Li Mu was stunned and thought to himself: Why do I have to go back to Chang'an to celebrate the New Year? My family is all in Luoyang, and Luoyang is my home. Before coming to Luoyang, basically everything in Chang'an City had been transferred, and only Feng Qiuhuang was left.
Still here, do I have to go back for a shop?
The thought flashed in his mind, and Li Mu immediately understood what Li Shimin meant. He wanted to see him, or have a showdown, or negotiate. In short, he wanted to see him. Li Mu thought for a while and said: "I originally planned to return to Chang'an on the third day of the new year, but since
Your Majesty wants to see me, so I will make preparations tomorrow, leave the day after tomorrow, and go back before the end of the year."
Eunuch Gao was overjoyed and said: "Then we will disturb our family for one day, and we will go with the Marquis the day after tomorrow."
After saying that, regardless of whether Li Mu agreed or not, he raised his hands to the bearded guest and said, "I have admired the giant for a long time." At this point, he paused. He wanted to invite the bearded guest to drink, but he thought that he was a eunuch and was afraid of being raped.
I refused, so I'm stuck here.
The bearded man smiled and said cheerfully: "Let's have a drink and learn from each other when we have time."
"Yes, yes, I'm free now!" Eunuch Gao smiled brightly. The bearded man was well-known in the world, and he was the idol of a generation of people in the world. Although Eunuch Gao was older than him, he was not immune to conventions.
The bearded man suddenly said to Li Mu, "I have something to tell you."
Li Mu cast a questioning look, and the bearded guest said: "I have been wandering all my life, with no descendants and no apprentices. Now that I am over fifty, I want to accept a successor-"
"Ah!" Li Muwei said, "I'm already eighteen, isn't it a little late to practice martial arts now?"
The bearded man's expression froze, he smiled awkwardly, and said: "I don't want to accept you as my disciple, I want to accept him." After saying that, he pointed at Li Chongyi and said: "This boy's bones are amazing and he is very suitable for me.
Lu Shu, if he is willing to accept me as his teacher, he will be able to surpass me now without even needing to be my age."
"Uh-" Li Mu was also quite embarrassed, but it soon passed. The bearded man could appreciate his brother and rushed to accept him as his disciple. Li Mu was also happy for the big man. He pulled Li Chongyi over and said: "
I didn’t hear you, why don’t you quickly pay your respects to Master?”
Li Chongyi did not move. Li Mu looked at him, and Li Chongyi said in a low voice: "Brother, I have never seen his skills, and I don't want to become a disciple casually."
Eunuch Gao was shocked when he heard this and said: "Silly boy, do you know who he is? He is a man with a beard, you want to test his skills?"
Li Chongyi had a bad temper and said proudly: "How do I know how good he is if I haven't tried it before?"
The bearded man laughed and said: "Well said, I appreciate you even more." He said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, just relax your muscles and bones. Come, let's have a competition. If I can beat you, you can
Be my apprentice, and if I lose, I will be your apprentice, okay?"
Li Chongyi said: "If I lose, I can be your apprentice. But if you lose, I don't want you to be my apprentice. I have nothing to teach, and you are too old."
The bearded man smiled and said, "Okay, whatever you say, that's it." After that, he waved his hand and said, "Come on, let's get started."
Li Chongyi rounded his fist and ran straight to the bearded guest's face. The bearded guest did not dodge or dodge, he raised his arm to catch Li Chongyi's fist. He only heard a muffled sound, the stone bricks under the bearded guest's feet shattered, and the corner of Li Chongyi's mouth spilled.
There was a trace of blood on his face, and looking at the expression of the bearded man, he was still calm and relaxed, as if this heavy punch had no impact on him at all.
Li Chongyi followed up with another punch, and the bearded man received it easily. When Li Chongyi wanted to attack again, the beard man fought back, but he was not that fast, but his knife hit Li Chongyi's neck, and Li Chongyi's eyes were red.
After a moment, before his instinctive 'violent posture' could be used, he fainted.
The bearded man supported him and said to Li Mu: "I took this boy away. He is now my apprentice."
Li Mu looked at the two big pits at the heels of the bearded man and nodded blankly. Is this guy still a human? Li Chongyi was born with supernatural power. His fists were actually able to be received by the bearded man, and he did so easily. It was enough to show that the man with the beard was still there.
In terms of strength, he is not weaker than Li Chongyi at all, and even surpasses him.
I have finally underestimated the fighting power of the bearded man.
