The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 344: Unsmooth Governance

The quality of the newly appointed township heads in various counties varied greatly, and Jingzhao Prefecture was not entirely satisfied with the first batch of newly appointed township heads evaluated.

This is natural, after all, these people have just passed the imperial examination.

Some of these people are arrogant.

Some of them become panic-stricken and embarrassed when it comes to village governance. They listen to advice from all sides, want to do everything, but do nothing well.

Others just follow their own experience in dealing with the world and don't care.

Others are doing things with the typical thinking of children from aristocratic families. It has only been two months and the place is still a mess.

Changsun Wuji was very worried. After every imperial examination, there were nearly a thousand or more than two thousand people who passed the examination and had not yet been given official positions.

The prince had a good idea. He felt that the population in Guanzhong was becoming increasingly bloated, so he divided each county into townships and transferred the redundant scholars who had passed the imperial examinations to each township, starting with the township heads.

But the results were not satisfactory. Among the 56 counties in Guanzhong, 30% of the newly appointed township heads resigned, and the evaluations of another 20% were truly dismal.

Changsun Wuji looked at the report in front of him, thought about the prince's policies and ambitions, and then looked at the current situation and felt overwhelmed.

Many officials in the Ministry of Personnel could not hide their sorrow and anxiety.

From the first month of this year's New Year to now, these people have not had any rest, and they have traveled all the way to Luoyang.

Nature is the worry that cannot be hidden and the sorrow that cannot be expressed.

Changsun Wuji recorded all the reports truthfully and had someone send them to the crown prince.

Then he sat there in silence, waiting for the prince's anger or scolding.

Soon, several eunuchs came with a basket and said, "The Crown Prince has ordered that you all work hard, and each of you can get a bag of pickled mustard greens and a bucket of tea. All matters in the court must be handled step by step. The Crown Prince knows your difficulties and just didn't think it through beforehand. He knows that there are omissions. As the crown prince, Your Highness also has responsibilities. Please rest early today."

Finally someone breathed a sigh of relief, and the fatigue of the past few days turned into a sigh.

Zhang Xuansu, the Minister of Personnel, stood up and stroked his beard, saying, "Everyone, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows our difficulties very well. He gave us food and tea, allowing us to rest early. It is a blessing for us to have such a crown prince."

In fact, the Ministry of Personnel did not handle the affairs in Guanzhong well, and everyone was a little discouraged. They lowered their heads, accepted the rewards, and dispersed.

Zhang Xuansu walked outside the official residence. It was already sunset outside, and the red sunset glowed the west in red.

He handed the tea and pickled plums in his hand to a clerk beside him, asked him to take them to his family, and then went to the palace.

In front of the Qianyang Hall, several craftsmen from the Ministry of Works were repairing the hall.

The Luoyang Palace was quite spacious. The Qianyang Hall, the most central of the three main halls of the palace, had a river flowing in front of it and a stone bridge between the two sides of the stone-paved road.

Li Chengqian stood by the stone bridge, looking at the drawings handed to him by Xu Xiaode.

"Is this really the blueprint that Brother Shen drew?"

Xu Xiaode said: "Your Highness Prince Ji drew the blueprint overnight, and it was said to be a bit hasty, so I made some additions."

"Brother Shen draws very well. This three-dimensional picture and the dots and dashes are very regular."

"Your Highness Prince Ji only took a quick look at Qianyang Palace, but he was able to draw such a blueprint. It is really rare. According to the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, even these old craftsmen have never seen such a detailed blueprint."

Li Chengqian said, "I used to think he liked building palaces, but later I realized he just liked the appearance of palaces. Later I discovered he just liked drawing palaces, not building houses. As an elder brother, I don't discipline him much, nor do I teach him too carefully."

Xu Xiaode said: "If His Royal Highness Prince Ji concentrates on this, he will definitely achieve some results in the future."

"Him." Li Chengqian thought about his younger brother and said with his hands in his pockets, "Just look at him. All my brothers and sisters have great ambitions."

Understanding the prince's thoughts, Xu Xiaode nodded slightly.

"Your Highness, the Minister of Personnel Zhang Xuansu requests to see you."

The eunuch's voice came from behind, and Li Chengqian said, "Let him go back. If there is anything, he can report it to the court tomorrow morning."

"Here."

Xu Xiaode, who was standing aside, added, "Your Highness, I heard that the officials in the Ministry of Personnel have been working very hard this year."

"Let the craftsmen come down and rest. We will be busy again tomorrow."

Xu Xiaode knew that the Ministry of Personnel was now headed by the Duke of Zhao, who was the prince's uncle. His Majesty was away at war, and the relationship between the prince and his maternal relatives was very delicate.

Of course, with the current prince's wisdom, the court officials are relieved. Since the matter involves the royal relatives and the prince, Xu Xiaode knows that he cannot say too much.

