Father Han Gaozu

Chapter 601 Warm Winter

Overnight, the whole of Chang'an was covered in silver.

The snowflakes drifted all night. The next day, the servants began to clear the snow inside and outside the palace. The snow fell so heavily that it covered their calves. The servants lowered their heads and shivered from the cold, complaining about this terrible The weather, his face was flushed, and thick mist floated from the corner of his mouth from time to time.

It's not that everyone hates this kind of weather. A few tightly wrapped little guys started running in the snow, and laughter immediately resounded all around.

There are five or six children running around here. Among them, the two twin brothers are Liu Ci and Liu Liang, and the rest are the heirs of the Supreme Emperor. They are about the same age. One of them fell into the snow, and before the servants could help him up, he had already scrambled to his feet.

Liu Chang put on a thick fur coat, although it was a fur coat to keep out the cold, it was also extremely delicate, with all kinds of beasts embroidered on it, two fierce tigers in the sleeves, and an unknown strange bird on the back, The front is in the shape of ears of wheat. Liu Chang also wore a fur hat with a few feathers stuck in it. It looks like a Yanzhao warrior. Compared with him, Lu Lu's clothes are much simpler. It's just an ordinary cotton coat, so it doesn't look like this is a big dog.

Liu Chang walked out the door, looking at the snow in front of him, he couldn't help laughing.

"It's a good sign. Ruixue, next year will definitely be a bumper harvest!"

"Since when did Your Majesty believe in this?"

"Rui Xue is not some kind of alchemist's nonsense, it is the knowledge of the farmer's family. If you don't listen to it, do you show your timidity now?"

As Liu Chang said, when he looked up, he saw those shovels playing in the distance.

Of course, Liu Ci also saw the tall figure in the distance. He blinked at Liu Liang who was at the side, then yelled "Father", and ran towards Liu Chang. Liu Liang saw him hiding in the Snowball behind her shrank her neck in fright.

Liu Chang looked at the little guy rushing towards him with a smile, and Liu Ci spread his legs, as if to be hugged by his father.

Liu Chang also opened his hand very cooperatively, Liu Ci jumped into Father's arms suddenly, with a smirk, picked up the snowball in his hand, and was about to stuff it into Father's arms, but before he could make a move, Liu Chang took the lead One step, holding the stick with one hand, he put the other hand directly on Liu Ci's neck. Liu Ci suddenly screamed from the cold and struggled crazily in his father's arms.

Liu Chang laughed out loud.

Lu Lu shook his head. Every winter, His Majesty would always bully the children.

While Liu Chang was teasing Liu Ci, Cao Shu led four or five court ladies and walked slowly towards here.

Liu Chang's face suddenly became extremely serious, and he hurriedly put Liu Ci on the ground, and severely reprimanded him: "You bastard! It's so unreasonable to run around here in winter. If you get frostbite, your mother will feel sorry for you." what?"

Cao Shu rolled his eyes at him, then shouted to Liu Ci and the others: "Go back!!"

Obviously, Cao Shu's words were more convincing, and those Lizi didn't dare to mess around, so they walked back hand in hand.

Liu Chang walked to Cao Shu's side with a flattering face, "These bastards are outrageous."

"I think the worst thing is His Majesty."

"Your Majesty is going out this morning, where are you going?"

"It's not snowing yet. I'm planning to go to the prime minister's mansion and ask about the situation of keeping out the cold. The Western Regions have begun to plant cotton on a large scale, and the poisonous people have also sent a lot of cotton. This winter, for me, a big man For the common people, it must be an unusual year!"

Cao Shu understood, she nodded, "Since it's a matter of business, then hurry up, I'm also here for this matter, I'm going to give winter cotton to all the officials in the court and the soldiers of the Northern and Southern Army. I don't know. What does His Majesty think?"

"The empress can just watch and make arrangements. By the way, don't post about Xia Wuqiu, this old man is never afraid of the cold."

"How can this be done? After all, he is the imperial physician's order, and other officials have issued it. Wouldn't it be negligent if he didn't issue it?"

"Okay, okay, the queen decides for herself!"

