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

Chapter 183 This item can be called an 'official report'.

After the eunuch left, Li Chengqian did not sit and wait.

He limped slowly as he paced around the Xiande Hall.

Dou Jing's report from earlier kept swirling in his mind.

The fluctuations in the Zhenguan Currency may seem like just a matter of money in the market, but having studied under Li Yichen for a long time, he knew that it involved something deeper—people's hearts, or rather, confidence.

He walked to the window and looked at the gray sky outside, where the cold wind swirled up the remaining snow in the courtyard.

Wei Zheng's death was like removing a pillar that supported the court's structure, inevitably forcing all factions to seek a new balance.

Goguryeo, like an increasingly heavy dark cloud in the north, weighed on everyone's heart, including those aristocratic families who held bonds.

What are they afraid of?
He feared the court's military setbacks, the depletion of the national treasury, and that the piece of paper bearing the official seal in his hand would ultimately become worthless.

Li Chengqian sneered inwardly. These aristocratic families were eager to make a profit, but became anxious and fearful at the slightest risk.

Footsteps came from behind me, steady and familiar.

Li Chengqian turned around and saw Li Yichen standing bowing in the hall.

"Your subject, Li Yichen, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"There is no need to be polite, sir."

Li Chengqian quickly walked back to the desk and sat down, also gesturing for Li Yichen to sit down.

Only the two of them remained inside the hall, the charcoal fire occasionally crackling softly.

Li Chengqian didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, his brows furrowed.

"Sir, these Zhenguan bonds issued by the imperial court seem to be more fragile than we imagined! The slightest disturbance has already caused unrest in the market."

Li Yichen remained calm, as if he had expected this.

"Your Highness, the credit of bonds is rooted in the issuer's ability and willingness to repay the principal and interest."

"Capacity is related to the state treasury's balance. Willingness can be seen as credibility itself. The current market's wait-and-see attitude is not due to doubts about the court's willingness to repay, but rather concerns about its ability."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"This concern is not unfounded. The Sui Dynasty's three campaigns against Goguryeo exhausted the wealth accumulated during the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang, leaving the treasury empty, causing unrest throughout the land, and ultimately leading to the downfall of the dynasty."

"This matter is still fresh in my memory, though it happened not long ago."

"Although our dynasty is now far stronger than it was at the end of the Sui Dynasty, people still have doubts about whether the court can maintain a stable financial system such as bond interest payments while dealing with the Goguryeo situation."

Ultimately, it stems from a lack of confidence that victory will be achieved without harming the nation's strength.

Li Chengqian leaned forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of urgency.

"Won't this...won't this affect the Crown Prince's bonds?"

The Eastern Palace Bonds were the foundation for his implementation of the Western State Development Plan and many subsequent plans, and they could not be lost.

Li Yichen shook his head, his tone certain.

"There will inevitably be an impact, as wealth flows around the world and everyone is interconnected."

"But the bonds issued by the Eastern Palace and the bonds issued during the Zhenguan era are anchored to different things, so their circumstances will naturally be different."

He looked at Li Chengqian.

"The Zhenguan voucher was anchored to the credibility of the imperial court, and at this moment, the credibility of the imperial court was directly tied to the success or failure of the war against Goguryeo and the magnitude of the cost."

“If the war goes poorly or costs far more than expected, the court’s credibility will be damaged, and the Zhenguan vouchers will be the first to suffer.”

“And the Eastern Palace bonds,” Li Yichen said slowly.

"Use Snowflake Salt as an anchor. Salt is an indispensable part of people's daily lives, and its value is solid. As long as the Crown Prince can produce salt stably and control the salt source, the purchasing power of Snowflake Salt will remain."

“Those who hold the Crown Prince’s bonds know that even in the worst-case scenario, they can still redeem the bonds for salt of full value.”

"The 'anchor' of this thing is more concrete and tangible than the vague confidence in the war."

"Therefore, the impact on it will be much smaller than that on the Zhenguan bonds. The people have even begun to use the Crown Prince bonds as large-denomination currency, which is a manifestation of the deep-rooted trust in people's hearts, because it is backed by salt."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian felt somewhat relieved.

The foundation of the Crown Prince's bonds is indeed solid.

But then he thought of something deeper, and his expression became serious again.

"Sir, if... if the Zhenguan Equity of the Imperial Court really... collapses, what will happen?"

Li Yichen's gaze sharpened, and his tone became extremely serious.

"Your Highness, this matter must be taken very seriously! If the Zhenguan voucher collapses, it will directly damage the credibility of the imperial court."

"This is no ordinary financial loss. Once the court's reputation is damaged, rebuilding it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven."

"The impact it has caused will likely not be short-lived, but may last for generations."

He explained in detail.

