The Prodigal Son of Zhenguan

"Huh?" Li Shimin was stunned.

A temporary palace? What temporary palace?

The temporary palace of the retired emperor?

What temporary palace of the retired emperor?

Li Shimin took the blueprint with a confused look on his face.

When did the retired emperor want to practice in the palace? Isn't he in Chang'an City now tossing about the competition hall?

Where did the temporary palace come from?

Li Shimin stared at the blueprint for a long time.

"Which temporary palace is this?" Li Shimin asked.

"It's on the farm." Li Fu said, "It's just a blueprint. I didn't dare to start the construction. Isn't it that I got your consent and I will prepare to build the temporary palace after I go back? Without your consent, I built this thing on the farm. It's called privately building a palace, which is a serious crime. The imperial censors in the court will criticize me to death."

"Building a temporary palace for the retired emperor on the farm in Jingyang County?" Li Shimin looked at Li Fu with a complicated expression.

"Do you have too much money to spend? If not, give it to me and I'll help you spend it."

Li Fu smacked his lips.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by not being able to spend it all? I have so many things to do at my farm, how can I not be able to spend it all?" Li Fu said, "Besides, what did I tell you before? Collect taxes, collect taxes on tea, collect them at a higher level. While this business is still ours, the tea tax can't be set too high. This tea business can't be kept secret for long. People have been eyeing this lucrative business for a year."

"As long as your method of making new tea is not leaked, they can't do this business." Li Shimin said confidently.

"It's not a high-level technology. As long as you are willing to spend money, try more, or even find a way to do it, you can do this business." Li Fu said, "Hurry up. The tea business may cost millions of guan in taxes in the future. If you don't pay attention, I'm really worried about you."

I've made it so clear and given so much profit. Hurry up and find someone to formulate the tax law.

You're still dithering.

Li Fu looked at Li Shimin suspiciously.

Is this really Emperor Taizong Wen of the Tang Dynasty, General Li Shimin of Tiance?

"What's that look?" Li Shimin frowned in dissatisfaction.

He saw the disdain in Li Fu's eyes.

"I will discuss the tea tax with others. Tell me what's going on with your palace right now." Li Shimin asked Li Fu with the blueprint.

"It's not my palace. Let's be more serious. It's the palace of the retired emperor." Li Fu said, "I promised the retired emperor that I would build a house for him on the farm. It will be convenient for him to live on the farm in the future. It is also close to the academy. No matter where the retired emperor lives in the future, his life will not be too boring."

"The students in the academy are full of vigor and vitality, and the retired emperor is happy to see them."

"Now the Pei family's farm is in my hands. Half of it is planned to be included in the academy, and the other part is planned to be built into a palace for the retired emperor to make the old man happy." Li Fu said.

Li Shimin sighed.

"Huairen, you are very filial." Li Shimin sighed: "However, your method of making the old man happy is really too costly."

"As long as the old man is happy, it's good. Besides, second brother, there were some things in the past when I went to help discuss with the emperor. Do you think it's so simple? If the old man is happy, everything is easy to talk about. If the old man is unhappy, he can say anything to you, and the history books will record it. So, you can do the math for this."

Li Shimin thought about it and agreed with Li Fu's statement.

Huairen, he sees it clearly.

"Okay, I approve." Li Shimin responded, and then returned the drawings to Li Fu.

Li Fu carefully put away the drawings.

"Then I'm relieved. In fact, I have my own selfish reasons for building this palace there. As you know, without the emperor, I wouldn't be where I am today. I also want to spend more time with him and make him happy. Secondly, I have a little thought. If the emperor is there, the academy will be safe."

"The academy has taken shape now. It is my hard work. I think the academy can cultivate more outstanding talents for the Tang Dynasty in the future. It is absolutely impossible for it to have any problems, or worse, to be strangled at the beginning."

Speaking of the academy, Li Shimin's expression became serious.

Li Fu had told him about the academy a long time ago.

If Li Fu thought so, the academy must continue.

