Li Shimin has long been accustomed to Li Mu's arrogance, and from a practical point of view, Li Mu is telling the truth. His business skills are indeed amazing. What's even more rare is that his mind has so many strange ideas.
Wonderful ideas, he can think of things that ordinary people can't think of, and he can also do it and do it well. Looking at the world, this ability is unique.
Li Shimin wondered: "I just can't figure out why you can succeed in any business... I don't see any special means on your part. I really can't understand it."
Li Mu smiled and said: "Your Majesty wants to know?"
Li Shimin glanced at him and said: "I know you won't tell the truth, that's all, I won't ask, just drink."
Li Mu diligently filled Li Shimin's wine glass, and took a drink himself, saying: "I have never concealed the reason why I cannot tell the truth. It's just that when I tell the truth seriously, whether it is His Majesty or anyone else,
Don’t listen to it as the truth.”
"Just like what I said in the evening, does your Majesty still remember it?"
Li Shimin recalled it and said, "Are you talking about spreading money?"
Li Mu nodded and said: "Spreading money may seem absurd, but it is very useful. It will bring me a very good reputation."
Li Shimin burst into laughter, interrupted Li Mu, and said: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, will this be a good reputation?"
Li Mu said sternly: "Your Majesty, the quality of reputation depends on its use. For a person like Wei Gong, throwing money in the street will definitely not have a good reputation, but for me, or for the things I do, this
It’s just a good reputation.”
"Your Majesty, do you still remember that the censor once impeached an official for asking for a bribe from Ju Zhisheng, the crown prince of Gaochang?"
Li Shimin thought for a while and said, "I remember that Cheng Zhijie still spoke for you at that time." Suddenly Li Shimin had some understanding and said, "Did you ask for it?"
Li Mu smiled and said: "Of course!"
"Ha!" Li Shimin was furious, slapping the table and saying, "How dare you deceive me?"
"I am not deceiving Your Majesty, but I want to save my own face." Li Mu said seriously: "The position I was in at that time, how many people in the court regarded me as a thorn in their side? The censor Zhongcheng Wang Jingze, at first glance, was sent by Wei Zheng
If I defeat the one who attacks me, I will have no place to stand in the court. I don’t really care about whether I have a place to stand, but Your Majesty still needs me to be in the court. Otherwise, I will just borrow the donkey down the slope and return.
The family has gone to farm."
Li Shimin said angrily: "You really want to farm? I think this valley is not a small place. If you like farming, you can farm in spring!"
"Of course I want to plant it!" Li Mu said in a matter-of-fact tone: "I really like farming. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't ask for seeds from Prince Gaochang and Prince Zhenla. I just want to plant the Tang Dynasty.
If there are no crops, see what is good, and then try your best to promote it. Even if it is just to let the people of the Tang Dynasty eat one more vegetable or one more bowl of rice, I will feel that it is an incomparable success, far more than the ministers in the calculation court.
It feels much more accomplished.”
Li Shimin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said: "Why can't I understand your idea? For thousands of years, what the people have eaten... don't talk about the people, let's talk about me. The emperors throughout the ages have eaten all kinds of grains and wild vegetables in the mountains.
?What’s so new in this that it’s worth all your efforts?”
"Your Majesty, how can this be useless?" Li Mu said seriously: "There is nothing more important in my heart than farming!"
"Why?"
"Your Majesty, in the eyes of my ministers, any matter related to the country, the country, and the country can be replaced, but farming is the only thing that cannot be replaced. If the farming season is missed, the grain will not grow, the grain will not be harvested, and the people will have no food.
Will starve to death! I looked through the history books and saw what the so-called prosperous age is? To put it bluntly, it means being able to feed the people. If the people are fed, the population will grow, the population will grow, all industries will prosper, and the military will flourish. On the other hand,
The demise of every dynasty is accompanied by natural and man-made disasters. When the people have no food to eat, they are forced to rebel. But in the years of harvest, when the people can survive, even if the emperor is fatuous, they will not rebel. The reason
, or the emperor is too far away from them, even if the emperor is cruel, he is rarely cruel to ordinary people, and farming is related to their food rations and livelihood, this is what they really care about! "
When Li Shimin heard this, he stopped laughing at Li Mu and frowned, looking thoughtful.
Li Mu sighed and said: "I have been thinking about this matter for a day or two, and I have never been able to think of a solution. Because even if man-made disasters are controllable, natural disasters are uncontrollable. Who can know when the earth will collapse and when floods will occur? So,
, Even if the monarch has always been wise, if heaven wants to destroy this dynasty, it will not be able to escape."
Li Shimin couldn't help but said: "Then what you are doing is useless, isn't it?"
"It's better to be useless than nothing." Li Mu said seriously: "I searched through the history books and couldn't find any solution. I only got a hint of inspiration from the Historical Records and the Chronicles of the Five Emperors. There is a legend recorded in it. According to legend,
In ancient times, the people lived on their hair and drank their blood, and they had no choice but to resign themselves to fate when they got sick. There was Shen Nong who tasted all kinds of herbs and found edible grasses and grasses that could cure diseases, so he let the people plant them, which filled their stomachs and cured their diseases."
