Li Yuanying found the little children, all carved from jade and fine as powder, utterly adorable. His eyes sparkled as he dashed off to play with them, sometimes acting as a general, sometimes as a warhorse, utterly shameless, leading a bunch of little brats in mock battles and skirmishes. The noise was deafening, enough to startle even the scholars at the Hongwen Pavilion.
Li Xiang, always a good boy, hurried over to explain to the scholars, whose faces were green with anger: “This is Yao’er’s first time here, and he’s just so happy! He loves little kids, he’s not intentionally being loud and boisterous! He has the heart of a child, and he truly cares for his great-nephews and nieces. The noise was a bit much, but he didn’t mean to do it. Please, esteemed gentlemen, forgive him.”
The Hongwen Pavilion scholars looked at Li Xiang with a mix of emotions. They usually found him quite satisfactory, intelligent and well-behaved, capable of guiding his younger siblings. How could he, in the face of Li Yuanying, make such blatant excuses?
Thinking about how Emperor Li and Li Chengqian both indulged Li Yuanying so much, the scholars, though annoyed by his rowdiness, turned and left after Li Xiang’s explanation. Out of sight, out of mind!
Of course, some were not willing to sit idly by. Yu Zhining, for example. He usually worked in the Eastern Palace. While Li Xiang had brought the Imperial grandchildren to the Hongwen Pavilion to study, there was occasional noise, but it didn’t affect his reading and writing. But on this day, the Hongwen Pavilion was so uproarious, it felt like it would lift the roof off the Eastern Palace.
Yu Zhining went to see what was going on, and lo and behold, Li Yuanying, who should have been working at the Honglu Temple, was actually playing in the Hongwen Pavilion. He was even gleefully allowing the Imperial granddaughter, Li Youyu, to ride on his neck, brandishing a tiny wooden sword and yelling “attack” and “kill”.
Was this appropriate?
This was an insult to learning and a blow to national dignity! It wasn’t just that he was a Tang prince, he was also a court official, for Heaven’s sake! Was this the kind of behavior expected of him? Even with his own children, he wouldn’t have played like that!
Yu Zhining, the old man, was a master at berating people. He had even written a whole volume, “The Garden of Admonition,” to criticize the Crown Prince. Seeing this, he wouldn’t keep quiet, of course. Rolling up his sleeves, he started writing, unleashing a torrent of criticism, accusing Li Yuanying of neglecting his duties and saying this kind of behavior was unacceptable.
Yu Zhining, with a huff, finished writing and promptly handed the memorial to Emperor Li.
This was just the beginning. The next morning, even though there was no court session, quite a few people requested an audience with Emperor Li. Memorials of impeachment, like snowflakes, flew towards Emperor Li’s desk, all with the same message: Li Yuanying’s actions were unacceptable!
It couldn’t be helped. There was a reason why spoiled brats were spoiled brats. The most likely cause was that their families indulged them, treating them like precious jewels, afraid they might melt in their mouths or break in their hands! The previous day, the Honglu Temple’s spoiled brats had all gone home like dead dogs, complaining to their families. This had broken their families’ hearts.
Thus, on the second day, many people started criticizing Li Yuanying. Some did it themselves, others called on their students and acquaintances to speak out. Their sole aim was to silence Li Yuanying, to prevent him from doing anything out of line as soon as he assumed his post.
Emperor Li was rarely criticized these days, so he even doubted whether Li Yuanying had actually done something outrageous.
Seeing the pile of memorials calling for Li Yuanying’s restraint, Emperor Li was a bit annoyed. He didn’t think Li Yuanying was intentionally causing trouble. Li Yuanying had a valid reason for his actions. If they didn’t want to train, like the Honglu Temple translators, they could find their own work. Wouldn’t it be better to take initiative and find their own work?
On this matter, Emperor Li favored Li Yuanying and was very displeased with the officials ganging up to criticize him. With a single stroke of his brush, he gave his verdict: Anyone who didn’t want to work could resign and go home. The Honglu Temple didn’t need them.
As for Yu Zhining’s accusation that Li Yuanying had abandoned his post and been disruptive in the Hongwen Pavilion, Emperor Li felt it was unnecessary to dwell on it. Li Yuanying was not the kind of person who would sit in his office all day. If they were going to criticize him for this, then he might as well get rid of all other memorials on his desk and only have Li Yuanying’s complaints left.
