Now I really have to marry the princess.

Chapter 118 Li Er said, "You know too much."

Li Er calmly placed the tortoise shell on the imperial desk; he had indeed had the urge to lick it just now.

Although he suspected that the tortoise shell was most likely a fake, the ancient marks made it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake, and it also had no strange smell.

He glanced at Yang Zhengdao, who was looking around erratically, and couldn't help but tap on the imperial desk.

"Lieutenant Yang, speak now. There are only the two of us, ruler and subject, in this hall."

Yang Zhengdao decided to try to withstand the pressure first: "Your Majesty, things are accomplished in secrecy, and ruined by leaks."

Li Er was so angry he laughed. He said coldly, "What are you planning? Even I can't know?"

That's a bit harsh!

Yang Zhengdao braced himself and said, "Your Majesty wishes to accomplish what you desire, but this is a petty and despicable skill. Therefore, only I know it, so that it may be perfectly safe."

"Snap"

Li Er slammed his hand heavily on the imperial desk, sternly questioning, "You dared to presume to know my will and pry into the secrets of the imperial court! Do you know your crime?"

Yang Zhengdao's knees suddenly went weak, but the disclaimer had to be made clear now, otherwise there would be no chance to explain it if something really happened later.

He bowed deeply, avoiding the charges Li Er had set and circumventing Li Er's usual tactics, and continued telling his story of petty theft and thievery.

"Your Majesty," said the speaker, "the reason Lord Mengchang succeeded was that few in the world knew how to crow like a rooster or steal like a dog. If everyone were good at crowing like a rooster and everyone could steal like a dog, how could Lord Mengchang have escaped danger?"

Li Er glanced at Yang Zhengdao, a smile playing on his lips: "Lord Mengchang was able to escape only because his retainers fully displayed their skills. Your Majesty, knowing their plans and abilities, was able to make a decisive move. But County Magistrate Yang intends to conceal his own plans; how can I possibly make a decision?"

Yang Zhengdao bowed deeply again, concealing the smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, I have speculated that after Lord Mengchang returned to Qi, those who crow like roosters learned the skills of dogs, and those who steal like dogs acquired the skills of crowing like roosters. If someone were to use rooster-crowing and dog-stealing tactics to harm Lord Mengchang, whose crime should Your Majesty punish? Whose head should be executed?"

Writing "The Spring of the Curtain Screen" and "The Story of the Stone" would not have been punishable under Tang law.

However, forging tortoise shells is indeed a crime punishable as a demonic book.

Because this thing is a fabrication of the theory of the Three Dynasties, which can shake the foundation of imperial power.

The Tang Code states that anyone who creates Zoroastrian texts or Zoroastrian sayings shall be hanged. Those who spread them to mislead the public shall also be hanged; those who fail to gain widespread acceptance shall be exiled three thousand li. Even if one privately possesses Zoroastrian texts, though they are not used, one shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

This means that those who create demonic books are sentenced to hanging, those who spread demonic books to more than three people are also sentenced to hanging, and those who spread them to fewer than three people are exiled three thousand times.

In the village, even those who secretly possessed the demonic book and did not spread it would be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

Therefore, if you're going to do this, you must avoid the risks in advance.

Yang Zhengdao deliberately used the example of Lord Mengchang to make Li Er personally ask him for the technology of forging tortoise shells.

Alright! Now that you've taken the technology, if counterfeit tortoise shells appear again, it might not be because of me. Don't wrongly accuse an innocent person then.

What? You didn't tell anyone?

Alright! When the ruler commands a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die; if one is determined to find fault, one can always find a pretext.

Moreover, Yang Zhengdao was certain that Li Er would definitely demand the technology for forging tortoise shells, because how could Li Er feel at ease if he didn't have this ability to speak on behalf of the three generations?

Of course, Li Er also had the safest move: he simply smashed the tortoise shell on the imperial desk and refused to acknowledge it.

But Li Er would probably be unwilling to give up this ability to speak on behalf of the three generations.

Yes, Li Er was weighing his options. He tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, his eyes gradually narrowing.

After a long silence, Li Er sighed and muttered to himself, "Was it worth going to this hellish place?"

Yang Zhengdao was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up, and he quickly seized the opportunity to label himself.

