Chapter 34: Expensive iron bars

There was an uproar in the court.

Li Gang stepped forward, pointed his right hand at Yun Ye, and said in a trembling voice, “You little brat!”

“I accuse the Lord of Lantian, Yun Ye, of making a fuss in the court, of flattering the crowd, of showing contempt for Your Majesty, and of not being punished enough to warn the world.” A man in his forties accused Yun Ye of talking nonsense with indignation.

Li Jing was disappointed, Lao Cheng was worried, and Wen Daya sighed and said nothing.

Yun Ye stood in the middle of the hall, smiling and watching the chaotic ministers. He gestured to stop the crown prince, who was about to step forward to plead for Yun Ye. Lao Niu was about to step forward when Lao Cheng grabbed him and whispered in his ear, “You forgot that this kid is not sure when he will make a mistake. This kid is probably holding back a bad one now. His Ke Wu Yuan is so poor that these old teachers can’t escape his clutches.”

He saw Yun Ye making a gesture to the crown prince, with his thumb and index finger forming a circle and the other three fingers pointing upwards. He heard his son say that this meant everything was going to be fine. Old Cheng and Old Niu, who had been worried, watched Yun Ye to see how he would tease these old scholars.

Fang Xuanling stepped forward and asked Yun Ye, “Lantian Marquis, what you just said, was that a joke?”

“I humbly report to the Minister of the Board of State that every word I said was the truth. It’s just that you gentlemen don’t believe me.” He still looked like a slacker who needed a beating.

“If that is the case, I will announce that your bet with Minister Wen will be implemented starting tomorrow. If you make a mistake, a small punishment will not be enough to appease everyone’s anger. Think carefully.” The old man was a good man. At this time, he was still thinking about Yun Ye. If there is a chance to repay him, Yun Ye thought to himself.

Fang Xuanling walked to the middle, holding a tablet in both hands and bowing to Li Er: “Your Majesty, I have just asked the Marquis of Lantian, and he is prepared to continue the bet without breaking his word. For the sake of fairness, how about giving him six days?”

“Approved!” Li Er’s words were concise and to the point. He wanted to see how Yun Ye would resolve this deadlock.

“Your servant has something to say.” Yun Ye quickly ran out. How could he miss such a rare opportunity to fleece people?

“A few days ago, I was honored by Your Majesty’s gift. My family is not wealthy enough to spend ten thousand taels of silver. Since I have already made a bet with Minister Wen, I would like to make another bet with the honorable gentlemen who just scolded me. I will bet ten thousand taels of silver that my idea will come true. Do you have the courage to make a bet?”

“I am Kong Yingda, although my family is well off, I can afford to bet 1,000 strings of cash on a bet with General Yun. I sincerely hope that General Yun will win, but it seems difficult to me…”

“I am Li Gang…”

“I am Cen Wenben.”

“I…”

Amidst the voices of people betting against Yun Ye’s defeat, a few discordant voices came out. “I bet 5,000 strings of cash on Yun Ye’s victory.”

“I bet 3,000 strings of cash on Yun Ye’s victory.”

“Your Majesty, I have saved up a little over the years and will bet 2,000 taels on Yun Hou’s victory.”

Hearing these words, Yun Ye felt as uncomfortable as eating flies. Who? I was gambling and about to win big, and suddenly a few dividends came out. Who can bear it? Which bastard?

He looked back and found the three robbers, Lao Cheng, Lao Niu, and Li Chengqian, congratulating each other.

Fang Xuanling smiled and added another thousand to the bet that Yun Ye would win, completing the bet. As long as Yun Ye won, the Ke Wu Academy would not have to worry about funding for five years. If he lost, he would probably have to sell the mansion.

Yun Ye was not at ease, so he specifically confirmed the validity of the bet, carefully put the bet in his arms, and then looked at the smiling ministers around him and bowed. “You gentlemen can go home and prepare the money. The Ke Wu Academy is still waiting to pay wages.” Finally, it was Yun Ye’s arrogant time.

“Kid, if you want my 3,000 strings of cash, bring me something real, and I’ll have it delivered by cart right away. Otherwise, I’m going to take a look at your house, and since it looks pretty good, I’m going to take a concubine from your family.” Changsun Wuji smiled and joked, causing the courtiers to laugh uproariously. Li Er also rolled his eyes.

