Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 520 Tang-Han Interactions
"Zhu Quanzhong..."

"Chen is here!"

As dusk fell, Liu Jilong sat calmly behind his desk in the study of the Han Prince's mansion, his gaze constantly scrutinizing Zhu Wen before him.

Zhu Wen, who was only twenty-two years old, was no more than five feet seven or eight inches tall. He had broad shoulders and a thick back, a slightly dark complexion, and slightly high cheekbones, which added to his fierce appearance.

Judging solely by his appearance, while not exactly plain-looking, he is not particularly outstanding either.

But if you look him in the eye, no matter what his facial expression is, there is always a wolf-like glint in his eyes.

Now he lowers his eyelids, seemingly humble, but in reality, his eyes gleam with a sharp light, like a hawk eyeing its prey, never leaving its vital point.

"How do you think I should punish you?"

“If we apply the ‘Theft and Robbery Law’ to my crime, then I should be exempted from punishment; if we apply the ‘General Principles Law’ to my crime, then I should be reduced by two degrees.”

When Liu Jilong asked him questions, Zhu Wen answered respectfully with the relevant laws that Xie Tong had taught him, while also showing great humility.

"I was coerced by the rebels because of my gluttony and love of wine and meat. Although I have surrendered myself, I have failed Your Highness's kindness and beg for punishment!"

Zhu Wen suddenly kowtowed and begged Liu Jilong to punish him.

The atmosphere in the study immediately became quiet. Zhu Wen remained in the kowtow position for a full half-cup of tea time, but there was still no movement in front of him.

Zhu Wen was drenched in sweat, the sweat soaking the spot where he kowtowed, when he finally heard Liu Jilong's voice.

"You seem to have a capable strategist behind you. It must have taken you quite some time to memorize these words, right?"

Liu Jilong's words made Zhu Wen feel uneasy, and he quickly explained, "I am a crude and uncultured military man, and naturally I need talented people to help me refine my words and avoid offending you."

Seeing how anxious he was to explain, Liu Jilong slowly got up and walked in front of him: "Raise your head."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wen slowly raised his head and looked up at Liu Jilong standing in front of him, finally getting a clear look at Liu Jilong for the first time.

It must be mentioned that although Liu Jilong is forty-one, he looks like he is still twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a dignified and imposing appearance.

After making eye contact with Liu Jilong and seeing his appearance clearly, Zhu Wen, who usually considered himself to be a man of outstanding appearance, could not help but feel ashamed of himself.

But as soon as this feeling of inferiority took hold, he quickly realized what was happening and cursed inwardly:
"Damn it, Liu Muzhi is quite handsome!"

Despite cursing inwardly, Zhu Wen couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, while Liu Jilong looked at him with a smile, making Zhu Wen feel a little embarrassed.

"Since you crave wine and meat, I will bestow upon you twenty dou of imperial wine, and ten sheep and ten donkeys. Are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied! Satisfied!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wen quickly expressed his satisfaction. Seeing this, Liu Jilong chuckled, returned to his chair, and waved his hand, saying, "If that's the case, then you may leave."

"Your Highness, I thank you for your kindness. I respectfully withdraw..."

Zhu Wen slowly stood up, his gaze lingering on Liu Jilong's lower body, before carefully leaving the study.

Shortly after he left, Zhao Ying emerged from behind the screen in the study, looking in the direction Zhu Wen had gone, and said:
“Your Highness, Zhu Quanzhong is all smiles and fawning, he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would willingly grovel. Why not punish him instead of letting him go?”

"Hehe..." Liu Jilong chuckled and leaned back in his chair upon hearing Zhao Ying's words.

"When the world is at peace, whether it is a powerful dragon or a fierce tiger, it can only crawl down the steps and there is no need to care about it."

He spoke with great confidence, but his confidence mainly stemmed from his age and physical condition.

Now that he is only forty-one and in good health, he naturally has no need to be wary of Zhu Wen and his group.

Moreover, under the system of separation of powers among the three departments, officials had no opportunity to rebel when the court was on the rise.

A person like Zhu Wen, who is good at assessing the situation, would naturally not force something if he knew it was impossible.

Zhu Wen dared to challenge Liu Jilong because the various towns in Hebei and Hebei wanted to deal with Liu Jilong, and Gao Pian was also providing support from the south.

Although Liu Jilong occupied a larger territory, Hebei was still the most densely populated area in the north, not to mention that Zhu Wen also occupied Qilu, the most populous region in Henan Province at the time.

Apart from the difference in territory, the two sides were roughly equal in terms of population and army size, which gave Zhu Wen the confidence to form alliances against Liu Jilong.

After losing the three towns in Hebei, Zhu Wen naturally knew that Liu Jilong's unification of the country was an inevitable trend, which is why he surrendered in a hurry.

