Zhenguan Xiaoxian Wang Li Shen Li Shimin

Shifting the blame to Li Chengqian was something Li Shen had planned long ago. He couldn't do everything himself; Li Chengqian should also experience it.

Otherwise, he would face even greater pressure if he became emperor in the future.

If he can get through this, it will definitely be a significant addition to his resume.

Li Shen was speaking from the heart. Li Chengqian has grown up and it's time for him to be tempered.

With the firepower spread evenly, Li Shen himself would be in a better position.

To be honest, Li Shen didn't want to get involved in the intrigue and scheming. He knew his own limitations; when it came to true political maneuvering...

Li Shen was a complete novice.

The reason he is currently in the upper hand is entirely due to his brute force approach, relying on his vast wealth, unscrupulous methods, and the protection of his emperor father.

He can only act arrogantly and domineeringly now that his emperor father is still alive, but what if his emperor father were to die one day?

His life would be precarious then, and he didn't know if Li Chengqian would still trust him at that time.

After all, not every emperor is as confident as his father, the emperor. Historical experience tells us that...

Every founding emperor would kill his meritorious officials, except for his own father.

"Your Highness, is it not appropriate for us to simply pass the matter on to His Highness the Crown Prince?"

If His Highness the Crown Prince holds a grudge, it will be very detrimental to our Prince Ji's residence.

As the chief secretary, Wang Xuance was wholeheartedly devoted to Li Shen's well-being, and his current salary was also given by Prince Ji.

“Xuan Ce, some things have two sides. I have already discussed this matter with His Majesty, and no one will think that we are trying to shift the blame.”

Even His Majesty would think that I was trying to enhance the Crown Prince's reputation, not to push the trouble onto him.

I am simply repaying the Crown Prince's kindness by sharing his burdens.

The aristocratic families have kept a low profile all these years, wanting to recuperate and lie low while waiting for the right opportunity.

We cannot sit idly by and wait for them to find our weaknesses.

Otherwise, we will suffer great losses by then, so we must take the initiative.

We cannot allow them to die like centipedes that do not fall down.

You must remember, this world belongs to the Li family, to the common people, not to the powerful clans.

The world has no need for powerful clans and aristocratic families. Distributing their wealth among the common people will ensure the stability of my Li family's rule.

Li Shen's voice grew increasingly heavy and serious.

However, there was one more thing he didn't mention: besides the aristocratic families, Li Shen also wanted to eliminate the Guanlong Group, this huge interest group.

These are all cancers to the nation, controlling the vast resources of the Tang Dynasty.

If their wealth were distributed among the people of the world, it would be enough to feed countless people.

Among those present, Wang Hongfu and Wang Xuance were both witnesses and participants in the feud between Prince Ji and the aristocratic families.

Back in the Divine Pearl World, Li Shen was merely the mastermind behind the scenes; the actual executors were the two of them.

So when he heard Li Shen say these words, he didn't find it strange.

But Pei Mingli was different. When he was an official in the court, he did know that Prince Ji had some grudges with many people.

I have also heard that Prince Ji has beaten and scolded his ministers in court on more than one occasion.

Pei Mingli had always thought it was just Prince Ji's willful and reckless behavior, but he never imagined that Prince Ji was actually uprooting the aristocratic families.

His Pei family was also a member of the aristocratic clans.

For a time, Pei Mingli was caught in a dilemma between loyalty to his country and filial piety, and began to struggle with his thoughts.

“Mingli, you don’t need to worry. The Pei family is nothing to me. I won’t do anything to them.”

However, I also hope that the Pei family will not provoke me unnecessarily, do you understand?

Li Shen was quite perceptive and saw through Pei Mingli's intentions.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will speak to my clan. However, I am of low status and have little influence in the clan. I do not know if I can persuade them."

Pei Mingli stood up and bowed in gratitude. The fact that Prince Ji had spared the Pei family out of consideration for him was an affirmation and a favor to him.

"It's alright. I know you're from a collateral branch of the family. Whether they listen to you or not is none of your business. Even if they do something wrong in the future..."

"I will spare them from extermination, out of respect for you."

Pei Mingli is a talented person, and Li Shen is constantly trying to win him over.

Pei Mingli is not yet fully loyal to Li Shen. Unlike Wang Xuance and Wang Hongfu, he has neither money nor official position. He was forcibly brought over by Li Shen.

Wang Hongfu was grateful to Li Shen for saving his life, and Wang Xuance was equally grateful to Li Shen for recognizing his talent.

Without Li Shen, neither of them would have achieved what they have today, which is why they have feelings for Li Shen and their loyalty is not an issue.

"Your subject thanks Your Highness Prince Ji for your kindness." Pei Mingli bowed solemnly.

"No need for formalities," Li Shen waved his hand, then continued speaking to Wang Xuance:

"Xuan Ce, I'm entrusting the newspaper matter to you. Make sure to portray the Crown Prince in a positive light, showing his concern for the students."

Furthermore, it was subtly suggested that these people would become the emperor's disciples in the future, and that they should study diligently for the imperial examinations.

Wang Xuance accepted the order and said:

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will personally write it."

"Your Highness, I have been reviewing the messages sent from various regions these past few days and have discovered some suspicious points."

"Strange? What's strange about it?"

Upon hearing the word "suspicious," Li Shen became interested.

Wang Xuance quickly took out a slip of paper and handed it to Li Shen.

"Your Highness Prince Ji, according to information, there seems to be suspicion of favoritism and corruption in the selection of officials in Jiangnan Province."

Li Shen took the slip of paper, which read: "Su Mu suspects corruption in the provincial examinations, as those who send candidates each year are all powerful families."

"Su Mu" is a code that represents Suzhou Prefecture in Jiangnan Circuit. This was clearly translated and shown to him by Wang Xuance.

The original text was coded, and others could not decipher it or understand it.

"What does this mean? I don't quite understand." Li Shen shook the note in his hand, his brows furrowed.

The document states that there is suspicion of fraud in the local tribute system because the issuers are all nobles and powerful families.

"Your Highness, this is a secret report submitted by a newspaper in Suzhou. They have discovered that in recent years, those who have published these reports have all been from aristocratic families or noble families."

"So they suspected there was cheating involved," Wang Xuance explained to him.

The imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty were administered by the Ministry of Personnel, hence they were also known as the provincial examinations. There were two types of candidates for the provincial examinations: students and candidates from the countryside.

Students were those who graduated from government-run schools, such as the Imperial Academy, the University, the Imperial College, and the Four Gates Academy. They also came from the prefectural schools, state schools, and county schools established by the imperial court.

The "xianggong" (乡贡) refers to those who, through self-study or by hiring a tutor, have achieved success in private schools and participated in county or prefectural examinations.

Only those who pass the local examinations are qualified to go to the capital to participate in the provincial examinations.

After passing the examination, these local tributes were sent to the imperial court every October along with the grain, taxes, special products, and other tributes that were brought to Chang'an from their respective regions. This process was called "delivering tribute."

(My memory is failing me; I've missed some plot points. Please give me a hint.)