Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

Li Shimin suddenly entered.

Yu Shinan and the others hurriedly bowed, and even the elderly Li Gang tried to stand up to bow to Li Shimin, but Li Shimin quickly helped him up.

"No need for formalities. Minister Li is elderly and was appointed as the tutor for the Crown Prince by me. There is no need for formalities from now on."

They helped Li Gang sit down again.

Li Shimin then glared at his eldest son, Li Chengqian, whose face still showed some anger.

His facial expression was stiff.

"You wanted to become a disciple of several teachers back then, and that's how I taught you! You should respect your teachers and value the Way! Is this how you respect your teachers and value the Way? You've utterly disgraced me!"

Li Chengqian immediately saw through his own comrade Li Er's expression—clearly wanting to laugh but pretending to be angry.

He rolled his eyes inwardly, but outwardly bowed and immediately paid his respects.

"Your subject knows his mistake!"

He then bowed to Kong Yingda and said, "I was rude just now, please forgive me, Master Kong!"

Li Er slowly nodded, his pride as the emperor greatly satisfied, and he couldn't help but stroke his beard with a touch of pride.

His gaze fell on the bound book in Kong Yingda's arms.

"What is this?"

Upon hearing this, Kong Yingda's expression was complicated. He cupped his hands and presented the items to Li Shimin.

"His Highness the Crown Prince said that this old minister has no power to educate the people. I suppose this is what the Crown Prince was talking about, something that can enlighten the people."

When Kong Yingda spoke, his voice carried an undisguised sense of resentment.

As a descendant of Confucius, he was also a man of great learning.

How could Kong Yingda say he has no pride?

However, as the Crown Prince's tutor and the head of the Kong family, a man of great learning, he was being pointed at by Li Chengqian, this greenhorn of a Crown Prince, who was practically beating him up as a good-for-nothing.

It would be a lie to say that I never get angry.

Li Shimin took it curiously, and then glanced at his son Li Chengqian, whose expression was calm and showed no sign of panic or anxiety.

Instead of lecturing the other person, he quietly opened the app.

"Huh? What is this? Is it Chinese Pinyin?"

Li Shimin looked up at his son, bewildered, and unfolded the booklet in his hand, presenting it to Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, what kind of scribbling is this?"

Li Gang, who happened to witness this scene, frowned slightly.

"Your Highness, this...this is Arabic script?"

The term "Dashi" was actually the Tang Dynasty's general term for the Arab world during this period. Li Chengqian couldn't help but look at this old minister in surprise.

"Master Li also understands Arabic?"

Li Gang shook his head: "I only have a slight understanding. I once had contact with merchants from the Abbasid Caliphate in the previous dynasty. The so-called pinyin written on this by the Crown Prince looks somewhat similar to Abbasid script."

Li Chengqian then understood, but still shook his head.

"This is not Arabic, but that's not the point."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian suddenly waved to Qian Yingying, who was standing to the side.

"Yingying, go and bring a sand table over here."

Soon, as Qian Yingying pushed a small sand table into the side hall, Li Chengqian picked up a wooden stick and immediately stepped forward, starting to write and draw on it in front of everyone.

"Father, please look. The pinyin system I created aims to enable children to learn the pronunciation of characters more quickly. It consists of three parts: initial consonant, medial vowel, and final vowel. These are rapidly combined and then combined with a tone to form a syllable..."

Li Chengqian spoke slowly, and everyone present was an adult.

Although it's impossible to immediately memorize the pronunciation of these strange "giant" characters in Pinyin.

But gradually, through Li Chengqian's examples, he came to understand how to use this pinyin.

"hiss......"

Kong Yingda gasped slightly, her gaze filled with surprise and uncertainty as Li Chengqian explained the differences between the initials and finals on the sand table with a wooden stick in his hand.

They became increasingly serious and solemn.

Even Li Gang, who had just been somewhat confused about the "Cathay script" that Li Chengqian had created, was not entirely convinced.

As Li Chengqian's examples became clearer, it seemed as if he had realized something.

"This method of Chinese phonetic transcription is truly ingenious. However, it seems that learning this annotation method doesn't significantly increase the difficulty of early childhood education, does it?"

