After a conversation with passers-by, Li Ying and Yang Yuhuan entered Jixianfang together and came to Yang Yuhuan's former mansion where Yang Yuhuan lived has changed hands several times. Now no one knows who bought it, and it has been developed into a tourist spot for people to visit.
The two paid the money and entered the mansion, walking side by side.
Li Ying looked at the "scenery" around him and asked, "Should we buy this place back?"
Yang Yuhuan shook her head and said with a smile: "My life is not as good now as before, so I often indulge in the past, just like in the late Tianbao period, when everyone indulged in the Kaiyuan reign of the retired emperor. I am satisfied every day now, and I don't want to spend my energy indulging in the past. I want to spend my energy on every day of the present."
Li Heng smiled and said, "It seems that our efforts over the years have not been in vain."
"Of course it's not in vain." Yang Yuhuan took Li Heng's arm, "If it weren't for you, Luoyang would not only not be so prosperous, but it would probably have fallen into the chaos of rebellion. The rise and fall of Luoyang is also the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty."
"Yes." Li Ying nodded and said, "Luoyang is located in the central part of the Tang Dynasty. It has the dangerous barriers of Mount Xiao and Mianchi. It is considered the throat of Qinchuan and Longdi. It is also a place that Zhao and Wei are vying for. It is a place that the princes of all directions must fight for. Recently, a minister advised the Tang Dynasty to move the capital to Luoyang."
Yang Yuhuan asked, "What does my dear husband think?"
Li Ying said: "Luoyang is located in the center of the Tang Dynasty, with convenient transportation. The capital of a prosperous era is Luoyang, which can shock the world. However, once a war breaks out, Luoyang will be the first to suffer."
Yang Yuhuan said: "Now is a prosperous era."
Li Ying said: "Throughout history, no dynasty has survived because of a good choice of capital. Whether it is the rise of a mansion or the fall of a palace, it is all the result of the joint efforts of people inside and outside the city. Moving the capital to Luoyang to show the prosperity of the times is not as practical as making the people rich and the country strong."
Yang Yuhuan nodded in agreement and said, "My dear, you are wise."
Li Ying smiled back.
The two of them strolled around Jixianfang for a while, then wandered around Luoyang City, and did not return to the Luoyang Palace until sunset.
The next day, under the arrangement of officials, Li Heng formally met with the officials and people of Luoyang as the emperor and had fun with the people.
For the following period of time, Li Heng first lived in Luoyang for half a month, then went on a tour along the river to the south of the Yangtze River, and finally returned to Chang'an.
When Li Ying returned to Chang'an, Zhang Guangsheng and Feng Changqing reported two things one after another.
First, Zhang Guangsheng reported that Li Longji not only had no intention of restoring his throne, but his health was getting worse and worse. He moved as slowly as a snail, and his memory was getting worse and worse. He had begun to forget many things.
The second thing is that Feng Changqing reported to Crown Prince Li You that he was governing the country properly, which was quite in the style of Li Heng.
After Zhang Guangsheng and Feng Changqing finished their report, Liu Yanchao presented the account book of Li Heng's expenses along the way.
Although Li Heng requested frugality along the way, the minimum standards required of an emperor had to be met, so the entire trip still cost a lot of money.
This made Li Heng once again feel the helplessness of being an emperor.
If you want to be a good emperor, you can't just go wherever you want.
Li Heng couldn't help but sigh, "It is said that the whole world belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects. But even though I rule the Tang Dynasty, the only places I can see are Chang'an, and the only news I can hear are the words of a few people."
Liu Yan said: "Our eyes are small, a leaf can block it. The key lies in how we see. Some people are blinded by a leaf and cannot see Mount Tai, while others can see the season and destiny from a leaf."
Li Ying said: "If I use the autumn in Chang'an to reflect the autumn in the world, I will inevitably win the hearts of the people of the world with one person."
Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty can set up patrol offices in various places and post stations on the main roads to collect information from various places."
Li Ying was stunned and hesitated.
Liu Yan quickly explained, "These inspection offices and post stations are not used to supervise or collect information about officials, but to collect information about weather and prices in various places, so that the court can understand the importance of food and goods in various places and grasp the harvest situation of the people. This will not only facilitate the court's financial decision-making, but also know and even predict where there will be disasters, so as to facilitate disaster relief for the court."
After hearing Liu Yan's explanation, Li Heng understood and said, "Then let's follow Shi An's suggestion."
