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

As Fang Xuanling spoke, he shook his head and sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow for the tragic fate of the people and worry about the country's decisions, in contrast to those officials who only cared about their own interests.

His voice echoed in the court, and the ministers fell into deep thought. Some of them looked reluctant, thinking about the suffering of the people and could not bear to add to the disaster. Compared with those indifferent officials, they had more compassion.

Some of them frowned, wondering what good plan Your Majesty had to deal with the toxicity of coal, in contrast to those blindly optimistic ministers.

Li Chengqian's face was as gloomy as water. He slowly stood up and flicked his sleeves, in contrast to the awe of the ministers.

He took two steps forward, staring intently at Fang Xuanling, his eyes revealing an unquestionable dominance. His gaze pressed down on Fang Xuanling like a substance, forming a strong sense of confrontation with Fang Xuanling's sincere questioning.

The ministers didn't dare to breathe and watched the scene nervously, like a flock of sheep waiting for the storm to come.

"Prime Minister Fang, are you trying to accuse me of wasting money and manpower?"

Li Chengqian's tone became heavier, and his voice exploded in the court like thunder, shocking the ministers' hearts.

"Since I've issued this order, I have a plan for dealing with it. How could I not know that coal is poisonous? I've already ordered someone to research a solution that will ensure its safe use and keep the people warm. What I'm planning is for the long-term well-being of the Tang Dynasty. How could you easily understand it?"

Many ministers secretly admired His Majesty's foresight, feeling that His Majesty was far-sighted, in contrast to their own short-sightedness, but some ministers still had doubts, wavering between trust and suspicion.

Hearing Li Chengqian say this, Fang Xuanling was shocked and quickly knelt down, his body trembling slightly, which was a sharp change from his previous argument.

"I apologize for being rude."

Fang Xuanling's voice trembled slightly. He knew very well that his words had touched the bottom line of His Majesty. He lowered his forehead to the ground and did not dare to look up.

Despite this, he did not regret it. His Majesty had said before the court that he only had to give orders and the court officials had to carry them out. However, if he did not understand, he would ask clearly. This was a major matter concerning the people's livelihood. As a prime minister, how could he, Fang Xuanling, act in a muddled way?

Li Chengqian glanced at Fang Xuanling, waved his hand slightly, and his expression relaxed a little.

"It's alright, Prime Minister Fang. Get up now. I know you're doing this for the Tang Dynasty, but just be careful in the future. Remember, I won't be wrong!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Fang Xuanling, as if granted amnesty, quickly rose and returned to his seat. He vowed to himself that he would be more careful with his words and actions in the future, saying that Your Majesty was not the late emperor.

"It just so happens that the next thing needs to be arranged by you, Fang Xiang."

Li Chengqian sat back on the dragon throne, his gaze fell on Fang Xuanling again, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"I want to measure the land of the whole country and count the population of the whole country."

Li Chengqian's voice rang out again in the court, like a heart-shaking drum, and every word carried an irresistible power.

Upon hearing this, the ministers gasped, and the court fell into silence again. Each minister had his own thoughts. Some thought, "This is a major project involving the interests of many parties. I'm afraid it will stir up a storm, which is much more complicated than the previous coal mine incident."

Others expressed concerns: "Can the imperial court sustain such a large-scale operation? Compared to the implementation of previous smaller-scale decrees, the difficulty is incomparable."

Fang Xuanling frowned, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes. He knew very well how difficult these two tasks were.

He raised his head slightly and looked at Li Chengqian. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but then he hesitated, which was a change from his previous boldness in speaking out his advice.

"Your Majesty wishes to survey the entire nation's land and census its population. Does this include the land owned by aristocratic families and officials, as well as the tenants they contract?"