Drive the RV back to Datang

Chapter 577 Chapter 592: My last wish

For Li Hao's embezzlement plan, Lu Yun hurried back all the way, changing boats twice on the way, and finally arrived in Taizhou on the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and Wu Lei had been waiting here with his fleet for three or four days .

Lu Yun boarded the boat to meet Wu Lei, and after conveying Li Hao's words, Wu Lei immediately sent someone to drive away the 600 large ships, leaving only [-] ships. The silver on the [-] ships added up to exactly [-] million taels.

During the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival, the city of Chang’an is extremely lively. During such a festive season, Li Shimin will order the lifting of the curfew, and all the people will rejoice. The whole night of Chang’an is full of lights and laughter. The prosperous lantern festival in the city has a very complicated look.

"This flower-like world is really gorgeous and colorful, but unfortunately, I don't have much time left, and I don't know if this is the last time I will watch the lantern festival." Li Shimin whispered to himself, when a gust of cold wind blew, he coughed.

Seeing this, Xu Lian and Xu You hurried forward, Xu Lian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the night wind is too cold, and you have caught the wind and cold again. You'd better go back, the dragon's body is the most important thing."

"Let me watch it a few more times." Li Shimin sighed, "If I want to see it in the future... I won't have a chance."

Xu Lian is also an elderly person, so he can naturally understand Li Shimin's nostalgia for this prosperous world. He wanted to persuade him again, but he was still unable to speak.

At this time, a familiar figure walked quickly towards the Vermilion Bird Gate, Li Shimin looked down from above, pointed at the man below and said, "Xu Lian, help me to see, is that a poetic madman?"

Xu Lian looked in the direction Li Shimin pointed, and sure enough, there were no other people in front of Suzaku's gate, and Li Hao's walking figure was particularly conspicuous. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it is Li Hao, King of Qiongnan."

"Looking at his appearance, he seems to be entering the palace." Li Shimin muttered, walked to the side of the palace wall, supported the battlements, and looked down.

I saw Li Hao strode to the Suzaku gate, saluted the guarding Yulin army and said, "Please excuse me, Qiongnan King Li Hao is asking for a face-to-face."

Before the guard could answer, Li Shimin said with a smile from above: "There's no need to report, come in!"

As soon as Li Hao looked up, he saw Li Shimin looking at him with a smile on the top of the city tower, and immediately saluted in surprise: "My subject Li Hao pays homage to the emperor!"

While talking, the Zhuque Gate opened, Li Hao quickly stepped into the Zhuque Gate, and then went up the tower. The Jinwu Guards and Yulin Army along the way received Li Shimin's order and did not stop him.

Li Hao came to Li Shimin, saluted respectfully and said, "Your Majesty is watching the Lantern Festival?"

"Yes." Li Shimin said with a smile, "During the Lantern Festival, I'm a lonely family with no one to accompany me, so I naturally want to see the excitement."

"Your Majesty is serious." Li Hao said, "In this festive season, I specially bring good news to Your Majesty, so as to make Your Majesty happy."

"Oh?" Li Shimin asked with a smile, "What's the good news?"

Li Haodao: "Your Majesty, my fleet was ordered to go to Japan to trade weapons and food last year. Now the fleet has returned and is at Taizhou Port."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up when he heard the words, and hurriedly asked: "How is this trade and how much did you earn?"

Li Hao grinned and said happily, "Your Majesty, this trade brought back a total of 1200 million taels of silver. According to the previous agreement, I will take 600 million taels, and the other 600 million taels will be handed over to Your Majesty."

"600 million taels!" Li Shimin was dumbfounded when he heard the words, and it took him a long time to say in disbelief, "The little Wa country is so rich?"

Li Hao said with a smile: "Your Majesty, silver is not very valuable in the Japanese country. The Japanese country is now flooded with silver, and the only thing that is lacking is food. This time we can be regarded as sending charcoal to the Japanese monarch."

"Well, great, great, with these 600 million taels of silver, we Datang can do a lot more." Li Shimin was a little over excited and coughed again.

Seeing this, Li Hao frowned and asked, "Is Your Majesty feeling unwell?"

"It's just an occasional cold, it's nothing serious." Li Shimin was in a good mood at the moment, and waved his hands nonchalantly.

