amaotonovel Chapter 815 2 Saints come to court
Chapter 815 2 Saints come to court
Li Zhi originally thought that this matter would come to an end if it was handled in this way.
The towering imperial palace gradually fell silent in the twilight. The copper bells on the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, making tiny sounds, as if expressing the rare sense of relief in the emperor's heart.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. At critical moments, we still have to rely on water.
Li Zhi stood on the steps of Taiji Hall, looking at the palace wall in the distance, and this sentence involuntarily emerged in his mind.
His throne as emperor was secured only by the support of the people of the world and the officials in the court.
But at this moment, he did not realize that a huge crisis was quietly approaching.
However, he soon discovered the problem.
The court machine, which had been running smoothly, seemed to have been secretly stuffed with a stone, and began to behave abnormally.
The decrees he issued were like arrows shot from a bow, but they gradually lost their power during flight and their speed slowed down.
In the past, when a government decree was issued, all regions would implement it quickly and easily, but now, everything has changed.
In fact, many times, the matter was already decided in the court. In the court, the ministers made passionate speeches and after intense discussions, they finally reached a consensus and determined the direction of various policies.
Li Zhi looked at his ministers with great satisfaction, thinking that everything would go smoothly and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was just around the corner.
When these matters were handed down to various states and counties, their progress was extremely slow.
In the post station outside Chang'an City, trains kept delivering official documents from the court, but when these documents arrived at the various prefectures and counties, they seemed to be stuck in a quagmire.
Officials either shirk their responsibilities or do things perfunctorily, and the work that should have been carried out quickly always stagnates.
This is not a minority, but the majority.
Almost every government decree had serious problems in its implementation at the local level, as if the entire local administrative system of the Tang Dynasty had fallen into a strange state of stagnation.
Now that the Tang Dynasty has so much more land, he, the emperor, is extremely busy for the sake of the world.
As the territory continues to expand, new problems emerge one after another.
How to manage the newly occupied lands, how to appease the local people, and how to quickly integrate these areas into the Tang Dynasty's system, these questions overwhelmed Li Zhi like a tide.
He got up before dawn every day to handle government affairs, and was still reviewing memorials late at night. His eyes were bloodshot and his body was becoming more and more tired.
As a result, when things got to the lower levels, they couldn't be done.
Li Zhi looked at the pile of memorials that had made no progress, and his anger could no longer be suppressed.
He slammed the imperial desk angrily, and the pens, inkstones, papers and inkstones on the desk were shaken and jumped up.
Li Zhi was so angry that he wanted to intervene in local affairs several times. He wanted to leave Chang'an immediately and travel to various places to see what those officials were doing and why they took his orders so lightly.
However, Li Yifu persuaded him.
Li Yifu looked anxious and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, the imperial power has never extended below the county level."
"You are the ruler of a country. How can you interfere in the affairs of the grassroots? Then, what should the local officials do?"
“It would cause them great distress.”
"If this continues, there will be chaos."
After hearing this, although Li Zhi was dissatisfied, he also understood the truth of what Li Yifu said.
He sighed and slowly sat down, his eyes full of helplessness.
"Interesting, really interesting."
Li Zhi sat on the dragon throne, murmuring softly.
He knew better than anyone that the root of this problem was that the first people to control wealth would always be the most powerful people in the Tang Dynasty.
These people accumulated huge wealth and power during the development of the Tang Dynasty.
In fact, many of them were Li Chengqian’s former students.
Once upon a time, they also had great ambitions and wanted to contribute their own strength to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, but now they are no different from others.
Under the temptation of interests, they become selfish and only think about maintaining their own vested interests.
By doing this, Li Zhi obviously harmed their interests.
The series of new policies he implemented were aimed at strengthening centralization and promoting national development, but they touched the cake of these powerful people.
So, his retribution came. They did not openly rebel against Li Zhi or the imperial court.
If you openly resist, it would be considered treason, a crime of high treason.
They chose a more subtle approach, responding by inaction or inaction.
No matter what decrees the court issued, they only responded superficially but did not actually take any substantive action.
If their interests are not guaranteed, then they will not protect Your Majesty's interests.
They were like a group of poisonous snakes hiding in the dark, using this silent resistance to put pressure on Li Zhi.
They wanted to use actions to let Li Zhi know that he, His Majesty, was the leader of their ship.
Only by standing with them and safeguarding their interests will they support Li Zhi; otherwise, the ship will be tottered in the rough sea.
Even Li Yifu didn't understand what to do in such a situation.
Should I surrender or be as tough as the previous emperor?
Li Yifu frowned and thought hard about what to do, but he still had no idea.
He looked at Li Zhi, his eyes full of worry.
But the late emperor was able to hold on because he not only had his own troops, but he also had his own team that could quickly fill in the vacancies.
Back then, the late emperor faced numerous difficulties and consolidated his rule step by step with his powerful military force and loyal subordinates.
But even so, it was still difficult back then.
What's more, the conditions are not there now as they were then.
Li Zhi's power is now subject to many restrictions, and it is not easy for him to be as tough as the previous emperor.
Finally, under Li Yifu's gaze, the emperor seemed to give in.
"Li Yifu told Zhang San to rewrite the law. From now on, workers are not allowed to strike or parade. Anyone who resists will be arrested."
Li Zhi's voice was low and tired, as if he had aged a lot in an instant.
After hearing what Li Zhi said, Li Yifu felt disappointed for no reason.
In his heart, Li Zhi has always been the emperor with great talent and strategy, but now, Your Majesty has chosen to be soft.
Yes, how can one person resist the general trend of the world and the people's hearts?
Li Yifu's heart was filled with emotion. He slowly lowered his head, ready to respond to the emperor's order.
However, just as Li Yifu was about to speak, Li Zhi's next words surprised Li Yifu.
"I am not feeling well. From tomorrow on, all government affairs will be handled by Mei Niang. I will not interfere. Also, tell all officials in the world."
Li Zhi's voice suddenly became firm and powerful, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes. "From now on, the two saints will come to the throne."
"If it's not a big deal, don't bother me."
After saying that, Li Zhi slowly stood up, turned around and walked towards the inner hall, leaving Li Yifu standing there in a daze, with a storm in his heart.