The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 407 The Emperor Who Loves Catching Insects
Standing in front of the teacher, Luo Binwang asked: "Teacher, what is the most useful?"

Li Yifu closed his eyes and said, "I don't know either."

Luo Binwang frowned for a long time and said, "I don't understand."

"Killing people is very tiring. I thought killing people would be a one-time thing, but after killing one, there is another. I can't stop killing them all."

Li Yifu opened his eyes slightly and said, "There is a very powerful emperor in Chang'an."

Luo Binwang asked in confusion: "Is the emperor very powerful?"

Li Yifu nodded and said, "He is a very powerful man, a very resourceful emperor. If you go to Chang'an in the future, you should go and listen to the stories about this emperor. If you want to become an official in the future, you must meet this emperor."

Luo Binwang said: "My mother does not allow me to be an official."

"Why?"

"My mother said that being an official would not lead to a good ending. She told my students not to become officials even if they were talented, and she also did not allow them to study."

Li Yifu said: "Then listen to your mother. Being an official in the court is very tiring."

Luo Binwang was confused again. He packed up his master's official robe and asked his mother to wash it.

The sobbing sounds from next door stopped, and Li Yifu didn't know when he fell asleep. When he woke up again, it was already early morning of the next day.

Li Yifu found himself still sitting on the chair. He opened his eyes and saw the woman in front of him. The woman was standing in the yard holding Luo Binwang's hand.

Still feeling exhausted, Li Yifu stood up and saluted, saying, "Meet Mother Luo."

Mother Luo looked at her young son and whispered, "In fact, your father has always been proud of having you as his son. The reason why your mother doesn't want you to be an official is because she has seen your father go through so much. You are such a talented and gifted child."

Seeing his mother talking with tears in her eyes, Luo Binwang said, "Mom, don't cry. I will be obedient."

Luo's mother wiped away her tears, bowed to Li Yifu and said, "This child is very talented. Please teach him well and let him read books."

Li Yifu bowed and said, "I will definitely not let you down."

Mother Luo smiled again and said, "Go to Censor Li's house to read. I will prepare meals for you."

"Ah."

A bright smile appeared on Luo Binwang's face again.

Li Yifu knew very well that this family had experienced many ups and downs, and he knew the evil of human nature.

This child is actually very obedient and sensible. The years of hardship he experienced have made him mature at an early age.

There were still many things to do in Yangzhou. The Censorate did not need to collect too much evidence to do its job. It only needed to conceal taxes. The county magistrates from all counties in Yangzhou were taken into Yangzhou city.

The entire city of Yangzhou also began to be under martial law.

Shangguan Yi came hurriedly with the documents from the court and said, "I have to go to Wuyi Lane in Qinhuai. I'll leave the affairs of Yangzhou to you."

When talking about Wuyi Lane, one naturally cannot leave out the Wang and Xie families, two aristocratic families from the Middle Ages in Jiangzuo.

Li Yifu took the document and asked, "Does Cui Renshi's case have anything to do with the Wang and Xie families?"

Shangguan Yi nodded and said, "Master Cui Ren accepted several disciples in Taiyuan, among whom were the children of the Wang and Xie families. Before Master Cui Ren was about to go to Jiangnan, his disciples sent people to contact them."

Li Yifu walked into the house and took out a spirit tablet.

Seeing that this man had taken out the spirit tablet from that year, Li Yifu was worried that no one would worship the mute after his death, so he kept the spirit tablet and would take it out for worship on important occasions.

Seeing that he was still so persistent, Shangguan Yi left the document, shook his head and left.

In the second year of Qianqing, after summer passed, autumn had arrived in all parts of the Central Plains.

The autumn colors in Guanzhong were in full swing. Li Chengqian left the palace and came to Duke Zheng's house.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a black robe, stood in front of Duke Zheng's spirit tablet, took out a document and burned it in front of the spirit tablet, whispering: "Duke Zheng, I am doing what you told me before the Eastern Expedition. You know very well that there are some things that can only be done by me. A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand gold. I will persevere and remain consistent for years and decades to come."

Nowadays, Duke Zheng’s household affairs are managed by Wei Shuyu, who succeeded Duke Zheng.

After a long time, Li Chengqian stood up and walked out of the mourning hall.

Wei Shuyu didn't know what his father and His Majesty had said back then, probably some very important words. He stood in front of the mourning hall and saluted His Majesty.

Li Chengqian said: "Duke Zheng is a very important person to me, and a person worth remembering for the Tang Dynasty."

Wei Shuyu hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Li Chengqian glanced at the study where Duke Zheng lived when he died. After thinking for a moment, he patted Wei Shuyu's shoulder heavily and left.

Nowadays, people in the government and the public are discussing the affairs of Yangzhou.

