The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 542 Yang Ji Visits
Li Yan threw the chestnut cake into the space, took out the fresh white flour pancakes he bought in the Chang'an market, and took a bowl of mutton soup with vegetables, and began to feast on it, occasionally taking out the fragrant roasted whole lamb.

He tore off a large piece of mutton and ate it with soup noodles until his stomach was full and he burped with a slight mutton smell before stopping.

He felt a little nauseous sitting on the ground, so he stood up and walked slowly in the ten-square-meter cell, slowly digesting his food.

After about an incense stick of time, Li Yan felt a little sleepy and lay down on the haystack to rest. It was daytime now, if it was night, Li Yan would take out the mattress from the carriage and use it as a cushion, smelling the smell of the hay, and sleep soundly.

If Luo Yi saw this, he would probably be furious. He eats better than himself. Is this the treatment for being in prison?

In this way, Li Yan stayed in the warehouse for half a month. The old soldier who was on guard brought him water every two days, a piece of cake every three days, and emptied the toilet for Li Yan.

But every time I see the "portion" that takes up half the toilet, I always wonder, can that piece of cake become so much in three days?

Li Yan looked clean and rosy-cheeked, with a spirited look in his eyes. Except for his wrinkled clothes, he seemed to have not changed much in the past ten days. After being locked up in prison for half a month, he seemed to have gained some weight and was in better spirits than when he first came.

The old soldier couldn't help rubbing his eyes, and felt as if he had seen something strange. He picked up the cake and turned it over and over to examine it.

Do you eat this cake every day?
Moreover, I only eat two or three pieces a day, with some porridge made from brown rice and some pickles. Why do I look old and dry, weak all over, and my eyes are dull?

What the hell?
The old soldier looked at the intact cell to make sure Li Yan would not escape. He then subconsciously glanced at the hay on the floor of the cell. Could it be that this kid was really eating grass?
Can eating grass have such an effect?
The old soldier thought about it and wondered if he could try it himself at night. Before leaving, he grabbed a handful of hay from the warehouse and walked out.
On this day, Li Yan was lying on a haystack, bored, reading a book. When Li Yan traveled through time, Li Chengqian was carrying a book with him. It was probably used to take a break and pass the time during the journey. It was not a rare book, just an ordinary Spring and Autumn Annals written by Zuo Qiuming.

Li Yan put it in the space and took it out now to kill time.

The door was opened quietly, and a man slowly walked to the door of the cell where Li Yan was, stood quietly outside, looking at Li Yan.

Li Yan was so absorbed in watching that he didn't pay attention until he heard a slight cough. He suddenly looked up and saw a man standing outside the prison door.

Li Yan looked at him carefully and found that it was General Yang Ji who had pulled him back that day.

At this time, Yang Ji was wearing a gray robe and soft-soled shoes. His hair was tied into a hoop and a hairpin was inserted to fix his hair on top of his head. This was a common hairstyle for people in the Tang Dynasty, and Li Chengqian sometimes also had this hairstyle.

Yang Ji was not wearing armor today, and he did not have the same vigor as that day. He smiled and said, "I was worried that the prince would suffer here. It seems that I was worrying in vain. The prince eats well and sleeps well, and he still has the mind to write here. I really admire him!"

"The general is joking."

Li Yan stood up, straightened his clothes, bowed to Yang Ji, and said slowly: "Cheng Qian would like to thank the general."

"Oh?"

Yang Ji smiled unchanged: "If I remember correctly, this is the second time I met the prince, and we only said half a sentence. What does the prince want to thank me for?"

"That day, Cheng Qian couldn't bear the humiliation, so he pretended to faint to avoid disaster. The general clearly found out, but he didn't expose him, so Cheng Qian escaped."

Li Yan glanced at the surroundings and said solemnly, "Besides, I can have such a quiet environment because I think the general is secretly taking care of me. Otherwise, if I let Marshal Luo have his temper, I'm afraid I would at least be locked up in a stable and live with the dirt. Cheng Qian can have the dignity he has today, all thanks to the general, shouldn't I thank the general?"

"General, I will always remember your kindness. If I ever rise to prominence in the future, I will never forget your kindness today."

Yang Ji was stunned when he heard that, but then he looked at Li Yan again. He had a calm expression, a composed gaze, and his words, gestures, and movements all revealed the demeanor of a great man. It seemed that he was not the one who was frightened that day, pissing his pants, and making a fool of himself in public.

When Yang Ji discovered that Li Yan intended to pretend to faint that day, he had some guesses. He returned to his camp and thought secretly for a while. He also realized that he had actually underestimated this prince. As an enemy hostage, he was in this dangerous place where his life and death were uncertain. The better he performed, the more dangerous it would be.

Although pretending to be stupid and ignorant may be looked down upon by others, it can greatly improve one's life safety. After all, there are many generous and heroic people in the army, and they will not bother to kill a useless person.

