Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 635: Tang Dynasty Splendor
In the 16th year of Zhengxing, Wang Changling, who was then the Secretary General, Academician of Jixian Academy and Director of Newspapers and Periodicals, submitted a letter of retirement.

He was seventy-nine years old this year. He felt that he had been immersed in writing for most of his life, and that as literary style became more and more prosperous, it was not appropriate for an old man like him, with his dim eyes and heavy brain, to continue to run the newspaper. He wanted to resign and return to Mount Song, where he had studied Taoism in his youth, to take a look around.

In late spring in March, Crown Prince Li Zuo, as a disciple, led Wang Changling's horse and held the reins, and escorted him to Ba Ling.

Li Zuo had many teachers. Although Wang Changling only taught him poetry and prose, the relationship between master and apprentice was very deep.

Seeing that Li Zuo was reluctant to leave, Wang Changling said with a smile: "Your Highness shoulders a heavy responsibility, so you should not act like a child. Before we leave, I have a gift for you."

"Teacher, what is it?"

"Your Highness will know after some time."

After saying this, Wang Changling brushed off the worldly dust on his body, got on the carriage, and headed towards the rising sun along the wide and flat road.

~~
At the same time, in Shaolingyuan, Du’s house.

Du Wulang knocked on the door and walked into the study, only to see Du Youlin wearing a pair of reading glasses on his nose and holding a pencil in his hand, writing something.

"Is Grandpa writing an anthology again?"

"This time I am writing the collection of Wang Changling's works." Du Youlin said.

Du Wulang couldn't help but worry and said, "Master, you should do what you can and don't offend the prince."

Although this was not a very respectful statement, many literati did think that his grandfather's poetic talent was mediocre and that he only became a prime minister because of luck.

As expected, Du Youlin immediately shouted angrily, "What are you talking about? It was my brother Wang who came to my house in person and asked me to annotate his poetry collection."

"Why?" Du Wulang was quite puzzled.

"It is because I wrote the annotations well."

After hearing this, Du Wulang raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously not believing it.

Du Youlin was quite annoyed that his unlearned son could look down on his talent. He snorted coldly, too lazy to say more to him, and got down to business.

"I'm calling you here because of the marriage between His Highness and A-Ju."

"Marriage?" Du Wulang said, "Who said that Ah Ju is going to marry Your Highness? I haven't agreed to this yet. Even the current emperor has said in person that he respects my opinion on this matter!"

When he mentioned this topic, he became a little excited and raised his voice, showing his rare momentum.

Xue Bai had indeed asked him privately about this marriage, and when he was rejected, Xue Bai said that he would not interfere and let Li Zuo find a way to impress him himself.

"I promised!"

Du Youlin said in a louder voice, "Brother Changling has come in person to propose marriage for my disciple. I have already accepted the betrothal gifts..."

"Why did Grandpa push Ah Ju into the fire pit of the East Palace?"

"The young couple love each other. If Ah Ju doesn't marry Your Highness, who else can she marry?"

"Who said she must get married?" Du Wulang said, "Even if she never gets married, I can still support her."

"You feed your family by growing potatoes!"

Du Youlin slammed the table and shouted angrily, showing his father's authority, "Get out, I will take charge of this matter."

Because of what he said, the Du family finally had a crown princess.

Just after the grand ceremony in the Eastern Palace was completed, Du Youlin received an invitation in the autumn of that year.

"On the bank of Qinhuai River, at Bailuzhou Island, at the Jinling Poetry Gathering, we are waiting for your arrival."

Looking at the signature below, it is "Respectfully presented, a note from Wang Changling."

Du Youlin immediately took it seriously and asked about it.

It turned out that after Wang Changling retired and lived in seclusion in Songshan, he suddenly missed the time when he was a county lieutenant in Jiangning, so he traveled to Jiangling again in his old age.

Li Bai, who was then the Minister of Rites and Hanlin Academician, was unwilling to stay in Chang'an. He resigned and traveled around the world, saying that he wanted to go to sea and see the scenery at the end of the world.

When Wang Changling and Li Bai met in Jinling, the literati in the south of the Yangtze River considered it a great event and held a literary gathering in their names.

Du Youlin now holds a high position in the literary world because of his collection of annotations on the emperor's poems, so he has to go there.

~~
October, Jinling.

The Qinhuai River flows gently, and people are interweaving in front of the Confucius Temple.

On the Wende Bridge, a man and a woman were saying goodbye to each other in tears.

Even more people gathered in front of the Confucius Temple, craning their necks to watch the literary gathering being held in the courtyard next door.

The rise of newspapers and papermaking made the Tang Dynasty, which was already brilliant in poetry and prose, even more prosperous. Even the uneducated common people could recite a few poems to join in the fun.

"Look, here come the 'Four Kuis'."

"Who is that?"

"The four famous scholars who lived in Jiangning, Han Hui, Lu Dongmei, Cui Zao, and Zhang Zhengze, were all outstanding people of their time."

