The Great Wei Music Bureau

Last time, after the Queen Mother inspected the singing and dancing, Li Yi came to the Gentlemen's Pavilion. Before he had a few words with Tao Zhongwen, he was forced to write the article "Encouraging Learning". The old silver coin shamelessly added himself to the signature, which made Li Yi despise him very much. So what will happen next? Let's take a look together.

Li Yi and Old Silver Coin sat back in the quiet room. Tao Zhongwen looked at Li Yi with a different look. It was so kind and doting! Li Yi felt uneasy. He said, "Sir, please restrain yourself. Don't look at me like that. It's scary!"

Tao Zhongwen smiled and said, "Xiuyuan, come and try this tea. This is the tea that His Majesty gave to me. I was reluctant to drink it. I only took it out today because I saw you coming! This is the first time!"

Li Yi muttered in his heart: Tea? You are still reluctant to drink it? As if I am precious about this thing, it is better to give me some good wine! This literati is sour! Yes! So sour! He took a sip and said: "Yes, it is really good tea. The gift from your majesty is really extraordinary."

Tao Zhongwen smiled and said, "Of course, Xiuyuan, I haven't seen you for so long, I really miss you. Look how happy I am when you come!"

Li Yi complained in his heart: Are you happy when I come? You wanted to hit me with a ruler just now! If I could beat you! I would have pressed you to the ground and rubbed you! Humph! You are so ungrateful! Old silver coin! You have no shame! You are worthy of being called a gentleman! You are so shameless! Of course, he couldn't say what was in his heart, but just asked seriously: "Xiuyuan came to visit you this time because of the Yuwen family's affairs."

Hearing this, Tao Zhongwen's expression immediately changed, and then he returned to his normal state, and asked seriously: "Oh, then I want to hear what you think about Yuwen Tian's treason this time?"

Li Yi answered the question by asking: "Sir, do you want to take this opportunity to discipline the Yuwen family? First, to avenge the loss of the prime ministership. Second, to establish your authority and show the power of your Xuanjing Division. Third, the Yuwen family has always been opportunists, and it is inevitable that there will be trouble in the future. Sir, you also want to eliminate this hidden danger for your majesty.

Finally, Sir, do you want to take this opportunity to criticize the Dugu, Nangong, and Gongsun families? Let them know that the current Wei Dynasty is determined by your majesty's words?"

Tao Zhongwen stroked his beard and smiled, "Not only that, I also want to take the financial power back to your majesty, so that your majesty can have the final say!"

Li Yi asked in confusion, "Sir, do you think Yuwen Zheng knew about Yuwen Tian's treason or not?"

Tao Zhongwen thought for a moment and said, "There is no conclusive evidence to prove that Yuwen Zheng knew about this, but I guess Yuwen Zheng must know some inside information, at least he knows that Yuwen Tian has dealings with Nanliang!"

Li Yi smiled and said, "I can tell you very clearly that the Yuwen family not only has dealings with the Southern Liang, but also with the Western Chu, the Xiongnu in the north, and the Qiangdi in the northwest. And the evidence is conclusive!"

Tao Zhongwen opened his eyes wide and asked, "Are you serious? Xiuyuan, this is a national event, it can't be treated as a joke!"

Li Yi said seriously: "Really, it's absolutely true!"

Tao Zhongwen asked: "Where is the evidence?"

Li Yi said: "The Yuwen family controls the money and grain of the Wei Dynasty. The canal transport and shops are spread all over the country. The trade with other countries is even more frequent. Starting from here, how can we not find evidence?"

Tao Zhongwen took a deep breath and asked, "Hiss! Xiuyuan, are you kidding me? How can we find evidence from these business transactions?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "Let's see who the Yuwen family is doing business with. The key point is to see who is riding on the Yuwen family's boat with Western Chu and Southern Liang."

Tao Zhongwen's face darkened and he said calmly, "Yes, if you look at it this way, I think you will definitely gain something. The Yuwen family has always been a playboy, and it's possible that they have some hidden deals with other countries!"

Li Yi nodded and said, "That's right. As long as we grasp this point, even if we want to uproot the Yuwen family, it's not impossible!"

