Under the constraints of the small-scale peasant economy, the size of the population directly reflects the strength of the country.

If you don't have enough money and food, what can you take to feed so many people? So there is no doubt about the strength of the Sui Dynasty.

Even after the fall of the Sui Dynasty, the wealth it left behind was the foundation for the prosperity and stability of the Tang Dynasty, such as the largest granary during the Sui Dynasty - Huiluocang!

And this Hui Luocang refers to Yaoyi City, and the Bian family actually had a huge influence in the pre-Sui period.

At present, the total amount of grain stored here is more than 300 million catties, mainly serving the royal family and people in Luoyang City, but the grain planting and storage channels of the Bian family are all over the empire, and the potential impact is greater.

This is like the Han Dynasty and the Qin system, and the strength of the Tang Dynasty was built on the basis of the Sui Dynasty, of which the Hui Luocang built by the Sui Dynasty contributed a lot.

After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang people were left not only with advanced systems, such as the three provinces and six ministries system and the imperial examination system, but also with a number of huge wealth for them to recuperate.

However, in terms of people's livelihood and national reserves, they are increasingly inseparable from the source of food.

In particular, the population is not as huge as at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and in the face of the dilapidated social situation, the problem of eating for the people has become the first major problem that the Tang Dynasty has always had to face after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The people pinned their hopes on the new ruler, and if they were able to feed them all, the Tang Dynasty would be able to survive this period of instability, and if the people still did not have enough to eat, it would inevitably set off another bloody storm.

Facts have proved that the grain from Huiluocang can really make the Tang Dynasty people eat for 50 years, which has a historical basis.

In the eleventh year of Zhenguan, the superintendent of the imperial history once said to Tang Taizong: "I have been eating it for 20 years since I returned to Luocang, and I haven't finished eating it yet!" ”

The grain of the Sui Dynasty fed the people of the Tang Dynasty, without which the Tang Dynasty would not have been able to consolidate its rule quickly, and the hungry stomachs of the people would have caused them to attack the new dynasty.

Strictly speaking, no matter how beautiful the safflower is, it also needs green leaves to accompany it, the Tang Dynasty is the red flower, and the grain left over from the Sui Dynasty is the green leaf, but this green leaf is reluctant, but there is nothing to be done.

It can be seen from this that the Bian family exists in the eyes of the official, and the imperial court has not thought of replacing the Bian family, but that will only make a complete and well-run set of rigorous mechanisms from planting to storage break or even destroy the foundation.

If it is not of such importance, why would the Tang Dynasty set up Yaoyi City as a semi-independent kingdom and grant Yaoyi County the title of King of Yaoyi County to inherit it forever?

Therefore, the Bian family never seems to participate in the government politics, and their clansmen have not been too valuable among the officials in the court, but the unique business channels and resources are enough to ensure that the Bian family's status is different from that of hundreds of officials.

Imagine that his martial arts family, playing some autumn wind, begging for a small bargain, it is still possible, once the anger of the Bian family is provoked, which emperor will give them some face.

Hearing Bian Jiong's outspoken words of help, he can also sense that this person dislikes the martial arts.

In fact, Bian Jiong, who is good at business, is on the one hand in terms of personal preferences, and he knows Li Zhi's terrible reputation even more, and he doesn't know where his confidence comes from.

Therefore, Li Zhi's inconspicuous polite response was also expected.

King Li Kai slapped Bian Jiong's back of the head: "Mr. Li, that has enough deterrent strength, you are guarding this immovable strategic weapon, thinking that no one in Datang will dare to really touch you?" Don't get involved in such things! ”

Bian Jiong is only less than forty years old, but King Li Kai is a royal family of the older generation, and he has a close personal relationship with the previous king of Yaoyi County, and treats Bian Jiong as a junior.

But his verbal blow like this would never be intentionally aimed at Li Zhi, but on the contrary, he would have more intention of supporting.

And what he said is also the truth, this kind of thing Bian Jiong can't afford to mix, I'm afraid that the entire Tang Dynasty, who can be so ruthless to the Wu family, is the only one who is Li alone.

It is not only the martial arts who pay attention to the irrepressibility of the forces behind Li Zhi, but anyone who has a powerful person with a master-level guard in his family knows the terrifying nature of such a person.

Regarding the Fengyi League, it is a taboo topic in the community, but many people in the middle and high-level of the DPRK know about it.

Obviously, Dong Ying and his party two years ago, those mysterious and powerful cultivators who were extra around Li Zhi could only be mobilized by an organization like the Fengyi League.

This kind of organization is responsible for the direct negotiation between the cultivation world and the imperial court, once even such a force is under the influence of Li Zhi, how can the mortal army be strong?

If one is not careful, I am afraid that it will cause the inherent order that has existed for two thousand years between the cultivation world and the imperial court to be broken, and that is a catastrophic disaster that will befall the world.

No matter how ordinary King Li Kai is, he has been immersed in officialdom for decades, and he can't see the real horror of Li Zhi.

The fight between such characters is like Mars hitting the earth, Bian Jiong is guarding the huge return to Luocang, which is an immovable live target, and he is not ashamed to open his mouth, and he is not ashamed to say that he is so angry.

