LFHYB -Chapter 107 Using a Big Banner as a Tiger’s Skin

Household‑registration records did not only list population numbers; they also recorded the amount of uncultivated land, the acreage already reclaimed, and the forests, hills, and fishponds available for common use.

The Sui dynasty followed the Equal‑Field System inherited from Northern Wei.

Just as Xiao He once saved population registers and official documents before leaving Xianyang, Fang Qiao knew that as long as he could obtain the household and land data of the Jiangnan prefectures, then even if war reduced the population there, the Tang could still immediately use those records to redistribute land and rebuild the household registers.

Unless they truly had no way to survive, commoners would not flee into the mountains to become “hidden households.” Whenever the Tang completed a new land survey and began another round of land distribution, they would come back down and re‑enter the registers.

Although one could secretly clear land in the mountains, without paying the government’s “protection fees,” neither life nor property would be safe. Even uneducated people understood this basic logic. As long as Tang taxes were lighter, after weighing the pros and cons, they would choose to return.

From Yang Xian’s “Great Inspection of Appearances” in the third year of Kaihuang to the strengthening of that system at the beginning of Yang Guang’s Daye era, the Sui had spent nearly thirty years building its current household‑registration network. If the Tang had to start from scratch, it would take at least another twenty or thirty years.

If Fang Qiao could get the Jiangnan household records, then the moment Tang occupied Jiangnan, it could immediately put all its productive resources to use.

As for why he had to scrape these records from local governments instead of simply taking the central archives—the reason was obvious: Sui local officials lied far too much about cultivated land.

Unlike how foreigners ranked Emperor Wen of Sui among the “Top 100 Influential People in World History,” later Chinese historians did not rate him so highly. They acknowledged his achievement in ending the chaos of war, but were far less impressed with his civil administration, precisely because population and land figures in his reign were massively falsified.

During Emperor Wen’s time, population supposedly grew by four percent—while even modern China, with technological advantages, only saw about three percent. The amount of taxable farmland was reported as nearly four billion mu, while modern China, after opening up Xinjiang, Tibet, and the Northeast, only has about two billion mu. The level of fabrication was so outrageous it gave later historians headaches.

These false numbers were inflated layer by layer. Local figures, which had to be used for actual tax collection, were much more accurate. When the Tang was founded, it suffered precisely because it only got the central data, while the local records were lost in the wars. During Li Shimin’s more than twenty years as emperor, he spent the majority of his time re‑surveying the empire’s land and population.

Du Ruhui died early, and Fang Qiao served Li Shimin as chancellor for fifteen years. Of Li Shimin’s twenty‑three years on the throne, two‑thirds were supported by Fang Qiao, which shows how great his contribution was to the “Reign of Zhenguan.” Among Li Shimin’s many ministers, Fang Qiao was also one of the earliest to follow him; Du Ruhui and the others were all recommended by Fang Qiao.

If Du Ruhui was still a step short of Zhang Liang, then Fang Qiao, from the time he followed Li Shimin until he became chancellor decades later, truly deserved to be called a “Second Xiao He.”

So it was only natural that Fang Qiao’s calculations were the same as Xiao He’s.

On the road to Zhangye, Li Xuanba was also discussing this with his second brother in his thoughts.

Li Xuanba: [Fang Xuánlíng told me about this before he left for his post. But he was just a small county magistrate, so he wasn’t sure he could pull it off. He only said he would try. I also mentioned it to Mother, and she said she would do everything she could to support him. For Fang Xuánlíng to think of this on his own—he truly deserves to be Tang’s “Xiao He.”]

Li Shimin scratched his head in agitation.

He really wanted to chat with his brother, but with Xiao Wu here, he couldn’t say such treasonous things out loud.

It wasn’t that he feared Xiao Wu would betray them—just that Xiao Wu was too young to keep secrets.

Li Shimin naturally knew Fang Qiao’s plan as well. When he had been suppressing bandits in the Central Plains, every time he occupied a government office, the first thing he did was haul away the household registers and official archives.

The Sui army went to war like bandits, never leaving a place empty‑handed. Officials and civilians alike had long accepted that Sui soldiers would take everything from wherever they camped, so Li Shimin openly scraped the ground three feet deep.

As for people impeaching him for taking household registers, saying they weren’t property—well, hadn’t the offices been robbed by “bandits”? Then it must have been the bandits who took them.

