Although Li Zhi's visits to the people had an element of showmanship, he still received a small lesson when he truly witnessed the lives of ordinary people under the guidance of the village head.

He couldn't understand how someone could be so poor that they didn't even have a decent pair of pants.

The three children, who were only a little over ten years old, were always naked, and even the woman only had one dress covered in patches.

The house they lived in was even worse. It only had three walls, two of which were made of planks and branches. As for the south-facing side, there was nothing there at all, just a makeshift roof made of branches to keep out the wind and rain.

Li Zhi went in with the intention of putting on a show, then left behind two bags of grain and a few sets of new clothes, and left with a heavy heart.

After leaving the house, he asked Liu Rengui, who was standing next to him, in a depressed mood.

"Lord Liu, how can there be such poor people in Chang'an?"

"Your Highness, they are not from Chang'an!"

"oh?"

"This family looks like they fled from other places. Although they are poor, they have a husband, wife and children, so they can be considered happy."

Li Zhi was devastated when he heard this.

"Is this considered happiness?"

Liu Rengui smiled helplessly upon hearing this.

"Your Highness, have you never seen how people survive during years of famine?"

Li Zhi shook his head upon hearing this.

"I've lived in the palace since I was born. The farthest I've ever been is to Zhaoling Mausoleum in Jiuzong Mountain to pay respects to my mother. I've never been anywhere else..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rengui's face showed a painful recollection.

"Your humble servant has met you!"

"During a great famine, people resorted to cannibalism. This is not just cold writing in history books, but a bloody reality!"

"Your humble servant has personally witnessed starving disaster victims steaming and boiling human flesh, and there are also people who sell human flesh..."

"ah?"

Li Zhi was shocked to hear this, and even felt a little disgusted.

"Do they really eat people?"

Liu Rengui nodded painfully.

"yes!"

"Eating people doesn't guarantee survival, but not eating them guarantees death!"

"But all that is in the past. With the arrival of the Zhenguan era, the common people finally enjoyed a few good years!"

"All of this is thanks to Your Majesty, and all the people under heaven are grateful for Your Majesty's kindness!"

Li Zhi felt a little better after hearing this.

“I also greatly admire my father, but I know that I am not capable enough, and I am afraid that I will not be able to achieve even half of his accomplishments in my entire life.”

Liu Rengui smiled slightly upon hearing this, realizing that he was starting to like the crown prince.

Although this crown prince is inept at administrative affairs and even a bit petty, he is definitely a good child. With proper education, he will surely become a wise and benevolent ruler in the future.

"Your Highness, there is no need to belittle yourself. His Majesty has his own way, and you have yours. You don't need to compare yourself to His Majesty, nor can you compare yourself to him. After all, you did not experience the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, nor did you personally conquer the country. As long as you safeguard the country, continue His Majesty's reign of Zhenguan, and allow the people of the world to continue to live a good life, you will already surpass all previous emperors!"

Li Zhi listened very attentively, then nodded in confusion.

Is this okay?

Liu Rengui smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

"Does Your Highness think it's that simple?"

"Your Highness has heard the stories of Emperor Wen of Sui and Emperor Yang of Sui, haven't you?"

"Emperor Wen of Sui left behind a very substantial fortune, but Yang Guang squandered it all, causing the Sui Dynasty to perish after only two generations."

"Being a ruler who maintains the status quo is not easy; sometimes it's even harder than conquering the world!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi asked again with a puzzled expression.

Is it really that difficult?

"I often hear people say that conquering the world is easy, but maintaining it is difficult, but I've never known where the difficulty lies..."

What makes it difficult?

Liu Rengui thought about it seriously and said.

"Actually, there are many difficulties!"

"First, you need to solve the problems left by the previous emperor."

"For example, the problem during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui was that there were too many nobles in the court and the Guanzhong aristocratic families were too powerful, so powerful that they could even influence the government."

"Secondly, although the Sui Dynasty unified the country, the people of the southern country did not have a strong sense of belonging to the Sui Dynasty and did not recognize themselves as subjects of the Sui Dynasty."

"Finally, the powerful families in Shandong and Hebei had no sense of belonging to the Sui Dynasty and even looked down on Sui officials and the royal family."

"However, after Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he did not address these problems. Instead, he indulged in endless wars, wasting resources and manpower, ultimately dragging the Sui Dynasty into an abyss!"

This was the first time Li Zhi had heard someone analyze the Sui Dynasty in this way, so he listened very attentively. Only after Liu Rengui finished speaking did he ask a question out of curiosity.

"Mr. Liu, was there also a problem with my father's reign of Zhenguan?"

Liu Rengui fell silent upon hearing this, not because he couldn't speak, but because he didn't know how to say it.

After all, the current emperor is still alive and well. If my words reach His Majesty's ears, will it cause His Majesty's displeasure?

"Does Your Highness think there are any problems with His Majesty's governance?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi shook his head. In his eyes, his father was perfect. He was good at fighting, knew how to govern the country, and treated his mother and children well. He was simply a model man for all.

"Mr. Liu, I really can't figure it out. Please enlighten me..."

Liu Rengui gave a bitter smile upon hearing this.

"Your Highness is putting me in a difficult position..."

"In fact, His Majesty's Zhenguan decrees were generally quite good and implemented very well, but some problems still urgently need to be addressed."

"For example, Your Majesty's construction of palaces wastes resources and exhausts the people."

"Secondly, Your Majesty has been waging war frequently, attacking the Turks in the north, the Tuyuhun in the west, and destroying the Gaochang Kingdom, and now you are about to launch a campaign against Goguryeo."

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