In Liu Jilong's view, as long as the country is stable, people like Zhu Wen are not likely to rebel.

On the contrary, people like Li Keyong and Li Sigong, who often act impulsively, are prone to doing bad things against common sense.

Just like now, even though they have unified the world, Li Keyong and Li Sigong still formed an alliance in the southern desert, attempting to oppose the imperial court.

In Liu Jilong's view, this move was truly foolish.

If the world were not still in turmoil, the military and civilians were exhausted and weary of war, and the national treasury was not exactly full, he probably would have already launched a military campaign against the north.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong recalled the things Zhu Wen had reported and couldn't help but look at Zhao Ying:
"The military should also investigate to see who is colluding with this group, whether it's for money or something else?"

"Yes!"

Liu Jilong was not surprised that there were traitors in the army, after all, apart from the 100,000 soldiers from Longyou who had risen to power, the rest were recruited from Guanzhong or Guandong.

It's understandable that many of the generals lacked resolve, but the fact that the army could be infiltrated suggests that Liu Jilong's plan should be brought forward.

The students at Linzhou University are almost ready to be deployed to reform the ideology of the military.

"The Governor-General's Office has a Military Administration Division, with two Military Administration Commissioners and eight Deputy Commissioners under its jurisdiction."

"The Military Governor's Office shall be staffed with a Military and Political Censor, and each regiment shall be staffed with a Supervisor who shall be in charge of the instruction and ideological matters of the officers and soldiers."

"The selection of military and political officials shall be based entirely on graduates of Linzhou University and those who have served in the military for more than three years. The selection process shall be rigorous and meticulous."

"If the number of positions is insufficient, it is better to leave them vacant than to fill them with inferior ones; do not make filling positions your priority."

When Zhao Ying saw that Liu Jilong had set up a new office, and it was clearly aimed at the soldiers, he naturally knew what the political ideology class represented, having studied in Longyou. So he immediately became serious.

"Your subject obeys..."

Seeing that he agreed, Liu Jilong nodded slightly, and at that moment a voice called out from outside the hall.

"Your Highness, your subject, Imperial Diarist Jingxiang, requests an audience..."

"Enter!"

Liu Jilong glanced sideways at the outside of the hall and saw Jing Xiang leading two clerks from the Prince's Mansion into the hall carrying documents.

"Your Highness, the autumn tax documents and preliminary maps from various regions have arrived."

As he spoke, he led his men to place the documents on Liu Jilong's desk, and at the same time, he took out several summaries and handed them to Liu Jilong, explaining as Liu Jilong opened them:
"That year, there were 7,827,652 households and 39,138,260 people in the country, and the cultivated land recorded in the maps and registers was 2,776,524 hectares."

"In autumn, the land tax amounted to more than 257,640 shi, the salt, iron, tea, and other miscellaneous taxes, as well as commercial taxes, amounted to about 2.26 million guan, and the brocade and silk fabrics amounted to 2.96 million bolts."

Summer taxes are high in cash but low in grain, while autumn taxes are high in grain but low in cash; this is the norm for the two taxes.

After explaining the autumn tax situation, Jing Xiang then summarized the summer tax, saying, "This year, the imperial court collected approximately 26 million shi of land tax, 6.2 million guan of various miscellaneous items, and approximately 6.3 million bolts of brocade and silk."

"In terms of taxes, the imperial court has already surpassed the peak of the Kaiyuan era. However, during the Kaiyuan era, local officials exploited the people, and the taxes collected amounted to only one-third of what the imperial court collected."

"Although taxes are high now, local officials are honest and efficient, and ten percent of the taxes collected are given to the imperial court."

In terms of taxation, the current imperial court is richer than the one during the Kaiyuan era, but its population is smaller.

This may seem to have increased the burden on the people, but because the officials were relatively honest, the burden on the people did not increase, but was actually greatly reduced.

This was only because Liu Jilong exempted the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties in the north and the Lingnan region from taxes. If he hadn't exempted them, the taxes would have increased by another 10% or 20%.

However, compared to taxes, Liu Jilong was more concerned about the amount of land in the country.

In the Tang Dynasty, one qing was equal to one hundred mu, and there were 2.77 million qing and 277 million mu.

These lands can produce between seven dou and two shi of grain each year. If taxes are levied at a rate of two-tenths of the total, it would be extremely harsh on the people of these impoverished areas.

No matter how strong one's manpower is, one person can only roughly cultivate about twenty acres, or intensively cultivate seven or eight acres.

