Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 1: Did the Tang Dynasty Perish?

The ninth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty.

The capital city of Chang'an.

The newly established empire used a facade of peace to mask the undercurrents surging within the court.

Even ordinary people in the city looked worried.

A battle report arrived from the front lines: the Turks from the north are about to invade the Central Plains again.

But at this moment, the emperor relieved the King of Qin of his military power and handed it over to the King of Qi.

In the Battle of Jinyang, the King of Qi fled in defeat and was replaced by him, the invincible General Tian Ce. Everyone doubted whether he could win.

But the King of Qi was recommended by the Crown Prince.

Everyone knows that the Crown Prince did this to curb the power of the King of Qin.

The once bustling Qin Prince's Mansion is now deserted.

Apart from a few individuals who were inseparable from the Prince of Qin's residence, no one in the court dared to approach him.

Today, however, a young man dressed in a coarse cloth shirt, looking like a farmer, was personally welcomed into the mansion by Changsun Wuji.

Inside the study in the front courtyard of the Prince of Qin's residence.

Within a hundred paces, the area was strictly guarded by the Xuanjia Guards. Even Princess Changsun Wugou, the wife of the Prince of Qin, left voluntarily after serving the tea.

In the vast study, only the young man and Changsun Wuji, dressed in a brocade robe and sporting a beautiful beard, remained.

And there was the young man sitting by the folding chair, his expression solemn, his features strikingly handsome.

He stroked his mustache, his gaze intently scrutinizing the young man before him.

His name is Wen He, and he was the one who was personally welcomed into the mansion by Changsun Wuji just now.

"Was it you who predicted that Venus would appear today?" Li Shimin placed his right hand lightly on the table, his fingers gently tapping the surface.

He observed the boy's features and pondered to himself.

“Your Highness, I did not calculate it; it is recorded in history.”

Wen He bowed with his hands clasped and smiled.

Before the frowning Changsun Wuji and the surprised Li Shimin could ask further questions, he continued.

Historical records indicate that on the first day of the sixth month of the ninth year of the Wude era (620 AD), Venus appeared in the southern sky at the noon position during the day.

Historical records?

"Nonsense!" Changsun Wuji roared, glaring at Wen He and pointing at him. "This is utterly absurd! This just happened, so what historical record is this?"

"Don't be hasty, Assistant Minister." Li Shimin was much calmer. He waved his hand, dismissing Changsun Wuji, and looked at the young man with a light smile: "If I'm not mistaken, are you going to tell me whether I will ascend the throne in the future?"

Wen He was stunned for a moment.

He immediately understood Li Shimin's meaning; Li Shimin must have misunderstood that he was sent by someone else to test him.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

"This matter may seem unbelievable to you, but what I'm saying is true. You will indeed become the next emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Historical records show that on the ninth day of the eighth month of the ninth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan abdicated and Emperor Taizong Li Shimin ascended the throne, with the reign title Zhenguan."

"absurd!"

Changsun Wuji was furious and stepped forward to grab the boy's arm: "Who sent you? How dare you spout such nonsense in the Prince of Qin's mansion?"

"Don't get excited. Aren't you a scholar? Where did you get such strength?" Wen He was lifted up with one hand like a chick.

"Hmph, when I and the King of Qin were on our march, you were still a baby!"

Wen He forgot one thing: the Tang Dynasty he was in was not the weak Song Dynasty.

During the Tang Dynasty, scholars could lead armies on horseback and govern the country on foot. Changsun Wuji, for example, once fought alongside Li Shimin in battle.

But it's also because he hasn't gotten used to it yet.

Since arriving in the Tang Dynasty a month ago, I've been struggling to make a living, so I haven't had time to think about these things.

He had originally planned to make a fortune in the Tang Dynasty, and had just made a little money by manufacturing a few bars of soap when someone came knocking on his door.

The original owner's parents once owed the steward of the Prince Qi's mansion a large sum of money.

The person in charge threatened him with the debts owed by the original owner's parents, demanding that he either hand over the soap formula or use the original owner's sister to pay off the debt.

If it weren't for Li Yuanji's steward being so overbearing, he wouldn't have thought of getting involved with Changsun Wuji.

