The Romance of the West Chamber: The Bells are Ringing

Late at night, a man in black crouched on the main beam of Yanying Hall in the Tang Dynasty Palace in Chang'an, hiding in the darkness without revealing a trace.

Under the beam, a group of palace maids shuttled back and forth, cleaning the palace until the windows were clear and spotless. Occasionally they would talk to each other softly and giggle a few times.

A palace maid who seemed to be the leader stepped through the door. Suddenly, the palace ladies were silent and stood on both sides with their hands lowered.

The leading maid walked back and forth several times, stretched out her hand to wipe it in various ways, and then nodded when she retracted her fingers and saw that there was no dust.

As if they had been granted amnesty, the maids quickly pushed up to the main entrance of the central hall, and followed the leading maid out of the side door. The leading maid stood outside the door. After everyone left the Yanying Hall, she looked into the hall and looked up, down, left and right as usual.

The man in black was on the main beam when he saw the leading palace maid casting her eyes towards the beam, and felt a chill in his heart. He narrowed his eyes, held his breath, and did not dare to move.

The leading maid just looked around mechanically and numbly, without investigating carefully, and then reached out and closed the side door of the main hall.

The Yanying Hall was brightly lit, but it was silent, with the occasional sound of candles crackling.

The man in black, who had been lying there for a long time, felt a little sore and numb. He couldn't help but move his limbs on the beam, thinking in his mind: "I wonder when Li Shi, the dog emperor, will finish the banquet for the imperial examination and the emperor's scholars and come here." Sleeping here?"

After a while, when I was slacking off, I heard a creaking sound from the palace door.

The man in black's expression perked up, and he looked down attentively. He saw several young eunuchs slowly pushing open the palace doors, one on the left and the other on the right. Immediately, about a dozen Qianniu prepared to hold the swordsmen outside the door. The guards and attendants lined up from the side doors on both sides and lined up on both sides behind the door.

The man in black's eyebrows twitched, and he thought in his mind: "So many Suwei servants are here, it seems that the Dog Emperor will be here soon." He reached for the sharp knife in his arms with one hand and clenched his teeth.

I saw an eunuch holding a whisk and waving it in all directions, walking into the Yanying Hall through the side door, taking a few steps, and quickly dusted off the dragon chair and the bookcase.

At this time, I heard the attendants shouting loudly: "The saint has arrived!" The lingering sound echoed, and the heart of the man in black was pounding, thinking: "This dog emperor is so grand!" He looked towards the main entrance of the hall.

I saw a fat man about 60 years old walking in slowly with domineering and exciting steps.

This strong man has a pale and fat complexion, a handsome eyebrow, and a small but dazzling eye. The mustache under the long nose extends to the left and right beyond the cheeks, the lower part of the lip is slightly swollen, and there is a ruffle on the chin. Wearing a bright yellow brocade dragon robe and no crown.

The man in black on the beam was secretly happy, thinking that this strong man was the Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Shi. He had been lying on the beam for half a day, but his efforts were not in vain.

It's just that this hall is densely packed with guards and attendants, all of them are big and round, with angry eyes wide open. They are not angry and are intimidating. With their hands on the hilt of their swords, they can leap up and attack the enemy at any time. Although he had put his life at risk, it was not easy to kill the Dog Emperor in one fell swoop amid this tight siege, and he broke into a cold sweat.

The atmosphere in Yanying Hall, the bedroom, was heavy and tense. Li Shi, Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, sat on the gorgeous throne, frowning, staring at the two eunuchs in front of him with burning eyes - Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming, lieutenants of the Shence Army Guards on the left and right. The lights in the hall were dim, and only the faint moonlight from the window came through, adding a sense of mystery to the dark space.

"Dou Wenchang, Huo Xianming, the threat of Tubo is getting worse day by day. In the middle of last month, Tubo sent its Prime Minister and Dongbi Wudao Jiedu Envoy Lun Mangre to send [-] troops to relieve the siege of Weizhou. The decisive battle in Weizhou is imminent. This decisive battle against Tibet , we, the Tang Dynasty, must win." Li Shi's voice was low, "But the war costs a lot, and the national treasury is already stretched thin. What clever ideas do you have to raise military expenditures without arousing public resentment?"

Dou Wenchang bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty is worried about state affairs and the people's thoughts. How can we not do our best to assist you?"

He said respectfully: "Your Majesty is wise. Fighting against foreign enemies and protecting our rivers and mountains in this battle is really a top priority. As for military expenses, I am willing to make suggestions."

