It was April, and the weather in the Gyeonggi area had become warmer. Although it was already dark, it was still warm in the royal study.

Qin Xiao shouted long live, but the saint seemed not to have heard. He picked up the ink script and circled the memorial. The eldest grandson Mei'er was already standing by the royal desk, and the light shone on her beautiful face, which was white and rosy, and her delicate skin was

It can be broken by blowing bombs.

She sharpened the ink for the saint very skillfully, with graceful movements. The saint had already reviewed several memorials in a moment, and still ignored Qin Xiao who was kneeling below.

"Mei'er, take a look at this memorial." The saint looked at the memorial for a long time and finally handed it to his eldest son, Mei'er.

Changsun Meier took it carefully, looked at it carefully, and quickly raised her eyebrows and said, "The governor of Yangzhou wants to trial the conversion of rice to mulberry in Linjiang and Kuaiji?"

"The excerpt says that by converting rice into mulberry and raising and weaving silk, Yangzhou's annual taxes can be increased by 30%." The saint looked calm: "He plans to take the lead in Linjiang and Kuaiji counties. If the effect is good,

No matter how fully implemented it is, otherwise it will only be the land of two counties and it will not damage the vitality of Yangzhou."

"If changing rice to mulberry can really increase the production of silk and weave it into silk, then it will be a good thing." Changsun Mei'er's voice was soft: "It's just that Mei'er still remembers that there was a flood before, and there was a flood there, especially

It's Linjiang County, and many people suffered from floods. At that time, many people didn't even have food rations to survive, so the imperial court urgently sent food there."

The sage nodded slightly: "I remember that five of the six counties in Linjiang were flooded, and half of the nine counties in Kuaiji were hit by disasters. Because of this, Yangzhou is worried that there will be problems with taxes this year, so if it can be changed

Rice is mulberry, and once it is woven into silk, the price of silk will be much higher than that of rice, and the income at that time can make up for the losses caused by floods."

"The brochure makes it clear that the Nanyang people are very fond of our silk from the Tang Dynasty, and the silk can be sold at extremely high prices there." Changsun Meier said slowly: "Businessmen from Nanyang are willing to buy Yangzhou's silk.

Silk, the cost of a piece of silk in the Tang Dynasty was less than two taels of silver, but it could be sold to Nanyang merchants for ** taels. Now Yangzhou can produce 200,000 pieces of silk every year. If the two counties are converted from rice to mulberry, they will be planted in both counties.

By going to Sangtian, Yangzhou can produce at least two hundred thousand more horses every year, which is nearly two million taels of silver."

The saint nodded and said with a smile: "In this way, not only the people of the two counties will benefit, but the imperial court will also benefit."

"If we can all get benefits, why didn't Yangzhou do this before and had to wait until after the flood?" Qin Xiao heard the discussion between the sage and the eldest grandson Meier. He didn't dare to say anything at first, but when he discovered the strangeness in the matter, he couldn't help but blurt it out.

As soon as these words came out of my mouth, I knew something was wrong.

Changsun Meier looked at Qin Xiao suddenly, her face changed color slightly, the saint's eyes also turned cold, and his gaze was like two sharp arrows shooting at Qin Xiao.

"Young minister...damn it!" Qin Xiao was never afraid when facing other people, but at this moment, he was facing the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and he felt really guilty.

"Saint...!" Changsun Meier looked at the saint, with a hint of fear between her brows.

The saint stared at Qin Xiao without any thunderous anger. He was silent for a moment.

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Finally said: "Qin Xiao, what do you want to say?"

"I don't dare...!" Qin Xiao thought to himself, whoever wants to talk again will be a puppy.

"I ask you to say it, so you must say it." The saint said coldly.

Qin Xiao said helplessly: "I...I am just surprised that the silk trade between Nanyang and the Tang Dynasty did not last for three or five years. A long time ago, merchants from the Western Regions and Nanyang regarded the silk of our Tang Dynasty as treasures.

We have been trading with the Tang Dynasty. Since Yangzhou can increase the production of silk, and the price is much higher than that of grain, why have the people and the government in Yangzhou never changed rice to mulberry?" After a pause, he raised his head slightly and saw the saint and the emperor.

The eldest grandson and all the officials looked at him and lowered their heads.

"You are so young, what do you know?" The sage seemed to be reprimanding his descendants: "Food is the most important thing for the people. There is a saying in the common people's homes that there is no panic when the family has more than enough food. If you farm, you can harvest food. If you change the rice into mulberry,

You can only get silk. Although silk is expensive, it cannot be eaten. Ordinary people naturally still rely on food as their root and will not easily change rice to mulberry. Naturally, the government cannot enforce it. Now that large fields in the two counties are flooded and the food is gone, this

It would be a good time for local officials to persuade the people to change rice to mulberry."

"People have no food, how can they get the money to buy mulberry seedlings?" Qin Xiao raised his head and said: "Even if the government distributes mulberry seedlings for free, it will take at least two or three years for the mulberry seedlings to grow. If you raise silkworms and make silk, it will only take longer.

Where does the food in between come from?”

Although Qin Xiao did not grow mulberry and raise silkworms, he had naturally heard of others mentioning this knowledge and was no stranger to it.

