The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 507: The Past of King Wei

The Lantern Festival has not yet arrived and the weather is still very cold. When the cold wind blows, the pine forests on the mountain shake and shake off some of the snow.

Li Tai walked up a flight of stone steps and then a muddy mountain road until he reached halfway up the mountain. Li Tai came to a tombstone and let out a long sigh.

The tombstone of Mr. Wang Gui is here. Li Tai stood on the stone slab under the tombstone and wiped it with his own hands. After wiping it clean, he sat down.

Sitting beside the tombstone, Li Tai looked in the direction of the tombstone. Sitting on the mountainside, he could see a snowy Guanzhong. The snow had not completely melted yet, and no animals or birds could be seen. Only a little smoke was rising from the villages in the distance.

Li Tai burned the letter in front of the tombstone again and whispered: "Qingque still remembers the old master's teachings. After the old master passed away, Qingque still concentrated on writing."

"The Comprehensive Geography was compiled by five people, including the Book of Han and various dynasties, and was edited by Su Xu, who presided over the compilation. It took 22 years and a total of 567 volumes to complete the book."

Li Tai continued, "According to the ten regions of the world, there are more than 300 states in total. Qingque dare not make any omissions, but there is no end to the compilation of books. Now Qingque has completed the comprehensive geographical records, and future generations will supplement it. However, the old gentleman's name must be mentioned in the compilation of this book."

After saying this, Li Tai knelt down and bowed in front of the stone tablet.

Wang Gui was originally the teacher of King Wei, so there was nothing wrong with such a greeting.

Another gust of wind blew by, and Li Tai stood up, still looking a little fat. He looked around, asked someone to put down some food, and left.

Walking down the mountain path, Li Tai wiped his tears silently.

"King Wei, accommodation has been arranged."

There was still a sunset glow in the sky and the wind had become much colder.

It is hard to feel a little warmth during the day, but as night falls, the cold wind will destroy all the warmth accumulated during the day, and it will soon become colder.

Li Tai rested in a government office for one night and set out again for Chang'an City the next day.

At noon on the second day after visiting Mount Zhongnan, I felt that the land of Guanzhong was much warmer.

At least during the day, it felt like winter was leaving step by step. Seeing the King of Wei's carriage coming back, Su Xu hurried forward and said, "King of Wei, the books are ready."

Li Tai was still sitting in the carriage, looking at the bustling Chunming Gate. He also saw a group of students leaving the city, so he asked, "What are they going to do?"

Su Xu said: "He said he was going there to teach."

Li Tai looked sideways, his eyes fell on two of the students, and asked, "Are those Yao Chong and Su Weidao?"

Su Xu replied: "It is them."

“Are they also going to teach?”

Su Xu nodded and said, "This year, many students went to teach in remote areas, and many students returned to Chang'an City. Li Jiao from the Literature Museum has also been teaching in remote areas for two years and has returned."

Li Jiao is also a young talent who has become quite famous in recent years. He originally worked in the Literature Museum, and then went to Chongwen Museum to participate in teaching. It has been two years since he came back.

Li Tai said, "Is he going to take the imperial examination this year?"

"Most likely, Li Jiao came back yesterday and wanted to pay a visit to the King of Wei, but the King of Wei went to pay his respects to Mr. Wang."

Li Tai said, "I will be very busy these days, so I won't see him."

Su Xu said: "Yes."

The King of Wei drove his carriage all the way into the city gate.

After that, this man named Li Jiao went to pay a visit to King Wei several times, but was turned away each time.

According to rumors, King Li Tai of Wei has been busy compiling the Comprehensive Geography.

The compilation of the Comprehensive Geography had reached the final stage, and rumors soon spread among the people and the government that the book would be completed in the next few days.

Students from Chongwenguan, Hongwenguan, Xifangguan and Wenlinguan were all asking about the Comprehensive Geography.

These astronomical museums have always been closed and do not even receive visitors.

On the eve of the Lantern Festival, the emperor issued an edict to lift the curfew in Chang'an City to celebrate.

In the festive Chang'an City, Li Chengqian saw the first volume of the Comprehensive Geography.

While watching, Li Chengqian asked again: "Won't Qingque deliver it personally?"

Su Xu said, "The King of Wei is still compiling it. When it is completed, it will be handed over to Your Majesty. This is one of the volumes."

There are more than 500 volumes of Kuodizhi, which could fill up several carriages if stacked up. Printing them is a very tedious task, and could even fill up an entire library, with the entire library being filled with volumes of Kuodizhi.

Li Chengqian said: "I will have someone arrange a school to store all the books in the world so that students all over the world can read them."

Su Xu bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Li Chengqian no longer felt anything after being called "wise and wise" for so long. Looking at the prosperous Chang'an City today, everything was so peaceful. This was the most prosperous city in the world and also the city with the largest population.