After all, Yu Zhining was an old minister, so Emperor Li used more tactful wording in his reply. He said Li Yuanying was still young and had been away from the capital for so long. It was understandable that he was happy to see his great-nephews and nieces, and maybe he’d gotten a little carried away, but it wasn’t serious enough to be considered a blow to national dignity.
In short, any memorial criticizing Li Yuanying was rejected by Emperor Li.
Emperor Li didn’t completely ignore the matter. During lunch, he had Li Yuanying brought to him, so that he could see just how many people were criticizing him. He had only been in office for a day and was already causing such widespread discontent. How could he ever gain the respect of the court?
Li Yuanying said: “My elder brother personally appointed me as the Honglu Temple Minister. Who dares to disobey me?”
Emperor Li felt like his younger brother was using him for his own gain. But it wasn’t a serious matter. Emperor Li thought those officials were making a mountain out of a molehill. He didn’t reprimand Li Yuanying, but instead, he invited him to have lunch with Li Chengqian.
Li Yuanying was still a little upset. He said that since everyone thought he was unfit for the job, perhaps he shouldn’t be in charge of the Honglu Temple anymore. And maybe he shouldn’t even be called to court.
In short, he was trying to take a break.
Emperor Li mercilessly refused.
Now everyone could see that it was pointless to criticize Li Yuanying. Criticizing him had absolutely no effect.
Just look, Emperor Li not only ignored the criticisms, but he also invited Li Yuanying to have lunch! That single meal would be enough for Li Yuanying to go through every single complaint against him.
Li Yuanying didn’t actually report anyone. Back at the Honglu Temple, he called a meeting. He told them to find their own work. If they couldn’t figure out what they needed to do by the end of the day, they would continue training tomorrow until they did. Maybe after more training, some of them would realize they were not cut out for a civil servant job, and they could emulate Ban Chao, who abandoned his writing to join the army and earn great merit for the Tang Dynasty!
As soon as Li Yuanying finished speaking, many people’s faces turned green. They hastily took advantage of the half-day deadline given by Li Yuanying to figure out what they could do, trying to grab the easiest and least demanding tasks for themselves, leaving the rest to their colleagues.
For a time, the Honglu Temple officials were caught in a cruel dilemma: “Work or train?” Everyone pondered this difficult choice carefully. By the third morning, the training field was filled with only a few, slower-witted lambs, miserable and suffering through the drills.
Li Yuanying was very satisfied with this.
He also had some time to meet some of the people from Tianzhu whom Wang Xuance had brought back from the Western Regions.
Wang Xuance told him that there was an expert from Tianzhu called Na Luo Er Sa Po Mei, who claimed to be two hundred years old and capable of creating a longevity medicine, which could extend one’s life to one hundred years. Li Yuanying had never met anyone who lived to be two hundred years old, and he found it very curious. He decided to meet this old centenarian personally.
After meeting the expert, Li Yuanying was a little disappointed. He was skinny and small, not as imposing as his master Sun, and not as wise and open-minded as his teacher Xiao. He didn’t look particularly special, and he didn’t seem two hundred years old at all. Li Yuanying said, “Do you have the medicine now?”
After the translator conveyed the question, the expert shook his head, his expression inscrutable.
Li Yuanying was somewhat disappointed. If he had the medicine, he could have simply used the system to analyze whether it was actually effective. Li Yuanying asked again, “Can you make it now?”
The expert said he needed some medicinal herbs, and he rattled off a list, all incredibly rare and precious.
Li Yuanying thought this was strange. “Can you even find Tang medicinal herbs in Tianzhu? Can your Tianzhu longevity medicine be made with Tang herbs?”
The expert said that he had a way to tell whether the herbs were usable.
Li Yuanying continued, “Master Sun said that all herbs are precious and useful in their own way. It’s just that the price is often based on their rarity and difficulty to obtain, not their medicinal value. Why are you choosing only the most expensive herbs in your Tianzhu medicine? Do you not need any adjuvants?”
The expert said, “I’m making a longevity medicine, not an ordinary medicine.”
Li Yuanying was very curious to see how this longevity medicine was so extraordinary. He immediately ordered Dai Ting to prepare the herbs according to the expert’s requirements and asked him to make a batch right then and there.
The expert felt that Li Yuanying was doubting him and refused to make medicine for someone who didn’t trust him. He said that if the Heavenly Khan didn’t believe him, he would return to Tianzhu.
