Living leisurely in Tang Dynasty 194

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The annual tribute offering for the Emperor’s birthday was always a grand affair. Though Emperor Li had said he didn’t need anything, palace banquets were still held, and those who could afford it would bring gifts. Those who couldn’t come in person would send representatives.

Fortunately, Emperor Li rarely showed his personal preferences, and would nod in acceptance as long as the gifts were delivered. Hence, there hadn’t been much competition for the best offering over the years.

That changed when Li Yuanying was old enough to publicly offer his tribute.

If anyone knew how to make a splash with birthday gifts, it was Li Yuanying, Prince Tang. He never failed to make a scene, either by creating a spectacle or offering something unique, captivating everyone’s attention.

Then, somehow, the money wasn’t theirs anymore. They’d either be tricked into buying tea leaves or persuaded to donate to road construction.

Last year was the most outrageous. He confidently declared that the entire Tang Dynasty belonged to Emperor Li and that an overseas tribute would show sincerity. He then convinced them to buy ships. They were ten thousand miles from the sea! It was a mystery how they managed to pre-order a ship. They paid, but the ship was nowhere to be found!

That guy was just too tricky.

This year, everyone was determined not to be influenced by Li Yuanying. His words from last year were nothing but hot air. They would follow the usual tribute practices and wouldn’t be swayed by him into finding things overseas! As long as they remained firm, no matter what Li Yuanying’s envoy brought, they wouldn’t be tricked!

Many exchanged silent glances with familiar companions, their resolve evident.

Then, the envoys of the various princes started coming forward to present their gifts. Nothing seemed particularly exciting, and those in the corner started yawning quietly. Until someone announced, “Prince Tang’s envoy presents his tribute!” All eyes instantly focused on the slightly plump envoy.

This plump envoy, in order to present his gift at the palace, had specifically learned proper etiquette. But with so many eyes on him, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. In his mind, he kept repeating, “Don’t disgrace the prince,” three times before he calmed down.

He stepped forward and presented Li Yuanying’s three gifts to Emperor Li.

The first was a letter from Li Yuanying. Nothing special about that, it was just a thick, stuffed envelope. The only unusual thing was a ten-wen gold-thread stamp and a red seal stamped on it, personally by Li Yuanying himself. This meant the stamp had been used and couldn’t be used again.

The second gift was a complete set of gold-thread stamps. While they were very exquisite with the embedded gold threads, they were rather paltry compared to the precious gifts of other princes.

Even if it were carved out of gold, it would be more valuable than this. What’s the point of embedding gold threads that are smaller than a strand of hair? How could he even bring this?

For a moment, many at the palace banquet felt that Li Yuanying was being rather perfunctory.

Prince Tang’s envoy was the head of the Imperial Post Office, and he knew the post office’s operating procedures like the back of his hand. The stamps were related to his livelihood, so he explained their use to everyone.

It was a way for the people to send letters for a small price. Within six postal stations, they would be delivered within a day, while beyond six stations, delivery time would be increased according to distance, ensuring each letter would reach its designated post office.

As the envoy spoke, he completely forgot his nervousness. He then revealed his final trump card. He unfolded a roadmap marked with postal stations. “His Highness has been diligently working for three years, gathering resources and manpower to extend the imperial road. This winter, the road from Chang’an to Mount Tai is now fully connected. It’s wide and smooth enough to accommodate several carriages running side by side. Sixty post offices and mailboxes have been built along the way, next to the postal stations. Prince Tang’s letter was sent back to the capital using this imperial road!” The envoy straightened his back with pride and respectfully turned to Emperor Li, showing the blank space on the roadmap. “Please, Your Majesty, bestow a name upon this imperial road!”

With these words, everyone understood that Li Yuanying had once again stolen the show. Wei Wang’s envoy, who had previously scoffed at the gift, wished he could disappear into thin air.

The man didn’t just present some paper! He presented a road to Mount Tai!

That was a huge undertaking. All the treasures presented today combined wouldn’t be enough to build it. Who could compare with him?!

