Seeing that the water in the pot was boiling, Zhang Yang picked up the kettle and poured a bowl of tea.
Li Shimin sighed: "Gao Shilian said that you are a talent that can be developed and can become the mainstay of the court and the pillar of the country in the future."
"really?"
"Yes." Li Shimin picked up the tea bowl and was about to drink it before putting it down, "I told you before that I asked you to read more books by sages."
"I'm reading."
Zhang Yang helped Xiao Wu arrange the tables and chairs while talking.
"Do you always think about these calculations?"
"It's just a little hobby."
"Hobby?" Li Shimin smiled in astonishment, "I have seen scheming people. You should be high-spirited and high-spirited at a young age."
"I'm very high-spirited, yes." Zhang Yang nodded and said, "I'm so high-spirited that the nobles want to kill me and skin me alive."
"I hope you can cultivate more righteousness by reading the books of sages."
"I am full of righteousness. Everyone in Chang'an City knows that I am magnanimous, and everyone knows that I will always be willing to spend money and money, and I will retaliate for my anger."
"Is this what you call righteousness?"
"That's right."
The king and his ministers looked at each other in silence for a while. This son-in-law had a weird temperament. Even if he was asked to read more books by sages, he hoped that he would become more of a gentleman in his heart.
I usually look like a very bookish person.
Li Shimin knew in his heart how sinister Zhang Yang was in his heart under this appearance, and how many lives he had lost at his hands in the countries outside the Pass.
He has always measured his gains and losses stingily.
Faced with such courtiers, Li Shimin asked himself how to control him.
His eyes fell on his daughter who was talking to the queen. Now that Yue'er was pregnant with his flesh and blood, she felt a little more confident.
When the food was on the table, Zhang Yang said again: "Your Majesty, there is no wine in our house."
Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter."
The father sat down, and a group of princes and princesses followed suit.
Li Shimin picked up a piece of soy beef and put it in his mouth to taste. The salty beef tasted very good, and it had such a crispy texture that made him want to drink more while eating.
Seeing Zhang Yang add some more tea, his mouth felt even more tasteless.
Zhang Yang whispered: "If your Majesty likes it, you can take some back."
Li Shimin nodded, "That's fine, beef is rare? Where did Chumo get the beef?"
Zhang Yang whispered: "It is said that a cow broke its leg in their Cheng family's field."
The chopsticks in his hand stopped for a moment, and Li Shimin hesitated to speak and had to give up.
The children ate happily, especially Li Zhi, who ate three large bowls of rice. The child didn't eat much food, so he shoveled the rice into his mouth with all his strength.
It makes people feel distressed to see it. Life in the palace must be very hard, Zhang Yang thought in his heart.
Gao Yang looked back at the roof from time to time while eating. This bear would rather be hungry than dare to come down at this time.
Li Shimin ate a plate of sauced beef with gusto, but the children did not dare to eat what their father was enjoying.
After the meal, Li Shimin and his family were about to leave, and Li Yue specially packed two large pieces of beef with soy sauce in a food box, weighing more than five kilograms.
This is almost half of the inventory at home.
Li Yue handed the food box to the queen, "These soy sauce beef can be brought back to the palace for my father to eat."
Seeing that the queen did not take the food box, Li Yue handed it to Li Zhi directly, "If my father doesn't like it, I can give it to my younger brothers and sisters."
Li Lizhi nodded obediently.
The couple walked out of the house to say goodbye.
Watching the emperor's car drive out of the alley, Zhang Yang said melancholy: "It's a pity that there is so much beef."
Li Yue stretched out her hand and twisted the soft meat around her husband's waist, "I can have more beef. I'll make more some other day."
Zhang Yang endured the pain, "We still have to wait and see when Chumo's cow will break its leg."
Letting go of his hand, Li Yue returned to the courtyard with satisfaction.
Xiao Wu put the broth, rice, and some broken chicken bones into a bowl. She knocked on the bowl, and the little bear popped his head down from the roof.
After confirming that the little devils below were gone, it climbed down.
Zhang Yang was cleaning up the house, "Da'an sent a letter saying that he found a few more bear cubs in Liaodong and was thinking about sending them over."
Li Yue moved all the chairs in the yard into the house, "That's good. We can raise a few more when we move to Lishan."
Because Li Shimin and his family came to visit, the yard was very messy at the moment.
It took half an hour to clean up the yard. Zhang Yang put some items back to their original places and confirmed that nothing was missing at home.
Back in the house, I heard the sound of water in the room. Xiaowu and his wife were taking a bath.
Zhang Yang sat at his desk, took out some parts from the drawer, and patiently assembled them.
A hair-thin iron needle was fixed on the compass. Zhang Yang held his breath and placed a thin iron piece on the top and observed the movement of the iron piece.
