"You!"

Zhao Yuanlang's face changed when he was scolded, and he couldn't think of a counterattack in a hurry, so he simply lay on the ground and cried: "The minister is wronged!" Please kill this ...... who speaks foul language, slanders the courtiers, and slanders them."

The hundred officials looked at Zhao Yuanlang's appearance, and they were all a little crying and laughing. Even people who were also hostile to Li Mu felt that Zhao Yuanlang was very ridiculous. Stunned, what kind of thing are you, you dare to ask Your Majesty to kill Li Mu? I thought I could have a good show today, but I didn't expect this guy to catch up with his predecessors, and what he said was just a brain.

Li Shimin was already disgusted with Zhao Yuanlang because of what he just said, and after listening to Li Mu's words, he felt very relieved, how could he kill Li Mu? Li Mu is the person who invented the horseshoe, Zhenguan plow, and printing, and is so loyal that he kills him? Little Yushi, take yourself too seriously!

Li Shimin snorted coldly and said, "Zhao Yuanlang, pay attention to your manners, this is the Liangyi Palace, look at yourself, what does it look like!" If you cry again, I'm going to expel you!" ”

Zhao Yuanlang didn't dare to cry anymore, but Li Mu didn't plan to let him go, saluted Li Shimin, and then said: "Your Majesty, Zi said: The gentleman is frank, and the villain is a relative." When the minister first read this sentence, he didn't know what it meant, but today he saw Zhao Yushi, and only then did he understand the wisdom of the sage. Today, the minister also wants to be a gentleman, and have a gentleman's argument with the princes of the court, and ask Your Majesty for permission. ”

Li Shimin was happy when he saw Li Muchengzhu in his chest, and said: "I am right, everyone Aiqing, what Li Mu said today can be argued with when you are present, and I will never punish you for your words." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Li Mu thanked him, he said: "I came to the court today, originally to start the affairs of the Ministry of Industry, but after waiting for two hours and listening to dozens of officials debating, I just wanted to do one thing about this mine tax. There is only one feeling in my heart, selfishness, flies and dogs! For the country and the people, today I forgive me for being blind, and I have not seen a single one. ”

Someone wanted to speak, but Li Mu interrupted him and continued: "I don't want to be a shrew, let me finish my words first." ”

Li Shimin also said: "Zhuqing, wait a minute, let Zhulu Hou finish talking first." ”

"I thought that those who are ministers should know that the four seas are not the king's land, and the shore of the land is not the king's minister. Your Majesty is the lord of the world, you are your Majesty's ministers, and the land of the four seas belongs to Your Majesty. Your Majesty wants to recover the mineral deposits now, why can't you? Could it be that anyone thinks that the world's mineral deposits should not belong to His Majesty, but to him? ”

Whoever dares to accept this, and whoever accepts it, is it tantamount to attempting to rebel?

"The world is so vast that if Your Majesty wants to obtain minerals, he must not do everything himself, so he needs the assistance of his subjects. The same is true of ancient and modern emperors. In all dynasties, except for salt and iron, the rest of the minerals were mined by the local clans and the local government, and the imperial court collected mining taxes every year. It seems that there is no problem, but the people's hearts are sinister, and the emperor rules the world with benevolence, but there are some sinister people who do not repay them with benevolence and righteousness. ”

"Today, I will be blunt, such as today's mineral deposits, all in the hands of the Gaomen surname, and the imperial court collects mining taxes, but also depends on the faces of these Gaomen surnames. I have inquired about the records of the Yu Department, a certain mine in Huainan, how much mining each year is not the number to be found, the people who operate the mine pay taxes, they are doing as they like, pay twenty or thirty times this year, pay thirty or fifty times next year, and the production of the mine, up to more than 10,000 yuan per year, just ask, the surplus of ten thousand guan only pay dozens of yuan of mining tax, damage to the public and private interests, such a big rat, now want to cure it, is not it a holy move? ”

"But why did Your Majesty summon you and others to discuss, but you and others took care of other things, under the pretext of competing with the people for profit, hiding wealth from the people, and hindering them in every way?" Li Mu sneered and said, "Isn't it because you are used to this kind of day of taking advantage of the imperial court?" Although I don't recognize the opponents today, I dare to assert that there must be a shadow of a high-ranking family behind them, so they will harm their interests, so they will try their best to stop them. Ladies and gentlemen, I may ask you, as a minister of the court, where is your conscience? ”

"Erlu, the people's fat and the people's ointment. What you said is hidden from the people, have you really done it? In the year of the disaster, the granary of the surname Gaomen was full of hoards, and the courtyard was locked, and the victims were driven away, and they were reluctant to give a mouthful of porridge. If the wealth can be hidden from the people, why should the people be displaced? ”

"In the past, the Yellow River flooded, flooded seven cities, starved everywhere, and the people were struggling to make a living. At that time, the world was initially decided, the treasury was empty, and there was no money and grain relief in the DPRK and China. Where is benevolence, righteousness and morality? If it weren't for the Queen's family, who offered 100,000 yuan to help the court tide over the difficulties, there would still be people on both sides of the Yellow River now? The surname of Gaomen, inherited for thousands of years, when the country is in danger, it is not as responsible as a weak female streamer, it is ridiculous, ridiculous! ”

