Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 389 Father and Mother, Your Child Has Made It Great

"Li Chunfeng!"

As soon as Wen He finished speaking, with a "whoosh," the carriage curtain was lifted by his own hand.

Before Qi San outside could react, he saw his young master leap out of the carriage like a nimble little leopard.

"Xiao Langjun!"

Qi San was startled, fearing that Wen He might lose his footing and fall. He hurriedly reached out to help him, but saw Wen He steady himself and stand up straight in an instant.

With one hand placed in front of his abdomen and the other behind his back, he looked every bit the little adult, though his slightly raised chin betrayed a hint of barely concealed excitement.

"So you are Li Chunfeng?"

The young man standing before me was dressed in a light green round-necked robe, the fabric still dusty. He looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with his hair casually tied up and a faint weariness in his eyes. He did not look like the otherworldly immortal he was rumored to be; instead, he looked like a slovenly scholar who had been buried in books for years.

But Wen He knew in her heart what extraordinary talent lay hidden beneath this ordinary appearance.

This man was one of the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians in Chinese history, and the first person in the world to classify wind. His book, "Yi Si Zhan," is considered the earliest monograph in the history of world meteorology.

Although he is often mentioned alongside Yuan Tiangang and is rumored to be a co-author of the "Tui Bei Tu" and a master and disciple, the two were actually colleagues. Li Chunfeng's research focused more on mathematics and practical measurement than on metaphysical deduction.

"This humble official is indeed Li Chunfeng."

The young man bowed respectfully, his voice gentle yet steady.

His current official rank is Jiangshilang, which is the lowest of the nine ranks. If he were not employed by the Imperial Observatory, he would not even be qualified to enter the capital.

"I wonder what brings you here, General Jiang?"

Wen He suppressed the turmoil in her heart and tried to keep her tone calm.

Over the past year, he has met many historical figures, but when facing this pioneer who has opened up new frontiers in the field of science, he still couldn't help but feel a bit more solemn.

Li Chunfeng's lips curled up slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I was worried that my audacity in blocking the road to pay my respects would lead to a direct refusal from this rising star of Gaoyang County, but now it seems I was overthinking it.

"I dare not."

He handed it over.

"When I first arrived in Chang'an, I bought a copy of 'Elementary Mathematics' at the Sanwei Study. It is said that this book was written by the magistrate of Gaoyang County. I wonder if this is true?"

Wen He was genuinely surprised.

Since its publication, "Elementary Mathematics" has only sold a little over a hundred copies, yet it unexpectedly caught the eye of Li Chunfeng.

"It is indeed my work. Could there be any errors or omissions in it?"

He was puzzled. It was a direct copy of the elementary school math textbook from his previous life, so there shouldn't be any problems.

"No no no!"

Li Chunfeng quickly waved his hand, a clear look of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"The book is well-organized and the algorithms are ingenious, but it is a bit too simplistic for me. Since it has a beginner level, I wonder if the magistrate of Gaoyang County has written an intermediate or advanced level of mathematics?"

So you've come to ask for a book? Wen He couldn't help but chuckle, finally understanding the other party's intention. She immediately nodded, "Of course I have one, but I have a question that I'd like to ask you, Jiang Shilang."

"Please speak, I will tell you everything I know."

Li Chunfeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed, clearly looking forward to his future mathematical works.

Wen He looked directly at him: "As far as I know, the position of Jiangshilang was recommended to the Prince of Qin's mansion by the late Duke of Lu. With your knowledge, even if you recommend yourself to His Majesty, it would not be difficult for you to obtain the position of Jiangshilang. Why do you need to participate in the imperial examination? Moreover, the palace examination has not yet been held, and other candidates have not been appointed to official positions, but you have already entered the Imperial Observatory. This is really not normal."

He remembered that the original trajectory wasn't like this.

In the early years of the Zhenguan era, Li Chunfeng directly submitted a memorial to the emperor, proposing eighteen revisions to Fu Renjun's "Wuyin Yuanli" (戊寅元历). Emperor Taizong of Tang adopted seven of these suggestions and appointed him as a junior official.