Local conditions differ, and taxes should be adjusted accordingly; otherwise, it is easy to follow in the footsteps of the Ming Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong took the initiative to speak up: "Since I started my campaigns to conquer the world, I have known that the conditions and outputs vary from place to place. Therefore, even if farmers put in the same amount of effort, there will still be differences in output."

"In the past, the world was in turmoil, and it was obviously impossible to collect taxes meticulously. Therefore, the tax rate of two-tenths was set."

"Now that the world is at a relatively peaceful state, I plan to adjust the taxes levied on various provinces."

“In places like Guannei, Longyou, Qianzhong, Lingxi, northwestern and southern Sichuan, where there are many mountains and little land, the land tax can be reduced to one-tenth.”

"The other provinces will remain unchanged for the time being, and will continue to pay land tax at a rate of two-tenths of the total tax."

At his instruction, the imperial court reduced the land tax by nearly two million shi (a unit of dry measure), while the total population of these areas was only three million. This meant that each person's burden of grain was reduced by nearly seven dou (another unit of dry measure).

Liu Jilong's plan was not wrong, but in reality, places like Longxi and the Hexi Corridor were not in dire need of tax reduction.

His actions can be seen as a way of giving back to the people of Hebei and Longxi. Moreover, he is well aware that the rainfall line in the northwest will gradually shrink to the southeast, and the lives of the people in the northwest will become worse and worse.

Lowering and fixing the tax rate in the Northwest in advance was well worth it for the future imperial court.

Moreover, this tax reduction is just the beginning. Liu Jilong plans to gradually expand from the official shops in Guanzhong to Guandong and Jiangnan after the country is at peace, thus bringing some important industries under the control of the imperial court.

Compared to levying direct taxes, indirect taxes are undoubtedly more difficult to implement, but their effects are also very significant.

As long as there is no monopoly, but rather a portion of the market is released to private merchants while the imperial court maintains a certain share, the collection of indirect taxes is still feasible.

However, given the historical context, direct taxes have always been the majority, while indirect taxes have always been a minority, so direct taxes cannot be reduced too much.

Liu Jilong abolished miscellaneous taxes and corvée labor, and changed the poll tax system to land tax, which greatly reduced the burden on the people.

However, while the burden on ordinary people has been reduced, the taxes levied on the imperial court have also been reduced, so regular taxes are still inevitable.

In the current situation, only the regular tax of two-tenths of the total tax can keep the court afloat.

Twenty or thirty years later, with the increase in population and cultivated land, it would not be too late to slightly reduce the regular tax to one-tenth or even one-fifteenth.

"After this year's expenditures, will the imperial court be able to accumulate savings or will it be in debt?"

Liu Jilong placed the booklet in his hand on the table and asked Jing Xiang with a calm gaze.

Upon hearing this, Jing Xiang immediately found the relevant documents in the archives and began to explain them to Liu Jilong.

"This year's taxes and levies totaled more than 26 million strings of copper coins; while the provisions and daily food expenses for the regular army, garrison soldiers, and local garrisons amounted to 15.82 million strings of copper coins."

"The salaries of court officials, the teaching staff of the Imperial Academy and the various official schools in Guanzhong, and the expenses of the official schools in Longyou totaled 7.2 million strings of cash."

"The Ministry of Works allocated 800,000 strings of cash for dredging rivers and building dikes, the Imperial Court allocated 200,000 strings of cash, the Imperial Mausoleums in Guanzhong were maintained with 150,000 strings of cash, the Prince's Palace allocated 50,000 strings of cash, and the Imperial Court still owed 220,000 strings of cash."

In just a few words from Jing Xiang, Liu Jilong learned that the imperial court was in a fiscal deficit of 220,000 strings of cash this year.

This is even after more than 34,000 regular soldiers and more than 80,000 state and militiamen have been dismissed.

"Disarmament must continue..."

Liu Jilong frowned slightly, then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I urge the Five Armies Commandery to reduce the number of troops to a fixed quota. Those troops who are to be reduced to civilian positions can be transferred to local government offices if they are willing to take up positions elsewhere."

"As for the garrison troops, not only should they not be reduced, but people who can adapt to the cultivated land should also be continuously recruited to go there."

Soldiers who have undergone literacy training can easily become ordinary officials. If necessary, official schools can be established to teach them for several months or even half a year.

The regular army must be reduced to around 430,000, and the state troops to less than 150,000. The garrison troops should not only not be reduced, but the more the better.

The more troops stationed there were, the more the imperial court expanded into the remote and undeveloped border regions, and the more arable land it acquired.

Currently, the imperial court's troops are mainly stationed in Lingnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, and the Western Regions.

The price of grain in these places is not low, but the annual salary of eight strings of cash for garrison soldiers is also not low, which is equivalent to being a professional farmer.

This is a new system that Liu Jilong developed after learning from the lessons of the Ming Dynasty's military garrisons.

