The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 572 Goodbye Chang'an
Zhong Kui was sitting on a stone platform at the foot of Mount Zhongnan. In fact, the boy's residence was very simple, with only a thatched hut, which was where he lived on weekdays.

Seeing that the grandfather and grandson in front of him did not leave, Zhong Kui simply continued to sit cross-legged with his back to them.

Since Zhong Kui also worshipped Li Chunfeng as his master, his behavior was somewhat Taoist.

After Taoist Master Li Chunfeng passed away, the observatory on Laojun Mountain was sealed and placed under the supervision of the court. It was at that time that Zhong Kui also went down the mountain.

After that, Zhong Kui lived in Mount Zhongnan for a long time, devoting himself to studying and obtaining a good reputation.

Li Shizhi felt sorry for Zhong Kui because Zhang Jiuling was going to take the imperial examination in the same year as Zhong Kui, and Zhong Kui was a few years older than Zhang Jiuling.

But in terms of talent and strategy, Zhang Jiuling is better than Zhong Kui, both in terms of talent and foundation.

Li Shizhi didn't know why his grandfather cared so much about Zhong Kui. Maybe it was because Zhong Kui had been taught by Taoist Priest Li Chunfeng?

But on second thought, Li Shizhi heard that Li Chunfeng only took in Zhong Kui in Laojun Mountain, and Zhong Kui was devoted to studying and only wanted to pass the imperial examination and become an official.

Zhong Kui was indeed a hardworking person, and my grandfather probably appreciated his hardworking quality.

Li Shizhi also felt that all this could be attributed to the fairness of the imperial examination. As long as there was a fair imperial examination, many hardworking people would emerge.

Grandpa no longer paid attention to Zhong Kui. Zhong Kui lived at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, while grandpa lived on the top of the mountain. He was considered grandpa's neighbor. Normally, when the emperor traveled to Mount Zhongnan, he could not live as a neighbor at the foot of the mountain, but grandpa allowed it.

My grandfather was a very tolerant man, tolerant of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

Walking back to the mountain path, I saw a cenotaph in a snow-covered pine forest. This cenotaph belonged to an old gentleman.

This old gentleman was buried here many, many years ago. Seeing his grandfather saluting so respectfully to this cenotaph, Li Shizhi also followed suit.

Li Chengqian reached out and wiped the snow off the tombstone.

Li Shizhi had never met Wang Gui, but he had heard of Wang Gui's deeds. He was demoted by the emperor during the Sui Dynasty and lived in seclusion in Mount Zhongnan several times. He was later employed by Li Tang, but was demoted again due to setbacks. After this repeated experience, Wang Gui lived in seclusion in Mount Zhongnan.

He was highly valued by the emperor because of his reputation, but was abandoned by the emperor several times because he was too upright.

Such people should lose faith in the emperor. No matter which emperor it is or who is the emperor, as long as he is the emperor, he should not be trusted.

It was not until the old grandfather Emperor Taizong summoned Wang Gui back to Chang'an City that the old grandfather's ministers included Zheng Gong, Du Ruhui, and Fang Xuanling, all of whom were Wang Gui's good friends. In this way, Wang Gui regained the emperor's trust.

It was like Wang Gui gave the emperor his last trust. Li Shizhi felt that if the old man had let Wang Gui down at that time, Wang Gui would probably not have left Zhongnan Mountain.

When Wang Gui was in his later years, he wanted to return to Mount Zhongnan several times to continue his reclusive life.

However, because he needed to teach the King of Wei, he stayed there until the end of his life.

My grandfather said that he and Mr. Wang Gui actually had no connection, but when my grandfather was still the prince, Mr. Wang Gui still helped the five prominent families at that time.

This was a famous official. As long as the emperor trusted him, he was willing to be loyal and dedicated, but he did not ask the emperor to give him anything else.

Whenever people talk about the five prominent families of the past, for Li Shizhi, that seems like a very long time ago. People nowadays no longer talk about anything related to the Five Surnames. There are still people from the Five Surnames alive today, but they no longer consider themselves to be from the Five Surnames.

Walking back to the palace on Mount Zhongnan, Li Shizhi asked, "Grandpa, did you laugh at people who studied in the past because they were not from aristocratic families?"

Li Chengqian walked into the warm palace and replied, "No one is born not to study."

Li Shizhi nodded and said, "Zhang Jiuling waits for Grandpa at the foot of Mount Li every day."

"Is he still waiting?"

"He's going back to Chang'an City and joining the army." Li Shizhi saw that his grandfather ignored him and sat by the stove drinking tea.

That was probably all the advice my grandfather gave to Zhang Jiuling.

In the spring of the sixteenth year of Shangyuan, the scenery at the foot of Mount Zhongnan finally became full of life. A mountain breeze blew, and willow catkins floated towards the distant village. The originally quiet village now had some unique scenery. The flying willow catkins looked like fine snow under the clear sky.

Li Shizhi and Zhong Kui walked together.

Zhong Kui looked to be nearly thirty years old, but with his full beard and originally dark face, he looked very fierce.

The scenery in front of him was just right, so Li Shizhi didn't care about the dark face that was ruining the view next to him.

"Have you seen the big ships in Luoyang?"

Zhong Kui replied: "I have seen a large ship with black smoke coming out. They said there was a monster inside the ship. The monster that ate coal was rowing the ship."

Li Shizhi smiled and said, "People...are really good at thinking."

Zhong Kui said, "I went to see it. There was no monster in the ship. There was only a big coal-burning stove."

"Yes." Li Shizhi sighed, "King Jin spent decades of hard work just for such a furnace. Some people say that King Jin spent many years to build such a furnace, but he was able to bring endless wealth to the Tang Dynasty with this furnace."

Hearing this, Zhong Kui was stunned. He didn't expect that this man named Li Shizhi would say this.

"I have to go back to Chang'an City. I can't accompany Grandpa everywhere."

Zhong Kui looked at the other person's high-spirited expression and asked, "Do you also want to take the imperial examination?"

Li Shizhi shook his head and said, "I will not take part in the imperial examination."

"Why?"

"Do I really have to take the imperial examination?"

Zhong Kui lowered his head again, not knowing what to say.

The imperial examination was indeed the choice of many children from poor families. Just like Zhong Kui, there were also people who did not take the imperial examination, and there were quite a few such people.

Naturally, Zhong Kui also thought of Li Shizhi as that kind of person.

"If you pass the imperial examination in the future, we will definitely meet in Chang'an City."

Zhong Kui gave him a gift and said goodbye, "If we meet in Chang'an, I will definitely drink with you."

Li Shizhi said: "Okay, it's agreed."

After saying this, Li Shizhi got on the carriage and headed towards Chang'an City escorted by a group of guards.

Zhong Kui frowned as he looked at the other party's carriage, then looked at his own patched old clothes. Li Shizhi was the son of a wealthy family, and people like him really didn't need to take the imperial examination.

Li Shizhi's strange grandfather also left, and Zhong Kui walked back home. He couldn't understand why the grandfather insisted on accepting him as a disciple.

After opening the door, Zhong Kui was stunned again. In the dilapidated house with a leaky roof were piles of books and a letter left by Li Shizhi. The letter contained only one sentence, "See you in Chang'an."

(End of this chapter)