Start with detective Li Yuanfang

Chapter 391 Selling tea for so long, it's finally time to harvest

Purple Palace.

Qianyuan Hall.

This is the main hall of Miyagi, which was called Qianyang Hall in Sui Dynasty. It was later destroyed in the war. When Li Zhi designated Luoyang as the eastern capital, he ordered to build it on the original basis. Today's status is equivalent to that of Hanyuan Hall in Daming Palace. During the Shangwu Zhou Dynasty, it was this palace that was demolished and the Mingtang was built.

Li Hong is located here today, receiving triumphant soldiers from the Western Expedition and envoys from various countries paying tribute.

The officials stood upright, and saw a group of generals wearing military armor, walking into the hall in a hurry.

The ministers looked sideways.

Pei Xingjian was originally a standard Confucian general, resembling a teaching doctor in the second hall, but now his tough body is completely veteran of the battlefield.

An Yuanshou was over seventy years old, and when he took off his helmet, his hair was all white. Fortunately, he was in good spirits and was growing stronger.

There are also generals such as Hei Chi Changzhi, Wang Fangyi, Cheng Wuting, and Li Duozuo.

Either they stand out, or they are promoted by Pei Xingjian, and they seem to be the generals of the new dynasty. They don't have to worry about having no successors, and they don't have to worry about being killed for no reason.

Li Hong was obviously very happy with the return of the generals, he lifted his spirits, and his calm voice echoed in the hall: "All the troops are brave and went to the frontiers to go on an expedition for the country, and now we will reward you for your merit..."

Officials from the Ministry of Rituals came out and read out the details, and the generals showed joy.

Pei Xingjian, Minister of the Ministry of Worship and the General of the Right Guard who inspected the school, held both civil and military positions, and his authority was only under the prime minister.

With his qualifications and merits, he can definitely join the cabinet, but since the current Zhongshuling is Pei Sijian, he can only succeed him as prime minister when Pei Sijian retires.

And An Yuanshou was promoted to General Zuo Wuwei, inspected the Zuo Yulin Army, and officially entered the ranks of the third rank, wearing purple robes.

This veteran of the three dynasties who had been guarding Li Shimin's side as early as the Weishui alliance, became the Duke of Liang due to his meritorious service.

Hei Chi Chang Zhi, Wang Fang Yi and other generals all became the backbone of the army, conferring on their wives and sons without hesitation.

Li Yan, who was among the officials, felt happy for the generals, but at the same time, his eyes were slightly focused.

Because he didn't see Qiu Ying.

In the list of rewards from the Ministry of Rites, there is Qiu Ying, who was granted the title of General You Wuhou, who was also in the third rank, and was given the title of Duke of Tianshui County.

It's just that people didn't return together.

Seeing Li Yan searching, An Yuanshou turned his gaze and exchanged a look with him.

Li Yan probably had an idea in his mind, he collected himself, and looked at the envoy behind him again.

Along with the army returned, there were envoys from Tubo, Tuyuhun and other countries in the Western Regions.

Needless to say, the countries in the Western Regions, before Dafeichuan suffered a disastrous defeat, their envoys immediately gathered in Tubo King City.

Now that Tubo is shrunk, the Tang army is mighty, and they come to Luoyang to kneel and lick obediently, it's all grass on the wall.

This is also the tragedy of a small country, which can only rely on the big country for survival.

Among them, the one who walked in the front was an unexpected acquaintance.

The Ruben Mo Nong family of Tubo Sun Boru.

The old woman actually came to Luoyang to face the saint as a Tubo envoy.

Seeing that Li Yan was at the forefront of the group of officials, her eyes were filled with obvious joy, but she didn't dare to look any further. She respectfully followed the etiquette of the envoys and offered a large number of offerings. The countries in the Western Regions also brought their own tributes.

Li Yan listened attentively, paying more attention to the crops.

The dynasty that introduced the most crops in history was the Ming Dynasty. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, peppers, corn, pumpkins and other things all came in at that time.

