The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 94 The Talents the Emperor Wants

Changsun Wuji returned home in distress and took out another bag of herbs, which were given to him by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

He ordered someone to boil the packet of herbs, and then thought about what had happened recently.

A feeling of exhaustion surged into my heart. Regardless of my uncle's warning or His Majesty's trust, these could be put aside for now. The only thing was that at this moment, I always felt extremely tired.

After spring came to Guanzhong, the counties began to busy themselves with farming, and the first batch of tea sent from Bingzhou also arrived at the palace.

Looking at the tea leaves that had been roasted and dried, Li Chengqian picked up some and smelled them carefully, "Grandpa, you smell it too, the tea smells good."

Li Yuan smelled it carefully and said, "The tea from Bingzhou, I remember drinking the tea sent from Jiangnan last year."

Li Chengqian first brewed a bowl of tea and said, "The tea from Jiangnan will be delivered two months late."

Li Yuan stroked his beard and said, "I still remember that there are many tea trees in Mangshan, Qinling Mountains."

"Yeah." Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and nodded, then continued, "When the value of tea is known by more people, there will be more and more tea trees in the Central Plains."

Li Zhi and Li Shen, each holding a cloth bag bigger than themselves, the bags were filled to the brim with tea.

Li Chengqian explained: "These tea leaves were given by Ying Gong to many farmers in Bingzhou last year, and Du He exchanged them for soap."

My younger brothers and sisters spread out the tea leaves and put them in the sun to dry. They also picked out some bad tea leaves and sifted out some fine tea leaves.

Therefore, everyone in the East Palace began to get busy.

As princes and princesses, they could have chosen not to do these things, but under the gaze of their royal brother, they had no choice but to let it go and pick the tea according to his requirements.

Li Lizhi asked curiously, "Brother, I heard that someone advised the emperor the day before yesterday about the imperial examination system, and the emperor was very angry after hearing it."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Since the imperial examination system was decided by the Secretariat, my father appointed Prime Minister Fang to preside over the imperial examination. This matter has been decided, and the specific rules cannot be changed."

Li Lizhi whispered, "Sister is worried about the health of the emperor. I heard from the queen mother that the emperor has been very angry recently."

The Turks and Mobei are fighting hard on the grassland, but it has no impact on the Tang Dynasty for now.

The envoys from Gaochang and Tubo have already returned, so there is nothing for your father to worry about.

No matter how chaotic things are outside, at least it hasn't affected the border.

At the moment, the only things that can make my father angry are these trivial matters.

Or maybe my father is also middle-aged.

Li Chengqian drank the tea, staring forward in thought, took a sip and put the tea bowl aside, saying, "It shouldn't be a big deal to make Father so angry. I and the Secretariat have shared most of the pressure. It's just that people get angry occasionally in middle age, so it shouldn't be a big deal."

Li Lizhi sat next to the emperor and looked at her calm brother. She asked again, "Is the imperial examination important?"

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Under a centralized regime, the imperial examination is very important."

"Then why would anyone object?"

"What they oppose is not the imperial examination system, but a system that undermines their interests." Li Chengqian said patiently, "Since the Han Dynasty, the status of aristocratic families has continued to rise, and most of them have sat in high positions. They can build their own interest network through various means such as marriage alliances or sharing of benefits."

"Looking at the Central Plains dynasties, there were as many as sixty or seventy people who could pass the imperial examination, and as few as twenty or thirty. But nine out of ten of these people were from their family. Isn't this a huge joke?"

Li Lizhi listened carefully. This sensible sister has a strong ability to absorb knowledge.

"Even though you don't understand now, it doesn't hurt to listen more." Li Chengqian continued: "Over time, they can use their connections and the power in their hands to control the imperial examinations. The elites trained in this way may be able to help the emperor and the country solve some problems, but such people will no longer care about the grassroots villagers."

"The imperial examination was originally designed to select talents for the country and is the path that thousands of scholars look forward to. It cannot become a tool for certain people. That is why I and the Secretariat insisted on implementing the policy of covering the names despite the opposition of many people."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Cheng Qian, are you thinking so much now?"

"Grandpa, my grandson is now involved in government affairs, so I have a lot more things to think about. I also want my younger brothers and sisters to become successful as soon as possible, so that I don't have to work so hard."

"Aren't Qingque and Ke'er talented enough?"

"It's not enough. These two brothers alone are not enough."

