Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5284 Let's go, together

Inside the study, Fang Xuanling unfolded a tattered calligraphy copybook on hemp paper. His fingers gently traced the texture of the paper, and his gaze wandered over the elegant and unrestrained regular script characters, observing the rise and fall of the brushstrokes and the transitions in artistic conception. In particular, he praised the first eight characters, "Written by Wang Xianzhi, the Grand Secretary of Jin," saying, "Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy is elegant, vigorous, and rounded. No one in the world can surpass his small regular script. What a fine copy of 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River'!"

Fang Jun also leaned over to examine it closely, and asked curiously, "Father, could you authenticate this book?"

Wang Zijing was also known as Wang Xianzhi, the son of Wang Xizhi.

He was skilled in many styles of calligraphy and was later known as one of the "Two Wangs" along with his father. However, most of his surviving works are in running and cursive scripts, with very few in regular script.

Although he initially focused on Zhao Mengfu's style, how could he not also copy the works of the "Two Wangs" (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi)?
However, this copy of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" handwritten by Wang Xianzhi has long been lost. What has been passed down to later generations is that Jia Sidao collected the fragmented calligraphy and engraved it on a jade tablet, calling it "Thirteen Lines of Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River"...

Fang Xuanling stopped looking at it and carefully put away the damaged calligraphy copybook: "How can we determine its authenticity in a short time? We need to start from many aspects such as paper, handwriting, and style. We need to observe carefully and verify cautiously. It is not something that can be accomplished overnight."

After carefully putting away the calligraphy copybook, he smiled and said to Wu Meiniang, who was sitting upright to one side, "Meiniang is very thoughtful."

Wu Meiniang smiled and nodded. She was very pleased that the calligraphy she had painstakingly collected had pleased her father-in-law.

Fang Xuanling had always held Wu Meiniang in high regard, trusting and valuing her greatly. He took a sip of tea and asked, "Now that you've returned to the capital, when will you go to Luoyang again?"

Wu Meiniang said respectfully, "I will leave after the Lantern Festival. The Yellow River will soon be unblocked, and countless goods will gather in Luoyang and sail to the sea via the Yellow River, the Grand Canal, and the Yangtze River. It will be a busy time for businesses, so I must go to Luoyang to oversee things."

Fang Xuanling nodded and said gently, "I have always been very confident in your intelligence and strategy. However, I suggest that while you should be precise in your calculations and act only after careful consideration, you should also be magnanimous, upright, and forgiving when possible."

Perhaps it is because she is a woman and naturally narrow-minded, or perhaps it is because of her childhood experiences that her personality is slightly extreme. Therefore, she now acts in a more cunning, cruel, and vengeful manner, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She lacks tact and compassion.

Wu Meiniang quickly stood up: "Your daughter-in-law has learned a lot."

Fang Xuanling smiled and waved for her to sit down: "Old people always tend to be long-winded. I hope you don't find it annoying."

With eyes full of admiration and sincerity, Wu Meiniang said, "Who in the world does not know your outstanding talent and keen mind? You have been in charge of the government for more than ten years, and you have never made enemies while governing the country and managing the government. You are praised by everyone in the court and the country. There is so much for your daughter-in-law to learn from you."

Throughout the entire Tang Dynasty, among the noble families, imperial relatives, and powerful clans, which family had ever trusted, relied on, and earnestly instructed a concubine in this way?
Moreover, this is Fang Xuanling, a famous prime minister of the country!

Fang Xuanling's face was gentle as he waved his hand and said, "You must be tired after such a long journey in this snowy weather. Go back and reunite with your family."

"Here."

Fang Jun and Wu Meiniang got up to take their leave.

……

Stepping out of the study, Wu Meiniang adjusted her veiled hat, which had been billowing in the wind, and asked curiously, "Why did my father-in-law reprimand me for being dignified, upright, and honorable? Am I being too harsh?"

Fang Jun glanced at him and chuckled.

Don't you have any self-awareness about your own character?

The fact that they blatantly engaged in the slave trade from the East and South Seas, and then manipulated events to drive the remnants of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje to Japan, allowing them to wreak havoc there, speaks volumes.

It has a style somewhat reminiscent of the strategist Jia Xu...

Wu Meiniang thought for a moment, feeling a little guilty, and quickly explained, "I was only dealing with outsiders. I have never been harsh or cruel to our Han people, let alone at home."

As the couple returned to the inner quarters, they saw Fang Shu and Fang You, dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes, rushing over like balls. One called out "Mother" and the other "Auntie," throwing themselves into Wu Meiniang's arms as she knelt down.

"Ouch, you two, watch your step! You almost knocked me over!"

Feeling the affection between the two boys, Wu Meiniang reached out and hugged them, her face beaming with joy. She looked them over from left to right, overjoyed.

Fang You wrapped his arms around Wu Meiniang's neck, pressed his face against his mother's neck, inhaling her familiar scent, and whispered, "Mother, I missed you!"

Wu Zetian's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She kissed her son's forehead and said softly, "My good son, your mother misses you too!"

She has always prided herself on being a strong woman who is no less capable than men. Now that she is in charge of the business, she has fulfilled her lifelong wish and demonstrated her value in life. However, she has neglected her family and feels guilty towards her son.

Fang Shu bounced around, shouting, "Auntie, I miss you too!"

Wu Zetian composed herself and asked with a smile, "What are you thinking about me?"

"A present!" Fang Shu exclaimed, "I want a present!"

Princess Gaoyang and the others in the hall couldn't help but burst out laughing. The silly boy's "fake kinship" had been exposed with just one sentence...

Wu Meiniang kissed Fang Shu on the forehead and said with a smile, "Of course there are gifts. Your aunt has prepared a whole cart of gifts for you. I guarantee you will like them!"

