Xi Junmai hesitated and asked: "Will the general be able to do it... or can't he?"
Fang Jun suddenly felt that these words were somewhat familiar, and seemed to touch a corner of his memory that was far away. He thought about it carefully, and it was a little blurry, so he stopped thinking about it: "It can be done or it can't be done. You have to adapt to local conditions and be flexible."
"General, I understand! Don't worry, Commander, we will definitely handle it properly."
Xi Jun immediately understood Fang Jun's intention and made a guarantee.
The so-called "adapting measures to local conditions and being flexible" means that sometimes you can do it and sometimes you can't. In other words, you can do it when you want to do it, and you can't do it when you don't want to do it...
< br>
After telling Xi Jun to buy it, Fang Jun said to Su Dingfang: "Your Majesty intends to transfer the general back to Beijing, hold the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of War, join the Military Aircraft Department as the Minister of Military Aircraft, and then take over General Youwuwei... But I don't think it's good." br>
Su Dingfang looked magnanimous, and was not too tempted by the temptation to reach the top in one step and directly into the center. He had suffered too much suppression in his official career and knew that all official positions and titles were empty. It was fundamental to have a strong backer, otherwise In the blink of an eye, he was either ignored or suppressed by others, so he asked: "Just follow the commander's instructions."
Seeing that Su Dingfang realized the essence of the matter, Fang Jun was very pleased: "After the New Year, His Majesty will implement the new policy of 'measurement of acres' across the country. As expected, although the clans in various places will suffer heavy losses and their power will be greatly reduced, they will inevitably If you don't refuse, you'll be killed. If you resist, you'll be killed. It is certain. Even if they do not dare to raise troops again, it is almost certain that they will withhold taxes and falsely report money and food behind their backs. You must ensure that the navy can continue to steadily transport grain, rice and supplies from the countries in the East and Southeast Asia to fill the emptiness of the national treasury. .”
Although His Majesty Li Er first marched the country to the east, and then the Guanlong and Jin kings mutinied twice, both the national treasury and the emperor's internal funds were very full, and money and silk piled up like mountains.
But sometimes, money and silk are actually useless, because no amount of money can replace rice and grain.
Once the food from all over the world is secretly intercepted and controlled by the noble families, resulting in a shortage of food in the center, then the entire empire center will immediately be paralyzed.
You must plan ahead.
Su Dingfang realized the importance of this matter and said worriedly: "But most of the navy are warships and cannot transport grain. Although the 'Eastern Datang Company' is huge, its transportation capacity is limited. If you want to purchase the rice grain supply center in the two oceans, you have to We need the support of all the aristocratic families involved in maritime trade. But once what you said happens, these aristocratic families will definitely collude secretly. How can they be willing to transport grain honestly?"
Fang Jun said calmly: "Select a few, find a reason, ban their maritime trade licenses, confiscate their ocean-going fleets, punish them according to the law, and kill the chickens to scare the monkeys."
The rule he set for sea trade is that mistakes must be punished, and fines may be up to ten times the amount involved. The cost of sea trade is extremely high, so every fleet participating in sea trade maximizes profits as much as possible, loads as much cargo as possible to reduce transportation costs, and increases the price of the goods as much as possible after they are shipped to the destination, in order to obtain huge profits.
Therefore, even for a medium-sized family, the amount of each sea trade is more than 100,000 guan. Once it is found that it violates the regulations, it will be fined ten times... No one can bear it, and there may even be wealth accumulated by ancestors for hundreds of years. Even filling in all the karma may not be enough.
Su Dingfang laughed, this kind of thing is not difficult at all: "Don't worry, Commander, it will be done properly. It is said that after the spring, another batch of warships will be launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard, and the Navy is still worried about how to collect the purchase funds for this batch of warships and defeat several The maritime trade of this family can not only have a deterrent effect, but also add a large number of ships to the navy, killing two birds with one stone.”
Regarding Su Dingfang's ability to do things, Fang Jun was confident and nodded: "I don't care how to operate it. You can just make up your own mind. You must kill one person and serve as a warning to others."
Su Dingfang responded.
Although he is now the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, his influence is only in Huating Town and beyond the coastline, but his real influence is almost all over the richest areas in Jiangnan. Because he has the vitality of the maritime trade of the Jiangnan gentry, no one dares to question Su Dingfang's prestige.
Why do you have to suffer from many parties just for the sake of the false reputation of entering the center?
Snow was flying outside the window, Fang Jun was drinking tea, talking and laughing happily.
*****
Furong Garden, Prince Wei's Mansion.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, Li Tai, the king of Wei, was "the most favored king among all the kings" and was given many houses in various places. However, Li Tai only loved the scenery of Furong Garden, so he lived here all year round.
The snow was falling heavily, and the palace lanterns with candles were hung under the eaves of the corridor, reflecting the white snow like brocade and the night like embroidery. The snowflakes fell into the pool of hot spring water and melted quickly, making the mist clear and like a fairyland.
In the pavilion, Li Tai and Prince Palace Chief Shi Duchu were sitting across from each other, with several plates of delicacies and a pot of fine wine. Princess Yan of Wei was accompanying them on one side, adding wine with bare hands, and the atmosphere was warm.
Li Tai raised his glass to toast, then drank it all in one gulp, put down the glass, took a breath, shook his head, and said with infinite sadness: "The trees want to be quiet, but the wind doesn't stop."