He immediately lost control of his emotions, his voice filled with sorrow: "The living are but passersby, the dead are those who return home. Heaven and earth are but an inn, all sharing the same sorrow of eternal dust."

o

Li Er was immediately dumbfounded. What was going on? Why was he reciting poetry?

But as soon as Yang Zhengdao uttered those first four lines, Li Er was stunned.

That heroic spirit of facing life and death head-on, that tragic grandeur of facing heaven and earth, came rushing over him. He couldn't bear to interrupt, nor dared to interrupt; he wanted to hear what was to come.

"The moon rabbit pounds medicine in vain, while the hibiscus tree has become firewood. White bones lie silent, and the green pine knows not of spring."

Yang Zhengdao's four lines, imbued with the ruthlessness of time and the sorrow of vicissitudes, struck Li Er directly in the chest, stirring up a thousand waves in his heart.

While Li Er was still troubled, Yang Zhengdao had already recited the last four lines.

"I sigh again and again, what is fleeting glory worth? I cannot care about life or death, I only seek one person's heart."

Silence fell over the hall.

Li Er's thoughts remained focused on the first four and middle four lines, seemingly ignoring the last four lines that Yang Zhengdao used to highlight the theme.

He thought of the downfall of the previous dynasty: was it due to the abuse of the people's labor? Was it due to excessive military spending? Was it due to extravagance and debauchery? Was it due to refusing to listen to advice and covering up wrongdoing?

A mocking smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

If the Sui Dynasty fell because of Emperor Yang alone, then who was responsible for the fall of the Zhou Dynasty?

Yang Zhengdao stole a glance at Li Er, who was lost in thought. Seeing Li Er's strange expression, he couldn't help but feel alarmed, wondering if he had overdone it.

He hurriedly bowed deeply and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, I have won the heart of Chang Le, and even death would be worthwhile for me, let alone the underworld?"

Li Er suddenly came to his senses and realized that he had inadvertently uttered the words of questioning his conscience.

He couldn't help but smile. Whether the kid had genuinely misunderstood or was just using the situation as an excuse, his audacity was admirable.

If this boy is telling the truth, and he dares to do such despicable things for a woman, how could I not do the same for the sake of the world?

Yes, this kid also said something like, "My heart is pure, what more is there to say!"

Li Er's hesitation vanished instantly, and he was in a great mood, so much so that he overlooked the change in Yang Zhengdao's rhetoric.

Previously, Yang Zhengdao had always claimed to be in love with Chang Le, but this time he said that he had "won Chang Le's heart".

Li Er couldn't contain his pride and couldn't help but rub his fingers together.

He glanced at the dried-out inkstone and then waved to Yang Zhengdao.

"Zhengdao, step forward and grind the ink."

Ah!? Grinding ink!?

Yang Zhengdao was taken aback. Okay, he realized he had misunderstood.

He was naturally unaware of Li Er's change in mindset, but upon hearing the change in address, he felt that he had passed the test.

He quickly stepped forward and ground ink for Li Er.

Li Er picked up his pen and wrote down the poem that Yang Zhengdao had just recited on the yellow hemp paper.

After writing the line "What is fleeting glory worth?", he stopped writing.

He looked up at Yang Zhengdao with a half-smile: "Zhengdao, we don't need to add the last two sentences, do we? It would be like adding a superfluous tail to a sable coat."

A poor imitation!

Yang Zhengdao looked astonished.

Holy crap!! Your Majesty Li Er, have you read Li Bai's original poem? How did you know that I added the last two lines?

Impossible! You're overthinking it.

Yang Zhengdao concealed his shock and smiled, flattering, "Your Majesty is wise."

Li Er raised an eyebrow: "Insightful judgment? How so?"

this!!

What kind of question is that?! If I said you're handsome, you'd actually ask me where?

Yang Zhengdao had no choice but to find a reason to praise him.

"Life and death are of paramount importance! Heaven and earth are vast indeed! Thus, people often feel the regret of being like mayflies in the vastness of heaven and earth, or a grain of millet in the boundless ocean. However, one's state of mind is shaped by one's own perspective. In my limited perspective, I only see the honor and disgrace of one person; in Your Majesty's perspective, you should be in charge of the rise and fall of the entire nation."

