"Not bad!" Zhu Jianshen nodded: "In this way, you can receive two salaries. How about it? Is it interesting to me?"
Li Qing looked at him as if he were a fool, "You don't think that I rely on my salary to make a living, do you?"
"No, what else?"
"...To tell you the truth, I am not short of money." Li Qing said in a calm tone, with a high degree of force. "I went to court purely to serve the country and the people. Apart from that, I have nothing else to ask for."
Zhu Jianshen: "..."
Do you think I believe it?
"Two child salaries, and two red envelopes at the end of the year." Zhu Jianshen added.
Li Qing sighed and said: "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm lazy, but that me serving as Minister of War is equivalent to directly going to war with the civil service group."
"Are you scared?"
"It's not a matter of fear or not," Li Qing shook his head, "Let me ask you, is the Minister of War a civil service system? Have you ever thought that if I win, the civil servants will also benefit?"
Zhu Jian was stunned for a moment, it really made sense.
But he was really unwilling to do so.
"Then you just keep lying like this?" Zhu Jianshen said angrily, "When you said that I agreed to Yu Qian's return to his hometown, you would do more things. Aren't you being a rogue?"
"Do it, I didn't say I wouldn't do it!" Li Qing said with a smile, "Whether you do the work or not has nothing to do with whether you go to court or not. For example... in the martial arts exam, I can help the emperor reduce his weight with just one plan. pressure?"
"...Okay, then if you come up with another plan, I won't pursue you for breaking your promise." Zhu Jianshen said.
Li Qing thought for a while and said: "That's true. My suggestion is to settle all the grassland tribes outside the pass and let them raise horses for our Ming Dynasty."
"So perfunctory, right?" Zhu Jianshen asked himself that he was very well-educated, but every time he met Li Qing, he couldn't calm down.
"When the late emperor was dying, I made a bold statement. I would help him complete what he couldn't do. But if you do this, will there be any grassland tribes who will seek refuge with the Ming Dynasty in the future?" Zhu Jian said angrily, "I can see it. , you are just a bastard."
Li Qing was not angry, but very speechless.
"Your Majesty, let me ask you, how do you arrange the influx of so many people into Ming Dynasty?"
"Liaodong!"
"Liaodong is large, but the places where people can live are limited. How do you allocate it? Or let them live in one area?" Li Qingdao, "Have you ever thought that with so many people and such a concentration, once they are How much harm will evil cause?"
Zhu Jianshen said in a deep voice: "But according to your method, the Ming Dynasty will not include the grasslands."
"Incorporating the grassland into the territory of the Ming Dynasty is not an easy task." Li Qing sighed and said: "Most of the disasters of the Central Plains dynasties in the past came from the north. Do you think there are so many kings who have never thought of incorporating the north into the territory?"
Zhu Jianshen was unable to refute and fell silent.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Li Qing continued: "The grassland has too many people, and the Ming Dynasty's financial resources are limited. There is no way to support so many people. If everyone really wants to come, what will you do?"
"I..." Zhu Jianshen was speechless.
"So, the best way is to let them be self-reliant." Li Qing said, "Being busy is not a business. If the treatment is too good, it will only make them emboldened. Of course, they cannot be treated too harshly. The court can attach some conditions... Okay, didn't Yu Qian tell you this?"
Zhu Jian thought for a while and said, "I think I said it, but I... didn't listen."
He still wanted to collect the grassland and asked, "Is there no better way?"
"What can be done?" Li Qing rolled his eyes, "The two sides have had grievances for so long. There is not enough time to accumulate, and there is no way to assimilate."
After a pause, "Actually, you don't have to worry too much. The living conditions on the grasslands are harsh. As long as the Ming Dynasty gives them certain protection and prevents them from being robbed, let them be grateful;
It's not like they couldn't get into Ming Dynasty and resented Ming Dynasty. They raised horses and Ming Dynasty paid for them. "
Li Qing smiled and said, "Even if trouble does occur, it doesn't matter. Doesn't the Emperor want to reorganize his military equipment?"
Zhu Jianshen's eyes lit up, "Yes, they are not afraid of making trouble. They can be used to practice, and the distance is not far, so the cost of fighting will be much smaller."
"Well..." Li Qing preached, "Think before you act, don't panic when encountering problems, and think twice first. You are the emperor and you shouldn't be so impatient."
Zhu Jianshen was not angry, but he accepted it.
In fact, he is not like this usually. The main reason is that Li Qing is so hated by others for his words. If he cannot control himself, he will become irritable easily.
"I am the king after all, so you should give me some face." Zhu Jianshen said with a hum.
Li Qing smiled: "I obey your order."
It was rare for Li Qing to be obedient, and Zhu Jianshen's expression softened a lot.
He walked over to Li Qing and sat down opposite him. Looking at Li Qing who needed a beating, he couldn't help but think of Li Qing's appearance when he was asleep just now.
"I know something about your past. You recognized a godson in Jinling, right?"
"Um."
Zhu Jianshen was puzzled: "Why...don't you have a family?"
Li Qing didn't know how to explain it, so he could only say: "Actually... I am a Taoist priest."
"...Taoist priests go to Yiqing Tower?" Zhu Jianshen's face was full of black lines. "Besides, not all Taoist priests are monks. Some of them marry wives and have children, such as Longhu Mountain."