Eunuch Gao was also dumbfounded. He had competed with Li Chongyi before. He knew how strong Li Chongyi was. At least he didn't dare to fight hard, but the bearded man not only followed up, but also made Li Chongyi vomit blood. With this strength,
Eunuch Gao couldn't even think about it.
"As expected of a man with a beard, he really has a good reputation!" Eunuch Gao admired, and Li Mu nodded in agreement, he thought so too. Seeing how Eunuch Gao was so interested, Li Mu was happy to give him a favor and said: "Tonight
Let’s arrange for my father-in-law to live in the yard next to the bearded guest.”
"Thank you, Lord Marquis," Eunuch Gao thanked him repeatedly. Li Mu asked someone to take Eunuch Gao to settle down, and then he went back to the house.
…
In a mansion in Luoyang City, representatives of various feudal lords gathered together and began to discuss the candidates they were looking for.
The people being scouted have no idea about this, just like when the emperor dies and a group of concubines is not established, and the ministers discuss who will succeed them, they are already the best among people. Once they are selected, they have huge power to secretly support them.
, he will be able to ascend to the heavens immediately. So no one has ever thought that they might refuse this matter. The reason for not telling them is in case they are not selected, and the ups and downs, great joys and sorrows, may affect what they are doing now.
Or it may cause some fluctuations in their psychology. This unnecessary risk, the safest way is to prevent it from happening.
"I think that the choice of the hall master should not be limited to the head of each family, but should be based on the talents. I have a son-in-law named Shen Yifan. His talents, appearance, ability, poetry and prose are all the best candidates." One person.
Said: "His family background is not very good. His ancestral home is Yangzhou, and he makes a living by doing business. His family was originally a small businessman. Because his father died young, the young man inherited the family business. It took ten years to run the family business into the largest business in Yangzhou.
A wealthy man, with his scheming, means, and vision, is the best choice?"
"Businessmen are naughty and only interested in profit."
"Haha, that's wrong. It's just a choice of a way to make a living. Why is Elder Wang so narrow-minded?"
"I have seen this man before, and his skills and talents are quite remarkable. But he has been in business for a long time, and his sharp edges have disappeared. And the master of my 'Successor Hall' is a man who needs great courage. I'm afraid I can't control this Shen Yifan.
With such huge resources and his background, he cannot convince the eldest son of each family."
"How about Xu Wenyi of Jinyang? This man is mature and prudent, and there is nothing he can't do if he is asked to do it. I think everyone knows him..."
"No! What Jisi Hall needs now is young blood. What we are looking at is the future. This Xu Wenyi is nearly fifty years old, right? He is only a little younger than you and me. In three to five years, the energy will be low. How can we create a situation? If you choose
He will have to be re-elected in a few years. As long as the personnel changes, it will affect the overall situation. No one can afford to mess with it. No, no!"
"Then it depends on my Cui family, Cui Yusheng. Everyone knows how complicated the distribution of forces on the Tubo border is, but he is always able to handle it with ease and create great situations..."
"Haha, don't be ridiculous. Some time ago, Li Mu went to Miao territory. Both of your Cui family's direct chiefs died unexpectedly, and the smuggling channel was cut off. How can you still have the nerve to speak so brazenly?"
"You fart! Which eye saw it cut off at the waist?"
"You've seen it with your left eye and right eye, why do you still dare to quibble?"
Seeing that the two were about to fight, someone advised: "Okay, let's stop talking. Now we have to solve the problem. In my opinion, Shen Yifan is similar to Cui Yusheng, and may not be lacking in scheming, means, or ability." , but this hall master will lead the people in the future, and there will be no shortage of such talents under his command. What he needs most is the courage to control the heroes and the ability to plan the world. These two people spend their days working among merchants. Things, the realm is too weak."
"How about Li Yin?"
"Haha, he is a member of the Shandong noble family, the Li family of Zhaojun, right?"
"Yes! But he is very talented. He took part in the imperial examination last year and got seventh place..."
"You also know that he is seventh, and Li Mu is the double number one pick. You let a seventh place compete with the two number one picks, you can't think of it!"
Everyone felt discouraged. Why can't all the talents in the world seem to be better than Li Mu? He is like the moon at night. The light of one person occupies half of the night sky. Although the other stars are shining brightly, they are insignificant. People can compete with it.
After a period of silence, someone slowly spoke and said: "Now that we are arguing, we can't come up with a reason. In my opinion, we still have to compare."
