Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 348: What a Friendly Brotherhood

"Those who donated a large amount could be granted honorary titles such as the Three Dukes and the Three Masters, while those who donated less could be granted civil or military positions such as the Grand Master of the Imperial Court and the Three Officials and the General of the Cavalry.

“Chang’an is home to wealthy merchants from all over the country. They have money and channels to get food, but because of their low status, they cannot play a greater role.

"If we can sell...grant them these honorary positions, I'm sure they will support our dynasty with all their might."

Li Zhi speaks eloquently.

Li Chengqian did not comment, but just indicated with his expression:
Go on, I'm listening.

"As for some powerful positions at the local level, they can also be sold. The inspectors, governors, county magistrates, county lieutenants... are sold at different prices according to the state's upper, middle and lower levels.

“The places like Lingnan and Minyue have always been ambivalent about the imperial court, so it would be better to sell the local official positions first and get some money back.

"Once our army wins the battle and consolidates the throne, we can take back the power. If we lose, then we don't need to worry about the consequences of this action."

Li Zhi spoke incessantly and eloquently. In his words, I would get the benefits of selling official positions and Li Ming would take the blame. This was simply a good policy with only benefits and no harm.

In response to Li Zhi's bold proposal, Li Chengqian asked gently:

"My dear brother, what do you think should be my posthumous title?"

Li Zhi: ???
"Why did your majesty say such an ominous thing?"

Li Chengqian's face slowly fell:
"I think 'spiritual' is more appropriate, what do you think?"

Li Zhi's eyelids began to twitch.

The emperor was mocking him for following the same path as Emperor Ling of Han.

Emperor Ling of Han sold official positions and titles on a large scale, which led to his loss of control over his bureaucrats and the destruction of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Emperor Ling of Tang... No, if Emperor Yongqing sold official positions and titles, wouldn't that also be...

"But if we don't find ways to expand our financial resources, not to mention laying the seeds of disaster, the Tang Dynasty will be destroyed on the spot."

Li Zhi's attitude towards His Majesty's questioning was unusually tough.

This forced Li Chengqian to think carefully about it.

Selling official positions and titles is undoubtedly an evil way, and there is no need to say more about the harm it does to the country and the people.

But if we can raise one more penny, the chances of winning the war and the survival of the Tang Dynasty will increase...

Li Chengqian's expression kept changing, and finally stopped at "determination".

He made up his mind.

As long as it can solve the urgent problem, it doesn’t matter what the evil way is!
As for whether it would ruin the future of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengqian couldn't care less now.

His mission is to ensure that the Tang Dynasty has a future, and he will deal with the future later.

Believe in the wisdom of future generations!

"Well... Your suggestion is unique. It's not impossible to explore it."

He pondered for a moment, then gave himself a disclaimer:
"This is the situation. It's not a big deal. You can discuss the situation with the ministers. As for how to make a decision, it depends on the situation.

"But no matter what, the military supplies at the front must be met."

The gist is, what is selling official positions and titles? I don't know. I just ordered my subjects to find ways to make money. I didn't personally order the sale of official positions. It was all done by treacherous officials behind my back!
This is like the boss setting a super high KPI, and then announcing that employees must leave work on time every day and that it is all "voluntary" overtime for employees to work.

They force those below them to take the evil path, while at the same time they can cleanse themselves and act like a white lotus.

During the half year that Li Chengqian was emperor, he learned some cunning skills in controlling people.

As for his brother, the emperor, who had cleared himself of all charges, Li Zhi just sighed helplessly and happily accepted the order:
"Your Majesty, take the order."

This not only concerns the survival of the Tang Dynasty, but also his own status as crown prince.

So he took the blame, as the saying goes, "He who bears the disgrace of the country is the lord of the country."

Historians are all result-oriented. As long as he can win the comeback, even if he uses crooked means, he can at least get the reputation of "the leader of the revival".

As for selling official positions and titles, it is nothing more than an insignificant black history.

If you lose the fight, you can't even save your own life, so why bother about your reputation after death?

