Cultivation of chastity

Chapter 161 Chatting with Li Shimin
In the days that followed, everyone quickly discovered that there were more peacocks around Li Tai, but the existence of peacocks was mostly just following Li Tai's side, and they didn't do unnecessary things.

Everyone also thought that Li Tai liked to raise maids, so they didn't care too much, and continued to do whatever they should do.

However, the communication between Li Tai, Lu Cai, Du Chuke, Ma Zhou and others was more about business affairs, and the two sides did not say who was taking refuge with whom, who was who, these words were just naturally formed small groups.

In December, Li Tai went back to Chang'an as usual to greet Empress Changsun and Li Shimin, and Empress Changsun prepared exquisite snacks and watched Li Tai devouring them with a smile, "Slow down, no one will grab you!"

"Yeah!" Li Tai nodded repeatedly, but his mouth never stopped.

Empress Changsun laughed when she saw this scene, and then looked at Chang Le who was watching Li Tai eat while she was not eating, and said, "Chang Le, eat more too."

Chang Le smiled wryly, but finally shook his head.

She really didn't understand why Li Tai's stomach was like a bottomless pit, as if he could eat as much as he could.

And I just ate a little, and I couldn't eat anymore.

"Mother, I heard that my brother is ill, how is the situation?" Li Tai asked the eldest grandson empress.

"It's ready!" Empress Changsun said with a sigh of relief, "I've been studying books these days, and I've almost recovered from the occasional cold. However, the saint felt that Chengqian's body was too weak, so he arranged a martial arts training class."

"It's good that brother is safe and sound." Li Tai said happily.

Empress Changsun felt a little relieved when she saw Li Tai say that.

Being in the emperor's family, what she fears most is that her sons will fight for the throne and kill each other.

Although Li Chengqian and Li Tai are not close, they don't get along with each other and hate each other.

To be honest, Empress Changsun is very satisfied if she can do this.

At this time, Li Shimin came generously, and saw Empress Changsun and Li Tai talking,

"Did Qingque Changle return to the palace today? It's quite early, what have you been chatting about?"

Li Shimin's words followed one sentence after another, and Li Tai agreed, saying,

"Aye Ankang, it's not too early. I didn't see my brother today, so I asked my mother if his illness is better!"

Hearing this, Li Shimin also said with emotion, "The imperial doctor said that he has passed the danger and will recover soon."

"Then when I leave today, I will visit the Xiadong Palace with Changle." Li Tai said calmly,

"It just so happens that I'm going to see Brother Chengqian too!" Chang Le nodded in agreement when he heard Li Tai's words.

Seeing Li Tai like this, Li Shimin nodded, but looked at Changle, and turned his eyes to Li Tai, saying,

"Speaking of which, when you asked me to investigate the childbirth age and safe childbirth of women in Chang'an, there are results!"

"Huh?" Li Tai couldn't help but look at Li Shimin when he heard this.

Li Shimin said, "As you said, the proportion of women who give birth before the age of 16 is much higher than the proportion of women who give birth after the age of 16.

If a woman wants to have a child, she still has to wait until she is 16 years old and her body has developed.

Next year, I will issue an edict to extend the time for women to marry. "

Li Taidao: "Naturally, it is necessary to extend the time for folk marriages.

However, I think it is better to guide the common people than to formulate this kind of policy by force.

After all, if it is enforced, it will still hurt the common people, especially women. "

"Oh?" Li Shimin couldn't help looking at Li Tai when he heard Li Tai's words, "What does Qingque think?"

"I want to abolish the penalty regulations for women who have not married in their early years, and at least extend the penalty regulations until the end of the year."

Li Tai looked at Li Shimin and explained,

"If you want to quickly popularize among the common people that it is better for girls to marry later, if you directly push it by law, it will definitely cause great chaos.

Because for some people, a girl in the family is more of a property than a person.

It is not easy for ordinary people to support a girl. Even if they do, they still hope to cash it out and directly exchange it for property.

If it is enforced, people will feel that it is not worthwhile to raise girls, and the phenomenon of abandonment and even drowning will increase.

So I hope to extend the pregnancy age of women in a guided way. "

Hearing Li Tai's words, Li Shimin couldn't help but think for a while, but he had to admit that Li Tai's worry was right.

