Divine Tang Era

He didn't know what to say, so after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Have you heard of the heroic legends of the Sui and Tang dynasties?"

"What hero?"

"Figures such as Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde, and Cheng Yaojin."

"These founding heroes are naturally household names. Are you talking about them?" Li Zhu asked.

"It's related to them."

Xu Dan said, "I was reading through history books recently, and what I saw sparked an idea in me. I'm planning to combine the figures from the late Sui Dynasty and the founding of the Tang Dynasty, along with some fictional characters, to write a legendary tale that blends official and unofficial history. I think it should be quite exciting. I've already finished the concept, but I'm worried that since it involves the founding emperors, some military generals, and powerful families, will anyone cause trouble?"

"You! It's okay that you're small, but you're also so timid."

"If they wanted to cause you trouble, they would have done it long ago. Why would they wait until now? You know, you wrote three tales of the Xue family, didn't you?" Li Zhu tapped Xu Dan's head with her fan.

"I'm just saying it here with you guys, it won't get out of here, what am I afraid of? Surely none of you will spread the legend I'm telling you?"

Upon hearing his words, Li Zhu exchanged an awkward glance with Zhu Yuxian. These people were none other than them.

Fearing Xu Dan might give her away, she quickly changed the subject, "You don't need to worry about them causing you trouble. Hundreds of years have passed; those people from back then are long gone, their families and clans have either declined or fallen into ruin. Those who stood out have long been buried under the iron hooves of the imperial court. If you can speak for them and bring them back into the public eye, their descendants might even thank you. Besides, what are you afraid of? With your older sister and Xian'er protecting you, who would dare to cause trouble?"

Xu Dan glanced at it and thought that only the magnanimous Master Li Zhu of Mingfeng Tower could handle it; Sister Xian'er would be in trouble.

With her assurance, Xu Dan felt much more at ease.

He believed that in this desolate land, the two of them, if not ruling the world, at least wielded considerable influence; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to become the owners of a building in this remote region. Didn't you see that the building's name contained the character for "phoenix," and it faced the Yinlong Pavilion, located right next to the county government office?

Rumors suggest that both have royal connections, a claim he largely agrees with.

If it weren't for having connections, they wouldn't dare to be so arrogant.

Throughout the Tang Dynasty, apart from the relatively lenient treatment of powerful clans by Li Yuan and Li Shimin at the founding of the dynasty, subsequent emperors, starting with Wu Zetian, almost every generation consistently suppressed these powerful families. This was unavoidable; anyone with a modicum of sense would have done so. Otherwise, allowing them to continue developing would inevitably have led to a repeat of the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Besides, if they don't suppress it, the emperor will lose face.

In the 12th year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, ordered Gao Shilian, Minister of Personnel, Wei Ting, Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Cen Wenben, Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and others to compile the "Records of Aristocratic Clans." However, Gao Shilian and his colleagues listed Cui Mingan, from the second branch of the Boling Cui clan, as a first-class aristocratic family. The fact that the Longxi Li clan, a member of the imperial family and wielding power, was ranked third was intolerable to him. He immediately ordered the corrections, placing the Li clan first.

Any emperor would not have tolerated this, but Li Shimin did, which sowed the seeds of future trouble for powerful clans.

Subsequently, from the reign of Emperor Taizong to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, several emperors revised the "Records of Aristocratic Clans" four times, and tried their best to suppress the prestige of powerful clans such as the "Five Surnames and Seven Families".

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, an edict prohibiting marriage was even issued: "The edict forbids marriage among the following seven surnames and ten families: Li Bao of Longxi of the Later Wei Dynasty, Wang Qiong of Taiyuan, Zheng Wen of Xingyang, Lu Ziqian, Lu Hun, and Lu Fu of Fanyang, Cui Zongbo and Cui Yuansun of Qinghe, Cui Yi of Boling of the Former Yan Dynasty, and Li Kai of Zhaojun of the Jin Dynasty."

Although the edict banning marriage had little effect, it did make some people see the crisis and start moving south, leading to the prosperity of some southern regions.

