Li Shimin looked stunned, "How much has it increased?"
"Your Majesty, a pound of bitter salt cost five cents in the past. Now, a pound of bitter salt costs seven cents!" Fang Xuanling said quickly.
"Do you know why those salt merchants raised their prices?" Li Shimin asked.
"Back to your Majesty, those salt merchants said that no one is buying Qinghai salt. In order not to lose money, they can only increase the price of bitter salt!"
Saying that, Fang Xuanling glanced at Li Shimin cautiously.
He also knew clearly what those salt merchants were thinking, but he knew all the inside information and couldn't say much.
"snort!"
Sure enough, Li Shimin's expression suddenly darkened.
"It's really ridiculous. Those salt merchants are putting pressure on me because they think that the price of my snow grain salt is too low and no one buys their Qinghai salt!"
"Your Majesty, originally a pound of bitter salt cost five cents, which was a huge burden for many people. Now, a pound of bitter salt has risen to seven cents, and many people can no longer afford salt!"
Fang Xuanling pretended not to hear what Li Shimin said and continued.
Salt is as important as food to all people in the world.
Once a person lacks salt, he will be weak and have little strength.
Now, only a few days after the spring plowing ends, it is the time for the people to work and make money. If there is suddenly a lack of salt to eat, the people around Chang'an City will suffer.
But now, those aristocratic families are only increasing the price of salt for Chang'an City.
If prices increased throughout the Tang Dynasty, it would be the biggest disaster for the people of the world.
Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but look heavy and sighed heavily.
"Li Wei, Hedong Salt Factory, how much refined salt have you accumulated now?"
Li Wei on the side quickly took a few steps forward and saluted Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, the Hedong Salt Pond has accumulated five thousand stones of refined salt!"
"Five thousand stones!"
Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but frown slightly.
One person needs one kilogram of salt per month. Chang'an City, with one million people, needs at least one million kilograms of salt per month, which is more than 6,000 stones of refined salt.
Five thousand stones of refined salt is not even enough for Chang'an City to supply salt for a month.
"Can the salt people cook a lot of salt? It doesn't need to be white and flawless, just not bitter!"
Li Shimin asked slowly.
"Your Majesty, I don't know about it either. I will send someone right away to ask the salt people to test it as soon as possible!"
Li Wei quickly raised his hands and saluted.
"Um!"
Li Shimin nodded slightly.
Li Wei bowed his hands and quickly retreated.
Then, Li Shimin turned his head and looked at Fang Xuanling.
"I need to trouble Xuanling again about this matter and talk to those aristocratic families!"
"I obey the order!"
Fang Xuanling gently bowed his hands and understood what Li Shimin meant, which was to let him, the minister, Zuopushe, go find those people from the aristocratic families to delay time.
"Thank you for your hard work, Xuanling!"
Seeing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
As soon as Fang Xuanling became Shangshu Zuopushe, he had to go to those aristocratic families to take the blame for him.
"It is a blessing for me to do my best for the welfare of all people in the world!"
Fang Xuanling quickly raised his hands and saluted.
Immediately, he retired towards Li Shimin and left in a hurry.
"Hey, Mr. Fang, you are walking in a hurry. What are you doing?"
At the entrance of the palace, Cheng Zhijie, who looked anxious, almost bumped into Fang Xuanling, who was walking out quickly.
"Go to peace!"
Fang Xuanling slowly bowed her hands towards Cheng Zhijie and left quickly.
"Tsk tsk, when the new official takes office, his demeanor will be different!"
Seeing this, Cheng Zhijie raised his eyebrows and smacked his mouth for a long time. Then he thought of his purpose and glared back at everyone around him, then turned around and walked quickly towards Liangyi Hall.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is a big deal!"
Before he entered the palace gate, Cheng Zhijie's loud voice had already reached Li Shimin's ears.
Then, taking long strides, he rushed into the hall.
"What a big deal, it makes the dignified Lord Su Guo so anxious?"
Li Shimin looked helpless.
"Your Majesty, the ruler of ink has appeared!"
Cheng Zhijie looked around and said cautiously.
Seeing Cheng Zhijie's posture, Li Shimin couldn't help but stare. Then he came to his senses and his expression changed drastically.
"Are you sure you are the ruler?"
"Back to Your Majesty, Lao Cheng is definitely the master of ink, and there is not just one person, but a whole group of them!"