"On the contrary, we need to allocate additional energy to it."

Li Shimin nodded upon hearing this.

However, Li Chengqian then chuckled and suddenly flipped through a few pages of the booklet in his hand.

"Father, teachers, please look at this again."

When everyone saw the eye-catching title on the new page, they couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

Kong Yingda frowned: "The Great Tang Dictionary? Is this dictionary similar to the Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining Characters and Analyzing Words)?"

Li Chengqian nodded.

"The Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters) is divided into radicals. If we add the pinyin for '孤' (gu) to it, we can compile a Tang Dynasty dictionary to teach children how to use and search dictionaries, as well as the method of pinyin."

"Even without teachers, children can still learn the pronunciation and usage of unfamiliar Chinese characters step by step through self-study..."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian, amidst the increasingly shocked gazes of the crowd, recounted his previous life's knowledge of how to use a dictionary.

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, at that moment, in the Xiande Hall...

The crowd, who had initially felt that Li Chengqian's actions were somewhat superfluous, immediately looked at him with shock and disbelief.

"Your Majesty! His Highness the Crown Prince's move is truly excellent! If this 'Great Tang Dictionary' is completed, the cultural achievements of our Great Tang will surpass those of previous dynasties, and our Great Tang will become a golden age that surpasses even the Qin and Han dynasties!"

Yu Shinan was the first to react, and his face was full of excitement as he cupped his hands in congratulations to Li Shimin.

Kong Yingda, who then realized what was happening, also turned bright red instantly.

Just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly froze, and he turned his head somewhat awkwardly to look at Li Chengqian, who was looking at him with a half-smile.

He hesitated for less than half a second.

next moment.

"Your Highness, please accept my bow! I was indeed as foolish and pedantic as Your Highness has said..."

"Oh dear, Master Confucius! Why did you have to go to such lengths!"

"You are my teacher, how can I, Chengqian, accept such a bow?"

Li Chengqian feigned surprise and exclaimed, reaching out to stop the other person. The moment he turned to look at his father, Li Er, a smug look flashed in both their eyes.

Clearly, Li Chengqian and Prince Li Tai of Yue were not the only ones who disliked the pedantic scholars of the Confucian school.

Despite his father's apparent admiration for Confucianism, he was still a great father to his father.

In fact, among the major dynasties in the Central Plains, apart from those whose descendants succeeded them and were misled by Confucianism from childhood, there were no emperors like Li Shimin who were made on horseback.

They would not take Confucianism seriously at all.

The art of rulership is what emperors strive for: an army that brings peace to its territory and commands the submission of foreign tribes.

"Minister Kong, why are you in such a state? Please rise. The Crown Prince is young and somewhat impulsive, but ultimately he will need the assistance of ministers like you..."

Li Shimin also pretended to comfort and sympathize with the other party's difficulties.

Only then did Kong Yingda's old face gradually return to normal. After getting up, he hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed to Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, this old minister humbly requests permission to compile my 'Great Tang Dictionary,' so that I may contribute my modest efforts to the cultural advancement of our Great Tang!"

aside.

Upon hearing this, Yu Shinan and Li Gang also hurriedly cupped their hands in greeting.

If this matter succeeds, it will surely be a great achievement worthy of being recorded in history.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that among civil officials, their achievements were similar to those of military officials who had achieved great success.

"Your Majesty, this old minister is also willing to do his utmost for the civil administration of our Great Tang! I hope Your Majesty will grant my request!"

Seeing this, Li Shimin's smugness deepened. After exchanging a brief glance with his son, he pondered for a moment.

Only then, amidst the tense waiting of the others, did he nod slightly.

"Since you gentlemen are willing to go to such lengths, how can I refuse? However, you should also take good care of your health and avoid overexertion..."

These words of polite conversation made Kong Yingda and the others blush with excitement.

Li Shimin, however, looked at the booklet in his hand and suddenly sighed.

Li Chengqian thoughtfully included illustrations in his description of the dictionary, allowing readers to more intuitively understand what the "Great Tang Dictionary" he spoke of looked like.

but.

