The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 500: A Hundred Years
Hearing what Xu Yushi said, Yang Deyi said with a straight face, "I am worried that Li Yifu has overstepped his bounds and ruined the canal transport system that we have worked so hard to build."

Yang Deyi is a very capable person, but as a person... he is quite upright, but he cares too much about the overall situation.

It seems contradictory no matter how you think about it for a person to be both upright and consider the overall situation, but these two characteristics happen to appear in one person.

When Xu Yushi returned to the government office, he had to face the piles of files on the desk.

The new tax policy was also sent to Luoyang, and under the arrangement of Luoyang Governor Gao Ji Fu, it was sent to various places by teams of officers and soldiers.

On the bank of the Hengshui River, Li Yifu stood in front of the warehouse on the river bank. There were several small boats parked here. They were not large ships used to transport goods, but small boats used for fishing.

Sitting on the shore, Li Yifu was listening to the discussion of several fishermen. They were talking about the mouth of the Yellow River and the recent events in Bohai and Laizhou.

According to their stories, there was a scene of bumper harvest everywhere in Laizhou, and the fishermen in Laizhou caught a large number of fish and shrimp at the mouth of the Yellow River.

After listening to these words, Li Yifu stood up and left, and came to a school on the bank of Hengshui River.

This is the school established by the Literature Museum, and it is also a part of the Chang'an Literature Museum. When the King of Wei presided over the repair of the canal, he established these schools along the canal.

In fact, the King of Wei was an extremely shrewd man. He thought it would be best to open a school during the period of building the canal, and he did not recruit additional staff. Therefore, when the canal was being built, literary schools were built on the banks of each river.

Li Yifu walked to a literary museum where more than ten students were studying.

Everyone has some selfish desires, but considering that the Literature Museum also participates in teaching, these things are nothing.

Compared with the King of Wei, the King of Wu had no selfish motives at all and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the construction of the canal transportation.

Li Yifu walked into the literary museum and looked at the furnishings there.

Immediately, some students came forward to ask questions.

Upon learning that Li Yifu was an imperial censor, the students here did not ask any more questions but made way for him.

This literary museum is not big. The front hall is like a place for children to study, and there is also a backyard.

"Report to the Imperial Censor, the Chongwen Hall is across the street."

As he was talking, the student in a blue shirt pushed open the back door and saw a small path. At the end of the path was a high wall, which was the high wall of Chongwenguan. The sound of reading aloud could be heard behind the wall. What was being read was the quotations left by Zheng Gong. Under the current teaching rules, this is something that children must recite during their elementary school years.

"Don't you go to Chongwenguan to study?"

The student replied, "We go there often, but there are always people staying behind to guard the Literature Hall. We often visit the Literature Hall and the Chongwen Hall and attend classes together. We don't have to pay money except for bringing our own meals."

This is the case with Chongwenguan. Students who come to attend classes do not have to pay extra money, they just need to bring their own meals and come to study.

Nowadays, the schools in Chang'an City provide daily meals, and they are free of charge.

The same is true for several wealthy counties in Guanzhong.

The cost of supporting education was borne by the government, but the establishment of restaurants in the schools had to be done by the local counties themselves.

Li Yifu walked along this alley and asked, "Have you heard about what happened in Laizhou?"

The student replied: "I heard that it is probably because the Yellow River was managed and there were results."

Li Yifu looked at the boy, who was about twelve or thirteen years old, and asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Guo Jingzhi."

Li Yifu was still very surprised. Some people would say that Laizhou's bumper harvest was a blessing from God, but this child directly said that it was the result of the management of the Yellow River.

The students of Chongwenguan and Wenxueguan are roughly the same, which is also the result of management in recent years.

Sometimes, two academies would compete for students, and students would visit each other.

They are all teaching and they all teach, it’s just that students have one more choice.

Compared to the now somewhat desolate Hongwenguan and Sifangguan, Your Majesty has expanded them several times, but still not as much as the Wenxueguan and Chongwenguan.

Li Yifu asked, "Are you familiar with the county government here?"

"Replying to the Imperial Censor, I still have many friends here."

"Well, there are some things I want to ask."

"I'll arrange it right away."

The bad guys who were sent out had not returned yet, and Li Yifu did not want to go directly to the local government office to investigate, so he planned to ask other people first.

In the tenth year of the Qianqing reign, in late November, heavy snow fell everywhere north of the Yellow River.

In the heavy snow, waves of villagers were walking towards the canal. They were calling out to each other and some were passing messages.

