Don't be a prince

Consistently, nearly a thousand copper coins.Twenty-three thousand coins, that is more than 2000 million copper coins, so many copper coins, even if there are a few eunuchs who can help him, it is difficult to count them quickly!

After waving his hand to signal his grandson Baoqing to leave, Li Chengqian asked Fang Sheng: "What is the annual revenue of our imperial court this year?"

As an old man in the palace, Fang Sheng always knew some gossip.Seeing the prince's question, he replied: "Although I haven't heard the news from the Ministry of Household Affairs this year, it is estimated that it is not much different from last year, more than 100 million."

"More than 100 million pens..."

Looking at the number [-] on the paper, Li Chengqian's head was as big as a bucket.Even if he was killed, he wouldn't believe it. Only with his few investments, he produced one-fiftieth of the national treasury.

One-fiftieth of the treasury!How big are these industries?How big is Datang?

Seeing that the master was confused, Fang Sheng explained: "Your Highness, there are more than 100 million guan, and the commercial tax accounts for the majority. Among them, taxes such as grain are not counted. Our Tang Dynasty collects taxes on commerce at [-] yuan per tax, so Taxes are less."

"I'm afraid it's more than that!"

During this period of time, Li Chengqian also got to know more or less the merchants in Datang.

The simplest kind of businessman is the one who opens a shop.This kind of money is average.Those with a little bit of ambition are all traveling all over the world. To put it bluntly, they are "bad guys" type of businessmen.Compared with settled merchants, they have to earn more.The most desperate are the merchants who leave Datang with their goods, go to the Western Regions or go to the grasslands.Traveling to foreign countries, they earn more.

Although Datang is surrounded by enemies, they seldom attack merchants.Even the most savage prairie people would not attack caravans for no reason.Because only these businessmen can bring the good things from the Central Plains to the grassland.

One generation is a merchant, and the next generation is not allowed to be an official.Although he is not a pariah, but to bear the identity of a businessman is to humiliate his ancestors.

Under such public opinion, the number of businessmen still remains unchanged, why not?

Still making money!

Chapter 69 Chang Sun Chong

Although they cannot wear silk and satin, and their descendants cannot be officials, compared with ordinary people, businessmen are not worried about starvation or cold when there is no war.

The purpose of doing business is to make a profit. Coupled with the low tax rate, it is no wonder that some people are still willing to do business.

But even so, an annual income of 100 million guan is an inappropriate figure for the current Datang.It is very likely that the organization below has tampered with it.Only by thoroughly cleaning up the channels of taxation can those diversion places be blocked.

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian laughed at himself and stopped thinking about this issue.

Regardless of whether the taxation is normal or not, it is also a headache for the bigwigs in the court.As a young prince, he didn't even have the right to make a memorial.Thinking about those old foxes in the court, Li Chengqian didn't think there was room for him to play monkeys there.

"You have nowhere to go during the Chinese New Year, so help Gu calculate the money. Since you have earned so much money this year, I will give you some benefits. Fang Sheng, after counting the money, give it to the Eastern Palace. People change their furniture and winter clothes, which saves people from getting wind and cold all day long."

Fang Sheng nodded, then silently knelt down on the ground, thanking the crown prince for the reward.

After experiencing the Sui and Tang dynasties, they have seen too many experiences of companions who are not as good as pigs and dogs.Now in the East Palace, it is unexpected that the crown prince treats them as human beings.

In fact, there is one thing that Li Chengqian doesn't understand.

The reason why the eunuch with obsessive-compulsive disorder is so dedicated is because he is grateful to him.

But for this kind of gratitude, Li Chengqian would probably just kick him in the face.

On New Year's Eve, the general supervisor sent a new set of clothes to the East Palace.

The prince's robes and clothes are not important, what excites Li Chengqian most is finally being able to change into underwear.

The hard thing to say is that since the Tang Dynasty, he has been wearing a loincloth, which is better when he puts on his clothes, but when he takes them off, he looks like a devil.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to make new clothes, he sent a pattern of underwear to the supervisor.Now I can finally leave the damn loincloth.

After changing into the prince's robe, Li Chengqian went to Miyagi accompanied by Yutai.

In fact, the imperial city needs to be divided into three parts, the imperial city, the palace city and the east palace.The imperial city is where the three provinces and six ministries and other institutions are located, and Miyagi is the official harem area of ​​the emperor.As for the East Palace, there is no need to introduce it.

There is a shortcut between the East Palace and Taiji Palace - Tongxun Gate, not far from the Hongwen Museum.

Hongwenguan was established in the fourth year of Wude, originally called Xiuwenguan.It is under the management of Menxia Province.After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he changed his name to Hongwenguan.Gather more than [-] volumes.Set up a bachelor, who is in charge of correcting books, teaching students, and can participate in government affairs when encountering problems about etiquette;There is one head of the embassy, ​​the general affairs of the consulate; dozens of students.