"The current academy, whether in terms of reputation or size, is not enough to support other things. Everything can only be done slowly. After it develops to a certain level, second brother, the position of the dean of the academy will either be you or the emperor. In the future, it will be Cheng Qian." Li Fu said: "All the students in the academy are disciples of the emperor, serving the current emperor.The emperor will use it. "

"I also hope that I can see that day in the future. This is not something that can be achieved in three to five years." Li Shimin said.

"The road must be taken step by step, just like my younger brother covets the cotton in Gaochang, but my second brother wants to deal with the Turks now." Li Fu showed a harmless smile on his face.

"Gaochang? Cotton?"

Li Shimin thought carefully and remembered that once before, Li Fu asked Shitou to rush into the palace and took two cotton plants from the palace and sent them to the farm.

Craving this thing?

"If you like it, I will transplant more from the palace to you." Li Shimin said: "Why are you coveting Gaochang's cotton?"

"Some? That's not enough. Didn't Cheng Qian and the others tell you that cotton is a good thing after they came back? I have to plant it on a large scale." Li Fu said: "Plant more than ten acres of land on the farm next year. "

Li Shimin shook his head.

The children didn't say anything, or they wanted to, but he didn't really listen.

Every day he was so busy, how could he have time to listen to the children talking about these things? Occasionally he met the children, that is, when he had a meal in Lizheng Hall.

Here, is there still the cotton thing?

Li Fu turned around and put the drawings in the box. This box was a good thing. He would take it with him when he left. This time he brought it to Chang'an City, first to show it to Li Shimin, so that he would have an idea.

Second, he would rely on these drawings to negotiate money with the Ministry of Revenue and Pei Ju.

He took the drawings up and they were fooled, so he had to keep them well.

After putting the drawings in the box, Li Fu closed the lid of the box, locked it again, and carefully put the key in his arms.

"You will know after you pull out the white flower buds. That thing is much better than reeds when it is made into filling for clothes. It is soft, solid, and warm. It can not only be used as filling for clothes, but also can be used to weave cotton thread. It has many uses. "Li Fu said: "For example, when the army conquers the grassland, the wind on the grassland is biting cold in season. If the soldiers have cotton clothes to wear, they can preserve their vitality, maintain a better condition, and destroy the enemy."

Li Shimin became more and more confused as he listened.

Is cotton so good?

In the past, it was cultivated as an ornamental flower in the palace, and no one knew that cotton had such a wonderful use.

If I had known it earlier, wouldn't the thick clothes for the soldiers to spend the winter have been made long ago?

What a mistake.

"In addition, my brother is thinking about Gaochang because Gaochang is suitable for growing cotton." Li Fu said: "Plant cotton on a large scale."

Li Shimin heard this and asked back: "Aren't you going to plant it on your farm too?"

"I am doing an experimental field on the farm, and this issue must be made clear. "Li Fu said: "This is a very serious problem. Cotton is good, but no matter how good it is, it is not as important as regular food. The people of the Tang Dynasty have not yet had enough food. The safety of food production must be guaranteed. We can't just plant cotton because cotton is good. If we plant cotton, what about food? If there is not enough food, who will starve to death?"

"With food in hand, there is no panic in the heart. This is the truth at any time. No matter how good other things are, solving the problem of food is always the top priority of governing the country. Arable land is the lifeblood of food production and the foundation of the sustainable development of the Tang Dynasty. Only by never breaking the red line of arable land and building a higher-level, higher-quality, and more sustainable food security system can we have a solid foundation.

To resolutely guard the granary of a big country and ensure that the rice bowl of the people of the Tang Dynasty is firmly in our hands, we must be based on resource endowments and development stages, seek truth from facts, take steady steps, and not pursue empty achievements. ”

“Food security is a national priority. We must implement the strategy of storing grain in the land and storing grain in technology, effectively strengthen the protection of cultivated land, make every effort to improve the quality of cultivated land, fully tap the potential of comprehensive utilization of cultivated land, steadily expand agricultural production space, and improve the comprehensive agricultural production capacity. ”

“Food security is the foundation of the world. Second brother, I have said so much to remind you that if the land can grow grain, you can grow grain. Other crops must give way to grain. To put it bluntly, only when you are full can you talk about other things. ”

“Only when the people are full will they follow the court wholeheartedly. A court that allows the people to eat is a qualified court. "

Li Shimin saw a rare seriousness and solemnity on Li Fu's face.

