The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 164: The Prince is not troubled by things in this world
Seeing the chess game over, Li Chengqian walked to the teacher with his hands in his pockets, a thick account book tucked under his arm, "Teacher?"

Fang Xuanling pulled himself out of his defeated mood and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please teach me a few more chess moves in the future to dampen the arrogance of Lord Li Wei."

Li Jing laughed out loud, and laughed even more happily.

"Teacher, will the imperial examination still be held this year?"

Hearing this, Li Jing stopped laughing and Changsun Wuji also looked over.

Fang Xuanling said, "I thought it would be best to hold the imperial examination every three years, but every two years is also acceptable. What is your plan, Your Highness?"

Li Chengqian said: "I plan to take an exam at Chongwen Hall."

"Your Highness, it's okay to say so."

"Different from the imperial examination, I want to hold a small-scale examination to select talents for Jingzhao Prefecture. Regardless of whether Xu Jingzong was robbed or cheated, the people in Chongwenguan are of varying quality. This is a separate examination for officials from Chongwenguan and Jingzhao Prefecture."

Fang Xuanling sighed, "There are more and more people following the prince's lead."

"Teacher, you are joking. I am nothing."

"Since this is Chongwenguan's business, the court will naturally not interfere."

Li Chengqian looked at his uncle standing beside him.

Changsun Wuji said: "People in Chongwenguan do not hold official posts in the court, nor do they receive salaries from the court. Chongwenguan can recruit editors, and it does not conflict with the Ministry of Personnel."

"I feel relieved now that I am alone."

Li Jing stood up and said, "It's getting late, I'll go back first."

Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji also left the imperial city.

Li Chengqian sat alone in front of the Secretariat for a long time, looking at the setting sun in the sky.

There were also a few scattered officials coming out of their respective offices. After a noisy and busy day, they were all physically and mentally exhausted. From afar, they saw the prince in a brocade robe sitting in front of the gate of the Secretariat.

They stopped to salute and then left quickly.

Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Li Jing were walking together.

"It's been three years, and the prince is no longer the same as before." Changsun Wuji sighed, "Sometimes I really feel old."

Fang Xuanling said: "Assistant Ji is in his prime, how can you say he is old?"

Zhang Sun Wuji shook his head with emotion and asked, "What has Lord Zheng been doing these days?"

Fang Xuanling said: "Busy dealing with those people in Guanlong."

Li Jing nodded. "Those old clans in Guanlong are really hard to deal with, so your majesty threw them to Duke Zheng. Some people need someone like Duke Zheng to deal with them."

The three of them parted on Suzaku Street.

Changsun Wuji planned to go see his uncle, but when he arrived at his uncle's door, he stopped, not knowing whether he should go in.

Gao Lin, with a head full of white hair, walked out of the mansion and said, "Duke Zhao, please come in."

Only then did he nod and walk into his uncle's house.

Gao Shilian was reading a book, a collection of stories from the Eastern Palace, and whispered, "How is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince these days?"

"My uncle, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been very kind."

Gao Shilian frowned and asked, "Is there anything unusual about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince recently?"

Zhang Sun Wuji sat down in front of his uncle and poured a bowl of tea and handed it to him. "Your Highness's words and deeds are no different from those of ordinary people. He is in good health."

Gao Shilian took the tea and took a sip.

There are some things that even Changsun Wuji doesn't know. Only His Majesty, the Queen, and himself know about the Crown Prince's illness when he was a child.

Naturally, this matter was not known to outsiders. Except for the head female official of the Eastern Palace, even the other princes and princesses of the Eastern Palace did not know about it.

Gao Shilian was still very worried when he saw this volume of Eastern Palace Collection.

Because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has started writing stories again.

The last time he went to the Red Mansion was probably due to illness.

It is not uncommon for a child to imagine that there is an expert guiding him or her, especially when the child is seriously ill. Many young and lonely children will always imagine one or two friends.

Gao Shilian put down the storybook in his hand and fell into deep thought.

"Uncle, don't worry too much. The prince is in good health. Li Ji said that your highness has a good physical foundation. Moreover, the current prince of the East Palace is no longer the same as before. Now the prince owns Jingzhao Prefecture and Chongwen Hall, and is in charge of agricultural affairs in Guanzhong."

"Now that you have gained some wings, I hope Your Highness will not become arrogant."

He continued, "The prince is still young. Prime Minister Fang said that the prince is far from being able to govern the world with his current abilities."

When the two of them were talking and were not worried about the same thing, Gao Shilian would become annoyed and look unhappy.

Zhang Sun Wuji continued, "Uncle, do you think that what my nephew said is wrong? The current crown prince is already struggling to govern Guanzhong, let alone governing the country in the future. The aristocratic families in Guanlong, the noble families in various parts of the Central Plains, the aristocratic families of the seven surnames and ten clans, and the generals of the various Zhechongfu, these things cannot be explained in a few words."