"Your Majesty is wise." Liu Yan flattered, and then said: "I happened to know a man named Yang Yan. He is quite good at finance. I would like to recommend him to serve as an official in the court."
Historically, it was Yang Yan who first proposed the Two Tax System, so Li Heng knew this person.
At the same time, Li Heng also knew that in history, Liu Yan’s death was directly related to Yang Yan.
But this is a different time, and a good employer should make the most of his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. Therefore, Li Heng agreed to Liu Yan's recommendation and said, "Approved."
Next, the ministers requested to change the era name.
This time, Li Heng did not refuse and agreed to change the reign title to Zhiyuan after the seventh year of Ji De.
In October of the seventh year of Ji De, Feng Changqing resigned from the post of Left Prime Minister.
Li Heng agreed, but granted Feng Changqing the position of Tongzhongshumenxia Pingzhangshi, allowing him to still participate in political affairs.
At the same time, he summoned the former generals from Longyou Road to reunite.
At the banquet, Li Heng asked Gao Xianzhi to serve as the left prime minister, but Gao Xianzhi refused.
Li Heng first reminisced about the past with everyone, and finally analyzed the situation, saying: "Now the Huihe in the north is growing stronger, and there are occasional frictions with the Tang Dynasty border. The reform of the Khitan in the northeast is not yet complete. Although Bohai, Shiwei, and Silla have temporarily surrendered, there is no guarantee that they will not have disloyalty in the future. In the west, the Arabs are gradually planning to enter the Western Regions. Although Tubo is weak, it is still a major threat to the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty needs all brothers to work together."
After hearing this, everyone expressed their willingness to continue serving the country, and Gao Xianzhi also agreed to serve as the left prime minister.
In November of the seventh year of Ji De, Li Heng and his ministers discussed the revision of the Two Tax Law.
In the same month, cotton seeds were introduced and trial planting could be carried out the following year. At the same time, preparations for going to sea had been completed. Li Heng asked Yang Liangyao and Jia Dan to lead the way, granted them the authority to hold the helm, and allowed them to choose the time to go to sea.
……
On the sixth day of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Ji De, it snowed heavily in Chang'an.
Li Ying was having dinner with his concubines.
Li Heng said, "After these last few days, we will change the era name next year. When we change the era name, we will grant amnesty to the whole country and share the joy with the people. If you have anything you want, I can reward you."
Wei Xianyi thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow I want to build a snowman with Alang."
"Okay." Li Heng agreed, "Anything else?"
Wei Xianyi shook her head and smiled, "No more."
Li Ying looked at He Jin.
He Jin said, "I want to weave cloth with Alang once." Li Ying nodded and said, "What else?"
He Jin smiled awkwardly and said, "I also want to go to the largest casino in Chang'an to have a good gamble. I wonder if Alang will allow it?"
"Aim." Li Ying agreed and looked at Aqisi.
Aqisi said: "I want to choose ten horses."
"Four horses?" Li Heng didn't hear Aqisi's pronunciation clearly.
Aqisi made a ten.
"Okay." Li Heng smiled and said, "Tell me one thing and I'll give you another reward."
"What's the matter?" Aqisi asked doubtfully.
Li Ying asked, "What did you write by the Xieer River?"
Aqisi recalled the past and said with a smile: "I won't tell you."
Li Heng asked, "After the New Year, your brother will come to Chang'an to pay tribute. Don't you want to see him?"
Aqisi said: "Alang, you can ask my brother."
Li Heng shook his head and smiled, saying, "That is our secret, it is not convenient to tell anyone. Well, it is fine to let it remain a mystery."
Aqisi said happily: "Thank you, Alang."
Li Ying looked at Zhang Mujin again.
Zhang Mujin served Li Ying a bowl of soup and said, "Can I secretly tell Ah Lang tomorrow night?"
"That's fine." Li Heng agreed.
Aqisi interrupted, "Sister Jinfei, you don't just want to sleep with me, right? Just say it out loud, we won't laugh at you."
The others burst into laughter when they heard this.
Zhang Mujin did not argue, but just smiled.
After dinner, the rest of the people left, leaving only Li Heng and Yang Yuhuan in the room.
Yang Yuhuan said: "Although the ministers openly requested a change of era name, they were secretly worried."
"What are you worried about?" Li Ying asked.
Yang Yuhuan said: "After the Emperor changed the reign title to Tianbao, he became increasingly lazy, and the Tang Dynasty also declined. Therefore, the ministers are worried that you will follow in the footsteps of the Emperor."
