The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

The summer sun blazed fiercely, and even inside the palace, the heat was oppressive. The maids only paused for a moment before their restlessness began to rise.

They quickly continued fanning themselves to avoid being scolded by the Empress Dowager, and a cool breeze returned to Xianju Palace.

The palace servants were assigned according to the palace. This was Lu Jun's first time here, so the maids were also seeing the top scholar for the first time. They were both surprised and curious, and quietly pricked up their ears.

Wan'er's eyes never left Lu Jun...

"Your Majesty, I know this matter is not easy, but it is precisely because it is not easy that it is so important."

"The imperial guards are there to protect the emperor, so they are mostly recruited from Guanzhong and Henan. The escaped households in the capital region endanger the foundation of the country and must be investigated strictly."

"Otherwise, if this drags on, the local militia will have nowhere to be selected, and where will the Sixteen Guards come from? Where will the Imperial Guards come from?"

"Furthermore, many of the households that fled to the capital region have been absorbed by powerful clans, and the taxes and levies collected are decreasing, which will exacerbate the food shortage."

"The canal transport in the capital city is convenient, so the problem is not too big. However, the transport capacity in Chang'an is weak, and it will only become more and more desolate, which will affect the operation of Shuofang and Hexi."

"Therefore, it is imperative to search for the fleeing households in the two capitals, with Yongzhou being the most crucial."

"I am willing to take on this responsibility!"

Lu Jun was tall and imposing, and even when kneeling, she stood tall and straight, like a deep pool and a majestic mountain.

The maids, though ignorant of politics, couldn't help but feel fond of him because of his imposing presence, handsome appearance, and elegant demeanor.

As expected of Chu Yu… Wan’er’s lips curled up slightly, a mixture of admiration and hidden pride in her.

Yet he couldn't help but worry: "Even the prime minister and the ministers wouldn't dare to do this, how could he dare to rush forward? The powerful clans have a lot of influence in the court, isn't he afraid of being attacked by everyone?"

"How magnificent is Chu Yu!" Wu Zetian gave a thumbs up.

"There will always be people who disagree with you, saying that you were promoted without any merit because of your eloquence and writing skills, which is against the rules."

"But when the court needs them, they all find excuses to back down, while you dare to shoulder the responsibility alone!"

"I was right about you. Although you are young, you are a loyal minister who is not afraid of danger and is willing to take on responsibilities!"

His eyes gleamed, and a smile bloomed on his face.

He then asked, "Chu Yu, everyone else is afraid of offending powerful clans, aren't you afraid?"

Lu Jun smiled slightly: "With the Empress Dowager's support, I will certainly strike at the powerful clans!"

"Since the chaos between the North and the South, powerful clans in various regions have taken the opportunity to recruit good people, either as their retainers or as their tenants, and have amassed great power."

"Back then, when the country was not yet unified, they were able to build their own fortified villages, maintain their own private armies, and essentially rule over their own territories."

"Now most of the fortified villages have been demolished, but they have been operating in the area for hundreds of years. Their fields are vast, their retinues are numerous, and they enjoy great popularity. Ultimately, this is not a good thing for the imperial court."

"I am not jealous of their family fortune accumulated over generations. As long as it is legal, I believe there is nothing wrong with it."

"But they abused their official positions to hide common people in violation of the law, allowing the benefits to go to themselves while the imperial court was harmed."

"These are the termites!"

The reason was noble enough, but Lu Jun's real motive was that Zhou Xing was from Chang'an and was among those to be searched.

It's impossible for such a cruel official, who rose to power by fabricating numerous unjust imprisonments, to be honest and upright; he'd be caught every time.

Since Zhou Xing was determined to get rid of Lu Jun, in Lu Jun's eyes, he was already a dead man.

Wan'er and the maids were all descendants of disgraced officials, whose families had long since fallen into ruin and had nothing to do with powerful clans. After hearing this, they all nodded frequently.

"Well said!" Wu Zetian slammed her hand on the phoenix bed.

Whether it was Emperor Taizong, Emperor Gaozong, or her, they all harbored extreme hatred for powerful clans in various regions, especially the old aristocratic families.

Firstly, the influence accumulated by the gentry in Shandong, Jiangnan, Guanzhong, and Daibei was greater than that of the later-rising Li family, let alone the Wu family.

They were proud of this, and although they still tried their best to enter the court as officials, they maintained an arrogant attitude when forming marriage alliances and making friends.

Even though some clans had long since fallen into poverty and were so poor they couldn't afford to eat, others still felt they were more noble than the royal family.

As a monarch, I cannot tolerate such a thing.

Secondly, many fields were controlled by powerful clans who held the rank of fifth-grade officials and were therefore exempt from taxation.

For Wu Zetian, there was another reason...

Many powerful clans, who considered themselves scholars of classical texts and upheld the concept of male superiority over females, resolutely opposed her claim to the throne and saw her as a thorn in their side.

