"Mr. Chen is over 10 years old, but he is still in good health and has a clear mind.
Even if he couldn't take any time off, he would go fishing with his ministers. He wouldn't eat the fish he caught, but would just throw it back into the water, saying that he had killed too many people in his life and that he was getting old and had to earn some for himself.
Merit.
It feels so cold behind me, how can the number of people he killed be compared to me? According to this statement, if I... wouldn't go to the eighteenth level of hell to suffer?"
Hearing what Wang Zhibian said was so interesting, Li Po couldn't help but laugh, "He lived a carefree life in Jinyang, and he was still thinking about what happened after his death...
Don't worry, sir. No matter how great your merits are, they can't compare to the power of pacifying the world. With this, ghosts and gods will definitely retreat, and becoming immortals and Buddhas will all depend on everyone's own will."
Changsun Shunde smiled and said: "Your Majesty is wise and has pacified the world and eradicated the princes. This is indeed a blessing to the people of the world. It can be said that there are countless living people and his merits are immeasurable.
This is also determined by the fate of heaven and destiny, and cannot be judged by gods and ghosts."
Li Po nodded with a smile, raised his wine glass, and drank with his two ministers.
What I was thinking in my mind was that it would only be enough for lunch, and there would definitely be more people in the afternoon, and I would have to treat myself to dinner, which would be really troublesome.
I don’t know if the woman will show up at night. If she still doesn’t show up, I have to find a suitable excuse. Why not ask Zhang Sun to summon the ladies to the palace in the afternoon and find something for the woman to do...
As for whether the queen shows up during the lantern viewing at night, it is actually not a big deal. In the cold weather, except for those foreigners who have never seen much of the world, who likes to go to the tower to enjoy the breeze?
The Lantern Festival Lantern Festival has been held for three years now, and it is indeed getting grander every year, and it has become one of the major events in Chang'an.
But for the "well-informed" Li Po, he had lost interest early on. The series of celebrations throughout the year were actually just a formality, with little sense of expectation.
On the other hand, the hunting in spring and autumn, which I didn't pay much attention to before, the weather is suitable, which allows Li Po to go out for a walk and relax.
After staying in Chang'an for a long time, Li Po always felt like he was still and restless, otherwise he wouldn't have made a decision so quickly when he received Ashina Yang Huan's letter.
Last year he went to Luoyang, and the year before last he led people to visit the Xishan Palace. After all, they all fell into this category.
When he was in Jin, he always scorned Yang Guangdong's wanderings to the west. Only after becoming emperor could he truly realize the weight of the crown, which made him breathless.
Although he tried his best to maintain restraint and did not act recklessly like Yang Guang, as the world gradually calmed down, he could not help but start to feel restless.
It's just that his background experience is very different from that of Yang Guang. He knows the sufferings of the people, travels for the right reasons, travels lightly, and avoids extravagance and waste as much as possible.
Even so, he still felt a little guilty every time he went out. After all, Yang Guang's lesson was too profound...
Just like the Lantern Festival on New Year's Eve, just to be happy, Yang Guang could just slap his head, set up a ten-mile-long stage in the winter night, and sing and dance all night long. Li Po couldn't do such a thing.
…………
Okay, Li Po smacked his lips and thought it was okay. Why did he think of Yang Er's prodigal son again? His mood was a bit wrong. It was all because Changsun Shunde had nothing to say. If Feng Lun was still there, how could he talk about the number of days at this time?
Luck or something? I must praise Mr. Chen a few times for his longevity and good virtues. That would be pleasing to my ears.
…………
"I heard that Jinyang is becoming more and more prosperous now. Some Turks will also go to Jinyang to do business. Who are they? Have Wang Qing and others told them?"
Wang Zhibian replied: "Your Majesty, you don't know that Jinyang is very different today. In the fourth year of Yuanzhen, the city wall to the west of Jinyang was repaired. The adjacent West Garden was already deserted, but now it is very busy."
Not bad.
I went in for a walk and almost got lost. There were many trees and the flowers and plants were neatly arranged..."
"The West Garden is Wang's private garden, right?"
"Not now. The Wang family has been in a tight situation in recent years. They still owe taxes to the government, so they used the West Garden to offset the taxes. The Jinyang order at that time was Chu Suiliang. It seems that he was taking advantage of the renovation of the Jinyang Palace.
The West Garden was also tidied up.
As a garden in the city, people can come in and enjoy it..."
Having said this, Wang Zhibian looked at the emperor, and then glanced at the eldest grandson Shunde. Seeing that the eldest grandson Shunde had a strange look in his eyes, Wang Zhibian couldn't help but coughed twice in embarrassment.
After all, he is also a member of the Wang family. When he talks about the Wang family's predicament in front of outsiders, even though he feels happy in his heart, he feels that his face is dull.
The eldest grandson, Shunde, was indeed a little surprised. The Wang family actually owed taxes? Where did we start talking about this? The Wang family in Jinyang has always been one of the famous families in the world, and they can still stand firm even in the most chaotic world.
