The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 169 Sir, you are truly my Zhang Liang!

Although everyone was surprised, no one dared to disobey, and they all stepped back a distance, leaving Li Yichen and Zhao Xiaoman in a corner of the workshop.

Li Yichen found two wooden stools to sit on and gestured for Zhao Xiaoman to sit as well.

The boy hesitated for a moment before carefully sitting on the edge.

“Xiaoman,” Li Yichen said, no longer using Mandarin, but a local dialect with a slight accent, which made him seem much more approachable.

"Your dad says you like watching people work. What tricks do you see in them? Tell me about it."

Perhaps it was Li Yichen's calm attitude that eased Zhao Xiaoman's tension.

He lowered his head and thought for a while, then spoke softly:
“I…I’ve seen donkeys pulling the millstone, and they never go in the middle; they always run along the outer edge of the millstone…that way it’s less strenuous.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Yichen's eyes.

The child noticed that donkeys instinctively choose paths with longer lever arms to save effort.

"anything else?"

"And... when drawing water from a well, the one with the long handle is easy to turn, while the one with the short handle is difficult to turn."

Zhao Xiaoman spoke more and more fluently.

"I've tried it. The long one takes less effort to shake, but you have to shake it several times to fill a bucket with water; the short one fills more than half a bucket in one go, but your arms get sore from shaking it."

Li Yichen was deeply moved. This child was not only incredibly observant, but had also personally verified it! He had intuitively grasped the simple truth of "saving effort without saving results".

"So, what did you learn from modifying this crossbow?"

“Yes,” Zhao Xiaoman nodded, “The original pedal was too short. Each push required a lot of effort, and my legs would ache. I was thinking, could we lengthen the pedal like a long-handled windlass? I tried several different connecting rods, trying to find a way that was just the right length and required the least effort…”

Looking at his dark face, Li Yichen felt a deep sense of emotion.

This child doesn't understand the "lever principle," but he has figured out the tricks of the trade from everyday things like donkeys pulling millstones and turning wells, and he can even apply them to important military equipment!
Li Yichen sighed inwardly, this was already a very simple and intuitive application of the "principle of work" and "mechanical benefits"!
This child is a natural-born practical physicist and mechanical engineer!
What he lacks is a systematic theoretical framework and a broader perspective.

In his previous life, Li Yichen was a teacher. Upon seeing such a talented individual, he was filled with admiration for his abilities.

He himself is not an engineering specialist, and his knowledge of physics is mostly basic theory and macroscopic concepts; specific mechanical design is not his forte.

However, if some basic principles of mechanics and ways of thinking can be taught to this child, given his observation and practical abilities, the heights he can reach in the future are simply limitless!
This might be more in line with the acceptance level of this era and more fundamentally promote the progress of "productivity" than him personally making some inventions that are ahead of their time.

"Xiaoman, do you want to know why?"

Li Yichen looked at him and asked seriously.

Zhao Xiaoman raised her head and looked directly at Li Yichen for the first time. Her eyes, which were originally timid, were now filled with pure curiosity and longing.

"I want to! I... I've never understood why some methods are easier while others are more difficult... Mr. Li, do you... do you know?"

“I know some of the principles,” Li Yichen said slowly.

"But these principles might not be what you usually think. You need to think about them and verify them gradually. Are you willing to learn?"

Zhao Xiaoman nodded vigorously without hesitation, her voice soft yet firm.

"I'm willing to learn!"

Looking at the burning flame of knowledge in the boy's eyes, Li Yichen knew that he might have sown a seed far ahead of its time in this Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty.

Whether this seed will grow into a towering tree remains to be seen, but at least he saw hope.

He stood up and patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Okay. You go back first. I'll come find you when I have time later. We can talk about these 'whys' slowly."

Zhao Xiaoman nodded heavily again, her eyes filled with admiration and anticipation as she looked at Li Yichen.

Li Yichen turned around and walked towards the Ministry of Works official and Zhao Tiezhu, who were waiting in the distance.

The news spread like wildfire, sweeping across the eaves of the mansions of the powerful and wealthy in Chang'an.

The Crown Prince has already issued an edict to promote the craftsman Zhao Tiezhu to an official position and to appoint his son Zhao Xiaoman to the Directorate of Works.

For a time, the lamps and candles in the studies of the heads of several powerful families burned late into the night.

The following day, memorials from the Censorate and several officials from aristocratic families were placed on Li Shimin's desk.

The content was largely the same, with varying degrees of intensity and subtlety in the language, but the core message was the same: His Highness the Crown Prince's actions had overstepped the bounds of propriety, confused the common people, and were likely to discourage scholars and undermine the foundation of the nation.

