The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 458 Beautiful Rain Scene

Li Yifu bowed and said, "I obey your command."

After saying this, he handed a book to Your Majesty.

Li Chengqian smiled at Luo Binwang and nodded slightly.

The sunlight shone dimly on the land of Guanzhong. Luo Binwang followed his teacher's footsteps, and from time to time looked back at His Majesty's back.

"Teacher, what kind of person is His Majesty?"

Having served as an inspector, some people said that he was a trusted minister of His Majesty. Perhaps only Li Yifu knew that he had only met His Majesty once before, when His Majesty was still the crown prince.

This was only the second time he had seen His Majesty.

In the still chilly air, Li Yifu let out a long breath, which turned into a cloud of mist in the air.

Luo Binwang asked: "It seems that your majesty trusts the teacher very much."

Li Yifu smiled and patted the back of his head again.

Luo Binwang also grinned.

Li Chengqian was still sitting at the edge of Anning Village, looking at the scenery in the village.

Xue Wanbei stood aside, looking around, worried that someone would assassinate the current emperor.

Because the conflict between supporting education and the gentry is getting bigger and bigger.

After half a minute, a figure came from a distance. It was the current emperor.

Li Shimin was wearing thick old clothes. When he saw his son, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Come and see Father."

"What? Su Tan came to you to confess his crime again?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "No, all those who committed crimes in Luoyang were sent to the Western Regions to plant trees. It doesn't matter. The more trouble they make, the more people will go to debate the scriptures."

Li Shimin sat on a stone nearby, took the radish from his son, ate it, and asked, "How much money does it cost to support education every year?"

"Including the construction of Chongwen Halls and teaching houses in various places, it costs 20,000 strings of cash every year. In fact, it is not too much. When the Chongwen Halls and teaching houses in various places are completed, the cost will decrease year by year. It is not a big pressure for me."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Even with such a small amount of money, you can control all the students in the world. This is the best deal for the country."

This is actually a very good deal for centralized power.

Both father and son were emperors, and they knew very well how much it cost to educate the world.

The last method of educating people at a very low cost was the Three Questions of Heaven and Man.

The capital of the Tang Dynasty was accumulated in recent years, if compared with the cost of suppressing the rebellion by the army and the losses caused by the civil war.

The policy of supporting education has indeed brought the greatest benefits to North Korea at the lowest cost, and has reduced costs for North Korea to an unimaginable level.

In other words, compared with the cost of the Eastern and Western Expeditions, the tens of thousands of strings of cash paid for teaching were really nothing.

Li Chengqian said: "In fact, the cost can be lower. I still hope that the teaching plan will be more complete."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian drew a picture on the ground with a branch. This picture was centered in Chang'an and covered teaching areas all over the world.

"Father, Liaodong, Hebei, Lianghuai, Jiangnan, Jinyang, and the future Lingnan and Guanzhong to the west, when these important locations have Chongwen Hall and teaching books built, the cost to the court will be much lower."

After that, Li Chengqian handed over another scroll and said, "This is from Li Yifu."

Li Shimin took the scroll and looked at its contents.

"In fact, there are still many smart people in various parts of the Central Plains. I have read the records in the scrolls and found that the remaining forces of the aristocratic families are still knowledgeable. They can even calculate how much money the court needs to pay for grain and education every year."

"Some even think that the court is already running out of money and can't hold out for a few more years. When the court can't hold out anymore, they will settle accounts with the court for what it has done to them and seek revenge."

Li Shimin supported his lower back and stood up, saying, "I am going to burn the ground, you are free to do as you please."

Li Chengqian nodded, "Yes."

Soon, flames appeared in the fields and wisps of white smoke rose from the fields.

Li Chengqian looked at his father for a while, then got up and returned to the palace.

The morning court session was now much later than before. Li Chengqian would still have enough time to return to the palace, change his clothes, and then go to the Taiji Hall for the morning court session.

Li Shimin walked out of the village wearing a straw hat. After harvesting both the autumn and summer harvests, he went to the nearby villages to see what the current situation of the surrounding villages was like.

An old farmer said with a smile: "You are here again."

Li Shimin said: "I come from the next village."

"I remember you, old man. Everyone in the nearby villages knows that there are always powerful people walking around in your Anning Village."

Li Shimin did not deny it, but nodded.

The old man asked again: "Is there anyone in your family serving as an official in Chang'an?"

Listening to the other party's simple guess, Li Shimin explained: "My son is an official in Chang'an."

The old man added: "Then your son must be in a high position of power in the court."

The ashes from the burning wood flew down with the wind, and Li Shimin took off his hat and brushed off the ashes.

The old man said, "Back then, my family followed the generals to fight against Tuyuhun. My eldest son served in the Zhechong Mansion in Qinghai Province, and my youngest son studied in the library."