"The censor has arrested our county magistrate."

"They also arrested our chief clerk."

"They were all arrested. I heard that they were partial to each other in the dispatch of grain transport."

"The current emperor is so strict, how dare they show favoritism in the grain transport scheduling." An old man leaning on a cane was heartbroken.

This old man was an old minister who retired during the Zhenguan period. He still has a special feeling for the current Li Tang Dynasty. His name is Liu Hongji.

After His Majesty's Eastern Expedition, he returned home to retire.

As a local celebrity, Liu Hongji was helped to the riverside. His hair and beard were all white, and he was helped to sit down.

Here, several officials were being escorted and kneeling on the ground to be sentenced.

Liu Hongji looked back and saw another group of people coming. He stood up and saluted, saying loudly, "Greetings, King Wu!"

Li Ke stepped forward to support him, "Mr. Kui."

Liu Hongji, Duke of Kui, defected to Li Tang during the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty. He fought against Song Jingang, pacified Liu Heita, and jointly defended against the Turks in the north with Li Shentong, a general of the royal family.

This was an old duke who had spent half his life in military service. He was one of the founding dukes of the Tang Dynasty and one of the meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion.

Li Ke said, "After I finish the business here, I will talk with Lord Kui again."

Li Ke was still young at that time, and he had experience in the army and received a lot of instruction from Kui Gong.

Liu Hongji said: "Go ahead, I'll just sit here."

Li Ke took out a cloak and put it on the old man, then walked quickly to the river bank.

Snow was blowing down in the wind, and some snowflakes hung on Liu Hongji's hair and beard. The old man looked at the young people in front of him with a smile on his face.

The world is finally different. Liu Hongji slowly raised his head, his snow-white hair and beard swaying in the wind.

The various parts of the Central Plains that were once in decline have now regained their vitality, and the population is increasing year by year.

No matter what the outcome was, and no matter how many people those censors wanted to kill, Liu Hongji felt that as long as the world became better and better, that was enough.

The laws of the Tang Dynasty are greater than the rites, which is why Your Majesty has been conducting inspections throughout the Central Plains since he ascended the throne.

Liu Hongji patted the back of the head of the child next to him. This was his grandson. He whispered, "What a wonderful world this is."

"No, I need to read a lot of books."

Liu Hongji smiled and said, "If you don't want to study, then go and be a soldier." The child said, "Nowadays, even if you are a soldier, you still need to study."

Liu Hongji laughed again. Things are indeed different now. If you want to be a soldier in the Tang Dynasty, you have to study.

Everyone stopped talking, and Liu Hongji and many other villagers looked at the scene in front of them.

The canal transport dispatch was a lucrative job. At that time, many merchants wanted to use the canal transport to transport goods. What's worse, some even wanted to use the canal transport to privately purchase ships and ask for exorbitant prices.

Such a thing happened only two years after the construction of the canal. How can we not be heartbroken?

The Dali Temple, the Censorate, and the bad guys from Jingzhao Prefecture were all dispatched, and the county magistrates from five places were brought before the murderous censor.

Li Yifu said calmly, "Your Majesty did not build the canal to feed insects like you, and the canal must not fatten you up."

A group of prisoners knelt on the ground, lowered their heads and said nothing.

Li Ke said, "Thank you for your help."

Li Yifu bowed and said, "King Wu, these people will be taken to Chang'an by the Dali Temple and Jingzhao Prefecture for punishment."

Li Ke said: "There are really endless bugs to catch."

In fact, the inspection of river transport this time was also arranged by King Wu. At first, when Xu Yushi submitted it to the court, His Majesty did not react much. It was not until King Wu sent a letter that His Majesty sent himself here.

Li Yifu watched these officials being escorted away one by one and said, "There are endless bugs to catch, so we need to keep catching them. That's why Your Majesty is constantly adding staff to the Censorate. There are now more than a hundred people in the Censorate."

Li Ke said: "There are not enough people."

The wind and snow drowned out the voices of people. Li Yifu walked two steps with Wu Wang Li Ke and said, "There are never enough people. We need to keep arresting, constantly arresting, and constantly investigating. Your Majesty once told me that he hopes that future censors will have stronger abilities."

"ability?"

Li Yifu explained: "Just like the Dali Temple is good at catching thieves, our censors must also be good at catching insects, and we need to train people who are good at catching insects. This is a long-term plan for the country, and the same is true for building the Censorate."

Li Ke asked, "Is this the only way we can do this, to keep arresting and investigating?"

