Don't be a prince

Hahahaha!

Li Shimin laughed unceasingly, stretched out his hand and patted Li Chengqian on the shoulder, and said triumphantly: "Your analysis is very correct, that's what I think. Those who are driven by big profits don't care about petty profits. Come on, Minister of the Xuanbing Department Du Ruhui will see you."

Since there are foreign ministers who want to enter, Li Chengqian can only retreat behind the scenes, and the prince will belong to the prince. In fact, his current age is not qualified to participate in the government.

Not long after, Du Ruhui signed up.

Unlike last year, this year's Du Ruhui doesn't look sick at all.It was precisely because of his return that Li Xiaogong handed over the position of Minister of the Ministry of War again.Above the imperial court, Shangshu Pushe and Zhongshu Ling are the most powerful. Although the six Shangshu are equally high-ranking, they are the ones who change most frequently.

The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Officials, and the Ministry of Households are the three most important departments, so those who are responsible for these three ministers must be the emperor's close ministers.

Seeing that Du Ruhui walked squarely and squarely, Li Shimin smiled and said, "Aiqing suffers from lung disease. Although I have the support of the community, I can't bear to see Aiqing coughing up blood. Seeing that you have recovered now, I can't bear it." It's reassuring."

After Du Ruhui thanked the emperor for his concern, he said: "It's because of my luck. This lung disease has tortured the old minister for many years. Fortunately, Dr. Sun rescued me and I was able to leave the sick bed. Your Majesty urgently invites the old minister to come, but there is a need. thing?"

Li Chengqian watched helplessly as Li Shimin erased the imprint of Baiqisi on the document before handing over the information to Du Ruhui.

Fang Mou's judgment means that Fang Xuanling's strategy is superb, and Du Ruhui's ability to judge is extraordinary.Even the Xuanwu Gate incident was Du Ruhui's decision.

After carefully reading the battle report, Du Ruhui frowned, and after thinking for a long time, he asked, "Your Majesty, you called the old minister into the palace for a private meeting today, but are you hesitant?"

Li Shimin shook his head: "It's not hesitation, and no matter whether the conflict between Jieli and Tuli is true or not, it is impossible for me to send troops to the north. I asked you to come here, just want to ask, if there is a civil war between Jieli and Tuli, what will we do?" Is it appropriate for Tang to send troops? Jieli has a covenant with us, and Tuli has also sworn to me, if we send troops, I am afraid that I will be accused of treachery."

Du Ruhui said solemnly: "Your Majesty, the Yi and Di don't keep faith. Although my Tang Dynasty kept the covenant, they often broke the covenant. Now they are in civil strife, so it can be said that they are asking for their own destruction. They should stop and accept the chaos instead. My minister thinks it's fine." I, Datang, don't plan to send troops in the near future, so I shouldn't ignore this matter!"

Li Shimin thought about it, and felt that it would be better to float near the bait.There are too many fish in this land, if you don't guard it early, who knows who will catch it away.

"Since that's the case, I ordered General Zhou Fan to station in Taiyuan to prepare for the war, and to pay close attention to the movements of Jieli and Tuli. If these two people are indeed engaged in a civil war, we Tang Dynasty fisherman can't even have a boat ready."

"The minister takes orders!"

Seeing Du Ruhui striding away, Li Chengqian behind the scenes couldn't help but smacked his lips.

It seems that his own appearance has disturbed the original rhythm of history after all.Du Ruhui was supposed to be suffering from lung disease, but he died in the fourth year of Zhenguan.But looking at him now, let alone two years, even if it is 20 years, he is still alive!

Chapter 163 Opening the Academy

Du Ruhui is only in his early forties, even if this is the age when the average lifespan is short, if it is not for the infestation of diseases, it is really not a problem to live another 20 years.

But Li Gang is different. If you are over [-], you have reached the gate of the Palace of the King of Hell, and you can get in at any time.

It is precisely because of the fear of death that Li Gang lives more and more like a child.

With the advent of a wheelchair, he no longer has to sit and lie down because of leg problems.Especially after the supervisor made a light carriage pulled by a calf according to the prince's drawings, the old man couldn't sit still anymore.

Except for a lesson in the morning for the disciples of the honored nobles, they will basically not stay in the East Palace for the rest of the time.

Which prince always leaves the palace when he is underage?Only Li Chengqian.

Several speech officials saw the prince haunting the city of Chang'an several times, but they couldn't hold back and read another book.Among them, Luo Qiuzheng, Huang Gui and Wu Qingfeng were naturally eager to make contributions.

A letter to the nine heavens in the morning, and eight thousand in Chaoyang Road in the evening.It is about the emperor's right to dispose of courtiers, which is almost absolute.The memorial was only handed in in the morning, and in the afternoon, the three of them started to pack up and salute, ready to take up their posts in the corner of the Tang Dynasty.

