A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 634 I am bold

On the way back to the palace,
The emperor was still very happy, in high spirits and beaming with joy.

Thirty and standing.

Li Shimin led the army at the age of 16 and proclaimed himself emperor at the age of 27. In just three years, he destroyed the Eastern Turks and captured Jieli Khan alive. All Tibetans respected Tian Khan.

This is truly unprecedented.

The emperor turned to look at Wu Huaiyu, "I have made such great achievements, and you have a great share of the credit."

Huaiyu said, "In the ninth year of Wude, Jieli's army came to the Wei River. Your Majesty met with him at the Wei Bridge and swore a white horse alliance. I was one of the six cavalry accompanying you. You were worried about your humiliation. I swore to wipe out the Turks for your Majesty that day. Now three The annihilation of the year depends entirely on His Majesty's planning, and I can only do my best."

"Hahaha," Li Shimin laughed, "Huaiyu, your contribution this time is no less than that of Li Jing, but Li Jing actually granted [-] households, and Li Daozong also granted [-] households, but only gave you [-] households. You Do you feel aggrieved?"

"I now have [-] households with real titles. I am very satisfied. I even feel that De is not worthy of my position. I am very scared. I only came down from the mountain in June of the ninth year of Wude. I have only been loyal to His Majesty for a short period of time. How can I dare to do so? Alongside Changsun Gong, General Yuchi, Fang Xianggong, etc."

Li Shimin patted his arm and held it in his hand, very close to him.

"The title of honorary officer is meant to reward merit. Although you came late, you have made great achievements, especially for your repeated military exploits, and military merit is the most important thing in our dynasty."

Having said that, Wu Huaiyu actually knew very well that titles or official positions were not entirely linked to merit. In fact, the most important thing the emperor did not say, but everyone knew, was to take sides.

Position first, merit second.

Wu Huaiyu has been awarded many awards in recent years. In addition to his many merits, the most important thing is that he was the emperor who supported him from the beginning. He has always been the emperor's confidant and regarded him as a direct lineage. In essence, Wu Huaiyu is closely related to Hou Junji and Zhang. People like Liang, Zhou Shaofan and Xu Luoren are the same.

Even Yuchi Gong, Qin Qiong, Zhang Gongjin and others are direct descendants of the King of Qin.

The emperor's closest associates, who were capable and performed meritorious services, would naturally receive more rewards. In terms of military merit alone, Li Jingna had served the Tang Dynasty since the founding of the People's Republic of China. He was also the man who conquered half of the southeastern part of the country for the imperial court. However, by the ninth year of Wude, his status had declined. But it is neither high nor low, and it sinks into the core.

In terms of contribution, Luo Yi and Li Xiaochang are both great.

Li Shimin was indeed a very good emperor, and he cherished old friendships. Yuchi Gong, Qiu Xinggong, etc. were arrogant and domineering and made many mistakes, but the emperor spared them time and time again. Pang Xiangshou and other former officials of the Qin government were corrupt, but the emperor did not punish them severely.

Even old princelings such as Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Wei Ting, Xue Wanche, Xie Shufang and others can be reused.

Even Li Jing, who is in his 60s, has finally reached the peak of his life. He has served as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition. He has been granted the title of Duke of the country, has been granted the title of a thousand households, and has become the prime minister.

"Your Majesty, I have the courage to resign from my position as prime minister."

The smile on the emperor's face froze and slowly turned a little unhappy. He was originally very happy today, but the emperor still patted Huaiyu's hand and said, "I know that you are different from Hou Junji. I let him participate in state affairs and political affairs." Don't worry, he smiled so hard that he followed me and agreed immediately, for fear that I would regret it.

You have a cautious temperament, very similar to Shu Bao and Yao Shi. I also know what you are worried about, but do you and I, the king and my ministers, still use that? "

"Or do you still remember what you did not long ago when you joined the political hall last time?"

"Your Majesty, I took the initiative to resign last time. It was really not appropriate. Firstly, I was too young. Secondly, I made a lot of mistakes. Now the Third Division is still investigating me."

"I asked the Third Division of Yushitai to investigate, so that they can come to a conclusion as soon as possible, and also to silence some people. It was not his intention."

"I know that Your Majesty loves and protects me, but I still feel that it is inappropriate. Moreover, now that my adoptive father and teacher are both prime ministers in the Zhengshi Hall, Hou Junji is also my junior fellow student. This Zhengshi Hall is all about relationships."

