"Even an outsider like me can tell that Xin'er likes you."
At that moment, Ouyang Bufan said the meaning of Xin'er's initiative to take Muchuan to the banquet. After hearing this, Muchuan finally understood. This is why Xin'er was so sad, because his answer sounded like
Like "rejecting" her.
"No wonder Xin'er is angry..." Muchuan couldn't help but sigh deeply. Maybe he shouldn't have said that, but there was no use regretting it now. He raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"Master Mu, what do you think of Xin'er?"
"My thoughts...I'm not sure either."
At first, Muchuan only regarded Xin'er as his little sister and had no other thoughts. But after getting along for a long time, feelings gradually developed. He felt that he seemed to like her, and he could feel it from her.
A touch of love is like a flower in bud.
The problem is that Xin'er is still a little young and immature mentally and physically. If the two decide to get married now, she is afraid that she will regret it later.
It is precisely because of this that Muchuan has always maintained the relationship between him and her, neither far nor close. Now that the life-long events of both of them are suddenly on the table, Muchuan doesn't know what to do.
Ouyang Bufan looked at Muchuan's worried and troubled look and couldn't help laughing: "I didn't expect that the wise Master Mu would be so distressed. It's really rare, rare!"
"Feifan, can I understand that you are making fun of me?"
When Muchuan spoke, he squeezed your fist and looked like he was preparing to hit someone.
Seeing Muchuan's ferocious look, Ouyang Bufan dared to laugh, and immediately shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, how can I dare to make fun of adults! I just think... the love between children should be
Be decisive and brave, if you like it, you like it, if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”
"How can you make it so simple? I guess you must have never really liked someone."
"Hey, Master Mu, you are right!"
In fact, Ouyang Bufan already has a wife whom he has never married before. The marriage was arranged by his family, but he doesn't even know what his fiancée looks like.
But there is no way around it. Marriage among the upper class can no longer be based on "consensual consent." What matters is nothing more than interests. As long as the interests are appropriate, two families can be united on the basis of "marriage."
Ouyang Bufan talked about his own affairs with a hint of drunkenness, and sighed: "I only envy mandarin ducks but not immortals, but ordinary people cannot become mandarin ducks, not even immortals."
"Okay, okay, don't talk about these romantic things."
Muchuan felt uncomfortable because of Xin'er's departure, and now Ouyang Bufan also felt uncomfortable. The originally good dining atmosphere was suddenly destroyed.
But Ouyang Bufan was smarter this time. When Muchuan said he wouldn't mention love, he stopped mentioning it and asked about today's negotiation between Muchuan and Li Chengqian.
Muchuan didn't hide anything, he just said it honestly.
Ouyang Bufan raised his eyebrows and said warily: "So... His Highness hasn't agreed to you yet?
Isn’t this matter hanging in the balance?
We can’t wait to hire carpenters to build the ‘Royal Workshop’!”
"Calm down, His Highness will agree tomorrow."
"Promise tomorrow?
Master Mu, could it be that you calculated this with just a few clicks?"
"Of course not. Anyway, you will know tomorrow."
Muchuan showed a mysterious smile.
Early the next morning, the sun rose, and the sunlight fell on the golden jade tiles of the palace, making it beautiful.
On the dragon chair in the Jinluan Hall, Li Shimin, wearing a dragon-patterned crown, sat upright, listening to the court officials' reports and discussing important matters. Unknowingly, an hour had passed.
When the time was almost up, Li Shimin ordered all the civil and military officials to stop reporting with one move. He wanted to announce something.
"All of you, dear friends, are aware of the 'food seasonings' introduced by Muchuan, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, right?
A few days ago he submitted a detailed memorial, I read it carefully, it’s very good!”
No wonder Li Shimin agreed, Muchuan discussed the benefits that the establishment of the "Royal Workshop" would bring to the Tang Dynasty.
First of all, large-scale planting of cash crops can increase the income of farmers at the bottom. With income, purchasing power can be stimulated, and farmers can purchase various daily necessities.
When demand reaches a certain level, it can stimulate productivity to expand again, thus forming a virtuous cycle.
The entire Tang Dynasty will continue to develop and grow in this virtuous cycle, and promote the coordinated improvement of culture and military through the economy.
Muchuan wrote a full thirty pages to discuss the benefits of "virtuous economic cycle", and this was why he was recognized by Li Shimin.
Although Li Shimin agreed with Muchuan's point of view, he had to make others agree with Muchuan's point of view, so he gave the memorial submitted by Muchuan to the old eunuch Liu Gui, and asked Liu Gui to present it in the court
Read it out.
Half an hour passed unknowingly, and Liu Gui finished reading the memorial until his voice became hoarse.
After listening to the lengthy discussion, the civil servants in the imperial court exclaimed that it was strange!
Fang Xuanling: "Wei Chen believes that what the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue said is very true. This 'virtuous economic cycle' strategy can indeed change this dynasty and benefit the people all over the world."
Cheng Yaojin: "Although I don't quite understand what I heard, Shangshu's wonderful ideas can always bring unexpected gains to all of us. I agree with his ideas."
Wei Zheng: "I listened carefully. The strategy of the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue is very logical and should be a feasible method!"
Obviously Muchuan's theory of "virtuous economic cycle" has been recognized by everyone.
However, the main steps to achieve this "virtuous economic cycle" still need to solve two things.
One of them is the reclamation of the Chang'an Plain and the construction of dams and reservoirs.
The second issue is the construction efficiency of the royal workshop.
Now Muchuan brought these two things up, and as expected he received opposition from some old nobles and powerful officials.
The most violent opposition was to the issue of land reclamation in the "Chang'an Plain", as they all believed that it would affect the Dragon Vein of the Tang Dynasty.
However, Muchuan already had a way to deal with it, so he made up the excuse that "there are monsters lurking under the plains", and a "monster-suppressing monument" had to be set up to stabilize the dragon's veins.
After mentioning this, those old aristocrats and powerful officials were naturally speechless. After all, they were talking about "dragon veins", so Muchuan also used theology to refute.
As for the construction of the "Royal Workshop", there was unexpectedly no resistance. The main reason was that Li Shimin called on all six departments to provide help to the Ministry of Household Affairs. How dare the ministers of the other five departments not comply at the moment.
