As the snow covered the entire northern part of the Tang Dynasty, the seventh year of the Tang Dynasty had come to an end, and the Spring Festival was coming.
The Lantern Festival (Spring Festival) holiday in the Tang Dynasty was similar to that in modern times, lasting seven days.
According to tradition, the imperial court would hold a court meeting at the end of the year to summarize the gains and losses of the year.
Outside the Taiji Palace.
All the ministers lined up and walked into the Taiji Palace along the freshly cleared snow path. However, when they entered the Taiji Palace, they couldn't help but be attracted by a touch of green.
Outside the Taiji Palace, the two potted plants that had been destroyed by Meton had long disappeared and were replaced by a small potted plant. In the potted plant covered in snow, a few green leaves stubbornly stuck out. This was the auspicious thing that Meton had offered, the spinach.
In a withered world, suddenly there was a vegetable that could survive in the snow. It was very rare and precious. It could be imagined that when this spinach bloomed and bore seeds in spring, the Tang Dynasty would have no shortage of vegetables to eat in the winter in the future.
"Gulp!" The sound of saliva swallowing came from the ministers.
Cheng Yaojin, who was in the line of generals, saw the green spinach and involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He was lucky to have tasted spinach before. Eating it in winter was a rare and precious delicacy.
"Mo Jiazi is so lucky!"
Many ministers couldn't help but envy.
The spinach in front of them not only represented that the Tang Dynasty had vegetables to eat in winter, but also proved that the introduction of seeds from other countries was the correct way.
Although the Central Plains Dynasty had always called itself the Celestial Empire and regarded other countries as barren lands, this spinach proved to everyone that although the foreign countries were backward, they were not without benefits. If the seeds and herbs mentioned by Meton were introduced into the Tang Dynasty, it would certainly benefit the Tang Dynasty.
At the back of the group of civil officials, Feng Zhidai looked at the spinach in front of him and couldn't help but glance at Meton's figure at the very back. His heart was filled with hatred. Meton had put a big hat on him as a ransom, while the real benefits had all been taken by the Mo family. In his view, this was an act of monopolizing all the benefits.
Everyone filed into Taiji Palace. Immediately, a wave of warmth washed over them. The entire Taiji Palace had already been turned on, and the palace was as warm as spring.
The cold wind outside the hall was biting cold, while the inside of the hall was as warm as spring, forming an extremely sharp contrast. Many elderly ministers could not help but reveal a satisfied expression. They were already old and could not stand the cold the most. The heating system invented by Meton was really to their liking.
However, the important ministers in the front row were naturally extremely warm. Waves of cold wind blew in through the cracks of the door from time to time. At the very back of the civil officials, Feng Zhidai was shivering from the waves of cold wind.
However, in the row of generals, Meton was extremely comfortable. He stood proudly next to an extra heater that he had abused his power to add. Although the cold wind blew in, he did not feel cold at all.
Meton secretly praised himself for his foresight. Otherwise, it would have been too much of a loss if he still had to suffer from the cold after installing the heater.
On the side, Li Junxian gave Meton a thumbs up with admiration and moved his body widely to share this warmth with him.
Accompanied by Pande's sharp voice, Li Shimin's figure appeared in front of the dragon throne. "The Emperor has arrived!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The ministers bowed.
"Everyone, rise!" Li Shimin said with a smile.
The court assembly officially began. Fang Xuanling, on behalf of the officials, began the annual ceremony to show off their achievements. "Your Majesty, the Tang dynasty has reclaimed twice as much wasteland this year as last year …" Fang Xuanling took out his reading glasses and said excitedly while looking at his table.
Although the entire Guanlong region was now forbidden to reclaim wasteland, with the appearance of the curved plough, the entire Tang dynasty's wasteland reclamation immediately increased greatly. At this time, land represented wealth, and the increase in land meant that the taxes in the coming year would increase.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom, the Tang dynasty has overcome the drought, the locust plague, and the flood this year …" Fang Xuanling's voice was excited. There were too many things worth showing off in the Tang dynasty this year!
Li Shimin was very happy. This year could be said to be the most comfortable year he had ever had. The three major natural disasters could be said to be the biggest problem of all dynasties, but they were all miraculously solved in the seventh year of Zhenguan. It could be said without hesitation that the seventh year of Zhenguan was destined to be recorded in the annals of history.
He involuntarily looked at Meton in the corner in front of the door of Taiji Palace. All these achievements began when Mo Jiazi, like a reckless catfish, broke into the deep water dragon pool of Chang 'an.
He sent Meton to the Imperial College to test the catfish effect, and Meton did not let him down. He was satisfied with the result.
However, with his support, the Mo family developed rapidly in Chang 'an and broke out amazing power in the stagnant Tang dynasty. Was this not a kind of catfish effect?
After Fang Xuanling finished his report, the Minister of Works, Duan Lun, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, all the brick roads from Chang 'an to Luoyang have been built."
"Really?" Li Shimin was pleasantly surprised.
Duan Lun nodded solemnly. Although the brick road was Morton's idea, it was still built by him. In order to win Li Shimin's favor, the Ministry of Works worked overtime to complete both ends of the road. Finally, it was completed before the New Year. The brick roads from Chang 'an to Luoyang were built.
"At present, the Ministry of Works has done a traffic test. From Chang 'an to Luoyang, horses can be changed at the post station every hundred miles. A fully loaded wagon can reach Luoyang in a day and a night," Duan Lun said excitedly.
"A day and a night!" In Taiji Palace, the officials were shocked.
Reaching Luoyang from Chang 'an in a day was a speed that no one dared to imagine before, but now it had been realized.
More importantly, even in the heavy snow, the brick roads were still unimpeded. Such a brick road was too important to the Tang dynasty.
"What about the brick road to Longyou?" Li Shimin took a deep breath and asked. This brick road was the logistics road for the campaign in Tuyuhun at the beginning of the year. It was the most important.
"Your Majesty! The brick road to Longyou has been built for three hundred miles to Chencang. After the end of the year, the speed will be increased and it will be completed by April next year. It won't delay Your Majesty's important matters, "Duan Lun reported.
Chencang, also known as Baoji in the future, was more than three hundred miles away from Chang 'an. So far, the Ministry of Works had built 1,100 miles of brick roads. After the end of the year, the weather would gradually warm up, so the speed of road construction would naturally increase. Previously, the Ministry of Works had been focused on the brick road from Chang' an to Luoyang. After the end of the year, the rest of the brick road would be paved. Duan Lun was still very confident.
Li Shimin waved his hand, and Pande immediately presented a map of the Tang dynasty's territory. Li Shimin looked at the location of Chencang and nodded in satisfaction. "The brick road in Longyou will temporarily be built to Lanzhou. After the war in Tuyuhun ends, the Ministry of Works will immediately continue to pave brick roads, west to Yumen Pass, east to …"
Li Shimin paused, picked up a red brush, and drew a line on the map. He said proudly, "East to the sea!"
"Sea?" Duan Lun was so shocked that he could not speak coherently. He stared at the long red line on the map that Li Shimin had drawn from east to west with a red brush.
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