On the second day after Du He's apprenticeship ceremony, Li Shimin held a small seminar in the Royal Study of Liangyi Palace.

The participants included: Duke Zhao Changsun Wuji, Duke Liang Fang Xuanling, Duke Zheng Wei Zheng, Duke Wei Jing, and Duke British Li Ji.

The main topic of the meeting was: the first snow in the four years of Zhenguan.

As the saying goes, the sky is flying in August. It is already mid-September. The Mobei grassland had already had a heavy snowfall before ten days, with the snow covering more than half a foot.

If it were in previous years, people would naturally like to hear about this. But now that the Turks were defeated, the Tang Dynasty border, which was originally in the Hetao region, moved hundreds of miles northward. In this way, the one who suffered the disaster became the Tang Dynasty border army that guarded the national gates.

Because he was not used to such a harsh environment and lacked the means to keep the cold, countless soldiers of the border army were frozen to death and frostbite. The guards could not do so, so they could only send messengers back to Chang'an for help.

The battle reports ahead were passed back and forth in the hands of everyone, and everyone was in a heavy mood after reading them.

The Tang army was different from the Turks. Although the Turks would die when they encountered such weather, they could hide back into the tent because they did not have to patrol, so there were not many casualties.

However, the Tang army needed to send people out to patrol the border from time to time. Even if the weather was bad, it was not a reason to escape.

In this way, every time you go out on patrol, you will inevitably suffer from frostbite, and if you are injured too much, you will inevitably suffer from death.

"This is the situation. If you have any ideas, tell me." Li Shimin spoke first, his face sinking like water.

What to say? How to say it!

Everyone looked at each other, and this was actually an unsolvable knot.

Seeing that everyone was not speaking, Fang Xuanling took the initiative to say: "Your Majesty, the northern part of the Mo is bitter and cold, and it is inevitable that the soldiers will suffer casualties from guarding the border."

Cases and casualties are inevitable, which sounds cold-blooded, but this is a fact.

If you want to prevent the defenders on the border from being frozen, the best way is to withdraw and return to your original garrison, which will naturally avoid non-combat reductions.

But no one could say such words with so many people present. That was the territory that had been finally captured and it was easy to withdraw troops, but if you wanted to take them back, it would be difficult.

Li Shimin didn't know what Fang Xuanling meant, and slapped the table angrily: "That's nothing else, right? The territory that countless soldiers have built through hardships can only be watched so easily by others?"

"Why don't you send people to Mobei to send some cold clothes? Otherwise, it will be difficult for the soldiers to get through this winter."

Speaking of this, there is no need for Li Jing and Li Ji to pretend to be stupid anymore. They directly point out the theme, either withdraw their troops or add clothes, and there is no third way to choose from.

In an instant, everyone's eyes fell on Sun Wuji, the Minister of Revenue.

The Ministry of Revenue has the financial power, and adding winter clothes also requires money. If the Ministry of Revenue is not strong enough, there is only one way left to withdraw troops.

As for persistence, even Li Er did not have such a plan, because that was just joking about human life.

In silence, Changsun Wuji really wanted to stand firm, but the strength of the Ministry of Revenue did not allow it.

In front of everyone, Youyou sighed: "Fifty thousand guan, the Ministry of Revenue can take up to 50,000 guan. No matter how much it is, I am afraid that the normal operation of the court will not be maintained."

Li Jing and Li Ji were shocked and looked at Li Shimin at the same time.

The court has reached this point? There are only 50,000 jin in the treasury?

Li Shimin's cold face, like a knife and axe, twitched slightly, and he made up his mind in an instant: "For, no matter what, we must ensure the supply of the troops in the northern border of the desert, and I will find other ways."

"No! Your Majesty is wise." Li Jing and Li Ji praised each other in unison.

It costs 50,000 yuan, and about 20,000 winter clothes were prepared. Although it still could not meet the needs of nearly 100,000 border troops in the north of Mo, it was enough to ensure that the patrol team was used.

As for other people who don’t have winter clothes, at most, they can stay at the base and not go out.

...

Two days later, the Hongwenguan started school again. When they met again, Du He sighed.

This kid was not beaten to death by the angry old Cheng. It seems that he was his own son.

Cheng Chumo didn't realize anything, and he still smiled heartlessly. He put two big "des" in front of the Hongwenguan to the imperial guards, and then he was thrilled to Du He.

Seeing Du He holding a book, he asked puzzledly, "Erlang, what book did you read this morning?"

"Wu Delu." Du He raised the book and shook it in front of Cheng Chumo.

"Look at what this thing is doing, it's all boring." Cheng Chumo curled his lips, sat down next to Du He with a butt, and then jumped up with a 'shou'.

There was no way, my butt was swollen yesterday and it hurts when I sat down.

Du He rolled his eyes and deserved it. You dare to plagiarize the things I plagiarized, and you should be content if you haven't been beaten to death.

After Cheng Chumo had enough, Du He smiled and said, "In fact, everyone should read this book carefully. After all, only by knowing the law can you break the law. If you don't even know the most basic Tang Lu, how can you get rid of yourself if you make a mistake?"

Cheng Chumo:...

Everyone:...

Is that true?

Is it still possible to understand that breaking the law by knowing it?

Damn, I really have gained some knowledge today.

In addition, you are a kid who reads Wudelu and breaks the law to know the law? Who are you planning to attack?

Forget it, forget it, don't think about it anymore.

Cheng Chumo shook his head and said, "Then... I don't even look at this. Anyway, as long as I don't rebel, no matter how big the mistake is, at most it's just a slap."

OK, it's a shame at first glance.

Du He was too lazy to talk to this naive man and continued to look down and read.

