The emperor was very melancholy and helpless. He had ambitions in his heart and wanted to expand his country, but he had no money.
While the powerful clan members of Chang'an City were still wasting their time, Li Shimin made another order to be diligent and thrifty. Anyone who dared to be extravagant and wasteful would be punished.
Wei Zheng, who has always been diligent and thrifty and devoted to public service, is just short of giving Li Shimin a thumbs up.
The Chang'an train was as bustling as ever, and the negotiation between Tubo and Datang did not affect the vitality here at all.
In the years since the world was peaceful, more and more people have moved into Chang'an City, and now the population of Chang'an City has reached as many as 500,000.
Xu Jingzong has been traveling between the Foreign Affairs Council and envoys from various countries these days.
"Prince of Persia, I have told you several times. We are discussing Persia's request for help. If there is any result, we will let you know."
Perus, the prince of Persia, handed over another piece of gold and said, "I have a favor for you, my servant."
During the six months in Chang'an City, the Prince of Persia also learned the Guanzhong dialect, which was the only skill he learned in the Tang Dynasty during the six months.
Quietly accepting the gold, Xu Jingzong nodded and said: "Prince of Persia, don't worry, it's just that the battle with Tibet has just concluded. I will give an explanation to Prince of Persia after finishing these things."
"Good work."
Belus still kept saluting. His Guanzhong dialect was very unfamiliar, but he just felt that saluting must be useful.
Xu Jingzong walked back to the Foreign Affairs Academy with a heavy heart. The Foreign Affairs Academy was almost extremely busy.
Zhang Elephant made tea with dried chrysanthemums and added some mint and dandelions. "Do you want to take a few sips, Mr. Xu?"
Xu Jingzong looked at the tea bowl and asked curiously, "What is this?"
Zhang Elephant explained: "This is chrysanthemum tea. It is a health-preserving tea developed by Dr. Sun from Lishan Medical Center. It has the effect of dispersing wind and heat, calming the liver and improving eyesight. Drinking more can also dispel fire. If you are tired recently, drink it." It’s always right.”
Picking up the tea bowl, Xu Jingzong took a big sip and put down a piece of gold. "I'm really exhausted these days. I get up early and go to court without stopping. I have to sort out the papers after a short break."
Taking another sip of chrysanthemum tea, Xu Jingzong smacked his lips and asked, "Is there any medicine for this tea?"
Zhang Elephant picked up a package and opened it, which contained ingredients in small cloth bags. "You can brew a bag or a bowl over and over again. It was prepared by my mother at home. She knew that our brothers were tired, so she went to Lishan Medical Center." I bought some, it’s not too expensive and I can buy five bags.”
After taking three or two bags and putting them away, Xu Jingzong nodded and said, "I'll go and buy some someday. I haven't been able to speak well these past two days, which is probably because I'm angry."
Zhang Elephant saw a piece of gold on the table and asked, "What is this gold?"
"Given it by the Prince of Persia." Xu Jingzong said melancholy: "The silver cake is so good, but this gold cannot be spent."
Forget it if it's a silver cake, gold is rare. Not only will they refuse to accept it, but they will also be interrogated if the government finds out.
"Just leave it in the Foreign Affairs Academy and let Zhang Shangshu fold it into silver cakes another day."
"That's fine."
Xu Jingzong nodded and continued to sort out the scrolls calmly.
Since the negotiation, everyone in the Diplomatic Academy has been going crazy, dealing with various matters like chicken blood. Zhang Dashu took his people to Tubo again.
Now there are only two ministers in the Diplomatic Academy.
Xu Jingzong even lived here with more than a dozen clerks and a cook.
Start working as soon as you wake up, and go to sleep as soon as you close your eyes.
It is a luxury to sleep for three hours a day. After sleeping for two hours, everyone starts to deal with the situation in various places overnight, and also organizes and categorizes it.
Being proficient in the languages of various countries is now a required ability for everyone in the Foreign Affairs Academy. In addition to necessary matters, they also need to learn Tubo, Western dialect, and even Turkic languages.
Every night, everything in Chang'an City is quiet, except for the Diplomatic Academy with its lights on.
Zhang Elephant kept writing with a pen in one hand, "This month we must finalize various matters concerning Tubo. Half a year has passed, and we are still busy with matters concerning the Protectorate of the Western Regions."
】
As soon as he finished speaking, someone started wailing in the Diplomatic Courtyard.
There are only a few days left in June. There are still mountains of files in front of me, and I have to go to various ministries in the central government to get various official documents.
Then he distributed the chrysanthemum tea to everyone. Zhang Xiang said, "If you get angry due to fatigue, make a cup of tea to nourish your liver and improve your eyesight."
Xu Jingzong stared at the words on the bamboo slips under the light of the oil lamp, rubbed his sore eyes vigorously, and drank a large gulp of chrysanthemum tea.
