At this moment, the agricultural institution has just completed the harvest.
Ma Zhou has not come back yet, Liu Shenwei has not come back, and Lu Cai manages the Agricultural Academy. Li Tai thought in his mind that the peacocks have collected so much food, so he should take advantage of the end of the summer harvest and the people have surplus labor. What kind of project should be arranged for the people?
Should we build a road leading to the villages in Gaoling, or do we build a bridge across the Wei River, or take out part of this grain to make wine.
After all, the fourth year of Zhenguan was a turning point in the development of the Tang Dynasty. From this year on, the Tang Dynasty did not say that the hard days had passed, but at least the national fortune was constantly rising, and it relatively developed into the mainstream.
And just staring blankly... it was wrong, it should be because of thinking. Li Shimin sent someone to Xuan Li Tai to Tai Chi Hall.
Li Tai naturally did not dare to delay and immediately came to Tai Chi Hall.
To Li Tai expects, he didn't even see Li Chengqian in the Tai Chi Hall today.
After all, he has always been on the sideliness, and Li Tai is a little confused when he didn't see him this time.
"Qingque, the censor said that you are purchasing the grain price in Chang'an and intend to raise the grain price. Is this happening?" Li Shimin said.
"Yes!" Li Tai answered seriously after hearing Li Shimin's words.
Hearing that Li Tai actually admitted this, the censor who came to play Li Tai was a little panicked.
They really didn't expect Li Tai to admit it like this. After all, Li Tai planted three stone wheat fields before he could save the price of grain.
Originally, they thought that Li Tai's subordinates did this without knowing the importance of the matter, but they didn't expect that Li Tai would admit it.
To be honest, even the censor may not really want to face Li Tai head-on. After all, Li Tai now has the halo of producing three stones per mu.
In the feudal era, anyone who could increase grain output was born with a moral halo, comparable to a gold medal for avoiding death.
"The King of Yue has always put farming first, and I also asked the saint to allow the King of Yue to explain the reasons in detail."
Dai Zhou took the initiative to stand up and support Li Tai. This scene made the important officials who were originally observing calmly.
Because Dai Zhou came forward this time, he had some intention of protecting Li Tai, which was something that everyone had never expected.
Although Li Tai has become increasingly close in the past few years, he has grown three stone wheat.
But Dai Zhou has always been fair and upright, but now he is defending Li Tai. Obviously, in Dai Zhou's eyes, Li Tai deserves this.
"Accurate!" Li Shimin also looked at Dai Zhou unexpectedly, and then said to Li Tai: "Qingque, tell me the reason."
"Abide by the order!" Li Tai began to talk about his purpose without hesitation when he heard Li Shimin's words.
“Aye, I have three main reasons.
First, since ancient times, high grain has hurt the people and low grain has hurt the farmers. Especially in the Tang Dynasty, we often used grain as a monthly salary.
Now that the price of grain is halfway, it is not just the farmers, but also the grassroots officials and other people who make a living by their salaries.
The things you can buy with monthly salary will be discounted. If the food price is too low, it will force grassroots officials to be corrupt and abuse the law!"
When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but look at each other. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and Xiao Yu looked serious.
They nodded secretly to what Li Tai said, and what Li Tai said was indeed worth considering.
Especially when Du Ruhui was the Minister of Personnel, he felt that he needed to rectify the administration.
Li Tai continued: "The second point is that no matter Gaoling's next corvee service or the implementation of the canal transportation plan, I think there is a need for sufficient grain reserves. This is the basis for the smooth implementation of the engineering project."
Dai Zhou and Du Ruhui nodded when they heard this. This is why they like Li Tai.
That is the money and food during the implementation of internal affairs, and Li Tai has prepared himself.
But his subordinates often have to wait for the court's approval, and the procedures are much slower than Li Tai.
So sometimes Li Tai can get advance money when working.
Li Tai also said that there was no problem and said that he would advance money.
In the past, when the locust plague was raised, the former disaster victims were basically settled, and then the court completed the procedures and transferred the money and food to Li Tai. After all, it was meaningless to get Li Tai. Li Tai could reach the Heavenly Listen, so how could he do it?
Can get money and food.
"As for the third point..." Li Tai looked around and whispered to Li Shimin, "Do you want to say it here?"
