The army of the Northern Expedition has not returned, but the team escorting the prisoners has been back for more than a month. The news of Jieli's capture also reached Chang'an. Now that the mourning is peaceful, the imperial court has promulgated the policy of recuperation and recuperation in a timely manner, and the people have been in war for a long time, and the people are at peace, how not to make the people cheer and cheer. The market in Chang'an is already full of lights, and the faces of the people are also showing joy.

When the people were happy, Li Shimin in the Taiji Hall was not happy. In the second to third years of Zhenguan, there was a great drought in the world, and the northern grasslands were not spared. Now that the north is peaceful, there are nearly five million herdsmen on the grassland, who are naturally subjects under the rule of the Tang Dynasty. Jieli was poor in military force, and experienced a major drought. As a result, the livelihood of the tribes in the grassland withered, and the herdsmen slaughtered their animals to survive the famine. The cattle, horses, and sheep on the grassland are lost. Li Jing came to report that thousands of people in the grassland had starved to death, and the number was still increasing.

After receiving Li Jing's recital, Li Shimin was worried. Last year, in order to requisition for profits, Li Shimin emptied the treasury, where there was still grain to help the people of the grassland. Moreover, less than 20% of the livestock on the grassland remained, and how much grain the imperial court had to come up with to restore the grassland could not be done even if it dragged down the entire Tang Dynasty.

The eldest grandson Wuji, Fang Xuanling and Cen Wenwen were announced to the hall, and as soon as the three of them took their seats, Li Shimin handed the fold handed by Li Jing to the three of them for circulation. After the three of them saw it, they were silent for a long time. This matter is too troublesome, mainly because there is no food money. In the first battle of the Northern Expedition, although it was a big victory, there was still the ability to provide relief when the treasury was empty. The three of them are all auxiliary slaughterers, so they naturally understand how much food there is in the court, and it is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, so the three of them are silent.

Li Shimin also saw that the three of them had no good plan, but things still had to be done, even if there was no way, they had to find a way. Otherwise, would it be possible to watch the five million herders on the grasslands starve to death? If this is the case, will Li Shimin, who has just received the title of "Heavenly Khan", be thrown to the ground and let the grassland herdsmen step on his feet? Li Shimin can't afford to lose this person, and he can't let the newly settled grassland riot again because of hunger. In that case, this northern expedition will be a futile.

"Three Aiqing, isn't there a way?" Li Shimin can't help but speak, no matter what, this matter must be resolved.

"Your Majesty, it's not that the minister can't think of a way, the main thing is that there is no money and food. Since the Northern Expedition was launched in August of the third year of Zhenguan, the household department allocated 500,000 stone of grain stored in Taicang to the Northern Expedition army. Nowadays, Kyoto's daily needs are stretched, and there is still money and grain to help the grasslands. There is really nothing to be done about it. "As the head of the hundred officials, the eldest grandson Wuji still has to explain the difficulties in front of him.

Li Shimin glanced at the three people sitting and asked the other two, "Is there nothing there can be done about the two Aiqing?" ”

Fang Xuanling and Cen Wenwen both knelt down and said, "The ministers are incompetent, please ask Your Majesty to punish the crime!" ”

Li Shimin said with a displeased face: "Changde Xuan officials above the fifth grade entered the DPRK to participate in politics, and I have to ask them to come up with a way." ”

In the main hall of Taiji, Baiguan Mountain shouted long live, Li Shimin sat in the middle, looked down at Baiguan and said: "Dingxiang Road marching chief, military department Shangshu Li Jing played a report, Jieli poor soldiers and reckless force, resulting in the northern grassland people being poisoned by the war, the remaining livestock are not one or two, and the grassland people are starving everywhere. I don't know if there is a good way to solve the suffering of the people on the grassland. ”

Li Shimin said that, the officials were silent, and no one dared to stand up and speak. Everyone understands in their hearts what the court has become poor, and although they don't know the specific details, they still know what the general situation is. How can I give relief without money and food, can it be said that Li Chunfeng will come out and cast a spell to conjure food.

"Where is the head of the household?"

"The minister Dai Xuan greets Your Majesty." Dai Xuan was named, walked out very neatly, and knelt in front of the emperor.

"Dai Guan, how much grain is left in the treasury?" Li Shimin asked.

"Back to Your Majesty, the money is 100,000 yuan, and the grain is 80,000 stones." Dai Xuan was very honest and replied truthfully.

