The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 202 The spoiler
Li Chengqian put the gold bricks back into the box, waved to the two guards who happened to be passing by the Zhongshu Province, and ordered: "Send these two boxes to the Ministry of Rites. This is a gift from the Prince of Gaochang."

"Here."

Two guards each carried a box and left the Secretariat.

Xu Jingzong stood aside with his hands hanging down, observing the expression of His Highness. If His Highness was really tempted by the gold, he would be underestimating the Crown Prince.

It's just that this gold can play a better role in the country, and the gold is not for the prince to use himself.

Once the box is delivered to the Ministry of Rites, it will be registered.

Soon Xu Jingzong's eyes returned to normal, and he whispered, "Guo Siqing recently sent someone to Liaodong."

Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said, "Really?"

"Yes, that's right...Guo Siqing said that the black soil in Liaodong is very suitable for growing crops, and there are also many mineral deposits."

Li Chengqian said: "Well, Liaodong has always been good."

Xu Jingzong bowed and said, "I will take my leave now."

Li Chengqian turned around and picked up the file beside him and flipped through it, saying, "How about going fishing with me?"

"I am not good at fishing, and Jingzhao Prefecture has important matters to attend to."

When saying this, Xu Jingzong refused without even thinking, responding subconsciously.

Li Chengqian nodded to indicate that he could leave.

His footsteps were getting farther and farther away, confirming that he had not returned, and it seemed that he had no intention of coming back to say that he regretted it.

Thinking about it again, Li Chengqian felt that if he regretted it, he would no longer be Xu Jingzong.

More and more officials began to come and go in the imperial city, which also meant that the opening of the dynasty was not far away.

Xu Yushi came with a pile of files. When he saw the crown prince sitting alone in the Secretariat, he immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness."

Li Chengqian raised his eyes slightly, still looking at the memorial from the Ministry of Works, and nodded, "Put it aside."

After Xu Yushi put down the file, he said, "Your Highness, I will take my leave."

After the imperial examination, Xu Yushi also entered the Secretariat and according to the arrangement of the Ministry of Personnel, he would be the Junior Secretary when the court opened next year.

Li Chengqian was the only one left in the Secretariat again. He took the memorials he had just brought and read them carefully one by one. Most of them were difficult and miscellaneous matters at work, such as the long-standing conflicts between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Guards, and the problems between the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple.

These problems are not serious, as they are long-standing contradictions within the court and are issues concerning the scope of authority.

In addition to these, Li Chengqian saw that some people had put forward opinions on Luoyang's water management methods, and there were quite a few related suggestions.

Some people even said that conscripting corvée actually costs money, but His Royal Highness the King of Wu only needs to conscript corvée to control the flood in Luoyang, so why spend money?

Li Chengqian really wanted to slap such a person in the face.

Then, he took out a piece of paper from the side and wrote down all the names of the petitioners, as well as their official positions, and memorized them carefully.

When you are done, place them on your desk.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the Secretariat and was approaching the last two days of his rest period.

Some people occasionally came to the Secretariat. There was a lot of work to do after the court opened this year. Someone saw a list on the prince's desk. After each name was recorded the official position, and there was also the content of the submitted memorials.

"Why does Your Highness the Crown Prince write down these things?" Chu Suiliang asked curiously.

The list was left open in the prince's seat, as if the prince would come back to take a look at any time.

Yu Zhining was busy preparing this year's account books. He also took a look and said, "Why bother with these? His Highness might take them away tomorrow."

After that, several clerks came to work in the Secretariat.

Everyone in the court knew that during the court's rest period, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was still supervising the court and presiding over the various financial and grain arrangements for flood control in Luoyang.

This time, someone said these words in a memorial about flood control, which inevitably made people think too much. Moreover, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also wrote down the words and recorded the name and official position.

Some people say that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is as open to communication and accepts advice as the current emperor, which is why he wrote down these words.

But Li Chengqian had never thought about it this way. He just wanted to write it down to see if these censors would make any related remarks next.

Today, Li Chengqian came to his uncle's house.

A bowl of tea was placed in front of him, and Gao Shilian asked, "What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

"Well, I've been having a lot of troubles lately."

"Are you still concerned about Luoyang?"

"Someone told my grandson that Luoyang's flood control should involve corvée labor."

