There was a quarrel.

After being silent for a while, Han Qi first asked: "Xingzhi, are you really eight points sure?" ”

Zheng Lang nodded and said, "If you send another envoy and agree to hand over some places in Hexi to Tubo, and send troops on both sides at the same time, the success rate will be even higher." ”

Zheng Lang of the Hexi Corridor is reluctant to let go, but as soon as he dies, Tubo is nothing, so it is better to say that it is for him to be trusteeship. And he achieved one goal, two multiple-choice questions, governing the country or leveling the world, the country is used to govern, the world is pacified by force, and everyone's ideological concepts are forcibly corrected. The proposition is too big, no matter whether the Zheng family governs the Yellow River or pacifies the Western Xia, everyone ignores what is wrong with Zheng Lang's statement.

After receiving Zheng Lang's affirmative answer, Han Qi said loudly: "Your Majesty, once the Western Xia is pacified, Shaanxi will no longer need to station so many troops, and the expenditure of just one year will save tens of millions of yuan, the national finances will be healthier, and the governance of the Yellow River can be carried out at any time, but the time to pacify the Western Xia will pass in the blink of an eye." ”

Han Qi has some truth in what he said.

Song Zhen said hesitantly: "Xingzhi, are you very sure?" ”

Zheng Lang shook his head.

"If you are not very sure, in case of failure, the country's accumulation of several years will turn into a disaster, Your Majesty, the minister thinks that it is better to govern the Yellow River first, and the internal affairs will go up, so why not be afraid of foreign enemies, since the Liuta River, the Yellow River has disasters every year, but everyone is afraid of it like a tiger, and they dare not mention it. Since the imperial court had the ambition to govern the Yellow River, why not govern the Yellow River first. The people live and work in peace and contentment, and have no worries about food and clothing, which is the eternal foundation of the country. ”

"Bo Zhen, there is the force of Western Xia, how to mention the foundation of the world."

"Zhigui, since ancient times in China, Hu Di has never stopped invading, when the Han Dynasty was strong, the Xiongnu were destroyed, and there was the disaster of Xidi, when the Tang Dynasty was strong. The Khitans, Turks, and Tibetans have not been able to be extinguished. After the destruction of Western Xia, there are Uighurs, and there are Tibetans in the south, so if the West is really fine? ”

Fu Bi pondered for a long time, and suddenly said: "Your Majesty, the minister also thinks that the Yellow River will be ruled first, as long as the country is strong, Western Xia will not be a danger." ”

Pang Ji said: "Yanguo." Not necessarily, what is the strength of the country, if it is tight, there will be a surplus in the treasury during the emperor's reign, and it will be loosened, even now. No amount of money is wasted. Open source is important, but throttling should not be ignored. ”

Pang Ji didn't know how to choose, referring to the waste of national money.

But Pang Ji took the topic further.

The officials present were afraid of whom, so more officials got involved, and it was more like a dispute than a quarrel.

Seeing that the Chongzheng Hall became like a vegetable market, Zheng Lang was speechless.

In fact, Pang Ji said the same reason, but looking at the finance, the finance of the Song Dynasty was based on his own efforts. It's really getting better. However, whether it can be held or not, there is no south, there is no bank, during the reign of Huang You, a reduction in soldiers, an increase in commercial taxes, and the combination of inside and outside reached more than 20 million yuan. Live a budget-conscious life, improve efficiency, and reduce waste. That's how the surplus of 30 million was saved. It is the subsequent removal of the additional consumption and the head money. It can also save 20 million yuan a year. Theoretically, keep the foundation of Huang You. The surplus money from the banks and the south can enable the state to accumulate more than 50 million yuan a year. There is no need for the state's previous money and silk, but this money and silk will be carried out in four years, which is enough to support the Yellow River project.

If the efficiency is bloated and wasted, there will be no more money. If there is another disaster, there will be a south, a bank, and the country will not want to have a surplus, let alone the Yellow River. Also, Zheng Lang has never understood how the country used more than 200 million yuan of money a year when Zhao Ji ascended the throne.

