Struggle in the early Tang Dynasty

The implication is that Guo Ye wants to control both military and political power in Yangzhou.

His Majesty Li Er pondered for a while, but did not refuse, just to make up for the great achievements he had made to Guo Ye, and said: "Okay, I promise you this matter."

Guo Ye was overjoyed when he heard the words, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

His Majesty Li Er snorted, and said to himself again: "A few days ago there was news from Tubo that Songtsan Gampo came in to indulge in female sex, and the friction between Tubo and other vassals continued. Now that you are serving as the governor of Yangzhou this time, I forgive them for not having time to pay attention to it. So, when will you go to Yangzhou as a good time?"

"Wait, Your Majesty, I still have a request!"

Guo Ye suddenly interrupted and shouted: "Your Majesty, I want to ask you one more thing!"

His Majesty Li Er was stunned, and couldn't help but wonder: "The military and political power of Yangzhou is in your hands, what else do you want?"

Guo Ye smiled awkwardly and said: "Your Majesty, there is a saying among the people that the world's salt tax comes from Yangzhou. Although it is biased, at least half of my Datang's salt tax comes from Yangzhou. If I remember correctly In other words, the post of Yangzhou Salt Transport Envoy seems to be directly under the orders of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and is not subject to the restraint of Yangzhou Governor. Therefore, I thought, since the emperor puts both military and political power in Yangzhou in the hands of the ministers, it is better to give the post of Salt Transport Envoy How about letting the ministers make appointments? The military, government, and financial powers are all in the hands of the ministers, and the ministers must do well in Yangzhou and will never embarrass the emperor."

"what???"

His Majesty Li Er was shocked immediately, he was wary and dissatisfied and shouted: "You even want to get your hands on the salt tax? Guo Ye, what are you going to do?"

Guo Ye said: "Your Majesty, I have learned from you that I don't have the slightest intention of doing anything wrong. It's just that if you can also hold the power of salt tax, at least you will be handy, and you won't be hindered by others."

"Cough cough..."

Yu Shinan coughed twice, and reminded softly: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, the salt tax in Yangzhou has always been tricky. I heard that the salt tax in Yangzhou is at least 600 million taels a year, but the escort arrives at the end of the year. Chang’an’s household department only has 100 million taels left. It’s just that this matter has been kept under wraps, and someone in the court helped to cheat, so the emperor has never heard of it.”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Kong Yingda also reminded, "According to the investigation of the veteran's official duties in the Ministry of Officials, although the position of the Yangzhou Salt Transport Envoy is changed every three years as usual. But from the first year of the Supreme Emperor's Wude , until now, it has been changing the soup but not the medicine. The salt transport envoys are constantly changing, and they will change when they expire, but they are always surnamed Zhang. The emperor, a few million taels a year, ten years. How much is 20 years?"

Bang~! ! !

His Majesty Li Er jumped up against the case and cursed three times: "Shuo Shu, Shuo Shu, the Shuo Shu of the country!"

After Yu Shinan and Kong Yingda said so, he had already guessed the problem. The fact that his surname was always Zhang was nothing more than that people from the Zhang family in Yangzhou were manipulating the Yangzhou salt tax.

As for the cheating in the court that Yu Shinan just mentioned, it must be Sun Wuji, the representative of the Guanlong family in the court, and others.

They evaded and peeled millions of taels a year in the salt tax alone. These bastards are simply the rats of the country, the moths of the country!

In anger, he yelled at Guo Ye: "Okay, I will make a decree that the Yangzhou salt tax will also be controlled by the Yangzhou Governor's Office. Guo Ye, you must make some achievements in Yangzhou for me, and I will not be in vain. Such trust and cultivation in you."

The three powers of military, government, and finance in Yangzhou are all in the hands of Guo Ye. This is really the only one since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Guo Ye was secretly delighted, and naturally he promised in every possible way and patted his chest on his chest.

His Majesty Li Er then reminded Yu Shinan and Kong Yingda: "Okay, today's matter is limited to the few people present, and it is not allowed to spread. As for the tomorrow morning, regarding Guo Ye's appointment as the governor of Yangzhou and the matter of restraining Yangzhou's salt tax, Yu Aiqing, Kong Shangshu, how should I put it, you should know it in your heart, right?"

Yu and Kong clasped their hands together, and replied in unison: "I understand, I will definitely cooperate with the emperor to make this happen."

Guo Ye did not forget to whisper in Yu Shinan's ear: "Old man Yu, don't forget to tell Wei Zheng about getting water in advance tomorrow morning, so that they can support you two and return our favor first."

After saying this, Guo Yechang breathed a sigh of relief, as if all of this was in his own calculations, and it was roughly complete.

