201 Chapter 201
◎Idea.◎
Li Shimin said: "This method is feasible, let me think about it carefully..."
"Don't even think about it," Li Chengqian said. "Just ask them directly for it. If they don't give it to you, investigate their families. Aren't these big families always proud of their large populations and the fact that they all hold official positions? This is convenient. If you investigate one person for refusing to hand over the grain, investigate ten. If they still don't give, kill them. If killing ten isn't enough, kill twenty."
"Also, when they deliver the grain, we must thoroughly investigate whether they are oppressing the people or violating the law. If we catch any of them, we must punish them severely and make their crimes known to the world. After all, there are many of them. If we kill eight or ten of them, there will still be people who can serve in the government. If they passively resist and refuse to serve, then what's the point of keeping them around? Just keep killing them."
"Don't worry, they must have been scared in advance. They'd rather live a miserable life than die. They're used to luxury and wealth, so they'll cherish their lives. So you won't be short of people to work."
Li Shimin: “…”
Who taught me this? Why does my Cheng Qian keep saying "kill"?
Li Shimin rubbed his brow and said, "Cheng Qian, Father does not... does not intend to be a tyrant."
"Then you are a tyrant if you can't save the people affected by the disaster. Between a tyrant and a tyrant, which one do you choose?" Li Chengqian stretched out his two hands in front of him.
Li Shimin sighed and said, "Can't I just be a wise and holy ruler?"
Li Chengqian withdrew his hand, propped up his chin and asked in return, "Rescuing the people from disasters and allowing them to survive as much as possible, isn't that what a wise ruler does?"
Li Shimin was suddenly stunned. He put his hands down on the table and slowly looked at Li Chengqian.
He put the cart before the horse.
After a while, Li Shimin ordered the Zhongshu, Menxia and other officials to come and discuss matters. As for Li Chengqian, he asked him to go back.
Li Shimin warned: "Cheng Qian, don't let anyone know that you were involved in this matter. Aye is not trying to erase your..."
"I know, Father, you're going to be scolded severely." Li Chengqian smiled. "Your Fangmou Duduan, your uncle, which one of them is not from an aristocratic family?"
Li Shimin also smiled and said, "They know what to choose."
Li Chengqian tilted his head and said, "Then I want to stay."
Li Shimin frowned and said, "Cheng Qian, you haven't even been crowned yet, and haven't participated in politics yet..."
"I came up with this idea, so I need to see their expressions." Li Chengqian said with a smile, "As for offending the civil and military aristocratic families in the court, I don't like them anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Li Shimin said: "Cheng Qian, it's not as simple as you think. It's easy to dodge an open spear, but it's hard to guard against an arrow from the dark. I'm afraid they..."
"Wouldn't it be better if they wanted to deal with me?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.
Li Shimin slammed the table and said angrily, "Some time ago, I asked you to follow me and learn, but you refused. Now I ask you to leave, but you insist on going. You really... you really make me so angry!"
Li Chengqian patted him on the back and consoled him, "Look, it's always been like this. King Zhou was a bad king, and the Shang Dynasty was destroyed, but everyone insisted on saying that beautiful women were the cause of the disaster, and put the blame on Su Daji."
"The sage is good, but the prince is too bad. He has bewitched the sage." Li Chengqian smacked his lips, thinking that this script was simply perfect. "Your Fangmou Duduan and your uncle will still love you. Don't be afraid."
Li Shimin: “…”
"You..." Li Shimin sighed, "Cheng Qian, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm not afraid of this matter."
Li Chengqian quickly shook his head: "That's not the case. I'm not trying to take the blame for you. I just don't want your whole court to like me."
Li Shimin looked at his sincere expression and couldn't help asking, "Why?"
Li Chengqian said, "What can I do if they don't like me?"
"It's easy to dodge an open attack, but it's hard to guard against an arrow from the dark." Li Shimin said, "Cheng Qian, I told you, they will slander you, frame you, and even assassinate you."
"I also said that it's good for them to deal with me." Li Chengqian said firmly, "I must stay."
"I am the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty."
…
The sage summoned them suddenly, and the court officials thought something unexpected had happened and were confused, but they didn't expect to see the crown prince as soon as they entered the hall.
Speaking of which, since his official enthronement, the Crown Prince has seldom made public appearances. Although there are many officials in the Eastern Palace, they have only met with the Crown Prince a few times for routine matters and have not had much communication.
The only court officials who frequently interacted with the prince were his two teachers, one civil and one military. However, one of them was old and the other was ill, and neither of them seldom met outsiders, making it impossible to find out about the prince's current situation.
At first sight, the court officials could not help but compare him with the time during the Chinese New Year or even earlier. At least from the outside, the prince looked older, his complexion looked better, and he looked healthier than before.
For the imperial court, it was a good thing that the crown prince had grown up and was no longer at risk of premature death. However, the court officials, unsure of whether the crown prince's temper had changed, remained somewhat uncertain. Lu Yuanlang was a learned scholar, and it had been over a year. He should have taught the crown prince to be magnanimous and humble, and to behave like a crown prince, right?
However, as soon as the sage opened his mouth, the court officials immediately lost hope.
Let’s put aside whether the prince is magnanimous or not, and whether he behaves like a crown prince. It doesn’t matter. Can’t he just use his brains?
