Not long after, Huang Hao returned to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, I asked about that person from Prefect Lu.
That person was Yang Wan, the chief registrar of Guangdu County. Since Guangdu County was under the jurisdiction of Shu County and defended Chengdu, its county magistrate was also eligible to attend the New Year's Eve banquet.
Today, the county magistrate is ill and unable to attend. He only ordered Yang Wan, the chief registrar, and Chang Bo, the meritorious officer, to come instead of the magistrate.
It's just that Governor Lu only saw Yang Wan, but not Chang Bo. "
"If that's the case, then what I want can be accomplished."
Li Shimin glanced at Chen Zhong and whispered:
"You call upon Grandmaster Lu and go to the Gold and Silver Palace immediately, so that Grandmaster Lu can see if the assassin is Chang Bo."
Chen Zhong accepted the order and was about to leave when Li Shimin added:
"Don't let Lu Yi enter the secret room. After reading it, if it is Chang Bo, then order Ma Qi to stop the interrogation. I will interrogate myself after the banquet.
If that person was not a very popular person, Ma Qi would be ordered to interrogate him strictly. No matter what useful information was asked, he would report it to the person at the banquet in time. "
Chen Zhong took the order again and left.
As soon as Chen Zhong left, the eunuch in the palace who was dedicated to handling the morning news reported that "Hai Shi has arrived."
Li Shimin couldn't help but wake up when he heard the report, thinking that he still had important things to do today.
"Huang Hao, I have a decree, please quickly order all the ministers to listen to it!"
Huang Hao was beside His Majesty, thinking about the assassin, when he suddenly heard His Majesty speaking, he couldn't help but pause.
"Your Majesty, forgive me! I was just thinking about what I just said, but I couldn't really hear your Majesty's words."
Li Shimin smiled helplessly and raised his fingers at Huang Hao.
Huang Hao understood and quickly put his ear in front of His Majesty.
"Everyone please be silent, I have a decree!"
Huang Hao pulled away suddenly, then rubbed his ears that were buzzing by His Majesty's shock with his hands and said:
"My slave obeys the order!"
After saying this, Huang Hao straightened up, took a deep breath, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty has a decree! Sirs, be silent!"
Hearing this, all the gentlemen in the hall fell silent instantly. Many people were standing there holding wine glasses and looking at His Majesty in surprise.
Huang Hao continued:
"Please return to your seats and wait for His Majesty's orders!"
After Huang Hao reminded them, everyone finally realized what they were doing, and quickly took back their wine glasses and returned to their seats.
Li Shimin saw that everyone had returned to their seats and said seriously:
"My lords, please stop drinking for now. Since there is still some time before the New Year, I would like to inform you of my plans for the coming year.
Later, everyone can discuss the ideas I have raised in the hall and then express their own opinions. "
Seeing that everyone in the hall was hesitant, Li Shimin continued:
"Yesterday during the morning court meeting, I asked the princes to put forward suggestions, and I have made it clear that the matters suggested by the princes should be brought to the table for discussion at today's banquet.
Now that the late emperor Tuogu's ministers have all passed away, I have lost my prime minister and Situ to assist me. This is the beginning of my sole control of the government.
Based on the current situation, my observations and assumptions, I want to change some of the systems established by the late emperor and prime minister.
It just so happens that today all the important ministers and barbarian kings of our Han Dynasty, both internal and external, are here.
Why don't you, gentlemen, just follow me and work together to decide on matters for the coming year as we bid farewell to the past? "
The princes thought of the suggestions made by Liao Hua yesterday and thought that His Majesty just wanted to encourage and urge everyone to work hard to develop the prefectures and counties, so they did not behave too much.
When Li Shimin saw Zhu Gong, he thought he was just going through the process to be polite and smiled slightly.
“Since everyone agreed yesterday to vigorously develop Shuzhong, I will talk about everyone’s ideas in detail.
In the past, at the time of the late Emperor, there were more than 200,000 registered households in Shu, totaling more than 900,000 people.
It has been more than ten years now, so why was the number of people reported by Meng Guang yesterday almost the same as when the late emperor was there?
Could it be that none of our people in Shu have gotten married and had children for more than ten years? Or is it that your management of the place is unfavorable, making it impossible for the people to live in peace, and therefore there is no condition for reproduction and reproduction? "
Hearing this, all the gentlemen in the hall were instantly in an uproar!
Especially those from Yizhou and Dongzhou who have settled in Shu for a long time are even more worried.
Whether your Majesty wants money or food, or even if you ask people from various noble clans to join the army, everyone can obey your Majesty.
But now His Majesty has been laying the groundwork for a long time and has chosen this time to clearly raise the population issue.
We can't just follow His Majesty.
The population issue is one of the lifebloods of the major gentry clans, and the population issue can easily lead to the "reverse scale" of the gentry clan, the land issue.
Over thousands of years, the foundation of the formation of aristocratic families is to annex and control large amounts of land, and then to recruit farmers who have lost their land and make them serfs in the family.
Over time, the gentry, regardless of size, controlled huge amounts of local land and classified a large number of people as private property.
Whenever someone wants to take advantage of their family's land, the nobles will definitely try their best to fight against it, covertly or openly.
While everyone was thinking, someone in the hall stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"
When everyone saw someone standing up, they hurriedly looked at that person.