Compared with the importance of these crops, the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty was smooth, but only spinach and watermelon were introduced, and the watermelon was quite different from the later generations, which seemed a bit shabby.

No way, don’t underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. They also knew how to import good things, but the Han Dynasty had already introduced cucumbers, carrots, garlic, grapes, broad beans, etc. from Central Asia. Eggplant, there's really nothing left to come in.

Those crops in the Ming Dynasty basically originated in the Americas, such as sweet potatoes, which were first planted in Mexico and Colombia in central America. They were first brought to the Philippines and other countries by the Spaniards, and then introduced to China. similar situation.

At this time, Li Yan was a little disappointed when he heard about the crops from various countries. He felt that the tributes from these countries were all flashy, so it was better to replace them with pepper.

After all, that thing is very valuable, and it can be used as currency to the outside world.

Of course, the tribute between countries should not only focus on benefits, face is also very important. Li Hong enjoyed this moment very much, and accepted the pilgrimage of envoys from all over the world.

Until a country in the Western Regions changed the name of Yangxian Tea and paid tribute carefully, the saint couldn't help it, and smiled at Li Yan.

Who in the Manchu Dynasty didn't know that this was the promoter of tea products, and the current tea drinking atmosphere in the Tang Dynasty had a huge relationship with it. As a result, the Western Regions actually regarded tea as a treasure and paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty?
Li Yan was also taken aback, carefully observing the repackaging of Yangxian tea, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

He has sold tea for so long and spread it all over the place, and finally it is time to harvest.

……

"So, Uncle Qiu fell ill in Lanzhou, making it difficult for him to move forward?"

After retiring from the court, Li Yan returned to the inner guard and waited for news.

An Shengan quickly came to convey the words of his father An Yuanshou, and also brought a letter written by Qiu Ying.

Li Yan unfolded the letter and read it carefully.

Qiu Ying fell ill, suffered from old injuries, and was unable to join the army. She stayed in Lanzhou to recuperate from her injuries, and then she was going to resign from the saint and return home.

Qiu Ying is not very old, only in her fifties, it is indeed a wise move to retreat bravely at this time, not only to save the evening, but also to cut off the possibility of Empress Wu continuing to use it.

At the same time, in the letter, he also expressed his congratulations to Qiu Shen for his success in subduing Fei and supporting the Qiu family's facade, saying that after working hard for most of his life, he can finally let go of the burden.

After reading it carefully, Li Yan had mixed feelings.

The most uncomfortable thing is to find someone close to you during the investigation. Empress Wu saw it very accurately, and he couldn't avoid it. It's easy to say that killing relatives righteously, but it's really hard to do that.

Qiu Ying took good care of him from Liangzhou to the capital. Although in the eyes of the other party, she was more helpful, but no matter what, this burly man who appeared in front of the academy and changed the trajectory of his life was in Li Yan's heart. The status is very important, and the other party can retire with the title of Duke of Tianshui County when he is not deeply involved in the case, which can be regarded as a decent ending.

Seeing Li Yan's complexion soothed, he felt relieved: "Liulang, then I'll go to work."

Li Yandao: "Wait a minute, what's the sales volume of tea cakes in the Western Regions recently?"

An Shen laughed: "Aye just mentioned that when he passed through Liangzhou, when he returned to the old house, he was shocked to learn that the income of the family in recent years was very shocking. Later, we found out that Liu Lang took us here. In the tea cake business, I really didn’t expect this thing to be more profitable than pepper.”

Li Yandao: "Pepper's huge profits are rare and expensive. There are only a few places where it is produced, but there are many people vying for it. According to the Jiangnan merchants who have traveled far, not only our Tang Dynasty, but also those distant Western countries. Pepper flocks to it, compares it to black gold, and even wages war on it..."

The An family is a wealthy family in Liangzhou, and Liangzhou merchants temporarily went offline and turned into Jiangnan merchants. Anshen thought how Jiangnan merchants could go to the West, and was shocked: "Although pepper is used by nobles in Tang Dynasty, it is very expensive. , but it's unimaginable, it's crazy to go to war over this thing!"

