After Li Shimin returned to the palace, Empress Zhangsun naturally returned with him. After the morning court, Meton did not leave. Instead, he met up with Changle and went to the Legislative Hall to visit Empress Zhangsun.
"Mother!" When Princess Changle saw Empress Zhangsun, she immediately threw herself into Empress Zhangsun's arms as if she was a child.
Empress Zhangsun patted Princess Changle, who was acting like a little girl, and comforted her, "You're already a married woman. Why are you still acting like a child?"
"No matter how old I am, I'm still a child in front of Mother." Princess Changle acted like a spoiled child in her mother's arms. Even though Princess Changle was married, she could still go in and out of the palace frequently and meet with Empress Zhangsun. They had probably never been separated for such a long time.
Although Empress Zhangsun scolded, she couldn't help but reveal a happy smile on her face.
"Mother, as expected, your complexion has improved greatly recently. It seems that Mount Jiuhua is indeed beneficial to mother's health." Princess Changle carefully examined Empress Zhangsun's pulse and could not help but remark in amazement.
"Indeed! The scenery of Mount Jiuhua is pleasant and beautiful. Coupled with the picturesque scenery, it's the best place to recuperate. Although Mother has only been there for two months, I feel relaxed and happy, "Empress Zhangsun said with a happy face.
Empress Zhangsun had been in the palace for a long time. Although the scenery in the palace was exquisite, she would still be bored after looking at it a hundred times. Now that she suddenly came to a picturesque place, her mood was naturally different. Correspondingly, her spirit was refreshed and her body recovered well. In addition, the brick road was extremely smooth and there was no fatigue from traveling. Going out to play was much more comfortable than before.
Princess Changle nodded with deep understanding. When she was on her honeymoon, she saw the great rivers and mountains of the Tang dynasty for the first time. She was like a bird that had just escaped from a cage. She was in a very good mood.
The mother and daughter chatted on the side, describing the scenery along the way. Meton accompanied them at the side, adding a few words from time to time. It was a happy and harmonious atmosphere.
However, this harmonious scene did not last long. Very soon, Li Shimin's figure appeared in the Legislative Hall. When he saw Princess Changle, he was full of smiles. When he saw Meton, he snorted. When Li Chengqian reformed the relay station, Meton had put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. How could this be hidden from him?
"Imperial Father!" Princess Changle shouted in a tender voice, helping Meton out of his predicament.
Only then did Li Shimin smile. After chatting with Princess Changle and Empress Zhangsun for a while, he stood up and said: "You can talk first. We have something to discuss with Meton."
Meton quickly stood up and followed Li Shimin out of the Legislative Hall.
Princess Changle watched Meton follow Li Shimin and could not help but reveal a worried expression.
"A grown girl cannot be kept at home!" Empress Zhangsun looked at Princess Changle's expression and could not help but say in her heart.
"Don't worry. This is how the father and son-in-law communicate. Besides, with Imperial Mother here, what can your Imperial Father do to Meton?" Empress Zhangsun comforted.
Princess Changle could not help but smile bitterly. There was probably no father and son-in-law in the world who could get along like this.
"Meton, do you know your crime?" Li Shimin coldly shouted the moment they left the Legislative Hall.
"The Minister knows his crime." Meton honestly admitted his crime.
Li Shimin looked at Mo Dun, who was like a piece of meat on a hot knife, and was immediately enraged. He could not help but shout coldly, "Crown Prince has just assumed the post of regent, and is eager to render meritorious service. I can understand! But you? Before We left, We had already reminded you to be more obedient. You actually joined forces with the Crown Prince to reform the relay station. "
Modun had long known that this would happen. He had already prepared an excuse. He immediately said in a clear voice,
"Your Majesty, I am innocent! The Minister advised His Highness the Crown Prince to reform the relay station because he could not bear to see the relay station, which was originally beneficial to the country and the people, not only be a pearl covered in dust, but also suffer losses year after year and become a burden to the court. It is truly a reckless waste of natural resources! "
"A pearl covered in dust, a reckless waste of natural resources! If you don't say it out loud today, don't think you can get away with it. " Li Shimin was not at all moved by Meton's boasting. This was a common trick used by the court officials. If Li Shimin made a fuss every time, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he would be shocked ten times a day.
Meton took a deep breath and said: "In the Minister's view, the relay station, which was originally beneficial to the country and the people, has become a bottomless pit for the court. The relay station, which was originally able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Six Ministries, now belongs to the Ministry of War and is only a fifth-rank official. The relay station is the most underestimated yamen in the Tang dynasty."
"Beneficial to the country and the people! Enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Six Ministries! " Li Shimin frowned and looked at Meton. He did not expect Meton to think so highly of the relay station. He did not know if it was an alarmist talk or if it was really important.
"Yes, the court invests a huge amount of money and food into the relay station every year, but the results are few and far between. It is almost idle most of the time. The relay station not only benefits the people of the world, but also saves the court a lot of expenses every year. Isn't this beneficial to the country and the people?" Meton said with his head held high.
Li Shimin said coldly: "No matter how I look at it, your House of Mo has benefited the most from this. As far as I know, the Mo Journal has already published to the whole world through the relay station, and the benefits are several times greater. Do you dare to say that you have no selfish motives? "
Meton immediately felt wronged and said: "Your Majesty, you have wronged the Minister. The Mo Journal has indeed benefited a lot from the relay station, but the Confucian Journal is not the same. Moreover, the Minister has exposed the Mo Family's express delivery plan for His Highness the Crown Prince, which is a heavy loss!"
"Express delivery plan?" Li Shimin could not help but frown.
Meton briefly explained the express delivery model in the future, and finally said regretfully: "The Minister originally planned to use the express delivery plan to sell the goods of the Mo Family Village to the world after the brick roads were built, so that the people of the world could enjoy the benefits of the Mo Family Village, and no longer be hoarded by merchants."
When Li Shimin heard Meton's huge express delivery plan, he could not help but click his tongue. The Mo Family Village produced a lot of four-wheeled carriages. If the brick roads were unblocked, this express delivery plan would be very feasible.
"So you split the express delivery plan, gave the communication business to the relay station, and hid the logistics business, which is the most profitable business." Li Shimin questioned.
Meton could not help but smile bitterly: "Your Majesty, the most important task of the relay station now is to turn the losses into profits. A letter is only a centimeter, thin and light, and convenient to transport. With the existing facilities of the relay station, it can be easily achieved with only a little investment. But the logistics business is different. It is big and heavy, and requires a lot of carriages and warehouses. Firstly, the brick roads in the Tang dynasty have not been built, and the transportation is inconvenient. Secondly, the logistics investment is huge, and it is impossible to make a profit in a short time.
Meton did not continue. Li Shimin naturally understood that Li Chengqian wanted to achieve something in two months. It was already commendable that the relay station could break even now.
In fact, Meton did not say something. The "relay station" express delivery in the future was criticized. Not only was it slow, but it was also often lost. Letters were different. Not only was it convenient to transport, but it did not bring any benefits to other people except for the recipient. Naturally, not many people would take the risk to steal letters. At most, they would steal a stamp.
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