"Cui Jiazi!" Wang looked at the person who spoke and sneered: "You are worthy of saying that you have a fight with Li Mu? Everything he has done is obvious to everyone here! This son is a genius!
Are you an ordinary person? You don’t think about your own abilities, but you also have to consider your clan. Misfortunes come from your mouth. Do you still need me to teach you?"
The scolded Cui family disciples did not dare to scold Wang, but they were not willing to be humiliated. They looked at him angrily and turned away. Wang did not take this small role seriously and looked at everyone again, especially Wei Zheng and Changsun.
Wuji, the people who have the final say, asked for their opinions.
Wang's meaning has been made very clear, and that is to admit defeat. In his opinion, the risk of fighting Li Mu is already very high, not to mention that there is an emperor standing behind him? Deep in his heart, Wang is afraid of Li Shimin.
Back then, General Tiance was invincible, and the Xuanwu Gate incident stained the palace gates with blood, making the king remember Li Shimin's cruelty and ruthlessness. Now Li Shimin is like a tiger whose claws are bound by the word "Mingjun".
It may seem timid, but you need to know that a tiger is a tiger after all. If you really anger him, the consequences will be disastrous!
Changsun Wuji did not express his position. Surprisingly, Wei Zheng nodded. There were three major forces in the court. Wang represented one side and Wei Zheng also represented one side. The combined forces of the two occupied the six areas of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes.
Yes, this incident involves fields, which has the greatest impact on them. Whether Changsun Wuji agrees or not accounts for a very small proportion.
Now that Wei Zheng has agreed, the matter can be settled. Wang does not even need to ask Changsun Wuji for his opinion. As far as the proportion of nobles and nobles is concerned, it will be no problem if the Wang family of Taiyuan is involved!
Wang originally thought that it would be very difficult to convince Wei Zheng, but he never expected that it would go so smoothly. He was overjoyed. He was afraid that Wei Zheng would change his mind, so he immediately pulled Wei Zheng outside, shouting, "It's not too late, otherwise things will change." He got on the carriage and went straight
At Hou Junji's house, the others saw that their backbone had left, the matter had been settled, and there was no need to stay, so they all sighed and went home in twos and threes.
The same goes for Changsun Wuji. He got on the carriage, called his entourage, gave a few instructions, and then went to the craftsman's workshop to find Changsun Chong to deliver the news. Changsun Wuji did not go home, but diverted to the imperial city.
The more officials sit in court, the more he can't slack off in his duties. Only in this way can Li Shimin see his usefulness, and his anger will gradually dissipate.
The king's residence is not far from Hou Junji's residence, and it can be reached in less than a quarter of an hour by carriage.
Hou Junji was sitting in the study, staring blankly at the tips bag sent by a child half an hour ago. He had never encountered such a strange thing in most of his life. When he was taking a nap, the housekeeper came to report,
It was said that a child was smashing the door with a brick. When he was caught, he shouted that he was here to deliver a letter for Marquis Zhulu, and he had to pay ten taels of silver before he handed over the letter.
Hou Junji regarded wealth as his life, so how could he be willing to give it to him? But thinking that he was delivering a letter to Li Mu, he hesitated again, and finally asked the housekeeper to take the money and give it to the child in exchange for this kit.
Opening the kit, there was a note inside, which said, "You want twice as much, give it to me!"
Hou Junji wondered, what is this! What do you want? People? Money? Things? You just wrote such a meaningless sentence, are you playing a riddle?
Puzzled for a moment, Hou Junji just sat there. It wasn't until the housekeeper came to report again that Wang and Wei Zheng came to the door. Hou Junji then figured out some way, quickly tore up the note, and ordered the housekeeper to open the middle door.
, went to the door in person and welcomed the two of them in.
In the Tang Dynasty, civil and military affairs had different paths. Except for a few people, civil servants and military generals disliked each other. After Hou Junji was promoted to Minister of War, he became the nominal leader of the military generals in the court.
The relationship with the civil servants became even more tense. Almost no civil servants came to his door. Today, Wei Zheng and Wang came hand in hand, which made him feel very dignified, even a bit radiant.
Hou Junji usually did not drink tea, but in order to entertain guests, he specially asked the butler to make tea, and arranged the meeting place in the study room, trying his best to get closer to the style of civil servants, giving people a sense of imitating others.
.
Wei Zheng couldn't stand this kind of behavior the most, and there was already a look of displeasure on his face. Wang could see it, and winked at Wei Zheng repeatedly. He came here today to discuss things, and to ask for help. Even if he couldn't stand it, he just wanted to ask for help.
I can endure it.
