Li Xiang originally thought that it was a dispute involving famous families, and there might be some issues between the families. After the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats declined, Li Xiang no longer took these famous families seriously, so he did not take it seriously.
But unexpectedly, what Lord Zhao raised was another sharp contradiction, that is, the struggle between the children of wealthy families and those of poor families. This is not only a sharp contradiction in this era, but even in the 21st century, such a contradiction still exists, and such contradictions exist in all countries.
There are only so many positions in society, and the wealthy families are at the top of everyone else. They also want to gain a better position for their children, so they are bound to suppress those from poor families. However, the number of children from poor families is very large, and in this case, they will also work hard for their own future, and collisions between the two sides are inevitable.
"In the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an City is probably evenly split. The number of children from prominent families is not very prominent, but Your Highness can investigate the various local government offices. Officials in various places all have backgrounds. If you don't have a background, you simply can't hold this position."
When Lord Zhao said this, even he himself felt very surprised. You know, he is not usually such a person. Even if he thought so in his heart, he could not say it out loud. Maybe because of the alcohol today, Lord Zhao talked a little too much.
However, when Lord Zhao said this, he had already made all preparations. It turned out that these words had been weighing on his mind for a long time. Although he came from a famous family, he had long realized that if the court continued to develop in this way, it would be extremely detrimental to all the people and would not be good for the entire country. Li Xiang was an open-minded person. If Li Xiang could solve this problem, he might be able to extend the life of the Tang Dynasty by another five hundred years.
"I haven't paid much attention to what Lord Zhao is talking about before, but it does represent a sharp contradiction. The prominent families have existed for far too long, and their tentacles have penetrated into every aspect of society. I've faced off against the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Houses before, and they were all defeated. But after listening to Lord Zhao's words today, I believe the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Houses aren't the most important. Instead, it's the small and medium-sized families across the country that are the most terrifying."
Since Lord Zhao took the initiative to say these words, he was also opposed to these prominent families controlling the government. Li Xiang also spoke out what was in his heart. Lord Zhao nodded beside him. Li Xiang was able to see this, which was far more far-sighted than many court elites.
In the eyes of many court elites, the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Clans were the prominent families that controlled the government. As long as the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Clans were dealt with, the power of the court would naturally return to the hands of the emperor. In fact, this was a very one-sided idea.
It turned out that when Li Xiang was just reborn, he did have the same idea, but after a long period of observation, Li Xiang realized the difference in this matter. The Five Surnames and Seven Families had played a guiding role for a long time. Their personal strength was indeed strong, but if they wanted to compete with the court, they actually used small and medium-sized families from all over the place.
If the small and medium-sized families from all over the country are taken individually, none of them can compete with the imperial court, but when they gather together and work together, they become a very powerful force. Even if the imperial court wants to move against them, it does not have the confidence to do so, unless you want to see unrest across the country.
Therefore, the imperial court must also abide by the rules. These small and medium-sized families are mixed together, and they have reached an inexplicable tacit understanding with the imperial court. If we make a mistake, you can touch us, but if we have not made a mistake and you make trouble for us, the landlords and powerful people in various places will not joke around.
Li Xiang suddenly thought of the Huang Chao Uprising that affected the entire Tang Dynasty.
It is clearly recorded in history books that this guy originally wanted to pass the imperial examinations. If he had been able to do so, he would have been able to successfully enter the court of the Tang Dynasty, and naturally there would not have been the unrest that spread throughout the country later. This guy's unrest drained the last of the Tang Dynasty's strength. After the end of his uprising, the entire Tang Dynasty entered a situation of separatist rule.
Why did he choose to rebel? It was because he was not successful in the imperial examinations, or because his place was taken by the children of wealthy families. So this guy saw no hope and raised the banner of resistance.
When he thought of this, Li Xiang broke out in a sweat. If the situation continued to develop like this, there would likely be several such characters appearing. It seemed that this matter was no longer a trivial matter. While resolving the external struggles, Li Xiang had to give these children from poor families a glimmer of hope.
As the ruler of a country, if you cannot balance the various forces in your own country, then there is no need to wait for outsiders to come in. The internal unrest alone will be enough to make you exhausted. At that time, all it takes is a simple plan and the contradictions in the entire society will be ignited. These contradictions have accumulated for so many years. It is very difficult for you to extinguish them in a short period of time.
When he thought of this, Li Xiang stood up and bowed to Lord Zhao. You must know that Lord Zhao was from a famous aristocratic family. He was able to say these words. In fact, he had betrayed his family and took the responsibility of the world as his own. Such a person was indeed a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty.
"I can't accept your Highness's gift. I can't accept your Highness's gift. I've actually been hesitating for a long time. I should have brought this up a long time ago, but I thought of the people behind me..."
Lord Zhao quickly knelt before Li Xiang. How could he accept such a great gift from Li Xiang? Li Xiang was the grandson of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. This was a matter of life and death.
"Compared to others, it's actually very difficult for you to take this step. I was on the wrong track earlier in this matter. I didn't think it through clearly. In fact, the Five Surnames and Seven Families are all exposed. Their harm to the country is obvious to everyone, but the small and medium-sized families in various places cannot see it."
Li Xiang also shook his head. His previous strategy was indeed problematic. Although it had defeated the arrogance of the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats, to be honest, this move was considered successful, but not that successful. Instead, it made the small and medium-sized families in various places wary. The future path...