Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 314 Li Longji's Token is Now Open for Business! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Song Jing was one of the wise prime ministers of the Kaiyuan era. At the beginning of Li Dan's second ascension to the throne, he served as Minister of Personnel and concurrently as a member of the Secretariat-Chancellery, only one step away from becoming prime minister.

Because he couldn't stand Princess Taiping's overwhelming power, Song Jing submitted a memorial requesting that her power be limited. As a result, he was demoted to the position of prefect of Chuzhou, and then transferred to several other places.

Historically, Song Jing did not return to Chang'an until the fourth year of the Kaiyuan era, when he served as the Minister of Justice.

At that time, the prime minister was Yao Chong, but Yao Chong often formed cliques, accepted bribes, and used his position to suppress dissidents. He gradually fell behind the development of the court and Li Longji's plans, and the officials were restless. Corruption gradually spread in the court.

Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) decisively appointed Song Jing as prime minister, rectified official corruption, and brought order to the court. This gave the Tang Dynasty a second chance for development, with its population and economy achieving great strides, and the Tang Dynasty gradually entered its golden age.

Each of the prime ministers during the Kaiyuan era was a top talent, but each had a different focus.

For example, Yao Chong was good at setting general directions and strategic goals, but he was not very broad-minded. When Zhang Jiuling impeached him once, he directly sent Zhang back to his hometown in Lingnan.

Song Jing was adept at enforcing discipline and fighting corruption, and was unparalleled in his ability to govern officials. However, he was also inflexible and rigid, and did not know how to adapt.

As for Lu Huaizhen, Zhang Jiazhen, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Jiuling, and others, they each had their own strengths. To enable them to make the most of their strengths, it is necessary to know how to use the right people at the right time.

At present, the great development of the Kaiyuan era has not yet begun, and Yao Chong can only be in charge of the court for the time being. Song Jing should be forced to serve as the Imperial Censor and use his inflexible nature to fight against the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families and the Guanlong aristocracy.

Gao Lishi wrote down Song Jing's name and then reported another matter:

"Minister of War Zhang Yue announced today that he has appointed Zhang Jiuling, the Left Remonstrance Official, as Supervising Censor. The memorial has just been delivered."

The Left Censor was a high-ranking position of the eighth rank, while the Censorate was a high-ranking position of the eighth rank. Although it was only a change from the eighth rank to the eighth rank, the official rank was promoted by two levels.

Clearly, Zhang Shuo greatly admired Zhang Jiuling, which is why he recommended him so strongly.

Li Longji thought for a moment and said to Gao Lishi:
“Zhang Jiuling is appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Censorate. Since he is a talented person, let’s put him to the right use.”

The position of Censor-in-Chief is a seventh-rank official, three ranks higher than the eighth-rank position of Left Remonstrance Official... Although being promoted three ranks is a good thing, the position of Censor-in-Chief is not easy.

The censor not only had to examine all officials, but also had to effectively supervise the internal affairs of the Censorate. In addition, the use of vehicles and horses, applications for writing materials, fund allocation, and personnel assignments of the entire Censorate all required the chief clerk's approval.

It can be said that this is an official position that mainly handles multiple functions such as personnel, office work, and logistics. In addition, due to the special nature of the Censorate, one must be extremely busy every day.

For Zhang Jiuling, this was both a test and an opportunity to prove himself.

The grand assembly was held as scheduled the following day.

As soon as the court assembly began, officials from all sides stepped forward to petition Li Longji, requesting that he release Cui Rizhi, who came from the Cui clan of Boling, and promptly appease the Cui clan's emotions. Otherwise, once the news reached the Cui clan's stronghold in Boling, Hebei, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Li Longji looked at Zhao Yanzhao, the Imperial Censor in charge of supervising all officials, and asked:

"The officials are in an uproar. What are your thoughts, Zhao Qing?"

This is a simple question: should Zhao Yanzhao side with the emperor or with the powerful families?
Zhao Yanzhao rose to his position purely through his father's influence and seniority. During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong, he entered the central government with the help of a female sorceress named Zhao Wuniang, and has remained there ever since.

Although he served as Imperial Censor, he never exercised the duties of an imperial censor. He diligently served as a figurehead in the court, never offending anyone.

Now that Li Longji has asked him to choose sides, he has actually chosen to stand with the aristocratic families:
"In my opinion, Your Majesty's actions are indeed quite inappropriate..."

Just as he was racking his brains to come up with some insightful remarks, Li Longji silently pulled out his black iron token from his robes:

"As the Imperial Censor, you neither supervise the words and deeds of the officials, nor impeach corrupt officials, nor understand the people's plight... The Tang Dynasty is now in dire need of reconstruction, yet you occupy your position without doing your job and attempt to confuse the public. Our Chinese immortals are discerning and will not allow you to get away with this. Thunder, come!"

"Click——"

A thunderclap suddenly resounded above the Taiji Hall, followed by a bolt of lightning that struck down through the roof, turning Zhao Yanzhao into a charred corpse.

The officials stared in disbelief at the scene, none of them expecting that His Majesty could actually summon a deity.

Now, the officials who had demanded the release of Choi Il-ji dared not exert any pressure, and they all knelt down, shouting that His Majesty was wise.

Faced with death, these people immediately switched to loyalist mode, not only ceasing to plead for Choi Il-ji but also beginning to support the policy of reducing the power of aristocratic families.

Things went surprisingly smoothly, but Li Longji's reprimand was not yet over.

He ordered his men to bring the entire Choi Il-ji family to the imperial court, and then, holding the financial details Choi Il-ji had provided, he asked them:

"Cui Rizhi, is it true that your family really only has seven people and two hundred acres of poor land?"

