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

Chapter 801 The Emperor's Wrath

Half an hour later,
Li Yi felt like he had lost a few ounces.

Fatigue vanished instantly.

He felt much more energetic.

He suddenly realized that it was a mistake to pay for Lao Wang to open a bathhouse, and he might not be able to enjoy Lao Wang's exclusive back scrubbing, back warming, and back massage services anymore.

The emperor suddenly visited.

Li Yi wasn't too surprised.

"I have read your 80,000-word memorial from Baiguwu several times. After reading it, I really couldn't wait until tomorrow. I wanted to come and talk to you about it now."

After entering the warm hall, Li Shimin took off his sable cloak and got onto the couch.

"I just happened to come over for a free meal."

"Also, it's getting dark, so I'll stay at your house tonight."

Li Yi smiled and said, "Then I will personally prepare a few dishes."

The emperor beckoned, "Just prepare some dishes and heat up a pot of wine, let's drink and chat."

Li Yi then brewed a pot of black tea for the emperor.

"The New Year is just around the corner, and we've had a few snowfalls recently, but none of them have accumulated. They just melt away as soon as the snow stops," Li Shimin said with great regret.

It's almost the end of the year.

Although it's cold, it's still much warmer than in previous years.

It's snowed several times, but none of them have been a decent snowfall.

If snow doesn't accumulate on the ground, there will definitely be a drought next spring; the insect eggs won't freeze to death either, so the insect infestation will inevitably be severe next year.

Judging from the current situation,
Next year's wheat harvest will definitely be reduced, and the situation in Guanzhong will be even more serious, with a possible complete crop failure.

Famine was inevitable.

During Li Yi's inspection tour of Henan, he both purchased grain through public procurement and issued bonds to raise money to buy grain from powerful clans and even temples.
They also borrowed grain from temples, and even went so far as to confiscate the property of Shaolin Temple.

In a short period of time, a considerable amount of grain was produced, but in the event of a nationwide famine, this would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

Li Shimin had initially held onto a sliver of hope,
But now my heart is gradually sinking to the bottom.

"After reading your memorial, I was surprised to find that the people of Baiguwu were suffering so much, almost becoming slaves to the temples."

Even more unexpectedly, this so-called sacred Buddhist sanctuary has become a den of demons, and it seems this is not an isolated case, but rather a widespread phenomenon.

Li Shimin sighed.
"I originally thought that by defeating the Turks, resolving the northern border troubles, and destroying Liang Shidu, we would finally end the division of the empire and reunify the country."
Things will get better.
But as we see now, the people are still suffering.

"Your Majesty, with a unified nation, peace throughout the land, and a benevolent emperor, the lives of the people will improve day by day."

Having problems is not scary; as long as we discover them, we can solve them.

No matter how great the difficulties, with everyone working together, we can always overcome them.

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice, "Now I can finally understand why Emperors Wei Wu and Zhou Wu suppressed Buddhism. After learning about the situation in Baiguwu, I also want to suppress Buddhism."

There are so many temples and so many monks in the world who do not engage in production, do not perform labor, and do not pay taxes, yet they own vast amounts of land, enslave countless servants, and have numerous powerful and wealthy families who falsely claim to be laypeople, attaching themselves to temples to evade taxes and corvée labor.

Moreover, these Buddhists do not pay homage to their rulers or parents…

The emperor wanted to ban Buddhism outright, demolish and confiscate temples, burn scriptures and images, force monks and nuns to return to secular life, confiscate temple property, and melt down Buddhist statues and ritual implements into coins and agricultural tools.

Li Yi could tell that the emperor truly had this idea; it stemmed from anger, but he also undoubtedly intended to confiscate temples to cover the immediate financial burden of the great famine.

"Your Majesty, it hasn't come to that yet."

Li Yi has always believed that gradual control is safer and more manageable than such extreme measures.

