Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 248 This official is ordered to act expediently.
Changsun Wuji's face instantly fell.

He glared at Xu Jingzong and shouted, "This is slander!"

"Didn't your Hundred Cavalry investigate the Ministry of Civil Affairs before? Why didn't you find anything wrong with the Department of Revenue then? Why are you now impeaching the Department of Revenue based solely on the testimony of the Ministry of War!"

It's no wonder that Changsun Wuji was so angry.

The Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance was under his jurisdiction. Wen He's memorial, seemingly impeaching Wei Tai and others, was actually aimed directly at him.

"Vice Minister Changsun, the Hundred Cavalry previously investigated soap and glass, not military pay. Also, you said you would investigate on your own, and now the Hundred Cavalry has settled the Ministry of War's accounts. I wonder how the Ministry of Civil Affairs is doing?"

Xu Jingzong was clearly asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Changsun Wuji was somewhat embarrassed.

Having just been reprimanded by Li Shimin, Xu Jingzong's words felt like a slap in the face.

"One million three hundred and sixty-five thousand two hundred strings of cash."

Li Shimin suddenly sneered, glanced at everyone present, and said indifferently, "More than four million strings of cash were sent to Chengtian Gate before, which brings the total to nearly six million. Keming, how much tax revenue did the national treasury generate last year?"

Du Ruhui took a deep breath, stood up, bowed, and reported.

"Your Majesty, excluding cloth and grain, the national treasury received 6,723,545 strings and 123 copper coins last year."

"In other words, these parasites have taken away a year's worth of taxes from the Tang Dynasty. Well, I was just worried about how to deal with the famine next year, and they have kindly sent me all the money."

Li Shimin clenched his fist.

He looked at Xu Jingzong and said, "Investigate thoroughly. Investigate the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Works. If there are not enough 100 cavalrymen, draw two battalions from the Xuanjia Guard."

"His Majesty!"

In an instant, everyone in the Lizheng Hall stood up.

"Your Majesty, this matter is extremely serious." Yuwen Shiji was somewhat flustered.

If that's the case, wouldn't everyone in Chang'an be living in fear?

"Your Majesty, you previously said that if they handed over the money, you would forgive them. Why not give them some more time?"

Xiao Yu also stepped forward.

He worried that what happened during the Sui Dynasty would repeat itself.

If those people were to become desperate and act rashly, the entire Tang Dynasty would be shaken.

The Ministry of War alone has already lost 40% of its officials. If the investigation continues like this, I'm afraid there will be far fewer people in the Taiji Hall during future court meetings.

Li Shimin stared at the two men with piercing eyes, yet he showed no intention of backing down.

"Investigate this thoroughly!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Xu Jingzong was incredibly excited.

This tremendous credit has now fallen on his shoulders.

It was the right choice to agree to join the Hundred Riders.

Xu Jingzong and Huang Chun then withdrew.

"Your Majesty, I have a report to make." Du Ruhui stepped forward.

"If Kemin has come to offer advice, then there is no need to say anything more. The establishment of the Tang Dynasty relied heavily on the Fubing (military) system, and when I was in trouble, I also relied on the support of the Fubing system."

"If I cannot appease the hearts of the army and the people, how can I secure my position as emperor?"

Li Shimin had thought it through very clearly.

So what if powerful families rebel? So what if officials cause trouble?
The reason he dared to take the initiative was because he knew that if he became the crown prince, no soldier in the world would dare to rebel.

As long as he has troops in his hands, how many of those powerful families would dare to oppose him?

The so-called civil and military achievements—if there were no military achievements, where would the civil achievements come from?

Those aristocratic families always boast that they have a wealth of talented people, don't they?

Since that's the case, then kill some of them and select some from their homes to appease them.

More than six million strings of cash! And that's after the investigation was completed.

What about those that haven't been thoroughly investigated?
However, Li Shimin quickly calmed down and said amidst the panicked gazes of the crowd, "For those who have already turned over the embezzled money, I will still not hold them accountable. I will only investigate those who have not yet surrendered."

His words brought a sigh of relief to everyone present.

For them, losing some money is nothing, as long as they can keep their official positions and lives.

"Your Majesty is holy."

Everyone shouted in unison.

Li Shimin sneered inwardly.

'You people, do you really think I don't know what you're thinking?'

Although he was unwilling, he could only endure it.

If a blanket ban is implemented, Chang'an City will likely descend into chaos tomorrow.

'It's a real shame for Wen He; that brat probably won't be happy about it after he finds out.'

"Kill? Why kill? Besides those minor officials, how many others are truly capable of being killed?"

Faced with Lao Xu's complaints, Wen He, who was eating a steamed bun, said dismissively.

Xu Jingzong was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

He thought that Wen He, with her strong sense of justice, would surely want to kill all those corrupt officials.

"What brilliant ideas does the magistrate of Gaoyang have?"

Huang Chun, who was standing to the side, asked curiously.

