Chapter 204 The Art of Compromise
"The people on this list... I have arranged for the Hundred Cavalry Division to capture them before I went to court! No matter who he is or what his achievements are, since I am indifferent to my words, I don't need to tell you any more!"
The shocked expression on the faces of officials from the aristocratic family completely turned into panic and fear!
"And, I have published this list in the "Dang Dynasty Daily" today, just like the matter between the Dou family. Aren't the scholars in the world unaware of the truth? Don't you want me to give an explanation? Then I will let them see what the truth is, the so-called crown prince is angry to death, the so-called killing innocent people, and the so-called scholars in front of the Zhuque Gate crying blood!"
After His Majesty Li Er said that, he shook his sleeves and left the court directly.
But the officials who had left the court slowly in the past have changed their usual behavior today. As soon as His Majesty Li Er left, they quickly left the Tai Chi Hall, in a very hurrying manner!
Unfortunately, it was too late after all... As soon as I left the imperial city, I saw soldiers wearing exclusive costumes of the Hundred Cavalry, escorting dozens of people into the imperial city! More importantly, they saw the heads of various families stationed in Chang'an City among these arrested people!
"Oh no, I'm really caught!"
"Go back and tell your family quickly that something is going to happen!"
"Your Majesty is crazy, aren't he afraid of us collectively fighting back?"
"What are you fighting back? Didn't you hear your Majesty release the cause and consequences of the matter and the list of personnel have been announced?"
"Oh, let's report it to your home quickly! It's really backfired now!"
The officials of the aristocratic family rushed to their respective homes with even more anxious expressions. They needed to inform their respective homes of what happened in Chang'an in order to deal with His Majesty Li Er's strong attack!
The people arrested, especially those in charge of the aristocratic families stationed in Chang'an, were all regretful and depressed! They just followed the arrangements of their families, thinking that Li Shimin was afraid of their family and would not do anything to them... Yesterday, they were gloating and watching the lively Dou family, but today they were already imprisoned!
...
Time passed, and another half a month passed in a blink of an eye. Although Jubaoxuan attracted a lot of customers because of selling cheap books, many people outside Chang'an even heard the news and went here to buy books, and even hundreds of them were bought... Of course, they bought these books not for themselves, but for shipping them to other places for sale!
Although the cheapest book "The Analects of Confucius" in Jubaoxuan costs fifty yuan, it will be sold to other places by these people for a price of one or even several cents, but compared to the difficulty of obtaining books, this is already very, very cheap!
However, contrary to the booming business, there are angry scholars gathering at the door of Jubaoxuan every day to yell at Jubaolou to blaspheme the sages!
"Your Majesty, as of yesterday, there were joint petitions by scholars in the thirteen paths in the world and seven paths!"
"Hmph, these people still don't give up!"
"In my opinion, it's not that they don't give up, but that they don't dare to give up! People from the aristocratic family are not stupid, and they can definitely figure out the impact of the cheap books launched by His Royal Highness. This is cutting off their foundation and they will not compromise easily! Making such a big noise is nothing more than trying to force His Majesty to give in!"
"Yes, as Gao Ming often said, any innovation is to cut off the flesh of the vested interests and distribute it to others. Whether it is cheap books or commercial tax matters, it is to divide the vested interests of aristocratic families into the people of the world... but so!"
"Your Majesty, are you really going to give up cheap books and promote the smooth implementation of the trade tax?"
"Well, although I wish I could completely solve the problems of the aristocratic family immediately, as Gao Ming said, freezing three feet of ice does not last a day. The aristocratic family has been deeply rooted after thousands of years, and it cannot be solved by temporary achievements!"
"Then what should you do? You can't take the initiative to bow your head to those people, right?"
"It's nothing, it's just a way to lead a snake out of the hole and replace the pillars!"
"Your Majesty means..."
"The final result will be achieved in the Zhuque Gate in just a few days. People from the aristocratic families cannot watch me deal with them, they will definitely give in! But... they cannot give in unconditionally. Cheap books are their ultimate bottom line!"
As expected by His Majesty Li Er, the next day, the officials who had impeached the prince made a big turn of 180 degrees and began to praise Li Chengqian. Everything that sounded good was about Li Chengqian!
There are few praises to Li Chengqian in the sky and are hard to find on the earth. It costs thousands of years of history in China. Apart from His Majesty Li Er, there is no prince and crown prince who can compare with Li Chengqian!
The loss of these people can tell the truth about Li Chengqian's benefits without blushing, and even His Majesty Li Er felt a little embarrassed to hear it!
That's not all. After praising Li Chengqian, these people began to praise and praise the Ministry of Commerce proposed by Li Chengqian and the Patent Act proposed to be promulgated and implemented.
However, they did not just say good things. After praising Li Chengqian and praising the Ministry of Commerce, these people changed the topic and started talking about cheap books.
"Your Majesty, you have said before that the articles of sages are priceless, but the books that record these articles are valuable, and I agree very much. However... His Royal Highness, the new books that the Prince of the Crown Prince had been invented for the world and the people, were used by some people who were blinded by profiteering... They bought books at a low price from His Royal Highness's Jubaoxuan, then transported them to other places, and then sold them at a high price! There is a saying among the people of Chang'an City - if you want to be rich, go to the treasure tower, buy some books, and go to Jiuzhou, three or five months, thousands of yuan! Your Majesty, if this continues, not only will the reputation of Your Royal Highness be damaged, but your Majesty's reputation will also be affected!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the prince made a great wish to let everyone in the world have books to read. This is comparable to that of the Saint Confucius. However, such good deeds and virtues have been used extensively and become a tool for his personal gain. This really makes me feel heartbroken!"
His Majesty Li Er has been listening quietly to the ministers' memorials. Even though he had known that these officials of the aristocratic families would compromise, he did not expect that they would compromise so thoroughly and shamelessly!
Since the aristocratic family has compromised, His Majesty Li Er must stop when he sees it. In fact, this court affairs are similar to bargaining between merchants! I haven’t heard anyone say that politics is an art of compromise!
Therefore, after the ministers finished speaking, His Majesty Li Er was upright and said loudly: "Hehe... I have understood the words of my dear friends. The Ministry of Commerce and the Patent Act have been confirmed, so I will not say more... Regarding new books, the prince invented new books, which was originally for the people of the world to read, but now it has become a tool for making huge profits... I am also very angry, and I should indeed try to solve this matter! I wonder what good plans do you have?"
Chapter completed!