A live-streamed Chinese language lesson under the sky—the ancients were taken aback.

At the same moment, the bright moon in the sky shone on the two Daming Palaces.

The Daming Palace in the 22nd year of the Kaiyuan era.

Li Longji was 49 years old and had been on the throne for 22 years.

He had just appointed Zhang Jiuling as Chancellor, and the government was efficient and the national treasury was full.

The threat from the Turks has been contained, and the Tibetan offensive has been repelled.

At this moment, he sat at his desk reviewing memorials.

On the table lay a document outlining the allocation of border provisions, listing the details of troops, money, and provisions for each town in Longyou, Hexi, Shuofang, Hedong, and Fanyang.

The sky brightened.

This time, Tianmu was about to explain the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. He smiled and tapped his finger lightly on the table.

Is this Li Bai? He had never met this person, but Tianmu mentioned that Li Bai had entered the Hanlin Academy and was eventually granted gold and released.

Looking at the image of Li Bai laughing heartily while holding a wine bowl, he thought to himself: This person certainly doesn't seem like someone who could stay quietly in the Hanlin Academy.

The poem began to appear line by line on the sky, and it was indeed a good poem.

That person, known for speaking without reservation, broke down the poem into fragments and explained it.

It speaks of the economic strength of the Tang Dynasty, the social mobility brought about by the imperial examination system, the spirit of wandering and drinking at Qujiang, and the collective belief of the entire era that "everyone has their own unique talents."

Li Longji leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table to keep time.

He single-handedly created the Kaiyuan Prosperity, he strongly promoted the reforms of Yao Chong and Song Jing's administration, he made the final decision to change the Fubing (府兵) system to a mercenary system, and he approved the expansion of the imperial examination system.

The confidence Tianmu spoke of—the bumper harvest, the prosperity of government-run brewing, the rise of the poor, and the prevalence of wandering—all bore his mark.

He turned to Gao Lishi and said, "This man is right; the Kaiyuan era was indeed as described."

Gao Lishi bowed and agreed.

In the video, the young man named Zhi Wubuyan speaks of the pinnacle of the era.

His voice came down from the sky, his tone steady but his words clear: "After the An Lushan Rebellion, the glorious Tang Dynasty came to an end, and the spiritual essence of Chinese culture gradually shifted towards melancholy, introversion, and restraint."

Li Longji's smile vanished as he stared intently at the sky.

The An Lushan Rebellion? Tianmu doesn't say who started the rebellion, only that it was the "An Lushan Rebellion," and that it marked the end of the Tang Dynasty.

He stared at the four words on the sky, his mind racing.

Are An and Shi surnames? Neither of these surnames is uncommon.

He knew a few people with the surname An and a few with the surname Shi, but Tianmu didn't provide any more clues.

He slowly put down his teacup and turned to look at Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi's face was a little pale, and his lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.

Li Longji then turned to the assembled officials in the palace.

"Your Majesty." Zhang Jiuling stepped out from the procession, holding a ceremonial tablet.

He had a few strands of white hair at his temples, but his back was ramrod straight and his gaze was clear and upright.

Zhang Jiuling's voice was not loud, but every word was steady. "Tianmu only mentioned the two words 'Anshi,' and although we do not know who exactly it refers to, many calamities throughout history have arisen from excessive military power and border generals holding troops. We must be wary of this."

Li Longji looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Issue the decree." His voice was not loud, but every word was firm and clear. "From this day forward, the troops under the jurisdiction of each military governor shall be reviewed annually, and the troop registers shall be reported to the Ministry of War. Military supervisors shall be appointed in the three towns of Fanyang, Pinglu, and Hedong, and shall be selected by the Inner Palace Secretariat."

He paused, picked up the border defense grain and fodder allocation document on the table, and added a line at the end: "When border generals are in charge of military operations, their power should not be too great. If they are allowed to stay in one place for too long, it will inevitably lead to hidden dangers."

He handed the document to Gao Lishi: "Send this out to the Ministry of War for further discussion. Also, send Wang Zhongsi back to the capital to report on his duties; I want to see him."

Wang Zhongsi was his adopted son and also his most trusted young general.

Tianmu said that the Tang Dynasty would be destroyed by a rebellion, so he placed his most trusted general in the central government.