Sure enough, after Li Yan's performance, Luo Yi despised him, and even gave up the power of eating rat meat, and threw this person to himself. For nearly half a month, he didn't even ask a question, and simply treated this person as if he didn't exist.

Yang Ji learned that the old soldier who was guarding Li Yan reported to him that Li Yan neither cried nor made a fuss, but was quiet every day, eating and sleeping obediently. He felt that everyone, including Luo Yi, had misjudged this prince and underestimated him.

Out of curiosity, Yang Ji secretly came to the warehouse alone after Luo Yi left the camp. He saw Li Yan leisurely reading a book. He stood beside him for a long time but failed to attract his attention. It was only after he took the initiative to remind him that he noticed his presence.

"hehe."

Yang Ji showed a playful smile on his face: "You are quite smart, but you don't know yet, your follower Chang Sheng is in the stable right now, and he has to fight with the horse for food every meal in order to survive."

Li Yan was stunned for a moment, then showed a helpless expression. In this situation, it was good enough to survive, and what to eat was not important at all. "What book are you reading?"

Li Yan waved the scroll in his hand and said, "Spring and Autumn, do you read books, too, General?"

"Of course, as a general, if you don't read books, how can you lead troops to fight."

Yang Ji replied, and then his face fell silent: "It's just that I am different from you. I was born in an ordinary family. My family has been poor since I was a child, and I don't have the conditions to go to a private school."

"Later, I joined the army and became a general. That's when I started to learn to read. But I usually read some military books. I didn't have the opportunity to come into contact with the knowledge that the children of the aristocratic families studied."

Li Yan agreed with this point. Nowadays, knowledge is a scarce resource and is monopolized by wealthy families and powerful nobles. Ordinary people have no access to it at all, especially historical books that record the development of the times, which are kept as confidential.

Most people would sell their houses to scrape together some money to send their children to private schools of wealthy families, but there they could only learn Confucian classics or Huang-Lao and other schools of thought on how to govern the world and deal with affairs. It was difficult for them to get in touch with the Legalist school of thought that dealt with state governance.

History books, which are about historical development, are treated as heirlooms, and only the most valued and most cultivated direct descendants of the family who need to be trained as the pillars of the family can read them.

It's no wonder that Yang Ji came from a poor family.
Li Yan was lost in thought, and Yang Ji was amused. He asked, "The prince is a precious child, and now his life is hanging by a thread. Don't you worry about your own safety at all?"

"Afraid, of course I am."

Li Yan smiled calmly: "So, I need to read more books and find a way to save my life!"

"Oh?"

Yang Ji was stunned: "Can I find a way to survive in this book?"

"Of course, General, haven't you heard the saying, 'Books contain golden houses, books contain beautiful women, books contain thousands of bushels of grain, and books contain many carriages and horses.'"

Li Yan's words aroused Yang Ji's strong curiosity. He had never heard of this sentence before, but he roughly understood what it meant, that is, as long as the book is good, everything will be there.

But now Li Yan is in prison, his life is in danger. Can this tattered book save his life?
Yang Ji didn't believe it, but seeing Li Yan's confident look, Yang Ji said jokingly: "Oh, there is such a life-saving medicine in the book. Why don't you tell me about it and let me hear it to broaden my horizons."

"General, if you have time, Cheng Qian will tell you about the life-saving medicine in this book."

Li Yan imitated the ancients, with a serious face, and waved his hand: "The environment is simple, please forgive me, General, please take a seat."

After saying that, Li Yan picked up a handful of hay, put it on the ground, and sat down on the ground.

Seeing that Li Yan, a child, was looking at him so seriously, Yang Ji smiled slightly, picked up a pile of fodder from the side and placed it in front of the prison door, and sat opposite him.

If the space between the two people was not the wooden fence of the cell, but a small table with a few cups on it, it could also be considered as a discussion of heroism over wine.

However, Li Yan was sitting on the grass ball, while Yang Ji was more particular and knelt on the grass ball. This was the so-called sitting posture in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yan felt uncomfortable with that, so he sat down naturally. However, Li Yan was still a child, so Yang Ji did not bother with him.

Yang Ji didn't know at this time that his momentary whim would actually change his life.

Many years later, when Yang Jigui was the Grand Tutor of the dynasty and had white hair, he would talk to his descendants about the scene at that time. It was still vivid in his mind, as if it happened right before his eyes. Every time he thought of the scene that changed the course of his life,

Yang Ji couldn't help but feel his blood boiling and his whole body trembling with excitement.

At this time, Li Yan had a serious expression on his face: "General, have you ever desecrated history books?"

Seeing Yang Ji smiling and shaking his head, Li Yan immediately said, "Since the general has never desecrated history books, we are destined to meet today. I will tell you a historical story, which may help you resolve the doubts in your heart."

Yang Ji stared at Li Yan curiously, raised his hand and signaled Li Yan that he could start.

(End of this chapter)