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

Chapter 743 Li Yifu, Minister of Personnel (First Update)
The Zhenguan Hall was bathed in the lush morning light.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at the memorial in his hand.

An ochre-yellow teacup was carefully placed in front of Li Chengqian. The warm steam carrying the aroma of tea wafted to Li Chengqian's nose, giving him a feeling of tranquility and joy.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly. Lu Mingyue, dressed in a light blue female official's uniform, stood to one side with a serious expression. Her charming face and black jade-like eyes were mesmerizing.

Li Chengqian reached out and grasped Lu Mingyue's soft hand.

Lu Mingyue blushed slightly.

Li Chengqian smiled gently and said, "You've heard about the Fengshan ceremony, haven't you?"

"I've heard about it." Lu Mingyue blinked, looking directly at Li Chengqian with anticipation in her eyes.

"Let's wait until after the Fengshan ceremony," Li Chengqian said with a gentle smile. "After the Fengshan ceremony, I will bestow upon you the title of Jieyu, so that you may stay by my side."

Jieyu was ranked above Cairen and Meiren.

In an instant, Lu Mingyue felt as if sweetness had exploded in her heart. She nodded vigorously, her eyes already filled with tears.

Li Chengqian smiled and stroked her cheek, saying softly, "Find some time and write a letter to Lu Zhaolin, asking him to make arrangements at home."

"When the time comes, bring him to Chang'an for an audience. I can disregard the others, but I can still bestow a minor official title upon your grandfather."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lu Mingyue finally couldn't hold back her tears.

Just then, Xu An's voice rang out from the palace gate: "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu request an audience."

Li Chengqian turned to look at Lu Mingyue and said gently, "Step down!"

"Yes!" Lu Mingyue quickly wiped away her tears, stepped aside, and headed towards the side hall.

Li Yifu and Xu Jingzong carefully entered the hall, then bowed respectfully to the emperor on the imperial couch and said, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years."

"Rise," Li Chengqian said, waving his hand slightly. "Please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu walked to the left and knelt down. Four eunuchs each carried a table to the two of them.

Two waitresses calmly carried a tray, placed two bowls of tea on the table, and then quietly withdrew.

Li Chengqian looked at Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu and said, "Try it. This tea was picked from an ancient tea tree in Wuyi Mountain. Only a small amount of tea is produced each year. I rarely give it to others except for my own consumption."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu breathed a slight sigh of relief, then picked up their teacups and took a sip.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said with a smile, "The taste is alright, isn't it?"

"It has a sweet aftertaste; it is indeed a top-quality tea." Xu Jingzong nodded in admiration.

Li Chengqian smiled, then his expression turned serious, and he said, "You two ministers have done a truly excellent job over the years in charge of the Bureau of Currency, investigating counterfeit money and cracking down on illegal activities."

Although Xu Jingzong held the position of Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and was of the same rank as the Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat, in recent years his focus had been on the Ministry of Finance.

Although illegal money has not completely disappeared in Guanzhong, Heluo, Hebei, Qilu, Jingxiang, Jiangnan, and Bashu, it has been scattered to the deep mountains and forests, where the profits are meager.

"Huainan has always been difficult to clean up, and we are guilty." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed their heads at the same time.

“What happens in Huainan is none of your business,” Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, “Huainan has a complex terrain, with mountains and rivers crisscrossing it, as well as lakes and islands. If bandits were to infiltrate it, it would be quite difficult for you to carry out your mission.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"The situation in Huainan is complicated by both internal and external factors. We should take it slowly. As long as we apply enough pressure and prevent them from appearing in the market, from the government to the neighborhoods and then to the villages, we will devalue and collect any bad money. Naturally, the people will not use much of it. In addition, with the stability of Andong and Fanzhou and the large-scale mining of copper mines, the amount of regular currency used in the court will increase." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "However, the reason I summoned you two ministers today is not because of this matter."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu's expressions turned serious again.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, looked outside the hall, and calmly asked, "There's a lot of discussion about the Fengshan ceremony these days, isn't there?"

Xu Jingzong's expression darkened. In Chang'an today, there was more than just much discussion about the Fengshan ceremony.

He declined the offer to perform the Fengshan ceremony three times.

Now that we've reached the second request and the second refusal stage, all that's needed is a third request for the emperor to perform the Fengshan ceremony.

However, who exactly made this third invitation? Was it Grand Commandant Changsun Wuji, or the Crown Prince?

After the emperor agreed to the third request, when would the Fengshan ceremony be held at Mount Song—this winter or next winter?

The Fengshan ceremony sparked a huge uproar.

Xu Jingzong bowed and said, "Now that the world is at peace and the barbarians have submitted, all officials and people are hoping that Your Majesty will perform the Fengshan ceremony."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "I have also thought about the Fengshan ceremony, but many things cannot be accomplished by my own thoughts alone. We need to strive for perfection in all matters before Heaven and the world."

"Yes!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu both became serious at the same time.