Li Yuanying thought the expert was being unreasonable. He didn’t look two hundred years old, he didn’t have the medicine, and he wouldn’t show him what he was doing. When Li Yuanying asked him to make a batch, he said he would return to Tianzhu!
Li Yuanying went to Wang Xuance and said that the expert was probably lying and couldn’t make the so-called longevity medicine. He warned Wang Xuance not to present the medicine to Emperor Li, for fear that his brother might get sick from it.
The expert was brought back by Wang Xuance, and the matter had already been reported to Emperor Li. When Li Yuanying said the expert was probably a fraud, Wang Xuance thought he might be mistaken. After all, the expert was quite famous locally, and everyone said he was indeed two hundred years old.
Li Yuanying said, “Until he shows me the longevity medicine, I won’t believe him. You should tell him to make a batch first and show it to me.” He grabbed Wang Xuance’s hand and analyzed the implications, saying that in the past, Emperor Qin had sent people to seek immortals and medicines, but they lost all their money and didn’t find the elixir of life. In the end, Emperor Qin killed all the experts in a fit of rage. Li Yuanying snorted, “If he dares to deceive me, I’ll dig a hole and bury him too! You have to think about this carefully. If this medicine goes into my brother’s mouth, it’s fine if nothing happens, but if something does happen, it’ll be on your head!”
Wang Xuance agreed with Li Yuanying. He nodded and said, “Your Highness, please send the herbs. I’ll have someone watch him make a batch and deliver it to you.”
Li Yuanying was finally satisfied. He went to report the matter to Emperor Li. He didn’t know if the longevity medicine actually existed, because the system could provide him with little pills that could cure many diseases and extend life. If the expert could really make such a medicine, even if it was difficult to find the herbs, he could have him make some more.
Li Yuanying said, “We’re not in a hurry. Let him take his time. We’ll send him more herbs when he finishes.”
Emperor Li, hearing Li Yuanying’s description of the expert’s unusual behavior, also agreed with his approach. Since he didn’t have the medicine, he should make a batch and let them see. They had the Imperial Medical Academy and Master Sun, the divine physician. They would definitely be able to determine whether the medicine the expert made was actually effective.
Emperor Li said, “Do as you say.” Emperor Li was currently in good health and felt he could easily live another twenty or thirty years. He wasn’t desperate for a longevity medicine. He would be happy to have it, but he wouldn’t be disappointed if he didn’t. He simply wanted to see what the expert could do.
Li Yuanying received Emperor Li’s approval and set off again. After arranging for Na Luo Er Sa Po Mei at the Honglu Temple, he flipped through the temple’s records and decided to visit the Cihang Temple.
The Cihang Temple had been built by Li Chengqian and Li Zhi in memory of Empress Changsun, and it had just been completed this year. Xuanzang, who had returned from the Western Regions, was now the temple’s abbot. He was working with a group of translators to translate the scriptures Xuanzang had brought back into Tang characters, as well as translating the Daoist classics, such as the “Dao De Jing,” into Sanskrit, in order to facilitate cultural exchange between the two religions.
Li Yuanying had met Wang Xuance, the official envoy, and had heard his analysis of the overall situation. But he couldn’t ask questions about other aspects of the journey, so he couldn’t satisfy his curiosity completely.
Previously, Li Chengqian had said that he would have Xuanzang write a “Record of the Western Regions” for him to read. But it hadn’t been written yet. Since he had nothing better to do, Li Yuanying decided to meet with Master Xuanzang in person and ask him to talk about what he had encountered in his many years away, and how the customs and culture of Tianzhu differed from those of the Tang Dynasty.
Cultural exchange with foreign countries was also the responsibility of the Honglu Temple. Therefore, Li Yuanying was going out of the palace on official business, so he was feeling quite confident. He gave a heads-up to the Vice Minister of Honglu Temple who was assisting him, then he quickly rode off to the Cihang Temple to listen to Xuanzang’s stories.
**Author’s Note:**
Little Prince: I don’t want to work! I absolutely refuse!
Little Prince: Wait, maybe working is actually fun…
Update!
I have a big secret to tell you:
The Little Prince seems like he only has two or three more chapters left. I’m in deep thought.
He’s just one chapter away from exceeding the number of chapters in the neighboring story, “Wang Xiao Pang”!
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