It should be even more extraordinary now. People with the surname Wang can be regarded as talented people, right? How could they live in such a miserable state that they can't even save their own garden?
Aren't Wang Qing and Wang Lu both members of the Wang family? They just watched and ignored them? As members of the family, the eldest grandson Shunde was puzzled.
A smile appeared on Li Po's lips, but then disappeared.
Taiyuan County was the first place to implement the two-field system. As a large local landowner, the Wang family found it difficult to continue in just a few years. In addition to being at odds with Wang Qing, Wang Lu and others who were in power, and being made things difficult for them, the most important thing was
The reason lies in the land-acreage system.
Nowadays, the big bosses in Chang'an don't feel it is obvious. This is because the two-field system has only been implemented for a short period of time, and they lost too much land during the war.
As time goes by, the more land they take back, the more clearly they will feel the effects of the two-field system.
It's just a game of boiling a frog in warm water. This is a long-term struggle process. Li Po has already thought of the best way to deal with it. In the end, there is no other way but to separate the family.
The more intense means of resistance are unlikely to appear because that period has passed.
Once the system forms inertia, it will be extremely difficult to change it. We can only seek more moderate solutions, such as uniting some people to petition for tax relief, etc.
If the imperial court takes guidance from it, then it will have to reduce the size of its land. Is there a more direct and effective way than splitting the family?
If this thing starts, as long as you dare to distribute a large amount of property to the second sons and concubines, the foundation of these powerful families that have been formed for hundreds of thousands of years will be shaken.
This is a major policy of the imperial court and a game of chess in the emperor's mind, which will not be changed easily.
Li Po didn't see with his own eyes just how miserable Wang's life was, but he still felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.
The Jinyang Wang family was the first behemoth he faced in the Jin region. Going south, he could clearly feel the Wang family's influence in the Jin region.
It was an all-round influence that radiated to almost every corner of Jin.
After he led his troops to occupy Jinyang, he gained a lot of power from the Wang family, but as the leader, he really didn't like this kind of local wealthy family... Li Yuan and his son were like this, and Li Po was not immune to this.
Because the struggle between stubborn local forces and the central government has run through the dynasty since ancient times, it is a major issue that tests the wisdom of the rulers.
…………
Wang Zhibian changed the topic, "According to Manager Wang, Jinyang's household registration has increased by 10% this year, with approximately 60,000 households and nearly 300,000 people.
There are also more business travelers traveling from north to south. Jinyang has built two cities, east and west, imitating Chang'an. I also went to see them and found that there were indeed some Turks.
Look at them... I followed His Majesty to the Turks twice north and killed quite a few Turks.
Now that they can appear in Jinyang safely, I don't know what it feels like, but they all come from Yunzhong to do business, and they are not so wild. After asking about it, I heard that they are very well-behaved.
Your Majesty, what kind of business would you have done with them in those days? When we met, everyone would have to draw their knives and fight to the death. If you were a little slower, you might lose your life..."
Li Po smiled and waved his hand, "Times have changed, and we may not have seen battles with the Turks for a long time."
Changsun Shunde also said: "Yes, your Majesty formed an alliance with the Turkic Khans, isn't it just to turn the war with the Turks into friendship? Several border markets have also been opened... This is a move that will benefit the world at this time and will have great achievements in the future. Your Majesty's move
There is no greater kindness than benevolence."
Wang Zhibian looked at his eldest son, Shunde, and thought that he turned out to be a flatterer. He should find Bu Zhi first, maybe he could talk to you.
Li Po smiled, he was tired of hearing flattery. Changsun Shunde was obviously untrained in flattery. Even Wei Xuancheng was not as good as him, and he didn't even hit the point.
Can the exchanges with the Turks be described as turning hostility into friendship? It was completely forced by the current situation, and it had to be done. Until today, the Tang Dynasty has some wealth and can compete with the Turks head-on.
However, the policy has been based on the theme of making good relations with the Turks in recent years, and it has gradually become better. It is impossible to change suddenly. This is something Li Po did not expect at the beginning.
But how can others sleep soundly on the side of the so-called couch? As long as the Turks were such a strong neighbor, the Tang Dynasty would not be able to sleep peacefully. Li Po had been waiting for an opportunity.
He actually had no idea how this opportunity would appear, and it might depend on Ashina Yang Huan's physical condition.
Whether it is Xiao Yu, Wen Yanbo, or Feng Deyi, they can clearly grasp the meaning. When talking about Turkic government affairs, they always focus on how to weaken the Turks.
What's the point of turning hostility into friendship? Where do these things go?
Li Po became more and more dissatisfied with his eldest son Shunde. The senior officials in his province could not understand the court affairs and the emperor's wishes. This was an irreparable flaw.
Li Po knew that Changsun Shunde might have stayed in places like Luoyang and Chang'an for a long time, and his vision and experience were insufficient, and his thoughts were all focused on fighting for power and profit.
So I also forgot what my ancestors did. You can't lead an army, and your views on foreign affairs are so childish. How can you be worthy of a high position?
Changsun Shunde didn't know it yet, but he was still far away from the position he dreamed of, otherwise he would have to vomit blood...
