A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 838 There Can Only Be Two Suns in the Sky
Wake up,
Li Yi lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling light for a long time.

Get up and take a shower.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, with his long hair and beard, he realized he was no longer the same person he used to be.

Upon arriving in the kitchen,

As usual, I cooked myself a bowl of noodles, and also specially boiled two poached eggs and fried two grilled sausages.

Add some lard to the noodles, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and then sprinkle with some pepper.

It's already a very nutritious breakfast.

Breakfast for one was very quiet, so quiet that even the sound of slurping noodles was clear.

The silence was so intense that Li Yi couldn't stand it.

After finishing the meal, he rinsed the pot and washed the dishes, cleaning everything up.

I sat on the living room sofa for a while, played with a gold bowl for a bit, and finally went to change back into yesterday's clothes.

We've returned to the Tang Dynasty.

This is no longer home; it's just an empty house, though it's filled with gold, silver, and jade, but my most precious wife and children are not here.

On the Tang Dynasty side,

But he still had wives, concubines, and children.

This gave Li Yi a sense of disorientation, as if he were a divorced man.

He got divorced, his wife left with the children, leaving only an empty house in his hometown.

Later, he worked in another city, bought a house, got married, and had children.

Luoyang

The main hall of the library in the Prince Wei's Mansion in Tongjifang.

It was afternoon, and sunlight streamed in through the bright windows of the oyster shell.
It splashed onto Li Yi's face, which was on the recliner.

He was momentarily lost in thought.

The tea on the coffee table in front of me was still steaming.

He stayed there all night, but this place is still the same as when he left.

It seems he was only gone for a second.

He picked up the tea and took two sips.

It has a gentle initial taste, followed by a bitter aftertaste, with floral and fruity aromas.

Good tea.

Cheer up.

"Yay!"

Li Shu rushed in, carrying the little yellow cat, her face flushed and sweaty.

Prince Li Chengqian, Duke of Rongguo Li Cong, Duke of Anding Li Yan, Prince of Yong'an Li Wan, Marquis of Lingqiu Li Lin, as well as Li Xiu and Li Yu, all became followers of this Princess of Daning.

Li Lin, Li Xiu, Li Yu, and several others originally didn't get a kitten.

Then, from who knows where, everyone got a kitten to hold.

"What's wrong?" Li Yi put down his teacup, sat up, and asked with a smile as he looked at the group of energetic kids.

Five- or six-year-olds are at the age when cats and dogs hate them, and they are the most troublesome.

Of course, that's also when she's at her cutest.

"Yay, you promised to tell us a story, have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten, Father, let's talk about the Book of Songs."

Little Chili pouted, "We don't want to hear the Book of Songs, we want to hear something else."

Li Yi had a bit of a headache over these little guys.

"Then let me tell you about the Classic of Mountains and Seas."

"It's scriptures again! Can we not have scriptures? I get a headache whenever I hear scriptures being recited," Xiao Shu said, clinging to his arm and shaking him affectionately.

"The Classic of Mountains and Seas that Father is going to talk about today is different from the Tao Te Ching and the Book of Poetry. The Classic of Mountains and Seas has many monsters, such as the three-legged golden crow and the nine-tailed fox."

For example, there's the Qiongqi, which resembles a tiger but is covered in hedgehog-like fur, makes a sound like a dog barking, and eats people.

Li Yi said a few words,

This immediately attracted Li Shu and the others.

"Ah, there are such scriptures? We want to hear them, Lord! Tell us quickly!"

Even Chengqian perked up his ears, looking on with anticipation.

"Hahaha," Li Yi laughed loudly.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas is considered one of the three great ancient books, along with the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic and the Book of Changes.

It is said to have been written during the Warring States period, but who wrote it is unknown, and the original book has long been lost. The Classic of Mountains and Seas that people in the Tang Dynasty can see today is the Han Dynasty version.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Classic of Mountains and Seas was classified as a geography book. The eighteen extant chapters are divided into categories such as the Classic of Mountains, the Classic of Seas, and the Classic of the Great Wilderness. The Tang people valued the mountains and rivers and geography it recorded.

As for the various mythical beasts, that's secondary.

But children are definitely not interested in talking about mountains and rivers.

But if you tell them about a nine-tailed fox, a three-legged crow, or a headless Xing Tian, ​​they will listen with great interest.

"Then let me tell you the story of Hou Yi shooting down the suns. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Yao, ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky, and the earth became extremely hot. Six monsters also broke into the places where people lived and caused havoc..." "These ten suns were actually ten golden crows. They were messengers of the sun, living on the sun. They were three-legged black crows, and their bodies radiated golden light. They were the sun god birds."

The sun and the moon appear in turn, creating the alternation of day and night.

However, during the reign of Emperor Yao, ten suns appeared simultaneously, ten golden crows appearing in the sky together, scorching the earth, causing it to wither and the people to suffer.

At this time, six more monsters—the Yayu, the Zaochi, the Jiuying, the Dafeng, the Fengxi, and the Xiushe—intruded into human settlements, wreaking havoc and even devouring humans.

"At this critical juncture, Emperor Yao sent Hou Yi to rid the people of this scourge. Hou Yi killed Zaochi in the wilderness, Jiuying in the treacherous waters, and Dafeng on Qingqiu Lake. Then, he drew his bow and aimed at the sun in the sky, firing nine arrows in succession, each one accurately shooting down a sun. Afterward, he killed Yayu, cut down Xiushui in Dongting Lake, and captured Fengxi in the mulberry forest. When the world returned to normal, the people were overjoyed."

