Tibet

After discussing currency, Zhang Li and Xiao Hua resigned first. As the Minister of Household Affairs, Xiao Hua had the unshirkable responsibility to formulate various rules, draft plans, implement pilot projects, etc., and more importantly, cast gold and silver coins. The gold and silver coins of the Western Regions could not be used. Let’s issue it as gold and silver coins of the Tang Dynasty!

Therefore, it will take at least several months to half a year of preparation before the new currency issuance can be implemented.

Before that, the imperial court had to spend the huge amount of copper coins in stock to make money available to the people and alleviate the current currency deflation problem.

This is the matter of the Ministry of Industry, which includes dredging rivers, widening roads, building bridges, building grain depots, building reservoirs and other water conservancy facilities, as well as increasing food hoarding, increasing mining of coal mines and other mineral deposits, and increasing technological research. investment, etc.

Wei Jiansu stayed. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, I heard that Dugu Shangshu is resigning?"

Li Ye nodded, "He is going to Lugong Island. It will take a year to come and go. It is impossible for him to still occupy the seat of the political hall. He will definitely resign!"

Wei Jiansu sighed softly: "The problem that troubled the three dynasties has finally been solved in the hands of your Majesty."

Wei Jiansu refers to the Guanlong nobles. This huge power group lasted from the Northern Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. This power group has always been Li Ye's supporter. It can be said that Li Ye's success today is entirely supported by the Guanlong Group. As a result, a large amount of money and food were spent to pay for his military salary.

Wei Jiansu thought that after the emperor ascended the throne, the Guanlong nobles would rise again in the Tang Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Li Ye used only one move to make the Guanlong Group disappear in the Tang Dynasty and allow the Guanlong families to establish their country overseas. This is simply It’s a stroke of genius!

Li Ye smiled lightly and said: "It's all an exchange of interests. If you give them enough benefits, they will naturally give up the Tang Dynasty's bottles and jars."

"You also need to have the mind and resources. If it were Emperor Xuanzong, how could he allow the Guanlong nobles to establish a country, not to mention he doesn't have so many uninhabited islands."

"This is destiny. The fortune of the Guanlong nobles has come. They are willing to go to sea to build a country. Of course I will not stop them and will help them. But building a country is not so easy. It requires the hard work of several generations. Some families may I will come back, but there won’t be a place for it again.”

Wei Jiansu pondered for a moment and said: "Wei Chen has something to say. I don't know whether to ask a question or not. If the question is inappropriate, please don't be angry, Your Majesty."

Li Ye smiled and said: "My mind is not as narrow-minded as the Prime Minister thought. It is really inappropriate. I don't have to answer, but I won't be angry."

"Your Majesty, if the Dugu family completely leaves the Tang Dynasty, will it affect the status of the Queen?"

This sentence is indeed very sensitive, but Wei Jiansu still has to ask, because it involves the prince. If the queen falls, the prince may not be safe.

Li Ye smiled and said: "The queen and I are a married couple. We have been together for more than ten years. How can I divorce my married wife? Besides, the mother is more valuable than the son, and it has nothing to do with the family."

Wei Jiansu's heart dropped and he quickly said: "Wei Chen will not ask any more questions."

Li Ye nodded, "Pei Zunqing also wants to resign from the political affairs hall. He proposed it on his own initiative. He is not in good health. I will give him the title of Prince and Young Master, so that he can rest at home and recuperate. If you have time, you can Go visit him for me."

Wei Jiansu nodded and asked, "Then who will take over the posts of Minister of the Ministry of War and Minister of Rites?"

"I haven't thought about it yet, but I, the Minister of Rites, intend to promote Wang Jin, Minister of Rites, to the post."

"Wang Jin?"

Wei Jiansu was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood that the Holy Emperor was trying to balance the Hedong gentry, and Pei Zunqing was the representative of the Hedong gentry. If he went down, it would be natural for the Taiyuan Wang family to come up.

Wei Jiansu smiled and had no objection.

"I have disturbed Your Majesty for so long. Please leave!"

Li Ye smiled again at this time and said: "As for the Minister of Rites, I suggest that Li Xun, the deputy envoy of Longyou Dao Observation, be appointed. Wei Xiangguo should consider it!"

Li Xun is Li Ye's cousin. In Tianbao's tenth year, he was admitted to the Ming Dynasty. With the help of Gao Lishi, he served as the chief registrar of Xianyang County. Later, he served as the magistrate of Xiangyang County, the governor of Lanzhou, and the deputy observation envoy of Longyou Road. He has always been Li Ye's confidants and right-hand men.

Li Ye has been looking for an opportunity to transfer him to the imperial court. If he can get it right in one step, it would be best to directly enter the political hall and become the minister. However, considering that Li Xun is only thirty-five years old this year, it is a little early to be the minister. He will have to wait for another term. , when Li Mi was transferred back, Li Xun became minister at the same time.