"There are five million people on the grassland, and there is not enough money and food to fill the gaps. How can I explain to the people of the grassland, can I just watch the people of the grassland starve to death, and the people will riot if they have no food, don't I talk about this truth? All the people who love Qing and eat the king's fortune should brainstorm in order to be worthy of the common people. ”

Li Shimin's words fell, and the hall was still silent. Cheng Yanjin glanced around, walked to the hall and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the minister is a rough man, and he has no good strategy, but the minister is willing to spend all his family wealth to fill the treasury." The minister is willing to offer 5,000 stone of grain and 1,000 yuan of money, please allow your majesty! ”

"Zhijie is really loyal to the king and loves the people, and I am very comforted. Yes! Li Shimin said: "But this is not a solution, even if I drain all the family funds of the Manchu Dynasty, it will be a drop in the bucket." Zhong Aiqing still has to think of a perfect strategy to solve the suffering of the grassland people! ”

At this time, His Royal Highness's hundred officials have already greeted Cheng Biting Jin's eight generations, your mother, you have made a good start, shall we donate or not? If you don't donate, you're unfaithful, and if you donate, it's too fucking much. One of your generals donated 5,000 stones, 1,000 yuan. It's fucking life-threatening.

The eldest grandson Wuji stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the minister's family is not rich, and he is willing to give 5,000 stone of grain and 2,000 yuan of money." ”

The people below couldn't sit still, and they got up one after another to offer money and food. How much to donate depends on how old the official is, the eldest grandson Wuji did not dare to be lower than Cheng Yanjin, and the officials of other wealthy families who are higher than Cheng Yanjin's official position, who dares to give less. Hubu Shangshu Dai Xuan was so happy that without waiting for Li Shimin's instructions, he asked people to bring paper and take notes.

Imperial Doctor Wei Zheng stood in the crowd, motionless. After these people were registered, they walked to the hall and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the minister has no family assets, so he will not donate." But the minister has a plan to offer. ”

Li Shimin was overjoyed and said, "Aiqing is coming soon." ”

"Your Majesty, the growth of grassland cattle and sheep is slow, and now the grassland livestock is not one or two, and it will take a few years to recover, if millions of people in the grassland have to let the imperial court help, the result will be that the grassland people will not have enough to eat, and the people in the interior will have an increased burden, and finally there will be chaos. In Yichen's view, there was only one way to go by taking some of the Hu people within and teaching them to work in the war-torn and abandoned land, so that they would be self-sufficient when they survived the autumn harvest. In this way, the imperial court can also be relieved of a heavy burden. ”

"Well, that's a good idea."

Before Li Shimin's words fell, a minister walked to the hall and knelt down and said, "Minister Xiao Yu knocks to see Your Majesty." The minister felt that what Wei Zheng said was absolutely impossible. ”

Li Shimin was a little displeased, Xiao Yu was dismissed five times during the Zhenguan years, which is very rare in history, this person has the ability to learn, his conduct is upright, not to mention first, and his temper is particularly big. Wei Zheng is a tough person, and he can't do it in front of him. In the first year of Zhenguan, he had a political disagreement with Chen Shuda, so the old man Xiao fought in the palace, and the whole palace was chaotic, Li Shimin couldn't stop it many times, and finally Li Shimin dismissed him from office and went home to reflect, who knew that the old man was angry and sick. Li Shimin had no choice but to appoint him as the young master of the crown prince again, and this was the end of the matter. You say that if such a person speaks up against it, can Li Shimin be happy?

"If Aiqing has any objections, please come." If you don't let me say it, it won't work, if you get sick again, Li Shimin will still lose more than you gain.

"Those who are not of my race will have different hearts. Millions of Hu people moved inward, and after 30 years, they multiplied. Living in my elbows and armpits, Fu Yu Wangji, this is tantamount to laying the root of the curse for my dynasty. The demise of the Jin Dynasty was caused by the internal migration of the Hu people, and His Majesty was invited to consider this proposal. After Xiao Yu finished speaking, he returned to the court and closed his eyes to recuperate. Many courtiers instantly exchanged ears left and right, and there was a buzz in the hall.

Li Shimin looked helpless, Xiao Yu made him speechless, after releasing the thunder, he turned his head and ran to the distance to listen to the sound, regardless of whether the thunder could blow up people.

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks what Lord Xiao said is inappropriate. As the saying goes, at this time and that time, His Majesty is the king of the Holy Ming throughout the ages, and his majesty is in the sea and virtuous in the four seas. If you can't accept the people under your rule, how can you reassure the small nations that want to belong to them? The eldest grandson, Wuji, stood in the hall and said.

