The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 415 They Defrauded the King

Even the imperial censors who went to the south of the Yangtze River were like this. With the emperor's intentional or unintentional connivance, this trend became more and more serious.

If we want to say when this trend started, perhaps it started after Duke Zheng passed away.

Even though Duke Zheng has passed away, His Majesty still values ​​the words of advice and counsel that Duke Zheng left behind.

Although, these words of advice were spoken by Duke Zheng to His Majesty at that time, that is, to the Emperor Emeritus.

But today, His Majesty still advocates these words.

The same was true for Xu Jingzong, a trusted minister of His Majesty. He wished that the words left by Duke Zheng would be written all over every corner of Chang'an City, and they were known as Duke Zheng's famous sayings.

Mr. Zheng has passed away, but thousands of "Mr. Zheng" have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

Just as listening to both sides will lead to enlightenment, while heeding only one side will lead to ignorance, this is what Duke Zheng said in the past, and it has now become the code of conduct for Jingzhao Prefecture. Jingzhao Prefecture will never listen to only one side's opinion when doing anything.

Lighten taxes and levies, reduce rents and taxes, reduce expenses and strengthen basic principles, and rule the world with kindness and benevolence. These are the slogans that Your Majesty has selected from the many words of Duke Zheng.

Duke Zheng has passed away, but the spirit and words he left behind are still shining in the Tang Dynasty.

If the old immortal Sun Simiao is the treasure of the Tang Dynasty, then Duke Zheng is the mirror of the Tang Dynasty.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Duke Zheng was a man who had experienced many disasters and chaos. It was rare for him to have such qualities in such a chaotic world.

Maybe... Your Majesty now feels that what the Tang Dynasty lacks is the spirit of Duke Zheng. People today are in great need of role models, as well as warnings and teachings.

Yu Zhining, the Minister of War, stood out of the court and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has recently checked the files and found that the court has not recruited soldiers for a long time. I would like to ask whether the teaching staff of Chongwenguan can be recruited into the army? People can teach for two years and then become officials. Can they also serve in the army for two years and then become officials?"

All the generals in the court nodded, and Xue Wanjun agreed immediately.

Cheng Yaojin stepped out of the court and said, "The candidates will be chosen by the generals of the various guards in the court."

Yu Zhining rejected it and said, "No."

Old generals such as Cheng Yaojin, Xue Wanjun, Niu Jinda, and Zhang Shigui all turned pale.

Yu Zhining added: "After the students pass the imperial examination and join the army for two years, they will have to return to the court, so it is naturally the court that will preside over it."

Niu Jinda asked, "Do you civil officials know which soldiers are good and which are bad?"

Cheng Yaojin said disdainfully: "What if they are in the army and refuse to go back?"

"The various departments in the court will conduct assessments."

"Don't we need new recruits in the army?"

It was a matter of conflict between civil officials and military generals, and the two sides began to argue again. Duke Ying and his uncle were both silent.

The court meeting ended in debate, and after Li Chengqian retired from the court, he left the Taiji Hall.

Just after His Majesty left, Xu Jingzong, with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple, and Chu Suiliang, with officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Taipu Temple, dozens of people from both sides, fought fiercely in front of the Taiji Hall, and some people even rolled down the stone steps in front of the Taiji Hall.

At noon, the sun was shining brightly. Li Chengqian had lunch with Su Wan and Ning'er in Liangyi Hall and took a short nap.

During this time, eunuchs kept coming to report on the current situation in the Taiji Hall, the injuries of both the civil and military officials, and the extent of the dispute.

The general situation was that the generals and the civil officials were unwilling to give in to each other.

Li Chengqian slept intermittently for an hour while reporting one thing after another.

When he woke up again, Li Chengqian didn't want to care about the disputes in the court, so he went to Taiye Lake to fish.

It was the season when the scenery of Taiye Lake was at its best. Li Chengqian sat in the waterside pavilion of Taiye Lake, holding a fishing rod and fishing quietly.

Another eunuch came in hurriedly. Before this eunuch could speak, he saw that His Majesty was frowning and unhappy, so he had to swallow his words and stepped aside without saying a word.

There were heavy footsteps coming from behind again, and these footsteps have not changed for many years.

Li Chengqian did not look back, but held the fishing rod, looked at the water, and said: "Father, how come you have the leisure to come to the palace today?"

Little Yutu also ran over quickly, "Dad!"

Looking at his eight-year-old son, Li Chengqian handed him a Rubik's Cube and said, "Solve it."

Little Yutu sat aside with the Rubik's Cube, turning it again and again as if facing a formidable enemy.

The Queen Mother also came and was supporting Grandpa as they walked along the edge of Taiye Lake.

"Ask me if I still have the time? How can you have the time to come here and fish?"

