Li Shimin shook his head and said, "I have never done business, how can I hear it?"

Empress Changsun took the conversation next to her and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard this sentence. Li Mu meant that even if this matter is good for the court and the clans, if they ask the clans to do it, they will make various requests, and the matter will be difficult to handle."

Li Mu nodded and said, "It is precisely this principle. Human nature is like a donkey, leading it and regressing. If I don't use a little trick, how can I get things done? Now with the example of the Wang family in Taiyuan, I will curse them first and make a move for other forces, so things will be much easier to do in the future."

"I am determined." Li Shimin sighed: "At your age, although I have also started leading the army to fight, I do not have the strategy of yours. I am still unclear. Can you solve my doubts for me?"

"Please speak with your Majesty."

"You have said that the world is bustling, all for profit, and all for profit. Since building roads is a business that is stable and profitable, why don't you participate in it yourself?" Before Li Mu could speak, Li Shimin said again: "Don't say to me anything to treat money as dirt, I don't believe it."

Li Mu smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty can guess what I want to say. I am really ashamed. In fact, if you want to talk about this reason, it is complicated and simple. To put it simply, I don't want to make this money. It is too tiring and slow, and I have many things to worry about. Your Majesty, you have also seen it. Just one winery is enough. Why do you make so much money? I don't have a family or a child, so what's the point of coming? I often say that money is treated like dirt. It is also because of this reason. It's useless for me to ask for money, so I'm too lazy to make money."

Li Shimin had a calm face and refused to speak. Li Mu quickly stopped his pretentious attitude and continued, "If you want to talk about the complicated reasons, I really don't have the capital to do this business."

"Ha, you still lack capital?"

"What I am talking about is not money." Li Mu explained: "What I call capital is food, manpower, local influence, and so on."

Li Mu said seriously: "Your Majesty, when it comes to building a road, it is really not something that can be done casually. Even if Your Majesty wants to do it, it may be difficult. Take the road from Taiyuan to Chang'an for example. If the court comes to build it, the money and food will be spent more than twice as much as the Wang family in Taiyuan, at least twice as much."

Li Shimin frowned and said, "Why is this? I am not as good as the Wang family in Taiyuan?"

"Your Majesty, I have been in the Ministry of Works for almost half a year and have some experience. A project, whether it is to build roads or city walls, is a very complicated matter. Just like Your Majesty is familiar with leading troops to fight, the same soldiers, and different generals lead them to completely different effects."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "I don't understand how to build roads when you say you are, but leading troops to fight is indeed as you said."

"Please take the road from Taiyuan to Chang'an as an example. When Your Majesty talked to me, he also admitted that in the local area, the court had a weaker influence than the family. In other words, near Taiyuan, the face of the Wang family in Taiyuan is greater than that of the court."

Li Shimin snorted coldly, but did not deny it.

Li Mu continued: "If this matter is led by the court, and officials from top to bottom can guarantee that they will definitely be charged. Your Majesty will pay 100 guan, but when it comes to the hands of the working people, there will probably be no more than 30 guan."

Li Shimin was silent. Although he wanted to say that the officials under his rule were honest, he also knew that what Li Mu said was the truth.

"Not to mention that the Ministry of Civil Affairs has insufficient money and food, can the project go smoothly even if it is sufficient money and food?" Li Mu shook his head and said, "Not all, because the people who work understand that the court gave money, and the big money is in the hands of the people in charge. If the people in charge do not work, they can get more. The people who work are naturally unfair, but they have no choice, because they are counting on this job for dinner. Can Your Majesty know what the people who work at this time will do?"

Li Shimin said hard: "I don't know!"

"If I work, I will be passive and slacking off. Because no matter whether I work fast or slow, I won't get more money. I work slower and the project ends slowly, and I can make more money. And those who are in charge of the business from top to bottom are happy to be slower because the longer the project takes, the greater the benefits they get. Under such a vicious cycle, can there be less spending?"

Li Shimin's face looked a little ugly. After hearing what Li Mu said, he understood why the money and food allocated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs were always insufficient? It was because these borers existed!

Li Mu ignored what Li Shimin thought and said, "This is not the most annoying thing, but in the face of this situation, as the court, he can't say anything."

"Rebelled!" Li Shimin said angrily: "They are so slack and seeking personal gain, but I can't control them?"

"Your Majesty, you forgot that the world is prosperous and prosperous for profit. You can take care of it, but when the water is clear, there will be no fish. After you take care of it, who will work for you? Even if he is forced to do it under threat, will he do his best? The road construction thing is not fake. Don't look good on the surface, but it will be bumpy in the next rain. At that time, even if Your Majesty kills people, will the spent money come back?"

