Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 159 All Nations Pay Tribute, Scientific Progress (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Li Chengqian is lame!
This was a matter of life and death for the entire Tang Dynasty.

He is the crown prince.

The fact that the crown prince had become a cripple was unprecedented in history, instantly making the gloom that had been hanging over the Tang Dynasty even heavier.

—The hearts and minds of people in both the government and the public are in turmoil!
This was completely unavoidable, and from this day forward, the once prosperous Tang Dynasty court finally began to change.

If a cripple becomes the crown prince, it's bound to make some people harbor ulterior motives.

Li Shimin had more than one son, and Empress Zhangsun also had three sons.

This is a risky undertaking worthwhile for all of them!
Li Shimin had no time to think about these things, because Empress Zhangsun's illness was getting worse and worse.

He even put aside state affairs.

This was extremely rare for Li Shimin.

In fact, Li Shimin originally wanted to suppress this matter, at least not let the current Empress Zhangsun know about it.

But how could such a major event be kept secret?
Empress Zhangsun finally learned of this matter. Her body, which was already nearing its end, could no longer withstand this blow, and she finally reached the end.

—It is fate, and man cannot change it.

Li Shimin did want to keep Empress Zhangsun, but in the end he had to accept reality.

However, some ministers, just like in the original history, suggested that Li Shimin should build temples extensively and pardon criminals to accumulate merit for Empress Zhangsun.

But not only does Li Shimin not believe in these things now, even Empress Zhangsun herself does not agree.

If these so-called prayers were truly effective, how could those capable ancestors of history have passed away?

Let alone those wise rulers.

Take Gu Kang, Gu Xi, Gu Chen, and others, for example. Aren't they all saints who are deeply revered by the people of the world? Even they have passed away, let alone her.
Empress Zhangsun had begun to prepare for her death.

In Chang'an, at the Lizheng Hall.

Smoke curled upwards, and the entire Lizheng Hall was utterly silent.

Li Shimin dismissed everyone and sat on the couch, embracing Empress Zhangsun, tears welling in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, please do not grieve."

Empress Zhangsun spoke weakly, her hands trembling as she reached out to wipe away Li Shimin's tears, but even this small thing was incredibly difficult for her now.

But she stubbornly persisted.

She stared intently at Li Shimin and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I must go."

"Before that—"

"Your Majesty, I wish you to grant me three requests."

Li Shimin grasped Empress Zhangsun's hand and nodded earnestly.

"After my death, there must be no grand funeral. The people should not be troubled, lest Your Majesty's virtue be tarnished."

Tears streamed down his face as he looked at Empress Zhangsun before him, and Li Shimin was reminded of many things.

I recalled the companionship I received when the uprising began years ago.

She recalled the moment she was poisoned, when she opened her eyes to see Empress Zhangsun leading Li Chengqian, who was holding a sword and protecting her.

I remembered the parting before the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
These scenes, coupled with Empress Zhangsun's precarious state, made his heart tremble.

“My family has already received the Emperor’s favor and should not be treated too well. People’s hearts are fickle. My Changsun family is not the Gu family and should not bear the weight of the nation.”

Empress Zhangsun's breathing became increasingly rapid, but she still stared intently at Li Shimin, and even her usually weak hands began to regain some strength at this moment.

"at last--"

"That is Chengqian."

"Your Majesty, Chengqian is our eldest son, a man of utmost kindness and filial piety. Although he has a foot ailment, we must be cautious about deposing the Crown Prince!"

Empress Zhangsun tightened her grip even more.

As she spoke, her eyes were filled with worry, and tears streamed down her face.

Li Shimin was also unable to control his grief, and tears streamed down his face.

"I want to see my mother!!!"

At the same time, the East Palace.

As if sensing something, Li Chengqian was heading towards the Lizheng Hall.

His expression was very sad.

This vague feeling made him extremely uneasy, and coupled with his recent foot ailment which had already thrown him off balance, his expression at this moment was even more unpleasant.

He was already trying his best to get there.

But when he arrived at the Lizheng Hall, he still didn't have time to see Empress Zhangsun one last time.

It was just a matter of a moment.

The mother and son were never able to see each other again.

February of the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era.

Empress Zhangsun died in Chang'an at the age of thirty-eight.

Her posthumous title was Empress Wende.

—The situation changed abruptly!
Although Li Shimin followed Empress Zhangsun's last wishes and did not hold a grand funeral, it did not affect the court affairs.

But with the passing of Empress Zhangsun, he couldn't help but feel down.

This feeling was also influenced from the top down.

