Today is the Lantern Festival, but Li Yuan did not want to return to the palace. The valley seemed deserted again, and there was no festive atmosphere, so he finally chose a compromise, which was to return to heaven and earth. Li Shimin finished his busy work in the palace
, will also sneak out, not to accompany Li Yuan, but mainly to watch the new show tonight.
Li Mu also wanted to go to the theater. Although he wrote the story and he already knew the plot, it wasn't really interesting to watch it. But today Jin Chen plays Cui Yingying, and he has to watch it with his own eyes. He has already died.
Two Jinyi guards were wearing casual clothes and hiding in the crowd with repeating crossbows. If Zhang Sheng on the table came into physical contact with Cui Yingying, they would immediately shoot him on the spot.
He wanted to go, but he really couldn't get away because he was blocked by a group of businessmen. These businessmen were none other than the parents of the first batch of Datang Technical School graduates. They relied on their sons and Li Mu
This was a master-disciple relationship that could not be described as master-student. He shamelessly came over to offer a toast, and then started talking on the cement.
Obviously, the purpose and efficacy of cement have been leaked.
Li Mu can be sure that he did not leak the news. But if it is said that it was leaked by Li Shimin, why? But if it was not leaked by Li Shimin, then who?
Li Mu slapped his head and cursed himself for being too stupid. It was Xu Ji and Changsun Chong who built the wall. They are now independent figures in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and their vision and knowledge are different from before. Once they come into contact with cement, they will definitely be able to
Guess its prospects.
Li Mu sighed. He was looking for the perpetrator just now, but he ended up shooting himself in the foot.
After realizing this problem, Li Mu thought for a while, but there seemed to be no solution, and immediately his face darkened: "What do you think of me as a prince? Is it your cash cow? Get out of here, if you say any more nonsense, I will
Your son’s leg was broken!”
This sentence was more effective than anything else. As soon as Li Mu finished speaking, these people dispersed like birds and beasts.
Li Mu came upstairs. In the private room, Li Shimin, Mrs. Lu, Li Yuan, and Empress Changsun were playing mahjong. When Li Shimin saw Li Mu coming, he gave up the mahjong to Li Tai who was standing next to him, and pulled Li Mu aside.
"Li Mu, why is the news about cement now known to the whole world? Everyone I saw today asked circumstantial questions. Others said it was okay. Many of the nobles also asked about it and said they wanted to take shares. This——
"
"Your Majesty, this is impossible." Li Mu refused directly without thinking, saying: "The shares of the cement plant cannot be distributed casually. I am not a monopoly or dictatorial, but in the start-up stage, I must master the words.
Otherwise, if everyone talks about it and everyone has an opinion, how can the cement plant develop? Whose advice do you listen to?"
Li Shimin nodded and said: "I understand what you mean, so I have rejected them. Seeing Li Mu's expression softening, Li Shimin said again: "How is the road construction going? Do you have any clues?"
"The factory and the workers are all easy to talk about." Li Mu glanced at Li Shimin and said, "It's just a little money. If the national treasury or the Ministry of Internal Affairs can provide some support, I would be really grateful."
"The Ministry of Accounts is in charge of the money from the treasury." When he heard about money, Li Shimin immediately hid behind him: "I have already used the money from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I can't help you with money matters."
Li Mu rolled his eyes and said: "Then why do you ask, Your Majesty? I can just figure it out myself."
"I'm worried about you." Li Shimin blushed a little and said, "This matter has become a big deal now. If it is embarrassing, the court and I will also be embarrassed."
"Ah, didn't you say that?" Li Mu yawned and said, "I'll figure it out on my own, isn't it just money? Your Majesty, you still don't believe me in this regard?"
"Things in this world are given for free." Li Shimin did not believe that there was such a good thing: "I don't know how much money and food it costs to build roads. Although the cement you make is cheap, even if it is calculated as one-tenth of the glutinous rice mortar
, the money in your hand is not enough. Even if you can get the money, just throwing money at it will cause criticism. You have to consider these things first."
"I have a plan for a long time." Li Mu chuckled and said, "Your Majesty can also see that my style has always been that everyone makes money together." Li Mu chuckled and said, "In this way, we will have more and more friends.
, the road will become wider and wider as we go.”
