Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

Li Shimin's eyes seemed to be attracted by a magnet, staring at the little girl in front of him who was writing down the menu on paper with a brush.

I couldn't help but ask a question.

"Have you ever been to school, little girl?"

There was a glint of curiosity in his deep eyes.

In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, reading and writing were out of reach for most people.

Throughout the Tang Dynasty, people who had read books were as rare as the sparse stars in the night sky, and those who could write beautiful and fluent characters were even rarer.

Among the few literate people, most of them are from wealthy families.

Those aristocratic families are like misers entrenched in front of the treasure house of knowledge, controlling the key to knowledge inheritance.

They have countless precious book resources and complete and high-quality educational conditions, which means that studying and promotion, an important path to wealth and glory, is almost completely monopolized by them.

In contrast, ordinary people work hard to make a living and have never even seen what a book looks like, let alone received a systematic education. Books are like things from another world to them.

After the little girl finished memorizing the menu neatly, she raised her head lightly. Her eyes, as clear as a lake, were filled with a hint of doubt as she slowly swept her gaze over Li Shimin and the other three.

"I'm not much of a scholar, I just know how to read and write."

The little girl pursed her lips slightly, revealing a light and sweet smile.

"My classmates who went to Chang'an are the real scholars! They are amazing! They are proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, farming, and building houses!"

"Alright, sir, your food will be served shortly!"

As the little girl spoke, she blinked her big eyes, which were as bright as the stars in the night sky, and looked at Li Shimin and the other three with enthusiasm.

"Is there anything else you need help with?"

Li Shimin's eyes paused for a moment, and then a smile as gentle as a spring breeze appeared on his face.

He slowly said, "There's nothing I can help you with, but I still want to ask you about that question again."

He paused for a moment, his eyes filled with deep interest as he continued, "Are your classmates going to Chang'an to become officials?"

The little girl is like a little lark.

She nodded vigorously, her face brimming with pride as she spoke in a clear, resonant voice, "Yes, the best students of that batch have all gone to Chang'an to become officials. I heard the highest-ranking official has already been promoted to the rank of Fourth-Rank Minister of the Central Secretariat! That's a truly remarkable position, involved in the decision-making of national affairs!"

The curiosity in Li Shimin's eyes grew stronger and stronger, like a flame burning.

He pressed on, "What are you learning? Why have I never heard of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division before?"

"Science? Don't you know Xianyang National College?"

As the little girl spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze was like two searchlights, looking back and forth at Li Shimin and the other three.

"You guys aren't from Xianyang, are you? You don't seem to know much about what's going on here."

Li Shimin looked calm and nodded generously, saying, "Indeed, we are not from Xianyang! We are from Chang'an and are very curious about the new things here."

Hearing Li Shimin's direct admission, the little girl's eyes instantly revealed a hint of disappointment, and her originally bright eyes dimmed a little.

Li Shimin was puzzled when he saw this. He frowned and asked, "Young lady, I see you are very disappointed. Why is that? Is there any reason behind this?"

The little girl twitched her lips slightly, revealing a somewhat helpless expression as she replied, "There's an imperial decree from His Majesty in Xianyang City. If anyone can be found sneaking into Xianyang City, there's a reward of 10,000 coins for reporting them!"

"For ordinary people like us, this is a direct way to get rich."

Hearing the little girl say this, Li Shimin and the other three couldn't help but widen their eyes, and Cheng Yaojin's rough face was full of surprise.

He couldn't help but shout, "So much reward?"

"Yes!"

The little girl nodded vigorously.

“So everyone is eager to discover outsiders.”

Li Ji looked at the little girl intently. He knew very well that Li Shimin was extremely concerned about these situations.

So he asked, "Are all the people in Xianyang City educated like you? I feel like this place is very different from other places."

The little girl nodded first, then shook her head.

He said: "It can't be said that everyone has read books, but everyone can read and write."

"When His Majesty was still the Crown Prince, within two years of taking office in Xianyang, he began arranging for everyone to learn to read and write on a large scale."

"In two years, if there are still illiterate people, they will be arrested and taken to the governor's mansion, and forced to copy books every day!"

"It was a spectacular scene. Many people complained bitterly at first, saying they had busy farm work at home."