This is an uncertain factor.

Putting aside this uncertain factor, Zheng Lang still wants to focus on controlling the Yellow River in his heart, wants to deal with Western Xia, and has a chance in the future, he still wants to wait for the divine arm bow and the artillery technology to be perfected. However, looking at Zhao Zhen's thin figure on the dragon chair, he couldn't help but look to the west in his heart.

Zhao Zhen...... It's not a few years to live.

This is his selfishness, his selfishness that cannot be spoken.

After fighting for most of the day, there was no result at all. Hugh wants to underestimate Han Qi, he has little strength, but he is extremely strong, and Pang Ji feels a headache to deal with, not to mention Fu Bi.

"Let's disperse," Zhao Zhen looked at the sky, quarreled for most of the day, didn't eat lunch, he was so hungry that his eyes were dizzy, but the more noisy the ministers became, the more energetic they became, their ears were buzzing, so they had to announce the dispersal of the dynasty.

Walking out of the Chongzheng Palace, Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu caught up at the same time.

Han Qi was the prime minister, Ouyang Xiu stood on the side first, and Han Qi asked: "Xingzhi, in your opinion, Tubo is terrifying?" ”

Tubo was silent for many years, and it was only last year that it suddenly went berserk, making the Song Dynasty monarchs realize its strength.

Zheng Lang replied: "It depends on the fact that last year, Tubo won many great victories, one was that the Western Xia was a light enemy, and the other was that most of the battles were in Tubo, or in Lanzhou, which was the Tubo people of the Six Valleys, occupying part of the time, place and people. Therefore, the Western Xia was defeated repeatedly. Not to be underestimated, nor to be overestimated. As soon as he died, his three sons were separated, and there was a lack of cohesion between the upper and lower levels, and Tubo would never be as strong as before. ”

"I know, Uncle Ouyang Yong, you can say it."

"Xingzhi, if the Yellow River is governed, will it flow north or east?"

"Do you have to go east?"

"Why?"

"Relying on the topography, the north of the river is flat, and the water flows to the lower places, and it likes to flow north. However, I have inspected everywhere in Hebei, although the Yellow River likes to flow north, if it does not come from the mountains and rivers of Taihang, it will be fine. Because there are several rivers down the Taihang Mountain. The Yellow River widens and deepens, the water potential is flat when the water is small, and the river sand settles quickly, and sooner or later the Yellow River will become a super-long hanging river. Moreover, the main purpose of river control is to bundle water and wash sand, and the river channel is not too wide. If the river water is restrained, when the water is large, the water of Taihang Mountain is huge, and the water cannot be discharged, and there will be danger. The northward flow relies on the water nature, but it cannot be controlled. It must be forcibly tied to the east. ”

"Randongliu is on high ground."

"Therefore I propose to dig a canal to pick up the water from the downstream, so that it can be drained and stored, and when the water is large, the canal can be used to quickly drain the water from the river to the sea through the water downstream. When the water potential is low, close the steep gate and let the Yellow River wash the river sand to the sea, reducing the harm of the hanging river. Otherwise, like all kinds of laws in the past, there is no meaning at all except wasting the country's money. ”

"I'm afraid of the people," Fu Bi said coldly in the back.

"Yanguo, you have to see what to do? The state uses free forced labor to serve the people. That's the laborers. If the people are hired, and those who are willing to come come will come to their aid, and those who are not willing to come cannot be forced, then the state only needs to take care of a big project, which is a chance to give the people a chance to live. Although the south is not as important as the Yellow River, I have implemented many projects in the south, and they are far less large than the Yellow River. Taken together, however, the project is not small. Can I see that I have worked for the people? ”

Infrastructure, a great opportunity to increase the country's GDP. Guan Jian saw how to do it.

"How much does it cost to hire all the people?"

"Even if you spend more money, you spend it on the poor people, take it from the people, and use it for the people. What does the state ask for money for? If you don't have to do it to the poor people, can you let a magistrate raise seventy-two concubines and prostitutes? ”

"That magistrate has seventy-two concubines?" Pang Ji asked curiously.