In the future, no matter which side causes trouble, the imperial court will have a core force that can be mobilized immediately.

The officials accepted the decree without objection.

-

Daming Palace in the fourteenth year of Tianbao

Li Longji was seventy-one years old and reigned as emperor for forty-three years.

Zhang Jiuling has long been dismissed from his post as prime minister, and Li Linfu is also dead. Now Yang Guozhong is in power.

He had just finished soaking in the hot springs at Huaqing Palace and was still feeling a bit lazy when he returned to the palace.

He was already used to the celestial screen; it would light up every now and then and talk about all sorts of random things, which he just listened to for the sake of entertainment.

Li Bai, the one whom he bestowed gold upon and released.

Tianmu said his poems were excellent, and that he was a "poet immortal."

Li Longji thought it was indeed good, and he can still hum that song "Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of faces" to this day.

On the sky, Zhiwubuyan began to speak of the confidence that made the Tang Dynasty so prosperous.

A smug smile appeared on Li Longji's lips.

The Kaiyuan Era was his achievement; the phrase "the sky praises the prosperous Tang Dynasty" is a compliment to him.

Gao Lishi chimed in, "Your Majesty, the heavens are praising you again."

Li Longji smiled and waved his hand, pointing to the Qujiang Flowing Wine scene on the screen: "This scene is quite lively. I will hold one myself another day, and call it... Tianbao Flowing Wine."

Gao Lishi laughed and said, "Your Majesty has a good idea. This old servant will write it down."

The hall was warm and cozy, with the charcoal fire burning brightly, and the palace servants quietly served fresh tea.

Then Tianmu mentioned that after Li Bai was granted gold and released, he did not wallow in self-pity, saying that his self-worth never needed to be defined by the emperor or official position. Li Longji's smile faded for a moment.

This made him a little uncomfortable.

"This man may be aloof, but I acknowledge his poetry; as for other things..."

He didn't finish speaking, and Gao Lishi didn't dare to respond.

"After the An Lushan Rebellion, the glorious Tang Dynasty came to an end."

Li Longji was holding a teacup when he paused, causing the tea to ripple slightly.

But he quickly regained his composure and placed the teacup back steadily on the table.

Gao Lishi glanced at him cautiously.

Li Longji noticed his gaze and smiled slightly: "Li Shi, why are you staring at me so much today?"

Gao Lishi said, "This old servant...this old servant is worried that Your Majesty will be upset by what Tianmu said."

Li Longji waved his hand: "What's there to worry about? Are you suggesting that 'An' refers to An Lushan? An Lushan is extremely loyal, and I have treated him well. What right does he have to rebel?"

His tone was nonchalant, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. "Tianmu also said that there is a yield of twenty shi of grain per mu. Is that possible? You can't believe everything Tianmu says."

He continued speaking frankly, saying that "Bring in the Wine" is a literary fossil of the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, that such poems could no longer be written after the An Lushan Rebellion, and that the underlying tone of later poets became melancholic and introverted.

Li Longji leaned back on his throne, listening intently, and suddenly laughed.

"This man is quite the writer. The pinnacle of the era, indeed. Whether future generations can reach my heights is a matter for future generations to decide."

He turned to Gao Lishi and asked, "How's the investigation going on about Yang Guozhong's claim that An Lushan is keeping a private army?"

Gao Lishi cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, we have investigated. An Lushan said it was to raise horses to replenish the army's horse losses, and the troop registers did not overreport."

Li Longji nodded: "That's right. I know An Lushan well. He's a barbarian, and to be able to become the military governor of three towns under my command is already an immense honor. What more could he possibly want?"

The author, Zhi Wubuyan, reached the pinnacle of his work, stating that only Li Bai could be considered a poetic genius, and that neither Du Fu nor Wang Wei could write such a work.

Upon hearing Wang Wei's name, Li Longji suddenly remembered something: "By the way, where is Wang Wei? I haven't seen him in a long time. I also like his poems; they are very simple and elegant, just like the man himself."

Gao Lishi said that Wang Youcheng was recuperating in Zhongnan Mountain.

Li Longji nodded: "Send someone to deliver some medicinal herbs. I can use a talent like Wang Wei."