Li Chengqian looked at the memorial on the table and said calmly, "Now the Court of State Ceremonies, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue have all dispatched a large number of officials to the four directions to survey the borders of the Tang Dynasty. Because this matter was arranged several years ago, it is proceeding smoothly. My uncle, as prime minister and Grand Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion, is also successfully establishing academies throughout the country."

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed slightly; the emperor was about to get to the point.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "There is another matter in my heart that I have always found difficult to let go of."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed respectfully.

“From humble backgrounds!” Li Chengqian looked up and said, “For many years, my father and I have conducted numerous imperial examinations to recruit talented people from all over the country, especially those from humble backgrounds, from whom many outstanding individuals have emerged.”

"Yes!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu nodded in agreement. The late emperor need not say more, and even the emperor himself used the imperial examination to control the influence of aristocratic families.

In reality, Li Yifu was a genuine poor family member, while Xu Jingzong, although not from a poor family, came from a gentry family in Jiangnan, and his family had fallen into poverty due to the turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

"Even so, the number of scions of aristocratic families in officialdom still far exceeds that of those from humble backgrounds." Li Chengqian said with a cold smile, "If they were truly capable, I could accept any number of scions of aristocratic families in office. However, the reality is that most of them are incompetent and negligent, holding positions without performing their duties. I wish I could..."

At this point, Li Chengqian suddenly paused.

Li Yifu and Xu Jingzong both had slightly gloomy expressions. Having both suffered hardships, they naturally knew how difficult it was to pursue an official career.

Some people, however, can easily attain high positions simply because they come from a good family.

Of course, this is something they are born with, and no one can change it, after all, their parents also fought their way to the top.

But once you become an official, everything is done according to the rules of officialdom. Everyone should compete on an equal footing. Why is it that you can rise to the top despite having a family background, lacking ability, making mistakes, and being condemned by everyone? Why?
A prestigious family, a top-tier aristocratic family.

This is the world's largest termite.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "It is I who say that if the princes are not virtuous, they will be punished for their mistakes, but let off the hook for their crimes. You two ministers know this."

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu nodded heavily.

Every winter, the emperor would consult with the princes about their governance, and if any were found to be incompetent, unworthy, or causing harm to the local area, they would be dealt with on the spot.

Therefore, all the kings in the world were much more cautious in their actions.

But aristocratic families are different.

"The so-called aristocratic families originated from Emperor Wen of Wei's Nine-Rank System, as well as Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei's 'Records of Official Clans,' Emperor Wu of Southern Liang's 'Genealogy of a Hundred Families,' and my father's 'Records of Clans.' These kinds of things established the aristocratic families of the world." After a slight pause, Li Chengqian looked up and said, "I detest these things the most, so I also intend to make some progress in this area." The aristocratic families of the world may seem scattered, but in reality, the strict system of clan power is reflected in every corner.

Xu Jingzong's breath hitched, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty!"

The same voice rang out almost simultaneously from behind—it was Li Yifu!

Xu Jingzong's expression was calm, but his pupils were constricted.

……

Li Chengqian nodded and said helplessly, "Although I am the emperor, I know the importance of things, and many things cannot be done recklessly."

"Yes!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed simultaneously.

Li Chengqian remained calm and said indifferently, "Now that the Fengshan ceremony is underway, the Honglu Temple is surveying the borders in all directions of the country. Next year, a new map of the Tang Dynasty's territory will appear in Luoyang, and then I will use it to worship Heaven. Also, the Ministry of Revenue, now that the Fan Prefecture has been returned, the household registers of the country will be revised, and we will worship Heaven together then. So I think, should we rewrite the 'Hundred Family Genealogies'?"

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu listened calmly.

"Of course, it's not the 'Hundred Family Genealogy' of the Southern Liang Dynasty, but a new 'Hundred Family Surnames'." Li Chengqian looked up and said softly, "It's not the 'Hundred Family Genealogy' arranged by aristocratic families, but the 'Hundred Family Surnames' arranged by population size. This will tell the world that I want to know exactly how many surnames there are in the world, and how many people have each surname, and then arrange them by population size, so that..."

"This will reduce the obstacles from powerful clans, and after the book is completed, it will greatly shake the foundation of these clans. Your Majesty's method is profound and subtle." Li Yifu carefully cupped his hands in greeting.

"Hahaha!" Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh, and looked up at Li Yifu, saying, "Minister Li, you might as well speak frankly. My move is unlikely to be effective in a short time."

Li Yifu lowered his head slightly.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "That is indeed the case. Although there are various problems in the world today, it is generally clear-headed. If we take too big a step and cause turmoil among the aristocratic families, it will lead to the collapse of the prosperous world. Therefore, we need to be cautious if we want to completely eradicate the privileges of the aristocratic families."

"Yes!" Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed slightly.

Li Chengqian stood up from the imperial couch, walked down the steps, and stood in front of the Ganlu Hall. Looking at the entire city of Chang'an in front of him, he said seriously, "The purpose of the 'Hundred Family Surnames' is not to destroy the privileges of aristocratic families, but to let more people in the world know their own special status. There are hundreds of thousands of people with the same surname in the world. Why should they be inferior to others?"