When she said this, the little girl's body trembled slightly, as if she was recalling the days when she was taken to the governor's mansion to copy books.

A hint of fear flashed in her eyes. It was truly an unforgettable experience for her.

Seeing that they had asked enough questions, Li Shimin and the other three stopped bothering the girl. After thanking her, they let her go about her own business.

The four of them sat at the exquisite mahogany table, looking at each other with surprise in their eyes.

Everything here is so new and unique to them, as if it has opened a door to a new world.

For example, this table and chairs are made of high-quality pear wood, and the wood texture is clear and delicate.

The craftsmanship of the tables and chairs is extremely exquisite.

Sitting on it felt very comfortable, with every part of the body getting just the right support. It was much more comfortable than the soft or hard mats they had sat on before, which always made them feel uncomfortable.

Li Shimin saw something extraordinary from these seemingly insignificant details.

He vaguely understood why his son dared to confront the powerful aristocratic family.

If all the people of the Tang Dynasty were like the people of Xianyang City, knowledgeable and cultured, able to understand things and distinguish right from wrong, then what would the aristocratic families have to fear?

Their monopoly will collapse on its own, and the power of the people will be unstoppable like a surging tide.

"Xianyang Evening News, one penny a copy! Xianyang Evening News, one penny a copy!"

Suddenly, the clear and loud voice of a crier hawking his wares was heard outside Songhe Tower.

The sound echoed in the busy streets, attracting people's attention.

The newspaperman was a young man, dressed simply but neatly, with a big cloth bag full of newspapers on his shoulders.

He was holding a newspaper and walking around in front of each shop. Every time he arrived at a shop, he would shout a few words enthusiastically.

When Li Shimin heard this new term, he was extremely curious, like a kitten being gently tickled by a feather.

He hurriedly said to Li Ji, "Go quickly and buy me a copy."

After receiving the order, Li Ji walked quickly to the newsboy, took out a penny from his pocket and handed it to the newsboy. Then he took the newspaper and returned to the table impatiently while reading it.

His eyes were fixed on the newspaper, as if he was enchanted by the content and couldn't move his eyes away.

That focused look on his face was as if everything around him had disappeared, leaving only him and the newspaper in his hand.

It was not until Li Shimin coughed lightly that Li Ji woke up as if he had been pulled back to reality from a fantastic dream.

He handed the newspaper in his hand to Li Shimin with reluctance on his face, and there was a hint of attachment in his eyes.

Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde had no interest in newspapers at all. They were both fierce generals on the battlefield and typical rough guys.

The total number of characters they knew was no more than a hundred. In their eyes, those densely packed characters were like a group of clueless ants, giving them a headache just looking at them.

Li Shimin squeezed the newspaper in his hand and said to Li Ji in disbelief, "Did you really only spend a penny on this newspaper?"

As he spoke, he carefully looked at the newspaper in his hand, as if trying to find some clues from it.

Li Ji nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, it only cost one penny!"

As he spoke, he suddenly came to his senses and realized that something was wrong.

He looked at the newspaper and thought to himself.

Such a large piece of paper, with dense content written on both sides, from the quality of the paper to the printing process, it doesn't look like something that is worth just a penny. It's not even enough to cover the cost!

There are so many curious things here, like a huge mystery, and the things that need to be explored are as countless as the stars in the night sky.

Li Shimin did not dwell too much on the issue of price. His attention was completely attracted by the content of the newspaper. He could not wait to read the newspaper in his hand carefully at the dinner table.

The newspaper only recorded the big and small events that happened in Xianyang City yesterday.

Some of them are trivial matters in family life. Although these trivial matters are ordinary, they are interesting when presented in the newspaper.

For example, if someone's wife is having an affair, this news is like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples among the diners.

Some were surprised, some were regretful, and some were simply curious.

There were also exclamations from some diners around!

"How could that lady cheat on her husband?"

There were also cases where a child skipped school because he didn't study hard and was caught by the government. Such incidents were also recorded in detail.

Including the embarrassed look of the child when he was caught, the anxious expression of the parents and the serious attitude of the government officials.

All of the accompanying stories are vividly drawn.

It seems like a warning to other families, allowing everyone to learn from it and educate their children well.

There are also some contents with particularly large titles.

The word "Shocked" was written on it. The two words were printed in bold font, making them particularly eye-catching.

