The people are thriving, but the court and the central government seem to be a little deserted, every official is very busy, and since the prince got sick, even the cardinal meetings have been held relatively rarely, and the cardinal ministers are performing their duties, and there are no major problems, so don't hold a meeting, just communicate unilaterally. This is all requested by Han Yi, because if there are too many meetings and the prince is not there, this power will be concentrated on him alone, because he is Shang Shuling, the head of Wenchen, this meeting, then he has to be the master, this master is used to it, everyone will look at him as the head.

In order to avoid this, Han Yi arranged all the tasks first and did his own thing, and he was still full of confidence in this political team.

But since Li Hong fell ill, Li Zhi is also paying attention to the movements of the court, of course he knows that Han Yi is avoiding excessive power, but if the problem continues like this, the Taiji Hall will probably face abandonment and lack of cohesion, that is not good, if the court has no cohesion, then it is meaningless for him to be the emperor in front of him, and now he can move freely, but his eyesight has not recovered, and he can't review the folds, but it is still okay to hold meetings.

So Li Zhi convened a pivotal meeting, which also indicated that he would come out to preside over government affairs.

"During this period of my ill health, thanks to your ......."

At the beginning, of course, Li Zhi expressed his gratitude, and Han Yi and they also played the same old tune, what kind of food is the king's lu, for the king's worries, and the things within the division are .......

After the hypocrisy, Li Zhi asked, "How is the implementation of the new policy now?" ”

Han Yi said: "Back to Your Majesty, at present, Chang'an's change of household registration and land printing are nearing the end, although Jianghuai, Jiangnan and other places will still take a few months, but they are relatively smooth, but many changes in history were very smooth at the beginning, and then a lot of problems broke out, so the minister thinks that this is not yet a success." ”

Li Zhi smiled: "You still speak so well, and you always leave room for yourself." ”

Han Yi said: "Your Majesty, it is up to people to make things happen, and success is in heaven, there is nothing to do, and the minister dares to guarantee that it will succeed, but the minister is full of confidence in the new deal." ”

Li Zhi pointed at Han Yi and said, "But this new deal has changed many traditional policies, is there really no problem at all?" ”

Wang Xuandao said: "There are a lot of problems, for example, those who concealed their household registration, when they change their new household registration, it is difficult to verify, we can only cooperate with the gentry, but the big problem has not yet been discovered." ”

Cui Jijian said: "Your Majesty, the promulgation of the new policy by the imperial court is very different from the past, the promulgation of the new policy in the past, all policies are issued together, and all regions are implemented at the same time, therefore, many small problems will accumulate together and break out, then it will become a big problem, and the new policy promulgated by the imperial court is issued gradually, and the time limit for the implementation of the new policy in each region is also different, Chang'an must fully implement the new policy this year, but the land of Bashu can fully implement the new policy within two years, Therefore, difficulties come out one by one, not one by one, so that the imperial court can be at ease. ”

"I see."

Li Zhi nodded slightly and said with a smile: "It seems that I didn't choose the wrong person at the beginning!" Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered something, "I have heard that there have been many very amazing technologies among the people recently, for example, the water-powered spinning machine of the Cao brothers in Sanmenshan is said to amaze the world. ”

Han Yi said: "Back to Your Majesty, the Cao brothers' hydraulic spinning machine is indeed very remarkable, because it has greatly increased the speed of spinning, by as much as thirty or forty times. ”

Li Zhi frowned slightly and said: "I have also heard about this, but I am a little worried about this, agriculture and mulberry are the livelihood of the people, and the emergence of water-powered spinning machines will have an impact on the people?" ”

Han Yi said: "Your colleagues also considered this matter at the time, but the minister thought that it would not, but it would promote the development of Sang. ”

Li Zhi sighed and said, "How do you say this?" ”

Han Yi said: "Because the water-powered spinning machine can consume more silk, and silk is not only needed by our Datang people, but also an important commodity exported to the northwest region, when there are enough water-powered spinning machines, then more mulberry fields are needed to support, and the people only need to plant mulberry, and they don't need to spin again." ”

