A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 426 Li Yi's Final Interpretation Rights
Chewing on the fragrant crumbs, Li Yi sent someone to summon the monks of Xiaoyun Temple.

"Would Xiaoyun Temple lend us grain?" Liu Heizi asked.

Li Yi laughed, "Do you know what political power is?"

"regime?"

"Yes, regime, also known as state power, is the power of the ruling class to exercise political rule over the ruled class through the state apparatus."

Liu Heizi couldn't understand these words at all.

Liu Rengui, Lu Chengqing, Zhang Gongjin, Zhang Liang, and the others all pricked up their ears to listen with curiosity.

"Just remember one thing: political power is guaranteed by violent organs, such as the army, prisons, and government officials."

This land is now under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, which has the power to set the rules. With our army here, we have the best guarantee to ensure their implementation.

Simply put, Li Yi, holding significant military power, represents the Tang Dynasty and possesses the final say.

He set the rules, and Xiaoyun Temple followed them.

If they don't comply, then send troops to deal with them.

It is so simple and unadorned.

That made Liu Heizi understand; whoever has the bigger fist gets to decide.

Liu Rengui, Lu Chengqing, and others naturally understood even better that, in the end, it all came down to strength.

Xiaoyun Temple has been exploiting the people by taking advantage of its special status. Now, Li Yi, representing the imperial court, wants to further exploit Xiaoyun Temple.

The conflict between the government and Xiaoyun Temple ultimately stemmed from the fact that the local people were impoverished, and since Xiaoyun Temple had meat to offer, it naturally became a target.

Lu Chengqing and the others, who had been following Li Yi, had long noticed some of Li Yi's style of doing things. For example, Li Yi rarely levied taxes on ordinary people. Instead, wherever he went, he issued policies such as rent and tax exemptions and light corvée labor.

But the government needs grain to support its officials and to carry out its work, and the army needs even more money and grain to support its soldiers and fight wars. If the people are not taxed, where will the money and grain come from?

When Li Yi was in Henan, he sought out powerful landlords and gentry, soliciting donations, loans, and even levying taxes—using every possible means at his disposal.

In short, we should approach whoever has money and supplies, whether it's through borrowing, levying, or donation.

Even wealthy temples became targets for Li Yi.

Li Yicai wouldn't fixate on the poor; how much could he squeeze out of them? What he disliked most was the rent-labor-tax system, which was a system of taxation based on the number of people. It seemed fair, with each person receiving two shi of millet, two zhang of silk, and three liang of cotton per year, plus twenty days of free labor.

But a male official with 100 mu of land pays the same tax as a male official with only 10 mu of land, or even a male official with no land at all. Is that fair?
And what about those who own hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of acres of land? Is it reasonable to impose a tax of two shi of millet, two zhang of silk, and three liang of cotton per adult per year, and to perform twenty days of labor service?

Some people with a lot of wealth are exempt from taxes because they may have merits, hold official positions, or serve as local officials.

The rent-labor system had its progressive aspects, making it relatively convenient for the state to collect taxes, but it also had its unreasonable aspects.

Especially now, after the war,
The poor had no means to pay taxes and corvée labor. Wherever Li Yi went, he basically petitioned for exemptions from rent and taxes so he could maintain the expenses of the government and the army.

Instead of following the imperial court's system of taxation, they levied taxes according to their own wartime policies.

For example, they would collect taxes from households, collect grain from acreage, or even directly solicit donations or loans from large households.

Those who control the military naturally possess the power to set rules.

If Xiaoyun Temple follows Li Yi's rules, it will only suffer some losses at most. But if they don't know what's good for them, Li Yi won't hesitate to eliminate them.

Are the tens of thousands of soldiers with their weapons just for show?

Li Yi didn't enjoy robbing the rich to help the poor; he simply wanted to maintain the best normal working order.

As for whether the monks would be annoyed, or whether the powerful landlords would be unhappy, Li Yi didn't care.

What is state power? It is something maintained by a violent apparatus. What is power? It is the power to allocate resources, which is guaranteed by a violent apparatus.

The power to lend money and collect interest, and to acquire land, are not things you naturally possess.

Li Yi did lead his troops here to fight Xu Yuanlang, but he didn't mind swatting flies along the way.

Food is extremely important now, and whoever controls a large amount of food has come into Li Yi's sights.

Some people think that Li Yi has never liked monks, perhaps because he used to be a Taoist priest, which involves the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism.

Li Yi offered no explanation.

Li Yi's personal guards took Lao Bai's invitation to Xiaoyun Temple, but Xiaoyun Temple was very uncooperative and only sent a cart of grain.

One cartload of grain, eight bushels of millet.

It's still Chen's.

Upon seeing this result, Li Yi chuckled.

Lu Chengqing and Liu Rengui couldn't laugh; they were furious.