Li Chengqian put his weight on the armrest beside him and said with a relaxed look: "State affairs are very tiring."

"I heard that fighting broke out again in Taiji Palace?"

"The court is full of vitality, newcomers dare to express their opinions, and veteran officials can give advice. Isn't this a good thing?"

“Is this also a good thing?”

"How can it not be?" Li Chengqian handed his father a persimmon cake and asked.

"Li Zhi said that even if I were to sit on the throne again, it would be difficult for me to handle state affairs."

Li Chengqian also picked up a persimmon cake and ate it, saying, "This year, many almonds have been donated from all over the country. The palace has too many to eat. Father, take some with you when you go back."

Li Shimin nodded, sat aside, and asked the three eunuchs beside him to let down the fishing line.

My father did not go fishing himself, but asked a eunuch to hold the fishing rod. This way, even if no fish was caught, it could be said that the eunuch did not hold the fishing rod properly.

All you have to do is sit alone and watch the fishing line.

Perhaps, this is how an emperor should go fishing.

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets, thinking, if he fails to catch any fish, will his father chop off the eunuch's hands?
The eunuch brought more tea.

Li Shimin glanced at the tea and asked, "Are you still getting angry?"

Li Chengqian drank the tea and said, "Well, Dongyang often said that I have too much temper, and I am used to it."

After that, he asked again, "How is your health lately, father?"

Speaking of his son's temper, most likely because he was angry at the saint again, Li Shimin cleared his throat and said, "It's quite good, but Dongyang and Lizhi asked me to drink less."

The wind blew through here, and it became a little cooler. Li Chengqian put his legs on a stool and said, "I have a sister who is a doctor at home. She will always take care of it. Father, you might as well drink some."

"Well, that's fine too."

The eunuch quickly poured a bowl of tea for the emperor.

The father and son sat together and did not discuss state affairs. It was not uncommon for the father and son to have a tacit understanding that fighting among court officials was not uncommon.

As long as it does not affect the country, it is welcome.

Beating them can also loosen up their muscles. Otherwise, if they hold on to their grievances all day, it is easy for something to happen.

Therefore, the officials of the Tang Dynasty today will not waste their time among themselves, and would curse their mothers if they felt wronged.

Who can blame them for the fact that all the important officials in the court today have experienced big scenes? Liu Rengui once killed a Zhechou Duwei, and Xu Jingzong single-handedly defeated the county magistrates of the twelve counties in Chang'an.

When he was in charge of the court's expenses, Yu Zhining could debate with the three provinces and six ministries alone and never lose.

There was also Chu Suiliang who was full of hostility towards Jingzhao Prefecture.

Generally speaking, the customs during the Qianqing period were not much different from those during the Zhenguan period.

How could such a great Tang Dynasty not be powerful with such fierce ministers? Li Shimin asked, "Have you slept well recently?"

Li Chengqian drank the warm tea and said, "I slept well. What happened?"

"When I was your age, I often had trouble sleeping and always suffered from insomnia."

Li Chengqian suspected that his father's insomnia in the past was probably related to drinking tea, and now that he drinks too much tea, he is probably immune to it.

But then I thought again, I am already 29 years old, and I am about to cross the 30-year-old threshold in my life.

After you are thirty, you can call yourself an old man.

Li Chengqian said: "I don't suffer from insomnia."

There was a row of fishing rods next to the water pavilion, and some eunuchs had already started fishing.

Li Shimin added: "Your uncle told me to let you take in more concubines. Some people think that your life as an emperor is too hard."

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "I have never been good at choosing women since I was a child. Father should know this."

"I know."

"Besides, I adhere to the frugality of Duke Zheng and do not want to be extravagant. Let's forget about taking another concubine."

Li Chengqian added: "If Father feels that there are not enough heirs, I, the Queen, and Concubine Ning are still young, so we can try harder."

Su Wan and Ning'er, who had just walked out of the water pavilion, heard His Majesty's words at the same time. They had come to pay their respects to their father, but their cheeks blushed again when they heard his words.

It was not until their mother came and asked the two to go and see the meat and vegetables brought from the countryside that they left, easing the awkwardness of not knowing how to start the conversation.

Su Wan looked at some bacon and asked, "Is this all made by the Queen Mother?"

"Yes, I had some free time in the countryside, so I made some bacon. Yu Tu said it was too salty, and I don't know if it suits your taste."

Su Wan said, "Thank you, mother."

Empress Dowager Changsun looked at the complexions of the two girls, sat down and said, "Your father is old, so don't take those words to heart."

The two girls understood what their mother and father meant, and both felt a little embarrassed.

In fact, the relationship between husband and wife has always been very good.

Now I have a son and two daughters.

But the Queen Mother also said it tactfully.

Towards evening, the Emperor and the Empress took Yu Tu back home.