Di Renjie said: "At first, we didn't believe it, but Shang Shuling said it quickly came true, it is said that many businessmen have gone to the northwest to open up mulberry fields, because mulberry trees are drought-tolerant and can be planted in barren land, and there are many barren lands in the northwest, and the surrounding areas are deserted and cannot grow food, these places can be used to plant mulberry trees." ”

Han Yidao: "According to the statistics of our household department, by the second half of next year, the mulberry fields in the northwest will increase by about five million mu, and the mulberry fields also need people to take care of them, which will bring livelihoods to the people, and will also bring considerable taxes to the imperial court." ”

Li Zhi was surprised: "Five million acres? ”

The imperial court tried its best to persuade farmers to do so, but it didn't have such a good effect, and it went to the northwest to open up, not in front of the house, which was unimaginable before.

Han Yi said with a smile: "To sum up, it's still the same sentence, the hustle and bustle of the world is all for profit, and the hustle and bustle of the world is for profit." ”

Li Zhi laughed when he heard this, of course he was happy with the extra tax of one million acres of land, but at the same time he felt a little disappointed in his heart, these ministers did everything perfectly, and there was nothing to do without him, so what was he doing in a meeting? Suddenly, he looked at Li Ji, who was about to fall asleep, and said, "Sikong." ”

Of course, Li Ji didn't fall asleep, and said with his chin bowed: "The old minister is here." ”

Li Zhi asked, "Have the border areas been stable recently?" ”

Li Jigang wanted to say that everything was fine, but he remembered the letter from Pei Xingjian, but he hadn't told Li Zhi yet, and he was stunned all of a sudden.

Li Zhi asked, "Isn't there something going on over there?" ”

Li Ji hurriedly said: "The surrounding areas have been very stable recently, and there has been no chaos, that is, Pei Xingjian sent a letter from there, asking how the imperial court planned to deal with Xiao Bolu, and the old minister felt that this matter was not very anxious, so he wanted to wait for His Majesty to get better and then report to His Majesty." ”

"Without the understanding and support of Sikong and all Aiqing, I would be able to recuperate with peace of mind."

Li Zhi nodded very gratefully, and asked again, "What is the situation over there?" ”

Li Ji immediately informed Li Zhi of Pei Xingjian's letter.

When Li Zhi heard this, he couldn't help frowning, his face was gloomy, he glanced at Li Ji slightly, and saw that Li Ji seemed to be a little impatient, and suddenly slapped the table and said: "This Tubo is really dead, it seems that it's time to teach them a lesson." ”

Han Yi couldn't help but be secretly surprised, he thought that Li Zhi was very tolerant, and now that the country had just experienced a big crisis, there was about to go to war over there, this was not Li Zhi's style.

Li Zhi asked Li Ji again: "Sikong, if we send troops to Xiao Bolu, what are our chances of winning?" ”

Li Ji replied: "Judging from the letter sent by Pei Xingjian, he is still sure that he will drive the Tubo forces out of Xiaobolu, because the main force of Tubo is still deployed on the Tuyuhun side, and our army has the four towns of Anxi as support there, plus the people in the northwest are also deeply dissatisfied with this, we are taking advantage of the right time and place." ”

Li Zhi nodded, and asked again: "What if Tubo refuses to give up?" ”

Li Jidao: "Back to Your Majesty, because the new policy has increased the reward for military merits, so the morale of the army is high, and the soldiers want to obtain military merits. In the tone, it was full of self-confidence, and the military generals of the Tang Dynasty really had no reason not to be confident.

Li Zhi nodded and smiled: "With Sikong's words, I am relieved." ”

Feel relieved? What do you want? Ren Zhigu hurriedly said: "Please also ask Your Majesty to think twice, although Tubo is hateful, but the country has not yet come out of the crisis, and the financial debts are still tens of millions, and it is not good for Jiangshan Sheji to start a war rashly." ”

Li Ji snorted: "That little Bolu is a strategic place, how can it be easily handed over, and if the imperial court ignores this, this will also make the countries of the Western Regions fall to Tubo, which will increase the strength of Tubo over there, which is extremely unfavorable to the Dadu Protectorate, which is why Pei Xingjian sent a message, this little Bolu must not let Tubo be occupied." ”

