Chapter 127: Li Yi's Speech!

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The dense shade of green trees stretched long into the summer day, while the reflections of pavilions and towers rippled gently across the pond. Chang’an in summer was vibrant with life everywhere.

Today, Chang’an was especially lively. In one corner of Guangde Ward, a large crowd had gathered. The architecture here was unlike any other place—a two-story building with smooth walls, windows framed in redwood, and a pristine white exterior adorned with landscape ink paintings. These artworks were clearly the work of a master painter; running a hand over the surface, one would find it felt like stone—solid and rugged. The front of the building was festooned with numerous red ribbons, with a plaque covered by red cloth hanging at the center. Even the main gate was larger than usual. On either side of the gate lay smooth ground, seemingly paved with some material that, when stomped upon, was as hard as stone—yet it was certainly not stone. Directly in front of the gate stood a wooden platform, surrounded by a dense crowd. Yet no one could step forward, for a row of guards in matching uniforms stood straight and firm, blocking the way.

This distinctive two-story building was the headquarters of the Golden Cauldron Business Alliance. The white surface was coated with lime, and the landscape paintings were commissioned from Yan Liben, a renowned painter of the Tang dynasty, in exchange for lessons in sketching. It was said that Yan Liben had learned of Li Yi’s skill in sketching through his disciples. A painting Li Yi had made during a competition at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion somehow ended up in the hands of Li Er, who was now urging Li Yi to paint a self-portrait for him. As for the row of guards, they were male attendants trained by Li Yi himself and were now employed as temporary security.

Glancing at the sky, the time was nearly upon them. Looking around, Li Yi saw that Chang Le, Li Xueyan, Li Ke, and a group of wealthy playboys were all nervously restless. Only the older generation, like Cui Shirou, seemed calm. Yet the one who should be most anxious was Li Yi himself, for today he was to speak. But Li Yi’s nature was such that the more critical the moment, the calmer he became.

Suddenly, Li Ke approached with a tense expression. “Guard Feng just arrived. He said His Majesty is outside!”

“What? Uncle Li is outside? Then bring him in quickly!”

Li Ke smiled bitterly. “His Majesty came with several ministers. He said he does not want to come inside, preferring to watch from outside. He will enter once we finish.”

Li Yi frowned. “That won’t do. There are so many people here. What if Uncle Li gets hurt?”

“I’m worried too, but Guard Feng assured us they have made thorough preparations. He told us not to worry.”

“Heh! Then we have no choice but to trust that for now. If His Majesty dares to do this, it shows his confidence. Besides, worrying won’t help. Let’s focus on the matter at hand. The opening ceremony is about to begin. Let’s get ready!”

With that, Li Yi strode out decisively.

He climbed onto the platform, followed by Chang Le, Li Ke, Cui Shirou, and others, who stood on either side of him. Flanking the platform were several female attendants in uniforms, both valiant and alluring, their formation bringing a fresh energy to the scene.

Opposite the Golden Cauldron headquarters stood another small building. On its second floor were several prominent figures of the Tang dynasty, including Emperor Li Shimin and his trusted ministers.

Li Er chuckled. “Pharmacist, look at your grandson! This lad is no ordinary fellow. Look at this spectacle—truly unprecedented. And this opening ceremony—it’s quite interesting, isn’t it?”

Li Jing smiled wryly. “Your Majesty, you know he only just returned home this year. I still haven’t figured him out.”

Li Er nodded. “Not just you—I haven’t either. This boy always has strange ideas, yet they somehow bring great results. Take this opening ceremony, for example—never heard of it before, but it seems quite useful now.” Then he turned to his ministers. “Xuanling, Fuji, Xuancheng, we have set aside state affairs to come here today. Rest is one part, but more importantly, we are here to learn. I don’t know exactly what Young Yi has done, but I know it’s extraordinary.”

Fang Xuanling agreed gravely, “Indeed, Your Majesty. Although Wen Yong is young, some of his methods have great value in governance. For example, the implementation of his plan saved the Ministry of Revenue a substantial sum and greatly improved efficiency.”