Xiao Yu walked out of the court class and said to the eldest grandson Wuji: "What the old minister said is well-founded. The Sima clan moved Hu into the customs, and there was the Yongjia Rebellion. Lord Eldest Sun, as the assistant ruler of the country, you should be thoughtful in everything, how can you do such a thing. I see how you managed to get millions of Hu people into the Guannei, and what do you do to stabilize them? ”

"Xiao Yu Lao'er, I know that you don't like me, I see that I am from cloth clothes, and my family is not high, so I shouldn't be doing this right servant shooting. Then the old man asked you, you, a person from a big family, are you worthy of a big fight above the court hall, and you have no king and no father? "The eldest grandson Wuji is also a violent temper, and he will definitely not eat him.

"You're ......! If you dare to insult the old man, the old man is not finished with you. ”

Li Shimin saw that he was about to fight, slapped his big hand angrily, and said sharply: "You are all cardinals, what kind of system!" Don't hurry up and get out of here! ”

The eldest grandson Wuji knelt down and said: "The loss of honor in front of the palace, please atone for your sins!" ”

"Get up!"

Li Shimin saw that Xiao Yu did not ask for guilt, and he did not have the same knowledge as him. Then he said: "My mother is a Xianbei person, and I also have the blood of the Hu people flowing in my body. What a catastrophe it would be if the five million Hu people starved and all went south in search of food. After hundreds of years of war, the Tang Dynasty is only more than 10 million people. My courtiers and the people have been war-torn for a long time, and the people are at peace, don't the Hu people want to? If my love is the same, I don't believe that the Hu people will rebel against me. If the Hu Han family is politically harmonious in the world, then it will be a prosperous era that has never been seen in ancient times, can't you let the Aiqing people gamble with me for the sake of this prosperous era? ”

"The ministers are willing to die for the service!"

Li Shimin looked around at His Royal Highness's hundred officials and said, "Get up!" ”

"As for the issue of money and grain, Dai Zhou is now in the official warehouse of the whole country in the account of the household department, and how much grain is left."

Dai Xuan got up and walked to the hall and said, "Your Majesty, there are still three million stone grains in all the granaries in the country, plus the grain offered by hundreds of officials, a total of more than three hundred and fifty thousand stones. As for whether it was enough for Hu Min to move south, the minister thought it was not enough. Your Majesty will keep half of the three million stone food as military rations. There is still a part that cannot be moved, which is left in preparation for the disaster that will occur at any time in the whole country. Coupled with the offerings of hundreds of officials, only about one million stones can be taken out in the end. When it comes to food, Your Majesty still has to think of other ways. ”

"One million stone is not enough, and since this is the case, I will issue a solicitation edict to ask for some money from some people in the country who have food. Zhong Aiqing doesn't know if it's okay? ”

Li Shimin said this, and all the officials of His Royal Highness looked at each other. Your Majesty, what's wrong with this today? Who is the one who has bread? It must be a family and a landlord and squire. Is Your Majesty going to do something to these people? There was silence in the hall, and it had reached the point where it was audible to the drop of a pin.

"What's wrong with Zhong Aiqing, can't I borrow some food from them for the sake of the people?"

Wei Zheng saw that everyone was silent, so he walked to the hall and said, "Your Majesty, the minister thinks it is feasible. Your Majesty's people who have food are all people who read the books of sages and sages, and they are all loyal and patriotic people, and the ministers think that they will definitely be able to understand Your Majesty's difficulties, and they will definitely borrow food from Your Majesty. ”

Wei Zheng's knife was so good that Li Shimin couldn't help but take a look at the old man who had been working against him. Since he said it all, I naturally can't afford to live up to his kindness.

"Aiqing thinks so, and I am very relieved. Cen text, then the purpose! ”

Among the hundred officials, the officials of the big families can't be calm, and what is the purpose is drafted. Did we say yes? You have made up your will. After I have dispersed, I will send a letter back as soon as possible and inform the master of the family of what happened today.

Li Shimin seems to have inadvertently sent a signal that he is going to reach out for benefits like the big family. I want it, will you give it or not?

After Cheng bit Jin Sanchao, all the Wenchen generals were far away from him, as if they were disgusted with a piece of shit. Cheng Biting Jin was triumphant, as if he had picked up some benefits.

The city of Chang'an surged all at once, and none of the people who could be in a high position were fuel-efficient lamps. After returning from the palace, all forces mobilized all their forces to inquire about the emperor's recent movements. According to the information obtained, His Majesty the Emperor only went to Cheng Yanjin's mansion a month ago. Coupled with Cheng Biting Jin's strange behavior, all forces vaguely felt that the southward migration of the Hu people was a conspiracy, or a conspiracy against the family.

On the official road, messengers galloped to and fro. Since Cheng Fu came back, Li Sheng searched all the agricultural classics to match what he had learned in his previous life, and prepared to create breeding and fattening methods suitable for today. However, he did not know that today's son Li Shimin was going to use the printing press he had built to set off an unprecedented war against the family for thousands of years.