"Library?"

Although Kong Yingda had never heard of this word, he could understand it literally, and he could know what it meant, so he couldn't help but be very interested, and said, "What is a library?" After a pause, he learned Li Mu's thumb gesture again, and said, "This, what do you mean?" ”

"This gesture is also my invention, just like the applause at the product launch a few days ago, applause is applause, this is called like, praise understand, admire your virtues."

Kong Yingda heard the praise from Li Mu's mouth for the first time, and couldn't help but feel a little fluttery, stroked his beard, and said, "Do you also admire the old man?" This is rare. ”

"Oh, okay, I've got to praise you a few words, it's not over yet." Li Mu said angrily: "The so-called library is a place for people to read books. Build a library first, and then store books in it, and anyone can borrow them. This move corresponds to Confucius's 'education without class', as long as people who are interested in learning, they can obtain knowledge from the library. ”

"This ......" Kong Yingda hesitated, although he was not very smart, but he had been immersed in the way of education for a long time, and the Kong family was a veteran scholar family that had been handed down from generation to generation, and he knew what knowledge meant. There is a saying that 'the monarch and the scholars share the world', why do the scholars share the world with the monarch? It's not because the scholars have mastered the knowledge, the monarch needs to employ people, and the talents are all from the scholars, so it is difficult to think about the world.

But if there is a place like the library, it means that the poor students don't have to take refuge in the scholars anymore if they want to read any books, which is tantamount to reducing the influence of the scholars. Kong Yingda hesitated, not because he thought that this move was bad, but because the Kong clan was a member of the scholar clan after all, and if the change started from the Kong clan, I don't know how much criticism it would cause.

Li Mu naturally guessed what he was thinking, and said, "Old Kong, I know what you're worried about?" But I think that as a descendant of Confucius, you should have a sense of responsibility. Kong Sheng had 3,000 disciples back then, and all of the three sects and nine streams were there, but he didn't deliberately not teach knowledge because of anyone's bad background. Lao Kong, what do you think? ”

Kong Yingda took a deep breath and said, "Okay! According to what you say, if you can really build a library, I am willing to take out a thousand books and put them in the library for people to read. ”

"That's right!" Li Mu held Kong Yingda's hand and shook it vigorously, and said, "Old Kong, you are a good comrade, and your consciousness is very high!" ”

"You let go!" Poor Kong Yingda's age of sixtieth birthday, she was almost concussed by Li Mu, and finally broke free, frowning and said: "Why do you always invent new words and say something you can understand!" ”

"What kind of neologism is comrade? Like-minded people are also called comrades. Lao Kong, how else can I tell you to learn to be flexible? You can't always rest on your laurels, you can use whatever words your predecessors used, if your predecessors were like this, maybe there are few words available today, you have to ponder. Teaching and educating people and spreading the learning of the saints can be used. ”

"The old man is too lazy to listen to you." Kong Yingda knew that he couldn't talk about Li Mu, and he didn't want to be taught like a child, so he got up and said: "The congratulatory gifts have also been sent, the wine banquet has also been used, and the old man is tired, so I will leave, you can do it yourself, you don't have to send it far." ”

After speaking, Kong Yingda left, Li Mu sent it downstairs, watched Kong Yingda get into the carriage, and then turned around and returned to the private room.

Li Mu was about to find another person to talk to, but Wei Zheng didn't give him this opportunity, as soon as he entered the door, Wei Zheng grabbed his arm and said, "I have something to discuss with you." ”

"If you have something, talk about it, pull and pull what to do." Li Mu broke free and said: "Say it, the ugly words are said in the front, you can say it casually, I may not agree to you, especially if you borrow money, you can repay it sooner or later if you lend it to others, and if you lend you money, you must borrow it or not, so you don't have to open your mouth." ”

"Borrow a step to speak."

"Borrow a step?" Li Mu looked at the people in the private room, smiled, and said, "Old Wei, there is something you can't say in front of the big guys." There is a way that is a good thing and does not betray people, and you asked me to borrow a step to talk to you, is it something that is not to be done? ”

Wei Zheng ignored Li Mu's cynicism, and still said, "It's better to take a step to speak." ”

Li Mu glanced at Wei Zheng deeply, nodded, and said, "Okay, borrow, I'll say it next door." ”

Li Mu turned around and went out, took Wei Zheng to the private room on the left, the two sat down, Li Mu looked at Wei Zheng, and said, "Okay, now it's just you and me, if there is anything unspeakable, let's say it." ”

Wei Zheng got straight to the point and said directly: "I want to ask you for a favor, now the imperial court is building roads, from Taiyuan to Chang'an, Chang'an to Longyou, but there is no boundary in Shandong, so I play Your Majesty, I want to follow the law of the Taiyuan Wang, and build a road from Yangzhou to Taiyuan by the local scholars, so as to connect, but Your Majesty has a deep prejudice against the Shandong scholars, and resolutely does not allow ......."

