"Husband, sit down."

"Eh," Li Mu responded, carefully responded, his butt was just about to be next to the chair, Zhang Tianai also sat down, Li Mu quickly sat up straight, glanced at Jin Chen, who was cautious opposite, and looked like, 'I can't help it'.

Jin Chen pursed his lips and smiled, handed the rice to Qiaoqiao first, and handed the second bowl of rice to Zhang Tianai.

"I should give it to my husband, don't you understand the rules?"

Li Mu took the food from Zhang Tianai's hand and said, "Isn't this a chance for you to perform?" Didn't you just say it all? The rouge is yours, and the hosta is yours, so why are you still angry? ”

"The rouge was given to me by Qiaoqiao, and the hosta was also given to me by Qiaoqiao, husband, you didn't buy me anything!"

"Didn't I know you were back?"

"You didn't say that when you threw me down!"

"There was danger then!"

"If I happen to be able to face danger with you, can't I?" Zhang Tianai's eyes were red, Li Mu looked at her like this, she didn't know what to say, talking about right and wrong with a woman was originally a wrong thing, and at this time, it was better to divert the topic.

He glanced at Qiaoqiao, and Qiaoqiao took the words and said, "Sister Tianai, don't be angry." You don't know, my husband is talking about you every day, thinking that he will send you news when he settles down here, why doesn't he want you? ”

Zhang Tianai's face was a little pale, but he still said: "I know martial arts, even if I follow, it will be regarded as a help, and it will not delay him anything." ”

"He's going to be worried about your safety." Bai Qiaoqiao held Zhang Tianai's hand and said: "Sister Tianai, we knew each other the earliest, what kind of husband is the husband, you should know it in your heart, if it weren't for my inconvenience, there was no way, and the husband wouldn't even stay with me at that time——"

Saying that, Bai Qiaoqiao's eyes were red, and she said: "Husband is such a person, I'd rather suffer alone than suffer a little bit of hardship, God love sister, don't blame him, okay?" ”

"This ......" Zhang Tianai heard Qiaoqiao's words, and pondered in his heart, as if Li Mu was indeed like this, when he encountered something, he always thought of himself to take responsibility, and did not want to involve his relatives and friends and his own woman. She looked at Li Mu, reached out to hold his hand, and said, "Husband, I blame you, but I also want to help you, I know martial arts, I can protect you." ”

"Manly man, if something happens, let your woman protect you?" Li Mu sternly refused, and said: "There is no need to discuss this matter anymore, eat, eat!" ”

Zhang Tianai gave the rice to Li Mu, Jin Chen gave him another bowl of rice, and the family finally picked up the chopsticks in a delicate atmosphere.

At night, it stands to reason that Li Mu should accompany Zhang Tianai. But Zhang Tianai and Bai Qiaoqiao haven't seen each other for many days, and the sisters have a lot of considerate things to say. Therefore, Li Mu was kicked out of the room, and he pretended to wander around the shop in the front yard, and came to Jin Chen's room around a corner.

"Husband." Lying down, Jin Chen called softly.

"How?"

"I also want to help my husband." Jin Chen's eyes were scorching, which made Li Mu a little afraid to look directly, and he was serious at first glance. Li Mu had a little headache and muttered: "You said that you two of you want to help me, I don't want you to help, can't you be my wife well?" I have to help something, I am your husband, and everything I should do is what I should do, if you can do anything, what else do you want me to do? ”

"But—"

"I know you're angry with God's love, but what's the point? Why are they all family? ”

Jin Chen pursed his lips and was silent, Li Mu kissed her, and said, "It's not me to compare, you should really learn from Qiaoqiao, what kind of score does the family have?" ”

Jin Chen didn't speak for a while, Li Mu glanced at her, and said softly, "Scared?" Blame me, the tone is bad. ”

"Nope." Jin Chen shook his head and said, "I can understand my husband's thoughts, but I feel that Tianai and I, as well as Qiaoqiao, want to help you, not to divide the high and low." In fact, we all just don't want you to face it alone, no matter what happens, we all want to be with you. ”

"You want to be with me?"

"We're family."