Li Er was pleased with the praise and nodded repeatedly.

"Like a mayfly in the vastness of the universe, a grain of millet in the boundless ocean. Indeed, indeed! Is there a source for this line?"

Yang Zhengdao smiled awkwardly and could only accept the praise on Su Shi's behalf: "This was just a casual remark made in the heat of the moment."

"Zhengdao is indeed exceptionally talented, speaking eloquently and fluently. No wonder the Empress sought a tutor for you."

"ah!?"

"Never heard of it!" Yang Zhengdao was a little confused.

"After you finish your shift tomorrow, go to the Lizheng Hall. The Empress will explain everything to you in detail."

Yang Zhengdao simply couldn't bring himself to tear up, so he could only bow deeply and remain standing: "Your Majesty and the Empress have treated me so well, how can I possibly repay them?"

Li Er glanced at Yang Zhengdao and cursed inwardly, "If you can't learn it, don't try to imitate it."

Whether a renowned teacher accepts you or not depends on you; the Empress is merely speaking on your behalf.

"That too is a blessing from heaven."

Li Er waved his hand. He composed himself and steered the conversation back to the tortoise shell on his desk.

"Zhengdao, it's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult for you, but you haven't handled things properly enough. How can you be so careless when speaking on behalf of three generations?"

Huh!? You didn't say "朕" (the imperial "I"), you just said "我" (I)?

Yang Zhengdao quickly switched channels: "Please teach me, Uncle!"

Seeing how smoothly Yang Zhengdao changed his form of address, Li Er couldn't help but cough lightly.

"Ah Dao, you told Qing Que that a single piece of evidence is insufficient, so how can this single tortoise shell be considered sufficient evidence?"

What does that mean?!

This translates to: If you're going to play, play big.

Yang Zhengdao's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, I have heard that after the great drought in Guanzhong in the second year of Zhenguan, there was a locust plague. Some ignorant people said that the locust plague was a warning from heaven. This is nonsense. It has never been heard of during the Three Dynasties."

Li Er's lips twitched; this was not a pleasant memory.

Not long after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, a locust plague raged, and some people took the opportunity to make a big fuss about it.

This forced him to personally go to Daxingyuan, catch locusts in the fields, and even eat several raw to pray to Heaven, wishing to suffer the disaster on behalf of the people.

That taste was truly unpalatable, and he still remembers it vividly to this day!

The idea that locusts are divine punishment is indeed a fallacy.

This has actually been verified, because before preparing to eat locusts, he also had his doubts.

But the results of the examination greatly boosted his confidence.

The Spring and Autumn Annals records twelve locust plagues, of which only the one in the fifteenth year of Duke Xuan's reign can be compared with the "first tax on land" in the State of Lu.

The transformation.

However, was the "initial tax on land" truly a bad policy? From the Qin and Han dynasties to the present day, which dynasty or generation did not levy taxes based on the number of mu (unit of land area)?

The remaining eleven instances are mostly far-fetched.

The explanation for the locust plague in the autumn of the third year of Duke Wen's reign is particularly contradictory.

Liu Xiang and Dong Zhongshu attributed this disaster to internal strife and misrule in the State of Song, such as "three generations of internal strife" and "killing a high-ranking official without punishment."

However, the killing of the princes by Duke Zhao of Song occurred in the seventh year of Duke Wen's reign, and the killing of Duke Zhao by Lady Xiang occurred even later, in the sixteenth year of Duke Wen's reign, both of which were long after the "rain of locusts".

The disasters came first, followed by mismanagement; the cause-and-effect relationship is completely reversed, and it cannot stand logically.

Young man, you're right! Locust plagues are a warning from Heaven; such a thing was unheard of during the Three Dynasties.

He nodded in satisfaction, lightly tapping the imperial desk with his fingertips, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.

Since the reign of Emperor Wude, he has searched far and wide for the lost books and reorganized the secret archives, but only a fraction of the old records of the three generations remain, and many of the old systems of the former kings have become vague legends.

This is precisely why rumors can easily mislead the public, and those with ulterior motives can manipulate public opinion. This is the hidden worry that he has always had in mind.

