The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 156: Jingzhao Prefecture Debate

Li Chengqian picked up a bun and put it in Di Renjie's bowl.

Di Zhixun was a little terrified and said, "Why don't you thank your highness?"

Di Renjie bowed quickly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your gift."

“You can eat buns, but you can’t drink alcohol.”

"I will remember your highness's teachings."

After saying that, Di Renjie grabbed the big meat bun with both hands and started eating it happily. He was so happy that he couldn't open his eyes.

Li Chengqian asked, "Old Xu, how long will it take for the Chongwen Hall to be completed?"

"Your Highness, we have enough manpower this time and the project can be completed in half a month."

Li Chengqian picked up a piece of meat for the old man.

This was the first time that Wen Yanbo had eaten braised pork. As he was old and his teeth were not in good condition, the braised pork tasted soft and tender when he ate it.

"No wonder Gao Shilian told me to try the food at the East Palace."

"From now on, if the old gentleman wants to eat braised pork, the East Palace can arrange it."

"No thanks." Wen Yanbo refused.

After all, this old gentleman is not as approachable as my uncle and grandfather.

Afterwards, the old man drank his own grape wine, and Di Zhixun drank several bowls happily.

Li Chengqian urged, "Old Xu, take good care of these people."

Xu Jingzong stood up and saluted, saying, "Don't worry, Your Highness."

This banquet in Jingzhao Prefecture was held to welcome the old gentleman.

The next day, just after dawn, Di Renjie was awakened by the craftsmen and officials of Jingzhao Prefecture.

He walked out of the hut sleepily and sat in front of the house with a listless look. Suddenly, he heard a quarrel coming from Jingzhao Prefecture.

Out of curiosity, Di Renjie sat at the back door and listened.

Soon, voices were heard from the backyard.

"Renjie, Dad bought you some tea eggs."

When I looked for the source of the sound, I saw my father wrapping a few brown tea eggs in a piece of cloth.

Di Renjie didn't know when his father woke up, and the tea eggs he brought were still steaming.

The father and son sat together and ate tea eggs. Di Zhixun said, "Your grandfather asked me to find a job as an official in Chang'an, but now I can only be a compiler in Chongwenguan. Sigh..."

Di Renjie peeled off the eggshell and said, "I heard from Xu Shaoyin that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince attaches great importance to Chongwenguan."

"How did you know?"

Di Renjie took a bite of the steaming tea egg and said, "Dad drank too much yesterday, and I listened to what Xu Shaoyin said."

"I have studied hard for my father for more than ten years, and I can become an official even if I pass the imperial examination."

After saying this, Dickson thought for a moment and asked again, "After getting drunk yesterday for your father, you didn't behave yourself, did you?"

Di Renjie replied: "I drank too much and fell asleep."

"That's good." Di Zhixun gave the remaining two tea eggs to his son and only ate one himself.

"father."

"Um?"

Di Renjie frowned on his chubby face and said, "This tea egg is very expensive, how much money do we have left?"

Di Zhixun groped in his arms and took out a cloth bag. Compared with the previous few days, this cloth bag had shrunk a lot.

The debate in Jingzhao Prefecture is still going on, and it seems that they are arguing about the evaluation of model counties.

Di Zhixun untied the string of the cloth bag, poured out some copper coins, and counted them carefully. There were still more than a hundred coins. He scratched his head and said, "Why are there only so few left?"

Di Renjie was still eating tea eggs, watching his father scratching his head in distress.

"The cost of food and lodging on the road is about 200 coins, the carriage is 500 coins, and the donation to old friends is another 600 coins..."

After all the talk, Di Zhixun discovered a problem: he was running out of money.

Di Renjie whispered, "If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn't arrange accommodation in Jingzhao Prefecture, where will Dad live?"

Di Zhixun put the money away again, smiled with shame, and said, "The owner of the tavern where I stayed temporarily said that I had discussed with him and asked him to do some odd jobs for the owner and teach their children to read and write. Then you and I can stay here for free."

In his smile, Dickson showed the composure of a father, but this composure was somewhat stiff.

After saying this, he touched his son's head lovingly.

Di Renjie sighed, "No wonder Grandpa insisted on letting me come along."

In Jingzhao Prefecture, Li Daozon watched several county magistrates arguing and slammed the table.

Everyone fell silent.

Xu Jingzong said: "All evaluations for this year have been completed. According to the agreement, Jingyang County was excluded from this model county evaluation."

Liu Rengui agreed with Xu Jingzong's decision and said, "Xu Shaoyin is also the county magistrate of Jingyang County. He should avoid the model county evaluation. This is the right thing to do."