Li Mu stopped Wei Zheng's words and said, "So you came to fight my idea, and wanted to persuade His Majesty to agree to build the road through me." ”

Wei Zheng nodded: "Yes, that's what I meant." ”

Li Mu laughed, the louder he laughed, laughed loudly, laughed loudly, laughed for a long time before stopping, and said to Wei Zheng: "Old Wei, old Wei, you let me tell you what is good?" You said that you have done everything yourself, in front of Your Majesty, and in front of me. To put it mildly, how do you have the face to beg me? If I can help, why should I help you? Are there any fools in the world who are helping the opponents? ”

Li Mu pointed to his nose and said, "Or do you think that I, Li Mu, look like a fool?" ”

"Of course the Hou is not a fool." Wei Zheng was still calm, and said: "So I don't expect you to help me without asking for anything in return, what do you want to say, I want to meet it, but this road must be repaired." ”

"Must be repaired?" Li Mu sneered and said, "What a big breath!" Of course, the road can be repaired, but I don't believe that the Shandong scholars will be so generous and donate money and food to build the road free of charge. If so, I can help with this, the Shandong scholars are bold and magnificent, regardless of the return to build roads for the people, and in the future, it will inevitably be recorded in the history books. ”

Wei Zheng didn't seem to see the sarcasm in Li Mu's tone, and said, "I'm talking about following the law of the Taiyuan Wang clan to build roads. ”

Li Mu ruthlessly pierced: "In other words, it's still a profit!" ”

Wei Zheng didn't deny it, pulled the words back, and said, "Say your conditions." ”

"I don't have a condition." Li Mu spread his hands and said with a smile: "Because I didn't plan to help you!" Regardless of the disagreement between you and me, let's just say that you still have the contradiction between the Shandong Shi clan and Your Majesty. Am I stupid or crazy? Help you block your majesty? Have you forgotten that I almost died at the hands of you and the Shandong Shi clan, I can remember this hatred. If the imperial court does not allow it, the Shandong scholars will repair the road in vain, will they dare to collect tolls? Collecting tolls without permission is to set aside the imperial court to collect road taxes, this crime, but the nine clans, I don't believe they have such courage! ”

Li Mu's face showed a fierce color, pointed at himself, and said, "Wei Zheng! I am a person with no advantages, but I have a good memory and a small heart, so I tell you clearly, I won't help you with this favor! ”

"That has to be repaired!" Wei Zheng's face was resolute, and he said, "Li Mu, you and I are facilitating this matter, specifically for the sake of the Shandong Shi clan?" Have you ever thought that this incident was caused by you! If you don't give Wang Jue an idea, nothing will happen. But you did it, you gave the idea, and you look at the follow-up? Wang Jue took advantage, and the eldest grandson Wuji jumped out. Both of them have benefited, how can the Shandong Shi clan sit still? If you don't let them build roads, they will have to build them secretly, and when the time comes, Your Majesty will be furious, and the contradiction between the court and the Shandong scholars will intensify, and it will be the people who suffer, have you ever thought about it? ”

Li Mu has already heard similar words once, and the 'uneven suffering' that the eldest grandson Wuji said that day is exactly the same.

Li Mu was silent, he was not moved. Instead, he calmed down, and he was thinking about the pros and cons of this matter. In fact, in the bottom of his heart, there was no hatred, he never took the initiative to provoke anyone, it was always others who provoked him. And because of his style of acting, he is arrogant and domineering, but he actually needs someone like Wei Zheng as a restraint, so that Li Shimin can rest assured. Otherwise, the extremes of things will be reversed, and the arrogance will be excessive, and he will not be far from death.

Therefore, in a sense, he needs Wei Zheng and can't let Wei Zheng fall. What Li Mu is thinking now is that Wei Zheng has been deflated in his hands repeatedly, and the Shandong Shi clan will inevitably be disappointed in him, if this matter is not done again, maybe it is not impossible for Wei Zheng to lose power. However, in the imperial court, there will inevitably be someone who will speak on behalf of the Shandong Shi clan, not Wei Zheng, but also others. For Wei Zheng, he has already figured out the number of ways, and if he changes someone, the situation is not much better.

Moreover, Wei Zheng, in addition to opposing him, is still a relatively honest and honest official in many things, and he still has merits.

Why don't you fulfill him?