Zhangsun Wuji stroked his beard, squinting with a smile. “Heh, though I don’t know Young Yi well, I have learned a few things from Chong’er. His invention of the ‘Zhenguan Numerals’ took me some time to master. Once I did, I found it more than doubled the speed of calculations. I plan to petition Your Majesty to promote it.”

Li Er nodded appreciatively. “Good. I have studied the ‘Zhenguan Numerals’ as well. It’s worthy of promotion. Fuji, since you have mastered it, this matter is entrusted to you. Draft a memorial for me.”

Zhangsun Wuji smiled slyly. “At your command!” The old fox never missed a chance to take credit; by casually mentioning it, he had already claimed half the credit for spreading the numerals. Truly cunning.

Wei Zheng laughed. “Since you all have such high hopes for this boy, I must take a closer look at what this ‘Jade Qilin’ can do! Here it comes! Your Majesty, look!”

Li Er and the others shifted their gaze to see Li Yi and his companions ascending the platform.

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Li Yi held a megaphone—an iron tube, narrow at one end and wider at the other. Facing the bustling crowd, he cleared his throat and spoke loudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the opening of the Golden Cauldron Business Alliance and the Golden Cauldron Charity Foundation. I am the chief executive of both organizations.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Li Yi, courtesy name Wen Yong, and I am the founding Count bestowed by His Majesty. Some of you may know me and find this strange, as nobles traditionally do not engage in commerce. But I have chosen to do business, and so has every person here, each representing a prestigious family! Indeed, I can confirm that the Golden Cauldron Business Alliance has royal participation!”

As soon as Li Yi finished, murmurs erupted below, disbelief rippling through the crowd. Royalty involved in business? How preposterous! Yet the skepticism did not last long—someone recognized Li Ke, and the doubts subsided. All eyes fixed intently on Li Yi and Li Ke, eager for an explanation of this shocking revelation.

Above, in the pavilion opposite, Zhangsun Wuji’s face darkened. “Your Majesty, shall I intervene to quell this?”

But Li Er remained unmoved. “Let’s hear him out.”

Zhangsun Wuji opened his mouth but ultimately withdrew.

On the platform, Li Yi continued, “Since ancient times, merchants have been deemed crafty, and no doubt many of you think so. Indeed, some merchants today do engage in deceit—buying high, selling low, passing off inferior goods, and inflating prices—which has caused us no small harm. But I assure you, the Golden Cauldron Business Alliance does not partake in such practices. Our principles are fairness, transparency, and integrity. We conduct business honestly, for mutual benefit. We strive to be ‘Confucian merchants.’”

Just as Li Yi’s speech gained momentum, a voice interrupted. “Your Golden Cauldron merchants are all royal relatives or noble scions. You say you’ll be honest? Hmph! Even if you go back on your word, who can we turn to?”

“Exactly! Your ranks are all high officials. If you cheat us common folk, we’ll have no recourse!”

“Right! That’s true!”

“Hmph! What nonsense is this Golden Cauldron Alliance? Just a front to cheat us commoners. None of these officials are good people. Don’t trust them!”

“Yeah! We should all boycott them. The law won’t punish the masses; they can’t do anything to us!”

“Good!”

...

“Your Majesty?” Even Fang Xuanling grew uneasy. If this escalated, a riot could break out, causing serious trouble.

But Li Er remained calm. “Patience. I told you, today we are merely observers. The rest is none of our concern. Have faith in this boy.”

Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Zhangsun Wuji, and Wei Zheng exchanged weary smiles. Faith? They wondered why His Majesty trusted Li Yi so much. Could a fifteen-year-old really handle such a situation?

On the platform, others from the alliance grew anxious.

Li Ke whispered, “Brother Yi, what should we do?”

Li Yi waved his hand, smiling faintly. Then, clearing his throat, he raised the megaphone and shouted, “Everyone! Please be quiet!”

