"This minister just said..."
Wei Shuyu pointed at Doulu Kuan and said, "In order to entertain Hu merchants at a banquet, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered all the people in the city to wear silk and other ridiculous things."
"Listen carefully, everyone, it is Hu Shang who was invited by Emperor Sui Yang to the banquet!"
"The banquet is for businessmen!"
"Why on earth would a monarch of a country do this?"
"Other than the fact that this group of Hu businessmen can bring a huge amount of wealth to Emperor Sui Yang, I really can't figure out what his purpose is."
The ministers' scalps were numb.
If you think about it carefully, it's not true.
Everyone said that Yang Guang was fatuous and foolish...
Everything he does is done generously, and he never cares about the details. He only cares about the results.
"What does that have to do with tribute?"
Fang Xuanling finally brought the topic back.
"It has little to do with the Sui Dynasty, but it has a lot to do with our Tang Dynasty."
Wei Shuyu couldn't help but glance at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin's face turned red.
That's right.
This brat will definitely say something wrong with me again...
"Poor people can't afford silk, and rich people can't use so much..."
"Every year, about one-third of the money from the Tang Dynasty is distributed to the soldiers in the form of salary."
"Two-thirds left..."
"It was given back to other countries in the form of tribute."
Finished.
Wei Shuyu turned to look at Fang Xuanling: "Uncle Fang, do you think it is or not?"
"yes!"
Fang Xuanling nodded.
In today's Tang Dynasty, many small countries have surrendered and received a lot of supplies in exchange.
This is one of the reasons why the Tang Dynasty had strong soldiers and horses.
"Then the question comes..."
Wei Shuyu said helplessly: "The tribute will be returned to the countries at twice the price."
"Does that mean that I, Datang, gave them free money?"
"Does this mean..."
"Originally, the Tang Dynasty could make ten countries surrender!"
"But because of this tribute reward, we can only conquer three or four countries?"
The officials were dumbfounded.
This... this sounds like he is scolding Li Shimin for being rich and spending money recklessly.
Everyone couldn't help but steal a glance at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin had a serious face, full of majesty.
But in my heart, I cursed my mother angrily.
Brat, I let you talk about political affairs, but I didn't let you mock me in your words.
"Wei Shuyu, don't be alarmist!"
Doulu Kuan stood up again, not only to protect Li Shimin's face.
Moreover, because he is the Minister of Rites, he is responsible for paying tribute.
"Paying tribute has always been like this!"
"During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was also a theory of paying tribute."
"If it goes as you said, I will exchange it for an equal price."
"Why do we, the Tang Dynasty, make other countries surrender?"
"If we don't give more generous gifts, what will happen if the small countries unite to resist me, the Tang Dynasty?"
yes.
The ministers suddenly woke up.
Fair deal, why did other countries surrender to us, the Tang Dynasty?
"You're asking me?"
Wei Shuyu pointed to his nose.
"nonsense."
Doulu Kuan scolded: "I've called you by name, is there a second Wei Shuyu here?"
"That makes sense."
Wei Shuyu nodded, and then scolded fiercely: "But this is what the hell is wrong with me?"
"I am the supervisory censor."
"You are the Minister of Rites!"
"Your Majesty is not giving you a salary just to blame you."
"I asked you to help Datang solve its problems!"
Um?
Doulu Kuan pointed at Wei Shuyu, his beard trembling with anger: "What did you say? Say it again!"
"You're still showing official authority, right?"
Wei Shuyu rubbed his neck and cursed: "I scold you for being incompetent!"
It doesn’t matter if you are an uncle or not, just scold you first and then talk about it...
"Asshole!"
Doulu Kuan's face flushed.
"You big-headed devil!"
Wei Shuyu turned on the serial gun mode: "If it weren't for you, an old man who only eats corpses, would the Tang Dynasty be like this?"
"That sounds nice..."
"This has always been the case during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty."
"Hundreds of years have passed, and you are still following the ideas of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty..."
"Then have you heard a word..."
"If you don't advance, you will retreat!"
"Who is this? What did you say?"
Wei Zheng rolled his eyes and said helpfully: "It comes from "Deng Xizi: No Posthumous Chapter" written in the Spring and Autumn Period."
"Yes, Deng Xizi said it!"
Wei Shuyu nodded: "Why don't you listen to Deng Xizi's teachings?"
Doulukuan felt that his blood was rising all over his body, and there was a stagnation in his chest that he could not relax.
