A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1074 Wu Huaiyu’s counterattack
Wu Huaiyu planned to chat with Zhang Liang.

He felt that there was no fundamental conflict of interest between the two and they should be able to talk. Many friends are better than many enemies. Although Zhang Liang has a bad reputation for kneeling and licking the Li family of Zhao County over the years, he still has some abilities, especially since this guy has been in charge of the Six Doors for a long time.

Got a lot of secrets.

After the court meeting, I went to Zhengshi Hall to sit for a half-day shift. At noon, I also had dine-in food at Zhengshi Hall, steamed mutton and large noodles.

Hou Junji was as always polite to Wu Huaiyu, even very polite, and always smiled. People who didn't know better thought that Hou Junji had learned a lesson and surrendered to Wu Huaiyu.

But Wu Huaiyu already knew that this guy was hiding a knife behind his smile and was plotting against him secretly.

Wu Huaiyu just pretended not to know and smiled back at him, even calling him Junior Brother Hou.

This title made Hou Junji feel as uncomfortable as eating a fly. Li Jing had long refused to recognize him as a student, and he did not recognize Li Jing as a teacher. As early as when he reported Li Jing for treason, and finally ended up with a false accusation and rebellion, he followed Li Jing became an enemy.

Hou Junji stiffly reminded Wu Huaiyu that Wei Guogong did not recognize him as his disciple, so he could not be called his junior disciple.

"Once a teacher, always a father, Prime Minister Hou must not forget that if the teacher did not teach military tactics, how would Prime Minister Hou have the opportunity to perform meritorious service in Qinghai, and how would he be able to return to the court again?"

Wu Huaiyu did not go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but went to the East Palace.

The East Palace also has some of its own properties, including farms, workshops, pastures, etc. Among them, the more profitable ones are some of the properties that Wu Huaiyu helped Cheng Qian buy when he was in the East Palace, such as printing workshops, paper making factories, and ink and pen making. workshops, and now bookstores with many branches,

The Beijing News also has a large circulation and is very profitable.

But he still held back,
The losses that have been suffered cannot be suffered again. If you can't fight openly, then fight secretly. One day, Wu Huaiyu will regret it.

Wu Huaiyu deliberately disgusted this guy,

Wu Huaiyu looked at Hou Junji who was leaving in a hurry, and the smile on his face disappeared.
You are not afraid of thieves stealing, but you are afraid that thieves will miss you. Hou Junji is thinking of him now.

The imperial court gave the East Palace a year's supply of 40,000 pieces of materials, worth 16,000 qian, which was not too much but certainly not too little.

These performances of benevolence and filial piety are still very touching.

We must fight back.

He also asked the printing house in the East Palace to engrave and print scriptures.

"I still have something to do with the staff, so I have to go back first." Hou Junji hurriedly left.

Hou Junji almost fell out, what was the difference between pointing his nose and scolding him.

Wu Huaiyu was stunned for a moment.

These own properties of the East Palace are very profitable and very profitable. The income earned in a year is several times the amount of materials provided by the imperial court to the East Palace.

Wu Huaiyu smiled and said, "Junior brother, you should think about it seriously. If you can get the teacher's forgiveness, I guess the saint will be very happy, and the people of the world will be happy to see it. After all, a prime minister who deceives his master and destroys his ancestors will always make people suspicious." "

"Teacher, I want to borrow money."

Prince Cheng Qian has recently been immersed in the sorrow of his mother's death. Although the emperor asked him to take off his clothes on the 27th, Cheng Qian still spent most of the day copying scriptures and even took out a lot of money and silk from the treasury of the East Palace. , handed it over to the temples in Chang'an and asked them to compose all sutras.

Hou Junji didn't want to argue with Wu Huaiyu about this. In that matter, he fell too hard and suffered too much. It was an indelible stain in his life.

