Li Shimin closed his eyes and pressed his eyebrows, looking troubled, "So now the news about Red Mansion has spread throughout Guanzhong?"
Li Chengqian replied: "Father, at first I thought that Red Mansion could only print hundreds of copies, and people in the public reading this book were just for entertainment. However, some people copied this book and some people circulated it. Now this book has been circulated for a long time." Out of Guanzhong."
"How is Mr. Li Gang's health?" Li Shimin didn't want to talk about the Red Mansion anymore, and instead asked about Li Gang's situation.
"The old gentleman has been bedridden for several days. My son and I have been visiting him every day. He said that his time is running out, just these few days."
Li Shimin sighed: "Having lived for more than eighty years, his life is not easy. You and Xuan Ling can go visit him on my behalf."
Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Here."
The sky was gloomy and it started to drizzle.
In addition to the excitement and prosperity of Chang'an City, the elite circle in Chang'an City today seems very silent.
A platform was built on the roof of the house, which was made of sand and gravel. Zhang Yang walked into the room carrying a pillar, because the roof had to be rebuilt these days, and the house was a mess of piles of wood, with no place to stay. nothing.
Several rooms in the home were also re-divided and a load-bearing wall was added.
"Brother-in-law!"
Li Yue was tidying up her home when she heard Li Tai's shout and looked outside.
"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law!" Li Tai ran over in a panic, "Something happened."
It was raining lightly outside, and Li Tai was wet.
Li Yue frowned and said, "What happened?"
Li Tai took a breath and said, "Mr. Li Gang has passed away."
"When did this happen?"
"Last night."
Before he could recover from the news, another person came to the door of his house, and it was the guards from the East Palace.
After looking at Li Tai's somewhat panicked expression, Zhang Yang walked to the door of his house and said, "I wonder what they are here for."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that Mr. Li Gang left something for the consort and the princess before he left."
Zhang Yang looked back at Li Yue and Li Tai.
After looking at each other in silence for a while, Zhang Yang said to the guard again: "Please wait a moment, we will pack up and go over."
"Here."
Li Yue returned to her room and changed into a plainer coat.
Zhang Yang chose a white robe.
Let the two aunts take care of the little bear, and the couple took Li Tai out of the house.
Following the guards of the East Palace, we walked all the way through Zhuque Street, and walked through houses one after another at the back of Zhuque Street. All the powerful people lived along Zhuque Street. Not far from here is the Duke of Zhao's Mansion, and a few steps further is the residence of Zheng Guogong and Wei Zheng. Mansion.
Arriving in front of Li Gang's house, there were many people standing in front of the door.
Following the guards into the mansion, the couple met Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian wore mourning clothes and personally paid tribute to Li Gang.
"My condolences, His Royal Highness."
"My condolences, brother emperor."
The couple salutes.
There were still cries from Li Gang's relatives in the mourning hall. Li Chengqian closed his eyes and whispered: "The teacher spoke highly of you during his lifetime. Your old man in the Red Mansion also saw it. It's also because you said that there are roads in Shushan and diligence is the path. Learn from it." The artistic conception of seeking knowledge and inquiry in Hai Wu Ya Ku Zuo Zhou’s words is quite admirable.”
Those words were written to encourage his daughter-in-law to study. They are words that everyone will recite when they think of future generations studying.
Zhang Yang saluted from a distance towards the mourning hall, "The old gentleman is so complimentary."
Li Chengqian took out a volume of letters and said, "This is what the teacher asked me to give to you before he died."
Zhang Yang took the letter from Li Chengqian and remembered that he had met him before going to Chongwen Hall a few days ago. In the blink of an eye, the old man had passed away, as if he had seen his serious expression just yesterday.
He had no interaction or conversation with Li Gang, but the other party actually gave him something before he died.
Open this letter and read its contents.
Li Yue whispered: "What did the old gentleman say in the letter."
"Let me be His Royal Highness's companion." Zhang Yang just glanced at it and put the letter away.
Li Yue froze in confusion and took a quick look at the letter. There was a lot in it, not just such a simple arrangement. Looking at her husband's expression, there must be a lot of explanations in the letter, but her husband didn't want to say it at this time?
According to Li Gang's last wish, the funeral will be simple.
Many people came to pay their respects, and they also met Gao Shilian, Yan Shigu, and Yang Shidao.
Li Gang's relatives held the coffin and saw him off. There were many people seeing him off along the way, including Qin Qiong and others.
Everyone saw him off until they arrived in front of Chang'an City, where Li Shimin's decree also came from Chang'an City, granting Li Gang the title of "Zhen", the third division of Yitong in the Kaifu.
Ever since Li Shimin recruited Li Gang into Chang'an City, he has been teaching Li Chengqian.
At this point, Li Gang was given the title of Kaifu Yitong and the Third Division, and was given another posthumous title. This was a treatment only available to the prime minister of the current dynasty.
Those who saw Li Gang off were all his old friends and relatives, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The couple had no choice but to stop and not see off the procession.
The crowd didn't disperse until the farewell team was out of sight.
Looking back, he saw that the little fat man Li Tai had gone. When the couple returned home, Li Yue wondered: "What did Mr. Li Gang write in his letter? Why did he leave a letter to his husband before his death?"
Zhang Yang handed her the letter and sat there with a frown on his face.
Li Yue read the letter for a long time, "Nine out of ten scholars in the world have five surnames. The prince is the crown prince, and he should support the students from poor families..."