"Oh, really? Then I want it now!"

"They've all been unloaded into the warehouse. Let someone take you to choose."

Watching the two brothers skip and hop along with the steward Fang Fu to the storeroom to choose gifts, Wu Meiniang stood up, her eyes moist as she smiled and said, "Fang You has become much more cheerful!"

Princess Gaoyang rolled her eyes and said with dissatisfaction, "You went to Luoyang and held great power, living a carefree life, but you left your son with me to raise. How dare you say such things?"

Wu Meiniang was grateful and gently took her hand, saying softly, "Thank you!"

He immediately turned around and took Fang Jing from Xiao Shu'er's hands, carefully examined her, glanced at Xiao Shu'er, and nodded approvingly: "Jing'er's eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same as yours. She will definitely be a beautiful woman when she grows up... At first, I was worried that Jing'er would look like her father. The young master is quite handsome, but if the girl is as dark-skinned as him, that would be a disaster."

The wives and concubines all looked at Fang Jun, and seeing his helpless expression, they couldn't help but laugh.

Today, no one dares to call him "Black-faced God" anymore, but thinking back to Fang Jun's widely circulated "heaven-defying remarks" when he first met Princess Gaoyang, it's quite amusing...

During dinner, the whole family gathered together in joy and harmony.

Wu Zetian, who had always disliked being confined to the home, also felt the joy of family harmony. She even felt a slight reluctance to leave home again for Luoyang after the New Year...

The double-glazed walls of the flower hall keep out the cold. Outside, snowflakes flutter, while inside, it's warm and cozy. The banana and jasmine plants from the south grow vigorously, their branches and leaves lush and green.

The children had already gone to sleep, while Fang Jun sat with his wives and concubines, drinking tea, eating pastries and fruits, enjoying a rare moment of reunion.

Princess Gaoyang was quite concerned about Li Tai and asked, "How is Brother Qingque doing in Japan? I heard that Japan is a mountainous country with few flat areas, and it is prone to earthquakes and hurricanes. Why did he choose such a wild and desolate place?"

Without needing Fang Jun's explanation, Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. What kind of person is the Prince of Wei? If there were no real benefits in Japan, would he be willing to go and suffer?"

Fang Jun reminded him: "The Japanese and Ainu people held a referendum and submitted to the Tang Dynasty. The Japanese kingdom has been wiped out and is now called Fusang."

"Once you get used to it, you can't change it..."

Wu Meiniang said coquettishly, then took Princess Gaoyang's hand: "Fusang is indeed mountainous, but I've heard from the merchant caravans that travel to the East that there's a lot to say about that place. Originally, Fusang was the territory of the Ainu people. Later, the Japanese rose up and slaughtered and abused the Ainu, driving them to the snowy islands in the north, almost wiping them out. Later, the Ainu revived and counterattacked the islands, killing the Japanese and causing them to flee in disarray. They then occupied most of the islands again... Now the Japanese and Ainu are fighting endlessly on the islands, both hoping that the Tang Dynasty will support them. Therefore, the Prince of Wei, the ruler of Fusang, is like an emperor emeritus on the islands."

Fang Jun added, "Furthermore, the Japanese islands became a place for Han people to escape the flames of war during the Warring States period. Chinese civilization has a long history. Now that shipping routes have been opened, trade has been carried out between the two countries. More Tang people have gone to Japan to do business and teach. Its prosperous areas have long become gathering places for Tang people. Being in Japan, you can hear the local dialect all around you and see Chinese clothing everywhere. It is almost no different from the Tang Dynasty."

Among all the overseas lands, Japan was the most suitable place for the Tang Dynasty to carry out a so-called "merger" but in reality "colonization". The two places are separated by a narrow strip of water and share the same culture. Moreover, the Japanese people's admiration for strength is in their nature. From nobles to slaves, they all felt honored to submit to the Tang Dynasty. Those nobles with surnames had even begun to plan to express their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty by changing their surnames.

On the contrary, Baekje and Silla, which were connected to the Tang Dynasty by land, were difficult to assimilate.

It's not that these places were more resilient or persistent than Japan, but rather that during the Goguryeo rule, the people were completely indifferent to education and enlightenment. They continued to live by fishing and hunting, just as they had in their ancestral lands, resulting in an extremely ignorant and unresponsive populace.

Next spring, the former territory of Goguryeo will be integrated to establish the Liaodong Protectorate. The most important task will be to "register households and bring all people under the control of the government."

Princess Gaoyang sighed, "If that's really the case, then that's for the best... Alas, although Brother Qingque is doing quite well in Fusang, the other brothers are about to be scattered overseas, and I don't know if they will be able to find a stable and prosperous place to settle down, take root, and flourish."

Wu Meiniang said, "Your Highness can rest assured. All the princes' fiefdoms are connected to the sea. As long as our navy is strong, they can rest easy."

Now that the navy is under Fang Jun's rule, it naturally takes good care of the princes. But what about ten, twenty, or even a hundred years from now?

Those descendants of princes who established their own states can only fend for themselves.

Princess Gaoyang naturally understood this principle. With a slightly heavy heart, she stood up and said, "It's getting late, everyone should rest quickly. Shu'er, Shengman, let's go together."

Fang Jun smiled, quite pleased with the princess's understanding and tact.

Wu Meiniang's cheeks flushed slightly, but given her temperament, she couldn't be coy at all. Not only did she accept it readily, but she even took Xiao Shu'er's hand and said softly, "Shu'er, wait a moment, I still have something to say to you."

"what?"

Xiao Shu'er's pretty face turned bright red, and she was at a loss for what to do.

You two go and rest to do your marital duties, why are you stopping me!

Fang Jun smiled and stood up: "Let's go, together tonight."

Xiao Shu'er: "..."