The quarrel started.

After being silent for a long time, Han Qi first asked: "You are really sure of Xingzhi?"

Zheng Lang nodded and said, "If another envoy is sent to agree to hand over some places in Hexi to Tubo, and both sides will send troops at the same time, the success rate will be higher."

Zheng Lang was unwilling to let go in the Hexi Corridor, but when Wu Silu died, Tubo was nothing. It would be better to say that he was trusted by him than to say that he had a relationship. And he achieved one goal, two multiple-choice questions, governing the country or pacifying the world, the country was used to govern, and the world was pacified by force, and everyone's ideas and concepts were forcibly corrected. The proposition was too big. Whether Zheng's ruled the Yellow River or pacifying the Western Xia, everyone neglected that Zheng Lang's statement was wrong.

After receiving Zheng Lang's affirmative answer, Han Qi said loudly: "Your Majesty, once the Xixia is pacified, Shaanxi will no longer have to station so many troops. The expenditure in just one year will save tens of millions of dollars. The national finance will be healthier, and the governance of the Yellow River can be carried out at any time, but the opportunity to pacify Xixia is gone in the blink of an eye."

Han Qi made some sense.

Song Xiang hesitated and said, "Are you very sure about practicing knowledge?"

Zheng Lang shook his head.

"If you are not sure, if you fail, the country will become a permanent surplus for several years. Your Majesty, I think it is better to control the Yellow River first. If you go further, why should you be afraid of foreign enemies? Since the Liuta River, the Yellow River will suffer disasters every year, but everyone is afraid of it like a tiger, and they dare not mention it. Since the court is ambitious to govern the Yellow River, why not control the Yellow River first? The people live and work in peace and have no worries about food and clothing. This is the foundation for the nation to build a nation."

"Boxiang, with the force of the Western Xia, how can we develop a foundation for all generations."

"Zhigui, since ancient China, the Hudi and Fan barbarians have never stopped invading. When the Han Dynasty was strong, the Huns were destroyed, and there was another disaster for the Western Di. When the Tang Dynasty was strong, the Khitan, Turkic, and Tubo were unable to be suppressed. After destroying the Western Xia, there were Uighurs and Tubos, there were Tubos in the south. If there were really nothing wrong in the West?"

Fu Bi pondered for a long time and suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I also think that if the country is strong, Xixia will not be a harm."

Pang Ji said: "Yanguo. It may not be necessary. What is a country that is strong? If it is tight, the finances will accumulate and loosen during the Huangyou period. Even now, no matter how much finance is, it will waste redundancy. Although it is important to increase the source, it cannot be ignored for reducing expenditure."

Pang Ji didn't know how to choose, it was referring to the waste of national money.

But Pang Ji took the topic further.

Who is afraid of the officials here? So more officials are involved. It is better to say that it is a quarrel than a dispute.

Seeing Chongzheng Palace become like a vegetable market, Zheng Lang was speechless.

In fact, Pang Ji said it is also reasonable, but judging from the finances, the Song Dynasty's finances were indeed improving with its own efforts. However, whether it could be kept, there was no south or banks. During the Huangyou period, one cut soldiers and the other increased the commercial tax, and the inside and outside of the country reached more than 20 million yuan. He lived a careful calculation, improved efficiency, and reduced waste. This was how the 30 million yuan surplus was saved. Then he removed the additional consumption and head money. He could save 20 million yuan a year. In theory, he kept the foundation of Huangyou. The extra money from the bank and the south could make the country's surplus reach more than 50 million yuan a year. Without the money from the country before, it was this money, which was carried out in four years, which was enough to support the Yellow River project.

If the efficiency is swollen and wasteful, the money will be gone. If there is another disaster, there will be a south and a bank, and the country will not have any surplus, let alone the Yellow River. Also, Zheng Lang has never understood how the country used up more than 200 million yuan a year when Zhao Xu ascended the throne.

This is an uncertain factor.

Putting aside this uncertainty, Zheng Lang still wanted to focus on governing the Yellow River and dealing with Xixia. If there was still a chance in the future, he wanted to wait for the Divine Arm Bow and wait for the artillery technology to be perfected. However, looking at Zhao Zhen's thin figure on the dragon chaise, he couldn't help but look at the west.

Zhao Zhen... It's been a long time since he lived.

This is his selfishness, an unspeakable selfishness.

After fighting for most of the day, there was no result at all. Xiu had to underestimate Han Qi. He was weak, but he was extremely powerful. Pang Ji felt a headache when he dealt with it, let alone Fu Bi.

"Let's go," Zhao Zhen looked at the sky. He had been quarreling for a long time and didn't eat lunch. He was so hungry that his eyes were dizzy, but the ministers became more and more quarreled, and their ears were buzzing, so he had to announce the sacking.

Walking out of Chongzheng Hall, Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu caught up at the same time.

Han Qi is the prime minister, Ouyang Xiu stood by the side first, and Han Qi asked, "Xingzhi, according to your opinion, is Tubo afraid?"

Tubo was silent for many years, and it was not until last year that it suddenly became angry, making the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty realize their power.

