Chapter 429 Li Shimin is shameless again

"I obey the order."

Wei Zheng readily agreed.

If I'm wrong, I will naturally draw my hand.

That's right, even with a knife to our throats, we wouldn't pull it out.

"If that's the case..."

Li Shimin looked at Wei Shuyu, his eyes once again revealing a disdainful look: "Wei Shuyu, do you still want this position as a physician?"

Wei Shuyu glanced at Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng was seen holding his official tablet, his eyes downcast and seemingly lost in thought.

"..."

Wei Shuyu is a idiot.

Everything is understood without words, right? I get it!

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Wei Shuyu bowed obediently.

"Um."

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction.

Then he turned to the people below the city wall and said, "Fellow villagers, after repeated discussions by the court, the position of Minister of Commerce will still be held by Wei Shuyu!"

Wow.

Upon hearing this, the people erupted in cheers...

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Li Shimin listened and narrowed his eyes.

What could be more pleasing to the ear than this sound?

He couldn't help but glance at the historian...

Such an exciting moment, why aren't you writing it down for me?

boring……

The historian pursed his lips and continued writing in a disjointed manner.

"but……"

Li Shimin's expression turned stern again: "Your surrounding of the palace is tantamount to treason!"

Swish.

The people were all on tenterhooks.

Is this a prelude to settling scores later?

"Considering that you have no ill intentions, let's let this go this time."

"But those who led the charge just now must be punished."

"Li Junxian!"

"Your subject is present."

"Arrest the ringleaders who instigated this, and punish each of them with thirty strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"

"promise."

Li Junxian accepted the order and left.

After dismissing the people, Li Shimin led his officials back to the Taiji Hall.

"Your Majesty, I have a feeling that something is not right."

On the way back to the Taiji Hall, Wang De suddenly asked a question.

"how?"

Li Shimin was in high spirits and in a very good mood.

He had put a tight rein on Xiao Wei.

Let's see if he dares to cause trouble again.

"It was you who dismissed Wei Shuyu, and then reinstated him to his original position..."

"What exactly are they asking for?"

Holy crap.

yes.

What was the purpose of all that going around in circles?

The whole family got a severe scolding from Xiao Wei, but Xiao Wei was completely unharmed?

In an instant, Li Shimin's joy vanished.

Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin had a stern face, looking constipated, which truly baffled his ministers.

Wasn't His Majesty in a pretty good mood just now?

Why is it suddenly like this again?

"Your Majesty, this is my report."

Upon returning to the court, Wei Shuyu immediately began to settle accounts: "The Crown Prince, the Prince of Wei, and the Prince of Shu have mishandled the Ministry of Commerce, causing public resentment. I implore Your Majesty to order their punishment!"

"..."

Li Shimin was exhausted.

Xiao Wei is as annoying as ever.

"What do you think should be done to punish him, my dear minister?" Li Shimin replied listlessly.

"Your Majesty, they are princes, and I dare not overstep my bounds," Wei Shuyu said in a fearful tone.

Go to hell.

They dare to file a complaint, but they don't dare to get convicted?

Then tell me, would I really punish my own son?

"The King of Wei, the King of Shu, and the King of Yan have behaved improperly. Considering this is their first offense, they will be fined half a year's salary..."

As Li Shimin finished speaking, the princes bowed in unison to accept their punishment.

"As for the Crown Prince, he shall be punished by copying the Zhenguan Code ten times!"

"..."

Li Chengqian's lips twitched.

I'm so old, why am I still being punished with copying...

But there's nothing I can do...

The crown prince does not receive a salary.

Aside from stripping him of his title as crown prince, there's really nothing else to punish him for.

"What, does the Crown Prince have a problem with this?"

Seeing that Li Chengqian did not reply for a long time, Li Shimin asked in displeasure.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

With Li Chengqian bowing, the matter was essentially concluded.

"Do any of you ministers have anything else to report?" Li Shimin asked again.

