Chapter 43 The Emperor's House Has No Food Surplus
Zhao Zhen asked the eunuch to take out something and put it in front of the courtiers and said, "What do you think this is?"
Wen Yanbo and other central ministers were informed in advance and stood calmly where they were.
Some courtiers didn't know about fine salt, so when they saw the white substance, they tasted it and realized that it was actually salt.
"This, this, this..." Some courtiers were a little excited, "Why is the texture of these salts so good? Maybe the officials have discovered another salt mine."
Zhao Zhen shook his head and said with a smile: "No, it's because someone provided a method of making salt that will allow me to eat such fine salt from the Song Dynasty onwards, and it will be inexhaustible and inexhaustible."
Many people looked at Zhao Zhen with hot eyes and shouted: "The official family is really like this. It is inexhaustible and it is inexhaustible. It is like a fantasy. I don't know who gave the method and how to make salt?"
Zhao Zhen looked at a new figure among the courtiers and said with a smile: "Did Lu Yao attend the morning court today?"
When Lu Yao heard Zhao Zhen calling him, he immediately stepped out and saluted: "Your Majesty, Lu Yao, pay homage to your Majesty."
After saying that, under the astonished expressions of everyone, he knelt on the ground and bowed to Zhao Zhen three times.
Even Zhao Zhen was stunned.
The Song Dynasty did not like the practice of kneeling and worshiping. It was a thing that appeared in the Qing Dynasty. Lu Yao's approach caught everyone off guard.
Lu Yao was still kneeling on the ground. He didn't hear Zhao Zhen calling him to get back on his feet.
After a few seconds, Zhao Zhen said again: "Lu Qing, please get up. From now on, you will not be allowed to kneel down and bow down unless there is any important matter."
"I obey the decree."
After Lu Yao stood up and saw the looks in the eyes of these courtiers, he realized that he had made an own mistake.
Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "This method of making salt was proposed by Lu Yao. You can ask Lu Yao any questions."
What followed was a series of questions, and Lu Yao patiently answered them one by one.
The courtiers also suddenly realized that seawater can be used to make salt, and rock salt can also be refined into edible salt. There is so much seawater that it is indeed inexhaustible.
"No wonder people said that the price of salt in Bianliang City has dropped a lot. I thought it was due to the high salt output this year. It turns out that there is a new method of making salt. This method has benefited forever. Lu Yao won the county
The prince is worthy of his name."
Everyone recognized Lu Yao's title as county prince.
"The report came from Dengzhou the day before yesterday that Yang Si built a salt pond of ten thousand acres on the seaside, which could produce ten thousand stones of salt in one day. After a while, the Song Dynasty would no longer be short of salt, and after the morning court, the price of salt was ordered to drop by another hundred.
Wen, so that the common people can afford to eat fine salt."
"The official is a wise man." The courtiers boasted.
After talking about a few small things, the court meeting came to an end.
After the eunuch shouted "Retreat from the court", the courtiers walked out of Daqing Hall in an orderly manner.
Lu Xu and Lu Yao were walking together. At this time, a young eunuch walked up to Lu Yao and whispered: "The official has invited me."
After bidding farewell to Lu Xu, Lu Yao followed the eunuch and walked towards the palace. He had been to the Wende Palace twice and found that the path taken by the young eunuch was not the way to the Wende Palace.
So Lu Yao asked: "Little chamberlain, are you leading the wrong way?"
The young eunuch smiled happily and said, "Sir, I have lived in the palace since I was a child. I can still distinguish the southeast from the northwest. However, this time the official family is not in the Wende Hall but in the Funing Hall. You just need to follow closely.
Just a small one will do.”
"That's it." After Lu Yao knew the whole story, he followed the little eunuch, but the little eunuch kept walking with his head lowered, while Lu Yao kept looking around, feeling like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, and he was very curious about everything.
"Who are you and why are you here?" A female voice appeared, attracting Lu Yao's attention.
