My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 118: Forging Evidence of the Crown Prince's Rebellion

It is necessary to explain my political views to Erfeng.

This is equivalent to giving Erfeng a signal.

I'm going to work for a noble family, so please don't hold me back.

Judging from the situation, it can alleviate Erfeng's trouble to a great extent.

"It's better not to overdo it."

Li Shimin thought for a long time, and finally could only utter this sentence.

His ideas are different from Li Chengqian's. After all, he is a vested interest and the Li family itself is also a powerful family.

But now that he’s the emperor, the position of his butt has changed and his ideas are a little different.

But in Li Chengqian's opinion, the transformation is still not thorough enough.

"That depends on what they do. If they really want to be troublemakers, I can't stop them."

"With such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of being overfed? The brave ones will die of overeating, while the timid ones will die of starvation."

Li Chengqian said with a smile, which seemed like he was trying to kill someone with a smile.

"We also have to consider the impact. If we act too harshly, there will be a big mess and unrest everywhere, which will be detrimental to the people."

Li Shimin was in a dilemma. What if the matter got out of hand and he was forced to depose the crown prince?

So is it waste or is it useless?

Li Chengqian grinned, his snow-white teeth reflecting a sharp cold light.

"There is no trouble at all, they are just rebels."

The prince is very stubborn and Erfeng is very tired.

In fact, Li Shimin wanted to say, why don’t you wait until I die before you do it.

Then it has nothing to do with me if you become a tyrant.

He still cares a lot about his reputation.

Ever since the Xuanwu Gate Incident, I have cared more about it, otherwise I wouldn't have been bullied by my subjects all these years and still been smiling.

Everyone has a temper, but being able to control it is a real skill.

Li Chengqian doesn't have such ability.

I don't want to learn such a skill.

I also want face, but face is something that is never given by others, but earned by oneself.

Censor?

Sooner or later this official position will be abolished.

Why keep him around? Will he just make things difficult for yourself?

After the banquet, the Zhengdan court ceremony also came to an end.

The next lively time will be the Lantern Festival in fourteen days.

That was the joy of rest, different from today.

On the way back, the eunuch Wen Zhong reported, "Your Highness, Fang Xuanling left the banquet early, saying that he was not feeling well."

"Where did you go? Straight home?"

"The people who were watching Wubenfang didn't see him go home. He must have changed carriages and no one knows where he went."

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment.

Fang Xuanling didn't even attend the New Year's Eve banquet, so where else could he go?

Li Chengqian had a hunch that such secretive actions might be a conspiracy against him.

After all, although Fang Xuanling is not decisive enough, he is not a fool.

Once something is decided, we will definitely find a way to complete it.

Now that he is clearly on the side of King Wei, he won't come to please me.

"Send someone to the Dali Temple to ask if Fang Xuanling has been there."

"Also, I asked you to instigate the spies around Fang Xuanling to rebel, but why is there still no news?"

The eunuch Wen Zhong replied helplessly: "Your Highness, the people around Fang Xuanling are all old people who have followed him for many years. No matter how much money I offer, they will not respond."

Li Chengqian scolded him, "Stupid, think about why those captains betrayed me. If money can't solve the problem, then think of other ways. Do you need me to teach you about this?"

The people around me are really not worthy of being used.

The eunuch Wen Zhong has nothing but loyalty.

"Yes, I will do it immediately."

Li Chengqian said: "You are the head eunuch of the Eastern Palace after all. It is difficult to pick a few smart and sensible ones."

"If you don't have the ability, leave it to someone who has the ability."

"You have been by my side for so many years, are you afraid that I will abandon you?"

Li Chengqian also understood Wen Zhong's thoughts.

I’m afraid that when new people come, the old ones will be forgotten.

When others overtake you, you just sit there and do nothing.

But Li Chengqian's patience was limited when things failed time and again.

"Your Highness is teaching me this lesson. I will go find someone who can do the job right away."

The eunuch Wen Zhong hurriedly replied.

After returning to the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian had a lot of things to deal with.

The first thing to be affected is the coal mine issue.

After much deliberation, Li Chengqian finally decided to arrange for Zhang Sizheng to go.

After all, he has been my confidant for many years, so loyalty is not a problem.

The main reason is that once coal mining is started, there is too much oil and water in it, which makes it easy for termites to breed.

Zhang Sizheng loves power but not money, so he can be used.

After thinking about it, Li Chengqian called Di Zhixun over.

"Greetings to Your Highness."

"I am planning to start a coal mining business. I asked you to come here to help me write the charter."

Di Zhixun said respectfully, "Your Highness, please give your instructions."

Li Chengqian said: "There are about 10,000 people, mainly engaged in coal mining, not corvée labor, and wages are settled, similar to long-term labor."

"I have thought about it carefully and decided not to pay monthly wages, but to give more pay for more work."

"Every ten kilograms of coal you dig is worth one penny."

Di Zhixun was a little surprised and couldn't help but say, "Your Highness is merciful."

The main tools for mining are pickaxes and shovels. If one works hard, each person can dig hundreds or thousands of pieces a day.

