Thief Emperor

Chapter 1104 The Question of Twenty Years

A moment later, having received His Majesty the Emperor's promise, Zhang Sui was expelled from Ganlu Palace and returned home contentedly.

Inside the Ganlu Hall, Emperor Li and Prime Minister Du took their seats. Prime Minister Du looked at Li Yun and said, "Your Majesty, it seems that Mr. Tao is indeed seriously ill."

"Today, Brother Ziwang also said that he has been feeling unwell recently."

At this point, Prime Minister Du sighed: "Prime Minister Yao is over sixty years old this year, and his health has not been good these past two years."

"Your Majesty, we need to select one or two more people to enter the Council of State Affairs."

Li Yun hummed in agreement and sighed deeply: "Time waits for no one."

He looked at Du Qian and said, "General Su, your health has been declining this year."

“Zhou Bi went home to visit his family this year and did not return. He wrote to me saying that General Zhou, who was recuperating in Qingyang Prefecture, is now bedridden and unable to get up.”

Lord Du sighed deeply and remained silent.

In two more months, it will be the fifteenth year of Zhangwu.

Before the founding of the dynasty, Li Yun had already led the Jiangdong court to stay in Luoyang for more than a year. In other words, the dynasty has been established for a full sixteen years.

Sixteen years ago, Master Du was a spirited young man in his thirties, the eleventh son of the Du family. Now, he has already grown strands of white hair.

Zhuo Guangrui, Su Sheng, and others were all old friends in their prime back then, but now they are all in their fifties, sixties, or even over sixty.

In an era when life expectancy was generally short, it could be said that the first generation of the Jiangdong court had grown old.

Emperor Li was one of the younger members of this first generation.

He is already forty-five years old this year.

It is foreseeable that the court will soon undergo a reform, and a large number of young people will enter the court and the core of power after these veteran officials.

And most of these second and third generation members who enter the core of power will not be as old as Li Yun.

If His Majesty the Emperor lives a long life, most of the officials in the court in the future will be his juniors.

At that time, no one would ever call him "Erlang" again.

Even... even the person who would allow him to refer to himself as "I" would no longer exist. At that time, there would only be "朕" (Zhen), only His Majesty the Emperor.

Only the ruler and father.

The two old buddies sat together and reminisced for a while. Emperor Li rolled up his sleeves, shook his head and said, "Thinking back to twenty years ago, I used to charge into battle and kill enemies for two days and one night. When I returned to the camp, I would eat a few pounds of meat and sleep for a day and a night, and I would be full of energy again."

"These days, I feel uncomfortable if I stay up late at night."

Du Xiangong looked at Li Yun's hair and shook his head, saying, "His Majesty has practiced martial arts for many years and has probably achieved some success. Now His Majesty has almost no gray hair and does not look like a man in his forties at all. He looks more like a man in his thirties."

Minister Du paused for a moment before speaking, “There are rumors that His Majesty has mastered internal martial arts and has developed internal energy, and will live to be at least a hundred years old.”

Li Yun was taken aback, then narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who spread the rumor?"

Du Qian smiled wryly and said, "How would I know? I just overheard it by chance."

He glanced at Li Yun, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "It is said that a Taoist priest who practices meditation and qi cultivation entered Luoyang, took a look at His Majesty from afar, and said directly that His Majesty's cultivation was extraordinary."

Emperor Li stroked his chin.

"Throughout my life, I have had no dealings with any people outside the secular world. Even after being emperor for so many years, I have never befriended any monks or Taoists. So where did this Taoist priest come from who could see me just by entering Luoyang?"

Du Xiangong shook his head slightly, indicating that he did not know.

Although he didn't say it, Li Yun had a guess in his heart.

However, he did not show it. He just looked at Du Qian and said, "Brother Shouyi, when you were young, did you ever hear that there are people in this world who live forever?"

Du Qian shook his head: "No."

"Yes."

Li Yun smiled and said, "Neither you nor I can live forever, and I don't believe in such things. I've been practicing martial arts diligently all these years simply out of interest and hobby."

Du Xiangong lowered his head slightly to indicate that he understood, but he had some other thoughts in his mind.

His Majesty the Emperor was already young, and now he looks even younger than his peers—this is an indisputable fact.

Moreover, in the past two years, His Majesty has twice sent people out to sea to search for something. Many people in Luoyang are saying that His Majesty sent people out to sea to find the elixir of immortality.

There are far too many similar messages.

Some of these are just guesses, while others are fabricated and deliberately spread.

It was even... even deliberately passed on to the Eastern Palace, reaching the ears of His Highness the Crown Prince.