Zhongshu Ling Cen Wenben sat in the Zhongshu Province and listened to people's discussions. They were all talking about the actions of Li Yifu, Du Zhenglun, Shangguan Yi, and Zhang Xingcheng in Yangzhou. The censor killed many people in Yangzhou.

Three hundred imprisoned officials and more than five thousand rebellious people have been escorted to Chang'an.

When Li Chengqian returned to the palace, he heard the eunuch's report. The eunuch was very old and had been in charge of palace affairs since the Zhenguan period. His Majesty had advised him to retire several times, but he was unwilling to leave and was willing to serve Emperor Li Tang until his death.

The old eunuch whispered, "Your Majesty, Duke Zhao is still waiting to be summoned."

"Let him enter the palace."

In fact, His Majesty should not be willing to see Duke Zhao at this time, but he still summoned him. The old eunuch walked outside the hall with a cane and asked the young eunuch to read out His Majesty's will.

Half a minute later, Changsun Wuji walked into the new palace.

There was a pile of files in front of him. Li Chengqian looked at the files and said, "Uncle, these files were sent from Yangzhou."

Zhang Sun Wuji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the matter in Yangzhou was handled too harshly."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "I know, I have issued an order asking them to be careful."

"How should those prisoners be dealt with?"

"All officials above the level of Chief Clerk will be beheaded, and the rest will be sent to the Western Regions to plant trees. No one will be pardoned if there is no amnesty."

Hearing this, Changsun Wuji swallowed hard and said, "Your Majesty, greed is human nature, and some things cannot be prevented."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "I know. That's why I think supervision must be persistent. It's not over this time. Li Tang will continue supervision in the next few years, making supervision a common thing, and continue to investigate in a cycle."

Zhang Sun Wuji raised his head and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to fight against human desire?"

Li Chengqian stood up, walked to his uncle's side, and said, "I have liked catching insects since I was a child, especially catching insects that are of great benefit to the country. This is indeed a very pleasant thing."

"All the provinces and cities in the country are in a state of panic. There will be rebellion in some places, and there will be people who will hate your Majesty."

Li Chengqian looked at the clear sky outside the new palace and said with a smile: "If no one hated me, I would feel that life would not be so wonderful."

Chang Sun Wuji added: "I am worried about Your Majesty."

Now Changsun Wuji's hair and beard have turned gray, and his temples are also white. Li Chengqian led his uncle out of the hall.

Soon, the sky was covered with dark clouds. Li Chengqian said, "It is necessary to fight against human desires. Duke Zheng has been fighting against them all his life."

Changsun Wuji didn't want to persuade him anymore, because the child in front of him was already the emperor. Cheng Qian was different from others, including Qingque and Zhinu, and he started out as a gentle teenager in the East Palace.

Cheng Qian carries the expectations of too many people, and he cannot let them down.

Changsun Wuji wanted to persuade him that it was too tiring to live like this.

But he said he was happy doing these things.

Wen Yanbo never saw the Tang Dynasty's Eastern Expedition until his death. If he were not dead now, he would probably be in tears.

Wen Yanbo was obsessed with the Eastern Expedition throughout his life, and at one point entrusted the matter to the then Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

When Mr. Yu Shinan passed away, he handed over the Beitang Shuchao to the prince and left behind the essentials of document compilation.

When Duke Zheng passed away, he may have left some instructions.

These three elders have had the greatest influence on Your Majesty.

Changsun Wuji really wanted to become like Duke Zheng and others.

But now it seems that the young Majesty is full of energy and spirit.

So many years have passed, but His Majesty still seems to be the same as when he was sixteen or seventeen years old in the Eastern Palace. He has not changed at all.

Without realizing it, I had been looking at His Majesty for a long time.

Li Chengqian noticed his uncle's gaze and said, "Uncle, what do you think of my decision?"

Thinking back to the events in Yangzhou, Changsun Wuji said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Li Chengqian said: "In fact, I don't like killing people. Killing people is a waste of productivity. The emperor's words may cause tens of thousands of heads to fall. So let them plant trees."

"Here."

Changsun Wuji wanted to say that he wanted to retire this time, but at this moment the autumn rain suddenly fell, and the sudden coolness made him swallow his words.

Li Chengqian noticed his uncle's expression and asked, "Uncle, do you have anything else to say?"

Chang Sun Wuji hurriedly said: "I will issue the order right away."

Taking the bamboo umbrella from the eunuch beside him, Li Chengqian personally held the umbrella for his uncle.

Changsun Wuji listened to the sound of raindrops falling on the umbrella, walked beside His Majesty, and said, "Your Majesty, you have grown up."

Li Chengqian said: "My uncle once said that if you kill someone, you have to kill them completely, at least to make sure that the other party doesn't dare to resist. In fact, my uncle's words have inspired me. I will be more thorough in my handling of things in the future."

