The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 177 The System of Street Markets
Li Yi did not return directly to his residence, but instead rode his horse around to the Kaifeng Prefectural Government Office.

After all, Luo Yanhuan was saved by him, but Wang Pu still needed to be given an explanation for what happened.

Otherwise, not only would it offend the other party, but it would also be suspected of forcibly interfering in official business.

Because the Kaifeng Prefectural Government Office was located south of the Imperial City and served as the administrative and judicial office of the capital, it was also known as the "Southern Government Office".

It wasn't too far from Zhengyangfang, where Li Yi lived, just across Yanqingfang and Bianhe Street.

When he arrived at the government office, dusk had already fallen, and the officials of all departments should have finished their duties and gone home long ago, but the government office was still brightly lit.

Li Yi knew that Wang Pu was definitely still on duty at the government office and had not left.

Two stone lions stood fiercely guarding the vermilion gate. Seeing the approaching cavalry, the soldiers on duty immediately stepped forward with lanterns to stop them: "What are you doing? This is a restricted area of ​​the government office; unauthorized personnel are not welcome..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Sheng, the commander of the personal guards, had already jumped off his horse and shouted, "You dog! You dare to stop even the inspector of the capital, Commander Li?"

This Xu Sheng is none other than Xu Da, the captain of the personal guards who accompanied Li Yi when he returned to Xiajin last year to pick up his uncle's family. He was an old subordinate who had been by Li Yi's side during the flag-raising ceremony.

Xu Sheng is his given name. He has now been promoted by Li Yi to the position of commander of the personal guard, which is equivalent to the rank of centurion.

Since Li Hanchao was transferred to the position of Commander of the Second Army of the Right Wing of the Iron Cavalry, the position of Commander of Li Yi's personal guards has been vacant.

The commander of the personal guard battalion, although not of a very high rank, is still at least a mid-level military officer. Moreover, the combat organization is based on the command (battalion), and the number of commanders is usually used to determine the number of troops to be mobilized.

Furthermore, the commander of the personal guards was Li Yi's personal bodyguard leader. Whoever could sit in this position was equivalent to gaining his trust, which would be of great benefit to their future promotion.

Take Li Hanchao, for example. He joined the Imperial Guard only a year ago, but he has already risen to the position of Commander of the Army.

Although he had the advantage of military merit, what military merit could he have gained if he hadn't been by Li Yi's side?

Since there was no suitable candidate at the moment, Li Yi was not in a hurry to fill the vacancy, but instead put Xu Sheng in charge of the personal guard duties for the time being.

"Get out of here right now!" Xu Sheng's roar echoed in the silent night.

The soldiers' expressions changed drastically upon hearing Li Yi's name and being intimidated by Xu Sheng's imposing manner. Their lips trembled, but they couldn't utter a single word.

"You have the loudest voice." Li Yi raised his hand to stop Xu Sheng, and said with a smile in his eyes.

His men were all warriors, and they were usually very obedient in front of him because they respected Li Yi and they all depended on him for promotion and wealth.

But in front of outsiders, his true nature as a warrior is revealed, and the ferocity in his bones cannot be changed.

After Xu Sheng stepped aside, Li Yi dismounted and said in a deep voice, "Please inform them that Li Yi of the Palace Guard has come to discuss matters with the Prince's residence."

As he spoke, he took off the seal from his waist and showed it to several soldiers.

According to the regulations of the imperial court, the government office would close its doors at night, and it was not a place one could enter at will.

Although Li Yi's status was quite prominent and he was there to discuss business with Wang Pu, he could have easily used the excuse of urgency to have the door opened and let him in directly.

The few infantrymen from the government office dared not stop him, much less his personal guards.

However, Li Yi still chose to follow the rules, handing over the seal proving his identity and having someone go in first to inform Wang Pu.

"This subordinate deserves to die. I had no idea that Commander Li was personally present..."

The soldiers dared not doubt any longer, and immediately knelt down on one knee to pay their respects. Large beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, and they stammered their apologies.

Li Yi chuckled and said, "You were just doing your duty, what crime have you committed? Alright, hurry up and go inform the Prince's Palace."

The soldiers, as if granted a pardon, hurriedly got up from the ground. One of them went in to report, while the rest led Li Yi to the hall to wait.

Before long, two clerks carrying lanterns hurried out to greet him, bowing and saying, "Commander Li, please follow us. The matter of the Prince's residence is waiting for us in the side courtyard office."

……

After passing through the main hall's ceremonial gate, Li Yi met Wang Pu, who was working on official documents, in the side courtyard's office.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the other person's high cheekbones, and the piles of documents on the desk almost obscured his thin figure.

