Lou Shide always appeared out of place.

However, Chen Zhengtai got used to it, and after telling Princess Sui'an a few words, he asked Princess Sui'an to take her to freshen up.

Then I got a book that Lou Shide took out.

As a matter of fact......

Although they demanded taxes from the clans, these clans paid a lot to a greater or lesser extent.

After all the calculations, the whole Yangzhou got 9,400 yuan in money and 5,700 yuan in grain.

This amount, in previous years, is definitely a lot, last year, the entire Yangzhou income is not half of the current one.

This is still not the case of exploiting the small people, so ...... When the number came out, Lou Shide was happy for a while, thinking that this was a great achievement.

After all, even if it is Luoyang, the tax is probably these amounts, and Yangzhou still cannot be compared with Luoyang after all.

But when it was carefully checked, the cat was tired.

Chen Zhengtai opened the book and saw some secret investigation information of the Wang family in Yangzhou.

This Wang family has more than 1,700 slaves and tribes, in addition, there are hundreds of clansmen in each house, plus cattle, horses, and land.

The Wang family is the largest family in Yangzhou, and also runs an oil mill, with several rice shops, docks, and warehouses.

However, the number of subordinates and slaves and maids reported by the Wang family was only 20%, that is, he only reported a few hundred households to cope with the difference in the tax camp.

Of course, this is also very reasonable, after all, if they are all reported, for them, the tax will be very heavy, too much loss.

Ordinary people's families pay taxes, which are calculated according to the per person, and the grain is handed over, and the rest is the surplus grain, and the surplus grain of the old snack of the family survives.

But a family like the Wang family has a large number of parasitic population, they don't produce, and their living conditions are much better than ordinary people on weekdays.

It can be said that they exploited a little more to their tribes and slaves and maids, and paid less taxes, and the lives of the clansmen in each house were better.

Now Chen Zhengtai wants to treat everyone equally, and ask them to use people to pay taxes like Xiaomin, is this worth it? Although Chen Zhengtai was in the limelight at this time, he was still distressed about the money in his pocket, and naturally he couldn't report too much.

After all, the clan has a way to hide the population, and, in the eyes of the Wang family, this is already a very face-saving for Chen Zhengtai, otherwise, even 20% of the population will not be reported.

Not only the Wang family, but also the other families, the situation is probably similar.

On the surface, he was very cooperative, and he didn't complain, but he only reported one or two percent.

Chen Zhengtai looked at this thing, frowning for a long time, he originally thought that these clans would be able to report three or four percent, after all, ...... He also thought that he was in Yangzhou, and he still had some face. He ever thought......

Chen Zhengtai said: "These are all evidence-based, right? ”

"Yes, in fact, there are still a lot of things that have not been verified." Lou Shide said: "There are many hidden households, which are Kunlun slaves and Bodhisattva barbarians, Silla maids, and even Shanyue people in the land of Nanyue, these ...... It's even more difficult to count. If you add these people together, the number is considerable. Ming Gong didn't know that in the Guanzhong area, there were many Kunlun slaves and orchids. But in the south, there are more bodhisattvas and Silla women. ”

"Other than that...... When the Eastern Wu pioneered the south of the Yangtze River, they encouraged the clan to capture the Shanyue native people as slaves, and when they arrived in the Wei and Jin dynasties, most of them were like this, and over time, these Shanyue people were no different from our Han people, but most of them became the slaves of the clan in the south of the Yangtze River, these ...... It's not easy to calculate ......."

Chen Zhengtai pursed his lips, and then said: "If this is the case, then follow the rules." ”

"Do it according to the rules?" Lou Shide glanced at Chen Zhengtai suspiciously, and said puzzledly: "It's better for Ming Gong to make it clear." ”

Chen Zhengtai said: "Concealing taxes, this is a big crime, it is to kill the head, if you don't kill a few heads, how to pay the tax in full?" Let the tax camp get ready, let's start with the Wang family, follow the vine, check them one by one, these guys ...... Take this money and food to fool me Chen Zhengtai, what does this mean? Don't you make me Chen Zhengtai the governor? Do you really think I, Chen Zhengtai, am a vegetarian? ”

"Do you really want to do it?" Lou Shide still had some doubts, he thought for a while and said: "The Wang family is not as good as the Gaoyou Deng family, the branch of the Yangzhou Wang family, from the Taiyuan Wang family, although this branch has long migrated to Yangzhou, and the connection between it and the sect is not close, but the Yangzhou Wang family has always been the Yangzhou wang family, and there is more or less some intersection with the Wang family of each room...... In my opinion, it is better to start with the Liu family in Yangzhou first, and knock on the mountain and shake the tiger first. ”

"Just move the Wang family." Chen Zhengtai pursed his lips, the light in his eyes suddenly sharpened a little, like the tip of a knife out of the sheath, and said: "This is also a knock on the mountain and a tiger, and then check it carefully, to list the evidence clearly, let the scribes settle the accounts, and what punishment should be after they conceal the report, these must be calculated clearly, and the act must be confidential, waiting for my order." Oh, yes......"

