The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 228 Mingda's Practice

The scenery around Taiye Lake is very beautiful. The scenery here is at its best from summer to autumn.

In the distance, Li Zhi and Li Shen were sitting on a boat, letting Xiaofu row the boat to take them to pick lotus pods.

They picked the lotus pods one by one and placed them on the boat.

Li Ke said: "If Li You dares to be so unfilial again, I will definitely teach him a lesson."

Li Tai said: "I have already reprimanded him."

Li Ke, who had been to the Western Regions and participated in the attack on Gaochang, was now in high spirits. He also felt that Li Tai was very courageous for daring to go to the residence of Qi Wang Li You alone.

After all, we are all brothers, so there is no need to be afraid. How dare Li You do that?
Li Chengqian ate oranges, fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan, and sat on a rock by the lake, saying, "It's all family affairs. If we don't unite, things will become complicated. It's not good for something that's not complicated to become complicated."

Li Tai also picked up an orange and peeled it while saying, "Kwon Man-ki is a capable minister who is good at governing. It's a pity to leave such a person next to Li You."

Hearing this, Li Ke quickly said, "That's absolutely true."

Li Chengqian looked at the peaceful Taiye Lake and said, "Now that Li You has gone to Songzhou, the three of us brothers have the same stance and viewpoint. We must be firm even if our father asks us."

Empress Changsun looked at the three brothers standing by the lake, and said to Concubine Yang, "Look at the three brothers, they are becoming more and more united now."

Concubine Yang whispered, "It's all because of your good teaching, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your Majesty often says that the three brothers are always plotting something."

Hearing this, Concubine Yang paused for a moment.

Empress Changsun smiled again and said, "Don't think too much."

Concubine Yang came back to her senses and continued to walk beside the Queen, forcing a smile.

Li Zhi and Li Shen gained a lot from rowing from the lake to the shore.

Li Lizhi saw this and asked, "You picked so many, can you eat them all?"

Li Zhi looked at the lotus pods and scratched his head, saying, "I can't finish it."

Xiaofu said: "Lotus seeds can be used to make porridge and soup."

Li Lizhi ordered: "What you can't finish, you two can eat it."

After leaving these words, Li Lizhi left quickly.

Dongyang usually holds a book in his hand. Now there is a little deer lying beside him. In this warm weather, he is reading a book leisurely.

Little Sizi was holding a compass in his hand, on which were written many Bagua symbols.

Dongyang asked curiously: "Sizi? Can you understand this compass?"

Her small hand turned the inner ring of the compass and said, "Master Li uses the directions of the Eight Diagrams to confirm the positions of the stars in the sky."

She thought for a moment and said seriously, "Mingda, I will figure it out."

Looking at his sister's rosy little face and her big eyes full of intelligence when she was thinking, Dongyang put down the book in his hand and said, "My brother taught us numerology. In fact, I also know how to measure the distance and height of the stars. I wonder if it is the same as Master Li's method."

Little Sizi sat cross-legged on the table with her hands in her pockets. She was only six years old, but she looked at the compass as if she were facing a great enemy.

Dongyang picked up the compass and observed it. Looking at the rings that were inserted together, there were probably some markings such as heaven, thunder, earth, wind, etc., as well as the corresponding hexagrams.

Little Sizi stroked the armrests of his sister's chair with both hands, still sitting with his knees bent, and also tilted his head to look at the compass.

Li Lizhi led her two younger brothers passing by and asked, "Master Li doesn't teach Mingda seriously on weekdays."

Little Sizi pursed his lips and nodded, "Master Li said Mingda is very insightful."

Dongyang smiled and said, "Actually, this compass of Taoist Li is quite interesting."

It would be better if Taoist Li could be more attentive when teaching Xiao Sizi. Maybe Taoist Li is just that kind of person. He thinks that as long as Xiao Sizi has enough talent, he will be able to understand.

However, even if Taoist Li doesn't teach Xiao Sizi carefully, she still has her brother the Emperor and so many sisters at home to teach her.

Little Sizi took out a kind of food from his Taoist robe and said, "This is the medicinal food that Mingda brought. Sisters and brothers, please have a try."

Li Zhi sniffed it and asked, "Is this a herbal medicine?"

Little Sizi shook his head and said, "Well, this is delicious. It is said to be made from a herb called Huangjing."

Li Zhi ate one and nodded, "It's delicious."

Xiaofu asked, "Your Highness, what would you like to eat for lunch?"

Xiao Sizi thought for a moment and said, "Stew the chicken."