He went further and further off the mark, thinking he was right.

Gao Shilian closed his eyes, lay on the bamboo chair, and said, "I'm tired, just go by yourself."

Changsun Wuji stood up and saluted, then left quickly with a somewhat tired and decadent look on his face.

The mansion became quiet again. As night fell, the wind became much cooler.

Gao Shilian was still lying on the bamboo chair, holding the storybook in his hand, but he didn't read it.

Gao Lin sorted out the dishes and kettle on the table and wiped away the water stains on the table.

Duke Xu never worried about whether the prince could accomplish these things.

It was just that Changsun Wuji was worrying too much.

Gao Shilian, who was lying with his eyes closed, said: "Fuji is too loyal to the emperor."

Gao Lin smiled and said, "The wind is cold."

"Yeah." Gao Shilian stood up again, holding the storybook, and walked into the house alone.

Gao Lin was still busy in the yard. He carried the wine sent from Shu this year into the warehouse, arranged the trimmed potted plants, and swept the ground.

In the East Palace, the brother and sister are checking the accounts.

A lot of money in the court needs to be approved by the prince before it can be distributed.

Li Chengqian looked at the figures in the accounts. Excluding all expenses after this autumn, the court had a surplus of 210,000 strings of cash available.

These two hundred thousand strings of cash are the money that can be kept.

We have increased our income and reduced our expenditure, and have been frugal until now, to achieve today's results.

The emperor's momentary extravagance was just a matter of words, but saving money in the court was extremely difficult.

Li Lizhi said: "My brother, the Lingyan Pavilion has been completed."

"Yes, I know." Li Chengqian rubbed his brows and whispered, "After Master Yan hangs up all the portraits, it will be ready."

"When will Master Yan finish painting the portrait?"

"That depends on when Father is satisfied."

Li Lizhi slowly waved the round fan in her hand and said with longing: "Can my brother's portrait be placed in the Lingyan Pavilion?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Probably not."

Li Lizhi looked discouraged. She stood up and stretched lazily, saying, "Sister, go and ask mother to ask father to hang up my brother's portrait as well."

She walked out of the hall briskly. Li Chengqian drank his tea and remained silent for a long time.

Ning Er smiled and said, "The princess always thinks about your highness in everything she does."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Let her be."

After saying that, he continued to pick up the pen and write on the test paper. This test paper was given to Jingzhao Prefecture and Chongwenguan. When it came to governance strategies, only he, the prince, had to write it himself. Many strategies and governance directions were clear to only him.

All the questions are essay questions. The first question is to summarize past experience, the second question is to implement the current development status, and the third question is to make arrangements in the next three years.

After Li Chengqian finished writing, he instructed: "Have someone give it to the people in Jingzhao Prefecture early tomorrow morning. Copy down the three questions and hang them on the wall. Let the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture and Chongwenguan answer them respectively."

Ning'er took the paper, bowed slightly and said, "Here."

Li Chengqian put down his pen and asked, "Sister Ning'er, please prepare a separate room for Zhinu and the other two boys."

"Are you going to let Prince Jin and Prince Ji live together?"

"There aren't many palaces in the East Palace, and the others are all in disrepair. Let's give them the only one that's still intact."

Ning Er bowed and said, "Yes."

Xiaofu came over with the midnight snack. She placed three bowls of noodles with soybean paste on the table, one for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, one for Sister Ning'er, and kept one for herself.

"Your Highnesses have all gone to bed," she said, holding a bowl and chopsticks.

The three of them sat in the hall, eating noodles, and Li Chengqian looked at the night scene outside the window.

Xiaofu poured another bowl of noodle soup and handed it over, "Sister Ning, you will feel more comfortable if you drink the noodle soup."

Ning'er swallowed a mouthful of noodles and drank a sip of soup, and she felt much better.

Xiaofu said: "This is a new way of eating that I came up with."

Ning Er smiled and said, "Very good."

Xiaofu smiled happily. She looked at the prince who was eating noodles with a worried look on his face. The prince had to eat garlic with noodles. If he didn't eat garlic, it probably meant that he had something on his mind.

Judging His Highness's mood by his expression and actions while eating is a new skill that Xiaofu has acquired recently.

Xiaofu whispered, "Is there something else in the court that is troubling Your Highness?"

Ning'er nodded slowly.

After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince finished his midnight snack, Xiaofu picked up the bowl and chopsticks and walked out of the bedroom with Ning'er.

Seeing Sister Ning close the door of the bedroom, Xiaofu complained, "The affairs of the court are bothering His Royal Highness the Crown Prince again. This year, he finally has some free time, and now it's here again."

