Li Ji stared at Li Shimin, "Second brother, have you forgotten that all the food must pass through my hands? If I say 30%, it will become 30%. It doesn't matter what you say."
The grain received by officials who were transferred to level positions was collected by Li Ji and distributed by Li Ji.
Li Ji wouldn't give it, and Li Shimin couldn't take it by force.
Li Shimin dared to be in the first grade of junior high school, but Li Ji didn't mind doing the fifteenth grade.
Li Shimin subconsciously stared and shouted angrily, "My food, do I count it?"
Li Ji said 'hehe': "Am I the one who has the final say about my food?"
Li Shimin was speechless and speechless.
It was Li Shimin who acted unreasonably first, and he has no right to blame Li Ji for being unreasonable later.
Li Shimin had a sullen face, pondered for a while, and then sighed, "Food is now the top priority. It is related to the life and death of millions of people in Hebei. I can't give up even a penny. Please change the conditions."
Changsun Wuji and others looked at Li Shimin and then at Li Ji, with confused expressions on their faces, not understanding what Li Shimin and Li Ji were talking about.
Li Ji also expected that Li Shimin would not be able to spit out the food he had eaten, so he immediately said: "Then you can give me three thousand pairs of armor and use it as interest."
Before Li Shimin could speak, Li Ji added, "The iron armor is just interest, and the food still has to be paid back."
Li Shimin was stunned, frowned and said, "Why do you need so many armors?"
Iron armor is a sharp weapon. Three thousand pairs of iron armor are enough to arm a battalion of three thousand warriors, capable of destroying cities and demolishing strongholds.
If it occupies a favorable terrain, it can withstand attacks by tens of thousands of people.
Li Ji rolled his eyes at Li Shimin and said angrily: "I want to build an armored battalion of 3,000 people and have them guard the entrance of the granary to see who dares to pay attention to my food."
Li Shimin looked embarrassed.
Li Ji almost pointed at his nose and said, "I will arm an army of soldiers and horses to prevent you, a vicious thief, from stealing food."
Changsun Wuji couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, King Qi, three thousand iron armors can create three thousand warriors, who can destroy cities and strongholds with ease. When necessary, they can also act as surprise soldiers and deal a painful blow to the enemy."
If it is left in the hands of someone with ulterior motives, I am afraid it will become the source of trouble for our Tang Dynasty."
Li Ji glanced at Changsun Wuji and said calmly: "I know the importance of it, I don't need you to remind me."
Changsun Wuji asked for trouble and looked embarrassed.
Li Shimin said with a headache: "That's all, you send someone to the Luoyang Arsenal tomorrow, and I will instruct the treasurer to get you three thousand pairs of armor."
Li Ji wanted to arm a battalion of 3,000 warriors with 3,000 pieces of iron armor to defend him, which made him feel very uncomfortable.
It's not that Li Ji has other agendas, it's just that if Li Ji does this, he won't be able to steal food again in the future.
"snort……"
Li Ji's goal was achieved, he snorted softly, and left the front hall of Luoyang Palace with the steps of not recognizing his relatives.
After Li Ji left, Changsun Wuji said to Li Shimin dumbfounded: "Your Highness, King Qi, is this not nonsense?"
Three thousand armors can create three thousand warriors and can change the outcome of a war.
But Li Ji wanted to use it for the defenders, who were still defending the granary.
luxury.
Luxurious to the extreme.
Li Shimin sighed: "Let's just mess around. Who will let me be held accountable?"
Changsun Wuji wanted to ask Li Ji what happened to the food in his mouth, but seeing that Li Shimin had no intention of telling him, he didn't ask any more questions.
Li Ji returned to the side hall of Luoyang Palace, caught the manager of Shaanzhou and scolded him.
The general manager of Shaanzhou is now his subordinate, but he only looks after the commander-in-chief and doesn't know how to ask him for instructions.
This is a dereliction of duty and must be reprimanded.
Although Li Shimin's commander-in-chief was greater than his generals.
But the General Manager of Shaanzhou is now his immediate superior. When the General Manager of Shaanzhou saw Li Shimin issuing a command over the top, he should first ask him for instructions before making a decision.
The general manager of Shaanzhou made decisions on his own without asking for instructions, which means he didn't take him seriously.
When Li Ji caught the general manager of Shaanzhou and scolded him for a long time, until he was so humiliated, Xie Shufang hurried to the side hall.
Only then did Li Ji let the manager of Shaanzhou go.
After the general manager of Shaanzhou left, Xie Shufang immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Ma Zhou has arrived outside Luoyang City."
Li Ji pondered for a moment, then ordered Xie Shufang to take all the guards and leave Luoyang Palace with great fanfare.
It was announced to the outside world that the granary would be re-defended and made watertight to prevent thieves from stealing food a second time.
If Li Shimin knew about it, he would probably only say that he was petty and would not suspect anything else.
After leaving Luoyang Palace, Li Ji asked Xie Shufang to take people to the granary, and he secretly rushed outside the city to meet Ma Zhou.
When I saw Ma Zhou again, he was even thinner, but he looked very energetic.
When Ma Zhou saw Li Ji, he stepped forward without hesitation and bowed deeply to Li Ji.
"Your Majesty, Ma Zhou, is here to see Your Highness."
Ma Zhou traveled around Luoyang for less than half a month and witnessed with his own eyes Li Ji's efforts to resettle the refugees. He had a different view of Li Ji and his attitude naturally improved a lot.