Li Shimin thought that he and Fang Xuánlíng truly shared the same mind. If Fang Xuánlíng was a “Second Xiao He,” then his own vision must also be at the level of Xiao He.

No—he should be a combination of Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin!

Li Shimin planted his hands on his hips in pride.

He wanted so badly to brag to his little brother—but Xiao Wu was here…

Li Shimin pushed the drowsy Li Zhiyun awake. “Go sleep in the carriage behind. Your third brother and I need to discuss something important.”

Li Zhiyun yawned and said resentfully, “I can’t listen?”

“You’re too young,” Li Shimin said. “I’m afraid you’ll let it slip. When you’re a bit older, I won’t hide anything from you.”

Li Xuanba snorted with laughter.

Li Shimin looked at him. “What are you laughing at?”

Li Xuanba: [That sounded so familiar. I used to brush you off like that all the time.]

Li Shimin tried to look annoyed, but couldn’t help laughing. “And you still have the nerve to say that.”

Li Zhiyun looked at his “muttering to himself” second brother, then at his third brother who had clearly said something he couldn’t hear, and felt even more aggrieved. “Fine, I’m going. Take your time chatting. How old do I have to be before I can join your conversations?”

Li Shimin thought for a moment, then rubbed Li Zhiyun’s head. “Gan Luo became a chief minister at twelve. Xiao Wu won’t be worse than him. Starting next year, A‑Xuan and I will take you with us in everything we do. But you have to work hard too—your abilities are still far from enough to truly help me and A‑Xuan.”

Next year, Xiao Wu would be twelve (by East Asian reckoning).

When Li Zhiyun heard that he only had to wait until next year before he could help his second and third brothers, all his grievances vanished at once.

“I’ll definitely work hard!” Li Zhiyun hugged his second brother, then threw himself into his third brother’s arms and clung to him for a while. “You promised!”

Li Xuanba held his little brother and said, “Mm. I promise.”

Li Shimin mocked him. “You should first get rid of your habit of acting spoiled.”

Li Xuanba shot back, “You haven’t gotten rid of yours either. Who is it that always dives straight into Mother’s arms the moment he gets home?”

Li Shimin’s expression froze.

Li Zhiyun burst out laughing. “Hahahahaha! Stop the carriage, I’m getting off! Hahaha, Second Brother, if you’re going to be embarrassed and angry, go take it out on Third Brother—don’t drag me into it!”

Li Zhiyun jumped off the carriage, and the speed at which he fled showed that he had been well trained since childhood.

Li Shimin flexed his wrists. “A‑Xuan, can’t you at least leave me a bit of face in front of Xiao Wu?”

Li Xuanba replied, “You didn’t avoid losing face in front of him either.”

Li Shimin was stunned. Thinking about it carefully, that really did seem to be the case.

He dropped his hands. “Forget it, forget it, I won’t argue with you. What did you say earlier? Oh right—Fang Xuanling is Xiao He. Look, your big brother also thought of that! And I can also lead armies and fight wars. That means I’m Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin all rolled into one!”

Li Xuanba asked, “Then who am I?”

Without hesitation Li Shimin said, “You’re just a bit inferior to me—you’re only Xiao He and Zhang Liang combined!”

Li Xuanba said, “Aren’t we over‑equipped with Xiao He and Zhang Liang in Great Tang? Too bad there’s only one Han Xin. Why don’t you find another Han Xin for Great Tang?”

Li Shimin laughed. “Isn’t that your job? In your prophetic heavenly book, the Book of Tang, doesn’t it say who’s a commander just slightly inferior to me?”

Li Xuanba was utterly speechless at his second brother’s excessive self‑confidence.

What did he mean by “slightly inferior to me”? How old are you, how many battles have you even fought? And you already think your military talent is unmatched under heaven?

Even though that was in fact true, Li Xuanba was still very annoyed by his brother’s shameless confidence.

“Li Jing,” Li Xuanba said. “A member of the Danyang branch of the Longxi Li clan.”

Li Shimin thought for a moment. “I’ve heard that name. The old Duke of Chu, Yang Su, praised him, and Eldest Brother once hosted him at a banquet. But Eldest Brother said he was too arrogant and stopped associating with him.”

Li Xuanba said, “It’s only natural that he’s arrogant toward us. After our family rose, we used the Longxi Li clan to establish kinship. The people of the Longxi Li know exactly how that ‘kinship’ came about—they don’t really regard us as true relatives.”

