However, Li Chengqian was calm, looked at the driver Lang Zhong and said helplessly: "What should I do?" Why don't you discuss with the other Shangshu and see if you can let the six departments come out with some money and grain to support the post station first, and then make up for it when the next batch of taxes comes up? ”

"Ahh The driver's face suddenly darkened, and the situation of the post station was the most embarrassing in the court, nominally a military facility, subordinate to the military department, but except for wartime, most of the time was to serve civilian officials, used to use the official correspondence of hundreds of officials, accommodation and hospitality, as well as the use of horses, which cost countless money and food every year.

However, what is even more helpless is that the official position of the driving department Langzhong who is responsible for supervising the post station is very low, only five products, and when he goes to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to ask for money and food on weekdays, he will be looked down upon by the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and let him ask for money from the six Shangshu, then he has eaten the bear's heart and leopard gall.

"Wechen! Weichen .................. "Driving Langzhong, looking at the unkind expression of the six Shangshu, he didn't dare to say a word more.

However, how could the six Shangshu be willing to take the initiative to give up the benefits in hand, and they were also happy to see the jokes of Langzhong and Li Chengqian.

"From the perspective of the main palace, the Datang Post Station costs a lot every year, but it is not necessary at all!" Li Chengqian suddenly said in shock.

"Not necessary?" The driver Langzhong couldn't help but be stunned, looking at Li Chengqian stupidly, and a bad feeling suddenly rose in his heart, could it be that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was dissatisfied with the post station?

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn't know, although the post station costs a lot, but it is an indispensable department of the Tang Dynasty to transmit military information and official documents between the government." The gray-haired Gao Shilian frowned, in his opinion, if he didn't come forward to make amends, his grandson and nephew might make more and more jokes.

"What Master Gao said is extremely true, there have been post stations since ancient times, and they can't be easily deposed!" The driver Langzhong shouted.

"Who said that the post station should be abolished, of course the palace knows that the post station cannot be moved lightly, but there is no doubt that the huge annual expenses of the post station have dragged down the government, if the post station can be self-sufficient, how much money can be left for the court?" Li Chengqian said leisurely.

"Self-sufficient!" The driver Lang Zhong was stunned, and then he heard that Li Chengqian had something to say.

The other officials were all human spirits, so they naturally heard that Li Chengqian was interesting, and they couldn't help but be shocked, could it be that today's incident was not the prince's negligence, but he wanted to attack the post station.

Li Chengqian said loudly: "The Datang Post Station is divided into three types: land post, water post and water and land concurrently, with a total of 1,639 post stations, a total of 20,000 personnel, and 8,000 horses. ”

Dai Guan, the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, nodded involuntarily, the post station has to raise a large number of people every year, and it costs a lot, but it can't be cut, so it can only be raised.

The other ministers couldn't help but put down the matter in their hands and listened intently to Li Chengqian's speech.

"Take the military department as an example, every year there are a large number of soldiers serving in the border passes, far away from their hometowns, if these post stations can transmit messages for the officers and soldiers of the whole army, so that they and their relatives can exchange letters, wouldn't it be reassuring to the relatives, but also let the army's heart be stable, and the border officers and soldiers are dedicated to the country." Li Chengqian turned to Hou Junjidao.

Hou Junji nodded solemnly, this is indeed a very good idea.

"In addition to the soldiers, as far as I know, Chang'an City has a lot of students from other places to study, every time there is a chance to go home, if the post station also communicates for it, to the distant relatives to hug a peace, this is how warm." Li Chengqian looked at Kong Yingda, the wine of the country's sacrifice.

Kong Yingda also nodded silently.

"There are also officials who have gone to various places, merchants who are doing business abroad, and farmers who are now serving in forced labor,........................。 Li Chengqian gave examples one by one, and the Manchu officials could not help but think about it, according to what Li Chengqian said, it seems that this post station still has a lot of benefits.

"But in this way, the post will be busier, and I am afraid that the funds will be even more." The driver Lang Zhong shook his head again and again.

Li Chengqian nodded and said: "Naturally, the post station can't send letters to the people for free, and of course it can't be profit-seeking like a businessman, after all, the purpose of our wait is to subsidize the use of the post station. ”

"There is a plan for the post station here in the palace, just follow this plan, other palaces dare not guarantee that the post station will not need the court to allocate money and grain from now on, so that the court will reduce the burden and the people of the world will benefit, isn't it the best of both worlds."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and handed over Shen Hongcai's plan to the hundred officials for circulation.

"Three hundred miles is urgent, and you can send a message back and forth in January."

"Six hundred miles expedited, half a month can be ......!"

"800 miles expedited ,............"

Of course, the 800-mile expedited requirement is the most demanding, and I am afraid that according to Shen Hongcai's vision, I am afraid that it can only be temporarily implemented in the place where the brick road is repaired, and other places are tentative.

Baiguan looked at the reasoned plan in his hand, and couldn't help nodding secretly in his heart, this plan is indeed very likely to succeed.

"Charge at different speeds and different weights, and it's all very cheap." Fang Xuanling couldn't help nodding secretly, Li Chengqian only did not charge according to the distance, so that everyone in the world could enjoy the convenience of communication, which is indeed a rare good governance.

