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

Chapter 146 Emperor Yang of Sui... He was too hasty.

Li Tai's gaze sharpened.

"Go on."

"Your Highness may secretly contact those court officials who have a past relationship with the dismissed officials in Shandong, or who have interests in Shandong's powerful families, especially those who are closely related to the Five Surnames and Seven Families."

Du Chuke lowered his voice.

"The Li family of Zhao County, the Cui family of Qinghe, the Cui family of Boling, the Lu family of Fanyang, the Zheng family of Xingyang, the Wang family of Taiyuan..."

"The Crown Prince has offended them quite badly this time. Your Highness only needs to guide them a little to make them realize that only by uniting and creating greater pressure can they force His Majesty to recall the Crown Prince and stop his 'mischief' in Shandong."

Li Tai seemed to be deep in thought.

Yes, those powerful and influential families probably want the Crown Prince to leave Shandong as soon as possible, even more than he does.

Du Chuke continued his analysis.

"The Crown Prince, under the guise of disaster relief, is actually seizing power in Shandong, dismissing local officials and installing his cronies. He has already established a strong presence in Shandong."

"How could these powerful families tolerate their territory being encroached upon like this?"

"It is not advisable for them to fight their own battles at this moment."

"If Your Highness extends an olive branch now, indicating your willingness to speak up for them in court and work together to bring the Crown Prince back to the capital, they will surely be happy to respond."

Li Tai's heart raced; he seemed to see a glimmer of hope in shaking the Crown Prince.

"Join them... and force that cripple to come back..."

“Not bad.” Du Chuke nodded.

“Once the Crown Prince returns to Chang’an and leaves the territory in Shandong that he has just built up, he will be like a dragon out of water, and many things will be out of his control.”

"What he did in Shandong, in all its details, is still up to the court to judge. At that time, whether it was a merit or a demerit, there will be much more room for maneuver. Moreover, once he returns, Your Highness... will naturally have more opportunities."

Du Chuke's last sentence was quite meaningful.

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Tai's eyes; he understood the unspoken words Du Chuke had left unsaid.

It's easier to deal with the Crown Prince if he's in Chang'an, right under his nose, than if he's in faraway Shandong.

“But,” Li Tai still had doubts.

"What if the Crown Prince uses the excuse that the disaster has not been completely quelled to delay his return?"

This was his biggest worry; he always felt that the Crown Prince's departure from the capital this time seemed to have ulterior motives.

Du Chuke shook his head, revealing a confident smile.

"Your Highness is overthinking it. His Highness the Crown Prince... in my opinion, he certainly doesn't want to return anytime soon."

"Oh? Why?" Li Tai pressed.

"With the situation in Shandong now largely settled, it is the perfect opportunity for him to consolidate his power and win over the hearts of the people. The bond issue is not yet fully resolved; how could he be willing to give up everything at this time and return to Chang'an to face attacks from the court?"

"He will definitely try to find an excuse to stay in Shandong for a longer period of time."

Du Chuke analyzed.

"And this is our opportunity. We can make a big deal out of this and imply that the Crown Prince is attached to external power and that his intentions are hard to fathom."

"At that time, His Majesty will naturally have doubts and dissatisfaction without us having to say anything more."

As Li Tai listened to Du Chuke's analysis, he found it increasingly reasonable, and his irritation and anger were gradually replaced by a cold, calculating mindset.

"Good!" Li Tai's face had regained its usual composure, but a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

"As you say, sir. You shall make arrangements immediately, and do so discreetly. Begin by working with the censors and officials who have a long history with us and who have the deepest connections with the prominent families of Shandong."

"I'd like to see how long my good elder brother can continue to live a carefree life in Shandong!"

Yanzhou, Shandong.

The afternoon sun was scorching, baking the earth that had just survived the calamity.

In the fields beside the official road, one can vaguely see newly planted, sparse, and short autumn grain seedlings, stubbornly showing a hint of green in the scorched soil.

Many more fields remain bare, bearing the scars left by the locust swarms.

Li Chengqian and Li Yichen strolled along the ridge between the fields, one after the other.

The guards followed at a distance, maintaining a safe distance that would allow them to protect the couple without disturbing their conversation.

Li Chengqian's right foot was still somewhat unsteady, and he swayed slightly as he walked on the bumpy ridges of the field, but he refused the help of the eunuchs and insisted on walking on his own.

His gaze swept over the ravaged land, the shock and helplessness of his initial arrival gone, replaced by a settled calm and deeper contemplation.

He walked to a large locust tree with relatively lush foliage, where the shade cast a rare coolness.

"Sir, please rest here for a moment."

Li Chengqian wiped his sweat with his sleeve and sat down first on a relatively flat rock under the shade of a tree.

Li Yichen sat down not far from him as instructed, his gaze also fixed on the distant fields where desolation and new life intertwined.

