Traveling across the heavens starting from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 52 Is this a requirement or a reward?

Inside the discussion platform.

Like a calm lake, without any ripples, very quiet.

The seven family heads with the five surnames and Qi Wang were sitting around the stove. They showed no interest in talking, which made the atmosphere around them very depressing. The seven of them all looked at the half-person tall bronze incense burner placed in the center of the discussion platform. The white smoke dissipates the coldness around you, and you can smell the woody fragrance.

Until Li Huaian walked into the forum.

Until the servants of Fan Yanglu's family put the boxes away and exited the scope of the forum.

Only then did the Taoist platform undergo a slight change, and the lake water produced slight ripples.

The seven family heads in the Taoist platform all focused on Li Huaian and glanced at the dozens of wooden boxes placed aside.

As Cui Yu's uncle, the head of the Cui family in Qinghe, he is also the initiator of this gathering of the seven heads of the five surnames and Qi Wang in the Chang'an City Collection Hall.

Cui Tiancheng, who was sitting in the upper position, was the first to speak.

"Li Langjun, I am the head of the Cui family in Qinghe and Cui Yu's uncle. The remaining six people, counting from my right, are the head of the Cui family in Boling, the head of the Li family in Longxi, and the head of the Li family in Zhaojun. The heads of the family, on the left are the head of the Lu family in Fanyang, the head of the Zheng family in Xingyang and the head of the Wang family in Taiyuan."

After introducing several family heads with the fifth surname and Qi Wang.

Cui Tiancheng looked at Li Huaian again.

"Speaking of which, this is our first meeting."

"Yes, it is indeed the first time we have met. I met Cui Yu once at Liuli Pavilion, and Li has met several family heads here."

Li Huaian made a casual gesture to the seven family heads as a courtesy.

Cui Tiancheng didn't mind this disrespectful behavior, and still smiled and said: "I hope Mr. Li won't mind too much about the arrangement of our meeting today."

"Whether today's talks are successful or not, on behalf of the Qinghe Cui family, I can guarantee here that you can leave here safely today without any obstruction from our seven families."

"Thank you very much then."

Li Huaian didn't care too much about the promise made by Cui Yu's uncle, saying that he was guaranteed to leave here safely, but there was no guarantee that he would still be safe after leaving here.

Maybe he might be attacked and killed as soon as he walked out of the gate of Huiwen Hall.

Promises written in black and white on paper may be useless waste paper.

Not to mention such empty promises.

Whoever believes is a fool.

Regardless of whether Li Huaian believed it or not, Cui Tiancheng still calmed down the atmosphere at the scene, pointing at the head of the Li family in Longxi and the head of the Li family in Zhao County, and asked.

"Li Langjun's surname is Li. I don't know where Li Langjun comes from. Maybe he is related to these two families. In that case, there is no need to continue today's meeting. My family can talk behind closed doors. There is no need to cause such a big fight."

"That's right. Tell me the names of your ancestors. I'll check the genealogy when I get home to see if your ancestors come from my Li family in Longxi or from the Li family in Zhaojun."

"Yes, I will also go back and check the genealogy. If it comes from our Li family in Zhao County, after I return, I will ask the family to engrave a monument for your lineage and open a separate page in the genealogy."

The two heads of the Li family also followed Cui Tiancheng and started talking.

This is not a promise they made casually. As the head of the family with the fifth surname and Qiwang, he not only bears the heavy responsibility of the family, but also the rise and fall of the entire clan.

In other words, in addition to being the heads of the clan with the fifth surname and Qiwang, they are also the clan leaders of all clansmen with the same surname that extend from the fifth surname and Qiwang. They have absolute rights in the clan.

This is why Cui Tiancheng asked Li Huaian where the surname Li came from, and why the two heads of the Li family made such a promise so easily.

The reason.

In ancient times, clans were extremely important to ancient people and could transcend the laws of the court. In many cases, clans were much easier to use than the court.

That is to say, in modern society, the influence of clans is much weaker.

However, in some areas where clan concepts are deeply rooted, even in modern society, clans still have a deep influence.

Unfortunately.

Li Huaian is a time traveler and a person who has not experienced the concept of clan in the modern society of the main world. Cui Tiancheng and the two heads of the family named Li are destined to waste their time.

"Sorry, come to think of it, I am neither from the Li family of Longxi nor from the Li family of Zhaojun."

Even if his surname Li really came from one of these two families, the time span of more than 1000 years would still be the Tang world of the heavens.

Even if there was a real connection, he didn't care.

