Li Shimin shook his head and said, "I haven't done business, how can I hear about it?" ”

Empress Eldest Sun took over the words beside her and said, "Your Majesty, the concubine has heard this. What Li Mu meant was that even if this matter was beneficial to both the court and the gate valve, if they begged the gate valve to do it, they would make all kinds of demands, and things would be difficult to handle. ”

Li Mu nodded and said: "It is this truth, human nature is like this, it is like a donkey, leading and fighting backwards." If the minister does not use a little trick, how can he get things done? Now that there is the example of the Taiyuan Wang clan, the ministers will concoct them first, and also set an example for other forces, and things will be much easier to handle in the future. ”

"Aiqing has a heart." Li Shimin sighed with emotion: "At your age, although I have also begun to lead the army to fight, I don't have your strategy." Aiqing, I still don't know anything, can you help me solve my doubts? ”

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"You once said that the world is bustling, all for profit, and the world is bustling, all for profit. If road building is a surefire business, why don't you get involved in it? Without waiting for Li Mu to speak, Li Shimin said again: "Don't tell me anything about treating money as dung, I don't believe it." ”

Li Mu smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty can guess what the minister is going to say, the minister is really ashamed." In fact, if you want to talk about this reason, it is complicated to say that it is complicated, and it is simple to say that it is simple. To put it simply, the minister doesn't want to make this money, he is too tired, too slow, and he has a lot to worry about. Your Majesty, you have also seen that one wine shop is enough, why make so much money? The minister has no family, no children, what is the use? Ministers often say that they regard money as dung, and it is for this reason that it is useless for ministers to ask for money, so they are too lazy to make money. ”

Li Shimin kept his face calm and didn't speak, Li Mu quickly put away his pretending posture, and continued: "If you want to talk about complicated reasons, the minister really doesn't have the capital to do this business. ”

"Heh, you still lack capital?"

"The minister is not talking about money." Li Mu explained: "The so-called capital of the minister is food, manpower, local influence, and so on. ”

Li Mu said: "Your Majesty, speaking of this road construction, it is really not something that can be done casually. Even if His Majesty wants to do it, I'm afraid it will be difficult. Take the road from Taiyuan to Chang'an as an example, if the imperial court comes to repair it, the money and grain spent must be more than that of the Taiyuan Wang family, at least twice as much. ”

Li Shimin frowned and said, "Why is this, I am not as good as the Taiyuan Wang family?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister has been in the Ministry of Industry for almost half a year, and he has some experience. A project, whether it is building a road or a city wall, it is a very complicated matter. Just like His Majesty's familiar leadership of troops to fight, the same soldiers, different generals to bring them, the effect is completely different. ”

Li Shimin nodded and said, "You said that I don't understand road construction, but leading troops to fight is exactly as you said." ”

"Let's take the road from Taiyuan to Chang'an as an example, Your Majesty also admitted it when he talked to his ministers. Locally, the influence of the imperial court was weaker than that of the gate lords. In other words, in the vicinity of Taiyuan, the face of the Taiyuan Wang family is greater than that of the imperial court. ”

Li Shimin snorted coldly, but did not deny it.

Li Mu continued: "If this matter is led by the imperial court, the officials from top to bottom, the ministers dare to guarantee that they will definitely eat and take cards. His Majesty allocated a hundred guan, and in the hands of those who worked, I am afraid that there will be no thirty guan left. ”

Li Shimin was silent, although he wanted to say that the officials under his rule were honest, he also knew that Li Mu was telling the truth.

"Not to mention that the Ministry of Civil Affairs has insufficient money and food, but if there is enough money and food, will the project be smooth?" Li Mu shook his head and said, "Not really, because the people who work understand that the court gives money, and the majority of the money is in the hands of the people in charge." The stewards don't work, but they get more. The people who work are naturally unhappy in their hearts, and they are uneven but they can't do anything about it, because they expect this work to eat. Your Majesty, do you know what the people who work at this time will do? ”

Li Shimin said stiffly: "I don't know! ”

"If I work, I will be passive. Because no matter how fast or slow I do, I won't get much money. I'm going to work slower, I'm slower to finish the project, and I'm going to make a little more money. And those who are in charge from the top down are also happy to work slower, because the longer the project takes, the greater the benefit they get. Under such a vicious circle, can the cost not be much? ”

Li Shimin's face was a little ugly, and when he heard Li Mu say this, he understood. Why is the money and food allocated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs always insufficient, that is, the existence of these moths!