"Who are the children following them?"

"He must be the son of one of the Four Kuis..."

Amid the hustle and bustle, seven-year-old Han Yu would crane his neck and look around curiously from time to time.

Han Yu lost his father at a young age and was raised by his elder brother Han Hui. He likes reading poetry and books, and today he came with his brother to gain some knowledge.

When Han Yu heard Han Hui greeting his friends and talking about "whether Mr. Yan will come today", his eyes lit up and were full of anticipation.

He liked the article "On Horse" written by Yan Zhenqing, which was attributed to "Han Yu" by the emperor the most. He felt that the article was destined to be with him and it would be great if he could meet Mr. Yan today. So he recited the poem "When you are young, you do not know how to study hard; when you are old, you regret it later" twice in his mind, wanting to perform well in front of Yan Zhenqing.

When they arrived at the venue, Han Hui asked Han Yu to sit aside and said, "Just watch from here, don't move around."

"Yes, brother."

Han Yu agreed, sat down cross-legged, looked around, and found two women sitting next to him, each holding a child about three or four years old.

The two children played with each other for a while, then turned around and looked at their older brother with lively eyes, looking very curiously.

"What are your names?" Han Yu asked jokingly.

"My nickname is 'That'."

"Where's the daimyo?"

"Juyi." The childish voice replied, "Bai Juyi."

Han Yu then asked another child, "What about you?"

"I'm Jujuro."

The child stretched out his two little hands, trying to make the number nineteen but didn't know how, and was very embarrassed.

Bai Juyi answered in his soft voice: "His name is Liu Yuxi."

"I haven't said it yet. Let me tell you my name." Liu Yuxi was very anxious, but his speech was not as fluent as Bai Juyi's.

Han Yu couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Are you attending a literary gathering at such a young age?"

Bai Juyi tilted his head and said, "But you are not that old either."

As he was speaking, cheers suddenly came from outside the door.

Han Yu turned his head and immediately became excited because the person who came was Yao Runeng, the editor-in-chief of Xinsi Bao.

In terms of poetry, there are many famous people who are much better than Yao Runeng. But the prosperity of newspapers gave him a stage to show his talents. People loved to read his documentary stories, such as "The True Records of An Lushan" and "The True Records of Yang Guozhong". In recent years, he has turned to exposing the evil deeds of the powerful and has enjoyed a great reputation among the people.

"Mr. Yao, the ocean-going fleet has returned. What do you say about this?"

"It's a good thing that the ocean-going fleet has really returned this time, but I still think that the court has concealed the truth before..."

"Mr. Yao, may I ask if Mr. Gu Yanwu can show up today?" Someone suddenly asked this question, causing a commotion.

"Let me tell you that even I have never met Mr. Gu," Yao Runeng replied.

Everyone felt disappointed and sighed.

Yao Runeng then smiled and said, "However, Mr. Gu also wrote a poem at today's literary gathering, and you will hear it then."

Someone else asked, "Can Mr. Tang Wu come?"

Hearing the words "Mr. Tang Wu", even Han Yu stood up, his eyes widened, full of anticipation.

He was still young and could not understand Gu Yanwu's articles, but he often heard his brother say that Mr. Gu was a rare talent.

As for Mr. Tang Wu, he was another extraordinary person who often contributed articles to the "Xin Si Bao". His articles were simple and elegant, and contained great wisdom in their plainness, which made them more easily accepted by Han Yu at that time.

Du Youlin, who was sitting at the top, frowned slightly. He always stood on the emperor's side in everything and was naturally dissatisfied with Yao Runeng's article.

In addition, Du Youlin was quite repulsive to some of the content in the "New Thought Newspaper". He had been living in seclusion in Shaolingyuan for many years and almost never read the newspaper.

With the arrival of Yao Runeng, the time had already come to the corner, but the literary gathering had not yet begun. The venue gradually became quiet, and some people began to discuss in low voices.

"Why don't you start yet?"

"Li Taibai hasn't arrived yet."

"I'm afraid he's drunk. Li Bai drank a hundred cups of wine and wrote hundreds of poems, and then he slept in a tavern in Chang'an."

"Today should be 'The wind blows the willow flowers and the whole store is filled with fragrance, and Wu Ji presses the wine to persuade the guests to taste it'."

"How can a gathering at Qinhuai River be without Li Bai? Apart from other things, the Wende Bridge in front of the gate is famous for the saying 'Where Li Bai got drunk and watched the moon' because he drank here..."

As they were discussing, a man came striding over and said in a loud voice: "Don't blame me, Lord Wang, Lord Du, and all the others. I'm late."

Du Youlin did not recognize this man, so Wang Changling leaned over and whispered, "This is Cui Dong."

When Cui Dong arrived, everyone looked at him sideways, because they knew that he was now the richest man in the world.