Li Ying asked: "Do you think I can do it?"
"No." Yang Yuhuan said firmly, thinking for a moment, and said: "Also, Li Tengkong has returned to Chang'an. It is this concubine..."
"What day is today?" Li Heng interrupted Yang Yuhuan.
Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "My lord and I will be married on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month."
Li Ying said: "Today we will only talk about romance."
"Is it appropriate for me to be a tyrant today?" Yang Yuhuan stood up and stood next to Li Heng.
Li Heng stood up, hugged Yang Yuhuan, and said, "From now on, we need to mark on our calendar that the sixth day of the twelfth month is the day of the emperor's death."
Yang Yuhuan chuckled and said, "Then should we still count the nine days?"
"Of course." Li Ying nodded. "You sing one line every day. After eighty-one days, we will combine them into one song."
Yang Yuhuan said, "Okay, as long as you don't get tired of me."
Li Heng said: "I have only done two things in my life. One is to keep you by my side, and the other is to make the Tang Dynasty prosperous and the people live and work in peace. It was like this before, and it will be like this in the future."
Yang Yuhuan said: "I have two wishes in my life, one is that my husband is safe and happy, the other is that the world is peaceful."
As Yang Yuhuan spoke, she looked at Li Heng with her big watery eyes, which were full of deep affection.
The two of them were in love at this point and didn't say anything more.
It was snowing and windy outside and the room was scorching hot.
After a long time.
Li Heng fell asleep on Yang Yuhuan's shoulder.
Yang Yuhuan listened to Li Heng's calm breathing and looked at Li Heng's relaxed brows, knowing that Li Heng was sleeping soundly and peacefully.
Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Heng silently for a while, then turned to look out the window.
She thought to herself that auspicious snow meant a good harvest, and next year would definitely be a good year.
Next year, loyal and good people will work hard, and peace will come to the world. The Tang Dynasty will be filled with the fragrance of rice, and cotton will bloom in the mountains and fields. The Tang Dynasty soldiers will be invincible, and the fleet will set sail. The people will become more and more prosperous, and everyone will live and work in peace and contentment...
Next year will be the first year of the Zhiyuan reign of Emperor Li Heng of the Tang Dynasty, and it will be another new beginning.
Thinking of this, Yang Yuhuan tilted her head and kissed Li Heng on the face, smiling happily.
……
……
……
(End of the book) (End of this chapter)
The two paid the money and entered the mansion, walking side by side.
Li Ying looked at the "scenery" around him and asked, "Should we buy this place back?"
Yang Yuhuan shook her head and said with a smile: "My life is not as good now as before, so I often indulge in the past, just like in the late Tianbao period, when everyone indulged in the Kaiyuan reign of the retired emperor. I am satisfied every day now, and I don't want to spend my energy indulging in the past. I want to spend my energy on every day of the present."
Li Heng smiled and said, "It seems that our efforts over the years have not been in vain."
"Of course it's not in vain." Yang Yuhuan took Li Heng's arm, "If it weren't for you, Luoyang would not only not be so prosperous, but it would probably have fallen into the chaos of rebellion. The rise and fall of Luoyang is also the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty."
"Yes." Li Ying nodded and said, "Luoyang is located in the central part of the Tang Dynasty. It has the dangerous barriers of Mount Xiao and Mianchi. It is considered the throat of Qinchuan and Longdi. It is also a place that Zhao and Wei are vying for. It is a place that the princes of all directions must fight for. Recently, a minister advised the Tang Dynasty to move the capital to Luoyang."
Yang Yuhuan asked, "What does my dear husband think?"
Li Ying said: "Luoyang is located in the center of the Tang Dynasty, with convenient transportation. The capital of a prosperous era is Luoyang, which can shock the world. However, once a war breaks out, Luoyang will be the first to suffer."
Yang Yuhuan said: "Now is a prosperous era."
Li Ying said: "Throughout history, no dynasty has survived because of a good choice of capital. Whether it is the rise of a mansion or the fall of a palace, it is all the result of the joint efforts of people inside and outside the city. Moving the capital to Luoyang to show the prosperity of the times is not as practical as making the people rich and the country strong."
Yang Yuhuan nodded in agreement and said, "My dear, you are wise."
Li Ying smiled back.
The two of them strolled around Jixianfang for a while, then wandered around Luoyang City, and did not return to the Luoyang Palace until sunset.
The next day, under the arrangement of officials, Li Heng formally met with the officials and people of Luoyang as the emperor and had fun with the people.
