The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 30 Gifted Brothers and Sisters

The loophole is right in front of you. Whether to exploit it or not is one thing, and the so-called principles are another.

Li Chengqian hesitated and said, "It's not a good idea for my uncle to do this."

Li Xiaogong stuffed another piece of braised pork into his mouth and chewed it for a long time before replying, "Your Majesty approved it. Your Majesty also said that Duke Xu can make the decision on such matters in the future."

"Oh, I see."

Li Chengqian nodded.

As he was talking, Li Xiaogong had almost finished eating, so he stood up and continued, "After all, it's a family matter."

Maybe this is a bad thing for many "outsiders" in the court, that is, normal officials, but for the emperor, this is his own uncle.

There is nothing wrong in giving some convenience out of filial piety, and it is not against the law.

On the surface, it is just a replacement of the local county magistrate. Everyone just needs to keep it tacit and everything will follow the normal procedures.

The emperor should be very clear in his mind that my uncle is about to leave the court, and sooner or later the court will be handed over to people like Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, or Cen Wenben.

Li Chengqian frowned and said, "Uncle."

"Ok?"

"If there is any trouble here again, the emperor's uncle will definitely help me."

"I am just a prince without any real power. I am tired of managing the trivial matters of the royal family."

Li Chengqian was speechless again and took a sip of boiled water to express his annoyance.

Li Xiaogong said slowly: "In my opinion, Xu Jingzong is a man who will achieve great things sooner or later."

“How come you see?”

"Of the eighteen scholars in the Qin Palace, not many are left now. Although Xu Jingzong has never been given important positions, he is an old member of the Qin Palace after all. He has a unique vision and can see Du He's extraordinaryness at a glance. People with sharp eyes will not do too badly."

Li Xiaogong cleared his throat and asked seriously, "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Li Chengqian nodded, "Yes, it means a concise and comprehensive experience in life."

As he spoke, he took out two palm-sized silver cakes from his arms and said, "This is the money from selling the Red Mansion. After some calculation, I will take 60% and the East Palace will take 40%."

"Why is the Eastern Palace only 40%?"

Li Xiaogong said, "I have to hire people to copy while I am away from home, but you are sitting here collecting money and have nothing to do."

Li Chengqian sighed: "This East Palace is weak and powerless."

Li Xiaogong wiped his mouth and said, "Young man, please take less. I am doing this for the good of the Eastern Palace."

Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Thank you, uncle, for your guidance."

"Yeah." Li Xiaogong was satisfied and strode away.

Because the emperor's uncle did not wash his hands before eating and his eating manner was too wild, no one knew whether he grabbed the braised pork with his hands. These two pieces of high-quality, palm-sized silver cakes were shiny and glossy.

Ning'er, along with two palace maids, quietly cleaned up the dishes, then washed the two silver cakes thoroughly with soap and took them away.

Li Chengqian stood up and said, "Sister Ning'er, do you think what the emperor's uncle said makes sense?"

Ning'er put away the two silver cakes, looking satisfied. She knew that the East Palace would not have to worry about food and clothing for a long time. She replied, "What did your highness say?"

"Young people should take less."

Ning Er covered her mouth and laughed, "The more people want, the harder it is to fill the gap."

Li Chengqian walked with her outside the Chongwen Hall, feeling the warmth of the sun on his body, and continued, "There is nothing wrong with a person pursuing a material life. People yearn for a better life. This is human nature."

Ning'er was speechless for a moment, and felt that His Highness' words made sense.

"Only by starving your body and exhausting your muscles and bones can you be entrusted with a great mission. I don't think this applies to everyone." Li Chengqian continued, "And people must have ideals first."

"Your Highness's words are so profound." Ning Er frowned and couldn't keep up with her train of thought for a moment. She whispered, "Can we really switch it?"

"Isn't this how everyone in the world gets here?"

Ning'er looked solemn, and was somewhat worried about His Highness's current mentality. There were too many things that His Highness the Crown Prince questioned.

In the evening, there was a loud thunder in the sky and rain fell heavily.

A curtain of water formed in front of the eaves. It was the warm spring season. Mostly, the warm air from the south had crossed the Qinling Mountains and collided with the remaining cold air in Guanzhong. This also meant that the climate would be warmer in the future.

Li Shen covered his ears, fearing that he would be deafened by the thunder.

Lately, he has been feeling very down.

Another flash of lightning flashed, illuminating the children's faces. Li Chengqian walked over to Li Shen, who was alone, and asked, "What's wrong? You've been alone lately."

