Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

Li Chengqian glanced at Fang Xuanling approvingly and said firmly, "Although the road to reform is difficult, I have made up my mind. We must discuss this reform plan in depth today."

"This is also the main reason why I summoned you here today."

Fang Xuanling coughed lightly and spoke first: "Your Majesty, I believe that if this reform involves the prime minister system, we must consider the smooth transfer of power."

"After the abolition of the position of prime minister, the central power is dispersed. There must be a proper method for coordination between departments. Otherwise, the government will be chaotic and will inevitably lead to disaster."

"Furthermore, I heard that they are going to implement the policy of equalizing the land tax, returning the fire consumption tax to the public, and requiring all gentry to pay taxes together in Shaanxi Province. This is a major event that will shake the foundation of the country, so we must be cautious."

"Although the land tax system can make taxes more reasonable, it is difficult to eliminate the situation where landlords and powerful families conceal the amount of land they own, which will create huge loopholes in the collection of land taxes."

"Moreover, re-measuring the land will require a huge amount of manpower and material resources, which will likely increase the burden on the people. If not handled properly, it will also affect local public security."

"Your Majesty, officials are also worried that their positions will be impacted by this series of reforms. Those officials who have been diligent in their duties hope that the court will have clear promotion rules so that their future prospects will not be cut short by the reforms."

"Furthermore, if the reforms trigger local unrest, the lives and property of officials will also be threatened."

"To prevent landlords from concealing their land, the county magistrates in various regions can work together with the gentry and village heads to conduct an inventory of every household in every village. At the same time, they should establish a land file, recording in detail the owner, area, fertility, and other information of the land. Two copies should be kept, one for each of the county magistrates and the Ministry of Revenue."

"However, this gentry headman may be colluding with the landlord, making it difficult to conduct a fair investigation."

Furthermore, after abolishing the prime minister system and establishing a cabinet, the selection criteria and process for cabinet members need to be carefully considered. If the wrong people are chosen, the cabinet may not be able to shoulder the responsibilities of the core.

Wei Zheng immediately retorted, "Prime Minister Fang, stability is important, but if reforms are only about stability, it will be nothing more than scratching the surface."

"The court has been plagued by problems for a long time. If we simply allow a smooth transition, those hidden problems will continue to breed. Reforms must involve the courage to make radical changes and establish new ones."

"Moreover, this tax-sharing system will make taxes more reasonable, the public tax collection will help to rectify the administration of officials, and the unified tax collection by the gentry will alleviate the suffering of the people, which will benefit both the country and the people."

"For landlords who conceal their land, the court can send special personnel to conduct a thorough investigation and severely punish those who violate the rules."

"Your Majesty, officials who actively support reform should be rewarded, so as to encourage more people to participate in reform."

"But I am also concerned that if rewards and punishments are unclear, reformers will be discouraged and obstructors will go unchecked, making reform difficult to advance."

"To reward those who support reform, we can start with material rewards, official promotions, and honorary titles, such as rewarding them with gold and silver, fertile land, promoting them to a higher official rank, and bestowing plaques such as 'Model of Loyalty and Diligence'."

"However, excessive rewards can easily lead officials to become greedy, seeking only rewards without regard for the effectiveness of reforms. As for establishing a cabinet, power cannot be too concentrated in a few individuals. There must be checks and balances, otherwise it will easily lead to the danger of autocracy."

Furthermore, during the reform process, we must be wary of eunuchs taking advantage of the situation to grow in power and interfere in government affairs. There are many such lessons in history."

Ma Zhou frowned and looked at Wei Zheng: "Minister Wei, your courage is commendable, but reform is not something that can be done impulsively."

"If power is decentralized without a proper oversight mechanism, it will only allow those with ulterior motives to exploit loopholes."

"Take Shaanxi Province, for example. The implementation of the land tax system is questionable. The standards for measuring land and the fairness of the personnel involved are both problematic. Furthermore, how can we ensure that local officials pay the authentic taxes, and how can we prevent them from collecting fees under other pretexts?"