Liu Chang left here angrily. Cao Shu looked at the emperor who was going away, sighed, and couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty's childlike character, I don't know when he will be better. He is over 30 years old, and he is still in the snow with the children." play in the field."

There was an old maid beside her, who couldn't help laughing when she heard Cao Shu's words.

"The empress does not know that Emperor Gao was in his sixtieth age, and still had such a personality. He often quarreled with his servants over trivial matters. Every year in the cold winter, he always played here with the princes. He was reprimanded by the empress dowager."

When Cao Shu heard this, her head suddenly became dizzy.

She had expected that Liu Chang's bad character would improve as he got older. If Emperor Gao's bad character remained in his sixties, wouldn't Liu Chang, who was in the same line and went further, be in trouble? ? ?

At this time, she suddenly understood Empress Lu's mood somewhat. Didn't the mother just feel that she had raised a son? ?
As soon as he left the gate of the palace, Liu Chang changed his serious look and turned to look at Lu Lu with a smile.

"Lu, let's discuss something."

Lu Lu looked at Liu Chang's smile, and his heart was suddenly alert.

His Majesty smiled, life and death are unpredictable.

He said very vigilantly: "Your Majesty, what do you want to do?"

"It's nothing, you go to the prime minister's mansion for me. Ask Zhang Xiang about the snowfall situation in various places, and then hand over the cotton in the treasury to Zhang Xiang, let him distribute it, let the people everywhere wear thick clothes, and try to avoid it this year. People were frozen to death. If the cotton in the treasury is not enough, you can temporarily lend some to Zhang Xiang and pay for it yourself, and I will pay you back when I earn money!"

Lu Lu was bewildered, "Then what are you going to do, Your Majesty?"

"Of course I have business to attend to. I want to discuss the plans for the coming year with the sages in Chang'an!"

"Where?"

"Five tripod building."

Lu Lu suddenly jumped angrily, "I have to pay for this matter myself, but you guys want to meet and drink in Wudinglou?! You really are not human!! I won't go!!"

Liu Chang said with a stern face, "Come here!! Lu Lu violated the edict! He dragged it down and cooked it! His house was copied!!"

Lu Lu looked at Liu Chang complicatedly, "Then you have to save some of your wine and some of your beef."

Liu Chang grinned, "Okay, this is no problem, but you have to take care of this matter. If a commoner is frozen to death, I will raid your house!"

"Why bother, His Majesty will just punish my clan directly."

"Well, you Lu Lu!! How dare you disrespect the queen mother! If you don't handle this matter well, I will tell my mother what you said!!"

Lu Lu gave Liu Chang an unfriendly look, and rushed towards Zhang Cang's mansion.

Liu Chang got into the car and, accompanied by several soldiers, rushed towards Wuding Tower.

Cold winter has always been the great enemy of the great Han. For the nobles, the winter is suitable for entertainment, but for the common people, it is a dangerous gate of hell. The season with the highest death rate of the great Han is winter, even for those ministers, according to historical records , Most of them died in winter, even nobles, let alone ordinary people?There are several reasons for the high death rate in winter. The first is the heavy tax, which directly empties the granaries of the common people. The common people have no food in winter, and there is snow and ice outside. They can’t dig anything. In the end, they can only starve die.

Then there is the sudden drop in temperature. In Dahan, clothes are the luxury with the highest priority, and they are the funeral objects of the nobles.

In many households, there is only one decent piece of clothing, and everyone wears it in turn, let alone winter clothing.

From Qin II to Emperor Gao, the world was full of ten houses and nine empty houses, but not the most people died in battle, but the most people died of starvation and freezing. The kings of Qin, even in the cruelest season, would A large number of people were transferred to serve in corvee, completely disregarding their life and death.

In the early days of Emperor Gao, countless people were killed by freezing every winter. The houses were shabby, unable to block the wind and snow, and there were no thick clothes to cover their bodies, or even bedding. The house is constantly walking back and forth, trying to avoid death in various ways.In the era when the emperor could not find a horse of the same color to drive a chariot, the poverty of the people was unimaginable.

