Li Yuanji glanced at Li Er from the corner of his eye. Seeing the shock on his face, how could he not understand what he was thinking? He couldn't help but curse in his heart.
Do you think we want this?
I'll let you try chopping minced meat for six hours and plucking a hundred kilograms of melon seeds!
You might even have the heart to kneel!
Li Tai looked with interest at Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, who were bowing outside the hall. Their attitudes were much better than in the morning. Very good, this was a good start. He smiled and waved his hand, saying in a childish voice,"All of you, come in and sit wherever you want."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Li Jiancheng said respectfully. Then, he moved his trembling legs and sat down in the hall. He tilted his head to look at Li Er, who was sitting opposite him, and asked,"Second brother, what happened?”
Second Master Li told Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji about his conversation with Pei Ji.
Hearing this, Li Yuanji couldn't help but fly into a rage.
"Ridiculous!"
"The imperial court is so poor that it has to borrow money from a noble family. If this matter is recorded in history and passed down to future generations, what will future generations think?!”
Li Er and Li Jiancheng both looked at him.
"Then what should we do according to Third Brother's opinion?" Li Jiancheng asked.”
Li Yuanji snorted and said,
"The Imperial Court has no money. Shouldn't all the civil and military officials work together to tide over the difficulties with the Imperial Court? If the officials could not afford their salaries, they could postpone the payment of their salaries. At the end of the year, when the taxes came, they would be paid together. Could it not be?”
"The three provinces and six ministries should also set an example at this moment!”
"Especially the six ministries. The construction of the Ministry of Works can be delayed, the matters handled by the Ministry of Rites can be simplified, and the expenses of the Ministry of War can be reduced. The Ministry of Revenue can take care of the money bag and save as much as possible.”
Li Er and Li Jiancheng looked at Li Yuanji deeply, but they didn't interrupt him.
Li Yuanji continued angrily,
"Besides, the noble families are rich. Don't tell me that the Prime Minister and the Minister's family are poor? A thousand acres of fertile land and several mansions. Wasn't this money? Just the few prime ministers and ministers that this king knows have more than this!”
"If you want to borrow money, why don't you borrow it from the Prime Minister?”
"This king doesn't even need to borrow, everyone come and donate! Eldest Brother, Second Brother, don't you think this little brother is right?!”
Li Jiancheng shook his head and sighed.""Foolish little brother!"
Eh? Li Tai looked at Li Jiancheng playfully. His words reminded him of a classic line from an anime he had seen before.
Li Yuanji was puzzled." Big Brother, what Little Brother said is wrong?”
Li Er said indifferently," If you say this, you will definitely offend all the officials in the court. Have you considered the feelings of the low-ranking officials in the capital?" Delaying the payment of salaries was nothing to officials like the prime minister, minister, and assistant minister, but what about the low-ranking officials in the capital?”
"His family doesn't have a thousand acres of fertile land, much less a luxurious mansion. The expenses of his family and servants are all waiting for the Imperial Court to give him a salary. Once the salary is delayed, the ones who will suffer will be them.”
Li Yuanji was unwilling to give up." Then we won't delay the payment of the salary. But it won't be difficult to get the Prime Minister, Minister, and Assistant Minister to donate, right?"”
Li Jiancheng said calmly," This is a thousand times harder than delaying their salaries. Delaying their salaries and cutting their expenses might not be a big deal to them, but if we ask them to donate money, they'll be poking a hornet's nest."”
"Why?" Li Yuanji asked in surprise.
Li Yuanji patiently explained,
"If the money is donated, it won't be their money anymore. How can they be happy? The imperial court's treasury was in a huge deficit this time. If they donated less, some people would be unhappy. If they donated more, they would be unhappy. So why did the five surnames and seven Wangs appear in the end? This was the reason. Whether other people had more or less money had nothing to do with them. Both of them were happy to see it.”
Li Er interrupted,
"Moreover, the matter of the six ministries that you mentioned just now will attract even more resistance. If we ask the Bureau of Personnel to reduce their officials, they will definitely find an excuse to stop us. It will be even more difficult for the Bureau of Military Personnel to reduce their expenditure. Liang Shidu is constantly in chaos, and the Turks have been invading our borders for years.”
Li Yuanji opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he hung his head dejectedly. So what he said just now was not reliable at all?
Li Tai chewed on melon seeds and looked at Li Jiancheng and Li Er with interest. He pointed out the problem in Li Yuanji's words. No wonder the two of them could fight back and forth in the battle for the throne. There was something going on.
As for Li Yuanji.
It seemed that she was right to give him the job of eating melon seeds for her.
He was only suitable for eating melon seeds!
At this moment, Li Jiancheng looked at Li Tai and said in a deep voice,""Later, when the masters of the five surnames and seven Wangs of Chang 'an come, how does Your Majesty plan to deal with them?”
"I want money." Li Tai blinked.
Li Jiancheng was stunned. Was he that direct? He hesitated and said,"What if you don't?"
Li Tai continued to blink and said,"If you don't want to give it to me, then you have to force it!"”
Li Jiancheng was speechless.
Li Er was speechless.
Li Yuanji was speechless.
Li Jiancheng and Li Er only felt a wave of exhaustion. They could still reason with Li Yuanji, but it was a waste to reason with this person!
If he didn't give it, he would force it?
If it was that simple, would there be a need to think of other methods?
For a moment, Li Jiancheng and Li Er fell into deep thought, thinking about how to deal with them when the people of the Five Surnames and Seven Wangs came.
Li Yuanji smiled apologetically as he walked up to Li Tai and said,""Your Majesty, do you want me to help you eat melon seeds?”
"Sure,"
Li Tai blinked and looked at him. After saying that, he shouted at the outside of the hall in a childish voice,"Men, bring me 200 catties of melon seeds!”
"Here!"
Outside the hall, the imperial guards echoed.
Soon, five large sacks filled with melon seeds were sent to the Dew Palace.
Looking at the sack, Li Yuanji's smile froze on his face. He bitterly said to Li Tai,"Your Highness, are you angry after eating so much?”
Li Tai opened his small hands and fished out a handful of melon seeds from a sack. He placed them on the table and looked at him seriously."If you can't finish it, I'll make you angry.”
Li Yuanji was speechless.
Looking at the melon seeds, Li Yuanji was heartbroken. How could he have such a cheap mouth!
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]