He felt that Wen He's words were definitely implied.

Wen He chuckled, stuffed the remaining steamed cake into his mouth, picked up the water pouch and drank some warm water. Feeling that his stomach was full, he patted his belly and said.

"The relationships among those people are complicated. Yesterday, I had just returned home from the Ministry of War when several people came to my residence to plead for me, all on behalf of so-and-so's nephew or niece."

“These people have so-called fellow townsmen and relatives by marriage in the court. If they are all killed, won’t everyone else feel insecure and think that His Majesty is easy to kill, and then stop attending court? In that case, His Majesty will be left with no one to command.”

Although neither of them had ever heard of a commander without troops, they could roughly understand what Wen He meant.

"Then what should we do?"

"Exile, demotion, confiscation of property—what do you think His Majesty desires most right now?" Wen He raised an eyebrow at the two men.

Both of them shook their heads in puzzlement.

If they knew, they wouldn't be agonizing over this.

"Money and grain are what we need most right now, as the national treasury is empty. As for killing people, what good will it do? It will only cause chaos in the government and bring no benefit whatsoever."

Murder is the most base method.

Now, Li Shimin didn't even draw his sword, yet he got those people to hand over more than four million strings of cash.

In this way, even if no water conservancy projects are built within the pass next year, there will be no need to worry about disaster relief.

With the help of water conservancy, droughts can now be effectively alleviated.

That money will then go into the military.

Perhaps the decisive battle against the Eastern Turks will come sooner than Wen He thought.

"Alright, let's go, it's time to go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs."

Wen He clapped her hands, got up, and walked outside.

Upon seeing this, Xu Jingzong and Huang Chun exchanged glances, and then followed Wen He.

When Wen He arrived at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

At the entrance of the civil affairs department, a group of officials stood, filled with righteous indignation.

Changsun Wuji was not present; it's unclear whether he deliberately avoided the situation.

However, the people in the Ministry of Civil Affairs seem to have united.

If it weren't for the fact that the Xuanjia Guards and the Hundred Riders had already surrounded the Civil Affairs Department, the situation would have been different.

I'm afraid they'll rush out as soon as they see Wen He.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in?" Xu Jingzong asked, somewhat worried.

His courage is like Schrödinger's cat, unpredictable and elusive.

"What's there to worry about? Do you think they'd dare to rebel?" Huang Chun scoffed dismissively and took the lead, walking towards the Ministry of Civil Affairs' gate.

"The hundred riders are acting perversely and harming loyal and virtuous officials; we will not submit!"

A middle-aged man wearing a light green round-necked robe was striking a pose that suggested he was furious.

Under his instigation, the officials started chanting slogans.

Zhang Wenxiao immediately ordered his hundred cavalrymen to draw their swords and block their path.

“Wen He, you are so cruel at such a young age. I’m afraid you will end up like Zhang Tang in the future.”

"presumptuous!"

The hundred riders shouted loudly.

Wen He remained calm, picked at her ear with her finger, and said with disdain, "It's a bit noisy."

"What is this man's name?" "I am Wei Tai!"

The man introduced himself.

Wen He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

No wonder this person dared to incite the people of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to fight against the Hundred Riders.

He wanted to protect himself, so he gathered the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs here, hoping to make the 100 cavalry retreat.

"Take it."

"you dare!"

Wei Tai couldn't believe that Wen He would dare to lay a hand on him in front of so many people.

Wen He laughed as if she had heard a joke.

"I am acting on orders. What do I have to fear from dealing with a mere doctor like you? If you dare to resist, then don't blame me for killing you!"

"Your Majesty is merciful and does not wish to kill anyone, but I am very unwilling. If you wish to come to my door so that I can vent my anger, I would be happy to do so."

"Draw your sword!"

As soon as Wen He finished speaking, Zhang Wenxiao suddenly roared.

"Shh!"

The hundred riders drew their swords.

The Xuanjia Guards who were cooperating only hesitated for a moment.

The gleaming sword was particularly eye-catching under the sun.

The people of the Tang Dynasty were indeed known for their fierce and untamed nature, and the distinction between civil and military officials was very blurred.

Few of these officials were not skilled in martial arts.

But they were unarmed, while the Hundred Riders and the Black Armor Guards were fully armored and had swords in their hands.

Not to mention the advantage in numbers.

Want to fight it out?

Wen He didn't mind at all that they came forward to die.

"Ahem, fellow colleagues, the Hundred Riders are here on orders. Please do not make a mistake."

A clear voice came from behind the gate of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs couldn't help but turn around.

A middle-aged man dressed in a scarlet official robe walked over with a beaming smile.

"Who is this?"

Seeing that Xu Jingzong looked unfamiliar, Wen He asked him.

"Dou Jing, the newly appointed Minister of Civil Affairs," the latter replied.

"Ok?"

Wen He was unaware that Li Shimin had appointed Dou Jing to the post, which is why she was so surprised.

