The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Inside the imperial court, everyone wore different expressions.

Chen Huai'an's words were undoubtedly a provocation.

A blatant provocation!

When he was surrounded and attacked, he had a flash of inspiration and thought of papermaking. He then sent craftsmen to make it overnight.

Do you, Chen Huai'an, even believe what you're saying?

How could a new papermaking technique be created from scratch in just one night?

Of course, these little things are not important at all. What is important is... whether the papermaking technique is real?

Wei Zheng hurriedly asked, "Lord Chen, is the papermaking technique you mentioned us usable now?"

"Of course!" Chen Huai'an said loudly, "As I've already said, I have to thank those who sent people to kill me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to come up with the papermaking technique!"

"I have brought the finished paper with me, please take a look!"

As he spoke, Chen Huai'an took out a large stack of papers, which were first presented to Li Shimin by the eunuchs, and then distributed to each of the civil and military officials.

Fang Xuanling touched the paper and nodded repeatedly: "This paper is indeed different from the paper of the past. It is much finer and doesn't feel rough to the touch."

Changsun Wuji took another sniff: "It has a delicate fragrance. If what Duke Anguo said is true, this is truly a blessing for our Great Tang Dynasty."

Of course, they were happy, but many others were not.

Cui Xuan, the Vice Minister of Rites, took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, this paper is not a blessing for our Great Tang Dynasty, but rather the beginning of chaos and turmoil!"

"Hmm," Li Shimin said coldly, "What are your thoughts, Minister Cui?"

"Your Majesty," Cui Xuan said in a deep voice, "what are the duties of the Ministry of Works? They are in charge of all crafts, agricultural settlements, and policies concerning mountains and rivers throughout the nation. And as the Minister of Works, the Duke of Anguo's duty is to oversee all policies related to artisans, agricultural settlements, and mountains and rivers within the entire Tang Dynasty, and to supervise their implementation!"

"But what did the Duke of Anguo do? He kept coming up with all sorts of strange and ingenious skills, which seemed to benefit the country and the people, but in reality, they were all competing with the people for profit, ruining the reputation of the court, and destroying the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

According to records, Emperor Wu of Han insisted on the state monopolizing industries such as coinage and iron smelting. Dong Zhongshu criticized Emperor Wu of Han for this, believing that it was competing with the people for profit.

"We are all officials appointed by the imperial court. We should not use our power to enter private businesses and compete with the people for profit. This in itself is a form of self-restraint, reminding those in power to stay within their bounds and not compete with the people for food!"

"Now... now they've come up with this papermaking thing." Cui Xuan sneered, "But Your Majesty, please think carefully. There are rules about who should use what. Clothes have ranks, and books are the same!"

"The Duke of Anguo's act of producing this item may seem to lower the cost of books and make them more affordable for more people, but what kind of behavior is this?"

"Once they understand the principles, they will have their own ideas; once they have their own ideas, they will nitpick the policies of the court."

"Confucius said, 'The people can be made to follow a path, but they cannot be made to understand it.' This is the same principle. It is easier to govern a people who are ignorant, but it will inevitably lead to chaos if they are enlightened!"

As soon as Cui Xuan finished speaking, several voices of agreement immediately rang out in the hall.

Several mid-level officials from prominent families stepped forward and echoed Cui Xuan's sentiments, creating an imposing atmosphere.

Chen Huai'an turned around, meeting Cui Xuan's cold gaze, his lips barely moving: "I'll fuck your mother!"

Cui Xuan: ?

"you......"

"What do you mean, 'you'?" Chen Huai'an immediately interrupted, "What are you referring to as 'strange skills and ingenious tricks'?"

"Salt production is to ensure that the people of the world can afford to eat salt at a reasonable price, so that they will not suffer from salt shortages due to high prices; papermaking is to enable more people to afford to read and write, so that our Great Tang Dynasty can continuously produce talented individuals and those skilled in governing the country!"

"These are all fundamental matters of people's livelihood and important issues of education. How did they become mere frivolous skills in Vice Minister Cui's mouth?"

"The paper consumption for official documents and county schools is enormous, placing a heavy burden on local governments. Improving papermaking to reduce the people's burden and promote education has been turned into a strange and ingenious skill in Cui's mouth?"

"Minister Cui keeps talking about 'fixed social hierarchy,' as if the common people are born to be unable to afford education or good things, and to live a life of hardship according to ancestral rules. I would like to ask, since ancient times, when has any dynasty had such a rule? When did our Great Tang Dynasty have such a rule?"

"Is this the rule of the imperial court, or your rule, Minister Cui?!"

Chen Huai'an's last sentence was clearly pointed, and Cui Xuan's expression changed slightly.

Chen Huai'an immediately took the moral high ground, catching him off guard.

However, Cui Xuan was already prepared and opened his mouth to speak: "Duke Anguo, what you mean by that..."

"What I said is absolutely right!" Chen Huai'an interrupted again sharply. "You say I'm competing with the people for profit? I'd like to ask, whose profit am I competing for?"

"How much did a sheet of paper cost back then? For ordinary families, a single book could be worth half a year's harvest. Let alone reading, they couldn't even afford paper. And who sold this paper? And who sold these books?"

"The common people?"

"Did I ultimately seek the benefit of the people, or the benefit of you, Minister Cui?!"

"Ha...cough cough..." Li Shimin almost laughed out loud, and hurriedly coughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment and try to remain calm.

The other officials also had different expressions and remained silent.

Cui Xuan's face turned ashen: "You're slandering me! I'm only acting in the best interests of the court and the nation!"

"For the sake of the nation?" Chen Huai'an sneered, glancing at all the aristocratic officials in the hall, and said loudly, "What a fine 'for the sake of the nation'! Then let's talk about the words of Confucius that you always quote."

"Minister Cui, you are well-versed in literature; surely you wouldn't take the words of the sages out of context? 'The people may be made to follow a path, but they may not be made to understand it.' Do you really think the sages were teaching future generations to keep the people ignorant?"

Chen Huai'an enunciated clearly: "The sage's original intention was, 'If the people are capable, let them follow; if they are not, let them understand!'"

"If the people approve of a policy, let them implement it; if they do not understand or approve of it, educate them and help them understand the reasons behind it. This is the benevolent heart of a sage!"

"In your mouth, it has become an excuse to fool the people, Minister Cui. Have you misunderstood the classics, or are you deliberately distorting their words!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

Wei Zheng raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and bowed: "Your Majesty, I believe that what the Duke of Anguo said is reasonable. The sages wrote books and established doctrines precisely to educate the people. There has never been a reason for 'not to let people know'."

"If the people are all ignorant and foolish, who will farm and weave, who will serve the country? How can the Tang Dynasty be expected to be strong and prosperous?"

Fang Xuanling also nodded and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, with the widespread availability of paper, education is easier to implement, and children from poor families have the opportunity to study. Only in this way can we broaden the path to talent and select capable individuals for the court."

"This is a good thing that will benefit future generations, and certainly not the disaster that Minister Cui speaks of!"

Chen Huai'an looked at Cui Xuan, whose face was grim, and said meaningfully, "I heard that Minister Cui comes from the prestigious Cui family and received family education from a young age, yet Minister Cui has so distorted the Emperor's intentions..."

"Does this mean... the Cui family's teachings are flawed? That their understanding... is wrong?"

"......"