After reading the contents of the letter in a daze, Li Yue thoughtfully took a sip of tea, "The old gentleman hopes that the prince will keep a distance from the five surnames, and he will always remind the prince when he is in the East Palace. The speed of circulation in the Red Mansion is unheard of, and the content is bound to be Not tolerated by the family."
Zhang Yang held his forehead and said distressedly: "The old gentleman tied me to a chariot to fight against those big families."
Li Yue smiled bitterly, "There are so many things to do at home, and we have to deal with five surnames and seven looks..."
"Our small family and small business are no match for other aristocratic families." Zhang Yang slowly put down the tea cup in his hand, "Maybe the old man knows some clues about our printing of the Red Mansion, and maybe Mr. Ouyang Xun has also figured it out. "
"Husband, you mean papermaking and printing?"
"Well, we can't go visit Mr. Ouyang Xun another day. We can't know everything. The more information we have, the more confident we will be, and we should know what we need to do."
"Um."
Li Yue nodded heavily.
Glancing at the messy home, Zhang Yang said, "Let's tidy up the house first."
No matter what, it is still too far to face such things as the five surnames. Things like printing and paper will definitely attract the attention of others.
Those who have been scholars and writers for most of their lives, can’t they see that this kind of paper is different from the ones on the market?
Don't underestimate people all over the world. In this era of lack of entertainment activities, there will always be some people who devote themselves wholeheartedly to a career and then rack their brains to do a good job in this career.
On the third day after Li Gang's death, everything in Chang'an City was as usual. The old man's death did not cause much noise and he passed away quietly.
Entering the Suzaku Gate again, Zhang Yang bypassed the Secretary's Prison and hid as far as he could from the Secretary's Prison, especially Tang Guan, who was guarding the door all day long.
Arriving alone in front of Chongwen Hall, Zhang Yang pushed the door open and entered.
There are also records about Li Gang in some pre-Sui books. I thought that I and Li Gang had never crossed paths and there would not be too many entanglements.
Open a record. This is the record of Li Gang by the former Sui Dynasty official.
From Yu Wenxian's period, he surrendered to the army, and then he was framed and never gave in. When Yu Wenxian was killed, he followed the Sui Emperor and served as the prince to wash his horse. But at that time, Yang Yong, Yang Su and others made things difficult for him.
Until Yang Jian came to power, Li Gang had always been marginalized and targeted.
This old man was very strong and never gave in.
In the former Sui Dynasty, when he was an official, he was always targeted by villains.
It was not until Li Shimin called his old man back that the days he taught Li Chengqian were better.
Putting away the case file, Zhang Yang raised his eyes and looked outside the door of Chongwen Hall. Wei Zheng was standing under the eaves, looking worried at the rain all over the sky.
"Mr. Zheng." Zhang Yang saluted.
"Li Gang passed away, and his eighty-year-old age was worth it." Wei Zheng said slowly.
Standing next to Wei Zheng, Zhang Yang said puzzledly: "Mr. Zheng, I have something that I don't understand."
Wei Zheng stroked his beard and said, "You don't need to ask me about the things you don't understand. I just want to hide in peace when I come here."
Zhang Yang moved a small stool and asked Wei Zheng to sit down. "Mr. Li Gang and I have never interacted or even spoken. Now he suddenly entrusts me with something. What do you think I should do, Mr. Zheng?"
"Is what is handed to you a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's a good thing. Besides, he delivered it before his death, so I can't shirk it. Should I give the letter to His Majesty and go to the East Palace to serve as the prince's wife and be the prince's companion?"
Wei Zheng breathed the air here and was silent for a long time. "I only act on the basis of right and wrong."
Zhang Yang smiled bitterly and said, "You are always frank."
Wei Zheng nodded understandingly, "You should be frank."
"At that time, Duke Zheng was also a son of a poor family. He was lonely and poor since he was a child. He was good at reading and writing articles when he was young. He did not become an official in Wuyang County until the Daye Year." After Zhang Yang finished speaking, he looked at Wei Zheng's expression and explained: "These are all Chongwen It is recorded in the Sui books of the palace."
"How many books have you read here?"
"I always read with a purpose. I read whatever book I want to know."
Wei Zheng nodded, "You are a studious child."
"What does Mr. Zheng think of the five surnames and seven hopes?"
Wei Zheng put his hands on his knees, sitting upright and looking at the rain scene, "Your Majesty's vigorous promotion of the imperial examination system is also to contain these aristocratic families and bring balance to the court. Now there is no advantage for people from the aristocratic families in the court, and your Majesty has always They are all avoiding them.”
Zhang Yang stood aside, "Are there any high-ranking families who despise the scientific examination system and uphold the old aristocratic concepts?"
Wei Zheng nodded slowly.
Zhang Yang asked again: "Is it shameful for all students to be from the countryside? They don't like scientific examinations, and they especially hate Jinshi?"
Wei Zheng let out a long breath, "How do you know all this?"
Zhang Yang continued: "When the southern gentry declined, at that time there were northern gentry represented by the four surnames in the Wei Dynasty. They still prided themselves on their family status. This was a accumulation of hundreds of years. Except for the Li family in Longxi, the gentry represented by the four surnames The high-ranking families still do not take the Khan today seriously. In order to maintain their status, they use internal intermarriage and refuse to marry with foreign surnames. "
Wei Zheng frowned and said, "These are all what you saw in the book?"
"Mr. Zheng, is this a good thing for you?"
(End of chapter)
