Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Chapter 741: Straight Talk
Junchen and Feng Xiaoyu were just arguing in the Golden Palace, and you invited grandpa to support you, this is really a hooligan.

Li Zhi was bitter in his heart, but he still had a smile on his face.

Everyone in the hall knew that the smile on the emperor's face at the moment was not for Li Qinzai to see.

Li Ji still knelt on the futon and closed his eyes and said nothing, as if he had really fallen asleep. Li Zhi kept glancing at him while he was talking, as if to make sure that the old fox would really not intervene.

Standing in the hall, Li Qinzai felt a little aggrieved when he felt the strange gazes from the courtiers around him.

I didn't invite this big Buddha, he wanted to come. Can I give him an Asian-style bondage to prevent him from going out?
Li Qinzai did not expect anyone to help him when he went to court today, the escort of Li Sujie and other disciples, and the sudden arrival of Li Ji were not Li Qinzai's original intention.

It's just a quarrel with the emperor, man, can I ask for help?

However, I have to admit that it is really comfortable to have a respected grandfather as a backer.

For example, at this moment, Li Qinzai couldn't feel any pressure at all, and the smile on Li Zhi's face that was uglier than crying said a lot.

After adjusting his clothes, Li Qinzai bowed to Li Zhichang first, then straightened up and said, "My minister, Li Qinzai, has something to do."

"Jingchu Aiqing just play it." Li Zhi said with a smile.

"Today, during Shuo Wang's visit to the court, the court is full of ministers, ministers and military generals. Why does no one mention the matter of your Majesty enshrining Mount Tai in the coming year?" Li Qinzai looked around and asked.

As soon as these words came out, the hall was silent again. The Right Minister Xu Jingzong, who presided over the meeting, looked a little ugly, but after he quickly glanced at Li Ji, he still chose to remain silent.

Li Zhi smiled more and more reluctantly: "Jingchu Aiqing might as well speak up."

Li Qinzai bowed his head and said: "If you speak bluntly, there is only one sentence, please Your Majesty suspend the discussion of Fengchan Taishan. This discussion shall not be mentioned for at least five years."

Li Zhi had an ugly expression, but he was not angry.

It has to be said that the existence of Li Ji is really a deterrent like a nuclear bomb.

Even the emperor dare not lose his temper in front of Li Ji.

This is respect from the heart for the meritorious officials of the three dynasties. At the same time, Li Zhi actually felt a little guilty.

Whether Fengchan Taishan is good or bad for the people, does Li Zhi really have no idea?
It was just vanity that made him lose his mind.

With Liu Rengui and Li Qinzai's persuasion, Li Zhi could get angry and blame the court staff to dismiss him from office, but in front of Li Ji, a hero of the three dynasties, how dare the wronged Li Zhi get angry?
"Jing Chu can be outspoken, no matter right or wrong, I am not guilty." Li Zhi smiled.

Of course Li Qinzai would not be polite to him, so he took out a few pages of paper from his bosom, which were densely written with words, and held them up with both hands.

"I have recently transferred some data from Zhuzhou and counties in Guanzhong. Please read it, Your Majesty."

The palace man walked over quickly, took a few pages from Li Qinzai's hand, and hurriedly sent them to Li Zhi.

Li Zhi didn't want to read it, he knew there must be no good news in it.

But Li Ji dozed off not far away, and Li Zhi couldn't help but look at it.

Sighing inwardly, Li Zhi unfolded the paper still with a smile on his face, and looked at ten lines at a glance.

Standing in the hall, Li Qinzai seemed to let the officials in the hall know about it, so he raised his voice and said, "Your Majesty enshrined Mount Tai. This is a good thing to respect the way of heaven and comfort the gods, but it is not appropriate."

"In the past month, the prefectures and counties in Guanzhong have recruited more than [-] young and strong peasants. In order not to affect their official careers, many local officials have begun to recruit young and strong men from villages and villages as early as the official documents of the imperial court were issued. It's all delayed."

"Last year, there was a severe drought in the north, and the national treasury was exhausted. Countless people were given relief by the government. Farmers all over the world hoped that in this good year, there would be more harvests, so that their wives and children could make ends meet. I had to leave home alone to build roads and palaces for the emperor."

