Li Xiang's visit on the second day was naturally to Changsun Wuji. This was basically the same as before, at most the two families exchanged places, so no one was surprised, and everyone was looking forward to the third day.
One can still see the signs of old age on Cheng Yaojin's face, but not on Changsun Wuji's face. Li Xiang knew that Changsun Wuji was also relatively long-lived. If he had not met the treacherous Wu Zetian, Changsun Wuji would probably be even older.
"Your two cousins have already decided to join the army. I have also seen the candidates you have chosen for deputy generals. Since we have already discussed and decided, I will not interfere with the rest of the matter."
Changsun Wuji did not invite Li Xiang to have dinner here. The two of them just drank tea in the flower hall. Changsun Wuji had something to do later.
Cheng Yaojin is now unemployed at home, so he has plenty of time to drink with Li Xiang. Even if he holds some positions, most of them are just empty titles and there is no serious work at all.
It was different for Changsun Wuji. Changsun Wuji was the prime minister of the court. Even though Li Xiang established the General's Mansion of Tiance, many things were still handled by the court. What's more, most of the General's Mansion of Tiance dealt with military matters.
"Uncle has been busy with state affairs these past few years, so he should take care of his health. The state has more and more things to do. Uncle, please don't tire yourself out. My two cousins are not around..."
When Li Xiang's power was weak, he was very willing to get close to Changsun Wuji, but when he became powerful, Li Xiang felt very uncomfortable staying next to Changsun Wuji, mainly because Changsun Wuji had a very clear understanding of everything.
"You can't neglect the affairs of the court at all. You've only been responsible for fighting wars these years, but you rarely care about other matters. The court must provide you with all the support you need. Moreover, the implementation of various policies must be supervised by dedicated personnel. Just selecting these people is giving me a headache."
What Changsun Wuji said was true. Most of the things he dealt with were related to Li Xiang. This guy had all kinds of strange ideas. He only needed to write a letter and the people in the court would run around.
Take the free schools that Li Xiang mentioned earlier. They have now been spread across the country, especially in the inherent territory of the Tang Dynasty. The court has added nearly 4,000 more people due to this alone.
This is only in one area. If there were such free schools all over the country, there would be more people relying on the imperial court. Many failed candidates would have a place to make a living and would not starve to death on the streets without any skills.
Of course, Li Xiang's actions also touched the cake of the aristocratic families. There are different levels of education, and ordinary people naturally do not have this opportunity. The tuition alone is a huge expense.
Moreover, many children have to help their families. If they go to school, it means that the family will lose a labor force, and many families are unwilling to do so.
Therefore, Li Xiang could only provide these children with two meals for free, and did not charge them tuition. Even for some poor families, the court had to allocate part of the money for financial assistance before it would allow their children to go to school.
Many children of nobles were unwilling to do so. There were already quite a few people taking the exam. If ordinary people and their children came now, wouldn’t that mean that their chances would become fewer and fewer?
Over the years, countless people have come forward to discuss this proposal, but it has been promoted nationwide, and Changsun Wuji has put a lot of effort into it. If we talk about his contribution to national education, Changsun Wuji should be ranked first.
"Everyone has seen my great-uncle's contributions to the nation over the years. His contributions have truly benefited the present and future generations."
When Li Xiang finished speaking, there was a gleam in Changsun Wuji's eyes. Who doesn't want a good reputation? If this matter was really blamed on Changsun Wuji, then he would be famous for all eternity.
Of course, the main credit still has to go to Li Shimin. This is also a rule throughout the dynasties. No matter how much good you have done for the country, the emperor must take the greatest credit. The person who implements the specific work can then be attributed to you, which can be regarded as giving you a share of the pie.
"The Tang Dynasty's economy has improved in recent years, and the court's revenue has increased exponentially. Currently, the court is able to collect nearly 30 million guan in taxes. This is directly related to the increase in territory and the improvement in economic conditions."
Hearing what Changsun Wuji said, Li Xiang was quite relieved. You know, when he led his troops to war for the first time, the tax revenue of the Tang Dynasty court was only one-third of what it is now. It could do this thing but not that thing. Now, with the victory in foreign wars and the frequent circulation of goods within the country, the tax revenue of the Tang Dynasty court has tripled, which is also a major achievement.
Naturally, all the credit on the battlefield belonged to Li Xiang and his men. At most, Li Shimin added another person who was good at selecting and appointing people to positions. As for other people in Chang'an City, although they also made contributions in logistics, they did not get much.
Li Xiang also understood what Changsun Wuji meant by this. Most of the meritorious officials who were canonized by the court in recent years were under your command. Now many people in the court are somewhat dissatisfied. You should find a reason to show them favor, otherwise these people will become more and more lazy, and in the end do nothing, or even become the opposite of Li Xiang.
"What my uncle said is very important. We should reward them now. They have made great contributions over the years. Without their efforts, there would be no Tang Empire today."
With Li Xiang's words, Changsun Wuji knew what to do. There were also some people in the court who needed to be won over, and you couldn't deny them the benefits they deserved.
They may not care if it happens once or twice, but if there is no benefit after years and months, these people will probably not be willing to continue working hard. The court's various policies and major policies still need them to keep an eye on them. Once these people are unwilling to work hard, the court's carriage will probably stop.
"I have other things to do, so I won't keep you here for dinner today. However, I have an appointment with you for lunch, and I think he's already prepared it..."
Zhang Sun Wuji's words surprised Li Xiang. "You made an appointment for me to have dinner? With whom?"
