"Cough cough cough..." Li Shimin coughed.
Only then did the three of them notice that His Majesty was standing in front of them, and they quickly bowed and saluted.
This time, His Majesty and the Queen did not bring any children with them, but they did bring none of the escorting soldiers and horses, and the one accompanying them was Yu Chigong.
Li Tai has been a smart child since he was a child. He is smart but rarely thinks about the overall situation.
Since the peace of the world, Li Xiaogong has become less and less ambitious, has become careless in everything he does, and has become lax in his behavior.
As for Zhang Yang, he is desperate for money.
For these three people, Li Shimin felt inexplicably disappointed, as if all the characteristics that the scum of the Tang Dynasty should have were in the three of them.
It turns out that Li Tai is not a scumbag.
Later, I followed Zhang Yang for a long time...
"Father, are you okay?" Li Shimin asked with the same pace.
"Everything is fine with Grandpa Huang. He is making chicken soup at home now."
Li Tai followed one step behind and replied.
Li Xiaogong and Zhang Yang walked together, two or three steps behind.
At this time, in Li Yuan's house, Queen Changsun brought a lot of new clothes and new bedding. She took away the old bedding and clothes from last year and replaced them with new ones this year.
Li Yue and several palace maids were helping to sort out the clothes.
In fact, Li Yuan's residence is very clean. Li Tai often comes to arrange for cleaning on weekdays.
The three of them stood aside, and Li Tai whispered: "What are the father and the emperor talking about?"
At this moment, I couldn't hear His Majesty and the Supreme Emperor standing in the distance talking. After sorting out the things brought to the palace, Li Yue walked with the Queen.
Zhang Yang vaguely heard his daughter-in-law asking the queen how to run a household, manage Lishan, and be a good mistress of the family.
Whenever the queen comes to Lishan, she always asks many questions, how to arrange the management of the fiefdom.
The queen is in charge of the harem, and Li Yue is in charge of the huge family business. There are still many things he needs to ask for advice on management and strategy.
After Li Yuan and Li Shimin talked for a long time, they looked back at the three people.
Zhang Yang turned to look at Li Tai and then at Li Xiaogong.
The fat man was picking at the mud between his nails with an absent-minded look on his face.
Li Xiaogong looked up at the sky, as if he was wandering in the sky.
"You three come here."
His Majesty finally spoke, and the three men came to their senses and stepped forward, allowing the five of them to sit down on the tables and chairs brought by the palace people.
After looking at Li Yuan's expression, Li Shimin then said: "Qingque, I have seen everything you have learned on Lishan Mountain. You have compiled a very good record of the land, and the court has praised you a lot."
Li Tai cupped his hands and said, "This is what a son should do, and he should share his father's worries."
Li Shimin frowned and thought, "It's just that someone in the court mentioned that you should go to the fiefdom."
It seems that this matter has been mentioned many times. The reason why Li Tai still stays in Lishan and does not go to the fiefdom is also because of the compilation of Kuo Dizhi.
As for the prince who recently came of age, Li Ke has a position in the army. Because he has a military position, it doesn't matter if he stays, and he has an excuse to stay.
Li Shimin added: "Your mother always misses you and hopes you can stay, but it is related to government affairs. Even if you want to go to the fiefdom, your mother can't say much."
Li Yuan sat upright and said nothing.
Li Xiaogong crossed his legs and closed his eyes, motionless, like a wooden sculpture.
Zhang Yang coughed, but as soon as he coughed, he felt a gaze looking at him. This gaze was firm, persistent, and a little angry.
Yes, this is Li Tai's gaze.
Zhang Yang rested his elbow on the handle of the seat. The chair on the Emperor's side was quite comfortable to sit on. Niu Chuang's craftsmanship was really getting better and better.
He supported his chin with his wrist and said: "The Foreign Affairs Council is compiling a geography. Different from the geography, the geography includes the geographical knowledge inside and outside the customs, and even the climate and geographical conditions as far away as Persia. In order to improve today's His Royal Highness the King of Wei worked hard to prepare the classics and did not dare to sleep too much every night. The Foreign Affairs Academy needs the help of His Highness the King of Wei. This is for the sake of the country."
"I thought that I could appoint His Royal Highness the King of Wei as editor and serve as a judge in the Ministry of Rites. In this way, I would not go to the fiefdom first and complete the editor in hand before leaving."
Li Yuan glanced at his grandson and finally spoke, "My grandson is too humble to be a counselor."
"I think it's good."
Li Shimin immediately retorted.
The princes are not involved in political affairs. Historically, princes have never served in the court. Even if they do, most of them are in the military.
Since Li Tai is allowed to stay, but he cannot have too much contact with civil servants, Cheng Yilang is indeed very good, and he can just focus on compiling geography.