The county magistrate of Lantian County said: "The tax in Lantian is 30% higher than that in Weinan County this year."

The two counties with the greatest competition in this competition are Lantian and Weinan.

Although everyone heard that the relationship between Lantian County and the Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture was not good, Chu Li of Lantian County was still the county magistrate.

Xu Jingzong, a cruel official, would not dismiss the county magistrate because of personal grudges.

Besides, he doesn't have the power. The current crown prince only lets him serve as Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture, and he doesn't have much power.

I have to say that this county magistrate was still very tough when facing Xu Jingzong.

Li Dao Zong said in a deep voice: "Then let all the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture vote, and the county with the most votes will be the model county this year."

Di Zhixun and Di Renjie stood in the back and watched the argument.

"Is this how everyone in Guanzhong behaves now?" Di Zhixun observed curiously.

To Di Renjie, everything in Chang'an City was new and novel. It was like a new world, different from any other place in the Central Plains.

He should learn to read and write with his father as soon as possible and join in with these people. It will definitely be very interesting.

In Chang'an, the imperial palace is outside the newly built Lingyan Pavilion.

Xu Xiaode, the Minister of Works, has been very busy recently. He has to oversee the construction of the Lingyan Pavilion, the Chongwenguan in Jingzhao Prefecture, and the renovation of several scattered palaces in the imperial palace.

He held a document in his hand, which was a report sent from Mount Li, saying that several palaces in the Mount Li Palace had fallen into disrepair over the years.
I don’t know what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would think when he heard the news.

This is the busiest time in the imperial city. This year is destined to be a busy year for all departments in the court.

Li Baiyao was standing outside the Honglu Temple, bidding farewell to the Tubo delegation.

Sambuza asked, "Is it still not possible for a foreign minister to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Li Baiyao smiled and said, "His Royal Highness has been very busy lately. Besides, as you are envoys, it is reasonable for His Royal Highness to not meet you."

Sambuza said disappointedly, "The Prime Minister has always thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a humble and polite person."

"Haha, that's a misunderstanding by you Tibetans. Your Highness is only polite and courteous to people with high moral character." Sambuza said with a straight face, "Let me ask again, Tang still doesn't want to give Tubo the trade documents, right?"

"No, no matter how much money you offer, I won't give you anything. This matter is not decided by me, but by the Central Secretariat after discussion."

Sambuza looked at the Tang officials around him and said loudly: "Everything that happens in the Tang Dynasty will be reported to the Prime Minister truthfully!"

Li Baiyao bowed and said, "Messenger, please proceed with care."

Sambuza turned and walked away.

After finishing his work here, Li Baiyao whispered a few words of instruction to the official beside him, and then walked quickly towards the Secretariat.

In the sunshine outside the Secretariat, the current Crown Prince is playing chess with Duke Li Wei.

Ever since Li Jing became familiar with the rules of chess, he has been obsessed with the fighting on the chessboard. In the chess game before him, the fight between the two sides was still fierce.

"I like to plan and strategize, and Your Highness is good at exchanging chess pieces in the midst of fighting, accumulating advantages bit by bit."

Li Chengqian looked at the chessboard and replied, "General, what you said is absolutely right."

The prince's chess moves were not very structured. Both sides kept eating each other's pieces, and Li Chengqian even ate one of the opponent's horses.

Duke Li Wei killed another charioteer of the crown prince.

"Your Highness, what on earth is this cannon? Why do you have to wait for a chess piece to be attacked?"

"General, the cannon is very powerful."

Lord Li Wei had a solemn look on his face.

A figure blocked the sunlight that was originally standing on the chessboard, and Li Chengqian's expression became gloomy.

Li Baiyao quickly took two steps to the side, so that the sunlight shone on the chessboard again.

Li Chengqian's expression improved a lot, and he asked, "What's the matter?"

"Your Highness, the Tibetan delegation has left."

"Well, I know."

"As His Royal Highness said, they will leave Guanzhong after spring arrives. They have already left the city. However, we did not agree to the trade as instructed."

"Thanks a lot."

Li Baiyao smiled and whispered, "Sangbuza is a minister of Tubo, why not keep him? I heard that he also recorded many regulations about the court and even the governance strategy of Guanzhong."

Li Jing was playing with the chess piece he had just killed, and his eyes were also looking at the prince.

Li Chengqian said slowly: "Sangbuza is not important. He is a civil official of Tubo. Even if we kill him, it will not affect Lu Dongzan's wolfish ambitions. It will only arouse more hatred of Tubo people towards the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, killing him will only make people feel happy for a while, but from the perspective of pros and cons, it will not bring any benefits to the Tang Dynasty."