This woman was dressed luxuriously, and she didn't look like a palace maid. She was only a little older than Lu Yao, so she couldn't be Zhao Zhen's concubine, so she should be a princess from the Zhao family.
Little eunuch one
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Seeing someone, he immediately saluted respectfully and said, "Hail, princess."
The princess came to Lu Yao's side, looked left and right, and said: "You are so rude, and you are still not polite when you see me."
Lu Yao looked panicked and saluted the princess: "I'm my official, I've never met the princess before, so please forgive me."
The princess nodded, walked around Lu Yao again, and said, "You haven't answered my question yet?"
Problem? What problem?
Lu Yaoguan suddenly realized that it was the question he had asked before about why he appeared here.
Lu Yao explained: "The officials asked me to come."
The princess was slightly angry and said: "You are talking nonsense. My father has never seen other courtiers in the harem. You must be lying. If you don't tell the truth, I will call the guards to arrest you."
The young eunuch said hurriedly: "Princess, it is indeed the official who called Master Lu to go to Funing Hall."
The princess curled her lips and asked the young eunuch: "Is this really the case? You know the consequences of lying to me."
Beads of sweat appeared on the young eunuch's forehead, but he still said firmly: "It's absolutely true, a villain would never dare to deceive the princess."
"That's not bad." The princess nodded with satisfaction and turned her attention to Lu Yao, "I see you are not very old, how can you become a fifth-grade official."
"Because Xiaguan presented a new method of making salt." Lu Yao said with a smile.
"Salt?" The princess suddenly opened her eyes wide, "Then the salt we eat now in the palace is made using the salt method you proposed. This salt is much more delicious for cooking than the previous salt. I want more salt than before.
Eat half a bowl of rice more."
The princess touched her chin and continued: "I heard that the jade-white candles and the strange-smelling soap were also made by your family. How come you have so many things?"
"Xiaoguan just studied more. Because of these things, I read less and was often scolded by my family."
Lu Yao's words aroused the princess's interest.
"You are right. I have not loved reading since I was a child, and I have been scolded by my father a lot. I have always felt that there is nothing good about reading. I just need to be literate. I also understand the principles in those books. There is no need to read every day.
Go and read. You see, you can become a fifth-rank official without studying. It doesn’t matter whether you study or not, there’s nothing good about reading.”
The princess said proudly, and Lu Yao quickly lowered his head, as if he saw Zhao Zhen coming.
Zhao Zhen probably went to Wende Palace first and then came to Funing Palace.
"Fukang don't listen to Lu Yao's nonsense. He has read more books than anyone else. The Yong Mei and Chou Nuer you usually read were written by Lu Yao. This is what he calls non-reading." Zhao Zhen strolled.
He came, followed by several chamberlains.
Lu Yao raised his eyes and glanced at the princess. It turned out that this was the famous Princess Fukang in history, who was the most favored by Zhao Zhen.
"Father." Princess Fukang bowed and saluted, and then said unconvinced: "In that case, he is lying to me. He is so brave that he dares to deceive the princess. Father, you must punish him well."
Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "Then how exactly does Fukang want to punish him?"
Lu Yao was sweating coldly. He was telling the truth. It was a bit unfair for the father and daughter to convict him as soon as they sang in harmony.
Princess Fukang's eyes were wandering, thinking of some bad ideas. When she had an idea in her mind, she said, "Then how about punishing him to send me some candles and soap every month?"
Zhao Zhen laughed loudly: "Since Fukang wants it, then why not? Lu Yao, did you hear me? Remember to send some candles and soap to the palace every month."
"I obey the decree!" Lu Yao felt that such a request was a blessing. If Fukang asked him to enter the palace to write poems for her, then he would not enter the palace.
When he thought about this, he felt a chill between his legs.
"Okay, the matter has been decided. Fukang, you go visit your mother-in-law, and Lu Yao, follow me into Funing Hall."
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Before leaving, Fukang threatened Lu Yao to remember to deliver it every month, and this month's delivery must be delivered tomorrow.
