Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 367 His Majesty Wants to Re-employ You
The leader was Xu Jin.

She was wearing a blue cloak and came over with small steps. She was holding the hand of a famous girl, who was the girl who had escaped just now.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. This child just offended you. Please forgive me! Yu'er, why don't you kowtow and apologize to your Majesty?"

The girl knelt on the ground and said in a crisp voice, "I was wrong. Your Majesty, please don't punish me." Her voice was trembling.

Li Zhi raised his hand and smiled, "It's okay, I wanted to laugh just now, Concubine Xian, help her up."

Xu Jin then pulled her up and walked around the garden with Li Zhi.

The girl followed behind.

Li Zhi asked about the girl's origins.

Xu Jin replied, "Your Majesty, she is the daughter of a friend of yours, named Feng Yu'er. Both her parents are dead, and her life is pitiful, so yours took her in. Seeing that she is well-behaved, I adopted her as my adopted daughter."

It was common for concubines in the palace who had no children to adopt young women as their adopted daughters.

Li Zhi knew that Xu Jin had felt lonely after Princess Yiyang moved to the Princess Courtyard. He held her hand, turned and walked towards Penglai Palace, and asked, "How did her parents die?"

Xu Jin paused for a moment and said, "He died of illness."

Li Zhi noticed that she looked strange and asked, "How did she die of illness?"

Xu Jin didn't dare to hide it any longer and whispered, "His father originally founded a small society that specialized in undertaking government construction projects. While building a canal, he was framed and accused of cutting corners. The county government confiscated all his property and sentenced him to exile. Yu'er's father died of illness in prison before he could leave. Her mother also died of grief and anger. Before her death, she entrusted her to her brother."

Li Zhi raised his eyebrows and said, "You said his father was framed?"

Xu Jin said: "Yes, the person who killed his father was the owner of another large society."

Li Zhi snorted coldly and said, "How can the people in the county government handle cases so indiscriminately?"

Xu Jin said, "The county lieutenant who arrested Yu'er's father accepted bribes from the shopkeeper. Officials and businessmen colluded, one plotting to seize Yu'er's property, the other to seize the canal works."

Li Zhi was furious and asked, "Have those corrupt officials been dealt with?"

Xu Jin gently stroked Li Zhi's chest and said softly, "Your Majesty, don't be angry. After my brother returned to the capital, he went to the Censorate and reported the county lieutenant. He has been punished."

Li Zhi said, "Where are the profiteers?"

Xu Jin said: "They will be dealt with together."

After listening to this, Li Zhi was still angry and felt heavy-hearted.

The fact that this incident happened before his eyes showed that there were countless similar incidents.

When the Lucheng County incident happened, he knew that corruption would arise after the change from the military recruitment system to the recruitment system.

When I returned to Beijing last year, I discussed this matter with my ministers.

After discussion, the king and his ministers agreed that only by improving the commercial law could this problem be prevented.

He entrusted the task of drafting new laws to the Prince's tutor Yu Zhining, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Li Xun, and the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple Li Youyi.

Later, several people compiled new laws, which were discussed in the Political Affairs Hall and presented to Li Zhi, who also approved them.

Li Zhi was not an expert at law, but judging from the current results, the laws formulated by these people had serious problems and could not prevent the corruption in various states and counties.

If this trend continues to spread and leads to corruption in the bureaucracy, not only will the people suffer, but people in future generations will also blame the policy of abolishing corvee labor.

After Li Zhi's death, this policy will be abolished and the original system will be restored.

Li Zhi naturally could not allow this to happen.

From a financial perspective, abolishing corvee labor and liberating productivity are indeed beneficial to the country. He also confirmed this after his personal inspection.

The only problem is that the laws cannot keep up with the changes in the system and cannot effectively solve the problem of corruption, so we must replace a group of people and re-enact the laws.

When it comes to the law, there is only one person in his heart who is the most authoritative and capable in the court.

Changsun Wuji.

That night, Li Zhi favored Penglai Palace. Early the next morning, he came to Ganlu Palace to summon Yu Zhining and others.

When he arrived at the main hall, he was stunned to find that the dragon table in the hall was empty.

Only then did he remember that the officials were on holiday today, and Yu Zhining and others were probably at home, enjoying the rare day off.

Li Zhi did not want to delay the matter until next year, so he sent an imperial decree to the palace to summon the three men.