As everyone expected, Emperor Li was delighted.

If Emperor Li had any desire, it was undoubtedly to visit Mount Tai. His ascension to the throne had a slight flaw, and although he never thought of completely concealing it, he wished to prove that his ascension was divinely ordained and not usurped.

Even though Wei Zheng and the others said that as long as he ruled diligently, cared for the people, and later generations praised him as “the wise ruler of all time,” he had been repeatedly prevented from going to Mount Tai for various reasons, leaving him rather displeased. Did the heavens truly not want to acknowledge him?

On his birthday, upon hearing that Li Yuanying had indeed completed the imperial road, Emperor Li was invigorated. He couldn’t hold back his joy and laughed aloud, “Good!” He stood up and walked away from the throne, calling for pen and ink.

Li Yuanying had ordered the construction of the Fengtai Building to support the cost of road construction. Emperor Li thought for a moment and wrote “Fengtai” on the blank space.

“Feng” meant “abundant harvest,” while “Tai” meant “peaceful and prosperous.” When the people enjoy a bountiful year, they are peaceful. When the people are peaceful, the country is secure. These two characters were auspicious in themselves, so there was no need to change them.

Li Yuanying was the youngest of all his brothers, standing at the very end of the lineup. After Emperor Li bestowed the name, the gift-offering segment was considered complete.

Emperor Li was clearly in a good mood. He clapped his hands and chuckled, ordering musicians to play. The officials stood up and joined Emperor Li in dancing joyfully to the music.

The banquet ended with everyone in high spirits. Emperor Li was half-drunk and didn’t visit any of his concubines. Instead, he returned to his chambers and sat quietly on the wide dragon bed.

He dismissed his attendants and sat there for a while, gazing at the empty room. He thought, “Back then, Guan Yin Bi, you said that Nascent Soul was different, and I didn’t believe you. Now I see, you were right. He is truly unique. Many can say kind things, but few actually do them. This child always delivers, making me both afraid that he might never grow up and afraid that he will grow up too quickly.”

Memories flooded his mind, and after a long silence, Emperor Li sighed. Looking towards the bright candles illuminating the room, he murmured, “Guan Yin Bi, you’ve been gone for so many years, why have you never visited me in my dreams?”

The room remained silent, with only the flames of the candles flickering gently in the night wind.

Emperor Li said nothing more and, fueled by the wine, lay down.

He slept soundly throughout the night, no dreams entering his sleep.

Li Yuanying had presented a set of gold-thread stamps at Emperor Li’s birthday banquet. Everyone found them aesthetically pleasing. After inquiring, they learned that he had produced a thousand sets, keeping one for himself, presenting one to Emperor Li, and leaving nine hundred and ninety-eight! These nine hundred and ninety-eight sets, due to the embedded gold threads, were priced several times higher than ordinary stamps. The exact number of times was unclear, but it was many times higher. In short, one set cost one hundred guan. This was a clearly marked price, fair for all, with a limit of one set per customer. No negotiation allowed. Only nine hundred and ninety-eight sets available. No further reprints would be made. If you wanted to buy, do it quickly!

If you found it too expensive, you could purchase regular stamps. These regular stamps combined both collection and utility value. They only cost fifty-five wen, a very reasonable price. It wouldn’t be too expensive to buy ten or eight sets!

Compared to buying a ship, building a road, or constructing a building, one hundred guan was a small amount. You could also bring home the same gold-thread stamps as Emperor Li! Perhaps this wasn’t a bad deal after all? After considering this, many decided to buy a set, and some even felt a strange sense of disappointment. Was Li Yuanying only trying to get a small amount of money from them this year?

Chang’an had no shortage of wealthy individuals. Hearing that these stamps were presented to Emperor Li as a birthday gift and were highly favored by him, people rushed to reserve their sets the moment the Imperial Post Office opened the next day.