Of course, this does not mean that the prosperous trend of the Tang Dynasty has changed; it simply means that Li Shimin needs time to make adjustments.

Although his rise to power seemed to be much smoother than the original historical account.

But the risks involved are also greater.

Although Empress Zhangsun could not accompany him to the battlefield, she ultimately shared his hardships, and the poison she carried with her was a testament to her feelings.

Now that he has passed away, who can help but feel sorrow?

But Li Shimin made adjustments very quickly.

He cannot stop.

Whether for his own aspirations or for the sake of the entire Tang Dynasty, he must not be allowed to succumb to depravity.

The key is--

Gu Zi submitted a memorial.

He sensed the turmoil within the court and among the people.

Li Chengqian's foot ailment revealed to countless people the potential for dramatic change, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity unique to speculators.

The Tang Dynasty court is now full of vitality, and the emperor and his ministers are all exceptionally capable.

However, this does not mean that there will be speculators involved.

For them, history provides countless examples of how seizing an opportunity can lead to a dramatic transformation and instant success.

And the most important thing is——

They all felt that an emperor like Li Shimin, who pursued perfection, would not choose to let a cripple inherit the throne.

This undoubtedly amplifies their ambitions.

Li Shimin was fully aware of the gravity of the matter; he was all too familiar with the facts.

Often, once someone takes that first step, the consequences can never be reversed.

He had to stop all of this.

However, before that, Li Shimin asked Gu Zi a question: "Yunzhi, what do you think of the Crown Prince's character?"

Gu Zi's answer was equally simple.

He was unwilling to consider Li Shimin's thoughts, and simply answered based on Li Chengqian's personality.

—Ultimate goodness and filial piety.

This is already a very high compliment.

Li Shimin understood Gu's style of handling affairs and did not say anything more. The very next day, he announced in court that Li Chengqian would officially participate in the government, not just listen in as usual.

The intention was to extinguish any lingering hopes in everyone's hearts through this action. Some things don't need to be said too explicitly.

His actions were effective; the ministers were only just beginning to show signs of trouble, and it would be easy for an emperor with Li Shimin's immense prestige to resolve them.

Nothing major happened in the Tang Dynasty that year.

There is no need to make too many adjustments.

For the Tang Dynasty today, what it truly needs is to completely digest everything that is currently in place.

Northern Xinjiang, the Hetao region, the Western Regions, and even Lingnan.

Everything needs time to fully digest.

Li Shimin could not possibly choose to launch a military campaign at this time.

Despite this, the influence of the entire Tang Dynasty continued to grow day by day.

This is an inevitable phenomenon.

Although Li Shimin did not carry out large-scale reforms, he never let go of his supervision over officialdom, the imperial examination system, and so on. Moreover, as the national treasury became increasingly full, he continued to reduce taxes.

All of this was extremely important for the feudal dynasties to develop their national strength.

Furthermore, with the situation stabilizing, commerce has become increasingly prosperous.

How could the influence of the Tang Dynasty possibly weaken?
All nations come to pay tribute!

That's right, it was a tribute from all nations!
On the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era, on Li Shimin's birthday, all the countries around sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to congratulate him.

In fact, Li Shimin originally did not want to organize it.

But from the day he became emperor, his private affairs could no longer be called private affairs.

The emperor has no private affairs!
The courtiers all advised Li Shimin to hold a celebration, and to do so on a grand scale!
The reason is also quite simple.

The Tang Dynasty needed to promote culture.

Indeed, as the economy continues to move forward, cultural development should not lag behind. We must revitalize the cultural atmosphere of Kyushu in order to better influence all directions.

Li Shimin couldn't refuse this reason.

A grand celebration was held throughout Chang'an.

Ambassadors from all nations stood in orderly rows, their colorful attire like a tapestry of rosy clouds.

The Persian envoy, dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with gold thread, presented a luminous pearl as large as a bucket and a strange beast;

Indian monks joined their palms in respect as the Buddha's relics in the treasure box shone brightly.

The envoys from Goryeo and Silla bowed deeply and presented exquisite mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware and tamed falcons.

The Tibetan chieftain presented a snow-white yak and a whole tiger skin;

Furthermore, an envoy from the Kingdom of Fulin brought glassware inlaid with jewels, drawing gasps of amazement.

Rare animals, spices, gems, and precious textiles were displayed in abundance, piled up like mountains, reflecting the supreme glory of the Tang Dynasty.

They revered the emperor who stood above them all, and wished they could expose the very secrets of their country.