Gao Shilian smiled and said, "Do you know how much corvée the Emperor Wu of Han imposed on people in order to conquer the Xiongnu in the north?"

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea with a suspicious look on his face.

Gao Shilian continued, "When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered the Xiongnu, he assigned three or five corvées to each soldier and cavalry. How many corvées would be needed to carry the baggage and food for an army of 50,000?"

"My grandson knows. That's why the population dropped sharply after the Northern Expedition. Some people say that Emperor Wu of Han was too aggressive in military affairs. Even today, people are still wary of him. Some even say that Emperor Wu of Han's achievements were unparalleled for the country."

Gao Shilian shook his head and said, "Don't worry about what future generations say."

Li Chengqian put down the tea bowl in his hand, and Gao Lin, who was serving beside him, smiled and refilled the tea. "Some people say that it is wrong for my grandson not to levy corvée labor this time."

"It has always been the case that the emperor has conscripted labor service. There is nothing to hide."

Li Chengqian said: "My grandson understands what my uncle means. Just like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conscripted a large number of corvée labor, he still won the war under the will of the emperor. Other people's words cannot threaten my behavior. I can just ignore them."

"It's always more enjoyable to talk to you than to the auxiliary machines."

"Uncle, you are joking. I still have a lot to learn from you."

Gao Shilian stood up and took out a letter from the table in the room. He whispered, "This is a letter from Taiyuan."

Li Chengqian took the letter from his uncle, but before he opened it, he heard his uncle say, "Luoyang is not like Guanzhong. Many families in Luoyang have relatives in various parts of the Central Plains. Too many people died in Luoyang this time. Many farmers were only related to relatives in Luoyang, and some people suffered from the harassment of the aristocratic families."

Looking at the contents of the letter, Li Chengqian remained silent.

Gao Shilian whispered, "Just like Wen Yanbo said, some people will think about annexing land after they turn over a new leaf, seeking welfare for their descendants. This has been the rule for thousands of years. If a person in a high position does not think about using the power and money in his hands to annex land, he will be labeled an unfilial descendant."

"There are more than just Luoyang that have been annexed in this world. Although Wen Yanbo is an old man and a conservative, he can still help Your Highness consider the situation. Although I am no longer serving in the court, I have many students and old friends outside, and they will also send me news."

After reading the letter, Li Chengqian remained silent. The impact of the Luoyang incident was far from simple. Many ordinary villagers had relatives in Luoyang, and these people were bullied or oppressed by the powerful families.

"A few days ago, I can't remember when it was." Gao Shilian stroked his gray beard and said slowly: "I remember that Wen Yanbo told me that the Li Tang and the clans are now enemies." Seeing that the prince's expression was not good, Gao Shilian sighed: "Although I am old, I can still say a few words between famous officials from all over the country and my former students. Now Luoyang is being reorganized, and His Royal Highness the Prince is guiding its construction. If these farmers have nowhere to go, or are bullied by the clans, they can go to Luoyang to make a living, or move to Guanzhong, where they can eat a meal."

Li Chengqian was not angry about this, but calmly put down the letter and said, "This is a good opportunity to win people's hearts. My grandson will have people post notices all over Luoyang to promote the construction of Guanzhong and Luoyang and attract more people."

Turning the crisis into an opportunity, Gao Shilian stroked his beard and laughed happily, stroking the table and laughing for a long time.

Laughter echoed in the courtyard, and the old man whispered, "I have such a great grandson, and he is still just a prince. God is really blind."

Li Chengqian laughed and said, "Uncle, you are joking. This has nothing to do with God."

"That's right, that's right."

"Thank you for your guidance, uncle. The construction of Guanzhong is urgent. I will go back first."

Gao Shilian sighed and said, "Go ahead."

People of this era have their own way of living, and at the moment we can only change the people in one area.

The court session was about to begin in the next day. The family was having lunch. Outside the quiet Chongwen Hall, a cold breeze blew occasionally. A group of younger brothers sat together, eating quietly, with occasional noises of chopsticks hitting bowls.

Li Yuan sat in the seat of honor, eating celery with his lips pursed.

Li Chengqian ate a piece of cake with some pickled radishes.

"Brother, I also want to learn archery."

Hearing his younger brother trying to speak, Li Chengqian asked, "Why do you want to practice archery?"

Li Zhi looked at his sister and said, "Sister is also practicing archery."