Cheng Zhijie's face was full of excitement.
"Where are those people?"
Li Shimin asked quickly.
"Back to Your Majesty, those who are in charge of Mohism are at Lijiazhuang at the moment!" Cheng Zhijie replied.
"Why don't you bring them here quickly..."
As he said this, Li Shimin couldn't help but shut his mouth.
Cheng Zhijie glared hard.
In response, Cheng Zhijie just looked at Li Shimin expectantly.
Seeing this, Li Shimin's face was filled with helplessness. After his expression changed for a moment, he stood up directly.
"Let's go, follow me and take a look at those ink masters!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Cheng Zhijie's face was filled with joy.
Afterwards, everyone changed into casual clothes and hurriedly walked to Lijiazhuang.
Ink masters, for people like Li Xuan who like to make some objects from time to time, are a group of treasures and the most powerful assistants.
Similarly, for battlefield killers like Li Shimin and Cheng Zhijie, they are a group of treasures.
…
In Lijiazhuang, Li Xuan, Li Chengqian and others were sitting on the sofa, each holding a cup of hot tea in their hands.
"As you know, Mozi is known as the number one weapons master and the king of war breakers!"
"Master, when did Mozi get such a name?"
Cheng Chusi asked with curiosity on his face.
Agree, Li Chengqian, Li Chongyi and others also looked puzzled.
"Do you know the story of Mozi's attempt to break up the fight?"
Li Xuan took a sip of tea and asked slowly.
"Master, are you talking about Mo Zhai's rescue of Song Dynasty?"
On the side, Li Chengqian's eyes lit up and he quickly replied.
"Exactly!"
Li Xuan nodded lightly.
"At that time, Mozi was giving lectures in the Song Dynasty. The King of Chu wanted to send troops to attack the Song Dynasty and asked Lu Ban to make many siege equipment to help.
When Mozi heard the news, he was very anxious and ran to persuade the King of Chu. However, the King of Chu was conceited that with the help of Lu Ban, he would surely destroy the Song Dynasty.
Seeing that the King of Chu did not listen to the advice, Mozi demonstrated the weapon he had made in front of the King of Chu.
The reconnaissance wooden kite that can carry soldiers to detect the enemy's situation in the air; the serial ballista that can fire sixty arrows in an instant, standing on the city wall, killing as many enemy troops as they come;
There is also a six-foot-long transom machine, which is placed on the city wall and can be operated by two people. It can rotate and attack, and can directly attack the enemy's vital points; it is equipped with iron armor and can project carbon fire, and no one can break it;
There are also military training puppets that can simulate the attack methods of the Chu army. After letting the Song army practice with them, they can see their moves!
Lu Ban displayed nine siege weapons in succession, but Mozi cracked them one by one.
This directly caused great psychological trauma to the King of Chu, and he hurriedly gave up his plan to attack Song Dynasty!"
"So magical?"
Hearing this, Cheng Chusi's eyes widened with yearning on his face.
"Of course there is!"
Li Xuan chuckled lightly, "At that time, Mozi also invented the traveling stack, the long axe, the long vertebrae, the trebuchet, the large wooden bow that was mechanically fired, the large square shield, and the wooden wooden bow that could lift soldiers inside."
Boxes, roller fire barrels, small crash carts that collide with the enemy's siege ladders, iron pear carts and other weapons for defending the city."
"Moreover, Mozi also has a number of secret techniques for guarding the city, "Bei City Gate", "Bei Gaolin", "Bei Ladder", "Bei Water", "Bei Cave", "Bei Tu", "Bei Mofu",
"Welcome the Enemy Temple", "Flag", "Order", "Miscellaneous Guard" and so on.
No matter whether the enemy wants to attack by climbing on a scale, ramming a car into the city, attacking by driving a car, ascending the city with ladders, attacking with soil, diverting water to flood the city, digging tunnels, or destroying city walls, there are secret methods to prepare for defense."
"No wonder Master, you value those ink masters so much. It turns out that those people control such precious secrets of city defense!"
After listening, Cheng Chusi, Li Chengqian and others looked at Li Xuan with admiration on their faces.
"It's just that Master, why don't you let those masters of ink go to the forge, but let them wander around the entire Lijiazhuang?"
"I just want these Mohists to forge more tools for farming and protect the fields of Lijiazhuang!"