The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 566 The Prince's Team

The last person who went on a killing spree in Yangzhou was Li Yifu, and that was to investigate taxes.

This time, Liu Hongye was also going to kill people in order to investigate the salt tax.

The whole village was in chaos for half an hour. Liu Hongye was still sitting on his horse, watching the villagers being escorted out one by one.

These villagers originally guarded the entrance of the village to prevent the Tang army from entering the village.

Liu Hongye and Li Yifu did not enter the village. When the Tang army brought them all out of the village, the villagers realized belatedly that the emperor's censor had no intention of entering the village for interrogation.

People will not easily put themselves in danger, and the same goes for the censor.

When these villagers, including groups of children, were taken to the ground one after another, Liu Hongye was still sitting on the horse. He glanced at these people and asked, "Is there anyone alive in the village?"

The censor's words were cold, so cold that they were inhumane.

"Reply to Censor Liu! I have brought them all."

Liu Hongye ordered: "If you dare to resist the Tang army, plot to murder the censor, hide weapons, and disobey the emperor's order, do you know what crime you will be charged for?"

People knelt on the ground quietly without making a sound.

Liu Hongye added: "This is tantamount to treason, kill them all!"

"Here."

"Wait!" A middle-aged man among the villagers, who was dressed better, crawled forward on his knees and said, "Aren't you going to check the salt tax? I have the accounts."

Liu Hongye raised his head slightly and looked down at him, then asked, "Do I need anything else?"

The middle-aged villager looked surprised. He stammered and said in surprise: "Need...need..."

Li Yifu said: "It would be a pity to kill him. Send him to Laizhou. We need someone to build a ship to go out to sea."

Liu Hongye said coldly: "We have to kill a few of them."

After the two men exchanged a few words, another head fell to the ground.

Liu Hongye really didn't need their account books anymore, nor did he need them to give him anything, and he certainly didn't need to listen to any more of their words. From the moment these people planned to resist the Tang army, they were doomed to die.

After cleaning up, Liu Hongye whispered, "Excuse me, Censor Li, this is how I act. It's great that it can be solved simply."

Li Yifu nodded slightly and said, "The salt merchants in Lianghuai are not so easy to deal with. They are not the only ones. We have to go to other places."

The accompanying soldiers all felt that Liu Hongye was a very cruel person, even more ruthless and less humane than Li Yifu.

Li Yifu would consider killing someone, but Liu Hongye would not.

As long as the other person deserves to die, he will definitely kill him.

The censors in the court were terrifying, especially those who led troops.

Fortunately, the censors only have the power to investigate and question, not the power to arrest. They can only arrest people with the emperor's permission.

The Censor has not yet become a monster in charge of prisons and intelligence.

If the censor wants to exercise the power of arrest, he needs to mobilize troops from the army and obtain the emperor's order.

His Majesty has trained the censors to be like tigers and wolves, but fortunately he has not let them go.

Thinking about it now, the emperor's separation of the three powers of arrest, investigation, and criminal justice makes people feel how far-sighted the current emperor is, and that no one party will dominate.

Looking at the current situation, failure to collect taxes is very dangerous for the country, and the government needs to draw an absolute red line on this.

In Yangzhou, this spring seems very bleak and people don't seem to have the enthusiasm of the past.

The Slender West Lake became a forbidden area. The emperor lived there and people had to avoid it.

The spring in Yangzhou is very warm, so warm that Li Chengqian yawned as he looked at the willows swaying by the lake and the endless amount of fat, live fish.

Li Chengqian lay on a recliner, barefoot, enjoying the spring breeze on his face and smelling the air of Slender West Lake. Occasionally, reports would be delivered, mostly from various places in Yangzhou, or from Li Yifu.

The elderly Gao Ji Fu was standing nearby, reporting on recent progress.

"Your Majesty, the two censors have recently confiscated a hundred thousand strings of cash from their properties. People in the streets are saying that Your Majesty came to Yangzhou just to..."

Li Chengqian asked, "I came to Yangzhou just for money, right?"

Gao Jifu was silent for a moment.

Li Chengqian sighed, "Or do they think the court is short of money? I came to Yangzhou to investigate the salt tax just to get money?"

Gao Ji Fu remained silent.

"It doesn't matter." Li Chengqian said to himself, and then said: "Being an emperor will always make people hate me. I don't want to be a good emperor praised by everyone. Salt and taxes are very important to me."

"I understand."

Li Chengqian stood up, wearing straw sandals, took out a tea egg from the pot beside him, put it in a bowl and handed it to him.

Gao Jifu took the tea egg and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"After we return, I will trouble you to teach the prince. I will appoint you as the prince's teacher."