During the late Tang Dynasty, Emperor Wenzong wanted to arrange a marriage for his crown prince with the granddaughter of Prime Minister Zheng Tan, who came from the Zheng family of Xingyang. However, Zheng Tan refused outright. What was even more infuriating was that not long after, Zheng Tan married his granddaughter off to Cui Gao, a low-ranking official, simply because Cui Gao came from the Cui family of Qinghe.

The history of the Divine Tang Dynasty was largely the same as that of the Great Tang Dynasty, and the practices towards aristocratic families were exactly the same, so the aristocratic families did not have an easy time.

Now that the royal family holds absolute power, the situation where emperors could not obtain the daughters of noble families or marry princesses as in the past will never happen again.

Now they can only bow down and submit; those who stand out are already rotten.

This is one of the reasons why Li Zhu speaks with such confidence; if it were during the heyday of powerful clans, she might not have dared to say such a thing. Of course, with her powerful background, protecting someone as insignificant as Xu Dan wouldn't be too difficult.

Xu Dan collected his thoughts, had the maid set out the table and chairs he had used for the storytelling last time, and then went over.

With a slam of the gavel, he fanned himself slightly and said, "It is said that Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty was originally from Huayin in Hongnong. His childhood name was Naluoyan. His father, Yang Zhong, was enfeoffed as Duke of Sui for his military achievements..."

He stopped abruptly at this point.

Because the Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties tells stories from the Sui and Tang periods, it involves a great many characters and plots, making it a very thick book. It's hard to say when it will ever end.

Although he didn't remember everything, even just recounting the general plot would take a long time. Besides, with so many people involved, what if someone felt he was blaspheming his ancestors and sued him for defamation? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

After thinking about it, Xu Dan decided to change the book and tell the story of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty.

This book features relatively few characters but is very engaging, making it suitable for the world of Divine Tang.

In a flash, Xu Dan spoke up: "Ladies and gentlemen, the legend we are going to talk about today is called 'The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty'. The beginning was too old-fashioned and boring, so let's change it up and let me tell you the story from the beginning."

He picked up the gavel, struck it down, lightly waved his feather fan, and slowly said:

"At the moment of transition between the sun and moon, when the world is at its darkest and most yin, five giant ships cut through the waves from afar on the canal."

The colossal ships, named the Five-Toothed Warships, were personally supervised by Yang Su, a minister who founded the Sui Dynasty and has since passed away. Each ship had five decks, reaching a height of twelve zhang (approximately 63 meters), and could accommodate over eight hundred soldiers. At this moment, the five giant ships, their five masts and sails billowing, sailed like galloping horses down the Grand Canal towards Jiangdu.

Yuwen Huaji stood atop the warship, gazing into the distance.

The dim stars and moon in the sky seemed to foreshadow the rise of the Yuwen clan and the decline of the southern gentry.

Yuwen Huaji was about thirty years old. He was tall and thin, with long arms and legs, an ancient and weathered face, and a cold expression. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, ruthless and merciless, yet also possessed a domineering aura that intimidated people...

On the stage, Xu Dan gently waved his feather fan and recounted the story of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Zhu smiled slightly. This little thing looks quite cute.

For a moment, everyone in the room was captivated by the bizarre and fantastical story Xu Dan was telling.

The Tang Dynasty was founded on martial arts, and the martial arts-themed "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" resonated more with its audience, making it easier for them to connect with the story. As it turns out, Xu Dan's choice was correct; had he chosen "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," the women might not have been so engrossed.

Even though he likes it, Xu Dan plans to stop telling stories about the Tang Dynasty after finishing the Legend of the Twin Dragons.

After all, their descendants are still alive. If they think I didn't tell the story well, they might cause me trouble, and I'd be finished. Although I have Li Zhu and Zhu Yu Xian protecting me, how long can they protect me? Not only can I not tell stories from the Tang Dynasty, but I also can't talk about anything involving the imperial court or government.

In this feudal era, it's not uncommon for some people to make a mountain out of a molehill, call a deer a horse, and distort the story.

In the future, it would be better to break away from time and space and tell some fantasy stories without dynasties.

This lecture lasted for more than ten days.

Xu Dan always went there after his afternoon nap, usually speaking for one or two hours, spending the rest of the time cultivating. After finishing his lecture, he would use the excuse of needing to conceive his next legendary work to avoid going to Mingfeng Tower again.