Chapter 38: Persuasion
Could it be that today I will also be defeated?
No!
Even if the Prince of Jin is a prodigy, he is only three years old—how much foresight and wisdom could he possibly possess?
Wei Zheng set his jaw, shouting inwardly, "Come then, let me see what this so-called genius is capable of!"
“May I ask, sir, do you usually farm the land?”
“No, I do not.”
“Then how is it that you eat fresh meals every day? Where does your food come from?”
...
These two seemingly trivial and foolish questions were enough to trouble Wei Zheng. If he followed Li Zhi’s line of questioning, he would inevitably be put on the defensive. He had no idea what Li Zhi was aiming for by asking such naive questions—what was his purpose?
“Sir? Are you listening?” Seeing Wei Zheng remain silent for a long time, Li Zhi giggled and said, “Don’t tell me you don’t even know where the food you eat every day comes from?”
“Haha...” The ministers burst into collective laughter.
Wei Zheng replied, “The rice, flour, and vegetables all come from the East and West Markets, where many small vendors supply ingredients to the city’s prominent households and restaurants.”
“Well answered,” Li Zhi snorted. “You dine on rice and flour delivered by merchants, yet you call them shameless and base. You enjoy the convenience they provide, but malign them behind their backs. Tell me, who is truly shameless? Who is truly base?”
“I...” Wei Zheng was left speechless.
“Just imagine, sir—if there were no merchants, how long could Chang’an sustain itself? Not even a day, I wager. I simply don’t understand—you dislike them so much? Then from now on, don’t buy your food at the market; go and grow it yourself!”
“This, this...”
His mind was once again in turmoil.
Li Zhi continued, “I know exactly what you’re going to say next—you want to claim there are both small and large merchants, that small vendors benefit the nation and people, while big merchants bring disaster to the country?”
“But let me tell you, sir, merchants are merchants, regardless of size. They all play a vital role in the country...”
Every word from Li Zhi left Wei Zheng with no room to maneuver. He had not even a chance to argue. In just a few short minutes, he had become everyone’s laughingstock.
“Zhi’er, come here!” Emperor Taizong beckoned Li Zhi over, gently ruffled his hair, and smiled, “Well done, Zhi’er! Merchants throughout the land are alike!”
“Esteemed ministers, do any of you have anything further to say?”
---
Now that even Wei Zheng had been rebuked, who else dared to speak? One after another, the ministers fell silent, as if struck dumb.
In his heart, Li Zhi mused, “These fools—how can they hope to govern a nation? What a farce!”
...
Suddenly, Wei Zheng laughed. “I have often heard Fang Xuanling praise His Highness, calling him a genius unseen in a hundred years. I never believed it, but today I see his reputation is well deserved!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty...” echoed the ministers.
“Hahaha!” Emperor Taizong laughed so heartily that even his back teeth showed. “Zhi’er has an extraordinary memory, much like the Empress. I am most pleased. Minister Fang, you must give him the best instruction. Do not let me down!”
“I obey, Your Majesty,” Fang Xuanling replied bitterly.
Over these past days, Fang Xuanling had realized he had nothing left to teach Li Zhi. Every lesson ended in defeat, leaving him flustered and embarrassed. He was desperate to avoid further humiliation and was ready to ask Emperor Taizong to assign someone else.
But unexpectedly, Emperor Taizong again instructed him to teach Li Zhi well.
What could he possibly teach? It was pure torment.
“Father, let’s not change the subject... Let us continue discussing merchants. In my view, the pursuit of profit is inherent to merchants, just as officials serve the people—is that not the same? We cannot demand perfection from them, nor cut them off entirely, depriving them of any means to live. That would cripple the nation’s economy and lead us to ruin. Yet it is true that some merchants do resist the authority of the court, exploiting legal loopholes for outrageous profit. Such conduct does require restraint and regulation...”
“I believe that the ministers, with their wisdom and talents, are more than capable of dealing with wayward merchants!”
“If we destroy merchants out of fear, that is not wisdom, but cowardice—the mark of those who dare not confront merchants, and so cause the nation to suffer.”
...
When Li Zhi finished speaking, Emperor Taizong nodded vigorously. “Excellently said!”
“Esteemed ministers, not long ago we improved the status of cooks, freeing them from discrimination. Today, I have decided... to cease oppressing merchants across the land, and to cooperate with them fully in pursuit of national prosperity. Especially the four great families of Hebei—find envoys to contact them at once. I intend to meet with them personally!”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
The meeting soon concluded, and the ministers dispersed.
Li Zhi remained behind. “Father...”
---
“Why are you still here?”
“Father, I have a small request I hope you will grant.”
Emperor Taizong recalled what Li Chengqian had said to him earlier and frowned. “Zhi’er, you’re not really planning to open a tavern outside the palace, are you? If that’s what this is about, I absolutely forbid it!”
“Why, Father? If you do not oppose merchants, why do you oppose me?”
“Others may become merchants, but you may not!”
“Because you are my son, and your mission is far weightier than that of a merchant,” Emperor Taizong said gravely.
“I must beg to differ, Father!”
“Don’t argue with me, Zhi’er. I don’t want to hear any sophistry!” Emperor Taizong was wary of being ensnared by Li Zhi’s logic, so he simply refused to continue the conversation.
Li Zhi laughed. “Father, are you afraid of me?”
“Afraid of you? Hardly!”
“Then why not allow me to speak?”
“Very well, speak! I refuse to believe you can make a prince going into trade sound like a sacred duty! Since ancient times, never has a prince become a merchant!”
Steeling himself, Emperor Taizong prepared to hear Li Zhi’s argument. He had already decided—no matter how clever Li Zhi’s reasoning, he would never allow his son to leave the palace, much less to open a tavern!
Li Zhi smiled. “Father, you are absolutely right—never in history has a prince become a merchant! But have there not been princes who farmed the land? Any prince who has truly experienced the life of a farmer has always shown concern for the people.”
“Take Liu Bang, the founding emperor of Han, for example. Before his uprising, he was but a lowly constable, and before that, a poor farmer who could barely feed himself. Yet he seized the empire and became one of the rare wise rulers. Why? Because he understood the sufferings of the common people, and knew what would benefit them.”
...
“In the same way, my purpose in opening a tavern is to experience firsthand the difficulties of being a merchant—to discover what they truly need, what their weaknesses are. Some things you can never comprehend without personal experience.”
As he spoke, Li Zhi offered a slight bow. “In my opinion, not only should I go and open a tavern, but all the ministers of the court ought to do so as well, to truly understand what it means to be a merchant! Of course... that is not very realistic. So I humbly request permission to go as their representative, and experience it first!”
“You...” Emperor Taizong was at a loss for words.
For it seemed he had once again been persuaded by Li Zhi.