The Ming Dynasty's military garrisons did indeed make great contributions to the development of the southwest, but Zhu Yuanzhang's measures of requiring all military farm output to be handed over, and distributing 12 shi of military pay, cloth, and salt to the army each year, were indeed too harsh.

Liu Jilong simply separated the combat troops and the garrison troops, assigning the tasks of conquering and suppressing barbarian bandits to the combat troops. Because the tasks were dangerous, their military pay was set at fifteen to twenty strings of cash depending on their type of troop.

The garrison only needed to cultivate the barbarian lands into farmland after the soldiers had quelled the rebellion, and they could receive eight strings of cash every year.

At present, eight strings of cash can buy twelve to fifteen shi of grain, while oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and cloth are the annual allowances issued by the imperial court to the soldiers.

For this reason, the treatment of garrison troops was not bad. At least the annual military pay of garrison troops was equivalent to the output of more than ten acres of land outside. Moreover, the army provided food and drink, and even if the output was handed over, they would still be given corresponding rations.

However, once a place has been largely developed, the garrisoned troops are transferred to other locations, which is a major problem that many garrisoned troops cannot accept.

Although the soldiers' lives were no worse than those of the rich peasants who owned more than 20 acres of land, they were like duckweed, constantly being transferred to other places, so naturally there were cases of desertion.

Even if they fled, the imperial court still had ways to recruit people from densely populated areas to serve as garrison troops.

If a person can be frugal, he can serve as a soldier for three years and return home with twenty-odd strings of cash, enough to buy a few acres of fertile land, get married, and have children.

The world has no shortage of people who dare to fight and struggle.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong picked up the memorial from the Five Military Commissions and found the section about deserters.

As expected, as the war gradually came to an end, and many soldiers who did not want to be stationed in other places were laid off, the army gradually stabilized.

Liu Jilong looked at the records and found that in the past three months, with more than 34,000 soldiers laid off, there were less than 700 deserters, and all of them were soldiers who had deserted before the layoffs.

This environment actually helps the imperial court to reduce its military strength, which Liu Jilong is happy to see.

"The imperial edict ordered the relevant officials to prepare ready-made clothes, cloth, and shoes. After the Lantern Festival next year, all regular soldiers, garrison soldiers, and state soldiers will be issued two sets of battle jackets, two bolts of coarse cloth, and two pairs of shoes."

“The militiamen are issued a set of combat jackets, a piece of coarse cloth, and a pair of shoes, and are allowed three days of rest.”

After reducing the number of soldiers, the next step is to appease them. Distributing clothes, cloth, and shoes is the best way to do this.

The reason why fewer laborers were issued was mainly because the laborers patrolled the local area and their tasks were not heavy, so their treatment was naturally different.

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong looked at the two men and, seeing that they had nothing to report, waved his hand to signal them to leave.

After the two left, Liu Jilong continued to bury himself in handling government affairs, while Zhu Wen, who had left the Prince of Han's residence, was no longer as uneasy as before.

People say you can judge a person by their appearance, and at least in his opinion, someone like Liu Jilong wouldn't resort to tricks to deal with someone as harmless as him.

However, just to be on the safe side, he decided to stay home and wait for the matter to pass.

It is likely that once Liu Jilong learns of Doulu Zhuo and his group's conspiracy, he will quickly turn the tables and eliminate them.

“A fool.”

Recalling the words spoken by Doulu Zhuo and others at the banquet, Zhu Wen couldn't help but scoff, while his carriage gradually drove away into the twilight until it disappeared from sight.

When the evening drum sounded, all the pedestrians in Luoyang returned home.

Apart from the elderly widows and widows responsible for cleaning, the only other people on the streets were the night watchmen and the Imperial Guards patrolling the streets.

As time went by, Liu Jilong and the imperial court focused on the promotion and implementation of the new system for the next two weeks.

In the court dominated by officials from Longyou, the Five Military Commands, the Three Offices, and the Censorate began to be implemented.

Officials who went south immediately began to introduce the new government policies to the people after taking office.

After learning about the two policies of "integrating land tax into poll tax" and "equalizing land distribution," people had different attitudes toward registering their households, something they used to avoid at all costs.

A small number of people began to register and successfully obtained the land that the government had allocated to them.

Seeing this, other people also began to register, but due to the scarcity of land and the high population density in Jiangnan, the amount of land that people could receive was significantly less than expected.

Most of the land is still in the hands of those powerful and influential families that have not been shaken. Unless this situation is resolved, the situation in Jiangnan cannot be changed.

Liu Jilong was well aware of this, but he was not in a hurry and waited until mid-October.