"It's reasonable, I think the same way, Xiao Bolu must be taken back." Li Zhi nodded, looked at Han Yi, and said: "Shang Shuling, this finance has always been in your charge, although the recovery of Xiaobolu does not require the mobilization of a lot of manpower and material resources, but the imperial court also has to prevent the invasion of Tibet, can the imperial court come up with enough grain and grass to deal with it at present?" ”

Han Yi really couldn't figure out Li Zhi's thoughts at this time, because Li Zhi held a pivotal meeting for the first time in a year, and after a moment of silence, he said: "There is still grain and grass, Ganzhou and Shanzhou have always been tuntian, and they can also adjust the grain and grass in Yizhou, but ......." ”

"That's it!" Li Zhiyi interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said: "Although we are not fully prepared, I see that Tubo may not be ready for a decisive battle with my Datang, I want to see how much courage Lu Dongzan has to dare to fight with my Datang." Sikong, you immediately send a message to Pei Xingjian, asking him to send troops to recapture Xiao Bolu, and not an inch of land can be given to Tubo. In addition, send a message to Wang Fangyi and Wang Xuance, so that they are ready to go to war. At the same time, let Su Dingfang prepare, once Tubo dares to invade Tuyuhun, he will immediately lead the army of Liangzhou and Shanzhou into Tuyuhun. ”

He didn't mean that he wanted an all-out war, he just wanted to recapture Little Bolu, but once the troops were dispatched, this could lead to a full-scale war, which must be prepared.

Li Ji was very excited, got up and said, "The old minister obeys the order." ”

And Zhang Wenguan, Liu Xiangdao, and Cui Jijian were all dumbfounded, including Han Yi, he asked Wu Kelie and them to go there to create public opinion, to force Lu Dongzan to negotiate, he really didn't expect it to be self-defeating, and what made him even more puzzled was that Li Zhi suddenly became so domineering this time, and he would start a war without saying a word.

Zhang Wenguan said excitedly: "Your Majesty .....! ”

"I've decided, there's no need to discuss this matter anymore."

Li Zhi said very resolutely.

Cui Jijian and they are all about to faint, are you possessed by Emperor Yang of Sui?

Li Zhi made such a hasty decision on such a major matter, which has never been done in Li Zhi's political career.

But Li Zhi really didn't make a hasty decision, he had thought it through, although he had been sick in bed, it didn't mean that he didn't know anything, whether it was externally or internally, he needed to take back Xiao Bolu immediately.

Because the crisis made him disgraced, and his face was a little unbearable, although he pushed down Wu Meiniang's head, but he was the emperor, and Wu Meiniang's power was also given by him, originally he could use the New Deal to re-establish his prestige, but at the critical moment, he fell ill again, which means that the New Deal has nothing to do with him, it is all Han Yi who is doing it, so Han Yi's prestige is very high now.

Now that the implementation of the new policy is very smooth, there is no major event in the court, he can't come out and can't do it, and it is very embarrassing to come out, and the people below have done everything very well, he has to make a little move, so as to re-establish the emperor's authority and unite the people.

Xiao Bolu was annexed by the big Bolu supported by Tubo at that time, he knew it, but he had no time to scruple about it at that time, but this matter had to be dealt with, Xiao Bolu was the key point to the countries of the Western Regions, if the Tang Empire wanted to control the countries of the Western Regions, it could not be lost here.

You must know that Li Zhi's ambition has always been not small, but it is really his body that is not good, which causes him to lack confidence and dare not speak full, but he has been silently doing things that those emperors can't do.

Emperor Yang of Sui and Li Shimin did not destroy Goguryeo, so he must destroy Goguryeo. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was so horizontal that he did not fight to West Asia in the end. And now the Tang Dynasty is likely to compete for hegemony in West Asia, because the Tang Dynasty is no longer saying that the army is stationed in the Lengling generation, because Han Yi's Northwest Plan was successful, and there is no longer the implementation of the fetters system, and the establishment of the state and county system, so that the Tang Dynasty has actual control over the Lengling generation, and it is also very stable, in other words, the Tang Dynasty now has the strength to go west, if the Tang army goes to West Asia, then he will surpass Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the cultural and martial arts are unmatched.

Anyway, this matter will have to be dealt with sooner or later, and if it is dealt with now, it will meet Li Zhi's own political needs.