Chapter 731 Sitting with the Empress in Changchun Garden

After bidding farewell to His Majesty Li Er, Guo Ye walked side by side with Yu Shinan and Kong Yingda, chatting and laughing happily along the way and leaving the palace in the direction of the palace gate.

Near the gate of the palace, a little Huangmen suddenly caught up with him and called out to Guo Ye.

The three of them stopped and stood, and Xiao Huangmen panted heavily and said: "Young Lord of Yizhou, stay here, the empress is here to invite you."

Guo Ye was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly remembered the loud panting of Empress Changsun during the family banquet.

Immediately, he bid farewell to Yu and Kong, made an appointment to see each other in the next day, and then followed the little yellow gate and turned back.

Arriving at a fork in the road, Guo Ye was about to walk towards the Ganlu Hall, but was blocked by the little yellow gate, reminding him: "Yizhou Marquis, the empress does not summon you in the Ganlu Hall, she is currently in the Changchun Garden Have fun."

Guo Ye let out a cry, let Xiao Huangmen lead the way, and turned to Changchun Garden.

On the way, he murmured to himself, how could the Empress think of summoning him in Changchun Garden?

As far as he knew, Changchun Garden was a place where she and His Majesty Li Er usually played with their children and had family fun together.

Empress Changsun decided to summon her at that place temporarily, did she have other intentions?

Suppressing the doubts in his heart, he kept silent and did not ask Xiaohuangmen along the way, and followed into Changchun Garden.

Changchun Garden, as the name suggests, is a garden for you to enjoy when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming.

However, the climate has now turned to autumn, and the spring scene in Changchun Garden has long since disappeared. Dead trees and branches, autumn wind and fallen leaves can be found everywhere.

Xiao Huangmen brought Guo Ye to a pond, pointed to a pavilion not far away, and said in a low voice, "Master Hou, the empress is waiting for you there."

Guo Ye looked as far as the eye could see, but the Empress Changsun, who was wearing a beige palace dress, was sitting dignifiedly and virtuously in the pavilion, as if fiddling with something on the small stone table in the pavilion.

He hummed lightly, waved his hand to signal the little yellow gate to retreat, then raised his steps and walked briskly towards the pavilion.

Before entering the pavilion, Empress Changsun was looking forward with beautiful eyes, and happened to see Guo Ye approaching, waved her hand, and called softly: "Yizhou Marquis, please enter the pavilion and have a talk."

Don't pretend to be extravagant and don't take the bridge, it's quite warm and down-to-earth.

Guo Ye walked in graciously, bowed and saluted respectfully and said: "The minister, Guo Ye, has seen the Empress Empress for a thousand years, but I don't know why the Empress summoned my servants?"

"sit!"

Empress Changsun pointed to a small stone pier in front of Guo Ye, and said: "Just now, while the emperor was talking with you, I personally went to the imperial dining room to make some small pastries, and specially asked the Marquis of Yizhou to come and try some of them."

hold head high?

Guo Ye subconsciously looked down at the plates of small pastries on the table, including sponge cakes, lotus seed cakes, kidney bean rolls, and thousand-layer cakes...

There are many patterns, exquisite and small, and it looks delicious.

But there is no love for no reason in this world, let alone the empress who is rich in gold cooks and makes cakes herself. Guo Ye doesn't believe that the empress asked him to come to let him taste her craft.

He sat down patiently puzzled, grabbed a piece of sponge cake and slowly brought it to his mouth, took a bite, and couldn't help but praise: "Sweet and soft, the empress is really a pair of skillful hands, with superb craftsmanship. If you want to catch a man If you want to have a heart, you must grab his stomach first, no wonder the emperor is infatuated with the empress."

"Cuckoo~~"

Empress Changsun covered her mouth and chuckled, apparently amused by Guo Ye's compliment, and said softly: "If you want to grab a man's heart, you must first grab his stomach. This is what Yizhou Hou Neng said , but I really like to hear it. If you like to eat, eat more. I can tell just now that the Marquis of Yizhou probably didn’t eat well during the imperial banquet."

Guo Ye's old face rarely blushed, grandma's, the way he eats in the palace has always been extremely vulgar and ugly, otherwise how could the empress use this as an issue?

However, he just went down the donkey and ate several pieces of cakes before stopping.

Then he took out a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his hands. Suddenly, Empress Changsun on the opposite side exclaimed, and asked, "Yizhou Hou, is it the one that I wrote on it and then sent someone to send it to you?" Fang Jinpa?"

The white silk is like snow, exuding a fragrance. It is the brocade handkerchief sent to Guo Ye by Empress Changsun, but the words on the brocade handkerchief have been washed away to nothing.

"what?"