Du Chuke had a gray beard and was dressed gracefully in a brocade robe. Hearing this, he stretched out his hand and waved it gently. The sandalwood incense floated away under the wave. He smiled and said: "The wind has no regular pattern. It exists all the time, but sometimes we can feel it. , sometimes you just can’t feel it. The cycle of yin and yang, the alternation of cold and heat, the wind will exist, and your highness will be a little troubled.”
If someone else said such disrespectful words as "Meaning others" in front of his face, Li Tai would have to get angry. However, the royal family's chief history was his closest teacher, and his teachings were always very strict, so Li Tai did not lose his temper.
This is Li Tai’s most trusted confidant at the moment...
Princess Yan of Wei held the pot to refill the wine, and she was a little angry: "Thanks to you for treating the second roommate like a brother and sister, why did he push you onto the fire to roast you? It's better to be still than to move at this time, so you should stay in the mansion honestly. If you want to live in peace and prosperity at home, won’t you become a target for others if you go to Luoyang?”
After all, Li Tai's identity and status are too special. It can be said that the person most qualified to sit on the throne in the world today, except Li Chengqian, is Li Tai. Therefore, as long as someone has ulterior motives, it is extremely convenient whether it is to raise Li Tai as a banner to win the support of others, or to assassinate Li Tai and frame the blame on Li Chengqian.
Li Tai, who has always been stubborn and arrogant, shook his head: "Princess, please don't say such words. Fang Er is not a scheming person, let alone let down the friendship with me."
In fact, as long as he does not want to be imprisoned in Chang'an Mansion for the rest of his life, no matter when he steps out, others will definitely miss him.
Where is the identity and status placed, and what can be done?
In the past, he could compete for the throne based on his identity and status, but now this identity and status have become a chain that binds him, and may even become a talisman to kill him. It is really a trick of fate...
Du Chuke drank wine with an indifferent expression and said with a smile: "Princess, there is no need to be so unreasonable. Since Your Highness is asked to go to Luoyang to build the Eastern Capital, both Fang Jun and His Majesty will do their best to protect His Highness's safety. After all, as long as His Highness suffers the slightest danger, Any danger will be blamed on His Majesty by outsiders. With Fang Jun's navy stationed at Mengjin Ferry, the elite guards of the "Baiqisi" in Luoyang City, and the imperial guards around His Highness, it is impossible for others to endanger His Majesty. Safe.”
However, before Li Tai and his wife could breathe a sigh of relief, Du Chuke continued: "...So the only ones who can endanger His Highness's safety are His Majesty and Fang Jun."
Li Tai was stunned: "What does Chang Shi mean by this?"
Du Chuke said: "Just imagine, if His Highness is assassinated or poisoned, what kind of reaction will it cause?"
Li Tai thought for a while and was horrified: "That will definitely cause violent turmoil within the clan. Your Majesty will arrest and interrogate all the suspects in the clan, and dig three feet into the ground to dig out the murderer, because Your Majesty cannot bear it. The infamy of ‘killing brothers and removing hidden dangers’”
Yan was furious: "You said you were thinking about His Highness? Doesn't this mean that He is still being used as bait to fish out those people with ulterior motives? This is simply vicious!"
Du Chuke shook his head and said calmly: "Does the princess think that His Highness can be safe by living in the mansion? It is easy to hide from open guns, but hard to guard against hidden arrows. If there is really a calculation that is not intentional, it only takes a small negligence on our part. It will cause irreversible consequences. Who can guarantee that no needle can be inserted into the Wei Palace and no water can be poured into it? ”
As the saying goes, you can only be a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against a thief for a thousand days?
Hard to guard against.
Although Yan is smart, she is still a female generation. She will inevitably panic when encountering major events. Moreover, although her family is very famous, they are unable to protect the power of King Wei. She held Li Tai's hand and said in fear: "If this is the case, then What to do?”
She now has no ambition to fight for the heir apparent in the past. She only hopes that Li Tai will be safe and that the Wei family will be healthy and prosperous for a long time.
Du Chuke said: "So there is no need to rule out going to Luoyang. Although there are risks, the rewards are huge. As long as the Eastern Capital can be successfully built and the empire's education is continued, His Highness's prestige will be enough to become the wise king of the empire. By then, , Who dares to covet His Highness? ”
Ultimately, His Majesty has no intention of cutting off His Highness, and is willing to support a virtuous king with unparalleled prestige and show his generosity and kindness to the world.
As for whether His Highness can threaten the throne after gaining great prestige... Actually, there is no need to worry about it. Today, the inheritance of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty has been stabilized. If you want to usurp the throne, you can only mutiny, and it is absolutely impossible to complete the throne change without bloodshed. ”
Whether it was done sincerely or for the world to see, Li Chengqian never had any intention of cutting off Li Tai, which was enough to ensure Li Tai's safety.
Li Tai felt slightly reassured, but after thinking about it, he frowned and asked: "In other words, if I really encounter danger, such as an assassination, then it is very likely that Fang Er did it secretly?"< br>
Du Chuke nodded: "It should be so."
Li Tai gritted his teeth in anger and yelled: "Mother! I regard that stick as my sworn friend, but he actually hides such thoughts secretly? What a bastard!"
Although Fang Jun couldn't really kill him, everything was risky. What if something went wrong? This bastard who is not a son of man...