Wei Zheng didn't like to talk in roundabout ways, so he chatted for only a few words and then went straight to the topic. As people who had participated in budget discussions, the three of them knew clearly how much the gap in the Ministry of War was. Wei Zheng opened his mouth and proposed that he could only give 50%.
Wang took over the words and said that he could give up to 70%, which was a joke. This was a strategy the two of them had discussed on the way here. Under normal circumstances, without the note given by Li Mu,
, Hou Junji heard that 70% or 100% would be happy to accept it, which was what the two of them expected.
But now, they can't do what they want.
Although Hou Junji is a martial artist, his brain is not very good. But he was appointed by Li Shimin as the Minister of War. He still has a few brushes. Coupled with Li Mu's reminder, he already knows the situation clearly. Civil servants have always been
He has a high self-esteem. Since he can come to the door, there must be no other way, otherwise these two people will definitely not come. Although Hou Junji does not know what means Li Mu used, he knows that this is an excellent opportunity!
Opportunity to rip off!
Seeing these two people acting like a drama and cheating in different ways, I could only sneer in my heart. I secretly thought that these civil servants were really treacherous. If they hadn't been reminded by Zhu Luhou, they would have almost been deceived.
Hou Junji didn't say anything, and waited for the two of them to finish talking. He had no words and his mouth was dry, so he picked up the teacup and drank tea. Then he picked up the teacup and took a sip, imitating the two of them, and said leisurely:
"Since you two are so candid, I might as well tell the truth. When the six ministries were collaborating on the budget a year ago, it was made clear that the five ministries would work together to bully one. Why? Because the five ministries of yours are all civil servants, and the Ministry of War is a general.
, we won’t talk much about the difference between civil and military affairs. I am also clumsy with my tongue, and I really can’t argue, so the Ministry of War suffered a big loss in the budget. Not only did it not get more, but it got less than in previous years!”
"You two are here today. Since we are talking about the budget, let me speak frankly. The real gap in the Ministry of War is twice as large as the existing gap! If you are interested in helping, then follow this number.
, if you two are not willing to help”
Hou Junji sighed and said: "There is no other way but to listen to Zhulu Hou's suggestion and let the government troops go to their own territory!"
Seeing Hou Junji say this, the king became a little anxious and said: "Hou Junji, you can't take advantage of the situation, the lion is open! Do you know that this money is not from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but..."
Before he finished speaking, Wei Zheng pulled him and said: "What else are you talking about? He has obviously passed the Qi. This number was set by Li Mu. It's useless to tell him!"
Hou Junji burst out laughing and said: "I also said that Wei Gong could see it clearly, and I didn't hide it. I did get this tip from Zhulu Hou, so I asked for this price. Whether you agree or not is your business.
, I just pass on the message. Anyway, the Ministry of War wants money, and there’s nothing else we can discuss.”
Hou Junji looked at the sky outside and saw the moon already, and said: "It's getting late. If you don't mind the vulgar food in my house, you might as well stay and have a few drinks. It just so happened that Zhulu Hou brewed it himself and gave it to me.
There are still a few jars of the good wine left, and the taste is different from the ones bought at the winery. I am usually reluctant to drink it, so I will open a jar today to entertain you two."
Wei Zheng stood up, pulled the king over, and said to Hou Junji: "Twice is indeed too much. Even if we agree, it is not something we can decide. We need to discuss it. I will give the general an answer tomorrow. I will take my leave now."
Hou Junji didn't stay either, and said, "I'll send you two off."
The three of them came to the gate of the mansion to say goodbye. Suddenly, a fast horse came galloping towards them. The guards on both sides of the gate immediately drew their swords. Hou Junji waved his hand, and the guards put the swords back. Hou Junji looked at the person who came.
He shouted: "Who is coming? The horses are galloping in the city, don't you know you are guilty?"
"Report"
"Reporting to the General, His Majesty was assassinated in the Zhuluhou Valley. Fortunately, Zhuluhou fought to the death to protect him and was only slightly injured. All five assassins have been captured. General Cheng has led troops to the valley to protect His Majesty. He has ordered the General to lead
The soldiers protect the Supreme Emperor, control all the officials and nobles in the city, and are direct descendants of the aristocratic families. If there is any disobedience, they will be killed without mercy!"
Hearing this, Wei Zheng and the king's faces immediately turned pale. Wei Zheng broke out in a cold sweat and blurted out: "Your Majesty is injured? Where is Zhuluhou? Why is your Majesty in the valley!"
The sergeant did not answer, but bowed his hand to Hou Junji, then mounted his horse and went to the next station to deliver the order.
Hou Junji turned to look at Wang and Wei Zheng. As the number one bodyguard in front of the two armies to protect Li Shimin from death, Hou Junji became angry when he heard that someone dared to assassinate him.