Today is the day for the imperial court to offer sacrifices to the heavens. As the winner of the Little Golden Man Award, Li Shimin, why wouldn't he make some fuss by offering sacrifices to the heavens.

After sacrificing to heaven and issuing an edict of sinning himself, he randomly pinched two locusts on the ground and cursed: "The people eat crops. Now you eat crops, which means killing the people. If I am guilty, you will eat them." My darling, don't eat the food of the common people."

Seeing that the emperor wanted to eat locusts, all the officials were frightened and advised him.These days, under the leadership of Sun Simiao, the Taoist priests of Laojunguan have been publicizing the methods of preventing the epidemic.The most important thing is not to eat locusts.According to his old man's words, locusts take off from the swamp, and there are many dead things in the swamp. They feed on locusts and are very easy to get sick.

Under the strong persuasion of the officials, the two locusts still entered the emperor's stomach.

Eating locusts raw is unbearable for individuals.

Although his face was expressionless during the ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven, after returning to the harem, Li Shimin vomited in a daze.Reviewing the memorial with a pale face, only to see the memorial of impeachment of the prince by the officials, how can we not make people angry?

What happened when the prince left the palace?In Li Shimin's opinion, the East Palace did a good job in this locust disaster. Apart from taking care of some orphans, widows, old and weak, the court chose to capture locusts to exchange for food for anyone with hands and feet.It is said that the people are self-sufficient, but as long as the prince's car appears on the street, the people will greet them with praise.

This is a great thing, the prince is also a member of the royal family.It has only been 11 years since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, and the common people have not yet formed a sense of belonging to this dynasty.Numerous examples in history prove that those who win the hearts of the people win the world.As long as it can win the support of the people, Datang will not follow the old path of the Sui Dynasty.

The people are very grateful.

Anyone who is not a fool can see that the crown prince has set a new standard for them.Receiving relief food for no reason is owed to the officials after all, but they can exchange it through hard work, so they don't have this worry.

There are two exchange points in the East Palace, the farm and outside Chang'an City.Some shrewd people found that exchanging dried locusts for grain and meat would always get praise and extra rewards from the county magistrate, so they no longer rushed to exchange them, but drowned and dried them before sending them over.

In this way, the farm does not need to allocate manpower to dry the locusts. Although the two exchange points are crowded, they are still barely able to support them.

However, this balance was broken with the joining of homeless people from other places.

The people in Guanzhong are very strange. Despite the disaster that spread throughout Guanzhong, they just don't want to go to other places.Knowing that Chang'an also suffered heavy losses under the attack of locusts, they still gathered towards Chang'an involuntarily, eager to find some work so as not to starve to death.

Chang'an and Wannian counties took homeless people and gave them a way to exchange food.

Even if the locusts are full of pits and valleys, so many people can't help chasing them all over the mountains and plains.

So when the vagrants from other places also joined the army of catching locusts, for a while, there were no more swarms of locusts taking off around Chang'an City.

"His Royal Highness, exchanging food for locusts is indeed a good way to deal with disasters. But there are only so many locusts. I have heard many people complaining today that there are more people catching locusts than locusts. If this continues, How will we distribute our food?"

Yu Qiusheng is worthy of being an official close to the people. The scorching sun in June turned him from a white-faced scholar into black charcoal hair. His official uniform was covered with sweat stains, and his shoes were also covered with patches.

In the buggy, Li Chengqian and Li Gang sat side by side, listening to Yu Qiusheng's complaints, they couldn't help feeling worried.

The exchange of locusts for food is the most direct means of dealing with this locust plague.However, as soon as the vagrants from other places arrive, the exchange will end. What else can be done?

"Let the people who have already stored enough food in the local area stop first, and help the people from other places to come first. Now the locusts are far from being caught, and they should be able to last for a while. In addition, you have to arrange the residence of the homeless. Well, I just feel that this year the drought will not continue, and there will be heavy rain. You also tell He Shou the same order, so that Wannian County will follow the usual practice."

After asking the prince's order clearly, Yu Qiusheng trotted all the way down to give the order.

This time the locust plague was on such a large scale, he never thought it would have such a small impact.

The people are very peaceful, and I heard that there was no quarrel in the court because of this incident.This is good, this is good.

As long as there is no chaos, no matter how big the disaster is, it will pass.

The so-called buggy is actually similar to the human-powered two-wheeled vehicles of later generations, with at most only a folded roof.

Such a car can be used for transportation in Chang'an, but not for going out of the city.

Yu Tai stubbornly stopped in front of the car, and refused to let the prince go out. If he wanted to go out, he had to take the iron-lined carriage made by the general supervisor.Even this light carriage can only go out if it is surrounded by guards.

