Li Shimin said solemnly: "You mean we need to train a army of soldiers and horses before we can enter the Tubo territory?"
Zhang Yang nodded, "It takes at least half a month for ordinary people to adapt to the plateau climate, and they must be young and strong. The selection of soldiers must also be strict. Anyone with congenital physical deficiencies or poor physical strength is likely to become a
Burdened."
Looking at the discussion in front of him, Li Shimin stood up and said, "Wei Chigong, Cheng Zhijie, and Zhao Guogong have gone to Ganlu Hall to discuss matters. Anyone who has a strategy for this battle can submit it to Zhongshu Sheng, and I will personally approve it and withdraw from the court."
The Tibetan war started in Songzhou, and the news was sent to Chang'an City as soon as possible.
We still have to wait for news on how the war ahead will proceed.
In this era of backward news dissemination, the slow efficiency of news dissemination is very annoying.
I don’t know if flying pigeons delivering messages is reliable or not.
Just after they walked out of Zhuque Gate and passed by the Diplomatic Academy, Zhang Xiangxiang and Zhang Dasu had sad expressions on their faces.
"How are Lu Dongzan these days?"
"I lived a pretty good life in the dungeon all day long. People from the Ministry of Punishments said that they sang Tubo songs in the dungeon all day long, which was really unpleasant."
"As long as he is alive, don't let him die."
Seeing that Zhang was not stopping, Xu Jingzong stepped forward and asked, "Does Zhang Shangshu have anything else to give you?"
Zhang Yang came to his senses and said, "You can just discuss it among yourselves."
Xu Jingzong stepped forward again, "Zhang Shangshu, what are you going to do at such a fast pace?"
"What else can be done? Of course we have to build a house. My new home has not been completed yet."
"this……"
Xu Jingzong wanted to say something else, but saw Zhang Yang walking further and further away.
Looking back at Zhang Xiangxiang and Zhang Dashu, Xu Jingzong said helplessly: "We'd better sort out the news first, write a memorial and submit it to His Majesty."
Both Tubo and Tang Dynasty were at war, but for Zhang Yang, this matter was not as important as building a new home.
It is said that the Tibetan army should be more than 30,000, but Lu Dongzan originally made a bold statement and said that there were 100,000 soldiers and horses.
There may be more soldiers and horses attacking Songzhou.
After returning home, Zhang Yang took his wife and Xiao Wu to Lishan to build a new home.
These days, military reports have been sent from the border to Chang'an City. Niu Jinda is guarding Songzhou, which has not been captured yet.
Songtsen Gampo's troops increased from 30,000 to 60,000.
It can be seen that Songtsen Gampo was very determined to win this battle.
It's a pity that the Tang Dynasty was well prepared this time. The Tang Dynasty had emerged from the war, and the combat effectiveness of the Tang Dynasty Guards was at its peak.
To chew through the hard nut of Songzhou, Songtsen Gampo's teeth were not strong enough.
When the couple came down from Lishan Mountain, they heard the chirping of birds, which meant that spring had arrived.
Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue were discussing with Shangguan Yi.
Seeing Zhang Yang and the princess coming, Shangguan Yi bowed and explained: "We paid taxes on the rice we harvested in early winter to the Ministry of Household Affairs last year."
Zhang Yang said warmly: "We pay taxes to the Ministry of Household Affairs according to our harvest every year, why is it here again?"
The visitor explained: "The taxes for the two seasons are correct, but if you include the wheat harvested in the summer, the total taxes will be different."
Zhang Yang frowned and said, "Where is Tang Jian?"
"Tang Shangshu is no longer in the Ministry of Household Affairs, and is now Dr. Guanglu."
Tang Jian's time in the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was still short.
"Who is the current Secretary of the Ministry of Finance?"
These officials looked at each other again, with surprised expressions on their faces, "It's the former Minister of Hubu, now Lu Shangshu, Lu Chengqing Shangshu, Li Shanling should have met him in the court."
"Really?" Zhang Yang smiled dryly, "I usually don't pay much attention to the Ministry of Household Affairs. According to Lu Shangshu's wishes, the two taxes we paid before are not enough for the total tax, so we have to pay it again, right?"
"It's like this." The other party took out a file and said, "Based on the taxes paid last year, we still need to pay another kilogram of grain this year."
One stone of grain is not much in today's Lishan Mountain.
Zhang Yang said loudly: "Things have to be handled one by one. At first, our taxes from Lishan were always handed over to the Central Government as in previous years. We had agreed with the Ministry of Household Affairs before."
"Tang Shangshu used to work in the Ministry of Accounts, and some accounts were very unclear. Now he has too much time to take care of himself." The clerk continued to preach.
"Lishan used to pay taxes according to the rules of the Ministry of Household Affairs, last year as well as this year. As for how much taxes we paid, you should ask Tang Jian instead of asking us. We have already paid taxes.
