Tibet.

Chapter 1440 Historical Opportunity
A large carriage left Huaqing Palace and returned to Chang'an City in the falling snow.

Inside the carriage, Wei Jiansu and Zhang Li sat opposite each other, each covered with a blanket.

Wei Jiansu sighed and said, "We were so wrong. We thought the emperor wanted to maintain his royal power, but in fact, he really wanted to abolish slavery and increase the population. Alas!"

Zhang Li was silent for a moment and then said, "Prime Minister Wei, I just suddenly realized that we should support the emperor. This is a rare historical opportunity."

"How do you say this?"

"Think about it, Prime Minister Wei. The royal nobles of the previous dynasty have almost done their job. Most of the Guanlong nobles have gone overseas, and the new nobles have not yet formed. Now is the time when there is the least resistance to abolishing slavery. With the authority of the emperor, this thousand-year-old problem can really be solved.

If we don't solve it now, when the prince ascends the throne in a few decades, new powerful people will be formed, and it will be basically impossible to abolish slavery at that time. Now we just need to make abolition of slavery deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the powerful people in the future will naturally hire mainly and will not think of buying slaves. "

Wei Jiansu nodded, "You are right. If we don't seize this opportunity now, we will never have it again. When we return, the Political Affairs Hall will issue a notice requiring all officials to abolish slavery before the end of the year, or at least stop implicating them. I think this is a very good result today."

"What does Prime Minister Wei think about what the emperor said about the imperial examination?" Zhang Li asked again.

Wei Jiansu laughed, "This issue has been complained about for a long time, and the emperor finally admitted that he is a little out of touch with reality."

"So how do we change it?"

Wei Jiansu smiled slightly and said, "There must be a way. Let's go back and discuss it carefully."

The carriage sped up in the wind and snow and headed towards Chang'an City.

Zhang Hao hurried back to his house and immediately asked the housekeeper to call his second son Zhang Zhongyu. Zhang Hao knew the situation of his family. There were more than a dozen slaves in his house. Last year, the slaves' children were transferred to civilian status, but the slaves had not yet been transferred. This was not difficult. He could just transfer them to civilian status and continue to use them. He would have to pay them every month, but Zhang Hao could afford it.

But Zhang Hao's problem was his manor. He had a manor covering 50 hectares in Longzhou.

He had no tenants on his manor, only fifty slaves who worked the land for him. These fifty slaves only needed to consume 10% of the manor's harvest each year, and the remaining 90% belonged to the Zhang family. But what if they were tenant farmers?
The tenant farmers took 50%, and the Zhang family suddenly lost 40%. Even a fool knew that it was much more cost-effective to use slaves as much as possible.

Therefore, Zhang Hao also knew that the abolition of slavery could be delayed as long as possible, but now he could not delay it any longer. In the morning, Wei Jiansu and Zhang Li went to see the emperor and brought back clear news. The emperor had a tough attitude. Except for compromising on the issue of collective punishment, everything else would still be done according to the previous decree. Before the end of the year, all slaves in the homes of officials must be converted to civilians, otherwise they would be dismissed from their posts and become civilians and never re-employed.

Of course, Zhang Hao also supported abolition and agreed with Zhang Li’s explanation. Now is a historical opportunity to abolish slavery. If it is not abolished now, it will be difficult to eradicate this thousand-year-old stubborn disease in the future.

Soon, the second son Zhang Zhongyun hurried over, bowed and said, "I am here to see you, father!"

Zhang Hao said slowly: "The emperor has made up his mind to abolish slavery. Don't hold on to any more luck. Quickly change the slaves in the palace to civilians, sign employment agreements, and pay them wages."

"Father, there are more than a dozen people, and the wages are not low!"

"Are they eating your food for free?" Zhang Hao said angrily.

"My child obeys!"

Just as Zhang Zhongyun was about to leave, Zhang Hao shouted, "Come back!"

"Father, do you have any other instructions?" Zhang Zhongyun came back quickly.

"There are still fifty slaves in Longzhou Manor. Have you forgotten?"

Zhang Zhongyun was shocked. "Do the slaves in the manor need to change their nationality?"

"Nonsense! Aren't they slaves?" "But if they become civilians, they can only sign a tenant agreement. According to the current market conditions, the rent must be at least 50%. Otherwise, no one will be willing to farm and we will suffer huge losses."

