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

Willow catkins were flying like snow, but the Liangyi Hall was filled with a solemn atmosphere.

Li Zhi sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at Mr. Qi in front of him, his eyes filled with both anticipation and a bit of uneasiness.

He coughed lightly, breaking the silence in the hall, and spoke cautiously, "Mr. Qi, the court is currently overwhelmed with affairs. Although I work day and night, I still feel overwhelmed."

"The world is vast, and the government affairs are numerous. What the court lacks most is a pillar that can support this country."

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes full of earnestness, "I wonder if Mr. Qi is willing to stay in Chang'an and lend me a hand this time?"

Mr. Qi listened quietly, his vigorous face calm.

After Li Zhi finished speaking, he first shook his head slowly, then nodded slightly. This contradictory action made Li Zhi's heart rise instantly.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has come here to plan a good policy for governing the country."

Mr. Qi's voice was low but powerful, echoing in the empty hall. "It's just that I am old and my energy is not as strong as before. I really don't want to be involved in the court disputes anymore."

"Now I just want to find a quiet place to enjoy my old age. I hope Your Majesty will understand my difficulties!"

Li Zhi's expression darkened instantly, and his disappointment was evident in his words.

He naturally knew Mr. Qi's abilities. When his brother Li Chengqian was in power, he was able to entrust many affairs to others with confidence, freeing up his hands to do other things. Mr. Qi made an indelible contribution to this.

At that time, Mr. Qi assisted his brother the emperor in handling government affairs, managed the court in an orderly manner, and the country prospered.

But when he succeeded to the throne, he had no such wise ministers whom he could fully trust.

He felt not only regret, but also a bit worried.

Sometimes, he would even secretly envy his brother's courage - he could confidently divide power between his two brothers, letting one of them hold the power of the world and the other control the wealth of the world.

With the abilities of Mr. Qi and Fatty Lin, if they wanted to rebel, they only needed to make a little plan and turn their power and wealth into troops. It would only take a day or two.

But they have always been loyal to their brother the emperor and have never had any second thoughts.

This loyalty and ability made Li Zhi both envious and eager. If he could hand over the affairs of the court to Mr. Qi, he would save a lot of energy and be able to govern the country more peacefully.

But since Mr. Qi had clearly refused, Li Zhi could not force it.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to cheer up, and tried to wipe away the disappointment on his face. He looked at Mr. Qi again, with a hint of urgency in his tone: "Mr. Qi, in this case, please be kind enough to teach me. What is the best way to govern the country?"

Mr. Qi bowed slightly, took out some of his written ideas from his wide sleeves, and slowly unfolded them.

He raised his head, looked at Li Zhi with a firm gaze, and said, "Your Majesty, the key to governing a country lies in clean administration, prosperous agriculture and commerce, and a strong border defense. I have pondered this for a long time, and I hope Your Majesty will consider it."

"First, we need to improve the administration of officials." Mr. Qi paused and continued, "Currently, the bureaucracy has been plagued by corruption for a long time, and there are many people who are corrupt and idle in their positions."

"If we want the country to maintain long-term stability, we must start by disciplining officials. This old minister suggests setting up an Examination Office specifically responsible for evaluating officials."

"At the end of each year, local officials are divided into four grades based on 'morality, ability, diligence, and performance.'"

"Officials who have committed corruption, bribery, and oppression of the people will be immediately dismissed and never re-employed once proven guilty."

"And those officials who are honest and have outstanding political achievements will be given the opportunity to be promoted above their level."

"This will not only deter corrupt officials, but also inspire people with lofty ideals and give the officialdom a whole new look."

"In addition, we should also implement the system of 'officials from Beijing being transferred to other provinces and local officials being promoted'."

Mr. Qi tapped the paper with his finger as he spoke. "For a long time, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between Beijing officials and local officials."

“Although the officials in Beijing are familiar with the imperial court’s policies, they do not understand the suffering of the people.”

“Although local officials are close to the people, they have little access to core decision-making.”

"Breaking this barrier and allowing talent to flow freely will not only allow officials in Beijing to accumulate grassroots experience, but also give local officials the opportunity to display their talents, injecting new vitality into the court."

Li Zhi nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of agreement. "Sir, you are absolutely right. Administration of officials is indeed the foundation of state governance."

"I just wonder what advice you have on agriculture and commerce?"

Mr. Qi smiled slightly and continued, "Your Majesty, food is the most important thing for the people, agriculture is the foundation of a country, and commerce is the basis for a prosperous country."

"Today, the land situation across the country is in disarray, with many wastelands uncultivated, and merchants and businesses are struggling to thrive due to numerous restrictions."

"This old minister suggests that we immediately send people to measure the land throughout the country and register it."

"Wasteland will be distributed to the people according to their population, and a three-year tax exemption will be granted to encourage them to cultivate it."

"This will not only increase food production but also allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment."

"In terms of commerce, a 'Shibosi' (market customs office) could be established in transportation hubs such as Luoyang and Yangzhou."

"Since the previous dynasty, the Silk Road has brought countless wealth to the country."

"Although the Middle East now belongs to the Tang Dynasty, we still need to promote commerce."

"Allow foreign merchants to exchange gold, silver, spices, jewels and other items for silk, porcelain and tea."

"The imperial court only needs to collect 30% of the commercial taxes to enrich the national treasury and use it to build water conservancy projects and provide relief to disaster victims."

Mr. Qi's expression turned serious.

"Also, Your Majesty, only when the border is secure can the country be at peace."

"This old minister suggests that the current 'Fubing System' be changed to a 'Mubing System'."

"In the past, government soldiers served as soldiers during wartime and as farmers during peacetime. This saved military expenses, but over time, this inevitably led to problems, making it difficult to distinguish between farmers and soldiers."

"After the change to the conscription system, the court openly recruited strong men, incorporated them into the border troops, and paid them monthly."

"The good thing about the conscription system is that we in the Tang Dynasty want to professionalize our soldiers."

"During the Qianwu reign, the previous emperor also distributed military pay to soldiers under the Fubing system, which has led to the court's current excessive military expenditures."

"Once the recruitment system is implemented, military expenditures can be saved to a certain extent. In addition, due to the professionalization of soldiers, the combat effectiveness of our Tang army will be stronger."

"Soldiers are soldiers and cannot be lumped in with farmers."

"This will allow soldiers to train and fight with peace of mind while also allowing them to feel the honor of being a soldier."

Hearing what Mr. Qi said, Li Zhi frowned and thought about it.

Indeed, the Tang Dynasty’s military expenditure is too much now.

It is no exaggeration to say that everyone is a soldier, because the emperor needed the morale of the army at that time, so he even distributed military pay to soldiers who did not need it.

At that time, this deal was profitable for the Tang Dynasty.

But now, the situation is different. What they robbed in the war belongs to them, and the court also has to pay them silver every month.

This expense is really too high.