Crown Tang emperor

After leaving the bedroom garden, Li Tong was a little confused, so he simply didn't go to the official residence, left the imperial city directly, boarded the car and went home.

Putting aside all the previous events, Li Tong is most worried about Tian Dasheng and the others.Regardless of the help these people brought him and whether he would be implicated after being exposed, he also respected the righteousness of this group of people and did not want to see them go into danger.

Along the way, Li Tong was still thinking about how to notify Tian Dasheng and the others, but when he returned to the mansion, he saw Tian Dasheng's short and fat figure standing among a group of family members who went out to greet him, and a big stone fell from his heart , a long sigh of relief.

"Thanks to the blessing of the great king, the trip finally went smoothly, and I got my wish!"

In the palace of the king's residence, Tian Dasheng first kowtowed to the young king as a gift, and then said with a smile: "I dare not stay for a long time after I get it. Mr. Liu will go to Hedong to seal the country, and the servant will gallop on horseback. , let Your Majesty feel at ease."

"It's good, it's good, it's safe."

Li Tong was also overjoyed when he heard the words, and motioned Tian Dasheng to sit closer and interrogated him in detail. After listening, he couldn't help sighing and said: "It can be seen that the sky is about to be destroyed, and there are signs. Zhou Xing, a thief, It can be said that it is not meticulous, but I did not expect to die in the occasional greed of the servants."

Tian Dasheng also nodded again and again: "Besides this small matter, I'm afraid the servants will continue to follow up. Once they enter Xijing, things will be troublesome, and it may not be so easy. I can no longer save my life, and return to serve the king."

In order to convey the news back as soon as possible, Tian Dasheng traveled day and night all the way, but he dared not take the post road directly and detour through the countryside.Although the government wasted a lot of time in determining the identity of the deceased, Chiyi returned to the capital and rushed to pass the news back to Shendu ahead of Tian Dasheng.

It can also be seen that Kusano may have sacrificed his life, but compared with the authority of the entire country, it is still not on the same level.The reason why Zhou Xing died this time was that his cleverness was misunderstood and self-defeating. If he was just an official post along the way, he would not have died so easily and was directly supported in the grass and culled.

Although I was very tired all the way back, the long-cherished wish that had been in my heart for many years was finally fulfilled, and my spirit was also full of excitement.

He also said: "My servant will go on a journey first. In order to avoid being tracked and searched, all the accompanying people have scattered across the grass and fields, or followed Mr. Liu to the east of the river, or stayed in the wild for a short time, and then returned to the gods one after another to wait for the king to use."

"It's all trivial matters, and the most important thing is safety. But if you can save your life, you will have a lot of time to look forward to in the future. This group of righteous men who follow and act will definitely not treat you badly!"

Li Tong was in a good mood, and he assured the case that although he and Zhou Xing had no direct enmity, there was no reason to be unhappy when he heard that such a cruel official died unexpectedly.

After a pause, Tian Dasheng took out another package from the waist of his robe, put it on the case solemnly, and said: "This is when Zhou Xing was beheaded, and some items were found in his luggage. Mr. Liu ordered me to return first." To be the king."

After Li Tong heard the words, he opened the package, and he saw several scrolls sealed with lacquer. He peeled off the lacquer with a knife, took a closer look at the scrolls, and his face inevitably changed again.

It turned out that these scrolls contained Zhou Xing's work plan, and the ideas of several unjust prisons, probably in order to regain the attention of the God Emperor and return to the court.

I have to say that aside from moral character, Zhou Xing, a cruel official, has nothing to say about his loyalty to Wu Zetian.Even if he was demoted and left the capital, he still couldn't forget to focus on his job and wanted to use his spare energy.This loyalty and diligence is really rare, but it is not used on the right path.

With a closer look, Li Tong's expression became serious.Zhou Xing is worthy of being an experienced old and cruel official. Some of the framing ideas recorded in the volume are detailed and specific, and many celebrities in the ruling and opposition parties are listed. Although they are just empty words in black and white, if they are implemented, it is conceivable that there will be bloodshed again. Rainy wind.

