Li Chengqian has changed. This is what everyone around him thinks. The prince, who has been so voluptuous in the past six months, dismissed all the musicians and singers he recruited on the second day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
All the horses were sent to the Prince's Sixth Residence to be raised according to military horse standards. The ministers of the Prince's Mansion were shocked. Even the princess was wondering what happened to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian would attend every morning meeting. But he doesn't always want to express himself in front of Li Shimin like before. He just watched silently. Listening to how Li Shimin discussed with the courtiers and why he made such a decision, Li Chengqian remained unmoved even though Li Tai was extremely active.
Occasionally, he would praise Li Tai's good ideas in court. This approach made these veterans very satisfied, almost with tears in their eyes. The prince and the prodigal son turned back, and the Tang Dynasty had hope.
Even if the censor from the aristocratic family impeached him for a trivial matter, he would take the initiative to admit his mistake, leaving Li Tai and his family unable to do anything to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian is like this now, and Li Shimin is also very satisfied with Li Chengqian's changes. Occasionally, he would bring Li Chengqian with him when discussing important decisions in the Liangyi Palace. Li Chengqian listened to Li Shen's words, studied political affairs when he had something to do, and went out to play when he had nothing to do. Or going to Liusuli to ride horses and play ball. He himself felt that he was much happier.
The change of the prince made the situation in the DPRK more stable, and Li Shimin lost a lot of worries. He remembered Li Shen's words that he should pave the way for the prince, and it would be easy for the prince to succeed to the throne.
Three months have passed and it is already November. Today is the meeting of the imperial court, and the matters discussed are all matters in various parts of the country. It's the same as usual. Near the end. Censor Cui Renzhi stood up.
"Your Majesty, I am impeaching King Ji Li Shen for hoarding rare goods and hoarding grain, causing the food price in Chang'an to rise by 30%. He maliciously raised prices and engaged in illegal business. He competed with the people for profit. The rise in food prices has made the people panic. I hope your Majesty will severely punish King Ji and shut down the government. His workshop. Give justice to the people of Chang'an."
"I second the proposal. Prince Ji is buying grain on a large scale, which is a rare commodity. If things go on like this, it will be easy for the people to revolt." The censor of the Wang family of the aristocratic family.
"I second the proposal"
"I second the proposal"
Several officials from the family stood up. Demanding severe punishment for Li Shen.
"Wang De, call Prince Ji over." Li Shimin ordered
After a while, Li Shen arrived, and he already knew what happened on the way. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Shen asked Boutique Pavilion to buy grains on a large scale. On the one hand, he wanted to make wine, and on the other hand, Li Shen wanted to raise the price of grains.
Anyway, it doesn't matter if there is too much grain. Old grain can still be used to make wine, and food reserves can also be used to prevent accidents. When he was digging coal in the mountains behind Dahuangzhuang, he dug a cave and stored 5,000 tons of grain, which he bought from 5 cents to 7 cents a dou now.
Eight hundred thousand bushels, that is, more than 80,000 loads of grain. The winery has been built next to Dahuangzhuang, and hundreds of people from Dahuangzhuang and Xiaohuangzhuang have been hired to make wine. The backyard of Boutique Pavilion is mainly responsible for the brewing of high-end wine.
Both ordinary and high-end drinks are available in the Boutique Pavilion. The ordinary ones are priced at two for a jar, which is the same price as the Cui family's Shenxian Zui.
Many restaurants go to the Boutique Pavilion to purchase goods. The purchase price ranges from five hundred cents for ordinary items to four cents for high-end items. Merchants even purchase large quantities and sell them to all parts of the country.
This had a great impact on the Cui family's wine business. The Cui family had no choice but to lower the price, and the boutique pavilion followed suit. The price of the regular model has been consistent with the Cui family's. The Cui family's wine business has plummeted in more than two months.