Before Yu Zhining and the other two arrived, Li Ji, Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong entered the palace to ask for a meeting.

The three of them had learned the details of the war in Japan from Jiang Ke, so they came to Li Zhi to discuss the next military strategy against Japan.

After Li Zhi met with the three people, he asked for their opinions.

Cheng Zhijie said, "Your Majesty, in the Battle of Xiongjin Port, our army severely defeated the main force of the Japanese army. Japan is no longer able to interfere in Baekje's affairs. You can first help Bok Shin and eliminate Yi Ci, and then unite with the Baekje army to attack Japan."

Yuchi Gong said: "No, we should seize the opportunity to attack and not give them a chance to breathe. Otherwise, the Japanese will have time to recruit strong men, build fortifications, and defend their homeland, making it difficult to defeat them easily."

Li Zhi looked at Li Ji and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Li?"

Li Ji said, "Our army has no experience in attacking islands, so we cannot rely on old tricks. A rash attack could easily lead to a serious mistake. I believe we should formulate a detailed battle plan after the grand court meeting on the first day, and then gradually plan the attack."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Since Lord Li and Lord Cheng both advocate delaying the plan, then let's postpone it for now."

The three of them immediately bowed and took their leave.

Not long after, Yu Zhining and the other two arrived.

After all, Yu Zhining was a veteran of three dynasties, so Li Zhi still gave him some face and only told the three of them about Feng Yuer's family situation.

After hearing this, the three of them lowered their heads and remained silent.

Li Zhi said slowly, "Mr. Yu, how is the prince's uncle doing recently?"

Yu Zhining was slightly taken aback, and said quickly: "He has been at home recently and has been relaxing. It is said that he has just completed a history book and presented it to Your Majesty. I think he should be doing well."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "The Yonghui Code was originally edited by the emperor's uncle. It is thorough and complete, without any mistakes or omissions, and has truly contributed to the stability of the country. In the future, please visit him more often on my behalf."

Yu Zhining said: "Yes."

Li Zhi did not scold the three people again, but waved his hand and asked them to leave.

After the three of them left Ganlu Palace, Yu Zhining walked quickly, his face pale and without saying a word.

He was too old and lacked energy, so he handed over the task of formulating new laws to Li Xun and Li Youyi, and he was only responsible for supervision.

This time, he was reprimanded by the emperor because of the involvement of these two people.

"Master Yu, what did His Majesty mean just now?..." Li Youyi followed quickly behind him and asked tentatively.

Yu Zhining narrowed his eyes and said, "Your Majesty has already given us the face we need to take the initiative to submit our resignation for the revision of the law. Go back and write the memorial."

After saying that, he walked away.

After Yu Zhining left the palace, he told the driver, "Go to Changsun Mansion!"

The wheels rolled south along Zhuque Street, then turned east and soon stopped outside Changsun Mansion.

After Yu Zhining got off the carriage, he went straight into Changsun Mansion without informing anyone.

The last time he helped Changsun Wuji and invited the emperor, although it didn't work, he gained Changsun Wuji's trust. Every time he came to Changsun Mansion, he didn't have to report it.

Walking along the corridor towards Changsun Wuji's large study.

The servant who led the way was very friendly to him and said as they walked, "Mr. Yu, my son Alang is talking to Mr. Li in the study."

Yu Zhining was stunned and asked, "Li Ji? Wasn't your A Lang his sworn enemy in the past?"

The servant laughed and said, "I don't know. Anyway, Mr. Li often comes to visit my son Alang."

"Hey, Zhangsun Wuji treated Li Ji so badly back then, and now that he's down and out, Li Ji not only doesn't retaliate, he even visits him frequently. I wonder how he does it."

Yu Zhining quickly came out of the study with doubts in his mind.

Just as he was about to go in to report, the door opened from the inside and Li Ji came out. He bowed to Yu Zhining and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Yu."

Yu Zhining returned the greeting with a bow and said with emotion, "Since Lord Li took office as the General of the Left Guard, our Tang army has been unstoppable and invincible. Lord Li has made great contributions."

Li Ji said, "You are overpraising me. This is all Your Majesty's wise decision. I dare not take any credit for it."

Yu Zhining smiled and said, "I heard that in the battle against Baekje this time, our army beheaded 40,000 to 50,000 people. I wonder if Your Majesty will continue to use troops against Japan next?"