For example, there is an article about Yan Guogong Hei Chi Chang Zhi, which analyzes many reasons why Hei Chi Chang Zhi should be punished.

For example, the defeat of Wei Taiji's Western Conscripts left the Western Regions with a huge deficit in military strength. The Heshuo army controlled by Hei Chi Changzhi is already the most important military force in the frontier army. There is a critical crisis.

It is also said that Hei Chi Changzhi was originally a Baekje and Tibetan general, and his intentions are unknown. Now the Turks are in chaos in Mobei, and Tubo is fighting in the Western Regions. It is also wrong.

Such things can be said to have brought the conspiracy theory to the extreme. It seems that if the black teeth are not killed, the national fortune will be at stake.

And in this dossier, the idea of ​​how to frame Heizhi Changzhi is also listed in detail. Zhou Xing even planned to get some black materials about Heizhi Changzhi when passing through the Heyuan Army Garrison.After all, Heizhi Changzhi had been serving as the general of the Heyuan Army in charge of defending against Tubo before the Northern War against Turks.

In addition to Hei Chi Chang, there are many important court officials who are in Zhou Xing's plan.After reading it, Li Tong also felt hairy in his heart, and secretly rejoiced that getting rid of Zhou Xing was indeed a correct decision.

Among other things, Hei Chi Chang Zhi is already the most famous general at the moment, but he still cannot escape the schemes. When this kind of cruel officials create unjust cases, they don't consider the overall situation at all.

Although Zhou Xing listed many reasons for conspiracy theories, to Li Tong, who is familiar with the funeral, it was all nonsense.But there is one thing that can be established, and the black-toothed Changzhi in history will not be solved so easily. He even hanged himself before he was sentenced.

However, there has never been a lack of market for conspiracy theories, especially Wu Zetian, who is now full of enthusiasm for acting in the Tang Dynasty, and any hidden dangers must be eliminated.Even if Zhou Xing has been killed now, Li Tong is still not sure whether Hei Chi Chang Zhi can save his life.

Although the Tang family was restored in later generations, the emperors were all descendants of Wu Zetian, so the role of cruel officials was naturally exaggerated, and Wu Zetian was slightly dismissed.

But in fact, these cruel officials are just tools. When it comes to the impact and destruction of the political situation, it is reluctant to talk about it with Wu Zetian.It is true that they indiscriminately imposed prisons and imprisoned innocent people in order to seek favor, but it is Wu Zetian's instruction to trace the source.

People like Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong who are really useful can be remembered by the God Emperor, and they can save their lives even if they have been taken to the execution ground, but others have no such luck.

After reading these files, Li Tong's mood was quite complicated, he only hoped in his heart that without the direct incentive of Zhou Xing, the future of people like Hei Chi Chang Zhi would improve.

At the moment, he really doesn't have the energy to jump up to the stage to save someone. If he really wants to express his position in a hurry, it may make the situation more serious.Just like when his fourth uncle Li Dan spoke out to keep Liu Yizhi, it actually contributed to Liu Yizhi's death.If Li Tong really wanted to do this, the greater chance would be to include himself in it.

After putting away these files, Li Tong said to Tian Dasheng again: "Tian Weng Qi'an will rest in the mansion for a few days, and when he has recovered enough energy, he still has some affairs to entrust."

"I'm not tired. What orders does the King have? Just say it! The old matter has been settled, and I dare not indulge in slack. I am going to work hard and serve the King!"

Tian Dasheng waved his hands again and again after hearing the words, and said while staring at his bloodshot eyes.

Seeing this, Li Tong sighed and said, "It's not an urgent matter at the moment, it's just a little idea of ​​long-term labor and accumulation of popularity. Forget it, let me explain this matter first, Tian Weng, keep it in mind, and take your time." The degree of authority can also make up for omissions.”

While speaking, Li Tong stood up, first stored the files obtained from Zhou Xing in the secret compartment of the room, and then took out another plan written by himself from the secret compartment.

After returning to the banquet, Li Tong unfolded the scroll, but Tian Dasheng was only a little literate, so he was required to explain it carefully.

"Tian Weng traveled all the way, and he saw that there should be many exiled households wandering in the wild?"

