Chapter 316 Opponent
"What news?" Yang Guozhong asked.

Liu Luogu said: "The Right Prime Minister and Abusi once agreed to be father and son. Wang Yu rebelled, and Abusi also rebelled. How could such a coincidence happen in the world?"

Yang Guozhong understood what Liu Luogu meant and was startled. He pondered for a while and said, "Abusi's betrayal of the Tang Dynasty must be related to the Prince of Dongping. Not long ago, Prince Shou captured Abusi and is taking him to Chang'an. The Prince of Dongping is afraid that Abusi will say something, right?"

"A rebel's words will have no impact. The key is what he did and who conspired with him." Liu Luogu said respectfully, "Doctor Yang and the Right Prime Minister are now at odds with each other. Why don't you seize this opportunity?"

Yang Guozhong said: "The Prince of Dongping is very calculating. He is using the conflict between me and the Right Prime Minister to protect himself."

Liu Luogu said: "How can this be exploitation? This is cooperation."

Yang Guozhong asked: "Since it is a cooperation, what are your chips?"

Liu Luogu said: "After Abusi defected, the Prince of Dongping arrested some of Abusi's generals. These generals can serve as witnesses."

"Great!" Yang Guozhong was delighted. He immediately asked Liu Luogu to sit down and ordered the servants to serve tea and cakes. Then he asked, "Where are these witnesses?"

Liu Luogu said: "The Prince of Dongping has already submitted a petition. As long as the emperor summons him, the witness can come to the capital at any time."

"That's great." Yang Guozhong nodded with satisfaction and said, "I will speak in the court. Today, General Liu will have a banquet in my house. We still need to discuss the details."

Liu Luogu said: "Thank you so much, doctor!"

……

Right Prime Minister's Mansion.

Li Linfu was old and in poor health to begin with. Ever since Li Longji summoned Yang Guozhong back from Jiannan, his health had deteriorated further. Now it was difficult for him to sit upright and he had to lie on a chair.

The maid told Li Linfu, who was half lying down, everything about the murder of the palace spy and Liu Luogu's meeting with Yang Guozhong.

Li Linfu listened, sighed and said: "People have to accept old age. If it were ten years ago, I would have already planned these things. Now I am not able to handle government affairs. The saint is willing but not able to entrust the affairs of state to me, but who can I entrust them to?"

"I am an unfilial son and cannot share my grandfather's worries." Li Xiu's voice came from behind, and then he walked up to Li Linfu and waved his hand for the servants to leave first.

Li Linfu saw Li Xiu and recalled: "About six years ago, you saw a servant pulling a heavy cart and advised me that if I carried the heavy cart and walked on the ground covered with thorns, I would eventually meet with disaster. You were right."

Li Xiu's eyes were already filled with tears. He said, "Grandpa, I was just talking nonsense at that time. Now you are still the right prime minister. How can a mere Yang Guozhong overthrow you?"

Li Linfu had figured it out during this time, and shook his head and said, "It was not Yang Guozhong who brought me down, but myself and the saint."

Li Xiu was stunned when he heard this.

"Over the years, I have made many enemies in the court and the country. Many people, led by the left prime minister, have lived in fear. They have long wanted me dead. Yang Guozhong just provided an excuse. As for the saint..." Li Linfu suddenly felt a little sad. After a long pause, he continued, "The saint used me because I could help him manage finances and expand his borders. Now I am exhausted. He feels that he has found a more suitable person. He feels that Yang Guozhong can not only help him manage finances and expand his borders, but also balance the great families in Guanzhong. The saint's heart has always been so big."

Li Xiu asked: "Is it because of Yang Guozhong's identity as a foreigner?"

Li Linfu nodded slowly and said, "Since the saint ascended the throne, the population of Guanzhong has increased year by year, but the tax revenue has decreased year by year. The court has been unable to pry open the purses of the big families in Guanzhong. The saint has no choice but to kill some and replace some. The ones killed were the old ministers of Empress Wu Zetian, and the ones replaced were the old meritorious officials. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan, Yuwen Rong became prime minister. He formulated a policy that if you paid 1,500 coins, you would be exempted from rent and labor service for five years. Once the policy was introduced, 800,000 refugees were gathered in a short period of time, and more than one million strings of money were collected. Then he was exiled."