While everyone was busy, Li Shimin's decree came again.
The guard who delivered the order read, "Your Majesty has an order to order the Foreign Affairs Council to organize the files on the land in Hexi, and identify the herdsmen outside the pass where Jiayu Mountain is located, and compile them into a volume and submit them to the Zhongshu Province."
After reciting the decree, the guards left, and another wailing was heard from the Diplomatic Academy.
If it weren't for the fact that the monthly salary given by the Foreign Affairs Council was more than the salary of civil servants in the DPRK, some people would really not want to work.
Not only is the Diplomatic Academy very busy, because His Majesty now has ideas for the construction of the Hexi Corridor, the imperial examination is about to be held, and the affairs of the official school are supervised by the prince himself. Tian Khan has said that the corvee will be light and the tax will be light, but now he is constantly facing Tian Khan. An idea pops up.
The court was also very busy, many officials took the files home to write, and many people were drowsy in the morning.
It is rare for Zhang Yang to come to the morning court today.
Xu Jingzong wiped away tears.
"Why are you crying?" Zhang Yang stood in the Tai Chi Hall wearing official uniform and comforting him.
Xu Jingzong said in a low voice: "When the official meets Zhang Shangshu, it is like meeting a relative. These days have been really difficult. I have been busy in the Foreign Affairs Academy all day long and haven't been home for half a month. My wife thought she had raised an aunt."
"Really? Are there not enough people?"
Zhang Elephant replied: "There are indeed not enough manpower. I have told the officials several times, but they have never been given manpower."
The three members of the Rites Department all looked at Yang Shidao.
Yang Shidao held the wat board in his hand and said loudly: "Every ministry needs manpower. Your Rites Department is busy. Who in the court and central government is not extremely busy?"
Zhang Yang looked at Li Baiyao again, "Brother Baiyao, you are also bringing people to the Diplomatic Academy to help these days."
Li Baiyao saluted and said: "The imperial examination will be held in two days, and I will be a low-ranking official without any skills."
After listening to Xu Jingzong's explanation, these days, not to mention the various ministries in the court and the central government, even the provinces under the supervision of the prince are preparing for official education matters under the pressure of the prince's personal supervision.
With the current manpower in the court, this situation will not end before the imperial examination is over and before officials are replenished.
"Lao Xu, I will expand our Diplomatic Academy and buy two more pieces of land around it."
"What does Zhang Shangshu mean?"
"We need to break down our manpower. I will give you the details later. You have to buy the land first."
"Zhang Shangshu doesn't know that the prices of houses in Chang'an City have skyrocketed recently, and the prices of several pieces of land around our Foreign Affairs College are also high."
"We are not short of money. Let His Highness the King of Wei take care of it. Let's see who dares to raise the price with us."
Zhang Xiangxiang and Xu Jingzong were speechless and had no choice but to let it go.
With the arrival of Li Shimin, the morning court began.
In fact, the reason why I came to Shangchao today was because I had made an appointment with Wei Zheng's family, and I wanted to take them to visit Lishan Mountain today.
Li Shimin was a little surprised when he saw Zhang Yang, and then he lowered his face and listened to the reports from various ministries.
It was said that four towns in Anxi would be built within a year. Half a year has passed. It seems that the Ministry of Rites has not made much progress at the moment. It will be interesting to see how Zhang Yang will be responsible for his original arrogance.
The morning session went smoothly and ended quickly.
After going to court, Zhang Yang and Wei Zheng walked together.
One is the current Minister of Wei, whose status is equal to that of Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others, and is also in charge of the Yushitai.
And Zhang Yang is a newly promoted county prince.
Both of them were lonely ministers in the court and had no friends in the court.
Neither the old nor the young cared about the looks of the people around them.
After walking out of Chengtian Gate and walking all the way to Zhuque Street, Zhang Yang went back home first, taking his wife, Xiao Wu and Xiao Xiong with him.
The family first prepared in front of Chang'an City.
Just after packing up the carriage, Wei Zheng's family arrived with their two sons.
Li Yue first saluted, "I have met Mr. Zheng, and I have met Mrs. Wei."
Mrs. Wei stepped forward and said kindly: "Your Highness the Princess is pregnant now. How can a woman accept this gift?"
Li Yue smiled: "Since you are an elder, of course you must salute."
The daughter-in-law and Mrs. Wei sat in a carriage. Zhang Yang helped Wei Zheng get into the carriage, "Mr. Zheng, I have also prepared a carriage so that the two young masters can ride together."
Wei Zheng glanced at his son and said, "Let them run away."
Knowing that Wei Zheng's family was poor and he had his own way of raising his children, Zhang Yang naturally couldn't say much.
The two families headed towards Lishan Mountain.
The carriage swayed on the official road, "You are now a county marquis, and you have such a status at such a young age."