"Speak here!" Li Shimin heard Li Tai's words and said with a serious look on his face, "I can't tell anyone."
"Third, Tai wants to get some food to make wine!" Li Tai said sincerely.
Hearing Li Tai's words, Zhang Xuansu stood up and said with a cold expression.
"King of Yue, you don't know that the court issued a ban on alcohol. You are not allowed to buy and sell alcohol privately. As a prince, you should set an example."
"I know!" Li Tai nodded when he heard Zhang Xuansu's words.
"But it's different. When I, the Tang Dynasty, issued a ban on alcohol, it was because there was the pressure of the Turks outside and the natural disasters inside. If there was not enough food for people to eat, how could I make wine for people?
Now that the Turkic Jie Li was captured by Li Jing, the country's fortunes are rising without any disasters and food is no longer tight, so why can't the ban on alcohol be lifted!"
Dou Lukuan said: "It's only half of this year. The wheat you planted in King Yue has been harvested, but there are still many acres of seeds and corn, so you may not be able to get the city you should have. King Yue now says there are no natural disasters this year, is it too much conjecture!
”
Li Tai stepped forward, his voice was loud and unyielding, and said:
"I understand what the Secretary of Dou Lu means, but it is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty to defeat the Eastern Turks who are intimate.
The people are short-sighted and cannot see thousands of miles away, and cannot feel the meaning of defeating the Eastern Turks.
Will the people who let go of the ban on alcohol let the people know that the Tang Dynasty won the war against the Eastern Turks, and thus empathize with it!"
Hearing Li Tai's words, everyone present was stunned.
Because this kind of behavior of putting itself in the shoes of the people and thinking is very rare for the ministers present.
Just like the ban on alcohol, for the ministers of the dynasty, alcohol consumption is naturally prohibited from drinking in the face of national difficulties.
But in the court, except for Wei Zheng and a few ministers who relied on their monthly salary, who really banned alcohol?
After all, you can't buy or sell it, so what's the point of brewing a little by yourself?
"The King of Yue's words are reasonable!" Wei Zheng stood up and saluted, and then slowly said:
"Now General Li captures Jie Li and returns to the court. This is the celebration of the whole world. The ban on alcohol is temporarily lifted, and he is just as happy with the people.
However, the matter of opening the alcohol ban is related to food stability. I think the opening time of the alcohol ban can be postponed.
At least we must determine how this autumn harvest will be, and then decide whether to fully open the ban on alcohol.”
When everyone present heard Wei Zheng coming forward to support Li Tai, they couldn't help but look at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin nodded and said, "Xuancheng said very well. When the pharmacist led his army back, he would open a wine for half a month to drink the joy of destroying the Eastern Turks."
Li Tai couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw Li Shimin making a decision.
However, this tone has not been smooth yet, and Li Shimin said again:
"However, this time I raised so much money with Gaoling alone? Is Gaoling so profitable?"
To be honest, Li Shimin used to think that Li Tai was very rich, and he could always take money out of nothing to solve the problem that needed money to solve.
But this time, the money from Gaoling alone was able to stabilize the food price in Chang'an, which gave Li Shimin a clear understanding of Li Tai's ability for the first time.
In contrast, Li Tai's establishment of a granary is insignificant, because Li Tai is so rich!
Li Tai naturally couldn't say that this was not his credit. Just kidding, is it that something as modesty as a matter of modesty at this time?
If I can become Li Shimin’s wallet, I will be able to do more things!
So Li Tai naturally admitted generously,
"The main reason is that after hearing that General Li captured Jie Li Khan last year, he asked people to hoard money and silk, and this year he used it.
But the news about these Chang'an merchants was too fast. I had a good harvest, and they sold food afterwards.
Otherwise, if I lose my wheat, I can save a lot of money once I put it in."
Hearing Li Tai's words, the ministers present couldn't help but show some suspicion on their faces.
First, I didn’t expect that Li Tai had been waiting for the food collapse since last year.
Second, I didn’t expect Li Tai to spend so much money this year.
"What the King of Yue said was that after General Li captured Jie Li Khan last year, did he confirm that the food price was low this year?"
Xiao Yu asked Tai with a little curiosity, "How did you make such an assertion."
"Yes!" Li Tai nodded, "Our main foreign enemy is the Eastern Turks. The Eastern Turks have been resolved. Didn't the Tang Dynasty just turn its focus from military to construction?
