hsntnovel Chapter 2707 One String of Cash
Chapter 2707 One String of Cash
Li Chengqian was speechless. This Li Shen really didn't treat him like a human being. He was, after all, the Crown Prince. How could his attitude be so different from that of his father?
You should at least show some respect. Don't keep cheating yourself when you don't even have any money.
Li Chengqian was filled with bitterness.
"Brother, I've never seen you before. Look, here you are!"
This isn't ordinary white rice, it's...
"Hold on, are you going to say that this white rice absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and is made through 81 days of nurturing and 49 processes?"
Li Shenggang was about to introduce his white rice when Li Chengqian interrupted him and repeated almost exactly what he wanted to say.
Li Shen was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, "Huh? How did this guy know? He even learned my signature move."
Did you just reveal your marketing techniques that you've used for years?
Seeing Li Shen's expression, everyone knew that the Crown Prince had hit the nail on the head; they hadn't expected that Prince Ji really meant to say that.
"What...what's wrong with you?" Li Shen asked blankly.
"Heh, that's not what you said when you tricked me last time?" Li Chengqian sneered twice.
"Really?" Li Shen asked, somewhat embarrassed.
After gathering his thoughts, Li Shen continued to explain:
"Brother, you're mistaken. How could I make up such a story? The white rice is just ordinary white rice from Liaodong Road."
However, the land in Liaodong is fertile and there is only one season a year, so the growing season lasts for as long as half a year.
That's why they're plump, sweet, and soft.
“That can’t be ten strings of cash per dou,” Li Tai questioned.
"Of course, there are many costs involved, and transporting goods from Liaodong also requires a considerable amount of money."
The key point is the road, yes, the road. The road from Liaodong is a cement road, the Changliao Expressway, and there are tolls too.
In addition, the cost of food and supplies for both people and horses along the way will be considerable by the time you reach the Great Wall.
Li Shen really couldn't keep up the lie. If Li Chengqian hadn't exposed him, he could have gotten away with using the spirit rice.
When the lie is exposed, any excuse he tries to find will be completely untrue.
The shipping costs for this route don't need to be that much.
A four-wheeled carriage can transport several thousand kilograms of rice, and only one driver is needed.
Li Shen wanted to tell a story to these white rice grains, but he was powerless to do so.
"Hehe, I knew you were trying to scam me. I won't ask you for it anymore. I'll just send someone to deliver a batch."
Seeing that Li Shen had run out of ideas, Li Chengqian immediately smiled and said...
"Well... I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, brother."
After hesitating for a moment, Li Shen said in a low voice.
"Huh? What do you mean? You don't mean I'm not allowed to buy it?"
Li Chengqian was somewhat puzzled.
Li Shen shook his head and said:
"No, that's not it. I can't stop my brother from buying it, but whether he can actually buy it is another matter."
"What? You bought all the rice in Liaodong Road?" Li Shimin, who was watching the commotion from the side, suddenly interjected and asked.
Li Shen didn't speak, but nodded a few times.
"What! You bought all the white rice in Liaodong Road?" Li Chengqian looked at Li Shen with some surprise.
“Yes,” Li Shenyi shrugged, indicating that was the case.
"How should the taxes be paid?" Li Shimin asked.
"Father, have you forgotten? Didn't we exempt them from taxes for several years?" Li Shen replied.
"I only exempted them from taxes for three years, which should have expired by now. They should have paid taxes for the past two years."
Li Shimin immediately realized the flaw in Li Shen's words.
Li Shen calmly replied:
“What Father said is right, it has indeed expired, so I have been paying the taxes paid by Liaodong Circuit for the past two years.”
The grain used was collected from Hebei Province.
"How dare you! Li Shen, do you know your crime?" Li Shimin immediately roared in anger upon hearing this.
This guy actually switched the goods.
This time, Li Shen wasn't afraid at all and said directly:
“Father, what crime have I committed? The court has paid every single grain of rice in taxes, and it’s not that I’m not paying taxes.”
It's just rice from a different place.
Li Shen was very firm; he was right this time.
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin realized that it made sense, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable that this guy was using rice from Hebei Province to pay taxes in Liaodong Province.
"Father, there isn't that much rice in Liaodong Circuit; most of it is still millet and wheat."
Rice can only be cultivated in places with sufficient water.
The seeds for these rice varieties all came from the Agricultural Research Institute of Lingnan Province.
I signed contracts with the rice farmers, stipulating that all their rice must be sold to the Prince Ji's residence, in exchange for millet and wheat.
One pound of white rice can be exchanged for two pounds of millet or wheat.
This is a sure-fire way for the local people to make money. After exchanging the rice, they can sell the surplus rice and earn 30% more than they would from selling plain rice.
They are becoming increasingly loyal to our Great Tang Dynasty.
Li Shen knew he couldn't hide it anymore, so he just told the truth, since it wasn't exactly a secret anyway.
Li Shen had planned this all along.
"Where did the rice from the past two years go? Why haven't I seen anyone selling it in Chang'an? Did you hoard it?"
Li Shimin asked the question.
"No, it's all been made into wine. Rice wine made from white rice from Liaodong Road tastes better."
Father, have you forgotten about all the rice wine and tribute wine I sent to the palace last year?
Li Shen spoke frankly.
"Your Majesty, Shen'er did indeed send a lot of rice wine and tribute wine to the palace last year, and they are all stored in the wine cellar."
Empress Zhangsun offered a reminder from the side.
"That rice wine was made from white rice from Liaodong Road. No wonder I felt that the taste was different from before, more mellow and sweet."
Li Shimin's expression changed, and a smile appeared on his lips, a look of satisfaction on his face. It seemed his son was quite filial, not forgetting his father when he received something good.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, could it be that today's wine is made from the white rice of Liaodong?"
Li Xiaogong, holding his wine glass, asked curiously.
Li Shen nodded:
"Uncle Wang is right. Today's wine is brewed with white rice from Liaodong Road."
The wine we're drinking today is all tribute wine; how could Li Shen possibly serve his father inferior wine?
The weather was cold, so Li Shen took out liquor with an alcohol content of around 50 degrees; 60 degrees would be too high.
Li Shen didn't like drinking strong liquor; he drank tribute liquor with an alcohol content of around 40%.
“No wonder, it’s different from the tribute wine we’ve had before,” Li Xiaogong said after taking another sip.
He had access to tribute wine, and Li Shen would send him some during festivals, after all, he was his uncle.
Upon hearing this, everyone else picked up their glasses and began to taste the wine.
Among these people, only Li Shen was not good at drinking; Changsun Wuji and the others were incredibly good drinkers.
Even Li Chengqian was no weakling; he grew up drinking.
Especially in this cold weather.
(I like to drink liquor at 32%, 38%, and 42 degrees; good liquor is not harsh at all, and it's very smooth.)