During the Zhenguan period, Du Zhenglun and Gao Jifu were both young elites of the time. But now that Du Zhenglun has been appointed Minister of Personnel, he is already old. When Gao Jifu heard about this appointment, he felt old again.

He bowed quickly and said, "I am old, I don't deserve it."

Li Chengqian added: "Don't worry, you won't be the only teacher of the prince. I will also let Liu Rengui serve as the prince's teacher."

"Here."

Times have changed. Today, the backbone of the court is no longer Xu Jingzong, Ma Zhou, and Chu Suiliang. In the next few years, Shangguan Yi, Di Renjie, Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui, Guo Zhengyi, Pei Yan, Zhang Da'an, Liu Rengui, and Li Jingheng will be the backbone of the court.

If you think about it, what a powerful court it would be with them around.

The next two generations of emperors of the Tang Dynasty did not have to worry about governing the country.

Li Chengqian said, "Father is a genius, and I am still worried about winning people's hearts. How will people view me in the future if I let the two censors kill so many people?"

Gao Ji Fu remained silent again.

Gao Ji Fu would avoid speaking if he could avoid speaking, and avoid making mistakes if he could avoid making them. In front of the emperor, he always spoke and acted cautiously.

Such a person is suitable to assist the prince. If the prince becomes too proud of himself one day, Liu Rengui and Gao Ji Fu should pour a basin of cold water on him.

After all, there are only a few people with extraordinary talents. Li Chengqian said, "I am too mediocre."

In the summer of the 25th year of Qianqing, Li Yifu and Liu Hongye, two supervisory censors, killed many people, including many salt merchants, and seized hundreds of thousands of strings of silver from their properties, all of which were sent to Chang'an. Most salt merchants went bankrupt, and the unreasonable emperor made them start to pay fines and make up the money in the first year of Wude. This lasted for 54 years, from the 9th year of Wude to the 20th year of Zhenguan and the 25th year of Qianqing.

No one can afford these taxes, if you want to rob them just say so...

There were even a few rebellious armies in the Huai River and Liang Huai regions, but they were quickly suppressed. The salt merchants had bought off their own private soldiers, the so-called retinues, and their rebellion seemed vulnerable in the face of the Tang army that fought for the interests of the masses.

The years of teaching and admonitions in the army by Chongwenguan were not in vain. In the more than 20 years since Your Majesty ascended the throne, Chongwenguan has been sending teachers to the army, and the most taught concept is that the soldiers of Zhechongfu all came from the countryside, and they will have to go back in the future.

They defend their country, their families and fellow villagers behind them. They are all children raised by their parents. Everything they do, even if it is war, is for the benefit and peace of thousands of fellow villagers.

The emperor had no personal likes or dislikes, so every year a large group of children took the oath at Chunming Gate. Over the years, the soldiers who escorted the emperor to Yangzhou were all young people who had taken the oath in front of Chunming Gate.

They had sworn an oath together and witnessed to each other that when the emperor said that the price of salt would be reduced to five cents a dou, these young soldiers would carry out the emperor's ideas to the end, because the emperor would do what he said and would never go back on his word.

Even though the emperor had a gentleman's agreement with Tubo for twenty years, he did not kill Songtsen Gampo. An emperor who keeps his word can convince the people and win their hearts.

In the 25th year of Qianqing's reign, when autumn was about to begin, Li Chengqian left the Slender West Lake in his carriage and walked around the Lianghuai area, sometimes lingering in some scenic spots for a few days.

In the late autumn of the 25th year of Qianqing's reign, Li Chengqian came to Hanshan Temple.

There is a Maple Bridge outside the city of Gusu. The scenery here is very beautiful in autumn. Li Chengqian came here to experience the mood of mooring at the Maple Bridge at night.

But there was only one maple tree here, and the bell of Hanshan Temple was not rung. The monks knew that the emperor was coming, and all the monks in the temple ran away.

Li Chengqian did not embarrass them, but asked someone to draw a picture with Gusu City and Hanshan Temple in it, and then left in disappointment.

After the emperor left, the two censors Liu Hongye and Li Yifu killed many more people.

Ordinary people were at a loss. They didn't know what was going on. They only knew that the two censors killed many people. After that, the price of salt became five cents per dou.

There is definitely enough salt in the Central Plains. Even if the population doubles, there will still be enough salt in the Central Plains.

Even if it is sent to various parts of the Central Plains in the future, the price of salt will be five cents a dou. Anyone who dares to raise the price of salt by half a cent can appeal to the court, and the censor will come and kill him again.

This is roughly what happened in Yangzhou.

