The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 413 They Rushed to Chang'an
Shangguan Yi didn't want his passion to die down. He hoped that the story of Liang Zhu could spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River and reach people's hearts.

The heavy snow fell, landing on the stone tablet and on the imperial censors behind it.

After finishing these things, Shangguan Yi said, "I want to go to Hebei and take a look."

An imperial censor asked, "Shouldn't we continue investigating?"

"Li Yifu will investigate."

"Here."

In the first month of the third year of Qianqing, Li Zhi, Li Shen and Di Renjie had been in Yangzhou for the past six months, helping to govern various places.

In a county government office, Li Zhi scratched his head in pain while reading the letter. He asked Li Shen, who was standing beside him, "What does your sister mean by this in the letter?"

Li Shen took the letter and read it. This letter was sent by his eldest sister, the beautiful and elegant sister. He glanced at the contents of the letter and said, "My sister said in the letter that we should return the management rights of the farmland industry to the local areas."

Li Zhi said: "My brother, you can exempt all the taxes in Yangzhou."

Di Renjie retorted: "Your Majesty is not a person who often exempts taxes. Since the Zhenguan period, when Your Majesty first ascended the throne, you have rarely exempted taxes for various places."

Li Shen agreed: "It is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish. The tax exemption policy may seem to have a good effect in the short term, and people's productivity will also increase, but in the long run, it is not as important as developing productivity in various places."

"It's like fish in a river. Managing the river is more important than catching less fish."

Li Zhi felt quite troubled and he didn't want to bother with these things anymore. When he walked out of the government office, he ran into Liu Dewei standing outside the door.

Liu Dewei, who had been listening intently, saw His Royal Highness Prince Jin coming out. He used a smile to cover up his embarrassment and bowed, "Your Royal Highness Prince Jin."

Li Zhi said, "I'll go check out the fields."

Liu Dewei bowed.

After leaving the government office, Li Zhi and his guards came to a village where there was a well with a strange lid. This was the water valve used by the East Palace to draw water. Although the efficiency was not high, at least there was no need to throw the bucket down with effort.

There is a house next to the field, where many craftsmen are busy working.

In the past two months, Li Zhi has been making various agricultural tools, whether useful or not, here, such as making a better-use waterwheel and improving the plowing structure.

Of course, Li Zhi wanted to do something even more, which was to build better cars and boats. This idea had been lingering in his mind for a long time, so much so that he basically built those water wheels out of convenience.

After sitting down, Li Zhi drew a blueprint. The principle of lever repeatedly appeared in his mind, and he thought about how to use it.

Suddenly, Li Zhi tore off the paper in annoyance and stepped on it angrily.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?"

Li Zhi frowned and said, "Nothing, it's just my fault that I didn't pay attention to the class at the beginning."

Several craftsmen continued to work on their work.

As another letter arrived from the palace, Li Zhi, Li Shen and Di Renjie were about to return to Chang'an.

The person who came to take the prince back was Chai Zhewei, and he was accompanied by the Imperial Censor Guan Yi.

Liu Dewei and Li Yifu continued to stay in Yangzhou to handle various matters.

Reports from all over Yangzhou were also sent to the court. This time, 300 imperial censors inspected Yangzhou, checked hidden households and land. So far, more than 60,000 hidden households were found in Yangzhou and even in Qinhuai, including monks, domestic servants, and slaves. Now their household registration and land have been returned.

Sitting on the boat on the way back, Li Zhi asked, "Shangguan Yushi, have you finished your work?"

Shangguan Yi said: "It cannot be completed, but the trip to Yangzhou has shown the attitude of the court. It will be easier for the court to do these things in the future."

"Please enlighten me, Imperial Censor Shangguan, what is easier?"

Seeing that His Royal Highness Prince Jin was quite polite, Shangguan Yi explained: "Your Royal Highness Prince Jin, do you know what is the most difficult thing for us censors to do when we come to Jiangnan?"

"Looking for evidence?"

"No." Shangguan Yi shook his head slowly and said, "It's because the people don't dare to speak. Some people don't trust the court, so they are unwilling to submit other people's crimes to us. They are worried that the court is just coming to see the scenery of Jiangnan and then go back."

"So, at first they didn't trust the censor. They thought it would be better to trust the aristocratic families who had been bullying them. At least they could still live. They were also willing to throw stones at the censor for the aristocratic families."

