In the bustling city, Zhongli used charcoal to burn a tortoise for divination. Li Chuyun looked at it for a long time, but he didn't understand what it meant, so he asked him. Zhongli said seriously: Why does water flow to the lower place, why does the sun and the moon rotate, there is something that is everywhere in the universe, like fate. From the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the earth, to the cracks on the tortoise shell and the fortune of people, they are all related in the dark.
Li Chuyun stroked his beard, totally confused, and said: It is impossible to tell whether something is true or false when it is mysterious.
Zhong Li said: That’s right, and no one can tell whether it is fake.
Li Chuyun was stunned and couldn't argue with him, but he had a feeling that this old man might not be reliable.
However, after divination, Zhongli accepted Li Chuyun's invitation.
Now that things have come to this, Li Chuyun has come in person. Since Zhong Li has agreed, Li Chuyun is ready to talk to him as usual.
The two of them rode out of the East Market together and came to a place of decadence and extravagance on the bank of the Bian River: Zuihonglou.
This place was also a prosperous place. When the group entered the building, a brothel owner asked Li Chuyun if he had a wife. Li Chuyun said he didn't and asked the brothel owner to arrange a boat and prepare a small table of wine and food.
At this time, Li Chuyun asked casually: I heard that a military officer caused trouble here a while ago, and it was very noisy.
The brothel owner looked at Li Chuyun's burly figure with a wary look and said: Yes, he was later captured by soldiers from Kaifeng Prefecture.
Li Chuyun asked again: How to deal with it
The brothel owner said: "I have inquired about it. The general was first imprisoned in Kaifeng Prefecture, and then taken away by the imperial guards. He was fined one month's military pay. The brothel owner pondered for a moment and then specifically reminded him, but the general was stabbed in the thigh and bled a lot. Because he was arrested, it would be in vain to stab him."
Li Chuyun looked at the brothel owner with a smile and said: Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble.
The two men came to the backyard and boarded a boat. The cloth-clothed guards then strolled in the corridor of the yard, looking at the surrounding scenery.
There was nothing special about this place. Putting a boat in the yard was just a pretense of elegance. But after Li Chuyun noticed this place, he discovered its advantages.
There was no other place for fun, only the sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras in the backyard, which was a perfect place to find peace in the midst of noise. The water was very shallow, and each boat was alone. No matter in the water or outside, there were no walls to hear. As long as you didn't speak too loudly in the cabin, no one would hear you. It was much more casual than having a secret meeting in a secret room.
In the narrow and elegant cabin, the two sat opposite each other. Li Chuyun poured wine and drank a glass with Zhongli, saying with a smile: "Sir, if you are in a good mood, please ask a girl to accompany you."
Zhong Li said helplessly: I am afraid that my heart is willing but my strength is not enough.
The two looked at each other and laughed so hard that their shoulders shook.
Zhong Li said calmly: "Young people are better.
Oh Li Chuyun looked at him.
Zhong Li said: What does a gentleman want most when he is less than 30 years old
When asked, Li Chuyun was lured into reminiscences. Thinking of his youth, he murmured: Power, status, wealth and honor are all possessed by the emperor today.
Zhong Li shook his head: To prove what I can do.
Li Chuyun seemed to be thinking about something after hearing this.
Zhong Li said: "You and I talked about retiring to the seclusion before. Lord Li, do you know the shortcut to Mount Zhongnan? I used to live in seclusion, but my heart was not hidden. It was really suspected of seeking fame and reputation. It is really different from living in seclusion in the city now. Even someone like me wanted to show my talents when I was young, let alone the emperor who has the world in his heart.
After listening to this, Li Chuyun bowed and said: "Sir, you are speaking from the heart."
Zhong Li smiled and said: Lord Li specially invited me to this wonderful place, so it would be pointless to continue to play tricks. Lord Li, what is bothering you
Li Chuyun stroked his beard and pondered for a long time before saying: During the Han and Tang dynasties, when the world was unified, the country could rest and recuperate. Even if Your Majesty is determined to expand the territory and show off your power, the ministers in the court will certainly not agree; Your Majesty will also have doubts.
Zhong Li kept nodding but didn't say anything. So the two of them picked up their chopsticks to eat the food and drink, and fell silent. From outside came the sound of a young girl playing the guitar and singing.
I am an old man who can sit down and drink and eat meat, which is better than many people, many of whom cannot even get enough to eat. Zhong Li suddenly sighed.
Li Chuyun also sighed.
Zhongli asked again: Why is there famine in the world
Li Chuyun said: It is difficult to escape from natural disasters.
Zhong Li shook his head and said: "No, natural disasters are just appearances, just like water flowing down is also appearances. With natural disasters, droughts, floods, wars and chaos, the population can be reduced. Only when there are more land and fewer people can there be peace and prosperity. The cause of famine is that there are too many people.
Li Chuyun said: "Ah, gentlemen in government always regard the number of households as the foundation of the country. Your statement is contrary to common sense."
However, Li Chuyun suddenly thought of the traffic jam in the East Market. There were too many people and the space was too narrow, which was really not very comfortable.