"The six-hundred-mile expedited and eight-hundred-mile expedited charges are higher, so that the post station earns more, and maybe it can really break even." Dai Xuan nodded secretly, if the annual post station can really be self-sufficient, then the Ministry of Civil Affairs can really save a lot of money every year.

"As a result, there are probably not enough people at the post station to deliver so many letters." The driver said with a wry smile.

"As long as the post station has income, I am afraid that I will not be able to recruit people, and there are many wounded soldiers who are discharged from the army due to injuries every year, and these soldiers will ride horses, and it is natural to send letters, and it is better to let these meritorious soldiers make a living." Li Chengqian waved his hand.

"As it should be!" Hou Junji nodded in agreement.

Delivering letters does not require any technical work, only the ability to ride horses, as long as these veterans and wounded soldiers can move, they can be qualified for the job, not to mention that the wounded soldiers themselves are no longer able to participate in the heavy manual labor, the job of postman can be said to be very suitable.

"But the post station is a place for the imperial court to send official documents, but now it has to send letters to ordinary people, what kind of system is that." The driver was heartbroken.

Although the post station is underground in the status of the court, after all, the people who come and go are officials and official documents, and now they suddenly have to send letters to ordinary people, and such a gap makes the driving department Langzhong unable to accept it.

Li Chengqian said proudly: "My father once taught the palace, the people are noble, the monarch is light, and the community is secondary, and now the post station is reformed, and the people of the world send letters, isn't it exactly the answer to the saying that the people are precious, how can there be a loss of decency, and besides, this move is also beneficial to the post station, otherwise where does the post station fund come from, is it necessary to lose money in the court year after year." ”

The driver Lang Zhong was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to justify.

"What an idiot!" Many ministers snorted coldly in their hearts, Li Chengqian directly divided the funds of the post station into six departments without leaving a trace, and there was not much money left for the post station, so it can be said that the post station had no way out, and there was only one way to follow Li Chengqian's wishes.

Many important ministers couldn't help but look at Li Chengqian solemnly, and had to say that Li Chengqian's hand was beautiful, although the post station was important, it was of little use in normal times, and Li Chengqian's post station had no one to stand up for him.

In particular, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Military Affairs will be able to save a large amount of expenses every year as long as the structure of the communication system of the post station is completed, while the Ministry of Military Affairs has found an errand to accommodate the retired and wounded soldiers, so it naturally supports the reform of the post station with both hands, and the other six ministries have an extra batch of funds out of thin air, so they are naturally reluctant to spit it out, and the only way to support Li Chengqian is to support Li Chengqian.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is slow, the old man believes that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a good intention, but the post station only sends official documents and military information is a system that the court has been in since ancient times, if you rashly change it to send letters to the people, I am afraid you need to ask Your Majesty." Du Chuke suddenly proposed.

Suddenly, many ministers who had just nodded their heads suddenly paused, in the end, the prince is still the prince, there are many princes who have not succeeded to the throne in history, and in the end, it is the emperor who has the final say, if the emperor does not like this matter, they may also be responsible.

Li Chengqian's face couldn't help but turn cold, he knew that Du Chuke and his younger brother Li Tai were very close, and this person had already prevented him from supervising the country before, and delayed the reform of the post station until Li Shimin returned.

"Post station communication, that is, beneficial to the people of the world, but also conducive to the imperial court, the earlier the communication, the people of the world can enjoy the convenience of the first day, and the imperial court can also reduce some of the burden. This matter cannot be delayed, if there is a mistake, this palace will bear it. Li Chengqian said decisively.

Suddenly the ministers were silent for a while, no one dared to touch Li Chengqian's brow at this time, although the tiger cub was small, it was also a cannibal!

"The old minister is old and frail, I'm afraid it will be difficult to take on this heavy responsibility, I'm afraid I will ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to choose another meritorious." The driver Lang Zhong gritted his teeth and arched his hand to play.

It is not that he is unaware of the benefits of post station communication, if he obeys Li Chengqian's orders at this moment and reforms the post station, if he provokes Li Shimin's displeasure, I am afraid that Li Chengqian will not have the slightest responsibility, and he will definitely become a scapegoat, if he succeeds, Li Chengqian's political achievements will be gained, and he will not have the slightest benefit, he resigns at this moment, naturally he wants to get out of this whirlpool.

"In that case, let's cultivate our bodies with peace of mind! Where is Su Dingfang? Li Chengqian shouted.

"The last general!" Among the generals, Su Dingfang stood out proudly.

"You have been successful in transporting grain, and you are proficient in the way of operation, but you have the confidence to reform the communication of the post station and find a way to survive for the injured soldiers of my Datang." Li Chengqian shouted.

Su Dingfang hugged his fists and said: "The last general is duty-bound. ”

Li Chengqian looked around and said: "Since this is the case, then General Su will temporarily assume the post of Langzhong of the driving department, and lead the reform of the world's post station." ”

Lang Zhong's eyes couldn't help but darken, he originally thought that after his resignation, no one in the court would be able to sort out the affairs of the post station, but he forgot that there was also a Su Dingfang who was proficient in transporting grain.

"The last general obeys!" Su Dingfang said proudly.

"Retreat!"

Seeing Li Chengqian's figure disappear into the hall, Baiguan was thoughtful, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart:

"The prince has grown up!"