She said to Lu Jun, "That's why Emperor Taizong compiled the 'Clan Records' and the late Emperor supplemented the 'Surname Records' to curb their arrogance!"

In the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong ordered the revision of the "Clan Records," which divided the clans into nine ranks, with the imperial family as the first rank, relatives of the empress as the second, and the aristocratic families as the highest rank, the third.

In the early years of the Xianqing era, Emperor Gaozong ordered the revision of the book, and the Wu family was included in the first class, and the book was renamed "Record of Surnames".

This time, there have been additions and deletions. All officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as those with honors, have been included, while those not of the fifth rank or below have been removed.

It also stipulated that seven surnames and ten families were forbidden from intermarrying, and these families were called "forbidden marriage families." The amount of dowry for marriage was also set by the government.

A flurry of actions, as fierce as a tiger.

Whether clan records and surname registers are actually useful is hard to say...

Lu Jun shook her head:

"Forgive my frankness, but although Emperor Taizong was exceptionally wise, compiling the 'Clan Records' was not a good practice."

"Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng still consider themselves superior, and it is difficult to stop them from getting married in private. They even deliberately raise the bride price to show off their status."

"Not only the common people, but also the important officials in the court flocked to it, and this has not changed in the slightest since the reign of Emperor Taizong."

"Fang Lianggong and Wei Zhenggong were extremely honorable and were figures in the Lingyan Pavilion, yet they needed to form marriage alliances with the five major families."

"During the reign of the late emperor, Xue Yuanchao once said, 'I have three regrets in my life: I was not promoted to the Jinshi degree, I was not allowed to marry a woman from one of the Five Clans, and I was not allowed to compile the national history.' This shows the prestige of the Five Clans."

Even Li Gongyi, who suggested revising the "Register of Surnames," tried his best to register under the Zhao County Li clan...

"After the publication of the 'List of Surnames,' scholars referred to it as 'Xunge,' considering it a disgrace to be included and not caring at all."

"The five surnames claim to be forbidden marriage families, and they take pride in the prohibition. People are willing to marry women from these forbidden families, which shows that it has little effect."

It was useless not only at the time, but also later.

Although the Nine-Rank System disappeared, the aristocratic families quickly adapted to the imperial examination system and continued to hold high-ranking positions in the court. Five-surname prime ministers emerged one after another, wielding immense power.

In the past, it was because of social status that they couldn't compete; later, it was because of exams that they couldn't compete. To be honest, commoners and ordinary people really couldn't beat the gentry.

Until one person, unable to pass the exam, decided to take a different approach and led his troops into Chang'an...

Wu Zetian was well aware of the situation Lu Jun had described. She remained silent for a long time before finally saying:

"Chu Yu, I know you have a long-term vision. Do you have any good methods for dealing with powerful clans? Could we use the search and seizure of escaped households as a means of striking them down?"

"We can strike," Lu Jun replied.

He then shook his head: "But it won't have much effect. It can only suppress it in the short term. The advantages of the powerful clans still exist and cannot be eradicated, and they will never be eradicated."

Making powerful clans relinquish the people they illegally recruited can indeed weaken their interests, but it can only suppress them in the short term.

The history of the Tang Dynasty over the next few decades will be proof of this...

In fact, the practice of inspecting households did not begin during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong; Empress Wu Zetian herself was a pioneer.

During the Chang'an era, due to reports from several ministers regarding the harm caused by displaced people, she ordered a search for runaway households and their return to their hometowns.

After the Shenlong Coup, the incompetent Li Xian came to power and allowed nobles and powerful families to seize farmland, which worsened the situation once again.

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, another search was conducted, and due to repeated attempts, it was carried out several times before the results were consolidated.

During the Tianbao era, the situation spiraled out of control again, with one-third of the households no longer subject to taxation, indicating that powerful clans had already annexed much land and many good people.

The underlying principle is very simple—

The Matthew effect: the strong get stronger.

Even with only one or two weakening measures, the powerful clans still held an absolute advantage over the common people, making it impossible to reverse the situation.

Don't say that the Tang Dynasty had no solution; even a thousand years later, there is still no solution. This is a sociological law.

Wu Zetian, ambitious and determined, was unconvinced when Lu Jun said that the problem "could not be eradicated." She frowned and asked, "Is there really no way to stop this by allowing powerful clans to devour the country?"

Wan'er sensed a reproach in her tone and grew secretly anxious: "Chu Yu shouldn't have said such a deathly thing!"

She had been by the Empress Dowager's side for many years and knew that the Empress Dowager sought both fame and practical achievements and could not tolerate mediocre officials.

Those discouraging words from earlier are best kept to yourself; they shouldn't be uttered aloud in court...

Wan'er's heart sank again.

Lu Jun smiled slightly and said, "I have a solution."