Da Tang Si Zi: My Six Super Rich Little Nuggets!

Chapter 108, Article 6, is the most touching, and also the most heartbreaking.

While serving Li Zhi, pouring wine and serving him food, Zi'an was also fiddling with a brush and drawing on paper at the nearby table. Suddenly, she looked up and interjected:

"Hey, let's continue talking about that amazing artifact, the 'Advanced Talisman'!"

Li Zhi, biting the end of his chopsticks, looked completely bewildered: "What did you say? What's this 'high-class' stuff?"

Zi An gave him a look, and Wu Xiaosi almost threw up: "You mean Gao Jifu? Don't you think his name sounds like an ancient cheat code? It makes me want to add the word 'talisman' to my poems now."

Wu Xiaosi burst out laughing: "Wow, that's a brilliant analogy! Okay, let's continue talking about how this 'cheat code' gave Emperor Taizong of Tang a buff."

Zi An cleared his throat and began to speak in a serious tone:

"When Emperor Taizong of Tang first came to power, our 'High-Ranking Fu' was promoted to Censor-in-Chief, specifically to target corrupt officials. You know, Censors-in-Chief do all sorts of jobs, but Gao Jifu was particularly ruthless—no matter how powerful your backing or how much influence you had, he could catch you right away, and with a swift stroke, 'snap,' the corrupt official would be crying and screaming as he went to meet the King of Hell."

Li Zhi grinned: "Yeah, that's what I like about him. He's ruthless and tough, that's more like me. It's a pity I can't protect his lifespan."

Zi'an continued, "Later, Gao Jifu changed positions and became a Zhongshu Sheren. Well, to put it bluntly, he was the emperor's 'policy think tank.' Before any policy was introduced, he had to review it. This guy was really ruthless; he directly revised Emperor Taizong's policies into a 'golden version.'"

Wu Xiaosi clicked his tongue in amazement: "That's really bold. If it were me, I'd probably be scolded by my father back then until I doubted my existence."

Zi'an shook his head with a smile: "Do you think Emperor Taizong could criticize him? In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong personally convened a meeting of ministers to ask everyone to evaluate the court's policies. Everyone else was nodding and bowing and saying nice things, but Gao Jifu came up and wrote a 'list of opinions', listing six points, each one hitting the nail on the head."

Wu Xiaosi leaned closer: "Tell me quickly, what are these six?"

Zi'an counted on his fingers: "The first point is that he said we should make good use of upright, honest, and incorruptible officials. In short, we should have more 'clean officials' and not rely on those opportunistic slickers and old forces all the time."

Wu Xiaosi chuckled: "Hey, that's well said! Everyone wants to work with 'pure streams,' who likes to get involved in 'muddy waters'? They're full of traps that have been dug long ago."

Zi'an nodded: "The second point is that he proposed to reduce the labor service of the people, which means that 'the people's blood and sweat should not be squeezed at will,' otherwise the country will be empty if the people run away."

Li Zhi picked up his cup and downed it in one gulp: "Hmm, this is good too, that's why I won him over to my side. My people need to catch their breath."

Zi'an raised her finger and continued, "The third point is to control the extravagance of princesses and princes. The meaning is very simple: the royal family has to be more restrained and not too flashy, lest the national treasury can't keep up."

Wu Xiaosi raised an eyebrow: "This is sharp enough. To dare to directly attack the royal family's face like this, he's really ruthless."

Zi'an laughed, "The fourth point is that he wants to improve the treatment of local officials. Hey, that's brilliant too, directly targeting local officials—'Brothers, don't go hungry in spirit, we need you to govern the people!'"

Wu Xiaosi nodded: "That's a good idea. Local officials can only work well if they have grain in their hearts and money in their pockets!"

Zi'an continued, "The fifth point is even more interesting—he said that the younger brother should have authority in front of the princes. Haha, what does that mean? It means 'the younger brother shouldn't always be bullied by the older brother's son.' Isn't that just a 'royal version of the brotherly harmony manual'?"

Li Zhi laughed heartily: "This is interesting, I need to think about it carefully."

Zi'an concluded by saying, "The sixth point is the most touching, and also the most heartbreaking—show more concern for ordinary people. This is a straightforward but sincere statement. If the people are not happy, those in power cannot sit still."

Wu Xiaosi gave a thumbs up: "These six points are packed with useful information! Gao Jifu is indeed a talented person."

Zi An said smugly, "Of course! This 'advanced talisman' was a powerful cheat code in the early Tang Dynasty. With it around, the court was very stable."

Wu Xiaosi smiled with narrowed eyes: "No matter how reliable the cheat is, we still need to eat our fill first! Come, come, put a lamb tripe on His Majesty's plate, and some dipping sauce!"

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