It's extremely boring if you can't get out of the city gate.

So at Li Gang's suggestion, Li Chengqian went to Li's Mansion.

Li Anren, the grandson of Li Gang, has returned from his ancestral land to continue his teaching journey.first launch.. ..

Under the thatched hut, there are a group of children guarding the small mound and writing.

As the children of small businessmen and commoners, they couldn't afford a specially made sand table, let alone paper.Every time I finish writing, I have to use a wooden stick to flatten the sand, and then reuse it.

The carriage was parked outside the thatched shed, and the guards were driven behind the carriage so as not to scare the children.

Looking at the serious expressions of the children when they were writing, Li Gang sighed and said, "Everyone talks about a millennium of civilization, but how many can be passed down? Even if our Tang Dynasty has been stable for more than ten years, there are still a few people who can read. ! Kid, guess how many literate people in Tang Dynasty can take up?"

Li Chengqian thought for a while, and then asked tentatively: "Two or three out of a hundred?"

Li Gang shook his head: "Two out of a thousand!"

"so little?"

Li Chengqian almost couldn't suppress his voice, one out of a thousand?Doesn't it mean that there are not many people in the entire East Palace who can read?

"What do you think? This is still the situation near Chang'an. The more remote the place, the more miserable it is. Even in some barren places, the county magistrate may have half a bottle of water. It is difficult to study! You think five surnames and seven Wang Why can they look down on the princes? It is because of their family background, the children in the clan are basically literate, and there are countless scholars. These few families that control the scholars, even in the aristocratic family, occupy half of the country. Otherwise , Why do you think officials with five surnames and seven wangs are always recommended? It’s really because there are few scholars from poor families, and they can’t recruit many if they want to. And scholars from poor families, without other people’s recommendation, it is difficult to enter the officialdom!”

Li Chengqian was shocked. He didn't expect that literacy alone would separate the classes in the Tang Dynasty.

The imperial examination seems to be an avenue opened by the emperor's father to the common people, but it is estimated that it should be a means to deal with the five surnames and seven wangs.If you want to understand the influence of the five surnames on the court, you need to reduce the intensity of recommendation, and try to find people who do not bear the mark of family power from the common people to be officials.

However, this is not enough strength!There are few scholars from poor families, even if the imperial examinations are held, how many choices can they have?

Looking at those children lying on the ground writing, Li Chengqian's heart was full of sadness.

At the beginning, the orphanage he lived in was a small county level. Although he did well in the college entrance examination, he failed to achieve the level of tuition fee reduction. Facing the high tuition fee, he could only choose to retreat.If possible, he still hopes to go to university to study.

Now that I have traveled to Datang, I don't have to worry about my studies, but I can't help but feel emotional when I see these children who have a similar fate to me.

Yu Qiusheng's complaints flashed through his mind, Li Chengqian suddenly had an idea, couldn't help holding the old gentleman's skinny hand and said: "Mr. Li, what do you think, how about my disciple opening a college to teach students from poor families? The East Palace of the disciples is fully responsible, whether it is a student who comes to study or a teacher who teaches, you don't have to worry about money."

Li Gang smiled slightly: "Even if you open an academy, so what? You should know how big our Tang Dynasty is. The masters of the academy will teach them all their lives. If they can teach everyone around Chang'an to read and write, it will be very easy for them to read." Not bad."

Li Chengqian remained silent, but jumped to the ground and asked a guard for a horizontal knife.

Pulling out the horizontal knife and drawing a vertical line on the ground, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Master Li, this is a teacher."

Li Gang nodded. Since this apprentice had given him too many surprises, he simply waited for him to finish explaining to him.

"It shouldn't be a problem for one person to teach ten people. During the enrollment process, we only need to select four people to stay and teach the next batch. In this way, it becomes five gentlemen who teach fifty disciples. "

Unable to draw so many lines, Li Chengqian could only write on the ground with great difficulty.

"When this session is over, there will be 25 gentlemen staying. These 25 gentlemen will be able to teach 250 students. And after these 250 people finish their studies...hehehe."

Li Gang had no time to care about Li Chengqian's smirk, because he didn't need others to do the math for him, he already understood what Li Chengqian meant.

One person can teach so many people even if he works hard.But if people from the society are left as teachers, then the speed of this expansion will only get faster and faster.He may not see him in his lifetime, but in Li Chengqian's lifetime, it is not a dream to take all the children born in the new generation of Datang into the school!

Taking a deep breath, he said: "Since you have this idea, let's try to draft a memorial. The establishment of the academy still needs the approval of the imperial court. If it is as you said, when it develops, the academy's The scale, even the court, must be taken seriously. As long as you can get the approval of the court, the old man can recruit you for your affairs, so you don't need to worry about it!"

Educate the world!