Li Shimin put down the last memorial and pressed his fingers to his slightly furrowed brow.

He understood the Crown Prince's intention: this move was to further win over the craftsmen and promote those things that he considered ingenious and frivolous but could enrich the country and strengthen its military.

He would never hesitate to accept rewards of gold, silver, and silk.

But directly granting them official positions touches upon that invisible yet real line.

Why did Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong of Tang) vigorously promote the imperial examination system?
Isn't it all about breaking the monopoly of aristocratic families on official careers and bringing the power to select talent back to the central government?
However, the imperial examination system ultimately selected "scholars," who were educated and knowledgeable from humble backgrounds.

They were essentially impoverished aristocratic families, yet they remained within this system.

Now, the Crown Prince has directly promoted a craftsman who wields a hammer to the same position as a scholar who has studied diligently for ten years. This is not just breaking the privileges of aristocratic families, but loosening the foundation of the entire class of "scholars" and "craftsmen".

This is something he doesn't want to see for the time being; he prefers a controlled and orderly way of disrupting things, rather than such a direct leap.

But he did not issue an immediate order.

The Crown Prince now has full authority over the Ministry of Works, and personnel appointments and administration are all within his jurisdiction.

For a low-ranking official of the eighth grade, to personally issue an imperial edict reprimanding the crown prince?

This makes him appear to be too petty as emperor, and too interfering in his son's governance.

The emperor's silence was interpreted by the aristocratic families as a form of indulgence.

They cannot stand by and watch this breach be torn open.

Since the emperor was unable to speak, a prince who could represent their voice was needed to step forward.

Prince Wei's Mansion, study.

Li Tai saw off the last visiting representative from a prominent family, the head of the Cui family.

His face held just the right amount of concern for the country and its people as he solemnly made his promise.

"Rest assured, Lord Cui, this matter concerns the dignity of the nation. Although I am not talented, I cannot stand idly by and watch as the rules and regulations are easily trampled upon. Tomorrow at the court assembly, I will personally plead with my father and strive for a proper resolution."

After seeing the head of the Cui family to the door and watching his carriage drive away, the solemnity on Li Tai's face instantly turned into barely suppressed excitement.

He returned to the study almost at breakneck speed, and spoke to Du Chuke, who was sitting below him quietly sipping tea, his voice slightly raised.

"Mr. Du! This is a golden opportunity! Haha, a golden opportunity indeed!"

He paced back and forth, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"That cripple has destroyed his own defenses, committing such an absurd act! The noble families have finally seen his true colors and have come knocking on my door. With their support, I will make sure he suffers a great defeat this time!"

Du Chuke slowly put down his teacup, his face showing no joy like Li Tai's, but rather a hint of solemnity.

He raised his head, looked at the excited Li Tai, and spoke in a steady voice, "Your Highness, please reconsider."

Li Tai paused, his smile froze, and he looked at Du Chuke with a puzzled expression.

"Why do you say that, sir? Are you going to sit idly by and ignore such a golden opportunity?"

A slight displeasure crossed his mind; he felt that Du Chuke was being overly cautious.

Du Chuke did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Your Highness, have you ever thought carefully about why most of our previous actions against the Crown Prince have failed?"

Li Tai frowned, walked to the head seat and sat down, trying to calm himself down.

"Sir, please speak."

Du Chuke leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp.

"I have had nothing to do recently, so I have carefully reviewed all the Crown Prince's actions since he opened the Eastern Palace, and even his disaster relief efforts and control over the Ministry of Works. I have discovered a few key points."

"Oh?" Li Tai's curiosity was piqued.

"What did you discover, sir?"

"Firstly, the Crown Prince's actions, while seemingly proactive, are in reality mostly defensive. He first sets up a target or implements a new policy, and then waits for others to attack him."

“He waits until the opponent has launched an offensive before striking back to deliver a fatal blow. This was the case with opening the Crown Prince’s palace, and it was also the case with dealing with rumors. He never initiates unnecessary disputes.”

Li Tai's brows furrowed as he recalled the past, and it seemed that this was indeed the case.

They always launched the first attack, but the Crown Prince always managed to cleverly deflect it, or even turn the tables on them.

Du Chuke continued, "Secondly, Your Highness, think back to why you were able to repeatedly gain favor with His Majesty and even create a situation in the court that rivaled the Crown Prince?"

Li Tai pondered for a moment and said, "At that time... he was impatient and often contradicted his father. He did act inappropriately, and we seized on his weaknesses."

