The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Li Boyi regretted stepping forward. This kid initially seemed like a coward, but he turned out to be so eloquent. You could talk to him about anything and he could come up with a whole new way to defeat you, leaving you with no way to refute him.

His eyes swept over the other ministers who supported the King of Yue, and they all had their heads down. Which of these people didn't own several private properties? Pretending to be deaf and dumb was the best course of action at this moment.

At this critical moment, these people only know how to protect themselves. Li Boyi snorted coldly:

"You, sir, are making grand pronouncements based on mere conjecture. All the people under heaven are His Majesty's subjects. Relief for disaster victims should naturally be provided by the court. However, the national treasury is empty, and the disaster is imminent. The discussion now is about how to alleviate the crisis in Youzhou, not about you stirring up conflict between the emperor and his ministers."

Changsun Dan smiled faintly; this Li Boyi was indeed a remarkable person.

"What the Prince says is absolutely right. Tang law stipulates that ministers are not allowed to engage in commerce, let alone industries such as salt, wine, tea, iron, and mining. However, the power to issue market licenses to merchants is in the hands of powerful and wealthy people. How many ordinary people can get a market license? Look at all the merchants in Chang'an who make big money; aren't they all backed by powerful and wealthy people? Why is it that in years of disaster, the people starve and freeze to death?"

"—Because ordinary people simply lack the ability to withstand risks, because they can barely make ends meet and have no surplus money to store up food!"

"Where has the money gone? The common people can't get market licenses to do business! As for growing grain? Most of the land has been taken over by families. Even if they have a few acres of poor land, the grain they grow is only enough to feed themselves. Even if there is a little surplus, the merchants will drive down the price at every level. May I ask Your Highness, even if there are ten consecutive years of great disasters, will you starve to death? — You won't!"

"But ordinary people only need to experience it once, and then it's over!"

"All the people under heaven are His Majesty's subjects, that's true. But those who have driven the people to the brink of despair are a group of powerful and corrupt officials and powerful families who spout benevolence and morality but only know how to exploit the people. If the Prince does not believe me, His Majesty only needs to issue an edict to close all the shops in Chang'an tomorrow. I guarantee that not a single innocent person will be harmed."

When Changsun Dan said this, even a powerful ruler like Li Shimin felt powerless. He knew what Changsun Dan was saying, and even the aristocratic families knew he knew it, but what could he do?

If even 50% of the decrees I issue can be implemented, I'll consider myself very fortunate.

Those powerful families who had already built up business empires now wished they could tear Changsun Dan to shreds, because he had exposed this fig leaf, and His Majesty would find every excuse to punish him.

Changsun Dan explained in detail: "Didn't the Prince want to know how to resolve this disaster? The answer is donations. Let the major merchants in Chang'an pool their money and solve the predicament of Youzhou and Jizhou once and for all!"

Li Shimin's eyes lit up. It wasn't that he wanted the merchants to raise money, but this kid actually meant that he had a permanent solution to the snow disaster.

Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, and others also pricked up their ears.

Yang Shidao sighed inwardly, "If Wu Meiniang can have this child, it will definitely be better than if he enters the palace. Given time, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will be a minister who supports the emperor and will surely be above all others."

Li Boyi was so angry that he burst into laughter:

"What an arrogant county magistrate! I'd like to know if you possess any magical powers to prevent snow from falling in Youzhou and Jizhou!"

Changsun Dan said calmly:

"While I do not possess such extraordinary abilities, resolving the predicament of Youzhou is not difficult. I would like to ask Your Highness, how much does a bushel of rice cost these days? How much does a bolt of silk cost?"

Li Boyi sneered:

"Does the county magistrate of Wannian really want all the people of Youzhou to wear silk? In this prosperous Zhenguan era, prices are stable. Rice costs three coins per dou. In years of famine, the price may rise slightly, but it will not exceed five coins. The price of silk varies, but the cheapest coarse silk costs four hundred coins per bolt, and the best Shu brocade can cost as much as three thousand coins."

Changsun Dan nodded:

"In Youzhou and Youzhou, disasters occur seven out of ten years. In short, whenever there is heavy snow, houses collapse and winter wheat and livestock freeze to death. Even if there is no disaster, the northern wilderness is full of rocks and the wheat yield is low, so there is no possibility of storing grain. With no money and no grain and constant disasters, we rely entirely on the court for relief. Your Majesty may be able to bear it once or twice, but if this continues, these two places will inevitably become a burden on the entire Tang Dynasty."