After hearing what their sister said, Li Zhi and Li Shen looked at each other and hurriedly helped Xiaofu to cook.

When Li Chengqian brought Li Ke and Li Tai to have dinner, his father also came back.

At the dinner table, Grandpa sat at the top table, Li Chengqian sat beside Grandpa, and in front of him was the Emperor.

"Niu Jinda has a report from the army. You'er tried to escape from the army, but was caught again."

Li Tai said: "You've only been gone for two days and you're already thinking about running away. You're really naughty."

Li Chengqian ate his meal in silence. Sometimes he did not like his father's way of disciplining him, so he either asked Li You to go to his fiefdom or asked another minister to discipline him.

This is not only about seeking psychological comfort, but also about taking chances, hoping that a child who has been naughty since childhood can change for the better?
If my father really did this, it would make a simple matter complicated.

And things will be more complicated once he goes to the fiefdom.

The most direct, effective and simple way is to throw him into the army. Although it is a bit cruel, the army attaches the most importance to rules and orders.

Seeing his son eating in silence, Li Shimin didn't want to talk about it anymore.

After dinner, each family member has their own things to do.

Little Sizi was lying on a long stone, her head facing south and her feet facing north, lying on her side. If you look closely, you can feel that her breathing is regular, with one inhalation followed by another exhalation.

This way of breathing and sleeping was also taught to her by Taoist Master Li.

Now Xiao Sizi is healing himself even when he is sleeping.

Li Lizhi asked, "Brother, Sizi doesn't look like he was born with a defect."

Li Chengqian observed his sleeping sister, then looked away and said thoughtfully, "It does seem to be the case."

Taiye Lake returned to silence in the afternoon.

After a short rest, Li Chengqian sat in the villa and read the military reports sent from the Western Regions in recent days, as well as various records of the war in the Western Regions at that time.

Looking through the records, I saw Zhang Shigui's strategy for dealing with the Western Turkic cavalry at that time. The main tactics of cavalry warfare were mobile warfare with interspersed detours.

Li Chengqian was catching up on his relevant military experience.

The wars in the Central Plains are not like those on the grasslands. The strategies used are different, and the role of cavalry in grasslands is also different from that in city battles.

Li Shimin drank his tea, walked to his son and asked, "Do you understand?"

Li Chengqian said: "It's a bit complicated, but it looks simple, but the actual use is another matter."

Seeing his son's humble attitude, Li Shimin's smile faded a little and he said, "The Uighurs and Turks are very capable."

Li Chengqian said: "So we should make use of their abilities and learn from their experiences for our own benefit. What do you think, Father?"

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "You have considered it for the long term."

"I am the crown prince, so I naturally have to think further ahead. When I attacked Gaochang earlier, my food and fodder arrangements were not good enough, so I need to make adjustments in the future."

Li Shimin left again with a bowl of tea and sat next to his wife.

Empress Changsun said, "Your Majesty should be happy that Chengqian is so attentive."

Li Shimin put down the tea bowl and said, "This kid is too focused on the basics, like archery. He said that the basics of archery must be practiced well, and he actually practiced for four years."

"Your Majesty, do you think Cheng Qian shouldn't focus on the basics?"

Li Shimin swallowed the tea and said, "I can't say it's bad."

Empress Changsun asked, "Your Majesty, do you think Cheng Qian's ambition is not high enough?"

Li Shimin looked solemn and said nothing.

Li Chengqian was flipping through these military reports, and suddenly thought of how the Mongols in later generations flattened the Eurasian continent, and how the bulky heavy cavalry and the light Mongolian cavalry fought?
These issues do not seem to have any particularly obvious reference significance when considering the current foreign wars.

After autumn came to Guanzhong, Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui moved to Weinan County. After General Su Dingfang sent a message to the Hedong gentry, Mr. Liu personally brought his daughter to marry Xue Rengui.

Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian, who hold military positions, are now different from what they were back then.

When the news about Su Dingfang was delivered, Mr. Liu's commercialism and shrewdness told him that Xue Rengui should not be underestimated at this moment.

A grand wedding was being held in Weinan County. In front of a not-so-big house, Xue Rengui married his wife, Liu.

When General Su Dingfang came to preside over the wedding, Pei Xingjian saw how unruly Mr. Liu was in the past, and how humble he was in front of the general.

This made Pei Xingjian realize that the world had not changed much.

After the guests left, the wedding was over.

Pei Xingjian was sitting in the county government office of Weinan County. Zhang Da'an was picking persimmons from a tree in the county government office. He picked the persimmons one by one and put them in a bamboo basket.