"The trust that the common people, merchants, and even the surrounding vassal states placed in the Tang Dynasty was the invisible cornerstone that maintained taxation, laws, border trade, and even the stability of the world."

"If they see that the court cannot even properly maintain the bonds it issues, they will doubt all the court's promises."

"If we can break our promises on bonds today, will we break our promises on tax quotas tomorrow? On border trade? On rewards and punishments?"

"At that time, the cost of implementing government orders will increase dramatically, people will be unwilling to invest their wealth, commerce will stagnate, and the country's strength will inevitably be damaged."

"This is a fundamental upheaval."

Li Yichen looked into Li Chengqian's eyes and said, word by word.

"Furthermore, Your Highness needs to take a long-term view. If Your Highness were to ascend the throne one day and wish to implement major policies, undertake large-scale projects, and strengthen the military, would you also need to use instruments similar to bonds to gather the financial resources of the people, just as you are doing now?"

"If, at that time, due to the mistakes of the previous dynasty, the people of the world are wary of the certificates issued by the court and are unwilling to buy them, what will Your Highness do?"

"The credibility of the imperial court cannot collapse. This is not only about the present, but also about the fate of the nation for decades to come."

"Your Highness, at this critical moment, we must take decisive action to turn the tide!"

As Li Chengqian listened, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He had only thought that the collapse of the Zhenguan Coupons would harm aristocratic families, and even felt a faint sense of pleasure deep down.

But after Li Yichen's analysis, he realized that this was not as simple as a few families mourning, but rather it had shaken the very foundation of the Li Tang dynasty's credibility.

If this foundation is flawed, he will inherit an even more difficult mess to manage in the future.

He took a deep breath, nodded slowly, and his eyes became firm.

"What you say is like a wake-up call. Yes, the credibility of the imperial court must not be destroyed."

His thoughts were different now; he was no longer limited to the gains and losses of the Crown Prince, but stood on the side of the entire Tang Dynasty court.

He recalled his previous arrangements in the Jiangnan region, where he had used snowflake salt to purchase a considerable amount of grain, which might prove useful.

"Sir, in your opinion, what preparations should the students make now?"

Li Chengqian asked, his tone returning to its usual composure.

Li Yichen had already thought it through and immediately agreed.

"The primary task remains military. We must expedite all actions against Goguryeo, whether it be a strategy to wear down the enemy or preparations for war."

"We strive to quickly establish an overwhelming advantage after the start of spring next year, and resolve the Goguryeo issue at the lowest cost and in the shortest time."

"Only a clean and decisive victory can quickly dispel market doubts and rebuild confidence. The longer it is delayed, the more variables there will be, and the wider the panic will spread."

“Secondly,” he continued.

"Didn't the Ministry of Works recently improve several farm tools based on the ideas of Zhao Xiaoman and others? For example, the improved version of the curved plow, and the iron shovel for deep plowing."

"Your Highness should immediately issue the design to the world in the name of the court or the Crown Prince, ordering all prefectures and counties to replicate and promote it, and send officials to provide guidance." "At the same time, proclaim to the world that this is a virtuous policy of the court that values ​​agriculture and sericulture and enhances the people's strength."

Li Chengqian was somewhat puzzled.

"What does promoting agricultural tools have to do with confidence in bonds?"

“They are closely related,” Li Yichen explained.

“Your Highness, confidence does not come from nothing. When people see that the court can develop tools that are beneficial to farming and benefit the people, they will directly feel that the court is doing things that are beneficial to the country and the people.”

"This pragmatic and people-oriented impression will overshadow the impression of the depletion and risks brought about by war."

"They would think that a court that can make better agricultural tools has an upward-looking governance and a credible future."

"The confidence that this technology demonstrates is sometimes more effective than a piece of paper."

"We must let the world see that the imperial court not only has the power to conquer, but also the virtue of nurturing and the ability to innovate."

Li Chengqian suddenly realized that this was another function.

Upon careful consideration, he realized that this was indeed the case; tangible benefits were the most reassuring.

At that moment, another thought arose in his mind, carrying a hint of coldness.

"Sir, those powerful families currently hold the most Zhenguan Coupons. They suffered the heaviest losses in this turmoil."

"Should we... take this opportunity to give them a blow?"

He recalled how the powerful families had previously hindered and looked down on him, and it seemed like an opportunity to weaken them.

Li Yichen slowly shook his head.

"Your Highness, this is not the best approach. To resolve the problems caused by powerful clans, we must address the root causes, rather than relying on fluctuations in the financial markets."

"Even if we take this opportunity to severely damage a few companies, or even bankrupt them, it will not help."

He looked at Li Chengqian with deep eyes.

“Once the old powerful families are eliminated, new powerful families will soon rise to fill the void.”

"These newly rich may be more astute and more dependent on Your Highness, because they lack the accumulated wealth and arrogance of the old aristocratic families. In the short term, this seems to be more advantageous for Your Highness."

