In fact, this decree is to prevent officials from using their rights to do business, and it is not to prevent people from entering the market.

But this kind of thing really doesn't matter now. Just say that people now have four levels of people, including scholars, farmers, industry and businessmen, and businessmen, and businessmen, and businessmen. These officials at the first level cannot be able to run shops in person. Their reports are all relatives or housekeepers. They are all people who have made contributions to the founding of the country. What can they do if the whole family wants to support them? Do they have to do it strictly? Do they have to be the hearts of the people? Why do they follow you to fight to the world? Isn't it for the glory and wealth at this time?

So as long as you don’t use your rights to make profits, you will turn a blind eye.

However, Li Chengqian knew that his words caused a very capable official to lose the opportunity to advance decades later. Originally, Li Chengqian used this as a gossip in later generations.

According to historical records, during the Wu Zetian period, there was an official named Zhang Heng in the court. Although he was from Lingshi (Xujian), his official rank had reached the fourth rank. If he was promoted to another level, he would become a third rank official. What is the third rank in the Tang Dynasty? If you compare the current official positions, then the fourth rank is the department or deputy minister level, and the third rank is a high-rank official. Not only that, in the Tang Dynasty, some third-rank officials could add the title of "Tongpingzhangshi" to be the actual prime minister. Therefore, in the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty, from the fourth rank to the third rank was a hurdle that was difficult to climb, just like the current officers were promoted from the colonel to the major general, and local cadres were promoted from the director to the high-ranking official, which was very difficult.

You should know that it is very difficult to convert from an official to an official, as if there is a deep ditch in the middle. From this we can see that this person named Zhang Heng has several brushes. Otherwise, it would be difficult for a clerk like him who was originally a "worker's staff" to be converted into a cadre and climb to a high position in the fourth rank.

Zhang Heng was not the case. Not only did he become a fourth-rank official in jealousy, but the Ministry of Personnel has also listed him as a candidate for third-rank official. All the promotion materials have been prepared. He will wait until he reports to the Ministry of Education for review and approval, and then the emperor will issue a letter of appointment.

However, at this critical moment, Zhang Heng accidentally made a very low-level mistake: one day when he came back to the court meeting, he saw someone selling steamed cakes on the roadside. As soon as he was out of the cage, he was steaming, so he couldn't control his appetite and bought a piece to satisfy his hunger. This matter happened to be seen by a serious and responsible censor. After returning, he wrote a report that impeached Zhang Heng's behavior of buying steamed cakes violated the code of conduct of officials and damaged the glorious image of the high-ranking officials in the minds of the general public, and asked the empress to deal with it seriously.

When Wu Zetian saw the report from the censor, she felt that Zhang Heng was hungry and was a little bit bad, which would damage the image of the leader. So she waved her pen and said, "You are born outside, you are not allowed to enter the third rank." The third rank official hat that was about to be obtained was broken because of a steamed cake. You are born outside because of a small official.

This story is not only a bit funny, but also makes people with unknown background wonder: the Censor impeached Zhang Heng because he shouldn't buy steamed cakes at a roadside stall. In Wu Zetian's instructions, he ordered Zhang Heng's humble origin problem. How can two things that are not related to each other be together?

After all, it is still a question of identity. At this time, the identity level is really strict. Officials and officials are watershed, one is a scholar and the other is an ordinary citizen. In other words, eating a cake is nothing, identity is the key.

Li Chengqian did not understand the difference between the identities of officials and officials in later generations. But there is a distinct example there, which is Song Jiang in the four masterpieces "Water Margin". He is a minor official. Although he has made a good fortune in the world with his reputation of business, he can tell how humble he was when facing the officials of the court. At that time, he was still the Northern Song Dynasty with a high degree of business development. When it was the Tang Dynasty, it would only be even more humble.

To say this means that officials cannot enter the market or buy things in person, otherwise Wu Zetian would not have made any comments on Zhang Heng's background.

Speaking of serious business, Li Chengqian came out of the palace today to spend money.

