Chapter 20: Provoking the Interests of Aristocratic Families

Li Shimin's statement was extremely domineering, and Xu Ning had no doubt about it. If Feng Ang dared to obstruct this matter, Li Shimin would not hesitate to send a large army to conquer Feng Ang, not for any other reason, but for the copper mines in Lingnan.
Tantalizing profits attract people from all walks of life, not just the merchant families. As the leader of the empire, Li Shimin especially embodies the principle of sacrificing sleep for the sake of gain!
Previously, he could disregard Lingnan as long as Feng Ang obediently mapped out the territory of Lingnan on the map of the Tang Dynasty. Even if it required providing Feng Ang with resources annually, Li Shimin would be more than willing to do so.
But now it's different. Lingnan already has huge interests present, like the copper mines mentioned by Xu Ning. I wonder how much revenue they will bring to the Tang Dynasty every year!
If Feng Ang still dares to go against our wishes at this time, it is equivalent to obstructing the Tang Dynasty's financial fortunes. This is something that no one can tolerate!
Indeed, when Xu Ning thought about it, Li Shimin sighed and said, "In that case, you'll have to go to Lingnan!"
"Ah?" When Li Shimin said this, Xu Ning hadn't spoken yet. Instead, Li Huixin next to him was surprised and opened her mouth wide, looking at Li Shimin and asking, "How long will it take?"
Hearing Li Huixin's words, Li Shimin looked helpless and said, "Don't worry, he has secret techniques from the sect. He can come back anytime he wants!"
Upon hearing this, Li Huixin's cheeks immediately turned red. She glanced at Xu Ning beside her, lowered her head slightly, and whispered, "I... I was just asking out of curiosity, Your Majesty!"
Looking at Li Huixin's childish appearance, Li Shimin sighed helplessly. His gaze then turned to Xu Ning, saying, "It's no use for others to go to Lingnan, but fortunately, you still have some influence there. You'll have to go there again!"
When these words were said, he continued, "I will also send a decree to Feng Ang, asking him to cooperate fully with you over there, and to quickly settle the tribal people!"
"Sure, why not!" Xu Ning listened to Li Shimin's words and readily agreed. The person who was originally sitting suddenly stood up, shook his robe forcefully in front of Li Shimin.
This strange movement caused Li Shimin to be a little confused, and Li Huixin, who originally hung her head in embarrassment, couldn't help but raise her head and look at Xu Ning's strange action.
After a moment, Li Huixin seemed to have guessed something, and her face showed a slight hesitation. Then, she burst into laughter with a 'poof'.
Just then, Xu Ning said helplessly, "Your Majesty, did you see? Not a single penny fell from his body!"
Li Shimin's words are very beautiful. Let him go to Lingnan again and quickly settle the people of those tribal communities down the mountain. But with so many people, can he rely solely on his words to resettle them?
Li Shimin's mouth was slightly open, and after hearing Xu Ning's words, his expression, which had just been filled with arrogance, instantly became extremely awkward.
Just now, he was only concerned about how to settle the many people, but he completely overlooked the fact that settling so many people would be a significant expense. This is different from the famine victims outside the city, who at least still have their original homes!
"How much money would that cost?" After hesitating for a moment and seeing Xu Ning sit back down, Li Shimin looked at Xu Ning and asked with some lack of confidence.
Hearing Li Shimin's question, Xu Ning raised a finger towards Li Shimin and said with a wry smile, "At least, it may cost one million guan!"
There are at least twenty or thirty tribes, and that's just in Guangzhou. Xu Ning had seen the situation of the tribes with his own eyes. The valuable items in the whole village would probably be those few bronze drums.
Furthermore, the remaining are just those jars and pots. If we move the people from these tribes down the mountain, it would be like starting from scratch.
The most important thing in clearing the land and building houses is to solve their food supply. Once they leave the mountains, these people will face hunger as a problem. We can't let them go hungry for a year!
So, whether this one million guan money can be obtained is a question!
Li Shimin's face immediately turned pale, even the treasury cannot come up with one million guan money. Of course, even if it could be raised, he would not be willing to spend such a high price to accommodate those bureaucratic tribes.
"Isn't there any other way?" Li Shimin squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment before opening his eyes and looking at Xu Ning with a meaningful expression as he asked.
Xu Ning naturally understood what Li Shimin meant. It was simply a waste of manpower, so he smiled at Li Shimin and said, "But it will take several years to mine the copper mine!"
There are many copper mines in Lingnan, and the storage capacity is astonishingly large. Even if mining is allowed, it would take several decades or even centuries!
What about Bai Yongren?
For one or two years, it's fine. With the prestigious reputation of Xu Ning, those auxiliary personnel can be used without cost. But once they realize the consequences, it will probably be severe. By then, Lingnan will truly undergo a major upheaval!
