Li Mu was no stranger to this place. He had been here several times before when Li Yuan lived here. But this was the first time for him to stay here after Li Shimin took over the Tai Chi Hall.
The palace at night adds a sense of mystery.
The palace maids and eunuchs were holding lamps and filling the palace lanterns with lamp oil. Li Mu watched their actions, and a thought suddenly came to his mind.
I have to make candles!
Even the palace cannot afford candles. You can imagine what the situation of the people is like. There is no light at night. How can the night life be rich?
If the nightlife is not rich, how can you implement your money-making plan?
Li Mu was thinking about something in his mind and couldn't help but feel a little dazed. As Li Shimin walked, he felt that Li Mu was not behind him. When he turned around, he saw him staring at the palace lantern and said dissatisfied: "What are you looking at? What's so good about the lantern?"
"Ah?" Li Mu calmed down and said, "Your Majesty, I am thinking that the palace lanterns cannot be illuminated by candles, but my family has always used candles. It is really a luxury."
Li Shimin felt warm in his heart and thought to himself that this child still knows how to reflect on himself, so he asked: "Since you know how to be extravagant, just change it and you don't have to feel guilty."
"Huh?" Li Mu looked confused and said, "Your Majesty, I don't feel guilty at all."
"No guilt?" Li Shimin frowned and said, "Then what do you mean by that? Do you want to replace the candles with lamp oil?"
Li Mu smiled and shook his head, saying: "I don't mean that at all. The candles are so bright, and the lamp oil still smells pungent. What I mean is that I am indeed a capable young man, and His Majesty can't afford it."
Candles, I can afford them."
Li Shimin gritted his teeth: "Li Mu! How dare you make fun of me?!"
"Your Majesty, calm down!" Li Mu chuckled and said, "You have misunderstood me. There are only a few people in my small family. How many candles can be used, even if it is luxurious, is limited. After all, I have made so much money, so I can't spend it at all.
I think it's reasonable. As for your Majesty's expenses, aren't you responsible for the internal funds? Let me come up with a solution. Within half a year, all the palaces will be equipped with high-quality candles. What do you think, your Majesty?"
"Huh! You're a smart kid!" He turned around and was about to take a step, then paused and said: "The cost of candles is not low. It is too extravagant to use candles in such a big place in the palace. The money you earn is...
It is of great use and cannot be spent carelessly. Lamp oil is just lamp oil. I have always used it this way and I am used to it. I don’t need to change it.”
Li Mu jogged two steps and came to Li Shimin's side. He said, "How about you come to your majesty first? I will send you some candles so that your majesty can see more clearly when he reviews the memorial at night."
Li Shimin still shook his head and said: "If I use it but the queen doesn't, how can I feel at ease?"
Li Mu understood and quickly said: "How about we prepare some for the Queen? Although candles are expensive, if they are only used by His Majesty and the Queen, they don't have much money. This money minister is out."
The two walked into the palace, and Li Shimin sighed: "Don't you know the Queen's personality? If she is willing to use it by herself, I will be relieved. Over the years, whatever I give her, she will share it with others, even if she can't
It covers everything, even the fourth concubine wants it."
Li Shimin sat down on the bed, stretched his legs, pointed to the side, and motioned for Li Mu to sit down too, and took off his shoes and socks. The smell of Laotan pickled vegetables filled the air.
Li Mu held his breath and quietly turned his head away.
Li Shimin didn't seem to notice, and still sighed: "Confucius said: Don't worry about being few but worrying about inequality, don't worry about poverty but worrying about insecurity. In fact, this is the perfect principle. Women are like this, and I am already troubled by it."
At this time, Eunuch Gao brought the dinner over. Eating in the palace was naturally a separate meal system. Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He could finally escape the range of Li Shimin's "poisonous gas". Otherwise, at this distance, he would definitely not be able to eat anything at all.
No less.
Eunuch Gao handed over a futon, and Li Mu thanked him and sat under it. Eunuch Gao wanted to remind him that it was for kneeling, but when the words reached his lips, he smiled and remained silent.
Li Shimin waved his hand, and Eunuch Gao bowed and left.
Li Mu took a look at tonight's food, one dish, one soup, one bowl of rice, one steamed bun, and a piece of grilled meat of unknown type, and couldn't help but frown.
Is this what the emperor eats?
Li Mu felt a little sad.
Without comparison, there is no harm. In Zhuluhou Mansion, every meal on the table of the servants had meat. Not to mention Li Chongyi and Dugujiu, both of them had to kill four legs of lamb every day.
As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's usual dinner was this simple meal.
What does this emperor mean?
Li Shimin picked up the rice bowl, but he didn't look like he was eating it, and started to eat it with a slurp. Suddenly he saw Li Mu not moving his chopsticks, and asked: "What, it's not as good as the food in your house, can't you eat it?"