During Liu Chang's period, the situation gradually improved. The development of agriculture and the obvious reduction of taxes gave the common people the capital to survive the winter.

The development of commerce is to increase the circulation of winter clothes, and people in many areas can also exchange local specialties for winter clothes.

The national welfare institutions established during Xiao He's period also fully played their role at this moment. Officials in various places will pay attention to the situation of the people in the territory, and will provide subsidies and relief to the people who have no clothes for the winter.

It can be said that the unremitting efforts of Emperor Gao, Xiao He, Empress Lu, Cao Can and others showed their brilliance in the era of Liu Chang.

Just as the brilliance of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came from the accumulation of his father and grandfather, Wen Jing's brilliance also came from the accumulation of previous generations.

When Lu Lu came to Zhang Cang's mansion, Zhang Xiang was a little busy.

Lu Lu was waiting at the door, and four young beauties came out from the inner room, and then Zhang Cang invited him in.

Lu Lu glanced at the ruddy Zhang Cang with some envy, and immediately expressed his intention.

"Your Majesty wants to take out all the cotton in the treasury to help the people everywhere??"

Zhang Cang stroked his beard and said hesitantly: "But I have ordered that the cotton be given priority to the soldiers guarding the border and the army stationed in the fields. It may not be enough to relieve the people everywhere."

Lu Lu said helplessly: "Your Majesty has thought of this a long time ago. Just tell me how much is missing. I will come out."

Zhang Cang's eyes lit up, he looked at Lu Lu in front of him, and hurriedly asked his son to pour tea for Lu Lu, expressing that he would sit down and talk in detail.

Lu Lu was already prepared to bleed heavily, but when Zhang Cang said that he needed 200 million cotton coats, Lu Lu couldn't help jumping up.

"200 million pieces?? Do you think I'm a god??"

"A qualified padded jacket costs at least 200 yuan. How much does 160 million pieces cost?? [-] billion yuan??? You might as well let His Majesty directly ransack my house!!"

Seeing Lu Lu furious, Zhang Cang said seriously: "Honorable Jiancheng! Mencius said: If you are poor, you are good at yourself, and if you are good, you are good at the world. It's so hard to feed yourself, money is something outside of your body, you shouldn't be so selfish, you have to be thought of by the world."

Lu Lu didn't know how many times he heard this sentence, and his ears were almost callused.

"I understand the truth, but the 160 billion. How can I get out of it? If I get out of the money, all my businesses will go bankrupt and I will be penniless."

The corners of Zhang Cang's eyes twitched, this fellow really has 160 billion yuan? ? ?
"Of course, I won't make it difficult for you. I'm not asking you for a complete cotton suit, but you only need to provide cotton. I will do the production and transportation. How about this?"

Lu Lu gritted his teeth, "That's too expensive, 200 million pieces, I can't afford it!"

"Then 100 million pieces... can't save everyone in the world, so at least half of them can be saved."

"I'm out."

Although Lu Lu still had some pain in his flesh, he paid the money after all.

Zhang Cang was overjoyed, and hurriedly discussed specific matters with Lu Lu. Lu Lu just numbly agreed to Zhang Cang's series of requests, and finally left here with a face full of helplessness. After he left, Zhang Cang's son stepped forward, "Father, there shouldn't be a shortage of cotton in the national treasury. People who were poisoned before are not talented."

"Cough, lack, of course lack. The big man is poor, what is not lacking? You are a man. You just can't do big things in this life!"

Zhang Cang reprimanded him a few words, and just now he picked up the memorial in front of him, but a smile appeared on his face.

"Bong, this will probably be the best winter the common people have spent since the founding of the Han Dynasty."

"In such a cold and bleak time, it would be great to have a pair of winter clothes. My teacher has been looking forward to it all his life, but he has never been able to wait for such a scene. Unexpected, but I saw it with my own eyes."

Zhang Cang was very happy. When he laughed, his chubby face was wrinkled into a ball.

Zhang Feng said: "Father, this is all due to you. After you have done this, everyone in the world will remember your merit. Even those who come later will definitely set up sacrifices for you."

"Don't interrupt here, go to your own business!"