Li Yuan just frowned and said nothing more.
He is used to things like his son contradicting him, and everything else can be followed except the government affairs.
Li Shimin has absolutely clear boundaries in this regard.
After talking about Li Tai, the maid from the palace brought tea. As soon as Li Shimin brought the tea, Li Yuan stood up and left.
This made Li Shimin hold the tea bowl and put it down without holding it.
They just contradicted each other, and the atmosphere was extremely awkward.
Li Xiaogong slapped his forehead and said, "The chicken is still stewing. Let's go check it out first."
Li Tai saw the situation and followed up, "Go with Uncle Wang."
The two of them left very sensibly, and the atmosphere at this moment was a little subtle.
Then Li Yuan walked into the room, and now only His Majesty and Zhang Yang were left in front of him.
"There were many things that had not yet been agreed between the government and the government before Xiu Mu last year. In addition to the imperial examination and the construction of the Hanhai Protectorate, oh... there is also your matter."
Zhang Yang did not take the tea in front of him, but just sat with his hands clasped in his hands with a respectful look on his face, "Your Majesty, I have been recuperating in Lishan Mountain. It has nothing to do with me. Just joking, joking..."
"Hehehe..." Li Shimin laughed for a while and took a sip of tea.
Okay, the explanation was a bit perfunctory. Zhang Yang changed his sitting posture and said, "All matters discussed in the court are decided by His Majesty, except for money matters."
"Lishan presided over the management of the Hexi Corridor and sold grain and wine from Guanzhong outside the Guanzhong. There were many impeachments in the court. Some people thought that this was wrong. The food grown with hard work in Guanzhong should not be sold, but should be prepared for future use. Just in case of emergencies.”
"There are still people who think you are right. Of course, these voices are very few, and there are very few relevant memorials. It seems that there are few people in the court to help you."
Zhang Yang nodded slightly, "It turns out he was impeached."
Li Shimin nodded.
I just said that some people think that this matter is wrong, and some people think that this matter is wrong. As for who said it, the emperor will not say it, nor will he say it clearly.
Of course there is no need to ask any more questions.
You never make your own decisions, you only leave them to your ministers, the vicious Khan!
The weather is fine today, sunny and warm after the snow on New Year's Eve.
"May I ask, Your Majesty, how much does a pound of rice cost in Chang'an City now?"
"Five cents per bucket of rice!"
He answered quickly, with the current food prices in Datang, it is difficult for people to starve to death, and they will not starve to death.
Four years after the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the climate in the Central Plains entered a warm cycle. Several years of good weather brought abundant food to the Central Plains. Of course, this was also related to the fact that the Central Plains focused on grain farming and expanded land to open up wasteland.
The government army system of cultivating fields and grain also played a certain role. Wherever the army arrived, they cultivated fields.
A good way to save military costs and increase farmland.
Last year, this Tian Khan changed the Fu Army System to Zhe Chong Fu. Many of the military rules in Zhe Chong Palace still retain the various rules of the Fu Army System.
This can also be regarded as an evolution of the government's military system. The people in Guanzhong can be mobilized to attack all directions. The whole country can afford 600,000 soldiers and horses.
The purpose of transforming the Fubing into Zhechongfu is to weaken the local area and centralize power. Zhechongfu has no subordinate relationship with local officials, and the main soldiers of Zhechongfu are more than 200,000 in Guanzhong.
To weaken local governments and strengthen centralization, it is unclear whether Li Shimin will use the effectiveness of Zhechong Mansion in the Protectorate Mansion in the future.
Zhang Yang thought about the current situation in Guanzhong and whispered: "Your Majesty, do you think the price of five qian per bucket of rice is appropriate?"
Li Shimin smiled and said, "I often read memorials. Food is abundant everywhere. This is a good thing."
Very well, the Emperor would not expressly respond to such a statement.
Talking to the emperor was always tiring, so I had to continue: "The current price is five cents per dou of rice. What about the future? Four cents per dou of rice? Three cents per dou of rice, two cents?"
His expression finally became serious, these words were useful.
"Now that Guanzhong is rich in food, the burden of food in the official warehouse is still very heavy, and it is almost impossible to store it. Is it possible that all this food is left to grow moldy and sprout?"
"The blind sale of grain domestically will only make the price lower and lower. Farmers are working hard, with their faces facing the loess and their backs to the sky. Grain prices are blindly driven inward. In the end, it is our farmers in Datang who are hurt."
"There is no shortage of food in the Central Plains, but there may not be so much food in other places. Expanding export sales can reduce internal friction. It is like fighting. Once expansion stops, there will be no opponents. When facing the Turks, North Korea and China shared the same hatred. The power of external solidarity is huge.”
