Chapter 6: You and Gao Yang Tian are a match

Upon hearing Chen Yan's question, Li Shimin hesitated slightly.

Before, he had also asked Cheng Yaojin where he got the tea leaves, and where he got this tea-making method.

But that rascal Cheng Yaojin always laughed it off, refusing to say no matter what.

So, Li Shimin really didn't know where these tea leaves came from.

However, although he didn't know, Li Shimin couldn't show it, glaring and saying: "What does it matter where Cheng Yaojin got this tea? As long as you get to drink it, isn't that enough?"

Chen Yan gave a faint smile, "Actually, I know where this tea comes from."

"Oh?" Li Shimin's spirits lifted at once upon hearing that.

Although Cheng Yaojin indeed would send him tea leaves, the amount was small, and he himself now had only a little over one jin left.

Usually he himself was reluctant to drink it, only taking it out when entertaining certain important officials.

If Chen Yan truly knew where the tea came from, then wouldn't he no longer need Cheng Yaojin to send it, and could go find it himself, never lacking this tea again?

"Tell me, where did you find this tea?"

Chen Yan's lips curled with a faint smile as he pointed to himself, "This tea was taken from my home by Elder Cheng."

The hall fell silent in an instant.

Li Shimin's motion paused, the teacup hanging in midair, his brow twitching imperceptibly.

Chen Yan, however, seemed unaware of the emperor's subtle reaction, continuing with a smile: "Your Majesty, if you like it, I'll send you thirty jin later, so you won't have to sip it sparingly anymore."

Li Shimin: "......"

Empress Changsun beside him had been elegantly sipping tea; hearing this, she nearly choked, quickly covering her mouth with her sleeve, yet couldn't hold back a low laugh.

Li Shimin's forehead bulged with two veins as he gritted his teeth: "Then, Your Majesty, do I still need to thank you?"

"No need." Chen Yan said to himself, "Besides, these tables and chairs were also made by me finding a carpenter. Originally I wondered why Elder Cheng, having already taken a set from me, would need another set."

"So they were sent to Your Majesty and Her Majesty, huh."

Chen Yan set down his teacup, speaking earnestly: "I see Your Majesty also seems quite fond of this set of tables and chairs, and with many people in the palace, two sets might not be enough."

"When Gao Yang gets married, I'll send you a hundred sets, so you won't say I lack worldly experience."

"You——!"

Li Shimin's chest heaved violently, holding back a surge of anger that made his temples throb.

Just as he was about to erupt, seeing his wife's shoulders shaking as she suppressed laughter, he forced the words back down.

"Damn brat, is he deliberately trying to anger him to death?"

Empress Changsun was also helpless, how could this kid keep pushing further?

No choice, to ensure the father-in-law and son-in-law could get along peacefully, Empress Changsun could only step forward as the mediator.

She first patted Li Shimin's hand, then gave Chen Yan a slight glare: "Say a little less; making the emperor angry, what good does it do you?"

Chen Yan laughed: "Since Her Majesty told me to keep quiet, I'll keep quiet; anyway, I'm now in a relaxed mood with clear thoughts."

Li Shimin: "......"

Empress Changsun: "......"

Li Shimin wore a dark face, saying nothing.

After this interruption, Li Shimin realized Chen Yan was just taking revenge for him scaring him earlier.

Regarding this, Li Shimin couldn't say much, after all, it was indeed he who frightened the other first.

Recalling Chen Yan's earlier offer to send tea leaves and furniture, Li Shimin's expression softened considerably.

After taking a long breath, Li Shimin pulled out the silk pouch Cheng Yaojin had given him from his bosom, opened it, and placed it before Chen Yan.

"I heard from your little maid that this fine salt, you can have as much as you want."

Speaking of this, Li Shimin stared fixedly at Chen Yan, wanting to see if the latter felt guilty.

But Chen Yan, with a calm face, replied: "As long as there are enough hands, this salt can indeed be had in any amount."

Chen Yan dared to say this because his fief, Weinan County, has a rock salt mine; ancient people didn't know how to refine rock salt, considering it poisonous, so they avoided that mine.

When he first crossed over, unable to stomach the era's unrefined, bitter-tasting salt, upon hearing his fief had a salt mine, he hired people to dig a little of the mine and produce some fine salt.

However, he had never told anyone about this; only his maid Qing'er knew.

If Li Shimin hadn't frightened him, he might not have revealed his ability to make salt.

"......"

Having received Chen Yan's affirmative answer, Li Shimin and Empress Changsun's expressions began to turn solemn.

Salt, for a country, its importance goes without saying.

Currently, the Tang Dynasty's good salt-making methods are mostly held by aristocratic clans, nearly reaching a monopoly.

The Fanyang Lu Clan controls the Hedong Salt Pool, the Qinghe Cui Clan monopolizes the Coastal Salt Fields, and even the well salt of Shu has been taken into the Longxi Li Clan's pockets.

Thus, the clans on one hand amass wealth extravagantly, on the other hand feign benevolence by releasing some low-priced salt to win popular sentiment, consolidating their status.

Li Shimin resented this to the point of gritting his teeth, yet he had no way to deal with the clans.

But now, Chen Yan unexpectedly claims to have a new salt-making method, producing salt superior to the clans', and available in any quantity desired.

Li Shimin suddenly grabbed Chen Yan's hand, his voice gentle: "Zi An, haven't I treated you well?"

Zi An is actually Chen Yan's courtesy name; Cheng Chu Mo also calls him Brother Zi An.

Chen Yan would naturally understand Li Shimin's meaning; from the moment he had Qing'er deliver the salt, he had already decided to pass the salt-making method to Li Shimin.

However, he still wanted to strive a bit, seeing if he could call off the marriage with Gao Yang.

Even if he couldn't cancel it, swapping for another princess would be nice.

Chen Yan pressed Li Shimin's hand, speaking earnestly: "Your Majesty has indeed not wronged me, so I originally intended to pass this salt-making method to Your Majesty."

"But......"

As soon as he heard Chen Yan not refer to himself as 'subject', saying he would give the salt-making method to himself, and then hearing that 'but', Li Shimin hurriedly said: "Zi An, do you have any reservations? Or perhaps you want me to give you some reward?"

"Speak freely, as long as I can do it, I'll satisfy you completely!"

Li Shimin's words rang out firmly, showing he was prepared to agree to anything Chen Yan might say.

"Then I can really say it?"

"Just speak freely!"

Chen Yan first nodded, hesitated a moment, then whispered: "Your Majesty, I feel my eight characters clash a bit with Princess Gao Yang's; why not call off this marriage?"

"Impossible!"

Li Shimin, hearing this, didn't hesitate at all and flatly refused: "I've already had the Grand Historian calculate your eight characters."

"The Grand Historian told me, you and Gao Yang are a match made in heaven—how could your eight characters not harmonize?"

Chen Yan said gloomily: "Your Majesty, when you say that, do you yourself believe it?"

"........."