"Many, there are so many! I was in the capital of God for a long time ago, and I didn't know that the world has become so miserable. Even on the left side of the post road, there are many exiles haunting, some good women and children are just begging for food, and there are many poor and fierce people hiding in the grass. , the bandits from all sides..."

Hearing the king's question, Tian Dasheng hastily answered, and described in detail the exiles he saw along the way.

Li Tong saw exiles in the near fields of the gods, and was not surprised by Tian Dasheng's narration. After listening, he couldn't help sighing: "The living people are miserable, and it is difficult to enjoy peace and happiness. Corruption has caused troubles, and there are more implicated. I don't dare to advertise that I am pleading for the lives of all people, but I still have some spare energy, half to benefit others, half to benefit myself, and I have a hasty plan, and I still need the help of the crowd."

While speaking, he carefully introduced his idea to Tian Dasheng.

Although there are already some industries in the outskirts of Shendu, Li Tong does not intend to simply recruit exiles to work hard and raise them as private households.Not to mention whether it is illegal to do so, even if several farms are full of exiles, the number that can be accommodated is really limited.

Therefore, Li Tong intends to take out these industries as a foundation and form a mutual aid association in order to reach and influence more people.

"Does it mean no clothes? Same robes with the son. The old man in the mountains and rivers, his wife and children together. I would like to ask Tian Weng and others to visit the dead households of the fu soldiers among the exiled people and form an old clothing club. Those who wear the old clothes are the old military robes. It is a tragedy of human nature. Donate hemp to the society, donate clothes in summer and winter..."

The customs of the Tang people are fairly open, and association and mutual assistance are not prohibited.As far as Li Tong knows, in Nanshi City, there are active companies such as incense companies and clothing companies. Such companies are mainly business-oriented, and they have the meaning of cooperating to monopolize a certain commodity market. .

The Old Clothes Club conceived by Li Tong is ostensibly a business-oriented business, buying and selling old clothes as a means of covering up and making profits on the surface.As for the core, it mainly collects the dead households between the two capitals, and organizes them in another form to cover them.

The reason why the government soldiers are the main recruiting targets is not only because of a little intention, but also because compared with ordinary households, the government soldiers are more organized and obedient. For this half-charitable, half-commercial Bank organizations are more acceptable.

Chapter 0200

Ever since he came to this world and was unwilling to wait for death, Li Tong has been thinking about how to survive.

Politically catering to his grandmother Wu Zetian can only meet his most basic survival needs.Don't look at him looking like a popular fried chicken and full of guests, but this is actually an unreliable illusion.

His life and death, honor and disgrace, are still in his grandma's thoughts.If you want to live with dignity and independence, only the power that you can actually grasp is fundamental.

He is a first-rank county king, so he may be able to borrow some of the power of the imperial court.But in fact, these forces are still not very reliable.Just look at last year, when the Li family's Zongwang made a riot, he was beaten to the ground.

The power structure of the early Tang Dynasty was to emphasize the internal over the external, which was also a necessary condition for Wu Zetian to succeed in usurping the Tang Dynasty.During Gaozong's period, the Guanlong Xungui Group headed by Changsun Wuji was disintegrated. Since then, in the central structure, no political force has been able to contend with the imperial power.

If it was the era after the Anshi Rebellion, if Wu Zetian dared to make such a fuss, no matter how clever his tactics were, he would never have the possibility of success.The self-respecting Jiedu envoys everywhere are not vegetarians. Instead of watching an old daughter-in-law of the Li family mess around, how can I call myself the emperor?

Li Tong didn't dare to steal too much of the court's public artifacts. It would be too long to do such small tricks under his grandma's nose.But in addition to the power controlled by the imperial court, the extrajudicial power between Guanlong and Heluo is also very strong.

For example, during Emperor Gaozong Yifeng's reign, there was a great hunger in Guanzhong, and bandits were rampant, so that the emperor ate Heluo, and Yijia didn't dare to move out easily.