It seems that Hongwenguan is a very powerful official school, but it is actually a place where honored children are gilded.Students from poor families have no chance to study inside.

For the noble ministers, it is an honor for their children to be able to study in the Hongwen Hall.If it weren't for the special teacher Li Gang, Li Chengqian would probably have to go in to study.

It was New Year's Eve today, and the Hongwen Museum was deserted, except for one or two gate guards chatting together.

After bypassing the Hongwen Museum, the History Museum, and the Taiji Hall, and entering the Liangyi Gate, we finally arrived at the destination—the Lizheng Hall.

The royal annual banquet is held here.

Starting from the Liangyi Gate, there are lights and festoons on both sides of the road, which are very festively arranged.But no matter how Li Chengqian looked at it, he felt that this aisle was mocking the Tai Chi Hall opposite the Liangyi Gate.

"Okay, just send the orphan here, Yu Tai, you can also go home to celebrate the New Year with your family."

Seeing the guards in front of the palace coming to meet him, Li Chengqian drove Yu Tai away.

The royal annual banquet, like Yu Tai, is not even eligible to enter the palace.Among the foreign ministers, only important ministers like Fang Xuanling were allowed to sit.

Yu Tai glanced at Li Chengqian gratefully, and then left in a hurry.

Following the two guards in front of the hall into the Lizheng Hall, Li Chengqian deliberately sized up the two of them along the way.

He was obviously wearing the clothes of the imperial army, but the gestures of these two people gave him a dangerous feeling.The few people he followed when he left the palace were very similar to these two people.You don't need to test it out, you know that these are top masters.

I don't know where Dad got so many masters.

With a hint of doubt, Li Chengqian entered the Lizheng Hall.

Unlike the usual court meetings, the Legislative Hall was filled with desks, and some people had already arrived and taken their seats.Only Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Cheng Yaojin, Yu Chigong and others could recognize him.

Although they are important ministers, they can only be in the position of going out of the hall at this time.

There is no way, there are still many members of the royal family present today, and their identities as foreign ministers can only be wronged here.

Being able to be called by the emperor to attend the annual banquet in the palace is in itself the emperor's favor.

Different from the above few people, Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji are in the front position.Because of the royal relatives and important ministers, their positions are even ahead of some ordinary princes.

As the prince, Li Chengqian naturally wouldn't lean back. Under the greeting of Changsun Wuji, Li Chengqian sat next to him, which was the first table on the left.

After sitting down, Li Chengqian cupped his hands to Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, how is Uncle doing recently?"

Because it was the New Year's greetings from the younger generation, Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji did not return the greeting.

Gao Shilian stroked his beard with a smile and said, "It's okay, I'm happy to see that you have grown a lot taller. Although it is important to practice martial arts, don't let the lessons that old Li Gang teach you!"

Li Chengqian nodded naturally.Today is New Year's Eve, just like future generations, the juniors at this time also have to accept the nagging of the elders.

Changsun Wuji didn't reprimand, but patted a boy on his right hand side, and said to Li Chengqian: "You haven't been to the house before, and later he lived in Orion's house, and you have never seen him. This is Your cousin, Chang Sun Chong."

"It turned out to be my cousin."

He arched his hands at his eldest grandson, and wrote him down by the way.

The eight-year-old eldest Sun Chong is different from ordinary noble sons. Whether it is the small wounds on his face or the calluses on his hands, it shows that his childhood was also miserable.

But no matter whether it is miserable or not, Li Chengqian is not prepared to let him marry his sister Li Lizhi.

Damn it, he called Changsun Chong his cousin, and Li Lizhi had to call him his cousin too.Pure cousin!How can you get married?

Chang Sun Chong returned a salute: "His Royal Highness."

Unlike the smiling Li Chengqian, Chang Sun Chong's face seemed to be paralyzed, without any emotion.

Chapter 70 No need to recognize

Changsun Wuji apologized and said with a smile: "Prince, don't mind. The old man sent him to Orion's house to live in the past two years. He has suffered too much, so he doesn't like to laugh very much."

Although Li Chengqian smiled back, he was still very worried.

Send it to Orion's house to live?

Tsk tsk, the feelings he suffered in the East Palace are not torture at all!

None of the eldest sons can have an easy life.

It happened to be relatively close to Changsun Wuji, Li Chengqian said: "Uncle, I don't know much about the members of the royal family, why don't you introduce them to me?"

Although he became the prince, Li Chengqian didn't have much contact with other royal families, so Changsun Wuji naturally knew this.

Pointing to some women on the front right, Changsun Wuji said: "Those are your aunts, like Princess Changguang and Princess Fangling, but you don't need to understand now, they are all fools."

As the eldest grandson Wuji, directly scolding idiots, it can be seen that these princesses are indeed unpopular.