"Although the compilation of this 'Great Tang Dictionary' involved the efforts of countless Confucian scholars and students of our Great Tang Dynasty, I am not worried. However, the editing itself is a major problem. Although the Crown Prince has improved papermaking technology, it is probably beyond the reach of ordinary families to purchase a copy of such a 'Great Tang Dictionary'..."

Upon hearing this, Kong Yingda and the others were speechless.

They are powerless to do anything about this.

however.

"Why don't you turn the page again, Father?" Li Chengqian said with a grin.

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, then they realized something.

Li Shimin hurriedly flipped to the back of the booklet in his hand.

Then another unfamiliar headline came into view.

Movable type printing!

The explanation of movable type printing is very simple; it's almost something you can understand at a glance.

When Li Shimin and others saw the printing method that "seals" and "miniaturizes" individual characters and then arranges them in combination, they immediately looked at Li Chengqian as if he were a monster.

Yu Shinan slapped his forehead repeatedly, his face full of bitter smile and sadness.

"Alas! I lament the hardships faced by the students of my Great Tang Dynasty every day, and I often practice calligraphy at home on this topic. I also need seals every day, yet I have not even the slightest thought about it!"

"Truly...it puts us all to shame!"

"It's laughable that this old minister longs for heaven and earth every day, hoping for something that will bring prosperity to our Great Tang Dynasty, but unexpectedly, this thing is right in my hands, and I play with it every day!"

As he was speaking, Yu Shinan suddenly let out a mournful wail and knelt down in front of Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty! I am guilty! Waaah..."

Li Shimin hurriedly stepped forward to help the other person up, and then quickly stopped Kong Yingda and Li Gang from kneeling down as well.

"Why is Yu Qing so concerned? I have no shortage of seals and other items around me, yet I never imagined that printing could be so simple?"

Li Chengqian stood quietly to the side.

Not far away, Qian Yingying, dressed in palace attire, watched this scene with a sweet smile on her lips.

foreseeable.

After today, it seems the roles of these three tutors to the Crown Prince will be reversed.

If the crown prince tells them to go east, they would absolutely dare not go west...

Once everyone had calmed down, Li Shimin sat in the seat that Li Chengqian had just occupied.

Kong Yingda and the others huddled around the booklet, discussing it incessantly. Kong Yingda was already preparing to contact renowned scholars within his clan, as well as some friends, to come to Chang'an.

Yu Shinan and Li Gang were also somewhat impatient.

However, Li Shimin was slightly taken aback when he saw the "Five-Year Development Plan for Industry and Commerce in Bingzhou" written in black and white on Li Chengqian's desk.

He then picked it up with a half-smile and waved it at his son.

"Heh, you're quite confident. I never said I would agree to your proposal to let you conduct some new policy experiment in the North."

Li Chengqian smiled slightly.

"Father will agree!"

His voice carried a confidence that even surprised Li Shimin: "How do you know?"

Li Chengqian raised his head: "Because you are my father, my suggestion is not wrong. It's just that there may be some short-sightedness in some places. With Master Kong and the other two in charge, Father can rest assured about such matters."

"Therefore, Father will certainly support my proposal!"

Li Shimin: "......"

He snorted coldly, speechless at his son's words.

But deep down, he couldn't help but enjoy these moments of heartfelt conversation between father and son.

If my father hadn't used the Crown Prince position to manipulate me back then, how could I have ended up in this position through the Xuanwu Gate?

Li Shimin sighed softly to himself.

He looked up at his son, who never seemed to give him a moment's peace of mind, yet also seemed to never cause him any worry.

After a while.

"The Wang clan of Taiyuan has been wreaking havoc on the Turkic steppes, wiping out more than a dozen tribes, large and small. They will return to Chang'an to attend court tomorrow."

Li Shimin paused slightly, then looked at Li Chengqian with a solemn expression.

"Now that you have made your decision, the new policies you have planned are indeed quite beneficial to the Tang Dynasty."

"I have decided to appoint you as the Grand Chancellor of Bingzhou Circuit!"

"You will lead the Eastern Palace, control the military and political power of Bingzhou, and implement new policies!"

Li Chengqian was overjoyed and immediately expressed his gratitude.

"Your Majesty, I will not disappoint you!"