Upon hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Li Chunfeng's face, followed by a touch of frank pride: "To be honest, this matter does make me feel ashamed. When I heard that Zi Renming was the deputy chief examiner of the calculus department in Gaoyang County, I thought that the exam questions must have been personally drafted by you, and that they would surely demonstrate your exquisite mathematical reasoning. Therefore, I specially took the exam."

He paused, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation: "Unexpectedly, the exam questions were mostly basic arithmetic that even children could solve. They must not have come from the hands of the magistrate of Gaoyang County. They were far from what I expected, so I simply gave up the palace examination and submitted a memorial to His Majesty according to the old method, discussing the omissions in the 'Wuyin Yuanli' calendar. His Majesty adopted my seven suggestions and appointed me as a junior official, allowing me to enter the Imperial Observatory to specialize in calendar matters."

The arrogance in these words was undisguised, yet irrefutable.

At the age of twenty-five, he was able to see through the flaws of the calendar system and propose practical and feasible modification plans. This knowledge was indeed enough to support his confidence.

It should be noted that although the "Wuyin Yuanli" pioneered the method of "fixing the new moon" and was a major reform in the history of calendars, it repeatedly made errors due to oversights in calculation. Even after being corrected by famous scholars such as Zu Xiaosun and Cui Shanwei, problems still arose. However, Li Chunfeng was able to pinpoint the problem.

Wen He was startled upon hearing this, then laughed heartily: "I see, I've delayed you. But don't worry, the intermediate mathematics course is being organized, which involves fraction operations and square root extraction, and I think it will suit your taste."

He recalled Li Chunfeng's research on mathematical operations in "Yi Si Zhan" and knew that this content would surely impress this expert.

Li Chunfeng's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly bowed and said, "If I could obtain this extraordinary book, I would be eternally grateful! If you, the magistrate of Gaoyang County, have any questions about calendars, mathematics, or meteorological observations in the future, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to help you."

He had unique insights into meteorological observation, not only improving wind direction measuring instruments but also systematically classifying clouds and wind direction—this was no mere politeness.

Keep in mind he's only twenty-five this year.

Thinking back to when I was twenty-five... well, okay, I don't think he lived to be twenty-five in his previous life.

Miserable!

Wen He's heart stirred.

Improving hot air balloons requires precise meteorological observations, and building artillery also requires precise mathematical calculations. Isn't Li Chunfeng a ready-made help?

He immediately laughed and said, "Then I will accept it without hesitation. I will send someone to deliver the manuscript to you another day. I will have to trouble you then."

"This is what I should do!"

Li Chunfeng readily agreed.

Qi San listened from the side, completely bewildered, but seeing his young master chatting happily with this official from the Imperial Observatory, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and obediently held the reins of his horse and waited.

When Li Chunfeng left, his steps were tinged with reluctance, and he waved from afar even after he had mounted his donkey.

Wen He watched the departing figure of the skinny donkey carrying the young man in the green robe, and couldn't help but stroke his chin, lost in thought.

Li Chunfeng, this genius who is famous in history for his calendar and mathematics.
When he studied history in his previous life, he knew that Li Chunfeng's contributions were mostly limited to calendar revision and the compilation of mathematical classics, such as compiling the "Ten Mathematical Classics" and improving the "Wuyin Calendar," but these were mostly limited by the times.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty had just been established, and the demand for technology was mainly focused on calendars related to agriculture and sacrifices. Mathematics also mainly served government accounting and failed to extend to the field of practical technology.

But things are different now. Hot air balloons require precise meteorological observation data, and artillery casting cannot be separated from precise geometric calculations and materials mechanics, which happen to be Li Chunfeng's areas of expertise.

"Mathematics is indeed the foundation of all learning."

Wen He sighed softly, having already made up her mind to develop a close relationship with Li Chunfeng.

Leaving aside the current hot air balloons and cannons, the assistance of this mathematical master will be indispensable if we want to improve agricultural tools and promote engineering construction in the future.

He recalled Li Chunfeng's appearance in his green round-necked robe and couldn't help but chuckle: "Speaking of which, he does look out of place in official robes; he would be better off in Taoist robes."