As a count, Li Yi’s word carried weight. The crowd quickly fell silent. Earlier, some disorder was tolerable, but now that Li Yi had spoken, further disruption would be suicidal.

“Good! Enough with your doubts. Now it’s my turn. I know what you worry about—fear of collusion among officials, right? Haha, that’s unnecessary. Think about it: what do we merchants value most? Reputation. If a brand’s name is tarnished, who would buy from it? So if we ever betray our principles, it would be like digging our own graves.”

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Li Yi’s words struck a chord, though the crowd remained skeptical. None were fools, yet they could not accept his claims at face value. All eyes stayed fixed on him, eager to hear more.

...

Li Er muttered, “Collusion among officials? This boy dares to say anything! But what he says is true. Xuanling, observe the commoners’ reaction just now. It reveals the image of our officials in their eyes.”

Fang Xuanling nodded gravely. “Indeed, Your Majesty. The last dynasty’s harm to the people was profound. Such perceptions cannot be reversed quickly.”

The others wore thoughtful expressions.

...

Li Yi pointed to the left side of the Golden Cauldron building’s main entrance. There, affixed to the wall, was an iron box with three large characters: ‘Suggestion Box.’

“See that box? It’s called the Suggestion Box. If you have any complaints about the Golden Cauldron Alliance, you can write them down and put them inside. We have a dedicated enforcement department to handle these matters. If your suggestion is reasonable, it will be adopted. You can choose to sign your name or remain anonymous. Moreover, if you sign your name and your suggestion is adopted, we will reward you financially as thanks.”

He then gestured toward Li Ke and others. “Look here. These nine are shareholders of the Golden Cauldron Alliance and also members of the enforcement team. See the Red Cauldron emblem on their arms? From now on, if you have a problem, find someone wearing that mark.”

He continued, “For example, if you dine at our Golden Cauldron Restaurant and find a fly in your dish, you can report it to the enforcement team. After verifying the facts, they will compensate you. If you think that’s still not enough, see this platform I’m standing on and the megaphone in my hand? If you find our Alliance mistreating customers and ignoring your complaints, you can come up here, take the megaphone, and publicly denounce us. We will not stop you, nor dare to. Once you step onto this platform, it’s considered a formal accusation against us. The government will intervene and conduct a public trial—yes, a truly public trial where no one can cover for each other. The outcome will be decided by right and wrong. But there’s a premise: you must have been ignored or treated unfairly by us in your complaint. Otherwise, you’re obstructing official business.”

When Li Yi finished, the crowd fell silent—stunned. They could scarcely imagine a merchant so considerate of the people, so just and fair. Slowly, belief began to take root. Perhaps the Golden Cauldron Alliance was truly founded to benefit the common folk. Even those who had earlier incited trouble were speechless. What more could they say?

...

In the second-floor pavilion opposite, Li Er and the four top leaders of the Tang dynasty felt their hearts tremble at Li Yi’s words.

Li Er’s mouth parted slightly, a flicker of astonishment passing through his eyes before deep reflection. “Suggestion Box? Enforcement team? Public complaints? Public trials? Reward system? Incredible. This idea is brilliant.”

Fang Xuanling, as prime minister, was deeply moved. “Yes, Your Majesty. If Young Yi’s method were adapted for official audits, it would surely be effective.”

Li Er nodded. “Indeed. It seems I have underestimated this boy. Xuanling, make sure to record every word he says today. We must study this thoroughly. I sense there is much more to this.”

Fang Xuanling raised his pen and paper. “Rest assured, Your Majesty. I am taking notes.”

Li Er was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily. “Ha ha ha! Xuanling, you truly are wise!”

At that moment, Zhangsun Wuji suddenly spoke. “Your Majesty, Li Yi’s idea is excellent, but what if some people deliberately cause trouble? Won’t he have to handle such matters every day?”

Li Er smiled faintly. “Heh, where there are rewards, there are punishments. Look, the boy is about to speak again!”