Li Shimin pouted and thought to himself, you have offended everyone so many times, how can you have any friends anymore?
"You can't save a penny on where you should spend money, you have to spend it." Li Mu said, changing the topic again and said: "But where you can do without spending money, spending a penny is unnecessary."
"Then tell me what to do specifically!" Li Shimin asked sternly. Judging from his posture, he would not give up unless he asked someone about Ziwu today.
Li Mu sighed inwardly and said: "First of all, I have already done the first step. The person who provides the money should first set up a cement factory. This is the first step."
"Then, where do you want to develop - for example, Lantian County? In Lantian County, we can jointly establish a development company."
Li Shimin frowned. It was another new word. Li Mu once popularized the concept of company, and he understood it. Each company holds shares, and how many shares it holds, it has the right to speak. Li Mu made an authorization a few days ago, and he also understood it.
What's going on is that Li Mu can't afford that much money, but he still has the final say. Although it's a bit strong, it makes sense. But what does this development company mean, Li Shimin is a little unclear.
I can vaguely feel it, but I'm not sure.
"Development means - uh, how do you say it?" Li Mu thought for a long time, but couldn't think of an easy-to-understand explanation, so he had to force popular science and said: "Development means using wasteland, mines, forests, hydraulics and other natural resources
Resources are used as objects for labor to achieve the purpose of utilization. For example, Lantian County is very poor and has no money, but it has mineral deposits and manpower. Then everyone can cooperate!"
"The cement factory is a subsidiary of Datang Jianye. To form a joint development company, Datang Jianye will hold the shares instead of the cement factory. Datang Jianye provides all cement and building materials, as well as food for work relief, and only accounts for 50% of the shares.
Bar?"
Li Shimin frowned slightly. On the surface, it didn't seem like much, but he always felt that was not the case.
Li Mu did not give Li Shimin more time to think, and said: "If you do a lot of work, you have to be the big boss. It is natural for the big boss to hold more shares."
Li Shimin was noncommittal and said, "You continue."
"Without the lubrication of the local gentry, we will still encounter a lot of troubles." Li Mu continued: "So it is reasonable to let them contribute a quarter of the capital, hold a quarter of the shares, and recruit manpower at the same time?"
"A quarter?" Li Shimin said dissatisfied: "Isn't that giving them an advantage? I have told you a long time ago that I want to suppress these gentry, and you still--isn't this siding with the enemy?"
"Your Majesty, I cannot agree with this." Li Mu said seriously: "The common people call local officials parent officials. If you say that, your majesty is the parent of everyone in the world. Although the gentry and merchants do many things, your majesty cannot
Satisfied. But aren’t they His Majesty’s subjects? Your Majesty’s idea is very dangerous!”
"I -" Li Shimin said angrily: "Don't pick words for me, just understand the meaning. One quarter is too much, what did they do, just take away one quarter?"
Li Mu sighed and said: "Your Majesty, there is a saying in the world that a strong dragon will not overwhelm a local snake. Give them a quarter. If they agree, I will burn incense."
"Then can we still disagree? If they still dare to say that they disagree, I will be rude to them!" Li Shimin was a little excited and gritted his teeth and said: "It's just a quarter, not even a penny more, that's it.
, you go on, don’t be nagging here.”
Li Mu quickly apologized and said, "Let's not talk about this for now. Let's continue."
"The next quarter of the shares will be given to the county."
"Oh, the county still wants to hold shares?" Li Shimin didn't understand, and asked: "What are you doing for the county? The court is short of money now, so these shares should be held by the Ministry of Household Affairs on behalf of the court."
"Of course it's different." Li Mu said lightly: "First of all, the development company is not a one-time deal, but a company that takes root in the local area, builds the local area, and serves the local area. This is a long process, maybe five years, maybe ten years
, but as far as I know, not everyone can be a county magistrate for a lifetime. If the county does not have shares, how can we ensure that future county magistrates will support the development company?"
"I can make a decree."
Li Mu spread his hands and said: "Your Majesty, do you have to let me make it clear? Developing a place is not something that happens overnight. It is a continuous and long process. It may be more than ten or twenty years, or it may be one generation or two generations.
