Datang: Changle, I really don’t have any private money for my husband

Chapter 123 Conditions for five surnames and seven hopes

After all, with such a result, no matter whether it is the ministers or the emperor, their faces are dull.

For the emperor to submit to the aristocratic family, it is not only the emperor who is aggrieved, but also their ministers who are the emperor.

Now that he had decided to borrow food from the aristocratic families, Changsun Wuji naturally did not dare to delay. After the meeting in front of the hall, he hastily contacted the persons in charge of the Five Surnames and Seven Wangs in Chang'an City.

"What? You mean that the imperial court wants to borrow food from our aristocratic family?" Cui Renshi, the head of the Boling Cui Clan, looked at the eldest grandson Wuji in surprise.

It wasn't that he didn't believe it, he was just very surprised.

Changsun Wuji nodded heavily, and said to the person in charge of the Cui family, the head of the aristocratic family:
"The imperial treasury is not rich in food and grass. Even though it is enough for the army and disaster relief, just in case, some food and grass are needed for emergencies."

"Therefore, I would like to contact you, Cui family, to borrow some food and grass, and I will return it with interest someday."

Master Cui Ren picked up the teacup, took a sip of the hot tea, and sneered secretly in his heart, what you said is a lie, if the court has enough food and grass, does it still need to borrow from us?

"Then how much food and grass do you want?"

Changsun Wuji stretched out his palm, "Five million stones!"

Cui Renshi's eyes widened, and then the corners of his mouth turned up, and he laughed and said:
"Brother Wuji was joking, our Cui family doesn't have so much food and grass."

"If the imperial court doesn't dislike it, we can share it among several of our aristocratic families, and it is possible to take it out."

It is not so easy for our Cui family to be besieged.

Changsun Wuji was disappointed in his heart, but it didn't show on his face, and he agreed quite a bit:
"That's fine, but come to think of it, you can get 600 million stones, right?"

Master Cui Ren shook his head and laughed:
"Brother Wuji was joking, we can't get 500 million stones out, so it's impossible for us to get 600 million stones."

"Then how much can you give?" Changsun Wuji didn't have so much time to argue with him, so he spoke directly.

Cui Renshi laughed, but he was still very happy in his heart. It seems that the situation of the court is more serious than estimated.

He feigned embarrassment and stretched out two fingers, "We can take out 200 million stones at most!"

"Two million stones is really too little." Changsun Wuji shook his head, "At least 200 million stones!"

Cui Renshi sneered directly, he didn't bother to pretend anymore, and said jokingly in his eyes:
"450 million stones is even more impossible, our Seventh Clan can at most produce 200 million stones!"

"400 stone!"

"Only 210 million stones!"

"380 million stones, no less!"

"It's not negotiable, at most 220 million shi!"

……

In the end, the two finally reached an agreement on the quantity, which was set at 250 million shi.

"For the generosity of the family members, the imperial court will remember your contribution!" Changsun Wuji pretended to be stupid, with guarded eyes.

Sure enough, what Cui Renshi said made Changsun Wuji's heart sink, "Don't worry, we haven't negotiated terms yet."

"We don't lend you these grains for nothing."

Changsun Wuji laughed, with anger on his face:

"I heard you right, are you negotiating terms with the imperial court?"

"Even if the emperor borrows food from our Cui family, we have to agree to the conditions before we can borrow it!"

Cui Renshi didn't care about the imperial court in his mouth, even the emperor dared to talk about it, showing no respect and humility, in the eyes of Changsun Wuji, it was simply outrageous.

Changsun Wuji's face turned cold in an instant, and after a while, a smile appeared on his face again:

"Tell me, I don't know what conditions Brother Cui has?"

Is this right? In the face of our aristocratic families, even the emperor must abide by our rules, Cui Renshi said disdainfully in his heart.

But on the surface, he smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum, with great enthusiasm, "It's actually not troublesome, just agree to our three conditions and that's enough."

Changsun Wuji shrank his eyes and pupils. It seemed that the aristocratic families came prepared. These three conditions must be too much.

But for the food, Changsun Wuji patiently listened to him continue.

"The first condition is very simple, that is, the imperial court will not collect taxes for our Cui family's future business."

"Although our Cui family is the head of the family, it still takes a little bit of money to call on all the families, and this is considered compensation."

Changsun Wuji completely underestimated the appetite of the aristocratic family, not to mention how absurd it is to exempt the Cui family from these taxes.

Just say that the Cui family's taxes are exempted, so should the taxes of other aristocratic families be exempted?

They will inevitably continue to persecute, and even make the court submit at the cost of reducing the food supply, almost directly trampling the court on the ground.

What's more, just exempting these taxes will make the court worse. They simply want to lie on Datang to suck blood, just like they did with previous dynasties.

It's simply a national thief!
Changsun Wuji gritted his teeth, looked at the smiling tiger in front of him with cold eyes, did not rush to refute, and uttered two words with difficulty:
"continue!"

Cui Renshi didn't care about the change in his expression, and continued:
"The second condition is that the southern waterway trade in the Tang Dynasty is too busy for the court to take care of itself, and it has been mismanaged all the year round. It is better to let us take charge directly, which can also reduce the burden on the court."

Zhangsun Wuji had blue veins on his forehead, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he looked at the other party without saying a word.

Cui Renshi didn't wait for Changsun Wuji to speak, and immediately stated the third condition:

"As for the final condition, our family feels that the court is too deserted, and we can't even accurately express the demands of the people. It just so happens that our seven clans don't have many other things, so talents can take care of them."

"So, if you want some people to enter the court as officials, this condition is not too much, right?"

Cui Renshi looked at Changsun Wuji confidently, but the latter's eyes were like knives and his breath was like a cow.

He really wanted to yell at him, these three conditions are all for changing the dynasty, this is rebellion!

"Are you sure it's these three conditions?" Changsun Wuji could no longer use the word bold to describe the five surnames and Qiwang. They wanted to control Datang and regard Datang as their subordinate.

"If Brother Cui is wrong, then you will be responsible for it!"

Changsun Wuji stared at the other party with threats in his eyes, the latter shook his head indifferently and said:
"Brother Wuji is joking, how dare I say something wrong about such an important matter."

"The conditions we gave are these three, absolutely right."

"In that case, I will submit these three conditions to Your Majesty." Changsun Wuji got up, he didn't want to see this person's disgusting face again.

Even he didn't even want to negotiate anymore, and the other party obviously didn't give him this chance.

"Easy." Master Cui Ren picked up the teacup without moving at all, looking at the back of Changsun Wuji leaving, he sneered endlessly.

You will come to us eventually.