Slowly turning the compass, I saw the pointer moving, and I was overjoyed for a moment.
But the pointer only moved for a moment and then stopped moving again.
When Zhang Yang came back to his senses, he discovered that his wife was already standing aside in loose pajamas. Her long wet hair was being wiped, and she was wearing thin pajamas.
"Failed again?" Li Yue whispered.
"Yes." Zhang Yang held her in his arms, "But we are very close to success."
Sitting on her husband's lap, Li Yue looked at the pointer, "It has been worn so thin, is it still not good?"
"There was some movement at first, but it was short-lived."
“Are the iron hands not light enough?”
Zhang Yang blinked hard and quickly slapped his wife on the face, "Wake up the dreamer with one word."
Li Yue's pretty face turned red and she looked at Xiao Wu in the room. Fortunately, she didn't see him or she would have been so embarrassed.
Li Yue got off her husband's lap and walked to Xiao Wu's room to teach her how to do the questions.
My wife is right, changing the materials may solve the entire dilemma at hand.
That would require materials that are more susceptible to magnetism.
Among natural metals, copper, silver, and gold can be ignored.
When changing the material, you need to consider forging it to a material that is more affected by magnetism. The same is true for adding carbon powder when forging iron and adding copper powder when calcining gold.
After all, it still depends on technology, Zhang Yang came to a conclusion in his mind.
Now that I have a new look, my mood has improved a lot. I took a bath and then went to bed early with my wife in my arms.
…
In the morning of the next day, Zhang Yang was dozing off in the morning class.
Li Shimin said loudly: "Now that the western region of Tubo has been quiet, I am determined to worship my ancestors in mid-October to show God and invite envoys from various countries to a banquet."
Hearing this emperor, Zhang Yang's original sleepiness disappeared, "Your Majesty, I object."
Li Shimin's face immediately darkened, "Why?"
"I believe that Your Majesty should be diligent, frugal and self-disciplined. It is naturally good to worship ancestors. However, the Western Region has only been temporarily conquered and has not yet been governed. Furthermore, although Tubo has been stabilized, many tribes in Tubo have been enlightened."
After the words fell, the emperor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Do you think my words of worshiping our ancestors are exaggerated?"
"Your Majesty should not take credit and be arrogant. You should take advantage of this moment to work hard, make further progress, for example, complete the construction of the official school as soon as possible."
There was silence in the hall for a moment, and Li Shimin lowered his voice: "Zhang Shangshu is right, I should be diligent, frugal and self-disciplined, and so should you all."
"I accept your order." A group of civil servants and generals saluted.
"In the third year after I came to the throne, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong. In the past four years, there have been good harvests every year. I want to reduce taxes, especially in Luoyang and many state capitals east of Tongguan."
Zhang Yang stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, I object."
As if his throat was being strangled, Li Shimin blushed and said solemnly: "Why do you object again? I have always been adhering to the principle of frivolous corvee and low endowment."
"It's right to be light on corvee and thin on taxes, but it can't be too much. Nowadays, taxes are very thin and the central government's finances are tight. If taxes are reduced further, not to mention the construction of official schools will come to a halt. Where will the money come from for the construction of the Hexi Corridor pass? Moreover, the grain If the tax is low, the rich will not be the farmers, but the landowners and nobles.”
"Your Majesty, I am all for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty! It is the right way to leave your money and family wealth to use in key construction."
Wei Zheng also stood up and said, "I also agree with the proposal that farmers should be given small taxes, but landowners and nobles should be strictly controlled."
Wei Zheng and Zhang Yang, one old and the other young, suppressed all the thoughts of His Majesty.
Li Shimin looked very unhappy, and he said loudly: "Many people in the palace have mentioned that there are still many palaces that are abandoned and unused, and I want to rebuild them."
Zhang Yang stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, I object."
After nodding and looking at Zhang Yang for a long time, Li Shimin stood up suddenly and said, "If there is no further performance, withdraw from the court."
Without listening to any excuse, Li Shimin quickly left the Tai Chi Hall.
Seeing this, Zhang Yang sighed and walked among the crowd, lamenting that Tian Khan was getting more and more swollen, and that he would have to give more advice in the future. He also greeted Xu Xiaode: "Now that Xu Changli has stepped out of the East Palace, he is already on the censor's stage. The imperial censor."
Xu Xiaode replied: "Because of Yan Shigu's matter, Your Majesty saw that the officer had merit in exposing it, so he arranged it at the Yushitai."
Walking along with his hands folded, Zhang Yang warned: "I hope Xu Yushi will monitor the officials in the court more in the future."
Xu Xiaode bowed slightly and said, "I will definitely persevere as an official. If I know anything and there is evidence, I will report it."
Standing still, Zhang Yang asked again: "Do you have a direction?"