Li Shimin sneered. “The Longxi Li are one of the ‘Five Surnames and Seven Great Clans,’ just like the Zhengs of Xingyang, right? That kind of arrogance is indeed normal.”

Li Xuanba laughed. “What, you already have a bad impression of him?”

Li Shimin asked curiously, “Why? In your heavenly book, does it even say that I had a bad impression of him?”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “No. You treated him extremely well and kept reusing him until his old age.”

Li Shimin stroked his chin. “Then he must truly be very talented—and his temperament must have changed a lot too.”

Li Xuanba said, “It changed a great deal. He was heavily suppressed by our father, and only under you was he truly valued.”

Li Shimin laughed. “So that’s how it was. He had all the temper beaten out of him under Father. Looks like Father being emperor did have some ability—he could grind down the bad tempers of all those favored sons of heaven. When I become emperor, all the brilliant ministers at court will behave themselves.”

Li Xuanba felt there was something odd about those words. But when he thought about it, it did seem to be true: because Li Yuan was so willful as emperor, when his second brother later took the throne, all the ministers thought he was wonderful in every way.

Still, that was rather disrespectful to their father.

Li Xuanba said, “Don’t the ministers think you’re wonderful mainly because Sui Yangdi exists as a comparison?”

Li Shimin burst out laughing. “That contrast is indeed too strong. By the way, among the ministers I heavily favor, are there any troublemakers? I should go straighten them out in advance.”

He clenched his fists and rolled his wrists.

Li Xuanba teased him. “So once you become emperor you won’t be able to bully your ministers anymore, so you want to cause trouble to your heart’s content while you’re still free?”

Li Shimin, still clenching his fists, smiled sweetly. “Smart.”

Li Xuanba joked, “Then go beat Yuchi Gong in advance. At a court banquet, Yuchi Gong once fought with our cousin Li Daozong over seating order and punched him in the eye, nearly blinding him. You scolded him furiously, and only then did he restrain his foul temper. My rank will definitely be higher than his—if that happens again, I’m afraid his fist will land on me.”

For a moment Li Shimin’s heart tightened, but he kept smiling. “He’d dare? If he dares lay a hand on you, I’ll jump off the dragon couch and beat him senseless—beat him until his teeth are scattered all over the floor and he can’t get out of bed for a month, even if the entire court tries to stop me!”

Li Xuanba said, “You should still teach him a lesson in advance. Even if you’d beat him later, I’d still be the one who got hit.”

Li Shimin said solemnly, “All right, I’ll remember that. When we meet him, I’ll beat him into submission first. By the way, where is he now?”

Li Xuanba said, “Yuchi Gong’s father is Yuchi Jia, currently a General of the Second Rank. Yuchi Gong is fourteen years older than us. As a scion of a meritorious noble family, he should be taking advantage of the civil unrest to join the army in Gaoyang and rack up military merit.”

Yuchi Gong was also of a meritorious noble house. If not for the fact that his clan elder Yuchi Jiong had opposed Yang Guang and been executed, forcing the Yuchi family to keep a low profile ever since, with his ability and background he would have long held office.

Even so, once he joined the army he was quickly promoted to Court Gentleman.

The smile on Li Shimin’s face faded slightly. “Whether it’s Li Jing or Yuchi Gong, right now they wouldn’t put the two of us in their eyes.”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “If we just want to befriend them, with the abilities we’ve shown so far they’d certainly be willing. But if we want to recruit them, that’s absolutely impossible.”

How impressive is a fourteen-year-old Tiger General? Impressive, yes. But in the Sui Dynasty, each of the sixteen garrisons had several Tiger Generals.

For a young boy of fourteen, becoming a Tiger General was quite an achievement. On the streets of the court, even the sons of powerful families wouldn’t spare him a glance.

It wasn’t just the sons of scholarly families who looked down on others; the children of nobility were the same. Don’t be fooled by the low official ranks of Li Jiancheng and other noble sons—their social status was very high.

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba had been preparing resources in advance, but that was only enough to give them a bit of protection in a chaotic world. Anyone with even a modest family background wouldn’t take them seriously as potential power players.

It was the same when Li Shimin was recruiting soldiers in Qinghe Commandery.

He had released news early, hoping to attract local scholars to support him. Yet, despite his remarkable military achievements, only ordinary civilians came to enlist.

