Chapter 251 Aristocratic Family: Wei Zheng turned against the water?
"Kosher salt?"
After hearing this, Wei Zheng was filled with doubts and felt something was wrong.
Why does Xueli Salt Shop still have coarse salt?
Moreover, how does Your Majesty know so much about the situation of Xueliyan Shop?
"Your Majesty, coarse salt can be boiled more than five times faster than refined salt. Currently, there are enough 10,000 stones in the city."
Li Wei cupped his hands and replied.
"Very good!"
After hearing this, Li Shimin chuckled, extremely satisfied.
As for Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others, their faces were filled with surprise.
They did not expect that His Majesty had secretly stored ten thousand shi of coarse salt in Chang'an City.
I just don’t know how His Majesty managed to hide the coarse salt from those aristocratic families and transport it back to the city.
"Is there really 10,000 stones of coarse salt?"
Among the group of people, Wei Zheng was the most shocked.
Wei Zheng was born in a poor family. He was lonely and impoverished since he was a child. However, after seeing poverty, Wei Zheng also developed great ambitions. He first became a Taoist priest, and he read by heart all the books in the Taoist temple, and he dabbled in a wide range of subjects.
Later, when he saw that the world was about to be in chaos, he began to favor the ideas of Zongheng and Zongheng in order to make the people suffer less.
However, Wei Zheng was good at everything, but he was too straight-tempered. As long as he didn't let the people suffer, he would accept anything. This was commonly known as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Fortunately, the world was in chaos, heroes were vying for it, and with his unknown destiny, he followed several different employers. Wei Zheng actually climbed higher and higher, and the road to realize his ambition was getting closer and closer.
"What doubts does Wei Qing have?"
In a good mood, Li Shimin didn't care about Wei Zheng's stubborn words.
"Your Majesty, I wonder how coarse salt compares with the bitter salt on the market?"
Wei Zheng quickly raised his hands and asked.
No matter what Li Shimin's attitude towards him was, he was not annoyed at all and only cared about the issues he cared about.
After hearing this, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others also looked at Li Shimin with curiosity.
The matter of salt is relatively important.
Li Shimin did not allow them, who were close officials of King Qin's old palace, to join the group, so even though Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others knew something about bitter salt.
However, I have never seen coarse salt.
"Coarse salt is slightly yellow in color and has a slightly bitter taste when eaten, but it is hundreds of times better than bitter salt!" Li Shimin explained.
"May I ask, Your Majesty, how much does coarse salt cost?"
Wei Zheng is not stupid, Li Shimin has made it so clear, and the relationship between Xueliyanpusi and Li Shimin is about to emerge.
Li Shimin glanced at Wei Zheng and said softly: "One pound of coarse salt and three Wen!"
"Sanwen?"
A flash of surprise flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes, and then his face was full of joy, and he thanked Li Shimin directly.
"Your Majesty is wise, in this way all people in the world can be saved!"
As for whether this kind of price would make those aristocratic families even more angry, Wei Zheng didn't care.
As long as the people can afford salt, it will be fine. With His Majesty here, if the sky falls, it will not be his turn to top the vat.
On the side, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others had a flash of worry in their eyes, and then they nodded quickly.
This time, they must take it seriously!
Similarly, like Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling and others, in Chang'an City, a group of stewards from aristocratic families gathered together, sipping tea with proud faces while listening to their servants report what happened in the city.
…
The next day.
Early morning.
Just after the ceremony, a supervisory censor, holding a wat board, stood up to give advice.
"Your Majesty, I heard that there were treacherous merchants in the city who were maliciously selling salt at low prices and disrupting the order of salt consumption, resulting in millions of people unable to eat salt. They spontaneously besieged Wannian County and Chang'an County Government and attacked Wannian and Chang'an County. Two county magistrates in Chang'an cried out and asked the court to make the decision for them and arrest the profiteer who maliciously sold snow grain salt!"
Li Shimin didn't need to look to know that this upright censor must be an official from a group of aristocratic families and factions.
