Back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty to be the emperor

Chapter 64 Hangu Pass Night Talk (2)

The conversation tonight is very important, because the conversation tonight will be a guide for action for a long time in the future. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a strategic decision. This is exactly why Li Xian chose to go halfway through Hangu Pass The reason for meeting with Li Xian instead of waiting for both of them to arrive in Luoyang is not only to avoid people's eyes and ears, but also to unify their thoughts in advance and keep each other in step, so as to avoid unnecessary troubles. Obviously, between the two, Li Xian is the one who really shows his face, and the focus of his next work is naturally the key issue discussed tonight.

Li Xian is on the right side in this battle of Yaxian. From the perspective of emotion and reason, no matter whether Empress Wu likes Li Xian or not, she must express it. In Li Xian's view, this expression is very likely Nine is the right to participate in and discuss state affairs, why?very simple.This move can reward him for his support, but more importantly, it is to weaken the power of the prince and let the two brothers fight freely so that he can profit from it. Of course, no matter how bad the empress Wu's intentions are, However, it is almost certain that Li Xian will be given authority. In this way, Li Xian's choice will affect not only himself, but Li Xian will also be involved in it, unless Li Xian changes his hiding place. The established strategy in the end, and this is obviously not realistic, at least before Li Xian can build a complete team, he must show himself as Li Xian's younger brother. Under such circumstances, the entry point for Li Xian to enter the court is It has become the key of the key.

The choice of the Household Department cannot be said to be inappropriate. If Li Xian were to choose it, it is very likely that he would choose this way-all the court affairs are in the six departments. If you really want to do some practical things, you can only start from the six departments, but The two departments of Lili and Bing are the foundation of the court. Naturally, it is not the turn of a prince to intervene in it. Well, it is not easy to make achievements in this field. It is basically difficult for those who are not good at magic to make amazing achievements. This is obviously impossible for Li Xian. Li Xianlai may be able to make do with it, so In this way, it is true that only the Ministry of Households is the most suitable for Li Xian to make contributions. The problem is that the water transportation target he chose is obviously a bit big.

Guanzhong is known as a fertile land. It was originally the granary of the world in the Qin and Han Dynasties, but it was because of its wealth that it caused many wars and catastrophes. Since the Qin Dynasty, most of the dynasties have settled here. Inevitably, this has also been the case since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, which led to a sharp decrease in the greening rate in Guanzhong, serious soil erosion, and the land gradually becoming barren. With the rapid increase of the population in Guanzhong, the land resources became more and more scarce. During the Zhenguan period, it was still barely able to cope with it. However, during the Xianqing period, the land granting system in Guanzhong almost existed in name only, and the court could no longer provide new land to grant the newly increased population. , the food shortage is becoming more and more serious, and it is necessary to rely on the transfer of a large amount of food from the south to barely support it. This is the root of the rise of water transport, but the hardships and obstacles in it are extreme. Even with the existence of the canal opened by Emperor Sui Yang, It can be regarded as laying a good foundation for water transportation, but the cost of transporting a catty of rice from Jiangnan to the capital has increased by nearly ten times. In the early years, Emperor Gaozong raised this matter several times in the court hall, gathering ideas from others, but none of them achieved much, so he put it aside until now. In fact, Gaozong's permanent residence in Luoyang also has the intention of "going to eat".

If Li Xian can really solve the problem of water transportation, not only will he get great credit for nothing, but he will also take the opportunity to embrace the entire household department in his arms, and even the Ministry of Industry cannot escape Li Xian's infiltration. The benefits are undoubtedly huge, but However, Li Xian didn't think that Li Xian could really do this, because there were too many obstacles in it, and it was too troublesome, even a veteran official who had experienced a lot of experience could hardly handle such troubles, let alone Li Xian is a rookie in the government. Li Xian remembers it very clearly. When Li Xiangang became the crown prince in the previous life, he also ambitiously took care of water transportation by himself. As a result, he spent a lot of money, but the effect was not satisfactory, and his reputation was greatly damaged. In the end, even the power to manage politics was "righteously" taken away by Empress Wu, thus planting the root of being deposed.

"Sixth brother is ambitious, and my younger brother is very grateful. It's just that the matter of water transportation is too huge, and it's not something that can be seen overnight. From my point of view, my brother must have immediate achievements when he first enters the imperial court. Although water transportation is an important task, it is not an urgent one. If you do it later, this little brother is too meager to hear you, so I hope the sixth brother will learn from you." Li Xian's foundation is not stable now, and he really doesn't want Li Xian to be frustrated because he found the wrong breakthrough, but in view of Li Xian and other stubborn people Temperament, and can't speak too harshly, so I had no choice but to persuade him euphemistically after thinking about it for a while.