More and more people rely on this city for their livelihood, so Chang'an is still absorbing population and needs more people to work for the operation of the city.

Yu Zhining, who was also standing beside His Majesty, handed over a scroll and said, "Your Majesty, this was sent from Luoyang."

Li Chengqian took the scroll and glanced at it, then said with a smile, "Li Yifu has killed a lot of people again. I'm afraid that many people will want to impeach him in the morning court after the Lantern Festival."

Su Xu was completely focused on compiling the Comprehensive Geography. He did not want to get involved in court affairs and had never asked about them. When he heard what Your Majesty said, Su Xu was unable to get a word in for a while.

Ma Zhou laughed and said, "Your Majesty, the Censorate is responsible for impeaching court officials. I'm afraid there will be chaos within the Censorate this time."

Li Chengqian said: "Then we need to ask Shangguan Yi carefully."

Several people laughed again.

Shangguan Yi was not here, but His Majesty laughed, and everyone else laughed too.

Su Xu felt that he was somewhat unable to fit in with the current atmosphere, so he bowed and left.

At night, in the Literature Museum, Li Tai sat beside the candlestick, still flipping through a book.

Su Xu walked into the house and bowed, saying, "King Wei, I have reported this to your majesty."

Li Tai just nodded.

Su Xu looked at the many editors in the Literature Museum and began to organize the books.

It was late at night and all the editors were sleeping in the Literature Museum. Li Tai was alone with a book in his hand. Under the light of the candlestick, the painting of Eight Horses hanging on the wall was still there.

Recalling the scene when his father bestowed the Painting of Eight Horses on him, Li Tai sat down again and looked at the Painting of Eight Horses again, but he had a different feeling.

Li Tai felt that he had long lost the high spirits he had in the past. Looking back now, he suddenly realized that his brother, who was as young as he was back then, had already understood all of this.

Sitting alone under the candlestick, Li Tai was still looking at the painting of the Eight Horses, and he recalled what Mr. Wang Gui had said, "Doing good deeds and following the right path is the happiest thing."

These are the words spoken by the old gentleman when he was teaching. They were the words of Liu Cang, the King of Dongping during the Han Dynasty.

King Liu Cang of Dongping was also a man of outstanding literary talent.

Thinking of this person, Li Tai suddenly laughed, and he understood the old man's deep meaning. Liu Cang, the King of Dongping in the Han Dynasty, who had a glorious life, was once ranked above the three ministers, and even took the power of assisting the government. Later, he helped the emperor and assisted the emperor from beginning to end.

He received numerous honors during his lifetime and continued to enjoy great honors after his death.

Li Tai still remembered that he was his father's favorite child. At that time, Wang Gui might have hoped that he could be like Liu Cang, with endless honors during his lifetime and favors after his death.

It was only because he fulfilled his duties throughout his life, just like Liu Cang, who did not feel proud of the honor and devoted himself to assisting the emperor, that he was able to have a good end and was praised by people.

"Teacher hopes that Qingque can be like Liu Cang, the King of Dongping..."

Li Tai whispered.

In the Literature Museum, only the editors were sleeping due to exhaustion, and no one responded to the words of the King of Wei.

The old gentleman had good intentions. Li Tai had already understood these principles long ago, but the old gentleman just talked about them and taught them from time to time.

After a night, Li Tai was so absorbed in looking at the painting of Eight Horses that he fell asleep unknowingly.

The next day, when some sunlight shone through the window of the Literature Museum, Li Tai woke up.

Su Tan is making final preparations for Comprehensive Geography, and volumes of books are beginning to be loaded onto trucks. Today, many people are standing outside the door of the Literature Museum, waiting for the day when Comprehensive Geography is completed.

Luo Binwang stood outside the Museum of Literature, waiting for the door that had been closed for many years to reopen.

Yang Jiong sat aside and ate a cake, and said, "Aren't you going to teach this year?"

Luo Binwang said: "I want to go to Tubo to teach and wait for the quota for Chongwenguan to teach in Tubo."

"Are these remote places outside the Great Wall also so tense?"

Luo Binwang said: "The Chongwenguan in the Western Regions is full, and there are no more places this year. However, I will go to the army first this year. Officer Su said that even if I don't teach, I can go to Tubo after the summer this year."

Yang Jiong said: "I heard that there are still rebels in Tubo now."

"It doesn't matter, just kill him."

As the two young men were talking, more and more people were waiting here. It seemed that many people had received the news in advance that the Comprehensive Geography would definitely be published today.

While everyone was still waiting, they saw a group of soldiers coming towards the Literature Museum.