Shangguan Yi looked at the open river and said, "But now it's different. We are doing something that they originally thought the censors would not dare to do. We are really here to check taxes and really want to give them justice. After the trip to Yangzhou, people will know who to find and what to do if they encounter injustice. They will have someone to rely on from now on."

"Just like Li Yifu and His Royal Highness the King of Wu, no matter how many people they killed or how many acres of land they investigated, in people's eyes, the court hates evil as much as it hates evil. People will remember the censors' trip to Yangzhou, and they know who is willing to help them and who can protect their interests."

"Someone will report it later, and it will be much easier for us. With this kind of significance, it is far more important than the property we confiscated."

Li Zhi frowned and asked, "Is there really someone who doesn't trust the censor?"

Shangguan Yi chuckled and said, "It is very important to gain the trust of the people. Your Majesty knows this very well."

On the fifth day of the first lunar month in the third year of the Qianqing reign, the weather was still very cold. Xuanzang, wearing a thin monk's robe, came to a very lively village.

He came to the door of a house and asked, "Can you give me a drink of water?"

There was only a young man sitting in the house, holding a book in his hand and a ladle. He scooped a spoonful of water from a water tank beside him and handed it over.

Xuanzang took the water scoop and drank it happily. Then he asked, "What should I call you in person?"

The young man held up the scroll in his hand and asked, "Is a person's name important to you monks?"

Hearing the unfriendly tone in the other party's words, the young man still took out a cake and handed it over.

Xuanzang took the cake and said, "Thank you."

The young man said, "My name is Wang Jiusi, and my father works in the court."

"What position does he hold in the court?"

Wang Jiusi said, "It seems to be a Yuanwailang? I heard that after His Majesty ascended the throne, many people were promoted. He should be a Shilang now? I forgot."

Xuanzang asked back, "Why did you forget?"

Wang Jiusi said: "I want to take the imperial examination and become an official, so it has nothing to do with him. Besides, what does it have to do with you, a monk?"

Xuanzang also realized that it was a unnecessary question. They just met by chance, so why should he tell you about other people's family affairs?

Wang Jiusi said, "I've heard from people in the neighboring county that Xuanzang has arrived. Is it you?"

"Exactly."

"I've heard that you traveled all the way west to Tianzhu, and suffered a lot of injustice in Tianzhu." Wang Jiusi simply sat at the door of his house and talked to him, "Now, the court has sent a general to Tianzhu, it seems that he wants to avenge you."

Xuanzang chanted a Buddhist name, stood where he was and said, "Your Majesty, you don't have to do this."

Wang Jiusi said: "Why not? Although you are a monk, you are also a Tang people. How can other countries bully the Tang people?"

Xuanzang was speechless again. "My sister has also become a nun, and she admires you very much."

"I have not yet thought of entering the temple."

Wang Jiusi shook his head and said, "You misunderstood. I was hoping that you could persuade my sister to return to secular life. When she became a nun, my mother was very sad. She tried to visit my sister several times but was turned away. Our family has been separated since then."

Xuanzang lowered his head slightly, looking at the cake in his hand. He felt a little dilemma, but he also thought that this was a very smart young man, so he put forward a reason that was difficult to refuse.

The separation of his family and a piece of cake in his hand made Xuanzang fall into deep thought.

Wang Jiusi returned to his home to read.

Xuanzang did not eat the cake in his hand, but sat on the side of the road thinking.

The next morning, when Wang Jiusi opened the door again, he saw his sister who had been a nun for many years came back. He looked back and saw that his mother was crying.

Xuanzang stood in the distance and watched the reunited family. He smiled sincerely, then left silently and continued on the road.

When they reached a river, Xuanzang still couldn't figure it out.

While he was sitting by the river thinking, a group of villagers were shouting. Xuanzang looked back and saw the notice posted on the wall.

This was a notice ordered by the court to be posted in various places. Just last year, three hundred imperial censors went to Yangzhou and investigated the entire city.

People were discussing the affairs of Yangzhou when Xuanzang saw the words in the notice. More than 3,000 monks had become hidden households and evaded taxes, and were found out.

Until everyone around him had dispersed, Xuanzang still stood there, looking at the notice... lost in thought, as he recalled a conversation he had with His Majesty before leaving Chang'an.

For the sake of the country, the emperor will kill some people, and there will also be some people whose death is not worth a pity.

Now the emperor is using his actions to tell the world that he is doing this.

Xuanzang remained silent, but the people around him were all lamenting that the current laws were very strict and that the emperors of the past would definitely not care about these things.

