Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 685 The Dao Ancestor Manifests His Power, the Emperor's Ambition (Second Update)

The altar was quiet and the stone statues stood tall.

Luyi, Taiqing Palace.

The palace stands tall and imposing.

Countless imperial guards, wielding spears and blades, stood on both sides of the long road.

There is a large cauldron with a Tai Chi pattern in each of the four directions.

Countless sacrificial offerings were burned fiercely inside the large cauldron.

Wisps of smoke rose straight into the sky.

Hundreds of Taoist masters dressed in crimson and purple robes stood before the altar in front of the stone statue, bowing and chanting the Tao Te Ching aloud.
Behind them were countless Taoist priests who had come from all corners of the world to receive ordination.

Smoke billowed on both sides, stretching as far as the eye could see.

It appears there are several thousand people.

Outside the Taiqing Palace, it seemed as if all the people of Luyi had arrived, kneeling on both sides of the Taoist temple.

The incredibly complex Taoist sacrificial rituals are finally coming to an end.

The numerous officials standing on both sides, as well as the heads of state and envoys from both inside and outside the country, were deeply shocked, but also breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Li Chengqian, dressed in a black dragon robe with gold thread and wearing a black crown, walked onto the altar.

Standing beneath the statue of the Moral Celestial Venerable, Li Chengqian glanced at the offering table laden with sacrifices, unfurled the imperial edict, and read aloud: "The Great Dao is chaotic and complete, establishing its ultimate principle before the two polarities; the perfect man empties himself, and speaks of the wondrous myriad things. As for Laozi, he is my ancestor. From the beginning of Fuxi to the end of the Zhou Dynasty, his spiritual responses are formless, and his transformations are multifaceted..."

As the emperor's voice rang out, the entire Taiqing Palace fell completely silent.

"I, having received the mandate of Heaven, govern countless people, wielding the light of the three luminaries, and thus I am filled with awe and reverence day and night; residing in the highest position, I am constantly vigilant and cautious. I will show utmost filial piety to my ancestors, extend benevolence to both the living and the dead, promote tranquility and harmony, and carry on the legacy of peace and prosperity..." Li Chengqian lowered his head and read the edict of amnesty. Suddenly, he felt a slight heat between his brows.

Immediately afterwards, warmth spread directly over his head.

Although Li Chengqian sensed something was amiss, he persisted in reciting the imperial edict.

However, in the eyes of the hundreds of officials, foreign kings and envoys around them, a clear light shone from the eyes of the Celestial Venerable of Morality, and finally shone directly on the emperor's head.

An invisible Tai Chi symbol appeared faintly above the emperor's head.

Everyone stood there in astonishment, especially the Taoist masters led by Yin Wencao and Pan Shizheng, who were all incredulous.

Changsun Wuji suddenly turned his head and looked at Chu Suiliang, who was standing on his left front.

Chu Suiliang seemed to notice Changsun Wuji's gaze, quickly turned around, and then shook his head vigorously.

He truly knows nothing about any of this today.

As Li Chengqian's chanting gradually came to an end, the invisible Taiji diagram slowly descended from the top of his head and all the way to the soles of his feet.

"...It is appropriate to reveal the profound mysteries of the original source, so as to demonstrate the achievements of the sage."

He could be posthumously honored with the title "Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin," and his mother was given the title "Empress Dowager of the Primordial Heaven." Temples and shrines were ordered to be built and repaired.

One official and one assistant official were appointed to provide offerings and food.

Admire this! "

As Li Chengqian's voice faded, the Taiji diagram completely disappeared beneath his feet.

In an instant, the entire Taiqing Palace fell completely silent.

At that moment, Daoist Yin Wencao of Louguan, holding a tablet, bowed first and said, "Congratulations to the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin! May the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin live a long and prosperous life!"

Pan Shizheng bowed and said, "Congratulations to the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin! May the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin live a long and prosperous life!"

The next moment, everyone in the entire Taiqing Palace bowed in unison and said, "May the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan live ten thousand years!"

Zhao Yuankai, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, stepped forward from the side and announced loudly to the crowd, "Present the gift book."

Crown Prince Li Xiang led the way, with Changsun Wuji and Li Ji following closely behind. They then stepped forward and placed the gift books they were carrying into the small cauldrons that had just been lit on either side.

Immediately, flames erupted and smoke billowed into the sky.

……

Elite cavalry followed, their swords and spears gleaming coldly.

The imperial carriage slowly headed towards Luoyang.

Inside the imperial carriage, Li Chengqian put down the memorial in his hand, looked at Changsun Wuji opposite him, and asked, "So, there's nothing at all?"

“There’s nothing there. There are no mechanisms inside the statue of the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan.” Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian in surprise and couldn’t help but say excitedly, “Perhaps it really is the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan bestowing blessings. Those people in the Taoist sect are going crazy.”

The Supreme Moral True Lord manifested his divine power on the emperor in full view of everyone.

Moreover, this was during the time when the emperor bestowed the title of Supreme Mysterious Origin Emperor upon the Supreme Moral True Lord.

Could the emperor really be a descendant of the Supreme Moral True Lord?

Or did the Supreme Moral True Lord acknowledge this relationship?
Li Chengqian smiled slightly. He could foresee the huge public opinion storm this matter would cause, which would greatly help consolidate his prestige.

From now on, the Taoist sect will be his most loyal helper.

Perhaps, it was always like that from the very beginning.