Li Mu's heart moved, but he didn't make a decision right away. With his character, even if he agrees, he can't let the other party take advantage, he still has to have some benefits.

"Alas!" Pastor Li sighed and said, "People, people...... In this world, the rise and fall of the world, the people are the bargaining chips in the game between the gate lord clan and the imperial court, alas! Alas! Xing, the people are bitter! Death, the people are also suffering! Wretched! Wretched! ”

When Wei Zheng heard these exclamations, he couldn't help but be a little stunned. He experienced the turbulent times at the end of the Sui Dynasty and saw countless Li people suffering, and Li Mu's words spoke to his heart. The reason why he was surprised was that he couldn't believe that Li Mu could summarize it so deeply, and he had never experienced troubled times, so why did he sigh so accurately?

Li Mu sighed again and said, "That's it!" Just for the sake of the people......"

Wei Zheng hurriedly said: "So, you agreed?" ”

"Wait!" Li Mu looked at Wei Zheng with his eyebrows and said, "Old Wei, I won't hide it from you. Uncle Guo's affairs are also my help. But there is a word in advance, whether it is the Taiyuan Wang clan or the Longyou noble, they are all loyal to His Majesty. Loyal people, even if they get a little cheap, it doesn't hurt. And everyone said it first, and also made a contract, and when it was agreed, this road would be owned by the imperial court. To be precise, this is also a part of the New Deal. ”

"The repair of Taiyuan Road is for Datang Mining, and the repair of Longyou Road is for Datang Salt Industry! If it were not so, His Majesty would never allow it. Old Wei, don't forget. At the beginning of the new policy, who took the lead in opposing it forced His Majesty to agree, and Shandong did not implement the new policy. Let me ask, what reason does Shandong, which does not implement the new policy, have to benefit from road construction? ”

"This ......" Wei Zheng was asked, and sighed: "The entanglement of interests behind this matter, I can't tell you a sentence or two." But I want you to believe me, everything I do is not for the sake of the Shandong Shi clan, nor for Your Majesty, I just want to maintain a stable situation. I've done everything I can for the current situation. There are some things that I can't explain to you, but maybe you will understand them in the future, and then you will know my hard work. ”

"Huh!" Li Mu chuckled lightly and said, "Old Wei, I don't understand what you said. Since you can't say it, let's just say what is already clear. The current situation is that Shandong does not want to implement the new policy, but it also wants to get benefits, okay! This is cheap for you, but how can you guarantee that when the time comes, the ownership of the road will be able to be recovered from the imperial court? How can you guarantee that after the Shandong scholars build the road, the toll will be reasonable? Can't fish the people? ”

"This ......" Li Mu threw out the question, once again stumped Wei Zheng, where did he understand the twists and turns, frowned and thought for a while, and said: "How did the Taiyuan Wang clan do it?" ”

"The contract between the Taiyuan royal family and the imperial court stipulates the standard for the collection of tolls. There are detailed regulations on who collects and who does not collect, according to the weight of the goods, damage to the road, etc., and the imperial court will also set up a road inspection department to conduct special inspections. Are Shandong scholars willing to accept these conditions? ”

Wei Zheng had a fever on his face, and it took a long time before he said, "I'm afraid it's difficult." ”

"Then there's no way." Li Mu waved his hand and said, "I can't help!" ”

Wei Zheng stubbornly said: "I can promise you that after the number of years specified in the contract, the imperial court will definitely be able to take back the ownership of the road." So, isn't it okay? ”

"You can't be the master of the inspection department?"

Wei Zheng sighed and said: "Li Mu, you have also seen it, I have never left Chang'an, and far water can't quench my thirst, even if I promise you?" I can't be there to supervise, and it's nonsense to promise you, what's the point? ”

"Then at least you have to accept the imperial court's pricing of tolls, and you can't increase or decrease them at will!"

"Yes!" Wei Zheng nodded heavily, he knew in his heart that if he didn't agree to this condition, then there was no need to talk about it.

"Good! I can give it a try for you, after all, you are different from Uncle Guo, and Your Majesty's prejudice against you, you know better than me in your heart. ”

Wei Zheng let out a sigh, stood up and saluted Li Mu, and said, "Thank you for your help, whether it can be done or not, Wei Zheng has written it down in his heart." ”

"I don't need to!" Li Mu helped Wei Zheng up and said, "You don't need to be grateful to me, and I didn't help in vain, didn't you just say, if there are any conditions, I should mention them?" I'm not polite to you anymore, 50,000 guan, Your Majesty, I'll help you say, if there are 100,000 guan, then you can make it. If you have the money, you can do it right away! ”