Li Shen sniffed and said aggrievedly, "My mother said these days that my brother should not go to see her unless he has something to do, and she also said that I should stay in the East Palace in the future."

He then asked, "Brother, does mother not want me anymore?"

Li Chengqian patted the back of his head and consoled him, "Then study hard in the East Palace and impress your mother in the future."

"But my brother..."

"How about this." Li Chengqian sat down cross-legged and said to him patiently: "From now on, you will write a diary every day."

"journal?"

"Just write down everything you do, say, and encounter every day, and then have someone send it to your mother so that she can know your recent learning results, such as what you learned today."

Li Shen was young and understood things quickly. He quickly said, "Thank you for your guidance, brother."

With such a big family and so many brothers and sisters, there will be many troubles to deal with in the future, similar to...

The thunderstorm lasted for an hour before it stopped. The night was very dark. Seeing that his younger brothers and sisters were still sleepy, Li Chengqian told them a story about a farmer and a snake.

Stories are always one of the driving forces that purify the soul and trigger deep thinking.

After hearing the story about the kind-hearted farmer being bitten to death by a snake, the children began to chatter about it.

The story is simple but profound.

Li Shen wrote down this story and asked Xiaofu from the East Palace to help deliver it to his mother the next day.

In the harem, Concubine Wei has been trembling with fear since she was rebuked by His Majesty's oral order and has not dared to step out of her bedroom.

"Concubine Wei, this is a letter sent by Prince Ji."

"Shen'er?" Concubine Wei's eyes regained some spirit from her trance. She asked in confusion, "Shen'er can write now?"

"Princess Wei, please take a look."

She took the paper, read it carefully, and couldn't help but chuckle, because she felt comforted by looking at her son's crooked handwriting.

But soon, her eyes dimmed again, and she said, "It was me as a mother who implicated this child. I shouldn't have had those thoughts in the first place."

A legitimate son is still a legitimate son after all, not to mention the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, whom you cannot afford to offend.

"I thought that after not seeing Shen'er for a few times, he would blame me as his mother, but I didn't expect that this child would..." Concubine Wei burst into tears at this moment, holding this thin piece of paper, and cried with regret.

Prince Ji Li Shen, who was taught in the East Palace, was very sensible. Not only did he not complain about his mother who never saw him, but he even wrote a letter to inform her of what he had learned in recent days. After a rain last night, the next day was sunny again.

The sunlight quickly evaporated the water on the ground. A young man carrying a bag hurried to Hongwenguan. He was sweating and waiting outside the hall.

After waiting for half an hour with no one coming to meet him, he looked up at the sky again and wiped the sweat that was running down his chin.

"I knew you would come to Chang'an."

Hearing a voice behind him, he turned around and saw a man in his early thirties who looked familiar.

Xu Jingzong said: "When we parted in Jiangdu, I thought I would never see you again."

Speaking of the Jiangdu Rebellion, Shangguan Yi frowned and remained silent when he thought of Yu Wenzhi or the rebels.

Xu Jingzong was in his early thirties and was wearing the official uniform of a county magistrate.

Shangguan Yi bowed and said, "May I ask who is in front of you..."

"I am Xu Jingzong from Xincheng."

"Shangguan Yi from Shanzhou." Shangguan Yi introduced himself.

Xu Jingzong whispered, "It's been so many years since the disaster in Jiangdu. My father was killed by Yu Wenzhi. Maybe you were still young at that time and don't remember me, but I was young at that time and I always remember the old man."

Seeing that the other party did not speak, Xu Jingzong continued: "My father accompanied Emperor Yang of Sui on a tour of Yangzhou and encountered the rebellion of the traitor Yu Wenhuaji. My father was Xu Shanxin, a doctor appointed by Emperor Yang of Sui himself."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yi bowed and said, "I remember now."

Xu Jingzong put his hands behind his back and said, "There are not many old people left from the Jiangdu Incident."

After saying that, Shangguan Yi looked at him and walked into the Hongwenguan. Xu Jingzong spoke a few words to the people there, and someone came out to greet him politely.

Walking into the bustling Hongwenguan, there are many scholars and students here, most of whom are talking in groups of three or five.

The head of Hongwenguan asked, "Place of origin."

Shangguan Yi quickly took out a document and handed it over with both hands.

The director of the Hongwen Academy stroked his mustache, took the document and looked at it, then raised his eyes to observe Shangguan Yi, then looked at Xu Jingzong beside him, and whispered, "How old are you?"

Shangguan Yi quickly said, "Twenty-five."

The director of the Hongwen Academy said, "The document will be submitted to the Ministry of Personnel. You wait for the news. It won't be long."