For the following period of time, Li Heng first lived in Luoyang for half a month, then went on a tour along the river to the south of the Yangtze River, and finally returned to Chang'an.
When Li Ying returned to Chang'an, Zhang Guangsheng and Feng Changqing reported two things one after another.
First, Zhang Guangsheng reported that Li Longji not only had no intention of restoring his throne, but his health was getting worse and worse. He moved as slowly as a snail, and his memory was getting worse and worse. He had begun to forget many things.
The second thing is that Feng Changqing reported to Crown Prince Li You that he was governing the country properly, which was quite in the style of Li Heng.
After Zhang Guangsheng and Feng Changqing finished their report, Liu Yanchao presented the account book of Li Heng's expenses along the way.
Although Li Heng requested frugality along the way, the minimum standards required of an emperor had to be met, so the entire trip still cost a lot of money.
This made Li Heng once again feel the helplessness of being an emperor.
If you want to be a good emperor, you can't just go wherever you want.
Li Heng couldn't help but sigh, "It is said that the whole world belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects. But even though I rule the Tang Dynasty, the only places I can see are Chang'an, and the only news I can hear are the words of a few people."
Liu Yan said: "Our eyes are small, a leaf can block it. The key lies in how we see. Some people are blinded by a leaf and cannot see Mount Tai, while others can see the season and destiny from a leaf."
Li Ying said: "If I use the autumn in Chang'an to reflect the autumn in the world, I will inevitably win the hearts of the people of the world with one person."
Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty can set up patrol offices in various places and post stations on the main roads to collect information from various places."
Li Ying was stunned and hesitated.
Liu Yan quickly explained, "These inspection offices and post stations are not used to supervise or collect information about officials, but to collect information about weather and prices in various places, so that the court can understand the importance of food and goods in various places and grasp the harvest situation of the people. This will not only facilitate the court's financial decision-making, but also know and even predict where there will be disasters, so as to facilitate disaster relief for the court."
After hearing Liu Yan's explanation, Li Heng understood and said, "Then let's follow Shi An's suggestion."
"Your Majesty is wise." Liu Yan flattered, and then said: "I happened to know a man named Yang Yan. He is quite good at finance. I would like to recommend him to serve as an official in the court."
Historically, it was Yang Yan who first proposed the Two Tax System, so Li Heng knew this person.
At the same time, Li Heng also knew that in history, Liu Yan’s death was directly related to Yang Yan.
But this is a different time, and a good employer should make the most of his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. Therefore, Li Heng agreed to Liu Yan's recommendation and said, "Approved."
Next, the ministers requested to change the era name.
This time, Li Heng did not refuse and agreed to change the reign title to Zhiyuan after the seventh year of Ji De.
In October of the seventh year of Ji De, Feng Changqing resigned from the post of Left Prime Minister.
Li Heng agreed, but granted Feng Changqing the position of Tongzhongshumenxia Pingzhangshi, allowing him to still participate in political affairs.
At the same time, he summoned the former generals from Longyou Road to reunite.
At the banquet, Li Heng asked Gao Xianzhi to serve as the left prime minister, but Gao Xianzhi refused.
Li Heng first reminisced about the past with everyone, and finally analyzed the situation, saying: "Now the Huihe in the north is growing stronger, and there are occasional frictions with the Tang Dynasty border. The reform of the Khitan in the northeast is not yet complete. Although Bohai, Shiwei, and Silla have temporarily surrendered, there is no guarantee that they will not have disloyalty in the future. In the west, the Arabs are gradually planning to enter the Western Regions. Although Tubo is weak, it is still a major threat to the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty needs all brothers to work together."
After hearing this, everyone expressed their willingness to continue serving the country, and Gao Xianzhi also agreed to serve as the left prime minister.
In November of the seventh year of Ji De, Li Heng and his ministers discussed the revision of the Two Tax Law.
In the same month, cotton seeds were introduced and trial planting could be carried out the following year. At the same time, preparations for going to sea had been completed. Li Heng asked Yang Liangyao and Jia Dan to lead the way, granted them the authority to hold the helm, and allowed them to choose the time to go to sea.
……
On the sixth day of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Ji De, it snowed heavily in Chang'an.
Li Ying was having dinner with his concubines.
Li Heng said, "After these last few days, we will change the era name next year. When we change the era name, we will grant amnesty to the whole country and share the joy with the people. If you have anything you want, I can reward you."
Wei Xianyi thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow I want to build a snowman with Alang."