There were many famous families who invested in the Navy, but the person who held the most shares was Cui Dong. Every share of the shares that were once discarded became a gold mine that could be cultivated inexhaustibly.

He is considered a representative of the current Tang Dynasty maritime merchants, and he is also the first person to transform from a wealthy landlord to a maritime merchant.

Although today's literary gathering was held in the name of Wang Changling, it was Cui Dong who paid for it and he is the real host.

Everyone present was a scholar, who always looked down upon businessmen. However, Cui Dong was not just a businessman. His poetic talent surpassed that of most of the people present. He was one of those people who still loved poetry even after becoming rich.

"Mr. Du, I have heard of you for a long time."

Cui Dong respected Du Youlin very much.

This respect comes from his admiration for the current emperor.

It is ridiculous that the son of the direct branch of the Cui family of Boling and the emperor who suppressed the aristocratic families with ruthless means should have been incompatible, but now they have the same goals and resonance of ideas.

Cui Dong not only firmly believed in the future of the Tang Dynasty, but also had great faith in the emperor's poems, articles, thoughts, and even his every word and deed.

Of course, people love Li Bai more.

Even Du Youlin asked first, "Didn't Mr. Taibai come with you?"

"Yes, why hasn't Mr. Taibai come yet?"

When Li Bai was mentioned, everyone stretched their necks and looked out the door expectantly. Many people came today just for Li Bai.

Han Yu also clenched his fists, his eyes shining, and there was a voice in his heart calling out to him.

"Li Taibai, Li Taibai!"

However, Cui Dong bowed and said, "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, Mr. Taibai was going to come, but..."

Wang Changling smiled bitterly when he heard this, knowing that with Li Bai's personality, he might not come today, but he didn't know where he went.

"Just now I encountered a group of Baiji on the Yangtze River. Mr. Taibai was in high spirits and decided to take a boat with them to travel along the Yangtze River."

No one else would abandon so many famous scholars and writers for such a reason. No one else would forgive his willful behavior.

Only Li Bai is loved by people because of his freedom and unruly nature.

Han Yu looked at all the "common people" on the scene, as if he could imagine the scene of Li Bai and the Baiji chasing the waves and playing in the water on the vast Yangtze River.

At the beginning of the literary gathering, everyone took out their poems and asked Wang Changling to comment on them, many of which were excellent.

Han Yu was just a spectator at first, but after listening to many verses of poetry, he gradually became excited. His eyes gradually showed a light of eagerness to try, and he raised his hand high.

He was a little stage-frightened, but Wang Changling, who was "old and dim-sighted", actually saw him and said with a smile: "Does this young man have any poems, too?"

"Have."

Han Yu was not afraid of tigers, and responded crisply: "The boy also wrote a poem."

Wang Changling was old, and he liked children. He stroked his beard and smiled, "Okay, okay, read it to you gentlemen."

Over there, Han Hui turned around and glared at Han Yu, but Han Yu had already walked to the center of the field and saluted in a proper manner.

"When I came here just now, I saw a couple separated by the Wende Bridge. I listened to them talking about their feelings and was inspired to write a poem."

After Han Yu finished speaking, he began to recite.

"There are cattails in the green water, and beneath them there is a pair of fish."

"Now that you have gone to Long, who shall I stay with?"

After the poem was finished, many scholars in the hall felt ashamed that they were not as good as a seven-year-old child.

Wang Changling nodded repeatedly, praising and encouraging Han Yu.

At this time, the couple on the bridge had not walked far when a curious person caught up with them, gave them Han Yu's poem, and led them in to express his gratitude.

Du Youlin asked why they wanted to separate. The woman cried and said that her parents disliked the man's poor family and did not allow their marriage. The man then decided to go to Chang'an to sell goods.

"How can there still be such a prejudice against family background?" Du Youlin shook his head with emotion and said to the woman, "Tell your parents to come and I will talk to them on your behalf."

He was originally a rigid and old-fashioned person who was bound by etiquette and laws. I can say this because people's concepts have gradually changed over the years, and some voices have emerged that break the boundaries of family background.

"Mr. Du, please wait a moment. I'm afraid that the forced melon will not be sweet." Cui Dong reminded him.

Everyone was thinking that this noble family kid looked down on the poor kid, but he continued, "It is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish. I see that the jewelry the young lady is wearing is of extraordinary quality, and must belong to a noble family. Your father must look down on the common people. If you want to be worthy of her, I will teach you two ways. One is to follow me in ocean trade, and the other is to join the army in Anxi. It will not be difficult to settle down in three to five years."

The man and woman did not understand the value of his words and continued to shed tears, not knowing how to choose. Instead, Yao Ru Neng reminded them, "Why don't you thank Mr. Cui?"

Yao Runeng was well aware that this was an era full of opportunities, allowing children from poor backgrounds to leap to a level comparable to that of wealthy and noble families within a few years. In the past, Cui Dong would never have mentioned this.

