Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 621 Retreat and Leave the Mountain

If Xue Bai died, everything Yan Zhenqing did would be natural, as he would have assisted Xue Bai's son to succeed to the throne and maintained the stability of the country.

So in a sense, the reason for the current embarrassing situation is that Xue Bai is still alive.

Of course, Sizhou City had only been captured for two days, and Xue Bai couldn't help but question Yan Zhenqing. He couldn't even wait for two days, and didn't even confirm the news, but was eager to take Li Zuo back to Chang'an. Wasn't it selfish?

"I have no confidence in you."

Faced with such doubts, Yan Zhenqing finally spoke out his true feelings.

"The new law of land reclamation and equal distribution has harmed the interests of many powerful people, but you have forgotten how you became the emperor."

"I remember."

"When I heard the news of the Sizhou Rebellion, I thought, 'As expected'. That's when I remembered that you were not like Emperor Taizong, who conquered the territory of the Tang Dynasty inch by inch. How could you distribute land evenly at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty? You used nepotism, made friends with the rich and powerful, and flattered the flatterers to usurp the throne. Your foundation is not deep and your foothold is not stable..."

There are some things that Yan Zhenqing did not fully explain.

He knew from a long time ago that Xue Bai was trying to get close to Yang Yuyao.

At that time he looked down upon these things the most, but later Xue Bai became the top scorer in the imperial examination and did some brilliant things, which overshadowed the filth behind it.

But the dirty and despicable things that Xue Bai left behind on his way to the throne were far more than just this. Under the brocade dragon robe were piles of bones.

It seems that a slave from an official family counterattacked to become the emperor, but in fact, it was inseparable from the speculation of wealthy families such as the Jingzhao Du family, the Hongnong Yang family, the Taiyuan Wang family, the Longxi Li family, and the Fanyang Lu family.

Those seemingly loyal ministers, such as Du Youlin, Yang Yuyao, Wang Nande, Li Sheng, etc., all have relatives and friends behind them. Sometimes Xue Bai himself doesn't even know.

For example, if Du Jin's restaurants, banks, and newspapers were able to run so smoothly, was it true that the Jingzhao Du family didn't help? Yang Yuyao took up so many shares, was it true that the relatives of the Hongnong Yang family didn't get a share of the profits?
Even if Du Jin thought so, she had recruited so many people under her command, it was inevitable that there would be family acquaintances among them. Even the original cook of Fengweilou was Hu Shisan Niang, a maid of the Du family.

Xue Bai is an extremely confident person. He always thinks that his success comes from his intelligence, tenacity and hard work, but he easily overlooks the huge and silent sponsors hidden behind him.

Once he touched their interests, the ensuing resistance would be like a wave that was about to capsize a boat.

When Liu Zhan rebelled and besieged Xue Bai in Sizhou, Yan Zhenqing was faced with a situation that was on the verge of falling apart at any time.

The truth was laid out on his case through the mouth of the censor. Xue Bai pretended to be the heir to the throne, Du Jin killed countless people to cover up the matter, and there were various conspiracies, regicide, adultery, incest... Even if Xue Bai did not die on the way to the tour, these sins would be made public.

It was Yan Zhenqing who pressed them down with one hand.

He stabilized the government when the emperor's reputation was shaky, and barely saved Li Zuo's position as crown prince.

However, it was difficult for him to explain the process of this contest to Xue Bai.

The hidden threats in so many people's words and so many unspeakable things about Xue Bai had already made him very tired.

"When the time came to reform, I realized that neither you nor I were qualified to carry out reform. Therefore, I lost confidence in you," Yan Zhenqing concluded.

Xue Bai did not back down and said, "My father-in-law, what you said is too absurd. You said that only the founding emperor is qualified to reform the law. But the accumulated problems in the world are in the middle and late stages of the dynasty. Those foolish and weak emperors dared to seek reform. What can't we do?"

"No matter how foolish and weak he was, he was at least a legitimate emperor." Yan Zhenqing said with emotion.

Xue Bai then understood and said, "Is my father-in-law still worried about my background?"