Li Mu looked at Li Shimin with red eyes and said: "Your Majesty, you don't have to be so frugal. Just tell me what you want to eat and use. No matter how bad I am, I can still make this money for you."
"I think it's pretty good." Li Shimin smiled and said, "When you were in Mayi, did you have meat to eat?"
Li Mu shook his head: "No, at that time, I was living in poverty. Where could I have money to buy meat? Not only I, but even the county magistrate had no meat to eat, because all the cattle and sheep were stolen by the Turks."
"So I swear, if I have the opportunity to eat meat in the future, I will eat it even if I vomit. I can't go back to the time when I can't afford meat, never!"
Li Shimin pointed to Li Mu's bowl and said, "Isn't this also meat? Although the marinated meat is not as fresh as the freshly slaughtered meat, it still tastes good."
"I can't eat it." Li Mu felt uncomfortable and said: "Your Majesty, do you know that it is useless to be frugal like this? Under you, among the civil and military officials in this dynasty, and in the rich and powerful families, who doesn't eat meat? You can't control it.
Can you still control them? How much can you save by saving yourself? It’s just a drop in the bucket, can you save armor or weapons?”
Seeing that Li Mu was so excited, Li Shimin put down his chopsticks, pondered for a while, and said: "Li Mu, you are right, my frugality alone is of no use and cannot change anything. Hundreds of civil and military officials and powerful families, they should
You should eat and drink...but I want to ask you, is it really useless?"
"If I, like the former Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, levied excessive taxes and became extremely extravagant for my own selfish desires, everyone in the world would think that this is what a superior should do, and would the common people still have a good life?"
"If I can be more diligent and frugal, others will know that I don't agree with arrogance in my heart. In this way, they will be restrained when doing things. The results you see now are already restrained
It’s getting better.”
"Then why doesn't Your Majesty decree and establish rules..."
"Ha!" Li Shimin laughed again and said: "Li Mu, why do you think the noble family, the civil and military officials, support me? If there are no generous gifts from high-ranking officials, how many people will be willing to work for me?"
When Li Mu heard these words, he felt depressed in his heart, but he could not refute it. He understood the truth, but in his subconscious, he thought that being an emperor would mean nothing if it was so frustrating!
"There is no need to feel sorry for me. My ambition is not in eating and drinking. As long as you earn me one million yuan and create an invincible army for me, I will be happy even if I eat bran every day."
"Alas..." Li Mu sighed and said nothing. He picked up the bowl and put rice in his mouth. He was not so delicate that he couldn't eat. When he was a cook in the Turkic camp, he could eat anything.
I’ve eaten it, even grass roots, what else can’t be swallowed?
He finished the meal in silence, still carrying forward the "CD spirit", not a grain of rice was left. Seeing that he had eaten cleanly, Li Shimin was also very satisfied, and called Eunuch Gao in to clean up, and nodded to him again.
Li Mu didn't know what this nod meant, and his eyes were a little blank.
Not long after, Eunuch Gao came in with a woman. When Li Mu saw this person, he was so frightened that he almost screamed. Wang Ou? She, how could she be in the palace!
Li Mu instantly felt that a green grassland had grown on his head!
After thinking about it again, something seemed wrong. According to the first-come-first-served basis, although nothing happened between Li Shimin and Wang Ou, after all, they met first, so he should have been the one to cheat on Li Shimin.
No, no, the green one should be Wang Ou’s dead husband.
Still not right!
Li Mu calmed down. Why did Wang Ou appear here at this time? Has Li Shimin discovered something?
It seems that he is dead today!
Li Mu's heart was filled with gloom, and he watched helplessly as this 'Wang Ou' came forward. Suddenly he was stunned and noticed something strange. This person did not seem to be Wang Ou.
Although they look very similar, they should not be. This person looks to be in her thirties and has a plump figure. She looks like a woman, unlike Wang Ou. Although she is thirty-two years old, she has a slim figure and a beautiful face.
There is no wrinkle at all, and he looks like he is still in his mid-twenties.
This woman's appearance and body shape are in line with her age. She is beautiful, but she has a completely different temperament from Wang Ou. From a distance, they are 90% similar. When you walk in and see these details, only 70% are left.
become similar.
But this was enough to surprise Li Mu. He had never heard Wang Ou say that she had a twin sister!
Li Shimin was not surprised at all when he saw Li Mu's shock. He pulled the woman closer to his arms, pointed at Li Mu, and said: "This is the Zhuluhou Li Mu you always mentioned that you wanted to meet. What, is he younger than expected?"
The woman looked over and Li Mu quickly stood up and saluted.
Li Shimin smiled and said: "Don't be so nervous, this is the Yang family. You heard the emperor's sister-in-law talk about her just now, do you know the reason now?"
Just heard it?
Li Mu recalled what Zheng Guanyin said.
She said that Li Shimin killed his younger brother and took his wife into the palace as a concubine... Yang, Wang Ou, and Li Mu instantly understood, so that's it, that's it!!