The affairs of the imperial court involve too many interests, it's that complicated. Countless people are watching Li Yun and the Li family openly and secretly, trying to find ways to cause trouble.

Thinking of this, Emperor Li sighed and said, "Brother Shouyi, is it possible that my appearance will cause discord between father and son?"

The two were already too familiar with each other. Even though Du Qian only said some seemingly unrelated things, Li Yun had already guessed most of it. After hearing Li Yun's words, Prime Minister Du lowered his head and said, "Your subject does not know."

"However, in my opinion, Your Majesty should be as young as possible."

He said solemnly, "Zhang Sui told me this morning that the people of Jinling Prefecture, even the farmers who cultivate the land, can already afford to eat their fill if they sell vegetables in the city and do odd jobs, in addition to the produce from their land."

"Although the people of Jiangdong Road are not as well off as those of Jinling Prefecture, at least most of them can eat their fill, and the vast majority of them can get enough to eat."

"This is already very good."

He looked at Li Yun calmly and said, “Your Majesty, when I was studying in Chang’an, I never saw what the people below looked like. After arriving in Jiangdong and later in the Central Plains, I have seen too many tragic stories of life and death on my desk over the years.”

"The new policies in Jiangdong can be described as a grand occasion."

Li Yun's new policies didn't actually change much.

There are three core points. The first is to encourage business.

Secondly, the household registration system will no longer be strictly enforced, allowing villagers to go to the city to do some work or trade.

The third point is to develop coastal commerce.

These three points alone are not enough to ensure that all people live a good life, but in conjunction with the new taxes, they have greatly reduced the burden on the people.

It's hard to say about other places at this time, but Jiangdong has already achieved a very prosperous state.

In terms of wealth, it has even surpassed Jingzhao Prefecture, where Luoyang is located, and even surpassed this "center of the world".

Emperor Li was still thinking about the matter of the Eastern Palace. Hearing Du Qian's praise, he shook his head slightly and did not reply. He simply said quietly, "If my boxing practice makes some people uncomfortable, then there is nothing I can do about it."

"If that's really the case."

Emperor Li sighed deeply, his tone somewhat desolate: "Perhaps they will only be happy if I die right now."

Minister Du shook his head slightly: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is virtuous and would not have such thoughts."

“I did not mention the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

Emperor Li waved his hand, leaving these chaotic thoughts behind, and then looked at Du Qian and said, "After the New Year, Xue Shou will be reinstated. I plan to put him back in the Ministry of Revenue and Zhuo Guangrui in the Ministry of Personnel."

"Does Brother Shouyi have any objections?"

Du Qian smiled and said, "I have been pleading with Your Majesty about this matter for many years. Now I am old and my energy is not as good as when I was young. There are many things I can no longer handle."

"I would be more than happy to have Brother Zhuo take charge of the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Yun hummed in agreement and slowly said, "Then this matter is settled. When you have some free time, Brother Shouyi, please have a chat with Zhuo Guangrui about the Ministry of Personnel."

"Then there's the selection of the new prime minister."

Emperor Li walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then said, "Xu Kun served as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for many years. After Fei Xuan was dismissed, he served as the Minister of Justice for several more years. In terms of seniority and rank, he was qualified enough."

"Moreover, he is quite capable and efficient. Brother Shouyi, take some time these next few days to meet with him and ask for his opinion. If there are no problems..."

"After the New Year, let him enter the Council of State Affairs."

Du Qian nodded and replied, "I understand. I will go and talk to Minister Xu in the next few days."

"it is good."

Emperor Li rubbed his temples: "That's all for today. Brother Shouyi, you should go and rest too."

"Yes."

Du Qian lowered his head and left Ganlu Hall. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Zhang Sui still waiting for him respectfully outside the hall.

With his hands behind his back, Prime Minister Du slowly said, "His Majesty has already given you a task; you should go home and rest."

"Yes."

Zhang Sui said with a smile, "I will escort my mentor back to Zhongshu."

……

The next day, in the Zhongshu Gongfang (Secretariat Office), Xu Kun, the Minister of Justice, was invited by Prime Minister Du to his office for a discussion.

Prime Minister Du didn't hold anything back and told him about the matter of becoming prime minister.

At this moment, Minister Xu, who was already over forty years old, first looked at Du Qian, then bowed and said, "Prime Minister Du, I am naturally willing to enter the Hall of State Affairs, but before entering the Hall of State Affairs, I have a question that I would like to ask Prime Minister Du."

Du Qian nodded and smiled: "We've been colleagues for many years, so just ask."

"The literary gathering in Nanjing back then."

Minister Xu bowed his head deeply and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for many years.

"Am I truly the leader?"

(End of this chapter)