Besides, he remembered that his dead father once said that his ancestors came from the big locust tree, and there was nothing else.

There is no genealogy.

There is no way to trace our ancestors and find our roots.

Therefore, Li Huaian didn't want to talk about the clan origins of these five surnamed Qiwang family heads, so he directly suggested.

"Family heads, let's talk about business."

"Alright."

Seeing this, Cui Tiancheng no longer hesitated and gave up his previous idea. He no longer planned to use clan to close the relationship with Li Huaian. In his mind, everyone with the same surname in the world came from the same clan. In the Tang Dynasty, it was possible to achieve such achievements , reading and literacy, among the Li surnames, it is nothing more than that he comes from the clan of one of the two Lis in Zhao County, Longxi.

Unexpectedly, Li Huaian was not interested in these at all and did not answer the question.

resignedly.

Cui Tiancheng could only go straight to the topic.

The heads of the other six families also sat up straight in an instant and looked at Li Huaian. After finishing their opening remarks, the next step was the real moment of confrontation between the two sides.

"Since Li Langjun is unwilling to say where his ancestors come from, it seems that there is a reason why he doesn't want to mention it. The two brothers of the Li family should wake up and ask themselves, are you, the clan leader, too concerned about the clan members? not enough."

"We, as a family, should do a self-examination when we return home to see if we have neglected to care for our clan members."

I said a few words casually.

Attracting nods from the other six family heads.

Cui Tiancheng said to Li Huaian.

"Since we want to get down to business, I think the things in these boxes are the things Li Langjun told my nephew Cui Yu. You might as well take them out and show them to us."

"It's good for us to think about it."

Done.

The seven family heads all focused on the wooden box, waiting for Li Huaian to take out the things.

Li Huaian did not waste any time and moved a wooden box marked with movable lead type to the seven heads of the family. He opened the box to reveal a complete set of movable lead type inside.

Take out a lead block with words engraved on it.

"Well, this is what I said that can easily print books. Because it is made of lead, I call it lead movable type. There are seven sets in total. If we have a pleasant conversation, I can give it as a gift. One set for each of your families.”

"I still have seven sets of copper type that I haven't brought with me."

Cui Tiancheng looked at the movable lead type in Li Huaian's hand and couldn't help but stand up from his seat. He lost his composure and quickly approached to check the movable lead type.

The other six family heads did the same. They all stood up from their seats and followed Cui Tiancheng around Li Huaian, inspecting the movable lead type.

What's more, he has personally taken out the movable lead types from the box and put them in his hands to observe.

The movable lead type is very delicate.

But the seven family heads present were not in the mood to appreciate this exquisiteness. If possible, they would rather never see the movable type in front of them.

Because they knew that this piece of lead type was like a sharp sword piercing the heart of Wu Xing Qi Wang.You can kill them at any time.

If these movable lead types fell into the hands of the Tang Dynasty court, how could these aristocratic families control the court and restrain the Tang emperor? As time went by, the Tang emperor and the court would no longer need them.

And their five surnames and seven hopes will become a thing of the past, ruthlessly swept into the past by the Emperor and the court of the Tang Dynasty.

after.

I'm afraid that if we mention the Five Surnames and Seven Looks again, it will be nothing more than a page in the history books.

thought of here.

The seven family heads looked at each other and broke out in cold sweat.

With just one glance, they, as the heads of the family with the fifth surname and Qiwang, already knew the power of the movable lead type in their hands.

This small piece of movable lead type was enough to subvert the current cultural context of the Tang Dynasty, greatly weakening the influence of these aristocratic families among the literati, until the influence no longer existed.

They no longer have the monopoly or distribution rights of knowledge.

Li Huaian on the side did not pay attention to the reactions of the seven family heads. He continued to open another box and took out the books inside, giving the seven family heads another blow to their inner defenses.

"I still have a lot of books here. Different from the current scrolls and books made of bamboo slips, the books I have here are thread-bound books, which are very suitable for flipping through and very convenient to read."

When Cui Tiancheng and the other six family heads heard this, they looked at Li Huaian and the thread-bound book that was taken out. The different production methods of the book immediately attracted their attention.

"Is this a book?"

"This book..."

"This book is really easy to read, better than a scroll."

"The paper used in this book feels so smooth, and the handwriting is very clean, without any mess."

Each of the seven family heads held a book in their hands. They were amazed, but their hearts became a little heavier. They couldn't help but ask each other what each family thought of the paper in the book.

"The paper used in this book is so white. Could the Lu family make this kind of paper?"

"No, where is your Li family?"

