Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 192: Nephew Li Ming, you taught me well!

"Hmph, what do you know?"

Changsun Wuji asked back unhappily.

On the one hand, he worked hard for Li Ming unwillingly, and on the other hand, he had to persuade his stubborn grandson not to fall into Li Ming's clutches.

The hated Prince Li Ming was sandwiched between two pieces of cheese, which made him feel quite unhappy.

He tentatively approved of Li Ming's methods.

But Changsun Gong absolutely could not praise Li Ming's character.

"I just can't understand you."

Chang Sun Wuji was in no mood to continue writing, so he simply put down his pen and decided to have a good talk with his grandson face to face:

"I don't understand, after you kids come back from Liaodong, why do you always want to 'go back' to Liaodong?
"Yuchi Xunyu is like this, and so are you!"

Zhang Sunyan: "Aunt, this is not the time to talk about this. You are..."

Zhang Sun Wuji: "Don't interrupt when your elders are talking to you! Are you a rude barbarian?!"

He rudely interrupted his grandson and angrily scolded him for being ungrateful.

Things like "Why did he go to Liaodong to do hard labor when he could have been suffocated by the affluent life?", "He was treated like a slave by Li Ming and even counted money for him", "Have you been drugged and have you forgotten your roots?" and so on.

What's wrong with Aung? Why does he look like an old man trying to persuade his son not to gamble...

Zhang Sunyan subconsciously connected the worried old man to the grassroots cases he had worked on, and listened to the angry old man politely but awkwardly.

Just like a mediator in Wuli Township.

"I originally thought that by placing you next to Li Ming, you would learn some skills in governing a country. To be frank, it would also ease the relationship between our family and Li Ming."

Chang Sun Wuji spoke with such earnestness that he laid everything out in front of him:
"I didn't expect that he didn't take you seriously at all!

"Last time I asked you to be a messenger, and you ran a full four thousand miles just to deliver a message for him!

"What kind of hard work have been assigned to you now? Mining? Or building dams and roads?"

Zhang Sunyan: "Probably the second one..."

Changsun Wuji interrupted rudely again:
"He treats you like a fool!

"He doesn't take you seriously, which means he doesn't take the entire Changsun family seriously!

"In that case, why are you still trying to please someone who doesn't like you?
"Besides wasting time, being bullied, and making a fool of myself, what other results can there be?!"

The last sentence was almost shouted by Changsun Wuji.

He was really angry.

It can be said that Chang Sunyan grew up in his arms.

Because his biological mother was a princess, he doted on this grandson to great extent.

I was really afraid of dropping it if I held it in my hands, and afraid of it melting if I held it in my mouth. I had been pampered since childhood.

Has he ever been tired?

Once upon a time... not too long ago, just last year... Chang Sun Yan was still a handsome young man in the area, a gentle and elegant nobleman.

As a result, we didn't see each other for just a few months.

How did it become like this!
How did he become a coolie with strong limbs and a simple mind?
Where has that delicate and graceful young man gone?
"Aunt, I'm not wasting my time..."

Chang Sunyan tried to interrupt:

“I also learned a lot…”

“Learn how to farm?”

Chang Sun Wuji interrupted rudely again:
"How do you carry soil, move things, dig mines, and deliver messages?

"Is this what someone of your status should do?!"

Changsun Wuji's face turned red with anger.

What could make him more angry than the younger generation stubbornly bringing shame to the family?

Okay, if you respect me one inch, I will respect you one yard!
Since Li Ming trampled on the good intentions of the Changsun family so wantonly.

Then don’t blame the Changsun family for doing something extreme!

He wants Li Ming to pay the price of the throne for this!

"First of all, there is no need for you to stay in Liaodong and waste your youth.

"Go back to the capital and continue your studies!"

Zhangsun Wuji issued a death order to his grandson.

First, bring this "Princess of Peace" back, educate her well, and brainwash her!
"Aunt...Ah." Chang Sun Yan tried to at least say something.

Chang Sun Wuji had almost vented his anger and asked curiously:
"What do you want to say?"

"I want to say...let's put other issues aside for now."

Chang Sunyan adhered to Liaodong's excellent work style of "talking about things when there are problems", and pointed to the document he had just pointed at:
"Not at any other time. Aong, you really were fooled by your men.

"Didn't you realize that this information was fake?"

