The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 130 Business Cooperation
"Nowadays, most of the He family has settled in Anxi Tang territory, but we don't have Tang household registration, so every time we do business, we need the approval of the Anxi government office. We have many dyeing factories in Suiye City. Now that the Tang Dynasty has brought Suiye City under its jurisdiction, every time we purchase or ship goods, we need the approval of the Anxi government office. This will not only require constant trouble to the Anxi government office, but will also cause a lot of trouble to our business, so I would like to ask His Highness if you can give us a longer time for the approval."

He Tuo told the story in detail.

Although the Kushi people lived in tribes, they were mainly engaged in traveling business, and it was difficult for the Tang Dynasty's household registration system to bring them under its jurisdiction. In order to develop their commerce, they themselves were unwilling to accept the Tang Dynasty's household registration.

Therefore, although many Sogdians lived in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, they did business in the territory of the Tang Dynasty in the name of tribute and religious activities.

Li Heng pondered for a while and said, "It's not impossible to take a little longer to approve the document. However, for the sake of Tang's border affairs, we need to understand your routes, activities, and business travel within a certain period of time."

Li Heng wanted to obtain their business and travel information.

He Tuo said: "We will report these matters to Your Highness regularly. In addition, Anxi has a wide jurisdiction. We have to pay taxes every time we pass through a place. It is very cumbersome. Therefore, I would like to ask if we can pay the taxes in full at once within Anxi."

He Tuo said that one had to pay taxes every time one passed through a city. In fact, most of the time, it was a toll collected by the officials below. Only in a few cases would the imperial court impose additional taxes.

Faced with this situation, some Kukri merchants would choose to rely on local or court officials in order to seek protection.

He Tuo's base camp was in Suiye City. The force he had previously relied on was the Turkic Shi. Now that the Turkic Shi had been defeated, they wanted Li Heng to provide him with shelter.

Although Li Heng also wanted Anxi to have clean administration and prosperous commerce, he was unwilling to serve them for free without gaining any benefits when negotiating business with them.

Therefore, Li Heng hesitated and did not answer.

Seeing that Li Heng was silent, He Tuo said, "If Your Highness agrees, I am willing to offer Your Highness 200,000 pieces of Li Te brocade every year."

Li Ying still didn't answer.

He Tuo said: "Three hundred thousand horses... four"

"This is bribery." Li Heng finally spoke, "It's useless for me to have so much cloth. How about this, we cooperate."

"How to cooperate?" He Tuo asked hurriedly.

Li Heng said, "I know a new weaving method. I will teach you the method. You weave and sell it, and I will make a profit from it."

"This..." He Tuo hesitated.

He Tuo didn't believe at all that Li Heng had a new weaving method that could surpass Li Tejin. He was certain that Li Heng just wanted to force his way into the group.

Seeing that He Tuo disagreed, Li Heng said, "Please think about it. I can wait for your reply. Of course, I can't give you too much time, because if you don't want to, someone else will naturally be willing."

Hearing what Li Ying said, the girl behind He Tuo gently pushed He Tuo. He Tuo turned around and the girl signaled him to agree quickly.

But He Tuo was still hesitant.

Seeing this, the young girl stood up and said, "Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness, but may I ask if you know why Li Te brocade is better than Tang Dynasty cloth?"

Li Ying smiled and said, "Because you have traveled all over the country, you have integrated the textile technology of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Regions, and even Byzantium."

Everyone present was shocked when they heard the word Byzantium.

Because there was not much contact between the Tang Dynasty and Byzantium, few Tang people knew that Byzantium's textile industry was also good.

Li Ying continued, "The horizontal lines of Li Te Jin are straight, and the vertical lines are twisted and turned; the pattern is horizontally cyclical, and decorated with linked beads and circles of the theme pattern. But you should know that such skills are not unsurpassed, and the pattern does not conform to the customs of the Tang Dynasty. It can be slightly modified. For example, the pattern can be linked beads, double linked beads, petal linked beads, curled grass linked beads, etc."

After Li Heng finished speaking, the people present were even more surprised and their eyes widened.

He Tuo stood up and said, "To be honest with you, Your Highness, my daughter just made a batch of double-linked pearl chestnut brocade, which is very popular. I thought it was the latest brocade, but I didn't expect that Your Highness would have newer results." Li Ying said, "Some ideas, it depends on whether you are willing to cooperate."

"Yes, of course." He Tuo agreed immediately.

They already wanted to rely on Li Heng, and if Li Heng helped them innovate technology, it would only be a matter of time before they could grow bigger.

"Okay." Li Heng nodded, "Let's find a good day and sign the contract first."

Li Heng agreed with them and returned to his mansion.

Yang Yuhuan was nine months pregnant and was about to give birth, so she had more than twenty maids and servants to take care of her.

Seeing Li Heng coming back, all the maids in the room retreated.

Li Heng had been busy with Anxi's affairs all day, and when he saw Yang Yuhuan, he felt much more relaxed. He smiled and asked, "Are you feeling unwell today, madam?"

"No." Yang Yuhuan smiled happily and said, "I just felt the child kicking me."

"You are so brave." Li Heng said, "Let's educate the child properly when he is born."

"Yeah." Yang Yuhuan agreed, and then asked, "My dear, is there anything bothering you today?"

Li Heng said, "I don't have any worries, but there is something I need your help with."

"What's the matter?" Yang Yuhuan asked.

Li Heng said: "I discussed something with a Li Te businessman named He, and we need to sign a contract, but as you know, business is a lowly profession, so I cannot sign it."

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "I can do this."

"Yes." Li Heng touched Yang Yuhuan's head and said, "Then I'll trouble you."

"It's what I should do." Yang Yuhuan smiled sweetly and changed the subject, saying, "My mother sent a letter saying that Yuanniang is seriously ill and asked us to return to Beijing to visit her after the baby is born."

Historically, Yuan died in 740 of natural causes, which Li Heng had no control over.

Li Heng hesitated for a moment and said, "I will definitely go back to visit you, but if you can avoid going back, it's better not to go back."

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan nodded, "Just follow my husband's arrangements. Also, sister Mu Jin's grandfather was sent to Anxi in the name of treating my husband's illness. He may arrive soon."

Upon hearing this, Li Ying looked at Zhang Mujin who was standing beside him.

Zhang Mujin said, "If it weren't for Your Highness, Master might not have been able to escape unscathed. Master said that coming to Anxi is the best arrangement. The situation in the court is complicated now. Staying in Chang'an for one more day will increase the risk."

Zhang Mujin is telling the truth.

Wang Wei was also the Censor-in-Chief. He went to Beijing in the middle of the year and wanted to write a letter to Li Longji. He happened to meet Li Linfu.

Li Linfu said to Wang Wei, "The emperor is wise now. As a minister, we are eager to follow the emperor's orders. How can we have any objections? The horses in the ceremonial guard eat the same feed as the third-rank officials, but if they bark, they will be driven out."

Wang Wei was furious when he heard this, but at the same time he also realized that he could not publish books, so he asked to go to the south to do business.

Therefore, in the court today, Li Linfu has the final say on political affairs. The people below are full of resentment, and coupled with the conflicts between Li Longji, Li Ying, and Li Heng, the atmosphere is full of gunpowder. It only takes a little spark to explode.

(End of this chapter)