Zhong Li said: The more people there are, the more taxes there are, and the stronger the country is. But for the people to survive, when there are more people, the land will be annexed, and the land will be less. I heard that in the time of Yao, Shun and Yu, wild beasts roamed around, trees were dense, men hunted and women gathered. If it is today, with wild beasts and fruits everywhere and a sparse population, with strong bows and crossbows, will there still be famine
Li Chuyun did not refute. First, he felt that he was no match for Zhongli in his sophistry. Second, he had already vaguely guessed Zhongli's opinion, which was consistent with the views of Li Chuyun and other warriors. Why should he refute
Zhong Li continued: The Zhou emperor ruled the country for 800 years. After that, at the end of each dynasty, there were natural disasters, people died of hunger and cold, bandits rose up everywhere, domestic disasters arose, and people fought for supremacy in the Central Plains. The winners became kings and the losers became bandits. The survivors lived and the losers died. There were fewer people. When Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty founded the country, there were only a few people left in the country. After the war at the end of the Han Dynasty, nine out of ten houses were empty. Before this, if there were fertile lands outside, the famine-stricken people would migrate to seek food. If the people were not hungry, they would not return.
Li Chuyun said: It seems reasonable, but a little far-fetched. Emperor Yang of Sui lost the world because of his excessive military expansion. He wanted to expand the territory and spend money on the national treasury, but now the national treasury is empty.
Zhong Li said: If you don't have money to support the army, why don't you go to Fusang to mine silver? If you don't have food, why don't you go to Jiaozhi to transport food
Li Chuyun was stunned: Fusang State-owned Bank
Zhong Li said: Of course, there is gold. I heard that the Japanese from the East China Sea use yellow and white things for trading. Fusang State has gold and silver mines. In Jiaozhi Champa, rice is harvested five times a year. There is no shortage of food in the malaria-ridden south.
Li Chuyun said: The mountains are high and the road is long.
Zhongli said: Lord Li's intention is to persuade Your Majesty to strengthen the army and expand the territory. If you think the sea is vast and the road is long, the army is still not strong enough.
Li Chuyun felt that Zhongli was going too far, but the fact that Fusang State had gold and silver was indeed a good thing to say. The Jiaolong Army only had a few ships, but its sea-going fleet was the same as that of the Tiger Guards and Cranes, which had tens of thousands of elite soldiers. If the emperor wanted to form a sea army, why would he raise them if there was no profit
The most important thing is that the money dug out from the mine can be used as money, and the benefits are very direct.
Li Chuyun looked at Zhongli and said: If you don't mind, you can come to the Duke's Mansion often and be his guest, so that we can meet each other.
Li Chuyun discussed with Zhongli and wrote a memorial entitled On Famine. He elaborated on Zhongli's arguments about the shortage of land, the large population and famine. He also boasted that he would build an empire, take horses from the grasslands, take grain from Jiaozhi and take gold and silver from the East China Sea, and make the world rich. The term "empire for all generations" was a reference to Guo Shao's previous remarks in Jiangning Prefecture. Li Chuyun first boasted on behalf of the emperor. At that time, Guo Shao was fooling the scholars in Jiangnan Prefecture and planted an empire tree.
Of course, all these beautiful dreams require maintaining the number and power of the warriors, and they also have to be given a large amount of money and food. This is what Li Chuyun and other warriors really think.
Li Chuyun's memorial was immediately ridiculed by the civil officials in the court. The theory of famine in the memorial was laughed at as being uneducated and fanciful.
But what people didn't expect was that this strange talk actually touched Guo Shao's heart.
Guo Shao read the memorial several times, and his blood boiled, and he had an urge to try. For several days, he couldn't calm down.
There is a hunch that he is a very special person in this time and space, as if he has a destiny. The question is how to prove that he can turn the world around. This memorial made Guo Shao happy as if he had found a theoretical basis.
However, Guo Shao was still calm. The complicated and chaotic reality was in front of him. It was too difficult to implement it, at least he couldn't rush for success. After thinking it over, it was most important to secure the throne, otherwise he would not be able to survive.
He has made a lot of changes to the imperial guards over the years, and the military system has also been changed. His purpose is just like the name of Fu Yanqing's grandson. If the military is not disciplined, the Jiangshan Liushui Banquet of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms is a living example.
Can the current military system be used
Guo Shao wanted to start another war to test it out first, but the wealth accumulated in the national treasury was consumed quickly in the previous wars, and the Jiaolong Army was not yet formed, so they could not go out to sea to rob; in order to maintain the current normal revenue and expenditure of the Ministry of Revenue, the scale of the war could not be too large, otherwise the finances would collapse and they would face urgent emergencies.
Li Chuyun's joke memorial was not refuted by the emperor.
The ministers seemed to have sensed something. Wang Pu reported that if they wanted to raise an army, they should first deal with Xiazhou. He believed that the Dangxiang in Xiazhou were the biggest hidden danger besides the Liao Kingdom.
The six dukes all agreed. They didn't care where the court fought, as long as there was a war to fight.
The Yangde Hall was once again filled with maps, and Guo Shao would sit in front of a pile of maps and ponder whenever he had free time. This time, the map in the middle was not of Youzhou, but of Xiazhou and other states.
It's not just one piece of land, this kind of thing will affect the whole body. If Xiazhou Dangxiang is attacked, I'm afraid they will immediately form a secret alliance with the Liao Kingdom. Guo Shao looked at Goryeo again. Goryeo sent envoys last time, wanting to unite to take the old land of Bohai. Goryeo and Fusang are closest by sea, so he can rob money from Fusang.
Guo Shao did not dare to act rashly. He first did a small thing. He sent someone to convey the order to Wang Pu, and the Military Department sent more spies to the East China Sea to promote the Wakoku branch to one of the important branches of the Military Department.