Li Yuan sighed, "I am old now, and I cannot understand what you are thinking."

From the very beginning, my father began to promote young ministers like Zhang Xingcheng and Ma Zhou who were not afraid of power and dared to challenge the powerful and the aristocratic families.

It is easy to imagine what kind of talents my father wants.

I sat outside the Chongwen Hall for half a day and picked up all the tea leaves that had been drying in the sun for half a day.

There was a heavy rain in Chang'an in mid-March. One after another, horse-drawn carriages left Jingyang and divided into two teams, one heading towards Yinshan Mountain and the other heading towards the Hexi Corridor.

In Chang'an City, another group of officers and soldiers left.

Ever since selling soap to the Turks, Jingyang's actions have always been ahead of the court's orders. It would have been fine once or twice, but now the trade is about to begin.

Jingyang took the lead in transporting the tea to the border.

Do you really think Jingyang's keen nerves can grasp the direction of the court time and time again?

Or maybe Xu Jingzong was well-informed and had known it long ago.

When the court opens up trade, the first county to make enough money from it will definitely be Jingyang County.

In Ganlu Palace, Li Chengqian poured a bowl of tea for his father and said, "This is the new tea sent this year. Father, please have a taste."

Li Shimin took a sip and savored it carefully, "No difference."

"Father drinks very little tea, so naturally he will feel that there is no difference. When there are more varieties, they will taste different."

Li Shimin asked: "Will there be a lot of tea in the Central Plains in the future?"

Li Chengqian nodded, "It will happen."

Noticing the look in his father's eyes, Li Chengqian added: "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Tea planting is different from grain. It won't conflict with grain. The local government will also keep an eye on it."

Li Shimin picked up a memorial and handed it over, saying, "Look, this is an impeachment against Jingyang."

Hearing this, Li Chengqian took the memorial and read it, saying, "It is said that Jingyang is always one step ahead of the court. Are you just trying to say that I passed the news to Du He in Jingyang in advance?"

Li Shimin asked again: "How much silver is there in Jingyang?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Father, Du He did make a lot of money, but I don't know exactly how much money he has."

"Why don't you go to Jingyang and ask?"

"I'm quite busy. I'll just send someone to ask some other day."

Li Shimin picked up the tea bowl and drank the tea with a serious face.

It was raining heavily outside, but the palace was so quiet that one could hear one's own breathing. Li Chengqian asked again, "Jingyang made a lot of money. Is your father surprised?"

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince finally spoke again. The eunuchs at the side observed his Majesty's expression out of the corner of their eyes. When his Majesty put down the tea bowl, a eunuch quickly poured hot water on it.

Li Shimin said: "It's unexpected, very unexpected. I never thought Du He had such ability before."

Li Chengqian sat on a chair nearby, a little lower than his father. Looking forward from here, he could just see the rain outside the window. He said, "Father, why don't you think about it from another angle? What if it's not just Jingyang that makes so much money from the trade? But all the counties in Guanzhong can show their strengths and make money through the trade."

"It is Jingyang's business to make money. If the counties can develop their strengths and sell their goods outside the Great Wall, this would not be a bad thing." Li Chengqian whispered, "So, father, please stop focusing on Jingyang."

Li Shimin said with a straight face: "Are you saying that I am short-sighted?"

Li Chengqian looked a little melancholy and sighed, "I hope that Father can take a longer-term view."

Listening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince scolding His Majesty, the eunuchs in the palace lowered their heads, ready to kneel down the moment His Majesty got angry.

Before His Majesty could speak, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince began to speak again.

"If all the counties in Guanzhong want to develop, then Jingyang is a good example. Its various measures can also be used as a model for other counties in Guanzhong to learn from and help the villagers in Guanzhong escape poverty. Do we still need to hesitate about such a thing? Father, this is what I, your son, should do, isn't it?"

Li Shimin remained silent.

"But if this is really the case, the taxation method of the court will have to change. If there are large workshops like the one in Jingyang, with hundreds of people involved in production, then taxes will have to increase in the future."

Li Shimin said: "After all, you just want to increase taxes, right?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Father, please listen to what I have to say."

Li Shimin finished another bowl of tea. It was unknown how many bowls His Majesty had drunk. After His Majesty walked into the Ganlu Hall and offered tea leaves, His Majesty did not stop to drink tea, one bowl after another. It was unknown how many bowls His Majesty had drunk.

The eunuch carefully poured a bowl of tea and whispered, "Your Majesty, this tea has no taste. Why not change it?"

