"Your Majesty, is it a little too stingy for us to calculate the tribute gifts from envoys from various countries in this way?"
In the Xiande Hall, Li Daozong asked.
Because every year when various countries came to pay tribute, the Tang Dynasty had to return the favor.
But this year is a little different. Tang Ping proposed that all the gifts from envoys from various countries should be converted into cash, and then the value of the gifts would be increased by 10%.
After all, they have traveled thousands of miles to deliver your things to you, and they still have to drag your things back.
"I think this is very good!" Du Ruhui said: "In the past years, no matter how many things these countries offered to worship, I, the Tang Dynasty, would prepare generous gifts. They don't seem to be paying tribute, but they are looking for opportunities to fight against the autumn wind."
"Xiang Du is right!" Fang Xuanling also said: "Especially the Fusang Kingdom, which actually sent dozens of women as gifts!"
The ministers in the Xiande Palace were all men. They all laughed when they heard Fang Xuanling's words. Cheng Zhijie even smiled strangely and said: "Prime Minister, why don't you ask your Majesty to give you two to repair the grape trellis at your house?"
When everyone heard this, they laughed again.
Fang Xuanling was not annoyed. It was not news that his wife was jealous. She just spat at him and said: "Don't laugh at me, old man. Do you dare to ask His Majesty to give you two? You are not afraid of the hands of a loving mother. Sword?"
"you!"
"Okay!" Li Shimin interrupted them with a smile: "Tang Ping is right. Reciprocity of courtesy is human nature and applies to countries. However, if you repay the courtesy several times or even ten times as in the past, it may not be able to show your kindness. If we show our magnanimity, people will think that we Tang people are stupid and have too much money!"
Everyone laughed when he said this. Although Tang Ping's words sounded a bit rough, they were indeed very appropriate.
"It's just that a 10% increase is still too little. Let's return the favor by increasing it by 30%!"
Li Shimin said this, and the matter was settled.
The Tang Dynasty is already the center of this land. All countries trade here, and Chang'an is the center of the center. Therefore, no matter what treasures the envoys send, their value can be estimated in Chang'an. When the time comes, the Ministry of Rites will naturally follow the instructions. Return the gift based on the estimated value.
"How is the reputation of our Datang now?" Li Shimin then asked.
"Back to Your Majesty, today these envoys have all tried to win over Duke Ping. It seems that our strategy has worked."
"That's good!" Li Shimin nodded. Since ancient times, fighting has always focused on distant relations and close attacks, but Datang's position is in the middle, bordering the surrounding countries.
Once the Tang Dynasty becomes too powerful, it will arouse the vigilance of all countries.
Therefore, the current Tang Dynasty must pretend to be content with the status quo, singing and dancing in peace and not wanting to make progress.
"Since those envoys hope that we can re-appoint Duke Ping, then someone will come to his shop to give him a message and say that he will be given the title of Duke Xu."
The ministers were stunned at first, and then did not object.
Tang Ping's contribution may not be very clear to the outside world, but everyone in the Xiande Hall knows it clearly.
Logically speaking, it is not an exaggeration to be crowned a king, but now he is just adding another title of Duke to his family.
Of course, this title is not hung on Tang Ping's head, but if he has another son in the future, one can inherit his hereditary Duke of Ping, and the other can be granted the title of Duke of Xu.
It's just that the title of Duke Xu is not hereditary.
But even so, a school with two kingdoms is considered a first.
Moreover, for such a big matter, Li Shimin just made an understatement and even asked someone to send a message to a convenience store.
It seems careless, but only these people know what kind of favor this is.
In fact, what the officials in the Xiande Palace didn't know was that Li Shimin knew that Tang Ping had a son, so this title was obviously prepared for the son of Tujue.
As soon as the news spread, the whole of Chang'an was shocked.
The eldest son of the Tang family has not yet been born, and the second son of the Tang family has already been given the title of Duke of the State.
How much honor and favor does this require?
But after the people of Chang'an were shocked, they felt that they deserved the title.
Who brought us all the good times we have had these past few years?
Isn't that Duke Pingguo?
Now everyone has clothes to wear, meat to eat, houses to live in, and money to earn. Isn’t it all brought by Ping Guo Gong?
Many people were discussing, feeling that even a double-kingdom was not enough, so why should Tang Ping be crowned king.
The envoys were even more overjoyed.
Although Datang's return gifts are obviously much less this year, it is nothing compared to this good news.
After all, no matter how many gifts Datang gave you in return, if he came to serve you a pot, those things would still be his.
And now that Tang Ping is respected by the emperor, his voice will inevitably increase greatly.
Tang Ping is a peace advocate. The more important he is, the safer our countries will be.
It is an eternal truth that weak countries have no diplomacy. The strength of these countries is now increasingly different from that of the Tang Dynasty, and they can only place their hope on peace advocates like Tang Ping.
As a result, countless gifts were thrown at Tang Ping's courtyard.
Someone like Prince Miaoman who was in charge directly opened the Tang Dynasty's gift in return, selected some valuable items and sent them to Tang Ping's shop.
Among them, the only one showing ambiguity is Dongyue Kingdom.
Dongyue also sent people to pay tribute this time, and the things they sent were ordinary gold and silver.
The value is definitely not low, but it is obvious that there is not much sincerity.
Now that East Vietnam has opened up Nanyang, not only its domestic financial resources have greatly increased, but it even has an escape route overseas.
The Hao family in power knew that their grudge with Wang Qingluan was impossible to resolve.
Although Tang Ping was said to be greedy for money and lustful, he had not even married a side wife so far, so he naturally doted on Wang Qingluan.
Thinking about it, he went to East Vietnam almost alone to pick up Wang Qingluan.
Therefore, the Hao family feels that no matter whether Tang Ping's advocate for peace is true or false, he will definitely not stand on the side of the advocate for East Vietnam.
This time Tang Ping was granted the title, all the envoys sent more or less congratulatory gifts, but Dongyue was completely indifferent.
Tang Ping didn't care, since he was not short of gifts anyway. As the envoys from various countries returned home with Datang's gifts in return, he, the receptionist, finally felt relaxed.
Every day when I have nothing to do, I drive Wang Qingluan to the Imperial City to watch the following games.
It's a professional competition during the day, and The Voice of Tang Dynasty at night. It can be said that it's so uncomfortable!