Are the face of a high-ranking official like the Three Dukes and the Prime Minister really worth only eight bushels of grain? The monks of Xiaoyun Temple are truly ignorant of their own limitations.

“Minister, this humble general is willing to go to Xiaoyun Temple to investigate their lending practices, rent collection, and land acquisition.” Zhang Gongjin stepped forward voluntarily.

Zhang Gongjin was previously the Prefect of Weizhou. He actively persuaded the Prefect Cui Shishu to surrender. Later, he was appointed as the Governor of Chenzhou by Li Yi. When the Governor's Office was being merged, Li Yi recommended him as the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice of the Shaanxi East Circuit.

"Alright, explain things properly to Xiaoyun Temple, and be polite," Li Yi instructed with a smile.

Zhang Gongjin, now deeply trusted by Li Yi, naturally worked very hard and immediately dispatched two hundred of Li Yi's elite troops to Xiaoyun Temple.

These two hundred soldiers were mostly sons of powerful families in Henan.

He arrived at Xiaoyun Temple, but the monks closed the gates and wouldn't let him in, instead sending martial monks to guard the area.

This attitude amused and angered Zhang Gongjin.

I really don't know who the real Buddha is, do I?

Since they don't know what's good for them, there's no need to be polite.

"Xu Yuanlang, a follower of Xiaoyun Temple, has rebelled. Seize him!"

Swordsmen and shieldmen stepped forward.

The archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, and a battle suddenly broke out.

Xiaoyun Temple has a large number of warrior monks who are usually fearless in dealing with refugees and even some bandits, but they are no match for the two hundred armored soldiers of Li Yi.

The monks never expected the Tang army to turn on them so suddenly.

Caught off guard by the gunfire, they screamed in agony.

"It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding. Don't shoot the arrow, everything can be discussed."

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Since Zhang Gongjin has already made his move, there's no room for retreat.

Two hundred men cut down the group of warrior monks and stormed into the temple.

Surrender and you will not be killed; resist and you will be executed on the spot. Whether you are a senior monk, a junior monk, or an old monk, once the war begins, you are all enemies.

Chop people

Arrest people,

The warehouse was sealed off.

In chaotic times, having a lot of money and food is a sin in itself; if you're still so arrogant, you're just courting death.

Li Yi entertained Old Bai of Baibao, as well as elders from several nearby forts.

Zhang Gongjin sent someone to report that Xiaoyun Temple had colluded with Xu Yuanlang in a rebellion, attacking government troops, etc. Li Yi simply waved his hand and said, "Investigate thoroughly!"

In just the time it takes to brew a pot of tea,

Zhang Gongjin personally returned to report the battle results to Li Yi: Xiaoyun Temple had been captured, with over thirty rebellious monks killed on the spot, and over a hundred captured. In addition, over a hundred monks and over a thousand eunuchs and slaves from the temple were also captured.
Evidence of collusion between Xiaoyun Temple and Xu Yuanlang was seized, and evidence of the temple's history of usury, forcing women into slavery, and even privately minting copper coins was confiscated.

Also attached was a booklet containing the confiscated grain, copper coins, and other valuables.

The quantity was somewhat beyond Li Yi's expectations.

There were over 8,000 shi of various grains such as wheat and millet, hundreds of vats of various sesame oils and perilla oils, thousands of bolts of silk cloth, and a considerable amount of gold and silver.

They're incredibly rich!

Not to mention that Xiaoyun Temple owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile land.

They made even more money lending during years of disaster.

"We also found many women in the temple. Upon investigation, these women were all wives and concubines of the monks in the temple."

Monks also marry wives and take concubines.
They even eat meat.

Li Yi was no longer surprised by these things.

These people aren't really practicing or anything like that; they just want the identity to be useful. They don't have any real Buddhas or Bodhisattvas in their hearts; they only have worldly desires like money, wine, meat, women, and sex.

This situation is not an isolated case; rather, it is a common occurrence today.

"Seized and confiscated!"

Temple properties, fields, slaves, livestock, and workshops were all without official jurisdiction.

The monks were all forced to return to secular life and were sentenced to three years of hard labor reform.

"Lord Bai, regarding the loans your Bai Fortress has taken out from Xiaoyun Temple over the past three years, any amount exceeding six percent monthly interest and double the principal and interest, I will have someone review and return it. Also, regarding the land you mortgaged or sold to the temple..."
You can also redeem it at the original price.

"The same is true for other villagers."

Li Yi did not take all of the eight thousand shi of grain confiscated from the temple. He returned some to the villagers. At present, when food was scarce, this was a way to help the people. He could also immediately gain the praise and support of the people. He was generous to others and had nothing to be reluctant about.

Moreover, Li Yi believed that...
After the incident at Xiaoyun Temple,

Once we enter Yanzhou, the attitudes of other powerful families and temples will definitely change, and the villagers will be more supportive.

