“We need not mention this war again. You were ordered to retrieve the remains of those former Sui soldiers—this is a deed of immeasurable merit. I don’t remember any war. As for that minor little conflict with the Goguryeo people, let’s just forget it. There are so many things in the world worthy of our remembrance—who can remember such a trivial ripple?”
Yun Ye nodded in agreement. If the Emperor said this matter didn’t exist, then it absolutely never existed. He quite liked Li Er’s decision to handle it this way. After all, he was also an instructor at the academy. Carrying the reputation of a butcher really didn’t sound good. Although it’s said that immortal achievements through the ages are all accomplished through killing, he’d rather pass on that—bearing fewer evil reputations would be better.
“You don’t need to attend tomorrow’s morning court. I’ve discovered that catching a slight cold is an excellent excuse. You managed to sell heads for forty strings of cash each—truly an impressive skill. Since everything that reaches your hands is clearly priced with no deception regardless of age, think of a way for me. Hou Junji and the others are about to attack Tuyuhun. If there are surplus heads at that time, help me sell them too. Forty strings, fixed price.”
Hearing Li Er expose his entire scheme, Yun Ye could only bow and beg forgiveness. He knew it couldn’t be hidden, but hearing Li Er’s half-serious, half-joking request for help still surprised him.
“I’m not joking with you. Even now, you still don’t understand the value of forty strings of cash. With this money, a family of five could live prosperously for ten years. If they also engage in some business, a lifetime free from worries about food and clothing is certain. I never imagined that those merchants would pay such a great price for some honorary titles without salaries. If an enemy’s head could be priced at forty strings of cash, I would sell them without hesitation. Unfortunately, these words can only be said to you brothers—they cannot be spoken in court.”
Li Er’s lament had just settled when Li Ke, who was most familiar with merchants, respectfully said, “Father Emperor, this isn’t difficult to understand. You’re busy with official documents all day—those merchants are a class of people you don’t come into contact with. Your son is different. While handling inner palace affairs, the people I deal with most are these merchants.”
“Father Emperor, you probably can’t even imagine that merchants with family fortunes of one hundred thousand strings of cash can no longer be considered great merchants in Chang’an. After the last restrictions and crackdowns on merchants, those merchants are gradually breaking free from the control of wealthy and powerful families. Some have already jumped out of this circle and begun independent operations, while the wealthy and powerful families have also begun using their superior conditions to engage in commerce. They receive ridicule and criticism domestically, so they’ve gone abroad. Shadows of Great Tang merchants have appeared in Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, Tuyuhun, Xueyantuo, and the lands of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu. Even more remarkable, some set sail from Mingzhou, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou, traveling as far as the Lion Kingdom, and the farthest reaching the Land of Black People, purchasing ivory, rhinoceros horn, pearls, gems, coral, glass, various spices including frankincense and ambergris, tortoiseshell and other goods at extremely low prices to import domestically, while our Great Tang’s silk, paper, porcelain and other goods also cross the oceans to even more distant places. Father Emperor, imagine what an enormous sum of wealth this represents.”
“When people become wealthy, they seek status and position. Throughout the world, only Father Emperor alone can make someone’s entire family ascend to heaven or plunge into the nine depths of hell. In the rules you established, military merit is supreme. Merchants aren’t seeking the meager salaries Father Emperor gives them—what they need is an identity that allows them to dialogue as equals with high officials and nobles. Otherwise, given their status, even meeting high officials and nobles would be an extravagant hope, let alone any exchange between them. Therefore, that Yun Ye sold a head for forty strings of cash doesn’t surprise your son at all. If Father Emperor needs to sell military merit for heads, your son could easily accomplish it. Those merchants are now like starving wild dogs—give them a bit of meat, and they’ll charge forward fearlessly.”
Li Er looked at his third son in astonishment and asked, “One hundred thousand strings doesn’t count as a great merchant? These merchants have become wealthy to such an extent? I only see the commercial taxes increasing each year but never considered the merchants themselves. Yun Ye, I’m afraid I must revise the commercial laws now and cannot wait two years. If I wait two years, who knows—my Great Tang might produce great merchants with family fortunes of a million strings. This won’t do—restrictions are needed.”
Li Chengqian smiled and said, “In reply to Father Emperor, after the new Kaiyuan coins are issued, your worries will be easily resolved. At that time, the more extremely wealthy people, the better. The development of some new territories can only be accomplished by such great merchants. As long as Father Emperor firmly grasps currency in your hands, even the greatest merchant cannot stir up any waves. Now money houses have become an indispensable checkpoint for long-distance trade. What great merchants use for large transactions are sheets of exchange notes. Without these things, Father Emperor, our Great Tang’s copper coins are simply insufficient—they can’t even meet thirty percent of transaction requirements. Father Emperor, look—this single sheet of paper represents one hundred strings of copper coins.”
Taking the exquisite exchange note from Li Chengqian’s hands, Li Er said nothing. He had seen and used such things often, just never connected them with controlling merchants.
“In the future, tell Father Emperor more about the intricacies of this. Now we’ve reached an unprecedented period of transformation. We should open our arms wide to welcome these things, selecting the good ones to consolidate and perfect, eliminating the bad ones with criticism. If feasible, great achievements can be anticipated.”
