The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 45: Rash Recommendation
He washed the radish with river water and took a bite, chewing the crispy radish in his mouth. Li Chengqian also washed the remaining five radishes.

Soon, Shangguan Yi came with a pot of wine and a basket of vegetables.

Li Ji was not a very approachable general. He placed one hand on the sword at his waist and looked around. He also deployed a team of soldiers around the place and surrounded it.

At this time, even if a rabbit jumped over, it would be shot to death by an arrow.

By the time Xu Jingzong brought the garlic, Li Xiaogong had also prepared the fish.

Several people sat around the fire, and Li Chengqian asked, "What should we do with the prey from the autumn hunt?"

Hearing this, Li Xiaogong thought for a moment and said, "Of course all the prey belongs to Your Majesty. When the autumn hunt is over, Your Majesty will also distribute the prey to the generals who have caught the most prey."

Xu Jingzong on the side was chewing garlic without saying anything.

Shangguan Yi, on the other hand, listened very carefully.

Li Chengqian asked again: "Are there many prey in Mount Li?"

Li Xiaogong shook his head and said, "There aren't many prey in Mount Li originally. We can only drive all the prey from other hills to Mount Li, and then build a hunting ground around the place where Your Majesty wants to hunt."

"The hunting rules of the past dynasties are not to catch prey that is too big or too small, only those that are fat and plump are taken."

The fish is almost done, Li Xiaogong said as he peeled off the charred fish skin and put it into his mouth, eating it with enjoyment, and then continued to roast the fish meat without the skin on the fire.

Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi sat cross-legged on the side, listening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asking Prince Hejian about the various experiences during the autumn hunts in the past. The Crown Prince smiled brightly.

The thick clouds left the sky of Guanzhong, the sun finally shone through completely, and the wind stopped.

Feeling the warm sunshine, several people continued to chat.

Ning'er also boiled water on the side. She poured the tea into a bowl and placed it on the small table beside her.

After Li Chengqian finished eating a piece of fish, he naturally picked up the tea bowl beside him, drank the tea and asked: "How is the workshop going?"

Xu Jingzong explained: "Many things about the workshop are arranged by Master Du He, and I don't know much."

Noticing that the prince was still looking at him, Xu Jingzong said, "However, Master Du He often asks me to arrange matters related to the workshop. Now what the workshop lacks most is craftsmen."

After taking a sip of tea, Li Chengqian said, "Why don't we just go to Chang'an and look for it?"

Shangguan Yi quickly added: "Your Highness, there are actually not many craftsmen available in Chang'an. Whether it is the East Market or the West Market of Chang'an, craftsmen are always in short supply. Not to mention the difficulty of hiring them, just the price alone..."

He paused, lowered his voice and said, "A common carpenter would earn eighty coins a day."

Li Chengqian nodded slowly and said, "Who are the most valuable craftsmen nowadays?"

Xu Jingzong explained: "It wasn't originally like this, because the troops from Guanzhong went out to fight, and they recruited many craftsmen to make siege equipment or weapons. Some of them died in the battles with the army, or were scattered around. Besides, it takes at least three to five years to train a craftsman."

Seeing that the emperor's uncle and others nodded, what Xu Jingzong said was probably correct.

Manual carpentry work requires a long period of accumulation.

This is not surprising. From the third to the sixth year of Wude, generals from all over the country led their troops to quell the unrest in various parts of the Central Plains, resulting in a decline in population.

It was not until the fourth year of Zhenguan that governance was resumed and has continued to this day.

Now that the world has stabilized, there are many places in Chang'an City that need repair, not to mention the various places in Guanzhong.

Xu Jingzong took out a memorial from his bosom and handed it over, saying, "I originally wanted to give it to Your Highness in a few days."

Li Chengqian took the memorial and opened it to read. Xu Jingzong's handwriting was indeed beautiful, but what was recorded in it was truly shocking.

Xu Jingzong bowed and said, "Wei Chang was born into a craftsman family and still has some craftsman skills. I asked him about the blueprint and it's no problem for him to make a chair."

The memorial recorded Wei Chang's past in quite some detail. Li Chengqian looked up at him and then returned his gaze to the memorial.

Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi both lowered their heads and bowed with their hands. They did not dare to speak or gesture lightly, and they breathed carefully as they waited for His Highness' words.

When I lowered my head, I saw a fire surrounded by stones. The fire was out and only sparks were floating in the wind.

The two of them even breathed carefully.

In the sixth year of Wude, he entered the army without permission, was sent back to his hometown and then ran away. He was detained as a refugee in Tongguan and was released to Wannian County after verification.

In the summer of the ninth year of Wude, Wei Chang joined the Hedong Army, pacified Hedong and returned to Wannian County with his military achievements. Because he was dissatisfied with the distribution of land, he beat three officials from the Ministry of Revenue and was thrown into dungeon.

