The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 56 Resignation

After meeting his mother, Li Tai returned to his own residence.

At night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, he got up and took out a revised outline that his brother had made and began to read it.

Looking at the unfamiliar words, he frowned and muttered to himself: "Humanities, water and soil, soil, climate and geographical evolution..."

This undoubtedly overturned all the accumulation of the past six months and started all over again, not just looking through past classics.

If we look into the soil, water and humanities of different places, we will find more than what is recorded in the geographical records.

"Someone is coming."

The King of Wei's words were heard outside the house, and someone immediately pushed the door open.

Li Tai ordered: "Tell all editors of the Literature Museum to start from scratch according to this outline starting tomorrow."

"Yes." The servant took the outline, bowed and left.

Since last year, Li Tai found that he could no longer understand his brother. In the past, his brother would either be jealous or make things difficult for him.

Over the past year, there has not been much contact with the Eastern Palace.

Li Tai felt a little upset again and wanted to run to the Eastern Palace overnight to ask his brother why he didn't compile a comprehensive geographical record himself.

He will probably say he is very busy?
Li Tai was so angry that he kicked over the table in front of him.

Hearing the noise, the servant outside hurried to the door.

Li Tai said, "Go buy some tables and chairs. They must be made in Jingyang. The best ones."

"Here!"

There will soon be a curfew in Chang'an City. Because Your Majesty is away on a trip, the defenses in Chang'an City have been tightened, and teams of soldiers can be seen walking on the streets.

Families returned home with their children and closed the doors.

Two figures walked on the street, and it was still cold tonight.

Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi were walking on a path.

"Minister Xu, it's getting late."

"Why? I am the Secretary General, and you are a scholar of the Hongwen Academy. Are you afraid of these soldiers?"

Shangguan Yi said, "It's not good to visit late at night."

Xu Jingzong whispered: "If we don't go and visit, someone might get there first."

Shangguan Yi frowned and asked, "Is Wu Shigui really that important to Jingyang?"

"Everything that His Royal Highness has instructed is important." Xu Jingzong quickened his pace slightly, and seeing Shangguan Yi lagging behind, he pulled him up and said, "Do you know who Wu Shigui is?"

Shangguan Yi didn't take it seriously and said, "He was the hero who led the uprising in Jinyang."

"No." Xu Jingzong whispered, "Wu Shigui was born in a merchant family in Bingzhou. He is a businessman who also has experience as an official. In terms of business ability, you and I are not as good as him, right?"

Shangguan Yi nodded slowly.

"This person also has the merit of governance. A person who can govern a place and is proficient in business and has experience in both business and government is naturally very important. Such people are not given important positions in the court. For Jingyang, this person is too important. Jingyang lacks such a person who can deal with businessmen and know the ins and outs of being an official."

Only then did Shangguan Yi agree with Xu Jingzong's opinion and said, "This man has not yet retired from the court. Would it be too presumptuous for us to go there this time?"

"Haha." Xu Jingzong said, "Brother Shangguan, the current Minister of Personnel is the uncle of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Shangguan Yi felt that Xu Jingzong was acting too boldly.

Xu Jingzong also felt that Shangguan Yi was too cautious and too concerned about his reputation.

The two people had very different ways of doing things, so they barely settled down in Jingyang and just barely mingled together.

Wu Shigui and his family lived in a house near Anrenfang.

Xu Jingzong straightened his clothes and knocked on the wooden door.

There was a response from inside the courtyard, and a woman opened the door. She looked at the two men in official uniforms and quickly saluted, "What brings you here so late at night?"

Shangguan Yi bowed and said, "We are here to visit Mr. Ying."

Hearing this, the woman hesitated and whispered, "Please wait a moment."

After saying that, she hurried into the house.

Xu Jingzong looked around and didn't see any soldiers walking through the street. When the woman came out again, he put on a smile.

"It's late at night, please go back."

As if he had anticipated this result, Shangguan Yi stamped his feet and sighed.

Seeing that the wooden door was about to close, Xu Jingzong stretched out his hand to stop it and said, "We are here to visit you on the orders of the Crown Prince."

Looking into the courtyard again, Xu Jingzong deliberately raised his voice and said, "It is about the announcement of the elders."

"Come in." A deep male voice finally came from the yard.

The woman also opened the door and invited the two of you into the courtyard.

Wu Shigui came out of the house and said loudly, "Since Your Highness is unable to make the decision, why send anyone else over?"

Xu Jingzong handed over the wine and placed it on the table beside him. He bowed and said, "Your Highness also has something difficult to say. I hope Ying Gong will forgive me."

Wu Shigui sat down and said, "This is about my retirement, please speak frankly."

Seeing that the other party's attitude was not very good, Shangguan Yi felt a little embarrassed.