"Local officials are likely to use other covert means to extort money from the people to compensate for their own losses, such as deliberately making things difficult for the people during the tax collection process or increasing other miscellaneous taxes and levies."

"Furthermore, if there are loopholes in the management of the funds after the huohao is returned to the public, it may breed new corruption problems, and the allocation of funds will easily lead to competition among various parties."

"If the gentry were to pay taxes together, they would certainly strongly oppose it. They have cultural and public opinion influence in the local area. Their opposition could hinder the development of local education and incite the people's dissatisfaction with the reform."

"At the same time, gentry families often have close ties with court officials, and reforms may trigger conflicts between different factions within the court."

"Your Majesty, although the local gentry must pay taxes, they also hope that the court can guarantee them a certain say in local affairs and certain rights in controlling cultural and educational resources."

"Also, if the reforms damage the local economy and make people's lives even more difficult, it will likely spark public outrage."

"To ensure the smooth implementation of the public return of huo hao, a special huo hao supervision office can be established in each prefecture and county. Members will be directly appointed by the court and rotated regularly to oversee the collection and remittance of huo hao."

"But the officials in this supervisory department could also be bribed by local forces, rendering supervision ineffective. With the gentry paying taxes together, they might reduce investment in local education, hindering talent development."

"When selecting cabinet members, one must examine their character, talent, political achievements, and other aspects, not just their family background. To prevent the eunuchs from gaining power, a strict palace ban system can be established to limit their contact with outsiders."

Wei Zheng's eyes widened and he raised his voice: "Ma Yushi, are you questioning His Majesty and our determination to reform?"

"If we don't dare to act today because we're afraid someone will take advantage of us, then when will the Tang Dynasty truly be able to eliminate this accumulated threat?"

“These problems are difficult, but if we work together, we can solve them.”

"To monitor the huohao revenue after it is returned to the public, a special supervisory body can be established, and officials who violate the rules will be shown no tolerance."

"The court should forcefully implement the reforms despite opposition from the gentry, demonstrating its resolve to reform."

"Your Majesty, we should also ensure that the business community remains stable after the reforms, providing them with a fair competitive environment. We should not disrupt the business order due to the reforms."

"But I am worried that if the impact on business is too great and tax revenue decreases, the court's finances will also face difficulties."

"In commercially developed areas, commercial inspectors can be appointed to regulate market transactions and prevent unscrupulous merchants from hoarding goods or maliciously lowering prices."

"However, if the Commercial Inspectorate has too much power, it could breed corruption and interfere with normal commerce. Regarding the eunuch issue, not only should we limit access to them, but we should also strictly control their number and promotion, and strictly prohibit eunuchs from participating in court decision-making."

Ma Zhou also stood up, his expression serious. "Minister Wei, I am only discussing the matter at hand. Your impulsiveness is detrimental to reform."

"We can't just act on passion without considering the actual consequences."

"Just like in Shaanxi Province, the local gentry have a complex network of influence. If not handled properly, it will cause great unrest."

"Furthermore, if the reform involves other aspects, such as the reform of the imperial examination system, it may lead to a change in academic atmosphere. The previously dominant Confucian scholarly families may resist, which will impact the inheritance of academic thought."

"If it affects commercial policies, it could cause dissatisfaction among merchants, lead to market fluctuations, and affect national fiscal revenue."

"During the reform period, if border forces learn that the internal reforms in the Tang Dynasty have caused unrest, they may take the opportunity to invade the border, increasing the pressure on national defense."

"Your Majesty, for officials who came from the imperial examination system, I hope that the reform will maintain the academic heritage and ensure the fairness of the imperial examination selection process. The new content and format of the imperial examination will not be unfair to them."

"At the same time, if a war breaks out on the border, it will consume a huge amount of national strength, and reforms may be difficult to sustain."