"No, Wang family?"

"If you can't do it, how can I, the Wang family, do it?"

Cui Tiancheng also shook his head, and so did the Cui family in Qinghe.

a little.

The seven family heads sat back on their seats. They lost their composure at the beginning and changed from their usual calmness. Their faces were full of surprise.

The only thing that made them happy was that each of them held a thread-bound book in their hands and were reluctant to put it down.

"Except that I didn't see Li Langjun's papermaking skills."

While talking, Cui Tiancheng looked at the thread-bound book in his hand and felt very emotional, as if he had seen the decline of their five surnames and seven hopes.

"Cui would like to ask, is the paper Li Langjun's papermaking technique uses the same as the paper in my hand?"

The other six family heads also looked at Li Huaian, waiting for the final decisive moment.

Inquiries about Cui Tiancheng.

Li Huaian shook his head.

"The papermaking skills I have are not yet as smooth and white as the paper used to make these books. To achieve this level of smoothness and whiteness, I'm afraid it will be very expensive. The cost should be about the same as the paper you sell. almost."

"It's not worth popularizing this paper."

"Paper should be something cheap, something that can be produced on a large scale, a commodity that everyone can use and afford."

It is very difficult to reproduce the industrial paper produced in the main world in the Tang Dynasty. This is the embodiment of an industrial system. He does not want to show it in the Tang Dynasty because it will take a long time to realize. .

Unless it is a trick to the Tang Dynasty.

He went to the main world to buy a complete set of industrial papermaking machinery.

if that's the case.

The plot will progress more slowly.

Li Huaian did not want to continue to develop like this and let the industrial development of Datang World hold him back, and he was not interested in personally climbing the technological tree of Datang World.

That would be such a waste of time.

He only wanted to achieve his goal through classics, papermaking, and movable type. Ordinary artificial papermaking was enough to intimidate the seven family heads with five surnames and seven hopes in front of him.

After listening to Li Huaian's introduction to the papermaking technology he had mastered, the seven family heads all became silent.

I pondered for a long time.

Cui Tiancheng, as the representative of the seven families, was the first to speak.

"Li Langjun, the seven families of Liulice will pay you back in full, including the total income of 100 million taels of gold in the past two months, and we will give you sufficient compensation from the starting price. Each of our families will contribute 50 taels. The gold will be given to you as compensation in exchange for the condition that you will not use these things externally."

"Similarly, you must also agree to our request."

"Otherwise, our seven families and you can only do one thing based on our own abilities, for the sake of the continuation of our seven families, and for the sake of the clan."

Li Huaian was stunned. He was surprised. He thought that there would be many confrontations between the two sides. You and I would come and go, just like in the novel, playing a verbal battle with the Confucian scholars, and stage a solo battle with five surnames and seven hopes.

Unexpectedly, he encountered a real business war.

"can."

"But what is your request?"

The Liulic Pavilion was brought back with the income of 100 million taels of gold from Liulic Pavilion in the past two months, plus 50 taels of gold from each of the seven families as compensation, giving him a total compensation of 450 million taels of gold.

This price was enough for him to agree to this simple request.

He was neither a relative nor an acquaintance of the Tang Dynasty, so there was no need for him to be at odds with Qian. He had become a sworn enemy for the sake of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Surnames and Qi Wang.

Therefore, he only cares about the request of Qiwang from the fifth surname.

"You need to agree to marry a legitimate daughter from each of our seven families as your wife. Only if you agree to this condition can we agree to return the Liulic Pavilion to you and compensate you with 450 million taels of gold as part of the dowry."

Cui Tiancheng told the conditions of Qiwang with five surnames.

Li Huaian, on the other hand, had a look of shock on his face. He didn't know what the heads of the five surnamed Qiwang families were thinking. Instead of fighting him to the death, they also wanted to give him legitimate daughters from each family, seven at a time.

If you don't agree, go to war.

Are you sure Wu Surname Qi Wang is not giving welfare?
Li Huaian shook his head, looked at the seven family heads with five surnames and seven looks with suspicion, and silently asked a suspicion.

"Aren't the legitimate daughters of each of your families ugly?"

"If it's ugly, forget it. I'd rather go to war with you."

When the seven family heads heard this, their expressions froze, and they seemed to have the intention of killing Li Huaian directly on the Dao Forum.

Fortunately, Cui Tiancheng saved the situation once again.

"Hahaha."

"Don't worry about this, my legitimate daughter with the fifth surname Qiwang is no worse than the princess of the Tang Dynasty royal family."

(End of this chapter)