The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 172 Spirituality

The emperor was speechless when he saw a pile of files in front of him, more than thirty volumes in total.

Li Shimin's eyes swept around.

The two eunuchs lowered their heads at the same time. The smiles in their eyes had long disappeared, and now there was a hint of fear in their eyes.

An annoying duck swam by the lake nearby, making a mind-boggling sound.

Li Shimin immediately took one of the scrolls, then quickly left and returned to the villa.

However, after His Majesty took this volume, he never mentioned wanting to read the second one.

Inside the villa, Li Shimin put down the file in his hand with a painful look on his face and rubbed his brows.

Li Lizhi asked curiously, "Why does Father look like this?"

Li Shimin did not open his eyes, and continued to rub his brows and said, "Look at what your brother wants me to see."

Li Lizhi took the file and took a look at it, saying, "This is the summary of the reports submitted by the counties in Guanzhong."

She looked at her father again and said, "This is all the hard work of Jingzhao Prefecture from last winter to this summer harvest season."

"So, should I watch it?"

"Whether or not the emperor will read this, how can I decide?"

After saying that, Li Lizhi accompanied Xiao Sizi to play.

The two eunuchs who were still standing by the Taiye Lake did not move. They stood in the scorching sun, sweat dripping down their foreheads.

The two eunuchs only breathed a sigh of relief when the palace maid in the villa sent a message asking them to deliver the files to His Majesty's study.

Both experiences and mistakes need to be summarized. The various obstacles encountered by Weibei and Jingyang in the process of development are valuable experiences.

Li Chengqian returned to the Eastern Palace and thought that if he could regard the dismissal of county magistrates as a valuable experience in overcoming obstacles, he might be able to dismiss a few more in the future.

When it comes to successful cases, the more experience you can draw from, the better.

Speaking objectively, Xu Jingzong also attributed his fight in Chang'an to the summary of governance experience this time.

It is reasonable to say that he examines himself three times a day.

But the tone of his words suggested that he wanted to fight another battle, and I was also worried about his future.

Jingzhao Prefecture still needs his service, in case he is beaten to death.

There was a rumbling sound of thunder in the sky. It was rainy in Guanzhong this year. Li Chengqian walked into his bedroom in the East Palace with a few books.

He was flipping through the volume compiled by Guo Luotuo and Shangguan Yi.

Guo Luotuo attached great importance to irrigation and water conservancy. He mixed wood ash with horse manure and cow dung, which became the main fertilizer today.

Irrigating paddy fields and raising free-range chickens and ducks have become important tasks nowadays.

Chickens and ducks can be used to control insects.

Guo Luotuo was a man who lived from the early years of the Zhenguan period. He also knew well the value of grain. He also wrote that locusts do not eat beans and crops with mold.

It is because of this experience that Guo Luotuo always stays by the fields and watches the grape trellises.

Another thunder flashed in the sky, and the flash of lightning illuminated the solemn expression of the prince, and voices were heard outside the house.

From the sound, it seemed that Li Lizhi and Dongyang had returned.

The rain fell heavily. There was abundant rain this summer, which was good news. At least with plenty of water at the moment, there would be no insect plague.

The rain watered the earth, and the wind blowing in through the window became much cooler in an instant.

Some rain fell on the windowsill, and some splashed into the hall.

Li Chengqian thought that even in later times, a swarm of locusts in every square kilometer could eat up the daily food rations of nearly 40,000 people.

Therefore, Guo Luotuo emphasized pests and diseases again and again in his books.

Li Lizhi and Dongyang walked into the hall. They were somewhat glad that they came back in time.

Li Chengqian asked, "Lizhi, has the emperor read the files that were sent to you?"

When Li Lizhi thought of her father, she said unhappily, "My father reads very slowly and doesn't like reading these files at all. Humph..."

She snorted coldly and complained a lot about her father.

All children have a rebellious period, just like my sister of this age, but her rebellion is mostly due to her dissatisfaction with her father.

Until now, her father has not agreed to her request to place the portrait of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace in the Lingyan Pavilion.

Dongyang was relatively quiet. She didn't want to show too much emotion on her face. Instead, she said in a slow and calm voice, "Father said that those who stand in the Lingyan Pavilion are all meritorious officials of the past. If the portrait of my brother appears in the Lingyan Pavilion, should it be placed with the other meritorious officials? Or should it be placed above the portraits of the meritorious officials?"

Hearing this, Li Lizhi's originally unhappy expression eased a little, but she still said unhappily: "Dongyang, why are you speaking for our father?"