Zhang Sun Wuji almost snorted from his nose:

"What do you know, kid? Do you know what happened in the Tang Dynasty these two days? Do you know what the court is doing?"

I’m not afraid of scaring you to death when I tell you this. I’ll scare you so much that you’ll run away to Liaodong while shouting “Tang Dynasty Pills”.

Because you probably won't understand.

Only a senior bureaucrat like Aweng, who has been in charge of the work of the entire Tang Dynasty for many years, can...

"Isn't it just the economic stagflation caused by the depletion of liquidity? Brother Ming is already instructing you to issue banknotes to solve it?" Chang Sun Yan replied lightly.

"Ha, you don't know. We are..." Changsun Wuji was about to show off his prowess in front of others, but suddenly he got stuck.

There was an awkward silence in the study for a moment.

"Cough cough."

After a long while, Zhang Sun Wuji coughed dryly to save his dignity and naturally skipped the previous topic:

"You have already been in Liaodong and used paper money?"

Chang Sunyan shook his head:

"Ming Ge only mentioned it in the letter, but he didn't use it rashly.

"Because Liaodong is too small and its economy is highly dependent on foreign countries, it would be very troublesome if we did not unify the currency with Goguryeo and other parts of the Tang Dynasty.

“So there was only an idea of ​​issuing paper money, but in reality metal money was still being used.

"I didn't expect Chang'an to use it first."

Zhang Sun Wuji's expression changed, and after a long while he uttered:
"Oh."

Seeing that the grumpy old man finally calmed down, Chang Sunyan pointed at the document and said bluntly:
"This is the record of Chang'an County's paper money issuance, right?"

Changsun Wuji nodded:

“It’s written in the title.”

Chang Sunyan: "Don't look at it, it's fake."

Chang Sun Wuji laughed:
"You, the grandfather, have the final say on what is true and false. I don't need a half-grown boy to teach me how to be an official."

Spending money is not the same as making money, so what's the difficulty?
Isn’t it just knocking on doors and giving out money?
The information on the issuance of banknotes reported by the magistrate of Chang'an County was also very simple. It was nothing more than how many households received the banknotes every day and the total amount.

How can you tell at a glance that these dry numbers are fake?
Chang Sunyan was too lazy to argue with him and pointed to another document beside him:
"This is the distribution of grain in Chang'an County. In theory, after the people get the banknotes, they will exchange them for rice in these granaries, right?"

Zhang Sun Wuji folded his arms and understood what his grandson meant:
"Do you think that the actual amount of rice distributed does not match the total amount of banknotes issued?"

"Yes." Chang Sunyan said fluently:
“According to the plan, the first batch of banknotes each household received will be enough to exchange for ten days of stored food.

"But based on the actual amount of grain that was taken out of the Chang'an County granary and divided by the number of households to which the paper money was distributed, it is estimated that each household only received the equivalent of five days of stored grain."

You are a very good math guy... Changsun Wuji was secretly surprised, but he said calmly:
"What's so strange about this? How heavy would it be to carry ten days' worth of food back in one go?
“People should save the banknotes first and only take a few days’ worth at a time.

"Not only is it easier to transport food this way, but the queues will also be much shorter than if everyone rushed to grab food at once."

Then he pushed another chart to his grandson:
“This is the amount of grain shipped out of the warehouse in Wannian County, which is about the same as that in Chang’an County.

"Are you going to say that Wannian County's data is also falsified?"

"The shipment volumes from Chang'an County and Wannian County are similar. This is the biggest doubt."

Chang Sunyan said seriously:
“These two counties are fundamentally different.”

Chang'an County and Wannian County are two counties affiliated with the capital city Chang'an.

Chang'an County is located in the west of the city and is a civilian area.

Wannian County in the east is a wealthy area.

“What is the biggest difference between ordinary people and rich people?”

Changsun Wuji was speechless for a moment.

He had never been a commoner for a day, so he really didn't know.

“The fear of hunger.”

Chang Sunyan said word by word:

“What if the court doesn’t recognize these papers? What if the granaries are empty? What if I can’t feed my hungry family? What if a disaster strikes the next day?
"So, as long as they can exchange it, the civilians in Chang'an County will definitely prefer to move ten days' worth of food to their homes at once, rather than storing the rice in the form of paper."