This period coincided with the disintegration and collapse of the Fubing system, and the new order had not yet been established.The chaos in this is Li Tong's opportunity.As for how to use the opportunity, the effect is very different.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, household registration and household registration have been the only way for the central government to centralize power.Directly concealing the population and hiding refugees in farms and villas is also a means, but the hidden danger is also great.

One is not efficient. Li Tong is just a king who has been out of the court for more than half a year. If he really wants to start from this aspect, he can't even compete with an ordinary local tycoon.

The second is to put himself directly on the opposite side of the imperial court's rules. Even if he can recruit and hide tens of thousands of people in Heluo, how can his grandma be blind?

Since the population cannot be directly controlled, it is still necessary to exert influence from the daily life of the people.When a stranger is alive, there are only a few things for basic necessities of life.Starting from these few things can directly affect the lives of the people.

Food is the most important thing for the people, and food is naturally the most important livelihood, and it has a great influence and interference on people.But even the imperial court couldn't do this well, the people fled because of hunger, Li Tong was also helpless, and a clever woman couldn't cook without rice.Not to mention that he didn't dare to give large-scale relief in private, even if he had such an idea, how many people could he save by going bankrupt?

Living is also difficult to operate, and there are tens of thousands of mansions in a wide mansion, which can shelter the world's poor and happy?Not to mention Guangsha or not, even if it costs money to build a few exile settlements, once the imperial court searches to expand the household, can it still be packed away and hidden?

As for doing it, let alone, he had to honestly squat in the city of Shendu.

So starting with the material is an entry point that Li Tong thinks is practical and feasible.The succinct "Old Clothes Club" takes both relief and profit.He doesn't mean to say what he says, and any behavior that is not driven by interests does not have the extension of time and space.

If there is no means of long-term profit recovery, it is impossible for Li Tong to make it bigger and stronger with his own financial resources.

So he set the threshold for this old clothing club, one is the death of the government soldiers, and the other is donating hemp to join the club.

The reason for choosing the government soldiers to die is also very simple. Apart from Li Tong's not pure intention, the organization and obedience of the government soldiers are one aspect.On the other hand, compared with the ordinary people, the social relations of the fu soldiers and dead households are simpler.

Fubing began in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties, and became great in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Although it has a history of more than 200 years, it has a history of more than 200 years.However, Fubing itself is a high-wearing group of people. During the past [-] years and several dynasties have been changed, there has not been an intricate and deep-rooted clan relationship.

The social relationship of clan and human relations is so stubborn and strong that it can compete with the imperial court's rules and regulations.If you talk about the Guanlong Xungui Group and the wealthy families in Shandong when you talk about it at a big level, and talk about the local tyrants and clans in the countryside at a lower level, it is difficult to penetrate even the laws and regulations of the court, let alone Li Tong's little tricks of beating the side drum.

Using mahjong as a medium of association, Li Tong also made the choice after thinking for a long time.

First of all, hemp is an economic crop with a wide range of applications. It is not limited to textiles. Weaving nets, papermaking, edible seeds, oil extraction, and oil residues can be used to raise livestock. The scope of influence can be described as various , with high ductility.

Secondly, the price of hemp is low and widely distributed, the way to obtain it is simple, and the output is large. Even if it is hoarded in large quantities, it will not rise to the level that will make the ruling and opposition parties fearful.Ordinary hemp skins cannot be eaten by hunger, drink by thirst, or clothes by cold. Even the poor, hungry and cold refugees will not regard it as such a precious item.

Third, the processing technology of hemp can produce different products from simple to complex, from crude to refined, so it can also fit the development track of Guyishe from humble beginnings to prosperity.

This third point is very important. Fans who travel through the crowd often have the dream of opening up the technology tree, but for now, they need to face a real dilemma, that is, the lack of craftsmen.

Nowadays, artisan households are different from ordinary household registrations. They are directly managed and controlled by the government. They are ordinary like bricklayers and exquisite like gold and silversmiths. This kind of talents are scarce among the people, and there are almost no big families to support them in large numbers. possible.

It is not impossible to cultivate from scratch, but the premise is to be prepared for long-term investment.

