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

Chapter 16 Everyone can read? That's impossible!

"Your Highness!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui both looked at Li Shimin, their gazes resolute.

Li Shimin clenched his fist and nodded heavily.

"I understand. Fuji, have Guanyinbi call someone to help me change my clothes."

Changsun Wuji and the other two bowed respectfully, their expressions solemn, as if they were seeing Li Shimin off on his expedition.

Wen He followed suit, and when Li Shimin passed by him, he glanced at him but didn't say a word.

Just like when Changsun Wuji left before.

These ancient people must have some quirks; they love to communicate with their eyes so much.

"Young Master Wen, His Highness means that we should not say any more." Changsun Wuji came to Wen He's side and left these words, glancing at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui as he spoke.

This is both a reminder and a warning.

The two people who were about to approach Wen He suddenly stopped in their tracks.

It's incredibly frustrating to have someone who can know the future standing right in front of you, yet you can't ask them anything.

His Highness did not explicitly say that Changsun Wuji was meddling in other people's business.

He must have already learned some things about the future from Wen He, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hold back.

"Brother Xuanling, Brother Keming, I will have someone arrange accommodations for you shortly. Do not move around before His Highness returns, lest someone overhears you."

Changsun Wuji politely bowed to the two of them.

Changsun Wuji was not among the eighteen scholars of the Prince of Qin's mansion, and his status as a strategist was not as high as that of Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. However, now that Li Shimin was not present, he was the only one who could make decisions in the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Even Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui had no objection to this.

Changsun Wuji had the Xuanjia Guards invite the two to the side courtyard of the front yard before leading Wen He towards the back yard.

"Tonight is not peaceful. You shall remain in that secluded courtyard and shall not step out without my or His Highness's orders."

"Is it really necessary to be so strict? Could you make an exception? Actually, I really want to meet people like Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao."

Whether in the Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties or in official history, they were all great heroes.

It would be a huge loss to come all the way to the Tang Dynasty and not even see one of its inhabitants.

"If you enter the court in the future, do you still worry about not having a chance?" Changsun Wuji said with a laugh.

“That makes sense, but won’t it cause some trouble if we go ahead by a day compared to history?” Wen He was still a little worried; he had staked his life on this.

If Li Shimin had followed the original course of history, everything would have fallen into place naturally.

But this Prince Qin just happens to love adventure.

If you go a day early, there's always a chance something might happen.

“Before you arrived, His Highness had already secretly contacted Jingde and Shubao. I had already sent a secret message, and they will all gather at the Prince of Qin’s residence tonight.”

Upon hearing this, Wen He paused for a moment, then suddenly realized something and couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

Sure enough, none of those who achieve great things are easy to deal with.

History is like a little girl, who can be dressed up however one pleases.

"So the reason you didn't take action before was because Your Highness hesitated?" Wen He asked tentatively in a low voice.

Changsun Wuji also stopped and turned to look at him, nodding solemnly: "After all, who can easily make up their mind to kill their own brother?"

He stood gazing at the sky, lost in thought, before letting out a long sigh.

……

"Ouch, be gentle, be gentle!"

"No, don't hit him on the head, and don't hit him on the face either!"

As soon as they arrived at the secluded courtyard where Wen He was staying, Changsun Wuji and he heard a scream coming from inside.

The two men looked at each other and glanced at the two soldiers guarding the door.

Both soldiers wore bitter expressions, neither daring to speak, only pointing towards the door with their eyes.

As soon as the two pushed open the door and went inside, they were greeted by a sandbag the size of a fist.

"what!"

A gasp rippled through the courtyard.

"Uncle, get out of the way!"

It was Li Chengqian who shouted, but it was too late.

Changsun Wuji frowned and caught the sandbag with one hand.

Inside the courtyard, several children, covered in dust and dirt, stared in astonishment at the scene.

"Wow, uncle is amazing!"

"Uncle is so awesome!"

Two little girls, who looked like tabby cats, clapped and cheered with joy, jumping and skipping around.

"What are you doing?" Changsun Wuji tugged at the sandbag sewn together from scraps of cloth in his hand, his gaze sweeping over Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Ke.