At present, Li Xun's experience as a local official is sufficient, but he has never served as an official in the imperial court. Now he should be allowed to accumulate some connections and qualifications in the imperial court.

Wei Jiansu understands the emperor's plan. He will not go against the emperor on this issue. He will cooperate with the emperor's plan. What's more, Li Xun himself is very good. Not only he is smart and capable, he is also an honest official and has a high reputation among the people.

Returning to his court room, Wei Jiansu pondered for a moment and then ordered: "Prepare the carriage and go to Pei Shangshu's mansion!"

Pei Zunqing accidentally fell down two months ago. Although it would be okay for most people to fall down, Pei Zunqing is not an ordinary person. He is an old man in his seventies, and a fall for an old man is serious.

Although Pei Zunqing did not break any bones and could still come to the court to handle government affairs as usual every day, the fall brought him endless sequelae. A month ago, his feet suddenly became swollen, and they were as swollen as white radish. Can't walk on the road.

The swelling in my feet has not subsided. I suddenly had a stroke on my face half a month ago, and my face became paralyzed. When I tilted my head, drool would flow directly from the corners of my mouth.

Then he became a little unruly. Pei Zunqing was frightened. He changed several imperial doctors in succession, hoping to hear some good news, but the imperial doctors did not favor him. To be honest, his body was already in danger. He could nurse more quickly. If he doesn't maintain his health for a few years, his life will only last one or two years.

Is power more important, or life?

If he hadn't fallen down, Pei Zunqing would definitely have chosen the former, but now it was different. He began to consider the latter as more important.

He thought about it for ten days, but then he had a ventilation attack, which made him miserable and finally gave up all his thoughts.

Just yesterday morning, he submitted his resignation to the emperor.

Wei Jiansu's carriage slowly stopped at the gate of Pei's mansion. Pei Zunqing's eldest grandson Pei Yin had been waiting in front of the gate for a long time.

Pei Yin passed the Jinshi examination five years ago and served as an official in a foreign county for several years. Last year, he was transferred back to the imperial court as a member of Baihu Hall.

"Why didn't you go to court today?" Wei Jiansu asked with a smile.

"Return to the Prime Minister. We are taking a break at noon now. I will return to the court soon."

Wei Jiansu nodded, "Where is your grandfather?"

"Grandpa is waiting in the inner hall. Please come with me, Prime Minister."

Pei Yin took Wei Jiansu to the back hall. Pei Zunqing was already sitting in the hall. He was sitting on a soft couch with a backrest and a blanket covering his legs.

"Brother Wei, my legs and feet are inconvenient, please forgive me for being rude!"

"You're welcome!"

Pei Zunqing asked Wei Jiansu to sit down and served tea. Pei Yin quietly said goodbye and left.

Wei Jiansu smiled and said: "I only found out about Pei Shangshu's resignation yesterday when I met His Majesty today. It's very surprising!"

Pei Zunqing smiled bitterly and said: "As I get older, my body is getting worse. I used to refuse to accept old age, but now I know that fate is unpredictable. The harder you speak, the harder you fall. I have five or six kinds of diseases in my body, all of which are... It’s very serious and I have to serve my old age.”

Wei Jiansu nodded, "The Emperor has accepted your resignation application and will make you the Crown Prince and Young Master. Wang Jin, the Minister of Rites, will take over your position as Minister."

"Wang Jin?"

Pei Zunqing smiled and said: "The emperor still considers the interests of our Hedong family."

Wei Jiansu shook his head, "Wang Jin does not represent the interests of the Hedong family, he only represents the interests of the imperial court, serving the world and the Tang Dynasty!"

"I did not mean that!"

Pei Zunqing quickly explained: "I mean that the emperor understands the feelings of the Hedong family and does not marginalize Hedong."

"Maybe a little!"

Wei Jiansu said calmly: "The key is Wang Jin's own ability. Wang Jin took the lead in the two consecutive imperial examinations. The completion was very satisfactory, which made the emperor very satisfied. In addition, he has enough qualifications, so he will be promoted this time." It’s logical.”

Pei Zunqing was a little unhappy. Wei Jiansu never mentioned that he was a good leader and only praised Wang Jin for his ability in doing things. Was this a hint that he was incompetent?

"What do you want Wei Xiangguo to do today?"

Wei Jiansu laughed and said, "On behalf of the emperor, I am here to visit Taifu Pei. I hope that Taifu Pei can recover well. If you have any difficulties, please tell the political affairs hall and we will try our best to help."

Pei Zunqing picked up the tea cup and said coldly: "Thank you, the emperor, for your concern, and thank you, Xiangguo Wei, for coming to see me. If you have any requests, I will ask the political affairs hall!"