"Okay." Li Heng agreed, "Anything else?"
Wei Xianyi shook her head and smiled, "No more."
Li Ying looked at He Jin.
He Jin said, "I want to weave cloth with Alang once." Li Ying nodded and said, "What else?"
He Jin smiled awkwardly and said, "I also want to go to the largest casino in Chang'an to have a good gamble. I wonder if Alang will allow it?"
"Aim." Li Ying agreed and looked at Aqisi.
Aqisi said: "I want to choose ten horses."
"Four horses?" Li Heng didn't hear Aqisi's pronunciation clearly.
Aqisi made a ten.
"Okay." Li Heng smiled and said, "Tell me one thing and I'll give you another reward."
"What's the matter?" Aqisi asked doubtfully.
Li Ying asked, "What did you write by the Xieer River?"
Aqisi recalled the past and said with a smile: "I won't tell you."
Li Heng asked, "After the New Year, your brother will come to Chang'an to pay tribute. Don't you want to see him?"
Aqisi said: "Alang, you can ask my brother."
Li Heng shook his head and smiled, saying, "That is our secret, it is not convenient to tell anyone. Well, it is fine to let it remain a mystery."
Aqisi said happily: "Thank you, Alang."
Li Ying looked at Zhang Mujin again.
Zhang Mujin served Li Ying a bowl of soup and said, "Can I secretly tell Ah Lang tomorrow night?"
"That's fine." Li Heng agreed.
Aqisi interrupted, "Sister Jinfei, you don't just want to sleep with me, right? Just say it out loud, we won't laugh at you."
The others burst into laughter when they heard this.
Zhang Mujin did not argue, but just smiled.
After dinner, the rest of the people left, leaving only Li Heng and Yang Yuhuan in the room.
Yang Yuhuan said: "Although the ministers openly requested a change of era name, they were secretly worried."
"What are you worried about?" Li Ying asked.
Yang Yuhuan said: "After the Emperor changed the reign title to Tianbao, he became increasingly lazy, and the Tang Dynasty also declined. Therefore, the ministers are worried that you will follow in the footsteps of the Emperor."
Li Ying asked: "Do you think I can do it?"
"No." Yang Yuhuan said firmly, thinking for a moment, and said: "Also, Li Tengkong has returned to Chang'an. It is this concubine..."
"What day is today?" Li Heng interrupted Yang Yuhuan.
Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "My lord and I will be married on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month."
Li Ying said: "Today we will only talk about romance."
"Is it appropriate for me to be a tyrant today?" Yang Yuhuan stood up and stood next to Li Heng.
Li Heng stood up, hugged Yang Yuhuan, and said, "From now on, we need to mark on our calendar that the sixth day of the twelfth month is the day of the emperor's death."
Yang Yuhuan chuckled and said, "Then should we still count the nine days?"
"Of course." Li Ying nodded. "You sing one line every day. After eighty-one days, we will combine them into one song."
Yang Yuhuan said, "Okay, as long as you don't get tired of me."
Li Heng said: "I have only done two things in my life. One is to keep you by my side, and the other is to make the Tang Dynasty prosperous and the people live and work in peace. It was like this before, and it will be like this in the future."
Yang Yuhuan said: "I have two wishes in my life, one is that my husband is safe and happy, the other is that the world is peaceful."
As Yang Yuhuan spoke, she looked at Li Heng with her big watery eyes, which were full of deep affection.
The two of them were in love at this point and didn't say anything more.
It was snowing and windy outside and the room was scorching hot.
After a long time.
Li Heng fell asleep on Yang Yuhuan's shoulder.
Yang Yuhuan listened to Li Heng's calm breathing and looked at Li Heng's relaxed brows, knowing that Li Heng was sleeping soundly and peacefully.
Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Heng silently for a while, then turned to look out the window.
She thought to herself that auspicious snow meant a good harvest, and next year would definitely be a good year.
Next year, loyal and good people will work hard, and peace will come to the world. The Tang Dynasty will be filled with the fragrance of rice, and cotton will bloom in the mountains and fields. The Tang Dynasty soldiers will be invincible, and the fleet will set sail. The people will become more and more prosperous, and everyone will live and work in peace and contentment...
Next year will be the first year of the Zhiyuan reign of Emperor Li Heng of the Tang Dynasty, and it will be another new beginning.
Thinking of this, Yang Yuhuan tilted her head and kissed Li Heng on the face, smiling happily.
……
……
……
(End of the book) (End of this chapter)