Seeing no objection from His Majesty, the eunuch changed the bowl of tea.

Li Shimin added: "Put more."

Hearing this, the eunuch put some more tea leaves into the bowl and poured boiling water into it from the kettle.

"I have observed the taxes collected by Jingzhao Prefecture from the East and West Markets. I feel that this tax is more like rent for the East and West Markets, and not a proper tax."

Li Chengqian stroked his temple with one hand and said, "So I have been thinking recently about how to collect taxes during the production process, which can have a positive impact on the court and bring considerable benefits to the participating counties. This positive increase in taxes is a problem that has often puzzled me recently."

After saying this, I saw that my father was looking out the window in silence, as if his mind was wandering somewhere and his mind was no longer on words.

Most likely it went in one ear and out the other, with the words blocked out by my father's brain.

Li Chengqian stood up and said, "Father, I will take my leave now."

Li Shimin then noticed that the tea on the table had gone cold, and asked, "Aren't you going to stay here for dinner?"

"The imperial examination will be held in the next few days. I dare not delay it."

Li Shimin nodded to indicate that he could leave.

When we arrived in front of Ganlu Temple, it was still raining heavily outside.

Li Chengqian picked up the umbrella he brought with him and walked into the rain, his steps getting faster and faster.

After the rains last winter and this spring, the water levels of several major rivers in Guanzhong rose, and Guanzhong received abundant water replenishment.

Large-scale farming began in Guanzhong. Looking from far outside the city of Chang'an, one could see smoke rising from the fields, which meant that someone was burning the land.

Wei Chang sat at the edge of the village, looking at the villagers working in the fields.

Shangguan Yi came over and asked, "Have you checked out what happened before?"

Wei Chang shook his head and said, "I asked all my old friends in Chang'an City to ask around, but they haven't found any families that want to buy paper recently. After half a year of searching, they have found nothing. They are probably not from Chang'an."

Shangguan Yi handed over a handful of seeds and said, "This is for you."

Wei Chang asked curiously: "What is this?"

"Wheat." Shangguan Yi rolled up his sleeves and said as he sat aside, "Xu County Magistrate said we should plant more wheat this year."

Wei Chang was puzzled and asked, "We still need to grow grapes?"

Shangguan Yi nodded and said, "I have a lot of things to do in the county government office. I will leave now."

After Shangguan Yi left, Wei Chang was still holding a handful of wheat in a daze.

Xue Wuniang, wearing a pilled coarse cloth dress, walked past Wei Chang carrying a basket, then came back and handed him a piece of bread, saying, "I can't eat any more. Here you go."

Wei Chang then remembered that he hadn't eaten yet, and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Wu Niang."

"Stay away from these officials."

After saying this, Xue Wuniang left quickly.

Wei Chang ate the cake and looked at Xue Wuniang with a smile. In the past, Princess Pingyang led the women's army to fight in all directions, and then many things happened after the world was pacified.

Wu Niang was a follower of Princess Pingyang, so she was resistant to the officers and soldiers.

As the imperial examination drew closer, the city of Chang'an became more and more lively. There were many pedestrians on Zhuque Street, and even the rainy day could not dampen the excitement of the scholars.

Pei Xingjian walked into the Hongwenguan, asked the manager for some tea, and sat down beside the Hongwenguan to drink tea.

The old servant who followed Pei Xingjian whispered, "Young Master, don't catch a cold."

Pei Xingjian nodded in annoyance. Although he was only sixteen years old, his expression looked much more serious.

The old servant was an old soldier who retired from the battlefield and had been taking care of Pei Xingjian. Pei Xingjian's father, Pei Renji of the Hedong Pei family, died at the hands of Wang Shichong.

His son Pei Xingyan was a brave and skilled warrior in his time, but unfortunately he died young.

Up to now, of the Hedong Pei family, Pei Xingjian is the only descendant of Pei Renji's line.

"I heard that this year's imperial examination was a blank. Even if the court doesn't care about our Hedong Pei family's family background, with your literary and military skills, it's no problem for you to pass the exam."

Pei Xingjian sighed lazily, "What kind of family background can we have? I hope we won't fail the imperial examination."

The current emperor is a very open-minded person. He is able to make use of important officials of the former Sui Dynasty and to turn hostility between the former and former enemies into working for him.

Pei Xingjian was very curious about what kind of person this emperor was.

(End of this chapter)