The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 226: Puzzling Changes

In the quiet room, Li Chengqian walked to the bedside and called out, "Old sir?"

Wen Yanbo stopped talking, slowly closed his eyes, and only breathed a little.

Dongyang checked the old man's pulse for a while, then felt his breath, and whispered, "Brother, the old man is no longer conscious..."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "I understand."

Dongyang pressed the old man's temple tentatively, and then pierced the top of his head with a silver needle. Seeing no response for a long time, she slowly shook her head, put away the silver needle, and stood aside.

Li Chengqian understood and walked outside. He looked at the old man's two sons and relatives and said, "Arrange the funeral."

There was crying sound outside the house again, and relatives in groups of three or four began to arrange various matters.

Dongyang comforted the human-like little deer. The deer felt the sad emotions and was vaguely uneasy. It kept rubbing its head against its owner's knees and gently biting the hem of its owner's skirt.

At night, the Wen family began the funeral and the old man lost his body temperature.

After watching the Crown Prince bow and kowtow, Wen Ting escorted the Crown Prince and Princess Dongyang to the door of their home. He whispered, "When I walked back from Liaodong with my father, I saw many families crying."

He looked up and sighed, "How many soldiers are buried in Liaodong, and those who lost their loved ones are still thinking about their relatives' bodies coming back."

"I know, I will remember it." Li Chengqian patted Wen Ting's shoulder and said, "Don't be too sad."

Wen Ting bowed and saluted.

Li Chengqian said to him, "When the old gentleman's business is done, you will come to Jingzhao Prefecture to take up your post. In the future, you should focus on construction. When you can go on an expedition to the east in the future, you must bring back those corpses."

Wen Ting bowed and said, "I obey your command. I have one more request."

"You said."

"I hope that one day, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will allow me to join the army in the Eastern Expedition."

"Okay, I promise you, but before that you need to get over the pain of losing your father as soon as possible."

Wen Ting said loudly: "Yes."

Dongyang stood outside the door and waited for his brother and Wen Ting to finish discussing these important matters before returning to the palace together.

Walking on the quiet street, the brother and sister were speechless for a while.

It is August of the eleventh year of Zhenguan. This summer is milder than last year, and it rained heavily in Chang'an again today.

After Mr. Wen Yanbo was buried, the emperor issued an edict to give him a posthumous title and to have him buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum.

The emperor showed great respect to the old gentleman.

Everything in Chang'an looked hazy in the rain. Standing by the Taiye Lake, one could vaguely see a deer drinking water by the lake.

In the quiet villa, the Queen Mother was listening to Li Zhi and Dong Yang talking about what they had learned in the past few days.

Li Chengqian and his father sat under the eaves, staring at the rain in a daze.

Daydreaming is a way to kill time, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince always does this in his spare time.

Occasionally a few drops of rain would drift in from the eaves and fall on the father and son.

Li Chengqian closed his eyes, feeling comfortable in the occasional coolness of summer.

Li Shimin said: "Many people in the Taoist sect oppose Li Chunfeng's understanding of heaven and earth."

"Father, you think that the secrets of heaven and earth that Taoist Li has comprehended are related to your son, right?"

Li Shimin whispered, "Don't worry, Taoist Li will not lead these to the East Palace."

"This is all the hard work of Taoist Li. It has nothing to do with me."

Because of the mysteries between heaven and earth, Taoist Priest Li was almost expelled from the Taoist community, and there were many people who opposed this doctrine.

This is understandable. Over the years, we can see from one thing after another that people change with nature, the current environment, and the structure between people.

If you want to change people’s ideas, you must first change the environment. When the environment changes, people will also be different.

This is like the Eastern Palace. The Eastern Palace is a small environment, and the prince has the final say on how this environment is. Therefore, the values ​​of his younger brothers and sisters are easier to shape.

But when their values ​​are placed outside, they appear unique.

It’s just that due to their status as princes and princesses, their younger brothers and sisters are a little special, but it’s okay, their status determines that they can be different from others.

To put it more broadly, what Jingzhao Prefecture has done over the years has been to change the environment in Guanzhong.

It is normal that Master Li’s teachings are not accepted by most people.

Or maybe, Li Chengqian felt that the statement that all saints and wise men in ancient times were lonely made sense.

But it doesn’t matter. Human wisdom always stands on the shoulders of generation after generation, and there will be people standing on the shoulders of Taoist Li Chunfeng.

After taking a short rest, Li Chengqian picked up the bamboo umbrella beside him and was about to leave.