Not to mention sons of families with some standing—those whose families hadn’t held office for generations didn’t even come to apply.

The clerks and lower-ranking officers in Li Shimin’s army were all young men from the Duke Tang Mansion.

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more frustrated he became. “I’m talented and accomplished at a young age—shouldn’t I be favored by capable people?”

Li Xuanba said, “You’ve muttered this many times already. Well, the world is foolish. They’ll have plenty of time to regret it later.”

Li Shimin took a deep breath. “Exactly! Look at Brother Fang and Brother Du—they’re also sons of officials, yet they don’t disdain me!”

Li Xuanba replied, “They have great eyes. Do you think in five thousand years of Chinese history there are many who can ‘plot like Fang and judge like Du’?”

Five thousand years? Since when? Li Shimin remembered his brother’s offhand remark but didn’t ask.

His younger brother had many secrets, far beyond mere “prophecies”; he had long been aware of them.

But knowing was enough. As long as his brother didn’t conceal anything, he wouldn’t press for details—so that his brother could remain comfortable around him.

Li Shimin nodded repeatedly. “Exactly, exactly. Sigh… it’s still so frustrating. I bet if Father were recruiting talent now, many scholars would flock to him. Damn it! I’m clearly better than Father!”

Li Xuanba said leisurely, “If they don’t choose you, it just means they lack vision. Let them be suppressed by Brother Fang, Brother Du, and Brother Xue. Oh, and there’s Wei Zheng. He joined us early this time—soon he’ll also hold his head high.”

Li Shimin snorted coldly. “From now on, the chancellors will be those four in rotation—no one else!”

Li Xuanba couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahaha!”

Li Shimin laughed along. “Let them be blind. Also, our talents will add to Father’s reputation, right? Yet they abandoned us to serve Father—could that be considered missing the forest for the trees?”

Li Xuanba said, “Absolutely!”

The two brothers’ laughter echoed loudly enough to reach the carriage behind them.

Li Zhiyun rested his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees.

“Sigh… just one more year. Time moves so slowly.”

When Fang Qiao and Wei Zheng started taking action, Du Ruhui and Xue Shou weren’t idle either.

When Yang Guang campaigned against Goguryeo, he didn’t want Japan causing trouble, so he sent envoys there. Under Li Xuanba’s suggestion, Xue Shou joined the envoy group—and had not yet returned.

Du Ruhui served as a county magistrate in Zhuo Commandery, hoping to witness the grandeur of the Sui army’s expedition up close.

He saw the suffering of Zhuo Commandery’s laborers and the exaggerated pomp of Yang Guang’s display.

Du Ruhui once considered resigning, but he endured.

Now, he couldn’t just stand by. When the realm plunged into chaos, would he wait in Daxing for Li Erlang and Li Sanlang to arrive with Fang Xuanling? That would be utterly useless.

Du Ruhui restrained his disdain for the foolish emperor and the corrupt court, remaining steadfast in his post.

He had already predicted the Sui dynasty’s demise.

From the emperor being repeatedly deceived by Goguryeo, he could discern the emperor’s human weaknesses.

Given his character, the emperor would ignore the people’s suffering and launch yet another campaign against Goguryeo in a short time.

The Sui dynasty would be destroyed, hammerstroke by hammerstroke, by Yang Guang.

Du Ruhui needed to observe carefully where Yang Guang would strike, to see how a seemingly thriving unified dynasty could collapse under the hand of one absurd emperor.

He dared not write down his insights, only committing them to memory.

When all was over, he would compile his experiences and lessons into a book, to advise the emperors of the Tang and future generations.

Du Ruhui absorbed lessons from the Sui’s failures like a sponge. His political philosophy quickly took shape.

When ordered to join the emperor’s second campaign against Goguryeo, he knew he could finally escape the hardship.

Given the current chaos in the Central Plains, the Sui army could not possibly advance safely.

With the Sui army campaigning and the rear dangerously exposed, it was a prime opportunity to attack the twin capitals.

Whether bandits or ambitious courtiers, someone would inevitably raise the banner of rebellion. The Sui army would have to retreat. This battle couldn’t be won.

Du Ruhui only hoped that when the Sui army retreated, it would be orderly enough to allow soldiers and supplies to return safely; otherwise, it would be a windfall for Goguryeo.