"According to investigations, only in the Guanzhong area, this year's prefectures and counties have delayed spring sowing of no less than hundreds of thousands of acres of land. If there is no accident, this year is going to be good, but the harvest of the land in Guanzhong is still not optimistic."

"And as far as I know, last year the treasury owed a lot of grain to landlords and wealthy households in the grain-producing areas of the south of the Yangtze River due to the relief of the severe drought in the north and the collection of the grain harvest. "

"However, your Majesty, because of the enshrining of Zen, farmers in various states and counties not only delayed the spring sowing, but also made matters worse, and all the young and strong in Guanzhong were transferred, leaving ten rooms in Guanzhong and nine empty houses, leaving only the old, weak, women and children in the villages and fields."

"Your Majesty conferred Zen on Mount Tai to respect the gods of heaven and earth and pray for the common people. Why do the people suffer because of enshrining Zen?"

"Your Majesty, how much money and food was overdrawn in the national treasury last year, how much was owed to the people, and it will take a few years to refill it. In addition, your majesty built roads and palaces for the purpose of enshrining Zen. In addition to the normal expenditure of the national treasury, how much additional expenditure is required? This sum of money The treasury debt, have all the ministers in the palace thought about how many years it will take to turn around?"

The more Li Qinzai spoke, the more excited he became, he turned around and looked around, and said angrily: "I also heard that there are courtiers playing the Son of Heaven and discussing the matter of adding gifts to the people..."

"The extravagance and extravagance of the dignitaries and ministers are imposed on the innocent and hardworking people. The first emperor once said, 'Water can also carry a boat, and water can also overturn a boat'. What a clear and virtuous world the Zhenguan rule of the Tang Dynasty was, only after more than ten years Years ago, have you all forgotten the warning words of the late emperor?"

All the ministers in the hall bowed their heads and remained silent. Those who can stand in this hall are all shrewd and capable people. Who can fail to see the disadvantages of Feng Chan?

It's just that after Zhenguan, the heroic officials withered and the virtuous ministers gradually disappeared. Some of the remaining people were for fame and some for profit. They could clearly see the disadvantages, but they still chose to ignore them and only knew how to flatter them.

After Li Qinzai finished speaking, he let out a long breath, as if venting the depression accumulated in his chest recently.

Then Li Qinzai stood up straight and looked directly at Li Zhidao: "Your Majesty, this is all I have said. I will not say anything more about Fengchan Taishan. I just want to ask Your Majesty to think about it when you are wasting the people's fat." The suffering of the common people is heartbreaking."

"Those people who face the loess and back to the sky are the cornerstones that support the country. The blessings of the people come from the benevolence and righteousness of the emperor, from the good governance of the court, and from the compassion of the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty."

After speaking, Li Qinzai took two steps back and stood back in the courtroom with a blank expression.

Li Zhi sat there for a long time, his face turned blue and red, but it didn't look like anger, but it was a little bit more complex.

There was a deathly silence in the main hall. The officials didn't know whether they felt guilty or were intimidated by Li Qinzai's fierce aura. No one dared to speak out for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Zhi seemed to come to his senses, and looked down at the few pages of paper Li Qinzai sent.

The paper is full of data such as the number of young and strong people recruited by prefectures and counties in Guanzhong, the food consumed by official warehouses, the money, food and materials spent on road construction and construction of palaces in various places.

The lines are shocking, and the data will make the pros and cons of one thing more concrete.

Only now did Li Zhi realize that the ritual of enshrining Zen was so costly.

After a long while, Li Zhi put away the paper, looked around the group of officials and said slowly: "Today's court meeting is all, and the matter of enshrining Zen...will be discussed later."

After speaking, Li Zhi took a deep look at Li Qinzai in the crowd.

As soon as the words fell, there was a commotion in the hall, and the ministers whispered to each other.They are starting to interpret Li Zhi's phrase "discuss later", whether to continue discussing after today, or to take the next step, the implication is that it is actually abolished.

At this time, Li Ji seemed to be awakened from a dream by the movement in the hall, his whole body was jolted, and then he looked around in a daze, as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"The court meeting ended? Is this the end... Oh, Your Majesty, forgive me, the old minister is really old, accidentally fell into a deep sleep, and lost his dignity in front of the emperor, it is the old minister's crime."

(End of this chapter)