“朕不可能拿出那么多钱的！”李世民也听懂了徐宁的意思，当下便往椅子上一躺，有点灰心的道：“如此说来的话，这铜矿却是没办法采了！”
“也不是没有办法啊！”看着已经灰心的李世民，徐宁顿时挠挠头，冲着灰心的李世民道：“可以找人投资嘛！”
“找谁？”听到徐宁这话，李世民顿时轻笑一声，目光望着徐宁道：“你说那些世家吗？”
“朕劝你趁早打消这个念头吧！”这话落下时，却不等徐宁开口，李世民当即便摆摆手，一副唉声叹气的模样道：“世家的人不傻，凭什么要拿钱投资给那些僚人啊！”
When I said this, it seemed that I suddenly realized something, and I looked at Xu Ning with disbelief, saying, "You don't mean to let the noble families participate in the copper mining, do you!"
However, as soon as these words were spoken, before Xu Ning could speak, Li Shimin waved his hand very directly, with a very firm attitude, and said, "No, I would rather have the copper mine placed anywhere than have people from noble families involved in it!"
徐宁的嘴巴，惊的微微张大，目光傻傻的望着李世民，他这也没说什么啊，李世民就给他脑补了一大堆，听的他都有点目瞪口呆了！
"Okay!" Seeing Xu Ning's stunned expression, Li Shimin also realized that he had thought too much, so he looked at Xu Ning and said, "Then tell me, who should we ask for investment?"
"Family!" Upon hearing these words from Li Shimin, Xu Ning couldn't help but pause for a moment. Then, he scratched his head and said to Li Shimin.
"Hey, isn't that what I guessed?" Originally, he thought he was overthinking, but now that he heard Xu Ning's words, Li Shimin instantly disappointedly lay back on the chair and despondently said, "Impossible!"
“岭南那边可不止是铜矿啊！”徐宁看着已经摆烂的李世民，顿时挠挠头，望着李世民道：“可以是拿别的东西，让世家的人心甘情愿投资嘛！”
"For example?" Li Shimin, who was much taller than Xu Ning, lay there motionless, his eyelids slightly raised as he gazed at Xu Ning and asked.
"For example, double-season rice!" Xu Ning looked at Li Shimin, pondered for a moment, and then said to him, "This double-season rice is similar to buckwheat, both can be harvested twice a year. The important thing is that it is much tastier than buckwheat!"
"Not enough!" Hearing Xu Ning's words, Li Shimin's eyes instantly showed a trace of excitement, but then his gaze dimmed. Such a double-season rice is tempting for the common people, but it is not very tempting for the aristocratic families."
“药材呢？”徐宁看见李世民摇头，便又挠挠头，望着李世民道：“岭南那边药材也是挺多，肉桂、何首乌还有其他，若是运到长安，可是一笔不小的财富啊！”
However, Li Shimin shook his head in response and said to Xu Ning, "Do you think those people from noble families are simple? If you can acquire these things, they will also find ways to obtain them. Why should they spend a large sum of money on you?"
Xu Ning's shoulders collapsed on the spot. The medicinal materials were not good, and the double-season rice was also not good. These were the only things he could think of. The rest would have to be the specialty fruits of Lingnan.
Lychees, bananas and the like, by the time these things are shipped to the mouth of the Yangtze River, I'm afraid they will already be mostly spoiled. "A beauty passes on horseback, smiling like a lychee," but no one knows it is lychees coming. Such expensive things, perhaps only Yang Guifei, that extravagant woman, can afford to eat them!
想到这里时，徐宁的目光，却是突然一亮，看的原本摆烂的李世民，也是跟着眼眸亮了起来，望着徐宁道：“又想到别的法子了？”
“香料啊！”徐宁的脸上，露出激动的神色，语气中带着懊恼的道：“我竟然忘了最重要的，岭南那地方，尤其是崖州，可以大批量种植胡椒的啊！”
"And there's more! And there's more!" As Xu Ning became more excited, he looked at Li Shimin, who was dancing in excitement, and said, "We can build a dock in Guangzhou, sail from there, head south, and we will come across numerous islands, where spices are as abundant as wild fruits!"
"There is also rosewood!" Xu Ning became more and more excited as he thought about it, feeling as if he had seen several mountains of gold waving at him, and he enthusiastically said to Li Shimin, "Various grades, such as huanghuali, zitan, and wumu, and so on!"
"Very... very many?" Li Shimin listened to Xu Ning's words, and his eyes, which were dim just now, suddenly lit up. He looked at Xu Ning and suddenly became a little stuttering.
"So many!" Xu Ning laughed loudly at Li Shimin and gestured with his hands, saying, "The whole island is covered in them. If I'm not mistaken, the local people probably use redwood as firewood!"
Li Shimin's mouthful of water was not swallowed in time and he started to cough violently. However, even so, he extended his hand towards Xu Ning, his face red and his neck thick, and said, "Do it, definitely do it!"
而旁边的李慧心，则是望着徐宁，眼眸里尽是温柔之色，自己的这位未来夫君，好像真的是无所不知，无所不晓啊！
The sea and islands, those are the places she would never dream of in her lifetime, but her husband seems to know all about them as if they had been there together!