After the group of craftsmen from the Ministry of Works had left, Li Chengqian was still looking at the half-built Qianyang Palace.

Another maid came quickly and said, "Your Highness, the Queen said it's time to eat."

"I know."

Today's dinner was prepared by Li Lizhi, Ning'er and Xiaofu themselves, and the dishes were very rich.

Little Sizi held the bowl and chopsticks in one hand and placed the whisk on the table with the other, saying, "Royal brother, Taoist Li Chunfeng wants to go to Laojun Mountain, and my sister wants to go too."

"Well, I'll arrange for someone to escort you."

Xiao Sizi smiled and said, "Thank you, my royal brother."

Laojun Mountain is still some distance away from Luoyang, but since we have just arrived in Luoyang, we might as well take our younger brothers and sisters out for an outing.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, some people believed that Li Er, the founder of Taoism, had retired to Laojun Mountain. Li Tang's family regarded Li Er as their ancestor, so Laojun Mountain had a special meaning for Li Tang.

A few years ago, my father ordered people to rebuild the Laojun Temple on Laojun Mountain, which is also known as the famous mountain in the world.

If the characters bestowed by my father were still there, the words "Famous Mountain in the World" should be on Laojun Mountain.

When the crown prince was 20 years old, he had worshipped the Taoist ancestor. Logically, when the emperor came to Luoyang, he should go to Laojun Mountain to worship.

He had seen Chu Suiliang's memorial before. He felt that as descendants of the Taoist ancestor, the Li family should go to Laojun Mountain to offer sacrifices. However, his father was focused on preparing for war at that time and did not pay attention to it.

Now that my father has gone to war, the sacrifice at Laojun Mountain has been put on hold.

After dinner, the Queen Mother went to visit Grandpa, and Li Lizhi took her sisters to rest.

Li Chengqian came to his bedroom, sat on a newly made armchair and relaxed his body.

Su Wan comforted the two children to sleep, walked aside and said, "Your Highness, here is a letter from my father."

"Put it on the table."

"Well, they are all family matters. Your Highness doesn't need to worry about them." She put the letter aside and sat quietly beside her husband.

Li Chengqian looked at the moon in the night sky and said, "Does my father-in-law want you to take care of the Wugong Su family's affairs?"

"Well, my father said that the family business would be handed over to me since my son is a playboy. In fact, my father and mother had discussed this as early as the year we got married. I am only now starting to take over the family business."

"Thank you for your concern, father-in-law."

In fact, since Su Wan married into the Eastern Palace, the Wugong Su family has been tied to the Eastern Palace. The intentions of Su Tan and Su Xu are also very clear. From then on, the Wugong Su family will live and die with the Eastern Palace Prince. They are the most determined lineage to support the Eastern Palace Prince.

But now it seems that Qingque and Kedi's relatives are still weaker than the Su family in terms of martial arts.

At least among the famous aristocratic families in Guanzhong, the Yan family is not comparable to the Su family in terms of military achievements.

The legitimacy of the Hongnong Yang family is also debatable.

In the marriages of the three brothers, the emperor's father still gave the Eastern Palace the best resources.

After Ning'er had put the children's toys in order, the family went to bed early.

The morning in Luoyang is lively. When the day gets bright, there are many busy people inside and outside the city.

If a dynasty can allow people to live and work in peace and contentment for a period of time, it can be considered as good governance, and it should be closer to a prosperous era, right?

Li Tang still had a good reputation among the people in Luoyang, especially during the Zhenguan period, when the emperor issued several orders to reduce taxes and levies and give the people a rest.

This alone fostered a very good public sentiment in Luoyang, and after Li Ke's flood control, the public sentiment towards Li Tang in Luoyang became even better.

Since ancient times, wise kings have built rivers and canals, and since ancient times, wise kings have rested with their people.

The emperor wants to rest with the people, but the prince may not necessarily want to rest with the officials.

Today's morning court is still held in Qianyuan Hall. The main hall next to it is still under repair, so the side hall is still being used at this time.

When all the civil and military officials entered the hall, the Qianyuan Hall, which was originally only a side hall, seemed a little crowded.

I listened to my uncle and the Minister of Personnel's report, which was about the problems that had arisen in the past few days.

If it is in the main hall, the crown prince cannot sit in the upper seat, but in the side hall, there are not so many rules.

After the Duke of Zhao finished explaining the current assignment of officials in Guanzhong, silence returned to the hall.

Li Chengqian closed his eyes and rubbed his temples slightly.

Seeing that the prince was in great distress, the officials also became anxious.

"Everything in the court cannot be decided in one word. The affairs of the county governance must be digested carefully. Take your time and don't rush."

After hearing His Highness' words, Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "I obey your orders."

This matter was left to the Ministry of Personnel and Jingzhao Prefecture to slowly resolve, and the remaining matters mentioned the transportation of grain and fodder.

