The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yuchi Gong and his men were overjoyed. Sending troops meant they would have another battle to fight.

Moreover, Chen Huai'an also has support this time.

It should be noted that Chen Huai'an is now the God of Wealth of the Tang Dynasty. If he supports us, it means that military supplies such as grain and fodder will be abundant.

Furthermore, the Turks were already too preoccupied with Liang Shidu at this point, so this military expedition was bound to be another great success.

How could they not be happy?

Li Shimin waved his hand dismissively: "We'll discuss this matter in detail at tomorrow's court meeting. Come, let's continue drinking."

As Li Shimin uttered those words again, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became even more lively.

They didn't stop until everyone was so drunk that they needed to help each other leave, or were simply carried away.

After everyone left, Li Shimin leaned back in his chair, feeling a headache coming on.

However, he was still conscious.

"His Majesty."

At this moment, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang walked in.

Li Shimin slightly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Li Chunfeng's hand. He paused, then asked, "How is it?"

Li Chunfeng remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Duke of Anguo is no ordinary man. I believe... he is truly a celestial being descended to earth."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin paused for a moment, not as shocked as expected. Instead, he clicked his tongue, recalling Chen Huai'an's various actions and misdeeds, and smiled, "A banished immortal? What a banished immortal!"

"I guess this banished immortal must have been demoted to the mortal realm because he was too shameless, loved to trick his superiors, and enjoyed teasing children."

Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang were ashamed and dared not respond.

Li Shimin, losing interest, sternly warned, "This matter must not be known to a fourth person, understand?"

"We understand," the two men said, bowing deeply.

"Go down." Li Shimin closed his eyes; he had drunk too much and had a headache.

Inside the vast Xiande Hall, he sat alone, his eyes closed.

No one knew whether Li Shimin was asleep or thinking about something.

"......"

For the next month or so, Chen Huai'an was busy taking stock of all the supplies needed for the troop deployment.

The decision to send troops to Liang Shidu has been made in earnest, and the entire court has unanimously approved it. Naturally, sufficient provisions and other supplies must be prepared.

Moreover, this is war, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.

"Minister, I have carefully counted all the supplies needed to send troops to Liang Shidu. Here is the general ledger for your review."

Liang Bingyi handed an account book to Chen Huai'an and waited quietly.

Chen Huai'an flipped through the ledger, carefully checked it, and put it down after confirming that there were no errors: "Okay, I'll hand this ledger over later. Thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work." Liang Bingyi was somewhat apprehensive, then changed the subject to another matter, "Minister, what have you thought about my suggestion last time?"

"The establishment of the charity granary is entirely beneficial..."

"No!" Chen Huai'an stared intently at him. "I know your initial intentions are good, but I must tell you, corvée labor, though seemingly free, is actually harming the nation's destiny."

"Building a charity granary is indeed necessary, but in my opinion, this can be built gradually, and there is no need to rush it."

"With over a thousand counties in the entire Tang Dynasty, even with the levy of corvée labor, could it be completed in a short time? Could construction begin simultaneously? I doubt it."

"In such a year of famine, instead of thinking about providing proper disaster relief, you're thinking about large-scale construction projects. Even if the purpose of these projects is for the benefit of the people, no one will listen to you."

"Even if the granary is built, the power to open it still rests with the government, and the common people cannot have a turn."

"You want them to build granaries at their own expense, and then have each of them contribute food to fill them? Is there really such a good deal in the world?"

Liang Bingyi hesitated and said, "But Minister, we are already tied up with various projects. The Guanzhong region is still being reclaimed, and water conservancy projects are still being built in various places. Now that there is a frost disaster, you have arranged for these disaster victims to go to coal mines."

"In addition to sending troops to Liang Shidu, we may also send troops to the Turks and Lingnan next year."

"Minister... we are under immense pressure."

"Did it break you?" Chen Huai'an retorted. "Was it you who carried the burden?"

Liang Bingyi's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat: "Minister, please calm down, that's not what I meant."

"I know!" Chen Huai'an immediately interrupted, standing up. "I know that's not what you meant, but you don't seem to understand what I mean!"

Chen Huai'an said calmly, "In today's world, the drought has not yet subsided, frost is raging, countless people have been displaced, national tax revenue has plummeted, and the financial burdens required for various projects and work-for-relief programs, as well as the dispatch of troops to Liang Shidu to prepare for war against the Eastern Turks... all these financial pressures... are borne by me, Chen Huai'an, alone!"

"Do you think I don't know that charity granaries need to be built? Have you forgotten who first proposed restarting the charity granary system?"

"Even so, I've never considered conscripting people for labor. What right do you have?"

Chen Huai'an tapped Liang Bingyi's chest and asked, word by word, "Just because you're the Vice Minister of Revenue?"

Liang Bingyi was sweating profusely and couldn't utter a single word.

"You are the Vice Minister of Revenue, so of course you have this power. You can levy corvée labor, but do you even know what corvée labor actually is? Have you ever served corvée labor?"

"No, right?"

Chen Huai'an patted a bit of dust off his shoulder and said softly, "Liang Bingyi, I know your intentions are good, but you come from an official family and have never experienced the hardships of ordinary people. You also don't understand that the Tang Dynasty is at a critical moment right now."

"Whether we can take off in one fell swoop or need to continue to lie low, it all depends on these two years."

"So... don't let me hear the word 'labor service' again, understand?"

"Understood!" Liang Bingyi swallowed hard and hurriedly replied.

He knew very well that this was a warning, and only this one.

If this continues, I'm afraid someone else will have to take my place.

Chen Huai'an glanced at him indifferently: "I'll give you a chance to draft a memorial, set a five-year plan, and require that the public granary system be fully implemented in every prefecture and county of the entire Tang Dynasty within five years."

"Granaries should be built, but not blindly and haphazardly!"

"Yes, Minister!" Liang Bingyi was overjoyed, his voice filled with gratitude. "I will take care of it immediately."

"Go on." Chen Huai'an sat down again, staring at the monthly accounts in the ledger, the income and expenses, muttering to himself, "Not enough, still not enough!"

He opposed the conscription of laborers to build granaries because he genuinely did not want to be conscripted.

Another problem is that the significance of rushing to build charitable granaries now is not as great as imagined.

The disaster of the third year of the Zhenguan era is not even a year over yet.

This year there will be famine, next year locusts will cover the land, and the year after that there will be floods.

The people can't even survive, how can you expect them to contribute grain to fill the granaries?

"..."