Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 502: Emperor Taizu of the Tang Dynasty [End of this volume]

The 33rd year of Zhenguan
Chang'an City

Lively and prosperous are everyone's first reaction to this city. People's second reaction is often helplessness, because this city is really too big.

There is probably only one other magnificent city in the world that can be compared with it - and that city is not famous for its liveliness, prosperity, nobility, and grandeur. The synonym of that city is "ancient" and "quaint".

Guandu City is different from Chang'an City. Even though both cities have undergone a certain degree of repair, the different degrees of repair also determine the different auras symbolized by the two cities.

All the renovations of Guandu City in successive dynasties were done on the outside, while the interior of the city remained intact - so the huge Guandu City was like an onion, and as you walked in, you would find a new layer, and in the center of Guandu City was the magnificent Chen family mansion.

Just as the core of Chang'an City is actually the emperor's palace, the core of Guandu City is Chen's mansion - it is an extremely huge place, but the people in Guandu City do not have any bad thoughts or envy about it.

Another representative word of Chang'an City is "noble".

All the wealthy merchants and dignitaries in the world live here. Even the Chen family lives here like other dignitaries. That is the head of the Chen family, the current King Zhenguo and Prince Chen Yu.

The life of the previous King Zhenguo and the head of the Chen family was different from that of his father. Compared with the average life expectancy of the head of the Chen family, his life was very short, only fifty years.

But even in these fifty years, the head of the Chen family, Chen Ruohan, accomplished many things that ordinary people would never even think of in their lifetime.

Land reform, official system reform, and the promotion of the improvement and construction of many universities such as the Xianyang Academy, the Imperial College, and Kyoto University.

There are eight universities in Chang'an City today. These eight universities, together with the other eight universities in Guandu City, as well as the Imperial Academy and Xianyang Academy, are collectively known as the Eighteen Universities of the Dynasty. They are the top universities in the world.

The other counties also established "universities", but compared with the universities in Guandu and Chang'an, the other universities were more or less inferior, even though they were also very advanced and powerful.

Kyoto University
"Hey, why are you so late today?"

Li Ke looked at his brother walking slowly in front of him with curiosity on his face: "Did the emperor come to you again? And then my brother?"

"I really don't know what tricks these two are playing."

Li Tai slowly pushed his glasses, feeling excited and happy about the crystal piece hanging on his cheek: "Yes, the two of them always think that other people have the idea of sitting in that position - and the one they suspect the most is me."

He pressed his forehead and said, "But the reason I approached the young master of the Chen family was because he was really good at studying. Among the younger generation of the Chen family, he was the only one who had the most profound knowledge of Mohism and could guide me."

"But my father always thought that I was getting close to Mr. Chen in order to gain support from the Chen family. My brother comforted me and told me not to be hurt by my father's suspicion, saying that my father only had doubts in his heart because of what happened that year."

Li Tai sighed deeply, his heart full of helplessness: "Actually, I don't have any other ideas. After all, my father always compensates me every time he doubts me--"

He raised the book in his hand and said, "As time goes by, my father's compensation to me becomes more and more generous. This time, I can attend Kyoto University as an auditor in advance! I can even go to Chang'an Research Institute as an apprentice after I pass the Kyoto University assessment!"

Endless light burst out from Li Tai's eyes.

You know, the current Kyoto University is no longer what it was when it was first established. Today, Kyoto University gathers the smartest students in the world.

Due to the popularization of printing and other manufacturing technologies, the illiteracy rate in the Tang Dynasty had dropped to a very low level. The imperial examination system was the most rigorous examination. It was held every year, and this examination was the only way for people to enter university.

Yes.

The imperial examination system was reformed.

It is now divided into an imperial examination system held annually and an imperial examination system held every three years.

The annual imperial examination system is the standard for people to enter "university", the thrice-yearly imperial examination system is the standard for people to enter graduate school, and the "graduation imperial examination system examination" held inside the university every year is the standard for people to enter the court as an official.

The examination system has become increasingly rigorous. The fact that one could become an official by passing the imperial examination system as at the beginning had disappeared in the 17th year of Zhenguan. The current Tang Dynasty has changed from a country of romantic young people to a rigorous middle-aged people.

Of course, there are also some "specially recruited" students within various universities.

These students all need to have a skill. They can enter university through special recruitment, or they can enter the court as officials through normal university graduation examinations.

And most importantly, the current imperial examination system is very fair. Even the descendants of court officials, high-ranking officials, princes and nobles cannot enter university by cheating.

The most they can do is buy some "special" admission places and enter the university as gifted students, which is considered an advantage for them.

Of course, this is just their way of gilding themselves.

When Chen took this step back, the powerful people thought that Chen had become weak, but later they realized the importance of the graduation examination - even if one entered the university through special recruitment, one could only participate in the ordinary examination if one wanted to become an official in the court.

There is no possibility of cheating in this kind of assessment.

So they can only give themselves the gilded image of a prestigious university, and that's all.

It was when this rule was announced that those powerful people realized that they had been fooled by Chen again, but they dared not say anything anymore.

After all, Chen's authority is there, and the emperor has also expressed his full support for Chen. What else can they do?
Those nobles who dared to rebel against the Chen family and the emperor have now left. They have all gone to farther places and established new countries with the support of the emperor - such as the most prosperous country in Central Asia today - Dagao.

Everyone knows that it was the country established by the family of Duke Shen, or even by Duke Shen himself.

Of course, with the establishment of the Great Gao, some small countries in Central Asia began to become dangerous. And because Tibet had been incorporated into its own territory, the Tang Dynasty was actually bordering Central Asia to a certain extent.

Because those small countries were frightened by the Gao Dynasty, they all submitted letters of credence and made themselves part of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, Chang'an City and even the Nine Provinces are now very lively, and you can see blond-haired, green-eyed foreigners from time to time.

