Li Ke looked at them, then stood up straight, then bowed to everyone and said: "What I am going to say next may not be sorry to you uncles and aunts, but I have to say this, I have to do this too.”
Li Yuanchang and the others were a little stunned, but after what they said before, they would naturally not regret it at this time. Besides, didn't you listen to what Li Ke said? He has to do this, and he has to do it whether the other party listens or not, so he must listen.
"Throughout the history of China, starting from the recorded Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, to today's Tang Dynasty, the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty led to the 549-year Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and then Qin Shihuang unified China , and finally from the 400-year-old Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, all dynasties had a problem, which was the consumption of national power by the clan."
"You uncles and aunts are all knowledgeable people. You should know very well that according to the clan system, in the next one or two hundred years of the Tang Dynasty, how many people will there be in the clan? And such a large clan population will definitely make the imperial court It is bearing a huge burden, and this burden will affect the national strength of the entire Tang Dynasty."
"And once the imperial court is unable to afford such a large clan population, the clan's treatment will inevitably drop sharply. As a result of the sharp drop, these clans will inevitably be unable to accept this gap when they wake up from the glory and wealth they enjoyed in the past. It is said that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.”
"At this time, some people will take risks."
"Just like your uncles and aunts still had the magnanimity and majesty of being members of the Tang Dynasty royal family at this time, but by the middle and late period of the dynasty, the children of the clan, who had long been corrupted by enjoyment, no longer had this magnanimity, and they didn't care about it at all. , just care about enjoyment.”
"If you can't keep up with the enjoyment, some people will have wrong ideas. At this time, the world will definitely be in chaos because of these people."
"Past history has told us these things. Therefore, our Tang Dynasty wants to become a longer-lasting dynasty and completely change this situation. Your uncles and aunts want to become the most glorious generation of the Tang Dynasty in history. For members of the clan, the reform of the clan must be done.”
"You uncles and aunts must not want your descendants to be so corrupt."
Li Ke said while looking at everyone's expressions. In fact, it doesn't matter if we don't mention aunts here, because after aunts get married, their descendants are no longer part of the clan.
But since people are here, it is natural to have a bowl of water.
"I wonder how Sanlang you want to reform?" Li Yuanchang asked. No one was in a hurry to express their position. They all wanted to see what Li Ke thought.
"Uncles and aunts, as juniors, I want to ask you something. My father gave you a lot of food and household households, but when converted into money, the amount of money per year is actually not that much. But your children will definitely be in the future. It is impossible to completely inherit your title and the number of households in the city. Do you understand this?" Li Ke did not answer directly, but asked rhetorically.
"Understandable." Everyone nodded. Isn't this normal? They and Li Shimin are half-brothers, but their children are already two generations apart from Li Ke and Li Chengqian, so naturally the reward cannot be that high.
"So under the circumstances of this reduction, the amount of food per household per year is actually not much if you think about it. Am I right?" Li Ke asked.
"right."
"Well, uncles and aunts, you don't want your descendants to become useless clans like those of various dynasties, right?" Li Ke said it bluntly.
"Of course I don't want to." Everyone answered this simply. Who thinks that their descendants will be trash?
"Then Sanlang can speak frankly. I said before that the Evernight City of the Tang Dynasty was actually built for our clan. It is here that I will allocate some shops and shops to all the clans now. These shops and shops will be allocated every year. The money must be several times the amount you receive for the number of food households. Therefore, the number of clan food households will be cancelled. Instead, the Tang Dynasty royal fund will be established. "
Li Ke said.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Naturally, they had no objection. The number of households in a city was an imaginary number in the Tang Dynasty, and it was calculated directly. It was not given to people or land. Now that he has become a member with a bright future, there is actually no difference. The money is even more, who would refuse?
"Second, cancel all future rewards such as fiefs for the clan, and instead launch an internal assessment system for the clan."
"What does this mean?" Li Yuanchang and the others didn't quite understand.
"It's very simple, it's the imperial examination within the clan." Li Ke said lightly. "In the future, the children of your uncles must study hard from an early age. They will not receive any rewards before they reach adulthood. They will only be given a pocket money every year from the education fund of the Tang Dynasty royal family. This money is not much and is enough for normal expenses. But when you wait until When you reach adulthood, you will participate in the adult assessment. This fund can be called a business firm."
"The adult examination will be very strict and divided into different levels. If he does the best in studies and other aspects, and can even do his own research, then he will not only receive an honorary title, but also receive many rewards from the royal family! He can use these rewards to do whatever he wants."
"Everyone who receives a reward has an obligation. As a royal, if you reach adulthood, you must contribute your own strength to the royal fund and replenish the funds you have spent. I believe that as a capable royal member, no one Would reject this.”
"In short, let all our future generations be involuntarily involved first. We will provide them with the best education and the best practical opportunities, but they must also repay their intelligence and prove that they are the best royal family. The better the members, the more resources they will receive. If you don’t want to study and just want to eat and die, then you can only be an ordinary person who has no worries about food and clothing."
"This is a rough framework, and the details will be further improved."
"In short, they have enjoyed the best education since they were young, and they have to either stand out on their own or accept mediocrity. Of course, if you leave enough wealth to your descendants, then the royal family does not care, that is your own business."
Li Ke said calmly, and all Li Ke's uncles were stunned. They naturally understood it, and it was precisely because they understood it that they knew how cruel Li Ke's move was.
But despite being ruthless, they were a little moved. The issue of learning for future generations has been engraved in the bones of Chinese people since ancient times, and members of the royal family are no exception. They actually don’t want some useless descendants.
The four people next to them, Li You, Li Yun, Li Zhen, and Li Shen, were all dumbfounded. So, third brother, is this why Li Zhi has to do so many sets of test papers every month?