"I am not afraid of the Tibetans, but there is no need to kill one person to arouse the Tibetans' hostility towards me. The Tibetan herdsmen are all innocent." Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said, "Besides, the governance strategy of Guanzhong may not be applicable to the Tibetans."

"If Lu Dongzan is really foolish enough to borrow Guanzhong's governance strategy, then I will wait by the Wei River. I just need to wait patiently for his body to float to me along the Wei River."

“As Confucius said, ‘The Master stood by a river and said: Time flows on like a flowing stream, it never stops day or night.’”

"I will stay by the Wei River and wait quietly for Lu Dongzan to destroy himself and for his body to float up from the river."

After hearing these words, Li Jing did not move his chess piece for a long time, with a puzzled look in his eyes. This young prince seemed to be a very complicated person.

The reason why the prince did not kill Sambuza was that he was not swayed by temporary grudges.

Now, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was relieved to let Sambuza leave.

A person’s momentary impulse is not important. What is important is what benefits killing this person will bring to the country.

If there are only disadvantages, then there is no need to kill.

Moreover, judging from reputation and public opinion, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saw clearly that if the Tang Dynasty killed this Tibetan minister, it would only put the Tang Dynasty's reputation in a passive position.

Now that the Tubo minister had a fight with a Tang official, the Tang people were able to let him leave and not take it to heart, which just reflected the open-mindedness of the Tang people.

The exchanges between countries are not personal grudges. In the eyes of outsiders, it more reflects that Lu Dongzan found an excuse of illness to avoid coming to the Tang Dynasty and perfunctorily accepted the invitation of the prince of the Tang Dynasty.

This makes Lu Dongzan look even more like a man who does not keep his word and is two-faced.

Although the prince acted harshly, his wise choices between gratitude and resentment and the country made him look like a king.

Li Jing was distracted for a moment, and when he looked at the situation on the chessboard again, his train of thought was interrupted. At this moment, he hesitated again, not knowing what to do next.

Slowly push your pawn forward.

But the prince's horse immediately rushed over.

Li Jing took a deep breath when he saw this. Suddenly, he saw that the situation on the chessboard had changed drastically. The black side had already reached the checkmate. He sighed in frustration, "I lost again."

After saying that, he turned the general in his hand over and placed it on the chessboard.

Li Chengqian was tidying up the chessboard. "General, you need to concentrate when playing chess."

Li Jing said unhappily, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was clearly distracted while talking to Li Baiyao."

Li Baiyao smiled awkwardly.

Li Chengqian explained: "But I never took my eyes off the chessboard."

"Forget it. Tomorrow morning, I will play chess with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince again. Next time, I will definitely win."

"Go slowly, Lord Wei."

After Li Weigong walked away, Li Baiyao said, "Your Highness, I will go back now."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, tidied up the chessboard and prepared to return to the East Palace.

In the evening, Guanzhong's evaluation of model counties came out, and Lantian County lost to Weinan by one vote.

Therefore, judging from the governance situation last year, Weinan has become this year's model county and can receive support from Jingzhao Prefecture.

The so-called support means that through the distribution of piglets and poultry in Jingyang County, each household in Weinan can raise livestock and poultry freely, and they can also receive honors and soap rewards from Jingzhao Prefecture, as well as support of two hundred strings of cash.

The two hundred strings of cash had to be returned to Jingzhao Prefecture. According to the agreement between the two parties, the two hundred strings of cash were to be used for the construction of Weinan and could not be used for other expenses.

The purpose of withdrawing money must be stated every time, and not all of it is given to Weinan County at once.

Weinan County can do more with this money. After three years, Weinan will return the money to Jingzhao Prefecture without any interest.

Li Chengqian walked back and forth in the front hall of the East Palace while looking at the report from Jingzhao Prefecture. This model could only be adopted slowly, as this amount of money still needed to be approved by him as the crown prince, as it was the court's money.

It is also not possible to lend out money on a large scale, and Du He would not be allowed to do so. For the simple Guanzhong people, it is best to do everything simply.

Take it step by step with your feet on the ground, just like practicing archery, you need to practice the basic skills first.

Li Zhi and Li Shen returned to the Eastern Palace.

“Feeding the ducks again?”

Li Zhi said: "Yes, my brother just came back from Taiye Lake, and it has grown a lot."

Li Chengqian picked up another scroll and said, "That's good. If it can't lay eggs, we can kill it after it's fattened up."

Today, there is only one duck raised in Taiye Lake, which is the pet of Prince Li Zhi of Jin.

Li Zhi said aggrievedly: "Brother, it's my brother's friend!"

Li Shen hit back: "Who would make a friend with a duck!"

(End of this chapter)