“Uncle Changsun, other adults don’t believe that there is a reason, but you don’t believe it, which is disappointing. Xiao Chong rode a horse with nailed hooves all the way from Longyou to Chang’an. Don’t you know?”

He also bowed to Li Xiaogong: “Thank you, Your Highness, for the 3,000 strings of cash. I’ll take it. As for whether the horseshoes are useful, you can ask my brother Huai’en when you get home.”

“Young man, are you saying that my son Huai Ren rode a horse with shoes on all the way back from Longyou to Chang’an? And that the young man from the Changsun family was Changsun Chong?”

“Of course, there’s also Cheng Chumo from the Lu family!”

Emperor Li Er could not sit still and immediately summoned Changsun Chong, Cheng Chumo, and Li Huiren to bring the three horses with the horseshoes to the palace.

The ministers’ jaws dropped as they watched the three horses galloping on the cobblestone road littered with gravel and broken weapons.

Is this possible? As long as you put four half-circular iron strips on the horseshoe nails, you don’t need to worry about the problem of hoof wear. Once the horseshoe is damaged, just throw it away and replace it with a new one. Yun Hou was right. It’s ridiculous that such a simple problem has troubled the generals of the world for nearly a thousand years.

Li Er couldn’t help laughing and crying. Li Xiaogong slapped his son on the back of the head: “How could you not tell me about this? Do you know that your father spent 3,000 strings of cash on these four iron pieces for you?”

Changsun Wuji looked at his son’s face and saw that he was not in a good mood.

“Father, you didn’t know. When Xiaoye first gave my horse horseshoes, he made me swear not to tell anyone. I really didn’t know he was using it to trick you. Otherwise, how could I dare to hide it?” Chang Sun Chong explained to his father with a sad face.

Wen Daya sighed and said, “I spent 4,000 taels of silver on four iron bars, and I was convinced that they were the best. I am an old fool who is confused and does not see things clearly. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Li Er smiled wryly: “Minister, what crime have you committed? Solving a problem that has plagued the cavalry for a thousand years with 4,000 strings of cash is a meritorious service to the country. Today’s incident happened right before my eyes. The Marquis of Lantian has the ability to turn something rotten into something magical. between plotting against my lord and I in the imperial palace, he has already entered the game, and no one can blame him. In the future, don’t bet with this kid. Even if he has a reasonable request, think twice about it and don’t let him take advantage of the situation again.

Wen Daya nodded in agreement. This was something Yun Ye had not expected. What he had done out of desperation had taught the officials of the Tang Dynasty an impressive lesson. In the future, Li Er would study his memorials repeatedly to prevent any mishaps. The three ministries and six departments would treat his memorials like a scourge, and they would never want to see anything like the four iron bars for 4,000 kuan of money happen again.

Lao Cheng laughed and could have put his fist in his mouth, patting this one and that one, saying generously, “Old Li, if you run out of money at home, just let your brother know. It’s not that you can’t get a few more days, but you’ll have to settle your accounts at Zhanhua Building.

Lao Niu’s rigid face also revealed a rare smile, and he nodded to Yun Ye, looking relieved. Li Chengqian was so happy that he couldn’t see his teeth. Li Er couldn’t get used to it, so he said to him, “You’re still a minor. What do you need so much money for? I’ll give it to your mother to fill the palace expenses.” Li Chengqian’s smile instantly turned into a bitter melon.

Fang Xuanling smiled and patted Yun Ye on the shoulder, saying, “What a smart child! You have captured the entire court, and I have also gained a little from following your example. When you have a day off, come to my house for a visit. You should get close to the younger generation, and not just the older generation like me, who only have time to nag.

Mr. Li Gang is an upright man, and he said to Yun Ye, “You are a bright and intelligent young man, which is a good thing. However, your methods are not in line with the uprightness of a gentleman. I know that you are not greedy for wealth, but you are doing this for the sake of the establishment of the Academy of Things. You must be upright if you want to set a precedent for the study of things. Don’t make mistakes. Your behavior should be regulated. It is better to be upright than to be crooked. Otherwise, even if the study of things is glorious for a time, it will be difficult to last long if you are not upright.

Yun Ye was suddenly shocked. This is everyone’s insight. He then straightened his clothes, put on his hat, and bowed respectfully to the ground: “I’m a little boy who has learned.”

Kong Yingda applauded and said happily, “The boy is teachable, the boy is teachable.”