"I have two questions I would like to ask: First, does the money needed to build a Zen temple come from the national treasury or the saint's internal funds? Second, does the manpower come from corvee or employment?" Just when Yang Guang was thinking about countermeasures, Yang Ji asked.
"The purpose of Zending Temple is to pray for the mother and queen. How can the state treasury and servants be used? The money mainly comes from the father's internal funds, and the other part is donated by our royal children; the manpower is mainly hired. In short, all this will not waste people or hurt money. Matter." Seeing Yang Ji come out to delay time, Yang Guang breathed a sigh of relief. While replying, he was also thinking hard about countermeasures.
"That's the case, this temple is entirely for the saint to spend his own money to commemorate the Queen of Documents; at the same time, we, the royal family's children, fulfill their filial piety as their sons and nephews." Although I don't have a good impression of the overpopulated bald men, this Zen Temple is to commemorate my beloved. Yang Ji had no reason to object and said loudly: "Ministers who oppose the construction of the temple, aren't deep love between husband and wife and filial piety among children traditional virtues? You are Do you want the royal family to be ruthless and unfilial? Or do you believe in ruthlessness and unfilial piety?"
Yang Guang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he wanted to give himself a slap. He thought too complicatedly, and the more he thought about it, the more he fell into the fog of opposing the minister. He even forgot the most basic filial piety. He really deserved a slap.
"This has nothing to do with friendship or filial piety, but a matter of luxury." Xue Daoheng shook his head and said, "It is inappropriate to build a temple at such a huge cost and waste of money and people."
"The prince also said just now that earth, stone, timber, and labor costs are all private money and have nothing to do with the national treasury. How can you waste money on people and waste money?" Yang Ji said: "And everyone is working hard to make money, isn't it just to buy the things they want? What? Now this Zen Temple is what the royal family wants to buy. The reason is the same as Mr. Xue buying pen, ink, paper and inkstone. If you don’t allow the royal family to build the Zen Temple, it’s the same as I don’t allow you to buy pen, ink, paper and inkstone.”
"King Wei's words are wrong!" Xue Daoheng said solemnly: "Every bit of it is hard-earned. As a model for the world, the royal family should pay more attention to the difficulties in material resources and set an example for itself. How can we start the trend of extravagance?"
"In other words, as the King of Wei, I can't spend my own money indiscriminately?" Yang Ji just asked rhetorically, meaning that I control my money myself and it's none of your business. But Xue Daoheng nodded naturally and said: "That's right!"
Everyone in the hall was stunned. There are such unreasonable people in this world?
Yang Ji looked ugly, resisted the urge to scold his mother, and asked: "For example, if I have ten thousand yuan, if I don't spend it, then may I ask Mr. Xue, where is the money?"
Xue Daoheng said: "The ten thousand yuan of money is naturally in your home."
Yang Guang didn't know why Yang Ji turned the question to diligence and frugality. In his opinion, this was a lose-win situation. Even Yang Jian looked at Yang Ji, and like everyone else, he looked at the old man and the young man with interest. bicker.
When it comes to the power of speech, there are really few civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty who can compare with Xue Daoheng. Just because he is well-reasoned and well-founded, you will have nothing to say. He never opposes for the sake of opposition.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yang Ji said: "Mr. Stones are generally useless. If I use them to build a garden, does Mr. Xue know where the money will go? In the hands of impoverished stonemasons, carpenters, bricklayers, and plasterers; in the hands of fellers, quarrymen, miners, and laborers. , in the hands of the porter."
Yang Ji continued: "If these people don't get the money, they may starve to death because they don't have money to buy rice, freeze to death because they don't have money to buy clothes to keep out the cold, or die of illness because they don't have money to buy medicine. When these tens of thousands of dollars are spent, I can get Thinking of the garden, they also have money to eat, wear clothes, and see a doctor. It can be said that they use their money to the best of their ability, everyone gets what they need, everyone gets something, and everyone is happy. Now please answer me, Mr. Xue, is luxury right? If not, why? Where is it again?"
Xue Daoheng was stunned.
Yang Jian and Yang Guang were stunned.
Yang Su, Xue Zhou and other civil and military officials all looked dull.
All dynasties have advocated diligence and thrift and opposed luxury and waste. However, according to Yang Ji's logic, luxury seems to be not only right, but also beneficial to the country and the people. Isn’t it wrong to be diligent and thrifty?
Yang Jian, Yang Guang, Yang Su and other elites of the era were all confused.
Xue Daoheng racked his brains to refute, but found that he was speechless.
"It must be wrong to be extremely extravagant! Because many dynasties were ruined because of the foolish king's excessive extravagance. But from what King Wei said, it seems that there is nothing wrong with being extremely extravagant. Why is this?" Xue Daoheng racked his brains and couldn't figure it out. , but he is a true scholar. His greatest characteristics are asking questions when he doesn’t understand and not being ashamed to ask. And this is also a common question for everyone. Both pairs of eyes looking for answers looked at the calm Yang Ji.