Listening to Wei Zheng's words, Zhang Yang sat on the carriage shaft and replied: "Actually, the elders I met when I came to Chang'an are very good, including the prince of Hejian County and the teacher. The support of the elders is indispensable along the way."
Wei Zheng said in a deep voice: "It's because of your abilities and your character. I heard that the person who taught you when you grew up was an old hermit in the Qinling Mountains."
Zhang Yang grinned, "My teacher really taught me a lot and allowed me to understand the world well."
"Cherish your skills. These skills are hard-won. It is not easy to meet a good teacher in this life, and he is the teacher who taught you so many skills."
"That's what Mr. Zheng said."
No more words were spoken along the way, and the carriage staggered to Lishan Mountain.
Wei Zheng's two sons will guard the village entrance.
Zhang Yang took Zheng Gong into the village.
Li Yue took Mrs. Wei's people and introduced her to the situation in the village.
As soon as I entered this village, I saw neat houses and neat and smooth roads.
The road surface is so clean that there is no dust, and it is still poured.
Wei Zheng looked at each room, "Is this all your hard work over the past few years?"
"I can't say it's my own hard work. I just hope that the whole village can get rid of poverty and become rich together."
"Eliminate poverty?" Wei Zheng shook his head and said, "There are still many people in the Central Plains who cannot afford to eat. If all the villages in the Central Plains were as wealthy as this one, I would die in peace."
Zhang Yang explained with a smile, "This is the medical center in our village. Look at it, it's very big."
Mrs. Wei nodded, "I have never seen such a big medical center."
This large medical center covers an area of two acres and is still being expanded. Zhang Yang explained: "This area was originally a commercial street used for business. I plan to demolish this entire area and integrate the entire road into the medical center." In the city, each house can accommodate more patients."
Wei Zheng nodded as he listened, "I've heard that your doctors in Lishan are not only highly skilled in medicine, but also have Dr. Sun as their supervisor, and the cost of medicine is very cheap. Well! Treating diseases and saving people is something that benefits the world, and you are also a person with the world in mind. "
After the expansion of the medical center is completed, it will become a behemoth. According to the assumption, it can accommodate nearly a thousand people.
Taking Wei Zheng and Mrs. Wei to the other side of the village, there was a group of children reading, and the sound of reading loudly was very moving.
Wei Zheng glanced at the window and saw dozens of children around ten years old studying.
Not disturbing the children's study, Wei Zheng walked far away before asking, "Is this the place where you set up an official school?"
Zhang Yang said with a smile: "Although the bookstore is small now, it will become a very big school in the future, and we will teach many, many subjects."
Wei Zheng nodded as he listened.
Zhang Yang added: "If Mr. Zheng wants to retire in the future, he can come to our Lishan Mountain to retire. Our Lishan Mountain has good mountains and water. Both Zou Guogong and the Supreme Emperor are here to retire. It is very nurturing."
"I heard about it and said that Zhang Gongjin would not live for two years, but your Lishan lived until the third year."
"Also, our Lishan team will be led by Dr. Sun every morning to organize people to practice Tai Chi together in our Lishan Mountain. The children and the elderly all practice boxing together. It's an interesting scene."
Wei Zheng still nodded, "I have also heard about this. Back then, Sun Simiao wanted to sit down and discuss things with you, but you coaxed and tricked him into Lishan Mountain on the grounds of his medical skills."
Zhang Yang cleared his throat vigorously, "How can this be coaxing and deceiving?"
Wei Zheng added: "Sure enough, if you really don't have any real talent or knowledge of medicine, Divine Doctor Sun won't stay here."
After walking a little further, Wei Zheng stopped at a vegetable field.
Mrs. Wei was also curious. She looked at it carefully, "What kind of dish is this?"
Li Yue explained: "This is cabbage. I bought it from the Persians. It grows very well and is easy to grow."
Zhang Yang pulled out two of them and put them in a cloth bag, "Brother Zheng, take them with you when you go back."
Seeing Wei Zheng's hesitation, Zhang Yang added, "Just two vegetables are worth something."
Taking the bag, Wei Zheng nodded slightly, "Encourage farming, open official schools, and build medical centers. Along the way, it can be seen that you have the intention to benefit the community."
"Mr. Zheng was joking, I just put what I have learned to use."
As they continued walking along the way, Wei Zheng stroked his beard and continued: "If your teacher from Qinling is still alive, I would really like to meet him."
"Well, to be honest with Mr. Zheng, the teacher who raised me up was a very wise man. He taught me a lot of knowledge, from astronomy to geography. I am relatively stupid and not good at academics, but I can also understand a lot of things. two."
"It can be seen that you are not good at studying and know a little bit about everything. Often these two things are of great use to Sheji. It is a pity."
"What's a pity?"
"It's a pity that this talent fell on you. If it were someone else, you might have become famous all over the world and become an able minister in the world."
What happened to me?