Set an example, make an example of someone to warn others.

"We will distribute grain to you immediately. Although milled wheat tastes good, it's best to try it while it's fresh. After all, it's still unripe green wheat, and it would be a waste to eat it now. Besides, it's not easy to digest, so you can't eat too much of it."

Let the green wheat ripen; then we can harvest more.

Old Bai led the way, excitedly bowing to Li Yi in gratitude.

···
Pingling belonged to the State of Tan during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Li Yiman, the prefect of Tanzhou, received a grain requisition order from Wang Bo, the governor of Qizhou. The order was on yellow hemp paper and stamped with the bright red seal of the governor of Qizhou.

The document, written in black and white, stipulated that within ten days, 5,000 shi of grain must be requisitioned and transported to Xuchang City in Yunzhou.

The signature of the chief steward, Wang Bo, was written in a very messy, chicken-claw-like manner.

Li Yiman, with his white hair and beard, said disdainfully, "That scoundrel Wang is taking a chicken feather as an imperial edict and showing off his official power to me. Five thousand shi of grain within ten days."

Could it be that I can conjure up grain?
"With the harvest season coming to an end, the people are forced to grind unripe wheat for millet to survive the famine. Where am I supposed to get five thousand bushels of grain?"

Li Yiman's nephew, Tan Zhou's military advisor Li Wuyi, said, "This dog is definitely trying to settle a personal score and is deliberately causing trouble."

Back then, the world was in chaos. Wang Bo, a native of Zouping in Qi Prefecture, sang a song of desolation and despair in Changbai Mountain in Qi Prefecture. He took the lead in raising an uprising. Wang Bo, a blacksmith from a poor background, called himself Zhishilang and thus began the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

Li Yiman was a powerful and influential clan in Pingling City, Qi County. He also raised an army, but not to rebel against the Sui Dynasty. Instead, he wanted to protect the territory and its people and resist bandits.

At the end of the Daye era, Li Yiman and Wang Bo, who were from the same hometown, fought several battles. Later, Li Yiman even led his local troops to join Zhang Xutuo in suppressing bandits. After Zhang Xutuo's death, Li Yiman accumulated merits and was promoted to the position of prefect of Qi County.

One was an official, the other a thief.

In the first year of the Wude era, Li Yiman accepted Li Yuan's offer of amnesty. The Tang Dynasty established Tanzhou in Pingling County and appointed Li Yiman as the governor and prefect of Tanzhou, and granted him the title of Duke of Pingling.

Although Wang Bo raised large armies several times at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he suffered repeated defeats. In the second year of the Wude era, he fled to Liaocheng to rely on Yuwen Huaji, and later opened the city to surrender to Dou Jiande and sold Yuwen Huaji.

However, he was not valued by Dou Jiande, so he switched allegiance to the Tang Dynasty and was appointed as the governor of Qizhou. But thereafter, he wavered between various forces.

He also fought against Li Yiman on several occasions.

Wang Bo is still the Governor-General of Qizhou and Duke of Qi in the Tang Dynasty, while Li Yiman's position as Governor-General of Tanzhou has been abolished, and he has become the Prefect of Tanzhou under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Qizhou. Li Yiman is very dissatisfied with this, as he has remained unchanged since he returned to the Tang Dynasty in the first year of Wude.

They were actually inferior to Wang Bo, that fickle and despicable man.

Li Yiman stroked the horse-slaying sword lying across his knee. It was a gift from Zhang Xutuo years ago, and it had been used to kill countless bandits and rebels.

“Tell Wang Bo that the grain from Tanzhou will never be fed to the wolves of Changbai Mountain. The people of Tanzhou are starving due to the lean season, and I have no grain to give them.”

The message was sent back.

Wang Bo snorted coldly, "That old dog,"

He turned to see Sheng Yanshi and said, “Lord Ge, Li Yiman, the governor of Tanzhou in Pingling City, refuses to give us a single grain of rice. I suspect that this traitor is secretly colluding with Xu Yuanlang and other traitors and has already betrayed us.”

Sheng Yanshi frowned.

Zhang Qing, inside Xuchang City, stubbornly refused to surrender. With the Tang army besieging the city, the supply of food and provisions became a major problem.

"Li Yiman really won't give him a single grain of rice?"

“Yes.” Wang Bo said menacingly, “This humble general is willing to lead troops to attack Pingling City and capture this scoundrel.”

Sheng Yanshi glanced at him but did not agree.

After a moment's thought, he said, "No rush. I will send someone to Pingling City again to summon him to Xuchang to explain in person."

"I'm afraid he won't come."

“If he defies orders and doesn’t come, then you take your troops and capture him,” Sheng Yanshi said. Sheng Yanshi didn’t really trust these local warlords and tyrants.

If they refuse to pay taxes and also refuse to come to see me, then there's a problem.

(End of this chapter)