Cui Rizhi had already been beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding, but he still harbored a sliver of hope:
“It is absolutely true. Your Majesty can check if you don’t believe me.”

Li Longji then asked:

"Do you dare swear on the lives of your parents, wife, and children?"

Cui Rizhi hadn't expected His Majesty to be so naive. For the sake of his child's future success, he readily swore a solemn oath. But no sooner had he spoken than several bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, turning Cui Rizhi's wife and children into charred remains. The officials of the Boling Cui clan in the court were terrified; several even wet their pants.

Li Longji looked through the data investigated by Gao Lishi and said:

"During your tenure as the Prefect of Jingzhao, you plundered 10,000 hectares of land in Guanzhong, hid over a thousand people, and seized six manors. Is this true?"

He deliberately exaggerated the numbers to make it easier to intimidate the officials.

Cui Rizhi was still unable to accept the death of his wife and children. Upon hearing Li Longji's words, he subconsciously denied it. Then Li Longji made him swear an oath.

Soon, Cui Rizhi was struck dead by divine lightning in full view of everyone, proving with his life that Li Longji's words were true.

Looking at the remaining officials, Li Longji announced that Song Jing would return to the capital to serve as Imperial Censor, responsible for supervising all officials; and that the Right Censorate would be reinstated to supervise local officials.

Now no one objected, especially the officials from the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families and the Guanzhong aristocracy, who all hung their heads, afraid of being noticed by Li Longji.

Li Longji then announced:

"Based on the reported area of ​​fertile land, corresponding areas will be allocated from Guanzhong, Hedong and other places and granted to each family. The original ancestral land will be returned to the imperial court and given to retired soldiers in the future."

Each aristocratic family had painstakingly cultivated their land for hundreds or even thousands of years. Even if the imperial court were to take it over rashly, those fertile fields would not be easy to obtain. Therefore, Li Longji simply allocated them to retired soldiers, driving a wedge into the place of origin of each family.

If this continues for several years, veterans will form a powerful force in the local area, at which point the clan power of established families and local gentry will be severely weakened.

Having learned from Cui Rizhi's example, no official dared to object, and the court was filled with voices of agreement.

Officials like Zhang Jiuling, who came from remote areas, had often been bullied by powerful families. Now that they saw these families being punished, they were secretly overjoyed, even though they didn't show it.

Zhang Jiuling was considered one of the top scholars in the Tang Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination in 702, but it wasn't until 707 that he was approved to participate in the Ministry of Personnel's second examination and obtained the position of proofreader in the Secretariat. He then wasted his time until Li Longji became the crown prince, when he was finally promoted to Right Remonstrator.

From passing the imperial examination to being promoted to the eighth-rank Right Remonstrance Official, he waited a full ten years, transforming from a handsome young man in his twenties in Lingnan into a middle-aged man.

However, this speed of promotion was based on Li Longji's appreciation; otherwise, it might have taken a lifetime.

As for people from aristocratic families, it was different. For example, Cui Rizhi passed the imperial examination and was appointed to an important local position. In just a few years, he rose from a commoner to the position of Sima in Luoyang and began to hold important posts.

The so-called "examination of classics and passing the imperial examination" means that the elders of the Cui family would give him a topic and ask him to write an essay, which would then be graded by the elders of the Cui family. Since the interpretations of the classics differed from family to family, the elders of each family were responsible for reviewing and grading the essays.

This is the difference between ordinary scholars and those from aristocratic families who rise through the ranks, and it is also the source of much criticism of the Tang Dynasty.

Now that Li Longji's decree has been issued, countless scholars are genuinely happy. They have studied hard for ten years, not afraid of failing the exam, but only afraid of unfairness.

But in an era when powerful families held sway over the court, fairness was an almost impossible dream.

After the court session ended, everyone was still in shock and looked at Li Longji with more awe.

His Majesty has actually received the blessing of the Chinese gods, which has made everyone uneasy. All the means they relied on to threaten the emperor have failed.

Feeling refreshed after the beating, Li Longji left the palace in a carriage, intending to go to Yiyuan Temple for lunch and discuss the prospects of the government with his aunt.

Meanwhile, inside the Hunyuan Palace.

Grandma Gongsun was leisurely drinking milk tea in the courtyard when she suddenly heard an air raid siren blaring from the town, which startled her.
"Master, what is that sound?"

"Air raid siren. Today is September 18th, a day of national humiliation for China. We need to sound the air raid siren to remind the people not to forget the national humiliation and to be vigilant even in times of peace."

Upon hearing this, Granny Gongsun, this delicate and indignant young woman, became quite animated:
"Taoist Master, may I kill a few bastards to vent my anger?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"That's illegal. Don't be impulsive. If you want to take action, just deal with some Japanese people over there."

Gongsun Da Niang nodded heavily, intending to devise a revenge plan as soon as she got back.

Whether it's meritorious or not is irrelevant; the main point is to educate everyone to remember the national humiliation.

At the same time, Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty was in the world.

Just as Zhao Xu was basking in the joy of having a prince, the Minister of Rites suddenly reported that an envoy from Japan had arrived in Bianliang (Kaifeng), hoping to learn about the advanced culture of the Song Dynasty so that it could be disseminated in Japan.

Zhao Xu was too lazy to deal with these bedbugs:

"The Japanese delegation spoke rudely, claiming that they were the suzerain state of the Great Song Dynasty. The entire delegation was handed over to Li Gefei for interrogation... He ordered the navy to intensify their training and, once they learned how to use sextants, to immediately set off to Japan to mine!"

(End of this chapter)