So what if I traveled through time? I'll continue to roll in another place

Zhou Yao returned home exhausted, and Xiao Yueshan was also tired from the journey.

The two of them washed and tidied themselves up before going to bed and talking at night.

Although it was almost autumn, the weather was still hot. Xiao Yueshan didn't like lighting candles as she felt the smell was bad and it was blinding, so she turned off the lights early.

Only the cold moonlight shines through the window panes onto the gauze curtains, making it look even more comfortable and gentle.

Both of them had a lot to say, so they immediately started today's communication.

"I met the Grand Princess Chu Changling at Shijue Temple today!" Xiao Yueshan rested her head on the man's legs and found a lying position where she could see his face and was very comfortable.

"Who is that?" Zhou Yao looked confused.

Xiao Yueshan then remembered that when Madam Yu introduced Empress Yang to her, Zhou Yao went to the Ministry of Personnel, and it seemed that he really didn't know Chu Changling.

"Chu Changling is the great aunt of the current emperor and the half-sister of the emperor's grandfather. She is also the mother of Commander-in-Chief Gao Mao." She briefly summarized the information she had obtained in recent days.

"She is the legitimate princess born to the Emperor and Empress, but the line that is now inheriting the throne is the daughter of the Imperial Concubine. She was posthumously named Empress Dowager after Chu Changmao inherited the throne.

Her mother, Empress Yang, was a remarkable woman. You also went to the Hanlin Academy today. The Analects, Doctrine of the Mean, and the University, etc., which are taught here, were all compiled by Empress Yang. There are no figures like Confucius and Mencius in history here. So I suspect that she also traveled through time. "She expressed her speculation.

"Don't talk about the Hanlin Academy. I almost died of exhaustion today!" Zhou Yao also seized the opportunity to complain.

"Not only do I have to read ancient Chinese texts all the time without a cell phone or computer to kill time during the day, but I also have to attend social events at night!" Zhou Yao felt a headache when he thought of the drinking games at the dinner party.

"If you want to drink, then drink. But you also need to play drinking games. I am so annoyed." He told Xiao Yueshan everything that happened at the banquet. "I have only read the general idea of ​​those books. I had no idea that they had so many twists and turns."

"And today Zuoqiu Zhi wanted me to help him prepare the content for the Autumn Banquet. I have no idea how to do it. You have to help me think of a solution." He said distressedly.

"How can I know this?" Xiao Yueshan felt that her husband really overestimated himself. "Why don't you ask the original owner's father? I think he should be able to do it."

"But if I ask him, won't I be exposed?" Zhou Yao was in a dilemma.

Alas, it is really not easy to play the role of a high-level intellectual. After thinking about it, the two decided to ask Xiao Zheng for help.

The next day was a ten-day holiday, and Xiao Zheng did not have to go to court. Zhou Yao and Xiao Yueshan had the opportunity to ask him for advice.

"This autumn banquet is my first time assisting Lord Zuoqiu in preparing the lecture notes in the Hanlin Academy. I am afraid of failing to live up to the trust placed in me, so I have come to ask my father for advice." Zhou Yao said to Xiao Zheng according to what Xiao Yueshan had taught him.

"Preaching at the Autumn Banquet is indeed of utmost importance. I wonder which scripture you plan to lecture on?" Xiao Zheng stroked his beard.

"Lord Zuoqiu plans to teach the Analects, and I think it would be better to just talk about 'The purpose of etiquette is harmony. The way of the ancient kings is beautiful, and it applies to both the small and the big. If there is something that cannot be done, then knowing how to be harmonious and being harmonious, without etiquette, is also not feasible.'" Xiao Yueshan had thought of it for him yesterday, so he would just give an idea to stimulate discussion and see what Xiao Zheng had to say.

"The purpose of promoting etiquette and law is to pursue social harmony. This includes the harmony between the state and the people, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, the relationship between officials and the people, and the harmony between the people, and even more so the harmony between heaven and man in society."

"Yao'er's idea is not bad, but it is inappropriate to choose the book "The Analects of Confucius." Xiao Zheng did not propose any revisions, but directly raised objections to the selection of the book.

"Nowadays, everyone in the court uses the Four Books and the Five Classics as the outline reading materials. Lord Ye, Lord Dong and I also use them as the topic of the imperial lectures as usual. Although the Analects is not the first of the Four Books, many great scholars have explained it in the spring and autumn banquets over the years, so it is difficult to come up with new ideas.