Li Chengqian nodded; that was indeed what he thought.

“However,” Li Yichen changed the subject.

“They are essentially still the new aristocratic families. They will still possess large amounts of land, protect their population, monopolize knowledge, and pursue generations of official rank.”

"Their inherent nature of competing with the state and the people for profit will not change. It's just that the people involved have changed. The root of the problem has not been solved."

Li Chengqian frowned and fell into deep thought.

He realized that his earlier thoughts were indeed short-sighted.

Li Yichen elaborated further.

"Therefore, to solve the problems of powerful families, we need to start from a more fundamental perspective."

"It is not about changing one day or one person or one family, but about making it difficult for the 'aristocratic family' class, or the state that can easily monopolize resources and power for generations, to gradually become difficult to form, until it eventually withdraws from the historical stage."

"At the same time, it becomes extremely difficult for new people to aspire to join such a prestigious family."

These words deeply moved Li Chengqian.

His recent exposure to Li Yichen's subtle influence on the "class" perspective has given him a more fundamental understanding of aristocratic families.

He no longer viewed them merely as specific families such as Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang, but rather as a social class maintained by a specific system.

This sense of detachment allows him to view problems more calmly.

“I understand your meaning, sir. Targeting specific families is only a temporary solution and may even create more cunning adversaries.”

"We need to address the root causes and gradually eliminate the conditions that allow it to fester."

Li Chengqian spoke slowly, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

"It is a blessing for the world that Your Highness has come up with this idea," Li Yichen said approvingly.

"Therefore, the current priority remains to focus on Goguryeo. The key to stabilizing confidence in the bond market lies in resolving the Goguryeo issue quickly and effectively."

"At the same time, Your Highness needs to give more supervision to the Ministry of Works regarding the innovation of papermaking technology."

Li Chengqian's attention was drawn back.

"Papermaking? You've mentioned this matter many times, saying it's of great importance. Besides what you've said before about reducing book costs to facilitate education, what other great use is it?"

Li Yichen knew it was time to describe in more detail the potential impact of paper innovation.

He needs to rely on some deductions, but not beyond the framework of understanding of this era.

He sorted out his thoughts.

“Your Highness, paper is not merely used for writing. Its uses are far more extensive than we can imagine today.”

"If a breakthrough in papermaking technology is achieved, enabling the production of cheaper, stronger, and more abundant paper, its impact will extend to all aspects of politics, military affairs, economy, and people's livelihood."

"First and foremost is education, which is of utmost concern to His Highness. Cheap paper means cheap books."

"It will be easy for scholars from poor families to buy books, and children learning to write will have paper to practice writing. The speed of knowledge dissemination will be greatly increased."

"This is a powerful tool for Your Highness to weaken the monopoly of knowledge held by aristocratic families, needless to say."

Li Chengqian nodded; he understood this.

"Secondly, regarding the affairs of the court," Li Yichen continued.

“Nowadays, government orders are mostly transmitted using silk, bamboo slips, or expensive leather paper, which is tedious to copy and limited in quantity.”

"If we could use cheap paper to print the imperial gazette in large quantities, and regularly send His Majesty's edicts, the court's movements, and important information from various prefectures to various prefectures and counties, and even important military towns, then all officials and generals in the country would be able to know about the court situation in a timely manner, and the efficiency of the government's orders would be increased by more than ten times."

"This item can be called an 'official report'."

Li Yichen was thinking of the official gazettes from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

"Official report?" Li Chengqian seemed to be thinking.

"Like those woodblock-printed pages of the Thousand Character Classic, but with content changed to court affairs?"

"Exactly. It can not only convey government orders, but also publish good governance strategies from various places, or commend honest officials and warn corrupt officials."

"In this way, the central government can strengthen its control over local areas, unify public opinion, and make officials across the country know what to do and what not to do."

What Li Yichen was referring to was the rudimentary form of official media, which could effectively shape ideology.

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up; this was indeed a use he had never thought of.

If this were to happen, central authority would be able to reach local areas more directly.

"Thirdly, regarding military affairs," Li Yichen added.

“Military documents, maps, and orders all require paper. If paper is cheap, more detailed maps can be distributed to lower-ranking officers.”

"Combat orders and enemy situation reports can be quickly copied and distributed."

"It can even print standardized manuals and battle formations, making training more standardized. Intelligence transmission will also become more frequent and detailed due to the low cost of paper. This is crucial for large-scale troop deployment and operations in different locations."

This time, Li Yichen is simulating the various paper documents and maps that were widely used in military orders during the Song Dynasty.

Li Chengqian had experience with military affairs and immediately understood their value.

Detailed maps and timely intelligence are often the key to victory or defeat.

It would be a real shame to restrict it because of paper costs.

(End of this chapter)