Man Tang Hong Chapter 0390: Heart-to-heart talk between brothers? (Additional update for ‘Red Dust’! 7/10)
Sure enough, before Li Yuanji could speak, Li Shimin said with a smile: "However, by leaving the water transportation to you to unblock and manage it, it can save a lot of time and avoid wasting a long time, causing Datang to lose a lot of money."
A huge tax burden.”
Speaking of this, the smile on Li Shimin's face became even brighter, "I heard that the water transport you opened from Luoyang to Dizhou can bring me nearly 100,000 guan in taxes from the Tang Dynasty in one year."
One hundred thousand guan is not much to Li Shimin.
For Li Yuanji, it was not even much, and it was not even as large as the massive wealth that Li Yuanji had obtained through water and sea transportation.
But for the Tang treasury, which has been running fiscal deficits for many years, it is a huge amount of income.
With these 100,000 yuan, Datang could ensure that people in some of the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties would not go hungry.
It can also ensure that some soldiers can be equipped with better armor and better horses.
Although it will not benefit the entire Tang Dynasty, it is an excellent thing to be able to share some of the pressure on Datang's finances.
It’s not like Datang didn’t have money to make its people live a better life.
But we can't always let Li Yuan's inner treasury and the treasury of Li Yuanji and others subsidize it.
This is not a long-term solution.
No matter how much money there is in Li Yuan's inner treasury and the treasury of Li Yuanji and others, it is not enough to subsidize it.
Therefore, it is necessary to increase the tax burden by increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, so that Datang's income and expenses must be proportional as soon as possible.
In this way, the money in Li Yuan's inner treasury and the money in the treasury of Li Yuanji and others can do more things.
For example, we should cultivate more talents who are useful to the Tang Dynasty, and equip more and more powerful soldiers to prepare for conquering our neighbors and dominating the world.
Li Yuanji also laughed, "So, what Xu Jingzong said before is not a lie. Second brother really intends to hand over the canal from Luoyang to Yuhang to me?"
Li Shimin nodded without hesitation.
Since he decided to hand over the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to Li Yuanji in return, he would not be coy about it.
They are all brothers, and this is what he wants to win over, so acting coyly only makes him look petty and unfavorable, so he might as well have fun.
"The reason why I stayed to talk to you before the hunt is to make this matter clear. In case you and I are always thinking about this matter, we will not be able to enjoy the hunt to the fullest."
Li Shimin said with a hearty smile.
That gesture should be more majestic and majestic.
Li Yuanji also smiled heartily and said: "In that case, I won't be polite to my second brother."
Li Shimin laughed and said, "You should be rude. I am your brother. If you are polite to me, it will make you look unfamiliar."
At this point, the smile on Li Shimin's face faded again, and he suddenly became serious, "However, I will leave the canal from Luoyang to Yuhang to you. You must make good use of it and don't let it go to waste.
"The Romance of Fairy Wood"
Although Yangdi built this canal, it was a waste of money and people, and although it was criticized by thousands of people, everyone knows that Yangdi built a lifeline that was beneficial to the people in the north and south.
Emperor Yang didn't make good use of it, so he was criticized by thousands of people.
If we fail to use it well, we will not only be criticized by thousands of people, but also poked in the bones.
Since I, Li Tang, have replaced him, I must do better than Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang.
Only in this way can the people of the world know that I, Li Tang, have replaced me, not because I am ambitious, but because I care about the people of the world and cannot bear to see the people of the world live a miserable life.
It can also let the people of the world know that I, Li Tang, took his place, not to seek to usurp the throne, but to comply with the will of God and the will of the people."
After listening to what Li Shimin said, Li Yuanji opened his mouth slightly and was a little shocked.
Even before Li Shimin became emperor, he began to think according to the emperor's thinking and began to show the courage of an emperor.
Li Shimin was not like this before.
Could it be that he was poisoned by Li Jiancheng, hurt by Li Yuan, and grew up?
It’s just that the growth rate is too fast, right?
How could he, a mortal, live like this?
