Three whips break the father-son relationship, please call me prince

Chapter 132: Difficulty in becoming a Marquis, the Court’s Policy

Being conferred a title of nobility is a synonym for glorious achievements and is also the highlight of life.

Throughout the dynasties, there have been countless people pursuing the title of nobility, like carp crossing the river.

However, the conditions for becoming a marquis are extremely harsh and demanding.

Only military merit is the fastest and most effective shortcut.

Being awarded a title of nobility for military merit is the most valuable and convincing, and is recognized by the world.

Of course, there are others who have made great achievements and can be granted titles, but it is extremely difficult to reach the top overnight and become a nobleman based on great achievements.

Sun Simiao was a commoner and had never been an official in his early years. It has only been a year since he entered the court as an official.

At the age of over eighty, wanting to be granted a title of nobility is nothing short of a fantasy.

Both Chang Sun Chong and Li Zhi felt that the prince was taking things for granted.

But for Li Chengqian, this is not impossible.

Although Sun Simiao was not a commoner, he had always had a great reputation and Li Shimin also valued him very much.

In addition, he also accumulated a lot of connections and relationships by treating other people.

Li Xiaogong even regarded him as his savior and was very grateful for this friendship.

Birth, aging, sickness and death are things that everyone has to face. Sun Simiao's superb medical skills are there, who can guarantee that there will never be a day when he will have to ask others for help?
The civil servants.

Li Chengqian can guarantee that Zhangsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, Gao Shilian and others will not speak out against it and will remain neutral.

Even the civil servants will probably remain silent collectively.

Because this involves a major issue.

The title of nobility has always been based mainly on military merit. It can be said to be the military’s private reserve, their bottom line, and their pride.

If one is granted a title of nobility without any military merit, then wouldn't the merits of the title be greatly discounted, lowering the value of the title?
If you want to break the military's pride, how can the military not oppose it fiercely?

If Sun Simiao can be granted the title of nobility this time, does it mean that the children of a family can also be granted the title of nobility through other means, not through military merit?

In everything, we are afraid of making exceptions and opening a gap, and we can learn from past experience.

and so.

The pressure on Sun Simiao to successfully become a marquis came almost entirely from the military.

Li Chengqian must convince the military chief, Li Xiaogong, and offer enough benefits to impress them.

Why did he do this?

This involves his subsequent plans.

It is almost the same as what the civil officials thought. When Sun Simiao was conferred the title of nobility, it would naturally be easier for others to be conferred the title of nobility in the future.

In the face of the old aristocratic forces, Li Chengqian wanted to do something and touch their roots so as not to end up in a passive position.

We need to support a group of new elites.

Let the new elites compete with the old elites.

With the support of the new nobles, when the old nobles give up and do nothing, Li Chengqian will not have a hard time and will be able to gradually tear apart the old noble system.

Reform cannot be successful as expected. If it touches on other people's fundamental interests, not to mention the crown prince, even the emperor will either be deposed or eventually compromise.

This is a life-and-death struggle, and it will involve bloodshed.

Therefore, this plan is large and far-reaching and must be kept secret.

So far, he has never mentioned it to anyone, and will never make it public. If he were to say it, it would only be done quietly and without making any noise.

Because the upstarts don't exist at the moment, let alone have any foundation.

Once his intentions were exposed, he would probably die in the womb. There would be no possibility of success at all.

It will take five to ten years, or even longer, to cultivate and support new forces and wait until they have established a solid foundation.

Li Chengqian is still young, he can afford to wait and waste time.

The longer the time, the better it is for him.

When the old nobles grow old, it will be time for the new nobles to come on the scene.

Many times, he would give advice to others based on what he had brought out, without giving credit to the others.

The purpose is to give others opportunities by means of dividing the cake, and also to win over others, use them for one's own benefit, and make them loyal to oneself.

Outsiders may not know, but I certainly understand how I got this title and official position.

If there was no prince, would he be where he is today? Naturally, he would be grateful to Li Chengqian and remember him forever.

After all, for the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, those things were just a little more fame and icing on the cake.

But giving it to others is real merit, a stepping stone to advancement, and a true blessing from heaven.

Anyone who is ungrateful and unreasonable is a cruel and ungrateful person.

Li Chengqian had his own thoughts on what was more important and he had a long-term vision.

Taking out the things will be beneficial to the Tang Dynasty and can also cultivate new nobles.

why not?

At present, the most important first step is to promote the title of nobility for Sun Simiao.

As long as Sun Simiao successfully becomes a marquis and takes this step, there will be a future.

Now it depends on Li Xiaogong's attitude.

As long as he was captured, Li Chengqian would not have to waste any more words, and Li Xiaogong would be the one to persuade the other princes and ministers.

Li Xiaogong didn't speak for a long time. Li Chengqian was not in a hurry. He sipped his tea slowly and waited for his answer.

"Your Highness."

Li Xiaogong finally spoke up and said, "The title of marquis is too high."

"I admit that Mr. Sun saved my life, but I cannot be selfish in the face of such a big issue."