What a dirty trick!
Asking them to donate food for disaster relief? And asking all the aristocratic families to donate? This... is this an idea a human could come up with? He's really not afraid of getting into trouble!
The sage also readily accepted it, and the sage's brain also...
This is not something you can think about.
First, someone reported that the wealthy and powerful families had a few more acres of land than ordinary people, but each family also had many people, and they also had to eat and survive!
However, the saint immediately said that he knew everyone was having a hard time, and he did not want them to donate all the food in their homes, but only a small amount of their stored food. A little bit would add up to a lot, and everyone could work together to overcome this drought.
In addition, the sage also said that starting from him, the clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, and meals of the concubines, princes and princesses in the palace would be reduced by half from that day onwards until it rained in Shandong Province and the people no longer went hungry.
After these words were spoken, there was an endless stream of people praising the sage in agreement with him. The matter was settled, and Wei Zheng was given full responsibility for supervising grain supply and disaster relief.
After all the ministers left, Li Shimin kept Wei Zheng alone and told him a more detailed plan, but of course it was not as straightforward as what Li Chengqian said.
Wei Zheng was not afraid of offending people, but this idea was really bold. He not only admired it, but also looked at it with admiration.
The saint is pointing the knife at the aristocratic families and forcing them to obey. Is he really not afraid that they will unite and fight back?
Li Chengqian had indeed not considered this, but it didn't matter, the Khan of Heaven had considered it. Alliance? Even if these aristocratic families were to marry again, they were not a solid block after all. At the critical moment, the interests of their own family were still the most important.
What's more, among the aristocratic families, there are big clans and small clans. The emperor is in charge of the whole world. If he wants to use someone else's strength to defeat someone else, wouldn't it be easy for him to do so?
After listening to the holy teachings, when Wei Zheng was about to leave, he glanced at the prince who had not spoken a word from beginning to end. The prince was holding his chin in a daze, as if he was not listening at all.
So, the sage kept the prince alive to show that the idea came from the prince? What benefits would this bring to the prince?
Wei Zheng never thought that he was not smart enough, but at this moment he was really confused and couldn't understand what the father and son of the royal family were up to.
"Wei Zuocheng?" Li Chengqian tilted his head and met Wei Zheng's gaze. "What's wrong with me?"
Li Shimin also looked over and said, "Xuancheng, is there anything you don't understand?"
Wei Zheng looked away and said calmly, "There is something I don't understand, and I would like to ask Your Highness."
Li Chengqian wanted to stand up to listen to him, but when he moved, he cried out: "Ouch... I've been holding this position for too long, my legs are numb."
"Sorry, Wei Zuocheng, I can only sit and listen to you." Li Chengqian looked up at Wei Zheng, his face full of embarrassment.
Wei Zheng: “…”
As the saying goes, hearing about the prince is believing. The prince seems to be different from the rumors. He is a little too lively and childish.
Li Shimin coughed lightly and said, "Xuancheng, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Wei Zheng asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, since this matter was raised by Your Highness, was I also recommended by Your Highness?"
"That's not it." Li Chengqian laughed, "Wei Zuocheng, it's my father who has taken a fancy to you!"
Wei Zheng bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I have nothing to do now. Please allow me to speak..."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Li Chengqian interrupted him, "Excuse me, Wei Zuocheng, I have something else to say to you. Please don't leave yet."
Wei Zheng paused and said, "Your Highness, please speak."
Li Chengqian said, "Wei Zuocheng, you can do whatever you want without worry. With my father-in-law as your backer, no one in the entire Tang Dynasty can match you. If anyone dares to disobey me, my father-in-law will have General Yuchi chop him down!"
Wei Zheng: “…”
Li Shimin: “…”
"Crown Prince..." Li Shimin said, "Crown Prince is wholeheartedly for the people and may have spoken without thinking. Xuancheng, I assure you understand my meaning."
Wei Zheng said vaguely, "I understand."
The prince spoke so... bluntly that Wei Zheng was a little confused. He had read so many books, but all of a sudden they were of no use to him.
Li Chengqian shrugged: "Did I say anything wrong?"
Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said, "I will not let Jingde kill anyone casually."
"But General Yuchi loves you, so if you ask him to go, he will definitely go." Li Chengqian said.
Li Shimin: “…”Is this the point?
Wei Zheng came to his senses and immediately said, "Sage, I will take my leave!"
Li Shimin waved his hand tiredly: "Go."
Wei Zheng wanted to run, but due to the rules, he could only walk slowly. However, before he left the hall, he heard the voice of the saint behind him.
"Are your legs still numb? Aye, rub them for you."
The prince said those words, and you still rubbed his legs. Saint, it seems that you have spoiled the prince because of his reckless words.
"No need! I'm almost healed!" The prince sounded very excited, "If you touch me, it will be bad!"
Confirmed, Wei Zheng thought to himself, the prince was just a saint.
Should he give some advice? The sage is the king and father, and the prince must observe the etiquette of a son and a subject, and cannot speak to the sage like that.
Forget it. The people in the disaster area are more important now. Wei Zheng has stepped over the threshold. When he comes back and sees the relationship between the sage and the prince act so abnormally again, he will make suggestions.
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