Man is a monster that can never be satisfied, and the greed in your heart will always keep tempting you.

When you reach one goal, it will immediately indicate another goal for you to move on.

It can be great wealth or destruction.

Compared with Ma Zhou, it is naturally incomparable, and the entire Datang can be compared with Ma Zhou, it can be said that there is no one.

No one can surpass Ma Zhou in this regard, there is a preconceived advantage, there is also Li Yuanji's trust in him, plus his own efforts, the three reasons have come together to have the current result.

Fortunately, Wang Xuance is also more open-minded, he is not as good as Ma Zhou, but there are many others who are not as good as himself.

Now there are many small officials who are still working hard at the grassroots level, but have no way out, and if they feel dissatisfied, what should they do?

Sure enough, Wang Xuance's guess was not wrong.

The three provinces soon issued a proclamation announcing the election of the emperor as the Heavenly Khan by the Western Regions.

At this time, Wang Xuance and Yu Shimu had also left the hot pot restaurant, and they happened to see this scene.

"Hey, the people are just the people after all!" Seeing that most of them were lively, but there were few people who really took it seriously, Wang Xuance couldn't help but be disappointed.

There are reasons for the lack of education for all, there are other reasons, and even to put it mildly, it can be said that the people's sense of national honor is not particularly strong.

What do they have to do with the people? Now the people's minds are only left on how to make their lives better, and they can't intervene about these imperial temples or anything. Shi Mu glanced at the announcement, in fact, even he didn't feel anything, but there was one point, people who chose to monitor outside the station might be sent to the Western Regions, but that was all in the future.

"No, civil affairs are state affairs, and state affairs are also civil ......"

……

"Your Majesty attaches great importance to commerce, and not only vigorously promotes it, but also personally invests in it, and for this purpose, even deliberately set up a royal business group, and all the expenses of the royal family will also be spent from the royal group, and henceforth, the money of the treasury can only be used for state affairs. While it's not necessarily a good thing to separate them, so far, nothing bad has been found! "Taipingfang, after the noon opening, the hot pot restaurant will be closed to prepare for the evening banquet.

There is no luxurious set meal as you imagined, just some of the most common and delicious ingredients in the hot pot restaurant.

Li Yuanji didn't come forward, and he didn't need to come forward in person for this kind of scene, but Fang Xuanling still came, in fact, he asked Tang Jian, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, to come forward, even if it was enough to give these people face.

"Trade Routes! His Majesty's most important thing is the trade routes. Fang Xuanling reminded again, saying that it was a banquet, but in fact, it could also be regarded as some explanations in private, telling them what they could and what they couldn't move.

"Your Majesty sent Xu Jing to the west in order to reopen the Silk Road, and the troops of Yumen Pass were originally just a normal change of guards, but I never thought that this road was so unsmooth, and as a last resort, I sent troops to rescue, but I never thought that Yiwu and Gaochang were so unbearable, so they had to clean them up." Somewhat ostentatious, but it can also be seen as a threat of force, he paused and continued:

"Now that the overall situation has been decided, you can walk freely in Chang'an, or go to Luozhou and other places, and inquire carefully, what do you have that Datang needs, and what Datang has, and what you lack. As long as the Silk Road is reopened, you can rest assured that you will not lack materials and money. ”

The idea of the Tang Dynasty to reopen the Silk Road is well known, and the caravan led by Xu Jing is a foreshadowing, and they are ready for this trip to Chang'an.

To be honest, the importance of the Silk Road is far more important to these small countries in the Western Regions than to the Tang Dynasty.

The Western Regions itself is dominated by the desert Gobi, and many things are in urgent need, if many countries can complement each other, then it is fine, but unfortunately, most of the countries there lack things, basically the same, although the characteristics are different.

The reopening of the Silk Road means that the trade routes that were previously cut off for some reason can now be restored.

A large number of goods can enter the country, and what they are in short supply will no longer lack.

From the point of view of a ruler, this is a win-win situation, and of course, as a ruler, they can also get a lot of benefits from it while winning it.

That's the most important thing, it's not that I didn't want to, but that I didn't have the opportunity.

"Fang Xiang, the minister has a problem." Abu Adu stepped forward and asked at the right time.

"Please!" Fang Xuanling smiled slightly, and made a gesture of please, I have to say that it is actually very good to have one of his own people opposite, and he doesn't have to worry about anything, although he has no sense of accomplishment.

