Zhenguan Xiaoxian Wang Li Shen Li Shimin

Just when Li Shimin was feeling complacent, the originally serious scene suddenly changed.

Li Shen's words about expanding his branches and leaves shattered all of Li Shimin's fantasies.

Just now he was still thinking that Li Shen had grown up and knew how to share the worries of the court.

I also know how to do some serious work.

Now he felt that he was really overthinking it. This bastard was actually talking about having children while discussing state affairs.

What is the most important task at the moment?

"Asshole, as a prince you don't think about how to relieve my worries, Li Tang, and you just indulge in pleasure all day long.

Aren't state affairs more important than giving birth to a child?"

Putting down the teacup, Li Shimin started scolding loudly, and he even wanted to kick him a few times to vent his anger.

Li Shen didn't care after being scolded, he was used to it.

Instead, he spoke confidently:

"Father, this is not right. Having children is also for the purpose of expanding our Li family and making it more prosperous.

Only when there are more people can more talented people emerge.

Besides, having children is a national affair, and the current population of our Tang Dynasty is only over 10 million.

How can such a small number of people be enough?

Only by having children can the population be increased. With a larger population, there will be more labor force, and people can engage in farming and reclaim wasteland for cultivation.

You can be a craftsman, building bridges and roads, or you can be a soldier, expanding the territory.

Aye, if our population increases tenfold, how powerful our Tang Dynasty will be.

How many talents can be produced? "

Population is the primary productive force. When the population is small, productivity will decrease. Productivity is very important in an agricultural society.

After hearing Li Shen's fallacies, Li Shimin was dismissive. Didn't he understand this principle?

"Hmph, don't I know the importance of population? Do I need you to tell me this?

Even if we need more people, my Tang Dynasty doesn't lack the people like those in your Ji Wang Mansion.

You should stop saying you are busy having children all day long.

When you have time, go to the palace and talk to your elder brother and tell him some of your ideas. Don’t worry about whether they are right or wrong, it’s good to learn from him.

Don't act like a dandy all the time. You are a prince, not a dandy leader."

Li Shimin snorted coldly and began to teach Li Shen a lesson.

After listening to Li Shen's words, Li Chengqian also pondered. After a moment, he looked up and asked Li Shen:

"Tenth brother, population is indeed important, but how should we persuade the people to have children?"

“That’s a good question. Now is the best time to have a baby.

Today, our Tang Dynasty is prosperous and food is plentiful. The court should not only encourage farming, but also encourage people to have children.

In this way, after ten or twenty years, there will be a large number of men who can do a lot of things.

I have thought of a way, but I don’t know if it will work.”

When Li Shen said there was a way, even Li Shimin became curious. The imperial court had issued official letters to encourage farming, but it had never issued any official letters to encourage people to have children.

In the past, there was a shortage of food, but now there is enough food and people are very wealthy, so it is natural for people to have children.

The imperial court never intervened.

"Tenth brother, what solution do you have?" Li Chengqian asked quickly.

"Aye, big brother, the solution I'm thinking of is actually very simple, give benefits."

"Give benefits? Did you say give money first?" Li Shimin frowned. The imperial court was rich now, but it couldn't help but give money away.

Li Shen knew that Li Shimin had misunderstood, and shook his head quickly:

"No, no, no, you can't give me money, how much money do I need?

I mean tax breaks for having kids.

In our Tang Dynasty, we have three types of rent, commission and tax, and the court can reduce or exempt them appropriately according to the circumstances.

For example, starting this year, if you have a child, we can reduce the rent, commission or adjustment.

Until the children reach adulthood and are divided into lands, it is equivalent to the court paying part of the money to help the people raise their children.

Doing so would not only increase people's enthusiasm for having children, but more importantly, make it easier for the court to record the population.

I have said it before that the population records kept by the imperial court are not perfect. We only know how many households there are, but we don't know the exact number of people.

The imperial court should know the exact population of the Tang Dynasty, including how many men, women, adults, children, and elderly people there are.

Only in this way can we know how much labor force there was in the Tang Dynasty.

It would be better if it was more detailed, such as age classification, how many people can read and write, and how many people have a craft."

Li Shen was talking, while Li Shimin and Li Chengqian were listening quietly.

After Li Shen finished speaking, the two were still thinking. After a moment, Li Shimin looked up and said:

"Gao Ming, write down what Lao Shi just said."

"Yes, Aye." Li Chengqian agreed, sat on the dragon throne, and began to write quickly.

"Well... Aye, there's no need for that. I'm just talking nonsense. I don't know if it's right or not."

Seeing such seriousness, Li Shen felt a little embarrassed.

How could I know anything about how to govern a country? I am just talking about some basics of later generations, which everyone knows.

I didn't expect Li Shimin to attach so much importance to it.

"I think what you said makes some sense. The Tang Dynasty is now thriving, and the population has increased a lot in the past ten years.

Now that the country is peaceful and the people are prosperous, with plenty of food, it is the right time to have more children.

It needs to be done more carefully, otherwise it will be more difficult to record when there are more people. "

Li Shimin ignored Li Shen's modesty, he felt that what Li Shen said made sense.

With a population of tens of millions, at least you need to know how many men there are. If you encounter a strong enemy in the future, you will also know how many of your people can go to the battlefield to fight.

“But Aye, if we want to do it as meticulously as Tenth Brother said, we’ll need a lot of manpower.

The local government offices may be understaffed.”

Li Chengqian expressed his own views while writing.

"Father, we have recruited many scholars in recent years. We can expand the recruitment and let some scholars become minor officials.

We can cultivate talents according to the methods of talents, but with so many scholars in the country, there are always some who have no hope of becoming scholars.

We can give them a chance and start as petty officials.”

Li Shen immediately gave his answer.

There are more and more scholars, but there are probably only a few who can pass the imperial examinations, and even fewer who can become officials.

There is already a group of people employed in Hongwenguan.

The most important thing is that the Tang Dynasty's recommendation system is still in place, and even if you pass the exam, you may not be able to become an official.

Many people can become scholars without taking the imperial examinations, but can use the recommendation quota to become scholars.

The recommendation system is amazing, and Li Shenju believes that this is the biggest bug in the imperial court.

Officials and nobles have a certain number of quotas, and even local states and counties have a certain number of quotas every year.

That’s not all, there is another kind called Zhaojian, also known as Mingjian.

Recommendation by imperial edict was a means for the court to continue to recruit talents. In order to obtain talents for a certain official position, the emperor issued an imperial edict asking ministers to recommend candidates.

For example, if there is something that needs someone to do, whether it is fighting a war or building a palace, there is one person missing.

The emperor would ask everyone to recommend candidates, and then they would be reviewed and selected, and finally become officials.

(This article is based on the plot and only represents the protagonist's point of view, and has nothing to do with the author.)