"How's it going, Master Mu? This is the second 'royal workshop' of our household department!"
Muchuan took a look and found that the construction progress was still a bit slow. At present, only the basic foundation had been laid and the relevant wood and stone materials had been prepared. It would probably take another three months to complete the construction.
In response to Muchuan's complaint, Ouyang Bufan helplessly spread his hands: "What can we do? There are too few carpenters in Chang'an City. People who are good at construction have been transferred to the central government to build palaces. We don't have enough manpower here."
"The carpenter was transferred?
Let’s talk about what is going on.”
"Don't you know this?"
Ouyang Bufan was shocked and told the whole story.
It turns out that next month coincides with the birthday of Queen Changsun. The queen's eldest son, the current prince Li Chengqian, planned to build a "Heart-nurturing Hall" as a gift to the queen. To this end, a large number of carpenters and stone workers in Chang'an City were transferred away, causing
The problem of manpower shortage in Chang'an City.
However, Ouyang Bufan seemed to have a way to deal with it, and he praised with a smile: "Money can make all the difference. I have spent high salaries to recruit people from other places. I am afraid that I will be able to reach Chang'an City in a month."
This Ouyang Bufan really has a lot of clever ideas, but Muchuan noticed that the other party said that he "spent a high salary" to transfer people. Isn't the money spent still money from the Ministry of Accounts?
Even if the household department can make money now, there are still many expenses to be spent later, so you can save money if you can!
Muchuan couldn't help scolding Ouyang Bufan: "You prodigal son, please save some money for me! When you organize a caravan for shipping later, you will have to spend more money!"
"I know...but I'm afraid the construction progress of this 'Royal Workshop' will not be achieved as per the target."
Even if Ouyang Bufan dispatched carpenters from outside Gyeonggi Province, he would not be able to build the 'Royal Workshop' so quickly. It would take a month at most.
The problem is that the "Royal Workshop" cannot be delayed. Now is the ripening season of sugar cane, and a large amount of sugar needs to be produced. If the sugar cane is too late to be stored, it will not be able to produce enough sugar to meet the entire Gyeonggi Province area.
Triggering a series of chain reactions will affect Muchuan's subsequent navigation plan.
"We can't put off this matter... we have to think of other ways."
"What else can I think of? The only way is to bring back the manpower originally transferred to build the palace."
Ouyang Bufan waved his hand and said, "But the one who will transfer manpower this time is the Crown Prince! That Crown Prince is not something we can afford to offend."
Crown Prince Li Chengqian is the oldest and the future crown prince. It is precisely because of his status that he has become the most influential person after Li Shimin.
Even veteran officials like Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin would give him a bit of a thumbs-down.
The reason is also simple. Li Chengqian, who is now the crown prince, will become the emperor in the future! Become the aloof and exclusive Supreme Being of the Tang Dynasty! Therefore, all the courtiers dare not offend him, for fear that if Li Chengqian ascends the throne, they will not be able to do so.
Good death.
It's just that others don't dare to offend Li Chengqian, but Muchuan dares! Because Muchuan knows the other person's fate!
The person who will succeed Li Shimin as emperor in the future is not Li Chengqian, but Li Zhi! In a few years, the entire court will undergo changes, the throne of the crown prince will be changed, and Li Chengqian will lose power and become a useless person.
Since he knows that Li Chengqian in the future has nothing to fear, why is Muchuan still afraid of him?
"I'll go talk to the crown prince and ask him to hand over his men!"
What Muchuan said scared Ouyang Bufan, and he immediately pulled Muchuan back: "Hey, Master Mu, are you really crazy?
How can you go to negotiate with the Crown Prince! Don’t you know the Crown Prince’s temperament!”
Li Chengqian is the kind of ambitious and selfish person. If you can follow his will, you will naturally become a friend. If you go against his will, you will become an enemy.
Next month is Empress Changsun's birthday. Li Chengqian spent a lot of money and energy in preparing for the Nourishing Heart Palace. It is almost impossible for Muchuan to go and mobilize people this time. Once the personnel are mobilized, the "Heart-nurturing Palace" will
The construction was delayed, and naturally it would not be in time for Queen Changsun's birthday.
Ouyang Bufan said firmly: "Master Mu, please don't go. If you go, you will be rejected. If you have this time, you might as well think about how to solve the problem of farmland."
"Farmland problem?"
"yes!"
One of the main tasks of the Ministry of Household Affairs now is to build a "royal workshop" to boost the economy, employment, and fiscal revenue of the entire Gyeonggi Province through the purchase, processing, and sales of crops.
If this method is successful, it will be promoted nationwide from Gyeonggi Province.
Among them, the upstream link of "agricultural products" processing is the planting of crops!
Because the Ministry of Household Affairs suddenly issued an administrative order to purchase large quantities of three crops: peppers, sugar cane, and soybeans, all the cultivated land in Chang'an City was fully planted! Even if it was fully planted, it still could not meet the production needs of the "Royal Workshop"
, the household department also needs more crops.
"Master Mu, we don't have enough land. Rather than redeploying manpower, it's better to solve this problem first!"
Muchuan thought something was wrong, but it turned out that there was not enough land!
"If we don't have enough land, just cultivate the land. What else can we do?"
"Master Mu, you really can't stand and talk without pain... The entire Chang'an City is already short of manpower, so how can we find the manpower to reclaim the land! And reclaiming the land cannot be done in a short time."
"Why is there no one?"
Skilled workers like carpenters may not be easy to find, but isn’t it easy to find people to cultivate land?
After all, even a ten-year-old child can cultivate land.
Muchuan then came up with a solution, asking Ouyang Bufan to borrow people from the Imperial Guard and Imperial Forest Army.
This scared Ouyang Bufan to the point of widening his eyes. He went to the army to borrow soldiers to reclaim land?
Ouyang Bufan shook his head like a rattle: "No matter what, I won't go even if I die! That place is so scary, I'm afraid I'll be eaten alive if I go there."
No wonder Ouyang Bufan was so afraid. In fact, the entire civil servants in the court were afraid of military attachés.
It's very simple. The current Tang Dynasty was just established not long ago, and Li Shimin was only the second emperor.
At this time, the core of power in the entire imperial court was also concentrated in the hands of military attachés. For example, most of the twenty-four heroes of Lingyan Pavilion were military attaches. After all, they were the heroes who founded the country, that is, they conquered the world with horseback riding and archery.
Fortunately, the Ministry of War has the power to command and dispatch troops, but most of them are civilian officials who do not do anything casually.
However, in the Imperial Guards, Yulin Army, and Border Guards, most of them are military attachés. Even if their official rank is higher than theirs, if they make them angry, they will definitely fight with fists and kicks.