"I will discuss this matter with Assistant Minister Liu Li and draft a plan which will be handed over to the Secretariat for execution," said Li Zhi.

The Secretariat was the agency responsible for executing government orders.

In other words, Li Zhi wanted to directly skip the "drafting" and "deliberation" processes of the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel.

This was also to avoid involving the emperor in the procedure and to absolve the master of responsibility, because the Zhongshu and Menxia ministries were different from the Shangshu province, and their operations were closely centered around the emperor himself.

"Well, very good." Li Chengqian was very satisfied with his brother's thoughtful behavior.

The national policy of selling official positions and titles was decided so happily.

The food rations for the Tang Dynasty’s frontline soldiers were finally secured.

The stone in Li Chengqian's heart fell, and he let out a long breath.

As soon as he relaxed, he thought of other things.

"By the way, Chang'an City seems to be much emptier recently. Even Suzaku Street is deserted, with only beggars. Do you have any clues?"

There was no tragedy of large-scale starvation, but Chang'an almost became a deserted city.

So where did the millions of Chang'an citizens go?
We can't all just stay at home, right?
Li Zhi answered without hesitation:
“Because the burden of the war was mainly concentrated in the Guanzhong region, other areas were not greatly affected.

"So, a large number of people from Guanzhong fled to other places, including many from Chang'an."

This logic is not difficult to understand. If a tree is moved, it will die, and if a person is moved, it will live. Food cannot enter the capital, but people can leave the capital.

In the past, it was the stinky outsiders who came to Beijing to beg for food, but now it is the stinky Beijingers who go to other places to beg for food, which is the opposite of what happened in Tiangang.

This also reflects the wonders of this war——

The burden is extremely uneven across regions.

Given the real national potential of the Tang Dynasty, it is not really impossible to provide food and necessities for tens of thousands of people on the front line.

Because the South was disobedient and production in the Central Plains was disrupted by the war, the burden of military expenditure has actually always been borne by Guanzhong alone.

Although Guanzhong is a land of abundance, because the capital is located here, population explosion and land annexation have resulted in the local grain production not being enough for daily consumption.

Now with the burden of war added to the mix, it is only natural that the economy will collapse instantly.

Ultimately, it is due to the country's insufficient mobilization capabilities.

"How could the capital, the best place in the world, fall into such a state? This is all because of my hands..."

Li Chengqian was heartbroken and looked pale.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, the household registration system was strict and farmers could not migrate at will.

But given the current situation, I can only say that it’s good enough. I’ll laugh at your suggestion.

"Your Majesty, don't blame yourself too much." Li Zhi comforted him:

"During the early years of the Zhenguan reign, there was also a famine in Guanzhong. His Majesty the Emperor issued an edict to allow the people of the capital to leave the city to escape the famine, which was passed down as a good story."

It can be considered a typical funeral celebration.

Li Chengqian glanced at the crown prince who was comforting him and repeated expressionlessly:

"The world should be in my hands, but..."

His expression gradually darkened, and he changed the subject:
"The current situation in Chang'an is only separated by a palace wall. I am in the dark and don't know anything. But do you know everything clearly, my dear brother?"

Li Zhi paused and answered fluently:
"Your Majesty is busy with all kinds of affairs, and the burden of the whole world is on your shoulders.

"I was foolish enough to think that Your Majesty was focused on military and national affairs and would not bother with such trivial matters that would affect the overall situation."

Li Chengqian laughed without any smile:
"You are indeed ignorant. How do you know that I don't bother to know this?"

Li Zhi argued calmly: "I am indeed ignorant. If Your Majesty had not made it clear, I would not have known that Your Majesty wanted to know this."

Li Chengqian was a little annoyed:
"If you don't tell me, how can I make it clear?"

Li Zhi: "If you don't make it clear to me, I don't know what to say about this matter."

"If you don't tell me, how can I... forget it, I won't bother with you."

Li Chengqian felt that he was being confused, so he immediately stopped his conversation with Li Fuli and changed the subject back to the selling of official positions... no, the financial plan.

"I'll leave the financial matters to you. I have a lot to do, and I want to focus on supporting the front line."