He pointed at Wei Shuyu and wanted to argue a few words.
Wei Shuyu ignored him, glanced at the ministers, and then spoke...
"Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty opened up the Silk Road."
"Emperor Sui Yang reopened the Silk Road."
"What about me, Datang..."
"I have strong soldiers and horses in the Tang Dynasty, and all the surrounding countries have surrendered!"
"It stands to reason... with the military strength of our Tang Dynasty, we can already march on the Silk Road and create a prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty!"
"But why haven't you marched yet?"
"No rations? No reason?"
"That's all bullshit!"
"To put it bluntly, it was just the tribute from the surrounding small countries that held back the progress of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin's eyes twitched.
You bastard, why are you scolding me for this?
There is no military ration, and there is no reason why I should not give you the approval of the memorial?
That's all, Lao Wei just hit the wall, give Lao Wei some face first.
If what you say next is right, forget it. If you say no, I will definitely settle the score later.
The ministers whispered...
This is also true.
The small country paid tribute, but the Tang Dynasty could not provide any items in return for the time being.
For example, in later generations, the Anxi Army guarded the Western Regions and shocked more than 400 countries.
If everyone comes to pay tribute.
Datang Huici went bankrupt...
"Shuyu, since you proposed the idea of the Silk Road, do you have any countermeasures?"
Fang Xuanling asked.
"That's right."
Wei Shuyu nodded, and immediately bowed to Li Shimin: "I am honored by the grace of the Holy Lord to put me in charge of mercantile matters."
"I believe that the tributes from various countries can be divided into two parts..."
"Part of it was paid as tribute to the imperial court, and the imperial court rewarded it to other countries in the form of rewards, demonstrating the prestige of the Tang Dynasty."
"The other part is living among the people, and merchants are responsible for selling and digesting it."
The ministers were silent.
A merchant again.
How come a lowly businessman in the past was able to do so many things when he came to Wei Shuyu's mouth?
"What do you think, dear friends?"
Li Shimin thought about it for a moment, unable to make this decision.
"Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate."
Changsun Wuji frowned and retorted: "The rewards are always twice the price..."
"If merchants acquire it at equal prices, it may cause dissatisfaction among various countries."
"If merchants purchase it at a premium, wouldn't selling it to the private sector be equivalent to squeezing the people?"
The ministers couldn't help but nodded.
This is another unbalanced problem...
"Changsun Wuji, are you stupid?"
Wei Shuyu cursed.
He never got used to Changsun Wuji.
"Do you know why you hate merchants so much?"
"Because the items brought back by merchants from foreign countries are sold for much more than twice the price..."
The officials were dumbfounded.
This seems to be the case.
They all say profiteers, profiteers...
The merchants brought back twice as many items from foreign countries...
Several times or dozens of times abound.
"Same reason..."
"We merchants can sell the materials they drag back from foreign countries several times or dozens of times!"
"If all the countries drag back my Tang Dynasty's supplies, they can multiply them many times!"
"Faced with such a huge temptation, will they not be tempted?"
"In that case..."
"We don't have to give them back any supplies at all!"
"Just give them copper coins and let them buy it themselves."
"In the end, when the left hand turns to the right hand, doesn't the copper coin come back again?"
The officials were dumbfounded.
Can you still do this?
Think about it carefully...
Why? It really is?
What is the use of foreigners taking copper coins?
"They are not stupid. The copper coins you give must be equivalent to the corresponding price of silk!" Changsun Wuji retorted unhappily.
The early Tang Dynasty had not recovered from the wars in the late Sui Dynasty, and silk was equated with money.
"Well, they're not stupid, but you are."
Wei Shuyu said disdainfully: "Our Tang Dynasty not only has silk, but also porcelain, tea, wine, fruits and vegetables..."
"The price of silk is clearly marked, won't you mention the price in other aspects?"
"Even silk is divided into several grades..."
"If you ask His Majesty to give that silk a noble title, won't the price of the silk rise?"
"And that wine, please let Uncle Cheng do the talking."
"Let's just say that Uncle Cheng drinks three large bowls every day. Wouldn't the price increase?"
"Ordinary wine costs a penny, but the kind of wine that Uncle Cheng drinks every day, is it too much to sell it for five or ten cents?"
Cheng Yaojin was thinking seriously...
So my fame is so useful?
Do you want to try selling wine?
