Li Yuanying, after a jaunt to Xiangzhou, finally returned to Chang’an, albeit reluctantly. With Si Zi and the others in tow, his journey back couldn’t be rushed. By the time they reached Chang’an, the weather had turned chilly. Li Yuanying, feigning pride, presented his entourage to Emperor Li, assuring him that he had fulfilled his duty and brought them back safely.
Emperor Li, though regularly receiving letters from them, was unhappy with Li Yuanying’s detour to Xiangzhou. He reprimanded him sternly, unable to harbor anger towards either his beloved daughter or his favorite younger brother.
Li Yuanying patiently endured the scolding, waiting until Emperor Li had vented his frustration. He then inquired about the size of the iron mine in Taiyuan, hinting at the possibility of obtaining some iron.
Emperor Li, narrowing his eyes, retorted, “You’re after the iron mine now, are you?” Since time immemorial, iron has been a strictly controlled commodity. After all, it could be used for weapons and armor as well as agricultural tools, making it indispensable to both battlefield and farmland. Thus, iron mines were tightly controlled by the imperial court, off-limits to private individuals.
Li Yuanying, having no interest in weapons and armor, was content with the standard equipment provided by the court for his personal guard. He presented Emperor Li with a luxurious proposition: “I want to make a batch of pots, and they will require a significant amount of iron.”
“What kind of pots?” Emperor Li inquired.
Li Yuanying gestured with his hands, describing a round, concave pot. He elaborated on its uses: “These pots are thinner than copper pots. They can be placed directly on the stove for braising, stewing, and even, most importantly, stir-frying! With a quick blast of heat, oil sizzling in the pan, a few swift stirs, and the dish is ready – incredibly convenient! The food cooked this way is incredibly aromatic, just the smell alone would make your mouth water.”
Had Li Yuanying not encountered this opportunity, he wouldn’t have entertained such a thought. But now, faced with the possibility, he decided to test his luck and see if Emperor Li would agree.
This stir-frying technique he had learned from *Qi Min Yao Shu*, a classic agricultural treatise, which left him utterly craving the dish. He had requested Liu Baolin to prepare it for him, but using the copper pot proved inconvenient. After multiple attempts, Liu Baolin finally managed to prepare the dish, prompting Li Yuanying to ask his system if there was a more convenient way to stir-fry. His request was fulfilled shortly, and he had people construct the pots for testing.
On his return this time, Li Yuanying had been treated to a variety of stir-fried dishes prepared by Liu Baolin. Oh, how delicious they were!
However, while a few pots made of iron wouldn’t be a problem, a large quantity was out of the question.
Fearful that Emperor Li might not believe him, Li Yuanying swore that Emperor Li could have the pots brought to the Imperial Kitchen for testing. He could even send two people from Liu Baolin’s staff to provide demonstrations!
Intrigued, Emperor Li ordered someone to fetch the pots, then treated Li Yuanying to a stir-fried lunch. Afterwards, he confiscated those specially crafted pots and kept them in the Imperial Kitchen.
Back home, Li Yuanying complained to Liu Baolin: “Those were specially made for Mother! My brother ate them, liked them, and then took them away. That’s just too much!”
Liu Baolin, however, said, “His Majesty enjoys them. What’s wrong with that? Others would be thrilled to give him gifts, but they can’t.”
Li Yuanying scoffed, thinking he wasn’t trying to win Emperor Li’s favor by giving him gifts. He didn’t need to ingratiate himself. Luckily, Emperor Li had agreed to provide him with enough iron from the mine to create a batch of pots exclusively for the various branches of Fengtai Restaurant!
This wasn’t because Emperor Li favored his younger brother, but because Li Yuanying had emphasized that it was crucial to their ‘Mount Tai plan.’
Few in the world possessed these iron pots, and stir-frying was a rare skill. This meant that the stir-fried dish would be a unique offering. They would secretly manufacture a supply of pots, then, as he traveled to his fiefdom, Li Yuanying would assess which locations were suitable for opening branches. Once they were ready, they would all begin selling stir-fried dishes, reaping a fortune from this new venture.
With the money, they could build roads. Once Fengtai Restaurant established its foothold in every town along the route and its business flourished, providing accommodation and meals, it wouldn’t be long before the road to Mount Tai was fully accessible.
After Li Yuanying’s persuasive pitch, Emperor Li reluctantly agreed. However, with many eyeing the new iron mine, a clandestine deal wouldn’t be easy. Emperor Li promised to have some iron allocated from another mine for Li Yuanying’s project.
After plotting their pot-making scheme, both brothers felt a surge of secretive joy. The thrill of engaging in clandestine activities was quite satisfying!
As for potential criticism from Wei Zheng and others if the plot was exposed, both Emperor Li and Li Yuanying felt it wouldn’t be a first. They had faced such censure before and had weathered the storm. They could handle it!
Keeping their plot secret, Li Yuanying even withheld the information from Liu Baolin, instructing Dong Xiao’er to find a group of trusted blacksmiths to learn and practice the art of pot-making, ensuring they could produce enough pots to equip all the branch restaurants along the route.
With everything in place, Li Yuanying eagerly awaited Emperor Li’s edict for him to depart for his fiefdom, only to be met with silence from the Emperor.
Li Yuanying sought clarification from Wei Zheng, only to learn that the latter was embroiled in heated debates with other officials, as well as Emperor Li and a group of generals, over a simple matter: whether or not to wage war against Goguryeo.