Li Shimin asked, "Is the eldest son married?"

The old man shook his head and said, "My son was only seventeen when he followed the army to fight against Tubo. He came back this year, but left again after the Lantern Festival. I will arrange a marriage for him when he comes back next time."

"Girl, have you chosen?"

"Well, the girls in Xianyang County, the people there are richer than us."

A few more old men came over, and Li Shimin talked to them. It was very interesting to listen to their current gossip.

Although these old men are not very literate, they speak in a simple way and can even make some dirty jokes.

Li Shimin also enjoyed it.

This retired emperor doesn't look like the Khan of the past at all. He looks more like an old farmer who is good at bargaining with others.

There were still many troubles in Chang'an City. After Prince of Jin beat Zhang Huizhi, Zhang Xuanbi came to resign again, but was persuaded by Li Tai, who allowed him to stay in the Academy of Literature and continue to shine.

As for what happened in Luoyang, some people felt that the current government had long been running out of money and even thought it could not last for a few more years.

Most of them probably saw this from the simplicity and frugality that Your Majesty has always advocated.

If the court was wealthy enough, would the emperor be so simple?

As for these people's short-sightedness and unwillingness to see the full picture of the Tang Dynasty, and even self-righteous judgments, Li Chengqian pretended that he had never heard of these things.

It's like an annoying bug that pops up from time to time. Once it appears, you can just kill it. It's just a bit of trouble.

The court did not want to waste manpower and material resources on such matters.

Li Chengqian, wearing coarse cloth gloves, installed the glass on wooden frames.

Seeing this, Li Yuan shook his head and said, "It's a waste to put such a valuable thing on the window."

"They are all burned. They are not so valuable to my grandson."

After saying that, the glass was installed on the wooden frame, and then he personally installed it on the wall of the Wude Hall. It was a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

After it was installed, sunlight shone into the hall.

Li Yuan smiled and said, "It's really bright."

Li Chengqian turned the handle and pushed it slightly. The blurry and not very transparent glass window became a door and could be opened. Li Yuan said, "Such fine colored glass, how much do you want?"

"Not really. It depends on the raw materials. Besides, this thing is not easy to cook, and you can't get as much as you want."

Li Yuan looked at the rich and dazzling French windows and said, "This shouldn't be installed in the Wude Hall."

"Where do you think it should be installed, Grandpa?"

"The best and most precious things should be seen by others, and you should put them in the Taiji Hall."

Li Chengqian confirmed that the doors and windows were secure, asked the eunuchs to clean up the place, and said, "Grandpa, what you said makes sense."

Li Yuan knew his grandson's character well. What he said made sense, but he would not really do it. He was just comforting the old man.

"Your Majesty!" The eunuch hurried over to report, "Prince Jin has beaten Zhang Huizhi again."

Li Chengqian ordered: "Tell Zhinu not to beat anyone to death. If anyone is injured, give them money and have them treat their injuries."

In Chang'an City, whenever Zhang Huizhi said something bad about his brother Zhang Jianzhi, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin would always find him anytime and anywhere and beat him up.

Li Shen felt that no matter how bad Zhang Jianzhi was, he was still a friend, a friend for life and death. It was reasonable for the emperor's elder brother to teach his younger brother a lesson on behalf of Zhang Jianzhi.

As soon as Di Renjie arrived at the Dali Temple, he met Shangguan Tingzhi head-on.

"Shangguan Shaoqing."

Shangguan Tingzhi asked, "You are very close to the Bad Commander?"

Di Renjie nodded, "Yes."

"Zhang Huizhi was beaten by the King of Jin. Was it you who asked the bad guys to send the news to the King of Jin?"

Di Renjie replied: "That's right."

You can always hear Zhang Huizhi saying bad things about Zhang Jianzhi, and you can always find where Zhang Huizhi is at the right time.

The only ones who could do this were the bad guys in Chang'an City and the bad leader Wei Chang.

Shangguan Tingzhi originally didn't want the Bad People to help Prince Jin do this kind of thing. Could it be that the Bad Leader Wei Chang has been too idle recently and has become sick from being idle?

It is rumored that Di Renjie and Prince of Jin Li Zhi were friends for life and death when they fought together in the Pamir Mountains, and they remained friends for life and death after returning.

Noticing the other party's strange look, Di Renjie ate his cake and said, "Shangguan Shaoqing, do you have any other instructions?"

Shangguan Tingzhi looked at him with admiration, and said in a clear voice: "Huaiying, if you need anything in the future, just let me know."

Di Renjie bowed and said, "You are too polite, young master."

Shangguan Tingzhi felt that Di Renjie was indeed a talent, not only because he was a successful candidate in the imperial examination, but also because of his connections.

This Di Renjie will definitely be among the six ministries in the future and hold power.