But even if you have to spend money, you can't spend it randomly. Li Chengqian originally felt that his money was not enough, so he would not waste it for no reason. All money had to be spent on being able to generate income. However, after spending a long time in the West City, Li Chengqian did not find out what he needed.

As the prince, he had nothing to lack, but he only spent thirty cents to buy a few snacks and tasted them.

At this time, Li Chengqian also roughly estimated the purchasing power of a thousand guan coins. Judging from the price of grain, a dou of rice can buy five or six stones of grain for a dou of rice. Although it does not reach the price of four or five cents of a dou of rice recorded in historical records, fifteen cents are also very cheap.

The purchasing power of copper coins is still very strong. It is not easy to spend a thousand guan.

Not to mention buying luxury goods, given the current frugal atmosphere, Li Chengqian bought it today and was found out by the idle censors, and immediately impeached the emperor and wasted extravagance the next day.

Besides, there is no luxury that he can admire. A jewelry made of broken glass is still crooked. You dare to ask for a price of 500 jin. Let’s play! A pile of sand is burned, which will make you arrogant for a while. When you take your hand out, this prince will let you know what wholesale is.

There is also a dou of wine that costs ten cents. Isn’t it just that things are rare and expensive? When the brewing technology is exchanged, it will be exported to make money from you. This money cannot be made by you and others.

So spending money is also a technical job.

Just when Li Chengqian was worried, he saw a very depressed two-story restaurant in front of him. He looked quite grand, but there were no customers staying in front of the door. Even if he stopped curiously and wanted to go in and take a look, he was pulled away by his friends beside him, and from time to time he turned around to give instructions to the restaurant.

Seeing this scene, Li Chengqian was also curious. It was really not easy to take a place in Xishi. It was a place where wealthy businessmen from home and abroad were all rich but not in status, with a large flow of people and rich. Logically speaking, if you open a restaurant in Xishi, as long as the food is not too unpalatable, it will not be deserted. I don’t know what the situation is like.

When I entered the door, the shopkeeper was sitting there listlessly, and a man who looked like a shopkeeper was lying on the counter and looking at the door and sighing.

Seeing Li Chengqian and the other two coming in, the shopkeeper immediately cheered up: "Why are you in a daze? You haven't seen the guests come to the door, so why don't you entertain me?"

The shopkeeper said this, but he didn't need a friend to come and greet him in person: "What do you want to eat? Our restaurant can do anything and drink enough."

"The shopkeeper is not busy for now. Let me ask you, why is your restaurant so deserted? Even if it is not a meal time, it is not so deserted." Li Chengqian asked.

"Oh!" the shopkeeper sighed and said, "This gentleman doesn't know that the villain was originally crowded with people."

"What is that now?" Qian Shan said.

"Oh! There was an accident here last month. The servant who originally bought the raw materials was bribed by someone else. The things they bought were wrong, which made the guests who came to eat that day have a stomachache. The villain was also accused of the restaurant. Later, the city order came to investigate and confirmed that it was our materials and he would be punished." The shopkeeper said next to him.

"Then hand over the clerk who is carrying the master and let the city order inform you of the reason? No one will come to have a meal here." Qian Shan said.

"It's not that easy. It takes a long time to build a reputation, but if it is to be corrupt, it only takes one thing. And the buyer hanged himself after the incident. There is no evidence of death, so the old man can only take responsibility by himself." The shopkeeper sighed again.

"I wonder why this servant did this? It's obviously thankless, it's not good for others to benefit oneself!" Li Chengqian couldn't understand why this man did this, and nothing was more important than his own life.

At this time, a guy interrupted, "Who said there is no benefit? The guy's mother was seriously ill and had no money to treat her. She was about to lose her life. She was only then used by someone to exchange her life for money. He also had two brothers in his family, and he was not afraid that no one would take care of her mother when he had money. I think it was something that was done by the restaurant next to him. He was really dissatisfied."

"Don't talk nonsense, what's the point of saying nothing without evidence? No one behind these restaurants is easy to mess with. Be careful to cause trouble!" The shopkeeper shouted.

"Haha, is there no background in the restaurant where the shopkeeper has?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.
Chapter completed!