Yesterday, he made a show of mystery at his residence, predicting that Venus would descend today. As a result, Changsun Wuji locked him up at the residence and starved him all night. This morning, Changsun Wuji hurriedly came and invited him to the Prince of Qin's residence.

At this moment, he was extremely grateful to the compilers of the daily records of this era. Thanks to their dedication, he would have starved to death long before Li Yuanji arrived. "Let me go first. Think about it carefully. If I were sent to slander the Prince of Qin, would I use such an easily exposed lie?"

Wen He remained silent.

He knew he was taking a huge risk by doing this.

But there was nothing he could do.

In my past life, I read many time-travel novels, about people who made their fortunes by manufacturing soap and glass, then attracted the emperor's attention and rose to prominence.

Marry a princess, become a powerful minister, and turn the world upside down with a flick of your wrist—become a winner in life.

He finally time-traveled, and was about to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors when he was suppressed by the powerful and influential before he even began.

Forget about getting rich, he doesn't even have a home now.

He was left with only one path to choose from: to join the future emperor.

But if he wanted to curry favor with Li Shimin, given his current status as a slave, he wouldn't even be able to enter the gates of the Prince of Qin's residence, let alone see Li Shimin.

So he had no choice but to take a gamble.

This reveals his identity as a time traveler, thus securing his ability to survive in the Tang Dynasty.

Throughout history, Li Shimin treated those who could serve him quite well.

Aside from a few reckless individuals, almost no meritorious officials died at his hands.

Having been starved all night and without a drop of water, he felt a little dizzy.

The prepared speech has now been completely forgotten.

"You mean you're from the future?" Li Shimin's sneer interrupted Wen He's thoughts. Hearing this, he looked at the former and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, from 2025, more than a thousand years in the future."

"Hmph, but I know that you were born in Gejiazhuang, outside Chang'an County, in the second year of Yining of the former Sui Dynasty. Your parents passed away five years ago, and you have an orphaned younger sister. You have never left Chang'an. Could it be that you are going to tell me that you had a dream about the future?"

Before meeting Wen He, Li Shimin had already thoroughly investigated his background, even knowing exactly how many dogs his ancestors had kept.

The reason he had Changsun Wuji bring Wen He here today was that he wanted to see who was behind this.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, a murderous intent surging forth.

Wen He immediately felt a chill run down her spine and her scalp tingle, and quickly explained.

"This is complicated to explain, or you can understand it this way: I am no longer the same person I used to be. But no matter what, what I said is true. If I didn't come from another time, then explain how I knew that Venus would be there today. Even the Imperial Observatory didn't foresee it, right?"

"What is the Imperial Observatory?" Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji looked on with suspicion.

Neither of them had ever heard of such an official office.

"Uh, it's the government office that observes the weather and celestial phenomena. Isn't this called the Imperial Observatory?" He blinked blankly, remembering that such an office existed in ancient times. Could it be that it wasn't called this in the Tang Dynasty?

"Are you referring to the Imperial Observatory?" Changsun Wuji deduced from Wen He's words.

"Oh, right, right, it's called the Bureau of Astronomy now. I remember now, it was renamed the Imperial Observatory during the Song Dynasty." Wen He suddenly realized.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's brows suddenly furrowed.

Changsun Wuji, standing to the side, sneered: "Nonsense! I have read through ancient books and have never heard of such an office in the Southern Song Dynasty."

"Huh?" Wen He turned to look at him, and after a moment of stunned silence, she realized that the Southern Song Dynasty that Changsun Wuji was talking about was not the same as the one he was talking about.

He immediately scoffed dismissively.

"It is not the Southern Song Dynasty of Liu Yu, but the Song Dynasty after the Tang Dynasty."

"Hahaha, nonsense! My Great Tang Dynasty has long since unified the country. There was no Song Dynasty after that." Changsun Wuji sneered.

Wen He looked at him and replied calmly, "It existed after the fall of the Tang Dynasty. Oh, no, after the fall of the Tang Dynasty came the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and then the Northern Song Dynasty."

He spoke eloquently, but neither Changsun Wuji nor Li Shimin heard a single word he said afterward.

I only heard what he said earlier.

"After the fall of the Tang Dynasty?"

Boom!

A bolt from the blue suddenly rang out.

Li Shimin, sitting in the study, suddenly fell silent, gazing at Wen He for a long time without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)