There are many things that you don't feel much when you don't say them, but once you are reminded, Li Shimin quickly discovered that the things Li Tai said are not impossible, but very likely to happen.

And Li Tai is able to see it this way because he looks at things from the perspective of modern people, that is, he regards raising children as an investment.

At least in ancient times when productivity was quite underdeveloped, if you gave birth to a boy, you might be able to manage yourself for a lifetime after investing, so the people are quite willing to invest.

But if the child born is a girl, in the eyes of many poor people, it is equivalent to raising a pig, and it will be sold when the day comes.

Therefore, if you look at this matter from purely economic interests, you will understand that if the entire breeding cycle becomes longer, a large number of people will choose to give up raising them, which will lead to an increase in the number of abandoned babies in the entire society.

So this kind of thing really can't be done across the board, because the social turmoil caused by this kind of cutting is really not small!
"Then say what you think!" Li Shimin looked at Li Tai and encouraged him.

"If you want to slow down, then naturally you must first promote it in the homes of royal nobles, aristocratic families, and officials!"

Li Tai said calmly, "The big reason is that even if these people raise a few more girls, they still can't afford it!

Only with a surplus of food rations would it be possible for women to postpone their marriage age. "

"You want to work from top to bottom, and use time to slowly delay the age of women's marriage leave?" Li Shimin said.

"Yeah!" Li Tai nodded and said, "Yeah, because officials don't care about having an extra daughter.

The poor raise men and the rich raise daughters. This already shows that those who live poorly can adopt men to provide for the people until their end of life, and those who are rich can adopt daughters are suitable for in-laws and alliances.

Even if you take a step back, the people are all over the world, and the implementation of policies is too difficult, but almost every official is registered. Whether they have carried out the order or not, you can check it directly. I believe you can find it after all! "

"Okay, then try it among the royal nobles and officials first, and as for the common people, let's give priority to guidance!"

Li Shimin stroked his beard, and he didn't reject Li Tai's suggestion after all. Relatively speaking, the way this thing was handled had little effect.

At this time, Li Shimin looked at Chang Le, who had his head down and the corners of his mouth curled up, and couldn't help but chuckled.

To be honest, Li Shimin didn't want Changle to get married so early, after all, compared to Li Tai and Li Chengqian, Changle was the most obedient.

Li Shimin couldn't help laughing at Changle, "Changle, Qingque wants you to stay with Aye in the palace for another three or four years!"

"Everything is up to Aye!" Chang Le restrained his smile, and hurriedly saluted Li Shimin, but couldn't hide his joy.

Seeing that Changle is like this, Li Shimin also feels that it has been delayed for a few years, so let's delay for a few years.

Anyway, Li Tang's princess has her own food town, anyway, she can't die of starvation, and Changle wants to marry later, so why not worry about it.

However, Li Shimin continued, "I will deal with this matter, but do you have any thoughts on the recent changes to the law?"

Hearing Li Shimin's words, Li Tai thought for a while, but said, "Aye, you said that the death penalty you requested in December requires five appeals within two days, and three appeals for those in other states.

On the day of execution, no meat or wine was allowed in Shangshi Bureau, and music was not allowed in Neijiaofang and Taichang Temple.There will be further inspections under the door, and those who should die according to the law and are in a pitiful situation will write a petition to report.

The five-time Shenzuo refers to the five times from two days before the execution to the day of the execution. Human life is at stake to show caution.

Only those who commit evil and rebellious crimes (Sui established the "Heinous Heinous" Division, Tang Chengzhi) only played these regulations once? "

"Yes!" Li Shimin nodded, and said, "You have the most unique views on punishment, so let's talk about it!"

Li Shimin also discovered that Li Tai generally didn't like to use punishment to solve things, and he used the characteristics of people's desire for profit to solve things.

Li Shimin can't say whether this kind of thinking is good or not, but Li Tai can provide him with new ideas on many things about punishment. Whether it is good or not is another matter, but he does have his own opinions.

"Aye, I have almost never dealt with punishment, and my knowledge of punishment is quite shallow, so let me tell you my opinion, and I hope Aye will not laugh at you." Li Tai was the first to admit his shortcomings.