The editor-in-chief of the New Thought Newspaper had great credibility among young men and women, so the man asked to follow Cui Dong, and then he and the woman withdrew with many thanks.

This adds a little anecdote to Han Yu's poems.

Although several poems and lyrics were published in subsequent literary gatherings, they were ultimately unable to make up for the regret caused by Li Bai's absence.

Yao Ru Neng then took out two pieces of paper from his bosom without hurrying, and said, "Then I will read the poem that Mr. Gu Yanwu submitted to the Bi Society."

"it is good."

The scene suddenly became quiet, as people all wanted to hear what kind of poetry Mr. Gu, who always liked to talk about state affairs, could write.

It was already dusk. Yao Ru Neng turned his head and saw that the setting sun had cast a layer of golden light outside the door without him noticing.

He recited the poem spontaneously.

"Wild grass and flowers beside Zhuque Bridge, the setting sun at the entrance of Wuyi Lane."

"In the old days, the swallows in front of Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people."

Just a few sentences outline the atmosphere of an autumn evening. This is a poem that is subtle but full of charm. Many people quickly realized the vicissitudes of life as wealth and glory pass by like clouds.

When we think about Mr. Gu’s attitude towards aristocratic families in his past articles, we can feel the changes in the times that have led to the decline of aristocratic families.

Cui Dong seemed to be thinking about something.

Although he is now a wealthy man, he has witnessed the disintegration of entire families. In addition to the Cui family, there are countless noble families that have declined due to the reforms in recent years.

Being in the midst of the torrent, he could especially feel that the general trend was beyond the ability of an individual to resist.

"The swallows that once lived in front of the mansions of the Wang and Xie families." Cui Dong sighed, feeling sorry for his life.

Over there, three-year-old Liu Yuxi raised his head.

He heard everyone reciting the poem and couldn't help but open his mouth and join in.

"Little swallows, dressed in floral clothes, come here every spring..."

This is a children's song that has been around for several years. Bai Juyi can also sing it and couldn't help but hum a few lines along.

After listening to the song, Cui Dong suddenly had an idea in his mind.

The writing style of the mysterious Gu Yanwu always made him feel familiar, and he could also write poetry.

"Mr. Gu is using a pseudonym. His articles and poems are dedicated to Your Majesty..."

Because he was too excited, Cui Dong couldn't help but asked directly.

Halfway through his words, he realized something was wrong and immediately stopped talking.

But people had already heard it, and some had already noticed it like he had, so they were all stunned.

In terms of poetry and prose, I'm afraid the emperor today is the best in the Tang Dynasty. It's just that the emperor hasn't written poetry for a long time, and I didn't expect that he would participate in today's literary gathering in this way.

The regret of Li Bai's absence was finally made up, and the literati and poets felt that their trip was worthwhile.

The literary gathering had come to an end. The seven-year-old boy's poem became a legend, and Mr. Gu, who was suspected to be the emperor's pseudonym, sent poems from thousands of miles away to describe the changes in the world. It only added a ray of brilliance to the brilliant culture of the Tang Dynasty.

Suddenly, someone asked, "Mr. Yao, you took two manuscripts, what's the other one?"

The people who were about to leave for Baoyue Tower to have dinner stopped and looked at Yao Runeng with anticipation.

"Any more poetry?"

"What poem is it? Read it quickly, Mr. Yao!"

Yao Runeng had no choice but to wave his hands and said, "This is not a poem, but a recipe submitted by Mr. Tang Wu to the Bi Society."

"The New Thought Newspaper actually publishes recipes, which I have never seen before."

"In the future, there will be. The court encourages the planting of new crops, but how to eat these fruits and vegetables and how to make them taste good is a big deal. Mr. Tang Wu can be said to be the first person in this field. Today, I not only brought the recipe, but also asked Mr. Cui to prepare the ingredients. You can all enjoy them at the banquet later."

"Great! Good poetry, good wine and good food. We are in for a treat today."

"..."

The Yangtze River is vast, and the setting sun dotted the waves with golden dots, which is extremely magnificent.

A small boat drifts with the current.

Li Bai stood on the boat, drinking with his long hair loose, letting the wind blow his robe. He was already a little drunk, as if he had merged with the world.

On the river surface not far away, you can see baiji jumping out from time to time, as if they were his friends.

"Mr. Taibai!"

Suddenly a small boat came from behind, and someone on the boat was shouting, disturbing Li Bai's interest.

"Mr. Taibai, it's getting late and the literary gathering is over. Alang invites you to the Baoyue Tower for a banquet."

"No, no." Li Bai waved his hands drunkenly and said leisurely, "I would rather chase the moon with Baiji."

"But tonight's banquet has Mr. Tang Wu's new dishes."

"Oh? Tang Wu? But the miscellaneous Tang Wu in the newspaper?"

Li Bai became interested and allowed the other party to row the boat over.