The heads of the clans all nodded, but they couldn't come up with a formula for how to compare. Because some of these candidates are good at poetry, some are good at making money, and some are good at martial arts. Each has its own strengths and cannot be put under the same standard. Compared.
At this time, they thought about Li Mu again. How come these people can only be good at one thing, but Li Mu is good at everything? Poems, songs, ways to make money, and leading troops into battles, there is nothing he can't do.
Seeing that morale was going to be low again, someone suggested that we pick up the most important ones first.
What does Jisi Hall do? Contact various families and do business. No matter what you are good at as a hall master, the most important thing is to make money, so you should never want a hall master who cannot make money. Nowadays, the methods of making money are The two places that cannot be avoided are the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Luoyang Trading Center, which has been rumored and has not yet been officially launched. They have agreed to give a fixed amount of money to all candidates to see if they can win within half a year. , no matter how much you earn, whoever earns more is more capable and will naturally get the position of hall leader.
After some deliberation, each family quickly selected their candidates. It would only take half a year for the results to be announced.
…
Li Mu's governance of Luoyang has the characteristics of Internet novelists writing novels. After a fierce climax scene, there is always a small bridge and flowing water, gurgling for a while. Such relaxation is the way to win.
Although the crisis of the locust plague has passed, Li Mu used a clever trick to control the scope of damage to a very small range. However, compared with the holes left by the war in the late Sui Dynasty, the situation is not much better, so the people of Luoyang City are now Do what is needed or recuperate.
Luoyang is Li Mu's fiefdom, and Li Mu is equivalent to the emperor here, so there is no resistance.
Some small gentry and small landowners saw that Li Mu didn't care about people with five surnames and seven clans, and they definitely didn't dare to disobey Li Mu's orders. Therefore, the tax policy was formulated and promulgated in advance, and there was probably no one who dared to resist the tax.
However, when Li Mu promulgated the tax law, he also exempted many of the previous exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The overall burden did not increase, but was reduced to a certain extent, which won the support of the people.
Li Mu also promoted animal husbandry, focused on agriculture and mulberry trees, vigorously developed commerce and trade, encouraged the reclamation of wasteland, and implemented the taxation and other policies that had been formulated, which can be said to be beneficial and harmless to the people. A lot of land that has not been cultivated has been abandoned.
Naturally, the land cannot be wasted. Li Mu issued a notice that in the spring of next year, the unowned land can be reclaimed. After being reclaimed, it will be regarded as imperial property, but the reclaimed land can be cultivated under very favorable conditions.
The preferential conditions are very obvious: rent is free for five years, and only 20% of the rent is charged between five and ten years. Calculated in this way, even if the court does not pay attention in ten years and takes back all the cultivated land, it will still be a bloody gain.
, for a time the people of Luoyang were rejoicing, and the people of surrounding counties and counties were also eager to give it a try. They had great intentions of turning themselves into refugees and settling in Luoyang.
In order to develop the economy, Luoyang City's policies to encourage business are equally favorable. After the New Year, Luoyang is planning to build a new trading market, and many new shops will be built. These shops are not for sale, only for rent, and all belong to the Hou Mansion. In order to attract merchants, in the first three years, as long as
If the standards are met, the shop will be rented free of charge. After three years, the rent will be renegotiated based on the circumstances of both parties, and the shop will have priority in leasing.
As a result, many merchants, including some who did not originally settle in the local area, came to rent shops. Anyway, there was zero rent and no capital to trade. Even those who did not expect this trading market to become popular decided to send a few workers to bring products to try out.
Try it, no loss anyway.
Li Mu intends to give this piece of profit to the people of the five surnames and seven sects. The big stick has been waved, and he has to give some sweetness, otherwise he will overthrow them all. How can he recruit some common people and hunters to do this kind of thing? They really don't have this.
Ability, and frankly speaking, poverty and high moral character are not synonymous. We still have to rely on the clarity of laws and rules. We cannot run this place based on character. That is too naive. And don’t forget, there is a saying:
Poor tactics, human nature cannot withstand scrutiny.
However, Li Mu, the main decision-maker among the managers, still couldn't let go. He wanted to leave this matter to Wang Ou. Now that Wang Ou has left the Snake Spirit Sect and the Successor Hall, he will have a lot of time in the future, and it will be boring to be idle.
, Moreover, this does not require her to show up and directly interfere with management. She has been in business for so many years and has experience. As long as she has a good grasp of the flow of funds and the amount of expenditures, she will be able to intervene at a glance.