Li Xiu said: "Isn't it because he was greedy?"

Li Linfu smiled and did not explain. He continued, "Later, Pei Yaoqing took over Yuwen Rong's mission. He reformed the grain transport system and transported the money and grain from Hebei and Jiangnan to Luoyang through the Yongji Canal and Tongji Canal. In order to prevent corruption, he also designed a segmented transportation method. In this way, the taxes from Hebei and Jiangnan can make up for the deficit in Guanzhong. After I took over as prime minister, I have generally followed this strategy." Li Xiu said, "So the saint wants to use Yang Guozhong to increase the tax revenue in Guanzhong?"

"That's what the Saint thinks. Yang Guozhong is from Jiannan. If he causes instability in Guanzhong, the Saint can kill him to calm his anger. But..." Li Linfu sighed, "Yang Guozhong is cunning but incompetent. How can he do what Yuwen Rong couldn't do? If he really takes my position, the situation will only get worse."

Li Xiu asked, "Then why didn't Grandpa write a letter to the Saint?"

"It's useless." Li Linfu shook his head. "The Khitan and Xi tribes in the north are pressing forward step by step, the Huihe are also gradually becoming stronger, the Tubo in the west is eyeing them covetously, the Western Regions are jumping around, and the Nanzhao in the south is gathering strength. The saint wants to conquer the world and needs a lot of money and food. At this time, the saint just wants to gather money at all costs."

Li Xiu said: "There are also expenses in the palace..."

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu glared at Li Xiu and immediately told him to shut up.

Li Xiu said, "The most urgent task is to deal with Yang Guozhong's conspiracy. Grandpa, do you have any ideas?"

Li Linfu pondered for a while and said, "The Prince of Shou has been able to get to where he is today, and his willingness to retreat and be patient has played a big role in his success. I should learn from him. Go find some paper and pen."

"Here." Li Xiu went to find paper and pen and handed them to Li Linfu.

Li Linfu took it and immediately wrote a memorial to Li Longji.

……

Xingqing Palace.

After reading An Lushan's memorial impeaching Li Linfu and Abusi, Li Longji was silent for a long time before asking Gao Lishi, who was standing beside him, "Do you think the right prime minister would really collude with Wang Yu and Abusi to rebel?"

Gao Lishi said: "Although the Right Prime Minister has a bad reputation outside, I don't want to believe that he is plotting treason."

Li Longji said: "You said you don't want to, it's based on emotion, I want to ask you if he can do it?"

Gao Lishi said: "Since An Lushan said he has a witness, why not summon the witness and question him first?"

Li Longji turned and looked at Gao Lishi.

Summoning witnesses meant that he suspected Li Linfu, and since An Lushan dared to say so, the witnesses would definitely prove that there was something wrong with Li Linfu. At that time, it would be unreasonable for him not to deal with Li Linfu.

Gao Lishi's position is already very clear.

Just as Li Longji was about to speak, the eunuch in front of the palace brought Li Linfu's memorial, in which Li Linfu claimed to be ill and asked for resignation.

Li Longji took a look at it, handed the memorial to Gao Lishi, and asked, "Should I go see the Right Prime Minister?"

Gao Lishi said, "I don't know what disease the Right Prime Minister has. If Your Majesty goes to visit him, I am worried that the Right Prime Minister will pass on his illness to Your Majesty. It would be better to send the imperial physician to treat the Right Prime Minister first."

Li Longji thought for a while and said, "Well, let the imperial physician treat the Right Prime Minister. During this period, the Right Prime Minister does not need to leave the palace. In addition, summon the witnesses of An Lushan to the capital."

"Yes." Gao Lishi accepted the order.

(End of this chapter)