Naturally, he also read newspapers and knew that a person with the pseudonym "Tang Wu" would submit articles from time to time. They were all kinds of articles. Sometimes he talked about how to make chickens lay more eggs, sometimes he studied how to make eggs taste like crabs, and sometimes he would make some absurd and unorthodox remarks.

Li Bai felt that this man was very insightful, free and unrestrained, and was someone he would like to make friends with.

"Although Mr. Tang Wu didn't come, he sent a recipe with several new dishes, such as spicy dry pot, boiling fish fillet, and braised potatoes..."

"go!"

Li Bai flicked his sleeves in a casual manner and agreed to go to the banquet.

When they arrived at Baoyue Tower, everyone was surprised to hear that he was coming.

Wang Changling felt that he was getting old and that he saw his good friend less and less often. When he heard that Li Bai was finally coming, he stroked his beard with satisfaction. Han Yu's eyes lit up and he locked his gaze on Li Bai and would not move away. Even the young Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi knew the name of the Immortal Poet and kept muttering "It's the Immortal Poet" to themselves.

Li Bai first greeted Wang Changling, and then greeted Du Youlin.

He had tried to curry favor with the powerful in the past, and now that he has served as a high-ranking official, when he looks back on the past, he suddenly feels as if "the boat has sailed through thousands of mountains."

At this time, facing Du Youlin, the prime minister who had retired after his success, Li Bai said straightforwardly: "Mr. Du wrote a collection of annotations for your Majesty's poems, but it's a pity that he failed to appreciate the artistic conception of your poems."

Du Youlin was stunned and felt a little embarrassed.

It would be fine if other people said so, but Li Bai was the one who understood the emperor's poems the best.

The scene was inevitably a bit awkward.

"Mr. Du is very knowledgeable. It is Mr. Taibai who is asking too much." Cui Dong eased the awkwardness with one sentence, and then asked, "Mr. Taibai, do you know who Mr. Tang Wu is?"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Li Bai glanced at Du Youlin and did not think that he had such insight.

Cui Dong said: "If my guess is correct, 'Tang' is 'Du', and 'Wu' is the fifth of the heavenly stems. 'Tang Wu' can be interpreted as 'Du Wu', so it must be the fifth son of the Du family."

Although Du Youlin did not read the "New Thought News", he was convinced that Du Wulang was uneducated and would definitely not publish an article in the newspaper, so he shook his head and prepared to deny it.

"It's really Du Wulang?" Li Bai couldn't help laughing and said, "That's right, only Wulang can be such a master of miscellaneous knowledge."

Wang Changling also nodded and said with emotion: "Du Wulang is not trapped by official career and devotes himself to learning. He deserves the title of 'master of various studies' from Taibai."

Li Bai said: "My lifelong ambition is to help the world, but unfortunately I only left behind a few poems and presided over a few imperial examinations. In terms of the good things I have done for the people, I am far inferior to Du Wulang."

Du Youlin was surprised that Li Bai would give such an evaluation and said hurriedly: "Tai Bai is too modest."

Cui Donglang smiled and called everyone, "Everyone, please try Mr. Tang Wu's new dish..."

Only Du Youlin was still watching the lively scene, feeling unbelievable.

He never dreamed that Du Wulang, who had the worst talent, no ambition and was lazy, would become the most promising one among all the people in the Du family.

~~
The twenty-seventh year of Zhengxing was the Year of the Tiger.

There are two most prestigious "Du Gong" in the world today. One is Du Fu, who single-handedly boosted the education administration in Hebei. In the past twenty years, many of the Jinshi and Juren in Hebei were his disciples, so they were called "Du Fanyang" and "Du Wengong"; the other is Du Wulang, who lived in Shaolingyuan, so he called himself "Shaoling Ye Lao", and was known as "Du Fanchuan" and "Mr. Tangwu" in the world.

"Ah."

That day, Du Wulang sneezed violently. Just as he was wondering who was talking about him, he learned that Li Zuo and Du Jing had taken the children back to Shaolingyuan.

Du Wulang was delighted to see his daughter and grandchildren. He picked some fresh fruits and vegetables from the vegetable garden and cooked some new dishes.

As soon as he sat down, Li Zuo told him some bad news.

"Father, Gao Xianzhi has submitted a petition requesting an attack on the Arabs to intimidate the Western Regions and force them to isolate Tubo. For this battle, I intend to lead the charge in Anxi..."

"No."

Du Wulang shook his head in opposition before Li Zuo finished speaking, saying, "Gao Xianzhi can fight this battle naturally, there is no need for you to give orders."

Many years ago, Xue Bai built a new military factory in Anxi to produce firearms. Later, he set up a large military settlement in Anxi and asked the soldiers to grow high-yield crops. From these signs, those who were interested had long realized that the Western Expedition would be launched sooner or later.