Before noon, all the gold-thread stamps had been sold, along with many regular stamps. The manager was beaming with joy. He had earned almost ten thousand guan on the first day of business. Who could achieve this kind of success?

Of course, the post office wasn’t actually meant to be a money-making venture.

During their training at the academy, Li Yuanying told them that their purpose was to deliver mail to every corner of the Tang Dynasty. Wherever the Tang flag flew, they would be able to deliver mail on time. They were meant to tell everyone that they were part of the Tang Dynasty, regardless of whether they lived in the mountains or on the steppes. As long as they were willing to learn the Tang language and visit nearby towns, they could exchange news with friends and family anywhere in the Tang Dynasty.

In the future, they might even need to deliver mail to the Western Regions, overseas, and to all the places they had discovered or were yet to discover.

It would be a long journey. They might not live to see that day, but they were responsible for setting the stage.

Though they were currently doing what others considered arduous, thankless work with little profit, if they did a good job, people would remember them!

Li Yuanying didn’t let them speak about this publicly, but everyone who heard it firmly imprinted it in their hearts. Even the most ordinary and mundane individuals could experience moments of passion, moments when they wanted to make a great contribution and leave their mark on history. This post office was now their lifeblood, and they would operate it properly, even if it meant living in it!

Almost simultaneously, the same thought arose in the hearts of those in charge of post offices throughout the land.

While everyone else was busy celebrating the New Year, they were rooted in their small post offices, working round the clock to prepare for the official opening on the first day of the new year.

Li Yuanying, the instigator of all this, wanted to take it easy after motivating everyone else. He believed that those who could do more should do more. Seeing how easily Wu Mei handled everything, he quickly entrusted her with the overall planning of the post office, becoming a hands-off manager himself.

If she hadn’t heard his impassioned speech about delivering mail “wherever the Tang flag flies,” Wu Mei would have thought he had only established the post office on a whim. But having heard it, she couldn’t treat it as a trivial matter. She couldn’t let Li Yuanying avoid his responsibilities.

Wu Mei and Di Renjie discussed many ideas for establishing a comprehensive postal system, and a few days later they compiled a massive plan to discuss with Li Yuanying.

Li Yuanying was stunned.

He had just been boasting, and sometimes he didn’t even know what he was saying. Were they taking it so seriously and working so efficiently?

Sometimes having very capable friends could be a burden!

Seeing Li Yuanying’s conflicted expression, Wu Mei didn’t rush him. She just told him to look at the plan first. She also gently reassured him, “It’s just the planning stage, no need to rush. If we’re going to implement it nationwide, it’s beyond our capabilities in Tengzhou. We can simply send the plan to the court and let them organize the workforce.” If they were to handle it all on their own, some people in Chang’an might not sleep for weeks!

Li Yuanying didn’t think that far ahead. Upon hearing Wu Mei’s words, he was immediately relieved. That’s right, he didn’t have to do it himself. He could just hand it over to his elder brother and let him worry about it. Li Yuanying immediately nodded enthusiastically, “No problem, I’ll take a look.”

Wu Mei’s plan was quite comprehensive. First, she polished Li Yuanying’s words, elaborating on the strategic importance of establishing a postal system, saying how it could help with integration of the people and strengthen connections between different regions. In short, Li Yuanying found it very persuasive. Yes, that’s right, that’s what he was thinking. The post office was crucial and significant!

The rest was specific plans about where the network should be established after three years, five years, and so on. They didn’t have very detailed maps at hand, so they could only draft a rough outline.

Li Yuanying reviewed the plan. He felt that it was detailed where it needed to be detailed and vague where it needed to be vague, setting the central theme while leaving room for the court to work with it. He was satisfied and asked Wu Mei and the others to sign their names. He would have someone deliver it back to Chang’an later.

Whether or not Emperor Li would implement it was none of their concern. They were only responsible for presenting an idea. The rest was for his elder brother and Old Fang to worry about!

