The Tang Dynasty started from saving Empress Changsun

Chapter 280 The First Sword
Fang Xuanling was seriously ill when he was not making a fortune, and he planned to divorce Fang Lu while he was still alive, so that it would be convenient for her to remarry after his death.

Fang Lu went out and blinded one of his eyes to show his heart, and then he gave up his thoughts and recuperated in peace, and then recovered slowly.

Also because of this matter, the husband and wife are very harmonious, and Fang Xuanling loves her in every possible way.

Hearing her questioning at this time, she felt very guilty in her heart, and said: "I was wrong, I shouldn't doubt you."

Seeing that he admitted his mistake, Fang Lu calmed down a little, and said: "You can say such a thing, it seems that the saint will not let it go this time."

Fang Xuanling smiled wryly: "It's not because I don't say it but I can't say it. Anyone who dares to leak a little bit of information will be collectively attacked by everyone."

"At that time, there were 34 families who participated in the meeting, and many more did not go... In the face of such a huge force, my Fang family has no chance to resist."

"If I leak the news to them, the gentry will thank me verbally. But when my Fang family is liquidated, they will just hide and watch the joke, and will never lend a hand to help."

"So for the sake of my Fang family's survival, no matter who asks me what happened that day, I can't say anything about it."

Fang Lu nodded, she knew the style of the gentry too well.Family continuation is always the first priority, so they played a very slippery trick of abandoning the car to keep handsome.

"I won't ask about His Majesty's plan for the gentry, but what method did he use to convince you, can you tell?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head and said, "No, no news can be leaked before the saint's layout is completed."

"But I can tell you that the benefits offered by His Majesty are so great that no one can refuse. If Wei attended the meeting at that time, he would support His Majesty just like us."

Fang Lushi was very shocked, what kind of benefit was able to bribe so many people?But she was also very sensible and didn't continue to ask, but said:
"Okay, I'm going to be seriously ill tonight, so outsiders are not allowed."

……

Wei Zheng and other supporters of the gentry went all over the place, and the people they visited either kept their mouths shut, or only said that they were for the purpose of checking the population.

In fact, they did not visit many people. There were only 30 people who attended the meeting. Counting the sporadic notifications later, the total number of people who knew the truth was only [-] or [-].

A dozen or so of these people were sent to important towns and passes, and a dozen others were sent to local towns, and there were only about twenty people left in Beijing.

Just these twenty or so people are not something they can meet whenever they want. These people are all top dignitaries, and if they don't give them face, they won't give them face.

Even if they managed to see it, they wouldn't dare to ask forcibly if they didn't tell them.

So in the end they barely got a result. The next step for the sage is to use all the power of the whole country to check the population, and anyone who dares to obstruct it will be attacked.

This conclusion reached the ears of the gentry as quickly as possible, causing a collective commotion.

Naturally, they don't want to see this happen. Who will farm the land for them if they hand over the population?Who will serve them?
Unwilling to be caught without a fight, they wrote a letter to ask the gentry faction in the court to stop the matter, and at the same time they conspired in private and wanted to join forces to give the court a blow.

After waiting for a few more days, when almost all the newly appointed local officials took office, Li Shimin finally made the first cut:

"A thorough investigation of the population will start with Shandong, Henan, and Jiangnan provinces. Anyone who deceives the superior and the inferior will be punished as treason."

After this order was issued, it was naturally opposed by the pro-gentry faction.They wrote letters one after another, accusing the emperor of wasting the people and wasting money.

But Li Shimin would not be influenced by them, all the memorials were refuted by him, and even several officials who were more powerful in dancing were exempted.

Because of the support of Guanlong and the emerging military faction, this edict passed smoothly and was quickly implemented.

The gentry seemed to have been stepped on the tail, and jumped up completely.

……

Luoyang, the residence of Gao Shilian.

"Has he left yet?" Gao Shilian asked casually while reading a book.

"Not yet." A steward who was waiting on the side said cautiously: "He has been waiting for more than an hour, and there is no way to keep doing this, why don't you go and see him?"

Gao Shilian paused, put down the book in his hand, and said with a smile: "Do you think I should go to see him?"

The steward was encouraged, and said hastily: "After all, he is the head of the third house of the Zheng family in Xingyang. Offending him may cause trouble."

Gao Shilian nodded, but he didn't answer him, but raised his voice and shouted to the door: "Come here."

Two guards came in and said, "Master Lang."

Gao Shilian pointed to the steward and said, "Take him down and interrogate him to see how much news he has betrayed."

The two guards directly controlled the steward without any hesitation.

The steward's face changed drastically, and he said: "Master Lang, I am loyal to you, you can't treat me like this."

Gao Shilian didn't even look at him, got up and walked out of the study, all the way to the living room in the front yard and saw Zheng Song waiting here.

"Patriarch Zheng has been waiting for a long time, Haihan Haihan."

Zheng Song had never been neglected like this before, he snorted coldly and said, "Gao Xianggong is really busy with his affairs, I waited for an hour and a half to see you."

Gao Shilian pretended to be helpless and said: "There is no way, the saint trusts me and entrusts me with a heavy responsibility, how can I let him down, so I can only put public affairs first and then private affairs."

"If Patriarch Zheng is looking for me on business, he can see me anytime. It's a pity that you are looking for me on a private matter, so you can only neglect it."

Zheng Song was even angrier when he hit a nail, and mocked: "Gao Xianggong is really a loyal king, no wonder he can write the clan history."

Gao Shilian's face also turned cold. The last time the clan records matter had offended the emperor.The enfeoffment is imminent, and in order to get a good feudal country, he must be more active than others.

Breaking with the gentry and resolutely implementing the emperor's plan is the best and most direct way, so he said mercilessly:
"Exchanging the clan records for the sage's determination to check the population, the old man thought it was worth it."

"Hehe..." Zheng Song didn't believe his words, but this time he came here because he wanted something from others, so he couldn't completely collapse, so he endured the tone and said:
"I am afraid that what the saint wants is not just the population in the hands of my gentry. Once you snatch all the people in our hands, it will be your turn next time."

"I believe you also understand the reason why the lips are dead and the teeth are cold. Why do you do such an unwise thing? It is only good for you and me to report the number of people as usual."

Gao Shilian sneered and said, "I'm afraid I will disappoint you. Before coming to Luoyang, I have already handed over all the surplus family members to the imperial court. Now their household registration yellow books are ready."

"What?" Zheng Song couldn't believe his ears, and said, "Impossible, don't try to lie to me, how could you be willing to give up so many people."

Seeing his gaffe, Gao Shilian felt unprecedentedly happy, and said, "Don't waste your time thinking, this time the court is united and vows to get the accurate number."

"Who dares to stop you beyond their limits, hum... I advise you, go back and honestly hand over the person who is hiding, lest you regret it in time."

(End of this chapter)