Li Mu laughed and said, "Did you think of this yourself?" ”

Jin Chen shook his head lightly and said honestly: "Qiaoqiao always talks about it, I heard it, and I think it makes sense." She talked to me about Zhi'en, saying that she missed her and didn't know when she would be able to pick her up. ”

When Li Zhien was mentioned, Li Mu was stunned. When Li Zhien left, the situation was very unoptimistic, and Li Mu did not feel that there was anything wrong with his decision, but then the crisis was resolved, and Li Mu began to regret it. Things on Silla's side were more complicated than expected.

There is too little information gathered to make a judgment. But his instinct told him that sooner or later, he would have a trip to Silla, and if he didn't go, Lee Ji-eun was afraid that he would not be able to return.

Li Mu held Jin Chen's hand and said, "Qiaoqiao is such a person, she always thinks about others first, but forgets herself. Zhi'en's side, I also keep it in mind, when we settle down in Luoyang, Qiaoqiao also gives birth, I will find an opportunity to go to Silla and bring Zhi'en back. What a king and princess, Zhien won't care. ”

"What about me?"

"Whatever you want, you just do it. But I don't want you to put yourself in danger, and I support you on the premise of ensuring your own safety. ”

"Thank you, husband." Jin Chen got Li Mu's approval, he was much happier, buried his body in his arms, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

At dawn the next day, after breakfast, Zhang Xun came to the door, and Li Mu knew why Zhang Tianai came. It turned out that Li Shimin sent a decree to summon Zhang Xun to participate in the coronation ceremony of Tian Khan. Zhang Xun is the new King of Gaochang, and Li Shimin's will forced him to come. If he doesn't come, it will be like Gaochang breaking with Datang, which may be right in Li Shimin's mind, but if he comes, there is also a risk, who knows if Li Shimin has set up a Hongmen banquet.

Zhang Xun originally wanted to leave Zhang Tianai in Gaochang, if something happened to him, Zhang Tianai would also have time to leave calmly according to the retreat route he had prepared a long time ago, but Zhang Tianai must follow him. Zhang Xun couldn't resist him, so he had to take her with him. I was worried in my heart, if I couldn't go back this time, it would really be a pot.

On the way here, he has always received news about Li Mu. was terrified all the way, and it wasn't until a few days ago that his secret agent reported that Li Mu had returned to Chang'an again, and had to be sealed as the Marquis, that his heart finally relaxed. This son-in-law of mine still has the ability in the end.

Zhang Tianai came a day in advance yesterday, Zhang Xun's brigade only came today, and did not live in the place prepared by the Ministry of Rites, but came directly to Jingdongji, although there are many people accompanying him, but the placement is very easy, after Bai Haoer made the city order, the biggest fun is to build a house, Jingdongji's place, he has almost all built. He only rents and does not sell the house he builds. It is intended to be left to the descendants of the Bai family as a piece of inheritance. The idea is very good, but maybe it's a problem of business strategy, the pricing is a little unreasonable, and the shouting is very happy, but not many are actually leased out.

These houses can be occupied, and resettlement is not a problem. It was enough to choke Bai Hao'er's heart, he asked a craftsman to build a house, but it was not for people to live for nothing, it was just for the sake of a little relative, but so many people ate horses and chewed horses, who would pay the bill? He didn't dare to talk to Li Mu, and he was worried that he would get angry if he asked Zhang Xun to ask Li Mu directly, so he was sullen.

Fortunately, Zhang Xun had already investigated Bai Hao'er's personality and knew that he valued money very seriously. After the personnel were settled, he sent someone to send a box of gold and silver to Bai Hao'er. Equivalent to copper coins, it is worth hundreds of yuan, and Bai Hao'er is happy now, shouting at the guys under his hands, and serving them properly.

Li Mu naturally didn't care about these vignettes. His attention was attracted by a lawsuit led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

If you want to talk about it, it still caused it from him. Earlier, Li Mu played a new policy, one of which was about the land property, that is, the land in the world was redivided, the poll tax was exempted, and the land was apportioned into the mu. This decree was supported by Li Shimin. After he went to the Western Regions, he was also vigorously promoting. However, the resistance was very large, and Li Shimin considered the gains and losses, and finally decided to implement it in batches and adapt measures to local conditions. To put it bluntly, I am still worried that the imperial court's control over the local area is weak, and if the order is forced to the locality, but it is pushed back by the locality, the face of the imperial court is not good-looking.

