Li Chengqian is self-aware.
The main reason why the world thinks that he is not a qualified successor to the monarch is that he lacks political talent and has an indecisive temperament. He does not have Emperor Taizong's courage to think about the world, his wisdom to guide the country, and his decisiveness in killing. Li Chengqian cannot Even if I argue, I can't refute it.
There are even times when he has to admit that Pheasant Nu would be better as emperor than him. At least if he changes his place and wants to fight to the death when his throne is deposed, there is a high probability that no one will follow him in rebellion. …
But Li Chengqian didn't think there was anything wrong with this.
Although Emperor Taizong was not the founder of the country, he conquered most of the Tang Dynasty. Naturally, he had to have the kind of domineering power to conquer mountains and rivers. Otherwise, how could he subdue the heroes and dominate the world? As the emperor who ascended the throne, his greatest responsibility was to maintain the status quo rather than to develop. The most important thing was to carefully manage the empire that Emperor Taizong conquered and consolidate the foundation of the Tang Empire. If you blindly pursue the expansion of territory and destroy countless countries, it will easily shake the foundation of the empire. Once the foundation is damaged, even if there is no danger for a while, it may also cause disaster.
As long as you can keep the word "benevolence", you will be a qualified emperor.
If he can smoothly create some unprecedented innovations after stabilizing the situation, then he will be a truly wise king, enough to go down in history and be famous for generations to come...
So he didn't think it was necessary to kill the pheasant slave, and he couldn't bring himself to kill him.
Thinking back to the time when Queen Wende held his hand before her funeral and repeatedly told him to love his brothers and unite his brothers and sisters, and when he thought about the pheasant slave kneeling in front of Queen Wende's bed and crying with tears streaming down his face, he felt soft-hearted... …
That's all, if you're weak, be weak. Let's spare his life for a brother's sake, so that he can have peace of mind.
…
Therefore, Li Chengqian did not comment on the advice of the ministers, and instead asked: "What kind of punishment should be given to Xiao Yu, Cui Xin, Chu Suiliang and others?"
An official said angrily: "Such traitors have caused harm to the country and the people, and will never be forgiven for their crimes. Your Majesty should issue an imperial edict to accuse them in detail, and then display their heads outside Chengtian Gate as a warning to others! At the same time, the guilty members of his clan should be held accountable." , severe punishment without mercy!”
Li Chengqian remained silent. Even a fool knew that the identities of Xiao Yu and Cui Xin were extraordinary and could not be dealt with lightly. Otherwise, changes would immediately occur in Jiangnan and Shandong, with disastrous consequences. Those who can sit in the court are all outstanding figures in the world. How can we not see this? The reason why they clamored for "severe punishment" of Xiao Yu and Cui Xin was just intentional. It was a subtle reminder that these two people should not be punished too harshly.
In short, it is suspected of coercing the imperial court...
Liu Ji sorted out his words in his mind and was about to plead for Xiao Yu and Cui Xin. Before he could speak, he heard someone say: "Your Majesty, you must not do it! Although Xiao Yu has made a big mistake and his crime is unforgivable, he is still his wife after all. The meritorious service of the Tang Dynasty not only assisted Emperor Gaozu at the founding of the country, but was also regarded as a humerus by Emperor Taizong. Now that your Majesty executed this person when he came to the throne, he would be misunderstood by the world as a mean-spirited, cold-blooded, and unkind minister. If you deprive him of his title, remove him from his post, and order him to return to his hometown to be recuperated and serve as an official, then the world will definitely praise your majesty for his kindness."
Liu Jie was robbed of his words and almost lost his breath. He followed the voice and found that the speaker was Xu Jingzong...
I couldn't help but wonder in my heart that the reason why I wanted to plead for Xiao Yu and Cui Xin was to win over the powerful people in Jiangnan and Shandong, so as to increase my power against the growing military.
After all, after this battle, the clans all over the world were severely damaged. Even Xiao Yu was not strong enough to compete with him. As long as he brought these two clans together, he would be able to secure his position as a civil servant leader and suppress internally. The various factions have a stable foundation and can compete with the military externally, killing two birds with one stone.
However, Xu Jingzong was promoted to Minister of Rites by an imperial edict, so he regarded himself as a "lone minister". He was anxious about His Majesty's needs and thoughts. , why are you trying to protect Xiao Yu at this time?
Subconsciously, he felt that something was wrong. Liu Ji suppressed his inner thoughts, did not speak, and waited to see what would happen.
Sure enough, after Xu Jingzong's words, the military, which should express its stance most, fell silent collectively. Li Ji, Li Jing, Fang Jun remained silent, and even Li Daozong stayed out of the matter...
What is going on?
Liu Ji was puzzled and became more and more uneasy. It was obvious that there were some things that he, the Zhongshu Ling, did not know, and it must be a big deal to bypass him, the Zhongshu Ling, lest he interfere with it... …
Li Chengqian asked: "Where are Xiao Yu, Chu Suiliang, and Cui Xin?"
Li Ji replied: "I am waiting for your Majesty's summons at Chengtian Gate."
Li Chengqian thought for a while and sighed: "At any rate, the relationship between the king and the ministers is a matter of course. Although you have failed me and the empire, I cannot bear to punish you in person. Moreover, this matter involves serious matters, so we will discuss it later."
"Here."
Li Ji agreed and said no more.
