Chapter 662: True Profit

Empress Changsun wore a smile.

She naturally knew what had happened this morning.

Otherwise she wouldn't have brought Sizi, who had just returned to the palace, back at this time.

To be honest, Empress Changsun also didn't understand Chen Yan's actions, but she knew it was time for her, as Empress, mother‑in‑law and wife, to step in.

"Er Lang, Zi An is such a chicken thief; he will certainly not do anything he's not sure about."

"If he does it, he probably already has a way in mind to calm your anger; your current fury is useless, we need to see what Zi An says."

"How about I, your humble servant, call Zi An over for you to see?"

Li Shimin's expression softened considerably, and he waved his hand, "No need, His Majesty has already sent someone to summon him."

"Guanyin Maid, I actually understand that fine salt works better when the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works operate it together, but my mind just isn't at ease."

"Why do you say this kid is such a scoundrel?"

"He treats His Majesty like a Göktürk!"

Empress Changsun was speechless, unable to say anything.

This matter is actually quite complicated; calling it a state affair is fine, but it also counts as their private matter.

After all, the method of making fine salt was first presented by Chen Yan, and now he wants it back...

She could understand Li Shimin's mood.

"Ah Ye, punish Brother Ah with a board; I'll supervise for you."

Sizi jumped up again and shouted.

Li Shimin and Empress: "......"

"Tsk." Empress Changsun slightly frowned, glared at her daughter, "Just keep shouting, hit hit hit; now you shout about hitting, and if you actually get hit you won't be happy."

"I don't even know who it was last time, coming over crying with the emperor‑grandfather, pointing at me and telling your Ah Ye that we're bad, then arguing they don't want to stay in Chang'an and want to go back to Weinan County."

"Fine, you go today; I'll send someone to take you there in a moment."

"No, no!" Sizi, upon hearing, panicked, shook her head quickly: "I definitely won't go to Weinan County; I want to stay in Chang'an."

She felt no embarrassment at all, grabbed Empress Changsun and Li Shimin's hands, sweetly said, "I want to stay by Ah Ye's mother."

"Is that so?" Empress Changsun neither confirmed nor denied, lightly nodded, half‑smiling, "But I heard you want to stay in Chen's residence forever, refusing to return to the palace no matter what."

"In my view, even without me and your Ah Ye, you could live just fine."

Sizi hugged her arm, cooing, "How could that be? It's because of you and Ah Ye that I can live better."

"Mother, mother, look at me, look at me!"

Sizi opened her big eyes: "You haven't noticed, my whole view is you right now!"

Empress Changsun: "......"

"Hahaha." Li Shimin, hearing the mother‑daughter conversation, couldn't help bursting into laughter: "Guanyin Maid, the little fellow has grown up, from the initial babbling youngster to now such a talkative little adult."

"Not bad, not bad."

Empress Changsun rubbed her daughter's cheek, which showed a tsundere expression, and smiled faintly herself.

"Your Majesty."

At this moment, Wushe, who had left not long ago, walked in: "Minister Chen Yan has arrived."

"That fast?" Li Shimin was startled, but quickly recovered.

This kid was probably waiting for him all along.

"Xuan!"

Upon the order, he went out; shortly after, a head poked out from behind the Ganlu Hall main gate, slyly scanning the interior.

Empress Changsun and Li Shimin saw this scene, their mouths couldn't help twitching.

"You mother, and you still say you didn't corrupt Sizi?"

"Your Majesty, Empress, may I come in?"

"If you can get in, get in; if not, get out. Look at you, still calling yourself Minister of Revenue? How are you any different from a three‑year‑old child?"

"... Alright, then I'm out." Chen Yan heard this, showed no hesitation, turned to leave.

Li Shimin let out a breath, angry, "You get in for His Majesty!"

"... Fine, you just made me go out, now you make me go in... Your Majesty, I'm not blaming you, but your temper should be changed."

Li Shimin: "......"

Empress Changsun's face showed a strange expression, she couldn't help laughing, while Sizi widened her eyes, waiting to watch the good show.

"You... I... forget it, no need for idle talk...!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath: "Wushe, fetch My sword; if he doesn't give me a good explanation today, I will cut him on the spot!"

"You see, again impatient."

"Am I impatient?"

"Aren't you?"

"... Stop fucking talking to me, I'm giving you a chance to explain!"

Chen Yan said painfully, "Your Majesty, what else do you want me to explain? Or rather, what else do I have to explain?"

"My deeds, aren't they all in your sight? My purpose, aren't you already clear about it?"

"Everything I do is for the Tang Dynasty; I strive for the court's benefit, hoping to increase our national treasury, and now you want to cut me?"

"Where is the reason, where is the law, where is heavenly justice..."

"If you keep babbling, I guarantee I won't kill you today!" Li Shimin said expressionlessly.

Chen Yan quickly composed his expression, cleared his throat: "Your Majesty, how should I put it, Your Majesty, fine salt actually..."

"Although we sell at a very low price, the sheer volume makes up for it; with such a huge base, the annual revenue is still astronomical."

It seems good, but the real profit is not in our Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin thought and said, "You mean outside the Tang Dynasty?"

You want to sell fine salt out of the Tang? Like silk?

"No, no, no," Chen Yan hurriedly shook his head, rejecting Li Shimin's idea.

Li Shimin and Empress Changsun exchanged a glance, a bit puzzled.

Fine salt is a precious commodity in their Tang, and even more precious in foreign lands.

The farther it travels, the higher the price.

Moreover, unlike silk, it is not constrained by raw materials and such, so its output is not limited.

Fine salt can be obtained by locating a few poison salt mines and then mass‑extracting it; it isn't even more expensive than labor.

If it's sold to foreign lands, wouldn't it be even more profitable?

"His Majesty, your understanding of this matter is somewhat mistaken," Chen Yan explained patiently. "Our fine salt is meant for the entire Tang, so that the people can have better, cleaner, cheaper salt."

"Anyone can buy this, so foreign merchants can as well; even if we set a rule that each household may purchase only a certain amount per month, the significance is actually minimal."

"They can simply spend some money to hire people to buy it; as long as the profit is sufficient, there will always be loopholes for them to exploit."

"Moreover, this problem isn't limited to fine salt; silk faces the same issue."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, what do you intend to do?"

Chen Yan smiled and said, "His Majesty, the Tang is a realm where myriad nations pay tribute; Chang'an City gathers all foreign merchants, and the circulation of goods and money is immense."

"The profits within are enough to make everyone uneasy."

"......."