"Whoosh..." In mid-October, Luoyang, which had been suffering from a severe drought, finally received a welcome rain. Although it was just a light rain, it brought great joy to the people of Luoyang who had been suffering from drought for a long time.

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Li Yi looked at the drizzle outside the hall and took out the imperial edict in his hand with a bit of boredom.

The imperial edict was taken by Yang Gongqing and handed over to Liu Zhan and dozens of other important officials, while Li Yi himself sighed, "I hope this is the last time."

Seeing his reaction, the courtiers felt nothing but disappointment.

"You may leave." Li Yi waved his hand, and Liu Zhan and the others bowed in return, saying, "Your subjects respectfully withdraw..."

Under Li Yi's watchful eye, Liu Zhan and the others took the imperial edict away. After the light rain gradually stopped, they went to the Prince of Han's residence.

When they arrived at the Prince of Han's residence, hundreds of officials had already gathered outside. They were mostly from Longyou and Guanzhong, and their purpose was to persuade Liu Jilong to accept the imperial edict.

As soon as Liu Zhan and his companions disembarked from the carriage, they thought they would still need to go into the Prince of Han's residence to persuade Liu Jilong. However, to their surprise, Liu Jilong took the initiative to walk out of the Prince of Han's residence and stood under the Wutou Gate.

Twelve long halberds were planted outside Wutou Gate, with banners bearing the characters "Han" and "Liu" constantly fluttering on them.

"Your Highness, we humbly request that Your Highness receive the imperial edict..."

When Liu Jilong appeared, hundreds of officials outside the mansion bowed and made obeisance, disrupting the rhythm of Liu Zhan and his entourage.

Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, Zhang Zhifang, and others standing in the crowd all looked at Liu Jilong with restrained eyes, because they could tell his attitude from his appearance.

Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou took a deep breath, looked at each other, and then walked towards Liu Jilong.

The officials quickly made way, and standing at the forefront were Gao Jinda, who had recently recovered from a serious illness, Li Shangyin, who was temporarily acting as the Chancellor, as well as Ma Cheng, Shang Duoluo, Li Ji, Han Zhengke, Zhang Huaicheng, Zhang Yanhui, Li Gunshi, Lu Guimeng, Zhang Ying, and other high-ranking and powerful figures.

Among them, Li Ji's expression was particularly complicated. The forty-year-old looked at Liu Zhan and the others, and then couldn't help but look at Liu Jilong standing on the steps below the Wutou Gate.

It's impossible for Li Ji not to harbor resentment after being confined for so many years.

However, as news of victories from the front lines continued to arrive at the rear, Li Ji gradually became numb, and his heart was filled with fear that Liu Jilong would confine him to his home for the rest of his life.

Now that he has been released from confinement and can witness this scene in person, he has no regrets. However, he also understands that his relationship with his prince can never be the same as before.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but lower his head.

Standing beside him were Ma Cheng, Shang Duoluo, and others who were currently serving as the Grand Commander of the Five Armies.

Although they wore purple robes, everyone knew they were no longer involved in affairs and had long since faded from the halls of power.

Compared to them, the court officials paid more attention to Li Shangyin and other young and promising figures such as Han Zhengke, Li Gunshi, Lu Guimeng, Zhang Ying, Zhang Huaicheng, and Zhang Yanhui.

"Disciples"

"To my Grand Commandant and King of Han: Whenever I read the ancient books, those beginning with Yao and Shun, it is because the tradition of abdication has been passed down through the ages. Thus, the Feng ceremony at Mount Tai and the Shan ceremony at Liangfu, and the seventy-two rulers whose deeds can be mentioned, show that the fairness of the world is not exclusive to any one family..."

"Now I am sending Liu Zhan, who holds the imperial seal, is a Grand Master of the Palace, and is also the Chancellor, to present the Emperor's imperial seal and respectfully submit to his position."

“Alas! The mandate of Heaven rests upon you; hold fast to the middle way, and Heaven’s blessings will last forever. King, then, reverently display the grand ceremony, enjoy the blessings of all nations, and solemnly receive Heaven’s mandate.”

"I have retired to a separate palace to live out my natural lifespan, and will forever offer sacrifices to the emperor to show my sincerity and respect."

"Proclamation shall be made throughout the land, so that all may know..."

At the Wutou Gate, as Liu Zhan finished reading the edict, the officials outside looked up at Liu Jilong. Some hoped he would accept the edict quickly, while others hoped he would refuse it.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Liu Jilong sighed and addressed his ministers, saying, "Since you gentlemen care for the common people, and I have been forced to assume this great mandate, I have no choice but to accept it; however, I must inform Heaven and Earth of two matters."

"Firstly, the ancestral temples of the Tang dynasty will forever enjoy the offerings of sacrifices; secondly, Your Majesty will be enfeoffed as the King of Tang, and your descendants will all be granted the title of Prince, a hereditary title that will never be replaced."