"In the imperial examinations, we can increase the emphasis on new and practical learning, while retaining the weight of traditional content such as Confucian classics, in order to balance new and old academics."

"For border defense, we can add beacon towers and watchtowers along the border to strengthen intelligence transmission."

"But setting up these facilities requires a lot of manpower and materials, which may increase the burden on people living along the border."

"For the operation of the cabinet, clear rules of procedure and decision-making processes need to be established to avoid internal friction."

Wang Gui saw the two men arguing and hurriedly said, "Please stop arguing. We should discuss this together instead of blaming each other."

"Your Majesty, I believe that the placement of old officials is also crucial during the reform process."

"If it is not handled properly, it will cause dissatisfaction among officials and unrest within the court, and reforms will be difficult to continue."

"As for the reform of Shaanxi Province, we must be prepared in advance to deal with resistance from all sides."

"Your Majesty, officials whose interests have been harmed by the reforms can be appropriately compensated to stabilize public sentiment."

"But if the compensation is excessive, it will increase the financial burden on the court and affect the progress of other reforms."

"Officials can be compensated based on their past achievements through rewards or honorary titles to avoid impacting the court's finances."

"But if the compensation method is unfair, it will also cause dissatisfaction among officials."

"Cabinet members should be regularly evaluated to ensure the survival of the fittest and ensure the efficiency and integrity of the cabinet."

"For eunuchs, a supervision mechanism should be established. If any eunuch violates the rules, they will be severely punished."

Fang Xuanling nodded in agreement. "Minister Wang is absolutely right. Your Majesty, the reforms affect the interests of many officials. How to appease them, or how to gain their acceptance, is a difficult problem we must face."

"Especially the Shaanxi Dao's policies such as the equalization of land tax and the land tax, which affected local finances and the interests of the gentry, could easily provoke a popular uprising if not handled with care."

"Your Majesty, for local development, the gentry still have a role to play in public welfare affairs. We can allow them a certain degree of participation in matters related to the allocation of funds after the fire consumption is returned to the public, in order to balance their interests."

"However, if the gentry take this opportunity to interfere too much, it will undermine the original intention of the reform."

“We can establish a standard charter for the gentry’s participation in public welfare affairs and clarify the scope of their authority.”

"But if there are any deviations in the implementation of this regulation, it may lead to a deepening conflict between the gentry and the government."

"As for the cabinet, we must prevent cabinet members from forming cliques and threatening the stability of the court."

"As for the power of eunuchs, some unnecessary duties in palace affairs can be reduced."

Wei Zheng snorted coldly: "Hmph, those officials and gentry whose interests are harmed by the reform are the ones who hinder the progress of the court. If they are unwilling to accept it, should we give up the reform?"

"Although the issues in Shaanxi Province are complicated, who dares to disobey the imperial court's orders?"

"Your Majesty, the court should clearly define rewards and punishments, so that all parties know that supporting reforms will be rewarded, while obstructing them will be punished."

"But I am concerned that if the punishment is too severe, it will cause more backlash, and if it is too light, it will not serve as a deterrent."

"The punishment could be based on the degree of obstruction, ranging from a minor warning to a serious demotion or loss of rank."

“But if the criteria for determining the degree of obstruction are not clear, it can easily lead to injustice.”

"Regarding the cabinet and eunuch issues, we must ensure the strict implementation of the system and not let down our guard in the slightest."

Fang Xuanling looked at Wei Zheng and said patiently, "Minister Wei, it's not that we have to give up, but we have to find a better way."

"We need to make more people understand the significance of reform, rather than forcing it through and causing panic."

"For Shaanxi Province, we can first send capable officials to publicize the policy and understand public opinion, and then gradually implement it."

"We also need to plan ahead for possible problems in the imperial examinations, business, and other areas, and not act hastily."

"Your Majesty, we must comprehensively consider the interests of all parties so that the reform can proceed smoothly."

"But there are too many variables in the implementation of the reform plan. If we can't make timely adjustments, we will get into trouble."