It can be considered as officially passing the buck.

Li Zhi replied respectfully: "I accept your order."

Having officially accepted the responsibility, he said:
"Then I will discuss the draft with the Imperial Court Minister Liu Ji."

"Go ahead." Li Chengqian waved his hand.

Huh... Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief silently and was about to leave in a hurry.

"It's just that..." Li Chengqian added:
"I care about the people. The livelihood of Chang'an is not a 'trivial matter'. If there is any situation, you should report it to me in detail."

The use of such impolite words as "you all" shows that the emperor is not very satisfied with the crown prince.

Li Zhi's eyelids twitched, he responded and then retreated.

Li Chengqian bared his teeth in the direction where his younger brother left.

"Humph, that guy is too cunning. Don't you agree, Mei Niang?"

That young man is really dishonest. He clearly knows the difficult situation at the grassroots level, but he refuses to say anything.

If my little sister had not really served as my eyes, I might still be kept in the dark when the people of Chang'an rebelled and attacked the Taiji Palace!
They are truly brothers who love each other and take the initiative to share their brother's worries.

Or is it that the Crown Prince can't wait any longer and wants to sideline his elder brother?
Li Zhi, that bastard, has a history of usurping power.

"It's already this time, and you're still doing little tricks... Sigh.

"What? Mei Niang, are you going to punish that guy Lao Jiu for deceiving the emperor? Forget it, he is still young and ignorant, let him go."

Emperor Yongqing could curse Li Zhi as much as he wanted, but he could only turn a blind eye to his little tricks.

There was no other reason. The external troubles caused by his other younger brother were too serious, leaving him no time to engage in internal conflicts.

To be honest, if Li Zhi hadn't been supporting the domestic affairs, this family would have fallen apart long ago.

Li Chengqian alone could not withstand the domineering aura coming from Li Ming on the other side of the river, and was about to be insulted and overthrown by his younger brother.

"Selling official positions... Mei Niang, what do you think of this idea? As long as there is enough money and food, I can stop the rebels and win!

"The burden of war has always been on Guanzhong, it's time to let other regions bleed!"

The corners of Emperor Yongqing's mouth curled up, as if he saw the mountains of money, the fully-paid and invincible Tang army, and Li Ming crawling at his feet and painfully admitting his mistakes.

What about the lower-class people who suffered because of “selling official positions”?

People in troubled times are worse than dogs in prosperous times. They are even worse than dogs. How can they catch the eyes of Your Majesty?
Jiangnan is cunning, Huguang is rebellious, Bashu is closed, and Lingnan is barbaric. These southern regions do not obey the court and are unwilling to pay, right?
I still have ways to collect it. Not only can I collect the money, but I can also let corrupt and incompetent officials deal with you traitors!
The tremendous pressure distorted Li Chengqian's mind and blinded his eyes.

As long as we can win, at any cost!

This is the price that everyone in the world has to pay.

The people suffered, and Li Zhi bore the blame.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, something is wrong—"

The urgent shouting interrupted the private chat between Li Chengqian and Wu Meiniang.

Li Chengqian looked carefully and saw that it was Li Zhi again. He immediately felt a little unhappy.

He had just instructed Li Zhi not to bully his superiors, and just as he turned around, could something major have happened that required the emperor to be alerted?
Could it be that this kid was jumping from one extreme to another, deliberately using trivial proposals to bother him in order to make him take back his decision?
This younger brother is really smart and a very respectful brother!
After fighting with the officials for more than half a year, Li Chengqian thought he knew some of the ways the civil service group dealt with the emperor. Before Li Zhi had a chance to speak, he put on a sour face and shouted angrily:
"I asked you to report everything, but I didn't ask you to report everything!"

Li Zhi did not respond to your Majesty's contradictory writing at all. In a completely rude move that was totally inconsistent with his usual character, he panicked and grabbed your Majesty's arm, speaking incoherently:
"Brother, something terrible has happened! Zhongyuan, Old Fourteen..."

Li Chengqian widened his eyes.