Regarding this matter, Xue Bai knew that it was Yan Zhenqing who arranged for Li Ying's guard Guo Suo to prove his identity at Lantian Posthouse, but he never said it; Yan Zhenqing also never exposed Xue Bai.

But both of them more or less guessed that the other already knew it, but they just tacitly avoided talking about it.

Because once it was revealed, Yan Zhenqing might no longer stay in the court to assist Xue Bai.

"good."

This time, Yan Zhenqing did not deny it again.

He was in pain over the truth, but unfortunately there was no way to avoid it anymore.

"After all, you are not the heir to the throne. The people of the world may not pursue this matter, but since the reform affects the interests of all parties, they will definitely expose this matter and stir up chaos."

"So?" Xue Bai asked, "Did my father-in-law decide to kill me because of this?"

Yan Zhenqing was silent for a long time, and then said, "I guessed that they would assassinate you, but I didn't stop them."

This answer made Xue Bai a little disappointed.

He waved his hand and said, "It's okay."

After that, his tone became firm.

"My dear father-in-law, after going through all this, I realized that I was indeed wrong. Climbing, compromising, exchanging interests, these means can help me become an emperor, but I can only be a mediocre emperor. I want to go higher and break the weakness of the past."

"I want to be a wise and capable ruler who is not bound by constraints and is not afraid of difficulties. I can no longer allow them to use my weakness to threaten me. If I give in this time, I will not achieve anything in my life."

"Therefore, I will continue to fight against this inherent class, inherent prejudice, and this false supremacy and comfort."

"If they believe that my background is evidence of my guilt, and that I have struggled to get out of the mud of low status by any means necessary, I will admit my guilt."

"I pretend to be Li Qian because I care about the Tang Dynasty and I want to lead it further. But if Li Qian can only bow her head, compromise, and be harmonious, if Li Qian is destined to be unable to do this, then I will not be Li Qian. At most, I can change the name of the country or the surname of the country, because what I really care about are the people of this land from generation to generation."

"They can threaten Li Qian, but they can't threaten me."

"Because I am Xue Bai."

"Xue Bai is not the heir to the throne, nor is he a prince or a nobleman. He does not have a family background or a significant status...Xue Bai is me."

Whether it was out of his love for the word "Tang" or because of laziness and weakness, Xue Bai chose to usurp power by despicable means. He once realized that this shortcut would not take him far, and later he compromised and became weak.

It wasn't until he took another step toward the end of the shortcut that he found himself trapped.

Li Qian is not a flying dragon, but a Chiwen carved on the roof. Xue Bai is just a fish, but he has the potential to turn into a dragon.

It doesn’t matter if he can’t turn into a dragon, he would rather choose to leap over the dragon gate.

Yan Zhenqing's face turned a little paler, and he sighed, "Why bother? Have you ever thought about the consequences?"

"I have seen many people who have spent their entire lives chasing power, only to end up lost in it and become slaves to power." Xue Bai said, "I warned myself a long time ago not to do that. If I accept any threats, temptations, or fear challenges because I am afraid of losing power, then power will control me, not me controlling power."

Yan Zhenqing might understand Xue Bai's words, but he did not agree with them.

What he cared more about was the long-term stability of the Tang Dynasty rather than Xue Bai's mental growth.

So he shook his head and said, "Don't do that."

Xue Bai knew that this was an unacceptable result for Yan Zhenqing, so he slowed down his tone and said, "I will implement the new law without any threats. If no one uses my identity as a handle to oppose me, I can ignore the names of individuals."

This is the face of a politician. He can easily express his feelings and then turn around to compromise and exchange with Yan Zhenqing.

Having been immersed in power for many years, Xue Bai is an out-and-out villain.

"Father-in-law, stand firm and continue to help me implement the new law. Believe me, this will benefit our country in the long run..."

Before he could finish, Yan Zhenqing shook his head and said, "I regret not killing you on your way back to Beijing."

Xue Bai sighed when he heard this, knowing that it was impossible for him to convince Yan Zhenqing.

"If you want to change the name of the country, then kill me as a sacrifice." Yan Zhenqing said, "This will help me. Killing me will preserve the Yan family's reputation, and it will not be in vain for us to be master and apprentice, and father-in-law and son-in-law."