Lu Yao could only nod in agreement, he couldn't afford to offend such a princess.
After following Zhao Zhen into Funing Hall, Zhao Zhen asked him to sit anywhere he wanted and not to be too restrained.
He also asked some questions about the family affairs, including his sister-in-law Xu's pregnancy, and he was also concerned about it. This is Song Renzong's benevolence, and he understands your little things.
Song Renzong had very few opportunities to leave the palace in a year. He was like a bird in a cage. He looked gorgeous but was actually pitiful.
After talking for a long time, Song Renzong finally brought the topic to business.
"I heard that Qiongyu Niang sold a lot last month, and even Jingxiu wanted to start this business with you."
Lu Yao thought to himself, this news spread quickly enough, it had already reached the emperor's ears in just a few days.
Little did he know that Zhao Zhen had just found out. He called Lu Yao to Funing Hall just because he didn't want him to meet Cao Yi in Wende Hall. Cao Ji also talked about the joint venture in Wende Hall.
Zhao Zhen recently learned about Lu Yao's ability to make money. This time he called him over to see if there was any way for him to save more money. As an emperor, it is impossible not to have private money. For the sake of the flood, he
Almost all the internal funds have been taken out, and the expenses in the palace are very tight. It is time to get some back.
He asked Cao Yi to go to Wende Palace to see if Cao Yi had any good ideas. Who knew there would be an unexpected surprise? Selling wine was so profitable. He, Cao Yi, could use a piece of land as capital to invest in shares, and he, Zhao Zhen, also
Yes, and more than Cao Yi. Who can have as much land as the emperor like him? In his opinion, these lands are not valuable.
If he could exchange worthless land for some income, he would still be able to settle the account.
So he hurried to Funing Hall. As for Cao Yi from Wende Hall, he had already told him to go home and do whatever he wanted, so as not to be an eyesore here.
Lu Yao smiled and said, "Uncle Guo and I are just making a little money."
Zhao Zhen shook his head, "Cao Yi's dividends of tens of thousands of dollars a year are not small money."
Lu Yao was so frightened that even Cao Yi knew that this was a secret revealed by Cao Yi himself.
Zhao Zhen had nothing to do. It was really embarrassing for an emperor to not be able to produce even 10,000 guan. There were some things that he couldn't tell Lu Yao directly and could only guide Lu Yao to understand his thoughts.
Lu Yao didn't know. He thought Zhao Zhen was complaining that he earned too much money a year. Excluding Cao Yi's dividends, he could earn about 200,000 yuan a year, which was indeed a lot.
He was wondering whether he should make some contribution to Zhao Zhen and use money to stop Zhao Zhen's mouth. After all, everyone is soft-mouthed when it comes to taking money, and he already knew that Zhao Zhen was short of money in the early morning. This is a
A good breakthrough point.
Lu Yao asked weakly: "How about I take out 20,000 yuan every year and count it as official tax?"
Seeing that Zhao Zhen didn't speak, Lu Yao said again, "Without 40,000 yuan in tax money, the official family can't afford any more. If it's more, it will be a loss-making business for me."
Zhao Zhen is almost pissed off at Lu Yao. The court's tax revenue of more than 60 million yuan a year is still 40,000 yuan short of yours. The internal money he wants is private money. How come Lu Yao doesn't know anything about it.
Zhao Zhen was too embarrassed to speak directly, so he could only continue to guide Lu Yao.
"Lu Erlang! If I give you another piece of land, can you create a business similar to Qiong Yunong?" Zhao Zhen said patiently.
Lu Yao thought, there must be business. Any idea of making money in the Northern Song Dynasty would not be casual. As long as you dare to give land, then I will build a factory.
Lu Yao nodded and said: "There is such a business, but the profit may not be as high as Qiong Yuniang, but it will still increase the tax revenue by 20,000 yuan, so please don't worry, officials."
Zhao Zhen: "..."
I'm so angry, I really want to hit someone, what should I do?