"I'm not saying I don't trust the people in the Ministry of Revenue, but they've been in office for a long time. If you ask them to think about problems for ordinary people, I expect they'll make all sorts of excuses. We in the military have to keep an eye on them too. If we find anyone breaking the rules, we'll deal with them immediately."
When Li Xiang said the latter part, this was already a military order. Niu Jinda agreed while riding on his horse, clasping his fists. This concerned the lives of all the brothers in the army, and Niu Jinda had to treat it as a serious matter. If we worked hard to get the money, and in the end the officials of the Ministry of Revenue embezzled the money, it would be really unfair to those brothers who fought with their lives on the line.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will personally investigate this matter. I will also send some people to investigate various places. If I find anyone who dares to lay their hands on our money, I will chop off their paws."
Niu Jinda said angrily that although the administration in Chang'an City was still relatively enlightened, after the prosperous life in recent years, many people had forgotten the situation in the early Tang Dynasty and began to accumulate wealth for their own families.
Li Xiang couldn't do anything about such situations in other places, but as long as it was in the place under his management, whether it was the army, the court agency, or the several businesses under his control, he would deal with it one by one, and with the strictest handling method.
Among the shopkeepers who got the treasure, six people lost their lives within a year. This was also specially arranged by Li Xiang.
Zhidaobao is not just a commercial organization, it is also a huge financial institution. If the people inside are corrupt, it may have a huge impact in the future. Li Xiang has already made a preparation. When he ascends the throne and becomes emperor, Zhidaobao will become the official financial institution.
Therefore, the people involved must be honest. If anyone is greedy for money, then you can only kiss your head goodbye. I have worked hard to establish such an organization, which is for the benefit of the people of the world. How can it become a tool for your own benefit? Therefore, Li Xiang will deal with each person he finds and will not tolerate it.
The two men walked and stopped on the road, and arrived in Chang'an City within the specified time. This time, the emperor sent Zhangsun Wuji to greet them, which gave Li Xiang enough face. However, there was no grand ceremony. The two wars had ended long ago, and many prisoners returned. The people in Chang'an City had also seen those prisoners. In addition, Li Shimin intended to simplify the matter of Li Xiang's return to Beijing, so not many people knew about it.
"Don't look so angry. Lord Changsun came to pick us up, which is a great honor. Do you really want to cause a sensation in the whole Chang'an City?"
Li Xiang saw Niu Jinda's cheeks puffed up with anger, and then looked at the faces of the guards around him. Naturally, he knew what they were thinking. They had been fighting outside for two years and expanded such a large territory for the Tang Dynasty. Even if the emperor did not come to pick him up in person, he should have sent an important official. Now there was not even the cheers from the people. Some people felt that the picture was different from what they had in their minds.
"I'm not saying this, but have we gone out to play? Have we sought benefits for ourselves? Haven't we built a great empire for the entire Tang Dynasty? What's the harm in the emperor coming in person? We are all national heroes. Isn't that what you said?"
What Niu Jinda said was what all the soldiers meant. Li Xiang, who was standing nearby, also heard it. Normally, he would praise these people to the sky and give them abnormal respect, which made them have all kinds of self-esteem. Now that the emperor did not come to greet them in person, these people's self-esteem was hurt.
Li Xiang did this for a reason. He wanted to let them see that not everyone in the world respects heroes on the battlefield as much as we do. Many people just treat you as a tool. Except for these people under Li Xiang, the entire Tang Dynasty army will gradually understand all this. Who will you be willing to work for then?
"You are the heroes of this country. No one can change that. Without your sacrifices on the battlefield, the Tang Dynasty wouldn't have been so large, and Chang'an City wouldn't have been so peaceful. If the Turkic army had marched south, you wouldn't even have had brains to live an honest life. But our contributions don't need to be known to everyone. I understand."
Li Xiang took the opportunity to add some firewood to the fire. His soldiers were very excited. "Your Highness is right. We are not someone else's soldiers. Why should we let others know about this? We are working together with Your Highness. As long as Your Highness knows, it will be over, right? If we let others know about this, will we be rewarded?"
What if the Emperor came to greet us? It was said that the bounty the Emperor gave was pitifully small, less than 500 yuan per person. This was far less than what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince received. The sum we received on the front lines was many times greater than the bounty given by the court.
"Greetings, His Royal Highness."
Although Changsun Wuji was a veteran of three dynasties, he still had to bow obediently at this moment. Li Xiang was now the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. In fact, he was the third-in-command with so many people watching him. If Changsun Wuji did not bow, someone would immediately report him.
However, Changsun Wuji did not give in. As soon as he bent down slightly, Li Xiang quickly helped him up. After all, this was an elder in his family. If he asked him to bow, he would be careful of being struck by lightning. What's more, during the time he was away from Chang'an, Changsun Wuji had done a lot of things for Li Xiang, and the two sides were already in the same camp.
"What is this uncle doing? It's just two years since we last met. If my grandmother were still alive, I'd get beaten up if he came here and caused such a scene."
Just a few words instantly brought Li Xiang and Changsun Wuji closer. Changsun Wuji also smiled and nodded. His face was a little darker after returning from the north, but he looked more like a man than before. He used to look like a young master.
"Let's go to the Qinzheng Palace first. The emperor is waiting."
With so many people looking at Changsun Wuji, he couldn't say anything else. He pointed to the imperial carriage in the distance. This was the carriage that only the emperor could use when traveling, but he actually let Li Xiang ride in it.