For the ancients, population was a symbol of prosperity and trouble.

In any prosperous era, the standard used to measure it is people.

For example, during the time of Emperor Wen of Sui, the population once exceeded more than 9 million households, and in the early Tang Dynasty, although Li Tang won victories in the war, people only called the Zhenguan period the rule of Zhenguan, and would never call it the prosperity of Zhenguan.

The root cause is that during the Zhenguan period, it was not enough to be prosperous.

It was not until Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ruled the world that the Tang Dynasty ushered in a real prosperous era, that is, the prosperous era of Kaiyuan.

The reason for this is that the population during the Zhenguan period was really small.

Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty could cut down Goryeo, build canals, overhaul palaces, and even build the eastern capital Luoyang, the fundamental reason is also this.

After all, Emperor Wen of Sui left too much capital, and Emperor Yang of Sui can squander it at will.

But in the time of Li Shimin, it was completely different, although there were many military victories, but the scale of the war was far from comparable to the three expeditions to Goryeo.

As for the canal...... It's just tinkering.

To put it bluntly, there is a shortage of money and food, and there is a shortage of manpower.

In fact, the population of Datang is only 3 million households, but in fact, it ...... Later historians estimated that the population would not have been so sparse.

One of the biggest problems is the hidden household, because of the war, so a large number of people are hidden by the clan in order to escape taxes.

They are not visible in the household registers of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as if they never existed, but in fact...... But they are living people.

It's just that the inventory of hidden households is not only full of resistance, but also impossible to check at all, because the household register in the Sui Dynasty is ...... It's been lost.

During the Sui Dynasty, there was a large-scale inventory of the hidden households of the family, and if these household registers could be obtained, it would be of great help to track down the hidden households.

Dai Guan's family is poor, and he is not from a big family, he is very honest, but he has no selfishness.

Now hear Chen Zhengtai...... No, the teacher actually said that he could find a way to track down the hidden household, which made him cheer up all of a sudden.

It's just that...... Can we really get those registers back? If so, how do you do it?

And the jade seal of the country, didn't I hear that it was taken to Mobei?

He looked up at Chen Zhengtai with a puzzled expression.

"All in all, you need to prepare early." Chen Zhengtai explained: "This matter, before the results come out, must not leak the rumors, and the slightest rumor cannot be revealed." Xiao Dai, do you have any henchmen in this Ministry? I'm talking about, absolute henchmen. ”

Dai Xuan said: "There are dozens of people who can be entrusted." ”

This surprised Chen Zhengtai a little bit, there were so many.

Chen Zhengtai said: "In the Erpigou University Hall, there are also many people who have already learned basic arithmetic, these people are studying anyway, and they are idle, so they can do internships when they pull them out......

"It's just...... They have just entered the school, and if they are pulled out like this, will there be a little black heart? Anyway, for the sake of peace in the world, I can't take care of so much. Once this matter is leaked, I am afraid that it will be discovered, so before that, we must be careful and careful, but if we check the population behind the scenes, I am afraid that the students in the university hall are not skilled enough, Xiao Dai, you have to take the time to help your juniors and disciples. ”

Dai Guan: "......"

Every time Chen Zhengtai emphasized that he was Chen Zhengtai's apprentice, he couldn't help but feel stuffy.

Moreover, Dai Zhou felt a little that Chen Zhengtai was bluffing, this household register ...... I don't know where I am, but even if I do, after all, it's a household register from 20 years ago, so can I really check it out?

At this time, Chen Zhengtai snorted, then stood up and said: "This matter is decided, okay, I still have something to do with the prince, see you later." ”

Chen Zhengtai came out of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in a graceful manner, and Li Chengqian said in surprise: "Senior brother, what you just said is true?" ”

"Actually, I'm not sure." Chen Zhengtai spread his hands: "But you can give it a try, but you can't tell anyone about it." ”

Li Chengqian patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, how can I tell people about such a thing?" ”

Chen Zhengtai calmed down: "At that time, the junior brother will wait for a great achievement." ”

As he spoke, he got on his horse, said goodbye to Li Chengqian, and led this Xue Rengui away.

Within a few days, Chen Zhengtai gathered a group of Chen family members to set off sneakily.

The dozens of men crept with several wagons, covered with felt cloth, and no one knew what was in them.

It didn't take long to reach the bottom of a mountain, and then everyone began to unload all the tools, and that's not all...... Xue Rengui also took a few people to patrol the surroundings.

They set up several tents here, but there were a lot of things unloaded, including gunpowder, pickaxes, and all kinds of daily necessities.

Those who came were all from the Chen family, and Chen Zhengtai was the most trustworthy.

The leader is Chen Zhengxian.

Chen Zhengxian has a dark complexion, according to his many years of mining habits, after arriving at the place, he is not in a hurry to eat dry food, but with his hands behind his back, he begins to patrol around the vicinity, studying the mountains and rocks here, sometimes bending down and picking up a few stones, he also has a small hoe in his hand, occasionally knocking, checking the soil quality.