Tao Zhongwen's eyes shone with gold, and he nodded, saying, "That's right!" He was about to leave when Li Yi reached out to stop him and asked, "What's next? What are you going to do after you get rid of the Yuwen family?"

Tao Zhongwen was somewhat puzzled and replied, "Of course, we need to find someone to fill the vacancy of the Yuwen family, rectify the Ministry of Revenue, and reorganize the money and grain affairs of the Wei Dynasty!"

Li Yi asked: "How long will it take?"

Tao Zhongwen finally realized that Li Yi was trying to turn the tables on him. He returned to his seat, sat down, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then slowly said, "Xiuyuan, if you have something to say, why bother beating around the bush? Is there anything you can't or dare not say to me? Even if you criticize the current emperor in front of me, as long as what you say is right, I will stand up for you and give advice to His Majesty!"

Li Yi smiled and said, "Xiuyuan dare not criticize Your Majesty, but if I don't say so, I'm afraid you won't be able to swallow the anger you felt back then. As the saying goes, it's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. You've been cultivating yourself and your character for so many years, why can't you wait any longer? Seeing this God-given opportunity, are you afraid to miss it?"

Tao Zhongwen sneered and said, "Back then, the Yuwen and Gongsun families joined forces to force me to withdraw from the court. I will naturally avenge this grudge, but I will never delay national affairs!"

Li Yi clapped his hands and said, "Good! Since you have such awareness, please let the Yuwen family go this time and don't think about eradicating the Yuwen clan anymore."

Tao Zhongwen asked: "Xiuyuan, didn't you say that the four major families control government affairs and are the biggest threat to the imperial power? Why are you here to speak for the Yuwen family today?"

Li Yi replied: "Because the Yuwen family cannot fall now! If they fall, no one can fill the gap, and once there is a problem with money and grain, the Wei Dynasty will be in danger! Sir, don’t you know that Liu Hong has already surrendered to the emperor of Southern Liang…"

Li Yi told Tao Zhongwen about his speculation about Liu Hong and his experience in the battle of Penghe, and finally asserted: "Within five years, the Southern Liang will be able to reorganize its military and train its soldiers. When that time comes, sir, do you think their swords will be directed towards the Great Wei or the Western Chu?"

Tao Zhongwen hesitated and said, "These are just your guesses. They are not reliable. The Emperor of Southern Liang is old. How can he start another war?"

Li Yi asked, "Isn't there a Su Bu in Western Chu? More than ten years ago, he was able to persuade Han and Nanliang to jointly invade Wei. What position does Su Bu hold in Western Chu now?"

Tao Zhongwen said calmly: "Subu, that Subu is now the Prime Minister of Western Chu."

Tao Zhongwen certainly understood what Li Yi meant, but he didn't believe that what happened thirteen years ago would happen again. How could Southern Liang and Western Chu join forces to attack again!

Li Yi said, "In times of peace, be prepared for danger. I have said that we should worry before the world worries and be happy after the world is happy. Sir, if you cannot prepare for the worst, how do you plan to help Your Majesty unify the nine provinces and establish a unified dynasty? Sir, have you heard this saying? Those who do not plan for eternity are not qualified to plan for the present, and those who do not plan for the overall situation are not qualified to plan for a region."

After Li Yi finished speaking, purple energy appeared and was sucked into his palm. Tao Zhongwen watched Li Yi calmly absorb the talent and muttered, "Those who do not plan for eternity are not qualified to plan for the moment, and those who do not plan for the overall situation are not qualified to plan for a region. Xiuyuan, so you think long-term?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "I haven't thought too far ahead. If a man does not think ahead, he will worry about the present. Right now, the Wei Dynasty has both near and far worries. If you still can't let go of the hatred from the past, I'm afraid you will be powerless to save the situation by then."

Tao Zhongwen slapped the table and said angrily: "My revenge can wait, but how can this crime of treason be dealt with so easily! The Dugu and Nangong families are keeping a close eye on us! If this kind of crime is not severely punished, there will be a big mess in the future!"

Li Yi comforted him, "Xiuyuan didn't say that he would not punish the Yuwen family. Treason is a serious crime, so of course they can't be let off. This time, the Yuwen family must bleed, but they can't be allowed to bleed to death. Now the four major families are still the four pillars of the Wei Dynasty, and any one of them can't fall! So before we find a way to replace the pillars, no pillar can be moved!"