Yesterday, he looked up a piece of land in the city and planned to buy it. He was struggling to not know the rules of buying a house and did not want to ask people, so he had to come and read "Wudelu".

After turning the book, he found that Cheng Chumo's big head was still beside him. Du He closed the book depressedly: "Is there anything wrong?"

"It's nothing big. I just want to ask when our frosting will be launched. My father will go to Mobei the day after tomorrow. I will be free after he leaves. Let's go to the market as soon as possible. Let's go to the market after selling it for money to drink wine."

Du He was stunned: "When you go to Mobei at this time... your father is crazy?"

Based on his understanding of history, the period from the first year of Zhenguan to the fifth year of Zhenguan was the coldest since the Tang Dynasty. A large number of livestock would be frozen to death in the grasslands in the north of the desert every winter.

Even the main reason why Jie Li was destroyed by Li Shimin was that the grassland climate suddenly became cold, but Ashina's tribe still maintained a high-pressure rule over other tribes, which eventually led to rebellion among all tribes. The Ashina tribe was unable to support it and was eventually defeated by Li Jing.

But now, Cheng Yaojin is going to Mobei when winter is about to begin. This is not crazy, what is it.

Cheng Chumo knew that Du He had good intentions and did not care about his misconduct in words. He said in a muffled voice: "This is nothing to do. It snowed heavily in Mobei early this year, and the border troops were frozen to death and frostbite. In order to prevent mutiny, my father must stay in charge for a while."

The border army has frozen to death?

Du He's first reaction was what the Ministry of Revenue did for food, and turned his head to look at Changsun Chong.

Changsun Chong happened to look up and looked at him: "Don't look at me, my father is not greedy for the money from the Ministry of Revenue."

Cheng Chumo also said, "It's true that Changsun is not blamed for his old man. Who made our border move northward? Even the man who is not able to bear the clothes for winter can't stand it. Besides, this time his old man tried his best and forced out 50,000 pounds from the treasury to buy winter clothes. But... I don't know if the time can be too late."

Du He became more confused as he heard it, and looked at the two of them: "Don't you have cotton coats and trousers? Why didn't everyone give it one before?"

Changsun rushed up and sat next to Du He and said unhappily: "Is it good to have cotton clothes and trousers very expensive? Two silos per set are more than three silos. There are 100,000 border troops in Mobei, and each set is more than twenty and nearly three silos. Not to mention that even if you have money, how can you get so many silk cotton?"

"Silk cotton, do you mean..., wait, Changsun Chong, do you mean the kind of cotton clothes and trousers filled with silk?"

"What else? Use twine?" Changsun Chong patted Du He's shoulder and said, "I said Du Erlang, are you not in the world? You don't know what is filled with the cotton clothes!"

Du He turned a deaf ear to Changsun Chong's sarcasm and was too lazy to talk nonsense to such a playboy. At this time, he had already remembered that there were no cotton coats and no cotton pants during the Zhenguan period. Cotton was also an ornamental plant for the Tang people of this period.

It was not until the Tianbao period that cotton became popular at one time, and cotton cloth was found in the Tang Dynasty.

In this case, no wonder Chang Sun Chong said that cotton clothes and trousers should be more than two-silk-long, so how can cotton clothes and trousers filled with silk be less expensive?

Du He, who found the key to the problem, was too lazy to say more, and he had touched Changsun Chong and Cheng Chumo: "Let's go, come with me to see Your Majesty."

"What? What do you do when you see Your Majesty?" Thinking of Li Shimin, Changsun's legs were a little trembling. Although this kid is usually too bad, if he really wants him to see Li Er, it would be a coward.

Cheng Chumo is nothing, it’s not that the emperor has never seen him. He smiled like an uncle next door, so friendly. Of course, the reason that prompted him to follow Du He was... but he skipped class with confidence.

"If you go or not, I will go with Chumo. If you look back, you won't say I won't remember you." Du He stared at Changsun Chong with an expression of loving love to go.

What can Changsun Chong say? You can't say you're afraid of seeing your uncle.

So, the three of them did not ask for leave (and they would not give it to them even if they asked for leave), and went out of Hongwen Hall directly, and walked around the Menxiasheng like a thief, and sneaked into Liangyi Hall.

This is true, Li Shimin is still worried about the matter in Mobei. Changsun Wuji has allocated his money, but it always takes time to turn the money into a winter clothes.

What's more, the silk reeling season this year has passed, and there is not much inventory for both the public and the official. Whether it is enough to collect 20,000 sets of winter clothes, it is a big problem.

Just when he was worried, a palace servant came to report to Changsun Chong, Du He, and Cheng Chumo asked for a visit.

What are these three little guys doing?

Li Shimin was a little puzzled. If they caused trouble, they should ask for Empress Changsun. After all, the queen was soft-hearted. If there was a serious matter..., these three guys could have nothing serious matters.

I didn't want to see you, but after hesitating for a moment, Li Shimin decided to meet you. At least there was a Changsun Chong in the middle, so it would be hard to explain to the queen if he didn't see you.

After entering the imperial study room, the three guys saluted according to the rules, then looked at me, and I looked at you. Finally, Changsun Chong and Cheng Chumo took a step back at the same time and put Du He in front.

Damn it, brothers are really for betrayal.

Du He rolled his eyes fiercely, and Li Er's voice came from his ears: "You three are not going to school well in Hongwenguan, what's the matter with me?"

Du He blinked his eyes and was bound to have no hope for the other two guys to help him share the firepower. He could only go on his own: "Your Majesty, Weichen is mainly to ask if there is cotton in the palace?"

Li Shimin frowned: "What cotton?"

"Uh..." Du He was stunned and soon thought about whether there was any word cotton in the Tang Dynasty, so he explained: "It's just white folding pieces, or pineapple flowers."
To be continued...