Li Yifu said: "We can't make everyone good. Even if we appoint officials, there will be bad people. If we don't do something, who else can stand up? This is the only way."

After saying this, Li Yifu looked at the villagers here with a meaningful look.

Li Ke took a deep breath and slowly exhaled a breath of hot air in the cold air. In fact, this was true. If even the censor could not be relied upon, who else could people trust?

This is the final bottom line. After all, the world is not as good as we think.

Or maybe the world has always been like this.

It's just the difference between worse and better.

"Are you going back home after you finish your work here?"

Li Yifu shook his head and said, "There are still many things to do. I can't return to Chang'an before the beginning of next spring."

Li Ke looked at the heavy snow and said, "Thank you for your help."

In fact, the Censorate does not have the power to arrest people, and usually the power to mobilize troops needs to be granted by His Majesty at a specific time.

The Censorate only had the power to inquire, but the Jingzhao Prefecture had the power to arrest, and the Dali Temple also had the power to arrest. However, everything had to be led by the Censorate, so the Censorate had no power to arrest, only the highest power to inquire.

Perhaps Your Majesty has also considered that once the Censorate has both the highest power of inquiry and the power of arrest, it will become a monster.

Power must be managed and there must be checks and balances.

Having traveled around in various places over the years, Li Ke is well aware of the interests involved.

Li Yifu left here again. This was not the only place he wanted to investigate.

Li Ke personally saw him off and wrote a letter to his brother, having it delivered to Chang'an.

There was also heavy snow in Guanzhong. Along with the prisoners being brought in, there was also a letter from Li Ke.

The Minister of Justice Di Zhixun walked into the warm new palace and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the treatment of the prisoners has been arranged."

Li Chengqian drank his tea and asked, "How many people are there in total?"

"Your Majesty, Li Yifu has been investigating for half a month, checking the accounts, and the villagers have also provided evidence, involving 23 officials and 75 merchants. Among them, 50,000 coins of silver and money transactions, a bucket of gold sand, and more than ten catties of silver were seized."

Li Chengqian looked through the files and asked, "There should be quite a few left, right?"

Di Zhixun said: "Li Yifu is still investigating."

Your Majesty is probably angry at this time. The court spent countless amounts of money to build the canal transportation, but in the end, the canal transportation became a breeding ground for those insects to fatten themselves.

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and said, "My grandfather once said that when a country is in trouble, people's hearts are all on food and clothing, and there are not so many bandits. Sometimes I wonder if the country should not be so prosperous. Why do so many seemingly beneficial things always have disadvantages?"

Hearing this, Di Zhixun bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please do not think like that. Your Majesty has never done anything wrong for the sake of the country and the people. It is that there are always bad people in this world, and it is not your Majesty's fault."

"I have never regretted building the canal and dredging it." Li Chengqian handed the file back to him and said, "I just feel that some things have not been done enough."

"I am willing to die for your majesty."

Li Chengqian looked at the snow outside and said, "Whether it's the loss of a head or the extermination of three clans, most of them will think that it's all over once they die, and if they think about it again, it's not a big deal."

Dickson nodded.

Li Chengqian added: "I want to build a very large case database and register all officials from all over the Central Plains in Chang'an City."

Di Zhixun asked in confusion: "Your Majesty, this..."

"I know this will require a huge amount of manpower and resources, but I have plenty of patience. From now on, all officials appointed by the court who violate the Tang law will have their sentences doubled, and officials who commit crimes will have their sentences tripled."

"Here."

"When an official is dismissed from office for a crime, his descendants, counting from their parents' generation down to three generations, will not be allowed to enter the government for a period of three generations, or a period of one hundred years."

Your Majesty's words are cold, even colder than this winter.

When serving as an official, one should tread carefully on thin ice. This statement is indeed correct and this is what Your Majesty has always advocated.

Di Zhixun stood behind His Majesty and could still see His Majesty's sharp eyes.

"Well, many people in the court are on vacation. Let's summon Duke Ying, Ma Zhou, Yu Zhining, Xu Jingzong, and Chu Suiliang to come and have a good discussion."

Hearing that His Majesty had another order, the eunuch hurried to give it.

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and returned to his normal expression, "You haven't eaten yet, how about having lunch with me?"

Di Zhixun came back to his senses and said, "Yes."

"Tell me how Li Yifu investigated, what difficulties he encountered, and how he found out."

"It's a long story."

"It's okay. I'm very interested in hearing these things."

(End of this chapter)