Zheng Lang replied: "It should be seen that Tubo won many victory last year. First, the Western Xia underestimated the enemy, and second, the battle locations were mostly in Tubo, or in Lanzhou. Lanzhou was a Tubo from Liugu tribe, occupying some of the right time, place and people. Therefore, Xixia was defeated repeatedly. It should not be underestimated or overestimated. All of this is the impact of the living of the world of Ye Sila. Once he died, his three sons separated, and the upper and lower levels lacked cohesion. Tubo would never be as powerful as before."

"I understand, Uncle Ouyang Yong, tell me."

"If Xingzhi, if we control the Yellow River, should we flow northward or eastward?"

"Must go eastward?"

“Why?”

"Relying on the terrain, Hebei is flat and the water flows to the lower places, it likes to flow northward. However, I have looked around in Hebei. Although the Yellow River likes to flow northward, it would be fine if there are no Taihang Mountains. Because there are several rivers down the Taihang Mountains. The Yellow River widens and deepens, the water is flat, and the river sand settles quickly. Sooner or later, the Yellow River will become a very long hanging river. If you spend so much money to cure a dangerous hanging river. Is it okay? Moreover, the main purpose of controlling rivers is to bind water and flush sand, and the river channel is not too wide. If the river water is bound, the water will be large and the water cannot be leaked, and there will be danger. Going northward is to rely on the water nature and cannot be managed. It must be forcibly bound to the eastward flow."

"However, the east flow is high."

"So I propose to dig a canal, lift the water from the lower stream, which can drain the energy and accumulate it. When the water is large, it can use the canal and quickly drain the river water into the sea through the downstream water. When the water is small, close the steep gate, let the Yellow River bind the water to wash the river sand into the sea, and reduce the harm of hanging rivers. Otherwise, like the previous various treatment methods, there is no meaning except wasting national money."

"I'm afraid of losing the people," Fu Bi said suddenly behind.

"Yan Kingdom depends on how to do it? The state uses free labor to serve the people. That is to waste the people. If the people are hired, those who are willing to come will mobilize them to come, and those who are unwilling to come cannot force them. Then the country only needs to manage a major project, which is an opportunity to give people a chance to live. Although the south of Yan Kingdom is not as important as the Yellow River, I have implemented many projects in the south, which are far less than the Yellow River. However, together, the project is not small. Can it be seen that I have worked hard for the people?"

Infrastructure, it is a great opportunity to increase the country's GDP. The key is how to do it.

“How much does it cost to all employed people?”

"Even if you spend more money, you will spend it on the poor people, take it from the people, and use it on the people. What does the country need money to do? It is not necessary for the poor people. Could it be that a county magistrate raises seventy-two concubines and prostitutes?"

"Which county magistrate has raised seventy-two concubines?" Pang Ji asked curiously.

Zheng Lang groaned and refused to answer. Not to mention the magistrate, there was a director who was equivalent to the county magistrate, who kept seventy-two little wives.

"I'm afraid the country's finances are insufficient."

"The national finances are insufficient? In the late Emperor's late emperor, there were more than 5 million hectares of national arable land on the list. In recent years, the law of farmland water conservancy, Jiangdongwei, and the newly added more than 500,000 hectares of arable land in the southern region, brought at least one million hectares, plus the original hidden fields. The national arable land area may be close to eight million hectares, but the household registration book is less than four million hectares. Of which nearly three million hectares are in the south. Could it be that there are only one million hectares of arable land in the north? At the end of the Qingli period, commercial tax was reduced and exempted. Because rest and rest bring commercial prosperity, commercial tax once reached more than 15 million chunks of money during the Huangyou period. This was six or seven years. The bank's stimulus, the scale of Ping An Supervision has expanded, and the number of workshops in various places has doubled. What about commercial taxes? Last year, commercial tax was only 17 million chunks. What about these taxes? What about these arable land?"

Several people were talking, and many officials came around to listen. Zheng Lang asked questions, but no official dared to answer.

"Guo Zi saw that the arable land merger was severely aggregated and hidden land was chaotic. The rich had a heavy land yield but the land tax had not increased. The poor had less land but the tax was not reduced. Even those with hundreds of acres of private land only paid the tax of four acres of land. So he advocated the tax equalization law. Why did Chunzhistu send Fangwailang Sun Lin, the Minister of the Palace, Lin Zhichun, the Minister of the Ministry of Land, Xi Ruyan, the Secretary-General of the Yu Ministry, and Gao Bendi went to all the fields to equalize the fields. The people had not left the capital yet, and there were voices of opposition? The world, the elite world, must also take into account the poor people. Don't take the salary of the king, but put the interests of the country into the pockets of a few people. The inequality of the rich and the poor is serious, and in the end, you and my descendants will never survive!"

After saying that, Zheng Lang strode home.

Not long after I arrived home, the doorman outside suddenly came to report: "You are here."

Zheng Lang immediately ordered someone to open the middle door. When the emperor came, all doors must be opened, and the highest etiquette welcomed him.