Li Yan smiled: "From the pepper, we can actually see the effect of tea. You must know that drinking tea can nourish the body, clear the heart and reduce internal heat, prevent abdominal distension, and relieve constipation. This is very good for us Tang Dynasty people. Those who live For people in grasslands and plateaus, it is a necessary drink, so what is the value?"

An Shen felt a little regretful: "To tell you the truth, Liu Lang, you used to emphasize that tea has so many magical effects, and we were a little skeptical. Now that we see the countries in the Western Regions vying for it, we are sure. I knew that tea cakes were really related to the lives of alien races. Should we start early and achieve...'monopoly' as Liu Lang said?"

Li Yan shook his head: "It can't be monopolized. Tea drinking has long been practiced in Jiangnan and Sichuan. The method of making tea I use is just a new way of thinking, and it is not irreplaceable. I am the promoter now. If I force a monopoly, it will be Disruptor of the industry."

Anshen feels admiration: "I can't wait for the situation of Liulang. Tea can be popular in the north and south of the river. Now that the sales volume in various places has increased greatly, the person who is most grateful to the tea merchants should be Liulang!"

Li Yandao: "I don't expect those merchants to be grateful, and I will not give selflessly. For example, the production of famous Jiangnan teas such as Yangxian tea and Zisun tea are all in my hands..."

"From Jiangnan to Chang'an, it will be completed by the Xie's Chamber of Commerce. From Chang'an to Longyou and then to Tubo and the Western Regions, you, the An's, will help you. It will be distributed by merchants in foreign countries. The division of labor is clear and the profits are extremely high. In [-], the trade route finally stabilized."

"Now the nobles in Tubo are basically used to drinking tea. I don't know if their ordinary people can't ask for a tea cake?"

Anshen's eyes brightened: "If this is the case, our internal guards should pay attention to it. If we don't eat pepper, but just lack a seasoning, and don't drink tea, they may die of pain due to lag."

It’s okay to have conflicts. Neiwei likes neighboring countries with conflicts, and he is the master of the oppressed class. He feels relieved: "I don’t even have the freedom to drink tea. The people of Tubo are living too hard. I will to arrange."

Li Yan took a sip of tea in relief. What he said was only the first step, and there was still more room for display around tea, and after these years of experience, this confidant could also be on his own. Born is more suitable for completing tasks that others cannot complete.

But when he got home from get off work and just arrived at Li's mansion, Li Yan found that he didn't seem to need to take the initiative to do anything. Sun Boru from Tubo was already waiting respectfully outside the mansion, and when he saw his lion Cong, he even greeted him in advance: "Leader Li Ge!"

Li Yan immediately got off his horse. When he was in Tubo, he was holding banners. When facing this Sun Bo Ruben, he just nodded his head as a salute, but now he bowed his hand and returned the salute: "Ruben helped me in the past, and I still remember it in my heart. Now I come to the Tang Dynasty , it's time for me to do my best as a landlord, please come in!"

Seeing that his attitude remained the same, Sun Boru was overjoyed, and she was brewing emotions all the way. When she was seated in the main hall, a firm look appeared in her eyes: "Li Geling, do you still remember that when I was in Tubo in the past, I gave my old man a copy of "The Great Tang Dynasty?" "Western Regions"?"

Li Yan nodded: "Of course I remember."

How could he not remember that the "Da Tang Western Regions" translated by Supi girl is a special edition, which describes the prosperity and power of the former daughter country. Xuanzang would be surprised if he saw it. This is the book I have been to. daughter country?
It was that book that planted a seed in this man's heart, which blossomed and bore fruit after being watered by wind and rain.

At this moment, Sun Bo Ruben took a deep breath, and said straight to the point: "I came this time to seek help from the Great Tang Heavenly Army, to help me, Sun Bo, break away from Tubo, and reestablish Supi!"

(End of this chapter)