Li Ji said: "I don't know either. Your Majesty should discuss this matter at the court meeting on the first day of next year." After speaking, he turned and left.

Yu Zhining watched his back as he walked away before entering the study. He looked up and saw Changsun Wuji pouring tea. He smiled at him and said, "Brother Yu, you're here. Please take a seat and try some of the Xinyang Maojian tea that Li Ji brought."

Yu Zhining snorted and said, "Brother Changsun is amazing. He actually asked Li Ji to bring you tea."

Changsun Wuji stared at him for a while and said, "You don't seem to be in a good mood today. Is something wrong?"

Yu Zhining waved his hand and said, "I'll talk about my business later. First, let's talk about you and Li Ji. What is your relationship?"

Changsun Wuji extended his hand to invite him to sit down, and slowly said, "During the Tibetan affairs, he and I fought side by side, and we developed a certain friendship. Li Ji is a man who values ​​friendship. We are both old now, so we can talk together when we have time."

Yu Zhining picked up the teacup, looked at the tea in it, and said, "Just for this, he would give you such precious tea?"

Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "This is a gift for me to practice."

Yu Zhining was slightly surprised: "Practice? Where are you going?"

Changsun Wuji said, "You should have heard that I have already written a history book and presented it to Your Majesty. Your Majesty will definitely summon me to an audience at the grand court next year. Then, I will ask Your Majesty for permission to guard the Zhaoling Mausoleum."

Yu Zhining's face changed drastically. He stared at him closely without saying a word.

Changsun Wuji took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "Why are you so surprised? I remember telling you about this before."

Yu Zhining sighed, "I thought you were just saying it casually. Even the Queen has let bygones be bygones, so why are you doing this?"

Changsun Wuji said slowly: "Your Majesty will not use me anymore. If that's the case, I might as well go guard the mausoleum to avoid annoying others."

"That's not necessarily true." Yu Zhining said suddenly.

Changsun Wuji glanced at him, shook his head, and continued drinking tea.

Yu Zhining laughed and said, "Do you think I'm joking? I'm serious. His Majesty may want to use you again."

Changsun Wuji shook his head and said, "Impossible."

Yu Zhining said, "Just now, His Majesty summoned me, Li Xun, and Li Youyi, and his words hinted at his dissatisfaction with the new laws we compiled."

Changsun Wuji frowned and asked, "What new law?"

Yu Zhining then told the story of how the emperor dealt with corruption in Lucheng County last year and summoned court officials to discuss the new law.

After listening to this, Changsun Wuji glanced at Yu Zhining and smiled strangely.

"Given your temperament, you'll definitely leave the specific work of drafting the law to these two, right?"

Yu Zhining said, "Of course. I'm already this old, how can I have the energy to formulate new laws?"

Changsun Wuji sneered and said, "Is it because you don't have the energy, or are you afraid of taking responsibility?"

Yu Zhining said unhappily, "Why should I be afraid of such a small matter?"

"A small matter?" Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "Making laws is the foundation of the country. If they are not carefully formulated, it would be like a general stationed at a border, handing over a pass to barbarians. The harm would be so great that it would bring chaos to the country!"

Yu Zhining couldn't argue with him, so he coughed and said, "I'm thinking that since it's not a criminal order, it shouldn't have such a big impact, right?"

Zhang Sun Wuji said, "You are wrong. Although this is just a commercial law, it involves His Majesty's reforms. If it weren't for your past merits, His Majesty would definitely punish you severely!"

Yu Zhining felt a chill on his back. After taking a deep breath, he slowly said, "Yes, it was my negligence." Then he changed the subject and said, "But this matter is a good thing for Brother Changsun."

Zhang Sun Wuji understood what he meant and shook his head, sighing, "There are many people in this country who are well versed in law. Your Majesty may not use me."

Yu Zhining smiled and said, "But in your majesty's heart, you are the one who is most proficient in the law."

Changsun Wuji drank his tea and did not answer.

"You don't believe it? His Majesty just asked you about it."

Changsun Wuji suddenly raised his head and asked, "Really?"

Yu Zhining smiled and said, "Your Majesty was originally discussing the law, but suddenly asked about your recent situation. What do you think your Majesty's intention was?"

