Yipin Tang

Chapter 141

Li Er pretended to be angry and said: "You are now the Marquis of Jiayuan in the Tang Dynasty, and you just got a fief again. Why do you still concentrate on studying the business of merchants? How decent is it?"

Wang Xiang said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty also knows that I have recently married another wife, and the family has an extra mouth to eat without working hard to make money."

Li Er was stunned, and laughed angrily: "What a new prince, he is so good that he got cheap, I was really shocked when I heard that you married Princess Gaochang back, but this matter is also good, so there is no need to worry about Gaochang What's going on?"

"Look, this minister has volunteered his life for the peaceful coexistence of the Great Tang and the Western Regions."

Li Er shook his head helplessly and said with a smile: "Okay, don't talk nonsense, let me quickly tell you about the method of making salt."

"Your Majesty agrees?"

Li Er pondered for a moment and nodded: "If you really have a way to make the people of Tang Dynasty eat salt, I will... share [-]% of the salt business with you."

"[-]%..."

"What, are you not satisfied?" Li Er squinted his eyes.

Wang Xiang said with resentment on his face: "Didn't we pay back the glass business before..."

"That's Liuli. Salt and iron are the country's most important weapons. I'm afraid there will be many people who oppose this percentage. You are still not satisfied."

In fact, Wang Xiang was already prepared in his heart, and he was very satisfied to be able to share [-]%. Don't underestimate this [-]%. I am afraid that those aristocratic families will covet it. Salt is different from colored glaze. Salt is a necessity and a consumer product. It is a steady stream of benefits. The most important thing is that the salt is firmly in the hands of the government, which means that the people of Datang can get [-]% of the salt if they want to eat it.

The reason why Li Er paid so much attention to the method of making salt mentioned by Wang Xiang was not only so that the people of the Tang Dynasty could eat salt, but also a more important reason was the Guanzhong aristocratic family.

The Li family was originally a powerful family, so after Li Er ascended the throne, he has always been very jealous of these big families. Although the government strictly prohibits the sale of private salt, none of these big families secretly sells and sells private salt, and the benefits of private salt are too great.

Although Li Er knew that they were secretly selling private salt, he was afraid of the power of the family and had to turn a blind eye. However, the power of the family would only get stronger and stronger, and this was what he was most worried about.If the method of making salt mentioned by Wang Xiang can really make the common people of the Tang Dynasty eat salt, then the private salt trading in the hands of those aristocratic families will naturally be nothing to worry about.

Wang Xiang received [-]% of the income promised by Li Er, and was about to tell the method of making salt, when Sun Simiao got up and said, "Go to the empress to prepare the medicine."

In fact, he didn't go to dispense medicine, he just wanted to avoid it. In Old Man Sun's opinion, if there is a good way to make salt, it should be known to all the people in the world. Both of them have no such plan, so it doesn't matter if they don't listen.

Wang Xiang was still a little embarrassed, but Li Er said with a normal expression, "Thank you, Daoist Sun."

Sun Simiao cupped his hands and exited the Lizheng Hall.

When Sun Simiao's figure disappeared, Wang Xiang whispered to Li Er: "Daozhang Sun is a trustworthy person, he will not speak nonsense."

Li Er sighed and said, "So it's better that he doesn't know some things."

Wang Xiang was dumbfounded, it turned out that Li Erbi had a better understanding than himself.With old man Sun's temperament, even if he knew the method of making salt, he wouldn't tell it, but he would definitely feel bad in his heart, so it's better not to know.

"Okay, now you can talk about how to make salt so that the people of the Tang Dynasty can eat salt."

In fact, the method of making salt that Wang Xiang said is very simple, that is, drying salt in sea water.

"Salt dried in seawater?" Li Er frowned, "This method has existed since ancient times, but the salt dried in seawater is very bitter and difficult to drink, and the brine salt is poisonous and cannot be eaten."

In the Tang Dynasty, the method of frying salt and frying salt was often used. Because the brine salt in seawater is as poisonous as mineral salt, and the ancients did not know how to filter it, so most of them used the method of frying salt and frying salt, which only met the requirements. There are not many non-toxic salt lakes, and the method of frying salt is time-consuming and labor-intensive and does not produce much salt.

Wang Xiang smiled and said: "Actually, whether it is the salt produced by seawater or the salt in the salt mine, it is the same as the salt produced by the method of frying salt. The reason why the bittern salt is poisonous and bitter is because it contains impurities. , as long as there is a method to remove impurities, it will be the same. There are not many non-toxic salt lakes, but sea water..."

Li Er's eyes lit up: "Do you have a way to make brine salt into ordinary table salt?"

Wang Xiang nodded and said: "Actually, it's not difficult. As long as the sun-dried sea salt is filtered and dried again, the brine will become ordinary table salt."

"filter?"

Wang Xiang explained the reason why brine salt is poisonous and the principle of filtration. Li Er was immediately amazed, touched his chin and asked, "Is it possible to dry salt in sea water?"

"I can guarantee that it is absolutely feasible!"

Li Er narrowed his eyes and remained silent, Wang Xiang was puzzled, what was he thinking about such a good thing.

Just when he couldn't help but want to ask, Li Er said: "So the fief I gave you is still a precious land."

What?What's the matter with closing the land?

Wang Xiang wondered: "What does this have to do with the fiefdom of the minister?"

Li Er shook his head and said, "Actually, many ministers are opposed to the fief that I granted you."

Wang Xiang was immediately upset: "The minister went to Gaochang with great pains, and after a narrow escape, he completed His Majesty's mission. After returning, he even risked his life to try cowpox to relieve the danger of smallpox. Why should they object when His Majesty bestowed a fief to his ministers?" .”

Li Er cast a glance at Wang Xiang: "Okay, I know you have been wronged a lot, but the fiefdom is indeed a bit over the limit. It is because of your meritorious service and the fiefdom I gave you is just a barren coastal land. They didn't say it, and now it seems that your fief has become a treasure."

Wang Xiang's face darkened when he heard the words, thanks to Steward Wang, he was so happy when he heard about the fiefdom. It turned out that he just picked a barren land that no one liked to get rid of him.

Li Er suddenly felt a slip of the tongue, and quickly said: "Actually, it's not a barren land, but it's not as prosperous as Chang'an..."

His words are really hard to believe, at least Wang Xiang doesn't believe it, don't look at the coastal cities of the later generations, all of which are awesome and rich. In ancient times, coastal cities meant small fishing villages.That kind of place is not suitable for farming. People rely on fishing for a living. It’s good enough to eat enough and expect some tax revenue. No wonder no one raised any objections.

It's all about fiefdoms. Wang Xiang still hasn't figured out where his fiefdom is. From what Li Eryi said, it seems to be a coastal place.

Don't look at Wang Xiang's ugly face, but he is still very excited in his heart. It doesn't mean he doesn't like the coastal barren land when others don't like it. In his opinion, it is a really good place.

He intentionally put on a frustrated expression and asked, "Where is the fief that His Majesty bestowed on the minister?"

(End of this chapter)