Datang: Acting as a celestial mystery at the beginning

Dilong turning around seems to be a catalyst, directly intensifying contradictions such as drought and food shortage, and maximizing the current crisis.

Li Shimin was in a state of desperation, so he called Du Ruhui and others over to discuss.

"Your Majesty, the price of food is getting higher and higher. Even if the Ministry of Civil Affairs can spend some money, it won't be able to buy much food!"

Pei Ju said with a face full of embarrassment.

"The minister is willing to donate the remaining food in the family, and I can probably give five hundred shi."

Changsun Wuji first offered to donate food.

"The minister's family doesn't have a lot of food left, so he should be able to take out about a hundred shi, and send it to the Ministry of Civil Affairs when the minister meets."

Du Ruhui was relatively clean and honest, and they still couldn't finish the surplus food, they had accumulated it for many years and left it behind.

"The minister can also take out more than 300 stones, hoping to solve the urgent need."

"I can also..."

With their beginnings, many civil servants and military generals expressed that they could donate part of their family's surplus food.

Li Shimin ordered people to make statistics, and the food they got was far from enough, even now Jinyang is still short of food.

If you give some of it to Jinyang first, and then take it to Hebei, it will last for seven or eight days at most.

"This is still not enough!"

Fang Xuanling said helplessly: "Could it be that we have to ask the five surnames and seven Wang?"

Most of the food on the market is in the hands of those aristocratic families, the most powerful of which is naturally the five surnames Qiwang.

They are unwilling to let go of the food, so the rest of the aristocratic families are even less likely to let go.

Some time ago, Li Shimin also offended the Cui family because of Li Yi'an's matter. If the Cui family was behind the push, the other families would definitely boycott the court and refuse to release food. However, the court has nothing to do with them.

"If it doesn't work, I'm willing to let go of this old face and ask the five surnames and Qiwang for food."

Pei Ju said: "As long as they are willing to release food, other aristocratic families will nod in agreement. This is our only way."

Li Shimin shook his head and said: "No, Mr. Pei has a high reputation, how can you ask them? It's really not possible, I will go to them personally."

Pei Ju said disapprovingly, "I'm already at this age, nothing is important, not to mention I still have a bit of a face in front of them."

If other people had gone, they might not be able to see the person in charge of the five surnames Qiwang, even if Li Shimin went in person.

Although Pei Ju didn't say everything, they could think of the general meaning.

"I can only work hard on Mr. Pei!"

Li Shimin was silent for a long time, and had to bow his head to reality, so he had to let Pei Ju try.

"It's okay, the minister's deadline is approaching, so it's the last effort for Tang."

Pei Ju cupped his hands and exited the Ganlu Hall.

Food is related to the lives of people in the Tang Dynasty, and it is urgent to borrow food.

-

At the same time, within the Cui family.

Cui Mao chose the five surnames and seven families, and the other six families gathered in his home.

"Everyone, what do you think of my proposal?"

Cui Mao looked at everyone present.

"Now that the earth dragon is overturning and the drought is getting worse, food prices continue to rise. The more food we have, the greater the benefits we can make. My Taiyuan Wang family agrees."

The first person to speak was Wang Yuanhua, the Patriarch of the Wang family in Taiyuan.

"Brother Cui, I heard a little bit about you last year. Li Erlang didn't pay attention to our five surnames and seven aspirations. If he sent someone to ask us to borrow food, maybe I would lend him two buckets."

Lu Yulin, the Patriarch of Fanyang Lu's family, said calmly.

"Don't worry, brother Cui, we have five surnames and seven Wangs, and we share the same spirit. If you say no, we will lend him two fights at most."

Li Chengen from the Li family in Zhaojun said directly.

Even without Cui Mao's alliance, they would not lend food to Li Shimin casually.

Now the price of grain is rising, and the profit can be maximized if it is sold at a high price. If it is lent to Li Shimin, what price can he use to repay the grain?

The court is very poor, they don't know it.

Whether the loaned food can be returned is still a problem. They don't do things that are not beneficial.

In addition, Li Yongfeng from the Li family in Longxi, Cui Jingsheng from the Cui family in Boling, and Zheng Quan from the Zheng family in Xingyang expressed their approval.

Cui Mao put down his raised heart slowly: "This time, thank you all!"

After some casual politeness, and after confirming the plan for the future, Cui Mao sent them all out the door and back.

"Li Erlang, let me see what you do this time."

Cui Mao sneered in his heart: "If you want food, you have to ask me in person, as long as you ask me obediently, I may give you some."

"Master, Minister of Civil Affairs Pei Ju is here!"

At this time, a servant came in and said.

Pei Ju!

People from the imperial court came so fast.

"Please come in!"

Cui Mao was disdainful in his heart, but he didn't expect that Li Shimin would have no face to come by himself, so he let a Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs come over first.

"Cui Dalang, long time no see!"

After Pei Ju entered the door, he smiled and cupped his hands and said, "You didn't bother me, did you?"

Cui Mao seemed to change his face, and smiled enthusiastically: "No, it's my honor that Mr. Pei can come. May I ask Mr. Pei to find me, what can I do?"

Pei Ju cut to the chase and said, "Naturally, there is something to ask for. The Dilong in Jinyang turned over, and the drought in Hebei, Cui Dalang should be very clear. At present, the imperial court is short of food for disaster relief, so I will come down to collect food on behalf of His Majesty."

Cui Mao said with a sad face: "I also want to contribute to the court, but you should be very clear, Mr. Pei, that I lost a lot of money and even food because of certain things a few years ago. Now our Cui family is also short of food." grain."

Sure enough, Pei Ju's face darkened, your Cui family is very rich, no matter how much you pay, it will not cause internal food shortage, but you just don't want to pay.

Before Pei Ju could speak, Cui Mao said again: "But the court has requests, and as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, I can't stay out of it."

"Come here, pack two buckets of rice and let Mr. Pei take it back, it's my kindness."

Hearing this, Pei Ju's complexion became even darker, so dark that it was about to drip water.

Before he came, he thought that he might have to look at their faces, but he didn't expect to be humiliated by two buckets of rice. He had been respected for so many years, and this was the first time he encountered such a thing.

"So, thank you very much!"

Pei Ju's skill in nourishing qi was very good. Although he was unhappy in his heart, he didn't get angry directly.

In the end, he left Cui's house with two buckets of rice and was going to find Li's house in Longxi.

Li Shimin is also from Longxi. Pei Ju thought that this would be a success, but he left with two buckets of rice in the end.

After visiting all the five surnames and seven Wangs, Pei Ju only collected fourteen buckets of rice, and returned to the Ganlu Hall with a flushed face.

Even an old man like him, who has been calm for so many years, can't help but get angry.

If it were someone else, I'm afraid they would be so angry that they would spurt blood on the spot.

"Pei Gong, what's the result?"

Gao Shilian first asked expectantly.

The others looked at him expectantly.

"Ah! It's my incompetence. I only collected fourteen buckets of rice back."

Pei Ju took a deep breath and suppressed the unhappiness in his heart.

boom!

Li Shimin slapped the case hard, and said angrily: "What a surname and Qiwang, how dare you humiliate Mr. Pei like this, you should be killed!"

At this moment, his murderous aura directly overwhelmed the entire Ganlu Temple.