Talking to people, winning their hearts and persuading others are Xu Jingzong's abilities, and this is what he is best at.

Shangguan Yi asked himself honestly that he lived in Du He's house because he was fooled by him.

Xu Jingzong poured a bowl of wine and said, "This is Fenjiu from Shanxi. Please try it, Mr. Ying."

The wine bowl was placed in front of him, but Wu Shigui did not pick it up.

Seeing the other party's posture, Xu Jingzong put his hands behind his back with a worried look on his face and said, "In fact, your highness is still young, and many matters of supervising the government are presided over by Fang Xiang. Did Ying Gong go to the East Palace to ask for retirement? In fact, he went to the wrong door and should not have gone to the East Palace."

"How should I act? Do I need your guidance?"

Xu Jingzong took two steps back and forth, raised his head and looked at the night sky, and continued: "May I ask Mr. Ying, if Your Highness agrees to resign, and His Majesty asks about this matter later, who will be blamed? Or the Prime Minister Fang or someone else in the Secretariat?"

Wu Shigui's expression softened somewhat.

Xu Jingzong continued, "It's not His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who is making things difficult for Lord Ying, it's Lord Ying! You are making things difficult for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The warrior Gui stroked his beard and lowered his brows.

"Xu Xiaode, although Yu Zhining has good intentions, they can only help introduce Ying Gong to the Eastern Palace. But have you ever thought that these two Eastern Palace officials should have considered the prince, but chose to lobby for Ying Gong?"

Wu Shigui whispered, "I have known Xu Xiaode for many years, but as for Yu Zhining, I have only known him for three days. I am ashamed that I have implicated Xiaode."

Xu Jingzong smiled in relief, bowed towards the East Palace, and said, "Your Highness has always been an open-minded person. When His Majesty showed partiality to the King of Wei, Your Highness not only did not say anything, but also generously acknowledged the King of Wei's outstanding qualities. Your Highness will not take this matter to heart."

"Tomorrow I will go to the East Palace to confess my crime."

At this point, Xu Jingzong said, "I came here tonight to make an appointment with Mr. Ying."

Wu Shigui saluted with a proper attitude and said, "Please speak." "If Your Highness helps Ying Gong to be old, please ask Ying Gong to go to the Wude Hall."

Thinking of the retired emperor in the Wude Hall, Wu Shigui was silent for a long time.

In this way, Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi said goodbye.

Chang'an was under curfew. The two were walking on Zhuque Street. Someone came to ask them about their whereabouts. Xu Jingzong took out his badge, explained, and let them go.

Shangguan Yi said: "Wu Shigui still hasn't agreed to help Your Highness."

Xu Jingzong said nonchalantly: "Don't worry, he will agree. I heard that he visited many old friends when he first came to Chang'an, and those who are old friends with Wu Shigui know that he is a man who values ​​friendship and promises."

The next morning, the sun had just risen.

There were cries of grief in the Literature Museum. The Comprehensive Geography had finally made some progress, but now it had to be overturned and started all over again. Not only that, the workload had increased several times.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei cannot hear these wails.

At this moment, King Wei Li Tai was standing beside the court, watching his brother oversee the government and Prime Minister Fang preside over the government.

Now that my father is not around, the atmosphere in the morning court in the Taiji Hall is very relaxed, and my brother can even have a few jokes with the court officials while standing in front of the throne.

Li Tai had a blank expression on his face, looking dazed as he watched the scene.

In his eyes, the atmosphere of the morning court was a little weird. They were actually laughing. What were they laughing at?
Are these people so presumptuous when our father is not around?
Even the Prime Minister was laughing.

Li Tai clenched his fists. It was as if overnight, the smiles of these court officials had become exactly the same as his brother's. Even their smiles were the same.

As soon as Jiangxia Prince Li Daozon finished talking about his difficulties, everyone in the court started laughing again.

Li Chengqian stood in front of everyone, with his hands in his pockets, and said, "Don't laugh, it's not a bad thing to have a fierce wife at home. Besides, a fierce wife can take care of the house. I'm happy for the emperor's uncle."

Li Dao Zong quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I really don't have a concubine."

Some of the ministers standing in the court were trying not to smile.

Li Chengqian looked at everyone and said, "Hey! You are the one who laughs the happiest, Censor Gao. If you get beaten by the Emperor's uncle, I won't help you."

Hearing this, Gao Ji Fu smiled awkwardly and lowered his head.

Everyone nodded in understanding.

In fact, Li Daozon was too busy to go home these days, and his wife wondered if her husband had a mistress.

Actually, the emperor's uncle is very busy, and everyone in the court is watching him.

Li Chengqian said, "I still say the same thing. Specific problems require specific analysis. Sometimes we should not combine the affairs of several counties and take on all of them. We should solve the problems of each county separately, so that the villagers in each county know that the Tang Dynasty has a government, and the government can do things for the villagers, and those villagers should also follow the arrangements of the court to farm."