“Not bad!” Du Chuke nodded.

"At that time, the Crown Prince was making mistakes or attacking us, and we were fighting back! Fighting back from the moral high ground! Our strategy was effective most of the time."

Li Tai's eyes flickered, as if he had caught something.

Du Chuke's voice lowered, carrying a clear-headedness after reviewing the situation.

"Looking back at our recent defeats, upon closer examination, it seems that we... initiated the attacks ourselves. We thought we had seized the opportunity, but in reality, we may have stepped into the territory that the other side had set up."

A brief silence fell over the study.

The excitement on Li Tai's face had long since faded, replaced by deep contemplation.

He had to admit that Du Chuke's analysis hit the nail on the head.

The Crown Prince's style of doing things has quietly changed since some point in time.

They became more composed and adept at using others' strengths against them.

“Well… in your opinion, sir,” Li Tai’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

"This time, the noble families are in an uproar. Are we just going to ignore it? Wouldn't that discourage them and make them think that I am incompetent and dare not compete with the Crown Prince?"

He was torn, feeling that Du Chuke's words made sense, yet reluctant to give up the power and opportunity that had been handed to him.

Du Chuke shook his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"No, Your Highness. I am not asking you to ignore this. On the contrary, the fact that the noble families have taken the initiative to come to us is a great thing and a perfect opportunity for Your Highness to accumulate strength. We must not miss this opportunity."

Li Tai was even more confused.

"Sir, isn't it contradictory to say that we should neither take the initiative to attack, nor should we seize opportunities?"

"The key is how to manage it," Du Chuke explained.

"Your Highness, were you thinking of personally stepping forward to confront the Crown Prince on this matter in front of His Majesty and the officials?"

Li Tai tacitly agreed; that was indeed what he had been thinking.

“This is a proactive attack,” Du Chuke said slowly.

"Why doesn't Your Highness try a different approach? Why not truly seize the initiative instead of indulging in momentary verbal sparring?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

“Your Highness, please look,” Du Chuke dipped his finger in tea and drew two circles on the table.

“Nowadays, a faction has been quietly forming around the Crown Prince, which can be called the ‘Crown Prince Party.’ These people are either newly promoted officials from humble backgrounds or illegitimate sons from collateral branches of their original families who have not been successful. The Crown Prince has given them a path to advancement and hope.”

He then marked another circle.

"The powerful clans, especially their core members, are deeply terrified of this. They fear that the Crown Prince's actions will completely undermine the foundation upon which they depend for survival. They need someone to represent their interests and resist the Crown Prince's encroachment."

Li Tai looked at the water stains on the table and seemed to understand something.

Du Chuke continued, "What Your Highness needs to do right now is not to rush into a debate with the Crown Prince to determine right and wrong."

“In that case, Your Highness will still be a pawn charging ahead, the outcome of which is uncertain, and you are likely to get burned.”

"What Your Highness should do is become the core that can unite all those who fear and oppose the Crown Prince! You should guide them, not be pushed around by them!"

"How exactly should we do it?"

Li Tai leaned forward unconsciously, his eyes lighting up.

“It’s very simple,” Du Chuke said in a deep voice.

"Your Highness need not confront the Crown Prince directly. You only need to let the Crown Prince's actions deepen their fear of him, making them increasingly fearful and uneasy."

He paused, looking into Li Tai's eyes.

"When their fears accumulate to a certain level, they will need Your Highness even more, regarding Your Highness as their only hope and shield."

"At that time, Your Highness will not need to personally make a request. They will naturally use all their power and connections to stop the Crown Prince and protect their interests. And Your Highness will be the ultimate beneficiary and leader of all this."

"Your Highness, on the other hand, sits firmly behind the scenes, assessing the situation and either adding fuel to the fire at crucial moments or stepping in at the appropriate time to clean up the mess and reap the greatest benefits."

Li Tai took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with an astonishing light.

He fully understood what Du Chuke meant.

This is not retreating, but retreating to advance. It is moving from the forefront to the background, from a general charging into battle to a commander strategizing and planning!
He is no longer a tool used by aristocratic families to fight against the crown prince, but someone who will wield the blade!

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Li Tai couldn't help but applaud, his previous frustration and impatience vanishing completely.

"Sir, you are truly my Zhang Liang! In this way, the Crown Prince is in the open, while I remain in the shadows. The more he does, the stronger the forces opposing him become, and the more powerful I will be!"

"When he incites public anger, and even arouses deeper suspicion from my father, that will be my opportunity!"

(End of this chapter)