Shangguan Yi bowed to express his gratitude.

The director of Hongwenguan also bowed politely, because Shangguan Yi's clerk was recommended by two people, one was Yang Gongren from Yangzhou, and the other was Wu Shigui from Bingzhou. Wu Shigui was a hero in the uprising in Jinyang and one of the great heroes of the Tang Dynasty.

With such a person recommending him, the director of Hongwenguan has seen that Shangguan Yi will definitely have an extraordinary future.

Xu Jingzong took Shangguan Yi out of Hongwenguan first and sat down in a tavern on the side of Zhuque Street. Shangguan Yi's father Shangguan Hong was also a doctor of the Bi Department beside Emperor Yang of Sui. Like Xu Jingzong's father Xu Shanxin, he was one of the people who followed Emperor Yang of Sui Yang Guang on a tour of Yangzhou, and also encountered the Jiangdu Rebellion together.

Talking about the events of the past, Shangguan Yi and Xu Jingzong had many common topics.

Compared with Shangguan Yi, Xu Jingzong's situation was better during those years. He served Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, and became one of the Eighteen Scholars in the Qin Palace.

Shangguan Yi has been wandering around until now, and was recommended because of his talent and knowledge.

In recent years, more and more former Sui people have returned, including Zhang Xuansu, Wang Gui and others.

Xu Jingzong took out a book and handed it over.

Shangguan Yi took a look and asked in surprise: "Red Mansion?"

Xu Jingzong nodded and said, "I heard that it was written by a Mr. Cao in the East Palace. Now many scholars in Chang'an are reading this book."

Shangguan Yi was puzzled and said, "I have only heard of this wonderful book, but I have never seen it, because many people in the officialdom resist it."

"So what? This book is extremely wonderful, it would be a shame not to read it." Xu Jingzong said, "I'm staying at the Du Mansion these days, why don't we go together?"

Shangguan Yi quickly picked up the book, bowed and said, "Thank you."

After several conversations, Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi moved into the Du Mansion.

It is said that after Du Ruhui's death, the Jingzhao Du family was going to decline, but now it seems that the Du Mansion is full of guests.

There was also the genius doctor Sun Simiao staying there, as well as Xu Jingzong, and he also brought Shangguan Yi, a young man with unlimited potential.

Regardless of whether Gao Shilian or someone else is behind Du He, Xu Jingzong firmly believes that this is a great opportunity for promotion, and he will not miss any chance for promotion.

We must also win over young people like Shangguan Yi.

Du He has been very busy these days. The workshop in Jingyang can finally be built smoothly, but there is now another old immortal in the family.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has left Doctor Sun here for three days and has not cared about him at all.

Xu Jingzong introduced: "Mr. Du, this is Shangguan Yi."

Du He nodded, "Hello, Brother Shangguan."

Shangguan Yi also smiled and nodded.

Du He added: "Please trouble County Magistrate Xu to help take care of Brother Shangguan. I have something else to go out for."

Xu Jingzong smiled and said, "No problem."

Seeing Du He hurried out of the door, Shangguan Yi hesitated and said, "This..."

Xu Jingzong said politely: "Mr. Du is a casual person, you can stay here and feel at ease. Tomorrow you can go to Hongwenguan to read more scriptures and classics."

Faced with everything in front of him, Shangguan Yi was still cautious in his heart. The future was uncertain at the moment, so it would be better for him to stay here for the time being and make a decision later.

In the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian was sitting in the Chongwen Hall, still correcting his younger brothers and sisters' homework. Teaching children was a very tiring job. For example, his younger sister Gao Yang thought that there was a food shortage in winter, so farmers should stew snakes.

Furthermore, Li Zhi thought that the farmer should just leave the snake in the snow and let it freeze to death.

It was originally a story with a profound moral, but in their eyes, they began to judge the farmer.

"These kids are really..."

Li Chengqian said to himself: "Well, my brothers and sisters are also gifted."

How did their father teach them in the past?

Is it the snake's problem or the farmer's problem?
Li Chengqian held his forehead in pain and said, "Sister Ning'er, I'm almost trapped by them."

Ning Er chuckled and said, "Your Highness's story is thought-provoking. It's a good story."

Li Chengqian put down the pen in his hand, put his hands in his pockets and said, "Sister Ning, do you like this story?"

Ning Er said again: "I like it."

"tired."

Ning'er walked behind His Highness and rubbed the temple of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace with her slender fingers.

As a result, Li Chengqian's face showed a slightly relaxed smile again.

(End of this chapter)