The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 459 Where Did He Go

The reason why Your Majesty is so worried is probably because he is plotting against Nanzhao. Otherwise, why would Your Majesty care about the small country in the southwest?

Your Majesty also said that he likes Erhai Lake in Nanzhao very much.

This is so obvious that it is enough to show that Your Majesty is plotting against Nanzhao.

Your Majesty has decided to take over the Kingdom of Nanzhao. How to obtain Nanzhao is the business of your subjects.

Li Chengqian complained a few words, then asked Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi to leave, and didn't want to say anything more.

Duke Ying still stayed in the Xingqing Hall, playing chess with His Majesty.

"Let the Ministry of Works focus on people's livelihood construction, and let the Ministry of War take over some of the construction authority of the Ministry of Works. In the future, all weapons manufacturing will be under the Ministry of War, and the casting will be supervised by the Ministry of the Imperial Household."

Li Ji said: "Yes, Your Majesty is wise."

"In fact, I am also worried. I don't have enough manpower now. After this year, the officials who have been supporting education in various places will return to Chang'an to take up their posts. Next year, I will have more manpower."

Li Ji said: "Your Majesty is in charge of the country, so the more ministers you have, the better. A few days ago, Cui Dunli, the general manager of the Qinghai Road, sent me news that more and more Tibetans are now turning to the Tang Dynasty."

"Does Songtsen Gampo know about this?"

"He probably knew that the Tibetans aspired to come to Chang'an, but most Tibetans only went to Songzhou and the Hexi Corridor. Not many of them made it to Chang'an."

Li Chengqian looked at the chessboard and whispered, "When the New Year comes, let the Tibetan children go home. When they go back, they will tell other Tibetans how good and beautiful the Tang Dynasty is."

"Yes, Your Majesty is wise." Li Ji saw that his black chess piece had been killed, and asked again: "Who should take care of the Nanzhao matter?"

"Xu Jingzong."

"Ah."

The eunuch listened to the conversations in the palace. The Duke of Ying would ask questions to His Majesty, but he would never oppose His Majesty.

As an emperor, he could mobilize huge amounts of resources to settle a problem. When Li Chongyi came back, he had settled the royal family. The honest ones were still honest, and the outstanding uncles remained the same.

As for those who were dishonest, those who should be demoted would be demoted, or the emperor could demote them to commoners with a stroke of his pen.

Because of many old events from the past, there are many problems left behind by my father’s generation.

But the brothers and sisters of my generation are still very united.

Being an emperor does have its advantages. There are some things that one does not have to do personally. With just one or two words, or even without saying it explicitly, Xu Jingzong has already begun to make arrangements for the major plot against Nanzhao.

After seeing off Lord Ying, Li Chengqian stood in front of the hall with his hands in his pockets and asked, "How many pickled mustard greens did Xiaofu make this year?"

"Your Majesty, I heard there are quite a lot."

"I'll send it to you as per the Mid-Autumn Festival custom every year."

"Here."

A lot of troubles happened in the fifth year of Qianqing, but they were not major events. The Western Regions and Qinghai Road were completely incorporated into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, the territory of the Tang Dynasty extended westward to the city of Suiye west of the Ili River.

It expanded eastward all the way to the border of Silla.

Li Chengqian looked at the map and felt that the Ministry of Rites still had a lot to do before it could be perfect. I'm afraid Xu Jingzong would have to work hard for another ten years? Twenty years?
Today's morning court became even more noisy after Li Yifu came back.

After the court session, everyone was still fighting in the Taiji Hall.

Li Chengqian met with Li Chongyi.

"Your Majesty, the house has been in a mess lately."

"Family matters are always like this."

Li Chongyi sighed, "I just feel that after getting married, once I leave home, everything will be a mess. Your Majesty is still peaceful."

"It would be better for you to take on the position of the Minister of Zongzheng Temple." Li Chengqian bowed his head slightly and said, "Now that my uncles have passed away, the Zongzheng Temple should be quite quiet in the future."

Li Chongyi bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."

"Well, you should keep an eye on Zhinu and the others' affairs."

"Here."

In the winter of the fifth year of Qianqing's reign, everything seemed much quieter.

After a heavy snowfall, Li Chengqian, his children, and his grandfather were making a snowman. The children's playfulness and the old man's laughter mixed together in the snow.

After constructing a human scene of four generations living under one roof, Yan Lide painted it and left in silence.

In the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Qianqing reign, the Shaofu supervised the production of a lighter and easier-to-use spinning wheel that only required one person to operate.

The road was wet from having just been cleared of snow, and His Majesty walked over to the small spinning wheel in his boots, stepping on the wet ground.

Yan Liben, who had white hair and beard, said, "Your Majesty, this spinning wheel can be placed in a family's home and only needs a woman to use it."

