"Huainanzi Qi Su Xun": The rules of governing the world are easy to maintain, its affairs are easy to do, its etiquette is easy to perform, and its responsibilities are easy to repay. Therefore, people do not hold official positions, and officials do not hold concurrent jobs.
The states are different, so farmers and farmers talk about strength, scholars and scholars talk about words and deeds, workers and workers talk about skill, and businessmen talk about numbers.
This means that in the governance of the world, if people stick to their posts, their affairs will be easily completed, their etiquette will be easily implemented, and their debts will be easily repaid. Therefore, one person does not hold multiple official positions, and one official does not hold multiple affairs.
Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants each performed their duties and engaged in different work contents in different fields. Therefore, farmers discussed the strength of the labor force, scholars discussed the level of virtue, craftsmen studied the sophistication of craftsmanship, and businessmen discussed the strength of the labor force.
Exchange business experiences together.
The original intention of the ancients to establish scholars, farmers, industry and commerce was to enable all walks of life to develop better.
But since the aristocratic family was formed, the aristocratic family has been using the concept of scholars, farmers, industry and commerce to divide classes, just to show that they are superior to others.
Now Lin Xuan uses businessmen not to engage in production and imposes additional business taxes in order to limit the increase of businessmen and make it impossible for them to refute.
But not refuting it means that their caravans need to pay commercial tax.
For a time, the officials of the family were racking their brains, thinking of ways to prevent Li Shimin from raising business taxes.
"This matter is settled." Li Shimin said decisively, not giving the family a chance to respond.
Wang Ze stepped out and said, "May I ask who your Majesty is going to hand over this matter to?"
Now that this matter has become a foregone conclusion, they must seize this right no matter what.
Of course, Li Shimin knew what Wang Ze was thinking, and said calmly: "I am going to let Ma Zhou, the minister on duty, be fully responsible for commercial tax matters, which will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Who is Ma Zhou? The family turned around in their mind and had no impression.
"Your Majesty is wise!" The officials of the aristocratic family agreed one after another.
In their eyes, since Li Shimin sent an unknown person to manage commercial tax matters, it meant that Li Shimin did not pay too much attention to commercial tax matters.
In this way, the increase in commercial taxes will have little impact on them, and there is no need to offend Li Shimin because of this matter.
They didn't know who Ma Zhou was, but Lin Xuan knew.
This is a great man. Although he is not well-known now, he will be the prime minister in the future.
Ma Zhou was born into a poor family. Although he had learned a lot throughout his life, he had always been in poverty.
Later, Chang He valued him and accepted him as a guest, so as not to live on the street.
Last year, Li Shimin ordered all officials to submit a letter to discuss the gains and losses of the government. Chang He was a military attache who did not dabble in classics. Ma Zhou stated more than 20 things that were appropriate for Chang He and asked him to submit a report. Everything was in line with the will. Li Shimin did not believe that Chang He was like this.
He called me to inquire about his talents, and Chang He said: "This is not what I could have written. It was drafted by Ma Zhou, a home guest. Every time he talks to me, he always takes loyalty and filial piety as his purpose." Li Shimin summoned Ma Zhou that day.
Before Ma Zhou arrived, he sent people four times to urge him. After Ma Zhou paid his visit, Li Shimin talked very happily with him and asked him to serve him on duty in the province.
Lin Xuan sneered, if you don't take Ma Zhou seriously now, it will be too late when you know how powerful Ma Zhou is.
Seeing that no one was objecting, Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction and discussed other matters with the minister.
This court meeting took a total of two hours to end.
After the imperial meeting, it was time for Li Shimin to receive foreign envoys.
Regardless of his title or position, Lin Xuan was not qualified to stay with him. He didn't want to stay either. Wouldn't it be nice to go back and sleep early?
Walking out of Tai Chi Palace, Lin Xuan saw many foreigners standing in the square outside Tai Chi Palace.
They were lining up in the order arranged by the officials of the Ministry of Rites, waiting to see them.
Lin Xuan felt a sense of pride for no reason in his heart. This is the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty that all nations worship!
…
"See His Majesty the Khan!" Envoys from various countries bowed and saluted.
Li Shimin looked at the envoys from various countries and felt a little satisfied. He laughed and said, "No courtesy!"
Envoys from various countries submitted letters of credence and gift lists one after another.
Li Shimin looked through it casually, because the gifts from various countries were similar every year, so he didn't pay much attention to them.
"Huh?"
When he turned over the gift list from Tubo, Li Shimin was a little surprised.
It's not that there are too few gifts, it's that there are too many gifts.
Tubo had not professed its vassalage to the Tang Dynasty, so how could it send so many gifts?
Li Shimin glanced at the Tibetan envoys calmly. It was not easy to ask questions in the current situation. He could only find someone to investigate afterwards to see their intentions.
"Your Majesty the Tang Dynasty, I, the Lord of Tubo, have always admired the culture of the Tang Dynasty. I heard that the eldest princess of the Tang Dynasty was staying in a boudoir and wanted to marry the eldest princess of the Tang Dynasty." Lu Dongzan bowed and said.
Li Shimin's expression changed. He finally understood why Tubo sent such a heavy gift. It turned out that he wanted to trick his daughter.
"Tubo is located in a remote area, and my daughter may not be able to get used to it. There is no need to talk about it anymore," Li Shimin refused.
Not to mention that he agreed to marry Li Lizhi to Lin Xuan, even if he had not agreed, he would not have agreed.
Lu Dongzan smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I, the Lord of Tubo, am very sincere. If Your Majesty agrees, Tubo is willing to surrender to the Tang Dynasty."
Although Songtsen Gampo had unified Tubo, Tubo was not at peace.
Songtsen Gampo sent Lu Dongtsen as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty this time just to stabilize the unstable factors in the country. He had no intention of marrying the princess or becoming a vassal of the Tang Dynasty.
However, after Lu Dongzan came to the Tang Dynasty, he learned that the most favored eldest princess of the Tang Dynasty was not married yet, so he became interested.
If Tubo could marry the princess of Tang Dynasty, it would not only stabilize the domestic situation, but also annex Tuyuhun.
When the Tufan becomes stronger, they can even attack the Tang Dynasty.
"This matter is waiting for me to think about it. I have already prepared a banquet for you all." Li Shimin was a little moved when he heard that Tubo was willing to become a minister, but he would definitely not be willing to marry Li Lizhi to Tubo.
…
After the banquet and the envoys from various countries left, Li Shimin called all the important officials to the study.
"What do you think about this matter?" Li Shimin asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, of course we cannot agree to this matter. Tubo is a small country, why should it marry me, the Princess of the Tang Dynasty?" Cheng Yaojin said disdainfully.
Many people agreed that the princess should not be married to Tubo.
However, some civil servants disagreed. They believed that peace and marriage had existed since ancient times. Tubo was getting stronger and stronger. If Tubo could be surrendered, it would undoubtedly be very beneficial to the Tang Dynasty.
"Let's discuss this later." Li Shimin looked at the quarreling ministers and said.
He couldn't resist the temptation of Tubo becoming a vassal, but he was also unwilling to marry his daughter to Tubo, and he didn't know what to do for a while.
…
Lu Dongzan submitted his credentials, asked for peace, and was willing to become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty and establish peace forever.
This incident caused an uproar in Chang'an.
Some people feel that Tubo is so remote that the princess should not be married off and suffer.
Some people think that since Tubo is willing to become a vassal, it is also appropriate for Tang Dynasty, as a state of etiquette, to marry a princess to deepen the relationship between the two countries.