Li Gang smacked his lips, full of anticipation.A person's life can be said to live in regret.When he was a teenager, he was very energetic and always felt that he could be a big responsibility.When he was middle-aged, his temper was as fierce as fire, and he always wanted to leave a name in history.Now that I am old, I realize that I have been doing useless things in the court all my life.

More than 80 years have passed, and the world has not changed much. The only things that have changed are dynasties, emperors, and courts.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Although it seems so far away to educate the world, as long as you do it, you will be able to do it.

The impatient old gentleman immediately urged the guards and Li Chengqian to return to the East Palace.This time, he is also preparing to draft a memorial.

Since the refugee incident, Li Chengqian has gained the right to play.When the news was first announced, many officials advised the emperor to take back the order, but it was Li Shimin who insisted on suppressing it.

A child got a lighter. Although he could press it, he couldn't play around lighting it.Li Chengqian has this self-knowledge.So since the refugee incident, he has not played the performance.The officials praised the prince's silence so much that they forgot about it.

Back in the East Palace study, the old and the young didn't speak, and each started to write.

Li Gang is worthy of being an old fritter who came out of the court. He wrote a great article in just half an hour, and then began to check for mistakes and correct them.

And when he looked up to the opposite side, he found that Li Chengqian had actually finished writing the memorial, and was writing something in plain Chinese at this time. Out of curiosity, he asked a question directly.

"Hey, this is a private letter written by my disciple to my father. Although the court officials will agree with our master and apprentice playing together, in order to increase the success rate, it is better to bring my father over."

Li Gang just thought about it, and he knew what Li Chengqian wrote without looking at the content.

Resignedly pointing at the prince, Li Gang ignored it and continued to revise his article.

It was already night after the revisions were completed and transcribed into this chapter.

The memorials of the master and apprentice were handed over to the eunuch and sent to the Ministry of Education, while the letter written by Li Chengqian was sent directly to the harem by Fang Sheng.

Chapter 164 Finding a Backer

"If anyone who can read is willing to be a teacher, that would be great. I have a good friend who once worked as a teacher teacher, and his wish is to spread knowledge. But the result? The students who are taught, either enter the Big families have become lackeys, or become assistants or staff of businessmen, in short, very few can settle down and continue to coach."

The memorial was sent up as soon as it was sent up, and Li Chengqian had no intention of going to court.

Having been to court twice, you know that the quality of these courtiers is worrying.

The story of Zhuge Liang's tongue-in-cheek battle with Confucianism sounds passionate, but when translated into vernacular it means he quarreled with a large group of old men and won.

After seeing Changsun Wuji's unlucky appearance, Li Chengqian lost interest in going to court.Although he is young, although he is in the position of prince, he is really not afraid of spitting at himself when he is old.

In the court of Zhenguan, the emperor would never prevent his subjects from speaking freely, as long as you think you are reasonable, you can say whatever you want.If you tell others, you will win. Only when the two houses are evenly matched, the emperor will make a decision as an arbitrator.

Difficult to say, no matter which dynasty will be the case.As an arbiter, the emperor can only make decisions to safeguard the interests of the majority or to protect the interests of his own people.

If you don't go to court, you don't need to go out of the palace, so you can only come to Chongwen Hall.

The two exchange points have now expanded to four, and He Shou and Yu Qiusheng are still very capable.

Hearing Yu Shinan's words, Li Gang sighed and said: "The old man doesn't know this, but the reason why these people join other people's command is nothing more than money. The teacher is poor, how can we restrain them. However, since we The college is held by the East Palace, so naturally there is no shortage of money. When the time comes, the teacher's salary will be generous."

After taking a sip of tea, Yu Shinan turned to Li Chengqian, stroked his beard and asked, "Before this old man, I was very curious. How could you have the ability of Tao Zhugong at such a young age? His Majesty promised to ignore the finances of the Eastern Palace, but now he is complaining, who can tell?" Thinking of this locust plague alone, the East Palace can send [-] to [-] copper coins to the treasury?"

Li Chengqian cupped his hands, and said modestly: "Mr. Yu's absurd praise, but it's just a way to buy in the east market and sell in the west market, it's nothing. However, the disciples have some ideas about the academy, why don't we add them up?"

Although Yu Shinan is also a nobleman with a noble title, like Li Gang, he also hopes to spread knowledge to the world.

Hearing that Li Chengqian had an idea, he cupped his hands jokingly: "The old man would like to hear His Highness's opinion."

Li Chengqian smiled, leaned towards the two old gentlemen with a chair, and said: "We want to establish a college, the source of students is not a problem, and Mr. Li said that the problem is not a problem. With me, money is not a problem. But the biggest problem That is, if our academy wants to gain a foothold, we must be vigilant against the deterrence of aristocratic families."