Although your Majesty is wise and mighty, there is no guarantee that none of his descendants will be dishonest. Your Majesty, can you guarantee that if Cheng Qian or Cheng Qian's descendants ascend the throne in the future, will they also act in accordance with the decree you issued today? If something goes wrong.
, will all the previous efforts be in vain?
"..." Li Shimin was stunned. He didn't expect that Li Mu's goal was so lofty and unbelievable.
"Secondly, we want the county to share future profits. If the county is rich, the local officials will be relaxed without the pressure to pay taxes, and the excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes on the people will be reduced, so that there will be no.
This will reduce the burden on the people."
"That makes sense." Li Shimin nodded, agreeing with Li Mu's words, and said with a smile: "You have thought carefully, and it is necessary to give shares to the county."
Li Shimin also thought about it. After all, Lantian County Government is also owned by the imperial court. The taxes collected should be turned over, but an extra part is left to the county. It is meaningless to subdivide these. This is like Li Shimin wearing a full-length full-length coat.
It's clothes made of pockets. Each pocket represents a county. It just takes it out from this county and puts it in that county. There is no difference if the left hand is changed to the right hand.
After chatting for a while, the time was almost up. Li Shimin took Queen Changsun to the Lichun Courtyard to watch a play. They stopped playing mahjong and left. The dinner began to be served.
Tonight's banquet is a family banquet, and it is all for the grandchildren and female relatives of the royal family, so that Li Yuan can enjoy the happiness of family.
But Li Yuan's interest was not very high, and ordinary princes and princesses did not dare to come near. This cannot be said to be that Li Yuan was not close to the children or that the children were not filial. There were really too many people, and several of Li Yuan's sons
There are ten and hundreds of grandchildren, and he simply can't recognize them all. These grandchildren have never met Li Yuan a few times. They are all children, so how can they get close to them.
Fortunately, both sides are used to this situation. The princes and princesses eat their own food, and Li Yuan eats his own food. Occasionally, he chats with Li Mu, Li Yourong and others, which is quite enjoyable.
But Li Mu was exhausted. After regaining his identity, Li Yuan deliberately highlighted Li Mu's status as the "eldest grandson" and praised Li Mu in every speech. Li Mu did not dare to agree, so he had to explain again and again, feeling exhausted.
After finally coming out to take a breath, I saw Chang Sun Chong hiding in the corner drinking wine.
"What's wrong?" Li Mu came over and sat down in front of Changsun Wuji.
"It's nothing." Changsun Chong lowered his head and whispered: "Teacher, I just can't understand. It's obvious that those local wealthy people have done nothing and even made trouble in secret, but they can still hold shares in the cement plant.
, I really don’t understand.”
"Maybe this is life." Li Mu sighed softly, patted his eldest disciple on the shoulder and said: "There is a saying that the imperial power does not extend to the county. The imperial court's control over the local area relies on these gentry families. They control the lifeblood of the place.
, the common people are either their tenants or their hired laborers, and unless they are stabilized, nothing can be accomplished.”
"Yes, Master, my disciple is going too far." Changsun hurriedly whispered to teach him.
"How could it be? If you think all of this is okay, you are not worthy of being my student." Li Mu smiled and said to him: "Everything we do is to change this status quo. And our goal is not just
It is as simple as a house for everyone and a land for the tiller. We need to wake up most ordinary people and let them realize that there is a problem and want to change it. Through their own efforts, they can also live a better life.
A prosperous, dignified life.”
"Will there really be such a day?" Changsun Chong drank too much and said with a red face: "How long will it take for this day to come, Master?"
"Yes, there will be a day." Li Mu looked at the full moon in the vast sky and said with a firm expression: "Sooner or later, what we do will bear fruit one day. By then, everything will change.
As long as we keep doing it and believe we can do it.”
"Have you heard the story of Yu Gong who moved the mountains?" Li Mu glanced at Sun Chong and said, "Yu Gong once said: Even after my death, my son will survive, and my son will beget grandchildren, and my grandson will beget sons, and my son will have sons.
Sons have descendants, descendants have descendants, and there are endless deprivations. But if the mountain does not increase, why bother and not level it?"
He smiled, patted Changsun Chong on the shoulder and stood up: "Think about this carefully, becoming a teacher is also on the road."