Shaking her head to pull herself back to reality, Wen He turned and boarded the carriage, giving instructions to Qi San.

"Let's go back to the manor; there are still some things to arrange."

By the time the carriage returned to the Wen residence, the sun had already begun to set.

As soon as Wen He got out of the car, A Dong came to greet her.

"Young master, you're back."

Adong bowed respectfully.

"Where are Meng Zhou and the other two?"

Wen He asked as she walked inside.

"The palace examination is tomorrow. How are their preparations going?"

"Young Master, Young Master Meng, Young Master Zhao, and Young Master Wu are currently engrossed in their studies in the study, saying they want to review the classics and historical texts again, in case they are unable to answer His Majesty's questions tomorrow."

Adong answered truthfully, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

“The three young men have been reading since the afternoon and haven’t even had dinner yet.”

Upon hearing this, Wen He paused for a moment, then waved her hand and said, "Have the kitchen keep the food warm so they can eat when they're hungry. Tell them not to disturb them and to let them focus on their studies. But don't let them stay up too late; they need to be in top form for the palace examination tomorrow."

"Yes, slave, I'll do it now."

Adong agreed and turned to leave. Wen He didn't go to the study to disturb the three of them, but returned to her own courtyard, took out a few sheets of paper, and briefly wrote down some practical questions that might be involved in the palace examination.

For example, he carefully considered how to appease the people after the war, how to promote new agricultural tools, and the wording of his proposals. He also addressed the issue of oxen, which was of utmost concern to Li Shimin at the time.

After finishing writing, he folded it up and placed it on the table, intending to give it to the three people for reference first thing tomorrow morning.

When he put away the cheat sheet, he was taken aback.

"No wonder people say that the upper class has no poor families and the lower class has no noble families. This is what they call background."

He smiled and shook his head.

"But where in this world is there so much fairness?"

After doing all that, he breathed a sigh of relief, washed up, and went to bed early.

The next day, before dawn, Wenhe was gently awakened by Adong.

After washing up, he had just stepped into the front hall when he smelled the aroma of food.

Wenrou was holding the hands of Li Ke, Li Tai, and Li You, the three little ones, and they were sitting at the table waiting for him. Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng had also arrived, but they all looked a little nervous, and even their hands were trembling as they picked up food.

"Don't be nervous."

Wen He picked up her chopsticks and smiled reassuringly.

"The palace examination is just His Majesty discussing his views on government affairs with you. It's not a test of your memorization of classic texts. You've already done better than many others by getting this far. Tomorrow, just answer truthfully and deal with His Majesty's questions."

Upon hearing this, Meng and the other three wore wry smiles but dared not refute it.

In their view, how could they possibly respond to a question from the emperor with a mere perfunctory response?
Since Mr. Ke had spoken, they could only nod in agreement.

Li Tai, standing to the side, couldn't help but raise his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Sir, you said you'd deal with Father, but what if Father finds out...?"

"Isn't it nothing?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wen He reached out and flicked him on the forehead. The force wasn't great, but it was enough to make Li Tai grimace.

"Eat your food!"

"that is!"

Wenrou immediately put down her chopsticks, glared angrily at Li Tai, and clenched her little fists tightly.

"If you dare bully my brother, I'll beat you up!"

Li Tai covered his head and said aggrievedly, "He's the one who bullied me! Xiao Rou, how can you not distinguish right from wrong!"

"He is my elder brother!"

She smiled gently, her eyes crinkling, and she spoke with righteous indignation.

"Whatever my brother does is right!"

Li Tai pouted and muttered resentfully, "Then I can be your elder brother too! I am the Prince of Wei!"

"Eat your steamed buns, King Wei."

Wen He glared at him irritably, then picked up a piece of steamed bun and stuffed it into his bowl.

Li Tai immediately became obedient, not only because of Wen He's gaze, but also because of Li Ke sitting next to Wen Rou.

Before he knew it, Li Ke had put down his chopsticks and was staring at him with a cold gaze. His eyes were just like his father's usual sternness, which made him feel inexplicably scared.