He looked directly into Aong's surprised eyes and continued:
"As for the rich people in Wannian County, they have sufficient food in their granaries, so there is no need to continue hoarding food or queuing up to receive it.

“So, they can easily keep the banknotes, and are obviously not as enthusiastic as civilians in exchanging them for food.

"However."

Chang Sunyan paused.

“There is almost no difference in the amount of food shipments between the poor and the rich areas.

“Therein lies a big problem.

"Aunt, what do you think the problem is?"

It is impossible for ordinary people to change their consumption habits overnight and become like the rich, despising food and valuing paper money.

That is to say...

“When Chang’an County distributed paper money to civilians, did they give discounts?

"Instead of distributing all the money to the people, they withheld some of it and enriched themselves?"

Chang Sunyan nodded:
“This is where your subordinates play tricks on you.

"He embezzled the relief funds from the imperial court and then submitted a false account."

Changsun Wuji was immediately frightened and broke out in a cold sweat.

This basket is too big! This basket is too big!
On the issue that Your Majesty and the entire court cares most about, under the eyes of the whole world.

How could such a corruption case come about?
If the truth comes out, he will definitely not be able to escape leadership responsibility.

My career is almost at its peak!
I know too little about ordinary people and grassroots county governments.

He laughed at Chang Sunyan for not understanding politics, and Chang Sunyan laughed at him for not understanding the grassroots.

Immediately afterwards, a surge of anger surged in Changsun Wuji's heart.

Damn it! At this critical moment, someone actually dares to cause trouble right under the imperial city!
And this is not just an ordinary matter, it directly involves the livelihoods of half of the capital’s population!
Damn, is Chang'an County a nest of insects?

The magistrate of Chang'an County is Li Qianyou, right?

"Aung, please quickly explain the situation to the Discipline Inspection Commission... and the Censorate." Chang Sun Yan reminded.

"You... are right." Changsun Wuji was a little dazed:
"I will give them a letter tomorrow."

Chang Sunyan: "Why tomorrow? Just send it tonight."

Zhang Sun Wuji: "But Wei Ting has already gone to bed at night."

Zhang Sunyan: "Rest is his business, and reporting is your business. If the truth comes out tonight or tomorrow morning, your report can at least be used as proof of guilt."

Changsun Wuji stood in awe.

This kid has really learned a good skill!
"How do you know so much about what the bureaucrats below you are thinking?" he asked in surprise and joy.

It is simply unimaginable that such practical administrative skills were possessed by the gentle and elegant Changsun Yan in the past.

Chang Sunyan patted his dark arm:

“Some were taught directly by Brother Ming, and some were learned on my own while handling government affairs for Brother Ming.

"I either work in the fields or climb mountains all day long. I have been working at the grassroots level for several months, so I am so tanned."

Did you learn this from Li Ming?

I don’t know why, but when Changsun Wuji looks at his grandson’s dark skin now, he finds him much more pleasing to the eye.

This is the sign of a man’s growth!
He also felt that his grandson's eyes had become firmer and his character more mature and stable after his trip to Liaodong, and his every move revealed a confident, calm and in-control temperament.

The Changsun family has successors.

Or it was trained by His Highness Li Ming himself...

For some reason, Changsun Wuji felt a deep sense of relief.

Then, he curled his lips:
"It seems that your uncle treats you well, and it is Grandfather who misunderstood.

"If you want to stay in Liaodong, that's up to you."

I don't have to break off relations with him completely, hold him back in secret, and undermine the country and the people... Changsun Wuji added in his heart.

"Okay..." Chang Sun Yan agreed readily.

But on second thought, I felt that what Aung said was strange:
"What does this have to do with my cousin?"

He didn't know why Grandpa brought this up, and he couldn't remember any cousin of Changsun's family who was making a living in Liaodong.

"Oh, it seems you don't know yet." Chang Sun Wuji's smile deepened:

"His Royal Highness Li Ming was adopted by Empress Changsun.

"Empress Changsun is my sister, your great aunt.

"Then as your great aunt's son, His Highness Li Ming is your cousin."

Chang Sunyan's pupils trembled:
"That is to say, Brother Ming..."

"Actually, it's your Uncle Ming, who is a whole generation older than you." Changsun Wuji did not hide the sly smile on his face.

The corner of Chang Sun Yan's mouth twitched.

Or... I'd better not go back to Liaodong?
(End of this chapter)