Chapter 113: The Tang Dynasty Is My Home, Happiness Depends on All

"You stinky brat, I'm asking you a question!"

"What's wrong with my Changle, and on what basis do you claim you have no improper thoughts about her?"

Li Shimin glared at Chen Yan, teeth clenched, with a look as if he could eat him.

Although Li Lizhi is of marrying age and must eventually wed, if she were to marry that stinky brat who is about to take another of his own daughters, Li Shimin feels uneasy.

In fact, this is easy to understand, since Li Lizhi is the biological daughter of Empress Changsun, raised from childhood under the couple's affection.

Although Gao Yang's birth mother is not Empress Changsun, Li Shimin's favor toward Gao Yang is no less.

Otherwise, how could Gao Yang develop such a spoiled temperament?

Two dearly loved daughters being married to the same man, the thought that his daughters, whom he has cherished since childhood, must share one husband, Li Shimin could hardly be pleased.

Chen Yan said sullenly: "His Majesty, you know I'm not well‑known outside, but I am a man of integrity who never dallies with women."

"Since Your Majesty issued the marriage edict to the household, I have never even set foot in any pleasure districts."

"You arranged for Princess Changle to join the restaurant business; I have never made any verbal provocation or out‑of‑line act toward Her Highness."

"To have earned Her Highness's favor… I am terrified."

"You…" Li Shimin pointed at him, his breath hot.

Chen Yan's words are interesting: first he declares himself a good man who never dallied with women.

Then he says that after the marriage edict he has been well‑behaved, never having gone to a brothel.

Finally, his remark that you arranged Princess Changle's involvement in business is worth pondering.

What Chen Yan means is simply that, in this matter, Li Shimin cannot escape involvement.

Had you not arranged for Li Lizhi to partner with you in business, there would have been no contact between them; how could Li Lizhi have taken a liking to him?

In other words, in this matter, it was you, Li Shimin, who personally sent your daughter over.

I, Chen Yan, have neither provoked your daughter verbally nor acted out of line toward her; I have always been honest and straightforward.

Your daughter likes me, and I am quite surprised!

Chen Yan thought to himself: "If I praised Li Lizhi with a line from Brother Bai's poem, that should… not count as provocation, right?"

"Hmm, definitely not!"

"......"

Li Chunfeng and Du Ruhui, seeing the situation, felt it was ominous; if they did not curb the discussion, it might end badly.

Li Chunfeng hurriedly spoke: "His Majesty, let us talk about glassware and how to earn money from the aristocratic families."

"As for Mr. Chen and Her Highness's private matters… perhaps we should set them aside for now?"

By the end, Li Chunfeng's tone became cautious.

Du Ruhui added: "Indeed, Your Majesty, the flood disaster is the most pressing issue right now."

"I am very interested in the glassware that Zi An just mentioned; could Zi An truly produce glass?"

Chen Yan, understanding they were helping him, quickly replied: "Of course. That glassware is simply sand fired into a material—worthless; there's as much as you want."

"If the Grand Historian and Cai Duke are interested, tell me what you like, and I'll make a few pieces for you to play with."

Sand fired into something?

The three of them were startled together.

The treasure coveted by countless Tang Dynasty princes and nobles turned out to be sand fired into something?

Even Li Chunfeng, who already knew Chen Yan could make glassware, found it unbelievable.

Chen Yan had told him that glassware is cheap to produce, but he didn't expect it to be this cheap.

"Sss!"

Li Shimin inhaled sharply, "In that case, isn't that glassware truly limitless?"

"I'm about to get rich?"

Thinking that Chen Yan could make glassware from sand, and that by keeping this secret while the aristocracy clamors for it, he believed he could amass wealth rapidly.

Once he makes money from glassware, why worry about floods?

Lack of flood control works?

Just spend money to build them.

Moreover, his relationship with Li Yuan has eased lately, so he can spend money to build Li Yuan another palace, so he won't have to live in that tiny Da'an Palace.

Li Yuan would surely be delighted!

Thinking of this, Li Shimin couldn't help but become excited.

Just as he was lost in his beautiful fantasy, Chen Yan struck back: "Relying on glassware can indeed extract a large sum of money from the aristocratic families in a short time."

"However, glassware is precious precisely because rarity makes it valuable."

"If glassware becomes abundant, it will lose value and no longer be coveted."

"Therefore, relying on glassware will not make you rich."

Li Shimin: "......"

The beautiful fantasy that had just risen was shattered in an instant.

Du Ruhui nodded thoughtfully, "Zi An's words make sense."

"In the past, glassware was coveted because we could not produce it; it was rarer than gold, and its beautiful appearance kept its price high."

"If we were to sell glassware en masse, it would no longer be so precious."

Li Chunfeng agreed: "Cai Duke is right, so Mr. Chen's intention must be to take some glassware to extract wealth from the aristocratic families, to get through this year's flood disaster."

Hearing this, Li Shimin's expression softened slightly.

In any case, having a way to solve the flood disaster is good.

As for getting rich… he trusts his good son‑in‑law.

Du Ruhui narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Li Shimin and Chen Yan without showing any emotion, and knew the moment had come.

So he immediately said, "This plan is indeed good, but... Zi An, aren't you going to suffer a great loss?"

"The flood's arrival was discovered by you, the countermeasure was proposed by you, and the method of making glazed glass is also yours."

"But to build flood-control works, we probably need to go through the court; this way, you've put in so much, yet in the end you get nothing?"

These words reminded Li Shimin.

Exactly, all this is Chen Yan's personal matter, basically unrelated to them.

Chen Yan wants to make glazed glass to earn money from the aristocratic families; what does the money he earns have to do with him?

Chen Yan is merely a county marquis with no official post, not an emperor; he need not worry about this or that.

From any angle, he has no obligation to take the money earned from glazed glass and give it to them to build flood-control works and buy grain to resist the impending flood.

Li Shimin immediately grew nervous, staring eagerly at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan, however, smiled at Du Ruhui, then spoke righteously: "The Tang Dynasty is my home; happiness depends on everyone."

"If you don't contribute and I don't contribute, where does everyone's happiness come from?"

"When the people of the Tang Dynasty face difficulties, contributing a little help is what I, as a Tang subject, ought to do!"

"........"