Liang Xiao was startled.
Did no one consider my feelings at all??
Now Liang Xiao even regretted saying "Four Poems, Elegance, Odes"!
Xiao Qing shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not convenient. An Guohou's mansion is still home to a Qin Xian, who is the beloved daughter of our country's Medical Saint and Sword Saint, and a top disciple of the Qin Saint. You can continue to stay at the Honglu Temple's guesthouse and visit Liang Mansion occasionally."
"What? Qin Xian is also at An Guohou's mansion?!"
All the civil and military officials, except for Xiao Qing and other insiders, were shocked and gasped!
Qin Xian, a peerless beauty whose fame had long spread far and wide, was said to be a master of both the zither and the sword, possessing a beauty that could topple nations. She was the dream lover of countless men in Da Qian!
Countless Da Qian scholars had even composed poems from afar to express their admiration!
Liang Xiao was stunned for a moment but did not express his opinion.
This matter could not be kept secret anyway. It was already common knowledge in Yan Prefecture, and it was only a matter of time before it reached the capital.
It was just a pity for that Bodhisattva!
"The names of Da Qian's Three Saints are deafening!"
Keliste spoke respectfully and continued, "In that case, I request to reside permanently at the Tian General Temple, to offer sacrifices to the Tian General day and night, with a lonely lamp as my companion..."
Liang Xiao's heart leaped. He couldn't go to the Tian General Temple either, lest she recognize him and cause trouble!
Xiao Qing nodded with emotion. "Granted! You can visit Minister Liang at Liang Mansion anytime, and Minister Liang can visit you at the Tian General Temple!"
Liang Xiao's brow twitched.
He would not "seek his own death"!
No matter how beautiful Keliste was, Liang Xiao did not want to cause chaos in the court due to the aristocratic families' backlash, or even endanger his family!
The current situation was quite good. He and Xiao Shuangzi could work together, advance slowly, and gradually erode the power of the aristocratic families!
Keliste looked at Liang Xiao from afar, her expression guilty, and sighed, tears streaming down her face.
She only felt that she had wronged Liang Xiao because she still loved the Tian General.
After Keliste and Buti retreated, the officials could not help but congratulate Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao looked at Huang Xing, who was "throwing seductive glances" at him, and felt a surge of blood.
Regardless of anything else, the matter of the GuiZhi Kingdom's marriage alliance had been resolved perfectly. The monarch and his ministers resumed their solemn demeanor and continued the court session.
Wang Canghai was the first to calm himself down, his face full of sorrow, and stepped forward to report.
"Your Majesty, due to the rampant smuggling by salt merchants, the fiscal revenue last month was ten percent less than before!"
Xiao Qing frowned. "The court has executed some as a warning, yet smuggling is still rampant?"
Wang Canghai smiled bitterly. "Because the profits from smuggling are too high, there are always people willing to take the risk of execution! However, I believe the real reason is not just this, but rather... the quality of the salt sold by the government is even worse than that of the smuggled salt..."
Liang Xiao, who had been lost in thought, perked up, as if remembering something.
Xiao Qing's face was filled with anxiety. "The revenue from salt and iron is the lifeline of the nation. This matter cannot be ignored. I can only consider increasing the penalties!"
No minister dared to object.
Salt was an absolutely indispensable strategic material for the country!
The revenue from salt and iron in Da Qian was in the tens of millions of taels. At this time, no one wanted to touch the emperor's displeasure by speaking up for the smuggled salt merchants!
After the court session, Liang Xiao left silently.
Xiao Qing looked back at Liang Xiao's retreating figure, her heart aching. "It seems my elder brother also has no solution. I shouldn't let him worry about such matters."
She believed that if Liang Xiao had a solution, he would have proposed it on the spot and would not have kept it to himself!
Returning to the Imperial Study, Xiao Qing anxiously flipped through piles of memorials on the desk regarding salt merchant smuggling.
"Once people taste the sweetness of smuggling, it's inevitable that more and more people will smuggle, and the situation will only get worse..." Xiao Qing sighed helplessly, her jealousy towards Keliste completely gone.
Just then, Ding Wuyi opened the door and reported, "Your Highness, the second young master Liang is here to see you!"
Xiao Qing was surprised. It had only been an hour, why was he here? Didn't he go to get acquainted with Keliste?