When Li Shimin first saw the title, he thought it was some major event concerning the fate of the country. His heart tightened and he hurried to read it carefully.

After a closer look, the content is

"Shocking! After seven years of literacy campaigns in Xianyang, there are still illiterates! Let's all be ashamed of them!"

After reading it, Li Shimin couldn't help but laugh. He looked up at Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde who were in a daze, and thought to himself that these two illiterate people should be sent to Xianyang to study hard. Maybe they could wake up.

The newspaper's headline, in bold, large characters, announced a major event: "The late emperor's funeral procession will arrive in Xianyang today!"

Then the main text praises Li Shimin's achievements. The writing is beautiful and gorgeous, comparing Li Shimin with Emperor Wen of Han, saying that his achievements are comparable to those of Emperor Wen of Han.

The article describes Li Shimin's life in detail, from his heroic deeds in his youth, such as how he charged into battle and outsmarted the enemy, demonstrating his extraordinary military talent, to his great achievements in the fourth year of Zhenguan.

It's like a prosperous country, people living and working in peace and contentment, and peace all over the world. All the achievements are presented on paper one by one, like a colorful painting.

The writing is vivid and full of admiration for Li Shimin between the lines. The Li Shimin described is a legendary figure with the appearance of the sun and the moon and the demeanor of the dragon and the phoenix. He is the savior sent by God to save the people and establish the Tang Dynasty.

The end also specifically marked the posthumous title "Wen" and the temple name "Taizong". These words make Li Shimin's image more solemn and sacred.

Li Shimin was overjoyed. He didn't expect that his image in the newspaper would be so glorious and great.

He thought that when he went out to talk to others about his achievements in the future, he could refer to these wonderful descriptions in the newspaper.

After reading it, Li Shimin saw Li Ji looking at him eagerly, his eyes full of desire.

Li Shimin found it funny, so he handed the newspaper to Li Ji and said, "Take it and have a look. Return it to me after you've finished reading it. This newspaper will be very useful to me!"

Hearing Li Shimin say this, Li Ji immediately smiled happily.

Li Ji originally wanted to run out to buy another one, but when he looked around, he found that the newspaper seller had disappeared.

Moreover, Songhua Courtyard was so large, like a huge maze, and he did not dare to walk around alone. It would be troublesome if he got lost.

Just as Li Ji was concentrating on reading the newspaper, the dishes they ordered were served one after another.

"Sour fish, this is one of our signature dishes. The fish is fresh and tender, and the sauerkraut is sour and refreshing."

The waiter placed the steaming hot pickled fish on the table while loudly announcing the name of the dish. The rich aroma instantly filled the air.

"Red braised pork, made with three-year-old domestic pigs, has a bright red color, melts in your mouth, and is sweet and delicious."

A plate of mouth-watering braised pork was also served. The pieces of braised pork looked like rubies, sparkling with an attractive luster.

"A pot of Xiaobaigan! This wine is rich and mellow, and is a favorite of drinkers."

The waiter placed the wine on the table, and the wine jug emitted a faint aroma.

"And this is the hot pot set you ordered. It's the standard double-flavor hot pot. Half pork bone broth, half spicy. This hot pot base is our signature. The pork bone broth is simmered all day with old hens and pig bones. It's rich, fragrant, and nutritious."

"The spicy hot pot base is made with overseas chili peppers and some spices. You can try it. Many people in Xianyang like this taste."

"These peppers are directly supplied by Qianyu Chamber of Commerce!"

The waiter introduced the food enthusiastically, with pride shining in his eyes.

"This pot of fried vegetables with lard is a free gift for all our customers! The vegetables were picked fresh from the fields this morning, so they're super fresh! After you finish eating, please give us a five-star rating on the sign outside the store!"

The waiter said with a smile.

"Thank you all, guests!"

Li Shimin looked in the direction the waiter pointed and saw a banner hanging on a pillar.

There are five stars painted on the banner, and there are instructions next to it. If you are satisfied, just use a brush to paint the five stars black.

Li Shimin immediately understood, nodded with a smile, and said, "Your service is really thoughtful, and the dishes look delicious."

"Then please enjoy your meal, gentlemen!"

After the waiter finished speaking, he bowed slightly and retreated.