The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 110 A perfect match!
It is not impossible to build a similar system.

Thinking of this, Li Yichen frowned slightly.

He needed to gain a deeper understanding of the power structures of this era, especially those deeply entrenched and powerful families.

He was mentally tracing the main threads of contemporary aristocratic families.

Powerful clans, such as the Cui, Lu, Li, Zheng, and Wang families, did not derive their power solely from official positions.

They were not entirely the same as the Guanlong Group, which rose to power through military achievements and the emperor's favor.

Their survival depends on their monopolistic control of resources.

Their power is more deeply rooted and harder to shake.

Li Chengqian's previous image was that of a crown prince trapped in the Eastern Palace, with an eccentric temperament, who mainly relied on his status as the eldest son of the legitimate wife and his father's favor to maintain his position.

For these people, the threat is limited, or even… manageable.

A crown prince with obvious flaws is more easily influenced, compromised, and used as a symbol to maintain the status quo.

Why did most aristocratic families maintain a cautious distance from the succession struggle between Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Prince Wei Li Tai during Li Shimin's prime, and at least not easily take sides?
Li Shimin was a powerful ruler who ascended the throne through his outstanding military achievements and the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

The emperor always maintained a high degree of vigilance and checks and balances against powerful ministers, especially aristocratic families who might threaten imperial power.

His vigorous promotion of the imperial examination system and his promotion of officials from humble backgrounds were, in themselves, intended to break the political monopoly of aristocratic families.

Under such a powerful monarch, getting involved too early or too deeply in the struggle for the throne can easily backfire.

Once the emperor deems a powerful clan to be forming cliques for personal gain or plotting treason, even the most prestigious families could face annihilation.

Furthermore, the struggle for the crown prince position is fraught with uncertainty.

Before the situation becomes clear, it is extremely risky to gamble the fate of one's family on either side.

For families with centuries-old traditions, stability is paramount. Continuing the family line and maintaining influence are their primary goals, rather than engaging in high-risk political speculation.

The interests of powerful families do not depend entirely on a particular emperor or crown prince.

Their foundation lies in the monopoly of land, population, and knowledge, as well as their intricate network of relationships.

Regardless of who is emperor, governing the country requires the bureaucratic and cultural support they provide.

As long as they do not openly defy imperial power, regardless of which prince comes to power, in order to maintain stable rule, it will still be necessary to cooperate with them to a large extent and give them a certain political share.

They were more like semi-independent "shareholders" than "employees" who were completely dependent on imperial power.

The current environment does not present the same sharp conflict between the imperial power and powerful families as it did during the reign of Wu Zetian.

They were waiting, waiting for the situation to become clearer, waiting for which prince would demonstrate more reliable potential and a stance more in their best interests.

Or, at crucial moments, they may appear as mediators or stabilizers to reap the greatest political rewards.

Before that, keep your distance and bet on both sides, such as having someone in the Eastern Palace, or someone in the Prince of Wei's residence or another prince's office.

This is the wise thing to do.

Despite Li Shimin's efforts to suppress powerful clans, their influence remained pervasive until the mid-to-late Zhenguan period.

A significant proportion of the central prime ministers, local governors, and officials holding key positions came from or had close ties with prominent families.

Public opinion can largely determine an official's reputation and future.

Their economic power can influence the economic operations of local areas and even parts of the country.

For this reason, Li Yichen knew very well that the path he was guiding the Crown Prince on was one of issuing bonds, raising funds publicly, and using Snowflake Salt as implicit credit support.

Although it cleverly circumvents the overt rules, it demonstrates innovation, the ability to mobilize private resources, and the underlying intention to build a credit and power base independent of the traditional aristocratic family system.

This will inevitably attract unprecedented attention from these behemoths with keen senses!

This kind of attention is definitely not a good thing.

A prince who knew how to use economic means, how to build his own credibility, and how to bypass them and directly draw resources from the people began to emerge.

This means that the imperial power may be trying to reduce its partial dependence on them and attempt to establish a new set of rules for the power game.

This directly touched upon the core interests and sensitive nerves of the powerful families. They would never sit idly by.

Li Yichen rubbed his temples, feeling a tremendous pressure.

He dared not underestimate the power struggles and wisdom of these families that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

They may not understand all the mysteries of "bonds" at first, but they can certainly sense the threat they pose.

