My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 134 The Roman Princess from the West

Li Zhi admired the prince very much in his heart.

After all, he is different from King Wei and Er Feng, and he has no conflict of interest with the Crown Prince.

And because of our childhood, I have always respected him in my heart.

When Li Zhi went to be enthroned, the conflict between Li Chengqian and King Wei was not as serious as it is now.

Li Chengqian did not behave in a ridiculous manner and was still the admirable elder brother.

Especially in recent times, Li Zhi's feelings after returning to Chang'an have been even more different.

On the issue of coal, Li Zhi also sincerely listened to his elder brother's ideas.

Remember what the elder brother said in detail and implement it seriously when you go back.

At the same time, in Chang'an City.

The news that the prince was going to mine coal in Jinzhou had already spread widely.

Coal mining is not the key point. After all, although this business is small, it is not unheard of. It is not a topic of conversation, nor is it something new.

But the prince wants to mine coal, which is a very interesting topic.

Everyone knows that the ice cubes that are popular in Chang'an today are made by the Eastern Palace.

Moreover, the rumor was very mythical, saying that the prince learned the art of making ice from an immortal.

Now that coal is being mined again, many people are discussing whether the prince has obtained some magic from the immortals.

Of course, those with a little status know the inside story, but that doesn’t stop them from listening to the story.

"Is the prince really going to Jinzhou to mine coal? Is this news confirmed?"

In the Chang'an Tavern, a man asked his friend sitting at the same table.

His name was Luo Hui. He was considered a celebrity in Chang'an City and a truly wealthy man with immense wealth.

However, even though he was rich, he was of low status because he made his fortune by cleaning up manure, and his elegant name was Yexianglang.

Luo Hui himself was not from a noble family, so he was ridiculed as a whore.

"How could it be fake? How could someone deceive someone about something like this?"

"I heard that this matter leaked out from the palace, and many people are talking about it."

There was a hint of arrogance and contempt in my deskmate's words.

He is a good friend of Luo Hui, but he only associates with Luo Hui for money. In his heart, he looks down on Luo Hui.

When Luo Hui heard this, he immediately started to make plans in his mind.

Hesitantly asked, "Do you know who is involved in the prince's business?"

He had heard before that the prince was not going to conscript labor but would pay the miners wages.

This is not like the royal style. Many people think that the prince will lose money if he does this, and no one is optimistic about it.

Of course, I dare not say anything to curse the prince.

There was no ban on speech in the Tang Dynasty. You could talk about anything you wanted, but if you insulted the prince, it would be considered slandering the royal family.

If anyone hears the report, it will take at least three years to get him back in prison.

"Things like these are only known to ordinary people like us."

"Luo Hui, you don't want to get involved, do you?"

The friend said with a sneer, his words full of disdain, what qualifications do you, Luo, have to get involved in the prince's affairs.

Facing the ridicule, Luo Hui seemed not to hear it, and continued to say with a smile: "How could I have such an idea? I'm just curious, just curious. Come on, let's stop talking about this and drink."

He is not a fool, and a fool cannot become the King of Excrement, or the head of the Yokalang.

Chang'an City had a large population, and produced a huge amount of garbage and excrement.

Strictly speaking, Luo Hui can be considered a hereditary Yexianglang, as three generations of his ancestors have been doing this job.

When it came to Luo Hui, he began to promote this profession.

Chang'an City is the largest city with a population of one million, a huge population size.

At that time in Chang'an, there were no underground sewage disposal measures. In order to maintain a clean environment, feces were transported by special personnel.

You have to know that the Byzantine Empire far away in the West at that time was commonly known as the Eastern Roman Empire.

Their capital, Constantinople, was famous for its stench.

It can be said that to a large extent, Luo Hui made a lot of contributions to the civilized construction of Chang'an City.

"Brother Luo, if you can get involved in the prince's business, it would be a step to heaven."

Another person spoke.

After all, everyone often gets free stuff from Luo Hui, and not everyone is an ungrateful person.

"How could I, with my status, be favored by the prince?"

Luo Hui said with a wry smile.

He is not short of money, and the money cellar in his home is almost full.

But in Chang'an, Ye Xianglang's identity was not taken seriously at all, and in the eyes of the aristocratic families, he was extremely lowly.

Luo Hui is very business-minded.

Strictly speaking, Luo Hui is now considered a businessman.

Although the feces cleaning industry is not well-received, Luo Hui has accumulated certain resources through long-term operation.

The manure work of the famous nobles in Chang'an City was contracted by Luo Hui.

Cleaning up feces seems simple, but to do it efficiently, hygienically, and without affecting the normal life of the city, it also requires certain skills and experience.

Luo Hui has mastered some advanced cleaning techniques and methods through long-term practice, and is able to complete his work better.