"Why so?"

Yan Zhenqing unconsciously straightened his back, which was slightly bent due to fatigue, and regained his former majestic and proud aura.

"No matter how the world slanders me, I know in my heart that I assist you not for personal gain, but for the sake of the Tang Dynasty. If I lose this original intention, I will no longer be myself."

Xue Bai had nothing to say.

He wanted to be himself, but he couldn't force Yan Zhenqing to change beyond recognition for this.

"Then resign."

Xue Bai thought for a long time and said, "I will issue an edict to dismiss my father-in-law from all his official positions."

Things have developed to this point. If he wants to continue with the new law, he must let the world see his determination.

But if he only killed others but spared his teacher and father-in-law who opposed him, he would certainly not be able to convince the people.

In the eyes of the world, Yan Zhenqing had participated in treason, or at least had neglected supervision, so he must be punished.

At the same time, this also fulfills Yan Zhenqing's wish.

"Just take care of yourself."

Yan Zhenqing felt slightly relieved, but more worried. He pursed his lips and wanted to say something, but in the end, he only uttered a few words, turned around and left the hall.

Xue Bai stood there alone, watching his figure getting farther and farther away, feeling deeply lonely.

In fact, he often feels that he has failed recently, which is why he is increasingly misunderstood and lonely.

The longer you are in the power field, the more tricks you see, and the more difficult it becomes to judge whether each of your choices is right or wrong.

This feeling is like walking in the fog and becoming more and more scared. When you want to turn back, you find that the road you came from has collapsed into a bottomless abyss. You can only bite the bullet and keep moving forward.

~~
Yan Zhenqing walked out of the palace and looked back. The Mingtang was still towering.

For a short period of time, he felt relieved that he was no longer an official.

But when he saw the Tang Dynasty flag fluttering in the distance, his eyes gradually became deep again.

The next day, when he woke up, he habitually reached out to take the documents beside the couch, only to then he suddenly remembered that he was no longer the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.

I couldn't help feeling a little empty inside, so I sat there in a daze for a while.

After a long time, there was a knock on the door, and it was Yan Quanming who came.

"Uncle, the Saint has issued an edict to dismiss you from your official position."

"That's good." Yan Zhenqing said, "Today I have a clear conscience."

He finally proved to the world that he assisted Xue Bai not out of lust for power or selfishness, but when he thought of Gao Lishi's instructions that day, he asked himself whether he was really worthy of the country.

"My nephew has also resigned from his post." Yan Quanming said, "Although my nephew is reluctant, I don't want people to think that the Yan family is just pretending."

"Why bother about what others think?" Yan Zhenqing sighed.

He also knows the truth, but sometimes he may not be able to put his knowledge into practice.

After thinking about it, Yan Zhenqing suddenly asked, "Have you convinced Li Mi?"

As early as Xue Bai proposed the reform, Yan Zhenqing mentioned that he wanted to invite Li Mi to come out of retirement, and stated that he would be responsible for this matter. Unexpectedly, he took the trouble to find Li Mi and wrote several letters in succession, but he still failed to convince him to come out of retirement.

This time too, Yan Quanming shook his head and said, "He didn't write back to my uncle."

"Prepare the horses. I will go to Jiugong Mountain myself."

"Uncle, the journey is long, and right now..."

"Now that I have resigned from my official position, it is rare for me to go and invite him in person." Yan Zhenqing raised his hand to stop Yan Quanming's persuasion, "Let's go as soon as possible."

For him, what he is most concerned about now is Li Zuo who is still on his way back.

Of course, he wanted to stay and see with his own eyes whether Li Zuo's position as crown prince could still be secured, but after thinking it over, he decided that there had to be someone more capable than him in the court.

Within two days, Yan Zhenqing set off quietly.

It was almost New Year's Day, and Luoyang was still snowing, and the dawns were very late. When he set out, it was still hazy, and the officials who had come to see him outside Yan's house were still waiting.

Those people came to ask for a meeting, hoping that Yan Zhenqing could persuade the emperor to revoke his order and stop the reform.

We left the city and headed south, celebrating the New Year on the road.

By the time of the Lantern Festival, Yan Zhenqing had reached the Yangtze River and rested for one night in Jiangcheng.