"The farther the distance, the higher the cost of goods, excluding the cost of manual carriages and horses, the transit tax alone is not a small amount, in this way, the goods from the Western Regions come to Datang, the price is bound to be extremely high, which will inevitably affect the sales of goods, and the opposite is the same, the price is high, so expensive that the people can't afford it, then the previous efforts will be in vain, and there is no gain at all." It's not far away, it's not high, it has nothing to do with him, and Abu Adu doesn't want to get involved in this, but there is no way, this is Li Yuanji's personal order, and he has to cooperate with Fang Xuanling to sing such a double reed.

"It's easy!" Fang Xuanling smiled slightly, and continued: "Datang will set up customs in various countries, and the caravans, before leaving, must go to the customs for inspection and reporting, and then the customs will issue relevant documents, all those who hold customs documents, no taxes and fees will be charged everywhere on the way, and after arriving at the destination, take the customs documents and goods, and go to the customs in Chang'an to be inspected. ”

The Tang Dynasty had a border tax, not only in the Tang Dynasty, but also in many places.

That is, whether your destination is this city or not, as long as you enter the city, you must pay taxes at the city gate.

In order to avoid huge taxes and fees, some caravans often choose not to enter the city, but if they do not enter the city, their safety cannot be guaranteed.

The high transit tax led to the fact that the commerce of the Tang Dynasty rarely operated across regions, and the problem was naturally obvious because commerce was not circulated and capital was not circulated.

In order to enable the rapid development of domestic commerce, this method was first intended to be used domestically.

But it is not exactly the same, for example, in the domestic plan, there is no customs step, and the process is very simple.

That is, when going out of the city, the city gate guards will check the number, issue documents, and when they go to another city, they will enter the city to inspect, and if the goods are reduced, they need to show the proof of tax payment, and if they can't get it, they will be fined three times.

If the goods are the same as when they enter the city, they do not have to pay taxes, and if they are less, they need to pay taxes when they leave the city.

That is, less goods are taxed, and many are not paid.

As for the caravan trading goods in the city without permission, the quantity, name, and destination of the goods on the documents are clearly written, and without the documents, they cannot enter the city, and the goods do not match, and they will be held responsible.

Although this set of processes delays some things, it really reduces the cost of long-distance transportation of goods, which can maximize the reduction of prices.

"What if the goods are robbed on the way?" Someone asked, as if trying to find some loopholes.

"If the goods are robbed, look for the nearest customs to report, and the customs will notify the garrison to conduct a search, and any force that dares to attack the caravan, Datang will make them regret it." Fang Xuanling smiled slightly, but his tone was extremely unkind.

What are the 60,000 garrisons for? While controlling you, I can also kill your cards, otherwise I will send 60,000 garrisons there to take care of your home and nursing home for no reason?

"As the saying goes, how can you walk by the river without getting your shoes wet? The old man advises you, don't lose big because of the small, this long-term benefit, and the temporary interest, which is more important, you should be able to see clearly. Fang Xuanling continued to remind.

The Tang people are so calculating that some of the ideas these people have can only be stillborn, and they have no chance to implement them.

"The ...... of the goods"

Someone asked unwillingly.

"Who the goods are handed over, you decide for yourself, whether it is close to the people, it is also up to you to decide, Datang's principle is that the price of goods cannot exceed five times the cost, but some special commodities can be specially priced." If you want people to contribute, you have to give some sweetness.

Such a big piece of cake can't be swallowed by these people present alone, but since they have come here, they must have their benefits.

The benefits come to you first, but you recognize your own ability, if your ability is insufficient, it is better to take it appropriately, in case you can't end it in the end, you can think about the consequences.

In fact, how the Western Regions countries distributed these benefits, Fang Xuanling didn't care at all, and there was no reason to care.

The reason why I am so concerned is because this matter is too beneficial to Datang.

If you want to develop, you must have money, the country has money, the people have to have money, the people have money, business will naturally develop, business will develop, business will develop, the country will also develop, a set of circular green ecology will eventually be formed.

A country in the Western Regions is not big, but dozens of countries are united, and they are also a large force.

Coupled with the benefits of long-distance business, it is by no means comparable to what you can compare with a few trips from Luozhou to Chang'an.

The wide opening of trade routes means that Datang will add countless jobs, and with jobs, there will be money, although I don't know how Li Yuanji figured this out, anyway, Fang Xuanling was convinced, and he deeply believed in it.

Of course, hinting is not okay, it is still the same sentence, if you want people to contribute, you must give a reassurance, which is the result of a long time ago.

Fang Xuanling said leisurely: "Don't worry, your interests will be protected by Datang, but beyond your ability, Datang will be powerless." ”