this day, Manager Bai suddenly found Waiter Hu and asked to see Mr. Yuan.

The two of them decided on a date.

On the appointed day, Manager Bai led a middle-aged man to the tavern.

Boy Yuan looked at the middle-aged man and knew that he was the protagonist this time.

So although he despised the Silla people from the bottom of his heart, for the sake of Goguryeo, Yeonboy gritted his teeth and endured the humiliation, and stepped forward to say hello.

The middle-aged man only responded with some indifference, not much enthusiasm.

The two of them took their seats.

The middle-aged man said: "I'm Yi Yiyan, General Quan, you should have heard of my name."

Yi Yiyan is not well-known, but Mr. Yuan has sent people to investigate the Yi family and knows the situation of the Yi family.

Yi Yiyan is the eldest son of Yi and the future head of the family.

"I have long admired my name!" Mr. Yuan said hypocritically.

Yi Yiyan said: "What does your country need now?"

"Salt!" Boy Yuan said without hesitation.

The Tang army destroyed their salt fields and their tools.

I didn’t realize it at ordinary times, but when it was time to make them again, I realized that these simple tools were really difficult to copy, and these tools were first made by Han people who fled the war.

Now most of them have died of illness, and now that the Central Plains is in a peaceful and prosperous time, naturally no one will flee to Goguryeo, so many technologies have been lost for generations.

"It's best to get some paint and tendons."

He was a little helpless when he said this. In order to resist sanctions, they put most of their labor into survival.

As a result, it was discovered that strategic supplies could not be supplied as a result...

"Okay, I will try my best to arrange it. Lacquer, sinew, it's hard to say, I will do my best, but salt, there are 20,000 shi. I need to replace it with old ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum and mink skin, and I don't want anything else."

Yi Yiyan seemed to have no intention of bargaining, but was making a one-shot deal.

(End of this chapter)