Xu Jingzong has been quite busy since he entered the court, but Jia Ping'an even made a job for him and sorted out his many years of experience in his official career...

"What is he trying to do?"

Xu Jingzong muttered, sorting out the thoughts in his mind, and then wrote down the key points.

OK, start handling official business.

"Xu Xiang!"

An official came in, "Lu Xiang asked you to come over."

Xu Jingzong frowned: "Why didn't he come?"

They are all prime ministers, why do you have to be superior?

The official smiled and said, "It is said that Lu Xiang's leg is injured, so he is not good at doing things."

"That's all!"

Xu Jingzong immediately went to the Ministry of Revenue.

Lu Chengqing participated in the interrogation of Chief Sun Wuji and his gang as Minister of Revenue. After the mission was completed, he entered the court and became the prime minister.

"I'm rude."

Lu Chengqing stood up with the desk a few times, and said with a wry smile: "I rode a horse yesterday, but the horse didn't stop yet. I was anxious to dismount. I was old... I actually sprained my foot."

"I'm older, I have to be careful. What's the matter with Lu Xiang asking me to come?"

Lu Chengqing sat down and coughed dryly, "There were some natural disasters in Jinzhou last year. His Majesty ordered the exemption of 50% of the taxes in Jinzhou last year, but it was a little late and all of them were collected. Now it should have been made up for it this year... But this year's money from the Ministry of Revenue is a bit tight. I want to wait until next year to exempt 50% of the taxes in Jinzhou as a make-up... But last time we got together to discuss matters, you denied this matter..."

Xu Jingzong was angry when he heard this, "It was shameless to collect taxes from Jinzhou last year... Wang Quanzhong, the governor of Jinzhou, was shameless. The people were already suffering from natural disasters, but they were plundered by this cruel official. What are the people in Jinzhou? What are the people in Jinzhou!"

Outside, Li Zhi had just left the Ministry of Rites.

"Say Xu Qing is in the Ministry of Revenue, go and have a look."

As soon as Li Zhi and others entered the Ministry of Revenue, the officials quickly saluted.

Li Zhi smiled, "Everyone is doing things, and I am so busy that I am happy, so that they can't speak out."

He arrived outside Lu Chengqing's duty room and heard Xu Jingzong's roar.

"...Your Majesty is so wise. Last year, Jinzhou encountered a natural disaster and immediately ordered the exemption of 50% of the taxes in Jinzhou. But it would be fine if Wang Quanzhong is shameless. I ask you, how can the Ministry of Revenue be faced to receive taxes in Jinzhou? Why not impeach Wang Quanzhong?"

"Xu Xiang is extreme."

As soon as Lu Chengqing spoke, he was calm about the children of the gentry. "If you take it, you will take it away, and I have never heard of many people. Wang Quanzhong has made contributions..."

Bang!

The sound of shooting something came.

Xu Jingzong's voice became a little higher and he was furious, "How many people would you die before you can move? Do you want the people of Jinzhou to become hungry and realize their mercy? I told you that 50% of Jinzhou's taxes must be exempted this year... No, according to my opinion, at least 60% is interest!"

This treacherous minister Xu was in trouble... Lu Chengqing said lightly: "You can't help this matter. I invite you to come, just to tell you that I will report this matter tomorrow. If you want to object...it's okay."

The people are my husband's parents... Xu Jingzong thought of the torture of the people in Jinzhou, and wished he could slap Lu Chengqing to death. He said solemnly: "You report, I am willing to kill myself in the palace tomorrow, and I must not let you, such a traitor, succeed!"

Outside, there were some sweat on the foreheads of officials who came in facing Li Zhi and others.

Look at the emperor, his expression was calm and he could not tell his emotions. But... it would be better to remind him.

He coughed softly.

Li Zhi glanced at him, with a sarcastic look in his eyes, and then turned around and left.

The next day, when the court was discussing the matter, Lu Chengqing raised the matter.

"...I heard that there was something going on in Liaodong this year, and the Ministry of Revenue should raise money and grain and prepare for the future... When the army moves, there will be more money and grain, and the army will have greater confidence. In addition, the taxes last year were collected, and I think there is no problem."

He glanced at Xu Jingzong with a calm look.

Do you think it’s that simple to do things?

The court has been brewing an attack on the Three Kingdoms of Liaodong, and money and food are the first in this battle. I have made contributions and no mistakes in this move, but you, Xu Jingzong, are just too impulsive and have not achieved enough success!

Xu Jingzong stood up, "Your Majesty, I don't know how to attack Liaodong, but the people in Jinzhou are hungry, but this is real... Whenever I think of the people in Jinzhou who have to pay taxes last year, I feel like a knife..."

He raised his head, and everyone was stunned... This treacherous minister Xu actually burst into tears.

"The harvest has decreased due to natural disasters, but Wang Quanzhong, the governor of Jinzhou, actually forced local governments to collect taxes for his own political achievements... What's wrong with the people! Your Majesty! Those people are unable to eat, and those children are so hungry..."

He wiped his tears and said, "What we said in the court is simple, but the lives of the people... When I went to Huazhou, I went to the Wuyang Gong family, with a bare wall and almost no overnight food at home. Even Huazhou is like this, how about Jinzhou, which has encountered natural disasters?"

He looked at Lu Chengqing and his anger erupted like a volcano, "Those people just want to survive the natural disaster, but Jinzhou forced taxes. I can think of the ruthlessness of those officials, and the despair of the people who cried and begged for mercy...