"Since benevolence cannot be exchanged for benevolence, why not rule it by law? His Majesty collects the minerals in the imperial court and sets up a special department to manage them, and the profits obtained by them are dispatched by the imperial court, and when there is a flood in a disaster year, it will not make some people laugh! ”

"Many people say that they compete with the people for profit," Li Mu chuckled and said, "I really want to ask, why are you embarrassed to say this?" Everyone in the world regards business as a cheap profession and despises it, but all of you present, who dares to say that they have not done business in private? Even if it is a clear official, most of them accept bribes from merchants, do you still want me to spread out these things and talk about them in detail? I know there is a lot of talk between the government and the opposition about my dealing, but I never bother to respond? It is also because of this sage that the gentleman is frank and open, and the villain is a relative. Although I Li Mu dare not call a gentleman, I admire the virtue of a gentleman in my heart, and I am trying to be a gentleman. And unlike you, who don't despise it on your lips, but still do it behind your back, and when you see that I am making money, you will ridicule it, isn't it just in response to the words of the villain's relatives? ”

"I think it's a good thing that I'm determined to rectify the malpractice of the mining tax. Rather than the profits of mining being taken away by some big rats, it is better to return them to the imperial court. Today, the sage, every year, not a penny, are used for people's livelihood, and when it is not enough, the internal funds are also used. Under the leadership of Empress Changsun, the harem concubines are also routinely diligent and thrifty, and never extravagant and wasteful. If the monarch is like this, why do our courtiers have the face to fight for their own selfish interests? If there is a year of calamity in the coming days, will you go and give alms? Whoever dares to say this, I will also turn against the water and stand on your side! ”

After Li Mu finished speaking, the Liangyi Hall was silent, and the people who wanted to stand up and argue just now were all dumbfounded at this time. Li Mu's set of rhetoric, like a stormy case, shot everyone wave after wave, but he still occupies the moral high ground, so you can't argue, standing up and arguing at this time, isn't it equivalent to admitting that you are a big rat?

Li Shimin was also taken aback, he didn't expect Li Mu to dare to say it so much, putting everything on the surface, and when he said this, Li Shimin suddenly discovered that most of the things that everyone tacitly knew in the past were actually taken by the imperial court. After listening to Li Mu, he was also filled with righteous indignation, if it weren't for Li Mu stabbing this layer of window paper today, he wouldn't have known that the imperial court had suffered such a big loss!

Zhao Yuanlang's face was as pale as dirt, when Li Mu spoke, he wanted to interject several times, but Li Mu spoke too fast, he didn't find a chance, and when Li Mu finished speaking, he suddenly found that he didn't even have room to speak. And Lu Zhaolin, the servant of the Ministry of Civil Affairs who stood up with him, secretly stood back at some point! This old horseman, seeing that the situation was not good, actually slipped away!

But Zhao Yuanlang was unwilling, he knew that even if he didn't say anything now, after today, his official would be considered to be the end. Instead of sitting and waiting to die, it is better to fight to the death, so that even if he can't be an official, the forces behind him will give him a lot of worship.

"Chase the deer!" Zhao Yuanlang stared at Li Mu angrily, gritted his teeth and said, "You said so much, isn't it because of interests?" Competing with the people for profit is you! You have a share in the winery and the horse farm, and you make money every day, I don't know how much more than you do in the mines, how do you keep saying that you are a big family, why don't you look at yourself?! ”

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of the hundred officials suddenly gathered like Li Mu, yes, you scolded us so much, but the world is as black as a crow, don't you just look at others and forget yourself?

Feeling everyone's gaze, Li Mu actually smiled.

"Zhao Yushi, say a word that is not ashamed, compared with you, I am like a saint, saying that I compete with the people for profit, hehe, not afraid of thunder slashing your head?"

"How dare you compare yourself to a saint?"

"No, of course I know that I am not a saint, I mean, compared to people like you, I am just like a saint, it's not that I'm so good, it's all because of your foil."

After Li Mu finished speaking, he ignored him, saluted Li Shimin, and said, "Your Majesty, you know that the minister's temperament is the most low-key. The minister was reluctant to publicize himself, but since he had said this, the minister defended himself. The minister participated in the operation of the winery and horse farm, with a cumulative income of more than 70,000 yuan, but in addition to the use of the house, all the surplus money was spent on the Ministry of Industry, and there was no one in ten. The Ministry of Construction did not ask the Ministry of Civil Affairs for a penny, and the ministers funded the construction with their own efforts. So far, except for the land given by His Majesty when he was knighted, there is not a single acre of surplus land, and the mansion he lives in is also a gift from his father-in-law, and the minister has not bought a mansion. The openness of the minister's heart can show the sun and the moon. His Majesty may send someone to investigate, and all the money shall be accounted for. Since Zhao Yushi wants to compare with the minister, the minister asks His Majesty to give Zhao Yushi this opportunity, so that he can also dedicate his family property, like a minister, take nine out of ten and use it to repair the imperial history platform! ”