Li Chengqian patted the frame of the spinning wheel heavily and said, "With this wheel, our Tang Dynasty will have more cloth. The craftsmen who participated in the construction will be rewarded with ten thousand coins and go home for the New Year."

The craftsmen in the Shaofujian cheered.

The surplus cloth can be given to the Uighurs, sold to the Western Regions, or rewarded to Nanzhao, all of which are very useful.

Cloth and silk are also wealth. Although not as much as silk, cotton cloth can also make a lot of money.

County and township workshops are still the main force of production in Guanzhong, and their operations revolve around money, labor, and county and township workshops.

The situation in Guanzhong remains the same. The production bottleneck has not been broken in recent years and it has always been like this.

If there is a more integrated production model, that’s another story.

Sinong Temple started the refinement of agriculture.

The Ministry of Industry began to participate in the construction of people's livelihood, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs focused on food.

Production technology is becoming increasingly important in the production process.

Dongyang came over and said, "Brother, my sister sent me a letter."

Li Chengqian opened the letter and read that under Li Zhi's leadership, Du He's technical institute was about to open.

"I understand."

Dongyang smiled and went to visit his grandfather again.

On New Year's Eve, Li Ke also came back.

Li Chengqian, Li Tai and Li Ke sat together eating hot pot.

"Brother King Wu, please stay in Chang'an for a while after you return."

Li Ke had a beard and placed his hands on his knees. He said, "I really want to stay a few more days this time. I want to see my father."

Li Tai nodded and said, "Father is now free and at ease, which makes others envious."

The Tang Dynasty now has two retired emperors, which is indeed the envy of others.

Li Chengqian poured mutton into the copper pot and said, "It's rare for you to come back, so eat more."

The three brothers were sitting in front of the Wude Hall, eating hot pot, while Li Yuan was playing with his three grandsons.

Li Xin cried again, being bullied by Yu Tu. Li Ke's son seemed to be obedient, sitting aside and eating biscuits with a blank expression.

"I heard that after the Battle of Pamirs, many Hu people surrendered to usurpation."

Li Chengqian poured some more soup into the copper pot and continued, "People in the Western Regions all want to become Tang people. Tibetans want to join the Tang Dynasty. Women in India want to marry Tang people. There are not many people left in Suiye and Talas. Women in Silla want to come to the Tang Dynasty. Becoming a Silla maid is the lifelong ambition of Silla women."

"I often think that this world always feels weird."

Li Ke smiled and said, "There has been no famine for many years. We should really celebrate. Let's drink to our heart's content!"

After saying that, Li Tai watched him drink the wine in one gulp.

The three brothers laughed again. They were all over thirty years old. Li Ke lived outside and became a justice enforcer. Whenever there was a grievance, he would help to redress it.

Li Ke said: "I went to see Quan Wanji. He is still worried about the current King Jin and King Ji."

Li Tai explained: "At first, Zhinu and Shendi stayed in Luoyang for a year and got along very well with Quan Wanji and others."

The fifth year of Qianqing passed in laughter and joy.

In the first month of the sixth year of the Qianqing reign, Xuanzang walked out of a Buddhist cave in Shazhou.

When the Tang officials in Shazhou saw that Xuanzang was still bald, they wondered whether he was still shaving his hair after returning to secular life, or whether he could not grow hair anymore.

Xuanzang walked towards Guazhou again.

Now Xuanzang was free from all constraints. He could go wherever he wanted and the officials could not interfere.

Xuanzang saw a group of children holding books and reading aloud in front of a volunteer teacher. The young volunteer teacher was going back to Chang'an today.

The children cried and didn't want him to leave.

This volunteer teacher was named Li Dejian. He was from Guanzhong and the son of Li Weigong.

After Li Weigong passed away, he rushed to the Western Regions to teach.

Seeing Xuanzang looking at this place, Li Dejian stepped forward and said, "I am used to wandering all my life, and I don't want to stay in one place for a long time."

Seeing the children's reluctant expressions, Xuanzang said, "You will leave this year."

Li Dejian looked towards Chang'an. He patted the back of a child who was grabbing the corner of his clothes and said, "Xuanzang, do you know? The volunteer teaching has been going on for more than ten years. Over the years, some volunteer teachers have given up their official careers and stayed in remote places."

"The volunteer teachers didn't come back, but more children came out. This might be the reason for the change of career." Li Dejian smiled awkwardly and continued, "I have no intention of pursuing a career in politics."

Xuanzang asked, "Will you stay for these children?"

Xuanzang asked this question very seriously, looking up and waiting for an answer.

Li Dejian whispered, "Let me think about it again."

The next day, a child came with a camel and begged, "Master, don't go! This camel is for you."