Li Shimin smiled,
"If you really want to say that, then Wei Zheng will still be your son and daughter's in-laws,"

"You don't have to worry about that. I worship you as my prime minister because of your ability. Do you still remember what we said in Fanchuan last summer?

I have been thinking about it for more than half a year. It is true that there are many hidden dangers in renting and modulating. It can still be maintained now, but if it is not solved in advance, it will be difficult to get rid of in the future and it will eventually become a serious problem.

I plan to try out the two-tax law, and I want you to take the lead. "

"If your majesty trusts me, then I am willing to return to Youzhou or go to Shuofang or Longyou to try out the two tax laws in the local area. First, try it out in one county and one state, and then slowly promote it, sum up experience, and fill in the gaps. "

Li Shimin shook his head.

"You are 22, so there is no need to always say you are young. When the Tang Dynasty was founded, I was only eighteen. When I was 22, I had defeated Xue Ju and Liu Wuzhou, and was besieging Wang Shichong and fighting Dou Jiande. I was the great general of Tiance,"

"How dare I compare myself to His Majesty?"

"When I first started the army, the people around me, such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Gao Shilian and others, were only in their thirties and forties, and Changsun Wuji, Houjunji, Duan Zhixuan and Xu Luoren were all in their twenties. Many in my Tiance Mansion are younger than you. of······"

The prince sat there very honestly and did not dare to interrupt.

I heard that my teacher Wu Huaiyu kept asking to resign as prime minister, but my father kept persuading him.

For a long time, Cheng Qian couldn't help but said, "Both Hou Junji and Zhang Liang can serve as prime ministers in the political affairs hall. Does the teacher feel that he is not as good as them? Does he feel that he is not as good as his merits or his talent?"

As soon as these words came out, Li Shimin and Wu Huaiyu stopped talking.

The prince's words were full of disdain for Hou Junji and Zhang Liang. In fact, many people in the government and the public were dissatisfied and dissatisfied with these two prime ministers.

First of all, Hou Junji is also very young. The emperor's childhood playmate is only in his early thirties. Furthermore, he has only made his fortune in the past few years. Before the Xuanwu Gate Palace Revolution, Hou Junji's official status was very low. Compared with others, In his eyes, he was just a captain of the emperor's bodyguard.

But there is nothing more meritorious than rescuing him, and supporting him from the dragon is even more heavenly.

After the palace revolution, the first real title of [-] households was awarded based on merit. Not to mention the title of Duke Lu, even a general could accept it. However, in just two or three years, he worshiped the prime minister and received the imperial censorship first. , and then taking the official minister, this really made many people dissatisfied.

It is said that Hou Junji is just a reckless man. Although he can charge into battle, he can't shoot arrows well and can't read many words. How many people can be convinced by such a person as a prime minister.

Zhang Liang's reputation is even worse. After all, Hou Junji was born in Guanlong, and his father and ancestors were all governor generals in the family. Zhang Liang was just a small farmer. He joined Li Mi at the end of the Sui Dynasty, but he had no ability to lead troops and was a constant loser. General, although he is very capable in the areas of united front and investigation and surveillance, he cannot bring himself to the table.
What's more, in order to gain access to seven families with five surnames, Zhang Liang licked the worn shoes of the Li family in Zhao County, which was despised by the world.

It is really dissatisfying for two people to be prime ministers like this.

Zheng Shanguo, Zheng Yuanzhan, Cui Qian, Changsun Shunde, Liu Hongji, etc., none of them are better than them. Even if they randomly pull Dou Jing, Dou Yun, and Dou Gui from the Dou family, they are a hundred times better than them. As for Chai Shaodou, Lu Kuan, etc., they are definitely far behind. win.

The emperor was also very aware of these voices from the government and the opposition, but he insisted on using them as prime minister.

Wu Huaiyu is also aware of this. After Li Shimin's palace was successfully built, one thing he has been doing is to eliminate the people of the Supreme Emperor. This matter has never stopped, from the three provinces and six ministries to the central political affairs hall, from the local governor to State governors, county magistrates, from generals to commanders of various military offices,

This is a systematic and comprehensive work,
Although the emperor's methods are still relatively mild, and they are not all simple cleaning, but pulling and pressing, this main line has not changed.