Today, the preliminary preparations have yielded considerable results. The Tang Dynasty is at the peak of its national strength, with abundant food and grass, and a strong army. It is now the time to use military force against the Western Regions.

But Du Wulang did not expect that the prince would be needed as the commander-in-chief.

Li Zuo said: "I will not interfere with Gao Xianzhi's command. I will take charge for one reason, to gain experience, and secondly, to show the generals and soldiers that my father supports the Western Expedition, so that Gao Xianzhi will have no worries."

"You are already the crown prince, so why would you care about a little military achievement?" Du Wulang asked, "Was this your idea or Li Mi's?"

"It was arranged by my father." Li Zuo said.

Upon hearing this, Du Wulang remained silent.

After Xue Bai ascended the throne, he used his own heart to resist the will of the whole world. How could Du Wulang oppose what he decided?

"Grandpa, please support His Highness." Du Jing spoke, more like to give Du Wulang a way out.

They came not to ask for his consent, but to inform him.

The next day, after Li Zuo and Du Jing left, Du Wulang thought about it and decided to go to Chang'an in person to request an audience.

This was the first time he went to the Daming Palace since his retirement.

The Daming Palace has not changed much and is still as majestic and magnificent as before.

But when Du Wulang arrived at Xuanzheng Hall, his first words after greeting were: "Your Majesty, I installed running water and toilets in Shaolingyuan's home, but there are none in the palace."

Xue Bai glanced at Du Wulang unhappily, and was surprised to find that he looked better, so he said, "You've taken good care of yourself lately."

"In my spare time, I practice the Eight-Section Brocade that Your Majesty taught me."

"Are you here to discuss the Crown Prince's expedition to the west?"

"How did your majesty know that?" Du Wulang asked in surprise, "You are truly a master of calculation."

He wanted to flatter her, but he didn't take it seriously and seemed a bit perfunctory.

Xue Bai didn't care and said, "Besides this, what else can you ask for? You don't need to say more about this matter. If he can't even stop this war, how can I hand over the world to him?"

Du Wulang said: "Your Majesty, if you do this, the ministers will be uneasy again."

"If you are uneasy, then you are uneasy." Xue Bai never feared difficulties and opposition, saying: "Born in adversity, die in comfort."

Du Wulang didn't know how to persuade him to take back his decision. He looked gloomy and regretted marrying his daughter into the Eastern Palace.

The prophecy that the Du family would never produce a queen came to his mind again. He thought that if anything happened to Li Zuo in the Western Regions, the Du family would probably be involved in misfortune again.

"When children grow up, you have to let them go."

Xue Bai seemed to see through Du Wulang's worries and said, "Since I let the prince marry your Aju, it means I have confidence in him... When he returns from the Western Regions, I plan to start handing over the world to him."

"His Majesty?"

Du Wulang was very surprised.

In his impression, Xue Bai was a person who was always motivated and worked tirelessly to grasp and make good use of power, and he would actually have such an idea.

When he looked up and saw the white hair on Xue Bai's head, he realized that time had passed and they had all grown old.

"I am worried about leaving the world to a prince who has never ruled a country after I die. I would rather wait and see if he can inherit my ambitions. If he can live up to my expectations... In fact, I have envied your life over the years."

As Xue Bai spoke, a hint of smile finally appeared in his deep eyes.

With this smile, he seemed to be able to see the day when he would be free from the burden on his shoulders.

But in fact, the war in the Western Region lasted for four full years.

When Li Zuo returned to the court, it was already thirty-one years after the Zhengxing reign...

~~
The cabinet door was opened, and a neatly folded Taoist robe was placed at the bottom of the cabinet.

When the old man with white hair and beard saw it, he was slightly stunned. He leaned over and stroked the old cloth with his old hands in a trance until someone called him from behind.

"Right Prime Minister."

Li Mi turned around and saw that it was Xianyun who came. The little Taoist boy from that year had now grown into a middle-aged man with a beard.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking that Xianyun had not called him "Master" for more than 20 years.

"I'm looking for a dress."

"I know that the Right Prime Minister is going to welcome His Highness back to the capital today, and he took the formal dress out to dry yesterday."

"Ah."

Li Mi took another look at the Taoist robe, closed the cabinet door, and left the room where miscellaneous items were stored.

"Let's go and meet His Highness..."

There was a lot of traffic outside Chang'an city.

The wide straight road was packed with people who came to watch the prisoner-surrendering procession.

The place was bustling with noise, and everyone was talking about the war in the Western Region.

Many years later, the veteran general Gao Xianzhi led his army to meet the Arab army again in Talas. This time, the Tang army crushed the Arab vanguard with a crushing force, and then the cavalry drove straight in and headed straight for Baghdad.

The word "crush" was written on Gao Xianzhi's battle report. If it was not a huge victory, he would not have used such an immodest word.

After this battle, the countries in the Western Regions were shocked and came to submit one after another, and the Tang Dynasty expanded its territory by thousands of miles.