Thinking of this, he immediately began to lament with a sorrowful heart: "It is a pity that the classics of the three dynasties have been scattered and lost, the righteous way of the former kings has been forgotten, and the deluded people of later generations have created this heretical talk, making it difficult to correct one's perception. It is both sad and lamentable."

Yang Zhengdao immediately knew that Li Er was not satisfied!

What else would you like?

Yes! Solar eclipses and comets—these kinds of celestial phenomena always gave the emperor a headache.

"Uncle, I have heard that eclipses of the sun and moon and changes in celestial phenomena are natural occurrences and have nothing to do with human affairs. To blame the ruler for unusual celestial phenomena is unheard of during the Three Dynasties."

Li Er raised an eyebrow, then frowned again.

Regarding "unusual celestial phenomena," Li Chunfeng also said that they are constant occurrences of the Heavenly Way, which is ruthless and has nothing to do with human affairs.

However—

After a moment of contemplation, Li Er decided to have Yang Zhengdao pull back a bit.

"O Lord, the poem says, 'This King Wen, cautious and prudent, served God with utmost respect, and thus received abundant blessings. His virtue was unwavering, and he received the kingdoms.' The unusual celestial phenomena are warnings, not omens, but rather a reminder for rulers to constantly reflect on themselves and to rectify any shortcomings in the administration."

Well, it seems that Li Er (Li Er) dared not completely overturn Dong Zhongshu's theory of "interaction between Heaven and man".

That makes sense. If we completely deny the celestial phenomena, wouldn't the Bureau of Astronomy be abolished?

The legitimacy of the divine right of kings cannot be shaken!

Li Er, being quite cunning, emphasized that it was "actually a warning, not an omen," meaning that if there really was a solar eclipse or comet, he would admit his mistake.

Self-reflection and writing a self-criticism will prevent disaster from happening.

Yang Zhengdao quickly agreed: "Indeed, indeed. If there are any faults, correct them; if not, strive to improve."

"If you have faults, correct them; if you don't, strive to improve?" Is this derived from the Analects, Book 1, Chapter 1, which states, "I examine myself three times a day"?

He uttered a word that hadn't even appeared in the Tang Dynasty yet.

Yang Zhengdao suppressed the urge to scratch his head, gave a dry laugh, and forced himself to continue making things up: "When I read this far, I felt that Zengzi, as a disciple of a sage, was of noble character. After reflecting on himself three times a day, he must have felt that I had reflected on myself three times and was fortunate to have made no mistakes. Therefore, I used this to encourage myself."

Li Er couldn't help but burst into laughter: "You little rascal!"

Inspired by Li Er, Yang Zhengdao did not overturn the old ways, but only made improvements. He put forward several small suggestions for changing customs and habits, which Li Er readily agreed to.

For example, when worshipping the mountain god and the river god, the three dynasties used three sacrificial animals instead of human sacrifices.

For example, sending away the plague god cannot rely solely on burning incense and praying for blessings. Instead, one should first purify the water source and clean away the filth before asking the gods to witness the process.

Finally, Yang Zhengdao suggested that they take advantage of the opportunity presented by the construction of decentralized septic tanks in Chang'an County to excavate this large number of tortoise shells.

After thinking for a moment, Li Er remained noncommittal and finally told Yang Zhengdao to go back first.

Just as Yang Zhengdao left Ganlu Hall, the palace's timekeeping board sounded.

It was already past midnight.

Led by the eunuch Cao, Yang Zheng left the palace.

When they arrived at the palace gate, the guards were already waiting outside.

The eunuch Cao winked at Yang Zhengdao and then asked, "Young Master Yang, are you returning to Pingkang Ward or Xingdao Ward?"

Yang Zhengdao smiled and said, "I went to Pingkangfang to see Li Hui. Now that I have seen him, I should naturally go home. Please see me off."

O

With everyone asking this, how dare I go back to Pingkangfang! I can only apologize to Yingluo tonight.

The night was deep and the long street was quiet. The crisp sound of horses' hooves on the bluestone slabs was particularly clear in the dead of night.

The early summer evening breeze was slightly cool. Yang Zhengdao pulled his clothes tighter and then looked up at the moon hanging in the sky.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

What if one day, Li Er suddenly says, "You know too much"?

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