After all, the Four Books and Five Classics were not in existence since ancient times in the Zhao Dynasty, but were compiled by Empress Yang. When Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Gaozong were reborn, they intended to reverse the situation, but the Thirteen Classics are indeed profound in content and thought, and cannot be replaced at any time, so they are still used today.

"If you just want to win in the circle criticism, you might as well take a risky move and try to explain the heroic deeds of Emperor Taizu in founding the country in the "Zhaoji", which may give you a better chance of success." Xiao Zheng suggested.

"Not being elected is a small matter. But if Lord Zuoqiu listens to what Zhou Yao said about the Zhaoji, will people think that we are part of the Prince of Jin's party?" Xiao Yueshan keenly sensed that there was a problem.

"Don't worry, Shan'er. The dispute between the new and old theories in the court does involve party struggles. But your father's suggestion to say that Taizu founded the dynasty, the eldest princess and Gaozu are both Taizu's blood, which is impeccable." Xiao Zheng said with a smile.

It must be said that Xiao Zheng's political acumen is very strong. The two largest parties in the court are currently led by the little emperor and Chu Changling.

Chu Changmao and Chu Yuanqi tried to gradually eliminate the important influence of their mother, Empress Yang, while Chu Changling firmly maintained the sacred status of Empress Yang.

Because Xiao's ancestor was once a close friend of Empress Yang and was gradually neglected during the reign of Chu Yuanqi, Xiao Zheng did not serve as the chief academic officer of the Imperial College like his father.

Even though everyone had passed the imperial examinations by studying the Four Books and Five Classics, Chu Yuanqi still chose Dong Lin to take up this position. This shows how much psychological trauma Empress Yang had left on him.

Xiao Zheng suggested that his son-in-law should explain "Zhao Ji" as a way to strike a balance between the royalist party and the princess party.

After getting Xiao Zheng's advice, Zhou Yao also understood how to respond to Zuoqiu Zhi's words. Today he would take some time to read the Taizong Chronicle section of "Zhaoji" to familiarize himself with the history of the Zhao Dynasty.

"Shan'er, I heard from your mother that you met Princess Changying at Shijue Temple yesterday?" Xiao Zheng asked.

"Yes, my daughter has something to say but I don't know whether I should say it or not." Xiao Yueshan pretended to hesitate.

"It's okay to say it in front of your father."

"My daughter had a brief conversation with the Grand Princess and felt that she was enthusiastic about state affairs and had lofty ambitions. She was not an ordinary woman." She used two relatively obscure words to describe Chu Changling's ambition.

"She hasn't given up yet..." Xiao Zheng sighed, "The Grand Princess is the only daughter of Empress Yang, of course she is not an easy person. I just didn't expect that she is already over 80 years old and still hasn't changed her mind." He shook his head.

"At that time, Empress Yang had no son but only a daughter, so she asked Emperor Taizong to make Princess Changying the Crown Princess. Although Emperor Taizong respected and loved Empress Yang, he was also a little cautious. He was not like Emperor Gaozu of later generations who deeply loved Empress Fu and obeyed her every word. So he never adopted the Empress's suggestions." Xiao Zheng took a sip of tea and said softly.

"Later, Sun was rewarded with the title of Imperial Concubine for giving birth to Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu was one year younger than the Grand Princess. Emperor Taizong only had one son and one daughter. After that, none of the many concubines in the harem gave birth to any children.

All the ministers tacitly agreed that Emperor Gaozu would inherit the throne, but Empress Yang and others did not think so. They felt that a woman could also inherit the throne. If Emperor Gaozu failed, the heir to the throne would only be the Grand Princess.

Emperor Gaozu was assassinated many times when he was still an infant, but fortunately Concubine Sun learned medicine since childhood and saved his life.

When Emperor Gaozu was six years old, the Empress passed away, and gradually no one mentioned the Crown Princess anymore.

Xiao Zheng knows a lot of secrets in the court.

"I didn't expect that after so much time, the Grand Princess still hasn't let go of her obsession." Xiao Yueshan shook his head and sighed.

"Ever since Yao'er's accident, not since the emperor was assassinated during the sacrifice to heaven, I have a vague feeling that there will be chaos in the court. We all have to be careful." Xiao Zheng warned.

Zhou Yao and Xiao Yueshan nodded in agreement. Now that they were caught in this political whirlpool, it was better to protect themselves.