"Well, what the seventh brother said is certainly reasonable, but I think it's hard to convince the public if you don't get involved in difficult problems. Now the water transportation is half a waste, and it's time to see the merits. If you can straighten out the water transportation, it will be a great achievement. Even if there are countless obstacles, I will Why are you so afraid, and the seventh brother is willing to help you?" Obviously, Li Xian has been thinking about using water transportation as a breakthrough for a long time, and he seems to have a firm plan in his heart, and he does not agree with Li Xianzhi's words, and what he said will come later , but it was very impassioned, but it made Li Xian's head a little bit bigger.

"How does Brother Six plan to do it?"

Hearing Li Xian's tone, Li Xian was afraid that the matter was a big deal, and his heart was getting anxious, but it was not easy to refute his wrongdoing in person, so he could only listen to his plan before making a plan.

"Seventh brother, please take a look!"

Li Xian obviously did his homework here. Hearing Li Xian's question, he immediately shook his wide sleeves, took out a piece of silk from it, and spread it out on the table. Zhang's water system map is quite detailed, almost including the Yangtze River, the Huanghuai River, the Grand Canal, and even the Weihe River and Bashui River in Guanzhong. From Li Xian's point of view, this map is not very accurate. , but the general meaning is that everything has come out, which shows that Li Xian has indeed invested heavily in the matter of water transportation.

"Sixth brother, is this the water pattern map?"

Although Li Xian knew it, he still asked on purpose.

"That's right, it's exactly this thing. My brother sent a lot of people to collect and sort it out for water transportation. I was lucky enough to get this atlas. It's better than what's in the Hongwen Museum. I can have this picture as a companion. , why worry about the failure of such a major event!" Li Xian glanced at Li Xian and saw the surprised look on Li Xian's face, and he was very satisfied in his heart, he laughed and waved his hands in a heroic reply.

The map of the water system is indeed important. It would be a fantasy to do water transportation without such a thing, but it would be too ridiculous to say that with this thing, it would be possible. At least Li Xian didn’t think so, but seeing Seeing the pride in front of him bursting out so arrogantly, Li Xian really didn't want to throw cold water on him, so he could only smile and said: "Sixth brother is wise, younger brother is really hard to come by, with this picture to help, we can get the job done with half the effort." It’s too late, but the matter is huge and needs to be carefully planned, I don’t know if Sixth Brother has any arrangements for this?”

"Well, even if the seventh brother doesn't ask, he still wants to say it as a brother. Seventh brother, look, most of the grain produced in my dynasty comes from the Jianghuai River. If Jiangdu (now Yangzhou) is the concentration point, the water boats will go up the canal northward and pass all the way. Huai, Huang, Bian, and Ji can reach Shanzhou and be sent to the capital via the Wei River. There are four obstacles along the waterway. First, the Guangtong Canal is seriously silted and must be reopened; Thirdly, the pillars of the three gates are extremely dangerous, and the boats are difficult to navigate and often drown, so it is necessary to open another canal; fourthly..." Li Xian said here confidently , paused obviously, and then went on to say: "Fourth, the original water officials are corrupt and useless, and must be replaced. If all these four things can be done, there will be no worries about poor water transportation!"

Li Xian's remarks are all on the point. Although they are not comprehensive, they are generally passable. The problem is that the matter of water transportation is easier said than done, and it does not mean that success can be achieved with a good idea. Yes, especially Li Xian's method of overthrowing everything that exists and starting over again is even more difficult to implement. No matter how much manpower and material resources the entire plan will cost to implement, it will take an astonishingly long time Well, if Li Xian is the emperor at this moment, he is determined to do this, and there is hope for success. The problem is that he is not the emperor, not even the prince, but he is just a prince. If he wants to do such a big Obviously, there is no responsibility for the matter. If nothing else, as long as there is a little trouble in the management of water transportation, will Li Hong sit back and watch?It is obviously impossible, and Li Xian cannot gain the absolute trust of Empress Wu. What can he use to compete with Li Hong in the court? If you're unlucky, it's not impossible for Wang Jue to be cut. If Li Xian follows behind, the consequences can be imagined.

"Sixth brother, have you ever calculated how long it will take to complete the water transportation, and how much manpower and material consumption will be required?" After listening to Li Xian's statement, although Li Xian disapproved in his heart, he did not rush to refute it, but pondered After a while, he asked cautiously.

"If manpower and material resources are in good condition, I will be able to do my best in three years. Will the seventh brother believe it?" Li Xian thought about the success of water transportation, but he generally focused on the big picture, and it was the overall situation for specific affairs. In fact, he hadn't thought much about the detailed plan at all. Hearing Li Xian's question at this time, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, but he didn't want Li Xian to take it lightly, so he asked a sophistry.

three years?Bragging is not such a way of bragging, you kid probably haven't really calculated the cost at all, just bragging!Li Xian spoke swearingly, but in Li Xian's ears, there was a sense of helplessness that made me laugh and cry for no reason. It was really hard to find a way that would not hurt his self-esteem and point out the shortcomings of his plan, brow Involuntarily locked up slightly.

(End of this chapter)