Chen Zhengtai said, glancing sideways at Li Tai, who had not left yet.

Li Tai's face was frozen, he actually wanted to find out what Chen Zhengtai wanted to do, but the more he listened to the words later, the more frightened he became, but at this time, Chen Zhengtai looked at him, he shuddered suddenly, and his heart was cold.

Li Tai's face showed obvious fear, and he had a faint bad premonition in his heart, and said, "Senior brother, what are you going to do?" ”

"You're the tax collector." Chen Zhengtai said confidently: "How can this investigation, arrest, and confiscation bypass you?" What are you still doing in a daze, prepare more silver medals, and let people act with your brand. ”

Li Tai couldn't help but look pitiful: "Senior brother, don't harm me." ”

Chen Zhengtai was about to kick him, Li Tai hurriedly took two steps back, sighed, and knew in his heart that with his current situation, he didn't say anything in front of him, so he resigned himself to his fate: "Listen to senior brother." ”

Chen Zhengtai was satisfied, and then said: "It's not enough to win the silver medal, I think you have to go out in person, such a showy thing, if you don't go out, how can you deter those Xiaoxiao?" Don't worry, they won't hurt you in the slightest. If anyone dares to touch you, I will kill him. ”

Li Tai: "......"

…………

A courier was sent to Chang'an.

In the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin frowned.

Seeing that the weather has become hotter and hotter, Li Shimin seems to have been carefully planning something in the past few months, and he has less and less time to participate in the court meeting, which has triggered comments about His Majesty's frolicking in the harem.

In fact, Li Shimin did not like these court meetings, and he participated in them out of respect for his ministers, after all, such court meetings were more just a formality, and it was absolutely impossible for the real major events to be decided in the court.

As for being in the harem, although he didn't wronged Li Shimin, after all, Li Shimin has a lot of beauties in the harem, but if he only indulges in playing, he will wronged Li Shimin.

Li Shimin summoned many military generals, inquired about the affairs of the border town, met with the prince, cared about his Heifeng Village, and also asked many officials of the East Palace about the implementation of the new system in the East Palace.

Almost all the recitals will be delivered to Li Shimin's hands on time, and Li Shimin will still have his approval, and Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the eldest grandson Wujiren will also meet as usual.

It's just that at this time, a recital sent to the court, but it caused an uproar.

The report was sent to the Ministry of War, then to the three provinces, and finally to Li Shimin.

The Chinese military officials of the dynasty finally saw His Majesty the Emperor again, but Li Shimin faced everyone, his face was full of anger, and he directly threw the song in his hand in front of the ministers.

He said angrily: "The Ministry of Rites sent Goguryeo to the court, can Goguryeo respond?" ”

Lu Kuan, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, hurriedly came out of the class and said, "There has been no response. ”

This Goguryeo, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, was dominant, they were entrenched in Liaodong and Lelang area, at that time, with the growing growth of Goguryeo, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty several expeditions to Goguryeo, all ended in failure, and even many people believe that the Sui Dynasty fell because the conquest of Goguryeo consumed a lot of national strength.

After Goguryeo repelled the attacks of the Sui Dynasty several times, and when the Sui Dynasty fell, it led troops to invade many prefectures and counties during the Sui Dynasty, and it has become stronger and stronger.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin naturally would not easily use troops against Goguryeo, after all, the lessons of Emperor Yang of Sui were in front of him.

With the fall of the Turks, Goguryeo was ostensibly friendly with Li Tang, but took this opportunity to begin to encroach on a large number of grasslands in the east of the Turks, and began to breed conflicts with the Tang army.

This time, it reported one thing, this Goguryeo across Liaodong, Lelang, and Silla is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, on the land route, Silla and the Tang Dynasty happened to be the territory of Goguryeo, Silla and the Tang Dynasty both trade, but also envoys to each other, envoys set out, often with caravans.

