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

Chapter 10 How will future generations evaluate what I am about to do?

"First, filial piety and brotherly love; second, knowledge and experience."

Wen He found a vine whip about the thickness of a little finger from somewhere and lingered behind the three little ones with her hands behind her back.

He would read a sentence aloud, and the three little ones would repeat it after him, then write it down on paper from memory.

Li Chengqian and Li Ke started school at the age of five and could already write hundreds of characters. They would only ask Wen He for help when they encountered something they really couldn't write.

Fortunately, she traveled to the Tang Dynasty, where regular script was used, so Wen He could barely manage.

If it were the pre-Qin or Western Han dynasty, he would be powerless to help.

Li Tai was just beginning his education, so Wen He didn't make things difficult for him. Unlike his two older brothers, he didn't have to memorize and recite. He only needed to follow along smoothly and read aloud, and then recite it once.

If you can't recite it, you'll get a beating from Wen He's rattan whip.

"As your teacher, I care about you. As the saying goes, jade that is not carved cannot become a useful object, and a person who does not learn cannot know righteousness. The sentence I just taught you is about this principle."

The three little ones turned their heads in unison, their eyes filled with tears of grievance.

They didn't believe a word Wen He said.

But suddenly, their eyes lit up.

"Father, Mother!" Little chubby Li Tai suddenly jumped up, bypassed Wen He, and ran behind him.

Li Chengqian spread his hands aggrievedly, deliberately showing his reddened palms, hoping to make his mother feel sorry for him.

Li Ke followed suit, but he did it not for Empress Zhangsun's benefit, but for Li Shimin's benefit.

Wen He then realized that Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun had arrived. He turned around to pay his respects, but when he saw the timid girl holding Empress Zhangsun's sleeve to her left, he was stunned for a moment.

"Little Rou!"

"Brother!"

The girl, who had been looking down, looked up in surprise when she heard the familiar voice.

Upon seeing Wen He, tears welled up in her eyes. She released Changsun Wugou's long sleeves and rushed towards Wen He.

On the other side, a beautiful and charming girl couldn't help but be curious and cast her gaze towards the gentle figure running away.

"Brother, are you alright? Has anyone bullied you? Xiao Rou is so scared."

Wen He threw away the rattan whip in his hand and reached out to pick up the pitiful little girl.

"No one bullies me, and they won't in the future," Wen He said with a smile, rubbing her head.

She must have been terrified.

She didn't sleep last night and cried the whole time. When she left home this morning, she was trying hard to hold back her tears.

"Didn't you say you were going to play? Is this what you call playing?"

Seeing Li Tai rush into Empress Zhangsun's arms, sobbing silently, Li Shimin asked in surprise.

"The uncle who brought me here just now said you're enjoying a life of luxury at the Prince of Qin's mansion. Even the village chief and Aye can't believe it." Xiaorou looked up at Wen He, her little hands tightly gripping Wen He's sleeve.

"I suppose so." Wen He chuckled, glanced at Li Shimin, and then looked away to offer some words of reassurance.

"Are you bullying me?" A soft question suddenly rang out, and Wen He felt her sleeve being tugged.

He turned his head and found a girl standing next to him, glaring angrily at him and tugging at his sleeve.

"Lizhi, don't mess with him, he's very fierce." Li Tai, who was complaining to Empress Zhangsun not far away, was so frightened that he quickly waved to her.

Li Lizhi was stunned, her eyes wide, and she couldn't help but let out a soft burp.

"Are you Li Lizhi?"

Looking at the delicate and adorable little girl in front of her, Wen He was secretly surprised.

This is Princess Chang Le, the eldest daughter of Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin), who later married Changsun Chong.

If you travel back to the Tang Dynasty, you must marry two princesses.

One is Li Mingda, and the other is Li Lizhi.

It's a pity that this princess had a tragic fate, dying young before she was even twenty-three.

Li Shimin, who was walking over to take Li Lizhi away, suddenly caught a glimpse of regret in Wen He's eyes.

He paused for a moment, but then put the matter aside for the time being.