That's right, it's reverence.

Perhaps they were disdainful when they first arrived in the Tang Dynasty, but when they saw the Nine Provinces and the magnificent Chang'an City with their own eyes, all that remained for them was awe.

Li Shimin commissioned a painter to create a painting, personally inscribed it with the title "Painting of All Nations Paying Homage," affixed the Imperial Seal of the State, and bestowed it upon the Gu family.

Such a reward would make anyone envious.

The current era of prosperity is right here.

Who could have predicted how later generations would evaluate the Zhenguan era and Li Shimin?
This painting is destined to be a masterpiece!
It's not just because of the great painter; having Li Shimin's calligraphy is enough.

Unfortunately, they were not the Gu family after all.

Li Shimin would not be stingy with rewards, nor would he bestow these things upon them; calligraphy and paintings could be stamped with his seal, but not calligraphy and paintings.

Gu Yi didn't pay too much attention to these things.

When he first entered the game, he was full of curiosity about everything, but now he felt very calm.

For the Gu family...

This is still not the end!
What really caught his attention was that the Gu family's craftsmen had invented a water level warning clock!

This was completely beyond Gu Yi's expectations.

Ever since he manipulated Gu Ye during the Yan Han period, the Gu family has never stopped training craftsmen.

Over the years, quite a few things have indeed been produced.

It was somewhat helpful in various aspects, but it was enough for Gu Yi to care about.

This time is different!

The advantages of mathematical development have finally been fully demonstrated after so many years. This water level warning clock utilizes buoyancy calculations in conjunction with gears.

Although from a modern perspective, this thing is not very sophisticated, because it does not perform real-time calculations and alerts, but only presets valve punishment mechanisms.

But it is still a groundbreaking work!
This means that Kyushu has already begun to utilize mathematics.

Gu Yi remembered it very clearly.

In the original history, this would have been an extremely long process.

Although the "Floating Pestle Problem" in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art already shows that our ancestors had discovered the laws of buoyancy as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, they were still far from applying buoyancy.

This puts us ahead of the West by nearly five hundred years!

What does this represent?
As long as Kyushu doesn't experience major chaos, its cultural development won't be interrupted for a long time, just like in its original history.

Then the development of the entire Kyushu will far surpass that of the West!
The significance of this for the entire Kyushu region is self-evident!

Even Gu Yi was stirred by what he saw.

This proves that his initial idea was correct!
This move is not only beneficial to the entire Kyushu, but also of great significance to the Gu family, and can be called a milestone for the entire Kyushu.

He needed to ensure that the Gu family always controlled the most core technologies, in addition to the Gu family's reputation in Kyushu.

This will become the most crucial condition for the Gu family's enduring legacy and eternal glory!
Countless thoughts flashed through Gu Yi's mind, but he was not in a hurry.

These things can't be rushed.

Everything takes time to develop.

If Gu Yi were to directly take control now and wreak havoc across the entire Nine Provinces, regardless of whether Li Shimin would agree or not, the people, whose feudalistic ideas are deeply ingrained, would destroy the Gu family.

The exciting plots in online novels ultimately cannot be applied to real life.

The current development trend is already very good.

Li Shimin was indeed a very wise emperor, and he also paid great attention to the water level warning clock invented by the Gu family.

After doing some research...

They immediately decided to use it nationwide.

The great disasters will not stop, and Li Shimin was well aware of this. He would not become complacent just because there were no disasters for two or three years.

As the grand ceremony came to a complete end, he also began his cultural education.

It was not the imperial examination.

He began to lead his ministers in offering sacrifices to the sages of the past, not just Gu Chen and others, but also to those admirable figures in history, to publicize their virtues to the world.

Bo Yi and Shu Qi refused to eat Zhou grain.

Jie Zitui – indifferent to fame and fortune, he cut off his own thigh to save his lord.

Qu Yuan—who sacrificed his life for his country, is honored on the Dragon Boat Festival, and so on.

In fact, this was not a major event worth noting, and Li Shimin naturally could not hold any grand sacrificial ceremony.

But that's just how it is in this day and age.

An emperor's actions can subtly influence many things.

And that is precisely why—

The literary style of the entire Tang Dynasty was becoming increasingly popular, and the culture belonging to the Nine Provinces was spreading in all directions at an astonishing speed.

(P.S.: Happy Dragon Boat Festival everyone! Have fun! It's almost the beginning of the month, so please vote with your monthly tickets! There will be a bonus chapter for monthly ticket votes at midnight, so please remember to support me!)
(End of this chapter)