According to the Tang Law announced by His Majesty the Emperor, these people belonged to the vassal states of the Tang Dynasty. Although they were also "Tang people", they were not standard Tang people. The benefits they could enjoy were incomplete versions, and were not even as good as the benefits that the most basic people in the Tang Dynasty could enjoy.

However, some people from foreign lands who have made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty, such as the nobles who donated their countries to the Tang Dynasty, can obtain complete Tang household registration, but their household registration can still only be set in their foreign lands.

Yes, household registration.

Although Chen Yu became the head of the Chen family, he is not the one in charge now. He is just obsessed with the research of science and realistic thinking. The one who is in charge of the Chen family now is actually Chen Yu's eldest son Chen Shuo.

Chen Shuo's reputation for talent spread when he was young, but it was not until he came of age that people truly realized what kind of monster he was - yes, a monster.

A huge political monster, he is naturally very sensitive to politics and is unparalleled in this huge world of fame and fortune. No one can stop him, and no one can compare to him.

How powerful such a person is.

Therefore, after Chen Shuo came of age, Chen Yu handed over the Chen family's "executive power" or "family power" to him.

After Chen Shuo came to power, the first policy he implemented was the "household registration" system, which registered everyone's household registration. People belonging to this household registration could not easily leave their hometown.

In other words, you can leave your hometown, but you will not be able to enjoy some rights and interests.

Only the local court can change the household registration, but it requires the other party to accept it. There is a certain limit on the number of registered residents in each place.

After the implementation of this system, there were only two most popular places for household registration. The first was the capital Chang'an.

Second, Guandu.

This is understandable. After all, Chang'an is the capital, and Guandu is equally prosperous and lively, and the Chen family is there.

"Ugh--"

Li Tai sighed deeply: "I really don't know when I can be admitted to Kyoto University?"

Kyoto University's enrollment is also restricted. Students over the age of 25 are no longer eligible to take exams because Kyoto University implements a four-year course system, while some special courses are five or even six years.

After graduating from Kyoto University's four-year program, you can only be 30 years old at most, and the rest can be postponed to later.

This is a fixed limit.

There are only five universities that have such age restrictions: Kyoto University, Chang'an University, and Guandu City's "Zhongzhou University", "University of Engineering" and "Guandu University".

Li Ke scratched his head. Unlike his brother, he liked not research the most but being a carefree playboy.

After all, as a prince, it would be most comfortable for him to be a playboy.

So he never understood why his brother was always obsessed with college entrance examinations.

"Maybe it will work this time?"

Li Ke chuckled and pulled Li Tai to see this year's imperial examination results.

A group of people gathered in front of the list, and everyone was looking to see if their name was on the list. The next moment, a scream exploded in Li Tai's ears.

He looked at Li Ke blankly: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Li Ke held his silly brother's shoulders and laughed, "Brother!!! Didn't you see your name?"

"You are the top student in Kyoto this year!! You will definitely be able to enter Kyoto University with this score!!!"

Um? ? ? ?

Li Tai looked at the list fiercely, but the first thing that came to his mind was not surprise, but shame and anger: "Damn it, my father must know that I passed the exam, and he still gave me the auditing quota at Kyoto University!"

"You are just trying to fool me!"

But then came a huge surprise - after all, he was already 24 years old, and if he failed the exam again, he would be doomed.

Taiji Palace
The old Li Shimin walked in the Taiji Hall with a little fatigue on his face. He was too old!

But this great city and vast empire became even more magnificent on his shoulders.

"Zhuo Guang."

Li Shimin looked at Chen Shuo with a hint of smile in his eyes: "You are much better than your father."

Chen Shuo smiled and did not respond. He did not think he was smarter than his father, it was just that his father did not like to use his brain on such things.

That's why he seems very smart.

Li Shimin waved his hand and stood up tremblingly: "How is the thing that Twenty-four is researching? It's been a long time since I last saw him. Three months? Or four months? Five months?"

Chen Shuo supported Li Shimin and said with a smile: "The research of the 24th Patriarch has reached the advanced stage. The "steam engine" is almost ready for use, and the fuel has been found. It is the thing that was considered poisonous before, called "coal". This thing is stored most in Shanxi Province, and it is very close to Chang'an City, so there is no need to worry about mining."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Li Shimin coughed twice and then asked, "Why haven't we seen him recently?"

Chen Shuo replied, "The 24th Patriarch recently discovered something new. That thing is called the evolution of the steam engine, but it has nothing to do with the steam engine - he can use another thing as fuel, and that thing can provide more power."

"It is the black oil found under the ground of those small foreign countries."

"But it's not stable enough to be put into use yet."

"So the Twenty-Fourth Ancestor has been immersed in the research room recently, preparing to research it out as a gift for your eightieth birthday."

"At least we need to come up with a simple model that can be used."

Li Shimin smiled and patted Chen Shuo's hand: "Alas, my 80th birthday, I'm afraid I won't be able to celebrate it."

His expression was very calm: "Go and call back your twenty-four ancestors and your father. I have a feeling that my mission is accomplished - I don't have much time left in the world."

“That’s what happened this year.”

The end of the thirty-third year of Zhenguan.

winter.

Gale.

The Tang Emperor Li Shimin died on his 80th birthday.

The people are all mourning.

During the years of Li Shimin's rule, the Tang Dynasty entered its heyday and opened the first chapter of the greatest prosperity in history.

Its name is - The Three Emperors' Prosperous Era.

The thirty-fourth year of Zhenguan.

The new emperor Li Chengqian ascended the throne and changed the era name to "Kai Yao".

In this month, the ministers gave the deceased emperor a posthumous title:

"The Great Tang Emperor Taizu Wensheng Gao"