As the location of the Gyeonggi of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an must be the first batch of 'demonstration sites'. If the new policy cannot be implemented in Chang'an, it will certainly not be implemented anywhere. Therefore, the implementation of the new policy in Chang'an City has become the focus of the new policy. Li Shimin has to ask questions every few days, and the eldest grandson Chong, who is in charge of this matter, is also exhausted and does not dare to slack off in the slightest.

However, even if Changsun Chong is very conscientious and responsible, there is still something that cannot be solved. Today's public case is one of the most difficult.

Temple of Mercy and Grace.

Ci'en Temple is the largest temple near Chang'an City, with a history dating back hundreds of years. In later generations, there was the Great Grace Temple of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which began with this. In all dynasties, the royal family has rewarded the Temple of Mercy and Grace. Not to mention the possessions, but the land alone. When Changsun Chong was making the book, he found that there were tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land near Chang'an City, all of which were hung in the name of this Ci'en Temple.

That's tens of thousands of acres of fertile land! According to the calculation of the number of monks in the Temple of Mercy and Grace, the Temple of Mercy and Grace is not qualified to own so much land at all. The origin of these lands, the eldest grandson Chong also investigated clearly, there are rewards from the royal family of previous dynasties, donations from dignitaries, and donations from believers, but more, these monks bought them with their own money.

Land was not cheap in all dynasties, so why could a monk buy so much land with so much money? When Changsun Chong first learned the news, his heart was also full of doubts. But as he got to know better, his doubts were solved, and in their place was shock, shock beyond measure.

It turns out that the most profitable business in the world is actually opening a temple!

In all dynasties, temples were exempted from forced labor, paid taxes, and did not need to pay public grain. This is already beyond the treatment of the common people, there are believers in the ordinary world, food and clothing are provided, and there is almost no place to spend money. Money only goes in and out, and naturally accumulates. Monks are also lay people, and after accumulating a certain amount of wealth, their minds will naturally move.

Originally, these monks were in the business of pawnbrokers. People who need money take valuable items from their own homes, convert them into pawns at a low price, take them for emergencies, and then redeem them at a high price, and such a difference is considered interest. In fact, this is already a very rewarding business, but how can people's hearts be satisfied. Soon, they found a faster way to make money.

This method is usury, when Li Mu ran a bank before, he had already investigated the interest rate of usury on the market, although the interest rate is high, but at most it is 100% to the end, that is, how much to borrow, twice as much. No matter how much there is, there are very few of them.

But in the temple area, 100% interest is the basic market, which is usually higher. The monks developed the promising cause of usury in full swing, and they lent almost everything. The varieties that could be borrowed were gold and silver, cloth, grain, oil, and even live animals, and some monasteries lent their cattle to farmers for interest.

Another feature of usury in monasteries is that the interest rate is usually higher than that of secular lenders. Monks often use the power of the Buddha to intimidate borrowers into going to hell if they don't repay, and they will never be able to live forever, so as to obtain higher interest.

According to common sense, the temple is a place of practice, and this copper smell should have nothing to do with it, the masters are all monks, and people are good, but this group of monks in the Temple of Mercy and Grace has completely refreshed the three views of Changsun Chong. They hired tenants and gave them the least amount of wages, and the small part was regarded as Dharma support, which was equivalent to paying protection money. They lease out the land, what they want is the highest rent, whether it is drought or flood, not a penny less, no matter whether your people live or die, the money they lend out, they can't get it back, take the contract to sue the officials, and even join forces with the servants, directly rob, I don't know how many sins have been created. However, these people, in the eyes of secular people, are still masters who are noble, high-minded, and universal to all sentient beings, which makes Changsun Chong feel disgusted.

Changsun Chong had always felt that the most arrogant and domineering person in this world was his mentor Li Mu, but after seeing the many methods of the temple, he found that his mentor was as pure as a child.

The young man is hot-blooded, and the eldest grandson Chong can't wait to ignore it. He wanted to move the Temple of Mercy and Grace several times, but every time he was about to launch it, he was persuaded by various forces. This made Changsun Chong deeply feel that there seemed to be a huge force behind him, and he couldn't face it alone. If you want to solve this matter, you still have to rely on your old teacher.

This time, taking the opportunity of Li Shimin to be the Marquis of Li Muche, Changsun Chong felt that the time had come. He consulted Li Mu, and after getting permission, he suddenly attacked.

The 800 brocade guards who stayed in Chang'an were dispatched to surround the Temple of Mercy and Grace!