Whether in civil or military affairs, Di Renjie was extremely outstanding among his peers.

Shangguan Tingzhi had a vague feeling that in a few years, Di Renjie's official position would be higher than his.

In September of the fifth year of Qianqing's reign, autumn rain was falling in Guanzhong.

A rider on a fast horse arrived in front of Chang'an City, and a soldier who came to deliver military reports handed over an urgent report.

Someone immediately took the urgent report to the imperial city.

After Li Yifu returned to the court, he felt bored. As an imperial censor, he was used to the intrigues and deceptions among the aristocratic families, and in this united court, it seemed that there was nothing for him to do.

Seeing Li Yifu walking back and forth in front of him, Pei Xingjian said unhappily, "Are you not happy if you don't find something to do?"

Li Yifu finally stopped and said, "Your Majesty shouldn't have let me come back."

Pei Xingjian held up the military book and asked, "Why, do you want to kill them until their blood flows like a river?"

Li Yifu pointed outside and said, "The remnants of those aristocratic families are still stirring up trouble."

Xu Jingzong walked into the general's mansion and said nonchalantly, "It is at this time that the court should not take any action."

Li Yifu looked back and saw the Minister of Rites Xu Jingzong and the Imperial Censor Shangguan Yi.

"He's right. The more violently they cause trouble, the more the court should not take action."

Li Yifu asked, "Wait until they gather their forces and capture them all in one fell swoop?"

At the beginning, Shangguan Yi and Li Yifu worked together in Yangzhou. As soon as Li Yifu came back, he was appointed to an important position in the Censorate. They both had the same attitude towards the aristocratic families.

Shangguan Yi smiled and said, "For justice."

Xu Jingzong handed over a scroll of documents and said, "This is sent by the Anxi Protectorate."

Pei Xingjian took the document, which was sent by Bai Fang, the garrison general of the Western Regions. As expected, Bai Fang talked about irrelevant things and said that he would come to Chang'an City during the New Year this year.

After finally having a peaceful time for half a year, Pei Xingjian felt a headache when he thought about Bai Fang coming to Chang'an.

Wang Fangyi came quickly, running into the general's mansion in the rain, all wet. He said, "The Nanzhao sent a message saying that a Nanzhao troop was ambushed in Zhenla. The king of Nanzhao wants to launch a war against Zhenla, with 30,000 troops heading straight for Zhenla."

Xu Jingzong looked solemn and said hurriedly, "I will go to see His Majesty right away."

The rain poured down into the imperial city, making the palace look wet.

The rain was falling. Li Yuan sat in the Wude Hall, staring at the rain hitting the glass in a daze.

The view through the glass is beautiful, and you can see the palace in the distance.

Li Yuan said: "Cheng Qian deliberately installed such fine colored glaze before autumn so that I can see this scenery."

Gao Shilian approached the uneven French window, put his hand on the rough surface, and said, "This isn't real colored glaze, is it? This is fake?"

Li Yuan smiled contemptuously, thinking that this old guy's intuition was still as accurate as it was back then.

Li Yuan even went forward and opened the floor-to-ceiling window, at which time he could hear the sound of rain hitting the glass.

Li Yuan stood in front of the window with great enjoyment, his old eyes narrowed, "Life is like this, why should I be afraid of death?"

Gao Shilian coughed twice and said, "Half of his body is buried in the ground. Don't catch a cold."

Several eunuchs pulled the old man back.

Xu Jingzong was about to go to meet His Majesty. Shangguan Yi, under the guidance of the eunuchs, saw the wonder of the Wude Hall: it was a whole piece of crystal colored glaze.

Xu Jingzong was so stunned that he couldn't move for a long time, and he stared with his mouth open at the extremely luxurious colored glaze that was embedded in the wall.

Realizing that Shangguan Yi had tugged at his sleeve, Xu Jingzong came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "Go see His Majesty."

The two continued walking and followed the eunuch to Xingqing Palace, where they found that Duke Ying was already there.

The palace was warm, and His Majesty was reading the military newspaper in silence.

The two men walked into the hall and bowed silently.

Li Ji said: "Your Majesty, if Nanzhao wins the war against Zhenla, Nanzhao will surely suffer a great loss of vitality."

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets, "Some people say that I should send a large army to take advantage of the slackness of Nanzhao's rear defense and attack Nanzhao directly."

Before Lord Ying could speak, Li Chengqian said, "But if I really did that, I, the Heavenly Khan, would be like a villain."

If it were in the past, some people might have advised the Tang Dynasty to make peace with Nanzhao.

On second thought, Nanzhao was not strong enough and it was not the right time for a marriage alliance.

Who could have thought that the powerful Tang Dynasty would devote so much effort to this small country in the southwest.

(End of this chapter)