The wine business, which accounts for the income on the first floor of the Cui family, has made little profit and has lost its momentum. The Cui family knew that this was Li Shen's revenge, but how could the family be afraid of you, a young prince, so that's why today's impeachment meeting was held
"I've met Aye. I wonder why Aye called the child here." Li Shen saluted.
"Cui Yushi and many court officials impeached you for hoarding rare goods and hoarding food. You compete with the people for profit. Do you have anything to say?" Li Shimin asked.
"Cui Yushi, why are you impeaching me again? Why are you always staring at me?" Li Shen said to Cui Renzhi pretending to be pitiful like a child, gaining a lot of sympathy points.
"His Royal Highness King Ji, as the official of the Yushi. Of course, he will report the news and supervise all officials." Cui Renzhi returned
"That's right, Cui Yushi, since you are so responsible. Let's talk about it. What is the crime this time?" Li Shen felt no pressure.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, are you purchasing grains on a large scale? As a result, grains in Chang'an and surrounding areas have increased by two levels. This has caused panic among the people." Cui Renzhi asked.
"Yes" Li Shen admitted.
Cui Renzhi didn't expect Li Shen to admit it. He thought Li Shen was looking for some excuse.
"His Majesty, King Ji, admitted that rare things can be lived in." Cui Renzhi said to Li Shimin
"Cui Yushi. When did I admit that I am a rare commodity?" Li Shen asked inexplicably.
"Didn't His Highness just admit to buying grain on a large scale?" Cui Renzhi returned.
"Purchasing grain means that rare goods can be used to live in. Then please explain to me what rare goods can be used to live in." Li Shen asked nonchalantly.
"You are hoarding food and waiting for the price to rise before selling it. Isn't this a rare commodity?" Cui Inzhi said.
"Who told you that I have to sell the grain I buy? Can't you eat it?" Li Shen joked
"Your Highness, don't make excuses. You have purchased 70,000 to 80,000 tons of grain. This grain is enough to feed ten thousand people for a year. Did His Highness, King Ji, feed ten thousand people?" Cui Renzhi retorted, Li Shen gave you a crime by the way. Feed thousands of people. Do you, Prince Ji, want to rebel?
"Cui Yushi, you may not know. I have 500 households and almost 2,000 people. I am the boss. I have to prepare food for them to prevent disasters. If the sowing is damaged, there will be no harvest in the year.
I'm not like you, who don't care about my tenants. I have to support them. I learned from my teachers to be benevolent and righteous. It's just that I prepared three years of disaster food.
And I plan to collect more next year. The villages near my Huangzhuang are not doing well, and they can barely have enough food and clothing in the bad years. If there is a disaster and they have to go to the streets to beg, the Imperial College taught them about benevolence and righteousness, so I have to prepare something for them. I can't treat the people who farm their land like you do. "Li Shen scolded and beat Cui Renzhi.
"King Ji's children can be taught, apply what they have learned, and Ji Wang is benevolent and righteous." Kong Yingda, the wine sacrificer of the Imperial Academy, stood up and praised Li Shen. He is the proud disciple of the Imperial Academy.
Li Shen bowed to Kong Yingda. Then he asked Cui Renzhi: "Cui Yushi, are you satisfied with my rhetoric?"
Cui Renzhi knew that Li Shen was talking nonsense. At least half of his food was used to make wine. In the past few months, the wine business of Boutique Pavilion had had a huge impact on the Cui family.
But even Kong Yingda stood up and said that Li Shen was benevolent and righteous. If he didn't agree with it, wouldn't it mean that Li Shen's benevolent and righteous approach was wrong? Then wouldn't he be a person who does not respect benevolence and righteousness? So it’s hard to answer.
Li Shimin on the stage nodded slightly. Although what Li Shen said was all made up, it was well-founded and had to be benevolent and righteous. It's impossible to refute. Isn't this a common method used by scholars? If you refute, you have no humanity.
Next to him, Li Chengqian's eyes lit up, this tenth brother is so talented. You can still argue like this. Learned another trick.