"But if there is no opponent, continuing to stay in one place will only make the conflicts within the pass intensify and eventually get out of hand. Sometimes business is the same as war. It also needs to expand. While selling food, it can also promote the Tang Dynasty. It’s a good thing to be friendly and bring wealth to Datang after selling it.”
After finishing speaking, Li Shimin fell into deep thought.
Zhang Yang drank tea calmly, his heart shaking.
I don’t know if it’s okay to chase this Tian Khan like this.
Constantly instilling ambition in him made this Tian Khan more ambitious.
"I will let Zhongshu Sheng discuss it."
After holding it in for a long time, Li Shimin just said this.
As his power grew, the emperor became more assertive and spoke more calmly.
Don't give a clear answer to anything.
"By the way, Your Majesty! Are the taxes for our Hexi Corridor coming soon?"
Hearing this, Li Shimin perked up, "Have you seen the accounts too?"
Zhang Yang put his hands on his hands and showed an honest smile, "Dizhisun also gave the accounts to Lishan."
With a dark face, Li Shimin looked around, "Are you very happy and proud?"
"How dare you?"
Zhang Yang still smiled honestly and honestly.
I really want to tear off this boy's honest and kind face and see how cunning and cunning his face underneath is.
Then he was hanged in front of Chengtian Gate, where he was exposed to wind and sun while bleeding.
That scene must be very beautiful.
Taking a deep breath to calm down his mind, Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "I think the taxes agreed upon were unreasonable."
Hearing this, Zhang Yang's expression also darkened, "Does your Majesty want to regret it?"
"It was you who designed me. You didn't tell me clearly that the Hexi Corridor would be so wealthy."
"How could I know that the Hexi Corridor is rich!" Zhang Yang slapped the table, "Since your Majesty wants to regret it, you can first pay back all the 130,000 guan of silver spent on the construction of the Hexi Corridor in previous years. From now on, we will be responsible for the Hexi Corridor. Lishan doesn’t interfere.”
This kid actually dares to slap the table in front of me? Li Shimin breathed out from his nostrils and veins jumped on his forehead, "You know that I can't afford so much money."
"Then divide the money as agreed."
"You bastard!"
"My family also needs to settle accounts!"
The Emperor's courtyard is no longer small. It is one of the largest courtyards in the entire Lishan Village. In the corner, Li Tai and Li Xiaogong are sitting on small stools. There are two chickens on the short table in front of them.
These two fighting cocks had an ill-fated fate. They were originally used by Li Yuanchang to please the emperor. On weekdays, having these two cocks fight would relieve his boredom.
But as soon as they arrived at Lishan, they were slaughtered by the Supreme Emperor.
In this Tang Dynasty, where materials were scarce and entertainment activities were even scarcer.
Chickens are just for eating, and they don’t have much ornamental use.
So now it’s a meal on the plate.
Li Xiaogong and Li Tai could each eat one, biting into the chicken and looking at Zhang Yang who was talking to His Majesty not far away.
The scene was very exciting. His Majesty's complexion suddenly turned red and suddenly turned blue. As for Zhang Yang, he gritted his teeth and slapped the table again.
The two of them watched and ate with gusto.
Li Tai chewed chicken in his mouth. This kind of chicken is very thick and needs to be chewed in his mouth for a long time.
Li Xiaogong ate happily and was in a good mood watching this scene.
In terms of worldliness, Li Xiaogong, the prince of Hejian County, took care of Zhang Yang like his own nephew, and even stepped forward to protect Lishan at a critical moment, becoming Li Shimin's eyes on Lishan now.
Li Tai and Zhang Yang are brothers whose relationship is more like a fateful friendship than brother-in-law and brother-in-law.
There are always so many bad friends in life. Faced with this situation, Li Tai would rather eat the dry and chewy chicken than say a word to his brother-in-law.
If the monarch and his ministers fight, it will be a big problem. Who can we help?
If you help your brother-in-law, you will offend your father. If you help your father, you will offend your brother-in-law.
Li Tai was still struggling when he saw Li Xiaogong bumping him with his arm, "Uncle Wang, what are you doing?"
"I'll give you chicken feet to eat. A certain family doesn't like this."
"Thank you, Uncle Wang." Li Tai took the chicken feet and started to chew on them.
From the low-pitched discussion at the beginning, the quarrel between the monarch and his ministers became louder and louder. His Majesty overturned the table and said, "Lishan is so rich, why do you still care about this with me?"
Zhang Yang stood up and said loudly: "Your Majesty, if you only talk about friendship without talking about money, you can't do this business!"
"You!" His Majesty, whose face turned blue with anger and whose eyes were bloodshot, was trembling with anger.
"I asked you to read more sages' books, but where have you been? You..."
"Saints who only build morality and don't focus on the development of people's livelihood and don't care about life and death in the world are bastards!"