When Liu Jilong announced that he would enfeoff Li Yi as the King of Tang and all his sons as princes, with the title being hereditary, Li Shangyin and the others bowed and paid their respects before Doulu Zhuo and the others could react.

Li Shangyin stepped forward and offered advice to Liu Jilong:
As the sage said: "The blessings of a virtuous person will last for five generations."

"For the sake of the common people, His Majesty has abdicated the throne to Your Highness. Although Your Highness wishes to repay this kindness, you must not break the ancestral rules. Moreover, the investiture of the Prince of Tang may encourage treacherous officials to have improper thoughts."

"Your subject respectfully proposes: Your Majesty should be granted the title of Prince of Longxi, permitted to use the imperial procession, and given a fief of ten thousand households, with the title to be hereditary for eight generations before the rank is reduced."

“The princes are granted the title of county marquis, which is hereditary for four generations and then the rank is reduced; the sons of Emperor Xuanzong are granted the title of county earl, which is hereditary for three generations and then the rank is reduced; the rest of the imperial clan who are within five degrees of kinship with Your Majesty are granted the titles of county baron or township lady.”

"In this way, both grace and courtesy will be extended, and the established rules and regulations will be in order."

After more than two months of deliberation, Li Shangyin and others finally finalized the treatment of Li Yi and the Li Tang imperial family based on Liu Jilong's plan.

This treatment was even better than what Liu Jilong had previously promised Li Yi, especially for those members of the imperial clan who were within five degrees of kinship with Li Yi, who basically all received a fifth-rank title.

Although the position was not hereditary, the salary was real.

Liu Jilong's actions would not only prevent the Li Tang imperial family from resenting him, but also encourage many former officials in the court to speak up for him.

However, in the eyes of Doulu Zhuo and others, Liu Jilong's actions were merely hypocritical; he should continue to uphold the Tang dynasty in order to repay the court's kindness to him.

"Your Majesty, I have agreed to this matter on behalf of the Emperor. Please accept the imperial edict..."

Liu Zhan changed his form of address, referring to Li Yi as "the current emperor" and Liu Jilong as "Your Majesty".

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong respectfully descended the steps and accepted the imperial edict from Liu Zhan with both hands.

Thus, the Tang Dynasty came to an end, and the new Han Dynasty rose to power.

"Your subject, Liu Jilong, obeys the imperial edict!"

"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"

The courtiers shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times before bowing in homage, to which Liu Jilong nodded in acknowledgment: "Rise."

Seeing Liu Jilong's signal, the officials all rose, and Liu Jilong continued to give instructions:

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works are hereby ordered to repair Shangyang Palace. After the repairs are completed, Your Majesty is invited to reside in Shangyang Palace."

"I am now temporarily residing in the Prince of Han's residence, which will be converted into a temporary palace. I will take the throne in the Qianyuan Hall after the Shangyang Palace is completed."

"Your Majesty, we obey..."

Seeing that Liu Jilong had given all the instructions, the ministers all agreed, and Liu Jilong turned around and walked into the former Han Prince's Mansion, now the temporary palace.

"We, your humble servants, respectfully withdraw..."

Upon seeing Liu Jilong depart, the officials bowed and saw him off until his figure completely disappeared before leaving the place.

Upon Li Shangyin's return to the Southern Office, he immediately ordered the recruitment of all craftsmen and laborers in Luoyang to repair the Shangyang Palace outside the city as quickly as possible.

Shangyang Palace was built by Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi. Because the palace was located outside Luoyang, many ministers advised against placing such a luxurious palace outside the city, arguing that it would only cause more grief to the people.

However, the advice of the court officials was obviously ineffective. Shangyang Palace was not only built outside Luoyang City, but also became the residence of Li Zhi, Wu Zetian, and Li Longji for several decades.

If it hadn't been destroyed by war after the An Lushan Rebellion, it might still be standing outside the palace today.

For this reason, all that was left for Li Shangyin and others at the so-called Shangyang Palace was a foundation.

The original Shangyang Palace was a grand structure that took four years to complete. Now, with little time left for Li Shangyin and his colleagues, the Ministry of Works had to reduce the size of the palace and set it up as a simple temporary palace with a circumference of two li, twelve palaces, twenty-four courtyards, and gardens and pavilions.

Even so, the cost was no less than 300,000 strings of cash, which made the already impoverished national treasury even worse.

Even so, the Ministry of Works still began recruiting workers in the eastern region as quickly as possible.

At the same time, Li Yi felt a great sense of relief upon learning that Liu Jilong had been summoned.

After learning about Liu Jilong's treatment of him after his retirement, he finally slept soundly.

