xymnovel Chapter 548 - 57: The Strife in the Harem, Wu Zetian Enters the Palace
Chapter 548 - 57: The Strife in the Harem, Wu Zetian Enters the Palace
No one knew what had transpired within Ganye Temple.
But from that day on, Li Zhi’s visits to Ganye Temple became significantly more frequent.
Initially, the ministers thought Li Zhi was being filial; after all, he was not interfering in state affairs, and such actions could be seen as setting an example for the people.
However, it is impossible to erase all traces of any event.
Soon, various rumors began circulating within Ganye Temple.
The ministers were the first to receive these reports, but they chose not to discuss the matter further.
Although they were somewhat shocked.
Reflecting on the past and considering Lady Xuanhua during Emperor Yang’s time, these issues seemed less significant.
Even Gu Jing shared this sentiment.
An emperor being lascivious wasn’t a major problem.
As long as the emperor could control himself and not affect the empire’s direction, he would not interfere with the emperor.
And so, the matter became something that no one wanted to bring up.
In fact, in the original history, the social atmosphere during the Sui and Tang dynasties was considered one of the most open in ancient times.
This openness was multifaceted.
But many historical records and even unofficial histories illustrate everything.
And now it is even more so.
With the country’s strength continuously growing and culture developing, such prosperous winds became more evident.
The ministers naturally had little to say about the matter.....
....
The court remained orderly.
The appearance of Gu Jing fundamentally extinguished many hopes, maintaining the direction of the entire Great Tang.
This was a path completely different from the original history.
It also greatly avoided some of the historical events that had occurred.
For example—
The historically famous rebellion case of Fang Yi’ai.
Although Princess Gao Yang was the same, and those with wild ambitions still planned to take action.
But this matter was directly nipped in the bud by Old Gu Jing.
And Zhangsun Wuji could not, as in the original history, use this event to sweep away political opponents and dominate the court.
This was a completely different path, which had been destined since Li Shimin’s late arrangements.
The emergence of the Gu Clan provided the most basic guarantee for imperial power.
Li Shimin no longer needed to stabilize Li Zhi’s position by aligning with the Guanlong nobility, nor did he need them to balance the families of Shandong and Jiangnan.
Although these seemed trivial, their impact on the court was unimaginable.
The second year of Yonghui.
At Gu Jing’s suggestion, the entire Great Tang once again initiated changes in the law, including adjustments to the imperial examinations.
The current Great Tang was too powerful.
This strength was absolutely profound, both internally and externally, and cultural continued development pushed forward political advancements in the Zhen Guan era.
Compared to Taizong’s Zhen Guan Law, the Yonghui Law inherited its main themes of "virtue over punishment" and "combination of etiquette and law."
However, beyond this, the Zhen Guan Law was supplemented in more detail.
Li Zhi also proposed official interpretations and annotations for every clause of the Yonghui Law.
This could be deemed a breakthrough advancement.
Official annotations of the law could prevent many problems.
As for the imperial examinations, Li Zhi’s ideas were simpler.
He wanted to expand the enrollment numbers.
And also personally interview the scholars.
Before announcing this, Li Zhi specifically sought out Gu Jing.
He had been observing the current Tang court.
The Guanlong aristocracy was too strong; without the Gu Clan, Li Zhi doubts he would be completely sidelined by them.
An emperor like Li Shimin could ignore everything.
But he couldn’t; expanding the number in the imperial examinations was his strategy to break the deadlock.
Gu Jing naturally did not refuse and supported Li Zhi, leading to a series of reforms across the Great Tang.
Gu Jing did not directly interfere with the court.
For the current Great Tang, his mere presence was already sufficient.
Gu Jing remained more concerned about the regions of the Barbarians.
It’s worth mentioning—
After several years, the plan to relocate the Goguryeo defensive line had been basically completed, which indeed relieved the court greatly.
The resources consumed by the relocation were substantial.
Even though the relocation was mostly complete, the court still had to exempt those people from taxes for three years and provide seeds for reclamation.
All of this was a massive expenditure.
Fortunately, the Great Tang was strong enough to bear these burdens without causing major disruptions.
Moreover, under the influence of these people.
The trade routes linking the Central Plains with Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje were also opened.
These three nations now had no thought of contending against the Great Tang. Not to mention the near-complete destruction Goguryeo and Baekje faced in battle with the Great Tang, even Silla internally was rife with turmoil.
Li Shimin’s methods from years past had taken effect.
The three factions were embroiled in internal strife, and there was no progress in strength.
Gu Jing naturally supported the development of commerce.
If all the grain and fodder for these people had to be transported from the Central Plains, the consumption of food would be immeasurable; even if merchants could take risks, controlling grain prices would be impossible.