Li Mu glanced left and right, and whispered, "Your Majesty, can you give the minister a seat?" Standing for too long, my feet are a little numb......"

"You are really ......" Li Shimin had never heard such a request from a courtier, so he was so angry that he wanted to laugh, but he still said: "Gao Gan, give him a brocade!" ”

"No." Gao Gonggong responded and brought Li Mu a brocade pier. Li Mu thanked him and sat down. After getting along with Li Shimin for a long time, Li Mu gradually figured out a little bit of his temper, this boss is a pragmatist, as long as he can do things for him, or someone with use value, he can be presumptuous in front of him, he can tolerate it.

Undoubtedly, Li Mu is a person who can do things and has use value. Taking advantage of Li Shimin's ability to gain himself, isn't he a fool if he doesn't seek any convenience?

"Your Majesty has seen the minister's recital?"

"Looked." Li Shimin nodded and said, "I trust you in the reform of the Ministry of Industry, and I have already transferred it to Li Daliang and asked him to do it according to your instructions." As for the new mineral policy and the coal land replacement law, I appreciate it and think it is feasible, but I don't understand what you mean for the rest of it. How can governing the country be done as a business? If it spreads, how will the people of the world evaluate me? ”

"Your Majesty, why not?" Li Mudao: "The minister will give Your Majesty an example, let's talk about the horse farm." The idea of the racecourse was conceived by the minister, the thing was done by Uncle Cheng, and the land was His Majesty's. Therefore, all three of us have a share. The net profit obtained each month will be divided between the three parties. ”

"The same is true of the New Mineral Deal, within the four seas is not the king's land, that is to say, the mineral deposits in the world are His Majesty's. The ore buried in the soil, just like the land of the horse farm, is His Majesty's share of this business, and the local gate valve families, like Uncle Cheng, are the specific executors, and they also share their fair share, and the profits are shared proportionally like the horse farm, isn't it very simple to think about it? Its practicality is not raised to the height of family and national affairs, it is just a transaction, but this transaction is a little big and the profit is a little too much. ”

Li Mu said this, Li Shimin understood, but he still hesitated, and said: "But if I really do this, such as Wei Zheng, I will definitely say that I compete with the people for profit, and the world is full of people, how can I explain it to them?" ”

"Your Majesty has said that the court and Your Majesty must not come forward directly in this matter, but need to set up an organization formed spontaneously by the people to connect with the court. Because this organization was formed by the people, it avoided the criticism of His Majesty and the imperial court. Moreover, the formation of this organization can also facilitate the unified management of the people who have contracted the mineral deposits by the imperial court, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. ”

"Oh?" Li Shimin heard the meaning, Li Mu was looking for an errand for himself, thought for a while, and said, "Then who is in charge of this organization?" ”

Li Mu Zhengse said: "It must be a person who is proficient in this way and is not an official of the imperial court, and mediates in the middle, so that both sides can be convinced." ”

"This person must be Aiqing?"

Li Muhan laughed and said, "Don't you dare to share your majesty's worries?" The minister will definitely help His Majesty to handle this matter properly. ”

"Humph!" Li Shimin sneered and said, "Li Mu, I don't know which words to believe you now, you said yesterday that you weren't calculating, but now I think that you are still calculating?" ”

Li Mu explained seriously: "Your Majesty, the minister is just good at being flexible. Things have changed, and the minister can't give up. Of course, when things change, they change, and strive to make things develop in the best direction. Your Majesty, did the minister do something wrong? ”

"That's right......" Li Shimin thought for a while and said, "You said this, I don't understand it." What I want to know is, what will happen if I say yes to you? ”

"Your Majesty, together with minerals, next year the minister can bring your Majesty a surplus of three million guan."

"What if you can't reach it?"

"The minister dares to make a military order, if the minister can't reach it, the minister's liver and brain will also be made up for His Majesty."

"Good!" Li Shimin waited for this sentence, he didn't care what Li Mu did, he just wanted the result. Previously, when Li Mu proposed the recovery of minerals to the imperial court, he had calculated an account, saying that the new policy was implemented well, and the coal and stone alone could have an annual income of 2.5 million guan, and now the land of Shandong has been removed, plus it is the first year of implementation, if there can be a surplus of 3 million guan, it is also a very good situation. These 3 million more cavalry are equivalent to 10,000 more heavily armed cavalry, and now that the four sides are undecided, this 10,000 more cavalry will give you three points more when you fight.

"How do you need me to cooperate with you?"

"Your Majesty only needs to make a decree to let the Ministry of Civil Affairs set up a mining tax department and send more account offices. For other things, the minister will be open. ”

"Okay, I'll make an order according to your wishes, and I hope you won't live up to my expectations."

Li Mu hurriedly thanked him, Li Shimin picked up the pen to write the holy decree, and saw that Li Mu had not left yet, and said, "The words are not finished?" ”

"Uh......" Li Mu cleared his throat and asked, "Your Majesty, the minister has a question, I don't know whether to ask it or not." ”

"When you open your mouth when you don't ask questions, can I still not let you ask? Ask! ”

"Your Majesty's Inner Majesty...... How much money do you have today? ”

Li Shimin threw the pen on the case, glared at Li Mu angrily, and said, "You still want to ask me for money?" I didn't tell you, I don't have any money! ”

"Your Majesty has misunderstood." Li Mu hurriedly smiled and said: "What the minister means is that one sheep is also driven, and two sheep are also released, if Your Majesty does not dislike it, the minister will also help Your Majesty's internal funds to be rich and generous......"