Liu Ji frowned, feeling more and more something was wrong...
Li Chengqian took a sip of tea, looked around at the ministers in the palace, and said calmly: "Dear ministers, do you have any other important matters to discuss? If there is nothing else, they will each return to the Yamen to implement the important matters just agreed upon. The severe winter is approaching, and the people in Guanzhong are suffering from military disasters. The losses have been heavy, and all ministries and government agencies must cooperate sincerely to properly handle disaster relief matters, and do not allow the people in Guanzhong to be separated from their wives and families."
"Here!"
The ministers agreed in unison, and then many people wanted to get up and leave thinking that nothing happened.
Xu Jingzong suddenly said: "Your Majesty, I have one more thing."
Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows and said, "Just tell me."
All the ministers had to sit down again and listen to what else Xu Jingzong had to do.
Xu Jingzong sat upright and said with emotion: "Your Majesty has learned clearly that at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world was full of strife and chaos. Bandits and bandits were swarming everywhere. War wars were everywhere and wars were going on. While the people's livelihood was in decline, many local government functions were paralyzed, household registrations were lost, and fields were lost. Chaos. The Tang Dynasty succeeded the Sui Dynasty, and many policies were inherited in one continuous line. From the founding of Emperor Gaozu to the Zhenguan period, although the country's population was censused many times, it was only a superficial taste, dealing with it up and down, and no real efforts were made to clarify and census. Now His Majesty has ascended the throne. , benevolence shines all over the world, and the new dynasty has a new atmosphere. Why not accurately conduct a census of the world's population and add them to the list, so that the people of the world can bathe in the emperor's favor? What's more, this time the Jin Dynasty mutiny, all the nobles in the world were more or less involved, including Jiangnan, Shandong and other places even recruited private soldiers to enter the customs. Countless people died in battle, and countless people were missing. It was time to re-determine the population and measure the acres of land, so that the imperial court would have a clear understanding of the world's situation, so that it could formulate various decrees to restore national power and be targeted. .”
As soon as these words came out, there was a sound of gasping in the Wude Hall...
The ministers looked at Xu Jingzong in horror, thinking that although this guy was your majesty's loyal dog, he actually dared to dig up the foundation of the world's great families for your majesty's great cause!
What is the foundation of the family?
It is the collection of thousands of books accumulated over the years, the official career and politics that have been monopolized for generations, the fertile fields connected by long distances, the rows of mansions and mansions, but most importantly, the servants who directly join the family!
Population means everything.
The current main tax system of the Tang Dynasty is the "rent system", which is a bit complicated to say, but the core point is the "capitation tax", which is taxed according to the head!
The aristocratic families controlled a large number of people and used them to create huge wealth. At the same time, these people were hidden from the official household registration and became the private property of the aristocratic families, thus naturally evading court taxation.
If the imperial court is allowed to conduct a population census, the aristocratic families will have to pay a huge "poll tax" and their wealth will be severely reduced. In comparison, measuring acres of land is nothing...
"Your Majesty, you must not!"
"Nowadays, various places have suffered heavy losses and the people are in dire straits. It is time to recuperate and benefit the people. If a population census is forced, it will inevitably cause chaos in various places, and the gains outweigh the losses!"
"Not only that, there are a large number of slaves in aristocratic families in various places. These slaves are all slaves. Their identities can be traced back to the Wude and Zhenguan years. They come from different sources and have complex ingredients. If they are to be screened one by one, it will consume a lot of manpower and material resources. But if you treat them without any screening, it will cause the family to suffer losses... Please think again, Your Majesty."
"The Tang Dynasty inherited the Sui Dynasty, and many lands were inherited from the previous Sui Dynasty. After many years of evolution, the context has become impossible to examine. Rushing to pursue it will only cause confusion. In the end, it will still be impossible to clarify. Why bother?"
"Xu Jingzong is really a traitor who has brought harm to the country. I am so bold that I beg your Majesty to strip him of his official position and send him to the army!"
"At this time when the world is calming down, anyone who makes false claims about starting a war must have ulterior motives and should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!"
The sky above the main hall was like a vegetable market. Many ministers were furious and tried to stop them. They even described Xu Jingzong, who proposed this opinion, as a heinous person who brought disaster to the country and the people. They wished they could eat his flesh alive just to calm down. hatred.
Xu Jingzong seemed to be in the center of a storm, with spittle flying towards him. However, how could he be afraid of this?
Faced with the challenge and criticism, he calmly retorted: "The whole world is not the king's land, and the shores of the land are not the king's ministers. If your majesty can't even figure out how many people and how much land the empire has, how can he be called the supreme emperor of the Nine-Five-Year Plan?" The king rules the world? We are all ministers, and it is our duty to share your worries for the king. Why are you trying so hard to shirk it? What are your intentions?"
Are they all talking about high-sounding morals, or are they trying their best to hide their population and avoid paying taxes to the court? Emperor Taizong suppressed the aristocratic families back then, and it makes sense for His Majesty to continue this national policy today. The aristocratic families are like leeches lying on the imperial body sucking the blood, they are greedy and shameless...
Some ministers worried: "If we forcefully promote population census and land measurement, it will inevitably arouse dissatisfaction among the clans in various places. If someone uses this to criticize the court, slander His Majesty, or even rise up, the world will be in chaos!"
The crowd was furious.
(End of chapter)