What a brotherly relationship!
…………

Outside Shuozhou City, Shanxi.

"Push harder and move forward! As long as we enter the city, we will win!"

Su Dingfang shouted at the top of his lungs.

The brave Ming army soldiers charged forward again and again, but were pushed back again and again.

Because between them and Shuozhou City, there was a seemingly insurmountable gap.

That was the Tang army commanded personally by General Tian Ce.

This iron army was stuck on the main road for the Ming army to enter the city, like a thorn in the throat.

"General Su, let's retreat first." Xue Rengui began to back down.

Old Su immediately widened his eyes like cowbells and pointed to the north.

"The Shuozhou city wall is already in sight. As long as we enter the city, our army will be safe. How can we fail at the last moment?"

Days of fighting have made this middle-aged man excited.

"But the soldiers are exhausted and can't move forward any further." Xue Rengui pleaded.

"No buts!..." Su Dingfang insisted and turned around to scold his weak old comrade.

When he turned around, he saw it clearly.

Before he knew it, several of the guards around him were gone, and the rest were all injured.

"I threw the guards into the final charge, and this is the result." Xue Rengui's eyes were bloodshot.

"Our army is exhausted and cannot break through the enemy's blockade!"

Su Dingfang gritted his teeth, glanced at Shuozhou City, which seemed so close yet so far away, and squeezed out a sentence:
"Let's go back to base camp!"

The Ming army vanguard led by Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui was defeated again.

The war situation in Shanxi during this period was stalemate but also a bit weird.

Southern Shanxi was the base camp of the Tang Dynasty, Daizhou in the north was the base camp of the Ming Dynasty, further north was the Ming army, north of the Ming army was the Tang army, and north of the Tang army was Shuozhou controlled by the Ming Dynasty.

The layers are like a thousand-layer cake, with you within me and me clearly separated.

The strategy of the Ming army was very simple, which was to squeeze into Shuozhou City desperately and not give the other side a chance to launch an annihilation war.

As long as there is the protection of the city walls and the supplies prepared in the city, no matter how fierce the Tang army is, it will only be defeated.

However, the situation is just as it was just now.

No matter how many times the Ming army launched an attack, the Tang army remained motionless and blocked their way into the city.

Similarly, the Tang army tried many times to outflank and annihilate the enemy, but was repeatedly defeated by the Ming army.

As for Shuozhou City itself, it is impossible for the Tang army to split its troops into two groups to attack the city, and the small garrison troops in Shuozhou are unlikely to go out of the city and give the opponent a "double-bread cheese" trap. They basically did not participate in this battle and can be regarded as the edge of the map.

The main forces of the Tang and Ming armies were deadlocked in the wild, each stationed outside the city, facing each other in the south and the north, but neither could do anything to the other.

Su and Xue's attack this time was no exception.

They gathered their elite troops and launched a fierce charge, trying to open a gap for the main force to enter the city, but were eventually pulled back in disgrace.

"If we fail to capture Shuozhou, our military rations will run out completely."

On the way back to the camp, Su Dingfang kept muttering, as if he was blaming his old friend for having no martial ethics and actually retreating.

He wasn't exaggerating.

The Ming army was in a very passive situation.

The Tang army was blocking the way in front, and Daizhou in the rear was taken back by the Tang army. There were high mountains and cliffs on both sides, which was literally a turtle in a jar.

In addition, this unit was already short of supplies, and now its logistics are cut off.

How long the military rations they carried could last could be counted on one's fingers.

Xue Rengui sighed:
"Let's go back to the camp first and see what other options General Li Jing has."

"Can he fly with a large army..." Su Dingfang was a little annoyed.

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden noise from behind.

The two generals who had just left the battlefield immediately pricked up their ears and became alert.

An old soldier ran forward from the back of the line, shouting something all the way.

The battlefield was noisy and the two men couldn't hear anything clearly.

However, judging from the other party's anxious expressions and the reactions of the soldiers along the way, the two men guessed something and their hearts sank.

What is Li Shimin best at?
Defensive counterattack!

It's time to fight back!

(End of this chapter)