Li Shimin had been listening for a while, and when he heard the two discussing the spinning machine, he was already getting impatient.
If all the linen in the Tang Dynasty was woven using this kind of machine, what would the common people do?
Upon hearing that Li Jue actually wanted to use machines to weave cloth and then distribute money to the people, Li Shimin could no longer contain himself and immediately kicked open the door and went inside.
"What nonsense are you two talking about? How can you give money to the people?"
When Li Tai and Li Jue saw Li Shimin suddenly appear, they were both stunned, wondering how they had attracted this guy.
Li Tai glared fiercely at Li Jue, thinking that if he hadn't sent all the palace maids and eunuchs of the Prince's Mansion to the spinning workshop, his father wouldn't have been so quiet when he arrived!
Not many, Li Jue had already transferred the palace maids and eunuchs of the Prince's Mansion to work in the spinning workshop.
In his view, this is called making the best use of people and allocating resources rationally. But others might see it as petty, or even unreasonable.
After all, these people were nominally bestowed upon him by Li Shimin. If he just threw them into the spinning workshop, it would inevitably cause gossip.
But the two men had no time to think about that. They quickly put down their large bowls and prepared to bow to Li Shimin. However, as if they had agreed beforehand, they bowed very slowly. By the time Li Shimin said "No need for formalities," their knees were still bent.
Li Shimin naturally saw through the subtle actions of the uncle and nephew, and pointed at them for a long time without saying a word.
After all, if he were to say it, it wouldn't just be the uncle and nephew who would lose face, but also his father and grandfather!
"You two are really something! You're not going to school, and you don't care about the policies of Chang'an County. You're just hiding here researching these broken machines!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue immediately frowned. Li Er could scold him, but he couldn't scold his machine!
You must understand, he was counting on the steam engine to change the Tang Dynasty and the world, how could he allow this old man to belittle it?
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words!"
"This is a steam loom; no one may desecrate it!"
Li Shimin also had a temper, and upon hearing this, he immediately kicked Li Jue's buttocks twice.
"A steam loom?"
"I'll beat you up, you loom!"
"I said a few words to you, and you dare to be unhappy? I'll beat you to death!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue didn't flinch, but stood there straight and let Li Er kick him, though his eyes were very unfriendly, like a little tiger ready to devour someone at any moment.
Li Er noticed Li Jue's dissatisfaction. Although he was very disdainful, he did indeed pull his foot back.
"Hmph!"
"What, did I say something wrong?"
"If you, with your broken machine, wove all the cloth in the world, what would the women of the world do?"
"Furthermore, since ancient times, it has always been the common people who pay taxes to the government, yet you are thinking of giving money to the people!"
Li Jue stiffened his neck and retorted.
"Why can't we give money to the people?"
Li Shimin snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"Because this has never been heard of before!"
"Moreover, if you give money to the people, it will only make them lazy and will not benefit the Tang Dynasty at all!"
"Lazy?"
Li Jue found these words extremely grating. If he remembered correctly, an expert in his previous life had said something similar.
"May I ask Your Majesty, is this how you, as emperor, view the people of the Tang Dynasty?"
Li Shimin was taken aback upon hearing this, sensing a trap in the statement, so he didn't immediately refute it.
Sure enough, the grandson spoke up again after a short while.
"Grandson truly feels sorry for the people of the Tang Dynasty!"
"They work hard farming, spinning yarn, and weaving cloth, and they also fight wars, perform corvée labor, and build palaces for you. Yet you, the emperor, look down on your subjects, considering them lazy, shameless, and unambitious!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately defended himself.
"I didn't say that!"
"You brat, don't misinterpret my words! I only said that giving money away for no reason would encourage the people's arrogance and laziness. When did I say that the people are shameless and unambitious?"
Li Jue snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"You think that giving them money will make them lazy? Isn't that just looking down on them, thinking they have no shame, and that they lack ambition?"
"I……"
"Grandpa, stop making excuses. You just look down on your people from the bottom of your heart!"
Li Shimin was so angry at Li Jue's words that his face turned red and his neck bulged. In the end, he transferred all his anger to his feet and kicked Li Jue's buttocks repeatedly.
"Who taught you to speak to me like that!"
"Arrogant!"
"Disrespectful to your elders! I'll teach you a lesson today!"
"Grandpa, even if you beat me to death, I will still speak out..."
"You look down on the people of the Tang Dynasty!"
"The people of my Great Tang are intelligent, kind, upright, and grateful. If you treat them well in the slightest, they will repay you tenfold!"
"However, my respected Emperor, the great Heavenly Khan, dares not give money to the people, or rather, disdains to give money to the people!"
"You are truly a good emperor for the people, a good patriarch for the subjects of the Tang Dynasty, hahaha!"
Li Shimin was so angry at Li Jue's sarcastic remark that he kicked even harder.
"You brat, how dare you say that!"
"Guards, bring me a rope, strip him naked, and hang him from a tree outside!"
Upon hearing this, Li Tai immediately knelt down and begged Li Jue for mercy.
"Father, please calm down and don't take it to heart!"
“What this child said is not wrong. If you truly love the people like your own children, why are you against giving money to them?”
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