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu looked up at the same time.

“Now my uncle has established schools throughout the land. As long as you study diligently, you will have opportunities to advance in the future. Only with ambition and opportunity can you rise to power and shake the privileges of aristocratic families.” Li Chengqian clenched his fist tightly and said, “This is a long process. I can only offer one opportunity here. Whoever seizes it will succeed. As for those who lack ambition…”

"Your Majesty is wise." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu nodded in agreement at the same time.

“And then there’s the Fubing system.” Li Chengqian looked up and took a deep breath: “You all know best how much effort I’ve put into the Fubing system, precisely because it’s a rare path for ordinary people to advance their careers. If we can seize these opportunities, then talented people from humble backgrounds can fill the court and serve the country.”

"Your Majesty, we are willing to die for you." Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed simultaneously.

"Go ahead and compile the 'Hundred Family Surnames' properly." Li Chengqian looked up and said, "Remember, sort them by the number of people with each surname. There will inevitably be people who plead for a higher ranking. Minister Xu, you are the prime minister, you can't stop them, there shouldn't be many, right?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not let this matter disturb Your Majesty." Xu Jingzong bowed earnestly. Although he was ranked last in the Council of State Affairs, he was still a prime minister.

He has no shortage of methods.

Now that he has the emperor's support, how many people can put pressure on him?

"Very good, go and do it. If you need anything, just come to me." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu bowed simultaneously and said, "Your Majesty, we take our leave."

……

Outside Ganlu Gate, the pavilions are majestic, but the area is sparsely populated.

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu walked forward quietly until they passed the Liangyi Hall and saw the Liangyi Gate ahead, at which point they both slowed down.

"Your Majesty is virtuous, astute, insightful, composed, and possesses astonishing methods," Xu Jingzong said slowly. "With such methods, the proportion of officials from aristocratic families in the court will likely decrease significantly after three generations."

"Half from a noble family, half from a humble background, to achieve this is already a blessing for all the poor families in the world." Li Yifu sighed softly, then looked up at Xu Jingzong and said, "Congratulations, Brother Xu. If this matter succeeds, you will have already taken a step towards becoming a Chamberlain."

Xu Jingzong did not show much joy. He looked at Li Yifu and said, "Your Majesty's plan is brilliant, but there is a crucial point that Your Majesty has not mentioned."

Li Yifu's expression immediately became cautious, and he remained silent.

"Minister of Personnel." Xu Jingzong cupped his hands to Li Yifu and said, "Congratulations, my brother. This time, not only is the position of Prime Minister in sight, but I'm afraid the position of Minister of Personnel will come sooner or later as well. But be careful, there are smart people in the aristocratic families."

Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu were both among the most intelligent people in the world, and the emperor kept half of his words hidden at the end.

That is the Minister of Personnel.

The "Hundred Family Surnames" was used to awaken people's hearts, and the imperial examination and military system provided a path to advancement. However, at the top, only by firmly grasping the position of Minister of Personnel could these poor children who rose from the bottom have a bright future.

This position certainly couldn't belong to someone like Xu Jingzong, who would become a future Grand Councilor.

If it wasn't Xu Jingzong, then it could only be Li Yifu.

He first served as Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, then concurrently held the rank of Third Grade Official in the Secretariat and Chancellery, and then was transferred to Minister of Personnel, also concurrently holding the rank of Third Grade Official in the Secretariat and Chancellery. Only in this way could he firmly control the administration of the country.

This is what the emperor wanted.

Li Yifu turned to look at Xu Jingzong and said, "Brother Xu, it is indeed dangerous for aristocratic families, but humble families also have advantages, as there are plenty of talented people from humble backgrounds."

"Hahaha..." Xu Jingzong couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter, and waved his long sleeves: "Let's go!"

“Alright!” Li Yifu nodded, then followed Xu Jingzong toward the Liangyi Gate, their steps equally firm.

……

Inside the Manna Hall.

Li Chengqian remained standing at the doorway, watching as Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu disappeared from sight.

A distinguished family, yet from humble beginnings.

It is no easy task to shake the deeply entrenched rule of aristocratic families.

Enlightening the people, opening up channels for advancement, having the Minister of Personnel to recognize and appoint capable individuals, and having the Censor-in-Chief to supervise and impeach officials—this was already the limit that Emperor Li Chengqian could achieve.

Xu Jingzong, Li Yifu.

Xu Jingzong was ultimately more fortunate, because he was old enough that he would retire in his final five years.

Li Yifu might be in a worse position. Once the powerful families turn against him, he will have to bear all the consequences alone.

However, his smooth career was not due to his ability, but because he was 100% able to fulfill the requirements of Emperor Li Chengqian.

Imperial power, aristocratic families, and humble origins.

As emperor, Li Chengqian always had to ensure that imperial power was above all else.

Suppress powerful families, elevate those from humble backgrounds, let them fight each other to maintain balance and stability, and then lead the world step by step towards prosperity.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but look up as autumn rain gently fell from the sky.

(End of this chapter)