Based on Li Shimin's understanding of Bai Song, Bai Song was not an emotional person.
This guy's business in Chang'an seems to be very random, but every step is carefully considered.
Li Shimin felt that Bai Song was a business wizard, even more outstanding than his literary talent.
It's just that business ability is not valued in the court, so no one mentions it.
As an emperor, Li Shimin needed talents in all aspects.
That's why the idea was to summon Bai Song and listen to Bai Song's opinions.
Before Bai Song came, Li Shimin had made a decision in his heart.
He supported trade between the Tang Dynasty and Japan.
What he wanted to hear was some analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of trade between the two countries by the Bai Song Dynasty, as well as some detailed issues, rather than a few simple words.
Don’t trust?
Where does this distrust come from?
Li Shimin couldn't understand, could it be because they were Japanese?
"Your Majesty, I wonder what conditions the Japanese have offered?"
Bai Song suddenly asked.
"With the opening of the treaty ports, Japan will become a vassal of the Tang Dynasty and pay tribute every year, nothing more."
"What does Datang need to do?"
"You don't need to do anything, just open the port to accept people and goods from Japan into the Tang Dynasty. Of course, goods from the Tang Dynasty can also enter Japan smoothly."
Standard trade regulations, nothing superfluous.
According to the memories of the Bai Song Dynasty, it was at this time that the official start of exchanges between the Tang Dynasty and Japan.
The opening up of trade followed the historical process, and there was nothing to stop it in the Bai Song Dynasty.
But based on Bai Song's personal experience in this world, the feelings of several Japanese people he has met.
These people are not much different from those in memory.
On the surface, he always looks harmless, but no one knows what kind of devil is hidden inside.
Maybe Bai Song himself thinks too much. Seeing as he has more memories than ordinary people, Bai Song can never maintain a normal mind when looking at Japanese people.
"If the emperor really needs my advice, I can only tell the emperor not to trust the Japanese."
"Why?" Li Shimin asked.
Bai Song had no way to answer and could only say two words: "Intuition."
Li Shimin was a little disappointed with Bai Song's suggestion and asked him to step down.
In the morning of the next day, the emperor officially announced that he would open several ports along the southeast coast for formal trade with Japan.
This was a big deal, but it didn't cause much trouble in Chang'an City.
Because the recent public opinion in Chang'an City has been monopolized by poetry conferences.
Especially after the first day of auditions, there were more topics about the poetry conference.
Not only were there some good poems, some were funny, some were particularly bad, but there were also some that caused debate among the judges, which were the focus of everyone's discussion.
Some people become famous because of a bad work, but this is unprecedented.
However, Bai Song no longer focused on some entertainment aspects, because the palace examination was about to begin.
This is the step he cares about most and is the most important.
…
There were three hundred people in the palace examination.
It brings together the best literati from the Tang Dynasty over the past three years.
Nowadays, the palace examination takes more than one form.
Mostly it was a display in front of the emperor.
Its institutional specifications have not yet been finalized.
The selection of candidates for the imperial examination must always be seen by the emperor with his own eyes, so there is a term for the imperial examination.
Those who enter the palace examination, regardless of whether they are good or bad, all have the highest diploma in the world.
As for the ranking, it depends on the emperor's wishes.
It is not difficult for Bai Song to be among the top three, but it only depends on the emperor's words.
But there was a situation that Bai Song didn't expect.
Because of a poetry conference, the discussion in Chang'an City turned out to be even greater.
Because of the format of the competition, the popularity of the whole thing continues to grow.
After going through the auditions, people have high expectations for the preliminary rounds and subsequent events.
Public opinion has lost control and even overshadowed the news of the imperial examination.
In previous years, the imperial examination has always been the most discussed matter among literati. This year, because of a poetry conference, all attention has been shifted to the conference.
No one is discussing the imperial examination anymore, which makes some people unhappy.
You must know that now is a critical period for the implementation of the imperial examination. What was Li Shimin's purpose in promoting the imperial examination?
It is to pave a new promotion route and compete for the right to speak from the hands of various powerful families.
A poetry conference lowered the popularity of the imperial examination and became a thorn in the side of its implementation.
The key point was that Li Shimin himself nodded and agreed.
There are still ten days left before the palace examination.
Bai Song was once again summoned to the palace by Li Shimin.
This time, Li Shimin was not as friendly as last time, and he never thought about discussing business ideas with Bai Song.
"Tell me, how will this matter end now? I promised you to hold a poetry conference in the first place. It was to recover the money from the imperial court. Now, it has directly affected my larger plan."
Before entering the palace, Bai Song had already realized that things were getting very difficult.
He completely underestimated the influence and spread of a poetry conference in the Tang Dynasty.
The matter was aroused, even more lively than last year's Shui Tiao Ge Tou.
The key public opinion is continuous. As long as this poetry conference is not over, this gust of wind will not stop.
"Your Majesty, how about we stop the conference first?"
"You are not joking! I personally promised to inscribe a plaque! Can you just say stop?"
"It happened suddenly. I didn't expect it to be so lively at first. Otherwise, your Majesty, please give me some more time to think it over."
Li Shimin pointed at Bai Song and sighed helplessly: "Hey, go back and think about it carefully and give me an answer."
Bai Song wiped his sweat, nodded and left.
On the way back to the car, Bai Song opened the curtain and saw that everyone along the way was discussing the conference and the players.
At this time, Bai Song realized it later. No wonder when he asked those great scholars to be judges, they didn't refuse.
These famous Confucian scholars have always lived in seclusion and would not show their faces easily, but they were very active in participating in poetry conferences.
Emotions are not to spread culture, but to create obstacles to the imperial examination.
Bai Song felt that he had missed something. He did not pay attention to the conference, thus making the drama directed by himself out of control.
After staying in the capital for so long, I actually forgot what the main contradiction of this era is.
This conference suddenly appeared, but it became an opportunity for the noble clans and was actually used as a tool to challenge the emperor's will.
There is an uproar in Chang'an City now, which is definitely not caused by nature.
Bai Song believed that there must be someone behind this who was adding fuel to the fire.
Life in the capital is not as peaceful as imagined. The recent dullness seems to be paralyzing Bai Song's nerves. He needs to adjust his mentality and pick up some missed things.
This conference seems to be not as simple as imagined, and we cannot just let it go.