"Because of what happened before, His Majesty asked Changsun Wuji to hone his skills further, so the position of Minister of Civil Affairs naturally fell into Dou Jing's hands."

Xu Jingzong raised an eyebrow at Wen He meaningfully.

He meant that Wen He had set a trap for Changsun Wuji, causing the latter to lose his position as Minister.

Wen He immediately understood.

No wonder Dou Jing is all smiles; she's a new official taking office.

And it was because of him.

"I have met Minister Dou."

Everyone salutes.

Dou Jing smiled and waved her hand: "No need for that, just do it as usual."

After he finished speaking, he walked up to Wei Tai.

“Wei Tai, the Hundred Cavalry are only questioning, not convicting you. Don’t make a scene. If this gets out of hand, His Majesty will blame you, and things will get complicated.”

He smiled and patted Wei Tai on the shoulder.

The latter's expression grew increasingly grim.

He was originally Dou Jing's man, but after Changsun Wuji arrived, he joined his ranks.

He originally thought that if Changsun Wuji became a minister, he could also be promoted and seek the position of vice minister.

But to everyone's surprise, Dou Jing became a minister in one fell swoop.

Today, Changsun Wuji didn't even come to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

His powerful backer is gone.

Dou Jing smiled gently and then walked outside.

Because of his status, the Xuanjia Guards did not dare to stop him. Zhang Wenxiao and the others looked at Wen He and, after receiving his promise, made way for him.

"You, sir of Gaoyang County, have been impolite."

"No, no, I've met Minister Dou." Wen He returned the greeting with a smile.

If he remembers correctly, Dou Jing is still a male from Xindu County.

In terms of peerage, he was one rank lower than him, but in terms of official position, he was several ranks higher.

In the original history, Dou Jing was supposed to take up the post of Minister of Revenue in the third year of the Zhenguan era, but unfortunately he died after only a few years in office.

In truth, he was far more suitable than Changsun Wuji to serve as Minister of Civil Affairs.

Historical records indicate that in the early years of the Wude era, Dou Jing was appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Bingzhou Grand General's Office.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty was still in the process of establishing its regime through eastern and western campaigns. The Turkic tribes in the north took the opportunity to constantly harass the interior, and the Tang court had to send troops to defend it.

Frequent warfare made the supply of military rations quite difficult.

In order to alleviate the shortage of military food, Dou Jing submitted a memorial to Li Yuan, requesting that the military farms be established near Taiyuan to cultivate food locally and supply the army nearby.

In this way, the military's food supplies could be replenished while also saving on transportation costs.

However, some ministers in the court disagreed with this approach, believing that it was inappropriate to establish military farms during wartime.

Dou Jing repeatedly wrote to the authorities, stating her reasons.

Therefore, Li Yuan summoned him to court and debated with Pei Ji and other ministers face to face.

He then persuaded Pei Ji and others, and the court decided to implement the military-agricultural colony system.

He led his soldiers to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land, harvesting 100,000 bushels of grain in a year.

Li Yuan was overjoyed upon receiving the news and promoted him to Inspector General of Bingzhou for his meritorious service.

However, he also has some flaws that have drawn criticism.

That was in the third year of the Zhenguan era, when Li Shimin planned to relocate the Turkic herders to live south of the Yellow River.

Dou Jing objected, saying, "The Turks live by animal husbandry and do not know how to farm. The court should provide them with food and clothing."

"Moreover, they will not forget the humiliation of being defeated and may rebel. It would be better to appoint another leader, grant him a royal title, and marry him to a woman from the Tang imperial family to establish a lasting friendly relationship with them, making them vassals of the Tang court for generations, and thus ensuring peace on the border."

This is tantamount to the Tang Dynasty arranging a marriage alliance with the loser.

Li Er, who had just won a great victory, naturally would not agree.

He wouldn't agree if it were Wen He either.

Why should we marry into a different race?

After that incident, Dou Jing seemed somewhat dejected, but Li Shimin still valued him highly.

After all, this person's methods for managing grain are indeed quite good.

At this time, Dou Jing was full of vigor and high spirits.

He had thought he would be suppressed by Changsun Wuji, but now he had become the former's superior.

He could barely contain his smile.

“Your Excellency Gaoyang County need not worry. The Ministry of Civil Affairs will do its utmost to cooperate with the Hundred Cavalry. We have already prepared official residences for the three of you, and the account books can be freely allocated.”

Dou Jing's affection for Wen He has reached its peak.

If it weren't for Wen He, he wouldn't have gotten the position of Minister.

Wen He couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

Although Li Jing cooperated during the investigation of the Ministry of War, he was definitely uncomfortable and therefore avoided the topic.

But this Minister of Revenue seemed to be hoping they would turn the Ministry of Revenue upside down.

Just as Wen He and his group entered the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Wei Tai suddenly knelt down with a "plop".

“I am willing to hand over all my money.”

(End of this chapter)