The sunlight shone through the hollow curtains, casting colorful shadows. There was no oil stain on the smooth table.
Crunch! Crunch! Li Longji sat in a place where the sunlight couldn't reach, slowly chewing on a pig's ear.
The fat part of the pig's ear had been cut off. The cucumber strips were all skinned and crispy.
"I've already sent people to inquire. When the duties were collected, the locals didn't mention how the money was earned. It can't be seen from the accounts sent together with the taxes."
Bi Goo sat there with a slight hunch on his back and a slightly bleak expression on his face.
It was obvious that he wasn't in a good mood.
Li Longji drank a mouthful of yellow wine with ginger slices. "Minister Bi, were you too happy that you didn't get a good rest last night?"
"Happy about what? Ah! Your Majesty, I'm happy because of money, but I'm worried that the officials in Guangzhou are too greedy. "
Bi Goo expressed his dissatisfaction indirectly. When was the local government so powerful that they didn't tell the imperial court how the money was earned?
Li Longji smiled slightly. "The Li Family Zhuangzi's students and farmers have embezzled money. Would they keep it for themselves? I'm thinking of a way to earn money, but I can't say it out loud. I've used some methods. "
"I'm worried that this method will harm the people's hearts." Song Jing followed.
He was vexed. He couldn't control Li Yi, and he couldn't control the Li Family Zhuangzi's people.
The Li Family Zhuangzi wants to be independent? Want to establish a country?
"Ministers, please eat." Li Longji didn't want to be entangled in this matter.
He knew that the Li Family Zhuangzi's people were afraid that the imperial court didn't have enough money, so they took some measures to get a lot of money and food.
In two months, there would be a shortage of food in the north, and now there was a shortage of food in the south.
Once the food was in their hands and thrown into the market, the commoners wouldn't have to bear the higher price of food, and the grain merchants would earn less.
Presumably, the part of the taxes collected by the local governments wouldn't be left and would be used for infrastructure.
How could the farmers be greedy for money? The students were also honest because the cost of committing crimes was too high, and they couldn't escape. The consequences were quite serious.
The ministers were in a bad mood because they had no right to speak.
A group of people stood up, washed their hands, and served the dishes. Everyone also served their favorite soup. Spring replenished water, mainly due to the heat.
When Bi Goo and the others came back, Li Longji finished a small plate of pig ears and cucumber and started to deal with the seafood on the other plates.
Now that he only ate small plates, he could eat a few more dishes without wasting anything.
Oysters were raw. The Li Family Zhuangzi specialized in raising oysters. There were no parasites, but the cost was high.
There was only a little salt in the oyster. Li Longji chewed slowly, savoring the fresh taste.
…
"Let's eat grilled oysters. It's too dangerous to eat raw oysters here. It's easy to eat parasites. Cold water is better."
A group of people were eating barbecue in the Guangzhou Department of Shipping.
It was newly built by the Department of Shipping, and it took up an even larger area, making it look very imposing.
The fifth steward of the Li Family Zhuangzi, Li Feng, ate with the students and the Winged Knights. Tan Shui and Ah Mei, who had just returned home, were also there.
In addition, the leader of the local aborigines was also there. Their lives were better now, and they had more food and money.
Everyone in the stronghold had entered the Tang dynasty. Li Feng made the decision to exempt them from rent for three years, and then there were two years of half price.
The three years of free rent and the two years of half price were Li Yi's policies to attract investors.
Now, Li Feng was helping the local people to build roads, water supply, and drainage, as well as leveling the ground of the settlement.
The roads were already paved, and funds were being invested in water supply and drainage. The aborigines contributed to the work, and they were paid for it.
There were no water pipes or sewers. They just drew the spring water from the mountain and then discharged it.
They didn't discharge it when they went to the toilet, so they left it as compost. They mixed it with leaves and grass, fermented it, and then transported it down the mountain to exchange for soybean oil and rapeseed oil.
