I have already established my power and prestige, so how did Li Shimin come back to life?

Li Wei knelt on the ground, banging his head against the ground repeatedly, his heart filled with guilt and self-blame. He felt that he had failed the emperor's trust and was sorry for the suffering people.

Li Chengqian sat quietly on the dragon throne without saying a word, but the aura emanating from him was like a biting cold wind, shrouding the entire palace in a chilling atmosphere.

His eyes were deep and cold.

After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "Li Wei, tell me, is it true that in the eyes of those merchants, the imperial court's words are less influential than those of the aristocratic families? I want you to tell the truth and not hide anything."

Li Wei listened to Li Chengqian's words, his lips trembling. He hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to speak: "Your Majesty, it has always been like this! Dynasties change like flowing water, but the aristocratic families are like iron, standing firm and unshakable."

"In the minds of those merchants, the status of the aristocratic families is deeply rooted, and their influence is enormous. Compared to the imperial court, most merchants still trust the aristocratic families more."

"Your Majesty, let alone the power of these noble families, even the women of the Eight Surnames are invaluable! Back then, Prime Minister Fang..."

Li Wei didn't continue speaking, but his meaning was already very clear.

At that time, Fang Xuanling was the prime minister and had great power in the court. However, when he wanted to marry a girl from one of the eight surnames, he encountered many difficulties due to prejudice against her family background. This shows how high the status of aristocratic families was in the hearts of the people.

Their influence is not limited to the court, but extends to all aspects of society, even affecting the choices of businessmen regarding the court and aristocratic families.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and said, "I understand."

He knew very well that the problem of aristocratic families was a long-standing one and could not be solved overnight.

However, the current epidemic crisis is imminent, and the problem of medicinal material supply must be solved first.

"Has the list of donor officials been submitted?" he asked.

Li Wei nodded and replied, "I have already submitted the original document to Prime Minister Fang, and the three provinces will jointly decide which merchants will be granted official positions. However, I have a copy here."

As he spoke, he carefully took out the copy from his sleeve and respectfully presented it to Li Chengqian with both hands.

Li Chengqian took the copy and began to look through it carefully. His eyes were focused and sharp as he scanned the list one by one.

Suddenly, his eyes stopped on a name, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

After reading it, he returned the copy to Li Wei and said in a serious tone, "Anyone on this list who previously donated medicinal herbs to the court but later sold them to merchants from aristocratic families will be disqualified. Their previous merits will offset their current faults, and they will no longer be allowed to hold official positions."

"As for those merchants who didn't sell their herbs to the noble families and instead gave them all to the court, their official rank will be determined by the amount of herbs they donated, but the highest rank cannot exceed the seventh rank. You will go down and carry out this decree!"

Li Chengqian said quietly, his eyes revealing a hint of determination. He wanted to let these businessmen know that the majesty of the court could not be violated, and anyone who tried to undermine the court's anti-epidemic measures would be punished.

After receiving the order, Li Wei slowly left the Liangyi Hall. He knew the next task would be arduous. Not only would he have to reorganize the list of merchants, but he would also have to deal with merchants who might be unhappy about losing their chance to become officials, as well as the aristocratic families who were eyeing him covetously.

But he had no choice but to carry out His Majesty's will.

After returning to the Ministry of Revenue, Li Wei immediately summoned his officials and began to re-examine the list of merchants.

Li Wei walked out of the Liangyi Hall with heavy steps. He looked as if all his strength had been drained away and he looked extremely lost.

He lowered his head, his eyes were empty, his heart was inexplicably empty, and a complex emotion lingered in his heart.