"What, you think what I said is wrong?"
Li Shimin saw Li Yuanji standing there in a daze and didn't speak, so he asked serious questions.
Li Yuanji came back to his senses, nodded and said: "Yes, yes, it just feels a little different?"
Li Shimin said with a smile: "Why does it feel different?"
Li Yuanji pondered without speaking.
Li Shimin gave him the feeling that he had not only grown up, but also gained an aura of self-importance.
It's like he insists on taking the throne.
Although Li Shimin was always thinking about the throne, he still behaved like Li Yuan's good son. He was often manipulated by Li Yuan, and was often embarrassed by Li Jiancheng's overt and covert tactics.
But now, when he speaks and acts, he seems to no longer consider Li Yuan's thoughts, nor will he be embarrassed by some of Li Jiancheng's overt and covert tactics.
It's more like he has determined that the throne must be his, and it can only be his, and it must be him.
It was as if he had decided that if Li Yuan gave him that seat, he would sit on it without mercy. If Li Yuan didn't give it to him, then he would have to grab it.
"Why don't you speak again?"
Seeing that Li Yuanji was silent for a long time, Li Shimin asked again.
Li Yuanji glanced at Li Shimin and suddenly felt that Li Shimin was guiding him to speak. Li Shimin was trying to use this to induce wooing, or perhaps it was a bit of coercion.
If he said, "Second brother has an aura of giving up to me," then Li Shimin would most likely say, "Where is this aura of giving up to me?"
Then lead to a struggle for the throne, win him over to help, or force him to express his stance.
When Li Yuanji had this idea, he immediately retracted the idea of telling the truth and said with a smile: "Second brother has a little more determination."
Li Shimin smiled knowingly and said, "Then why do you think I have more determination?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Li Yuanji smiled without hesitation: "Of course I saw that my Tang Dynasty was prospering, and I felt that my Tang Dynasty was destined to be prosperous and prosperous in the future. Your name
It is also destined to go down in history, so I have a little more determination."
Li Shimin was obviously stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Li Yuanji to give such an answer.
So after being stunned, he laughed and said: "You, you, let's call you smart. Sometimes you do nothing but make a fool of yourself, which not only makes my father angry, but also makes us brothers gnash our teeth."
Let’s just say you are a slippery person. You are so slippery that no one can catch you even if they want to.
I don’t believe you can’t hear the depth of my words, and I don’t believe you don’t know what I’m talking about and what I want to hear.”
Li Yuanji just smiled and said nothing.
The smile on Li Shimin's face faded, and he suddenly looked out of the greenhouse with a sigh of relief, and said coldly: "Are you really not willing to help me?"
The smile on Li Yuanji's face also faded, and he sighed in his heart, but still said nothing.
It's not that he doesn't want to help Li Shimin, but that he can't help Li Shimin.
Li Shimin has his own pursuits, and he also has his own pursuits.
Moreover, these two pursuits have almost no overlap, so he and Li Shimin cannot become partners.
In history, if Li Shimin had not killed all the heirs in his brother's family, had not brought his younger brothers and sisters into the palace, and had not connived at Yu Chigong's murder of Li Daozong, he might have been able to help Li Shimin achieve a far greater hegemony than in history.
It's a pity that Li Shimin killed all the heirs in his brother's family, treated his brother's daughter like nothing, brought his younger brothers and sisters into the palace, and even almost helped him become a queen. He even allowed Yuchi Gong to commit murder against Li Daozong, and treated other members of the royal family just like that.
, there was no mercy at all when it was time to be ruthless.
This may be because Li Yuan has always been partial to Li Jiancheng, which has wiped away the family affection in Li Shimin's heart, or maybe it is because Li Jiancheng has been cruel to Li Shimin one after another, which has drained away the brotherhood in Li Shimin's heart. It is not that Li Shimin was born cold.
But no matter what, Li Shimin's actions in history cannot make him do his best to assist Li Shimin and leave his head in Li Shimin's hands.