Li Shimin asked, "Is there anything else going on in the Secretariat?"

When his son did not reply, Li Yuan said, "This child is still worried about Tongguan and Luoyang."

Among the three generations of grandfather and grandson, Li Yuan is the happiest one. Sometimes he can watch little Sizi playing with building blocks for a long time.

Li Chengqian walked past the Taiji Hall with an umbrella. He did not see anyone in front of the empty and spacious Taiji Hall.

It was raining heavily all around, and only when you walked into the imperial city could you see people walking around in the official residences guarding the doors.

At least there is a more human presence here, unlike the Chancellery.

There was not a single living person to be seen in the Secretariat, but my father gave me the right to enter the Secretariat and to do things there.

But Li Chengqian felt that if he sat in the Shangshu Province and might not see a living person all day, he would go crazy sooner or later.

When they arrived at the Secretariat, Xu Jingzong was already waiting there.

Standing inside the Secretariat, I felt that the rain outside was not so noisy.

"Thank you for your hard work in Tongguan these two months."

Xu Jingzong handed over a scroll of memorials and said, "This is the report from Tongguan."

Sitting down in the Secretariat, Li Chengqian did not rush to pick up the memorial to read it, but smiled and said, "Wen Ting has just entered Jingzhao Prefecture. What do you think of him?"

"They are all pretty good, but some of them can't keep up. Maybe they are not used to the way things are done in Jingzhao Prefecture."

Jingzhao Prefecture was used to doing things in an efficient and quick way, and basically, government orders from the Secretariat would be sent to all counties as soon as they arrived.

This direct communication method between the upper and lower levels of the government has become the current rule in Jingzhao Prefecture.

The personnel of Jingzhao Prefecture were stationed directly in various counties and were rotated every month, which means there would be rotational rest and adjustments.

As soon as the day dawned, the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture had to wake up early. If they had anything to report, they had to submit the report to Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as the city gates opened.

If you go late, the staff will have dispersed and other counties will be busy.

Li Chengqian said, "Let Yan Qinli serve as the director of Chongwenguan, and Wen Ting will first work under Di Zhixun when he enters Jingzhao Prefecture." Xu Jingzong asked, "Wen Ting is the son-in-law of the emperor. Isn't it inappropriate for such a person to only be a prosecutor under the Tongpan?"

"How many people are under Dickson's command now?"

"The five judges are all students who have just passed the imperial examination this year."

"That's it. Wen Ting is the son-in-law of the emperor, so he doesn't need to take the imperial examination. But his starting point must be the same as those who passed the imperial examination. He must start from the bottom. Let him learn in Jingzhao Prefecture first, and when he can stand on his own, send him to Luoyang."

Xu Jingzong couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince still did not favor favoritism. After Wen Ting married the princess, he would become a relative of the Emperor's family.

Since they are relatives, we must avoid suspicion. Sending them to Luoyang is the best.

And it also depends on the performance of the person.

Li Chengqian waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand, watching the rain outside gradually subside, and said, "In the future, we should continue to follow the current style. Let our people talk more with the villagers, understand their lives, and don't alienate them."

"Here."

Li Chengqian put down the palm-leaf fan in his hand, picked up the memorial and said, "Now it is the holiday season, you should go back and see your family and rest for a few days."

"Yes." Xu Jingzong bowed.

"Also." Li Chengqian ordered again: "Have you read the construction regulations of Luoyang?"

"Your Highness, I have checked it out and there is no major problem."

"What if the workers get injured? I heard that the workshop Du He wants to build is very large."

Seeing that the prince lowered his voice, Xu Jingzong also stepped forward and whispered, "Let Du He arrange a doctor to treat the disease?"

Li Chengqian clicked his tongue and said, "Do you think this is a question of who should be held responsible?"

Xu Jingzong hesitated and said, "I think this matter needs to be discussed."

“Should there be corresponding compensation?”

"That should be given."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "We in Jingzhao Prefecture always stand on the side of the villagers, so we must let them know that we in Jingzhao Prefecture are helping the villagers, not in league with the merchants."

Xu Jingzong understood and lowered his voice to ask, "Your Highness, do you think that I have been too close to merchants recently?"

"That's not the case." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Even if you are close to merchants, the rest of the people in Jingzhao Prefecture get along well with the villagers."

"Your Highness has good intentions. I understand."

Sometimes Xu Jingzong showed great wit. Li Chengqian nodded and said, "You are the Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture. You should be sensible about some things and don't let people think too much. I still trust you very much."