For big customers, Luo Hui charges low fees and does a good job.

Every time we clean up, we will take the initiative to clean up not only the feces, but also other garbage.

Such services are obviously more cost-effective.

Moreover, Luo Hui was willing to spend money, for such a job as Ye Xianglang, and even gave gifts to the housekeeper.

For other Yokarou, it was simply outrageous.

After all, those who do this job are already at the bottom of society. They are extremely poor and have no money to give gifts. They have no competitiveness at all.

In Chang'an, there was no charge for cleaning feces in ordinary people's homes. Only wealthy families would pay for better services, such as cleaning of toilets and restrooms.

Ye Xianglang's wages are mainly paid by the government.

Luo Hui contracted the matter directly from the government at a lower price.

There was no such regulation in the laws of the Tang Dynasty, which forbade contracting out projects to others. Government offices were even more happy to do so, after all, Luo Hui would often treat them to meals and give them gifts during festivals.

There were public toilets in Chang'an City, which were also contracted by Luo Hui.

Including some business premises, it can be said that the feces in the entire Chang'an city were almost entirely monopolized by Luo Hui.

The size of this place is terrifying just to think about.

Even if the profit is extremely small, the total amount is not a small amount.

In order to deal with the feces, Luo Hui built a fleet specifically for transporting feces.

After the feces in Chang'an City were collected, they were transported to the surrounding villages and towns for sale.

It not only solved Chang'an's sanitation problem, but also met the demand for fertilizers in agricultural production, forming a complete industrial chain.

"The prince is mining coal without using corvée labor, so he will need a lot of money."

"If Brother Luo is willing to spend all his wealth, it may not be impossible to get involved."

These words immediately gave Luo Hui an idea.

Luo Hui once tried to give up his job of removing feces and do some other business.

But after stopping work for a year or two, the family's slaves died, the cattle and horses were lost, and the family business gradually declined.

So he returned to his old business, and his family prospered again.

Of course, Luo Hui knew in his heart that other businesses were not so easy to do.

Any business that is profitable and respectable has someone backing it up.

If he wanted to steal someone else's job, it would not be so smooth. The reason why no one competed with Luo Hui for feces was mainly because the aristocratic families looked down on it. Anyone with a little power would not want to get involved in this business, otherwise they would become a laughing stock in the circle.

Besides, it is not an easy task to reach Luo Hui's level.

There are 108 wards in Chang'an, and Luo Hui has thousands of night incense men working for him. Socializing with big clients and government officials is not something that can be done just by wanting to.

Luo Hui finally realized this after he hit a wall.

The mentality of getting rich quickly because of having money suddenly calmed down.

"I would like to think that, let alone the crown prince, even the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace are not something that people like me are qualified to see."

Luo Hui said with a wry smile.

But my friend gave me a different idea.

"Brother Luo, have you forgotten that bad commander?"

Luo Hui hesitated: "Are you talking about the current Wannian County Lieutenant, Ji Zhaoji County Lieutenant?"

The friend said, "Yes, it is said that County Magistrate Ji was appreciated by the Crown Prince, and thus was appointed as the County Magistrate of Wannian County."

"He must be qualified to meet the Crown Prince. If Brother Luo asks him to recommend one or two people, he might be able to get into the Crown Prince's ears."

Luo Hui fell into deep thought.

He and Ji Zhao are acquainted.

Ye Xianglang is at the bottom of society and has no personal protection. When he is wronged, the government doesn't care much about him.

Therefore, it is to ensure the safety of the people under your command and to make the business smoother.

Luo Hui would often treat the bad guys to meals and drinks, as if he was paying them protection money.

I got to know Ji Zhao through this meal and drink.

"Okay, I'll go visit County Magistrate Ji tomorrow."

Luo Hui immediately made up his mind.

For him, if he could get on board the prince's boat, it would be worth it even if he spent all his money.

The historical story of Luo Hui was recorded in the Tang Dynasty's notes novel "Chaoye Qianzai", becoming a relatively unique case in ancient commercial history.

But now because the prince is flapping his wings, it is very likely that a different situation will arise for Luo Hui.

The next day.

Chang'an City welcomed a very special team of envoys.

A delegation of foreign envoys.

Leading the way was an official from the Honglu Temple.

These were envoys who had traveled thousands of miles from the Byzantine Empire, over mountains and rivers, to reach Chang'an.

The members of the diplomatic corps all looked tired, but they could not hide the excitement and anticipation in their eyes.

About a hundred people.

They were dressed in gorgeous but slightly worn clothes, which bore traces of the hardships of their journey.

The leading envoy Alex looked at the towering city walls in front of him, feeling filled with emotion.

There was a carriage in the procession. Alex rode on a horse and approached the carriage and said respectfully, "Your Highness Princess Theodosius, we have arrived in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Empire."