However, before Li Shimin could speak.
Below, another group of officials jumped out one after another, admonishing Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, for such a despicable businessman who is so treacherous and evil, he should be imprisoned and have all his salt and snow confiscated!"
"I heard that tens of thousands of people have been without salt for many days!"
"Your Majesty, spring is coming soon and this matter cannot be delayed!"
"Your Majesty, you cannot let millions of people in Chang'an City suffer because of a lowly salt merchant!"
"We sincerely ask your Majesty..."
Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but laugh angrily.
Intimidation and inducement, even mixed with strong words of persuasion, these aristocratic families are really a bunch of wolves.
However, with the method of boiling salt presented by Xuanba and the accumulation over the past few months, these aristocratic families could not even think of letting him compromise on the matter of salt.
"Bah, you bunch of blind dogs, how did you know that this must be the fault of those snow grains and salt shops?"
Cheng Zhijie jumped out with his mouth wide open.
"Anyone with eyes can see that the snow grain salt only costs ten cents per catty, but it is much more delicious than the Qinghai salt that costs thirty cents per catty. This matter is due to the merchants who sell salt.
Suppressing Xueli Salt Shop will increase the price of bitter salt, which will make millions of people in Chang'an City unable to afford salt!"
"You, these scoundrels, accepted bribes from those salt merchants and dared to deceive Your Majesty in front of us and all the officials. I think you, the scoundrels, are the ones who deserve to be killed!"
"Your Majesty, what Mr. Su said is true. This is all caused by those despicable salt merchants who raised the price of salt without authorization in order to exploit the hard-earned money of the people. They should be killed!"
Wei Zheng also stood up and reported to Li Shimin with a serious face.
"Everyone, I don't know what Wei Qing said, how do you explain it?"
Li Shimin stared closely at the censors who jumped out and asked coldly.
Hearing this, all the officials looked surprised.
As early as when Wei Zheng stood up to speak out for Xue Li Yan Pu Si, all the officials from these aristocratic families and factions were deceived.
According to their understanding of Wei Heizi, even if the Xueliyan shop belongs to His Majesty, for the sake of the millions of Chang'an people, Wei Heizi will still stand on their side and demand that the Xueliyan shop be severely punished.
Then, they added fuel to the fire. Under the pressure of millions of people in Chang'an City, His Majesty will definitely compromise with them and throw out the shopkeeper of the Snow Salt Shop. As for the price of Snow Salt, he will increase it by dozens of cents.
Money, the matter is settled.
After all, Li Er is also the current emperor after all. If he really wants to fight to the death, the probability of death is still the same as those who are poor, haha, it will not be good for anyone!
After a long while, a censor seemed to have come to his senses, and he quickly returned to Li Shimin with a sad face: "Your Majesty, the ministers and others are loyal to your Majesty, but now in Chang'an City, the price of salt has doubled.
The people couldn't afford salt.
Wei Chen and others really don’t want to see thousands of people suffer like this, and I hope your Majesty will learn from it!”
"Hey, you idiot, you are so shameless. You have read the books of saints for so many years, and you don't even understand the principle of distinguishing right from wrong. It is obvious that those salt merchants who increased prices are guilty of heinous crimes, but you actually want His Majesty to take down An."
What’s the purpose of Xueliyanyan Shop?”
After hearing this, Cheng Zhijie immediately vomited, his face full of disgust.
On the side, Zhang Liang, Yuchi Jingde and other generals also had disgusted faces.
"Your Majesty, what Mr. Su Guo said is absolutely true. The people in the city cannot afford to eat salt. It is the crime of those despicable salt merchants. We should let Wu Houwei arrest all the salt merchants who took the opportunity to cause trouble and put them in prison!"
"Your Majesty, those salt merchants do not obey the laws of the Tang Dynasty and should be arrested!"
Although I don't know why Cheng Zhijie kept speaking up for Xue Li Yan Pu Si, all the generals still spoke up in support.
Anyway, it’s just to disrupt the situation, this is their specialty!