Changsun Wuji asked Yu Zhining in detail about his visit to the emperor. After listening, he said, "Your Majesty does not want to use me, but hopes that I can assist you in completing this matter."

Yu Zhining was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.

If the emperor really wanted to grant Zhangsun Wuji an official position, he could just summon him to an audience. There was no need for him to convey his message.

"Brother Changsun, if you don't want to..."

Zhang Sun Wuji raised his hand and said, "Since Your Majesty has placed his trust in me, I shall certainly serve the country."

Yu Zhining bowed and said, "Brother Changsun's loyalty to the country is admirable."

Changsun Wuji then asked him in detail about commercial laws.

After listening to Yu Zhining's detailed explanation, he shook his head and said, "There's something wrong with the laws you made. No wonder there are problems."

Yu Zhining asked hurriedly: "What's the problem?"

Changsun Wuji said slowly, "Old Yu, do you know what habit I had when I was responsible for formulating the Zhenguan and Yonghui laws?"

Yu Zhining shook his head.

Changsun Wuji said, "I am only responsible for supervising the officials. I basically don't read the laws that apply to the people."

Yu Zhining asked, "Why is that?"

Changsun Wuji laughed and said, "Because those who make laws are also officials. They can be fair and just when they are responsible for the laws of the people. However, when they make laws that affect themselves, do you think they can still be fair?"

Yu Zhining said thoughtfully, "Yes, they are also worried that the laws they make will one day be used against them, binding themselves."

Changsun Wuji said, "That's why they try to reduce the penalties for officials. The ancients didn't impose penalties on officials, which is why."

Yu Zhining finally understood the problem and said in a deep voice, "The laws that Li Xun and Li Youyi enacted are too lenient, so they can't deter local officials!"

Zhang Sun Wuji narrowed his eyes and said, "Not only is it light, but there are also many loopholes. You are also responsible for this incident."

Yu Zhining nodded without making any excuses.

Changsun Wuji continued, "I am old now. I cannot accomplish this task alone. I need some help."

Yu Zhining asked, "Brother Changsun, do you have anyone to recommend?"

Chang Sun Wuji did not answer directly, but said:

"Officials who make laws not only have to deal with their own selfishness, but also the influence of other officials, so the selection of the right people is very important."

Any law that involves officials will attract the attention of officials, and they will use their influence to make the officials who make the laws act according to their will.

Therefore, when laws were formulated throughout history, the ministers selected by the emperor had to be not only fair and honest, but also powerful and influential so that they could counter the influence exerted by other ministers in the court.

Yu Zhining thought for a moment and said, "I can think of two people."

"Who?"

Yu Zhining said, "Zhang Jianzhi, the Minister of the Central Secretariat and Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple. Wei Siqian, the Chief Censor."

Zhang Sun Wuji pondered and said, "I'm not familiar with Zhang Jianzhi. However, Wei Siqian is a man who has always been impartial and fair, so he is a good choice."

Yu Zhining smiled and said, "Since the sixth year of the Yonghui reign, Your Majesty has rarely allowed people to hold multiple positions, but Zhang Jianzhi is an exception. From this, you should know his ability."

Changsun Wuji said, "If that's the case, I have no objection."

Yu Zhining stood up and said, "Then I will go to the palace tomorrow and recommend these two people to Your Majesty. Goodbye."

When he reached the door, he suddenly heard Zhangsun Wuji say, "By the way, I heard people say these days that Lu Chengqing is going to be the prime minister?"

Yu Zhining turned around and said, "Yes, he has done a lot of great things for Your Majesty in the past few years. After Liu Rengui was dismissed as Prime Minister, the position of Shizhong has been vacant. His promotion to Shizhong is a natural progression."

"Where's Du Zhenglun?"

"He was naturally promoted to Minister of Revenue."

Changsun Wuji nodded with a thoughtful expression.

Yu Zhining frowned and asked, "Why are you asking about them suddenly?"

Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "Nothing, just asking casually."

The next day, Yu Zhining went to the palace to meet the emperor and recommended Wei Siqian and Zhang Jianzhi. He also mentioned that he had visited Changsun Wuji the day before and expressed that Changsun Wuji was willing to assist him in formulating new laws.

Li Zhi was very satisfied and immediately agreed to his recommendation. He only waited for the first day of the next year to let Wei Siqian and Zhang Jianzhi participate in the revision of the new law.

(End of this chapter)