“Your Majesty shouldn’t regard these too heavily either. Agriculture has been the means by which our ancestors made their living since ancient times. The saying goes, ‘With grain at home, there’s no panic in the heart.’ Although commerce brings enormous wealth to the nation, agriculture remains the Great Tang’s most important matter—we dare not be the slightest bit negligent. In this humble subject’s view, the Great Tang’s commerce has become too prosperous. In pursuit of novelty, oddity, and strangeness, merchants have traveled too far.”
“Don’t forget that our Great Tang’s currency issuance depends on the most fundamental thing—grain. Gold? Silver? Copper coins? These only have value because we’ve given them value. If tomorrow we decide there’s too much gold and forbid it from being wealth’s representative, it becomes nothing.”
“When things are abundant, prices fall. Of course, we can also throw the surplus into the sea and still maintain high prices. Your Majesty, do you still remember the glass incident?”
Li Er sat on an ox cart in the military camp, saying thoughtfully, “I still remember the grand spectacle of your glass auction that night. A glass object’s transaction price was counted in thousands of strings. But now, I see wealthy families buying the finest porcelain in the marketplace, and glass objects come as extras. This has only been a few years.”
“So, Your Majesty, we all need to grope forward in the darkness. These troubles are ones our predecessors never encountered. We cannot see what tomorrow will bring—we can only guess. Your courage is something previous emperors lacked. Opening your arms wide to welcome the world, not being suspicious, not doubting, not closing yourself off—this humble subject dares to assert that the Prosperity of Zhenguan will certainly be an unprecedented enlightened and glorious golden age.”
Li Er drew his legs up onto the ox cart. Behind him was a full moon, which appeared precisely at the back of his head. His entire person looked like a Buddha in a mural. Yun Ye didn’t know if Li Er created this spectacular scene intentionally or unintentionally. Seeing the adoring expressions of Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Ke, he felt somewhat nauseated.
“Boys, I’ll tell you a secret. I’ve discovered that a great secret exists in this world. Tonight I’ll tell you—it’s something I’ve summarized using myself as a model. Do you know how a person should achieve success? Don’t tell me about diligence, intelligence, courage and such. These things can make you an excellent person but cannot make you a ruler.”
“When I was very young, I saw the former Sui Emperor’s procession—attended before and behind, mighty and magnificent. I saw those nude women in full dress pulling boats. Removing the tyrannical parts, do you know what a spectacular scene that was? One person standing under heaven, surveying the rivers and mountains, treating all the world’s people as straw dogs. At that time, in my eyes, Emperor Yang of Sui truly was the one person between heaven and earth.”
“Xiang Yu said those words about ‘he can be replaced.’ Do you know that I also said these words? Chai Shao was very envious. Li Jiancheng thought it very imposing. Only I! Li Shimin thought I could replace him!”
“From that moment I was already a rebel. Even if outwardly I remained humble, in my bones I was already a rebel. Haha! From that moment, from when that thought arose, followers began appearing endlessly around me, like a rolling snowball, until finally reaching where we are now. It doesn’t shift according to human will.”
“As long as you want it, you can obtain it. As long as you want it intensely, you can obtain it. Hahaha! You didn’t expect it, did you, boy? My success is actually this simple.”
“Just take the first step, and leave the rest to heaven. It will carry you all the way to the pinnacle of success. Therefore, I only ever take the first step. As long as the first step isn’t wrong, heaven will help you complete the rest. You are my closest children. Each of you has grand ambitions. Each of you has the courage and wisdom to match them. Then go do it! If one day your ideals conflict with my wishes, don’t be polite, boys—come and try to see who truly is heaven’s favored child!”
Yun Ye’s mouth nearly twisted up to the sky. First intimidation, then encouragement, then threats, then playing the emotional card—isn’t it a bit late to feel you can’t control these people now?
Seeing those three brothers all kneel down claiming they wouldn’t dare, Yun Ye raised his own hands high and said loudly, “This has nothing to do with me! I plan to go back to Yushan tomorrow to raise pigs. My ideal is to live like a pig. I’ve just told myself this and plan to do exactly that. Don’t count me in your grand ideals.”
After saying this, Yun Ye immediately ran. Li Tai, kneeling on the ground, also felt wronged. He sprang up from the ground with a whoosh and said loudly, “This has nothing to do with me either! I only want to be a wise emperor! Yun Ye, wait for me!”
Li Ke, whose brain was always half a beat slower than Li Tai’s, now also figured it out. He said to the Emperor, “Father Emperor, you should discuss this with my eldest brother. Your ideals are more aligned. I just want to find lots of beautiful women and make lots of money. I’m going to find those two.” Having said that, he also ran.
Beads of sweat were pouring down Li Chengqian’s forehead in rapid succession. Not even an immortal could help him now.
Looking at his distressed eldest son, Li Er helped him up with a smile and said, “Very good. Those three could run, and they can run. They ran cleanly and decisively. Their excuses seem ridiculous but are actually their true thoughts. Come, come, come—let us father and son have a good discussion…”