Tao Zhongwen asked back: "Then what is the meaning of the imperial examination system you mentioned before? Isn't the imperial examination system just to disintegrate the power of the families and replace them with these new Confucian scholars?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. The imperial examination system can indeed break the monopoly of family power over official careers, but before implementing the imperial examination system, a lot of preparatory work needs to be done to solve the drawbacks of the imperial examination system."

Tao Zhongwen immediately asked: "The drawbacks of the imperial examination system? Why didn't you tell me that the imperial examination system had drawbacks?"

Li Yi laughed and said, "I thought you would think carefully about the imperial examination system, but it turns out you have forgotten about it."

Tao Zhongwen smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "In my opinion, the imperial examination system is a good policy that benefits the country and the people. How can it have disadvantages? Are you referring to the aspect of trapping patriots?"

Li Yi shook his head and smiled, "Everything has its pros and cons. I've said before that once the imperial examination system is implemented, the major clans will definitely oppose it. They will definitely try every means to stop Your Majesty from implementing the imperial examination system! And now we can use Yu Wentian's rebellion to suppress the arrogance of the clans, implement the imperial examination system, and solve the problem of money for editing books and running schools at the same time!"

Tao Zhongwen shook his head and smiled: "Tell me what you think, I'm listening!"

Li Yi said, "Of course, the punishment for treason, which is a serious crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the clan, cannot be light, but as mentioned before, the clan cannot be touched yet. If we want to touch them, we must at least wait until the imperial examination system has blossomed and borne fruit, otherwise there will be a big mess! So this time, we can use the Queen Mother's birthday to exempt the Yuwen clan from being implicated. After showing the emperor's great grace, we must also use the killing stick to intimidate!

By checking the Yuwen family's industry, and then starting from the business, we can collect more evidence, and then use these to have a good talk with the Yuwen family, so as to achieve our goal. Although some things are not allowed to be put on the table, you must know how to act, right? You have to grasp the degree, don't be too aggressive! If you really force the Yuwen family into a corner, it will be bad. "

Tao Zhongwen nodded and said, "Yes, I understand this, but it's not that easy to get evidence from trade. It will take a lot of manpower and time."

Li Yi smiled and said, "Why do we have to find evidence? Our goal is not to really eliminate the Yuwen family, but just to trick him. What's the point of having evidence? Or do you still want to completely destroy the Yuwen family?"

Tao Zhongwen sighed, "I am just afraid of alerting the enemy. If the Yuwen clan really has some unspeakable secrets with other countries, I am afraid they will destroy the evidence if we act this way."

Li Yi smiled and said, "In the final analysis, sir, you still don't want to let the Yuwen clan go! To be honest, I have always believed that the Yuwen clan has a very close relationship with the Southern Liang, Western Chu, and even the Xiongnu or the Western Regions, and all the major clans are like this!

They are all smart people and will not put all their eggs in one basket. What they really care about is not who will be the emperor, but that no matter who becomes the emperor, his clan must consolidate its power.

You can say they are two-faced or disloyal, but I am not saying that all clans are like this, but most clans have been doing this for thousands of years. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with them doing this. It is too difficult to change this reality. We need to educate them and pass it down from generation to generation until loyalty and righteousness are engraved in the hearts of the people. "

Tao Zhongwen squinted at Li Yi and said, "Are you talking about self-discipline and restoration of propriety, the ritual school? Xiuyuan, didn't you join the ritual school after spending a few days in the Ministry of Rites? Could it be that Kong Daizi asked you to be a lobbyist?"

Li Yi nodded and smiled, "Minister Kong did tell me about this, but Xiu Yuan's original intention was to let the Yuwen family go. You know, Yuwen Tianye and his son have a grudge against me!"

Tao Zhongwen said unhappily, "Humph, Xiuyuan, you don't know that Kong Daizi was originally recommended by the Yuwen family to be the Minister of Rites! He was doing that to repay the favor!"

Li Yi waved his hand and said, "What's wrong with Minister Kong observing etiquette and valuing morality? Nowadays, etiquette and music are in decline. This kind of character is rare and should be encouraged!"