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

The ministers were greatly shocked when they heard this. They never expected that His Majesty would be willing to use his private treasury, and that His Majesty's private treasury was even richer than the national treasury.

Where did he get the money? Is there that much money in Xianyang?

At this point, Li Chengqian glanced at Mr. Qi, who seemed very pleased with the title of Grand Tutor Qi, his face beaming with joy, his lips almost reaching his ears.

He knew this was His Majesty's trust in him, and he would certainly live up to his mission. Unlike others, Mr. Qi knew all the details.

He straightened his back and gave Li Chengqian a slight bow.

"Let me tell you something first: from now on, the salaries of officials in Chang'an will no longer be distributed as official land. All official land will be turned over to the national treasury and converted into imperial estates."

As soon as Li Chengqian spoke, the court erupted in chaos.

The veteran officials began whispering and discussing amongst themselves, their voices as noisy as a marketplace.

The young officials, however, remained completely unmoved; these policies had already been implemented in Xianyang long ago.

Some officials' faces turned extremely ugly, and they were furious: "This official land was bestowed by the imperial court. I have never embezzled it. Half of my family's income comes from this land. How can they just take it away like that? How will we support our families after this?"

Some were stunned, seemingly unable to believe what they were hearing, thinking to themselves, "His Majesty is about to launch a major offensive. I wonder what will happen next. This is completely different from the minor adjustments of the past."

Others were whispering among themselves, speculating about His Majesty's motives.

"Does His Majesty have a better plan?"

The atmosphere in the court instantly became tense and chaotic, with the ministers' emotions surging like waves.

Most of the officials turned ashen-faced; they never expected His Majesty to make such a decision.

Their own land was the foundation of their family, and to hand it over to the national treasury like this was like being cut by a knife.

Compared to those aristocratic families, they were more dependent on the land.

Even the usually composed Fang Xuanling's expression became somewhat unnatural. His brows furrowed and his lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something but held back.

A complex look flashed in his eyes, a mixture of reluctance to part with his own land and helplessness at the Emperor's decision. He sighed inwardly, "I don't know why the Emperor is doing this, but it seems to be inevitable. I just hope it won't cause too much turmoil, as it conflicts with my original expectation of stable development."

But Li Chengqian quickly changed his tune, raising his hand to signal the courtiers to be quiet.

His hand seemed to possess magic; the noise in the court gradually subsided, and the ministers' eyes were once again focused on him.

"I know that you are all pillars of the Tang Dynasty and good officials who are honest and upright. I will certainly not treat you unfairly."

"I will never let you hand over your family's land for nothing."

Li Chengqian said loudly.

"After the land is handed over, the land compensation for officials in Chang'an will be one grade higher than that for officials in Xianyang, with ten shi of grain per mu of land. Thereafter, one shi of grain per mu of land will be compensated annually. All members of the imperial family and officials in Chang'an will no longer be allowed to own their own private land, and their annual salary will be doubled."

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's words, the officials were first taken aback, and then their faces lit up with joy.

The compensation is ten shi of grain per mu of land, plus an additional one shi of grain subsidy every year thereafter.

This means that the imperial court provided a one-time compensation of grain for a full ten years!

Moreover, my annual salary has doubled from now on. I never dreamed of such a good thing.

Excitement gleamed in the ministers' eyes; their anger and discontent vanished instantly, like dark clouds being dispersed by the sun.

They began to calculate in their minds how much benefit they could gain. Some thought, "In this way, my family's income will not only not decrease, but will actually increase. Your Majesty is wise!"