Moreover, I proposed a canal transportation plan last year, but Shangshu Du agreed to let me build a wharf on Longyou Road.
So how can I not prepare for cash?”
"King of Yue, your cash has become food now!" Du Ruhui said lightly and seriously.
"At least, using grain can also drive local people to work. Longyou Road is not Jingzuo, so it is safer to prepare more grain!"
Li Tai didn't care when he heard Du Ruhui's words. After all, in this era, food was spent directly as money.
"Qingque, but you haven't said yet, where did you get so much money?!" Li Shimin said solemnly.
Lee Tae said, “Gaoling Wharf is the center of the entire Gyeonggi Province. Because of its well-connected waterways, it naturally attracted a large number of merchants to settle in.
Don’t say that the docking fee charged by the dock every day is a considerable amount.
Not to mention the entire revenue system established around the wharf, so I have accumulated a little money."
Hearing Li Tai's words, the Tang Dynasty bureaucrats present all breathed a little thicker.
They really don’t know that the most important thing is that the money will not fall on the people, and it is not considered a tax.
For a moment, everyone in the court looked at Du Ruhui.
The general manager of the canal transportation plan became Du Ruhui. Now that everyone wants to participate in the shipping company when it sees such profitable money.
Du Ruhui was completely unmoved. To be honest, he originally joined the canal transportation plan proposed by Li Tai, because of Fang Xuanling, to suppress Li Tai a little.
But now, seeing Li Tai relying on this wharf, he can actually cover the grain prices in Chang'an in a short time, which gave Du Ruhui a clear understanding of the benefits brought by the canal transportation for the first time.
To a certain extent, if the entire route is developed, it can play a vital role in the entire tax system.
After all, the Tang Dynasty was not just a Wei River, but also the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, as well as the Grand Canal that connects the north and south.
"Keming!" Li Shimin immediately said to Du Ruhui.
"I am here!" Du Ruhui walked out decisively when he heard Li Shimin's words.
"I have approved the idea of drawing personnel from the four ministries to establish a special Weihe River Supervisor. I will draft an order soon.
In addition, this matter... the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Prince of Yue assisted to create a model for the tax revenue of the Grand Canal.
Li Shimin was also decisive. After seeing the interests of Gaoling Wharf, the procedure immediately became faster.
"I obey the order!" Du Ruhui immediately responded to Li Shimin when he heard Li Shimin's words.
Li Tai couldn't help but blink when he saw this scene, and for the first time he saw the execution and efficiency brought by the feudal monarchy.
To be honest, if Li Shimin had not seen the benefits brought by Gaoling's wharf, then Li Tai's canal transportation plan would be slowly and follow the procedures step by step. Even if Du Ruhui would do it seriously, it would be just serious.
But now, looking at the revenue brought by Li Tai's dock, it directly opened the door to a new world for the imperial officials present.
Let them find out that the cost of building a wharf can actually make money like this!
Then what else to say is that we are naturally trying our best to get the canal transportation plan first. After all, the most correct way to get money is.
Of course, Li Tai knew very well that it was not possible to make money by repairing the dock.
Like Gaoling, the central location he specially selected, is very close to Chang'an.
It is precisely because of Chang'an, a huge consumer goods market that Gaoling has become so prosperous.
In addition, the construction of Gaoling is not only a simple dock, but also a variety of supporting facilities, which ensures the normal operation of the entire logistics system.
As for other prefectures and counties in the Wei River, Li Tai is sure that he can make money, but it is almost unrealistic to be as big as Gaoling.
At most, at both ends of the Wei River, the resources from Guandong and the resources from the Western Regions. In addition, with a Qizhou, you may be able to eat the resources from Shu, which can be built larger, but ports in other regions can also be used at most.
It's just a maintenance effect.
However, Li Tai naturally would not propose it. After all, it is easier to arrange for students from his own agricultural institution to establish more ports.
And this time, Li Tai saw the heat in Du Ruhui's eyes, and it was obvious that Ma Zhou could not continue to sway.
Originally, the court still adhered to the idea of slow work and worked hard, allowing Ma Zhou and water conservancy officials to go to the Wei River to investigate. However, now, under Li Shimin's will, it is probably necessary to plan this project in the shortest time and quickly.