He was just a humble county magistrate, without the authority to give counsel.

But as a member of the Jingzhao Du clan, even a collateral branch, he could visit ministers in the court who were also from the Jingzhao Du family and submit petitions.

Du Ruhui shared his concerns with his elders and volunteered to join the supply escort, hoping he could be of some help.

The elders sighed: “Are you the only one in the court who sees this? We all see it. We’ve advised where we could. If things go wrong now, it’s because the emperor doesn’t listen. Don’t get involved—you understand? If anything happens, it’s the fault of the doers, not His Majesty.”

Du Ruhui sighed. “Understood.”

He thought, once the second campaign against Goguryeo failed, he would seek out Li Erlang and Li Sanlang.

The failure would undoubtedly plunge the Sui into full-scale chaos. By then, Li Erlang and Li Sanlang would likely be understaffed as well.

Du Ruhui inquired with the elders about the news of Li Erlang and Li Sanlang. The last time he received information about them, the two had already decided to go to Zhangye.

The elders only knew that Li Erlang and Li Sanlang had gone to Zhangye. In such a short time, there wouldn’t be any major changes at court.

Du Ruhui calculated the round-trip time between Zhangye and Luoyang.

Once the emperor fails in his second campaign against Goguryeo, if he heads to Zhangye immediately, the news of the failed campaign likely won’t have reached Zhangye yet. Even if the emperor wanted to reassign Li Erlang and Li Sanlang, he would wait until returning to Luoyang. By going early, he shouldn’t miss Li Erlang and Li Sanlang.

“I wonder when Brother Fang will go to Zhangye,” Du Ruhui thought, missing his friend.

It had been so much fun meeting friends in Daxing and Luoyang. The officialdom of the Sui Dynasty was indeed utterly dull in comparison.

By the time Du Ruhui had decided when to go to Zhangye, Li Shimin and Li Xuanba had returned there.

Li Shimin was full of energy and didn’t need rest at all.

While Li Xuanba and Li Zhiyun rested at home, Li Shimin changed clothes and went out, visiting everyone he had once met in Zhangye.

From frontier generals and officials to merchants in the markets, Li Shimin knew countless people, and even after ten days, he hadn’t finished visiting them all.

Upon hearing that Li Shimin and Li Xuanba had returned, neighboring Western regions’ tribes also sent envoys one by one, hoping to connect with the two and establish ties with the Duke Tang (Duke of Tang) household.

Li Shimin was annoyed again.

“My brother and I are impressive, but why must that make our father impressive too?”

Though, admittedly, his father was not bad.

However, their father was currently not in Zhangye. Even if they wanted to cozy up to the Duke of Tang’s household, they were ultimately at the disposal of Li Shimin and Li Xuanba. Li Shimin suppressed his temper and cultivated good relations with them one by one.

Information between Zhangye and the Central Plains was poorly communicated. For many in the Western regions, they might not even know that dynasties in the Central Plains had changed. Even those who had official connections with the court still perceived the Sui Dynasty as at its height during the fifth year of Daye.

Now it was only the ninth year of Daye.

In just four years, by ordinary logic, the Sui Dynasty, even if not stronger, would at least be about the same as before.

Thus, Li Shimin and Li Xuanba could still rely on the “powerful Sui Dynasty” and did not need to fear that Westerners would be untrustworthy.

Li Xuanba rested at home for a month to restore his health. Once ready, he set about his own business.

While Li Shimin drilled troops and cultivated friendships with Westerners, Li Xuanba visited the Prefect of Zhangye.

During Emperor Wen’s reign, Zhangye Commandery had been abolished. After Yang Guang ascended, the commandery was reestablished, and Yin Shishi was appointed Prefect of Zhangye. When Emperor Wen personally led a campaign against Tuyuhun, Yin Shishi returned to the capital as a Hubei General and currently served as the governor of Zhuo Commandery.

The current Prefect of Zhangye had only held the post for a few years and, due to the language barrier, was still learning the local affairs, following old practices.

Moreover, Zhangye was a strategic military post. The original prefect, Yin Shishi, had both civil and military authority. After Yang Guang’s campaign, the military authority was taken away, leaving the current Prefect with only administrative power. Since almost all Zhangye affairs were tied to the military, he was essentially a figurehead.

When Li Xuanba came to pay his respects, the Prefect of Zhangye felt both honored and surprised.