This also had a huge impact on the situation between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo. Memorials from western Sichuan were also delivered, suggesting that the next step for the Tang Dynasty should be to annex Tubo, and proposed a strategy of "using both peace and war."

This time the army returned to the court to present captives, and there was an endless stream of envoys coming to pay homage to the emperor.

"Wan Sheng!"

Amid cheers, the team presenting the captives slowly arrived outside the city of Chang'an.

Walking side by side in the front were Li Zuo and Gao Xianzhi.

Li Zuo's originally handsome face became darker, with a long scar on his left cheek, but his eyes became calmer and deeper.

Gao Xianzhi's hair and beard were now pure white, and his handsome face in his youth had been destroyed in Tongguan in his early years.

He looked up at Chang'an City, and suddenly tears flowed from his red eyes, flowing up and down on the twisted scar.

Back then, he endured humiliation and hid his identity. He let his soldiers die for him not out of fear of saving his own life, but to wash away the shame and restore his glory.

After he became Zhang Guangsheng, he silently persisted for more than 30 years and fought on the battlefields for tens of thousands of miles, just to prove his passion for serving the country.

He did it.

When the team finally arrived in front of the Daming Palace, this once brave general was trembling and had to be helped by Li Zuo to dismount from his horse.

"His Majesty."

When Gao Xianzhi saw Xue Bai, whom he had not seen for a long time, his legs began to tremble and he could hardly stand.

Xue Bai then stepped forward and supported him.

The four hands clasped together, Gao Xianzhi's lips trembled, not to report his own achievements, but out of sorrow, he said in a mournful voice: "This time I return to the capital, I can never go back to Anxi."

He was old, and this time when he left the vast Western Regions, he was mentally prepared to be buried in Chang'an.

Behind Xue Bai, Li Mi and the court officials were all looking at Li Zuo, their eyes full of satisfaction.

"Boom! Boom!"

The drums and music began.

Xue Bai let go of Gao Xianzhi's hand and climbed up to the Danfeng Gate Tower.

He saw the vigorous spirit of the Tang soldiers, the neatly arranged 108 districts, and the city of Chang'an had become the center of the world.

The envoys and captives lined up to bow down and shouted "Long live the emperor".

But what Xue Bai heard was not "Long live" but the sound of Chang'an city beating strongly like the heart of a powerful country.

"The nine heavens close the palace, and all nations wear their crowns and pay their respects."

~~
Li Zuo's eyes were bloodshot.

The grand ceremonies made him so excited that he could not sleep. After hurriedly seeing his wife and children, he rushed to the Council Hall to meet important officials such as Li Mi, Zhang Xun, Cui Youfu, and Yuan Jie.

"Your Highness."

Li Mi rarely lost his composure, but this time he stepped forward to look at Li Zuo and asked with concern, "Is everything okay?"

"Don't worry, sir. I am doing fine." Li Zuo said, "I have withstood the sandstorms in the Western Regions."

"Good, good." Li Mi said, "Gao Xianzhi is old. Your Highness is not relying solely on him for this battle. The subjects have seen it."

Li Zuo was very modest and said, "I dare not take credit for it."

Li Mi nodded, turned around, and looked at Zhang Xun, appearing a little nervous.

Then, he looked into Li Zuo's eyes and asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to offer sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple on behalf of His Majesty?"

Li Zuo was stunned and asked, "How dare I..."

"Your Majesty has agreed." Li Mi's eyes were full of expectation, and he asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to go and offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Tang Dynasty?"

This matter is quite meaningful.

Xue Bai did not consider himself a descendant of the Li family and had never offered sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Now that he had agreed to let the crown prince offer sacrifices on his behalf, on the one hand he had the intention of passing on the throne, and on the other hand he did not interfere with Li Zuo's recognition of successive Li Tang emperors as his ancestors.

Perhaps a few insiders think that this is the credit of Li Longji giving the name to Li Zuo. However, those who truly understand Xue Bai know that this is the result of decades of hard work by people including Yan Zhenqing and Li Mi who care about the country and the people.

"it is good."

Li Zuo nodded.

Li Mi breathed a sigh of relief, smiled with relief, and arranged for officials to prepare for the sacrifice.

In private, Li Zuo said: "I met my aunt in the Western Regions."

"Your Highness, are you talking about...Princess Hezheng?"

"Yes, I heard that the queen of a small country in the Western Regions was once a princess of the Tang Dynasty, so I asked General Feng about it, and General Feng told me everything. Father was tolerant of the royal family, and he did not break his promise to General Feng." Li Zuo said: "Father never thought of usurping the Li Tang Dynasty, he only wanted to make the Tang Dynasty continue to be strong."

Li Mi felt that Li Zuo had realized that Xue Bai was not a descendant of the Li family, and he couldn't help but worry that Li Zuo would no longer recognize the Li family. He didn't feel at ease until Li Zuo began to offer sacrifices to the Taimiao and called himself a "descendant" in front of the tablets of the emperors.

