CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 345 PLANNING

This day.

The entire Beauty Palace area was bustling with people.

Every Beauty Palace had a sign at its entrance indicating the purpose of the palace, which had become a trend.

In the gym.

At this moment, Mary Sue was still working out.

But then she saw a guard coming, with a new guard in tow.

"You’re here again?" Mary Sue was somewhat happy. Regardless of who this person was, they were a big client.

"Yes." Li Shimin nodded. Recently, he had often been strolling through the harem for relaxation, coming here to witness the changes and chatting well with Miss Ma.

After all, this one was very bold and dared to say anything.

"Who is this?" Mary Sue was curious.

"I’m this guard’s friend, also here to work out." Zhu Zhengwei replied, curiously observing the other, who had a straightforward and masculine demeanor...

Although there are many hearty tomboy characters, based on my understanding of these Earth people, there are mostly cross-dressers.

An effeminate girl...

"Hello." Zhu Zhengwei had a peculiar expression.

Soon Zhu Zhengwei was sitting in the gym with the Emperor Tang.

Accompanying the emperor on a disguised visit to the harem was indeed absurd... It was all because these people had messed up the harem.

Mary Sue pondered, pointing at the bustling scene outside, and said, "This is simply another bustling district of Chang’an City. I don’t know how the emperor will view such a lively harem previously so quiet?"

Zhu Zhengwei gave her a glance; discussing politics in the harem was taboo.

But Li Shimin seemed accustomed to it, calmly sitting down, pointing at the scene outside, "His Majesty should be very glad... hoping to suppress the noble family concubines so you common concubines can bring some hope..."

"Why?"

Mary Sue was curious, "Is royal power still threatened by these noble families? They even send women to the emperor?"

Li Shimin glanced at her and said, "Do you think not allowing women official titles or the imperial exam, and controlling the harem to prevent female officials from wielding power is enough? Throughout history, emperors have had to guard against factionalism of noble families!"

"For His Majesty, this is a reform, an opportunity."

"In recent years, the harem finances have been severely burdensome, and even factions are starting to form in court, though they don’t dare to be corrupt in Chang’an City, various famous ministers, and nobles are extremely clean in Chang’an City...."

"However, these people are corrupt in the countryside and accept bribes outside the Capital City, leaving His Majesty helpless!"

He spoke calmly, showing a trace of indifference, "The current Great Tang looks incredibly prosperous, and the national power is unprecedentedly flourishing... Unfortunately, this national power is not concentrated in the emperor’s hands but seized by the Seven Sects and Five Clans, these noble families, monopolizing much of the Great Tang’s wealth!"

"These noble families don’t even bother to hide; their real family foundations are outside Chang’an City, loaded with countless treasures."

"The civil service exam alone shows how strong the noble influence is; among the top 1,000 examined by the emperor, over 900 were trained by these wealthy nobles!"

Listening to this complaint, Mary Sue was very shocked.

This person is definitely not simple...

A thigh to cling to.

Mary Sue tentatively said, "Aren’t they really bold? Openly inserting their own people into the court? All of them loyal followers?"

"His Majesty is also helpless." Li Shimin shook his head, "It’s already become an unspoken rule. Any talented scholar would first recommend themselves to a noble family... and after those families vet their talents... they nurture, promote, and teach them for future imperial examinations!"

"So His Majesty is really miserable! Noble families inserting daughters, officials inserting students!"

Mary Sue said, "They arrange their talents, only then allowing His Majesty to choose for himself."

"Yes, His Majesty is ultimately just one person, weak and isolated..." Li Shimin shook his head, "The noble families thrive... and His Majesty can only balance the various noble family parties, using them to counterbalance against each other."

Zhu Zhengwei also nodded.

I knew Li Shimin was fierce, but only after learning this did I realize he was truly miserable.

The rules of Chang’an City seemed defiant, but what of it?

This rule could only perfectly control its own imperial city and couldn’t prevent outsiders; they simply ignore this Chang’an City.... Court officials commit localized corruption, form cliques, deceive the emperor...

Emperor Tang can only assign trusted subordinates, inspectors, to capture corrupt officials and devious people... but the effect isn’t significant.

Even the inspectors might be people from noble families.

It is precisely because of this that most of the Human Emperors throughout history died depressed, ruling from the throne, the ruler of the human realm, yet helplessly constrained by ancient noble powers.

The Human Emperor is naturally a puppet, unable to resist in any aspect.

Mary Sue said: "I heard, the emperor is the strongest person in the human realm, even though he’s only over four thousand years old... but it’s said he’s already near-saintly, driving the rapid development and advancement of Chang’an City, a wise ruler of his era... wouldn’t he personally take up arms, attack the base camps of those noble families? Completely ransack their records, unspeakably dirty, execute the whole family... then their deep foundations won’t matter."

Indeed.

The Human Emperor’s life burns fiercely on the timeline. Though only 4,000 years seem to have passed, who knows the real age.

"Hahahaha."

Li Shimin laughed heartily, "It’s not that easy; they would hide, cover, and flee... No one knows where these noble families’ real home is hidden in my empire... And I can only destroy their visible family base, but if I can’t kill them in one go, it would be truly troublesome..."

Li Shimin suddenly paused, saying gloomily, "Even so, though the Human Emperor only has a few thousand years of life, and even the heavenly Jade Emperor, King Yama must respect the battle capacity. How does it help? Generation after generation of Human Emperors can die, can be replaced, dynasties can be destroyed... but the noble families among humans are enduring."

"Among the Seven Sects and Five Clans, some have passed down from previous dynasties to today, from the Eastern Han Dynasty to now, still holding office in the court, even the current Li Tang Dynasty, able to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, relied on the investment of these local noble families..."

"Got it."

Mary Sue nodded.

Indeed, it was almost like this historically, even in a mythical dynasty.

After all, historically it was true, noble family politics began in the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, ending at the end of the Tang Dynasty, like a tumor giving emperors endless headaches.

Li Shimin laughed: "The royal family doesn’t even have its own industries and expenditures... So if this money-guzzling harem can really become self-sufficient or even turn into a profitable business, and the harem female officials subsidize the emperor’s treasury, the emperor should be ecstatic."

Zhu Zhengwei: "....."

You really have it tough.

Poor enough to need harem women to make money?

No wonder you see these players like Zhou Bapi sees workers.