The noisy chirping of cicadas made the surroundings seem even more empty and quiet.

After a moment of silence, Li Chengqian slowly spoke, his voice tinged with weariness yet brimming with a thirst for knowledge.

"gentlemen,"

He turned his head and looked at Li Yichen.

"During this trip to Shandong, the students personally dealt with these powerful families and even personally severed some of their henchmen in Linyi and Yanzhou..."

"Looking back, although I felt that its power was great and its roots were deep and complex, it did not seem to be as unshakable and invincible as the students had thought."

He frowned slightly, as if trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

“When I was in Chang’an, I often heard people say that those who gain the support of powerful families gain the world, and those who lose the support of powerful families lose the world.”

"The students also thought that in order to secure this position, they would have to obtain the support of powerful families in Shandong and Guanzhong. They controlled the land, the population, and the power of discourse, and it seemed that they could decide the fate of the world with a single thought."

"But now, seeing it with their own eyes and doing it with their own hands... they will also feel fear, they will also back down, and they will also cut off their tails to save themselves."

"Given the students' swift and decisive actions, even if they secretly sabotage us, won't they still have to bow their heads, offer up food, and hand over scapegoats in the open?"

His tone carried an impulse to question and reassess old perceptions, born from the baptism of real combat.

"I have a question that has been lingering in my mind for a long time, and I hope that you can enlighten me."

Li Chengqian's gaze sharpened.

"If these powerful families truly possessed the ability to manipulate events, why did they, who seemed to support the Sui Dynasty in the previous dynasty, ultimately... stand by and watch, or even contribute to, the downfall of the Sui Dynasty?"

He paused, then clearly posed the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.

"The Sui Dynasty lasted only two generations, and historical records mostly attribute this to Emperor Yang's aggressive military campaigns and abuse of the people's labor, which led to widespread rebellion."

"But upon careful consideration, if those powerful families who controlled the localities and possessed private armies had not tacitly approved or even secretly instigated it, how could ordinary people who lacked weapons and organization have risen up in rebellion so quickly spread across the land and ultimately overthrow a vast empire, even if they could not survive?"

"What exactly is the relationship between powerful families and the rise and fall of dynasties? Was the downfall of the Sui Dynasty really solely due to Emperor Yang's moral failings and misrule?" After asking this question, Li Chengqian stared intently at Li Yichen.

He felt as if he had touched upon a more cruel and real core of power that was covered up by layers of historical writings and moral preaching.

Li Yichen met his gaze, but instead of showing surprise, a meaningful smile slowly appeared on his face.

That smile held approval and satisfaction.

"Your Highness's ability to think of this is extraordinary."

Li Yichen's voice was calm and flowed slowly through the quiet fields.

"Your Highness's question has indeed touched upon the core secrets of the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history."

He paused briefly, as if organizing his thoughts, trying to articulate this forward-thinking insight in a way that this era could understand.

"Everyone says that Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, was tyrannical and incompetent, a model of a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country. However,"

Li Yichen abruptly changed the subject, his words causing a sensation.

"I believe that the reason why the Sui Dynasty perished so quickly was not entirely due to the character and conduct of Emperor Yang, nor was it simply because his conquests and construction projects were too exhausting for the people."

“The root cause lies in the internal division of the foundation of the Sui Dynasty’s rule, in the fact that Emperor Yang’s attempt to break the solidified power structure since the Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties was ultimately… abandoned and devoured by the core group he relied on and tried to get rid of.”

Li Chengqian's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Core Group?"

He repeated it unconsciously; the statement was quite novel to him.

“Not bad,” Li Yichen affirmed.

"It was the power base that supported the rule of the former Sui Dynasty, with the Guanzhong military aristocracy group at its core, and together with some Shandong and Jiangnan gentry."

"Guanlong Group..."

Li Chengqian murmured. He was familiar with this term. Many nobles of the dynasty, including his father, came from this.

“Since the division of the Northern Wei Dynasty, through the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties, and up to the Sui Dynasty, although the country has been divided and united several times, the group that actually controls the highest power has always been the one that originated from the Wuchuan warlords and was formed by the integration of Xianbei nobles and powerful Han people from Guanzhong.”

"They controlled the army through the Fubing system and monopolized high-ranking officials and noble titles to control the government."

"Through marriage and alliance, we can form a community of shared interests where everyone prospers or suffers together."

Li Yichen began to dissect the fabric of that period of history.

"Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was able to successfully replace the Zhou dynasty and establish the Sui dynasty not because his Yang clan was particularly powerful, but precisely because he himself was one of the representatives of the Guanlong Group."

"His rise to power was recognized and supported by most of the forces within the group. He completed the change of dynasty with the support of this group."

Li Chengqian seemed to understand something.

"So, during Emperor Wen's reign, he was actually sharing the empire with the Guanlong Group?"