After listening to the report from the Minister of Civil Affairs Zhang Daxiang, Li Chengqian divided the grain and grass into several batches and sent them to Liaodong. He could also mobilize another two million shi of grain and grass from Guanzhong and the Hexi Corridor.

When it was mentioned that barley and rice from Qinghai should also be transported here.

Li Chengqian rejected it again, saying, "During the previous expedition to Tianshan, some generals said that they were not used to eating highland barley, and they were afraid that it would be used as horse feed by the emperor after we sent it to him."

Suddenly there was laughter in the hall, and everyone started laughing.

The morning court became better from the heavy atmosphere at the beginning.

Minister of War Duan Zan said in a clear voice: "Your Highness, the Dumozhi of the Mobei tribe has requested permission to rush to the aid of Heavenly Khan to attack Goguryeo together."

Then he explained: "Duomozhi of Mobei is the nephew of Zhenzhu Khan. In the past, Lord Ying fought in Mobei and killed Zhenzhu Khan and his son. The second son fled to the north, while his nephew stayed and continued to lead the remaining tribes in Mobei to serve Your Majesty."

Seeing that Tian Khan was about to march east, Qibi Heli was also in the army, and among them were the Turkic cavalry led by Ashina She'er and Li Simo, and even Khitans.

When Tian Khan went to war, the herdsmen in the north also joined the war. Now Mobei wanted to pledge allegiance to the Tang Dynasty again. The only way to prove their loyalty was to join the war and jointly attack Liaodong.

Although there were not millions of troops like Yang Guang led to conquer Liaodong, unlike Yang Guang, this time the Khan personally led the army, and the people of the world jointly launched the expedition to the east.

But does the current father still think highly of Mobei?
Zhenzhu Khan's repeated behavior back then made Tian Khan very angry.

With the current military strength and many generals at his side, my father may not even consider those people from Mobei coming to serve him again.

Li Chengqian said: "Tell my father and let him decide. You don't need to ask me about this matter."

Duan Zan understood and said, "Yes."

Today's morning court session was over. After the various departments had dispersed, Li Chengqian planned to take a good look at the counties in Luoyang.

In the past, there were rumors in Chang'an that the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace often went out fishing.

Guo Zhengyi, Shaoqing of Sinong Temple, led two chief clerks of Sinong Temple to Luoyang. They received the transfer order from His Highness to come to Luoyang.

From what His Highness said, Guo Zhengyi vaguely felt that he was going to be promoted.

"Big brother, may I ask if the fish in Luoyang are fat?"

Guo Zhengyi was very disgusted with this nosy clerk beside him. Could it be that His Highness thought the fish in Luoyang were not fat enough, so would he throw people into the river to feed the fish?
Everyone in the court and the country knows that the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace loves fishing, but there are rumors in the palace that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not eat fish every day, and even rarely eats fish. Also, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince never drinks alcohol.

It is impossible to make everyone behave properly. There are always some people who like to gossip and do good things. Guo Zhengyi tries to keep a distance from such people as much as possible.

When they arrived in front of Luoyang City, Guo Zhengyi dismounted from his horse.

He hadn't been to Luoyang City for a long time. He had been staying in Chang'an since he passed the imperial examination.

After entering the imperial city, Guo Zhengyi first went to see Yu Zhining.

Being led by Yu Zhining to Cen Wenben, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Minister Cen."

Cen Wenben was already nearly fifty years old. When he saw that it was Guo Zhengyi who came, he sighed that there were more and more young talents in the court, and said, "The prince has opened the Zhaowen Hall, and he needs someone to manage the circulation of files. You will serve as the chief officer and go to manage the affairs."

Guo Zhengyi said loudly: "Yes."

Yu Zhining watched the high-spirited young man leave from afar and said with a smile, "Now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is consciously or unconsciously using these young talents."

Cen Wenben packed up the files in front of him and said, "That's good. I'm old now, and there should be more young people to assist the Crown Prince."

In his spare time, Li Chengqian would visit his grandfather and uncle. It was very interesting to watch these two old men playing chess.

The two old men talked about the past while playing chess.

My grandfather once said that he had a unique vision and that he was able to pacify the world by staying in Guanzhong. I could hear the implication of his words and then talk about how heroic he was back then.

But in the eyes of my uncle, my grandfather was actually a very unkind person, and this unkindness was reflected in his treatment of the royal family and officials of the former Sui Dynasty.

The two old people would even have some disputes over this.

In my uncle's heart, he actually still looks down on my grandfather. Of course, my grandfather is the emperor now, and my uncle always says things that are contrary to his will, which makes my grandfather very uncomfortable.

The two old people lived a very peaceful life in their later years, and Li Chengqian could watch them for a long time just by sitting beside them.

It was May of the eighteenth year of Zhenguan, and the entire Central Plains had reached its warmest season.

(End of this chapter)