Breakfast ended in this noisy yet warm atmosphere. Wen He wiped her mouth, stood up, and said to Meng Zhou and the others.

"Let's go, the palace gates will close soon if we stay any longer."

The three of them quickly got up and followed Wen He out. Just as they reached the gate of the mansion, they saw Zhou Fu rushing over, holding a note in his hand.

"Young master, wait a moment."

Zhou Fu stepped forward quickly and bowed.

"It was a message sent by Master Sun of Jishi Academy, saying that the academy will be completed in five days and he specially invited the young master to come and inspect it at that time."

"Oh? That's faster than I expected."

Wen He was somewhat surprised, as he had originally thought it would take at least another half month to complete. "Once the school is built, we can post notices to recruit students. We will recruit one hundred children from poor families, regardless of gender, aged fifteen to twenty. Tuition will be free, and the school will also provide writing materials."

He pondered for a moment, then said to Zhou Fu, "Send someone to the school again to invite Master Sun back. He's been keeping an eye on the construction site all this time. He's clearly a doctor, but he's become a contractor. He should take a break. Let the craftsmen do the finishing work according to the blueprints. If there are any problems, come to me."

This Taoist priest, Mr. Sun, was still worried and insisted on going to supervise the construction.

However, while he was there, the craftsmen did indeed become much more proactive in their work.

Whenever anyone in their family suffered from a headache or fever, Sun Simiao would provide them with free medical care.

Many people now call him Immortal Sun.

Although Zhou Fu had never heard of the term "contractor," he understood that Wen He was concerned about Master Sun's hard work, so he quickly bowed and replied.

"This old servant will make the arrangements immediately."

Wen He nodded, and without further delay, led Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng onto the carriage that was already waiting at the door.

Once everyone was seated, Qi San shook the reins, and the carriage slowly started moving, heading towards the imperial city.

Inside the carriage, Meng and the other two were still somewhat nervous, constantly going over their prepared responses.

Wen He looked at them, then took out a piece from her sleeve and handed it to the three of them: "Take a look at this. Perhaps it will come in handy today. His Majesty is most concerned about people's livelihood and military affairs. When you answer, try to focus on these two aspects, and you won't go wrong."

The three of them took the paper, and upon closer inspection, their eyes lit up.

"Sir, this..."

"Stop with the 'this, this, this'. Combine what I've told you before with your own understanding. Whether you get recognition or not depends on yourselves."

As the saying goes, the teacher leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you.

If the three of them were destined to have no talent, then Wen He planned to have them become teachers in the future.

Meng and Zhou were deeply moved.

"Thank you sir!"

The three of them thanked her in unison, their hearts filled with warmth and gratitude for Wen He.

"I will never forget your kindness, teacher!"

If the carriage hadn't been so cramped, they would have definitely knelt down before Wen He.

……

Half past dawn, the entire court of civil and military officials stood solemnly in the Taiji Hall.

The vermilion pillars of the hall stood majestically, and the golden brick floor reflected the morning light. The morning drum outside the hall had just ceased when seventeen scholars dressed in blue Confucian robes knelt neatly in the hall, guided by eunuchs.

Since Li Chunfeng had already been appointed as a Junior Attendant, he was not required to participate in this palace examination, thus reducing the original eighteen candidates by one.

Wen He stood among the officials, his gaze sweeping over Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng kneeling in the front row. Seeing that the three looked nervous but had straight backs, he nodded to himself.

The note he gave us just now happened to contain information about the allocation of oxen, so the three of them must have been prepared.

"You are all outstanding talents of our Great Tang Dynasty, selected through the rigorous selection process of the imperial examinations to stand here."

Li Shimin, seated on the dragon throne, spoke in a steady and powerful voice, carrying the majesty of an emperor.

"Today's palace examination will not focus on empty rhetoric, but on practical matters. Now that Shuofang has been newly pacified, the tens of thousands of oxen captured will soon be distributed to villages in various prefectures. I ask you, how do you plan to distribute these oxen equally, so that they can benefit the poor farmers, prevent the powerful from fighting over them, and help our Great Tang to reclaim wasteland and restore people's livelihoods?"