This kind of Li Fu was something he had never seen before.

Although Li Fu had said a lot and quickly, and he only heard roughly what he said, he roughly understood the meaning of his words.

That is, we cannot occupy the land for growing grain to grow cotton.

But now there are fewer people and more land in the Tang Dynasty.

It should be okay.

Li Fu, on the other hand, thought later.As the Tang Dynasty developed, the population increased. With more people, the land had to be divided, but there was only so much land...

Add to that land annexation and the like.

More importantly, Li Fu remembered the Taoist's national policy of replacing rice with mulberry, which had harmed so many people.

The money earned did not even all fall into the Taoist's pocket.

Occupying arable land to grow cotton, and not even knowing whether the subsequent development is controllable, it is better to strictly define this line from the beginning.

"So what do you mean by thinking about Gaochang?" Li Shimin looked at Li Shimin with complicated eyes.

Do you want to attack Gaochang?

"Gaochang is a good place, with beautiful women, good wine, and suitable for growing cotton. Isn't such a good place a gift from God to our Tang Dynasty? If not, why did it become our neighbor? I think everything is destined by God, and the raisins in Gaochang are also delicious."

Seeing Li Fu say this, only three words came to Li Shimin's mind.

Shameless!

This was said so high-soundingly that the word shameless popped up without even thinking about it.

"The Gaochang matter should not be discussed for the time being, Huairen, you can't tell anyone about this matter." Li Shimin said.

Li Shimin planned to suppress this matter first. Even if he was thinking about it, he had to find a suitable opportunity to think about it, or even if he said it, he had to choose the occasion and find an opportunity.

Li Fu nodded seriously.

"Don't worry, second brother, in fact, this is just a little idea of ​​mine." Li Fu grinned: "I haven't told anyone else, only Chengqian, Qingque, Ake and Lizhi know."

When Li Shimin heard this, he felt like he was about to pout.

"Why did you tell these to the children?" Li Shimin questioned Li Fu.

"What's wrong with that? Just study cotton, and then say that cotton was brought from Gaochang, and the climate there is suitable for cotton growth. Isn't this pure knowledge? Isn't it good to enrich children's knowledge reserves?

After all, I am the Prince's tutor, and I am doing my job conscientiously. You still have this attitude.

It hurts people's hearts."

Li Fu pretended to be hurt.

"You!"

Li Shimin didn't know how many times he was speechless today.

This bastard came to the palace today. Did he choose a day to anger me?

Yes, that's right.

Wei Zheng! He recommended Wei Zheng, the farmer, to him!

Birds of a feather!

In cahoots with each other!

In cahoots with each other!

Smell the same!

"Okay, since no one else knows about it, let's plan slowly. Let's wait until the experimental field on the farm is planted next year. It's still early." Li Fu said, "Why rush now?"

"Since this is a good thing, of course we should rush. It's not just like you said, it can be provided to the army, but also to the people of the Tang Dynasty. In winter, with this thing, how many people can be saved from freezing to death by the wind, snow and cold?"

"It's simple, isn't it? Even if this thing is made, how many people in the Tang Dynasty can let their whole family wear cotton clothes in winter? Price! Price is a big problem, isn't it?

Thinking If cotton is to be cheap, it must be planted on a large scale. If there is more cotton, it will be cheaper. Datang has a lot of land now, but does it have so many people?

Now that everyone is planting food, there is still not enough food!

It's back to the issue of food security and the red line of cultivated land that I just mentioned. "

"So what is the final conclusion? Rest and recuperate, increase the population of Datang, and let people plant the land of Datang! But after there are more people, there will not be enough land to go around. The court should balance this matter first. "

Now even if there is a lot of land and a small number of people, the original cultivated land cannot be turned into cotton land.

If you want to plant cotton, before the people of Datang can have enough food and Datang has enough food, you'd better think about Gaochang.