In the summer of the first year of Zhenguan, Yu was arrested again for embezzling wages while hanging around in Xishi.

In the spring of the second year of Zhenguan, the emperor issued a general amnesty and released all prisoners.

Li Chengqian's mouth twitched when reading this memorial. To recommend talents, one needs to provide past experience or achievements.

Wei Chang’s resume is even more exciting than his cases.

However, in Xu Jingzong's comments, Wei Chang was a man of integrity by nature, and his reputation was unquestionable in the public opinion.

It was later found out that the fight with the Ministry of Revenue officials was indeed caused by an error in the measurement of land, but beating an official was a serious matter, so he was detained for another two years.

As for embezzling the wages of comrades who died in battle, Xu Jingzong explained that the families of the deceased comrades were too poor to support themselves, so they gave the wages to the orphans and widows of their comrades, without keeping a penny for themselves, and then went to the government to confess their crime.

Born and raised in Wannian County, Guanzhong, he is now twenty-four years old and single.

He had been in Chang'an for many years, and because he admired Tian Khan as a person, he often worked for the government.

The outlaws nowadays are still very pure, they admire the current charismatic Khan, although they have been pardoned and released, they are still guilty and are ready to obey the orders of the government at any time.

It’s just that the bad guys today haven’t yet grown to a large scale.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Since he has carpentry skills, he should be able to find a way to make a living."

Shangguan Yi explained: "Your Highness, you don't know that because of his bad deeds, no workshop will hire him, and he is not allowed to leave Chang'an without official documents."

"He is protecting Dr. Sun now, right?"

Xu Jingzong replied, "My food, clothing, housing and transportation are all in the Du Mansion. I follow Dr. Sun to see patients everywhere. The escort to this day is still arranged by the King of Jiangxia."

Li Chengqian looked at Xu Jingzong with interest. This was a very smart man.

Now Xu Jingzong is both the sixth-rank Secretary General and the eighth-rank Jinyang County Magistrate, and has a thorough understanding of the political situation in the court.

He must have heard about what happened in the court recently, and mentioned Doctor Sun and Prince of Jiangxia.

He almost said that they were all from the Eastern Palace.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Okay."

Xu Jingzong bowed quickly and said, "I will leave it to your Highness to arrange."

"It's up to you."

"Here."

Li Chengqian looked at Shangguan Yi again and said, "Minister Xu is so busy that he may miss something. Brother Shangguan, please keep an eye on it. If there is anything, please report it to the East Palace."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yi bowed.

"Oh, right." Li Chengqian realized it a little later and added, "I heard that you are still a direct scholar of the Hongwen Academy, right?"

"To be honest with you, Your Highness, I am currently in Hongwenguan."

Li Chengqian nodded, but did not continue talking. Instead, he picked up the other two grilled fish that had not been eaten, handed them to Li Ji, and said, "General, eat them while they are hot. They will not taste good if they are cold." "Yes." Li Ji responded with a stern face.

Eating only grilled fish and radishes is certainly not enough to fill you up. It is the time when you are growing up, so Li Chengqian feels that he can eat more.

He took out another cake, broke it in half and gave it to Ning'er.

The prince led the crowd along the way while eating bread.

Li Ji walked beside the prince, eating grilled fish as he walked. He pulled out some fish meat with his hands and put it into his mouth. He spat out the fish bones skillfully and wiped his greasy hands on his belt.

The workshop in Jingyang is in operation. It is very pleasing to see the newly formed soaps being removed from the molds and placed in the sun to dry.

After a walk around Jingyang, I found no other changes except that the workshop was built bigger.

He then got in his carriage and left Jingyang before dark.

This is the habit of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, and also the rule of the Eastern Palace. He must go back before dark, no matter if his younger brothers and sisters have gone to their mother or are playing in the palace, they must return to the Eastern Palace before dark.

Shangguan Yi and Xu Jingzong stood on the official road and saluted to bid farewell to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

After the carriage had gone far away, Shangguan Yi whispered, "Minister Xu is acting too hastily."

Xu Jingzong asked, "Do you think it is inappropriate for me to recommend Wei Chang to Your Highness now?"

"It's out of place."

"You and I both know that His Royal Highness is still young. If he ever encounters difficulties in the future, the East Palace will need someone who can risk his life for him."

Shangguan Yi didn't like Xu Jingzong's behavior from the bottom of his heart, but his words were not without reason. The crown prince of the Eastern Palace was someone else. What if in the future...

Take a deep breath, calm yourself, and hope that nothing unexpected will happen to the East Palace.

Since it was a plan for the Eastern Palace, Shangguan Yi couldn't say much. After all, he was now a nobody in front of His Highness.

Li Chengqian sat in the carriage on the way back.

Ning Er knelt beside him and whispered, "Your Highness, do you need some water?"