The question immediately fell silent in the hall. The candidates kneeling in the front row shifted their eyes slightly, clearly already pondering their responses.

Wen He stood aside, understanding the situation perfectly.

As expected, Li Er is now most concerned about practical matters concerning people's livelihood.

This question tests administrative ability and also aligns with the current political priorities. Compared to a simple question-and-answer session on classical texts, it reveals the true talent and learning of these individuals.

A moment later, a scholar from Hedong stepped forward first, bowed, and answered.

"Your Majesty, I believe we should follow the ancient system and allocate oxen according to the 'Well-Field System.' Each well consists of nine households, with three oxen allocated to each household. These oxen would be managed by the village head, used together during the farming season, and rotated for feeding during the off-season. This would ensure fairness, uphold the sage's system, and demonstrate the benevolent governance of our Great Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply nodded slightly.

"Hmm, is there anything else to suggest?"

He did not directly deny the scholar's advice.

But everyone present could see that His Majesty did not like it.

Wen He also thought that this person had become stupid from reading too much.

The equal-field system of the Tang Dynasty was a national policy, yet you want to implement the well-field system.

If you hadn't yet entered officialdom, your head would definitely be on your shoulders by now.

Several more candidates stepped forward, some proposing to "allocate according to rank," giving priority to nobles and aristocratic families.

Or they advocate "allocation according to the amount of land," with those who have more land receiving more and those who have less receiving less.

Although the answer was well-reasoned and cited classical texts, it still couldn't escape the topic of books and class, completely ignoring the reality that poor peasants had no land or official rank and needed oxen the most.

Li Shimin's brows furrowed, and his tone grew colder.

“What you all say is all bookish. If we follow the ancient way, wouldn’t a rogue without land not be able to get oxen for plowing? If there are no oxen, how can new fields be cultivated? If we follow the rank system, the powerful and wealthy are already capable of purchasing oxen, and to give them priority in allocation would be contrary to the principle of benefiting the people.”

All the officials lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

The candidates also looked embarrassed, clearly not expecting His Majesty to refute them so bluntly, and for a moment no one dared to step forward.

Just then, Wen He noticed that Wu Sheng quietly raised his head and looked at her nervously.

Wen He met his gaze and slowly nodded, her eyes filled with encouragement.

Upon receiving Wen He's affirmation, Wu Sheng took a deep breath, stood up abruptly from the queue, bowed respectfully, and said in a slightly trembling but remarkably clear voice, "Your Majesty, I have a plan that may solve the problem of oxen distribution."

"You must be Wu Sheng," Li Shimin asked with a smile.

"Your humble servant is Wu Sheng."

Upon hearing his name, many people present deliberately turned their gaze toward Wen He.

Noticing the gazes of those people, Wen He deliberately puffed out her chest.

He's my student, so what!

Go ahead and bite me!
Li Shimin also noticed Wen He's subtle actions and chuckled to himself.

He then looked up at Wu Sheng and softened his tone: "Speak freely."

"I believe that the distribution of oxen should not be bound by ancient methods, nor should it be based on rank or land ownership. Instead, the number should be determined according to the village, the number of households, and the population."

Wu Sheng composed himself and continued.

"For example, if a village has 100 households and 500 people, it will be equipped with 50 oxen. The village chief and the villagers will jointly select three 'ox leaders' to be responsible for the feeding and scheduling of the oxen. During the busy farming season, the oxen will be assigned according to the amount of land each household has. Those with more land will be assigned more oxen, and those with less land will be assigned less oxen. Even vagrants without land can help the 'ox leaders' feed the oxen in exchange for the right to use the oxen. During the off-season, the 'ox leaders' need to lead the villagers to cut grass for the oxen and repair the cattle shed. If the oxen get sick, the whole village will contribute money for medicine to treat them."

The "hooligan" he referred to was not the same as the hooligans of later generations.

A hooligan is someone who has no land, no house, and no property.

These are what are known as unemployed vagrants.

He paused and added.