Zheng Lang snorted and didn't answer. Not to mention the county, there was also a bureau chief who was equivalent to the county lieutenant Bo, who raised seventy-two little wives.

"I'm afraid that the country's finances are insufficient."

"Insufficient state finances? In the last years of the first emperor, there were more than 5 million hectares of cultivated land in the country, and in these years, the farmland water conservancy law, Jiangdong Wei, and the newly added more than 500,000 hectares of cultivated land in the southern Zhulu brought at least 1 million hectares, plus the original hidden fields. The cultivated land area of the country may be close to 8 million hectares, but the household register is less than 4 million hectares. Nearly three million of them are in the south. Is it true that there are only a million hectares of arable land in the Great North? At the end of the Qingli Dynasty, in order to recuperate and recuperate, the commercial tax was reduced or exempted, because the commercial prosperity brought by the rest and recuperation, and the commercial tax once reached more than 15 million yuan during the emperor's reign. In the past six or seven years, the stimulation of banks, the expansion of the scale of the Ping An Prison, the number of workshops in various places has tripled, and the commercial tax has been reduced. Last year, the commercial tax was only 17 million. What about these taxes? What about these cultivated fields? ”

Several people were talking, and many officials were gathered around to observe. Zheng Lang asked several questions, but no official dared to answer.

"Guo Jian saw that the merger of cultivated land and hidden fields was serious, the cadastral was chaotic, the rich had heavy land and the land endowment had not increased, the poor had less land and the tax had not been reduced, and even those with hundreds of acres of private land only paid the tax of four acres of land, so he first advocated the average tax law, why did the alcohol send the Fang Lang Sun Lin, the capital palace member Lin Zhichun, the Tuntian staff Wailang Xi Ruyan, the Yu member Wailang Li Feng, and the secretary Cheng Gao to go to Zhulu Juntian, and the people have not left the capital, and there is a voice of opposition? The world, the world of the elite, but also take into account the poor people. Do not take the king's money, but put the good of the country into the pockets of the few. The inequality between the rich and the poor is serious, and in the end, you and I will have no children and grandchildren! ”

After speaking, Zheng Lang strode home.

Not long after I arrived home, suddenly the porter outside came to report: "Your Majesty is here." ”

Zheng Lang immediately ordered someone to open the middle door, the emperor came, any door had to be opened, and the highest etiquette welcomed.

understands Zhao Zhen's intentions, whether it is the Yellow River or Western Xia, he has to take the main responsibility, and he has not re-entered the two mansions for many years, which will cause people to misunderstand, and misunderstanding will be despised, and despising the decree will have no prestige.

Therefore, he came to visit in a high-profile manner and gave himself prestige.

Welcome Zhao Zhen to the house.

Sitting down, Zhao Zhen said, "It's the first time I've come to your house. ”

It is quite normal for the emperor to go to the house of a certain trusted minister, but in the past, Zheng Lang was not envied, but Zhao Zhen did not come to Zheng's house once.

Zhao Zhen said again: "Your house is also the most shabby house I have ever been to the minister's house. ”

"Your Majesty, you can't live too aggrieved, you can't eat too aggrieved, you can't dress too aggrieved, and you can't be extravagant, contented."

"It's easy to say that you are content and happy, but how many people do it, by the way, what about your two students?"

"Your Majesty, they are not students of the ministers, communicate with each other. I'm studying, and I'm preparing to take the exam. ”

"That's early."

"Prepare too."

"By the way, I just heard that you had an argument with a few governors outside the Chongzheng Palace."

"It's not a dispute, it's just that I saw some drawbacks, and I can't help but want to say, since Your Majesty said this, can you call a few ministers to be guests, just now there were too many ministers in the Chongzheng Palace, and the ministers had some thoughts in their hearts, and they couldn't say clearly."

"I'm here as a guest." Zhao Zhen quipped, but he still followed Zheng Lang's advice and sent the eunuch to pass on the ministers.