On weekdays, Gao Ji Fu always frowned and remained silent. He looked like he was worried about something and stood beside His Majesty for a long time.

Li Chengqian likes quietness, and it feels good to have an old minister who doesn't talk much by his side.

In the winter of the 25th year of Qianqing, Li Chengqian followed the canal to Hebei. Hebei was the granary of the Central Plains. Liaodong and Hebei had very rich mineral resources and vast fields.

In Zhuozhou, Li Chengqian ate the rice from Liaodong, which was fragrant and delicious.

While traveling around, another urgent report was delivered to the emperor, saying that the current emperor was seriously ill.

Upon hearing the news, Li Chengqian sent people to Chang'an City as fast as possible.

After traveling for more than a month, they arrived at Anning Village. The villagers who used to live here had all put on armor and returned to their appearance as the imperial guards.

Li Chengqian first listened to Dongyang's words. Fortunately, his father's condition has improved, but now his father is seventy-four years old. If he has a few more serious illnesses, I'm afraid...

Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes and saw his son with white hair on his temples. He slowly said, "Chengqian, I'm sorry to bother you while you were out having fun."

Dongyang and Linchuan stood aside with their heads down.

Li Chengqian said: "I haven't let my father have a good look at the world yet. I hope my father can live a few more years."

Li Shimin said: "I remember that you were only 28 years old when you ascended the throne. How come your temples are all gray?"

Holding his father's hand, Li Chengqian said slowly: "I have been on the throne for twenty-five years. I am fifty-three years old now."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "It's really fast."

Time indeed flies. My father has grown very old and my mother has a head full of white hair.

On a winter morning, before the sky was fully light and the cold wind was howling, Li Chengqian pushed the wheelchair and accompanied his father to a high slope in Longshouyuan.

Li Shimin sat in a wheelchair and whispered, "You handed over all state affairs to Yu Tu?"

Li Chengqian said: "When he can handle things on his own, I will abdicate and retire."

"What if he can't?"

"Then let someone help him take charge. I still have to retire."

Li Shimin chuckled and said, "I think you are tired of those state affairs."

"No one knows a son better than his father. I'm sorry to make you laugh."

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "I can't see through you. You are more cunning than I am. When you first ascended the throne, the assistant ministers were very cautious with you. Your uncle said... he was afraid of you."

"Why is uncle afraid of me?"

Li Shimin smiled and said, "I don't know either."

Yu Tu came running over quickly. He learned that his grandfather's condition had improved and his father had returned, so he came before dawn.

Guanzhong has the 800-li Qinchuan Plain. On the east side of the Guanzhong Plain, a ray of light can be seen at the end of the field of vision, and then golden sunlight hits your face.

Yu Tu saw his father and grandfather standing in the sun. In his eyes, these were the two most majestic figures in the Tang Dynasty. These figures could not be shaken. One was his grandfather, a genius, and the other was the most popular emperor, his father.

Yu Tu stood where he was, staring at the backs of his grandfather and father, unable to move for a moment, and his eyes gradually became red.

His father always said that he was a very mediocre person, but in front of his father and grandfather, Yu Tu felt that he was the most mediocre one. How could he compare or catch up?

Sadness rose in my heart, and I turned this sadness into motivation, left silently, and went to learn about government affairs.

After the emperor came back, he did not return to the palace immediately, but stayed outside with the emperor and the empress dowager.

Yu Tu took Shangguan Yi and began to study government affairs hard. After Shangguan Wan'er became pregnant, Shangguan Yi obeyed the orders of the Eastern Palace even more, and protecting the Eastern Palace became a matter of his life.

Shangguan Wan'er was an extremely intelligent woman. She grew up with the prince and could guide him in government affairs.

An old official with gray hair and beard stood in front of the prince. He saluted and said, "Your Majesty, I, Gao Jifu, have come to the East Palace to serve in accordance with your majesty's order."

Yu Tu bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you teachers for coming and giving me some pointers."

Behind Gao Ji Fu were Liu Rengui, Xu Yushi and Zhang Jianzhi. These three people taught the prince together with Gao Ji Fu.

The East Palace seemed to be emitting some kind of dazzling light. The emperor arranged the best team for the prince. The power and influence of the team were not great, but each member was just right.

They are Gao Jifu, who has been guarding Luoyang for more than 30 years and has rich experience in industrial construction.

There is Liu Rengui, who is upright, strict with himself and others; there is Xu Yushi, who is good at allocating money and grain and has a grasp of the situation of the canal; and there is Zhang Jianzhi, who deeply implemented Zheng Gong's ideas and was a firm leader of the new school of thought in the Tang Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)