Li Qing sighed: "A person like me is not suitable for starting a family."
Zhu Jianshen was stunned, and then his eyes showed deep emotion: Alas...that's right, he has done so many annoying things, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not be retaliated against, after all, it is for the Ming Dynasty!
His resentment towards Li Qing has been eliminated to a great extent. It is impossible to hate such a person.
Li Qing had a weird look on his face: No, why are you so moved? I don't have a family, so it doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, right?
"Your Majesty, what are you...?"
"Nothing." Zhu Jianshen shook his head and asked, "Is your godson still filial?"
"Very filial." Li Qing was a little puzzled, "Why do you ask, Your Majesty?"
"...Don't you see that I care about you?"
"……Thank you."
The two of them were speechless for a while, and then Zhu Jianshen asked: "Is the Supreme Emperor okay?"
"It's pretty good." Li Qing said, "Jinling is rich and prosperous, and the climate is much better than that of Shuntian. He has gained a lot of weight."
"Does he really not want to come back?"
Li Qing smiled and nodded: "At least he won't come back for a long time in the future, but he will come back when he gets old. Fallen leaves will return to their roots."
"Well..." Zhu Jianshen nodded slightly. While relaxing, he couldn't help but sigh, "Actually... I miss my father quite a lot. If you return to Jinling in the future, say hello to him for me."
"First of all, you have to give me a holiday." Li Qing thought for a while and said, "How about this, after Shi Heng comes back and finishes his work with the grassland tribe, you give me a holiday?"
Zhu Jianshen did not agree or refuse, he just said: "It will depend on the situation."
…
Next, the two chatted about the court situation. During this period, Li Qing said a lot of useful information, and Zhu Jianshen benefited a lot.
At the same time, he became more confident.
"Sir, Ming Dynasty is full of vitality now. Do you think...if you want to move to a higher level, where should you start?" Zhu Jianshen asked.
Li Qing said without hesitation: "Shang!"
Zhu Jian frowned deeply: "The merchants are profit-seeking and treacherous, I'm afraid..."
"Huh? Your Majesty has become a prime minister, and the old ways of being a scholar, a peasant, an industrialist, and a merchant are no longer applicable." Li Qing said, "To put it bluntly, what does a country rely on to prosper?"
"money?"
"Yes, but it's not entirely right." Li Qing explained, "To be precise, it's the liquidity of money. If the emperor has a golden mountain, but just leaves it without spending it, then this golden mountain has no value, but if it is spent, You can do many, many things..."
People in Lao Zhu's family didn't understand economics, and Li Qing spent a lot of effort to get Zhu Jianshen to understand a little bit.
"Money can generate huge power. With money, people can be motivated and private productivity can be mobilized." Li Qing said, "Before the opening of maritime trade, various industries in the Ming Dynasty were not outstanding, and prices were generally expensive;
But with the rise of maritime trade, prices in the Ming Dynasty... seemed to have risen, but that was because of the excessive issuance of treasure notes. In fact, the people could afford it. "
Li Qing said: "But has the development of commerce made agriculture stagnant?
not at all!
The Ming Dynasty did not waste land because of this, and the impact of commerce on agriculture was very small. It is true that many wealthy landowners changed rice to mulberry, but with the blessing of high-yielding crops such as Yongle rice, Yongle beans, and Xuande potatoes, there was no food crisis. "
"So...does the Emperor understand?"
"I understand," Zhu Jian said in a deep voice, "The merchants are very rich, so I have to kill them."
Li Qing: "..."
"Okay, I'm kidding you." Zhu Jianshen nodded, "You mean, the economy is like a big river, it must flow to create prosperity.
And the existence of merchants can speed up the flow, is that what you mean? "
"Your Majesty is wise." Li Qing smiled and nodded.
Zhu Jianshen said deeply: "I will focus on developing this in the future, but the premise is that we must first have real power and have the right to speak before we can do things."
"Well, I believe the emperor can do it." Li Qing said with a smile.
Zhu Jianshen saw that Li Qing was not falling for the trick, so he had to play his cards right: "So, you still won't go to court, right?"
Li Qing asked back: "The emperor can be more convincing if he relies on his own means to gain power, isn't it?"
"...Okay." Zhu Jianshen knew that he couldn't force it, so he simply didn't care and said the bottom line directly: "I am considerate of you, but you must also be considerate of me. When Shi Heng comes back, you will do the resettlement of the grassland tribes. "
"Yeah, okay." Li Qing agreed readily.
Zhu Jianshen stood up and said: "Don't stay bored at home all day, go out for a walk, you will easily get sick from being bored like this.
Otherwise... I will give you two beauties to save you from suffering from dementia if you are alone for a long time. "
Li Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Your Majesty accepts his kindness, but it's really not necessary."
"Is it unnecessary or useless?"
Zhu Jianshen said something witty, turned around and left, walking very fast, for fear that Li Qing would catch up and beat him.
He was choked by Li Qing many times, and now he had a small revenge, and his mood suddenly became beautiful.
Zhu Jianshen hummed a little tune and walked in the wind.
Li Qing was too lazy to argue with this bastard, but after what he said, Li Qing also felt that it was time to move around. He hadn't looked at it for some days, and the compilation of Zhongzong's Records was in progress.
