Chapter 456: Temple Affairs

Wei Yuan did not answer the Crown Prince's question directly, but said: "I am short-sighted and cannot see the future, so I can only see the small place around me."

The Crown Prince smiled faintly and said: "Then how far does Lord Wei see?"

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment and said: "I mainly look to the west, but no matter which direction, there must be a barrier of one or two thousand li outside the boundary to be at ease. If I can see Hanyang Pass, that would be the best."

The faces of several civil officials darkened.

The Crown Prince's expression remained unchanged and said: "Hanyang Pass is a majestic pass in the world. If Lord Wei wants to go sightseeing, it is not impossible. However, the best position to enjoy the scenery of Hanyang Pass is to look east from a high place in the west, so that you can enjoy the scenery."

Wei Yuan tapped the table and said: "Your Highness is right. As long as I can see this majestic pass in the world, that's enough. I really don't need to go in again."

The Crown Prince smiled and said: "Then I wish Lord Wei success in moving west and opening up territory for Great Jin again!"

Wei Yuan smiled bitterly: "Moving west is not that easy. Last time the Shaman tribe attacked, the vanguard moved fifty thousand, and five You Wu came. Just a little bit, and my old nest would have been taken."

The Crown Prince smiled: "With Lord Wei guarding the Western Regions, no matter how many Shaman tribes come, you will surely turn bad luck into good luck."

Speaking to this point, it was enough.

Everyone drank and had fun. In the blink of an eye, Wei Yuan was not good at drinking, so he took his leave first. This time, the Crown Prince sent him to the mansion gate, watching Wei Yuan's carriage go away, before returning.

Afterward, the Crown Prince returned to the warm pavilion, the wine and dishes were withdrawn, and tea sets were replaced.

The Crown Prince cooked tea himself, and several officials also looked much more relaxed. One official said: "This Wei Yuan has a big appetite, he actually wants Hanyang Pass! The seven thousand li Ningxi Prefecture, wouldn't it all go into his pocket?"

Another person also mocked: "Is he trying to get a piece of the noble clan's foundation?"

The Minister of Works, who had never given Wei Yuan a good face before, said sternly at this time: "With the talent Wei Yuan has shown at this time, ascending to immortality is not impossible. Although he wants a lot now, the timing is just right. If you promise him now, then Your Highness's throne will have no variables. And after Your Highness ascends to the throne, the west can also be at ease, and we can focus on developing to the north.

The Shaman Domain is different from the Liao Domain. Even if you get the land, it will take decades to slowly transform it. And the Liao Domain transformation only takes a few years."

The Crown Prince was a bit hesitant and said: "Even if he can ascend to immortality, it's a matter of hundreds of years later. I can't live that long after ascending to the throne. Is it really necessary to pay such a high price for something hundreds of years later? We need to discuss this matter carefully."

An official suddenly said: "I heard from Wei Yuan's words that Qingming's future can expand to five thousand li. Those two boundaries are ten thousand li! I heard that there are all kinds of wonders in Qingming's boundary, which is worthy of the name of immortal stone. If this piece of land is controlled by Your Highness before he fully grows up, wouldn't it be good?"

The Minister of Works shook his head: "Is Wei Yuan so easy to deal with? Didn't you see the Xu family suffer losses several times? Now even the Xu family doesn't take action."

The official said: "Perhaps it's not that difficult, Your Highness, please look!"

He waved his hand and a map appeared, and then drew a route from the northern part along the Desolate Mountain area, saying: "I heard that Qingming has recently purchased a large amount of silk and brocade. There is only one way out for so much silk and brocade, and that is to trade with the Shaman tribe. Since it is trade, Qingming can do it, and the Xu family can naturally do it too, why bother to pour it from Qingming again?"

"So His Majesty only needs to let the undercover in the Xu family come forward to organize a trade route to the Shaman tribe. After one or two times, the Xu family will inevitably taste the sweetness, thereby cutting off all the silk and brocade given to Qingming. And this trade route cannot move north, and the south is close to Qingming. With Wei Yuan's temperament, how can he watch the Xu family's caravan make money under his nose?"