"I also want to go back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, let's go together. Anyway, the two yamen are together. Let's chat on the way. Mr. Hou, in fact, the teacher does not hate you. Although you once made a big mistake of bullying the teacher and destroying the ancestors, the teacher is open-minded. You are a generous person, why don't you choose a good day, prepare some gifts, I will take you to the Duke of Wei's Mansion, come to the door to accompany the gift and apologize, you can sincerely admit your mistake, or at most, kowtow a few times, the teacher will always forgive you. ,"

Wu Huaiyu went over to sit for a while, chatted with him, and advised him to express his condolences.

Hou Junji's face was gloomy and uncertain, and he said with force, "I suddenly remembered that I have other things to do. I won't go back to the official office of the imperial city for now. Minister Wu, please excuse me."

The current income of the East Palace is about one hundred thousand yuan. Even though the expenses of the East Palace are not small, there should still be a lot of surplus.

Why does the prince still need to borrow money from him?

"I hope to build a few large temples, educate 3,000 people to become monks, and create more scriptures..."

Wu Huaiyu frowned upon hearing this.

No wonder they have to borrow money to build temples, and they have to build several temples, all of which are quite large. In addition, they have to ordain people, and the East Palace has to pay for ordination certificates. With so many people becoming ordained, they have to support them and buy land.

And if you create more scriptures, what does it mean to create more scriptures?
Paper, ink, and pens in the Tang Dynasty were expensive, and books were even more expensive. Even woodblock printing was not cheap.

In Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty, there were many specialized copyists who copied scriptures for temples and then invited the faithful men and women to go home.
Temples ask people to copy scriptures, and the price is usually one scroll of scriptures and one piece of silk.

A scroll contains about 10,000 words, but nowadays a piece of silk costs 200 yuan.

Transcription price of twenty per thousand words.

And those believers who want to take this sutra home, the more the merrier, the price is very high, this has become a very profitable project for the temple, so there is a huge demand for copying sutras in Chang'an, many poor scholars and even some small officials will copy sutras for the temple Do some part-time work.

After Wu Huaiyu developed ink, woodblock printing, and even movable type printing, the price of books dropped. However, hand-copied sutras are still popular in temples, and they feel that these hand-copied sutras are more thoughtful. Wu Huaiyu thinks that they think they can sell them for more money. After all, the court is now customizing, and temples are not allowed to operate industries. They are not allowed to operate water and windmills. Car shops and oil shops are not allowed, pawn loans are not allowed, and printing workshops are certainly not allowed, and temples do not have that technology now.

Printing books, this emerging industry, is now in the hands of a few companies such as the East Palace, the Wu family, and the imperial court.

Even printing is not cheap.
Woodblock printing is more exquisite and expensive. Movable type printing is cheaper, but not as exquisite as woodblock printing. Of course, all printing is not as good as some excellent hand-copied scriptures.

Cheng Qian’s idea is so amazing,

Wu Huaiyu disapproved of just making three thousand people become monks. In the early years, the imperial court worked so hard to suppress Buddhism, let many monks return to secular life, and restricted their business operations. What was it for, other than to liberate a lot of labor force.

They even compete with these temples for the economy.

"Your Highness, please consider this matter carefully to convert three thousand people into monkhood. Although Your Highness is very filial, there are many ways.
The imperial court’s restriction on becoming a monk is a basic national policy.”

Cheng Qian wants three thousand people to become monks at a time. Even if he comes to pay for the ordination, it is still a bad start. Today, your prince will pay for three thousand people to become monks. Tomorrow, the nobles and nobles will follow suit. Pay people to become monks,
This three hundred and that thirty, don’t we have to go down the same old path again.

Today you build temples and temples and give away land and property, then tomorrow other nobles will do the same, and soon it will be the same as before.

You cannot go against the national policy just for the sake of filial piety.

"Actually, the filial minister of His Highness can understand, but we can change the way. It doesn't necessarily have to be to build a temple to watch the property, or to teach people to become monks, or to create and print scriptures. We can do some more meaningful things."