It turned out to be Guangluxun Pei Jun, a nobleman from Dongzhou.
When the princes of Yizhou saw that it was Pei Jun, they felt a little reassured. Fortunately, it was not Wu Yi or Wu Ban.
The relationship between Pei Jun and the Dukes of Yizhou is relatively harmonious. Now that His Majesty has raised the population issue, it is not a good thing for the Dukes of Dongzhou.
Most of the princes in Yizhou looked proud, thinking that Pei Jun could not hold himself back for a while and wanted to argue with His Majesty.
With Pei Jun taking the lead, the princes of Yizhou were saved a lot of trouble. Besides, Du Qiongcai made a divination a few days ago and said that the princes of Yizhou need to wait and see what happens.
Seeing Pei Jun answer, Li Shimin smiled and nodded to Pei Jun.
Pei Jun bowed his head to His Majesty and said:
"Is what your Majesty said related to Prime Minister Zhuge's Northern Expedition?
Suppose that during these ten years, Prime Minister Zhuge only guarded the two fronts of Hanzhong and Yong'an, and did not conduct any external expeditions year after year.
With Prime Minister Zhuge's talents, he focused on his own affairs and vigorously developed and governed Shuzhong for ten years.
I think that the population of Shu will definitely increase exponentially. "
When everyone heard this, most of them looked happy, and the princes of Yizhou even spoke out in agreement with Pei Jun's words.
Li Shimin had already expected this situation.
"Oh? Then according to Wenjie's words, how should I handle this matter?"
"In my opinion, Your Majesty can reduce taxes in Shu and allow the people to recuperate.
In addition, now that there is no danger in the world, and the people live in peace and security over the years, the population will naturally flourish. "
"That's it?"
"Your Majesty, what I said is only one of them, and it is also the most basic.
If your majesty intends to live happily with the people, then the second thing I want to do can be implemented.
Nowadays, all the tribes in Shu are dependent on our great Han Dynasty. There are few people in each tribe, and most of the places they live in are wastelands.
Your Majesty can order the Han people to enter the areas under the jurisdiction of each ethnic group, either to settle down or to stay in the area on a rotating basis, and to help them reclaim wasteland.
This move will not only make Shuzhong's tax assets more abundant, but also enable the comprehensive development of the areas under the jurisdiction of each ethnic group.
I believe that this will be effective within a few years. "
After saying this, Pei Jun bowed to His Majesty and sat back at the table.
Li Shimin was not in a hurry to express his position, he just smiled and asked:
“Everyone should speak freely about today’s matters like a distinguished scholar.
In the end, we all made up our minds together, and I will announce the agenda of the discussion at next year's court meeting.
Regarding the population issue, do you have any other opinions? "
The princes of Yizhou felt that Pei Junzhi's words were very accurate, which not only protected the interests of the nobles, but also took into account His Majesty's face.
So all the princes in Yizhou remained silent, acquiescing to Pei Jun's words.
At this time, Wu Yi first glanced at Pei Jun in confusion, then stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, I have other opinions!"
When all the people in the hall heard this, they were all surprised again.
"I think back then, when His Majesty's temperament changed drastically, it was often the Dukes of Yizhou who quarreled with Your Majesty in the court hall.
The Dukes of Dongzhou almost obey His Majesty in everything. Why do two Dukes of Dongzhou come out to express their opinions to Your Majesty today? "
The princes of Yizhou were even more satisfied when they saw this scene. They thought that the princes of Dongzhou were drunk and speaking the truth today? Can you no longer suppress your dissatisfaction with His Majesty?
When Li Shimin saw Wu Yi coming out to speak again, a flash of displeasure flashed in his heart.
He thought that Wu Yi and other Dukes of Dongzhou would break their promise and turn against themselves for the benefit of the nobles.
"What do you think, General Ziyuan?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that what Wenjie said is wrong!"
As soon as Wu Yi raised his head, there was a commotion in the hall.
"It seems that the opinions of the Dukes of Dongzhou are not unified.
However, Wu Yi is now a popular figure around His Majesty and has a high status among the Dongzhou nobles.
It is reasonable to stand up against Pei Jun at this time. "
"Is it possible that in the end we, the Yizhou nobles, will have to go out in person to argue with His Majesty about this matter?"
Everyone was talking to each other, each guessing Wu Yi's thoughts, and no one knew what the stance of the Dongzhou gentry was today.
Wu Yi frowned when he saw that everyone was whispering to each other, making it impossible for him to communicate with His Majesty.
Li Shimin saw Wu Yi and wanted to speak several times, but was silenced by the discussion among the people in the hall.
He also really wanted to know what Wu Yi's position was, so he got anxious and said:
"How presumptuous! Why are you so talkative? Why are the people in the hall so noisy when the courtiers are delivering their speeches?"
All the princes in the hall were startled by His Majesty's loud shout.
Seeing His Majesty's appearance, everyone couldn't help but think of His Majesty who had just changed his temper a few months ago.
At that time, His Majesty was in such a state of dominion over the world that he first rescued Wei Yan, then imprisoned Yang Yi, and then beheaded Li Hannan...
"I am aware of my guilt! I hope your Majesty will calm down!"
Li Shimin suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice:
"Anyone who makes noise for no reason again will be expelled from the hall, 20 sticks!
Wu Yi, continue what you are thinking! "
