Li Shimin had already calculated that Li Xiang might contact the King of Wu in private, so Li Shimin set up a tight net around him and would never give Li Xiang any chance. The reason why he did not come out to stop him now was because Li Xiang had not been discovered yet. If someone had discovered him, Li Shimin's back-up plan would have been revealed.
"Go and say hello to Mr. Cui San and tell him I'm inviting him for tea."
After hesitating for a long time, Li Xiang still did not go there directly, but thought about finding a middleman. If there was a middleman that both parties could listen to, it would probably be Mr. Cui Sanye.
It turns out that Mr. Cui Sanye was a senior executive of the Cui family. Later, after cooperating with Li Xiang, although the status of the Cui family declined, compared with other big families, the Cui family can be said to have retained its core business and was able to take all of Li Xiang's grain, which also allowed the Cui family to make a lot of profits.
At first, there was a lot of opposition within the Cui family. Some people said that Master Cui San and Li Xiang were colluding with each other, completely disregarding the interests of the entire Cui family. This voice was indeed the mainstream, but later, as time went on, these people also realized that Master Cui San's choice was the right one...
If they didn't cooperate with Li Xiang, the Cui family would be on the opposite side of him. If they were to stand against him, look at the Wang family of Taiyuan and the Li family of Longxi. They were also powerful families that had flourished for hundreds of years. Do they still have any influence now? They have almost disappeared from all over the country, which means they still have some strength in their local areas.
If you want the Cui family to become like this, then you can follow their old path. Li Xiang has plenty of energy anyway, but can you still get up after failure? Several major families still have illusions and are still thinking about making a comeback, but Li Shimin and Li Xiang's various combined punches have beaten the major families without any ability to fight back. Even if you can find an opportunity, you no longer have the strength to get up.
Li Xiang is a rare monster that only appears once in a century. To make an enemy of such a person is to play with the future of the family, especially a big family like the Cui family.
Mr. Cui Sanye was in his own silk shop. Originally, Mr. Cui Sanye didn't check these businesses very often, but he had nothing to do recently, so he strolled around the shops. He estimated that it was almost time for Li Xiang to come back, and even if Li Xiang didn't look for him, he had to find a way to get close to him.
Mr. Cui Sanye is different from others. He has a forward-looking vision. Now the Cui family's industry is tied to Li Xiang, especially in terms of food. If they don't hurry up and get close to him, if Li Xiang has other partners, the Cui family will be left empty. It is not easy to turn around such a huge ship.
Bamin Tea House.
This is another business of Li Xiang. He started to prepare for it when he was in Tubo. Now he has opened more than 30 shops across the country. They supply tea roasted by Li Xiang, but the price is very expensive. For example, the pot of Longjing tea in the house costs ten strings of cash.
There are only six private rooms in the entire teahouse, and the rest are all in the hall. If you want to go to a private room, there is a minimum consumption. For ordinary people, they can only look up from the outside, but for Mr. Cui Sanye and Li Xiang, a pot of tea for ten strings of coins is nothing special.
"Sit down, sit down, sit down. What's our relationship like now? Do we still need these empty formalities?"
When Li Xiang came in, Mr. Cui Sanye and Cui Yuncheng were already waiting. Seeing the two men about to stand up and salute, Li Xiang stopped them immediately. This was a mutual courtesy in itself. If the two men sat still, Li Xiang would definitely make trouble. But they had already taken the initiative to salute, so you stopped them in the middle and didn't let them finish the ceremony. This was considered to save face for both parties.
If Li Xiang had just been reborn, the people of the Cui family did have this privilege, and they could even be on equal footing with the royal family. Li Xiang would have been very indignant at the time, but after more than a year, the sharpness of the major families has been worn down. If it is still the same as before, then you can just wait to be dealt with by Li Xiang.
"Your Highness has returned triumphantly from Tibet. My uncle and I should have gone to congratulate you, but Your Highness must have been busy preparing for matters concerning Goguryeo these past few days, so we didn't bother you. It's truly our fault that we only met Your Highness today."
Third Master Cui said with a chuckle. Cui Yuncheng quickly poured Li Xiang a cup of tea and then respectfully placed it before him. The two had been enemies before, but after spending some time together, Cui Yuncheng no longer harbored any resentment. Instead, he felt that fighting was the beginning of friendship. If he hadn't been among the first to cause trouble with Li Xiang, how could he have been the first to cooperate with him? Could the Cui family still maintain its position?
"I should have met up with my old friends earlier. I've always remembered the Cui family's help on the Tibetan Plateau. Consider it a favor I owe you. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come to me. This favor will still be valid."
After hearing these words, Uncle Cui San and his nephew were secretly happy in their hearts. For ordinary people, it might not be of much use if they said they owed you a favor. At most, they would just help you with some work. But it was different for Li Xiang. He was the third most important figure in the Tang Dynasty. The most important thing was that he controlled the monster of capital. When he said he owed you a favor, you would benefit from it for the rest of your life.
"We are all family, there is no need to be so polite. The Eastern Expedition to Goguryeo is imminent. If Your Highness has any instructions for us uncles and nephews, please feel free to tell us."
After dealing with each other for a long time, Mr. Cui Sanye also knows what kind of character Li Xiang is. He would never come to you for tea for no reason. Even if he wanted to keep in touch with you, it would not happen at this time. The two sides have cooperated many times, so it is better to get straight to the point. It is not too late to chat about these small things after that.
Li Xiang nodded after hearing this. He had always been straightforward, but he hadn't expected Third Master Cui to be even more direct. Could it be that he had learned all the efficiency he'd talked about before? He had forgotten it instead.
"Since Third Master has said so, I won't hide it anymore. Third Master should know that I'm feeling a little uncomfortable about this Eastern Expedition to Goguryeo, right?"
A trace of sadness appeared on Li Xiang's face. Master Cui San and Cui Yuncheng looked at each other and immediately understood what was going on. It was nothing more than Li Shimin putting false pressure on Li Xiang. It seemed that it was time for them to take action.