The third stop is a flower garden. At present, it is still a barren patch. Li Xiang has exchanged many flower seeds, but they have not sprouted yet. This is also for making soap, perfume and shampoo in the future.
The production method has been out for a long time, but the raw materials are not available. If Li Xiang goes out to purchase them, it may be discovered by someone with ulterior motives. Therefore, all the products are produced and used by ourselves in a closed-loop management system. Even if someone wants to find the recipe, we will not let them find it.
Anyway, there are craftsmen exchanged in the system. Even if a knife is held to their necks, they will not say a word. Then Li Xiang will select apprentices from death row prisoners and slaves. This model is still feasible.
Although Li Xiang said that he would give them freedom after ten years, people in the outside world could not even get enough food to eat, and life was okay within the high walls. It was estimated that after ten years these people would have adapted to such a life, and it would be impossible for them to go out and start over.
"Who owes you money? What's with that expression on your face?"
After inspecting the flower garden, Li Xiang was about to get on the carriage when he saw Qian Ping's face a pang of pain.
"Your Highness, it's not that someone owes me money, it's the speed at which Your Highness spends money..."
Qian Ping did not deny that Li Xiang was very capable of making money, but his ability to spend money seemed to be even stronger. Take the surrounding workshops for example, each of them made several thousand strings of cash. Take pig farming and wine making for example, at least they could see profits. It was okay to spend money, after all, they could earn it back at any time.
But now the flower garden is bare. It will take until next year to plant the flowers. In addition to buying land and hiring people, the daily expenses are also not a small amount. Qian Ping is responsible for keeping accounts for Li Xiang. It has only been half a month, and tens of thousands of strings of money have been spent.
When Li Xiang made money, Qian Ping was very happy and even fantasized that the big house he bought in the outer city would be too full to hold the money. However, he knew that truckloads of money were shipped in and truckloads of money were shipped out. Although the total amount was still growing, the growth rate was different from what he had expected.
"Spending money is all about making more money. Otherwise, what are you going to do with the money you earn? Just throw it in your house and watch it? Don't worry, one day the money you hold will exceed the national treasury."
Li Xiang also knew that Qian Ping had good intentions, so after patting the guy on the shoulder, Li Xiang got on the carriage.
More than the national treasury?
Qian Ping looked at the departing carriage in disbelief. "Your Highness is always joking," he said. "If you ever become emperor and I'm still alive, I might have the chance to follow you to the treasury. How could private individuals hold more money than the state treasury? You're just kidding!"
And those slaves and condemned prisoners? According to Tang Dynasty rules, since they've been bought, they're supposed to work diligently for the rest of their lives. How can they be paid a salary? Wouldn't that just increase expenses for no reason? And they have to pay according to social prices. I really don't know what His Highness is thinking.
Now in Chang'an City, hiring a clerk earns about three hundred coins a month, and an accountant earns seven hundred coins. Your Highness will pay these slaves and death row prisoners three hundred coins a month, and will increase their salary every year based on their performance. This is truly the first time in history.
Just thinking about the fact that I already have more than 1,300 slaves and death row prisoners, and having to spend 400 strings of cash a month, it hurts just thinking about it.
"Butler Qian, His Highness has gone far away."
Niu San kindly reminded him that if he didn't catch up, His Highness would scold him again if he couldn't find him later.
"Let's go, let's go."
Qian Ping hurriedly urged his horse to catch up, his heart aching so much that it was almost twisted. Now he hated to ignore Li Xiang. How could he live like this...
After running outside for a whole day, Li Xiang saw that it was getting dark, so he prepared to return to the city with his men.
not good!
The one driving the carriage was Li San. During the journey, he heard the sound of arrows cutting through the air. This guy had the combat power of twenty-three people, and his eyesight and reaction speed were unmatched by ordinary people.
Li San quickly discovered where the arrow came from. He suddenly lay back and kicked in the air, hitting the arrow that was shot from a distance. The arrow flew into the sky under the force.
"Left, eleven o'clock."
No one in the Tang Dynasty understood what Li San meant, but the guards on both sides of the carriage understood it all. They immediately took out their bows and arrows, and then several arrows flew to the left. All the actions were done in one go.
Li Xiang sneered in the carriage. He had been very happy all day, but unexpectedly, just as he was about to return to the city, a bad apple appeared, which affected his good mood. He just didn't know who had the guts to openly assassinate the emperor's eldest grandson...
The assassin had extremely superb archery skills, mainly because he had set an ambush earlier and basically no one escaped. However, he did not expect that the people around Li Xiang were so powerful that they could even kick away the arrows he shot.
The most important thing is that the guards around him reacted extremely quickly. Before he could shoot the second arrow, the opponent's counterattack had already arrived, so he could only escape as soon as possible.
"My subordinates are incompetent, and the other party ran too fast."
Li Wu came back on horseback from a distance. The other party had already prepared an escape route, and it would only take them a cup of tea to get there.
"check…"
Li Xiang held the arrow in his hand and said that the arrows used by archery masters are completely different from those used by ordinary people. Whether it is the material of the arrowhead or the feather silk behind it, it is obviously a high-end product that ordinary people can't afford.
"How strong is the opponent?"
None of the people present had ever fought with each other, except Li San, whose feet had come into contact with the shot arrow, so he was able to infer the opponent's ability.
"Judging from the force of the bows and arrows, the opponent must have a combat force of at least eight people. If we're just talking about archery skills, it must be at least fifteen people."
Li San said honestly that he still felt guilty for his mistake. If he had been more alert just now, he might have discovered it before the other party shot the arrow. The tall grass in the distance was indeed a danger, but he did not send anyone to search in advance.
"There are no more than ten people with such abilities in Chang'an City, and no more than fifty in the entire Tang Dynasty."
Qian Ping added from the back that Li San could only measure the opponent's strength, but Qian Ping knew the entire Chang'an City very well.
Li Xiang still felt that his investigation skills were too weak. If the Eastern Palace had already maintained a group of people, they would have been able to make a pretty good guess based on the traces of the attack just now. However, his men didn't have that ability because they had never encountered a master from Chang'an City before...