"Auntie, this is the teacher Father found for your brother. He's not a bad person. Why don't you go find your mother first, okay?"

He gently stroked Li Lizhi's head, his voice so soft that Wen He could hardly believe it. Was this man in front of her the legendary Li Shimin?

It is said that Li Shimin loved the children born to Empress Zhangsun so much that he extended his affection to them as well, and seeing it with my own eyes, this is indeed the case.

Li Lizhi glanced at Wenrou with reluctance. She had no playmates of her own age in the mansion, and today, finally, one had come, but she hadn't even had a proper chat with her yet.

"Ahem, Wenhe, let your sister and Guanyinbi go eat first. I have something to discuss with you." Li Shimin coughed lightly and cast a serious glance his way.

Wen He immediately understood that it must be related to the person Li Shimin had rushed to see in the front yard earlier.

He nodded and said some comforting words to Wenrou, telling her to go have dinner with Empress Zhangsun first.

Although Wenrou was reluctant, she was even more afraid that the fierce-looking person would bully her brother. She nodded timidly and agreed.

The three little ones were overjoyed, finally escaping that villain.

He said he would take them out to play, but in the end he just made them study, and he was much fiercer than Mr. Confucius.

After everyone had left.

The smile on Li Shimin's face vanished instantly.

"Wang Zhi has just arrived."

"Wang Zhi?"

Emperor Wu of Han's mother?
Li Shimin found the seat of honor and sat down, raising his eyes to stare at Wen He in silence.

Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Wen He racked her brains for a while.

He clearly knew the history of the Tang Dynasty by heart in his previous life, so why can't he remember many things after transmigrating without careful thought?
"Oh, I remember now, the person close to the Crown Prince, the spy you placed, uh, that is, a spy."

So it was Wang Zhi.

Noticing Li Shimin's somewhat gloomy face, he shook his head with a wry smile: "Your Highness, even now you're still testing me. You don't still think my identity as someone from the future is fake, do you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin looked up and glared at him.

"What I want to know is how this matter will be recorded in history."

"How else can I remember it? Of course, I just wrote it down truthfully, but I don't know if it's true or not." Wen He was tired of standing. He had spent a lot of breath teaching those three little ones the Three Character Classic.

People in the Tang Dynasty, especially the powerful and wealthy, loved to add pepper and other spices to their tea.

He just took a sip, and his tongue is numb.

Fortunately, the servants had prepared boiled water for him.

Wen He found a place to sit down, picked up the bowl of water that was still half full, and drank it all in one gulp.

Li Shimin waited until he finished drinking the water before staring at him and continuing to ask, "My elder brother and fourth brother want to kill me!"

"Didn't you already know about this?" Wen He spread her hands, thinking that Li Er might have gone crazy.

He remembered that historical records said Li Jiancheng had even poisoned Li Shimin, almost killing him.

Li Jiancheng's thoughts, aside from his own affairs, were not a secret at all.

"So I was forced to retaliate, but will future generations understand me and speak out for the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi?"

Li Shimin's features were contorted in shock as he clenched his fists in excitement.

"If I were to ascend the throne and become the Khan of that day, would future generations be indifferent to what I am about to do?"

He did not specify what he was going to do.

But Wen He understood.

Moreover, he knew that Li Shimin had not come seeking answers.

Even if he knew that people in later generations would speak ill of him, would he not have done it?
He just wanted some comfort.

A suitable reason to persuade him to go ahead and do it.

This reason was originally given by Changsun Wuji, but unfortunately he is not here now.

That's why he came to find Wen He.

These ancient people must have had a really tough life.

It is not necessary to ask for a name before or after death.

Wen He sighed, shook her head, and put down the bowl in her hand.

"Since Your Highness the King of Qin is so hesitant, then I have no choice but to go and find the Crown Prince. In any case, it's all about changing history..."

"Whoosh!"

Before he could finish speaking, a three-foot sword was pressed against his throat in the blink of an eye.

This chapter has a really long title!


(End of this chapter)