Li Mu didn't care what Li Shimin thought, and said: "The most irritating thing is not this, but in the face of this situation, as far as the imperial court is concerned, I can't say anything." ”

"It's the other way around!" Li Shimin said angrily: "They are so flies and dogs, seeking personal gain, I can't take care of it? ”

"Your Majesty, you have forgotten that the world is bustling for profit. You can manage it, but when the water is clear, there are no fish, and after you manage it, who will do the work for you? Even if he is forced to do it, will he do his best? Road construction can not be faked, don't look good on the surface, the next rain will be potholes, at that time, even if His Majesty kills people, will the money and food spent come back? ”

"And Your Majesty also has to consider reputation, if you really give an order to reprimand, these stewards will be inflicted on the people, do the people know what is going on? They will only think that Your Majesty is tyrannical, and then your reputation will be—"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said angrily: "Then the Taiyuan Wang family came to do it, is it different?" ”

Li Mu nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right, if the Taiyuan Wang clan comes to do this, it will be different." ”

Li Shimin was unconvinced: "Where is the difference, you name it!" ”

"First of all, from the point of view of this money and food. Your Majesty uses officials, and officials and Your Majesty are not a family. But the Taiyuan Wang clan used stewards were all domestic servants. These domestic servants have been tied to the Taiyuan Wang family for generations, and their interests are the same, and even if there is a deficit, it is easy to check, so they have to save a lot in terms of eating and taking cards. ”

"Moreover, if the Taiyuan Wang clan wants to build a road, they must first gather the displaced people. If Your Majesty gathers the displaced people, the displaced people will feel that Your Majesty deserves it. You are the emperor, they are the people, and His Majesty has the obligation to keep the people fed and clothed. But the Taiyuan Wang clan is different, they take out the grain, just to find someone to work, can work, have food, can't work, have no food. The homeless people will not think that the Taiyuan Wang clan should, which is also a different place. ”

"Then there's the issue of efficiency and quality. For the Taiyuan Wangs, they built the road to collect tolls. If they build the road very badly, and the next rain it will be potholed, they will have to repair the road. If they always go back and forth, they will lose money, so they will definitely do the work when they build the road. They use their own money and grain, not like the imperial court to build roads, and the officials who pass through are officials, and the officials do not use their own money and food, so they will naturally not feel distressed! They come to repair the road, and if they can't repair it, Your Majesty can still be held accountable, and the Taiyuan Wang family can't run away, they will inevitably have some concerns, so as to ensure the quality. ”

"The minister is similar to His Majesty, he has money but no food, and he has no reliable people under his hands, and the price paid for this transaction is too great, and he can't afford to pay for it if he accidentally makes it again. In addition, the minister is not short of money, so he doesn't want to get involved. ”

Li Shimin put his hand on his forehead and sighed: "I feel very uncomfortable when I hear your words. I often think that as long as I treat him as a soldier, my courtiers will repay him with a soldier. But why, is this not the case? ”

Li Mu whispered: "Your Majesty, the minister repays him with a national soldier, why doesn't Your Majesty treat me as a national soldier?" ”

"What did you say?"

"The minister didn't say anything."

Li Shimin glared at Li Mu and said, "Sometimes I really feel strange, you don't want to take advantage of it, why do you have to bother so much to pry this matter, what is in it for you?" ”

Li Mu said solemnly: "Your Majesty, the minister is just for the people-"

"Do you think you'll really believe it?"

Li Mu sighed and said, "Your Majesty, don't be prejudiced against your ministers. You also said that the minister has no interests to obtain, so what can the minister be for? The minister can think of this because the minister thinks that this move can feed a lot of displaced people, and it is really that simple. ”

"Really?"

"Uh......" Li Mu said helplessly: "And, that...... It's endless fun to fight with people, Your Majesty is really as wise as a torch, and his eyes are like a torch. ”

"I knew you thought so!" Li Shimin had an expression of 'you can still deceive me', and said: "Don't try to deceive me, I have walked more bridges than you have walked." ”

"Your Majesty Shengming—"

Li Mu didn't want to say anything anymore, what's wrong with this world, why doesn't anyone believe it if he tells the truth? Could it be that there is something wrong with your own 'personality'? Do I just don't look like a good person?

"Okay, don't feel wronged. I'll leave this matter to you, but Uncle Guo, it's appropriate for you to say hello, otherwise the auxiliary machine will think I'm really cold. ”

Li Mu glanced at Empress Changsun and answered honestly.

Empress Eldest Sun smiled and said, "Li Mu, what do you think this palace is doing, do you think this palace will leak the news?" ”

Li Mu was a little embarrassed, so he simply admitted it and said, "The minister is afraid, the minister really thinks so." ”

"You kid!" Li Shimin said with a smile: "The queen and I are one and the same, and the uncle may be informed in advance of small matters, but in major matters, the queen will never be confused, you don't treat the queen as an ordinary woman." ”

Li Mu hurriedly got up and saluted: "The minister offended the queen, I hope I ask for forgiveness." ”

"What is to blame for this, that you can have such thoughts, and show your loyalty to Your Majesty." Empress Eldest Sun helped Li Mu up and said, "This palace never asks for more prominent family members, just don't suffer losses." ”

Li Mu understood this, five words, it is not okay to fall.

"Li Mu, I have two more things to tell you."

Li Muxin said, why is there something wrong, but he still said with a respectful face: "Your Majesty, please speak." ”

"This first thing is about the studies of the crown prince and King Yue, you are also a professor in the Chongwen Pavilion, and you should take the time to teach. Also, I heard that you can make glass? ”