Li Chengqian was stunned and looked forward, seeing Lu Wanjie standing not far away surrounded by several maids.
"presumptuous!"
Lu Qing scolded: "You are too courageous. How dare you speak to His Highness like this? Why don't you kneel down and apologize?"
It was only then that Lu Wanjie remembered that the guy in front of her who was slandering Buddha was the eldest prince.
Seeing that she was about to salute, Li Chengqian hurriedly said: "Sister Wanjie, there is no need to be polite. I am here as a guest, not to cause trouble."
"It was the little old man who disturbed His Highness because of his poor discipline."
Lu Qing bent down and cupped his hands and said, "After the debate, I will definitely teach her a lesson."
"No need to."
Li Chengqian smiled and said: "Uncle Lu, please hurry up and take me to the debate. I also want to see what these young scholars are debating."
"Okay, okay, okay."
Lu Qing then moved forward with Li Chengqian.
Not long after, a fierce quarrel was heard from the front.
Lu Qing smiled and said: "The topic of today's debate is the issue of domestic state and county reform. Both parties have their own opinions and the quarrel is quite fierce. Your Highness should not be offended."
Li Chengqian stood on tiptoes and looked forward: "Since it is a debate, it will naturally become more and more noisy."
Lu Qing smiled and nodded, then turned around and saw Lu Wanjie walking over.
Lu Wanjie is the daughter of the Lu family and is known for her talents. Naturally, she wants to go and have a look at today's debate.
It's just that when she passed by Li Chengqian, she had a completely cold face, which made Li Chengqian a little at a loss.
Didn't she just say a few jokes about it, how could she be like this?
Li Chengqian rolled his eyes, and then said to Lu Qing: "Uncle Lu, if you have anything to do, go ahead and take a look."
Lu Qing nodded and said: "Okay."
The further inside, the more chaotic it becomes.
In debates like this, generally speaking, the children from poor families take one side and the children from aristocratic families take another side.
Debates began with each holding their own opinions on the topic.
Li Chengqian walked into the venue and stood at the back of the crowd to listen quietly.
"Nowadays, the names of prefectures and counties have been passed down from ancient times. If we change the place names and merge prefectures and counties, wouldn't it cause unnecessary trouble?"
"Moreover, in order to give preferential treatment to the meritorious officials, many people were appointed to local offices. If the local states and counties were replaced, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the meritorious officials?"
Bai Lanping, the most famous scholar in the capital, said loudly.
He is a son of aristocratic family, so he is also the representative of the son of aristocratic family.
As soon as this statement came out, many people immediately cheered.
And these people cheering are all descendants of aristocratic families.
"The number of prefectures and counties today has more than doubled compared to the previous dynasty. How to manage such a complex prefectures and counties?"
A young man from a poor family named Wu Tong argued.
His words hit the nail on the head.
This is exactly the disadvantage caused by too many states and counties.
Even Li Chengqian wants to give this guy a thumbs up.
"How to manage?"
"Of course it has to be managed by officials."
"Otherwise, why should I wait for the Confucian scholars?"
"Aren't I just waiting to get a good name, then manage the place and serve the country?"
Bai Lanping sneered and said, "Is it possible that you don't want to serve the country?"
Wu Tong was speechless after hearing this.
Isn’t studying just to gain fame and serve the country?
What he said seems to be correct.
In an instant, the arrogance of the children of the aristocratic family surged.
“It’s true to obtain fame and honor, it’s true to govern a place, and it’s true to serve the country.”
"But who will support such a large group of officials?"
At this moment, a young voice sounded.
Everyone was puzzled and looked back quickly, only to see an eight or nine-year-old child standing behind the crowd.
Bai Lanping said with disdain: "What do you know, a kid?"
"hey-hey."
Li Chengqian smiled and said: "I don't understand, but you don't understand either. If you understand, then answer my question."
Bai Lanping hesitated for a moment: "To support officials, naturally it comes from the national treasury."
"Then I'm asking you, where does the money from the treasury come from?"
"Of course it's the income from taxes paid by the people."
“It’s well said that the people’s income from taxation is good.”
Li Chengqian took a few steps forward with his hands behind his back: "Then let me ask you, if three households raise one soldier, and one hundred households raise one official, how many people do we have in the Tang Dynasty?"
Bai Lanping was stunned, because he really didn't know about this question.
Seeing this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sneer.
He doesn't even know about this kind of problem, so he still has the nerve to talk nonsense here?
"Since you don't know, let me tell you."
Li Chengqian raised his head and said: "According to statistics from the year before last, excluding hidden households and concealed reports, our Tang Dynasty has a total of 3.85 million households. Our Tang Dynasty has 300,000 permanent troops and 600,000 border troops, totaling 900,000." people."
"To support 900,000 soldiers and horses, the annual consumption will eliminate the tax revenue of 2.7 million households, leaving 1.15 million households."
"If, as you said, officials across the country and prefectures and counties do not allow cuts, do you think our Datang treasury can support so many local officials?"
"this……"
"In this case, it is better to disarmament..."
He sought medical treatment simply because of a sudden illness.
I have nothing to say, just push it hard.
"disarmament?"
Li Chengqian looked at him as if he were a fool: "Why do you think people pay taxes? Isn't it just to live and work in peace and contentment? What else can you do to ensure that people live and work in peace and contentment when you dismantle the army?"
"Since you can't guarantee that people live and work in peace and contentment, why do you ask people to pay taxes?"
"It is only natural and right for the people to pay taxes."
Lu Wanjie suddenly said: "If we don't cooperate, we are rebelling."
"Incomprehensible."
Li Chengqian responded with one sentence: "The people pay taxes, and the state protects the people. This is mutual dependence."
"The people are water, and the country is a boat. Water can carry and capsize a boat. Don't you understand such a superficial truth, Miss Lu?"
"I used to think you were some kind of talented woman, but today it seems like nothing more than that."
No matter what Lu Wanjie's expression was, Li Chengqian continued: "In my opinion, it is best to merge the whole country into large administrative regions and reduce the prefectures and counties. Otherwise, it will be too late to create a situation with more officials and fewer people."
"And when establishing administrative regions, we must also establish an inspection history. The main function of the inspection history is to monitor local government affairs. They rotate every ten years to supervise each other and report to each other. If corruption is discovered, severe punishment will be given."
These words made everyone present stunned.
Those who understood Li Chengqian's words looked at Li Chengqian with hot eyes.
There are those who understand, and naturally there are those who don’t.
"Crazy, crazy, this is a lunatic, get him out quickly."
"Yes, drive him out. A child with a dirty mouth actually dares to talk nonsense."
Looking at these children of aristocratic families who wanted to drive him out, Li Chengqian had a smile on his face, but it was ridicule.
"No need to rush, I'll go by myself."
Li Chengqian turned his head and said loudly: "Others laugh at me because I am too crazy, but others cannot see through my laughter. There are no tombs of heroes from the Five Tombs, and there are no flowers or wine to cultivate the fields."
…
Li Chengqian left, but later in the palace, Eunuch Zhou also read this poem to Li Shimin.
"Without seeing the tombs of the heroes of the Five Tombs, we are plowing the fields without talking or drinking..."
Li Shimin muttered and couldn't help but clapped his hands in admiration.
"Li Chengqian, Li Chengqian, you really did not disappoint me."
Seeing Li Shimin so happy, Eunuch Zhou was also happy.
Eunuch Zhou said with a smile on his lips: "Your Majesty didn't see it. After His Highness finished reciting the poem and walked out, the children from the poor family clapped their hands and applauded, and the children from the aristocratic family turned green with anger."