Li Chengqian reached out to take the water bag she handed over, drank the still warm water in the bag, supported his cheek with his hand, and leaned against the window. The carriage was not moving fast, so he could enjoy the autumn scenery in Guanzhong.

As soon as the autumn rain stopped, the villagers in Guanzhong began to get busy in the fields. They needed to collect all the crops, vegetables and beans to use for the winter.

Li Xiaogong rode his horse aside, urging it to move forward.

When the emperor's uncle arrived in front of him, blocking the scenery he wanted to see, Li Chengqian sighed helplessly.

Li Xiaogong first glanced at Li Ji, who was leading the escort, and whispered, "Xu Jingzong is a bit rash."

"Well, it was indeed rash to recommend Wei Chang to me without any reason."

Li Xiaogong said: "This person does not know the seriousness of the matter"

Li Chengqian said slowly: "Of course he knows the importance of this matter. Does the emperor think he is shooting at nothing?"

Seeing that he was silent again, Li Chengqian handed the water bag to Ning'er beside him and whispered to his uncle on horseback, "Xu Jingzong wants to become a very important figure in the East Palace. He is planning for me as well as for himself."

"People always have to think about themselves. It doesn't matter to me that he thinks about himself, as long as he still works for the East Palace."

Li Xiaogong asked, "Your Highness, do you mean to trust people when you employ them?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "It is to unite the subordinates and create brilliance together."

As the emperor's uncle, I can only give more advice to my nephew. Whenever I talk about these, I feel that these advices are redundant for this fifteen-year-old nephew. To be precise, this nephew who grew up in the Eastern Palace is already sixteen years old.

"Sixteen years old..." Li Xiaogong frowned and said, "When I was sixteen, I had already led troops to fight."

Li Chengqian said: "I still thank my uncle for his advice."

"It's good that you listen to these words."

In fact, if we think carefully about what to do in the future, for example, we can use five years to build Datang's workshop industry. After it reaches a certain scale, there will be a distinction between upstream and downstream industries, and then we can slowly make changes towards trade.

Rather than talking about the trivial matter of Jingyang at present, the Central Plains is still in a small peasant economy mainly based on the banks of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, which is still the most important entity at present.

The carriage entered Chang'an City and arrived at the Suzaku Gate. Ning'er got off the carriage first.

When Li Chengqian got off the carriage, the emperor's uncle had already left.

Seeing Li Ji walking aside, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Thank you for your help, General."

"That's fine. If Your Highness wants to go out again, just let me know."

Li Chengqian nodded and saluted, then walked quickly towards Chengtian Gate.

Li Ji ordered his men to pack up the carriage and then returned with his men.

At dusk, only a ray of setting sun was still shining on the world, and the sky in the east had already darkened.

It was like a drop of ink starting from the eastern sky and slowly covering the entire sky.

I walked in from Chengtian Gate, looked at the Taiji Hall in the distance, walked towards the East Palace, and when I passed by Xingqing Hall, the lights were on.

Just then, I could hear the shouts of a group of generals in the hall.

Li Chengqian paused and looked into the hall. His father was drinking with the generals, and he could hear some words about the autumn hunt.

After staying outside the palace for a short while, Li Chengqian continued walking towards the East Palace and asked again, "Sister Ning'er?"

Ning Er hurried up a few paces and said, "Your Highness."

"How long will it take to repair the Lishan Palace?"

"I heard that the Minister of Works Yan Liben and 300 craftsmen have been in Mount Li for half a month. Most likely, the repairs will be completed in the next two days."

"Haha." Li Chengqian smiled in surprise and said, "No wonder they have a hard time finding carpenters in Chang'an City."

As soon as I entered the East Palace, I heard the noises of my younger brothers and sisters fighting.

Seeing that it was her brother who had returned, Li Lizhi hurried forward and said, "Brother, there is beef in the East Palace today."

“Where’s the beef?”

She explained, "Today, General Cheng and General Li Daliang had a banquet with my father and brought a lot of beef. My father gave a whole leg of beef to the East Palace, but they couldn't finish it. He said that General Cheng's cow fell and died."

"Such a big matter, didn't the Dali Temple ask about it?"

"I asked, he really fell to death."

A whole beef leg was hanging in the kitchen of the East Palace. This small kitchen was originally renovated last winter. The space was not big to begin with, and putting a whole beef leg in it made it seem even more crowded.

The red beef looks pleasing to the eye, and it's still steaming, as if it had just been slaughtered.

"Your Highness, let me cut it." After saying that, Ning'er picked up a small knife beside her and started cutting the beef.

Li Chengqian said: "We can make some braised beef in soy sauce, which is easier to preserve."

Note: Wei Chang was from Wannian County. He was a bad commander during the reign of Empress Wu during the Tang Dynasty. Since his birth and death dates are unknown, the one used in this book is the (youth version) Wei Chang.
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(End of this chapter)