Back when Yin Shishi was Prefect, he held considerable power. But when Pei Ju arrived on imperial orders to oversee border affairs, Yin Shishi obediently acted as a subordinate focused only on commanding troops, transferring all authority to Pei Ju.

Now, Li Shimin and Li Xuanba had their own military authority. The Prefect initially thought they might act independently of him, but to his surprise, although Erlang and Sanlang of the Duke of Tang were deeply favored by the emperor, they were so humble that they always informed him before taking action.

The Prefect of Zhangye respectfully said, “Does Master Li have any requests? I will certainly give my utmost support.”

In the Sui and Tang officialdom, officials were addressed by their rank as a form of respect. To distinguish Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, the officials called Li Shimin “Li Langjiang” (reflecting his military post) and Li Xuanba “Li Dafu” (a civilian rank), one using an official title, the other a courtesy title.

Although the Prefect was much older than Li Xuanba, he did not call him “Li Sanlang” but “Li Dafu,” subtly showing respect and acknowledging their hierarchical relationship.

Li Xuanba replied, “Prefect, what are you saying? You are the governor of Zhangye, and I should assist you. I have studied under General Changsun and General Pei, who have some ideas for Zhangye’s markets. I have compiled them into a document for your review, hoping to work together to make Zhangye more prosperous, and in the future, return to the capital to present our achievements before the emperor together.”

Upon hearing the names “General Changsun” and “General Pei,” the Prefect held his breath for a moment.

Who in the world didn’t know Changsun Sheng and Pei Ju’s reputations for governing the Western regions?

His thoughts shifted, recalling Pei Ju’s closeness with Li Erlang and Li Sanlang in Zhangye, and Changsun Sheng’s connection as Li Erlang’s father-in-law. Suddenly, he understood.

No wonder the emperor sent the accomplished Li Erlang and Li Sanlang to Zhangye. This was not neglect; since Generals Changsun and Pei no longer had the energy to oversee the Western regions, the emperor entrusted this critical task to these young officers, who were their disciples.

Although Li Erlang and Li Sanlang held modest official ranks, considering their background and connections, the emperor had entrusted them with all authority over dealings with the Western regions—a position of low rank but immense power.

The Prefect of Zhangye pondered carefully over the phrase “return to the capital to present before the emperor together.”

Did this mean that once their tasks were complete, Li Sanlang and Li Erlang would speak favorably of him to the emperor, sparing him from remaining in a remote post?

The Prefect was overjoyed.

After calming himself, he solemnly said, “This is my duty. Third Lord, rest assured, I will not hinder the plans of Generals Changsun and Pei.”

Li Xuanba smiled warmly, “From now on, my brother and I will rely on the Prefect.”

The Prefect chuckled, “By no means, by no means.”

Li Xuanba opened the document and explained, point by point, his plans for reforming the border markets.

One of the most important points was that the frontier was currently peaceful, and His Majesty liked hunting dogs and fine horses. So he hoped to open trade routes directly with the tribes, bypassing middlemen to avoid price markups, taking the lead in the name of the Sui government, and sending trade caravans to exchange goods with the tribes.

“This, of course, won’t be done in the capacity of officials,” Li Xuanba said with a smile, “we’ll issue the trade caravans special certificates that reduce certain taxes and have the border troops serve as escorts. Now that His Majesty has personally gone to campaign against Goguryeo, the court treasury is tight. In this way, we can raise part of the funds and provisions ourselves, easing the burden on the court. Prefect, rest assured—the responsibility will be borne entirely by my second brother and me, and His Majesty is aware of it.”

The prefect looked somewhat worried. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Military matters are decided by Both Li Masters; I dare not interfere. I will issue the tax-reduction certificates, but the formation of the trade caravan and the border troop escorts can only be left for Both Li Masters to decide themselves.”

A significant portion of market taxes was collected locally and kept for local finances. So reducing certain market taxes would not cause trouble. But anything that could attract the court’s censure, he preferred to avoid.

“Good,” Li Xuanba said straightforwardly. “We each perform our respective duties with the prefect.”

Hearing Li Xuanba so willingly take responsibility without trying to drag him into trouble, the prefect felt a little ashamed for his suspicion.

He hurriedly added, “Although it is not my responsibility, if there is anything I can help with, Master Li, please do not hesitate to ask!”

Li Xuanba smiled and cupped his hands: “Then I won’t be polite.”