"There are several prerequisites for being extravagant and extravagant. First, the money used for extravagant and extravagant extravagance must come from a legitimate source. Secondly, excessive extravagance and extravagance must not harm others and benefit oneself. Many foolish kings excessively exploit the people's power in order to satisfy their own extravagant life. He made the world so miserable that the people who could no longer survive were forced to rebel, causing the world to go dark."
Having said this, Yang Ji couldn't help but glance at Yang Guang, who was listening carefully: "If the extravagant and lustful emperor uses up the stipulated corvee, he will use clean money and grain to hire laborers to build the capital, build the palace, and build the Great Wall. , opening official roads and digging canals, that is a voluntary, fair and just transaction. In the end, the emperor had a magnificent palace, a majestic Great Wall, convenient official roads and canals, and the people got the money and food they thought of by selling their labor. The result is not only happy for everyone, but also achieves the purpose of hiding wealth among the people. When the laborers spend the money, the court can recover the money through taxation, and then the court builds cities, official roads, and canals. Thus a virtuous cycle is achieved."
"What a virtuous cycle of hiding wealth among the people! What happens next?" It's not that Yang Guang is saying nonsense that is close to flattery, but that he really can't stand the look in Yang Ji's eyes, because every time Yang Ji talks about the faint king, They would all look at him, making him feel like he was that extravagant and lustful king.
"Then?" Yang Ji said with a smile: "When there is a disaster, we have to carry out big projects."
Yang Jian, who listened with rapt attention, couldn't help but ask: "Every time there is a disaster, the court will provide relief to the victims, even if they are afraid that they will cause trouble, and will control and comfort them. If we carry out a big project in a disaster year, are we not afraid that the victims will cause trouble? Rebellion?"
"Change the previous relief methods." Yang Ji quickly organized his thoughts in his mind and continued: "Once the victims have nothing to do, they will cause trouble. Even if they are afraid of the court and dare not cause trouble, they are always dissatisfied with the pressure of the court. If the imperial court hires victims to repair cities, build new canals and roads in places where disasters occur, and distribute relief grains in the form of salaries, it can not only achieve the purpose of relieving the victims, but also reduce the pressure on local officials and build the place. And the imperial court Spending money on food is actually just relief food. This is work-for-relief."
In fact, the provisions for disaster relief and epidemic prevention have been around since Dayu's flood control, and they are now quite mature. Some seemingly advanced concepts in later generations can actually be traced.
Even the seemingly novel method of providing relief through work was not unknown in ancient times. What really hindered disaster relief was the lack of execution and supervision, which caused huge losses in the process of distributing relief food. Only half of those who fall on the victims can be regarded as clear-minded officials.
What Yang Ji said did not deviate from the scope of the times, but after he explained it one by one, many existing things became clear, especially the regulations on OEM relief, which were even enough to be included in the history of disaster relief. case.
"This time, everyone seems to have been outclassed by King Wei." Yang Jian asked Xue Daoheng, "Xue Qing, do you still object to my building the Zen Temple?"
"If there is no coercion during the construction of Zending Temple, it can indeed achieve the purpose of helping the poor and hiding wealth among the people; if Zending Temple is not only used by saints to commemorate the queen, but also to increase income for ordinary people, then I have nothing to say."
At this moment, Xue Daoheng already admires Yang Ji from the bottom of his heart; if Yang Ji's theories are accurately implemented and the extravagant desires really play the role of satisfying the superiors, building the place, and hiding wealth for the people, he will really There is no reason to object.
Xue Zhou, Yuan Shou, Zhang Jin and others are all rare talents in this world. How can they not understand Yang Ji's ideas?
If you continue to object, it will be unreasonable and unreasonable. It is not the behavior of a wise person. Everyone remains silent.
The wind direction changed in an instant.
Almost all those who opposed the construction of the temple changed their opinions. Naturally, they praised Yang Ji for asking them to change their opinions. They all said that his every word was perfect and his every sentence was reasonable. It was not clear whether he was using praise to elevate himself or to praise him. kill.
Yang Jian laughed happily when he saw his nephew turning the tide and changing the direction of the wind: "King Wei is right. Chanding Temple is not a waste of money and money for the people, but it benefits the country and the people. Since we have enough money and food, we can recruit more civilians and disaster victims during the slack season." , to prevent the progress of Zending Temple from being delayed due to spring plowing and other agricultural seasons."
"The saint is wise." The ministers bowed to the ground.
Yang Guang breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the challenge of Zending Temple was over. His purpose has been achieved by Yang Ji, so there is no need to increase his presence. Just looking at Yang Ji's eyes was full of heartbeat, and his love for talents almost jumped out of his chest.
This guy is so young, but he has said so many truths and good ways to govern the country. He is simply a talented person in governing the country!
It seems that what he thought was right. The old minister was content with the status quo. Not only did he lose his enterprising spirit, but he also tried his best to obstruct those who worked hard to make progress. If he wanted to make the Sui Dynasty further glorious on the basis of his father, he had to rely on being full of vitality. A vigorous and energetic young man.
"Dismiss the court!" Yang Jian stood up and said, "The prince stays here, I have something to explain."
"I retire." All civil and military officials stood up, saluted, and exited the Chinese Hall one by one.
Yang Ji also followed the crowd, but after walking a few steps, he heard Yang Jian say: "King Wei is staying too."