Cheng Qian looked at Wu Huaiyu. He believed that the teacher said this not because he was unwilling to borrow money.

"Your Highness, many people are suffering from the cold disaster now. Your Highness can raise a sum of money to purchase materials and provide relief to the victims.

Even after the disaster has passed, you can still spend money to build some Salesian bureaus to take care of newborn babies abandoned on the road, recruit people to take care of them, and buy some land to support them.

You can also spend money to build some almshouses, purchase land, and adopt some orphaned elderly people.

You can also raise a sum of money specifically to provide subsidies for newborn babies of poor people. From birth to three years old, some money will be given every year to provide nutrition and medical protection for these babies.

You can also spend more money to build some cemeteries to help those who are poor, have no land and no money for burial, or are orphaned and have no one to pay for their burial...

Wu Huaiyu opposed using money to build temples, create scriptures, or even make people become monks, buy land to raise monks, etc.
You can't express filial piety in this way, especially since he is the prince and many people are watching, so he can't do it again. If you have money, you can do some charity, engage in some social welfare, and do what you can. That is the real good deed.

"Your Highness can also provide funds to build some schools in rural areas to help poor children get started in education,"

"These are great benevolences. Queen Wende's spirit in heaven will definitely be more gratifying."

Donggong has also done some charity work in recent years. It has done a lot of things such as giving money and food during various disasters, comforting orphans and widows, etc.

"Your Highness can write some scriptures, but be cautious about building temples and consecrating people to become monks."

Wu Huaiyu gave Cheng Qian 10,000 yuan to support him in doing good things. It was not a loan, but a tribute.

Leaving the prince to continue copying scriptures, Wu Huaiyu went to Chongxian Hall.

He came to Li Yifu,

This smart student is now serving as the prince's minister in the East Palace and a direct bachelor of Chongxian Palace. He is young but has a successful career.
"How much do you know about Zhang Liang's wife, Li?"

"Zhang Liang's wife, Mrs. Li?"

"Aren't you also the Li family of Zhaojun? You should know something about this Li family of the same clan, right?"

Li Yifu worshiped Wu Huaiyu as his teacher. After becoming a Jinshi, he married the daughter of a samurai Yi. Later, he actively moved closer to the Li family of Zhaojun. His family was not the Li family of Zhaojun. But he first established a relationship with Li Mengchang and worshiped him as his clan uncle. Then he met Li Baiyao's son Li Anqi and recognized him as his elder brother.

Through these relationships, he successfully had his name recorded in the family tree of the Li family in Zhao County, and he became a son with the fifth surname.

Li Yifu's current pride in the court is also related to his exquisite appearance.

He has a lot of BUFFs on his body, including Wu Huaiyu's student, Samurai Yi's son-in-law, Li Baiyao's adopted son, Zhaojun's Li family's son, and an official in the East Palace, and he is also known as a child prodigy.

"Zhang Liang was originally a farmer. He took advantage of the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty. After he became rich, he abandoned his first wife and married Li, who was born in the fifth surname. Li was lustful and arrogant by nature. Zhang Liang was both fond of and afraid of her."

"I heard that Li fell in love with a young man who sold pens in Chang'an. He was not only good-looking, but also good at singing and dancing. Li brought him home for an affair. When they met Zhang Liang, Li said that he was the offspring of Zhang Liang's affair. Now she found him and brought him home to recognize his ancestry.
Zhang Liang actually took the pen dealer as his son, named him Zhang Shenji, and kept him in his house.

Are these things possible? "

Wu Huaiyu planned to start with Zhang Liang.

Li Yifu asked, "This is indeed true. There are rumors among the people. Everyone knows that Li and Zhang Shen had an affair, but Zhang Liang seems to be unaware."

Wu Huaiyu smiled, Zhang Liang used to report information, how could he not know this, he was just pretending not to know, after all, his marriage to the Zhang family was just a marriage to the Li family of Zhao County.

(End of this chapter)