Just when everyone thought the court session could end, Wei Shuyu stepped forward again...

"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

"..."

Don't they let people get any rest?

Don't you know we haven't even eaten yet?

The courtiers suddenly discovered...

Reinstating Wei Shuyu to his original position was a mistake.

"Speak..."

Li Shimin spoke weakly.

Even if you appoint someone yourself to an official position, you must listen to the whole thing, even if it brings tears to your eyes.

"When I went to Xiangzhou this time, I found that the roads of the Great Tang were rugged and bumpy, and it was really difficult to travel."

Wei Shuyu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an order to repair the road!"

Road construction?

Where's the money?

The national treasury has finally managed to accumulate some funds, and you're already eyeing them, aren't you?

"The national treasury is empty; let's discuss this matter again." Li Shimin refused quite decisively.

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, if you want to get rich, build roads first."

Wei Shuyu began to persuade him, saying, "If you want the national treasury to be full in the long term, you must lay a solid foundation."

"Wei Shuyu, stop spouting such unrealistic nonsense."

Changsun Wuji stepped forward again and rebuked, "Do you know how many people and how much money it takes to build a road?"

"The most crucial thing is... that road will break down again in less than two years, it's a complete waste of money!"

The ministers all nodded in agreement.

The roads in Chang'an were made of a mixture of mud and sand, compacted together, and covered with sand to prevent dust.

The official road was paved with stone slabs or pebbles, which was slightly better.

But damn it...

The technology of the Tang Dynasty was what it was; after a while of rain and walking on it, it became basically full of potholes.

A few more people stealing manhole covers, oops, prying up stone slabs, tsk tsk... it's unbearable to watch.

"Your Majesty, as a wise and benevolent ruler throughout history, road construction is essential!"

"This is not only a blessing to the world, but also a thing that will go down in history!"

"Take Qin Shi Huang for example..."

"Leaving aside his work on the Great Wall, the Qin Straight Road alone is enough to earn him eternal praise!"

Qin Straight Road.

It has an extremely powerful title: barren land!

The entire length is over 700 kilometers. Its soil is mature soil, which is made by crushing the soil used for construction, burning it, roasting it, and finally tamping it together.

After more than two thousand years, not a single blade of grass grows here!

"Furthermore, Emperor Wu of Han opened the Silk Road, and he built even more roads..."

"Huizhong Road, Guyang Road, Yelang Road..."

One of the idioms is "Yelang arrogance," which refers to the Yelang Kingdom.

The Yelang Road was originally built to defend against the Nanyue Kingdom and incidentally to subdue the Yelang Kingdom... But Emperor Wu of Han spent eighteen years building it and invested huge amounts of manpower and resources. Did he really think it was a friendly relationship between the two countries?

People had long ago incorporated the Yelang Kingdom into their own territory.

Li Shimin frowned.

I admire this wise and benevolent ruler throughout the ages.

But my strength doesn't allow me to build roads.

“I do not oppose road construction, but as Fu Ji said, this road will not last more than two years before it has to be repaired again. With the current national treasury revenue, it is simply not feasible to afford it…” Li Shimin pondered for a moment and then sighed.

"Your Majesty, what if I could create a road that could be used for twenty years?" Wei Shuyu suddenly said.

Um?

Li Shimin was greatly encouraged.

Indeed, restoring you to your original position was the best decision I made.

"I see..."

Li Shimin feigned hesitation and said, "But as you know, the Tang Dynasty has been at war for years, and the national treasury is not abundant."

"Even if you could build a road that would last for twenty years, the national treasury wouldn't have that much money..."

"If your Ministry of Commerce can solve this funding problem, I will definitely give it my full support."

Shameless! Unscrupulous!

The ministers cursed inwardly.

Li Shimin's meaning was quite clear...

This one, I want.

I don't have that money.

If you can handle this, I will give you my full moral support!