The emperor's purge went smoothly. The conflict between the old and new emperor's forces was not severe. The new emperor had high prestige and strong abilities, especially the palace coup to seize the throne. He killed his brothers and imprisoned his father. His methods were very violent. Few people dared to be tough. The emperor's The core team itself is very strong and can play well.
But there is also a disadvantage of being too smooth, that is, Li Shimin only has this team of confidants, and a large number of positions have been cleared, and his own people cannot fill them for a while.

While the emperor was clearing out the influence of the Supreme Emperor's old ministers, he also had to balance the forces within the Qin Palace. As a result, there was a shortage of people for a while.
Therefore, although Hou Junji and Zhang Liang were not very powerful in the first place, they were the emperor's true confidants, and they indeed made great achievements in seizing the throne, and they gradually reached the position of prime minister.
It is better than arranging an old minister of the Supreme Emperor, or someone who is not one of his confidants.

Wu Huaiyu was able to serve as prime minister twice, which is also related to this. Wu Huaiyu, who can fight, charge, and is obedient and trustworthy, was placed in the position of prime minister. It is very suitable for him to charge. Anyway, he is young and has no foundation. Don't worry too much. If you make a mistake, you will be replaced. If you come down, you won't hurt the emperor.

"The purpose of asking you to inspect the school's secretariat is to let you take the lead in dealing with the two taxes. If you are just a local governor, it will not be easy to start.

Don't worry about the word "checking and proofreading". Work on it for a while, and I will naturally let you remove the word "checking and proofreading" when the time comes. "

But Wu Huaiyu still resigned.

It's not that he is pretending to resign, he really doesn't want to be prime minister, nor does he really want to be prime minister, but he feels that the time is not right now.

This is not even consistent with the results he expected before.

He expected that he would work in Youzhou for ten or eight years and not be able to return to Beijing. Unexpectedly, he not only recalled the imperial court, but also paid homage to the prime minister, and took the lead in pushing the two tax laws.
It's hard.

He told Li Shimin last year that the problem of taxation and taxation was huge, but the two tax laws were more resistant. Taxation and taxation harmed the people, while the two taxation laws touched the interests of the nobles and powerful people.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this for now,"

Li Shimin interrupted the conversation and did not want to continue the conversation. He was even a little dissatisfied with Wu Huaiyu.
"It's a great day today, let's talk about something happy."

As the carriage drove into the palace, the emperor went to the harem to change clothes. He asked his chamberlain to take Wu Huaiyu to rest first and attend the palace banquet later.

"Chengqian, please accompany Huaiyu. I know that you two teachers and students have not seen each other for a long time, and you must have a lot to talk about." With that, the emperor left.

The 22-year-old prime minister and the 12-year-old prince didn't care too much about the two of them being together. He even encouraged them to spend more time together and asked Cheng Qian to ask for advice.

Maybe ten years later, the emperor will no longer be so relieved.

On the way, Li Shimin no longer thought about Wu Huaiyu and the prince. He had more important things to consider, such as conquering the Eastern Turks and how to deal with the Turks' surrendered tribes next?Should we break up the tribes and send them to various parts of the Central Plains, so that they can change their customs and make men farm and women weave and become farmers, or should we keep the border fortress and divide and rule the tribes?There are actually five or six opinions on this in the court, and they are constantly arguing.

For example, can these two tax laws be put into practice now, can the tax-free modulation be abolished, and should Tuo She and Yu Gu She, who fled to the Western Regions, send troops to pursue them?
Cheng Qian accompanied Huai Yu and led him down to a side hall to rest.

"How was Fanchuan Zhuangzi's harvest last year?" Huaiyu asked with a smile. He was unwilling to tell the prince too much about Hou Junji, Zhang Liang and other matters.

"It's good. After the melon harvest, we planted soybeans. This spring, we planted more varieties of melons, including watermelons, winter melons, pumpkins, gourds, etc. We also raised pigs, chickens and ducks on the farm, and also built a papermaking workshop. , the people of Guazhou Upper and Lower Forts also have more opportunities to make money, and their income has increased a lot,"

"Previously, Shi Quan Wanji, the imperial censor, wrote to Your Majesty, saying that many royal clans and dignitaries in Gyeonggi annexed fields, kept slaves and purchased land, but they did not grow food, but instead planted medicinal materials, fruits, vegetables, etc. It was said that the food in the pass was not self-sufficient. This is very wrong, and I am requesting the imperial court to issue an order to force the cultivation of crops and food to resume,"

Wu Huaiyu just laughed after hearing this.
"Last year, a bushel of rice cost two or three cents. This is an oversupply. If everyone continues to grow grain, the people will suffer more and more losses, and may even lose their families. The imperial court has established its capital in Guanzhong, and it is true that food cannot be completely self-sufficient. In the past, every year There is a gap of millions of stones, making transportation difficult.
But now Guanzhong has increased the planting of corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc., which can actually satisfy the people's self-sufficiency in food.