After Li Jiancheng killed Li Shimin, why didn't Li Yuan punish Li Jiancheng, and why did he stand firmly on Li Jiancheng's side?
Isn't it because Li Yuan, while safeguarding the eldest son inheritance system, was also safeguarding Li Jiancheng's life?
Li Yuan firmly supported Li Jiancheng because he saw that Li Jiancheng was not Li Shimin's opponent. After Li Jiancheng came to power, he would at most suppress Li Shimin, but he would never kill Li Shimin.
It was also because Li Yuan saw that after Li Shimin came to power, he could not only suppress Li Jiancheng, but also kill Li Jiancheng anytime and anywhere. He was not sure whether Li Shimin would let Li Jiancheng go at the critical moment, so he did not dare to let Li Shimin go.
This more outstanding son came to power.
Regarding the previous poisoning incident in Quchi, although Li Yuan was angry at Li Jiancheng for killing Li Shimin and felt pity for Li Shimin's almost death, it was obvious from Taiyuan Hospital's abnormal behavior that Li Shimin was not a simple person in this matter.
It is very likely that the victims of the crime also did some reverse calculations.
Through Li Jiancheng's clumsy method of murdering Li Shimin and Li Shimin's ruthless counterattack without leaving any trace, Li Yuan could easily judge who was stronger and weaker between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin.
That's why Li Yuancai changed his usual conciliatory attitude and firmly supported Li Jiancheng, even going to great lengths to clear Li Jiancheng's name.
There is a saying that a son is better than his father.
Li Yuan didn't believe that Li Shimin could treat Li Jiancheng well after he came to power, so how could he dare to believe that Li Shimin could treat him well after he came to power?
So how dare he help Li Shimin?
Li Yuanji didn't speak, and Li Shimin didn't speak either. They just waited quietly for the answer.
When Li Yuanji saw this, he understood. If he didn't give Li Shimin an answer, Li Shimin would never give up.
He sighed and said: "Second brother, I just want to be a rich and arrogant idler, why do you drag me into trouble?"
Li Shimin looked at Li Yuanji intently and said with a heavy breath: "Eldest brother has already started to kill me. There is no friendship left between me and eldest brother.
My father has now begun to favor his eldest brother, and the father-son relationship between me and my father is now in danger.
If you don't help me, I won't have any relatives."
Li Yuanji sighed: "Why is the second brother so persistent?"
Li Shimin frowned and said: "I don't want to be persistent, but my father forced all this on me. Now my eldest brother can no longer tolerate me. If I don't fight with him, I will die, and I, Li Tang, will also be in chaos."
.
So I had to fight.
Now my father has spared no effort to help my eldest brother. You are the only one who can help me.
If you don't help me, I will have to fight alone."
Li Yuanji smiled bitterly and said, "But I just want to be a rich and idle man."
Li Shimin slowly raised his eyebrows, "Then why did you recruit so many people? You have already recruited Du Yan, who worked in my house, under your command, and Wang Gui, who worked in my eldest brother's house, has also been recruited by you.
You also recruited great talents like Li Jing and Su Dingfang, as well as powerful men like Kan Leng and the Xue brothers.
You said you want to be rich and idle?
Is this something a rich and idle man would do?”
Li Yuanji frowned slightly.
Now that Li Shimin had spoken out and reached this point, he had to say something convincing.
Li Yuanji said seriously: "Do you think I am willing to recruit so many people and spend so much effort on them? I am also doing it to protect myself.
If you were harmed by eldest brother, do you think eldest brother would let me live alone?
If the eldest brother leads the soldiers and blocks you somewhere, and I don’t have anyone under my command, what can I do to rescue you?
The reason why I recruit so many people is just to save my life. I just don't want to put my life in the hands of others. I just want to save your life when you are in danger.
Now that you keep saying that I have recruited so many people, I am afraid that I am not just trying to be a wealthy and idle person. That means that once you are lucky enough to defeat your elder brother, you will not be able to tolerate me if what I do is not what you want.