Of the four civil and military officials left behind in Tokyo, Xiang Xun was nominally in charge of both internal and external affairs. However, because he had to be on duty within the imperial city, he mostly ate and slept in the Xuanhuiyuan's office and could not go home for several days at a time.

Wang Pu's situation was similar to Xiang Xun's, the only difference being that he was in charge of Kaifeng Prefecture affairs and spent more time in the prefectural office.

Han Tong, needless to say, had a heavy burden of engineering construction, and the construction site in the outer city had almost become his second home.

Li Yi, on the other hand, seemed to have it a bit easier than the other three, as he was only responsible for assisting with the work. Although he was busy running around during the day, at least he could go home and sleep at night after his shift.

Hearing footsteps, Wang Pu didn't even look up, but gently tapped his brush against the inkstone: "Commander Li, you've come so late at night, is it to plead for Luo Yanhuan?"

His voice was calm and unhurried, clearly indicating that he knew Li Yi's purpose in coming, and that Song Rengong must have already informed him.

Li Yi smiled slightly, walked to the chair next to him and sat down, and said, "Your Excellency has keen insight, but I have come here rashly not to plead for you, but to discuss other important matters."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Wang Pu became curious and looked up at Li Yi.

In his view, this high-ranking general, a relative of the royal family, was quite humble in his daily life and rarely expressed his opinions on political affairs, despite his young age.

The fact that he suddenly said he had something important to discuss aroused Wang Pu's interest.

Li Yi explained, "I have some humble opinions on this expansion of the capital. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to offer some guidance?"

Wang Pu stroked his beard and smiled, "I would like to hear the details." Li Yi gently placed his teacup on the table and carefully began to speak, "Since the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Daliang City, as the capital of four dynasties, has gradually become cramped in both its internal and external scale. Not only is it difficult to accommodate the expanded imperial guards and their families, but even the newly added government offices cannot find a suitable place to be built."

"The court is in trouble, but the people are even more distressed. Tokyo has a limited area, and the people have a great housing problem. Small houses are next to small houses, and sometimes if one house catches fire, it can burn down an entire street."

"In addition, with the stabilization of the Central Plains, a large number of people gathered in the capital, but found it difficult to find a place to stay. There were also merchants from all over the country who came to do business, but they had to bear high rents for shops instead of making much money from their already meager profits."

"When my elder brother was alive, he ran a breakfast stall near Longjin Bridge. I am somewhat aware of the many inconveniences that people face in their daily lives... His Majesty's decree to expand Daliang City is a great thing that benefits the country and the people, and it will surely bring endless benefits to future generations."

Li Yi analyzed the necessity of expanding the capital city of Tokyo, and took the opportunity to flatter the emperor, expressing his support for the court's general policy.

Upon seeing Wang Pu nod slightly in agreement, he changed the subject, saying, "However... according to my inspection of the situation inside and outside the capital, the people have many complaints about the expansion."

"Among these measures, the relocation of civilian graves, kilns, and markets outside the city was a matter of vital interest to the people, and public opposition was widespread. In particular, the court's order for the forced relocation, coupled with the difficulty in implementing compensation, further fueled public discontent, leading to widespread resentment..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Pu frowned slightly and said, "Does Commander Li think that my approach is somewhat unreasonable?"

Wang Pu handled all the relocation and resettlement, as well as the overall planning, for the expansion of Tokyo City, and he also issued the order for the forced relocation.

Li Yi had just saved Luo Yanhuan, and now he was bringing up the people's grievances again. Wang Pu couldn't help but think that Li Yi's words were directed at him.

"Your Highness has misunderstood; that was not what I meant."

Li Yi gently shook his head and said, "Most people are shallow and ignorant, only caring about immediate petty gains. They can hardly understand the court's long-term plans, so it is understandable that they have grievances and dissatisfaction."

"However, the expansion of Daliang City is a matter of great importance, involving the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians inside and outside the capital. Naturally, it cannot be delayed because of some opposition."

"But with a little flexibility, we might achieve twice the result with half the effort..."

Wang Pu's expression softened slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he pressed on, "Commander Li, do you have any methods to quell the discontent among the people? Please tell us directly; there's no need for such roundabout language."

Li Yi immediately stated frankly: "Since the late Emperor, our dynasty has always advocated recuperation and development, prioritizing benevolence towards the people, and the government has not competed with the people for profit. However, this expansion of the capital coincides with His Majesty's personal expedition to Jiangnan, and the national treasury's reserves of money and grain are all used to supply the war effort, making it difficult to fulfill the promised compensation to the people."