A great famine is coming. At this time, a complete suppression of Buddhism will inevitably cause turmoil.

There's really no need to add fuel to the fire. "With the promulgation of the Buddhist monastic rules, the three main responsibilities of temples have been changed to the abbot and the two order of the temples, and the ordination certificate system has been fully implemented. I believe that within ten years, the current disorderly and chaotic situation in temples will be gradually resolved."

As for the current difficulties facing the imperial court, it can first borrow money and grain from temples as an emergency measure.

As per the emperor's request, the kitchen of the Prince Wei's residence did not prepare any grand banquets, but rather simple appetizers.

One steamed duck, one steamed smoked chicken.

Served with roasted lamb chops, followed by a cold tofu and spinach salad, a fried peanut, a refreshing cold radish peel salad, and braised donkey meat.

Will suffice.

The emperor did not particularly like strong liquor like persimmon liquor.
So they drank millet wine, which was heated before drinking.

The emperor was still relatively young, only twenty-four years old. Although he had started his military campaigns at the age of sixteen and had experienced campaigns in the east and west, he was not yet experienced in governing.

It has only been half a year since the palace coup.

Faced with Li Yi's 80,000-word memorial, and having truly witnessed the harm these temples caused, the emperor could no longer contain himself.

That's quite normal.

The emperor, at twenty-four, was still a young man after all.

It can also cause emotional outbursts.

It's also impossible to control.

In fact, Li Yi was in the same boat when he was in Baiguwu. He also thought of persuading the emperor to carry out a campaign to eradicate Buddhism and completely cleanse it.

But then I thought about it,

That's not how things are done.
Although the emperor issued an edict
With the emperor's prestige,

Of course, it can be executed.

But this approach is too simplistic and crude, and it could cause a significant backlash.

This is the next best thing.

When Yang Guang ascended the throne, he inherited a wealth of resources from Yang Jian, but his rule was too simplistic and brutal.
Establish the Eastern Capital, repair the Grand Canal, and conquer Liaodong.

Even the conquests of Tuyuhun, Linyi, Liuqiu, and Yiwu—many of Yang Guang's policies were actually good in the long run, but he was just too hasty.

Completely disregarding opponents,
They even managed to bring the Guanlong Group to the opposite side in the end.

Yang Jian's methods were relatively more shrewd, and Li Yuan was also quite good; they both knew how to unite the majority and always stood on the side of the majority.

By constantly dividing and weakening the enemy, the cost can be minimized each time.

"I never expected that this cold radish peel salad would be so delicious. It's crisp and refreshing, with a hint of sourness and spiciness, and a touch of sweetness."

Li Yi refilled the emperor's wine cup, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that next year there is a possibility of varying degrees of famine in Guanzhong, Longyou, and the Three Rivers region."

Currently, multiple measures are being implemented simultaneously—requisitioning grain, purchasing grain, and borrowing grain—but the amount of grain in the system is limited and ultimately insufficient.

We still need to find a way to transfer them from other places.

Li Shimin frowned. "The imperial court has already ordered the transfer of grain from Sichuan, Chongqing and the Jianghuai region, but these areas have also suffered from long-term war and do not have much grain stored up."

"Your Majesty, send grain further south."

Further south?

"Yes, grain can be transferred from Lingnan, Jiaozhi, and even Linyi. Although the journey is long, grain is a lifesaver during famine. No matter how high the cost, it is worth it as long as it can be transported."

Li Shimin asked Li Yi to continue speaking.

"I suggest that the court introduce a policy to encourage merchants and common people to transport grain from south of the Five Ridges to the north. The court will not only purchase this grain at a price slightly higher than the market price, but will also reward those who transport the grain with honorary titles and even posthumously grant their parents official ranks and titles."
They could also grant their children places as students in prefectures and counties, or even as students in the Imperial Academy.

They can also exchange the grain payment for permits to trade salt, tea, wine, horses, etc., according to their needs…

(End of this chapter)