The sense of identity that has been established in Li Zuo's heart over the years will not disappear easily.

~~
"If I pass the throne to the crown prince, Brother Changyuan won't have to worry anymore, right?"

The following year, during a conversation in the Xuanzheng Hall on an ordinary day, Xue Bai suddenly asked Li Mi a question.

Li Mi was stunned, knowing that if he answered this question, he would be guilty of the serious crime of "falsely claiming to be a prophecy, conspiring with the East Palace, and criticizing the emperor", so he quickly stood up and denied it.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, who is slandering me?"

"No one has slandered you." Xue Bai said, "I really intend to abdicate."

Li Mi had been in and out of power all his life, so he naturally didn't believe it and didn't dare to show any intention of supporting the prince.

Xue Bai was too lazy to engage in intrigue with him, and said, "Teng Kongzi has always wanted to practice Taoism in Wangwu Mountain, and the Queen and the concubines are tired of the life in the palace. Therefore, I plan to abdicate and practice Taoism to enjoy my remaining years."

Hearing the word "cultivation of Taoism", Li Mi was in a trance for a moment.

He finally stopped competing with Xue Bai and asked in surprise: "Practicing Taoism? Your Majesty has always only talked about 'investigating things to gain knowledge'. When did you become interested in Taoism?"

"What? Only you, Li Changyuan, are allowed to practice Taoism? Do all the famous mountains in the world belong to you?"

Xue Bai's tone was relaxed, and rather than saying he wanted to practice Taoism, it seemed more like he wanted to go traveling.

He patted Li Mi on the shoulder and smiled, "As you said, 'Please take a hundred years to sail on the five lakes'. I am determined to accept your advice."

This joke made Li Mi a little dazed.

But by the time he reacted, Xue Bai had already left. His figure was no longer as majestic and heavy as it had been in the past thirty years, but rather had a kind of unrestrained and elegant demeanor.

For some reason, Li Mi felt lost.

At that time, he was entrusted by Yan Zhenqing to come out of seclusion, and thought he could retire in a few months. Unexpectedly, he stayed in the court for his whole life.

The persimmon tree he planted in the mountains in the past may have grown into a tall and majestic tree, and the stone platform where he meditated may have been covered with moss... He never got to go back to take a look.

But His Majesty, who had stirred up the world, was just going to leave?

No matter what, Li Mi finally protected the Li Tang clan.

After succeeding Yan Zhenqing, he devoted more than 30 years of hard work and finally trained Li Zuo into a descendant of the Li family and helped him ascend the throne.

This may be the path he wants to cultivate in his life.

~~
The first year of Yongyan.

Li Mi stood at the head of all the ministers, looking at the heroic Emperor Li sitting on the imperial couch, and felt that all his life's efforts were worth it.

After more than thirty years of rule by the retired emperor, the Tang Dynasty had reached an unprecedented period of glory and prosperity.

In the east, huge ships are sailing on the ocean; in the west, the imperial court is planning to build a straight road to Baghdad within 20 years. In this territory spanning 20,000 miles, the people are prosperous, the culture is splendid, and it is changing with each passing day.

Li Mi was content and began to think about retiring after his success.

In the second year of Yongyan, when the political situation stabilized, he instructed officials to write a letter requesting the establishment of a crown prince, while he himself wrote a letter of retirement in his study and presented it to Li Zuo in person the next day.

Li Mi felt quite relaxed during this audience. Before entering the palace, he asked Xianyun to hang up his Taoist robe to dry in the sun.

however,
"What did your majesty say?" Li Mi came back to his senses and asked, "What do you mean by 'reform'?"

"I often think that the world does not belong to one person, but to everyone in the world. If my descendants are not virtuous, how can they govern this territory of tens of thousands of miles..."

Li Mi was very familiar with these words. He knew that they were the remarks of the writers in the New Thought Newspaper, and he could not help but frowning deeply.

He finally got the current emperor to acknowledge his identity as a descendant of the Li family, but he did not expect that the young Li emperor would no longer acknowledge his identity as an emperor.

"Your Majesty!" Li Mi had to raise his voice to interrupt Li Zuo's ridiculous remarks.

The clear breeze and white clouds in his heart gradually faded away at this moment.

For him, the struggle to defend the Li Tang ancestral temple began again.

~~
The wind blew through the mountains and forests. An old man with white hair and a slender figure performed a set of boxing under a tree, then calmly finished his exercises, picked up a newspaper and began to read it on the recliner.

He still pays attention to what's happening in the world.

But he has learned that changing the world does not necessarily rely on power, but also on ideas.

This is a more gentle but firm approach, like planting seeds and waiting for them to bloom.

After a long time, he put down the newspaper and left.

With a wave of his sleeves, it seemed as if the splendor of the Tang Dynasty was spread all over the place...

(End of this chapter)