"Whatever they like depends on what they are greedy for. For example, if they are greedy for steel, we will give them steel!"
"Give them steel?!"
"Sir, this is impossible!"
Li Sheng actually wanted to take action with steel. Li Er and others thought they had heard wrongly.
What do you mean? When King Wen of Zhou issued a "ritual and music", the music included various bronze vessels. On the surface, he pretended to be a cultural and good person, but in fact, he showed off his metal production capacity.
And now, what did Li Sheng say?
Export steel?
Li Er directly???
However, Li Er's reaction was obviously expected by Li Sheng.
I just heard Li Sheng chuckle.
"Don't be dissatisfied that your situation is too small. Among these various resources, some are rare and some are not rare... Various metals are also divided into colored and black."
"Among them, non-ferrous metals are the real scarcity. A large number of them are only found in China...while steel is completely a ferrous metal."
"Ferrous metal is basically worthless, and the reserves are huge. And the most important thing is... we sell finished steel, which they can't make but we can make it."
"So just change your thinking. Selling iron weapons will indeed shake up the country's foundation. But selling famous swords and famous swords can be exchanged for strategic resources. How about this?"
Li Sheng said this,
Li Er, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, and Wei Zheng... were stunned for a moment.
It seems like... maybe things can really be done!
…
If you think about it, you will know that if you sell a famous sword to the nobles of the Tubo palace, the money you get can often buy hundreds of ordinary swords.
And now the standard steel developed by Li Sheng is as sharp as cutting iron into clay!
Couldn't this thing be exchanged for...
Thinking of this, Li Er and others were stunned.
Let me rub it, this...
This profit, I am crazy...
"G-gongzi... Then, then my Datang... isn't it..."
"I want... I want to send it..."
Li Er began to stutter when he spoke.
But Li Sheng just smiled slightly.
"If you want to sell it, don't rush it. You must first consider...how to sell a thing at a high price?"
"oh?"
Li Sheng's reminder made Li Er and others sober up immediately.
That's right, although this standard steel is as sharp as clay, but...
You know, a knife that can cut iron like clay may be sold for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, but what if there are a hundred such knives?
Then maybe it can only be sold for 500 guan.
No matter how good something is, if it wants to be sold at a really high price, it must have a prerequisite that may seem illusory but is actually really important...
Scarce!
The excitement that had just been aroused by Li Sheng's words suddenly turned cold...
Li Er and others suddenly showed a sad face.
"Master, isn't this...isn't it over?"
"If the Tibetan mission had arrived a few days earlier and our standard steel had started mass production, that would have been fine. But now, this... the entire Tang Dynasty is full of fine steel weapons."
"Then you can still make some money!"
Li Er, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling... suddenly burst into sighs.
What a pity, what a pity!
Your Highness came from heaven to bring such divine objects to the Tang Dynasty, but...
well!
For a moment, Li Er even wanted to scold Li Sheng.
"Sir, you said you gave up the method of refining steel a long time ago. What are you doing?"
"Isn't this... Well, I even suspect that they are going to buy things from the private sector. I'm afraid they won't trade with His Majesty at all. Isn't this..."
“It’s a sin to have a windfall and not take it!”
Li Er beat his chest and stamped his feet for a while.
But Li Sheng immediately looked down.
"Haha, I told you that your situation is too small, but I still don't believe it."
"This is just a small, innocent scene. Li Er, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui... all of them are human beings. Do you really think they can't think of a way?"
"I can think of it, and they can definitely think of it too. What a worry you are."
Li Sheng laughed and then ate the fruit by himself.
However, when Li Sheng said this, Li Er's heart moved.
Ah, wait.
What did the young master just say?
What do you mean, "I know everything about it, so how could Li Er, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui not know about it"?
Now Li Er just wants to yell:
Sorry, I, Li Er, really can’t think of anything!
But this is not the point, the point is another matter.
Doesn't Li Sheng's words mean that...
"Master, do you have any good ideas..."
"No, no, do you have anything to ask?"
Li Sheng waved his hand directly, "It's three o'clock, let's drink tea first! He worries about the country and the people every day, so Li Er won't listen to you savages every time, so what's there to ask?"
"No, sir..."
When Li Sheng said this, Du Ruhui and others immediately became anxious.
"Young Master, your Majesty will definitely listen. Even if he doesn't listen to us, he will listen to you. Don't you all be sealed..."
"Yes, sir, it'll be okay if you just talk!"
"Sir, don't you talk about the few... ministers around Li Er..."
Wei Zheng was also anxious.
Don't say it, it will be too difficult for us if you don't say it!
Li Sheng sighed helplessly...
"You guys are talking about it every day? Talk about it..."
"Isn't this just market manipulation and making fake news? Those people around Li Er, well, I say you really don't look down on them. You must have figured out this trick..."
"Young master, I, Lao Du, beg you..."
"Young Master, I will kneel down directly for you..."
"Master, once I, Old Wei, get old, you just..."
"Sir, you won't ask me, Lao Li, to give it to you..."
Li Er, and several ministers... just hugged Li Sheng's thigh and cried on the spot.
Your Highness, just shake us idiots away!
You may think that you are average, but we are really stupid!
"Okay, okay! I said it's not okay yet!"
Li Sheng was so annoyed that he finally... spoke.
"He Li Er, hasn't he already sold a lot of steel?"
"Just let him issue a few more edicts!"
"Let's just say that this steel is a special kind...for example, it's meteorite! Its entire raw material comes from a kind of meteorite!"
"Meteorite?"
When Li Sheng said this, Li Er was stunned.
"Meteorite? What does this have to do with meteorites?"
"Hey... Just tell Li Er and ask him to say this in the edict... Well, this meteorite is... yes, it's the Ziwei star! The meteorite that fell from the Ziwei star controls the fortune of the Tang Dynasty. The auspiciousness comes from heaven and bless the country.
Don take off!”
"Now... the meteorites have been mined. Since the military and civilians across the country have used the best steel, then... they are strictly prohibited from selling them!"
"Once discovered, we will be severely punished!"
After saying that, Li Sheng looked at Li Er with squinted eyes, "So, is that clear enough?"