"So I thought, Shennong tasted all the herbs, but he tasted them all before he saw them. Now I collect the seeds and plant them out. Maybe there will be an unexpected harvest, but maybe not. But, what if there is no? Even if there is no
, it’s just a matter of farming, but if we find a way to change the five grains into six grains, the people will have more choices, and the country of the Tang Dynasty will be more stable. Isn’t this a good thing?”
As he spoke, Li Mu laughed, his eyes shining so brightly against the night sky. Li Shimin suddenly felt emotional when he saw the crescent moon reflected in his pupils. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
, finally raised his hand and patted Li Mu on the shoulder, picked up the wine glass, touched it with him, and drank it down in one gulp.
Li Mu also drank the wine, and Li Shimin exhaled and said: "The play has been performed for two days, and the outcome will be tomorrow. Are you confident?"
"I was only 30% sure at first, but now I am 100% sure. Your Majesty can sleep well tonight. When you wake up, I guarantee that your Majesty will be able to see six congratulatory forms."
"Congratulatory form?" Li Shimin was too unfamiliar with this thing. Last year, he defeated the Turks, but he didn't see the five surnames and Qiwang submit a congratulatory form. He really didn't have any hope at all, and sighed: "Don't
I said six copies, but I would be satisfied if I could have two."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, there must be six copies."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and said: "With five surnames and seven looks, which family is missing?"
"Of course it's the Li family of Longxi, and they didn't participate."
"Longxi Li family..." When Li Shimin heard these four words, his tone paused and he seemed to be in a trance. Li Mu looked at his expression carefully, trying to see some clues, but found nothing.
After a while, Li Shimin returned to normal and said: "The Li family in Longxi is from the same clan as the royal family, so of course they would not do such a thing. I am really drunk to ask such a question."
Li Mu agreed with a smile, but he became more and more certain in his heart that there must be some rift between the Li family in Longxi and the royal family.
After three rounds of wine, under the moonlight on the branches, Li Mu was also a little tipsy, and took his wife and concubines to say goodbye to the emperor and the empress. This feeling was a bit like a family gathering between neighbors in the village. Li Shimin walked from Li Mu to the back door, and then
We chatted for a while about tomorrow's events before going back to rest.
Bai Qiaoqiao and Li Zhien supported Li Mu and helped him back home. After drinking, Li Mu fell asleep. When he woke up again, it was already dawn. Looking at himself, he had already changed his clothes.
, I don’t know who helped change it.
Looking next to him, he saw that Li Zhien and Bai Qiaoqiao were still sleeping. Li Mu did not disturb the two of them. He got out of bed quietly, put on his bear coat and came to the yard.
Li Mu glanced at the sky and saw that he was about to go up and down in time. He opened the door and walked out. As soon as he took a step, a black shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.
Li Mu was startled and almost fell to the ground. He stood up holding the door frame and complained: "Old Wang, what are you doing? How old are you? Are you trying to block the door like others?"
"Master Hou!" Wang smiled with a smile on his face and tried his best to flatter. He held a stack of memorial-like things in his hands and handed them to Li Mu: "Look, what is this?"
Li Mu counted seven, and wondered why there was one more. He was confused and said: "Wang Shizhong, at this time, please don't trouble His Majesty. What kind of memorial should you write? Take it back."
"It's not a memorial!" Wang said anxiously: "This is a congratulatory form. It is a form of congratulations from the five surnames Qiwang and various prominent families in Shandong to express their feelings and praise your majesty's great achievements. Could you please give it to your majesty for viewing?"
"Oh!" Li Mu took the congratulatory form, turned it over, glanced at Wang, and said: "Wang Shizhong, you have been up all night, staring at such big dark circles, and you have done this? What's the use of this?
Ah? Will His Majesty feel better after reading this?"
"How could this be useless? How could this be useless? The eulogies show the people's support for His Majesty! Throughout the dynasties, emperors who have received eulogies from aristocratic families are rare. Your Majesty..."
"Ha!" Li Mu said angrily: "So, Your Majesty, you have to be happy? And you have to thank you?"
Seeing that Li Mu's expression was wrong, the king said sarcastically: "This... Your Majesty hasn't looked at it yet, how do you know? Please excuse me, Lord Marquis."
"Alas..." Li Mu sighed, weighed the congratulatory form in his hand, and said: "Wang Shizhong, it's not that I can't go for a trip. But don't put me in it. What you wrote is
Son, can you represent the various clans? Don’t show it to Your Majesty today. Tomorrow someone will stand up and say, this thing was not written by us, it was a fake made by the emperor. If this kind of thing happens, Your Majesty’s face will be lost.
No one can guarantee what will happen when the time comes!"
When the king heard this, he immediately said: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis, this kind of thing will never happen!" He opened a congratulatory form, at the end, pointed to a stamp on it, and said: "With this thing, no one can