"It has to be done even if the loss is huge. As the assistant prime minister, how will the other officials view me if I don't take the lead? Change it for me, and it must be completed before the end of the year!"

Zhang Zhongyun had no choice but to agree and retreat.

The next morning, Zhang Zhongyun set about converting the 14 slaves in the mansion into civilians, cancelled their indentures, and went to the county government to change their slave status.

This news immediately caused a sensation throughout the Zhang Mansion. The housekeeper came running over and asked, "Second Master, do you want to change the slaves in Longzhou Manor?"

Zhang Zhongyun said with embarrassment: "I don't really want to change it, but it is said that slavery must be abolished before the end of the year. Oh! It's difficult to deal with it!"

The housekeeper guessed his master's thoughts and said cautiously, "How about you wait and see? This kind of decree is basically a passing fad, and it will be forgotten after the storm has passed. If the situation is serious, it will not be too late to abolish slavery. Then we can change the date of abolition to December 30th, right?"

"Makes sense!"

Zhang Zhongyun didn't want to abolish the slaves in the manor at first. He felt that the place was too remote and could not be found at all. His father was making a fuss out of nothing. Now the housekeeper's words touched his heart. He could wait and see first. If the inspection in Chang'an was very strict in January next year, he would still have time to abolish the slaves. If the inspection was not strict, or as the housekeeper said, it was just a passing fad, he would not need to abolish the slaves, otherwise he would suffer a great loss.

Zhang Zhongyun lied to his father and said that all slavery had been abolished. Zhang Hao believed his son and stopped asking questions.

After Li Ye ascended the throne, he did not ask about family affairs, but Li Dai did not forget.

He first rehabilitated several of his brothers, cleared their charges, and posthumously conferred titles on them.

When his elder brother's family returned from Lingnan, he took the entire family into the royal family, gave them titles such as marquis and earl, gave them mansions and land, and rewarded them with a lot of money. Every household became wealthy.

Of course Li Ye would not stop his father. He readily gave him houses, land and money, and also approved the title.

As the saying goes, when one person succeeds, the whole family will prosper. They are not just chickens and dogs, but his own clansmen. It is normal for Li Ye, as an emperor, to grant them the title of royal family.

He has not forgotten those who have been kind to him in the past, such as Pei Min, who is now the general of the Longwu Guard, in charge of 30,000 imperial guards.

Gao Lishi's son Feng Quannong was appointed as the Shaoqing of the Guanglu Temple, and her husband Cheng Changyin, who is now the General Wang of the Left Guard, and the neighbors who had been kind to them in the past, were rewarded 500 strings of cash by Pei Sanniang to each family.

In the afternoon, in the old ancestral hall of Li Linfu in Pingkangfang, the old house was inherited by Li Linfu's eldest grandson Li Yu. Li Yu is currently the Huainan Surveillance Envoy and Yangzhou Governor. He is not at home, but the ancestral hall is for public use.

Li Yao, the Duke of Xinping County, summoned all the clan members to announce important matters. Li Yao is now the second clan leader.

Dozens of clansmen gathered together, and all of their names were registered in the Zongzheng Temple, but they formed a separate lineage.

Li Yao said loudly: "I summoned everyone here to convey the important order of the emperor. I know that many families have bought slaves before. Now the order to abolish slavery has begun to be implemented, so before the end of the year, you must convert all the slaves in your house into civilians. You can sign contracts and continue to employ them, but you must pay them."

There was a sudden uproar below, "We all paid for it, if you want to abolish slavery you have to compensate us!"

Li Yao said coldly, "No compensation will be given. You don't have to abolish slavery. By January next year, those who don't abolish slavery will be stripped of their titles, their houses and land will be taken back, and their family will stop paying them monthly wages. You can decide for yourself! Do you want to keep a few slaves or do you want titles, houses, and property? I believe you all know the answer."

"Chief, are you serious?"

Li Yao nodded, "I am not trying to scare you. If you refuse to abolish slavery, you are not giving face to the emperor and challenging his authority. Even a general will be dismissed. Now there is no slave in Daming Palace and Xingqing Palace. All officials are abolishing slavery. Don't be hard on your wealth."

(End of this chapter)