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

"Alright, it's decided then!"

Li Shimin immediately made the decision, knowing that the early stages of the establishment of the Lingnan Transport Office would definitely be the most problematic and troublesome time.

The first Lingnan Transport Commissioner was someone with good qualifications and abilities, which suited his needs perfectly.

Moreover, given the relationship between Ouyang Shu and Chen Huai'an, as well as the relationship between the Ministry of Revenue and the Lingnan Transport Office, Chen Huai'an would definitely keep a close eye on things.

With Chen Huai'an watching over him, Li Shimin could finally relax.

It's not that there's no one else besides Chen Huai'an, but rather that no one is more suitable than him, isn't that right?

Besides, the canal transport was opened up by the other side against all odds. They've made a contribution, so you should at least let them share in the benefits.

These are the reasons why Li Shimin recognized Ouyang Shu's talent.

"Now, let's talk about the next thing!" Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, resting his chin on his hand. "Someone told me something very interesting last time."

"He told me that the people lacked many things, not to mention land, everyone lacked it, and everyone wanted more."

"But besides fields, there are many other things, like plows!"

"A plow?" Xiao Yu frowned. "Didn't the Ministry of Works already produce a curved plow?"

"The effectiveness of the curved-shaft plow is evident to all, so how could there be a shortage of plows?"

A sneer appeared on Chen Huai'an's lips: "How can you say there's no shortage? Did Lord Xiao pay for the people to buy curved plows?"

Xiao Yu choked and shut his mouth, saying nothing more.

This is why Chen Huai'an never liked Xiao Yu and had no intention of developing a close relationship with her.

As a former member of the royal family, Xiao Yu was of noble birth and idealistic about everything, such as his continued insistence on the system of granting fiefdoms.

He thought that once the Ministry of Works invented the curved plow, the common people could use it.

Little did people know that only a small number of people could use it, while the vast majority of people could not. Even if they could use it, it was borrowed from the landlord, or it was used directly when working for the landlord.

Xiao Yu had no idea what life was like for ordinary people at the bottom of society, and he had never seen it.

"It's not just the plow!" Li Shimin sighed, "It's also oxen, irrigation systems, and even grain seeds!"

"Our Great Tang Dynasty does not actually lack land. Putting aside the natural disasters of the past two years, tax revenue has indeed been increasing, but the increase in tax revenue cannot keep up with the increase in population."

"A large part of the reason lies here!"

"Most people, in many cases, share a few oxen and a few curved plows in a village."

"Anyone who has ever farmed knows that the farming season cannot be delayed. Because oxen and curved plows are used together, many people's planting has been delayed, resulting in poor harvests."

"Therefore, tax revenue has always lagged behind, and people are living a very difficult life."

"Especially seeds," Li Shimin emphasized. "Without seeds, there's no point in talking about oxen or curved plows; they can't even do the most basic planting."

"Either don't plant, or borrow from landlords and wealthy merchants."

"And this loan, at least nine times it was taken out and thirteen times it was returned, and in serious cases, seven times it was taken out and fifteen times it was returned."

"I summoned you here today to resolve this issue!"

"..."

A moment of silence fell over the Ganlu Hall. Fang Xuanling carefully considered his words before speaking: "This is indeed a very big problem. If this continues, the situation will likely continue to worsen."

"This is especially true during years of natural disasters."

"However, there's nothing anyone can do about oxen. The only thing we can do is strengthen the laws prohibiting the slaughter of cattle and try to get them to have more calves."

"The curved-shaft plow... The cost of a curved-shaft plow is fixed, and the imperial court doesn't make money from it. At most, they make a tiny, negligible profit. They can't just give it away to the people for free, can they?"

"Otherwise, how can the national treasury afford it?"

Wei Zheng frowned, somewhat disagreeing with Fang Xuanling's words, but did not refute them.

Now that the Tang Dynasty's treasury is full, so many major projects are being carried out simultaneously, including the Yellow River, so there's no need to worry about the curved plow.

The key point is that at least the work-for-relief program got the project repaired, didn't it?

The imperial court did gain something; it wasn't a loss.

But giving a curved plow is a different story. The court can't just do good deeds, otherwise even the fullest treasury can't withstand the pressure.

Du Ruhui then spoke up, "Your Majesty, I believe we can also sell grain seeds, just like the curved plow. At worst, we can't make a profit. As long as we don't lose money, then to some extent, we are making a profit."

"After all, if the people receive the seeds, they can cultivate the land properly, and tax revenue will also increase."

"Sell?" Chen Huai'an retorted, "If the people could afford it, why would they need to borrow it?"

"This method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

Du Ruhui paused for a moment, then nodded: "That's true, but at least it can alleviate the situation to some extent. Once we get through these years of natural disasters, things will definitely improve."

"They can't hold out that long!" Chen Huai'an shook his head and said, "The situation among ordinary people is very complicated, and it can't be explained in just a few words. There will always be people in difficulty."

"Perhaps things will improve after we get through these years of natural disasters, but not everyone will survive them, and even if we do, things may not get better."

"We can't always think about alleviating problems and waiting for the future; we should seize the present moment."

"Oh?" Li Shimin had been waiting for him to say that, since Li Chengqian had told him all of this.

Back then, Li Chengqian went out with Chen Huai'an.

"What good plan does Minister Chen have?"

"I wouldn't call it a brilliant strategy, but I do have some ideas," Chen Huai'an said thoughtfully. "In my opinion, selling is ultimately not the way to go."

"Neither the curved plow nor grain seeds will work under the current circumstances."

"We should borrow it!"

"Borrow?" Li Shimin asked, "How?"

"The fundamental reason Your Majesty raised this matter is still the current situation of taxation and the people," Chen Huai'an said calmly.

"So I think that since it's for tax revenue and to change the people's situation, it's better for the people to borrow from the imperial court than to borrow from landlords and wealthy merchants."

"It is acceptable to charge only a small amount of interest on grain seeds, or even no interest at all, because only when people take the seeds back and grow the grain can they pay taxes, feed themselves, and raise their children."

"Only by raising children can the population of the Tang Dynasty continue to grow. Only with a growing population can more people farm and pay taxes."

"This not only helps the people, but also benefits the imperial court."

Chen Huai'an said softly, "The so-called prosperous age... is not defined by us, but is created by the concerted efforts of millions of people in all aspects!"

"Therefore, we must seize the present and strive for the future!"

"..."