Li Tai was somewhat afraid of him and quickly lowered his head to cover his bruised eyes. Li Ke, on the other hand, was alright; apart from being a little dirty, he stood with his hands behind his back, tilting his head to look at the sky.

Changsun Wuji had never liked him, rarely spoke to him, and was unwilling to have any contact with him.

He glanced at it only once before turning to look at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian was in the worst condition; his clothes were covered in mud, and his mouth and eyes were covered in mud stains.

"Sir!"

Changsun Wuji shouted angrily.

Li Chengqian involuntarily shuddered.

"Yes, sir, sir let us play!" He pointed the finger at Wen He without hesitation.

"Holy crap, that's shameless! I wasn't even here just now!"

Wen He quickly retorted.

Judging from Changsun Wuji's expression, he clearly wanted to settle scores and wasn't going to be a scapegoat.

“Brother, brother.”

Xiao Wenrou skipped over, glanced at Changsun Wuji, and then fearfully threw herself into Wen He's arms.

Li Lizhi followed behind him, and like the former, she looked as if she had seen a ghost when she saw Changsun Wuji.

It seems that when she came, Changsun Wuji intended to be kind, but he still managed to scare her.

“Sir, you said you would take us to play with sandbags after we finished reciting the Three Character Classic,” Li Tai quickly replied, echoing Li Chengqian’s words.

Although Li Ke didn't speak, he nodded and stood guard for the two brothers.

"Yes, my brother and the others said it was you who suggested it, so they asked Xiao Rou to take them out to play. But they're so useless, they always get beaten up by me and Li Zhi, hehe."

"Mmm, big brother and the others aren't that great." Little girl Li Lizhi nodded innocently.

The two little girls had no external injuries except for some dirt on them, while the three little ones were all in a sorry state.

"Absurd!" Changsun Wuji roared, turning back to glare at Wen He.

"His Highness came here to have you teach the three young princes, how can you let them waste their talents like this!"

"What's the rush? I already said I'm just playing along with them. Besides, how do you know I've let them waste their time?"

Wen He didn't want to argue, but when Changsun Wuji suddenly got into a heated argument with him, he became somewhat resentful.

"Hmph, the young master is at the age to study the words of the sages, how can he be playing around!" Changsun Wuji was even more furious when he saw that the young master still dared to talk back.

"Then may I ask, Brother Changsun, what are the words of the sage?" Wen He asked, looking at him with his hands behind his back.

“Yes, yes, what are the words of a sage?” Li Lizhi grinned, mimicking their expressions.

The three little ones not far away were stunned.

This was the first time they had ever seen anyone, besides their father, dare to show such disrespect to their uncle.

"Naturally, it is about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame; it is the way of a sage ruler, a saint, and how to conduct oneself in the world."

"Since that's the case, I'm not at fault. If you don't believe me, ask the three of them what I've taught them."

Wen He raised her chin and pointed at Li Chengqian and the other two.

The three boys were all stunned for a moment, but Li Chengqian was the first to react.

"Three, the Three Character Classic, at the beginning of life, man is inherently good..."

“Right, right, and there’s also the saying, ‘If a dog doesn’t bark, its nature will change if it’s not taught.’” Li Tai continued reciting.

Then Li Ke recited it together with the other two.

However, Wenhe only taught them up to the point of "filial piety and brotherly love first, then knowledge and experience," and that was the end of their memorization.

The more Changsun Wuji listened, the wider his eyes widened.

It's not that the Three Character Classic is profound; on the contrary, the principles it conveys are quite shallow.

But it's enough as an introduction to childhood.

Compared to the books used to teach children in the Tang Dynasty, these are more suitable for early education.

He suddenly realized Wen He's identity and asked in surprise.

"Is this the learning of later generations?"

“Of course, every child in my time would learn that.” Wen He nodded dismissively.

"You mean every child, you mean including those from poor families and ordinary people?"

"Of course, but not the whole world, just in our country, every child must go to school and has access to education."

Wen He smiled calmly.

In Changsun Wuji's eyes, this precisely proved that what he said was true.

An era where everyone can read?