"We must accelerate our pace, but we must also be more cautious."

Li Yichen silently recited it in his heart.

The Crown Prince's growth is commendable, but the storms ahead may be more turbulent than anticipated.

He needs to prepare himself to survive in this world.

This race against historical inertia and the struggle with various forces has only just entered the critical deep waters.

Li Chengqian acted swiftly and decisively.

The day after the meeting in the Liangyi Hall ended, a "Letter to the Wise and Virtuous of the World" bearing the seal of the Crown Prince and written in a powerful and impassioned style was sent out at an astonishing speed through official postal services and local gazettes!

The text not only details the profound significance of the development of Xizhou in the Tang Dynasty's Western Regions strategy, but also, as the crown prince, calls upon merchants, wealthy people, and insightful individuals across the land to "jointly build the frontier and share its benefits."

It was explicitly stated that funds would be raised by issuing "Xizhou Development Bonds," with a promise of generous returns and permission for the bonds to circulate!
This announcement caused an uproar in both the government and the public!

The Crown Prince himself taking the lead in raising funds for the country in such an unprecedented way is simply unheard of!

However, before everyone could recover from the initial shock, the Eastern Palace dropped an even bigger bombshell!

A few days later, a group of officials and guards of the Eastern Palace who had received the Crown Prince's "favor" and even the residences of many important officials in the court received a "special reward" from the Eastern Palace.

Each small, food-box-sized, pure white crystal is contained in a brocade pouch.

At first, no one paid attention, until someone was curious and tried it, and the extremely pure salty taste instantly conquered all the tasters!
"What is this? The salt in the palace is nowhere near as good as this!"

"The Crown Prince said that this is a secret 'jade salt' from the Eastern Palace, not for tribute or sale, but only for rewarding merit and encouraging virtue..."

The news spread like wildfire!
Is there such exquisite salt in the world?

It far surpasses tribute items, yet it is only for display and not for sale!

Those who received the reward treasured it like a precious gem, while those who did not were filled with anxiety and tried every means to find out, only to receive a cold and uniform reply from the Crown Prince.

"This is His Highness's grace, not for commercial purposes, and there is absolutely no reason for it to be sold!"

You can see it, touch it, taste it, but you can't have it!
Two separate operations: one a shocking public fundraising, the other a grand prize offering that whetted everyone's appetite.

The transitions were seamless, lightning-fast, and perfectly coordinated!
Throughout Chang'an, and even in Luoyang and Bingzhou where the news reached, everyone from high-ranking officials in the imperial court to wealthy merchants in the marketplace was stunned and bewildered by this series of blows.

In the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin held the snowflake salt sample urgently presented by the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau, looked at the scathing "Proclamation to the World," and remained silent for the duration of an incense stick burning.

In the end, he only managed to utter a few words.

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　　The comment section has been flooded with messages these past few days. Thank you to all the readers who are still supporting us!

　　I'm writing the plot very seriously. I'm trying to make it as logical as possible.

　　As for those comments that the characters in the novel are made to appear less intelligent, I will not comment on them.

　　Everyone has different experiences and perspectives.

　　I still remember how incredibly excited I was when I read the novel ten years ago, especially the protagonist's salt-making process. I thought the author was a genius, writing it so brilliantly. But later, when I saw the corresponding plot points, I lost all interest! So this time, linking salt production with finance, I hope it will be a little different.

　　Furthermore, the later storyline will also involve finance.

　　Furthermore, the murder of the imperial censor and the events in Xizhou in the novel are based on real events, only the protagonists have been changed.

　　I'm still researching this case. Historically, it was caused by Li Chengqian's foolish behavior, and the information I've seen suggests it wasn't solved until the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty! The time span is enormous, and the case itself is incredibly imaginative!
　　According to the materials I have reviewed, this is a real case targeting Crown Prince Li Chengqian!
　　The conclusion is just too shocking and needs to be studied carefully to determine which parts can be used as plot points and which parts cannot be written out!

　　Some historians comment that the events in Xizhou were a foolish measure taken by Li Shimin to demonstrate his superiority over Emperor Yang of Sui, but this plot point is crucial to subsequent developments. I won't spoil it! Thank you so much, dear reader!!! A heartfelt thank you!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)