Li Lizhi also picked up some celery and put it in the bowl, saying, "When my sister learns it, I will teach you."

At the dinner table, Li Chengqian saw the eyes of Li Shen and Li Zhi meet. What were these children thinking? He could understand it with a single thought.

Now Li Lizhi and Dongyang have started practicing archery, and their younger brothers and sisters all want to practice with them.

What? The East Palace is going to open an archery class?

Li Chengqian said: "Practicing archery requires hard work. If you don't have a good talent, you will have to go through the same hardships that I went through."

"My brother is not afraid of hardship."

Hearing his decisive answer, given his character and the fact that he was raising a duck, he seemed to be giving up halfway and it was not certain that he would be able to persist in his archery skills.

This is not to underestimate him, but Li Zhi's talent has nothing to do with archery.

It may just be a whim, but after suffering a few days, you will give up.

Li Chengqian said, "Grandpa, I have to be busy with the affairs of the court these days, so I need you to take care of their affairs."

Li Yuan has fewer and fewer teeth. He is just over 70 years old, and now the 71-year-old man has white hair.

The old man didn't take good care of his health when he was young, and now he has difficulty chewing food.

But my grandfather is also an expert in archery. I heard this from General Li Ji, and he is an expert in archery who is unrivaled in the world.

Li Yuan said with a smile: "Cheng Qian, just rest assured and focus on the affairs of the court."

"Ah."

After finishing his meal, Li Chengqian returned to his bedroom and changed into lighter clothes. When he came out, he saw his younger brothers and sisters standing in a row from tallest to shortest, learning to draw the bow.

Seeing Li Zhi and Li Shen drawing their bows, Li Chengqian smiled in surprise, but he also felt that they were more out of anger.

The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace left the palace and went fishing at Xianyang Bridge again.

Xue Wanbei, as usual, brought his team to guard on the side. Li Chengqian threw the fishing line into the river. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince liked fishing, so he put the fishing line into the river and rarely returned empty-handed.

Li Chengqian feels that fishing is a better time to observe the environment.

When fishing, you can check the water quality and water level of Guanzhong rivers.

Judge whether the number of fish in the river has decreased. If people catch a lot of fish, it means there is a shortage of food.

When fishing, one's attention is focused on hearing, vision and smell, and everything around becomes quiet.

Li Chengqian could hear the villagers telling jokes about Xia Sanlu and using dirty words related to Xia Sanlu. It was a very simple language and reminded him of the time under the tree at the entrance of the village in his previous life.

Sometimes this is also the case in this era. Heroes roam across the Central Plains, but in the end they return to the trees at the entrance of the village, listening to these simple words and smiling with everyone else in their still difficult lives.

Xue Wanbei whispered, "Your Highness, the magistrate of Xianyang County is here."

Li Chengqian glanced sideways and asked, "What is he doing here?"

"I will go and ask."

He left quickly, said a few words to Liu Rengui, and then came back.

"Your Highness, he said that it's okay for you to go out fishing, but you can't drive away the villagers. The last time you went to Xianyang Bridge to fish, you drove away a lot of people. When he came to dissuade you, your Highness had already left. If your Highness still wants to drive away the villagers, he will definitely persuade you."

Li Chengqian sat on a stool, leaning against the tree trunk behind him. He yawned sleepily and whispered, "I'll take a rest. You keep an eye on the fish."

Xue Wanbei responded: "Yes."

Liu Rengui was a stubborn man. After Li Chengqian took a short rest, he looked towards the roadside and saw Liu Rengui still standing there, as if he would stand there until the prince left.

If the emperor and the prince can truly command the power of all quarters and ensure the stability of the country under their rule, they can come out openly without having to worry about assassination.

Perhaps this is what Liu Rengui thought in his heart.

Xue Wanbei had already helped catch three fish. Li Chengqian stood up, picked up the stool under him, and said, "Let's go back."

"Here."

Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the palace, Li Chengqian said, "General Xue, this guy is a real bummer."

Xue Wanbei asked, "Does His Highness have any instructions?"

If he were asked at this time to beat up Liu Rengui, Xue Wanbei would definitely go.

Li Chengqian said: "Forget it, he is a very dedicated county magistrate, there is no need to embarrass him."

"Here."

When he returned to Chang'an, Li Chengqian was sitting in the carriage and saw someone saluting to his carriage, and it was an acquaintance.

(End of this chapter)