The current emperor is very concerned and has ordered a thorough investigation.

The villagers around had never seen the emperor, but Xuanzang had.

"Xuan Zang!"

Hearing the shout, Xuanzang looked back and saw Wang Jiusi again.

Wang Jiusi came running over with a bag of dry food and a backpack on his back, saying, "This is for you."

Xuanzang took the dry food handed to him by the other party, clasped his hands together, and chanted the Buddha's name.

Wang Jiusi said: "Thank you very much, you allowed my sister to return to secular life."

Xuanzang said: "This will probably make up for some of the guilt in my heart."

Wang Jiusi saw the notice posted on the wall and understood what Xuanzang meant. He said, "I am going to Chang'an."

"Are you going to see your father?"

Wang Jiusi shook his head and said, "I am going to take part in the imperial examination. This year's examination will be held in May. I will go to Luoyang first and then to Chang'an. I should be able to reach Chang'an in March this year. Why don't you go with me?"

Xuanzang shook his head and said, "I still have a long way to go, so I can't go with you."

Wang Jiusi asked, "Where else are you going?"

Xuanzang's eyes fell on the notice on the wall again, and he said slowly: "I have an agreement with Your Majesty. I will not go to Chang'an until this agreement is fulfilled."

Wang Jiusi laughed for a moment, "You are a very stubborn monk, that's right... If you weren't stubborn, you might not have gone all the way to Tianzhu."

Xuanzang bowed and said, "There are still many injustices in the world. You can walk around more and see more."

Wang Jiusi added: "You have been away from the Central Plains for more than ten years. You should take a look at the world now."

Hearing the heroic tone in the other party's words, Xuanzang asked: "Aren't you afraid of encountering robbers on the way to Chang'an?"

Wang Jiusi laughed heartily and said, "Xuanzang, did you encounter any robbers on your way from Chang'an to Hebei?"

Xuanzang shook his head.

"Since you haven't encountered any robbers, what do I have to be afraid of? There are not so many robbers now. Any idle man in any village or county will be caught and forced to work in the workshop. The counties are under strict supervision, Chang'an, Luoyang, all over Hebei, and even Liaodong."

"So." Wang Jiusi paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "The so-called peaceful and prosperous times are all created by the government strictly following the rules of the court. The officials nowadays are having a hard time."

"Jiusi! Let's go!" I heard the voices of my peers behind me.

Wang Jiusi lifted the bag on his shoulder and said, "Xuanzang, when I pass the imperial examination, I will take my mother and sister to live in Chang'an, and we will no longer need to care about my father."

Xuanzang chanted the Buddha's name, with a look of blessing in his eyes, and said goodbye to him.

He ran all the way to his companion, shouting, "Xuanzang, you must see me when you return to Chang'an!"

Wang Jiusi's words echoed in the surroundings, startling a flock of birds in the distance.

Xuanzang saw the smiles of these young people. They left their hometown in groups of three or five and headed towards Chang'an City together. They were laughing, joking, or reading together along the way.

The imperial examination system had been implemented in the Tang Dynasty for a long time, and it became increasingly popular.

Xuanzang stood there for a long time, and then he saw Wang Jiusi's mother and his sister standing at the entrance of the village to say farewell.

Afterwards, Xuanzang ate the dry food given by the young man and continued his journey eastward.

On the way, Xuanzang saw more and more people heading to Chang'an City to take the imperial examination.

This kind of scene was something Xuanzang had never seen before... He had never seen so many people heading to Chang'an, some alone, some with their family, or in groups.

They were not afraid because even if they failed the imperial examination, they could still find a job in Chang'an or teach in remote areas, so they had no worries.

It seems that as long as they go to Chang'an, their lives will shine brighter.

Chang'an City has become the place of their dreams, a "battlefield" where they can take risks and grow.

In March of the third year of Qianqing's reign, the temperature in Guanzhong had warmed up.

A group of riders on fast horses arrived in front of Chang'an City. The riders on the fast horses were officials from various places, and they handed in documents one after another.

Meanwhile, in the city of Chang'an, the imperial court, which had just ended its holiday, became busy again. After the Ministry of Personnel sorted out the lists submitted by the Chongwenguan, Hongwenguan, and Wenxueguan, it was discovered that this year's imperial examination was probably the most unprecedented in scale.

Since the implementation of the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty, the number of people taking the examination this year has been unprecedentedly high.

(End of this chapter)