"This is clearly contrary to our national policy... But money and grain are something that simply cannot be provided. We can't just increase taxes in various regions to make up for the shortfall in Kaifeng's population."

"Forgive my boldness in speaking frankly, but the inner city is the foundation of Daliang City, and the planning of the wards and markets is already set in stone. There is no need to change it by continuing the old system. However, the outer city has been expanded several times since the Jin Dynasty. It is chaotic and lacks a proper layout. It is no longer appropriate to forcibly divide the city into wards and markets. Moreover, the cost in all aspects is enormous."

"Why not take advantage of the expansion of Luocheng to directly implement the new neighborhood system, instead of using high walls to block the traffic of the people, but replacing it with open, crisscrossing streets and alleys?"

"And allow the people to plant trees, dig wells, and open shops along the newly widened streets, in exchange for providing them with convenience in their lives and benefits in doing business, so that the project can proceed smoothly."

"At that time, the shops on the main roads of the city will surely prosper, and the people will have a livelihood. The court will not only save on the expenses of building high walls, but can also use the people to plant trees, dig wells, and decorate the streets, which is a huge saving."

At this point, Li Yi stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "This suggestion of mine is not unfounded. Since the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, local warlords have been separatist, and after years of war, the movement of people has become increasingly frequent."

The old system of market towns has long been lax, and it is difficult for the prefectural and county governments to strictly enforce it. Why doesn't our dynasty follow the trend of the times, break the outdated system, and create a completely new layout for urban governance?

What he said wasn't exactly surprising, because from the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty onwards, due to the chaos in the country, the former market system did indeed begin to become unsustainable.

However, due to the inertia of the system, the original market system is still in place, but its enforcement has weakened considerably.

Take Tokyo as an example. The inner city was the original Bianzhou city, and the layout of the wards and markets remained unchanged. However, the walls of those wards were already dilapidated, with many places collapsed and damaged. The further away from the imperial city, the more dilapidated the area became.

However, the imperial court did not have the financial resources to repair and maintain those ward walls, and could only maintain the last vestige of dignity of the ward system by prohibiting the unauthorized opening of shops and enforcing curfews.

As for the outer city of Tokyo, even the city walls were not perfect before, and the market system was practically non-existent, with scattered shops along the streets everywhere.

Some taverns and shops even closed their doors at night to do business, so the so-called curfew was only nominal.

Therefore, Li Yi's suggestion was not unfounded, and Wang Pu, being a pragmatist, naturally understood its significance.

However, breaking with old rules and implementing a new urban layout system at the official level is no small matter, and it is not something that the four people who stayed behind could decide on their own.

Wang Pu pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Li Yi and chuckled, “Commander Li, you are truly a man of few words, but when you speak, they are astonishing! Your plan to reorganize the Imperial Guards last year was already amazing, and your remarks on the street market system have enlightened even me.”

"Your Highness is too kind. I only have the words to speak. If it comes to actual coordination and arrangement, ten of me are no match for Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi shook his head slightly, sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

He wasn't being modest; both last year's reorganization of the Imperial Guards and his recent proposal were things that had happened in history.

The reorganization of the Imperial Guards was carried out using the methods of Emperor Taizu of Song, while the order for the people to plant trees, dig wells, and open shops along the streets was established by Emperor Shizong of Song, Chai Rong, after returning to Tokyo from his campaign against Huainan and hearing of the people's discontent.

As for the discussion on the street market system, it was naturally based on the "Xiangfang system" of the Northern Song Dynasty, and then some of his own personal ideas were added.

However, as a time traveler, this is an innate advantage, so why not take advantage of it?

"I think that Commander Li's insight and wisdom are no less than those of the Hanlin scholars." Wang Pu stroked his goatee and said meaningfully, "Heroes have always emerged from humble backgrounds. Commander Li is exactly what that means. No wonder he has made so many contributions in just two years and gained His Majesty's trust. He will surely become a pillar of the state in the future!"

If anyone else had praised him like that, Li Yi would have just laughed it off, but hearing it come from Wang Pu's mouth made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Wang Pu was just saying it casually. He then added, "This matter should be discussed further. How about this, the four of us will discuss a plan together tomorrow and then report it to Huainan for His Majesty to decide."

Li Yi nodded and said, "That's how it should be."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, but didn't mention Luo Yanhuan again.

However, since Li Yi came to pay his respects in person, even if Wang Pu is strong-willed, he would still give him this much face.

(End of this chapter)