The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 125

Li Er nodded, agreeing with what Empress Zhangsun had said.

If he ignores this, his subordinates will certainly be dissatisfied with Master Xu. But there is nothing wrong with this matter, and besides, the truth is unclear.

He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll go and see for myself."

Empress Zhangsun also agreed with this.

The two then went to the school and, sure enough, saw Xu Tian teaching the princes and princesses how to grow crops.

But... to their surprise, the princes and princesses were exceptionally obedient, even listening with great interest.

The two looked at each other.

Then, Li Er listened attentively.

At this moment, Xu Tian said loudly to everyone: "Crops can increase a country's economy and lead it to prosperity. To see if a country is prosperous, look at its granaries. And food is the lifeblood of a country. If there is a problem with food, the country will surely be destroyed sooner or later."

"Master, why do you say that?" Li Zhuozhi asked curiously.

“If we wait until a major disaster strikes and floods all the crops, and the country has no food to distribute, some unscrupulous grain merchants will hoard and resell the grain, causing prices to skyrocket. If people don’t have enough to eat, cannibalism will occur.” Xu Tian’s expression became much more serious when he mentioned this. “Moreover, only when a person is well-fed can they have the strength to do other things.”

Everyone nodded.

Emperor Taizong and Empress Zhangsun listened from outside and found it all very reasonable.

“Crops, some are planted from seeds, some are transplanted directly, but in the end, they all yield grain.” Xu Tian said, while drawing a picture on a piece of paper.

This picture shows the process of crop growth, and he also added annotations indicating what can harm crops.

Xu Tian then passed the message down, and everyone who saw it was somewhat surprised.

"I never imagined crops could be so fragile," Li Zhuozhi exclaimed.

"That's why every grain is the result of hard work," Xu Tian said.

Emperor Li Er and Empress Zhangsun, who were outside at the time, nodded in satisfaction.

Xu Tian's teaching method, which uses pictures and words, really sparked their interest.

While the princes and princesses were discussing, it was soon time for class to end.

They stood up and said to Xu Tian one by one, "Thank you, Master."

Xu Tian nodded.

Then he went outside and saw Li Er and Empress Zhangsun.

Xu Tianxing bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, may you be well."

The two nodded slightly.

Li Er laughed heartily, "Please rise!"

After he finished speaking, he walked up to Xu Tian and said, "Master Xu, it's truly remarkable that you can get them to have such interest in learning about agriculture."

"It's just that the princes and princesses are exceptionally talented and naturally curious about such things."

Li Er nodded. "I also heard it from outside and it seemed to make sense to me. Grain is the lifeblood of the country. Indeed, indeed."

As he spoke, a hint of interest appeared in his eyes.

Seeing that Li Er seemed interested in agriculture, Xu Tian suddenly had an idea.

With border conflicts raging, many border residents are struggling to find food. If the area of ​​cultivated land could be expanded, the Tang Dynasty's granaries would be full, and grain would certainly be distributed to the border regions.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I have a suggestion to make,” Xu Tian said.

Li Er asked with some curiosity, "What is it?"