"You could say that," Li Yichen nodded.

Emperor Wen was a man of great talent and ambition, and he was well aware of the advantages and disadvantages involved. On the one hand, he relied on the group to stabilize his rule, and on the other hand, he also began to try some checks and balances.

"For example, the imperial examination system was established in the intention of breaking the complete monopoly of aristocratic families on official careers, and the Kaihuang Code was revised to emphasize centralized power."

"However, these measures are still relatively mild and have not yet truly shaken the foundation of the group."

"In fact, in order to rapidly accumulate national strength and achieve stability after unifying the country, Emperor Wen, in some ways, deepened his dependence on this group."

Li Yichen changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat subtle.

"Does Your Highness know that historical records show that during the reign of Emperor Wen, the population increased, granaries were full, and even the imperial treasury was overflowing? No dynasty could be considered as wealthy as the Sui?"

"I know, Father Emperor often takes this as a lesson," Li Chengqian replied.

“However,” Li Yichen’s gaze deepened.

"How much of this 'wealth' truly comes from the people, and how much... is built on the foundation of local officials falsifying household registrations and exaggerating the amount of cultivated land in order to achieve political achievements and curry favor with their superiors, thus causing the taxes levied by the imperial court to far exceed the actual affordability of the people?"

Li Chengqian was startled, suddenly recalling the distortion between the imperial court's policies and local implementation that Li Yichen had mentioned when analyzing the "four industries and the division of people".

"Sir, are you saying... that the data from Emperor Wen's reign might be... falsified? That excessive taxation had already sown the seeds of disaster?"

"I dare not presume to conclude that all historical records are false."

Li Yichen said cautiously.

"However, throughout history, it has not been uncommon for local governments to falsify reports and for the imperial court to excessively extract funds in the early years of a new dynasty in order to quickly restore its vitality and demonstrate the grandeur of a well-governed state."

"The national strength of the country did increase dramatically during the reign of Emperor Wen, but behind this 'wealth' was the increasingly heavy burden of rent, labor service and taxes on countless farmers."

"This wealth, which has been over-levied, is piled up in the government granaries and treasuries. It looks magnificent, but in reality, it is like a pile of firewood next to a thousand bushels."

"Just a spark is all it takes to start a prairie fire."

Li Chengqian felt a chill run down his spine.

He never considered the "Kaihuang Era" of the former Sui Dynasty from this perspective.

It turns out that such enviable wealth actually concealed such a profound crisis.
"Then... what about Emperor Yang?" he asked impatiently.

"Emperor Yang Guang was intelligent, learned, and ambitious."

Li Yichen commented, his tone revealing neither praise nor criticism.

"He saw the hidden dangers beneath the apparent prosperity of the Sui Dynasty, and he also saw the Guanlong Group's obstruction of imperial power."

"After he ascended the throne, he was eager to make achievements and leave his mark on history. He was even more eager to break the existing power structure and establish a new order that was truly ruled by the emperor alone and transcended the aristocratic clans."

"So, while his construction of Luoyang, the eastern capital, certainly had strategic considerations for controlling Shandong and Jiangnan, wasn't it also a way for him to break free from the deeply entrenched power of the Guanlong Group in the old Chang'an?"

"His construction of the Grand Canal to connect the north and south certainly had military advantages in terms of water transport, but wasn't it also an attempt to control a new economic lifeline and cultivate a new group of bureaucrats and businessmen who depended on the benefits of the canal, in order to divide the Guanzhong Group?"

"While his three campaigns against Goguryeo were certainly motivated by a desire to expand territory and demonstrate his power, did he not also intend to deplete the military strength controlled by the Guanlong Group and promote loyal generals from humble backgrounds in the process?"

Li Yichen's series of rhetorical questions struck Li Chengqian's heart like heavy hammer blows.

His eyes widened, and a picture seemed to form in his mind that was completely different from what was described in history books—

An image of an emperor who was determined to reform, attempted to centralize imperial power, and challenged the existing power structure gradually became clear.

"However, Emperor Yang of Sui... he was too hasty."

Li Yichen's tone was devoid of any emotion.

"He underestimated the deep-rooted strength of the Guanlong Group and its determination to rebound. The new order he was trying to establish lacked a sufficiently solid emerging force to support it."

"The scholars he promoted were still inexperienced and lacked power. The Jiangnan forces he relied on were still weak."

"When he repeatedly mobilized the entire nation's resources to conscript laborers and deplete the wealth accumulated during Emperor Wen's reign, further impoverishing the already overburdened populace, he not only lost the hearts of the people, but more importantly..."

"He completely enraged and lost the support of the Guanlong Group."

"The disastrous defeat in the campaign against Goguryeo not only depleted the nation's strength, but also the core military power of the Guanlong Group."

(End of this chapter)