"My sister just thought of the problem and wanted to analyze it."

Her tone was as calm as ever.

Li Lizhi folded her hands, looked at the heavy rain outside the window and said, "I really didn't expect this reason. My brother is the crown prince and will become the emperor in the future. Naturally, he should be placed above the meritorious officials. As long as my father's portrait is above the officials, my brother can also be above the officials."

"My sister has thought of another problem. My brother has not yet ascended the throne, and he is not the emperor. Even if he becomes the emperor, he cannot be on the same level as our father."

Hearing Dongyang's unusually calm words.

Li Lizhi's original simmering anger was instantly extinguished.

She can find the problems that others can find, and Dongyang can also find the problems that others cannot find from some strange angles.

However, Li Lizhi became more and more dissatisfied the more she thought about it.

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and looked at the heavy rain outside the window.

The next day, it had rained all night and the ground of Suzaku Street was still wet. The court was on break and there was no need to hold an early morning court session at this time.

Li Chengqian finished his long run in the morning but did not wait for General Li Ji.

Xue Wanbei came with two people. Li Chengqian was drawing his bow and shooting an arrow. The arrow hit the target accurately. The air was fresh in the morning after the rain.

Mr. Yan Qinli and Mr. Wen Yanbo walked aside.

"Your Highness is good at archery."

Hearing Mr. Wen's praise, Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Your archery skills are not that great. Please go into the Chongwen Hall and take a seat."

Now my grandfather is still spending the summer in Taiye Lake, so the Chongwen Hall is empty. Only three eunuchs stay here, and they usually clean the hall.

Li Chengqian led his people into the Chongwen Hall, and three eunuchs prepared tea and some cakes.

Yan Qinli helped the old man sit down, handed him a scroll and said, "This is the plan for Jingzhao Prefecture after the beginning of autumn. Xu Shaoyin asked me to bring it to you."

Li Chengqian took the book and looked at its contents. The contents were very simple. In the future, Jingzhao Prefecture would still focus on Weibei and Weinan.

In order to achieve stable development and finally achieve some results, we must be even more cautious.

After reading the contents of the scroll, Li Chengqian put it aside and said, "This is the first time that the old gentleman has come to visit the East Palace."

Wen Yanbo felt a little uncomfortable sitting on the chair, so he sat forward a little, with his palm still on the top of the cane. The old man cleared his throat and said, "I am in Chongwenguan. I haven't seen His Royal Highness come here recently, so I read the imperial examination strategy in the court and wrote an article to give to His Royal Highness."

Li Chengqian took the scroll and his eyes lingered on the old man's withered hands for a moment.

Wen Yanbo said, "Your Highness, please read it."

Li Chengqian opened the scroll and looked at the beautiful regular script on it.

"Your Highness, I have a few more words to say."

Seeing that the old man wanted to stand up and speak, Li Chengqian quickly said, "No problem, old man, just sit down and talk. No need to be so polite."

Wen Yanbo had no choice but to sit back, looking at the young prince in front of him with cloudy eyes, and whispered: "I have been in Chang'an for six months, and I often visit Duke Xu. Gao Shilian often commented on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, saying that His Royal Highness is a young man with deep scheming, and asked me to assist him well."

"But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn't come to Chongwenguan." He paused and continued, "Oh... I'm not saying that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has bad behavior. I have survived the chaotic times until now, read history books, and seen the rise and fall of the Sui Dynasty. Compared with the crown princes of previous dynasties, His Royal Highness's behavior is much better than that of the previous crown princes."

Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said sadly: "Old sir, you are overpraising me. I really haven't done well enough."

Yan Qinli frowned and said nothing, thinking about the few words that the old gentleman had said earlier when he had talked with Duke Xu.

Could it be that the prince in front of him is troubled because he feels that he is still a prince?
"I am a minister of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace. I cannot sit in the Chongwen Hall and do nothing. I have read the files on the imperial examination strategy in the court."

Wen Yanbo slowly said, "From the Northern and Southern Dynasties, every dynasty has wanted to implement the imperial examination system. It is related to the stability of the country and the recruitment of officials."

"The old gentleman is well-informed and knowledgeable. I would like to hear the details." Li Chengqian bowed.

"Yes." Wen Yanbo nodded first, and said, "When the Nine-Rank System was first created, it was intended to curb the local gentry and gain more support in recruiting officials, so Zhongzheng officials were set up in various places. At first, no one knew what this official system would be like."