Li Ji was very satisfied with Ma Zhou's attitude and said with a smile: "If you don't say that I save people, am I also harming them?"
Ma Zhou raised his hands and said with shame: "Before, I was your minister Meng Lang."
Li Ji nodded and said: "I already know what you have done in Luoyang in recent days. Not only did you prevent the yamen on the border of Luoyang from driving the refugees from Hebei back to Hebei, you also invited the refugees hiding in the mountains and forests.
They came out, prepared houses for them, distributed land to them, and allowed them to settle down in Luoyang and take root.
Li Sixing said, you have saved no less than 50,000 refugees.
You are very good."
Ma Zhou hurriedly said: "I am not worthy of Your Highness's praise. If it were not for the protection of His Highness's cavalry, and if it were not for Your Highness's prestige, let alone stopping those Yamen on the border of Luoyang from driving the refugees back to Hebei, even if I save one person, I would be very embarrassed."
It’s hard to do.”
Ma Zhou knew very well that the reason why he resettled and rescued the refugees in Luoyang so smoothly was because of Li Ji's reputation and military prowess.
Without Li Ji's help, the yamen across Luoyang would not obey his orders, let alone cooperate with him in resettling refugees.
Li Ji smiled and said: "If you have merit, you have merit. You don't have to be so humble. If you can find problems and solve them, it proves that your vision and methods are good."
I have always been rewarded for my merits and punished for my mistakes.
Since you have meritorious service, I will not be stingy with rewards.
From today on, I will promote you to serve as a clerk in Prince Qi’s palace and join the military, are you willing?"
Ma Zhou was obviously stunned for a moment, then bowed and saluted Li Ji, "Thank you for your highness's appreciation. I am willing to serve your highness."
Those who record affairs and participate in the military affairs are at the same level as those who participate in the military affairs department.
He is several levels higher than his previous assistant coach.
Moreover, he was involved in the military affairs and was an official in the palace of Prince Qi, so his future was limitless.
The reason why he left Bian and Caozhou, where he had been traveling for several months, and appeared in Luoyang was because he was humiliated by Cui Xian, the commander of Junyi, in Junyi. Therefore, he was angry and prepared to go to Chang'an to seek a good future for Cui Xian.
Let's see who is the real hero.
After seeing with his own eyes that Li Ji was not as cruel, ruthless, and arrogant as rumored, he didn't mind working for Li Ji.
Li Ji was happy, "Okay, okay, good, good..."
Finally, there was a guy who left his name in history and was willing to be used by him. How could he not be happy?
Li Sixing was a young man, and Ling Jing was threatened by him before joining his army. Only Ling Jing knew whether he was of the same mind as him.
Therefore, Li Sixing and Ling Jing were not willing to be used by him.
Only Ma Zhou is willing to join his command, and he will definitely be of the same mind as him and spare no effort to help him.
Ma Zhou was very excited when he saw that Li Ji seemed to appreciate him very much.
He came from a bad background and few people appreciated him. When he told others about his great ambitions, others would only laugh at him.
Li Ji is the second person he has met so far who appreciates him, and the first person who truly appreciates him.
The first person to appreciate him was a doctor of Confucian classics from Bozhou. However, the doctor of Confucian classics only recommended him to the yamen as a teaching assistant to help share the teaching pressure. He did not really appreciate him.
Li Ji was the only one who believed in his talent and reused him.
He is also the only one who entrusts him with important responsibilities regardless of his background.
"There is something I need you to do."
After Li Ji laughed for a while, he stated the purpose of his trip.
Ma Zhou looked solemn, bowed and said: "Your Highness, please give me your instructions."
Li Ji waved his hands to the guards. After the guards left, he solemnly said to Ma Zhou: "I need you to go to Weizhou for me."
Weizhou is under the jurisdiction of Youzhou, and Li Yi is currently stationing his troops in Da'an Mountain to resist the troops of the Eastern Turks.
Ma Yiyi was stunned and said thoughtfully: "Your Highness wants me to go see His Highness King Yan?"
Ma Zhou knew more or less about the situation in Youzhou, so Li Ji asked Ma Zhou to go to Weizhou. Ma Zhou guessed that Li Ji asked him to go to see Li Yi.
After all, except for Li Yi, there is no one in Youzhou who is worthy of Li Ji sending someone to see him personally.
Li Ji nodded and said, "I need you to get some news to help me change my family."
Ma Zhou didn't hesitate at all and said seriously: "Please give me your instructions, Your Highness."
The road from Luoyang to Youzhou is not easy to walk.
Hebei was occupied by Liu Heita. From Luoyang to Youzhou, one had to either go out of Weize Pass and rush to Youzhou against the arrows of the Turks, or go out to the sea via Henan Road and go up the coast.
Going to Youzhou against the arrows of the Turks is obviously unrealistic.
Therefore, we can only go out to sea via Henan Road and go up the coast.
But going up the coast also comes with huge risks.
Li Ji gave Ma Zhou great appreciation, and Ma Zhou felt that it was worth taking some risks.
Li Ji stared at Ma Zhou and said: "There should be a famine in Youzhou now. If nothing happens, Li Yi will ask the nearby Gao Kaidao to borrow food. Gao Kaidao has ulterior motives and will most likely plot against Li Yi.
Li Yi's military skills are far superior to Gao Kaidao's. After Gao Kaidao plotted against Li Yi, Li Yi would definitely not let it go.
If Gao Kaidao wants to survive under Li Yi's hand, he will inevitably collude with the Turks."