“You can lift the curtain and admire the prosperity of this distant Eastern empire.”

After Alex finished speaking, Theodosius lifted the curtain of the carriage.

This is a typical Western beauty, with long dark brown hair, deep blue eyes, and skin as white as milk.

Her grandfather was the famous Heraclius, the founding monarch of the Heraclius dynasty.

His father was Heraclius Constantine, the second emperor, but he died of illness three months after taking the throne.

The current Byzantine Empire is strictly speaking a historical name, a distinction made by later historians, just like the names of Goguryeo and Goryeo.

The official name to the outside world is the Roman Empire, which has the same meaning as in China.

The Heraclian Dynasty is the same concept as the Tang Dynasty.

Theodosius was the product of a close relative marriage; his father Heraclius Constantine married his cousin Gregoria.

The fetuses from marriages between close relatives are either extremely beautiful, or ugly due to various strange diseases, or even die prematurely.

Theodosius was lucky enough to be one of the very few outstanding people.

"The oldest and most powerful empire in the East is indeed as powerful and prosperous as those bards sang about."

As the convoy drove along Zhuque Street in Chang'an, Theodosius' eyes were full of surprise.

Although she had heard about it a long time ago, she was still shocked when she saw it with her own eyes.

On the wide street, the convoy of a hundred people seemed extremely small.

Dense crowds and heavy traffic.

There are shops everywhere and flags flying.

The exquisite pavilions, with carved beams and painted rafters, demonstrate the wealth and luxury of the Tang Dynasty.

There were also merchants of all races from all over the world, which made their group of blond-haired and blue-eyed envoys inconspicuous.

Not many people pay much attention to it either.

At this time, the official from the Honglu Temple in front said something with a smile, and the poor translator immediately relayed it.

Alex smiled and said to Theodosius, "Your Highness, the officials of the Tang Dynasty said that we are very lucky because there will be a grand event in Chang'an in a few days. It will be very exciting and lively."

“We are fortunate enough to be involved.”

Theodosius said longingly, "I am looking forward to it, Alex, we are really lucky."

Alex said: "Thank God for our blessing, our journey is so smooth and we are so lucky."

"The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty will definitely agree to our request and allow us to successfully complete this mission."

Theodosius also bowed his head slightly and prayed: "God bless us, everything will go well for us."

The official from the Honglu Temple in front heard the noise behind and turned around to look, but because of the language barrier, he could not understand.

However, there were many Sogdians serving as interpreters in the Honglu Temple, so it was not difficult for the two sides to communicate normally.

The Tang Dynasty had its own pride, and the Khan of Heaven had attracted tributes from all nations, allowing the Tang Dynasty to look down upon all other countries.

The rest of the delegation also bowed their heads and prayed: "Heavenly Father, bless you."

They were lucky to be able to travel thousands of miles and arrive in Chang'an safely.

But in reality, it is unfortunate.

Historically, in 643 AD, which was this year, envoys from the Byzantine Empire suddenly visited Chang'an with valuable gifts.

The Roman-style glassware he presented made Li Shimin accept it with great joy.

However, their request for a military alliance was rejected.

Earlier, after Heraclius founded the country, although he vaguely knew that there was an Eastern Empire, he had no motivation to send a diplomatic mission to contact it. However, the Sogdians who moved back and forth between Constantinople and Chang'an would reveal the other side's situation from time to time.

Soon, the Sassanid Empire, dissatisfied with the status quo, took action and sent troops to occupy the Gulf of Aden, forcing the Byzantine commercial forces to withdraw from frontier markets such as India and Ceylon, deepening their distance from the Eastern world.

If it weren't for the rapid rise of Arab forces, Heraclius would not have thought of conducting diplomatic activities against the trend.

Especially when his old rival Persia was also in a situation of rapid defeat, Heraclius felt a sense of urgency.

However, when Heraclius was preparing to form an alliance with the Eastern Empire, he died of illness before the delegation set out.

After Heraclius Constantine took office, he inherited his father's wishes and continued to promote the mission.

However, he died of illness within three months.

Currently, Heraclius Constant's son, Constans II, is in power, and Heraclonus, the son of Heraclius' second wife Martina, is co-emperor.

Faced with the current situation of defeat, the two had no better solution, so they followed the policies of their father and grandfather and continued to promote the policy of military alliance with the Eastern Empire.

In order to express her importance to the Eastern Empire, Princess Theodosius also joined the delegation.

Political marriages were popular in the West, and it was obvious that they wanted to marry Princess Theodosius to the Tang Emperor in order to stabilize the relationship between the two sides.

However, due to the breakdown of the military alliance negotiations, Theodosius eventually returned to Byzantium.

(End of this chapter)