Outcome...... These people were detained by Goguryeo and did not return them, and the reports sent from the border towns recorded such a tragic scene, saying that those merchants and the people who returned from Silla, although they were close to the Tang Frontier, could not get close, and those who wept at them were all over the countryside.

This obviously angered Li Shimin, and Goguryeo's arrogance made him furious.

Li Jing, the secretary of the military department, stood aside and did not say a word.

The rest of the crowd looked at Li Shimin, this Goguryeo seemed to be a taboo in the Tang Dynasty temple, because this thing ...... It's too evil.

You say that he is strong, but he is not strong, but on the contrary, several expeditions of the Sui Dynasty have failed, so many elite soldiers and strong generals, countless casualties, in that place in Liaodong, the weather is cold, and the soldiers in Guanzhong are often unable to bear it. What's more, the Goguryeo people are different from the Turks, the Turks are nomadic people, as soon as you get out of the customs and find their main force, you can fight them to the death. Anyway, it's a moment of victory or defeat, and it's all over when you pick up the guy, a war won't last long.

But Goguryeo is good at building strong cities, and there are hundreds of cities in the country, and you push all the way, and people are strong and clear in that place, and they rely on the harsh winter as their own assistance, which can always make you miserable.

After all, when Emperor Yang of Sui conquered Goguryeo, many people in the court and their fathers and ancestors participated in it, and to be honest, the taste of the expedition is really fresh in my memory.

It's like a rotten sore, if you don't expose it, if you don't expose it, it's not.

At this time, Li Shimin said coldly: "Goguryeo is so arrogant, if you don't curb it, sooner or later you will be in trouble." ”

"Your Majesty, in the years of the Great Cause, the national strength is so strong, not to mention that my Datang is in ruins at this time? Now that there is a shortage of money and food in the treasury of the imperial court, it is really unwise to use swords and soldiers at this time, and the old minister pleaded that he could send envoys to ask the Goguryeo people for the people they had detained, and if they could repent of it, they could do it. But if you don't, then make another plan. ”

The person who spoke was Fang Xuanling, after all, he was old and serious. In fact, he also knew His Majesty's thoughts, and he would not easily make a move against Goguryeo at this time, but he was just angry for a while.

Sure enough, Li Shimin's face softened a little, and he said lightly: "That's fine." ”

He paused, but then said: "During the period of Emperor Wen of Sui, the treasury was full, even if it was Emperor Yang of Sui, the annual taxes and money and grain were innumerable. Now that I'm in the Tang Dynasty, it's always insufficient. ”

Dou Lu, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, said widely: "This is because of the result of His Majesty's generosity towards the people." ”

Li Shimin sneered and said self-deprecatingly: "Is this the case? When did I show mercy to the people? Could it be that my Datang is still less hungry? ”

Dou Lukuan was given a sentence and was speechless for a while.

Li Shimin glanced at everyone, and then said: "Li Chengqian, the prince of Zhenguan, has grown up and can supervise the country, I plan to take some ministers of the court with me to Yangzhou for a trip, and I want to go to Yangzhou with my heart, not to follow the Sui Yang Emperor to parade, but to teach you to see, the people of Yangzhou, how hungry and cold they have become, and then tell you, why did Wu Ming rebel?" ”

"You will never be able to feel it unless you see it with your own eyes. I have to keep everything simple, just bring a team of military horses and accompanying courtiers, so that the officials along the way don't have to receive them, and I don't rarely receive them. ”

This was very sudden for everyone, and the ministers looked at each other.

Going to Yangzhou?

It's just that Li Shimin didn't seem to give them a chance to advise, so he said: "This matter, the palace has begun to arrange, I know what you want to say." But since you have honored me as the Son of Heaven, will you stop me from doing anything? This Yangzhou, I have to go. ”

The indisputability in Li Shimin's words finally blocked the words that many people wanted to say.

In a blink of an eye, the weather is getting colder and colder, and it is already September and late autumn.

It was a crisp autumn day, Li Shimin finally went out on patrol, selected hundreds of officials to accompany him, and thousands of guards accompanied him along the way, and a large number of ships set off from Chang'an.

All the way down the river, and then to the intersection of the canal, the accompanying ministers, except for Fang Xuanling and the various Shangshu, most of them are left and right, but they are pampered on weekdays, and now they suddenly travel, Li Shimin is unwilling to be extravagant, so many people are miserable and complain.

………………

There is one more chapter.