Chastity Layman

  Chapter 288 Li Jing

  Plenty of grains and peace.

   This is what every emperor dreams of. For Li Shimin, who has just been enthroned for a year and has been plagued by many disasters, he looks forward to such a bumper harvest and peace.

  There are no idle fields in the world, and the five grains are more abundant. This flattering Li Shimin is very cool.

  A poem that is so appropriate to the situation and feeling, of course it should be appreciated.

  So, today Qin Lang and his student Chengqian made a big splash in front of the emperor's prime ministers and ministers.

  The crown prince inherited the name of Qianqian's benevolence, so he added another name of talent.

  As for Qin Lang, because of this poem, in the eyes of many people, his reputation as a lucky minister is even more confirmed.

  Chengqian and Qin Lang each got two bundles of new wheat. The new grain from the wheat harvested by the emperor just now is not much, but it represents the emperor's favor and appreciation, and it is a supreme honor.

Qin Lang looked at the two bundles of wheat ears that hadn't been sun-dried and threshed, and couldn't help feeling helpless. The fields under his name now exceed one hundred thousand mu, of which wheat fields account for more than half, and it is expected that he will receive about one hundred thousand shi this summer. Even if the share of the tenants is removed, he still has tens of thousands of shi of wheat.

   But looking at the servants in the palace who packed the two bundles of wheat well, Qin Lang had to thank the emperor for his solemn look.

   "Xuanling, the harvests should be generally good this year, right?" Li Shimin was very happy, very happy, the appearance of the prince and son-in-law in front of the ministers made him happier than the poem he just wrote was praised by everyone.

   "According to the statistics previously reported by various places, the summer harvest is not bad." Fang Xuanling said truthfully.

   Seeing that it was noon, Dianzhong Province arranged for people to deliver meals.

  Just like the general landlord’s house harvesting wheat, in order to save time, the wheat guests will not go home to rest at noon. The landlord asks people to prepare meals at home, and then picks up baskets with meals and drinks and delivers them together.

  Eat directly in the fields.

  The food cooked by the imperial dining room is not bad.

  Knowing that it is hot, not only cooked porridge, but also specially made cold pottery and futuo. In addition, the side dishes such as cold seaweed shreds, small pickles, pickled radish shreds, pickled beans, and small dried fish are also good.

  Soybean stew, lamb in water basin········

  The emperor stopped the temporary meeting, and everyone ate together in the wild.

   Eating and drinking tea in big pottery bowls actually whetted my appetite.

  Li Shimin usually doesn't eat much, but today he has a big appetite. Soybean stewed meat, he directly scooped up a large bowl of meat, all of which are big pieces of meat, stewed soft and tasty, he only eats one piece in two or three bites.

Qin Lang is also eating a lot. Although the stew is not pig's feet, the meat is a bit fat, and the oil is leaking out of the throat after swallowing it, but I have to say that people consume a lot, and when they are hungry, they really eat anything. .

He usually eats two or three pieces of meat like this at most, but today he ate a whole bowl and it was not enough, so he made another bowl of mutton in a water basin. After eating the meat, he drank all the soup, leaving no drop, and finally porridge And another bowl of jelly.

  Even civil servants like Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui ate meat with big mouthfuls today.

   "It's delicious to eat in the harvested wheat field!" Li Shimin wiped his mouth, then patted his belly and said.

  Qin Lang thought in his heart that at night, it would be just as cool to fight in the field in the haystacks.

   I was too full to eat, so Li Shimin took everyone to walk around under the shade of the tree to digest food.

  Over there, the forbidden army had a full meal and continued to harvest wheat, even if the sun was scorching hot, they didn't care about it.

  In the distance, you can see the golden wheat field, which is decreasing a little bit, and every household is taking advantage of the good weather to rush to harvest.

  When the stomach is not so full, it is still good to sit on the bamboo couch under the shade of the tree and blow the hot wind with the fragrance of wheat.

   "Your Majesty, invite Saburo to go over."

   "Isn't Your Majesty discussing matters with the prime ministers?"

   "Your Majesty sent slaves to invite San Lang and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to discuss matters. Duke Zhao Guogong and Duke Ping Kang were also summoned."

   Yes, I have to go to an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee when I am full.

   It's just that I don't know what Li Shimin wants to talk about, so I have to talk here.

  Called to the prince, came under the big tree, Li Shimin asked Qin Lang to give Qin Lang a bamboo mat, which was worse than the emperor's bamboo couch, but a bamboo mat was not bad.

  The emperor was sitting on a bamboo couch, with his chest bare and his back exposed, showing the large black chest hair.

Qin Lang lowered his head and looked at himself, yes, he is indeed the son of Qin Qiong, a standard Shandong man, although he is only seventeen, but there is also a piece of black chest hair on his broad chest, and thick hair on his hands and feet. body hair.

  Looking at other people, it seems that they are all similar.

  All the princes and ministers not only have big beards and beautiful beards, but also basically have thick chest hair, a group of people full of masculinity.

Qin Lang was holding a cup of herbal tea. It was a herbal tea made from honeysuckle and Houttuynia cordata. It was boiled and let it cool down. Sugar was added in it, so it was sweet in the cold, and the taste was not bad, with a hint of red. The feeling of a can of herbal tea.

  But he misses jelly even more. If you boil a pot of jelly and add two spoonfuls of vinegar, if it can be chilled, it will be so refreshing in this hot afternoon.

  Li Jing coughed twice.