Assuming that each person weighs 800 kilograms, they can earn 80 coins a day, which means 2,400 coins a month.

You have to know that for the people outside Chang'an, if there were no natural disasters or man-made calamities and the harvest was good, based on the estimate that a family of five could earn enough grain to meet their own consumption and have a certain amount of surplus to sell, their monthly income would range from tens to hundreds of coins.

In addition, during the slack season, farmers can also earn income by participating in handicrafts, commercial activities or working for wealthy households.

By mining, one can earn more than 2,000 coins per month, which is almost equivalent to the income of a normal family for most of the year.

This price is quite high.

Once the news spreads, a large number of people will flock to the place.

Di Zhixun hesitated and said, "Your Highness, are you talking about raw coal or processed coal?"

There is a lot of water in it. After processing and screening, ten kilograms of raw coal may contain less than half of it.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Of course it's crude coal. After mining, do we have to stand by and watch it being processed?"

Di Zhixun felt a little ashamed, knowing that he had asked a stupid question.

The main thing is the price the prince gave is really outrageous.

Li Chengqian continued, "In addition, all miners must have a household registration in the Tang Dynasty. Those without a household registration cannot receive their wages."

Di Zhixun's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood why the prince offered such a high price.

No one is allowed to work without a household registration, which is clearly aimed at those hidden populations.

Since the people don’t have household registration, why are they unwilling to ask the government to handle their household registration themselves?

Is it because of the obstruction of the aristocratic families? That is not the case.

There are tens of millions of people. Who can stop them and how can they stop them?

If you have the ability, you might as well become the emperor yourself.

The key point is that when you farm for aristocratic families, you don’t need to pay taxes, you only need to pay rent, and the rent is much lower than the taxes levied by the court.

Under such circumstances, everyone is willing to be an illegal resident.

For example, the territories of the Five Surnames and Seven Families, or even the entire village, were not registered with the government. But now, with new jobs that earn more than farming, it is a completely different situation.

"Your Highness is wise."

Di Zhixun sighed sincerely.

Li Chengqian continued, "The miners are provided with food and lodging, three meals a day, and each meal includes oil and blood soup."

"Workers entering the mines must wear masks. Violators will be given a warning once and fined 30 cents twice."

Coal miners are prone to pneumoconiosis, which is irreversible.

Given the current working conditions, there is no good way to protect yourself.

Masks can prevent dust, and animal blood can expel dust.

The cost is not a big deal, it can be considered as doing good deeds.

Di Zhixun took notes with pen and paper and did not ask in detail about the effects of the blood bar soup and the mask.

But with free food and accommodation and three meals a day, the temptation is indeed huge.

It means that as long as you work hard, earning three thousand yuan a month is not a dream.

After finishing writing, Di Zhixun thought for a while and replied: "Although your highness has stipulated that those without household registration are not allowed to work, Jinzhou is far away from Chang'an, and there must be lawless people who secretly work under the name of others."

"I think that the amount of coal that each person can collect per day can be limited to only 1,000 catties. If the amount exceeds 1,000 catties, no more compensation will be paid."

"This will effectively prevent those who want to use other people's household registration to work."

Li Chengqian nodded: "That's right, I'll add this to the charter as you said. If you have other good ideas after you go back, you can always report them to me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Di Zhixun was very happy to be able to work for the prince, as it meant that promotion was not far away in the future.

After the recruitment has been arranged, there is still the issue of coal processing.

Li Chengqian was glad that he had visited the Coal Museum in his previous life and had some knowledge about the ancient processing methods.

The key process is coal washing in water circulation, which can quickly and effectively increase the output of fine coal.

He then summoned the craftsmen of the Eastern Palace to discuss the design of these tools.

The craftsmen worked until the evening and finally figured out the idea.

At dinner time, Li Xiang also came back.

The Military Academy was closed in the morning. Although there was no training today, the military strategy class still had to be attended.

There are also literacy courses in the evening, but Li Xiang doesn't have to go.

In order to better train his eldest son Li Xiang, Li Chengqian now always lets Li Xiang accompany him when he has meals.

There are also Su Yuer and Xiao Li Jue.

It's a happy and lively occasion for the whole family.

Little Li Jue, who is five years old this year, is always chattering.

Li Xiang, who was originally a bit introverted, felt his father's love during this period and became much more cheerful.

During the meal, Su Yuer tentatively said that she wanted to find a concubine for the prince.

Li Chengqian smiled and refused.

It's not that I'm not lustful, it's the nature of men, it's just that there are too many things to do now.

Besides, when the need arises, who would be afraid that there would not be beautiful Hu concubines in the East Palace?

Just pick one if you feel like it.

The foreign girls and palace maids who were able to enter the Eastern Palace were naturally good-looking and had good figures.

For the palace maid Hu Ji, there was no reason to refuse this offer. If she could accept it, she would be extremely rich.

If she could give birth to a child, even if he was a bastard, he would still be able to climb up the tree and become a phoenix.

Besides, this is not the first time Li Chengqian has done such a thing.

Otherwise, there would be no Li Xiang today.