Xu Xiaode thought for a moment and then said: "I wonder where the direction Zhang Shangshu is talking about is?"
"The matter with Yan Shigu has come to an end now. Does Xu Yushi think that this matter can really end here?"
"I would like to hear the details."
Zhang Yang whispered: "After Yan Shigu fell, there must be more people behind him, especially Lu Chengqing, the Minister of Household Affairs. After being cross-examined by the Ministry of Punishment, it seemed that his words were fine, but was there really nothing weird in it? The strange thing is that he picked himself too cleanly."
Xu Xiaode looked solemn and said, "I understand."
"As a censor, it is necessary to supervise all officials, but we must also maintain the spirit of supervision and let all officials know that there is always a knife hanging over their heads."
Hearing this, Xu Xiaode subconsciously looked at the top of his head.
"You have to have a direction, keep your eyes on the target, don't just listen to one thing, and you have to step up your own investigation." Zhang Yang said with a smile on his face, "I still have to go to the warehouse, I will stay soon."
These words made Xu Xiaode find a new direction as a censor. Not only did he not bear any grudge when he impeached Zhang Shangshu of Lishan, but he came to enlighten him now. He must be an open-minded person.
Just as he was about to say something else, he saw Zhang Yang had walked away.
Xu Xiaode straightened his clothes, raised his head and headed outside Chengtian Gate.
He had almost finished reading the books at home. When Zhang Yang walked towards Zuozangku, he noticed that the eunuchs in the Manlu Hall were coming and going in a hurry.
"His Majesty's temper has been very bad lately."
"I'm still angry, so I need to go to the Imperial Medical Office."
"We should be careful in our words and deeds. The last eunuch who offended His Majesty with his words died somewhere."
"It is said that the flowers and plants beside Yechi are very dense, maybe..."
"well……"
The two eunuchs were walking faster and faster as they talked. After Zhang Yang heard this, he continued towards Zuozangku.
Now Zuozangku has been packed out, and there are guards guarding the door.
As soon as he walked to the door, he bumped into Li Ke.
The boy was standing straight in front of the door.
The prince also needs to guard this place?
He walked into the library with doubts in his mind.
"Don't you see me?"
With a single word, Zhang Yang stopped and turned around and said, "I saw it."
Li Ke was holding a horizontal knife, and the little man still showed a military spirit, "My mother said you are a very wise person."
Zhang Yang was rummaging through books in the library, "Study more, read more, experience more, think more, and ask more questions will make people wiser."
Li Ke took a step forward and said, "My mother-in-law hopes that I can become your disciple."
Zhang Yang looked at a volume of books and frowned: "I have no plans to accept disciples for the time being."
The warehouse became quiet again, and Li Ke just stood aside.
Zhang Yang walked towards another bookshelf, and the boy followed closely, "Your Highness, King of Shu, I told you that I have no plans to accept any disciples."
Li Ke said with a straight face, "I know."
"Then why are you still following me?"
"My mother-in-law hopes that I will become your disciple."
Is this kid not good at words? Zhang Yang scratched his head in distress.
Li Ke said again: "I know you often come to the warehouse, but this time you came very late, after a month."
"His Royal Highness the King of Shu has been waiting here this month?"
"Um."
Zhang Yang put the volume back on the bookshelf, "I don't have much to teach you, what do you want to learn, Your Highness, Prince of Shu?"
Li Ke's expression relaxed a lot. He hesitated and asked, "Did Zhang Shangshu agree?"
Zhang Yang took a few volumes and put them into a package, "I'm thinking about it."
"I want to be a general, like General Li Jing."
"It's difficult, maybe completely impossible." Zhang Yang directly gave him a basin of cold water.
"I'm very diligent."
"This has nothing to do with diligence, but everything to do with His Royal Highness's status as King of Shu." Zhang Yang thought for a moment, "But I have been studying military training methods recently, and I want to get practical results."
"really?"
His words were simple, his questions and answers were true to his temperament in the army. Li Ke was a model soldier, and a pacesetter.
"Please go and prepare the pen and ink, Your Majesty the King of Shu. I will write one for you now. It may not be complete. You can practice it first. If it works, I will add more later."
"Okay! Let's make arrangements now."
Li Ke is the emperor's heir, and military power is a high-voltage line for the emperor. Leading troops in war is not suitable for Li Ke at all in his future plans.
The emperor insisted on throwing him into the army.
This child has been training in the military since he was a child. His foundation is all in the military. It is difficult for him to learn other knowledge. He has missed the most critical age. Now he seems to be a child with a serious partiality in subjects.
I found a few volumes of books on astrology for my wife, and then I looked for books on cast iron for myself. This is a technical need.
There are quite a few unique copies of ancient books, but there are not many collections of highly practical books.
(End of chapter)
