The Great Grandson of the Tang Dynasty: The beginning of the slaughter of General Tiance's mans

Chapter 242: Make the people prosperous and the country strong, develop commerce

After handling the government affairs, Li Chengdao stayed with several ministers and had lunch together.

The emperor's daily meals were actually the same as those of ordinary wealthy people. The meals were not all delicacies and fish, but also home-cooked dishes.

Usually, when Li Chengdao ate alone, he only had three dishes and one soup. Today, when Changsun Wuji, Jia Xu, Wei Zheng and others were left to share lunch, it was just six dishes and one soup.

However, when they saw the lunch dishes, Changsun Wuji and others couldn't help but be stunned.

Because there were a total of six dishes today, three of which were actually dishes made with locusts.

"Does Your Majesty really like eating locusts?"

Jia Xu said with a smile.

Li Chengdao shook his head and said: "Now our Tang Dynasty is in dire straits, and countless people are still in poverty. How can I be extravagant and wasteful?"

"I have asked the imperial chef to prepare a dish using locusts for every meal these days, so that I will not forget the hardships of the locust plague, drought, and the suffering of the people."

After hearing Li Chengdao's words, everyone was in awe.

As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengdao was the most noble person in the world, but now he was so simple and frugal, which really made them, as ministers, have mixed feelings.

"His Majesty leads by example and is admired by his ministers."

Fang Xuanling said with emotion.

"What's the point of this?"

Li Chengdao smiled and then said: "Actually, this drought and locust plague are not without their benefits. They made me clearly realize the shortcomings of our Datang. Our current national strength is still not strong enough. Two natural disasters will wipe us out." It’s so embarrassing.”

Du Ruhui heard this and said: "Your Majesty, this is a natural disaster, not a human fault. It is extremely rare for your Majesty to be able to prevent the people from starving to death during these two major disasters. Why should your Majesty belittle yourself?"

"But this alone is not enough."

Li Chengdao sighed, the current Tang Dynasty was still a long way from the prosperous age he had dreamed of, and changes had to be made.

Seeing Li Chengdao's expression, Jia Xu couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, do you have any good ideas that you want to implement?"

Jia Xu knew Li Chengdao best, and he vaguely guessed what amazing decisions Li Chengdao would make.

"Wen He knows me."

Li Chengdao smiled and said, "I plan to change the policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business, and improve the status of businessmen."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone was a little surprised.

Improve business status?Since ancient times, scholars, farmers, and merchants have been the most humble, because in ancient times when farming was the mainstay, labor force and productivity were the first factors of development.

Businessmen are seen as people who make money through opportunism and suck the blood of farmers. Therefore, although businessmen are rich, they have the lowest status.

But Li Chengdao said that he wanted to improve the status of businessmen.

"Your Majesty, this move will probably cause dissatisfaction among the people, and it will have a great impact on the state."

Changsun Wuji's vision was precise and he said with concern.

"What the Lord Zhongshu Ling said is true. If Your Majesty wants to improve the status of merchants, then the number of people engaged in business will increase greatly. Then agriculture will not be developed and the country will be in danger!"

Wei Zheng was also worried.Businessmen can earn a lot of money without hard work, but the price they pay is low status. No matter how rich a businessman is, farmers can still be arrogant when they see him, and businessmen will avoid them when they meet on the road.

If the people lose even this last bit of superiority, the country will be in chaos.

Li Chengdao smiled slightly and asked: "I would like to ask you all, which one is more beneficial: hiding wealth for the people or hiding wealth for the country?"

This is a macro topic.

Hiding wealth among the people means that a country's wealth is distributed in the hands of its citizens; hiding wealth among the country means that all a country's wealth is concentrated under the control of the country.

Both sides have advantages and disadvantages.

Hiding wealth among the people: The people of the country are rich and live a prosperous life, but the country's expenditure and control are not necessarily very rich and sufficient.

Hiding wealth in the country: The country controls most of the wealth and can freely dispose it, but the wealth in the hands of the citizens is pitiful or not rich, and the freely disposed wealth is not sufficient.

Everyone looked at each other and cheered up. No one focused on eating.

"I believe that it is more beneficial to keep wealth in the country. Only when the national treasury is full can the army be strong and strong. Only when the country is stable and strong can it protect the people to recuperate and live and work in peace and contentment. If the country is not strong, how can the people be stable?"

Jia Xu was the first to say.

Hiding wealth in the country is a state that most dynasty rulers aspire to, but few dynasties have achieved it, even the Tang Dynasty.

The real national wealth is actually controlled by aristocratic families.

After Jia Xu finished speaking, Wei Zheng retorted: "If the wealth in the country can make the country stable, do you dare to ask if the pre-Qin Dynasty was not strong and prosperous? The pre-Qin Dynasty was the strongest in the world, but the people suffered and eventually died in the second generation."

"Only by hiding wealth among the people and making them happy can we gain the support of the people and the dynasty can continue for a long time. This is the foundation of eternity."

Wei Zheng twirled his beard as he spoke.

However, Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and others secretly shook their heads after hearing this, because what Wei Zheng thought was too idealistic, and hiding wealth among the people would never work.

The people are getting rich, but the country has less money at its disposal. What can be used to strengthen the army, and what can be used to control natural disasters and floods in various places?

Hiding wealth in the country will make it possible for the country to prosper and have enough energy to feed the people. This has been the case in all dynasties.

"What do you think, His Majesty?"

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengdao and asked curiously.

In his opinion, since Li Chengdao raised this kind of question, he must have already made a conclusion in his heart, and he just wanted to hear their thoughts.

"I don't agree with either."

Li Chengdao smiled, then dipped his finger in some tea, and wrote the four characters "龙飞峰五" on the table.

“The people are prosperous and the country is strong!”

Seeing these four words, everyone was stunned. The people are rich and the country is strong?Isn’t the country rich and the people strong?

But if you think about it carefully, the meaning of these four words seems to be in the direction of hiding wealth for the people, but Li Chengdao said that he did not agree with the two statements.

Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?

(End of this chapter)