"Even if he doesn't send a large army to intercept, he will pretend to be a horse bandit to block the road. And when Qingming's boundary expands here, he will set up checkpoints directly. In this way, Wei Yuan and the Xu family will inevitably have gaps again, as long as we add a force to it, or there will be another big war."

The Minister of Works was thoughtful and said: "This plan is feasible! By the way, you can also beat Wei Yuan so that he doesn't think he is too self-righteous."

The Crown Prince nodded slowly.

Returning to his residence, Wei Yuan reviewed his meeting with the Crown Prince and felt that there was no problem with the response. The Crown Prince wanted Wei Yuan not to interfere in the struggle for the throne, and then Wei Yuan took the opportunity to put forward his own conditions, which was the entire Ningxi Prefecture including Hanyang Pass.

The Jin Prince would definitely not agree to this condition, and the Xu family would not agree either. If Hanyang Pass fell into Wei Yuan's hands, he could attack and defend, not only blocking the Xu family's path to the west, but also using Hanyang Pass as a base to threaten the Xu family's hinterland at any time.

So Wei Yuan didn't intend to really get Hanyang Pass, and besides, the Crown Prince didn't count for this matter. What Wei Yuan wanted was the territory outside Hanyang Pass. Taking a step back, it didn't matter if the Crown Prince didn't agree to anything. Just as the Left Minister said, Wei Yuan didn't need to do anything, and he would naturally be the winner.

The struggle for the throne was still too early for Wei Yuan. Let Little Chu Prince survive first.

While thinking, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a move in his heart, pushed the door out of the room, and saw Zhao Tong standing in the courtyard. At this time, the night was deep, past the midnight hour, and Zhao Tong came to visit at midnight, not knowing what for.

Zhao Tong said: "The Holy Prince has an edict, summoning Lord Wei to meet immediately."

"Okay, Eunuch Zhao, please wait a moment."

Wei Yuan returned to the room. When he came out, there was a box in his hand, which he stuffed into Zhao Tong's hand and said: "Inside are ten Underworld Blood Little Year Pills. Eunuch Zhao naturally knows the effect. Now that more are produced, I brought another box. It's just that although this pill does not conflict with other life-extending medicines, it cannot be taken too much. With Eunuch Zhao's cultivation, two pills are appropriate, and it is best not to take the third pill." "Oh my, this, what does this make me say? But this kind of treasure, I really can't refuse... Hey! Forget it, from now on, I will be on the same boat as Lord Wei!"

Wei Yuan smiled: "In my heart, I have long been my own person with Eunuch."

"Let's go, no carriage this time. The Great King is not in the palace, but in the Jin Gang Zen Temple outside the city. I will lead the way, and the two of us will fly over."

The two then flew up in the night, heading toward the outside of the city. Zhao Tong carried a magic treasure to control the large array, and Wei Yuan passed through the city defense array without any obstacles, flying all the way to the Jin Gang Zen Temple on the top of the mountain outside the city.

Zhao Tong led Wei Yuan into the rear of the Zen Temple and walked toward a side hall.

Passing by a lotus pond, Wei Yuan suddenly stopped and looked into the pond.

Although it was midwinter, the Jin Gang Zen Temple was only like late autumn, the merit pond water was clear and did not freeze. Several lotus flowers were blooming in the pond, all ordinary white lotuses.

Wei Yuan felt that something under the pond water seemed to be entangled with him, wanting to have some induction. This was a conflict at the level of luck. If it weren't for Wei Yuan's more sensitive perception of luck after cultivating human fireworks, he might not have been able to detect such a conflict.

However, since he let Wei Yuan detect it, he had his own way to deal with it. Wei Yuan introduced the entangled meaning into the luck array of human fireworks, and then casually plucked a handful of mortal luck and threw it into the array, connecting it with the entangled meaning.