As soon as Liang Xiao sat down, he placed a stack of drawings on the table.
"Xiao Shuangzi, I have a few drawings on salt refining here. They should be able to purify the edible salt and ensure that the quality of government salt is higher than smuggled salt, thereby increasing the output of government salt!"
Xiao Qing was both surprised and delighted, somewhat disbelieving. "Is it really that miraculous?"
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun also exclaimed with joy. "Does the second young master Liang have another brilliant idea like the Qu Yuan Plow?"
Recalling the Qu Yuan Plow, Xiao Qing was excited, spread out all the drawings, and looked at them with a bewildered expression.
"What is this sea salt purification method? I've never seen anything like it..."
Liang Xiao curled his lips. "I tried it at home with simple tools before, and it was effective!"
The salt in Da Qian was also divided into various types: sea salt, well salt, lake salt, rock salt... Among them, sea salt was the most toxic, precisely because it was not purified and was not suitable for long-term consumption!
"Effective?" Xiao Qing and her servants were even more pleasantly surprised.
Liang Xiao would never lie to her!
"Eunuch Ding, quickly send someone to invite the Minister of Works here. He should understand, and then we can find the Prime Minister and the salt officials!" Xiao Qing's little face turned red with excitement.
Ding Wuyi quickly left, and Liang Xiao chuckled.
Perfect, let this old fellow work harder and get his "revenge"!
Half an hour later, Huang Xing in the Imperial Study exclaimed in surprise. "Using such a purification method for sea salt is unprecedented. Perhaps it can indeed have a significant effect! Marquis An Guo, are you truly confident that this purified sea salt can be of better quality than the current rock salt, well salt, and lake salt?"
Hearing that Huang Xing's tone towards him had become respectful, Liang Xiao felt a little embarrassed to trouble him further. He nodded. "I am confident! In terms of both taste and safety."
Salt was the king of all flavors.
The other types of salt commonly used by the public were not very clean. Poor families even had to use things like "vinegar cloth" as a substitute for edible salt.
Only wealthy families could afford salt with relatively high purity and cleanliness.
Xiao Qing's small hands were already trembling with excitement, and even Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun could not hide their inner joy.
Huang Xing was even more tearful, his voice and beard trembling. "Seawater is inexhaustible, but the salt boiled from it is toxic and unsuitable for consumption! If sea salt can be better and safer than these salts, then, then wouldn't that be..."
Apart from Liang Xiao, everyone in the Imperial Study held their breath, their breathing becoming extremely rapid.
"Not only will the country's salt and iron revenue not fall annually, but it can even increase by several million taels, or even tens of millions of taels!!" Huang Xing almost roared, tears streaming down his face!
Xiao Qing could no longer contain herself and covered her face, weeping. Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun also could not help but shed tears of joy!
Several million taels? Or even tens of millions of taels??
What a terrifying increase in revenue!
"We need to try it first, practice makes perfect. Perhaps it will require continuous improvement. These are just rough sketches," Liang Xiao said with a smile.
Huang Xing wiped away his tears, placed his trembling hands on Liang Xiao's shoulders, and said in a voice filled with emotion, "Marquis An Guo is indeed a pillar of the nation protected by the Tian General! You and the Princess of GuiZhi Kingdom are indeed a match made in heaven! Your Majesty's other subjects are simply not worthy of being compared to you!"
This old fellow was bringing up sensitive topics!
Liang Xiao almost rolled his eyes, but considering Huang Xing's good intentions and his current excitement for the country and its people, he couldn't bring himself to think about revenge. He could only smile and nod.
Alas, all the grievances, I, Liang Xiao, must bear them alone!
Huang Xing was already impatient and immediately requested permission from Xiao Qing to return to the Ministry of Works and mobilize resources to try Liang Xiao's method in the East Sea.
"If Marquis An Guo has time, could you go to the East Sea to guide the process?" Huang Xing choked out.
Liang Xiao readily agreed.
Under the escort of Ding Wuyi, Huang Xing immediately left with the drawings.
Only Liang Xiao, Xiao Qing, and Ning Xuejun remained in the Imperial Study.
Xiao Qing could no longer control herself and threw herself into Liang Xiao's arms, sobbing uncontrollably!