This situation lasted until the Anshi Rebellion, when the two capitals were successively breached by the rebel army, causing a large number of artisans controlled by the court to disperse in the market. After that, the authority of the central government continued to weaken, and they no longer had the ability to gather these manpower. The handicraft industry began to gradually develop.

It seems that Li Tong was still feeling emotional before, born in this era, even if he does not have any contact with ordinary people, he can still live a carefree and flawless life in this life.

However, this situation ceased to exist after the mid-Tang Dynasty. The artisans directly controlled by the imperial court were severely insufficient in manpower, so that large-scale and market purchases were required for daily consumption.It is precisely because of this that the power of financial certificates in the ban gradually fell into the hands of the eunuchs, which gave them a basis to exercise power.

Bai Juyi has a poem "The Charcoal Seller", which is about the eunuchs who bullied the weak and robbed the weak in the palace trade after the middle Tang Dynasty.

This kind of phenomenon is rare at present, because the imperial court itself controls many charcoal fields around Gyeonggi. Sometimes it is rainy and rainy, and there is not enough charcoal in Luoyang City, and it even goes to the market to help the shortage.

Those refugees fleeing famine, don't even think about it, there will definitely not be too many skilled craftsmen.

Cultivating from scratch requires a process of gradually improving craftsmanship. Li Tong can't predict whether this process will be long or short. When he is not sure whether his own financial resources can support visible returns, it is very important to start from a low level and develop gradually. necessary.

After all, the preliminary processing of hemp does not require much exquisite skills. The production of hemp rope, hemp thread and even hemp cloth are basic skills that ordinary housewives can master.

With the output and sales of these commodities, we must revitalize the situation before we can develop into higher-level industries such as papermaking, oil extraction and breeding in the follow-up to obtain more profits.

With greater profits and a large number of mature craftsmen, they can even try to get rid of the single restriction of hemp products and get involved in other industries, thus gaining more room for development.

Li Tong first explained this model to Tian Dasheng, and then talked about the specific operation steps: "After cultivating enough energy, I will first ask the government to raise a batch of goods and deliver them to Tian Weng. The two Zhuangzi in the east of the city are the foundation of the development of Guyishe."

The whereabouts of the royal family's property and the like are kept in a booklet for the imperial court to search and consult, so Li Tong can only make his mind on the batch of private property gifted to him by his aunt Princess Taiping.First, embezzle a batch of property from the reconstruction of the West Garden, and transfer the two farms in the east of the city from the accounts to Tian Dasheng and others, so as to operate more flexibly.

Of the three farms given by Princess Taiping, the one at Longmen is too conspicuous, and there are additional stones that ordinary small households cannot have at all. Li Tong plans to keep his own mansion and manage it as a small private treasury.

Gande Township is where many Hu people gather, and the legal management is looser than other places, so it is suitable as a headquarters of the Old Clothes Club.

Li Tong intends to take back the place, no longer cultivate crops, and directly transform it into a storage base, which can be leased to Hu merchants to store goods in spare time, and when the old clothes club develops, it will be used as a place to store goods center.

The manor in Sanchuan Township has the largest area, and it can be used as a product processing base to train a group of core craftsmen.

Moreover, in Sanchuan Township, there were originally a group of workshops under the jurisdiction of Shangfangjian, the Shaofu of the imperial court, such as leather processing, brick and tile pottery, etc., and the three-colored utensils used by the city's dignitaries to accompany the funeral utensils were mainly produced there. .It is also convenient to set up the workshop of the old clothes club there, and it is convenient to steal teachers nearby.

Hearing the king's series of ideas, Tian Dasheng showed embarrassment, and said hesitantly: "The servant is not timid, but it's just that there are many things involved, but the talent is really meager, and there is no good plan for the livelihood of the poor family. Big plan, I'm afraid it's..."

Li Tong laughed after hearing the words: "How can a person be born with knowledge? Talents and skills all lie in experience. In the creation of a company, everything is still trivial. You only need to be diligent. After deep experience, you will naturally master it."

It's not that he didn't think about Tian Dasheng's worry.But just as he said, it is not a matter of building a large-scale and complex industry right from the start. People's endowments and talents are gradually tapped.