The Minister of Household Affairs has changed to another person, so he asked us to pay another tax."
The two little officials didn't want to say any more. Before leaving, they said again: "We understand what Lishan Order means and we will tell it to Lu Shangshu."
Zhang Yang asked curiously: "Who is this Lu Chengqing?"
Aunt Wang on the side explained: "This person comes from the Lu family of Fanyang. He has a big house and a big family. He is quite famous among the five surnames."
Zhang Yang told Shangguan Yi: "If they come to ask questions again, we won't give a grain of rice to each other. Lishan is not so easy to bully. I don't care what his background is."
"Don't worry, Commander Lishan, I understand."
On the way home, Li Yue looked at the file in her hand, which contained military reports from the border. She asked in a low voice, "Seeing that Songzhou cannot be captured for a long time, Songtsen Gampo will definitely send more men."
Zhang Yang nodded, "So Tubo's rear defenses must be very lax. If Su Dingfang and the others go well, the news may already be on the way."
"What if Songtsen Gampo turns back here?"
"General Niu can assess the situation and make correct judgments. He should be able to pursue and defeat these Tubo stragglers one by one, and try to defeat most of Songtsen Gampo's forces on their way back. I am also very worried.
I'm afraid that when the time comes, it will be difficult to deal with General Niu's pursuit into the plateau."
Xiao Wu finished a number sequence problem, and Li Yue patiently explained it to her.
A peaceful life adds a bit of trouble.
The morning court on the next day had not yet started, and the Chengtian Gate had not yet opened. Zhang Yang stood in front of the gate early. He glanced at the officials present and did not know which one was Lu Chengqing. There were many unfamiliar faces in the court.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Except for a few key positions, Li Shimin changed almost everyone in the court.
Seeing Li Xiaogong coming, Zhang Yang whispered to him: "Prince Hejian County, someone is bullying us in Lishan."
Li Xiaogong had a share in Lishan's business, and he also received a lot of money last year.
Hearing this, his eyes widened immediately, "Who is so brave and dares to bully Lishan?"
Zhang Yang whispered to him: "It's the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Lu Shangshu."
Li Xiaogong pointed at one of the people and shouted: "Lu Chengqing! You are so brave!"
This time I finally confirmed who Lu Chengqing was. He looked about fifty years old, with a thin figure and a lot of white hair.
He raised his head and glanced at Li Xiaogong, "It is the law to pay taxes according to the land. Is it possible that Lishan can make an exception?"
Li Xiaogong snorted coldly, "I know you people are not good people."
Lu Chengqing added: "When you are in a high position at a young age, you must respect your elders rather than bully others."
Zhang Yang cupped his hands and said: "Lu Shangshu, our Lishan tax was paid last year, and there was no problem when the Ministry of Household Affairs collected it. It is said that last year's matter has been settled, so why do we need to collect Lishan tax again?"
Lu Chengqing spoke slowly, "There were discrepancies in last year's accounts, so I naturally have to verify them."
Chengtian Gate slowly opened, Zhang Yang glanced at him again and walked into the door. The relationship was finally settled.
The morning session was as usual. Seeing that Lu Chengqing did not mention taxes, Zhang Yang stood calmly.
After a peaceful morning session, Zhang Yang slowly walked out of the Tai Chi Hall. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he became.
Li Shimin came down from the morning court and just sat down in the Ganlu Hall.
The eunuch in front of the palace walked in and bowed: "Your Majesty, Zhang Shangshu wishes to see you."
"It's unusual for him to come to see you this early in the morning." Li Shimin straightened his sleeves and nodded, "Take him into the palace."
Zhang Yang walked into the palace and looked at Li Shimin.
After taking a sip of tea, Li Shimin smiled and said: "See why I didn't say anything. After listening to your suggestion, I have sent people to find out whether Tubo is serious about this. An urgent report from Songzhou will arrive in the next two days."
"Why do you want Lu Chengqing to be the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs?"
"Are you here to intercede for Tang Jian?"
"I'm not here to intercede for Tang Jian. It was Lu Chengqing who bullied Lishan and his Majesty's son-in-law."
Li Shimin nodded when he heard this, "Normally, with his qualifications, he can take the position of Minister of Household Affairs. This matter was arranged last year."
"Your Majesty, we are a family, right?"
Li Shimin still nodded, "Of course we are a family."
Zhang Yang spoke again, "Lishan's taxes have always been the highest in Guanzhong, right?"
Li Shimin was very satisfied when he thought that Lishan paid more than 8,000 yuan in taxes last year. He smiled and said: "That's natural. No place has higher taxes than Lishan."
Zhang Yang saluted again and said, "Then I would like to ask your Majesty for orders to calculate the Lishan tax bill from now on."