Qin Lang glanced at the old man out of the corner of his eye. Li Jing had just been transferred to the Ministry of Punishments not long ago. On the surface, he had already left the military system. However, since Qin Lang went out, the current political affairs hall has no military representatives. , It is said that the generals cited are very unhappy.

   Recently, it is said that Li Jing is very appreciated by the emperor, and he is often allowed to enter and leave the palace to ban and play duets, and often participates in court discussions.

   Could it be that this old man is planning something with the emperor recently? Are we going to fight again?

   Sure enough, after Li Jing coughed a few words, he didn't spit out the old phlegm, but directly proposed that this year's summer wheat harvest would be bumper, and after autumn, he could send troops to wipe out Shuofang Liangshidu.

  Li Jing also brought up the ten reasons why the Liang army was defeated at this time, and also listed the reasons why the Liang divisions were all ten sure to lose. What he said seems to be very simple. As long as the Tang army is willing to send troops, it will definitely win.

  The emperor had obviously studied the feasibility of sending troops with Li Jing in private, and maybe even made the deployment of the battle quietly and deduced it.

   What is needed most in war is money, food, stability in the rear, sufficient soldiers, and excellent weapons. The emperor thought he was ready.

  This year's prime minister's team is dominated by Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who are divided into left and right servants. Du Yan, the official censor, entered into the Zhongshuling, the son-in-law of the eldest princess of Guiyang, and Yang Shidao, the servant of the Ministry of Officials, entered the servant; The minister of the temple joined politics.

  Actually, there are only seven prime ministers in the center.

  Xiao Yu once again angered the emperor and was dismissed after a brief recovery for the right servant.

  After Changsun Wuji resigned as Prime Minister, he only held the false titles of Prince Taishi and Kaifu Yitong Sansi.

  The number of prime ministers has decreased, but the emperor has stronger control over the prime minister's team, especially Fang Du, who leads the team, is completely the emperor's confidant.

   "Is it Shubao's opinion to send troops to Shuofang?"

  Fang Xuanling did not express his opinion in a hurry, but asked a question.

  Li Jing was a little embarrassed.

  So Li Shimin asked Hou Junji, Minister of the Ministry of War, to answer.

Hou Junji didn't dare to make random things. In fact, it was Li Jing's idea to send troops. He was appointed as the governor of Lingzhou, and then the emperor was moved, but he still sent someone to ask Qin Qiong who was in Lingzhou. After all, Qin Qiong was not only the governor of Lingzhou. , is also the envoy of Guanzhong Dao Jinglue, and at the same time the prime minister who is on an envoy abroad.

Qin Qiong's reply was not to recommend fighting for the time being. He said that although the money, food and military equipment are sufficient at the moment, and the morale of the Lingwu soldiers is also available, the Turks are still involved in the attack on the Liang division. Guaranteed that after the Turks get involved, they can still control the situation?

  Qin Qiong said that it would be best to fight in another two years. At that time, the imperial court had fully recovered. At that time, when the fighting started, it would be faster to destroy Liang.

  Starting the fight now is purely an adventure.

  Qin Qiong opposes this kind of speculative adventure.

  He sent a message back to the emperor. Datang now has the ability to start a war at any time, but it has not yet the ability to end a war at any time, so we have to wait.

Li Shimin didn't want to wait, because Liang Shi was the last anti-king who resisted the court and refused to unify, and Liang Shidu is now very weak. Last year's disaster not only affected Datang, but also Liang Shidu. It's tough.

  Qin Qiong was in Lingwu, and had already instigated rebellion and recruited many Liang Shidu's subordinates, and even many people from Shuofang voted to Lingwu.

   "Since the establishment of Shubao has to wait for another two years, I feel that the court can prepare for another two years."

   Li Shimin frowned a little dissatisfied when he heard Fang Xuanling's answer.

   Turned the question to Du Ruhui, and it turned out to be the same.

  Then Wei Zheng didn't wait for the emperor to ask, he jumped out by himself immediately, and directly pointed his finger at Li Jing, complaining that Li Jing was a minister of the Ministry of punishment, who was neither a general nor a prime minister to participate in politics, but acted on his behalf.

  The king of spraying has become more and more powerful recently. When he sprays people, he is hesitating endlessly.

  Li Jing is very good at fighting, but when it comes to trolling people, he is really no match for Wei Zheng.

   "Huailiang, what do you think?"

  Li Shimin finally couldn't stand Wei Zheng's big troll, so he interrupted him directly to question Qin Lang.

   "Your Majesty? I have a few questions."

"May I ask your Majesty, although the harvest this summer has been bumper, due to the impact of the locust plague last year, the wheat production in some counties still decreased. In the first half of the year, the flood disaster along the Jianghuai line was also very severe. Although the rice harvest in the south has not yet started this year, it is already known that the production will decrease. Quite a few."

"Last year's catastrophe, the imperial court dispatched grain across the country, and finally survived, but the result was that the granaries all over the country were empty. Not only did the imperial court have no reserves, but the people's homes also had no surplus grain. Now the wheat harvest in the north is also common. Good harvest, but the question is, is there much food?"

"Last year, how much food did the imperial court expropriate from merchants and common people to fight against disasters and famines? Basically, they were still under IOUs. It was also agreed to allow people to use IOUs to offset rent adjustments in the future, but how many years will it take to fully deduct these IOUs? Even if only part of the deduction is deducted this year, how much money can the court receive?"

   "More importantly, this year's household census is progressing well, but has the tax reform been completed? When will the new tax start? Only when the new tax system officially starts, will the people be able to pay food..."

  A series of questions made Li Shimin silent.

  (end of this chapter)