Pei Xingjian saw a basket of persimmons in front of the door and asked, "Why didn't I see that this persimmon tree could bear so many fruits?"

Zhang Daan, who was about the same age as Pei Xingjian, smiled and said, "Why? Do you regret resigning from the post of county magistrate now? But it's no use for you to regret it. I am the county magistrate of Weinan County, and the fruits on this persimmon tree belong to me."

Zhang Da'an was still picking persimmons. He was a very hardworking and pragmatic person.

After resigning from his official position, Pei Xingjian believed that in the eyes of Jingzhao Prefecture, Zhang Da'an was more suitable to be a county magistrate than himself and could do a better job.

Zhang Daan picked two baskets of persimmons from the tree. He took off his rough coat and said, "As you said, this persimmon tree didn't bear so many fruits at first. Later, I asked Guo Siqing to take a look. He said it was because the eaves were too high and blocked the sunlight."

"Last winter, I removed the unused roof and had a good harvest this year. Guo Siqing cured the persimmon tree."

Pei Xingjian's current home is next to the county government office, which was specially arranged by Zhang Da'an, while Brother Xue's home is on the other side of Weinan County.

Of the three good friends from Hedong who came out together, eldest brother Mingli is still looking for an opportunity to sell honey water, and eldest brother Xue will work under General Zhang Shigui in the future.

The distance between the three of them became farther.

Everyone had their own things to do in the future, and Pei Xingjian suddenly felt a little lost.

Zhang Daan put the two baskets of persimmons aside and said, "Guo Siqing said that food has always been with us. Over the years, people have changed many times, but the food has never changed. This is also the truth of the world."

Pei Xingjian asked doubtfully, "Zhang County Magistrate, you want to be a saint, right?"

Zhang Daan suddenly smiled and said, "I can't become a saint, and a saint won't be a county magistrate."

Pei Xingjian sighed in distress.

Weinan County is indeed getting better and better under Zhang Da'an's governance. This year, Weinan County and Xianyang County will compete for the title of Guanzhong Model County.

The various initiatives in Guanzhong are being extended to Luoyang, and Chongwen Halls will be built in various counties in Luoyang in the future.

The crown prince sits high in the imperial court, but he is also a heir who focuses on the construction of prefectures and counties.

While building, all the missing conditions must be made up. If the previous county system was a tattered piece of clothing, then what Jingzhao Prefecture is doing now is to patch up the rags.

And this practice has been carried out ever since the crown prince took charge of agricultural affairs in Guanzhong.

When the autumn wind swept across Guanzhong, Guanzhong ushered in another bumper harvest. There were too many persimmons this year, so Xu Jingzong summoned the county magistrates from various counties to discuss how to sell the persimmons.

A county magistrate said: "We can sell the persimmons to Tongguan."

Someone immediately retorted: "Luoyang and Tongguan also have a good harvest of persimmons. Luoyang alone has 13,000 dan of persimmons and I don't know what to do with them. They say they will ship them to Guanzhong."

Li Daozon sat in the seat of honor and did not speak.

Everyone looked solemn. The persimmons were the result of the villagers' hard work. Would they eat them? Could they finish them all?

Yan Qinli, the current director of Chongwenguan and the official of Jingzhao Prefecture, is now the second in command of Xu Shaoyin. He said, "There is another opportunity to export goods from Guanzhong to the Hexi Corridor this year. The persimmons harvested now can be made into persimmon cakes and sold to the Hexi Corridor in winter."

Wen Ting, who had just arrived at Jingzhao Prefecture and had been in office for less than two months, stood aside and listened. He heard that everyone in Jingzhao Prefecture was trying to find a solution to the persimmons that were once in abundance.

The villagers harvested so many persimmons and could not afford to lose anything.

This is how he feels, and it is also what Jingzhao Prefecture has been doing.

Xu Jingzong said in a deep voice: "No matter what, each county should find a way to preserve the persimmons or transport them out this year. They should come up with a specific strategy."

The county magistrates below began to discuss.

The county magistrates had many opinions about the merchants. When these merchants were looking for opportunities to make a fortune, they were all eager to buy grapes.

Persimmons are now almost unsalable, and no one knows where these profit-seeking merchants have gone.

After the county magistrates left, Yan Qinli spoke up, "In fact, it's not just Guanzhong and Luoyang, Lingnan and Jiangnan also had a good harvest this year."

Just when Guanzhong was having trouble with the bumper persimmon harvest, Xu Jingzong came up with a stupid idea. He wanted to sell persimmon cakes to people from the Western Regions and promised to give them a larger share of soap next year.

(End of this chapter)