After several years of governance, the people of Jiangcheng are now living in a stable situation, and the festivals are very lively.

He inquired and found out that the person in charge of the reform in Shannan East Road was Liu Yan, who had achieved considerable results and was governing the area in a peaceful and prosperous manner.

However, if you ask in teahouses and taverns, you can also hear a lot of news from the north. It is said that there are constant riots in various places due to opposition to the court's new laws.

Meanwhile, controversy in the court regarding the emperor's origins has resurfaced and is showing signs of being out of control.

Public opinion is at large, and there may be a major chaos brewing.

After the festival, Yan Zhenqing continued to head south, crossed the Yangtze River and headed straight for Jiugong Mountain.

He climbed the mountain himself and spent three days passing through the deep mountains and forests before he finally found the Ruiqing Palace on the top of the mountain.

This is the sixth year of Zhengxing, the Year of the Snake.

There was no snow south of the Yangtze River, but the spring was still chilly and it felt colder than north of the river. Li Mi sat on the huge rock on the top of the mountain to bask in the morning sun as usual.

If someone else had come, Li Mi would not have met him, but it was a different matter for Yan Zhenqing.

"Mr. Yan is here. It seems that Xue Bai can no longer hold back."

"Changyuan is well-informed and has guessed it."

Li Mi pointed to the old forest at the foot of the mountain and said, "It seems like this place is well-informed."

Then he guessed it.

Yan Zhenqing couldn't help but sigh: "You really understand him."

"When Prince Zhong died, I knew that he was not someone who would willingly accept control and would overthrow the Li family sooner or later, so I resolutely resigned from office and retired."

"Did Changyuan know his background at that time?"

"I don't know." Li Mi said, "What's important is where his heart is. If he recognizes himself as Xue Bai in his heart, then he is Xue Bai, and vice versa."

Yan Zhenqing agreed with him and told him about what had happened in recent years, saying, "I came here to ask you to come out of retirement and maintain the Li Tang regime."

Li Mi's eyes showed sadness, and he said, "Even Lord Yan couldn't stop it, how can I do it?"

"You are better than me."

"I have long been an outcast. Besides, he won't trust me."

Yan Zhenqing said: "I came to persuade you to come out of seclusion, not to ask you to persuade Xue Bai."

"Oh?"

"I want you to appease those noble families and officials who are against him."

Li Mi was surprised.

He was able to guess how the situation would develop, which was a great feat of foresight, but he could not have guessed that Yan Zhenqing would have such thoughts.

"Does Lord Yan think that nobles are easier to convince than Xue Bai?"

Yan Zhenqing nodded and said, "He is very determined."

Li Mi said: "No matter how determined you are, how can you fight against the nobles and officials by yourself? To be honest with Mr. Yan, if I sit back and do nothing, I will just be waiting to see Xue Bai destroy himself."

Yan Zhenqing was silent for a long time, and then said something he had never said in front of Xue Bai.

"Because of his background, I didn't have enough confidence in him. But before the new law was promulgated, I talked with him day and night, and I felt deeply. He was not fighting against the nobles and ministers on his own. The new law stood on the side of the common people and slaves."

Li Mi shook his head and said, "The new law is doomed to fail. The equal-field system and the rent-labor system complement each other. It is precisely because of the amount of land that we need to reform the land tax. But the new law collects taxes based on the amount of land, and on the other hand, it checks the land and households in the country, trying to equalize the land to ease land annexation. Isn't this contradictory?"

Yan Zhenqing nodded.

Li Mi said: "The reason for the contradiction is that he was not resolute from the beginning. He knew that changing the tax law alone would not solve the annexation, and he also knew that equal distribution of land would not succeed. Therefore, his review only sought to slightly ease the annexation. The reason why the nobles and ministers were dissatisfied was not because of Xue Bai's background, but because they saw through his weakness."

This was a very insightful remark. Yan Zhenqing did not refute it. Instead, he took out a thick file from the package behind him and handed it to Li Mi.

"We, the court officials, are the weak ones. We have been trying to persuade him not to make drastic changes, but this is the reform he really wants to implement."