"During this period, how have the students of the Military Academy progressed in their literacy?"

Li Chengqian asked casually while eating mutton, vegetables and Hu pancake.

I am still very concerned about the Military Academy.

But illiteracy is indeed a fatal flaw. If you can't even recognize words, it's completely nonsense to learn military tactics.

Li Xiang shook his head and said, "Father, the students in the Military Academy are learning to read very slowly. Learning to read is really difficult for them."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, put down the food in his hand, and asked: "Why is it so difficult?"

Li Xiang thought for a moment and replied, "Father, most of these students come from ordinary families and have never had a good study environment since childhood. As they grow up, they worry about food and clothing every day, so how can they have the opportunity to learn to read and write?"

"And learning to read must start from the most basic strokes and pronunciations, just like building a tall building from brick to tile. This process is extremely long and boring."

"Furthermore, literacy is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires repeated memorization and writing in order to remember it. However, they still have to practice on weekdays. Time is already tight, so the energy they can devote to literacy is even more limited."

After hearing this, Li Chengqian fell into deep thought.

In ancient times, literacy was indeed an extremely difficult thing. There was no education system and teaching methods like those of later generations.

Even with a learning environment, progress is very slow.

Then I thought, since there isn't one, why not make one myself?

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian lost interest in eating anymore. He got up and went to the study, and told the eunuch Wen Zhong to get him a copy of Thousand Character Classic.

Thousand Character Classic is now a major enlightenment education book. It was compiled by Zhou Xingsi of the Liang Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and is used by everyone from royal aristocrats to ordinary people.

The eunuch Wen Zhong brought the book of Thousand Character Classic.

Li Chengqian took up his pen and took notes.

But the words he wrote down were not traditional Chinese characters, but simplified Chinese characters.

And pinyin annotations are added to each simplified character.

Simplified characters have existed since ancient times, and are abbreviated as vernacular characters or vernacular writing.

The simplified vernacular script was not part of the standard characters used by the imperial court and was mainly used by the people.

The most commonly used one is the accountant.

Simplified Chinese characters have fewer strokes and are faster to type, so they are more practical for accounting and quick recording, saving time and effort.

Because it is popular among the people, the writing style is more arbitrary, and one character can be written in many ways. In addition, there are also variant forms and derivatives of typos, such as 贰貮貳.

In order to help the students of the Military Academy learn to read faster and better, Li Chengqian decided to promote a set of standard simplified characters.

The advantage of simplified characters over traditional characters is that they are easier to recognize and remember. Simplified characters have relatively fewer strokes and a simpler structure, which greatly reduces the difficulty of recognition and memorization.

For beginners, it is easier to master and recognize, which can speed up the literacy process and improve learning efficiency.

For example, the simplified Chinese character “马” has only three strokes, while the traditional Chinese character “馬” has ten strokes. The simplified Chinese character “馬” is obviously easier to remember.

In addition, there is a more special benefit. When the Military Academy uses the simplified characters created by the prince, it becomes easier to unify ideas.

After finishing writing the Thousand Character Classic in simplified Chinese, Li Chengqian asked the eunuch to call Li Xiang, Xue Rengui, Pei Xingjian, Su Dingfang, and Di Renjie.

There are just five teachers for each class of five students.

As for the teachers who were previously responsible for teaching the students at the Military Academy, let them withdraw.
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Wubenfang, Fangfu.

"Father, it might be too dangerous for you to go there in person."

"Once the prince knows about this, I'm afraid..."

Fang Yizheng persuaded carefully.

Fang Xuanling said helplessly: "If I don't take the risk and go, will Yin Hongzhi be trusted?"

"It's New Year's Day, so naturally we can't take care of the Crown Prince."

Fang Yizheng didn't continue talking, but in fact it was still possible for it to be known.

The biggest danger here is that if the prince knew that his father was planning to expose his rebellion, he would be furious and kill him by force.

This possibility is very high considering the prince's character.

"The people on King Qi's side are all the prince's people. How is father going to meet him?" Fang Yizheng asked.

Fang Xuanling shook his head: "There is no need to meet the King of Qi. He is as timid as a mouse and is most likely to do bad things."

"Besides, he knows very little and we don't need him. I have already asked Yin Hongzhi, and Hegan Chengji actually never communicated with the King of Qi. What the Crown Prince said before was pure fabrication."

"Now that Hegan Chengji is dead, we only need to get his handwriting and forge it. With Yin Hongzhi's reply, we can confirm the prince's suspicion."

Fang Xuanling only needed to mix a fake letter with these real letters.

It's not completely false. After all, Yin Hongzhi's handwriting is real, and the prince's rebellion is also true.

Fang Yizhi was worried: "If it's just like this, I'm afraid we won't be able to overthrow the prince just by letters."

Fang Xuanling said, "I never thought that Your Majesty would depose the Crown Prince just by a letter."

"This is just a small part of the evidence that needs to be prepared."

ps: I will be asking for monthly tickets at the end of the month. I understand the rules. 200 monthly tickets plus one more chapter, currently 439.
(End of this chapter)