Arriving in front of Chengtian Gate, Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to see me off."

Li Chengqian insisted on holding the umbrella and said, "I am walking with my uncle for a while. I haven't had a heart-to-heart talk with my uncle like this for a long time."

Changsun Wuji bowed again and said, "I obey your command."

The emperor and his minister walked into the imperial city, and the scene of His Majesty personally holding an umbrella for Duke Zhao was seen by the officials in the court.

His Majesty accompanied Duke Zhao all the way to the gate of the Secretariat, and then stopped.

Everyone watched His Majesty leave and then looked away.

During the Qianqing reign, it was clear that the emperor relied heavily on Duke Zhao. He personally held an umbrella for him and saw him off in person. Until now, no one has received such courtesy from the emperor.

After Xu Jingzong got off duty, he sat down with Guo Zhengyi to discuss the affairs of Tubo and India.

"The matter between your majesty and Duke Zhao has once again become a topic of conversation among the court officials."

Xu Jingzong did not deny it and also smiled.

Matters concerning the emperor will surely spread throughout the court and the country, and your majesty's wise and filial behavior will surely be praised by the people.

Since the emperor treats his uncle like this, the ministers will definitely use this incident to teach their own children.

Guo Zhengyi said: "Especially the Confucian scholars in Chang'an, they are going crazy and even want to worship the current emperor as a saint."

Xu Jingzong snorted coldly: "That group of Confucian scholars are just like that. They follow the father-son code of conduct. To be a good child, your father must be a good father. To be a good son, you must first have a good father. This kind of talk is really..."

Guo Zhengyi looked at the rain outside and said, "I heard that Your Majesty is very fond of Mohist philosophy now."

Xu Jingzong said: "The words of the Mohists are to love oneself first, then love others, and love all people in the world. This is the view that Your Majesty likes."

"I heard that Li Yifu accepted a disciple in Yangzhou?"

Xu Jingzong said, "It was a child named Luo Binwang. The documents sent there record that his father was the county magistrate of Qingzhou. I heard that he was a child who could write poems at the age of seven. There was also a Lu Zhaolin before him."

As he pondered, Xu Jingzong's tone became more complaining, and he said, "Why are there more and more young talents nowadays?"

Guo Zhengyi said: "Isn't this a good thing?"

A man running in the rain interrupted their conversation and shouted, "The decree has come down!"

Under the eaves of the Ministry of Personnel, many officials were standing to avoid the rain. They all asked, "What is the will of Your Majesty?"

The civil servant who came running in the rain was soaking wet. Perhaps because the autumn rain was too cold, he was still steaming under the eaves. He said, "Your Majesty has ordered that all officials above the chief clerk level be executed, and the rest will be exiled to the Western Regions to plant trees."

Hearing this, Xu Jingzong said with a straight face: "It's a pity for Pei Xingjian. The more prisoners he takes to the Western Regions, the more annoyed he becomes."

Guo Zhengyi tried to hold back his smile and could even imagine Pei Xingjian's angry look in the Anxi Protectorate. He had seen Pei Xingjian before. He was a talented general who came from a literary family. After passing the imperial examination and becoming an official, he resigned and went to fight in the war.

Unexpectedly, Pei Xingjian possessed a very advanced military strategy and was always successful in the Western Regions. The envoys who came to the Tang Dynasty all doubted whether the Tang Dynasty's civil servants could lead the army to fight.

Facts have proved that the civil servants of the Tang Dynasty were actually very powerful.

Even Cui Dunli has been transferred to Songzhou and is in charge of the overall situation in Qinghai. A civil servant who was the Minister of War has suddenly become a general guarding a region.

The current Minister of War is Yu Zhining.

These are the changes planned for this summer.

After hearing the imperial decree, everyone was still discussing. Seeing that the rain had subsided a lot, Xu Jingzong walked into the rain and was about to go home.

Outside the city of Chang'an, a group of prisoners were still kneeling outside the city, waiting for execution.

Teams of officers and soldiers surrounded them, and the Vice Minister of Justice Di Zhixun stood in front of everyone and recited the emperor's decree.

The executioner swung his sword and heads fell to the ground one by one.

Three hundred heads fell to the ground, and Lai Ji wrote in the history books that in the autumn of the second year of Qianqing, more than 300 criminal officials were beheaded in front of Chang'an City, and 5,000 people were exiled to the Western Regions.

A rebellion in Yangzhou resulted in a huge loss of lives.

Who could have thought that such a kind and people-loving emperor could be so ruthless in his actions? This time the punishment was not discussed by the court, but was an order sent down personally by the regent, Duke Zhao.

Everyone knows that this emperor really loves catching insects.

(End of this chapter)