After sending the “Tang Dynasty Nationwide Postal System Plan” to Emperor Li, Li Yuanying privately confided in Wei Jiu, “Mei Niang is terrifying. I just wanted to take a break, but she wants to use this as an opportunity to give me even more work.” Imagine, if he had to handle the nationwide postal system, he’d not only be exhausted but also bankrupt! How could there be a person like Mei Niang who understands so quickly and can apply knowledge to new situations?!

Wei Jiu said, “You are the backbone of Tengzhou. How can you always think about taking it easy?”

Li Yuanying replied, “Backbone, schmackbone, I don’t think Tengzhou needs a backbone.” He stated his opinion, “I want Tengzhou to thrive even without us. Think about it, Di Renjie and the others will leave Tengzhou if they have better opportunities. Even if they don’t want to leave, I’ll push them to leave. Plus, we’re humans, and we’ll eventually age and die. If Tengzhou only flourishes because of us, what happens then? So, I want Tengzhou to continue improving, even without us.”

Wei Jiu felt that Li Yuanying’s greatest strength was his mouth.

Besides him, who else could use such an excuse to take a break? More importantly, even though you knew he was just making up nonsense, you had to admit that he made a good point! Prosperity built on one person or a few people was always difficult to sustain. It wouldn’t be easy to ensure Tengzhou’s long-term peace and prosperity.

Wei Jiu said, “That’s too difficult.”

After Emperor Li ascended to the throne, he had asked his officials whether it was difficult to govern the country. Her grandfather’s answer at the time was “Very difficult.”

Li Yuanying’s idea was similar to Emperor Li’s question about governing the country, with the only difference being that he only had to consider Tengzhou, while Emperor Li had to consider the entire Tang Dynasty.

Li Yuanying had actually just blurted it out, but seeing Wei Jiu seriously pondering, he immediately adopted a serious tone as well, “We can try slowly, think slowly. We’ll figure out a way.”

If they couldn’t figure it out, he wouldn’t think about it anymore. It was as simple as that!

Li Yuanying was delighted.

While Li Yuanying sent someone to deliver the thick nationwide postal plan to Chang’an, the ten-thousand-word letter he had sent along with his birthday gift was opened and read. Emperor Li leaned against his armrest and savored the letter, finding Li Yuanying’s praise so flattering and satisfying. Of course, he wanted to share such a good letter with others.

The first person he shared it with was the attendant recorder who wrote his daily activities. Emperor Li generously shared the letter with him, asking him to copy it into the daily record. The daily record was meant to be detailed, specific, and accurate. How could he not record their correspondence in detail?

The attendant recorder: “…”

The attendant recorder wanted to resign and retire.

Though he was still young, barely forty and in his prime, his hair had turned mostly white since Li Yuanying started writing letters to Emperor Li. He was miserable!

When it was time to switch shifts, he ran to his old supervisor, Chu Sui Liang, to complain.

A ten-thousand-word letter of flattery could not be copied in front of Emperor Li. He had to take it out and work overtime. At the sight of Chu Sui Liang, the attendant recorder’s eyes almost welled up. How did Li Yuanying come up with so many unique styles of flattery?

Did he really have to copy this into the daily record?!

Li Yuanying’s letters were semi-public among court officials. Chu Sui Liang took it and read it, falling silent. After reading half a page, he could only objectively comment, “Prince Tang’s handwriting has improved.”

As for the content? Let’s not even talk about it!

**Author’s note:**

Little prince: ? What? You want to copy this into the daily record?

Update!

Four thousand eight hundred words!

Did you guys, you know, you can throw any unused nutrient solution to Little Prince qaq Little Prince has returned ten thousand bottles! This means! Ten thousand cute readers got ten bottles each! If you throw them to Little Prince, won’t there be a total of one hundred and ten thousand bottles?! Isn’t ten thousand words of sweetness for spring worth encouraging qaq

[A message to readers: Times are changing, free websites are hard to maintain. Mobile app multi-source sites are the trend for switching between books. The website manager recommends this source switching APP, with many sound tones for listening to books, source switching, and finding books – all good!]

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