Huo Xianming followed closely and said: "Although the war is serious, the people's livelihood suffering cannot be ignored. Will increasing taxes arouse public resentment?"

He cautiously put forward: "Your Majesty, the people's support is the foundation of the country. If taxes are imposed heavily, the people may not be able to survive."

Li Shi stared deeply at the two of them, feeling turbulent in his heart. He thought in his mind: "How can the safety of the people be the same as the survival of the Tang Dynasty? But if there is no taxation, how can the national treasury support this war?"

He spoke slowly: "You are right. But the current situation is critical and the treasury is empty, so we have to take extraordinary measures. Dou Wenchang, do you have any clever ideas?"

Dou Wenchang looked grim and thought for a moment before saying: "Your Majesty, I think we can set up a 'donation order' to call on wealthy businessmen to donate to fund the war. This can not only reduce the burden on the national treasury, but also demonstrate the support of the people for the imperial court."

Huo Xianming smiled slightly and added: "Your Majesty, in addition to this, we can also temporarily increase commercial taxes to raise military expenditures. Although this may cause dissatisfaction among businessmen, for the sake of national justice, I believe they will understand."

Li Shi was silent, thinking in his heart: "This battle is of great importance. If I don't make sufficient preparations in advance, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win. But it is not what I want to increase the burden on the people." He turned his eyes from one person to another, trying to Look for the answer in their expressions.

Dou Wenchang felt the emperor's hesitation and said again: "Your Majesty, this is an extraordinary strategy. Tubo is powerful. If we don't use this strategy, it may be difficult to deal with it."

Huo Xianming added: "Yes, Your Majesty. At this time, no matter what the cost, it may be difficult to appease the border. Once the border is uneasy, the whole country will be affected."

Seeing that Li Shi was silent, Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming looked at each other and exchanged glances.

Dou Wenchang added: "Your Majesty, I have a plan. Today in the Tang Dynasty, the world is prosperous. People mostly use wooden donkey carts to travel. It is most convenient to travel within ten miles. Therefore, there are many people driving."

When Li Shi heard this, he looked up at Dou Wenchang and said with interest, "Oh? Don't you need a horse?"

Dou Wenchang looked a little confused and had to say: "Well, it's not impossible to do it, it's just that..."

"Your Majesty, breeding horses is not easy, the price is high, the feed is fine, and it costs a lot." Huo Xianming hurriedly came to Dou Wenchang's rescue, "Most people can't afford it."

Li Shi raised his eyebrows and said, "Isn't it true that the Tang Dynasty was prosperous? Why are there still people who can't afford a horse?"

The man in black heard it funny on Liang Shang and almost laughed out loud. He said angrily: "This dog emperor, I wonder if the officials deceived him or is he stupid? In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the people had no enough food to eat, and they still bought horses. ?”

Dou Wenchang coughed lightly and said: "If these people continue to be so unwilling to make progress and are confused all day long, they will naturally not be able to buy horses. However, I believe that under your majesty's wise leadership, the people's lives will surely improve day by day. One day, our country, the Tang Dynasty, will be rich and powerful, and everyone will be able to afford a horse!"

As soon as he put on the high hat, Li Shi felt comfortable and nodded slightly.

Seeing that Li Shi was in a better mood, Dou Wenchang continued: "Wei Chen believes that regulations can be promulgated. The people's donkey carts must comply with the imperial regulations before they can go on the road."

After hearing this, Li Shi leaned forward and said, "Oh? What are the regulations?"

Huo Xianming hurriedly said: "Well, it can be stipulated that the driving speed of ox carts and donkey carts must not exceed 100 miles per hour."

"Well," Li Shi stroked his beard and said, "That's enough!"

Dou Wenchang said: "The weight of the donkey cart must not exceed one thousand kilograms;

"One thousand catties?" Li Shi thought for a while, "Okay."

Huo Xianming racked his brains and said: "The strength of the donkey cart must not exceed four hundred kilograms."

"Yes! Yes!" Dou Wenchang also said quickly, "The donkey cannot eat more than twenty kilograms of fodder!"

Dou Wenchang thought for a while: "One more thing must be stipulated. The donkey cart must have the function of being pulled by human power. So that when the donkey loses strength, the people can pull it home on their own."

The man in black was furious and thought: "These two dead eunuchs are so vicious!"

Li Shi leaned back in his chair, laughed and said, "Well, you two are very thoughtful! However, this is still no money!"