Chapter 130: Unbelievable

Li Shimin remarked, "Have the powerful clans become so arrogant? I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes!"

In the heart of the capital, they disregard the law! Smashing up shops in the middle of the street? Had Li Zhi not arrived, the shop would have been destroyed.

Li Ji replied, "The clans have always been this way; Your Majesty need not be surprised."

"How can I not be surprised?" Li Shimin said. "If this continues, the nation will cease to be a nation!" He had already secretly resolved that no matter the cost, he would crush these clans into the dust; otherwise, the lingering harm would be infinite.

"Zhi'er..."

"Father?" Li Zhi looked up, having been suddenly addressed.

"Entrusting such an important matter to you shows my trust in you. You must not let me down, or I will never dare to assign you such major tasks again."

"Rest assured, Father, I understand!"

Dealing with the clans involved not just the imperial court, but the people of the entire realm. More importantly, the main quest issued by the system also happened to concern the clans! No matter how one looked at it, Li Zhi had to eliminate them, or there would be no game left to play.

...

He had originally intended for Li Shimin to taste the stir-fried fairy vine, but it never came to pass. After drinking a few cups of wine, Li Shimin left in a hurry, having already resolved the matter concerning Li Ji and not wanting to neglect state affairs by lingering at the tavern.

After Li Shimin left, Li Zhi had the remaining food brought over and continued to enjoy himself with Luo Tong and Li Ji.

Time passed quickly. A few days later, Zhangsun Wuji arrived to report on the situation at the Secretariat. Upon seeing Li Zhi, he beamed with a wide grin: "Your Highness, the Prince of Jin... you are truly a god-like man! I followed your methods, and the clans are indeed in a panic!"

"Oh?" Li Zhi ushered him upstairs. "Tell me in detail."

Zhangsun Wuji said, "The clans have always looked down on the commoners who toil for them, exploiting them relentlessly and suppressing their tenants, making life miserable for the people. Now that we have issued an official notice from the government ordering the people to put down their hoes and gather to cultivate the public lands, everyone is incredibly enthusiastic!"

"According to reports from local officials, in just over ten days, seventy percent of the people have followed the government's requirements and stopped working the fields for the clans. Their farmlands are almost entirely abandoned!"

"Because of this, the clans have repeatedly pressured the government and even constantly inflated prices, trying to force us to concede! Hmph, I have already ordered the local government offices at all levels that no matter what tactics the clans use, we will hold one attitude: we will not assist them! Let them fret!"

...

Li Zhi said happily, "Good! With the people so united, why should we worry about not being able to deal with the clans?"

"This is all thanks to Your Highness! If not for your planning, how could the Secretariat have come up with a response in such a short time?"

Was this a compliment to Li Zhi? It sounded quite sincere!

However, Li Zhi did not accept it: "You are mistaken! It was not you who planned it, but me who directed the handling of the clan affairs; you were merely an errand runner! If I had asked anyone else to do it, they could have done it just as well!"

"Uh..." Zhangsun Wuji’s smiling face suddenly stiffened.

It was true. Li Shimin had already handed the clan affairs over to Li Zhi; legally speaking, it no longer concerned Zhangsun Wuji. Li Zhi could replace him at any moment. The current results were entirely to Li Zhi’s credit.

"Of course! If you do your work well, once you have rendered meritorious service, I will certainly put in a good word for you before my father, and you shall be restored to your original position!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Compared to fighting for credit, this was the most practical outcome. As long as Li Zhi said a few kind words before Li Shimin, he would remain a high-ranking official of the imperial court and a Chancellor of the Secretariat.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhangsun Wuji asked, "What should we do next?"

"It is quite simple. From now on, we ignore the clans and focus on our own affairs! First, have the commoners everywhere till the public lands and prepare for sowing. Each county must build greenhouses. As for how to build them specifically, you should select a group of officials to accompany me to Hongnong, and you will understand at a glance!"

"Yes!"

Zhangsun Wuji knew nothing about what was called building a greenhouse. He was genuinely eager to go to Hongnong to see what these greenhouses, which even Li Shimin valued so highly, actually looked like.

...

That day, the Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel each sent over a dozen officials to accompany Li Zhi to Hongnong. Zhangsun Wuji was among them.

Upon arriving in Hongnong, everywhere they looked, the people were busily tilling the soil, a scene entirely different from the state of the outside world.

"Are General Cheng and General Yuchi both here?" Zhangsun Wuji asked.

"Yes!"

"I don't know if those two old fellows have managed to guard the base, and I hope they haven't let the clans steal any secrets!" This was what Li Zhi worried about most during this time. Once the secrets were leaked, sweet potatoes and rice would no longer be rare commodities, and it would become even more difficult to keep the clans in check.

Zhangsun Wuji smiled, "Your Highness, rest assured... both of them are battle-hardened veterans; they have blocked thousands of horses and soldiers, so how could they fail to guard a small county like Hongnong?"

"That is not necessarily true!" Li Zhi said. "The more capable a person is at grand tasks, the more likely they are to make mistakes in minor details."

At the agricultural planting base, Zhao Tang and Wu Yong were present. They did not know where they had received the news, but they were there specifically to welcome them.

"Quite a grand turnout!" As they entered Hongnong County, they saw a line of people standing on the road ahead: Zhao Tang, Wu Yong, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde... and the officials of Hongnong Commandery, all lined up in two rows.

"Hmph! I have been to Hongnong County many times, and I have never received such treatment. Lord Zhangsun, you have quite a high standing; even I am left in the dust!"

"Ahem..." Zhangsun Wuji, reduced to running errands for others, felt he had no standing at all. Especially before Li Zhi, he felt like a student who had made a mistake. "They are not welcoming me, but Your Highness and the various officials!"

"The same, the same..." Li Zhi laughed.

He met with Cheng Yaojin's party and inquired about the recent situation in Hongnong Commandery, feeling relieved only then.

"The agricultural planting base in Hongnong County is the most important factor in our fight against the clans; its importance exceeds that of an army of one hundred thousand. General Cheng, General Yuchi, you must not be careless."

"Do you not trust us?" Cheng Yaojin asked, somewhat displeased.

"It is not that I do not trust you, but that this place is so critical that I cannot help but remind you repeatedly!"

Yuchi Jingde patted his chest to guarantee: "If you don't believe we can do it well, I will sign a military pledge. If any problems arise, just cut off my head."

"That will not be necessary! Just do your best!"

Li Zhi followed Zhao Tang and Wu Yong to the agricultural planting base to inspect the construction of all the greenhouses. The number of greenhouses was now vast, covering an area of up to ten acres. Five of those acres were planted with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes matured quickly, and the method of planting them was also quite unique.