Xu Jingzong took a deep breath, bowed and saluted, saying: "I will not let your Highness down."

"No need to be so polite. I still have many things to ask you. Go back and rest for a few days."

"My minister retire."

Xu Jingzong left with firm steps, and Li Chengqian then looked through his memorials. Some things must be repeated over and over again, and the principles must be emphasized again and again.

Regardless of whether Xu Jingzong had done things accurately or not, these words would always ring in his ears.

Five large warehouses and a market were built in Tongguan.

The scale of this market is very large, and most of the people doing business are villagers from Guanzhong and Tongguan.

Merchants cannot be concentrated in Guanzhong, nor can all goods be handed over to merchants. Since Guanzhong began to reduce the bargaining power of merchants, many merchants wanted to expand their industries to Luoyang.

This is also one of their motivations.

Tongguan is a city located on the Yellow River, and it is an important hub between Luoyang and Chang'an. Since its construction, Tongguan has been heavily guarded.

After Gaochang was captured in the Western Regions, city taxes in the Hexi Corridor began to increase. One of the strategies of Jingzhao Prefecture was to tie the economic focus to the geographical location and build workshops around the geographical location and special products.

Changing the city tax is a very troublesome issue. Now the Tang Dynasty has set huge import and export tariffs at the border, which has led to the price of goods exported from Guanzhong to the Western Regions almost doubling.

This also caused the city tax in the Hexi Corridor to grow dramatically.

After Gaochang was taken, without the support of the Gaochang king and his son, the prices of goods in Guanzhong could be raised more unscrupulously, and the era when the Tang people had the final say on the Silk Road was about to come.

Silk and soap still account for the majority of the trade, and the proportion of tea in the trade is increasing. Who would have thought that the Turks are now starting to eat bean sprouts?

It's really puzzling.

Li Chengqian always had a headache when he saw these memorials. Should the Turks be grateful to the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?
After reading the memorials from officials of various ministries, Li Chengqian put them on the bookshelf beside him and walked to the eaves outside the Secretariat with his hands in his pockets.

Another figure came in the rain. It was a young official.

He came to the door of the Secretariat and bowed, saying, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is greeted by your servant Guo Zhengyi."

Li Chengqian asked: "Are you from Dingzhou?"

Guo Zhengyi replied: "I grew up in Gucheng, Dingzhou."

"Working under Shangguan Yi at the Hongwenguan?"

Guo Zhengyi still maintained the posture of bowing. He knew clearly that Shangguan Yi was the prince's disciple, and he considered himself the prince's disciple.

This was a well-known matter in the court. On the day he passed the imperial examination, he was assigned to the Hongwenguan, and he realized that he could not decide on his own which side to take.

Instead, he passively became a member of the Crown Prince's line, and now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's position in the court is becoming more and more important.

It was even very close to the position of Shangshu Ling, who was the commander of all officials in the court.

Li Chengqian looked at the heavy rain outside and said with a smile: "What's the matter? Do you think I'm scary and don't dare to reply?"

"I am a scholar at the Hongwen Academy, and I thought the prince knew about it."

"Haha." Li Chengqian smiled helplessly and said, "I don't know all the things going on in the court. Some things are arranged by my father and my teacher. The last Jinshi was Xu Yushi. He was assassinated in the autumn of the year he passed the Jinshi exam."

"I thought that any official who passed the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty would be assassinated, but you are still alive and well, which is great."

Guo Zhengyi said hurriedly: "Your Highness, I am a successful candidate in the imperial examination. If anyone comes to assassinate me, I will definitely capture him."

The rain outside seemed to have become much lighter.

The prince inexplicably brought up the assassination case in the garden two years ago. After Guo Zhengyi said these words, he still felt a little uneasy.

"If they dare to assassinate, they will have to pay a price. When the Tang Dynasty was about to start the imperial examination, many people opposed it and even assassinated the Jinshi of the dynasty. This just shows that they are afraid. The more afraid they are, the more the court will persevere. What do you think?"

Guo Zhengyi replied: "Your Highness is absolutely right."

After saying this, Li Chengqian walked into the rain with an umbrella.

This was the first time Guo Zhengyi met the rumored Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

In Dingzhou, Guo Zhengyi felt that he was very talented and well-read.

Until facing the current government and the governance strategies of Guanzhong, Guo Zhengyi was often confused and felt that all the classics and history books he had learned in the past were in vain.

Because what I have learned seems to be useless in the governance of Guanzhong, what use is Huang-Lao philosophy to Guanzhong now?
(End of this chapter)