"Uncle, get the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue to mobilize all their resources." Li Chengqian's gaze turned serious as he said, "This matter must be made to make all the barbarian tribes around us more respectful of me and the Great Tang Dynasty. Only in this way will there be no dissent when the Great Tang Dynasty annexes Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and even Tibet in the future."

Auspicious omens and good fortune are not believed in by the rulers of the various barbarian states who truly govern their regions; they only believe in self-interest. Of course, outwardly they still acknowledge them, because they themselves have a sense of divine mandate.

Today's events will not make them true followers of Li Chengqian, but they will respect Li Chengqian for his aura and the power of the entire Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty was Li Chengqian's greatest source of confidence.

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly.

……

The Qianyuan Hall is magnificent and imposing.

The Wensi Hall is quiet and profound.

Su Liangsi stepped into the Wensi Hall, with Zhang Anan leading the way, and then turned and entered the west side hall.

There are countless rows of bookshelves, and this is only one side hall of the entire Wensi Hall.

Henan, Hebei, Shannan, Huainan, Jiangnan.

The names of the five realms of the world gradually appeared.

Deep within the Wensi Hall, Su Liangsi met the emperor, who was reviewing texts.

Xu Jingzong, Ma Zhou, Li Yifu, Zhang Wenguan, Pei Shuang, Liu Heng, Pei Yan and others were all behind the table, carefully copying the text.

As for what exactly was on it, Su Liangsi had no idea.

But he had vaguely heard about these things.

"Your subject, Su Liangsi, the Imperial Censor, pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Su Liangsi stopped three steps in front of the emperor and then solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"They've arrived." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, glanced at Su Liangsi, and said calmly, "On the bookshelves here are the numbers of households, fields, and taxes of all the prefectures and counties in the five circuits of the empire, as well as the number and types of criminal cases that occur each year. Some are the latest, and some are from the last ten years. Just put these out and draw them into a map, and the whole world will be at your fingertips."

Su Liangsi nodded slightly.

When governing the country, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites take the lead, while the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works are not directly involved.

The most direct measure was the number of households, land, and total taxes levied in all the prefectures and counties of the empire.

As for the number and types of criminal cases, that is another indicator reflecting the state of local governance.

A sudden increase in the number of criminal cases in a place indicates that there is a problem with the governance of that place.

Su Liangsi understood these things.

“For example, a county, based on the increase in the number of households and acreage in previous years, and without any natural disasters, should have a total tax revenue of 300,000 strings of cash this year. But in the end, only 250,000 strings of cash were turned over to the court.” Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, “If criminal cases in this place also increase, then it means that there is a big problem in this county, and the court should send people to investigate.”

Su Liangsi's expression turned serious.

These things alone reveal far more than anyone could imagine.

“A prefecture only has a few counties. By adding up these numbers, one can get a complete picture of the governance of a place… Of course, one can also check more detailed files from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Justice.” Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

"Yes!" Su Liangsi bowed deeply.

Li Chengqian stood up from behind the desk.

He calmly walked past the bookshelves and said in a low voice, "Minister Sun is now in charge of the supervision of the entire country. He has his own system, and every year a large number of officials are impeached."

What I need, you watch from the side. If there's anything wrong, come here to check the data.

Xu Jingzong, Li Yifu, and Ma Zhou will all do their best to help you, and Sun Xiang should raise any objections he may have.

I do not want to see any good official wronged, nor do I want to see any corrupt official let off the hook.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Su Liangsi bowed respectfully.

"The reason I chose you is because you are the Empress's cousin. There are some things they can't say, but you don't have many reservations." Li Chengqian explained everything, and Su Liangsi bowed slightly.

"Moreover, you will inevitably have to travel to various places in the future." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "With these things now, it will be more convenient for you to serve as a prefect in local government in the future."

"Yes!" Su Liangsi bowed.

Li Chengqian turned and walked out of the side hall. He stood in front of the hall, looked at the city of Luoyang in front of him, took a deep breath, and then looked at Su Liangsi and said, "Actually, there are only two numbers that are most important in this Wensi Hall."

"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions."

Li Chengqian raised his head, held up one finger, and said, "First, the total number of households in the country; second, the total amount of taxes levied in the country."

The system that Li Chengqian created, when all of it is added up, represents the number of households in the country that need to pay taxes, as well as the total amount of taxes.

"In the ninth year of Yongwei, the number of households in the empire was 4.5 million, and the total population was 27 million." Li Chengqian turned to Su Liangsi and said, "I have added the populations of the Western Turks, Xichang Prefecture, and Tu Prefecture to the list."

Su Liangsi cupped his hands and nodded, saying, "The Western Turks and the Turks are both territories of the Great Tang. Your Majesty's actions are without fault."

"This year, the total tax revenue of the country, excluding the commercial tax from the Silk Road, converted into copper coins, amounted to 13.24 million strings of cash," Li Chengqian said with a smile. "The revenue from the Silk Road is roughly 30% of this amount."

"Yes!" Su Liangsi nodded and said, "I know that when we launched the eastern expedition against Goguryeo, the annual military expenditure was eight million strings of cash."

“Yes!” Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, “After deducting the salaries of officials, there is not much left after a year. When there is a major disaster, the whole country changes color.”

"Yes!" For the first time, Su Liangsi directly experienced the world.

"What I hope for most is that the taxes levied on the empire will increase year by year." Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly.

(End of this chapter)