"The Prince also said that the price of rice is no more than five coins per dou, but the price of a bolt of silk is at least four hundred coins. The reason why the wheat in Youzhou was frozen to death is because the snow was thick and the wheat seedlings were too short to withstand the frost."

"But if we plant mulberry trees, which are more resistant to cold, they won't be crushed by the heavy snow or frozen to death. We can let the people of Youzhou raise silkworms and weave brocade, and then open a grain route to transport grain from the surrounding grain-producing prefectures for sale. Wouldn't that solve the problem of the snow disaster and also boost the economy of the surrounding prefectures? His Majesty wouldn't have to empty the court every year, and could even increase tax revenue to fill the national treasury. And my aunt, as the Empress, wouldn't have to tighten her belt for the sake of the people, going without new clothes for years!"

When Changsun Dan said this, everyone present was shocked. Why hadn't they thought of such a simple method?

Cui Dunli, the Vice Minister of War, was filled with hatred. The Cui family accounted for at least 30% of the silk market. If mulberry trees were planted in both prefectures, the price of silk would inevitably drop, which would definitely have a huge impact on his family's business.

Li Shimin could no longer contain his joy and drank a large cup of wine by himself. This young man has unparalleled talent. With him assisting Chengqian, what difficulty is there in making the Tang Dynasty prosper for another hundred years!

Empress Zhangsun's eyes were filled with tears. This child, who came up with such a good plan for the court, was still thinking about how her aunt hadn't worn new clothes yet!

Yan Shigu, sitting behind Cheng Yaojin, had long forgotten that Changsun Dan hadn't even finished his studies at the Imperial Academy, and excitedly grabbed Cheng Yaojin's arm:

"Duke Lu, let's see who will say scholars are useless now. If they hadn't studied morality and literature, how could they have such a heart for the world, and how could they possess such brilliant talent? Drink, drink! I'm in a good mood today and would like to drink a cup with you, Duke!"

Cheng Yaojin turned around and bumped into him, his old eyes glaring:

"Great Confucian scholar, don't be too happy yet. I think this lad has the talent of a general. It's mostly you scholars who oppress the people. Whether he's willing to join your ranks is another matter."

Yan Shigu coughed, and the wine he had just swallowed sprayed out all over Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin didn't mind, raised his cup and stood up:

"Your Majesty, this old minister supports Changsun Liulang's proposal. Although I do not own a business, I am grateful for Your Majesty's frequent rewards, so I will donate 20,000 strings of cash."

Li Jing also stood up:

"Your Majesty, I will also donate 20,000 strings of cash."

Li Shimin thought to himself that he still needed the old friends who had fought alongside him to conquer the empire, but their money was just a drop in the ocean. He didn't want to squeeze their retirement savings out of them, nor did he want those aristocratic families to also benefit from the 20,000 strings of cash. He waved his hand to stop the two men from speaking.

"The details of this matter still need to be discussed. The most urgent task is to transport grain for disaster relief. I think the Crown Prince's plan is feasible, so let's follow his idea. Troops from the surrounding areas will be mobilized to transport grain and repair houses for the people. The garrison troops of this prefecture will be responsible for guarding the city. As for the subsequent planting of mulberry trees, raising silkworms, and weaving brocade, let the Prince of Wannian County go to Youzhou and Jizhou after his wedding to take full responsibility."

A million curses ran through Changsun Dan's mind. What did I do to deserve this? I gave an idea and it caused trouble?!

Empress Zhangsun also felt a pang of heartache. The two places were far apart and bitterly cold, and Dan'er's body could hardly withstand it. However, since it concerned the well-being of the people in both cities, she had nothing to say.

Li Shimin seemed to have considered the Empress's concerns as well, and pondered for a moment:

"There's no rush for what follows. Considering the county magistrate's weak health, let him train in Zhijie's military camp first."

Cheng Yaojin was overjoyed:

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

The officials stared at Cheng Yaojin in disbelief. No, he went to the military camp to train. Why are you thanking him?

Cheng Yaojin also realized he had been too obvious, and his face flushed red.

"I do have a penchant for talent! This lad has a dignified appearance and a tall, imposing stature; he's destined to be a valiant general!"

Li Shimin suddenly felt dizzy; this old man was now talking nonsense with his eyes open.