Cui Xian personally served tea, and Zhao Zhen said: "You all go down, I will say a few words to Zheng Qing." ”

Waiting for Cui Xian and several subordinate eunuchs to retreat, Zhao Zhen said: "The slave wants to see you in the palace, so I dissuaded it." ”

Zheng Lang was embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, can you choose a good Langjun, Your Highness can't stay in the deep palace for the rest of your life." ”

"I have persuaded you. But she didn't listen, and I was afraid of accidents. ”

"This ......" Zheng Lang didn't know how to answer.

"You don't care about your son?"

Zheng Lang almost sweated, and he didn't know how to answer. I actually asked, and it's okay in the palace. Even if there is any intrigue in the palace, Zhao Niannu's son cannot participate in the battle for the throne, and there is no danger.

"Take me upstairs to your house and have a look."

"Whoa." Zheng Lang took Zhao Zhen to the second floor of his house, and stood in front of the study, Zhao Zhen looked into the distance. Said: "I have an idea in my heart, after a few years the incident fades, the slave still has an obsession in his heart, just build a Taoist temple near your house, let the slave become a monk." ”

"This," Zheng Lang really sweated.

"That's it. It's harder for you to get into the two provinces. ”

"It's the same for the minister to enter the two mansions, but," Zheng Lang didn't know how to say, from the perspective of personal feelings, this was the safest way. The Zheng family is not rich or expensive, but it is not difficult for the royal family to build a small Taoist temple. Occasionally come and go as a female Taoist, as long as you don't do too much, others will gossip, but it doesn't matter. But it was a ticking time bomb. I want to say that I have done the sins, but I have nothing to say.

Zhao Zhen diverted the topic, even if he had this idea, he had to wait for the river or Pingxia to pass, at this time, no matter what, he couldn't make a mess, looked into the distance and said: "Zheng Qing, you have almost traveled to most places in my Song Dynasty. How are the people doing? ”

"Your Majesty. Okay, it's getting better, but there are still many people who have food and clothing difficulties. ”

"I'd love to see the real lives of the people." This requirement doesn't seem to be difficult, but it's really difficult, think about the emperor's travel, the jade chariot is carried, the surrounding guards open the way, and they also go out of the palace, or even out of the city, but what chance is there to really see the lives of the people.

Zheng Lang shook his head.

However, Zhao Zhen has been sad all his life, his range of activities is really small, he grew up in the palace since he was a child, and after growing up, he will either go out of the palace or occasionally go out of the palace once in the south. But this is such an emperor, but he is the emperor who knows the people's sufferings best.

He said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it is also a blessing for a minister to meet a person like Your Majesty." ”

"I have met a courtier like you, it is also my blessing, sometimes I think, you have no children in your life, I have no children in my life, but you have done so much for me, but I don't know how to repay, maybe the slave thing is also the will of God, a drink and a peck, how can it be wrong?"

"This," Zheng Lang didn't know what to say.

Zhao Zhen then changed the topic and said, "Zheng Qing, I heard in the palace that the inner servants said that the people's lives have been better than before in recent years. ”

"It's true, it's better than before. In fact, the people's requirements are not high, they are satisfied with a mouthful of food, clothes to keep warm, and a place to shelter from the wind and rain. If you can eat meat once in a while, and wear a new dress or two once in a while, you will praise your majesty for his wisdom. ”

"That's it?"

"It can still be like this, this is when they meet a Ming monarch like Your Majesty, and the country is under great control, otherwise it will be even more miserable," Zheng Lang said helplessly. This is determined by productivity, in this era can make the people full rather than well-fed, warm instead of well-dressed, and able to live in a place instead of a villa, the difficulty requirement is no less than that in later generations, everyone has a BMW, and every family lives in a villa.

Suddenly, he had an idea and said, "Your Majesty, do you want to see the real life of the common people?" ”

"Yes," Zhao Zhen replied, but a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, which was impossible. With hundreds of guards, no matter where they go, they can't see the living conditions of the common people. It's a pity that he is not a traverser, or Zheng Lang has the ability to let him read Kangxi Weifu's private interview, otherwise he will be scolded, how can these screenwriters talk nonsense to such a point.

