The first rebel of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 2353

Just as Li Shimin was planning how to acquire the Shengtang Group in Qingzhou, Fang Xuanling suddenly visited, and his steps seemed heavy and slow. His face was not as rosy as usual, but showed a hint of fatigue and worry. Li Shimin saw Fang Xuanling's figure from a distance, and felt happy, thinking that he had brought good news about the acquisition plan.

Li Shimin walked forward quickly and said with a smile: "Fang Xuanling, it's great that you are here! Come sit down and have a good chat with me." His voice was full of expectation and joy, as if We have seen the dawn of victory in acquiring Shengtang Group.

However, Fang Xuanling did not sit down as Li Shimin wished. He stood there with his eyes lowered, as if hesitating on how to speak. Seeing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel a little doubt in his heart, but he still kept a smile and encouraged: "Fang Xuanling, just say what you have to say, I'm here to listen."

Fang Xuanling took a deep breath, slowly raised his head, looked at Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, I have some issues to report regarding the acquisition of Qingzhou Shengtang Group." His voice was low and solemn, which made Li Shimin feel... A hint of foreboding.

Li Shimin frowned and asked, "What's the problem? Just tell me." He tried to keep a calm tone, but he was already feeling uneasy.

Fang Xuanling was silent for a while, then slowly said: "Your Majesty, the funds required to acquire Qingzhou Shengtang Group probably exceed our budget."

When Li Shimin heard this, he was stunned. He stared at Fang Xuanling with wide eyes, unable to believe his ears. He asked: "What did you say? How much does it cost to acquire Shengtang Group?"

Fang Xuanling replied in a deep voice: "It requires at least ten billion taels of silver."

Li Shimin's face turned pale instantly. He asked tremblingly: "Don't you have so much money in the treasury?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head and sighed: "No, Your Majesty. There is not much money left in the treasury."

Li Shimin felt dizzy. He tried to calm down his emotions and asked: "What about the money? Where did the money go?"

Fang Xuanling began to explain: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? The highway we decided to build a year ago was a hugely expensive project. For the long-term development of the country and the well-being of the people, we had to move the highway Some of the money has been invested in this project.”

Li Shimin suddenly realized this. He remembered the highway project that once made him so passionate. It is an important channel connecting the east and west and running through the north and south. It is of great significance in promoting the country's economic prosperity and improving people's livelihood. However, he did not expect that this plan would cause them to face such a serious shortage of funds.

Li Shimin's mood became heavy. He knows very well that the acquisition of Shengtang Group is an important strategic decision for him, not only related to the country's economic development, but also related to his political status and reputation. However, now he is facing the dilemma of insufficient funds, which makes him feel very helpless and frustrated.

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Shimin's face and couldn't help but sigh. He knew that Li Shimin was a visionary and courageous monarch, but this time he encountered unprecedented challenges. He hoped to relieve Li Shimin's worries, but felt powerless.

The two fell into a deep silence, as if the air around them had frozen. Li Shimin sat on the dragon chair, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from exertion, as if he was trying to squeeze out the anxiety and unwillingness in his heart. His brows were furrowed, like an insurmountable mountain, blocking the way forward. There was a kind of determination and unyieldingness in his eyes, as if he would not easily back down in the face of any difficulties.

Fang Xuanling stood aside with his head lowered, as if he was meditating on countermeasures. His brows furrowed slightly, his eyes flashing with thought. He seemed to be thinking about various possible solutions, but he seemed to be defeated by reality. His heart was full of helplessness and confusion, but he knew that as a loyal minister, he must solve Li Shimin's worries.

After a long time, Li Shimin spoke slowly. His voice was a little hoarse, but full of determination: "Fang Xuanling, what do you think we should do now? Are we going to give up on the acquisition of Shengtang Group?" His eyes revealed. Showing a sense of unwillingness and determination, he could not accept giving up this important opportunity like this.

Fang Xuanling raised his head and looked at Li Shimin, his eyes full of helplessness and apology. He slowly said: "Your Majesty, I have tried my best. However, the reality is that we do not have enough funds to acquire Shengtang Group." His voice was a little low, but every word was full of helplessness and heaviness. .

When Li Shimin heard this, he felt disappointed. But he didn't give up, he believed there would always be a way. He took a deep breath and said, "There must be a way! We can't just give up." His voice was full of firmness and determination. He could not accept this reality. He believed that as long as he worked hard, he would always find a solution to the problem. method.

However, Fang Xuanling was unable to give the answer Li Shimin wanted. He stood there, not knowing what to say. His heart was filled with helplessness and confusion, and he knew that this problem was beyond his ability.

Li Shimin looked at Fang Xuanling's silent look and couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness in his heart. He understands that this problem is indeed difficult to solve. However, he was not willing to give up just like that. He believes that as long as they work together, they will always find a solution to the problem.

So, Li Shimin spoke again, his voice full of firmness and determination: "Fang Xuanling, we can no longer sit back and wait for death. We need to come up with a solution as soon as possible."

When Fang Xuanling heard this, she felt moved in her heart. He knew that Li Shimin had not given up and was still working hard to find a solution to the problem. This gave him a glimmer of hope. So, he took a deep breath and began to think.

He knew that to solve this problem, he had to start at the root cause. They need to find enough funds to acquire Shengtang Group. But now that the treasury is empty, where is the extra money?

Fang Xuanling began to recall the country’s fiscal expenditures in the past period. He remembered that the country had invested a lot of money in building highways. Those funds were meant for other important projects, but now they're all spent on highways. This made him feel helpless and regretful.

