Chapter 220: Starting Today, I Will Forge Gods

The weather in Chang'an was gradually warming, and Tang Emperor Li Longji seemed to have recovered from his winter fatigue, his spirits noticeably better than before.

That day, in the study of the newly reopened Qinzhengwubenlou, Li Longji listened to Right Chancellor Li Linfu's arrangements for this year's governmental affairs.

Simply put, it's just two words: make money!

Why make money?

Because the Tang central finances were already running a deficit, the past few years had been robbing Peter to pay Paul, and we must increase 'liquidity'.

Li Linfu planned to continue expanding the collection of land tax, while reducing the labor and grain taxes in some disaster-stricken areas, continuing to reduce in-kind taxes and increase monetary taxes, using silk as an equivalent to facilitate transport.

Encourage the people to transport grain to designated locations and sell it at high prices to the government, exchanging it for silk to pay taxes.

This would reduce the government's transportation costs and to some extent alleviate the inherent flaws of the labor-and-grain tax system itself.

Simply put, the labor-and-grain tax, this 'ancestral law,' everyone knows it's problematic and hard to change, and even Jige doesn't want to change it. Li Linfu's solution is to simply not change it, but instead use the method of reducing labor-and-grain tax while increasing land tax to boost market liquidity, thereby easing the 'money shortage'.

It is merely a stopgap measure, but fortunately it has been in continuous use for nearly ten years, so both the government and the populace are fairly accustomed to the practice of exchanging land tax for labor-and-grain tax, thus ensuring stability in governance.

What was used last year will continue to be used this year; nothing major will happen.

Although Li Linfu spoke eloquently and logically, Jige seemed not to be listening at all, his calm face showing a hint of distraction, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Older brother, I have always had a wish," Li Longji suddenly said.

"Your Majesty, what are your commands?"

Li Linfu inquired cautiously, his heart tightening. Whenever Jige spoke like this, it usually meant he was about to stir up something.

"I want my portrait hung inside the Lingyan Pavilion."

Jige said something that left Li Linfu feeling blown away! After serving as chancellor for so many years, he had never seen such an outrageous request!

This is even more outrageous than Jige's earlier seizure of Princess Consort Yang Yuhuan of Shou!

"Your Majesty, you cannot!"

Not only Li Linfu, but even Gao Lishi, who attended Jige, immediately knelt, both bowing their heads to the ground and refusing to rise.

The emperor wants to enter the Lingyan Pavilion—this is absurd! It's meant for officials to enter!

How could the emperor lower his status to stand alongside his officials?

Moreover, after Emperor Taizong added Wei Zheng to the Lingyan Pavilion's twenty-four meritorious officials, making twenty-five, the list has never changed—it's been unchanged for nearly seventy or eighty years!

Now, as emperor, Jige wants to add himself to the Lingyan Pavilion's meritorious officials…… No matter how you look at it, it seems a bit foolish!

However, speaking such words that would insult Jige, neither Li Linfu nor Gao Lishi dare to say.

They could only remain prostrate on the ground.

"Older brother, Strongman, you've misunderstood."

"I merely said, hang my portrait from before I ascended the throne inside the Lingyan Pavilion."

"To highlight my achievements in restoring order when I was still the Prince of Bohai."

Li Longji stroked his white beard, smiled, stepped forward, and helped Li Linfu and Gao Lishi to their feet.

Can we still play like this?

Gao Lishi said nothing; he knew Jige's mind, and no one could change it.

But Li Linfu had not yet snapped out of his bewilderment.

Changing the number of meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion carries enormous political significance, far beyond Jige himself.

Allowing Jige into the Lingyan Pavilion is merely a non‑joking stunt; perhaps the next emperor will move his portrait out.

However, given its importance and thought‑provoking nature, Jige's move will in fact break a long‑standing unwritten rule:

The number of meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion cannot be changed.

This political red line, no one has dared to cross before.

In the Li Tang imperial clan's notion of 'political correctness,' only Emperor Taizong, whose achievement was expanding the realm, could place his civil and military officials into the Lingyan Pavilion.

In other words, at the core of the Li Tang imperial clan's spiritual world, Emperor Taizong of Tang is regarded as the founding emperor of the Tang, and the Xuanwu Gate Incident counts as 'restoring order'.

Thus the Lingyan Pavilion meritorious officials are in fact the 'Arch of Chastity' erected by Emperor Taizong to honor his 'follow‑the‑dragon' ministers.

Thus arises such a paradox:

If Emperor Taizong counts as the founding ruler, then what is Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan?

What about the officials who followed Li Yuan to conquer the realm?

If Emperor Taizong is not the founding ruler, then what are the Lingyan Pavilion meritorious officials?

Why can they openly appear in the northeast corner of the side hall of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate?

This central axis is actually the bloody core of the Li Tang imperial clan's succession, a political red line that cannot be lightly touched.

Adding people to the Lingyan Pavilion is a minor matter; political correctness and one's own legitimacy are major!

If any emperor wishes to add people to the Lingyan Pavilion, he must have achievements comparable to Emperor Taizong's.

Otherwise, how dare you play like that!

Without this precondition, even if a subject's achievements overshadow the ruler, he still lacks the qualification to enter the Lingyan Pavilion.

This is not a matter of merit size, but of differing political dimensions.

Even Wu Zetian, when bloodily purging the Li Tang cadet branch, dared not open this loophole. Once opened, what would happen thereafter is unthinkable, let alone speak of.

"Your Majesty, imperial portraits entering the Lingyan Pavilion have not occurred since over a hundred years after the Tang's founding."

"Although the Your Majesty's meaning refers to his former status as Prince of Bohai, outsiders may not understand this and might object."

Li Linfu bowed with clasped hands, seemingly not agreeing with Jige's view.

After all, Li Linfu is also a member of the Li Tang imperial clan. No matter how he usually flatters and seeks glory, almost complying with Jige's demands, he cannot blindly follow Jige on matters concerning his own legitimacy.

This is the very foundation of one's standing!

If not for the Li Tang imperial clan, Li Linfu would have no qualification to gain office through hereditary privilege; without office he could not be promoted, without promotion he could not become chancellor, and without being chancellor he would now have to return home to farm.

Is this something to joke about?

"Now my realm extends far beyond ten thousand li; the Great Tang is indeed a country of celestial splendour and earthly treasures, all thanks to my efforts."

"Could I not give an explanation to the officials who initially followed me in expanding the realm?"

"My decision is final: the Prince of Bohai Commandery shall enter the Lingyan Pavilion as the twenty-sixth person."

"Besides, there are also Yao Chong, Song Jing, Zhang Shuo, Fang Youde, and you, Li Linfu."

"Tomorrow at the Zichen Hall court, we will discuss this matter; Ge Nuni will arrange for someone to submit a memorial about it."

"Li Longji gave Li Linfu no chance to refuse, directly putting an end to the matter."

"It's already come to this point; even Li Linfu himself is on the new list for the Lingyan Pavilion—what else can he say!"

"If we keep going, the prime minister might as well step down."

"I respectfully obey the sage's command."

"Li Linfu made a clasped-hand salute; his inner feelings were too complex to put into words, and he bowed and took his leave."

"On the train to Xiangyang, there is still a short chapter in the evening; this came from the phone code."

"(End of chapter)"