The children were studying in the school at the foot of the mountain, and the adults also had classes to learn simple Tang dynasty words and speak the Tang dynasty's Mandarin.
The entire Guangzhou Prefecture and its surrounding areas were governed by the people from the Li Family's farmstead.
In the past, it was chaotic, and the lives of the people were not good. Villages fought against villages, big surnames fought against big surnames, aborigines fought against other aborigines, and aborigines fought against other aborigines.
Now, they stopped fighting and worked to earn money. If they had the time to fight, they could have earned dozens of taels.
Were they not worried when they saw other people building new houses?
The Winged Knights had performed a few armed exercises, and they were in charge of teaching the local people.
Ever since the Yan family was dealt with, all the other families behaved themselves.
"In less than a month, the two main roads connecting Lu Zhou and the other provinces to this place will be paved. Lu Zhou can build a dock to trade goods. Send people quickly. There are trades happening now, but I don't care."
Qin Shui was talking about her family. She was too powerful. Even Huang An's Huang family did not dare to provoke her. They had to follow her whims.
The only person who could keep the Tan family in check was the Li Family Zhuangzi. Li Feng was not afraid at all.
How many people do you have in Lu Zhou? Do you dare to rebel? Do you believe that my family's Dongzhu can destroy you all on his own?
"Spend the money on the people. Don't always pursue luxury," Li Feng said to Qin Shui.
He was worried that if the Tan family had too much money, they would only seek pleasure and exploit the others.
The Tan family acted in the name of the imperial court. If they exploited the people too harshly, the people would think that the imperial court treated them badly.
"You should eat good food, wear good clothes, and live well. Don't spend a lot of gold and jewels. You should focus on comfort.
My family doesn't want to be a local tyrant. I'm afraid of being beaten up. My family is now like the Li Family Zhuangzi.
We'll provide food 24 hours a day. Oh, we'll provide food 24 hours a day.
We'll give preferential treatment to craftsmen, build schools, increase employment, hire doctors, collect medicinal herbs, and provide free medical treatment to the people. "
Qin Shui explained. She was learning from the Li Family Zhuangzi. They had coal, mines, money, and manpower.
A few years ago, the strongholds that were slightly more powerful all listened to her family now.
Under such circumstances, the imperial court should reward her father and give him a high official's salary and honor.
However, Li Yi did not agree. They were all his people. Why should he give them extra titles? When the time came, who would have the final say in the administration?
They were going to reform and return to the mainstream, but the imperial court wanted to give them another title. Were they trying to cause trouble?
The Tan family was also unwilling to give them titles. They wanted to nurture their children to take the imperial examination and become real officials of the Tang dynasty.
If they were given titles because they were powerful, the imperial court would be uneasy and vigilant.
If they were rewarded because the people supported them, the imperial court would be at ease.
Those who respected themselves with martial arts would talk with martial arts. Those who were willing to submit to the people would act with virtue.
Today, the imperial court could not deal with them because they had too many people. They would give them benefits to appease them, but the imperial court would definitely remember them.
They would tell the imperial court that they were obedient and would not do anything. The imperial court would treat them as normal people.
Qin Shui studied hard and finally learned some knowledge. She was very obedient in front of the Li Family Zhuangzi. 'Look, we're the people of the Tang dynasty. We support the imperial court.'
However, it was a different story when she faced Huang An.
'You're just a local official. You'd better be careful. If you dare to be corrupt, you can think about the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Tan family's stronghold.'
Naturally, Provincial Governor Lu Zhou was at the forefront. He was the one under pressure.
Wasn't Provincial Governor Lu Zhou captured in the past? He lied to the Tan family and the other strongholds.
He forced the people of the Tan family who did not want to rebel to go to Chang 'an and meet Li Yi there.
Now, the Tan family's stronghold was talking to Li Yi directly. If there was a problem, they would not do anything. Instead, they would look for Li Yi and let the imperial court deal with them.
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