Understand Zhao Zhen's intentions, whether it is the Yellow River or the Xixia, he has to assume his main responsibilities. He has not entered the two prefectures again in recent years, which will cause misunderstandings. If the misunderstandings are despised, and if he despises his government orders, he will have no prestige.

Therefore, visit in a high-profile manner and give yourself prestige.

Welcome Zhao Zhen to the mansion.

Sitting down, Zhao Zhen said, "This is the first time I have come to your house."

It was quite normal for the emperor to visit a certain trusted minister's house. However, before that Zheng Lang was not envied, Zhao Zhen never came to the Zheng family to be a guest.

Zhao Zhen said again: "Your house is also the shabby house I have been to the minister's house."

"Your Majesty, you cannot live too much, eat too much, or wear too much, or be extravagant or enjoy yourself."

"It's easy to be content, but how many people did it. By the way, where are your two students?"

"Your Majesty, they are not students of ministers, so they communicate with each other. While studying, they are preparing to take the subject-based examination."

“It’s early.”

"Be prepared, too."

"By the way, I just heard that you had an argument with several priests outside Chongzheng Hall."

"It's not a dispute. I just saw some shortcomings, and I couldn't help but want to say that since Your Majesty talked about this, can you call several prime ministers to visit? There were too many officials in Chongzheng Palace just now, and I had some thoughts in my mind, and I couldn't even explain them clearly."

"I'm here to be a guest." Zhao Zhen joked, but he still followed Zheng Lang's advice and sent eunuchs to spread the news.

Cui Xian served tea in person, and Zhao Zhen said, "You all go down, I will say a few words to Zheng Qing."

When Cui Xian and several eunuchs withdrew, Zhao Zhen said, "Nu Nu wants to see you in the palace, so I will dissuade you."

Zheng Lang was embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, can you choose a good husband? Your Highness cannot stay in the deep palace all your life."

"I have advised you. But she doesn't listen, and I'm afraid of an accident."

"This..." Zheng Lang didn't know how to answer.

"You don't care about your son?"

Zheng Lang almost sweated a little, but he didn't know how to answer. He actually asked, it was okay in the palace. Even if there was any intrigue in the palace, Zhao Niannu's son could not participate in the battle for the throne, so there was no danger.

"Come me upstairs to your house and take a look."

"Here." Zheng Lang took Zhao Zhen to the second floor of his house, stood in front of the study, Zhao Zhen looked into the distance, and said, "I have an idea in my mind. If the incident fades in a few years, Nu Nu still has obsession in his heart. Let Nu Nu become a monk."

"This," Zheng Lang was sweating.

"If that happens, it will be even more difficult for you to enter the two palaces."

"It is the same for me whether to enter the two prefectures or not, but," Zheng Lang didn't know how to say it. From the perspective of personal affairs, this is the safest way. The Zheng family is either rich or noble, but it is not difficult for the royal family to build a small Taoist temple. As long as they are female Taoist priests, they will gossip, but it doesn't matter. But it's ultimately a time bomb. If you want to say that you have done nothing to say.

Zhao Zhen changed the subject. Even if he had this idea, he had to wait until the river control or the summer was flat. At this time, no matter what, he could not cause trouble. He looked into the distance and said, "Zheng Qing, you have traveled almost all the places in the Song Dynasty. How are the people doing?"

"Your Majesty. It's really good, but there are still many people who have difficulty in food and clothing."

"I really want to see the real life of the people." This requirement seems not difficult, but it is really difficult in reality. Think about the emperor's trip, the jade ships carried around him, the guards around him lead the way, and they also leave the palace, and even the city, but then what opportunity can you really see the lives of the people?

Zheng Lang shook his head.

However, Zhao Zhen was in a tragedy throughout his life. His range of activities was really small. He grew up in the palace since he was young. After growing up, he either had to sacrifice the palace or occasionally the Nantian sacrificed the palace. But such an emperor was the emperor who knew the sufferings of the people best.

He whispered: "Your Majesty, it is also a blessing for me to meet a monarch like Your Majesty."

"It is also my blessing to meet a minister like you. Sometimes I think, you have no sons in your life and no sons in your life, but you have done so much for me, but I don't know how to repay you. Maybe the matter of Nunu is also the will of God. How can you mistake it if you drink and peck?"

"This," Zheng Lang didn't know what to say.

Zhao Zhen then changed the topic and said, "Zheng Qing, I heard the eunuch in the palace say that people's lives have been better in the past few years than before."

"It's true, it's better than before. In fact, the people don't have high requirements. They will be satisfied with having a bite of food, clothes to keep warm, and a place to shelter from the wind and rain. If they can eat meat occasionally and wear one or two new clothes occasionally, they will praise His Majesty for his wisdom."

"That's it?"

"It's still possible. This is because they met a wise monarch like His Majesty. The country would be more miserable, otherwise it would be more miserable," Zheng Lang said helplessly. This is determined by productivity. In this era, people can eat enough instead of eating well, wear warmer instead of well, and live in a villa, and the difficulty requirements are no less than that of later generations, everyone has a BMW and every family lives in a villa.
To be continued...