But I must think that this is called siege mentality, or the psychology of the other side of the river. Those inside the city want to come out, and those outside the city want to enter the city. When I saw the other side of the river, I always thought that there would be beautiful scenery on the other side of the river. The best thing is that no matter how the country is governed, Zhao Zhen never mentions Feng Chan, and no minister mentions Feng Chan. There are good things on the top, and there are some votes on the bottom, and if you don't mention it, it's boring to mention it.

Therefore, Zheng Lang had an idea, the big wish could not be satisfied, but the small wish had some small ideas. Just wait for a few prime ministers to come over, let's take a look. said: "Your Majesty, the minister can let Your Majesty see it today." However, if the minister says something later, His Majesty does not need to refute it. ”

"Okay." Zhao Zhen's eyes flashed with joy.

The two of them went downstairs, and in the twilight, several Zaizhi arrived. Dongfu Fubi, Pang Ji, Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Xifu Song Zhen, Tian Quan, Cheng Huan, Zhang Sheng. Indeed, without Zhao Niannu, no one would be as qualified as Zheng Lang, even though he was the youngest among them.

Sitting down, Zheng Lang said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I said something to Your Majesty just now, and Your Majesty wants to see the real life of the people. ”

"No," Da Song exclaimed.

How to look at it, there is no way to see it.

"I also thought it was impossible, but it wasn't really impossible, if Your Majesty didn't travel by jade chariot, the guards were on guard from afar, and then dozens of strong martial arts guards were selected for personal protection, but you could take a look."

"It's not appropriate," Fu Bi said, "If we really do this, we will let Yanchen scold to death tomorrow." ”

"Yanguo, Zaizhi, the one who has not been scolded by Yanchen, is he still called Zaizhi if he has not been scolded?" Zheng Lang's lazy words made everyone embarrassed. Zheng Lang said again: "Your Majesty also said just now, I only heard the report from your ministers, but he has never seen it with his own eyes, and he has no bottom in his heart. If you think about it, His Majesty has not been a Zen monk, has not traveled, and even other Shujing has never been there, so it is not surprising that such an idea arises. ”

After a pause, he said, "The minister has another intention. ”

"What is the purpose?" Han Qi asked.

"See it."

Several prime ministers are still desperately opposed.

Zhao Zhen said: "That's it." ”

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked out.

Zhang Sheng wanted to pull Zhao Zhen's sleeve, but Zhao Zhen snorted: "Why don't you let me see it, is there anything you can't watch?" ”

It's not a reason, but Zhang Sheng doesn't know how to answer. Zhao Zhen had already walked to the door in a hurry, and several prime ministers had to follow, Zheng Lang whispered a few words in Cui Xian's ear and followed.

The group came out in a majestic manner, and Zhang Sheng complained on the road: "Xingzhi, you are too ...... nonsense"

It's inconvenient to say the words.

The guards are still opening the way, but unlike in the past, Zhao Zhen is not riding the jade chariot. This is inevitable, that is, Kangxi put aside the national perspective, it is still okay for the people, and he is most afraid of worrying about the people, so he brought 300 servants everywhere he went. Zhao Zhen was even more afraid of worrying about the people, so he went to Zheng Lang's house as a guest, and also brought more than 100 guards.

That's it, after walking for a while, Han Qi also complained: "Xingzhi, you didn't do it right." ”

At this time, there were fewer pedestrians on the street, but it was the most prosperous place, and there was nothing to do to go to Zheng's house, so Zhao Zhen walked on the street, and more than 100 guards and guards also felt difficult.

Zheng Lang said: "Let people impeach me tomorrow, so that I don't have an example." ”

Several prime ministers rolled their eyes together, knowing that it was not an example, and you yourself have suffered a lot, why do you do this?

Zheng Lang was silent, this is selfishness!

!