Zhang Cang waved his hand in displeasure. Even though Zhang Feng was very old, he still accepted his father's reprimand obediently, and turned around to leave here.

"By the way, send someone to call Chao Cuo over!!"

When Lu Lu came to Wuding Tower with a straight face, the atmosphere was extremely warm.

Liu Chang sat on the top seat, and Xuan Moru, Zhou Yafu, Zhou Jian, Lu Tazhi and others sat on his left and right sides. In front of everyone was hot wine, emitting mist, and the meat was roasted very well, with seasoning , exudes a strong fragrance.

"Oh! Lu is here!"

"How is it going?"

Liu Chang beckoned and asked Lu Lu to sit beside him. Lu Lu sat down and said with some reluctance: "A hundred winter clothes have been prepared. Sigh."

"Okay, you are worthy of being my Lord Jiancheng! Come, eat meat!"

Liu Chang graciously gave the meat to Lu Lu, and Lu Lu chewed the meat in his mouth fiercely. Every piece of meat here is worth millions to him now.

"What Lu did is really good. He has done what my ancestor Xunzi said, and if he is successful, he will save the world!"

The people of Fan City couldn't help but said, "It's Mencius."

"You are the only one who is knowledgeable, right? I reward you to debate with the Fuqiu public tomorrow!"

Everyone laughed, and Lu Lu said with emotion: "Anyway, I'm used to that picture. As expected of your teacher, I have a good appetite. When we met, it's nothing more than asking me for 200 million finished winter clothes to search my home!"

"Lu. It's okay. After the establishment of this glass factory, you can still earn more good things in the future. This money is nothing. But for the people of the world, this is what they can survive. I don’t know how many people you have saved by distributing money. Every winter, I feel very uncomfortable. Every time I eat meat and drink, I always think of the people who are suffering from cold and starvation in the local area. I am very uncomfortable. I can finally eat meat and drink with everyone with peace of mind, I let so many people put on winter clothes, it’s not too much to eat five cows for one meal, right?!”

"Not too much!"

The people of Fan City hurriedly replied: "Anyway, the food is still from Lu Lu's family!"

"Fart! If I pay for today's meal, my surname is not Lu!!"

Lu Lu scolded.

Everyone laughed again, and Liu Chang was very proud, "The things that Emperor Shihuang and Emperor Gao couldn't do, but I did it. After finishing the wine, I have to go to the ancestral temple to give my father, the stupid king, a good time." Blow it!"

But Lu Lu said: "The one who benefits the most is Zhang Xiang. The policy is thought up by His Majesty, and the money is paid by me. He only needs to implement it in the end, and he will reap great merit. The people will only think of him. For what he did, Sima Xi will probably remember his name. In the end, the fame and achievements belong to him. It has nothing to do with us."

Liu Dachang laughed, "All the merits of the ministers must be credited to the emperor! I'm not afraid!"

"But this time, my teacher is really lucky! His reputation has finally improved!"

Chao Cuo sat in front of Zhang Cang suspiciously. Since he became the Sangong, the only people he feared were Zhang Cang and Han Xin.

These two are the only ones among the officials who can threaten him.

So he tried his best not to provoke these two. I don't know why Zhang Xiang came to him suddenly today. Could it be that he decided to help those traitors deal with him? ?
Zhang Cang looked at Chao Cuo very calmly, and said seriously: "You don't have to worry that I came to you because of important matters. Your Majesty is going to transport the cotton in the treasury to various places, so that local officials can help those people who cannot survive the winter. I have prepared a lot. , this year will be a good winter. I have thought about it. These cottons are very valuable. It is inevitable that local officials will be greedy for ink. I am going to let you handle this matter. Transportation, production, and distribution of cotton clothes to various places , Supervise their distribution and specific execution."

Chao Cuo was taken aback, he thought for a moment, and asked hesitantly, "Why didn't you come to handle this matter yourself?"

Zhang Cang didn't care much. He waved his hand and said disdainfully, "They are not afraid of me, but they are very afraid of you. If you do it, you will do it better than me."

Chao Cuo got up solemnly, and solemnly paid respects to Zhang Cang.

"only."

(End of this chapter)