Taking Office for Real: Li Zhi's Grand Scheme

No one objected to Li Zhi taking office as Governor of Yong Province.

After all, he had already won the approval of many officials through everything he had done before.

Yet at the same time, everyone could not help but feel envy toward him.

After all, Cao Chong was seven when he weighed the elephant, and Gan Luo was already twelve when he commanded troops.

But Li Zhi, from the age of three, had already made one contribution after another to the Tang Dynasty.

And now, at just four years old, he had been appointed to a true office of state.

Such an achievement was without precedent, and likely would never be seen again.

Just as everyone was envying him, the rewards that Li Shimin announced next only added three more names to the list of those envied.

For meritorious instruction, Fang Xuanling was advanced from Duke of Wei to Duke of Liang, with hereditary governorship of Song Prefecture.

Changsun Wuji was advanced from Duke of Qi to Duke of Zhao, with hereditary governorship of Zhao Prefecture.

Li Jing was advanced from Duke of Dai to Duke of Wei, with hereditary governorship of Pu Prefecture.

The envy was not without reason.

The three of them had only won the chance to become Li Zhi’s tutors after fighting others for it.

And now, in less than a year, they had each secured another hereditary prefectural post for their families.

What minister would not be tempted by that?

What had begun as a dull court assembly was thus transformed by Li Zhi’s astonishing performance into a ceremony of commendation.

The dark clouds that had hung over the court were suddenly swept away, and brightness filled the hall.

Because of this assembly, Li Zhi truly became a working man. Starting the next day, he went to the office of the Capital Prefecture to begin his duties.

The chief clerk, Li Zhe, who had narrowly escaped disaster before, welcomed Li Zhi through the gates as though receiving an ancestral lord.

But before he could even offer a few flattery-filled words, Li Zhi spoke first.

“Lord Li, the refugees are already on the road. We must hurry to build shelter for them.”

Hearing this, Li Zhe could not help blurting out a startled exclamation.

Then he quickly recovered and said awkwardly, “Y-yes, yes, Your Highness is right.”

Soon after, sensing that something still seemed off, he hurriedly asked, “May I ask where Your Highness intends to establish the relief quarter, and how much material will need to be requisitioned?”

At the word “relief quarter,” Li Zhi could not help frowning.

In his view, the people were merely disaster victims; they were not sick.

Calling the settlement for them a “sick ward” seemed rather inappropriate.

So he said to Li Zhe, “Issue the order: from now on, all settlements for disaster victims are to be called resettlement sites, and may no longer be referred to as sick wards.”

Li Zhe was somewhat puzzled by the command.

Still, he obediently agreed at once; this prince was not someone he could afford to offend.

Li Zhi then continued, “Build the resettlement site to the west of the city. There is still plenty of undeveloped land there. As for materials, this official will provide them himself.”

At first Li Zhe only nodded mechanically. Then he suddenly reacted.

He asked in astonishment, “Your Highness means you will pay for the materials yourself?”

Li Zhi answered without hesitation, “The court itself is not flush with funds, so let us draw on my private treasury for now.”

Li Zhe was so stunned by Li Zhi’s casual tone that he momentarily forgot how to reply.

What was going on here?

Hadn’t he already agreed to pay for the grain?

Wasn’t that supposed to cost at least four ten-thousand strings of cash?

Could it be that Your Highness had so much money he could not possibly spend it all?

And now he could even afford to pay for building the sick... no, the resettlement site?

Seeing Li Zhe standing there in a daze, Li Zhi asked, “Lord Li, what is the matter?”

Only then did Li Zhe come back to himself in panic and say, “This humble official is fine... I will go make the arrangements at once.”

The two prefectures of Liangzhou and Longzhou were both about five to six hundred li from Chang’an.

With the current conditions of travel, it would probably take the refugees about half a month to reach Chang’an.

Li Zhi mobilized nearly everyone in Chang’an he could mobilize, and even then the total was only a little over two thousand.

With so few people, it was certainly impossible to complete the entire resettlement site in half a month.

Thus, most of what Li Zhi had them do was level the ground and dig the foundations.

When Li Zhe saw that Li Zhi was even having people dig foundations, he could not help asking in confusion, “Your Highness, this resettlement site is only a temporary necessity. There is no need to build it with such strictness.”

Li Zhi replied, “Who said I intend to build temporary lodging? I mean to turn this place into an entire workshop district.”

Li Zhe was once again left baffled by Li Zhi’s words.

He asked timidly, “What does Your Highness mean by a workshop district?”

This was not because he was foolish.

In those days, all workshops throughout Tang lands were built inside the cities.

That made it convenient for workers to travel to and from their work, and also ensured the safety of the workshops.

After all, the realm was not especially peaceful, and no one could guarantee that their workshop would not be targeted by thieves.

Li Zhi explained, “Lord Li, there are over thirty thousand refugees. With so many people, we cannot simply leave them idle all day.”

Li Zhe nodded dumbly.

Li Zhi went on, “Since that is so, why not let them help build a workshop district? Once it is finished, they can then be put to work in the workshops.”

Li Zhe first nodded happily at this.

Then he asked, still somewhat puzzled, “But Your Highness, how can workshops built out in the wilderness be kept safe?”

Li Zhi said, “Wouldn’t it be enough to enclose the whole thing with a wall?”

After hearing that, Li Zhe almost began to suspect that Li Zhi had gone mad.

How large would a workshop district have to be to hold more than thirty thousand people?

By his rough estimate, it would have to be at least a third the size of Chang’an.

To build a wall around such a vast expanse—would that not be the same as constructing another city?

He felt this idea was terribly unreliable, and decided he had to persuade Li Zhi otherwise.

After organizing his thoughts, Li Zhe said to Li Zhi, “Your Highness, your plan is like building an entire city. A project of such scale would cost no small sum!”

Li Zhi waved a hand carelessly. “Of course I know it will cost a great deal, but once the workshops are completed, the returns will be even greater.”

Swallowing hard, Li Zhe continued to urge him, “But Your Highness, how are we to support the initial investment?”

To him, Li Zhi’s idea seemed far too naive.

Such a huge undertaking would cost at least several million strings of cash, and he refused to believe anyone in the world could produce that much money.

Yet to his surprise, after hearing this, Li Zhi merely said lightly, “Do not worry. I have my own way.”

At that, Li Zhe immediately fell silent, for he could feel the tremendous confidence in Li Zhi’s words.

At this moment, apart from Li Zhi himself and Liu An, no one knew exactly how much money he possessed.

Several workshops earned him more than ten thousand strings of cash every single day, and that was with him desperately cutting back production of glass and cosmetics.

In everyone’s understanding, the cost of such things should have been quite high, and their manufacture difficult.

Little did they know that all of that was merely an illusion; Li Zhi’s true costs were absurdly low.