Li Mi raised his hand, but soon hesitated again.

He was worried that if he took over the file, his peaceful days would be over.

"Let's take a look." Yan Zhenqing said.

So Li Mi took it, spread it out on his knees, and read it word by word.

He raised his eyebrows involuntarily.

Because the first paragraph in the file said that all the land in the world would be taken over by the public...

The two did not speak for a long time. Sometimes the sounds of insects and birds could be heard in the mountains, and sometimes the wind rustled the trees.

The clouds rolled and the sunlight fell on the rocks. The shadows of the two people gradually became shorter, and then longer, until it was almost dusk and the tired birds returned to the forest.

"This is Wang Mang."

Li Mi finally closed the document in his hand and let out a long sigh.

Yan Zhenqing, who had closed his eyes to rest, opened them and said slowly: "I said the same thing at the beginning, so I strongly opposed it. But recently, I found that the times have changed."

Li Mi was a little puzzled and asked, "What's the difference?"

So Yan Zhenqing explained it to him in some awkward words.

At first, when Li Mi heard words like "productivity will develop rapidly, and more suitable production relations are needed", he looked surprised, then frowned and thought.

He was a very smart man and quickly understood the meaning and fell into deeper thought.

"Sometimes I really don't understand how he could come up with these things... things that are so beyond the reach of the world."

In the end, although Li Mi did not agree with the changes Xue Bai wanted, he still expressed his admiration.

Yan Zhenqing said: "This is what he really wants to do, and he intends to do it in his lifetime."

"madman."

Li Mi made a comment, but his expression was a little unusual.

People always pay more attention to crazy people and look down on weak and compromising people.

"It is precisely because he is a madman and has such lofty ambitions," Yan Zhenqing said, "that I am worried that he will not give in again."

Li Mi nodded, knowing that if Xue Bai refused to surrender and completely broke with the aristocratic nobles, the consequence would be that the Li Tang country would suffer another catastrophe. It was possible that the Tang Dynasty would have to change its name again, or that Xue Bai would die in disgrace like Wang Mang. But even if Wang Mang failed, he would divide the Han Dynasty into the Western Han and Eastern Han under the Daxin Dynasty.

These were not what he wanted to see.

"Lord Yan, you didn't stop a madman, but instead came to persuade me to come forward and make the nobles compromise."

Yan Zhenqing said: "I have persuaded that madman to compromise, otherwise he would not have come up with the new law you described as 'contradictory', but this. The nobles and nobles don't know that the current gradual changes are the result of our painstaking efforts to maintain them."

Li Mi shook his head and said, "I can't convince anyone to give up their interests."

"You are the only one who can make Xue Bai and the nobles sit down and talk again, no matter who compromises." Yan Zhenqing said, "But I can't do it. I am his teacher and father-in-law, and they don't trust me."

Li Mi turned his head and looked at the sky, earth and mountains covered with golden light by the setting sun. He seemed to be reluctant to leave.

"It's getting dark, it's time to go back." Yan Zhenqing said.

"Mr. Yan, are you coming to me this time for your son-in-law, grandson, or for the Tang Dynasty?"

Yan Zhenqing sighed deeply, revealed his thoughts, and also handed over the heaviest burden on Li Mi's shoulders.

"When Emperor Xuanzong was still alive, Gao Lishi met with me privately..."

~~
A month later.

In the Li family mansion in Zhengzhou, Li Chengyu was buried in his papers, writing a letter to Luoyang.

At this moment, someone came to report from outside.

"Ah Lang, there is a Taoist priest who wants to see you. He calls himself Li Mi."

"No, what Taoist priest do you see at this time... Wait, who are you talking about?"

Li Chengyu immediately stood up, dropped the brush in his hand and went out to meet him.

After a while, he welcomed Li Mi to the lobby.

"Clouds follow dragons, winds follow tigers. Changyuan finally came out after hearing about the chaos in the imperial court."

Li Mi did not lie to Li Chengyu and nodded frankly to admit it.

"It is not a good idea for Lord Li to continue making such a fuss. If you trust me, you can recommend me to be the prime minister. Then I will persuade Your Majesty to withdraw his decision."

(End of this chapter)