In contrast, Liu Jilong, after returning to his residence, found Feng Hui after having a meal.

As darkness fell outside the window, Feng Hui, accompanied by several maids, helped him undress and wash up before signaling for them to leave.

The couple sat on the bed, with Feng Hui kneeling and Liu Jilong resting his head on her lap. He closed his eyes, feeling Feng Hui skillfully massaging the acupoints on his head, and couldn't help but sigh:

"After twenty-four years of hard work, this matter is finally settled."

Feng Hui chuckled upon hearing this, tightening his grip slightly, and exclaimed, "If Grandpa were still here, he would be overjoyed to see this scene today."

"Ha ha……"

Liu Jilong's laughter sounded slightly weary, then gradually subsided, and he finally spoke slowly after half a cup of tea had been brewed:

"Enthronement is just the beginning. There is still much for me to do. Conquering the world is not easy, and governing the world is not easy either."

"After decades of war, all the people of the world want is peace. And after peace comes, they will want more food, clothing and shelter so that they can live a better life."

"Before I entered Luoyang, I said that if I could unify the world, I would need to spend ten years nurturing the people and ten years bringing peace. Now is the time to fulfill my promise."

Although he didn't open his eyes, Feng Hui could feel the intensity in his gaze as he spoke, a gaze that inspired awe.

"Is the world not peaceful now?"

Feng Hui didn't dwell on the first sentence, but focused on the second sentence when asking questions.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong continued to rest with his eyes closed, but he shook his head slightly and then said:

"Although the Han people control the Western Regions and the Central Plains, they have lost Liaodong and the Three Hans, and in the southwest, there are barbarians like You Shilong barking wildly. They are not as powerful as the Han and Tang dynasties."

"Furthermore, there are many barbarian tribes rising up in Lingnan, Guizhou, Hunan and other places. It is necessary to relocate people to settle the land so as to firmly control these places."

"Since the world has just been settled, it is not advisable to start a war. Therefore, we should first take care of the people and then bring peace to the land."

He told Feng Hui everything he needed to do. Feng Hui's hands trembled slightly after hearing this, because he knew how much effort Liu Jilong had put into restoring prosperity to Longyou.

"If, as Your Majesty says, Liaodong, the Three Hans, and even Lingxi, Hunan, Qianzhong, and the southern barbarian lands are to be returned to the Han, I wonder how many people will have to be relocated and how much money and taxes will be spent?"

"It will indeed consume a lot." Liu Jilong nodded slightly in agreement, and then speculated:

"If we want to control the three Han states in Liaodong, we must wage war against Bohai and Silla, and we also need to wipe out the Xi and Khitan people."

"At least four major battles will be fought, mobilizing no less than 200,000 troops. After these places are conquered, at least 500,000 people will need to be relocated to take control of them."

"It will probably take three generations of continuous efforts to relocate millions of people to the south of the southwest, spreading them across central Guizhou, western Hunan, western Lingnan and Annam."

"Fortunately, there are more than five million people in Jiannan and Shannan East and West, so we can start with central Guizhou and western Hunan."

"However, if people want to move into Lingnan Province, they can only migrate from places like Hunan and Jiangxi, which is a bit difficult."

"However, I heard that many people fled to Fujian due to the war in Jiangnan. Fujian is mostly mountains, water and farmland, so there is not much arable land. It would be better to relocate these people to Lingdong and Annam."

In Fujian during this era, many coastal plains had not yet been eroded out, so there was not much arable land.

As long as the imperial court is willing to provide ships and grain, it is not impossible to relocate the people of Fujian to Annam and Lingdong, even though the cost would be high.

"Your Highness's ambition remains undiminished, but he still hopes to be considerate of the people's strength and not to burden them with unnecessary hardship."

"nature……"

Feng Hui has always supported Liu Jilong, but now he has to persuade him, which shows that his plans are very ambitious.

Even though Liu Jilong claimed it would take three generations to relocate millions of people, Feng Hui was still worried that Liu Jilong was rushing things.

However, Liu Jilong had his own opinions and plans. Just considering the current influx of 400,000 people into Lingnan, what he needed to do was to deal with the powerful families in Jiannan Road and Shannan Road, and then exile them to Qianzhong.

Wang Jian has already reported the situation in Qianzhong to Liu Jilong, and it can be said that Gao Pian has managed it quite well.

However, considering the ratio of Han Chinese to Tumans in the area, Liu Jilong found it much easier to relocate people into central Guizhou than Zhu Yuanzhang did hundreds of years later.

The local Miao, Yao, and Tuman tribes suffered a bloody crackdown by Gao Pian, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Many river valleys and plains were occupied by Han Chinese immigrants.

