Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 122: Great Wise Ruo Fool
Do not believe!

I do not believe!
Although the inspector spoke with absolute certainty, Yuwen Rong still did not believe him.

Because he had been keeping an eye on them, fearing they might make a big mistake, but in the past few days, only a handful of people had been asked around. How could it be possible that a large number of unregistered individuals would suddenly come forward to confess and surrender?

This is absolutely impossible.

Therefore, early the next morning, Yuwen Rong personally led his subordinates to one of the charity sites.

However, the scene before him left him speechless.

Even though it was still early morning, the area in front of the charity point was already packed with people.

So this is a confession!
Is that all the heart you have?

They actually trusted a bunch of spoiled brats!
Even at this moment, Yuwen Rong still didn't believe it. He quietly walked over and saw a chubby little boy standing under the shed. He recognized the chubby boy; he was Linghu Baodi, the youngest son of the Linghu family.

He yawned and complained, "I have to say, you guys are really something. Coming so early in the morning, don't you let people rest? And so many of you, are you deliberately messing with me? Tell me, did Wu Chongwen order you to do this?"

Yuwen Rong immediately broke out in a cold sweat; it turned out that even they themselves didn't believe it!

"Who is Wu Chongwen?" someone asked.

Linghu Baodi immediately glared at him.

The old man in front quickly smiled and said, "Young man, please don't be offended. We were just thinking that if we came late, we wouldn't be able to get this charity money."

Linghu Baodi said, "Is it really necessary for you to work so hard for such a small amount of money? Besides, this isn't the first time we're donating. We still have to perform, and we'll donate more money to charity later. You don't need to be in such a hurry. Please, please, just go back a little."

Thinking to myself, I haven't had a moment to be alone with Junior Sister Linglong all day long. It's infuriating!

For the first few days, they had a lot of fun. Actually, they didn't lack women, but they lacked girlfriends. The junior sister was very rare for them. But as more and more people came, they were exhausted every day and would fall asleep as soon as they got back to their accommodation.

This was arguably the first time in their lives they had felt so exhausted.

However, no matter how they tried to drive them away, the hidden households wouldn't leave, each one smiling and looking at Linghu Baodi, which made Baodi so angry that she almost overturned the table.

That's bullying.

This shocked Yuwen Rong even more.

He had assumed the other party would use a combination of coaxing, deception, or coercion to lure these hidden residents out, but to his surprise, these kids hadn't changed at all and were actually trying to drive people back.

Do you know that over the past year, local governments have exhausted all their efforts, yet they have not been able to uncover so many hidden households?

Well done, in just a few days you've drawn out all the hidden households, and you still complain there are too many people.

accident!

This was purely accidental!

Ignoring the biting cold wind, Yuwen Rong rode at full speed to several charity sites. It can only be said that he was even better than Linghu Baodi!
Faced with this fact, Yuwen Rong had no choice but to believe it.

Soon, the news spread, shocking everyone in the court and the public!
You should know that many people were waiting to see Wang Shouyi make a fool of himself, but he didn't even leave his house and still got the job done.

This is no small matter!

Previously, the imperial court had used all sorts of coercion and inducement to get these hidden households to return to their registered residence. They not only exempted them from punishment but also taxed them. At the same time, they said that if they did not know what was good for them, they would be severely punished.

But it's no use.

It's still a complete mess.

Therefore, the imperial court's policy changed again and again. Originally, those who returned to their hometowns within one hundred days would not be punished. When this proved ineffective, the court extended the period by one hundred days, and then by another one hundred days.

Li Longji was also deeply worried about this.

If there are too many unregistered households, no one will pay taxes, and how can the finances be good? Without finances, there is no way to talk about civil administration and military achievements.

Therefore, Li Longji has decided to get serious next year, to take decisive action, and to kill anyone who stands in his way.

This matter cannot be delayed any longer.

Therefore, when Li Longji learned of this, he was extremely excited and immediately convened a meeting, also summoning Wang Shouyi.

"Shouyi, you are truly a hidden talent. I have known you for so long, but I never knew you had such abilities. The court has gone to great lengths to resolve this matter, yet you have been able to do so with ease. Tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?"

Li Longji was overjoyed and couldn't wait to know the reason.

Zhang Shuo and Yuan Qianyao also looked at Wang Shouyi with curiosity, but they all believed that this might not have anything to do with Wang Shouyi, but was the work of that nameless person.

Especially Zhang Shuo and Yuan Qianyao, they went to Anye Bureau a few days ago. It's such a lousy place, even dogs wouldn't go there. And recently, Wang Shouyi hasn't even left the city gate. He's been staying in the Palace Secretariat, and I don't know what he's busy with. If you asked him to lead the way to Anye Bureau, he'd probably get lost.

Wang Shouyi was very pleased with himself, but he said very humbly, "Your Majesty, the method I used was not a brilliant one at all; it was just the first word."

"What character?" Li Longji asked immediately.

Wang Shouyi said, "Good."

"good?"

"Exactly."

Wang Shouyi said, "Doing good deeds will inevitably attract people in need."

Li Longji chuckled and said, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, is it?"

Wang Shouyi nodded and said, "It's that simple."

Li Longji was taken aback, his eyes filled with confusion.

The same applies to the other ministers. Having made such great contributions, Wang Shouyi's modesty is excessive!

Li Longji asked, "Shouyi, you have solved such a thorny problem for the court, which is a great achievement. But I see that you don't seem happy. Why is that?" Wang Shouyi replied, "Your Majesty, what I did was really nothing, and it might even have caused trouble for the court. It can hardly be called a merit."