After pondering for a long time, I knew it in my heart.

In the afternoon, a few people came and began to lay out the gunpowder.

Chen Zhengtai gave a good explanation, and then rode his horse and led Xue Rengui away.

Chen Zhengxian stayed here, in fact, he didn't quite understand one thing.

How can you let him come here to dig mountains? Judging from the soil quality and the terrain, there should be no mines.

But his cousin had orders, how dare he say anything, now at least he can play with gunpowder all day long, provoke this cousin, maybe send himself to mine with a pickaxe.

…………

"The proprietor...... The proprietor ......" Huang Chenggong's face was miserable, and he found Wei Xuanzhen again.

In the main hall of the Wei family, Wei Xuanzhen was drinking tea slowly.

As soon as he saw Huang Chenggong coming, he subconsciously raised his eyebrows and said, "What are you doing again, didn't you see me drinking tea?" You don't look at what kind of tea this is, let me tell you, this is the tribute tea in the tribute palace, ordinary people can't drink it if they want to, it is secretly sold from Erpigou, more than one or two or three hundred dollars, more expensive than gold and silver, you don't stir the old man's interest. ”

Huang Chenggong looked at the tea, subconsciously swallowed his saliva, and then his face became serious again: "The proprietor, it's going to be bad." ”

"What's wrong?" Wei Xuanzhen was calm: "In this world...... Is there still an old man who sold the land in the west of the city to the Chen family at a cheap price? No matter how bad it is...... Is it bad for an old man to exchange precious grain for the Chen family's money? Even if we take 10,000 steps back, no matter how bad it is, can we still sell the land cheaply later? Not to mention, the old man also missed the subscription of stocks, and when the stock price was unattainable, the old man ran to buy, but the market in the past few days has a downward trend. ”

"Scared, what kind of wind and waves haven't the old man seen now? Mr. Huang, don't be surprised, if you encounter something bad, you will look for death, the old man has already died ten times eight times. ”

Huang Chenggong was embarrassed for a while, and he did ...... Compared with Wei Xuanzhen's calmness, he seems to have lost his temper.

So Huang Chenggong said with a ashamed face: "Hey, it's all students who can't hold their breath, but it makes the proprietor laugh." ”

Wei Xuanzhen looked numb: "Yes, the sky can't fall, if this god really falls, crush me Wei Xuanzhen to death, and teach me to die and destroy the clan, that's really bad, other things...... It's all like floating clouds, and I look down. ”

Huang Chenggong coughed: "What the proprietor taught is that the proprietor's state of mind cannot be compared with the ancient sages, and the students admire it." ”

Wei Xuanzhen then took another sip of tea lightly, slowly echoing the tea on the tip of the tongue and taste buds, and then in the lower stomach.

He closed his eyes and leisurely felt the aftertaste of the tea, and then said calmly: "Say, what's the matter?" ”

Huang Chenggong said: "I heard...... The Chen family began to investigate the hidden household, not only that, Chen Zhengtai also conspired with the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs yesterday, by the way, and His Royal Highness the Prince, they hid in the public house and conspired for a long time. ”

Hearing this, Wei Xuanzhen frowned: "That's it?" ”

Huang Chenggong said again: "After the secret agent yesterday, this Chen Zhengtai took his people to Songzhuang sneaky, and it is said that he also brought a pickaxe for digging the earth, and it seems that he also brought gunpowder?" ”

Wei Xuanzhen was a little moved at this time, and couldn't help but say: "It's strange, what are they going to do there, is there a mine there?" ”

"There should be no, even if mining, it's not such a mining method. Students also heard that this tracks down the recluse...... It seems to start with the household register left by the Sui period. ”

Wei Xuanzhen's eyes widened, and he said in surprise: "Those household registers, don't they say that they are missing?" ”

Huang Chenggong stared at Wei Xuanzhen deeply: "But...... Proprietor, have you forgotten who this Chen Zhengtai is? Which time did he ...... Isn't it something that has lost all conscience? ”

"I think he is determined to win this time, think about it, if you are not sure, how can you pull His Royal Highness the Prince, as well as the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and then combine them with the Chen family to go to Songzhuang, the student has a bold guess."

Wei Xuanzhen hurriedly said: "You say." ”

Huang Chenggong said word by word: "Perhaps...... Register...... Chen Zhengtai knows where and maybe even ...... The search has already begun. ”

When Wei Xuanzhen heard this, her face immediately turned pale: "Even if there is a household register, but after so many years, why should they ......?"

Huang Chenggong sighed: "This is the cunning of Chen Zhengtai, he is always surprised, the proprietor thinks about it carefully, what does he Chen Zhengtai do, which one can't be done...... I also heard...... He already knows where the jade seal is? ”

Wei Xuanzhen's body stiffened, her eyes suddenly became unfocused, and she suddenly felt that the tea was no longer fragrant, and her voice was also sad: "This news...... Where did it come from, is it exact? My God, he's going to cut off the roots of our Wei family. ”