"The Jingzhao Prefecture cannot manage all the 36 counties in Guanzhong, so the various departments in the court should help as much as possible." Li Chengqian paused for a moment and continued, "As Prime Minister Fang said, if the weather is not good and farming goes wrong, most people in Chang'an will starve. Therefore, the counties in Guanzhong are our foundation, and this foundation must be solid."

After saying this, everyone nodded.

The morning court was dispersed after the prince's speech.

Li Tai walked out of the Taiji Hall in a daze.

Li Chengqian and Zhangsun Wuji were the last ones to come, and they walked side by side towards the East Palace.

"Your Highness, are you not practicing archery today?"

"No more practice, just relax for two days."

Chang Sun Wuji said, "I heard that Xu Jingzong went to see Wu Shigui last night?"

Li Chengqian walked along with his hands in his pockets, shrinking his neck in the cold wind, and said with a smile: "It's true... I can't hide anything from my uncle."

Hearing the word "uncle", Changsun Wuji looked troubled and asked, "Can Xu Jingzong be trusted?"

Li Chengqian sighed, "If he can't do a good job, I will have him tied to the karez and make him water the fields every day."

Chang Sun Wuji waved his hand and said, "It won't come to that."

"It was indeed my idea that he went to see Wu Shigui. He wanted to retire, and I was still thinking whether I should help him."

Changsun Wuji stretched out his hand.

Li Chengqian asked: "What to do?"

Chang Sun Wuji still held out his hand and said, "Where is his resignation letter? I will approve it."

"If the emperor knew about this, it would embarrass my uncle."

Changsun Wuji withdrew his hand again, "It doesn't matter if your majesty knows."

Li Chengqian whispered, "I want him to meet Grandpa Emperor. After that, I want Grandpa Emperor to persuade him with emotion and reason. Then he will feel at ease to resign. In this way, it is reasonable and emotional, and the emperor will have nothing to say."

When the two men arrived at the Chongwen Hall, they saw an uninvited guest sitting in the hall.

Li Xiaogong sat in the hall with a stern face and said nothing.

Noodles had not been made in Chongwen Hall for a long time. It was not until the Crown Prince came that the palace maids brought the stove and noodles.

It was the first time for Changsun Wuji to come to the East Palace to eat noodles.

Li Xiaogong was very hungry. He picked up the bowl and started to eat the noodles. His eating manners were not very good and some soup flew out of the bowl as he stirred it with chopsticks. He even sat next to the pot.

Changsun Wuji, who had always been gentle, had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and did not eat a single bite of the noodles, but put the whole thing into Li Xiaogong's mouth.

After sitting for a long time, Changsun Wuji said unhappily: "Can't you just hold the pot and eat?"

Li Xiaogong chewed the noodles with his lips and teeth moving vigorously, wiped his mouth and said, "You old man don't know, the people in the Lishan autumn hunt are all bastards, they can't eat a single bite of the wine and meat."

He tapped the edge of the pot with his chopsticks and said, "This is what people should eat."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xiaogong used chopsticks to stir the pot again and fished out a large ball of noodles. Changsun Wuji could only look into the pot, not daring to stick his chopsticks in, so he could only say, "It's been so many years, and His Majesty has always told you to learn etiquette and read more books, but you're still like this."

Li Xiaogong swallowed the noodles in his mouth with great effort, "You old fox, you blame me when you can't eat. I'll fight you after I'm full."

One is the uncle, the other is the emperor's uncle, one pot is not enough to share.

Li Chengqian had no choice but to ask Ning'er to bring another stove and add another clay pot.

Changsun Wuji's expression looked better at last. When he was about to pick up the noodles in the pot, he saw a pair of wet chopsticks reaching into the pot at lightning speed, and then stirring it. All the noodles in the pot were entangled on the chopsticks and put into a bowl.

When I looked again, there was only soup in the pot, and no noodles.

Changsun Wuji placed the chopsticks heavily on the bowl, then turned his head and snorted coldly.

Li Chengqian stroked his forehead in pain. The noodles in his uncle's pot were not enough for him, so he had to take away all the noodles in his uncle's pot.

There was a high probability that this meal could not be eaten, and I was wondering if the emperor's uncle and my uncle had any grudge against each other.

After swallowing the noodles, Li Xiaogong wiped his mouth, let out a long sigh of relief, and said loudly: "It's great! I heard that the Crown Prince of the East Palace has a new skill recently."

Chang Sun Wuji said with a dark face: "What skill?"

Li Xiaogong laughed, "Hasn't the old fox Changsun heard of it?"

"..."

"Haha! The Crown Prince of the East Palace can meet me in my dream."

(End of this chapter)