"In this way, hooligans can use the oxen, villagers can work together to protect them, and powerful people cannot monopolize them. After all, the oxen are for the use of the whole village. If the village chief and the 'ox chief' dare to favor the powerful, the villagers can jointly report to the state and county to remove them and hold a new election. I come from the countryside and know the power of villagers working together. Although this method has no ancient laws to follow, it is the most in line with the realities of the people."

It's like the tractors used in the early days of the People's Republic of China.

In some places, a township might only have two or three tractors.

The dozens or even hundreds of production teams in the whole township must collectively maintain and service the tractors.

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

All the officials showed expressions of surprise.

All the previous candidates spoke of ancient methods, but only Wu Sheng broke free from the books, and his method was indeed flawless.

only……

What about their interests?

If all these cattle were given to those lowly people...

They will get nothing.

Among the officials, some were eager to try, and many wanted to stand up and oppose it.

Just then, Li Shimin suddenly slapped the armrest of the dragon throne, his face showing great joy.

"it is good!"

“Your method does not follow ancient methods, but it is in line with people’s livelihood; it does not talk about abstract theories, but it can solve practical problems.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Wen He, who was standing among the officials, his tone full of approval.

"Wen Jiaying, you really know how to teach students. You're a great teacher!"

Li Shimin knew that Wu Sheng certainly did not have such insight.

Without a doubt, it must have been Professor Wen He who taught him.

The officials' gazes instantly focused on Wen He, their expressions complex.

Those who had just come up with the idea all shrank back.

Interests are important.

But life is more important.

Not to mention that this person is a disciple of that Hundred Riders Demon Star.

Based on what Wu Sheng said, it's obvious without even guessing that it must have been Wen He who said it.

If they were to go out and object now, they fear that a hundred horsemen would kick down their mansion gates tomorrow.

Those people quickly averted their gaze.

Oh well, at worst we can just buy them directly from the soldiers at the front lines later.

It's not worth offending Wen He, that jinx.

Hearing Li Shimin's praise, Wen He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and grinned.

“Your Majesty is too kind. Wu Sheng’s insight is all thanks to Your Majesty’s wisdom in opening the doors of the imperial examinations to give students from humble backgrounds the opportunity to display their talents. It is also due to Wu Sheng’s own diligence and keen observation of the people’s suffering. I merely offered him some guidance when he was confused and did some insignificant things. I am really not worthy of Your Majesty’s praise.”

"You're getting more and more glib."

Li Shimin chuckled and scolded, but there was no blame in his tone; instead, it carried a hint of intimacy.

"However, what you said makes some sense. The imperial examination is meant to select talented people who can get things done, not pedantic scholars who only know how to read the classics. Wu Sheng, I will reward you with five bolts of silk and one hundred strings of cash. After the palace examination, I will appoint you as a county magistrate of the ninth rank and send you to Yongzhou to take up your post. I will test your 'oxen distribution method' in Yongzhou. If it is effective, it will be promoted to the whole country!"

Wu was dumbfounded.

He stood there stunned for a while until Gao Yue on the imperial steps called out, "County Magistrate Wu, why haven't you accepted the imperial decree and expressed your gratitude?"

Wu Sheng then realized what was happening.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

Surprised and delighted, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, his voice choked with emotion.

He never imagined that he, a man from a humble background, would be so highly regarded by His Majesty.

This is all thanks to you, sir!
Father and Mother, your child has made something of himself!
If he weren't still inside the Taiji Hall, he would definitely go and hug Wen He and cry his heart out.

Li Shimin looked at the scene in the hall and felt increasingly pleased. He then looked at the remaining candidates and said loudly.

"Next, I will ask the second question. Shuofang has just been pacified, and there are many displaced people. How should we settle these displaced people so that they can live in peace and the Tang Dynasty can increase its tax revenue? You may speak frankly and without restraint!"

The atmosphere in the hall became lively again, and the candidates gradually relaxed and began to seriously consider their answers.

Wen He stepped back into the ranks of the officials, her gaze falling on Meng Zhou and Zhao Lei. Seeing their bright eyes, she realized they were clearly prepared, and she couldn't help but smile.

(End of this chapter)