The water in the merit pond suddenly surged, and an unopened lotus bud floated out of the water, then bloomed, and it was another ordinary white lotus. It turned out that this merit pond was also a treasure of luck, which could manifest corresponding luck.

Seeing this white lotus flower, Wei Yuan was very satisfied. If he hadn't paid attention just now and was caught by the entangled meaning to grab some other luck, he wouldn't know what could be born.

!.

If a green lotus flower came out, it would be really interesting. Wei Yuan had always not wanted this kind of flower.

Passing the merit lotus pond, he entered the side hall. The spiritual energy in the hall was rich, and there was also a strong breath of incense and wishes. The layout in the hall was very simple, and the Buddhist niche was empty, with pressure marks inside, not knowing what was originally worshipped.

The Jin Prince sat on the futon like a statue. A censer was burning in front of him, rising with curling blue smoke.

The side hall was not big, but it was exceptionally high and far. The incense in the furnace was shining, and next to it on the ground were several thick candles. The melted wax had already condensed into one on the floor. Under the candlelight, the Jin Prince's figure was cast on the wall, huge, ferocious, and constantly twisting.

The Jin Prince opened his eyes and signaled to a futon next to him, and Wei Yuan sat on it.

"Calling you to this place to see me this time is just to tell you that there is not so much estrangement between you and me, the monarch and minister. Now a large part of West Jin's national luck is placed on you. We are actually prosperous together and damaged together."

The Jin Prince's voice was a bit strange, as if a bit impatient, and also hidden with pain. When he spoke, Wei Yuan seemed to hear two people speaking at the same time. Although their voices were very similar, Wei Yuan still heard the difference.

The Jin Prince paused and said: "Now the national treasury is empty, and the cost of the new army is much higher than expected. If this continues, I am afraid I will have to sell the ancestral treasures in the palace. Do you have any way?"

This question was unexpectedly straightforward, and no longer high above, but like asking a friend. However, Wei Yuan knew that in history, when a monarch asked this, the minister had to be careful. Once he forgot himself and really confided in the monarch, he was not far from extermination.

Wei Yuan said: "There is a way, which can be effective within a year."

"Oh, what way?" The Jin Prince was interested.

"Change grain to mulberry. Specifically, it is to convert the grain fields in several counties in the west of Ningzhou into mulberry forests to produce mulberry silk. The Great King should have a lot of land in Ningzhou, and I think they can all be converted into mulberry gardens. To tell the Great King, I have a kind of ice mulberry in my hand, and the mulberry silk produced is called ice silk, which is truly the best among silk. But the number of ice mulberries is limited in the first few years. If the Great King wants to change to a mulberry garden, then I can hand over all the ice mulberry seedlings of the first two years to the Great King."

"Tell me in detail."

Wei Yuan detailed some of the current practices in the seven counties of Ningxi.

After listening, the Jin Prince asked: "Then why should I plant mulberry instead of weaving brocade? What the Shaman tribe needs is brocade, not silk."

Wei Yuan said: "The difference between the price of brocade in the Shaman tribe and the price of silk in Ningzhou is the space for this business. The more brocade the Shaman tribe gets, the lower the price of brocade will be. The more brocade we make, the higher the price of silk will be. So in the future, this space will only get smaller and smaller until it is completely gone. And in this process, the price of silk will only rise and not fall, and silk can be taxed."

Cold light flashed in the Jin Prince's eyes, and he asked: "The fields are all planted with mulberry, so what do the people eat? What do the soldiers eat?"

Wei Yuan was well-prepared for this question and said: "Naturally, not all fields can be converted to mulberry, but even if the Great King doesn't change, there will definitely be people who change, and there will be quite a few people who do so. Since changing to mulberry is inevitable, and it cannot be completely changed, why doesn't the Great King change first? After you finish changing, forbid others from changing, isn't that the best of both worlds?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 457 =====