Li Longji became increasingly confused as he listened, and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

Wang Shouyi said, "Actually, the matter is very simple. I did not personally manage this matter, but entrusted it entirely to the Nameless Academy."

Everyone was stunned.

So the reason this thing was successful is because you didn't interfere at all?
this.!

Li Longji didn't know what to say.

Then Wang Shouyi continued, "The Nameless Academy is handling this matter with a benevolent heart. First, the Nameless Academy guarantees that as long as the hermits are willing to return to their place of residence, they will be provided with some travel expenses, as well as a complete set of farming tools."

Secondly, and most importantly, it was ensured that land was acquired before official registration. This was actually what the unregistered households worried about most. Many of them became unregistered households simply because the imperial court did not give them land, yet still made them pay taxes.

They feared that even after returning to their ancestral home, they would still have no land and wouldn't know how to pay taxes. The nameless academy, however, acted out of a desire for good, not by issuing orders, and therefore suggested that they register first, and then be given land once it became available, at which point they could return to their ancestral home.

Finally, if reclusive households lose their current livelihood due to returning to their registered residence, the Nameless Academy will help them find a way to make a living until the imperial court distributes land.

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and added, "There's another point: the people from the Nameless Academy who go to do good deeds are all fourteen or fifteen-year-old students. When Yinhu sees them, he's not afraid and dares to ask questions. Communication goes very smoothly, and Yinhu can better understand the reasons behind it."

"I see."

Li Longji nodded and said, "I understand. The nameless academy put itself in the shoes of the hidden households, so the hidden households naturally have no more worries, which is why they have achieved what they have today."

Although it is the same matter, the government emphasizes the crime, and hiding a household registration is illegal and criminal, so "en" means pardon.

The nameless academy emphasizes goodness.

One word difference makes a world of difference.

"Exactly."

Wang Shouyi continued, “But in the end, the court must grant land for this matter to be resolved, and this is precisely the most difficult part. I know I cannot do this, so I am worried that I will implicate the court, and how dare I claim credit for it.”

Li Longji nodded, then couldn't help but look at Yuwen Rong.

Expanding the household registration is useless if no land is provided. Even if people are driven to their deaths, they still won't be able to pay taxes.

This land will definitely be given.

Looking at it this way, it seems the imperial court is at a loss. For every household that comes, they have to be given land. This is not a confession or surrender; it's practically a windfall.

But the story can't be told like that. Most of those who come forward to confess are destitute, but there's a huge group hidden behind them.

There are also cunning people among the masses. "Every man for himself" is a proverb. It's not that everyone chooses to be a hidden resident because they don't have land. Most people choose to be hidden residents because they don't want to pay taxes or perform military service. They deliberately place their land under the names of temples or powerful people to avoid taxes.

The imperial court's task was to investigate and uncover all these illegal lands.

This is the core of land reform.

But this is an age-old problem, and Li Longji also believed that Wang Shouyi was not capable of doing this job.

Yuwen Rong immediately stepped forward and said, "Duke Qi is too modest. This has set a good precedent for the court. Moreover, the court can use this as a model to assist hidden households in returning to their registered residence in the future."

What is poison to them is food to me.

Those who disturb the land never have a good ending.

However, Yuwen Rong believed that since no one else dared to do it, wouldn't it be a better demonstration of his talent if he did something good?

Moreover, to move land, one must be granted enormous power.

In his view, Wang Shouyi was passing the ball to him, and he naturally returned the favor.

Moreover, Wang Shouyi has now made a great contribution, which is an undeniable fact. He must show his willingness to acknowledge and cooperate with Wang Shouyi, rather than his hostility.

Zhang suddenly said, "That's true, but Duke Qi also deserves credit. His efforts in securing property for the people are evident throughout. Moreover, I heard that Duke Qi took the initiative to have his own hidden households turn themselves in and confess their crimes."

Wang Shouyi looked slightly embarrassed, but then humbly replied, "His Majesty has entrusted me with this important task, so I should set an example."

"This is extremely rare!"

Zhang then said to Li Longji, "Your Majesty, I believe that one of the important reasons why the previous attempts to return to one's registered residence by hiding one's household registration have not been successful is that officials protect each other, and the court lacks supervision over this matter."

Li Longji nodded and said, "I have already noticed this."

Zhang said, "Since Duke Qi has completed the task so well, why not continue to entrust him with important responsibilities, allowing the Anye Bureau to be in charge of resettling hidden households, while the Ministry of Revenue will be in charge of land matters. The two will each perform their own duties and can supervise each other."

Yuwen Rong couldn't help but curse, "You old fox, you really haven't given up on trying to kill me!"

Li Longji seemed hesitant, then looked at Wang Shouyi, "Shouyi, what do you think?"

Wang Shouyi hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, my abilities are limited, and I dare not assume such a great responsibility."

Zhang said with a smile, "The Duke of Qi solved this thorny issue without losing a single soldier, relying solely on a small academy in the countryside. This is true wisdom in disguise!"

Zhang Jia-zhen immediately stepped forward and said, "I also support this."

Li Longji pondered for a while and said, "Alright, let's do as you two gentlemen say. The Anye Bureau will be in charge of settling the hidden households. As for the land..."

He glanced at Yuwen Rong and said, "I will send someone to handle this matter."

Zhang Shuo understood that this matter would inevitably be handed over to Yuwen Rong. He only hoped that Wang Shouyi could play a role in checking and balancing Yuwen Rong and prevent him from monopolizing power.

"Your Majesty is holy."

(End of this chapter)