Li Hao said solemnly: "Your Majesty, no matter how much money you have, you can't buy health. Your Majesty should put the dragon's body as the most important thing. Only when your Majesty is safe can the country be stable."

"Okay, why are you as verbose as Xu Lian? I know what you mean." Li Shimin raised his hand and patted Li Hao's shoulder with a smile, and asked, "Poetry Man, tell me, the 600 million taels How to use it?"

Li Hao thought for a while, and said: "Your Majesty, now we have Zhenguan rice in Datang, and we have enough grain reserves, but we are only afraid of natural disasters. When natural disasters come, no matter how high the output of Zhenguan rice is, there will be no harvest. Among them, floods are the most frightening, and I think that we should allocate funds to mobilize water conservancy talents from the scientific research temple and send them to various parts of the country to build water conservancy projects. Disaster prevention is not as good as disaster prevention."

"Haha, the idea of ​​a poet madman is the same as mine, and I think so too." Li Shimin sighed, "I am invincible in the world, and I am not afraid of any enemy, but natural disasters. I plan to allocate 100 million taels of money. What do you think of constructing water conservancy projects in Guannei, Hebei, Hedong, Henan, Shannan, Jiangnan, and Huainan?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Hao cupped his hands and said, "These seven paths are the areas with the richest food in our Tang Dynasty. If these seven paths are eradicated from flooding, our Great Tang will never suffer from food problems."

"Haha, I accept your auspicious words, but I also know that flood control is not a short-term success, it needs long-term control, and it can't be solved by a mere 100 million yuan, but it should be able to maintain peace for five years." Li Shimin patted the battlements with a smile, Looking at Li Hao again, he asked, "Do you have any suggestions for the rest of the money? If it's a good idea, I will agree to it."

Li Hao hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, you must have seen the business opportunities of maritime trade. Do you need to say more about these?"

Li Shimin nodded happily when he heard the words: "Yes, I didn't expect that there are mountains of gold and silver overseas. Don't worry, I will allocate 100 million taels to build seaports in the coastal areas of our Tang Dynasty, and at the same time build a shipyard. In a few years, our Datang ships will be all over the sea."

"Your Majesty is wise." Li Hao cupped his hands, "In this way, there are 400 million taels left. Your Majesty can seal it up for emergencies."

"Hey, there are still 100 million guan in the national treasury, which is enough for emergency." Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Why do you save so much money? If you have money, you have to use it, or benefit the people, or use it for the country. Money is such a thing , if you spend it, it will naturally have an effect, and if it is stored in the treasury, can it still generate money?"

Li Hao was taken aback when he heard the words, and couldn't help sighing secretly. Li Shimin's consumption concept is quite forward. In fact, Li Shimin is right. Spending the country's money will always have results. After the water conservancy is repaired, there will be fewer floods. The effect received is definitely worth more than 100 million guan. If you spend money until the flood occurs, it may not only be this amount, but many people will die. It can also be seen from this point that Li Shimin is indeed a good emperor who cares about the country and the people.

But Li Hao really couldn't find any place to spend money for a while, and he didn't want Li Shimin to spend too much money, because spending too much would cause prices to rise too fast.

Seeing Li Hao's silence, Li Shimin suddenly patted the battlements, and said slowly, "Poetry Man, I remember that Lu Dongzan committed suicide by jumping from the Vermilion Bird Gate, right?"

Li Hao cupped his hands and said, "Return to Your Majesty, yes, I personally saw him commit suicide by jumping off the Vermilion Bird Gate."

Li Shimin said slowly: "I am getting old, and my health is getting worse day by day, but I still have one unfulfilled wish, can you help me finish it?"

Hearing the words, Li Hao naturally knew what Li Shimin's wish was, and of course it was referring to destroying Tubo, so he cupped his hands and asked, "What Your Majesty said...is it the jackals in the west?"

"Exactly." Li Shimin turned his head and looked to the west, and said leisurely, "Tubo is dominating the plateau, spying on my Great Tang Jiuyi. Since I am known as the lord of the world, how can I allow the barbarians of Tubo to show off their power next to my Great Tang? Are you crazy about poetry? The talent of the world, can you lead troops to conquer Tubo, and let me see the destruction of Tubo with my own eyes in my lifetime, this is my last wish in this life."

At the end of his speech, he looked at Li Hao solemnly, his eyes full of expectation.

(End of this chapter)