After all, there are things I want to pretend, but the foundation is really not solid enough to pretend!

"Not bad! You actually know how to be modest!" Seeing Li Tai like this, Li Shimin couldn't help but think of Li Tai's performance in the Liangyi Hall back then. It was really difficult for the two of them to overlap.

However, Li Shimin also admired Li Tai a little bit more. Knowing what you know is knowing what you don't know. This sentence is easy to say, but it is really not easy to do it.

And Li Tai was teased by Li Shimin, so he just smiled and said: "Aye, I only have a piece of Chicheng, so I dare not play tricks!"

"Let's talk about your opinion!" Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction and continued to urge.

"I'm more inclined to be both lenient and strict, reducing the regulations on physical injury such as cutting off hair and feet, and increasing regulations on labor reform and reforming the spirit of the people." Li Tai explained to Li Shimin.

"Talk about the specifics." Li Shimin listened to Li Tai's words, but he didn't say much, but let Li Tai continue talking.

Hearing this, Li Tai continued, "The so-called leniency means that the purpose of punishment is not to punish the people, but to teach the people what they can and cannot do.

Therefore, certain punishments can be changed from cutting off Qiong's face to making them dig in coal mines, giving them a chance to reform themselves.

The so-called strictness means that as long as the people violate the law, they must strictly follow the legal process.

Whatever the law says, do what it says, and don't give extra favors outside the law, because if there are too many favors, the law will become a dead letter.

No one will abide by it in the future. "

Li Shimin couldn't help frowning when he heard Li Tai's words, but he also sighed in his heart that although Li Tai didn't understand punishment, his understanding of the purpose of punishment was much deeper than many officials who were engaged in punishment.

And Li Tai continued, "On the basis of effective law enforcement, the most important thing is legislation!"

"Legislation?" Hearing this word, Li Shimin was stunned, and said, "What's the matter?"

"Even if I feel that the cost of breaking the law is slightly higher for the common people!" Li Tai said, looking at Li Shimin here, but he saw that Li Shimin was thinking, as if he was thinking about the meaning of the cost of breaking the law.

Li Tai continued, "The so-called cost of breaking the law is the price that people will pay for violating the law.

The simplest example is that ordinary people need to pay fines if they raise their daughters until they are 15 years old and do not get married.

If the people can bear it, then the people will pay the money, if they can't bear it, they will marry their daughters early. "

Hearing Li Tai's words, Li Shimin showed a look of enlightenment, and understood what Li Tai said.

"So officials breaking the law are different from ordinary people breaking the law, because officials can afford many costs of breaking the law that seem harsh, but they can actually afford it. But the common people cannot afford it."

Li Tai said here, and continued: "Just like this, when the Legalists enacted the law, knowing the law and breaking the law was added to the crime!"

Li Shimin nodded, he could somewhat understand what Li Tai meant.

It's just that Li Shimin didn't expect that although Li Tai was not very familiar with the law, he had a deeper understanding of the law through such an independent explanation.

After all, no one has ever talked about such things as illegal costs, that is, people like Li Tai with dead money are too sensitive to things like wealth, so that's why they say such outrageous words.

Li Shimin could tell that what Li Tai lacked the most since childhood was the word awe.

From the fact that Confucianism was the fault of Confucianism, it can be seen that Li Tai neither revered Confucianism nor tradition.

And now I also understand that Li Tai does not fear the law, he can consider such things as the cost of breaking the law, if Li Tai fears the law, anyway, Li Shimin absolutely does not believe it.

Of course, the most important thing is that Li Tai is not in awe of himself.

To be honest, it's really hard to imagine a royal nobleman not being in awe of himself. Li Shimin sometimes wonders what kind of strange Li Tai is.

But the fact is that Li Shimin gets along with Li Tai, and Li Tai regards himself more as a father than a so-called emperor.

Even he is not afraid of the emperor, while Li Chengqian is just the opposite.

Just like this, Li Shimin also treats Li Tai differently. After all, it is really difficult for Li Shimin to feel this pure parent-child relationship in other children.

They are not like Li Tai, they respect saints far more than themselves.

(End of this chapter)