What can they expect? There are cruel officials like you in the court who take charge of the Ministry of Revenue and regard the people as nothing. When their despair and howlings are transmitted to the court, they are no longer heard... So you thought with peace of mind that you would be able to ease the rest for another year, but can the people ease it? Can they?"

Xu Jingzong bowed, "I beg your Majesty to exempt Jinzhou from 50% of this year... no, 60% of the taxes."

Lu Chengqing smiled slightly.

He was a child of the Lu family of Fanyang, and his father was originally an official of the former Sui Dynasty. After Li Yuan raised his army, his father surrendered without hesitation. The children of the Lu family of Fanyang surrendered. Although they were just small officials, they became Li Yuan's tool for building momentum... Lu Chengqing's father was named Duke of Fanyang County.

Emperor Taizong succeeded to the throne and took great care of Lu Chengqing. The life of this gentry's child was smooth sailing.

But after Li Zhi ascended the throne, the Guanlong faction was in charge of the government. The Guanlong faction and Shandong gentry such as the Fanyang Lu family were incompatible, so Lu Chengqing was driven out of Chang'an City...

After Li Zhi was determined to attack the Guanlong small circle, the first thing he thought of was to find helpers. Shandong gentry, the opponent of Guanlong small circle, came into his sight. Then Lu Chengqing was promoted step by step... Finally, he also participated in the interrogation of Guanlong small circle and became Li Zhi's tool to clear his political opponents.

Lu Chengqing is naturally not a tool man, so he just smiled slightly.

I am dedicated to the country, what are you doing?

As for the people, from the late Han Dynasty to the early days of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, countless ambitious people made their debut, fighting and plundering were the main theme. The bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no rooster crowing for thousands of miles, and the people turned into piles of white bones. Those ambitious people stepped on these bones and walked onto the throne... Who cares about those white bones?

If you can't see through this, what else can you, Xu Jingzong, be the prime minister?

After years of inheritance, the Lu family of Fanyang knew these changes well, and the same was true for the gentry... In their eyes, the people were tool people: tool people who provided money and grain, tool people who became sergeants, tool people who became craftsmen, tool people who became merchants...

Tools are tools!

The prime minister argued, and only the emperor could take action. When the two looked at the emperor, Lu Chengqing was quite confident in his heart, and even Wang Zhongliang felt the tragic aura of Xu Jingzong.

A hidden blow from Shandong gentry in the court!

Lu Chengqing glanced at Li Ji.

Li Ji looked calm and did not respond.

I am I, don’t hit me as you wait for the calculation.

Li Zhi moved slightly, sat upright, and the ministers were solemn.

"You are the boat, and the people are the water. Water can carry boats and can also overturn the boat. When I was young, the late emperor taught me this way. At that time, I was wondering why the king was above and held supreme authority, so why were he still afraid of those weak people as weak as sheep... But the late emperor told me many examples."

Li Zhi had some memories in his eyes, "The Former Qin unified the Central Plains, and the First Emperor was very talented and wise, but the Qin Dynasty's laws were violent and harsh. Some people called out, and the people gathered in the scenery, and then the Former Qin collapsed. During the Former Han Dynasty, officials were corrupt, powerful and powerful, and greedy, and the people lived in poverty. In the end, the Yellow Turban raised the flag and the Former Han Dynasty was destroyed... What did I see?"

The teachings of the late emperor came to my mind one by one, and Li Zhi thought to himself: Aye, you have a profound vision after all.

"Whether it is the Former Qin Dynasty or the Former Han Dynasty, the people are regarded as nothing. It seems that there is no major problem for a while, but the public grievances will accumulate and more and more..."

Li Zhi said solemnly: "I seem to have seen the scene of chaos in the world. If there is really that scene, my indifference to the people at this moment will be the beginning! I will not be the king of the country that has been destroyed, and I also hope that my descendants will not be the king of the country that has been destroyed."

Lu Chengqing felt a stern.

"Xu Qing has been with me for many years, and some people have called him the treacherous minister Xu, and I am also quite gimmicked." Li Zhi smiled with a smile, obviously thinking about what happened back then.

Xu Jingzong burst into tears, "Your Majesty!"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "But you don't think it's offensive. You do things seriously and put the overall situation first. I remember when you were in Huazhou, the officials in Huazhou said that you love the people as much as your son. I asked you, but you said that the people are your parents... If all the officials in the Tang Dynasty were like this, who else could shake this Tang Dynasty?"

Xu Jingzong said with tears in his eyes: "I regard the people as my parents. If there is any inappropriateness in the people, I will be anxious and wish I could replace them with myself."

"What an anxious person, what a replacement for him!"

Li Zhi nodded frequently, and his appreciation was beyond words.

Everyone's hearts moved slightly and knew that Xu Jingzong had scored.

This treacherous minister Xu... If you say that he is not capable of acting, Xu Jingzong acts straightforwardly and says something, otherwise he would not have lost his manners at the funeral of Empress Wende.

This person actually regards the people as his parents... it's ridiculous!

"The Secretariat is vacant, I have been wondering who can hold this position..."

Lu Chengqing looked up, with something else in his eyes.

Xu Jingzong was the prime minister of the Ministry of Rites, and he was the prime minister of the Ministry of Revenue... But in the final analysis, the serious prime minister only had three high officials.

The Secretariat is the real prime minister!

Li Yifu's eyes were full of heat. The Secretariat was originally his position, but after being demoted to Puzhou last time, he never took over the position again. Is the emperor going to make a decision today?

The other prime ministers were also quite moved.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.

Li Zhi was as insightful as seeing these things.

who?

His eyes slowly turned and finally settled on Xu Jingzong.
To be continued...