Li Zhi said with a smile: "But I still thank the king of Yaoyi for his righteous words, are you interested in investing in a share, Shengjing Shipping, I will give you an ocean freighter?" ”

Bian Jiong didn't expect that his hot-headedness would attract such a large amount of business.

It's not that the Bian family is incapable of forming such a transoceanic fleet, but there is a question of whether it is worth it.

Their family has trade contacts with more than a dozen countries, and with their own fleet, they will save a huge amount of high transportation costs, and they don't have to look at the faces of foreigners.

The point is that this kind of ocean-going operation spanning tens of thousands of miles will encounter half-interception by various pirates or suspected pirates.

In particular, grain ships, which were the nature of freight transportation on which the world depended for survival in the past, often led some rogue countries to disguise themselves as pirates and carry out some shameful plunder.

It was such a small country, and the availability of food meant that the political power was in control, and such incidents were not uncommon in those days when the conditions for sea passage were quite backward.

Today's ocean-going freighter fleets are more or less linked to pirate organizations in order to ensure the safety of the routes.

The Bian family does not have such deep ties as overseas, and may be fine for a few years with sufficient protection forces, but if they encounter a sea disaster, the gains in a few years will be wiped out.

However, Li Zhi's Shengjing Shipping is different, it is said that in the past two years, more than a dozen giant ships have joined the operation one after another, and each ship is equipped with a strong team of cultivators.

This kind of complete superiority in strength will not be afraid of the threat of pirates who win with numerical superiority.

The Bian family does not want to participate too much, as long as there is a giant ship belonging to the Bian family, the cost of shipping the ship can be saved in a year, and the rest is all profit.

This kind of business that is almost monopolistic in nature, Bian Jiong naturally attaches great importance to it: "Mr. Li, can the Bian family also get a share?" ”

The hope in this person's tone Li Zhi had already predicted, for him, at most, he would have to stay away from this world for twenty years at most, whether it was Zhengqing Wenqitang or Shengjing Shipping, without his support, sooner or later he would fall.

Since this is the case, the authority will be released from time to time to introduce external forces to participate.

In this way, when the power is completely delegated 20 years later, enough principal has been recovered.

Zhengqing Wenqitang plans to leave it to Princess Taiping in the end, and businesses like Shengjing Shipping will gradually be handed over to powerful Tang businessmen, which is also the only way out.

"Brother Baochang, I currently have a total of thirteen ocean-going freighters, divided into three and a half shipping teams, I can put an ocean-going freighter under the name of the Bian family, and will train dozens of cultivators for you to escort the place, and only with the care of my own people can it be regarded as a real home-owned business. If you use this freighter as a benchmark, you will only have no profit to make for a year and a half, and then decide whether to expand the number of ships in operation! ”

The suggestion given by Li Zhi is undoubtedly the safest way for the Bian family, and it sounds like Li Yifang does not have much benefit.

This couldn't help but arouse his special attention: "Mr. Li, with all due respect, what do you want?" Why don't I feel like I'm benefiting? ”

In the territory of Datang, there are only a few companies with the manufacturing qualifications of large freighters, and the manufacturing cost of a ship can be easily inquired, and he will never think that Li Zhi will gain benefits by increasing the price of the ship.

Moreover, he also knows that Zhengqing Wenqitang's ability to absorb money is currently one of the best horrors in the entire Tang Dynasty, and there will never be a shortage of funds.

Sure enough, Li Zhi quickly gave the answer:

"I don't need a single cent of the Bian family, but there is a request that can be regarded as a quid pro quo, that is, the Bian family will report to the imperial court for approval of the connection between Chang'an City and Luoshui with the unimpeded passage of grain transportation. It's only more than 260 miles in total, and it can't cost a giant ship of silver taels! ”

He waved his hand to stop Bian Jiong's question:

In other words, this quid pro quo is currently based only on the actual number of ships involved, not on the stripping of elements. This side is advantageous, so as to screen and see if there is any possibility of continuing to cooperate. Brother Baochang doesn't have to think about me, joining one of your ships is not a loss for me! ”

Bian Jiong wants to question this reason, obviously Li Zhi's move does not directly profit demand, on the contrary, the unobstructed passage between Chang'an City and Luoshui is one of the projects that the Bian family will do sooner or later.

Once that section of the river is successfully completed, it will not only solve the problem of shortage in Chang'an City, but also greatly reduce the transportation cost of their side family.

Bian Jiong did not suspect that Li Zhi had other intentions, but was surprised by the quid pro quo he proposed.

The businessman puts interests first, and it is obvious that Li Zhi's move is beyond his understanding of business behavior, and he is also deeply shocked by the hidden righteousness of the other party.

At this time, seeing Li Zhitou's eyes, Bian Jiong opened his mouth to ask about his confusion, and then said:

"Mr. Li must know that the Bian family already had such a plan, but they just want to think that the situation has not stabilized yet, so it has been delayed!"

This sentence is just a general statement, in fact, don't look at that section of the river is only more than 260 miles, due to the geographical location, it is not easy to excavate.