Carefree Prince In Tang Dynasty

Since ancient times, Chinese farmers have been the most sincere and loyal group of people. They simply believe that they can support themselves with their own hands and live a happy life. They work hard day and night, working hard, hoping that they can have enough food, and that their families can have enough food. This is all their expectations. It's unbelievably simple.

However, such a simple expectation still often fails, and the reason for its failure is nothing more than four words: natural disasters and man-made disasters. If the wind does not adjust and the rain does not go well, there will be drought and waterlogging, and the harvest in the fields will not be good. This is a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster to encounter a cruel and ruthless master who collects rents that are too heavy for people to breathe.

Li Xin looked at the old man Zhang who kept kowtowing to him and refused to stop no matter how much he persuaded him, feeling very uncomfortable. He obviously didn't do anything to help old man Zhang, but he could get such sincere gratitude from old man Zhang, almost treating him like a second-born parent. This strange sense of dislocation made him feel a little heavy.

After sending off the old man Zhang who was grateful and said that everyone in Zhuangzi would enshrine Li Xin's tablets, Li Xin suddenly lost the mood to go out for fun.

Wang Gui, who had been standing aside without speaking, finally said: "Actually, the prince only needs to reduce or exempt a few percent of the land rent, and should not directly exempt all the rent."

Li Xin gave Wang Gui a puzzled look.

"Actually, the palace is also short of money." Wang Gui smiled wryly.

As the king of Chu, Li Xin had three main sources of income: one was the salary issued by the imperial court, the other was the rent paid by these households in the fief, and the third was the rewards he received from His Majesty Li Er from time to time. Among them, the biggest head is the second piece.

On weekdays, Li Xin needed to spend a lot of money on food, clothing, housing, transportation, and ostentation, and the income of the palace was just enough. Today, Li Xin waived the land rent of hundreds of households for a year, and the cost of the palace suddenly became stretched.

"Last year, Wang Ye's cloak was a bit old, and I thought about buying a new one for this year. It seems that I can't buy it now." Wang Gui said with some complaints, but his eyes were somewhat relieved. In any case, it was a great happiness for him to see the benevolent shadow of the old prince in the young prince.

Li Xin waved his hand and said, "What's the big deal about such small things? If people starve to death because of two clothes, that would be my fault."

"That's why the prince is too generous. In fact, this year's rent is only half of the rent. The Zhuangzi's custodians can't starve to death, and the palace doesn't have to be so tight." Wang Gui sighed.

Li Xin said with a smile: "Okay, I will figure out a way for the money. There are so many ways to make money in the world, why bother to fight for food with those farmers who are digging in the fields?"

Wang Gui smiled wryly and remained silent. In his opinion, Li Xin has no talent for business. Looking at the whole of Chang'an, there is no family that secretly manages several properties, but the Prince Chu's family has nothing. If not, he would not care about the taxation of the fief.

Li Xin also knew the virtues of his body before, so he didn't explain much. In fact, when he was drinking with Qin Huaiyu yesterday, he had a plan to make money in his heart, and the accident he encountered today just made him start this plan ahead of schedule.

Li Xin didn't go out for an autumn tour at all, he just ordered Wang Gui to help him find some skilled blacksmiths, and then he plunged into the study. Run Niang naturally followed obediently.

As soon as he entered the study, Li Xin spread out a blank sheet of paper on the table. Run Niang immediately took off the pine smoke ink that exuded a faint fragrance and carefully ground it on a well-crafted inkstone to make thick black ink.

Li Xin lowered his head and thought for a while, picked up the brush and filled it with ink, and began to write and draw on the paper.

In his previous life, Li Xin often did industrial drawing work, he was used to using pencils and various precision drawing tools, and strict rulers and legends must be followed. But right now, he doesn't have a pencil, and he doesn't have corresponding drawing tools, so he can only use a brush to draw on paper by hand, which is naturally very uncomfortable. Fortunately, he has some background in painting after all, and he can barely see a straight line when he draws it freehand, so he won't look crooked.

While studying the ink, Runniang looked at Li Xin's movements curiously, and didn't understand what Li Xin was doing—what was this painting? It was strangely shaped, like a big pot, and there were many strange things tube.

Wang Gui's efficiency in handling affairs is still acceptable. When Li Xin's design had just been drawn, he happened to bring two old blacksmiths outside the study to ask for an audience.

Li Xin immediately picked up the still-ink design, walked out of the study excitedly, showed it to two blacksmiths, and asked, "How about it, can you type something like this?"

The two blacksmiths looked at this design drawing over and over for a long time, but they couldn't understand what Li Xin's design drawing meant. Li Xin had no choice but to explain to them the main points of reading the picture seriously, and then they somewhat understood what was drawn on this design picture and how to make it, but what is the use of this strange thing? The two of them didn't understand at all.

Fortunately, after understanding the design drawings, both blacksmiths said that this thing is not difficult to make, and they can make a set in two days. Li Xin was overjoyed, and said: "Okay, then you can fight when you go back. As long as you do well, I will definitely be rewarded by you."

When the two blacksmiths heard that there was a reward, their eyes lit up immediately, they patted their chests and promised that they would do a good job, then they carefully rolled up the design drawn by Li Xin and left. It seems that they should study how to build it. .

After the two walked away, Wang Gui asked strangely: "What did the lord draw for them just now? Is it a pot?" He really didn't know what was wrong with his lord suddenly, so he insisted on asking a blacksmith to make such a strange pot. , I don't even know what the use of this pot is.

Li Xin smiled mysteriously, and said: "You don't know that. This is not an ordinary pot. If my experiment is successful, you can just wait at home and count the money, and make a few hundred coins casually." There is still no problem, so that you can see what my lord is capable of."

Seeing his prince full of confidence, although Wang Gui didn't expect much from Li Xin's earning money, he still showed a smile, and just prayed secretly that the prince would not be too sad if the experiment failed.