"I can exempt them from taxes for the past two years, and let the government borrow grain to support them." The saint seemed to be serious: "When there is a harvest, we will repay the grain at a discount. Yangzhou is backed by the Jianghuai area, and Jianghuai is the land of granaries.

, naturally they won’t starve to death.”

Qin Xiaodao: "The sage's countermeasures are naturally extremely wise, but...can the local government really follow the sage's will?"

"What do you mean?"

"If the government distributes mulberry seedlings for free and borrows grain until the people harvest raw silk, there will naturally be no problem." Qin Xiao said: "I am just worried that once the decree to change rice to mulberry is issued, the people will not be able to grow food, and the government will

If the borrowed grain cannot be provided in time, then the people will have no choice but to sell their fields to tide over the difficulties. When they sell their fields in desperation, the price of the fields will not be decided by them. People with ulterior motives can take the opportunity to lower the price of the fields.

A large amount of land will be purchased at a price far lower than the market price. At that time, a large number of people will lose their land and become homeless farmers without land...!"

The saint's face became cold and stern: "Do they have that kind of courage?"

"People die for money and birds die for food." Qin Xiao lowered his head and said: "Once the power of borrowing food falls into the hands of corrupt officials, they will have a stranglehold on the people. Are they lending food to the people at high prices, or are they deliberately asking for food?

It is up to them to force people to sell their fields by refusing to receive food for various reasons, and the people can only be reduced to lambs to be slaughtered."

The saint was silent. After a moment, he glanced at Changsun Meier and asked: "Meier, what do you think?"

"Sage, if there are honest and upright officials in the local area, converting rice into mulberry can naturally be implemented." Changsun

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Meier said carefully: "But what Mr. Qin said is not unreasonable. If we plant grain in time now, and the court allocates grain to deal with the current grain shortage, we will have a harvest by the end of the year, and we can ensure that the people have grain to harvest within one year.

They will not starve to death. As long as the people have food, they will guard the land and keep themselves safe." He glanced sideways at Qin Xiao and continued: "But if the situation is really as Master Qin said, once the time comes there will not be enough food to guarantee both lives.

In the past few years, the common people of the county have even taken the opportunity to buy the common people's fields at low prices. Then the common people who have lost their fields will become refugees. They will become dissatisfied with the government and then blame the court. In this way, it is inevitable that people with ulterior motives will be

If others take advantage of them, the refugees will become anti-people."

The saint was thoughtful, and after a long time he said: "Qin Xiao, according to what you say, is it possible to change rice into mulberry?"

"It can be done." Qin Xiao said: "But not now. If the imperial court can exempt the people of the two counties from paying taxes for three years, and let them store their surplus grain in these three years, then after three years, they will implement the conversion of rice into mulberry and ask them to

The common people promised that the government would buy raw silk from them at a price much higher than that of grain. In this way, the common people would have surplus grain at home and be able to increase their harvests. Naturally, they would be willing to follow the court's strategy and convert rice into mulberry. The most important thing about this is that besides

To exempt them from taxes for three years, the government is not allowed to levy any taxes on them in any name, and the Jianghuai area must ensure that food can enter Yangzhou. Otherwise, even if they have money, but no food to buy, the consequences will be serious.

.”

The saint snorted softly and said, "What you said is correct. If we really do what you said, we may not be able to avoid trouble." He took the memorial from the governor of Yangzhou, reviewed it, and then said: "Change rice to mulberry."

The matter is a long-term plan and cannot be implemented for the time being. In addition, the Zhongshu Province is asked to send people to Yangzhou to find out what those officials are eager to change from rice to mulberry this year. Also, send people to count the grain in Yangzhou official warehouses to protect the people affected by the disaster.

No one can starve to death before this year's harvest."

Changsun Meier said respectfully: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Qin Xiao was a little surprised when he heard that the saint actually denied the information about the governor of Yangzhou. He thought that at least on this matter, the saint accepted the advice and was not confused. He couldn't help but followed Changsun Meier and said loudly: "The saint is wise.

!”

The saint picked up a memorial from the table and threw it on the ground in front of Qin Xiao. Then he opened the memorials one after another. He glanced at each memorial once or twice before throwing it in front of Qin Xiao. In a moment, there were ten of them.

Yu Dao's memorial was thrown in front of Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao was stunned for a while, thinking that I was wrong to shout that the saint was wise. Why did the saint suddenly become angry?

"See for yourself what is written on the papers." The saint said coldly: "These are all the papers handed in by officials of the fourth rank and above in the court today. Look at the good deeds you have done. All the important officials in the court are participating in them.

You, a fifth-grade Prime Minister of Guanglu Temple, did not pass by the Fasi Yamen, so you killed him if you asked him to. In front of the Dali Temple, you showed your courage and killed seven guards of the Duke's Palace. Afterwards, you still sat in front of the Dali Temple and drank.

?Isn’t it very majestic? Do you think you are a heroic warrior who enjoys revenge, or a robber and bandit who cares about human life? "

Qin Xiao read several excerpts, and they were indeed memorials to impeach him. Unsurprisingly, the excerpts from Lu Junzhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, were among them. He impeached Qin Xiao for lawless and indiscriminate killing of innocent people, and asked the saint to hand over the case to the Ministry of Punishment for thorough investigation.
Chapter completed!