When Li Shimin heard this, he was a little moved. Since he ascended the throne, his internal treasury has been empty, and he has to support Li Yuan, an old man who spoils money, so that the concubines in the palace are very poor, otherwise he would not have the idea of a horse farm. Li Shimin didn't say anything, and he was a little ashamed in his heart. Li Mu's ability to make money is in his eyes, if he can really help, it is really a great thing, after all, no matter how full the treasury is, it is also under the control of the household department, and as the emperor, he is always embarrassed to ask his courtiers for money frequently.

But Li Shimin still didn't rush to agree, but was very vigilant and asked: "Do you want to harm the public and private interests?" If so, I won't agree! ”

"Your Majesty, how can a minister be such a person? The minister's ability to make money, does it still need to damage the public and private? Li Mu's words were a bit unashamed, but Li Shimin put his heart at ease, since Li Mu dared to boast about Haikou, he must have a plan in his heart.

Sure enough, Li Mu then said: "Your Majesty, the method that the minister thinks of has nothing to do with the new mineral policy at all, and the minister's meaning is similar to the way of the horse farm. Doesn't Your Majesty have land, and there are all kinds of private property, if the minister can use it properly, it is not difficult to double the income. The minister just doesn't know where the income from the internal funds in the past came from, and how much His Majesty's private property has, in short, is the capital for trading. ”

"This ......" Hearing Li Mu ask about this, Li Shimin blushed a little, he was embarrassed to say it, and glanced at Duke Gao. The internal affairs of the palace have always been assisted by Gonggong Gao and Empress Changsun, who is responsible for bookkeeping, and Empress Changsun decides to use the degree. So Gao Gonggong knows this question in the most detail.

Gonggong Gao saw Li Shimin's eyes and said: "Master Hou, the main income of the internal treasury comes from the income from tribute from various places, the production of mountains and gardens, customs duties, and liquor taxes, as well as the mouth money and the annual surplus of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. ”

Li Mu didn't understand a little, and asked, "Father-in-law Gao, I don't know what this 'mouth money' is?" ”

"Ah, that's it." Gao Gonggong explained: "Children under the age of 14 have to pay 23 wen a year, 20 wen goes to the treasury, and 3 wen goes to the state treasury. ”

Li Mu was a little incomprehensible and said, "Why is this?" ”

"This ......" Gao Gonggong didn't seem to have thought about this question, it was difficult to answer, he didn't say it clearly for a long time, he just said that all dynasties and dynasties had done this, and the Tang Dynasty was just the old system of Chengxi.

Li Mu didn't say anything more, and planned to go back and find an opportunity to inquire.

"The annual income of the internal funds, all of which add up, is about 2230,000 yuan. If the Ministry of Civil Affairs does not come to borrow money, it is actually enough, but it has been ...... all these years," Gao Gonggong said and sighed, feeling a little at a loss.

Li Mu really didn't expect the dignified emperor to be so poor, 2230,000 guan a year, and the average is less than 20,000 guan per month. No wonder Li Shimin's eyes were strange when he made a bet with Wei Zheng, it turned out to be envy, jealousy and hatred.

Li Mu Zhengse said: "Your Majesty, if you hand over the power to manage the internal treasury to the minister, the minister dares to guarantee that by this time next year, the internal treasury will definitely be doubled." ”

"Really?" Li Shimin said seriously: "Don't damage the public and private, can you double the internal money?" ”

Taking the initiative to help you, Li Mu turned his gaze to the side and said, "If Your Majesty doesn't believe the minister, then forget it, the minister didn't say it." ”

"Trustworthy!" Li Shimin hurriedly said, a penny is difficult to defeat a hero, and the emperor is the same, in the face of the temptation of money, Li Shimin is not reserved, and said: "Tomorrow, I will ask Gao Gan to send the list of royal property to your house, everything is arranged by you, as long as you don't damage the public and private, don't disturb the people, whatever you do, I just look at the result." ”

After a pause, Li Shimin said again: "I have appointed you as the internal decree and have full authority to take charge of internal affairs." ”

"It's not good." Li Mu hesitated: "After all, the minister has just resigned from the official, and he still has to deal with the affairs of the mining organization, so it seems that it is not appropriate to have an official status at this time." ”

Li Shimin turned his face and said, "You are a member of the clan, and you are my nephew, why not help me manage the internal affairs?" No one could find fault with it, so it was decided. ”

Okay, okay, you are the emperor, you are reasonable, no matter what, you are right. Li Mu was silent, and got up to thank him.

Suddenly, his eyes rolled and he said, "Your Majesty, if according to what Your Majesty just said, it should be unofficial for the minister to help His Majesty manage the internal affairs, since it is not an official matter, can the minister ask His Majesty for some benefits?" ”