The grain needed by urban officials and residents can be transshipped by merchants. Although transshipment will cost a little more and increase the cost, for the people who grow grain inside and outside the customs, it can increase the purchase price of grain, which is a good thing.

There is nothing wrong with growing some vegetables, fruits, or other cash crops with higher returns on land in Gyeonggi or on the outskirts of the city. Landowners can increase their income and increase market products, which can not only enrich the people's products. demand can also increase many processing job opportunities,
If everything goes as Quan Wanji said, and all the land is used to grow food, the result will only be poorer and poorer.

The suburbs of cities, especially the suburbs of Beijing, have great geographical advantages. It is more efficient to grow vegetables and fruits, or even do some breeding. It can also ensure the supply of many residents in the city. If they all grow grain, the grain will be cheaper. Now, how can we supply other non-staple food needs?

This is neither a post-war nor a time of famine. There is no need to impose such strict restrictions. There is a food shortage in Guanzhong every year, but it is not that terrible. It can be supplemented by imports from Guandong. Now the food transshipment of the Yellow River in Shaanzhou is getting better and better. , not only has the land sub-warehousing transfer improved efficiency, but the waterway has also been built through the canal, which can bypass the dangerous section of the mainstay.

The transportation capacity and cost of grain entering the customs have been reduced, and grain from Jiangnan, Jianghuai, Henan, Hebei, Hedong, and Shannan can continuously enter the customs.

"The sage didn't care about Quan Wanji. The sage said that as long as the land is not barren, it is not possible to grow wheat, millet, rice, beans or melons, fruits and medicinal materials." Cheng Qian had a bad impression of Quan Wanji, "That guy is very annoying."

"I remember there used to be a censor named Quan Zhirang. What does he have to do with Quan Wanji?"

"Quan Wanji is Quan Zhrang's uncle. Quan Zhrang's father, Quan Hongshou, was the chief historian of the Qin Palace. He was granted the title of Duke of Lu and was given the posthumous title of Minister of the Ministry of War. Quan Zhrang was granted the title of censor. If you are guilty, you will be demoted to another rank."

Wu Huaiyu remembered that Duke Quan Zhirang of Lu State had a younger brother called Quan Zhijie. Unexpectedly, Quan Zhirang's uncle Quan Wanji had also joined the Yushitai.

Tian Shui Quan's family is quite annoying.

"Does Your Highness know which minister in the court is close to the Quan family?"

"My uncle."

Cheng Qian also directly told Huaiyu about the origins of the Quan family. At that time, Quan Hongshou was the Secretary of the Sicang of Linfen County, and Li Yuan was in Jinyang. After gaining Li Shimin's trust, he was granted the title of Duke of Prince Shichong. Unfortunately, he died early.

The Quan family in Tianshui also had a good family background. After Quan Zhirang was demoted, the Quan family immediately joined Changsun Wuji.

"By the way, there is something else happening recently. Quan Wanji wrote to the sage about the evaluation of officials inside and outside Fang Xuanling and Dai Zhou's hands, saying it was unfair. The sage has ordered the new Minister of Civil Affairs, Hou Junji, to review it again. It is said that this matter This made Mr. Fang very unhappy."

After hearing this, Wu Huaiyu wondered in his heart, could it be that Changsun Wuji couldn't bear the loneliness and wanted to overthrow one or two people from the political hall to make room for himself?

But why did he attack Fang Xuanling directly?

Is Changsun Wuji not on good terms with Fang Xuanling?

He suddenly thought that it seemed that later during the Emperor Gaozong, it was Changsun Wuji who made a big case and got both Fang Xuanling's sons involved. In the end, one of Fang Xuanling's two sons was exiled and the other was beheaded, and the Fang family was overthrown. .

I really didn’t know what kind of feud the two of them had before.

Or is it Fang Xuanling who has been blocking Changsun Wuji from coming back?

I haven't been in court for two years, so I feel a bit unfamiliar.

(End of this chapter)