When Chengqian and the others heard that Hou Yi had shot down nine suns and killed six ferocious beasts, they cheered with joy.

"I ask you, did Hou Yi really shoot down nine suns?" Li Yi asked.

The little ones eagerly answered, "He shot down the golden crow, not the sun."

"Yes, originally ten golden crows appeared in turn, bringing light and warmth, but when they suddenly appeared together, it brought disaster. Hou Yi shot down nine of them, leaving one, and things returned to normal."

Chengqian listened thoughtfully.

"Chengqian, what do you think?"

"Teacher, I recall my father's teachings: 'There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers among the people.' During the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, warlords rose up everywhere, each carving out their own territory and proclaiming themselves emperors or kings."

I think,
The emperor is like the sun in the sky.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, warlords carved up the land, much like many suns suddenly appearing in the sky, causing scorching heat and widespread suffering.

Li Yi was surprised.

Unexpectedly, the six-year-old crown prince was able to say such things.

The story of Hou Yi shooting down the sun can be used to illustrate the relationship between the nation, the monarch, and the people.

"What the Crown Prince said was very good and insightful."

We often say that the emperor is the Son of Heaven, the son of Heaven.

Li Yi picked up a piece of osmanthus cake from the table and handed it to Chengqian, saying, "This is a reward for you. You should think more and keep up the good work!"

Li Shu exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Chengqian, you actually know so much!"

The Crown Prince blushed. "Actually, all of this was taught by Scholar Lu."

Li Yi nodded, "Scholar Lu is a very learned scholar. He was one of the eighteen scholars of the Prince of Qin's mansion and served under three dynasties: Chen, Sui, and Tang. He was the Left Attendant during the reign of Emperor Chen Houzhu, and the Assistant Instructor of the Imperial Academy during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. He is now a Doctor of the Imperial Academy."
He was quite accomplished in classical studies.

He would come to teach a few classes every ten days from then on.
"Shuniang and Taipinglang, you two are also benefiting from the Crown Prince's favor; you'll be able to attend Dr. Lu's lectures from now on."

Li Shu asked, "Is Scholar Lu well-versed in the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

Li Yan asked, "Does he know about the nine-tailed fox, the three-legged golden crow, and the Qiongqi that barks like a dog?"

"Haha, when Scholar Lu comes next time, you can ask him."

"Alright, that concludes today's story from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Now, practice calligraphy for half an hour, copying Ouyang Xun's regular script!"

The little ones were still having a great time.
"Father, tell me one more."

"Teacher, tell me another one."

In order to hear the story, Little Chili even offered to practice calligraphy for an extra 15 minutes later.

"Then you'd better keep your word."
Let me tell you the story of Hou Yi's wife, Chang'e, flying to the moon.

You see the moon in the sky every night, but do you know that a fairy named Chang'e lives in the Moon Palace, and that she has a moon rabbit that pounds medicine by her side?

Are there really rabbits on the moon?

Li Yi then continued telling them the story, "After Hou Yi shot down nine suns and killed six ferocious beasts..."

The Queen Mother of the West, residing on Mount Kunlun, gave Hou Yi a pill of immortality. Legend has it that consuming it would grant immortality and allow one to ascend to heaven and become a celestial being.

However, Hou Yi obtained the elixir of immortality but was unwilling to be separated from his wife Chang'e, so he entrusted the elixir to his wife for safekeeping.

Hou Yi had a disciple named Feng Meng, a treacherous man. Taking advantage of Hou Yi's absence, he broke into Chang'e's home and forced her to hand over the elixir of immortality.

Seeing that the elixir was in danger, Chang'e did not want it to fall into the hands of a treacherous person, so she took advantage of their inattention and swallowed the elixir.

After Chang'e ate the elixir, she suddenly floated up into the air, flew out of the window, over the rooftop, and higher and higher, heading straight for the moon.

Finally, she landed on the Moon Palace, and unable to bear leaving Hou Yi, she stayed there, gazing at her husband on Earth.

Hou Yi missed his wife, so every Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon was full, he would make the cakes she loved to eat and send her his blessings from afar.

Later, the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival came about.

"Ah, so that's how the tradition of eating mooncakes originated."

Chengqian asked, "Your Highness, Scholar Lu once said that emperors such as Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were fond of longevity and sought out elixirs and pills to achieve immortality."

But Scholar Lu said that there is no elixir of immortality in the world, and it is impossible for humans to live forever.

Li Yi laughed and said, "Even if there really were an elixir of immortality in this world, someone like Chang'e would take it and ascend to heaven, ending up all alone in the Moon Palace."
Without any family members by his side, only a rabbit for company.
Would you want such immortality?

Chengqian shook his head without hesitation, "I don't want to."

"Yes, well said. What's the point of such immortality? Besides, even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han spent their entire lives searching for the elixir of immortality."

Perhaps there were elixirs of immortality in ancient times, but they are no longer to be found.

"We still need to focus on the present, rather than pursuing those illusory things. The emperor is the Son of Heaven, representing Heaven in ruling over all people."
How could one be so focused on taking the elixir of immortality and alienating oneself from the common people?

Li Yi clapped his hands. "Alright, that's all for today's story lesson. Now it's your turn to keep your promise and go to Ouyang Shuaigeng's calligraphy class."

Remember to practice an extra 15 minutes today.

I'll be checking then, and anyone who isn't careful will be punished.

(End of this chapter)