He laughed sinisterly and waved lightly with the two fingers of his right hand. Dozens of soldiers poured out of nowhere from the door and surrounded Wang and Wei Zheng's carriage tightly.
"I'm afraid you two can't leave!"
…
Back to an hour ago, it was just getting dark. Li Mu lit a bonfire and set up a barbecue rack with a sheep on top. He used the "Hufa" he learned when he was a cook for the Turks in the Turk camp.
It's marinated and is being smoked on top.
The fat came out sizzlingly, exuding a mouth-watering taste. Li Shimin, Queen Changsun and Li Mu's family were all gathered around the campfire. Everyone had a scimitar in their hands, waiting for the meat to be cooked so that they could be sliced off and eaten.
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Li Mu sprinkled a handful of fennel on top, and the flames flickered, making the smell stronger.
Li Shimin swallowed his saliva and said impatiently: "How long will it take before I can eat it? When I fought in all directions, I always ate it with bloodshot eyes. If it was overcooked, the meat would be old. It's almost the same now."
As he spoke, the sword flashed, and he cut off a large piece of meat. Just as he was about to put it into his mouth, he saw Queen Changsun looking over from the corner of her eye. She pursed her lips, cut the meat into small pieces, and put half of it on Queen Changsun's plate.
He forced a smile and said, "The queen will taste it first."
Empress Changsun pushed the plate back to Li Shimin and said, "I still like to eat cooked food."
"Then I'm not welcome!" This was what Li Shimin was waiting for. He picked up the plate and was about to put it in his mouth. Suddenly, Eunuch Gao made a move like lightning and stopped Li Shimin. Li Shimin glared at him and shouted: "Gao Gan, you
What are you doing?!"
Eunuch Gao stretched out his hand, pinched a piece of meat, put it into his mouth, swallowed it, and said with a smile, "I will test the poison for Your Majesty."
Li Shimin didn't even bother to scold him anymore, he stretched out his hand and said: "Get away!"
"," Eunuch Gao rolled away quietly, and Li Shimin finally got his wish and swallowed a large piece of mutton in his stomach.
Li Mu watched Li Shimin eating, and only two words came to his mind: barbaric. How can this mutton be mature? Are you not afraid of getting upset after eating it?
Li Shimin ate the meat, opened a jar of wine, drank a few big gulps, burped, and looked a little tipsy. He put the wine jar aside, looked at Li Mu, and said, "You guys are really awesome today."
It opened my eyes. Okay, such a big glass palace costs 50,000 taels. Look at your small courtyard, the windows are all made of glass, it’s so transparent! I use all the good things myself, and I never think about it.
I! You are such a good minister and my good nephew!"
Li Mu put a piece of wood under the bonfire and said: "Your Majesty, material desires corrupt people, and corruption leads to degeneration. Your Majesty wants to be a wise king, how can he degenerate? This kind of suffering is better for me. I don't have great ambitions."
, I don’t want to leave my name in history in this life, and it’s understandable to enjoy my own inventions and creations occasionally.”
Li Mu glanced at Empress Changsun, and said: "Besides, I am also thinking about Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please think that the glazed window is good, but it is also expensive. Even if I calculate the cost for Your Majesty, if your Tai Chi Hall can win the total
If you replace it, you will get 80,000 taels anyway."
"Eighty thousand taels, can't you afford it with internal funds?"
"I can afford it." Li Mu spread his hands and said, "But you can't do this. The Taiji Palace has changed its glass. What do you want the queen to do? If the Lizheng Palace has also been changed, with the queen's benevolent personality, she will definitely not forget to return it.
There are four noble concubines, all four noble concubines have been replaced, and there are so many talented people, but replacing them all... I can’t afford to replace them, so I’d better not change them.”
Empress Changsun laughed when she heard this and said: "You have such a mouth, but what you say makes sense. There are no glazed windows in the palace, and life goes on as usual. This kind of thing is not necessary and costs a lot, so why not
Spend your money on something more useful.”
"What the Queen said is absolutely true." Li Mu agreed, never mentioning himself.
Li Shimin sighed, feeling a little unhappy. After seeing Li Mu's valley today, he was surprised by Li Mu's talent, and he was also concerned that Li Mu had hidden many things from him. However, he couldn't find any faults, which made him frustrated.
There was also the detailed plan that Li Mu just told him, which frustrated him a bit. He didn't even think of Li Mu's plan at all. This feeling of having his IQ crushed was really uncomfortable.
Li Shimin looked up at the sky and said, "Li Mu, why haven't the assassins you mentioned arrived yet? Did you remember the wrong time?"