Ning Er smiled and said, "I haven't seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince so worried in a long time."

Xiaofu asked, "Sister Ning, did His Highness quarrel with His Majesty again?"

"No, there is nothing in this world that can stump Your Highness."

"Yeah." Xiaofu nodded heavily, took the dishes and went to the kitchen. After cleaning up, she could rest.

Ning'er stood in the night, watching the candle in the prince's bedroom go out. Then she withdrew her gaze and went to the side hall to rest.

The Crown Prince is the backbone of the Eastern Palace, and even more so the backbone of the princesses and princes here.

Here, in the East Palace, only Princess Changle and Princess Dongyang would help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince review memorials and documents from the court.

But there are more things happening in the court than just these.

The next day, at dawn, Di Zhixun and his son Di Renjie had just woken up when they saw the newly recruited editors of Chongwenguan and officials from Jingzhao Prefecture crowded in front of a wall.

Xu Jingzong, the Junior Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture, had been caned yesterday, and now he was walking towards them, holding onto the wall.

You probably won’t be able to see the Jingzhao prefect these days. It is said that he was beaten badly and needs to rest for some time.

The back doors of Jingzhao Prefecture and Chongwenguan were interconnected, and everyone worked in the same courtyard.

Xu Jingzong said loudly: "Listen carefully!"

Everyone fell silent.

Di Zhixun and his son Di Renjie also looked at the Shao Yin.

Xu Jingzong moved his feet and seemed to touch the wound. He grimaced in pain again and said loudly: "The prince has ordered that the three questions on the wall are the test questions. Each of you go get a piece of paper, take your own pen, ink and paper, and write the questions. When you are finished, give them to Mr. Wen."

Everyone said yes.

After saying this, Xu Jingzong moved his feet with difficulty and went back to Jingzhao Prefecture to lie down.

Everyone received paper and brushes, and several people shared an inkstone. They found a place in the yard and sat down, and began to think about the discussion.

Di Zhixun also took a piece of paper, holding a pen in his hand, and went to the table where others were sitting. He dipped the brush in the ink on the inkstone, found a corner and began to write.

"Dad, you've only been at Chongwenguan for three months, can you write well?"

"Renjie, don't worry. Dad didn't waste these three months."

Di Renjie stood up and glanced at the editors and officials sitting here scattered around. He walked around and looked at the articles they were writing.

He sat back next to his father with a worried look on his face, because others had already written a long paragraph, while his father had only written three or five words.

Di Renjie said anxiously: "Dad, don't be anxious, write slowly, and don't make any mistakes."

Di Zhixun looked troubled. He dipped the brush in ink again, wondering how to start writing.

In the courtyard, people were whispering to each other.

This exam is not strict and everyone can discuss and write the essay together.

An hour later, some people had handed in their test papers to Mr. Wen, and then they could go about their own business.

Watching the sun rising higher and higher, Di Zhixun finally finished writing the essay and handed the last one to Wen Yanbo.

As the chief clerk of Chongwenguan, Yan Qinli did not need to take part in this exam. He was only responsible for the personnel dispatch of Chongwenguan and would not directly participate in the construction of Guanzhong.

The scope of duties assigned to him by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was clear.

Doing what you are supposed to do is the common code of conduct of Jingzhao Prefecture and Chongwenguan.

Today, Di Zhixun will follow a group of people to guide the residents of Sanyuan County to repair the ditches.

Chongwenguan usually did not retain anyone. People recruited from Hongwenguan and Wenxueguan were arranged to go to Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as they arrived at Chongwenguan.

Therefore, during the three months since Chongwenguan was established, there were few people in the museum most of the time.

Yan Qinli said: "Old sir, although Di Zhixun was the last one to submit his paper, it is very well written."

Wen Yanbo read the articles one by one and said, "The current Jingzhao Prefecture has a mixed bag of personnel, so we need to select them carefully."

As he spoke, Yan Qinli looked outside the door. Normally, His Royal Highness Prince Jin and His Royal Highness Prince Ji would have arrived at this time, but they were not there today.

Di Renjie came over holding a book, bowed and said, "Old sir, can you teach me how to read today?"

Wen Yanbo smiled and said, "Renjie, aren't you going to play games with King Jin and King Ji today?"

"Most likely he was left in the East Palace due to some matter."

Wen Yanbo took the book from his arms and said slowly, "Where did you read the book on character recognition?"

Di Renjie sat down next to the old man, flipped through a few pages, pointed to a paragraph and said, "Here."

"Yeah." Wen Yanbo nodded with a smile and spoke patiently.

Yan Qinli sorted out the articles and hurried away to meet the prince.

(End of this chapter)