After comparing the information in his memory, Li Chengqian suddenly understood why Changsun Wuji scolded him so unscrupulously.

Without him, it's just stealing someone's face.

Princess Changguang is the one who married Zhao Cijing and Yang Shidao successively. As for Princess Fangling, it seems to be the one who was later changed to Princess Yongjia.No matter which one, the private life has reached the extreme point of indiscretion, and it has become an important part of the Xiangyan chapter of the secret history of the Tang Dynasty.

More than half of the reason why the royal family in the Tang Dynasty was accused of adultery was corrupted by these princesses.

It's impolite to point at people directly, so Changsun Wuji picked up the jug on the table, let the spout replace his fingers, and pointed at a bearded guy opposite: "That's your uncle, Hejian County King Li Xiaogong. .This one, like your father, is also from the military. Although he doesn't have the same family background as Li Jing, he has mobilized troops to guard the word "steady" in his life, and he hasn't made a big mistake after all."

Listening to Changsun Wuji's introduction, Li Chengqian had an impression of Li Xiaogong.

In other words, this is another general who finally summed up his own strategy for leading troops by relying on some marching experience.

The spout turned, and Changsun Wuji went on to say: "The first two of those who are with King Hejian are Li Shentong and Li Daozong, who are also close relatives like your uncle. However, as long as you come to these few Just pay a visit to the Prince's Mansion of Hejian County."

Relatives belong to relatives, although these are Li Chengqian's uncles, but Li Xiaogong is the only one who is qualified for Li Chengqian to pay a visit in person.

The spout continued to rotate, from the positions of the above positions to the outermost periphery.

Changsun Wuji said seriously: "Chengqian, most of these are the youngest sons of the Supreme Emperor, and the old man didn't recognize them all. As for you, there is no need to recognize them."

Li Chengqian was extremely ashamed.

In a society where status tells everything, these people, although they are nobles, are not even qualified to be in the eyes of the princes of the country.Although they were brothers with the emperor's father, they were born "unable to get along" because of insufficient motherhood and late birth.

Between the table and case, beautiful court ladies began to serve food and wine one after another.

Because the ancients were more "lolicon", although these court ladies are good-looking, they are all in their teens, and some of them are even ordinary.

Accustomed to seeing beauties with S-curves, Li Chengqian was really not interested in these court ladies.

Even if the East Palace wants to recruit maids in the future, he will never do this, it's too much.

There are just one or two adjustments.

Taking a look at Li Chengqian whose eyes were wandering, Changsun Wuji directly guessed what he was thinking.However, he just smiled slightly, not going to point it out.Young people, more or less will have such thoughts.Seven years old is a little early, but it's not a big deal.

For the annual banquet in the palace, the dishes are richer.

Not only mountain delicacies, but even sea fish appeared on the dining table.

When a plate of boiled octopus was served, Li Chengqian burst into tears.

Although hairtail can be eaten boiled, deep-frying can bring out its unique flavor better!Damn the Imperial Dining Room, wouldn't it be a waste of money to do this!

The wine was also on the table. Yongsheng Winery is indeed the most famous winery in Chang'an, and Gao Gaojiu was placed on the table of the palace so quickly.However, high-alcohol wine is only something that Changsun Wuji and others can drink.When it comes to Li Chengqian, it becomes light wine mixed with honey.

It looks like it has been mixed with water, otherwise how could the wink be so light?

At a young age, he has no right to speak, and the helpless Li Chengqian can only bear it silently.

A hand prodded his right arm.

Li Chengqian turned his head and saw that Chang Sun Chong had changed seats with his father and sat with him.

Obviously, this was intentional by Changsun Wuji, wanting to make their cousins ​​closer.Otherwise, he couldn't sit further forward than his father.

Pulling out a jug of wine as if by magic, Chang Sun Chong raised his eyebrows and showed a smirk.

Looking at the winking Chang Sun Chong, Li Chengqian was sure that he had definitely faked the paralyzed face before.

Who would drink wine mixed with honey when there is decent wine?

Secretly poured the wine in the glass into the plate of boiled hairtail, and let the eldest grandson pour down a glass of decent wine.

Taking a sip, Li Chengqian nodded.

Although he didn't drink often in later generations, he still drank wine.

Compared with the commercial wines of later generations, the wines of the Tang Dynasty have more meaningful aromas.

Putting the jug next to Li Chengqian's case, Changsun Chong said: "This wine is on my father's table. You are the crown prince, so you can't drink other wines, so don't tell it."

Li Chengqian nodded naturally.Needless to say, someone has definitely tasted the things on his table now, and the wine is only served after drinking.Although there is nothing wrong with the royal family being cautious, it is a bit too much to be so cautious!

Before the New Year banquet officially started, Li Chengqian decided to have a relationship with Changsun Chong first.

"Uncle really sent you to Orion's house, how is it? Isn't it very hard?"