Li Yuanying exclaimed, “It’s been so long, and they still haven’t reached a decision?” He remembered that discussions about this topic had been ongoing even before his trip to Taiyuan to visit his grandnephew.
He had also recently received a letter from Silla, not from Dai Ting, but from Jin Shengman.
Jin Shengman wrote that after escorting her back to Silla, Dai Ting had neither returned to Chang’an nor stayed in Silla. He had gone to Goguryeo.
She was unsure of Dai Ting’s activities but mentioned that he would occasionally send people to find her, asking her to arrange for someone to meet him at specific locations. She had heard from her subordinates that he seemed to be engaged in business in Goguryeo, frequently bringing back entire shiploads of goods. His work seemed to be thriving.
Although communication had not been interrupted, Jin Shengman hadn’t seen Dai Ting since his return. A tinge of worry filled her heart, prompting her to write to Li Yuanying, informing him of the situation and giving him a heads-up.
Li Yuanying wasn’t aware of Dai Ting’s independent activities but, upon hearing about the shiploads of goods, felt a surge of excitement. His initial trip to Gaochang had also resulted in a full ship of treasures, and if he were to use ships for transport, wouldn’t he be able to bring back even more precious items?
Thinking of his upcoming departure for Tengzhou, Li Yuanying wrote back to Jin Shengman, instructing her to convey a message to Dai Ting: he should no longer send his goods back to Chang’an but instead transport them directly to Tengzhou. Tengzhou, located in Henan Road, faced Silla across the sea, making transport between the two regions as simple as crossing the water.
As the conflict in Silla had ceased, and a temporary truce had been established between the three parties, sending a message wouldn’t be a problem. Li Yuanying simply dispatched a messenger, who, with a fast horse, was instructed to deliver the message to Silla as soon as possible.
Li Yuanying listened to Wei Zheng enumerate the disadvantages of launching a campaign against Goguryeo at that time, finding himself convinced. Volunteering to advise Emperor Li, he eagerly returned to the palace, seeking an audience with the Emperor, despite Wei Zheng’s dubious gaze.
Emperor Li, nursing a grievance, felt a burning desire to personally crush Goguryeo’s arrogance and stretch his muscles. Yet, he was met with opposition from many, who refused to let him go!
Upon hearing of Li Yuanying’s arrival, Emperor Li assumed he was there to discuss his departure to his fiefdom, which only intensified his irritation. Nonetheless, he allowed Li Yuanying to enter.
Li Yuanying approached Emperor Li and sat beside him, getting straight to the point: “Brother, are you still arguing about whether or not to attack Goguryeo?”
Emperor Li cast a sideways glance at him and replied, “Indeed.”
Li Yuanying declared, “In my opinion, we should definitely attack! They have absolutely no respect for the Tang Dynasty. They’re so audacious, we must give them a lesson!”
Emperor Li snorted, “Wei Zheng doesn’t share your sentiment.” Wei Zheng had been constantly hounding him, claiming that a campaign against Goguryeo was ill-advised and a personal expedition to Liaodong even more unwise. He was only in his forties; why couldn’t he take to the battlefield and showcase his prowess once more?
Li Yuanying countered, “If you ask me, we should have attacked earlier this spring. It’s not the best time to do it now.”
Emperor Li waited for him to elaborate.
Li Yuanying explained, “If we set off now, it will be winter by the time we reach Liaodong. Won’t our soldiers suffer from the cold? To ensure their comfort, we’ll need to provide them with thicker winter clothes, which would be an enormous expense! And I heard from Lao Li that defending the city during winter in the north is very convenient. You simply pour water on the city walls, and it freezes, increasing the wall’s height and making it slippery, hindering any attempt to climb it. It would take much more effort to take the city. So, attacking them in winter would be a terrible loss.”
This was the first time Emperor Li had heard this perspective, and he found it quite compelling.
Li Yuanying, not content with mere words, grabbed a pen and paper, demonstrating his calculations for the Emperor. He added up the costs of thicker clothes, winter food and lodging, and winter palace maintenance, resulting in an astronomical figure.
Emperor Li, upon seeing this budget, realized that if it were presented to the Ministry of Finance, it would only reinforce their opposition to a campaign against Goguryeo.
Emperor Li remarked, “So, you agree that we shouldn’t attack.” He had cunningly begun by insinuating that an attack was possible. This young man was quite clever!
Li Yuanying asserted, “I believe we should not attack in winter but wait until summer. Imagine this: we set off during the spring, when the weather warms up, and we won’t need winter clothing. It would make traveling much easier. By the time we reach Goguryeo, it will be summer, so hot that they probably won’t even want to wear clothes. In fact, they might even be willing to forgo clothes!”
Emperor Li scolded, “Even if they do, they’ll still need armor!” No one went into battle bare-chested. He had spent years in the army and wouldn’t mistreat his soldiers.
Li Yuanying mumbled, “I was just saying.” He continued his analysis: “Starting in spring, meat and vegetables will be cheap. For the same amount of money, our soldiers will eat better, their morale will be higher, and they will be more eager to fight! Therefore, I believe we should attack next spring. After all, Goguryeo is a small country. We’ll surely conquer them by the end of summer. We’ll then return before winter, eliminating the need for additional winter clothing!”
Emperor Li, while acknowledging that Li Yuanying’s primary concern was money, found his points insightful. He nodded and said, “I understand.”
Which essentially meant, “You can go now.”
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