Li Shimin swallowed the tea and put down the cup, "Why?"
"Last year, there were two grain harvests in Lishan. According to the rules of the Ministry of Revenue, we paid the full amount of taxes each season and paid taxes once for each harvest. However, the Ministry of Revenue used the sum of the two harvests to collect more.
A tax."
Li Shimin sighed: "I really asked him to check the acres."
"I dare to ask Your Majesty, isn't it bad to harvest more grain for one season? Why should we pay more taxes if we grow more grain for one season? Lishan is indeed a big farmer now, and we can afford to pay this tax, but those small households, small people,
From now on, who dares to plant another season of grain, and plant another season after the summer harvest? Even if the weather is different and winter comes earlier, the harvest of these grains will be very poor."
Zhang Yang frowned and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial court has always given priority to light corvee and low taxes. Isn't that right?"
Li Shimin nodded slowly.
"Then why do we need to increase taxes to put pressure on farmers and suppress their enthusiasm for farming? I think that reducing taxes and encouraging farming to boost the population is what the Tang Dynasty needs now. This is the right way."
Li Shimin sighed: "I will consider it."
Zhang Yang spoke again: "To say that the Tang Dynasty has reached a time when the country is rich and the people are strong, and every household can provide these grains, naturally everyone has nothing to say, but His Majesty has only been on the throne for a few years, and the world has only lived a few years of peace.
, the harvest has only been a few years, and Lu Chengqing has gone against the grain, and I suspect that this guy is an undercover agent sent by the five powerful families."
"Undercover? What do you mean?"
"It's just a workshop that specializes in sabotage."
"..."
After thinking for a long time, Li Shimin asked in confusion, "What do you think?"
"The taxation in Lishan is complicated. How about all taxes in Lishan be handed over directly from the palace in the future, bypassing the Ministry of Rites?"
Seeing that Li Shimin was still hesitant to speak.
Zhang Yang saluted and said, "I take my leave."
"Wait a minute." Li Shimin took a deep breath and calmed down his guilty conscience, "The taxes on Lishan Mountain can be calculated separately. They will not be collected by the Ministry of Household Affairs in the future. I will make arrangements separately. As for the two-season grain matter, this matter has been revealed. What do you think?
I will discuss with everyone in Zhongshu Province to encourage farming."
"Your Majesty, please listen more to what ordinary people have to say. The suggestion box in the East Palace is very good. The DPRK needs a way to listen to the opinions of the people."
When I left Ganlu Hall, I was still in a bad mood.
As soon as they walked out of the Zhuque Gate, Li Tai came up to him and said, "Brother-in-law, I've heard everything. In fact, it's not just the Lishan family. Lu Chengqing also sent people to various counties to collect taxes, because there are other counties that have followed Lishan's example.
After harvesting wheat, harvest another season of rice.”
"Let the people in charge of silence investigate this Lu Chengqing."
"I understand, brother-in-law, I have any other instructions."
Stopping, Zhang Yang looked at his brother-in-law, "Why are you so enthusiastic?"
“It’s a matter of Lishan Mountain and a matter of people’s livelihood, so it’s inevitable.”
After Li Tai finished speaking, he looked around and said, "Brother-in-law, I thought this matter was just for Lishan."
"Send someone to keep a close eye on who Lu Chengqing usually comes in contact with and who he has contact with."
"Let's make arrangements now."
The minor tax turmoil passed quickly. Because the taxation in Lishan was complex, there would be a dedicated person in the palace to calculate the taxation, and notices would be posted every year to publicize it.
Li Shimin, Lu Chengqing, Chang Sun Wuji and others discussed that the taxes for the two seasons should be calculated according to last year's rules. In order to encourage farming, Zhongshu Province also offered various tax reductions for one season.
The matter has passed, but Zhang Yang is still worried about it and always feels that Lishan is being watched.
A few days later, urgent reports of the border war were sent to Chang'an City again.
But this time the emergency report was a bit special, that is, there was civil strife among the troops led by Songtsen Gampo.
Li Shimin walked back and forth looking at the emergency report, "What does this civil strife mean?"
The soldier who came with the urgent report replied: "It is said that something happened in the rear of the Tibetan people. Before Songtsen Gampo attacked Songzhou, someone attacked the rear of the Tibetan people. It had been so many days since the war in Songzhou that this news came.
It is said that it was very difficult to send this news out. The attackers at Luozu deliberately did not let Songtsen Gampo know about it, so they intercepted and killed many Tibetans who were spreading the news along the way."
"Is this all you know?"
"That's all for now. General Niu is also sending people to inquire about the news. I don't know which troops raided the rear of the Tibetan people."
"Okay, okay!" Li Shimin said three times in a row, "Tell Niu Jinda that if you have the chance, you must capture Songtsen Gampo alive."