"And your Majesty also needs to consider reputation. If you really issue an order to rebuke, these people in charge will be put on the people. Do the people know what's going on? They will only think that Your Majesty is tyrannical, and your reputation will be-"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said angrily: "Will it be different if Wang from Taiyuan do it?"

Li Mu nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. If the Wang family in Taiyuan do this, it will be different."

Li Shimin said unconvincedly: "What's different? Tell me!"

"First of all, in terms of the cost of money and grain, Your Majesty uses officials, and the officials and Your Majesty are not a family member. However, the Wang family in Taiyuan uses all family servants. These servants have been bound to the Wang family in Taiyuan for generations, and their interests are consistent, and even if there is a deficit, it is easy to investigate. Therefore, they have to save a lot of money in terms of eating and taking the card."

"Besides, if the Wang family in Taiyuan wants to build roads, they must first gather the refugees. If Your Majesty gathers the refugees, the refugees will feel that Your Majesty is right. You are the emperor, they are the people, and Your Majesty has the obligation to make the people eat and wear and clothing. But the Wang family in Taiyuan is different. They take out the food to find someone to work, can work, have food, can’t work, and have no food. The refugees will not think that the Wang family in Taiyuan should be, and this is also a different place."

"Then there is the issue of efficiency and quality. For the Wang family in Taiyuan, they built roads to collect tolls. If they built the roads very poorly and would be bumpy in the next rain, they would have to repair the roads. This time, there was a cost. If they always returned to repair, they would have to pay for money, so they would definitely do their work when they were building roads. They used their own money and food, unlike the imperial court, who were passing by, and officials did not use their own money and food, so they would not feel distressed! They came to build roads, but His Majesty could still hold them accountable if they couldn't get away. They would definitely have some concerns to ensure quality."

"I am almost the same as Your Majesty. I have money but no food, and I am not reliable. The price I pays for doing this business is too high. If I accidentally lose money, I will not be able to get involved."

Li Shimin held his forehead with his hand and sighed, "I feel very uncomfortable after hearing these words from you. I often think that as long as I treat him as a national soldier, my ministers will repay him with a national trainer. But why is this not the case?"

Li Mu whispered: "Your Majesty, I will repay you with the national sages. Why don't Your Majesty treat me with the national sages?"

"What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything."

Li Shimin glared at Li Mu and said, "Sometimes I really feel strange. You don't want to make a profit, so why do you have to spend so much effort to instigate this matter? What are the benefits for you?"

Li Mu said seriously: "Your Majesty, I am just for the people--"

"Do you think you really believe it?"

Li Mu sighed and said, "Your Majesty, don't be prejudiced against me. You also said that I have no benefits to you, so what can I do? I can think of this because I think that this move can support many refugees. It's really that simple."

"real?"

"Uh..." Li Mu said helplessly: "And, that... is endless fun to fight with others. Your Majesty has a sharp eye like a torch, and a sharp eye like a torch."

"I just knew that you thought so!" Li Shimin looked like 'You can still deceive me' and said, "Don't even think of deceiving me. I have walked more bridges than you have walked."

"Your Majesty's Holy Wisdom--"

Li Mu no longer wants to say anything. What's wrong with this world? Why no one believes it? Could it be that my "personality" is wrong? Do I just don't look like a good person?

"Okay, don't feel wronged. I will give you all the right to do this, but if you say hello to the uncle, otherwise the auxiliary machine will think I am really cold."

Li Mu glanced at Empress Changsun and honestly agreed.

Empress Changsun smiled and said, "Li Mu, look at what I do, do you think this palace will leak the news?"

Li Mu was a little embarrassed and simply admitted it, saying, "I am afraid, I do think so."

"You boy!" Li Shimin smiled and said, "The queen and I are one. You may inform the uncle of the country in advance for small matters, but in major matters, the queen will never be confused. Don't treat the queen as an ordinary woman."

Li Mu quickly stood up and saluted: "I offend the Queen, I hope I will forgive you."

"What's the point of blame? If you have such an idea, it shows your loyalty to Your Majesty." Empress Changsun helped Li Mu up and said, "I never ask my parents' family to be too prominent, just don't suffer any losses."

Li Mu understood this sentence, but he could not leave it alone in five words.

"Li Mu, I have two more things to tell you."

Li Mu thought to himself, why is there something wrong again, but he still said with a submissive look: "Your Majesty, please speak."

"Is this one thing about the studies of the prince and the king of Yue? You are a professor at Chongwenguan after all, and it's time to teach. Also, I heard that you can make glass?"
Chapter completed!