However, he also knew that it was too late to regret now. They must face reality and find other solutions. So, he began to think about various possible solutions. He wondered whether he could borrow from other countries, or whether he could sell some countries' assets to raise funds. However, these seemingly feasible solutions actually carry huge risks. Although borrowing can temporarily solve the funding problem, high interest rates are like heavy shackles that will make the country breathless in the days to come. Selling national assets is like cutting meat to feed eagles. Although it can be exchanged for temporary funds, in the long run, it will weaken the country's strength and foundation. These are not the results Li Shimin and Fang Xuanling want to see.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon chair, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing deep worry. He never imagined that the acquisition of Shengtang Group would face such a huge funding gap. He originally thought that with the country's financial resources and his wise decision-making, acquiring Shengtang Group would be an easy task. But now it seems that things are much more complicated than imagined.

He turned to look at Fang Xuanling, hoping to find some comfort and solution from this loyal minister. However, Fang Xuanling's face was also solemn. He shook his head helplessly and said: "Your Majesty, the funding problem we are facing is indeed very serious. Borrowing and selling assets are not long-term solutions. We need to find a more stable solution." Solution."

Li Shimin took a deep breath and tried to calm down the fluctuations in his heart. He knew that he had to calm down now and think carefully about countermeasures. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Fang Xuanling, do you think we can consider cooperating with other forces to jointly acquire Shengtang Group?"

Fang Xuanling's eyes lit up and she thought Li Shimin's idea was very creative. He immediately started thinking, and possible partners flashed through his mind. However, he soon discovered that this plan also had many problems. First, it is not easy to find a suitable partner; second, even if a partner is found, how to distribute equity and interests is a thorny issue.

The two fell into silence again. Li Shimin knew that this problem was not that simple to solve. He needs more time and thinking to find a perfect solution.

Suddenly, Li Shimin thought of another question: "Fang Xuanling, you said that we have spent so much money, how many shares can we acquire in Shengtang Group?" There was a hint of unwillingness and doubt in his tone, and he could not accept himself. Paying such a huge price only gets a minuscule share.

Fang Xuanling was silent for a while, and then whispered: "Your Majesty, the funds we can raise currently can only acquire less than 10% of the shares of Shengtang Group."

Li Shimin was shocked when he heard this number. He stared at Fang Xuanling with wide eyes, as if trying to find a hint of joking on his face. However, Fang Xuanling's expression was very serious, without any intention of joking.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and tried to keep his emotions calm. He knew that he couldn't panic at this time, let alone give up. He must face reality calmly and find solutions to problems.

He said slowly: "Less than 10%? This is indeed an unacceptable result. However, we cannot give up because of this. We need to continue to find other ways to raise funds."

Fang Xuanling nodded slowly, expressing her agreement with Li Shimin's idea. There was a trace of determination in his eyes. Although he knew it was too early to give up at this moment, they must continue to look for more possibilities and work hard for the future of the country.

He sighed deeply and said helplessly: "But, Your Majesty, we have no money!" There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. This was the biggest dilemma they faced. Without enough funds, how could they acquire Shengtang Group?

Li Shimin suddenly laughed when he heard Fang Xuanling's words. His laughter echoed in the empty hall, making people feel inexplicably relaxed. Fang Xuanling looked at Li Shimin's smile, but felt a little puzzled. He asked doubtfully: "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

Li Shimin stopped smiling, and the expression on his face became serious and profound. He stared at Fang Xuanling, his eyes shining with wisdom, as if he could see through all the fog and get to the core of the problem. He said slowly: "Finance and power are the two sharp swords in the world. As long as we have them, what do we have to fear?"

When Fang Xuanling heard this, his heart suddenly became enlightened, as if a bolt of lightning pierced the darkness. He understood what Li Shimin meant. It turned out that His Majesty wanted to use his power to make the Shengtang Group surrender. Although this method sounds unrealistic, in this dilemma, they really need to try some new ideas.

He frowned slightly, thought for a moment and then said: "Your Majesty, your idea makes sense. Power is indeed a powerful force that can change many things. However, Shengtang Group is a huge business empire after all, and their strength cannot be tolerated. We should underestimate them. Their business territory extends throughout the Tang Dynasty, and even extends to other countries. Their wealth and influence are beyond our imagination. If we rashly use our power to oppress them, it may cause even greater backlash. It would be unbearable for us to trigger a commercial war."

After listening to Fang Xuanling's words, Li Shimin nodded, expressing that he understood his concerns. He was silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking about this issue. Then, he said slowly: "You are right, we cannot use power easily. However, we cannot sit idly by and allow Shengtang Group to continue to expand. Their strength is getting stronger and stronger, and the threat to us is also increasing. It’s getting bigger and bigger. We need to find a balance between safeguarding the country’s interests and respecting the rules of the market.”

After hearing this, Fang Xuanling also fell into deep thought. He knew that what Li Shimin said was true. The expansion of Shengtang Group had indeed put a lot of pressure on the country. However, he also knows that it is not easy to find a balance point. This requires them to think carefully and carefully weigh the pros and cons.

The two fell into a long silence, and a solemn atmosphere filled the air. They are all thinking about how to solve this problem and how to find the balance point.

Finally, Li Shimin broke the silence. He took a deep breath and said, "Perhaps, we can start from within the Shengtang Group. Although they are powerful, they are not monolithic. We can look for their weaknesses and dismantle them from the inside. strength."

This is also an idea they can come up with.

But what to do specifically is still a question.

However, this is also one of the methods, and it is also a way to save money.

Fang Xuanling nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right."