In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Seven days later.

As it turned out, Li Yuanchang's prediction was correct. There were no problems without an audit, but once an audit was conducted, it was full of holes.

The first area to be exposed was Chang'an. A large amount of money was missing, many granaries were just empty shells, and the privileged among the nobles were rampant with corruption and embezzlement!

From a small horse to an entire warehouse, they dared to seize public property for private use.

The news quickly reached the Eastern Palace, and Li Zhi was furious, ordering a thorough investigation and arrests.

"Li Yuanchang, how dare you arrest me?"

"You bastard, you're meddling in other people's business, this is just you taking revenge!"

"You're settling a personal score on this!"

"I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!!"

"I am a nobleman from the Guanzhong region, how dare you arrest me?"

The officials who were being taken away struggled and cursed wildly.

"..."

Li Yuanchang sat on horseback, coldly watching everything unfold.

"Your Highness, this is the fifth batch today. The Nine Temples have made three rounds of arrests. Should we continue?"

"Continue!" Li Yuanchang said without even a moment's hesitation.

"Your Highness, I am worried that if things continue like this, you will become the target of everyone's criticism."

"Most of these people are nobles from Guanzhong, and they protect each other. You'll be resented by them," Guo Chao worried.

Li Yuanchang said, "I would rather be a coward than offend people."

"The nobility is rotten to the core. If we don't strike hard and give them a warning, in the end, it won't just harm you and me, but the whole world."

The phrase "the nobility is rotten to the core" directly tears open the most bloody scar beneath the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

No matter how powerful the dynasty, the corruption of the nobility seems to have always been a persistent problem, which is why peasant uprisings have never stopped in ancient times.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"

The entire arrest shocked the court and the public in Chang'an, involving more than 300 people, the highest-ranking of whom was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, a third-rank official!

This refers to the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples. The head of each temple is roughly equivalent to a minister in later generations.

The war against Goguryeo triggered logistical coordination, which in turn caused widespread upheavals, exposing a large number of corrupt nobles!

This chain reaction caught people completely off guard.

Li Zhi, who had just assumed the regency, was somewhat at a loss. It was the first time he had seen such a large-scale event, and he was unsure of what to do in front of so many officials.

After all, killing one official is easy, but killing a group of them is difficult.

In particular, many of the officials in Chang'an came from powerful families in the Guanzhong region, and their relationships were complex and intertwined. Only those with great courage would dare to take action.

Li Shimin led a large number of officials to the front lines, so Li Zhi had no opportunity to ask for instructions.

Ultimately, he could only summon a group of key figures, including Li Yuanchang, Changsun Wuji, and Fang Xuanling, to discuss countermeasures and hold a closed-door meeting to discuss how to handle the situation.

The main hall of the East Palace was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The elderly Fang Xuanling and others were all given a stool to sit on.

"My dear ministers, please share your opinions. I, the Crown Prince, am also undecided," Li Zhi said. Although he had matured considerably, he was still somewhat inexperienced in this matter and appeared rather green.

At least, there was no need to say that last sentence.

Li Yuanchang was the first to speak out. Since he was the one who discovered the matter, there was no point in him remaining silent at this point.

"Your Highness, these are extraordinary times, and severe punishments are necessary!"

"Anyone who directly embezzles shall be executed."

"Assisting accomplices will result in the confiscation of their property, exile to the frontier, or direct punishment as laborers responsible for escorting goods."

"Only in this way can we suppress the unhealthy tendencies among the Tang Dynasty's nobility!"

With the term "aristocrat," Li Yuanchang showed absolutely no respect.

"Wait a minute!"

Changsun Wuji spoke up, unable to sit still any longer.

"How can an individual scoundrel implicate the entire Tang Dynasty nobility? Your Highness, your words are biased."

Li Yuanchang sneered, too lazy to argue with Changsun Wuji over words, and asked directly, "So, what is Lord Changsun's meaning?"

Changsun Wuji cupped his hands to Li Zhi.

"Your Highness, this old minister believes that executing him outright is truly inappropriate."

"This involves too many people. We need manpower right now. If there is chaos in the rear, it will definitely affect the battle on the front lines."

"Secondly, the law does not punish the masses."

"The crown prince, acting as regent, executed hundreds of people. What will the world think of this?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's expression clearly changed.

As the crown prince, he certainly cares about how the court and the public view him, which will directly affect whether he can successfully ascend the throne.

"joke!"

Li Yuanchang refuted this on the spot.

"Only if corruption is not eradicated will it affect the front lines!"

"As for execution, it is the proper way to uphold the law and maintain discipline. If even this depends on other people's opinions, then what is the point of having the law?"

Changsun Wuji also raised his voice, as if he were confronting Li Yuanchang in court.

"This old minister believes that restoring order should be done by weighing the pros and cons and acting appropriately."

"Punishment is certainly necessary, but His Highness the Prince of Han is being too radical; it will only backfire."

"It would be best to make an example of them, killing a few people would be enough, and the rest should be punished and admonished, so that they can atone for their crimes by making meritorious contributions. This way, the rear will not be in chaos, and it will also show the Crown Prince's benevolence."

"Now, the court should unite as one and wholeheartedly assist His Majesty in defeating Goguryeo."

"A reprimand? How could Lord Changsun possibly utter such a thing!"

"Your Highness..."

"..."

The argument between the two gradually escalated.

They went back and forth, their words clashing like needles against wheat awns.

It is a personal grudge, a difference in political views, and even more so, a difference in fundamental character.

Most of the officials investigated came from the Guanzhong aristocracy. Although they had no direct relationship with Changsun Wuji, they were both from the Guanzhong region.

Such a large-scale execution was naturally something Changsun Wuji did not want to see.

Li Yuanchang was always fair and impartial, and personal grudges were secondary. He absolutely could not accept that such a corrupt person could get away with anything by relying on his privileges.

This is not only unacceptable, but also sows the seeds of future problems for the Tang Dynasty.

Anyone who has studied history knows why the Tang Dynasty perished! The essence of the An Lushan Rebellion was the collapse of the equal-field system, which meant that the rich continuously seized resources, leaving the common people with no way to survive, and they all followed An Lushan's lead.

Huang Chao's funeral slogan for the Tang Dynasty was: "The bones of officials and nobles are trampled on the streets, and the brocades of the imperial treasury are burned to ashes."

Both instances share a common thread: the decadence of the nobility.

So, on this matter, the two sides are once again like comets colliding with Earth, neither willing to give in, and they are arguing fiercely.

This is the second time. The first time, Li Shimin was able to keep it under control, so it was somewhat better. But now that Li Shimin is gone, Li Zhi is also powerless.

So gradually, the arguments escalated.

Li Yuanchang's words directly broke Changsun Wuji's defenses.

"Heh, Lord Changsun, if these people weren't from the Guanzhong region, would you still talk about weighing the pros and cons, or about redeeming themselves through meritorious service?"

One sentence tore away all of Changsun Wuji's pretense.

Even Changsun Wuji paused, a hint of shame and anger appearing in his deep and experienced eyes!

"you!!"