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

Chapter 817 The Problem Inside the Liangyi Hall, green smoke curled from the gilded incense burner, and the aroma of agarwood and the fragrance of tea intertwined, lingering between the carved beams and painted buildings.

Li Zhi was wearing plain casual clothes and leaning on the armchair. His pale face could not hide his fatigue. Although he claimed to be ill, his eyes revealed an elusive depth at this moment.

Li Ke, dressed in a black brocade robe, sat upright opposite, his slender fingers gently stroking the teacup, his expression full of concern and confusion.

"Your Majesty, can this really solve the problem?"

Li Ke broke the silence in the hall. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. The warm tea slid down his throat, but it could not dispel the uneasiness in his heart.

This action, known as the "Great Purge" by the world, caused a huge storm in the court. All officials in the court were in danger, and rumors were rampant among the people.

Although Li Ke knew that Li Zhi must have reasons for his actions, such a thundering measure still made him feel suspicious.

Li Zhi slowly put down the teacup in his hand. The porcelain cup touched the table, making a crisp sound that echoed in the empty hall.

He shook his head and looked at the sky outside the temple, which was covered with dark clouds.

"Third brother, I was wrong. We were all wrong. The emperor sees much further than we do."

His voice was hoarse and regretful.

Li Ke leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Li Zhi, and asked, "What do you mean?"

In this huge court, the person who understands Li Zhi's abnormal behavior best is none other than Li Ke.

They have a tacit understanding with each other that is difficult for others to achieve.

Li Zhi withdrew his gaze and fixed it on the gradually cooling tea in front of him. His thoughts seemed to have gone back many years.

"Third brother, you saw how our eldest nephew opened up the trade routes back then, and how the emperor reacted."

He paused, a flicker of reminiscence in his eyes, "When my brother heard the news, his face became solemn. He pondered the matter over and over again, and even summoned important officials to discuss the matter day and night."

"I didn't understand at the time. I just thought my brother was being too cautious. Opening trade routes would obviously promote trade and increase treasury revenue, which would be good for both the country and the people. Why was my brother so worried?"

Li Ke heard this,

"Your Majesty was indeed very cautious about this matter at the time, but I didn't expect that Your Majesty would now choose to open the trade route."

Li Ke said thoughtfully.

"But now, our Great Tang has conquered the west and opened trade routes. People all over the world can do business, open their own factories, make fortunes, and help our Great Tang's economy flourish."

Li Zhi continued, his tone somewhat helpless, "When the country first opened up, I was filled with joy, thinking it would be a new starting point for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty."

"People flocked to the business world, and shops lined the streets, creating a thriving scene. Goods flowed in and out of the country constantly, and the treasury revenue increased day by day."

"At that time, I didn't really take what my brother said to heart."

Li Zhi laughed self-deprecatingly, his smile filled with bitterness. "I just think my brother has been through so much, that's why he's so cautious."

"I am confident that with my own abilities, I will be able to manage all of this and ensure that the Tang Dynasty continues to move forward smoothly on the path of opening up trade routes."

Li Ke listened quietly without interrupting Li Zhi. He could feel the deep regret in Li Zhi's words.

"But it wasn't until now that I understood what it meant when social morals become corrupt and can never be salvaged."

Li Zhi's voice suddenly rose.

"I thought about this before the opening. My Royal Brother is afraid that the first group of people to get rich will tightly control the wealth in their hands, cutting off the path for those who come after them. This will reduce their opportunities until the upward path is completely cut off, resulting in consequences even more serious than those of the aristocratic families."

"I thought it was easy to handle. After the Western Expedition is over, I'll just kill all those who got rich first. They're just a bunch of wealthy businessmen anyway."

Li Zhi clenched his fists.

"I naively believed that as long as I had determination, I could solve all problems. I thought that even if those merchants had wealth, they were nothing more than ants in the face of imperial power. But I was wrong, so wrong!"

Li Ke frowned, vaguely guessing something in his heart.

"The first group to get rich were the top officials of the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Zhi said this through gritted teeth, "After the trade route was opened, those powerful officials took advantage of their positions to collude with merchants and monopolize trade."

"They used the pretext of working for the court to enrich themselves and pocket a large amount of wealth."

"They set up checkpoints everywhere and levied exorbitant taxes. The people suffered terribly, but dared not speak out."

"Ordinary people who really want to get rich through business are blocked at every turn and have difficulty developing."

"I want to cut them off with a knife, but can I still cut them off?"

Li Zhi's voice gradually became low, filled with a sense of powerlessness. "If I want to do these things, I must have the help of officials. However, now these officials have become the targets of removal. So, who can I find to deal with them?"

"The court is a complex web of intertwined affairs, and any single issue can have a profound impact on the entire structure. If mishandled, the entire court will be thrown into chaos, and the foundations of the Tang Dynasty will be shaken."

"Can I still expect them to use a knife on me?"

Li Ke was shocked. He didn't expect things to develop to such a serious level.

I originally thought it was just an ordinary business development, but I didn't expect it to involve such complicated interests.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now? The Great Purge has already begun, and we cannot abandon it halfway."

Li Zhi was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "I launched the Great Purge. I wanted to use this opportunity to rectify the administration, eliminate these corrupt officials, and restore a clean government."

"But now it seems that this is only a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution."

"The reason these officials dare to act so recklessly is because of the huge profits brought by the opening of trade routes and because we lack a comprehensive system to restrain them."

"My brother the Emperor foresaw all of this. He wasn't just worried about the monopoly of wealth, but also about the solidification of social classes and the stability of the imperial court."

Li Zhi stood up and paced back and forth in the hall. "Opening trade routes can indeed bring prosperity, but without appropriate management and supervision, it will breed corruption and turn what was originally a good thing into a bad thing."

"I didn't understand my brother's good intentions at first, but now that I've tasted the bitter fruit, I understand his foresight."

Li Ke also stood up, walked to Li Zhi, and said, "Your Majesty, now that you have seen the problem clearly, let's find a way to solve it."

"Perhaps we can start with the system, formulate stricter laws to constrain the behavior of officials, and at the same time support ordinary people in doing business to break the monopoly of officials."