Before leaving, Ning'er asked someone to prepare clothes for the children to wear for the changing seasons.

In April, the court issued a decree that students who passed the imperial examination could serve in the army for two years, or teach for two years, and then serve in the court.

As soon as this news came out, it caused an uproar in Chang'an City.

Students can freely choose between teaching in remote areas and joining the army. Two years is not a short time. Now that teaching in remote areas is popular, it also includes joining the army.

This is also okay. The officials of the Tang Dynasty were both civil and military officials. Who says that civil officials can't go on horseback and fight in wars?

The then Minister of War Cui Dunli is now the Chief of the Qinghai Road Army and a great general guarding a region.

The Minister of Justice Liu Dewei was already old, but he was still leading the troops in Yangzhou.

This year's imperial examination was already extremely difficult, and now the court has increased the difficulty. To pass the imperial examination, one must not only be proficient in classics, but also understand military tactics.

The court also gave the students a buffer. The imperial examinations would focus mainly on classics and policy essays, with the best candidates selected for their military skills, and additional imperial examination subjects would be added next year.

In fact, the court is already so busy, so it doesn’t matter if the students taking the imperial examinations have more pressure.

Li Jingxuan, the magistrate of Chencang County who came to Chang'an to report on his work, disagreed. Not to mention that the imperial examination was difficult, it was even more difficult for the county officials and various departments in the court.

With a strict emperor, the pressure on the court and the people was enormous, otherwise why would there be frequent fights in the Taiji Hall?
After submitting last year's files, Li Jingxuan went to visit his teacher Xu Jingzong, drank some wine and cursed Chu Suiliang together. After cursing him to his heart's content, he returned to Chencang County to continue serving as the county magistrate.

In May of the third year of Qianqing’s reign, the Grain Rain season had just passed.

Jin Chunqiu was fighting in the Japanese territory and had the first batch of silver ore sent to him. I don't know if this guy arranged all the Japanese prisoners of war to mine. There were thirty full carts of silver ore, as well as some unknown black ore and white ore.

These silver mines were able to support Chongwenguan to continue teaching in various parts of the country for more than 20 years, and there was even a lot of surplus.

In terms of approximate value, these silver mines...are enough for the court to launch six western expeditions and eight eastern expeditions.

Probably like this…

Li Chengqian walked to the north of the palace holding a bamboo tube teacup, and all kinds of minerals were delivered here.

Li Ji, who was accompanying him, said, "Your Majesty, Jin Chunqiu is becoming more and more powerful."

Zhang Sun Wuji said: "Your Majesty, as long as you give the Silla people enough benefits, even if Jin Chunqiu has rebellious intentions, it will not be difficult to support another Silla Supreme State."

"I think it's better to kill him after we've used him."

"I think that as long as there is an imperial decree, he can be summoned to Chang'an."

Listening to Duke Ying and his uncle holding different opinions, Duke Ying still acted with the mindset of a military commander, while his uncle mainly tried to appease them, as steady as ever.

While the two regents were talking, His Majesty was "admiring" the trophies.

Li Chengqian looked at the carts of silver ore and said, "You have hidden so much silver ore, but you didn't tell me. This is really a heinous crime and deceiving the emperor."

His Majesty's tone was calm, and Zhangsun Wuji and Ying Gong agreed. Judging from their loyalty, the Japanese did harbor evil intentions, and concealing the truth and not reporting it was a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor.

"Yinggong, uncle."

"The end will be here."

"The old minister is here."

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and said, "I hate deception. I want Jin Chunqiu to send the Japanese heads to Chang'an. Will that be better?"

Li Ji said: "Your Majesty, this is not good."

Li Chengqian picked up a heavy piece of silver ore and said, "Isn't it good?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Ji explained: "The heads were sent from the East China Sea. By the time they arrived in Chang'an, they had already gone bad and were no longer fresh..."

Chang Sun Wuji added: "It ruins the mood."

The two had different opinions on how to deal with Jin Chunqiu.

At this time, the opinions were quite unified.

Li Chengqian walked to the last carriage, which contained various minerals. He picked up a grayish-white piece, examined it carefully, and whispered, "Quartz?"

This is ready-made quartz, it looks quite clean, and there are not many impurities. Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said, "I didn't expect to pick up a treasure."

Seeing that His Majesty was looking at these strange stones with great joy, Changsun Wuji looked a little worried, fearing that His Majesty would not do his job properly.

It was not until His Majesty ordered people to pick out some of the ore and send it to the Shaofujian that Changsun Wuji no longer had any desire to stay and his heart was at ease.

Teams of eunuchs came and carried down all the silver ore, transported it to be burned into silver cakes, and then put them in the warehouse for future use.

Li Chengqian said: "I want to reward him, as a condition of a Tang general, he should be willing to dig through the Japanese territory."

(End of this chapter)