Yang Jiong said: "I heard that this Comprehensive Geography is a collection of ancient books from the Six Dynasties, covering all the mountains in the world and describing the topography of mountains and rivers in all dynasties. If I can read this Comprehensive Geography once in my life, it will be enough for me."

Luo Binwang was accustomed to Yang Jiong's way of speaking, and he would always speak passionately and poetically in just a few words.

Generally speaking, Yang Jiong felt that there was no book in the world more comprehensive than the Comprehensive Geography.

More and more officers and soldiers came to the Literary Institute. The residents who had originally gathered at the gate were dispersed. Officers and soldiers stood at the gate, and eunuchs were reading out imperial decrees aloud.

The emperor gave the King of Wei many rewards, and even gave him the title of highest scholar at one point.

The door of the Literature Museum opened, and everyone looked up and saw carriages loaded with books. These carriages were escorted by soldiers and transported out of the Literature Museum and sent to the palace.

Everyone's eyes followed the books as they left.

It took half an hour until all the books were transported out of the Literature Museum.

Li Tai had the door closed again and said, "The Literature Museum is closed today."

At the moment when the door of the Literature Museum was about to close, Luo Binwang caught a glimpse of the scene inside the door. He saw the King of Wei drinking tea in the sunshine.

Although it was just a quick glance, Luo Binwang clearly saw the smiling face of King Wei.

In the Literature Museum, more than a dozen editors were sitting in the courtyard. They had each found a place to rest, basking in the sun, their expressions somewhat dull.

The Literary Museum has had its ups and downs, but the Comprehensive Geography has been compiled all the time. Sometimes there are a lot of people, as many as nearly a hundred, and sometimes there are very few people, like now, with only a dozen or so.

Now that everything was done, Su Xu sat on the ground leaning against the wall, enjoying the sunshine on his body at this hour, looking up and closing his eyes, feeling the warmth of the moment.

It is the same with many editors here, some of them stink and have not rested for several days, some still look tired and are now sleeping in the sun.

The Comprehensive Geography has been completed, and no one wants to care about what people think of it. Now they just want to take a good rest.

Li Tai took a sip of tea and sat in the rocking chair. On the table beside him was the imperial edict sent by his brother, the highest scholar in the Li Tang Dynasty.

Li Tai suddenly thought of Mr. Wang Gui again.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict asked, "Your Highness, Prince Wei, do you want to make any more changes to the list of editors of the Comprehensive Geography?"

Li Tai said: "No need to make any changes, all the names are there."

The eunuch collected the list and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty has ordered that the court should establish a Geographical Records Bureau, which will be under the jurisdiction of the Sinong Temple and established in an official residence in Chang'an. The director of the Geographical Records Bureau will be selected by the King of Wei."

Li Tai said, "Give it to Su Xu."

Hearing the King of Wei's nonchalant words, the eunuch wanted to ask a few more questions, but felt he didn't know where to start, so he had to circle Su Xu's name on the list.

"I wonder if the King of Wei has any other instructions. Your Majesty has said that whatever the King of Wei needs will be granted."

Li Tai shook his head and said, "Tell my brother that Qingque has everything she needs now. She has everything she wants."

The eunuch nodded again and led his men out of the Literature Museum. Seeing that there were still many people standing outside the museum, he helped to close the door.

In the New Palace, Li Chengqian looked at the list compiled by the Comprehensive Geography and listened to the eunuch's report. He asked, "Did Qingque really say that?"

The eunuch replied, "The King of Wei said so himself, there is nothing missing."

Li Chengqian instructed: "Tell the Ministry of Works to carve the compiler's name on a stone tablet after the construction of the Geography Bureau. In the future, strengthen the subject of Chongwenguan, and make Geography a required subject for students to be promoted."

On the list of people who compiled the Kuodi Zhi, the first one was Li Tai, the second chief editor was Wang Gui, and then Su Xu, Xie Yan, and Li Chunfeng. Anyone who participated in the compilation was recorded.

This was promised when the Comprehensive Geography was first compiled.

The only workshop in the world that could print such a huge volume as the Comprehensive Geography was the Jingyang workshop that used movable type printing.

The Comprehensive Geography is too voluminous and complex. The project of printing more than 500 volumes may require setting up another workshop just for the printing of the Comprehensive Geography.

"Your Majesty, the King of Wei has been refusing visitors and has not held any banquets to celebrate in recent days."

Li Chengqian said: "It's okay."

His Majesty replied quickly, and the eunuch understood and stepped aside.

In fact, there is no need and no need for others to guess. Many things had already been decided at the hot pot banquet at the beginning of the new year. Today, Qingque will take out the Comprehensive Geography, which was also decided at that time. It was something that had been agreed upon long ago.

As for what others think, the three brothers don't care.

This year, the three brothers can only get together again after Li Ke’s matter is resolved.

(End of this chapter)