Xuanzang also waited here for a day and a night for an answer.

Li Dejian looked at the dozen or so children in front of him, thought for a moment, and said loudly: "I won't leave."

The children cheered loudly and were spinning around Li Dejian.

Xuanzang was stunned by the scene for a moment. He looked up at the sky and wanted to ask Buddha, if a teacher in remote areas could give up his own future to give a future to the children, would Buddha come down to check on them?

But the questions in my mind never got answered.

Today, Li Dejian explained the Analects of Confucius to the children as usual and taught them how to write.

After today's class was over, Xuanzang asked, "Some people say that I am the Buddha, but you, the teachers who teach in the countryside, seem to be born to save the world."

Li Dejian said: "I am not you, so don't use your thoughts to speculate about me. I only do what I can."

Xuanzang said, "I promised your majesty that I would not chant the Buddha's name anymore. The Indians say that the world is stupid. You may be a stupid person, but your stupidity saved a group of children."

Li Dejian returned the camel to the children and asked them to come and study every day. He replied: "Xuanzang, do you know? When these children who have studied grow up, they can go to Chang'an. As long as they have been to Chang'an, their children will be different. When they have grandchildren, their grandchildren will also be different."

Xuanzang nodded, "This is the court's long-term plan."

Li Dejian shook his head and said, "At first we all thought this was a long-term plan for the court, but when you really start teaching, you will feel that this is a long-term plan for everyone, and it has nothing to do with the court or yourself. You should experience it yourself."

Xuanzang got a satisfactory answer and left again.

Some people said that Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, while others said that Xuanzang traveled west again, and people could not find him again.

Bai Fang learned that Xuanzang was in Shazhou and had been guarding the Western Regions for a year and could not leave his post without permission. He was finally summoned by the court and was asked to report to the Ministry of War. When he set out for Shazhou, he met Li Dejian but did not see Xuanzang.

Zhang Jianzhi, who was accompanying him along the way, looked at the surrounding scenery and looked for the monks here. There used to be many monks in Shazhou, but now they are all gone.

"Where did he go?"

Li Dejian said: "I don't know where he went, and he won't tell me."

Bai Fang went to the Hexi Corridor in disappointment. While having dinner at a tavern in the Hexi Corridor, he heard someone say that a monk was teaching there recently.

Upon hearing this, Bai Fang and Zhang Jianzhi rode their horses and left the Hexi Corridor. Behind the Hexi Corridor, there was a mountain and behind the mountain was a village. If they wanted to find Xuanzang, they had to cross the mountain, and the mountain road was very difficult to walk on.

People watched the armored Western general and an official start climbing the mountain. It took Bai Fang half a day to climb over the mountain.

In the sunset, Bai Fang saw a monk in white robes who was giving a lecture to a group of children.

The scene stunned him for a moment. All he saw was a back figure, which never turned back.

Just as Zhang Jianzhi was about to shout, Bai Fang quickly reached out and covered his mouth.

The shouts turned into whimpers and were finally swallowed back.

Zhang Jianzhi looked at him puzzledly and asked, "Why don't you dare to recognize me?"

Bai Fang said, "If I disturb him, he will leave here again."

Zhang Jianzhi put his hands on his hips and asked, "Are all of you monks so weird?"

Bai Fang said, "Whatever you say."

At this moment, Bai Fang had no worries in his heart and did not disturb Xuanzang. He then crossed the mountain again.

In the setting sun, he, with a smile on his face, and Zhang Jianzhi, along with three or five Western Region cavalrymen, headed towards Chang'an.

Xuanzang finished his lecture for the day, and a child said, "Master, a general from the Western Regions just watched us on the top of the mountain."

"Master, is that a bad guy from the Western Region?"

Xuanzang replied: "He didn't bother us, he must be a good person, now go home."

A group of children were running in the sunset, their vigorous steps heading all the way towards home. All kinds of lively sounds were heard in the village, and the whole world became lively.

Xuanzang's identity as a teaching teacher was not spread outside. Su Tan, the head of Chongwenguan, did not tell anyone else about this matter, but later reported it secretly to His Majesty.

There were many more students in Chongwenguan. When Zhang Huizhi heard that Zhang Jianzhi was coming back, he simply hid in Chongwenguan to study, and also to avoid Prince Jin.

Although the Prince of Jin was domineering, he did not dare to cause trouble in Chongwenguan.

Your Majesty founded Chongwenguan when he was still the crown prince, and Chongwenguan and supporting education are the most important efforts of Your Majesty today.

Su Tan looked at the reports sent in by Chongwenguan from various places. Seventy percent of the teachers who went to teach in the countryside this year returned, and thirty percent stayed in the local area. Some of them started families, while others were unwilling to leave.

(End of this chapter)