Li Chengqian did not comment, "Mr. Sun's treatment of the wounded should also be considered a military achievement."

"Why is it so difficult, uncle?"

“Besides…”

Seeing that Li Xiaogong wanted to speak, he did not give him a chance to speak and continued, "This title of nobility is also different from the others." "Oh?"

Li Xiaogong was surprised and asked, "Is there any difference in being conferred a title of nobility?"

"I don't understand, please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "It's very simple. Scholar Sun is a marquis, but he is not equal to other marquises and does not have any fiefdom treatment."

"He only has the title of marquis as an honor."

"The court pays them salaries and arranges their food, clothing, housing and transportation."

The key to becoming a marquis actually lies in the issue of fiefdom.

The more fiefs one has, the higher his status, the greater his power, and the greater the benefits.

But this time, no fiefdom was awarded.

Distinguishing between the marquis with fiefs and the marquis without fiefs can be considered as a way of distinguishing the difference between high and low.

This was not Li Chengqian's concession, but he had been considering this direction.

The new nobles in the future will probably develop in the direction of having no fiefdom.

But what he said to Li Xiaogong now was a compromise.

The things Li Chengqian took out were exchanged for a marquis without a fief, whose status was obviously lower than that of other marquises with fiefs.

The level of acceptance has been greatly improved.

As for Sun Simiao, he felt that without a fief, he was not worthy of being called a marquis.

That's totally impossible.

It is so difficult to be granted the title of nobility, but now it has come to you. The imperial court is supporting you, so what else do you want?

Li Xiaogong frowned, but Li Chengqian didn't give him a chance to think about it and said, "I will give the spinning and weaving machines to my uncle, but only for two years."

"Within two years, all the cloth produced will be purchased by the court and distributed to soldiers in the army to keep warm or to make new clothes."

"Uncle, you should know that the palace soldiers made His Majesty and the court extremely dissatisfied with the incident in the North this time."

"The reform of the Fubing system is imperative, and it has reached the point where it has to be changed."

"Most of the local soldiers will be transferred to open up farmland, and only a few will be re-recruited into the army."

The military system is now at its peak combat power and signs of it have already appeared. Before Li Chengqian scolded Hou Junji, Li Shimin and others did not take it seriously.

But it's different now.

Things like this happen one after another. If you look at it from a broader perspective, you can find the drawbacks as long as you have a long-term vision.

This can't go on any longer.

Changes must be made.

Otherwise, the day will come when there will be no emperor, no court, no military discipline, and only money will matter.

Li Shimin and his generation are all buried under the earth. Who can suppress them?
Again.

This time, the northern expedition against Xueyantuo lasted too long, and some soldiers were even killed and their families were destroyed.

Although the news did not spread, the imperial court received relevant reports and suppressed the news.

But we can't just ignore it.

The Northern Army has not yet disbanded and everyone is taking their weapons back, which is due to a variety of factors.

Under the promotion of Li Chengqian, the situation had to be changed and resolved.

He said this now to tell Li Xiaogong how much the court would invest in the military in the next two years.

The cloth was purchased by the imperial court, so there was no need to worry about the profits, and the benefits still fell on the military.

In addition, there is another important point. When cotton cloth appeared and was put on the market on a large scale, the small peasant economy model in which men farmed and women wove would face a fatal crisis.

Many families rely on weaving to supplement their household income, and it accounts for a relatively large part of their family income.

Faced with the impact of cotton cloth, market prices will inevitably plummet, resulting in a sharp drop in family income.

A speck of dust from the development of the times becomes a mountain on the head of an ordinary person.

They can't afford it, and life will be very difficult without this part of the income.

Therefore, the imperial court was given a two-year deadline to purchase the funds and use them for military reform.

In the next two years, relevant textile technologies will be gradually promoted to the public, while increasing cotton production and planting areas.

In other words, it cannot be a hard landing, but a soft landing, and ordinary families must be given a window period to digest the transformation.

In addition, plans to encourage population are also in line with this.

When the income generated by women's weaving decreased, it no longer became a major source of income to supplement the family income.

Ordinary families will naturally choose to obtain the benefits of population incentives by having children, which will become part of the family's income and make up for the deficit.

Then the government soldiers were transformed to open up military farms.

It can be said that various court policies are coordinated and echoed, and are closely linked to each other.

"Your Highness, isn't two years a bit too short?"

Li Xiaogong looked embarrassed.

Li Chengqian said, "Uncle, I am giving this matter to you because you are also a member of the Li clan."

"Two years is a lot."

"Moreover, we have to pay taxes to the court."

Li Xiaogong could not eat all the income by himself, nor did he dare to eat it alone.

Not only should other military generals be included, but Li Shimin should also occupy the lion's share.

But even so, everyone can still have a good meal.

Think about the upcoming reforms in the Tang Dynasty and the recruitment of hundreds of thousands of troops, how much budget will be needed for clothing.

You can see how exaggerated and terrifying the benefits are.

(End of this chapter)