"What I know is that the Nine-Rank System later became a tool for the emperor to influence local aristocratic families. This tool has nothing to do with the poor or the common people."

"Later, the selection of Zhongzheng officials gradually became a means for the emperor to control his court officials. The emperor appointed some people from noble families who supported him as Zhongzheng officials. However, everyone had their own wealth. Because of this system, noble families from all over the Central Plains began to swallow up and kill each other. Those people from noble families who supported the emperor became Zhongzheng officials, and the noble families behind the Zhongzheng officials began to swallow up those who did not support them."

In the Chongwen Hall, Li Chengqian listened to his own breathing and the words of the old man, and said: "From the beginning to the end, this system has been out of the control of the emperor and has become a tool for certain people. It has nothing to do with the common people. In front of the emperor, the courtiers can exclude dissidents, but the scene not in front of the emperor is even bloodier, with mutual killing and annexation."

Wen Yanbo nodded in agreement and replied, "Then the Sui Emperor used the imperial examination system to select officials, but the imperial examinations at that time still required recommendations from fifth-rank officials, so the children of aristocratic families and powerful families still accounted for more than 60% of the officials in the court."

Wen Yanbo continued.

Li Chengqian's eyes were still looking outside the Chongwen Hall.

Yan Qinli looked at the prince's expression and wondered how much of the old man's argument this prince could understand. Rumor has it that this prince was a very focused person with a strong learning ability.

Xiaofu brought the morning meal into Chongwen Hall and placed it in front of the prince.

Then she asked other palace maids to place cold noodles and a bowl of soy milk in front of the guests coming to the East Palace, and then quickly retreated.

Wen Yanbo did not move his chopsticks and continued, "Your Majesty is well aware that the imperial examinations of the former Sui Dynasty also had drawbacks, so the imperial examinations in the court now allow scholars to participate on their own, establish a system of anonymous examinations, and the officials who set the examination questions are temporarily isolated from the outside world before and after setting the questions."

"Your Majesty is able to ensure that everyone in the world can stand in the examination room fairly, to implement the anonymous system, and to ensure that the examination questions are kept confidential. I am very pleased that Your Majesty can do these things."

Li Chengqian remained silent.

Wen Yanbo's eyes were focused only on the young prince in front of him. "Your Highness, I have something to advise you. The imperial examinations in the court have tried their best to avoid the various malpractices of the past. But Your Highness must always be vigilant. After those hard-working students pass the imperial examinations, will they change their identities? They will try every means to get rid of their previous identities and join the official family, and they will never be able to return to their previous origins."

"Or they may unite with old noble families and marry into other families, so that their descendants will become what they want them to be."

Li Chengqian closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said, "I will remember your teachings, old master."

Wen Yanbo said: "I have already told His Royal Highness the Crown Prince about these things. It may be a bit far for His Royal Highness, but if His Royal Highness ascends the throne in the future, I will be satisfied if these words of mine can serve as a warning to His Royal Highness. Even after I am buried, I can rest in peace."

"Your Majesty is still in summer. When you return to the court, I will come again to meet you and tell you these words."

Li Chengqian cleared his throat again and said with a smile: "Don't worry, old sir. No matter what the Spring and Autumn Annals say, we will wipe it out in one fell swoop. Well, we will march eastward as soon as possible."

Wen Yanbo looked surprised.

Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said, "I am just like this. I will never waste words if I can take action. I don't like to reason with others. I am sorry to make you laugh."

I was stunned at first, but then I thought about the recent behavior of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace and the Jingzhao Prefecture. This crown prince has a rare spirit.

Wen Yanbo doesn’t understand what this spirit is yet, but perhaps he will be able to discover it after observing it for a few more years.

Wen Yanbo, who has seen countless people, can feel the restrained edge of the prince, which is extremely sharp.

Hidden deep beneath the appearance of this gentle and kind young man.

Perhaps Gao Shilian also saw the spirit in the prince, which is why he praised the prince of the Eastern Palace so highly.

Is it courage? Not really.

The prince's expression was firm. After telling him about his predicament, the child did not look flustered or confused.

On the contrary, he was very calm and behaved very calmly.

People need spiritual support the most. Where does the prince's spiritual support come from?

Wen Yanbo was confused and wanted to say something else, but he couldn't say it because he couldn't see through the depth of this prince.

Li Chengqian said, "Old sir, please have your meal. I wonder if breakfast suits your taste. The Eastern Palace used to have three meals a day."

(End of this chapter)