Later, Lu Ruyue led the people of northern Guizhou south to southern Guizhou. Although most of the people fled to northern Guizhou, a few settled down in southern Guizhou.

According to Wang Jian's memorial, although the population of Qianzhong Road was not yet fully registered, there were at least 370,000 people in Hankou, while the Miao and Yao ethnic minorities numbered around 300,000 to 400,000.

With 370,000 people in Hankou, it wouldn't be difficult to support Wang Jian's more than 10,000 troops. Moreover, many prefectures and counties in northern Guizhou had been almost emptied by Lu Ruyue, so more than 100,000 people could be relocated to populate these places.

Given the scale of the powerful families and clans in Shannan West Road, Jiannan Road, and Shannan East Road, it wouldn't be surprising to see tens of thousands of people migrating in, as long as there are enough connections.

As for the infamy recorded in history books, Liu Jilong didn't care at all.

He may be criticized for hundreds of years, but when future generations realize the importance of the land, they will naturally praise him.

Moreover, he didn't go so far as to cause more than half of the population in the world to flee and hide like Emperor Wu did.

Thinking of this, he gently patted Feng Hui's hand: "Get some rest."

"Yes……"

At Liu Jilong's suggestion, the couple quickly blew out the candles and rested quietly.

While they were resting, Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, Zhang Zhifang, and more than twenty others gathered at Doulu Zhuo's residence, and everyone looked grim.

"The Ministry of Works' orders are swift; in just two or three hours, they have already begun recruiting craftsmen and laborers to survey the palace at Shangyang Palace."

Doulu Zhu spoke eloquently, his gaze sweeping menacingly over everyone in the room, and then added:

"Judging from the Ministry of Works' blueprints, this Shangyang Palace, which is no bigger than a prince's mansion, can probably be completed in just over two months. At that time, Emperor Taizong's legacy will be destroyed in our hands!"

His words moved many people, after all, Emperor Taizong had become a spiritual symbol of the Tang Dynasty, and such words would undoubtedly arouse the indignation of many.

"Brother Xizhen, please speak freely. As long as it is within our power, we will grant your request!"

"Yes!"

"The legacy of Emperor Taizong must not be ruined in our hands!"

The ministers chattered amongst themselves, and seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Doulu Zhuo immediately said in a deep voice:

"Liu Jilong's actions have indeed done us a great favor."

"Shangyang Palace is outside the city. As long as we make a move, we can easily take the emperor south."

"I have already made arrangements for things in the south. As long as we can leave Luoyang, we can rebuild the Tang Dynasty."

Among those present, there were very few talented individuals; most were disgruntled officials.

Now that they saw that Doulu Zhuo had arranged everything, they had no doubts and nodded to show their trust.

Seeing this, Doulu Zhuo simply said to everyone, "I need you all to contact the knowledgeable people you have contacted. Once I post this notice in your homes, that will be the time for us to take action!"

"At present, there are no more than 30,000 troops in the Eastern Capital, of which 20,000 are stationed in various places in the Eastern Capital. Only the Six Armies of the Northern Army and several thousand Jinwu Guards are in Luoyang City."

"If you all do as instructed in this post, you will surely be able to restore the glory of the Tang Dynasty!"

Doulu Zhuo said a lot, but didn't go into any specifics, which made everyone feel uneasy.

But everyone knew that since the matter had been accomplished in secrecy, all they needed to do now was lie low.

Just as everyone relaxed after thinking about this, they saw Doulu Zhu clap his hands.

Before they could react, dozens of women entered the hall one after another, and Doulu Zhuo reassured them:
"Since we have all gathered here, if there is no feast or entertainment, we will surely arouse suspicion from Liu Jilong's henchmen. Please do not blame us."

Such gatherings of aristocratic families were quite common since the mid-Tang Dynasty, let alone a gathering of only twenty-odd officials like Doulu Zhuo's.

Doulu Zhuo's words resonated with everyone, and they no longer resisted. They began to clink glasses and whisper among themselves with the women beside them, thoroughly enjoying themselves...

Seeing that they accepted, Doulu Zhuo looked at the painter in the corner. Upon seeing this, the painter picked up his brush and painted all the people at the banquet onto the scroll.

Doulu Zhuo wouldn't be so at ease with just a verbal promise; he needed to leave evidence to coerce the crowd and prevent anyone from secretly reporting Liu Jilong.

Thinking of this, Doulu Zhu couldn't help but recall the scene of Liu Jilong receiving the imperial edict at the Wutou Gate of the Han Prince's Mansion today, and his anger rose even higher.

He glanced at the two women playing the pipa, his breathing heavy: "You two, come with me."

The two women dared not resist and could only carry the pipa and the douluozhuo to the corner of the room...

(End of this chapter)