Do you think if I have nothing, how can I keep my life under your two hands? How can I live more comfortably under your two hands?
By your mercy and charity?
I am also my father's son, I am also a member of the royal family of the Tang Dynasty, and I am also a man who stands upright.
I can't bend down and act like a dog in front of you, nor can I bend my knees and bark in front of you.
So I must recruit enough people and have enough power.
This way I can live like a human being, not a dog."
Li Yuanji's voice got louder and louder as he spoke, and by the end he was almost shouting.
Li Shimin's expression changed instantly and became quite ugly. He gritted his teeth and said, "You and I are brothers, how could I treat you like this?"
Li Yuanji chuckled, "Second brother, if you want to deceive others, you must first deceive yourself. You are still a prince now, and you can no longer tolerate recruiting so many people under me. If you sit in my father's position, you
There will only be more that cannot be tolerated.
If I make a fuss in front of you like I did in front of my father, you will probably order me to be killed without hesitation.
So I can’t believe my brother, and I can’t believe you either. I can only accumulate some strength on my own and hold my own life in my own hands.”
Li Shimin opened his mouth and was completely speechless.
He wanted to make some promises, but he knew very well that even if he could deceive Li Yuanji, he could not deceive himself.
Because Li Yuanji is not worrying in vain, what Li Yuanji said may indeed happen.
Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Li Yuanji accumulating some strength, seeking self-protection, and seeking to live like a human being.
But the more this happened, the more he feared Li Yuanji after he ascended the throne.
But if Li Yuanji did not have enough power in his hands, it would be difficult for him to get along with Li Yuanji as an equal after he ascended the throne, and he would even allow Li Yuanji to be arrogant and domineering in front of him like he was in front of Li Yuan.
He knows himself very well, and knows himself better than anyone else.
He knew that he preferred dictatorship, the power and feeling of being able to speak for himself, and he simply could not give Li Yuanji the kind of wealthy and idle life he wanted.
"Second brother, do you have anything to say? If second brother has nothing to say, then I will go hunting first. My people have already arrived."
Seeing that Li Shimin was silent, Li Yuanji did not continue to wait. After a cold rebuttal, he strode out of the greenhouse without giving Li Shimin a chance to speak again.
Li Shimin watched Li Yuanji leave blankly, opened his mouth, but still didn't know what to say.
Looking at Li Yuanji's leaving figure, he suddenly felt that maybe becoming a royal family, the most noble group of people in the world, was not necessarily a good thing.
Because after becoming a member of the royal family and becoming the most noble group of people in the world, it seems very difficult and a luxury to want to pursue a life like a wealthy and idle person and live a more free life.
He no longer had the intention to win over Li Yuanji, because he found out through understanding Li Yuanji's thoughts that it was impossible for Li Yuanji to become a partner with him.
Perhaps what he can do is to reduce all the power of Li Yuanji after he ascends the throne, and then order people to clean up a certain Fuzhou with a relatively good environment, and then seal Li Yuanji there.
, let Li Yuanji do whatever he wants there.
Maybe then Li Yuanji could live the life he wanted, and he wouldn't have to force Li Yuanji to crawl at his feet because he was afraid of Li Yuanji, or because Li Yuanji had lost his face and dignity.
"If you don't want to help me, then you probably won't help Li Jiancheng, so that's fine..."
After Li Yuanji's figure completely disappeared, Li Shimin suddenly muttered something.
As for whether Li Yuanji's words were true or false, he didn't think too much about it.
As long as Li Yuanji didn't help Li Jiancheng, he wouldn't care even if Li Yuanji jumped out to fight with him at the critical moment.
As for the men in Li Yuanji's hands, they would not pose much of a threat to him if they were not united with Li Jiancheng.
Although Li Yuanji's words sounded better than his singing, and he said that recruiting so many people meant to save him at a critical moment, he did not dare to take it seriously. He had to speculate on Li Yuanji's words with malicious intentions.
He didn't dare to trust anyone, and he couldn't trust anyone anymore.
Because if he makes one wrong move now, he will be in doom.