Although Tian Dasheng is not young and his potential and future may be limited, he is loyal and trustworthy. As long as he can lay a foundation and lay a framework, even if he is really weak, Li Tong will be more calm when he chooses talents to appoint.

"In the next few days, Tian Weng will first visit Luli to buy old clothes. After the farm is transferred, he will buy a batch of hemp seeds. When the righteousness returns to Luo, he can visit the Kinki countryside and meet with the dead soldiers of various prefectures. Donate hemp Join the company and give you winter clothes. If you don’t have hemp to donate, you can send your name and grant seeds, and plant hemp in the farmland, and you can also get winter clothes.”

In view of his limited financial resources, Li Tong didn't dare to get started, so he took care of all the food and clothing. In the beginning, he had to use limited financial resources to reach more people and let people know that such a company existed.

Tens of thousands of feet tall buildings rise on the ground, and he is short of people and things right now. Although he has great ambitions, he still has to start small.Although in this way, the influence that can be exerted on the people is limited, but it can also be gradually deepened.

Winter and summer clothes are needed for a long time, and being able to exchange them at such a low price is also very attractive to those people who are already living in poverty.

In the beginning, it must be impossible to make ends meet, but Li Tong is also prepared for relatively long-term investment.

When the autumn tribute enters the capital this year, he will seal the real seals of a total of [-] households. The income will definitely be high, and the money will be spent no matter how he spends it. Even after a while, a batch of goods can be transferred to continue to invest.

Regarding the business model and development prospects of Guyishe, Li Tong is still very optimistic. The reason is that the current situation is not the small-scale peasant economy in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The collection of taxes in the Tang Dynasty adopted the in-kind tax collection based on rent and mediocrity, and the types of taxes collected were stipulated.As a result, ordinary people can only focus on basic crops and mulberry weaves in their daily production, and their productivity is limited. There are few cash crops that can be planted, and there is no room for profit in economic activities.

To give a simple example, the price of vegetables in Shendu City remains high. On the one hand, it is because Shendu has a large population and a large market, and on the other hand, the productivity of ordinary people is insufficient.Those who can import a large amount of vegetables into the market are often only the rich and powerful, who own a large amount of land.

Therefore, although the small households around Kinki work hard, they cannot achieve self-sufficiency in output. Even if they plant some seasonal vegetables and fruits on a small scale, they are reluctant to consume them by themselves. They sell them for money and then buy some daily necessities that they cannot produce. .

Hemp is originally a cheap and low-profit commodity, and rich families have higher benefits, so they look down on this small business.The output of small households and poor people is limited, and the scale effect of small profits but quick turnover cannot be formed at all.

If the model of donating hemp into the club can be developed, even if it requires a long investment in the early stage, if there is a higher-tech commodity output, it will not be difficult to directly form a regional monopoly effect between the two capitals.

For any kind of commodity, if a relative regional monopoly can be formed, the profit cannot be judged by ordinary value.With higher profit margins, it will naturally have more motivation to continue to develop from the two capitals to other states.

Of course, profit is only a medium for bringing people together. If you want to achieve higher cohesion, you must use other means.

The old clothes, the old righteousness, the government soldiers working hard and fighting in the remote areas, are a group that is easily inspired by loyalty, and a gift of clothes and fellow robes can make people feel a lot of gratitude.Qi said that there is no clothes, and you are in the same robe as your son. This was originally a basic purpose of Li Tong's creation of the old clothes club as an agency.

In addition, there are other means of assistance. What Li Tong thinks of right now are only the two standards uniformly implemented by the staff of the agency, "vaccinating vaccinia and drinking cooked water". He will think of other things in the future and gradually add them.

He doesn't think about the Mandate of Heaven, such as piercing through the prophecy and mysteries. That may be more effective, but it also has great hidden dangers.Not to mention the instigator, who has no successors, his grandmother alone is a master at playing with prophecies, so she is naturally particularly vigilant in this regard, and it is difficult to make great progress.

As for the higher-level elite organization and mobilization methods, it is useless to think about it now.As long as this organization can thrive and grow stronger, with people and things in hand, are you afraid that it will not be able to play well?