Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Chang'an rode a small donkey and wobbled into the city of Chang'an.

Although he was mentally prepared, he was still momentarily stunned when he actually saw the bustling scene.

The Zhuque Avenue beneath my feet is paved with bluestone and is wide enough for eight carriages to travel side by side.

The streets were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, a cacophony of sounds that made his ears ring. There were southerners speaking in thick accents, haggling with the Hu people, and blond-haired, blue-eyed visitors from the Western Regions.

Even Chen Chang'an, with his sharp eyes, spotted several wandering monks on the street corner, engrossed in slurping plain noodles, sweating profusely as they ate.

Such a lively scene was almost no less impressive than that of later generations.

Chen Chang'an sighed inwardly, pulling the reins of the little donkey and carefully walking close to the roadside.

Just then, his gaze was drawn to the colorful canned goods on the stall.

Golden tangerines, bright red cherries, and lychees from my hometown in Lingnan.

"Canned goods! Newly arrived Lingnan lychee preserves! Sweeter than first love!"

Upon seeing Chen Chang'an stop, the waiter immediately started shouting loudly.

Chen Chang'an swallowed hard, then pointed to the glass jar and asked, "Shopkeeper, how much are these canned lychees?"

The stall owner glanced at him and casually held up two fingers: "Twenty coins a can, no bargaining."

"Twenty coins?" Chen Chang'an gasped.

Plain noodles only cost two or three coins, but this canned food is worth ten bowls of noodles?

You know, these lychees would be left unpicked if they fell on the ground in his hometown, but they can sell for so much in Chang'an.

Chen Chang'an touched his empty money pouch, could only chuckle twice, and turned to walk towards the Ministry of Rites of the Ministry of Rites.

Just then, several teenagers came running over, holding up the newly published complaint, and shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Breaking News! Breaking News! General Li Jing, his skills undiminished, has launched a thousand-mile raid on Goguryeo, annihilating the kingdom in a single battle!"

"The King of Goryeo has been captured alive! He will soon be escorted back to the capital to be presented as a prisoner!"

With a loud "boom," the entire street seemed to be set ablaze.

"My God, the country has been destroyed? And they've only been at war for a short time?"

"Li Yaoshi truly deserves to be called the God of War of our Great Tang! Now that he's ranked first in Lingyan Pavilion, who dares to object?"

"I object! With the Zhenguan cannons and new firearms, wouldn't conquering Goguryeo be a piece of cake for our Great Tang? If you ask me, General Li Ji is far more capable!"

"They crossed the ocean to conquer Japan, incorporated it into the Andong Protectorate, and the silver they unearthed was piled up like mountains!"

"Who does Japan think it is? Goguryeo made the previous dynasty retreat three times without success; clearly, that's a much more difficult task!"

The two sides immediately started arguing, debating who was truly the number one in Lingyan Pavilion.

Upon hearing this news, Chen Chang'an felt his mouth go dry and his heart burn with a sense of unease.

To conquer a nation and expand territory—this is the way a true man should live!

Chen Chang'an felt a longing and couldn't help but fantasize.

The Tang Dynasty is now encouraging overseas expansion, and I've heard that they are opening up a sea route to India.

If I pass the exam this time, will I have the chance to see that distant country in the sky in the future?

Chen Chang'an became anxious and pulled on the reins of the little donkey, continuing to walk towards the Ministry of Rites.

He hadn't gone far when the loud sound of gongs and drums came from the side, attracting his attention.

On the high stage, several actors were engaged in a heated battle.

"I am Li Shimin, the Supreme General of Heavenly Strategy! You will all surrender at once!"

"Ha! I'm the top warrior under Khan Jieli, do you think I'd be afraid of a mere brat like you? Fire the arrows!"

The two actors, each wielding a weapon, were engaged in a lively and exciting fight on stage.

The audience was completely engrossed, frequently erupting in cheers and urging for the next scene.

Chen Chang'an immediately realized, "This is His Majesty's novel, 'Romance of the Tang Dynasty'?"

Even though he had seen it several times in Lingnan, this seemed to be a new version, and Chen Chang'an couldn't help but stop and linger for a moment.

It wasn't until dusk that he seemed to suddenly wake up and forcibly regain his composure.

A true man should expand his territory and conquer new lands; how can he be so obsessed with this!

Chen Chang'an cursed himself inwardly as he finally arrived at the Ministry of Rites' office.

He suppressed his excitement and trepidation and handed over his official documents.

The clerk behind the desk took the official document, glanced at it casually, and smiled, "Oh, from Lianzhou in Lingnan? This is a rare guest indeed."

"I remember, your area only started holding the provincial examinations in recent years, right?"

Chen Chang'an quickly bowed and replied humbly, "I heard that His Majesty has bestowed the privilege of allowing us artisans to enter officialdom, which is why I dared to come to Chang'an to have a look."

"Your information is a bit outdated; you could have been informed a few years earlier."

The clerk worked quickly and stamped the document, then handed it back to Chen Chang'an. "Go to the government-run dormitory in the west of the city. The imperial examination will be held in a few days, so don't be late."

"Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Chen Chang'an accepted the document, thanked them repeatedly, and led the little donkey out of the Ministry of Rites.

Standing on the wide street, he looked back at the magnificent palace in the distance, the golden rays of the setting sun shining on the glazed tiles, reflecting dazzling light.

Chen Chang'an gripped the official document tightly in his hand, a surge of heroic ambition welling up in his heart.

This is the place where I, Chen Chang'an, will make my mark!

……

Deep within the palace, the Ganlu Hall was brightly lit.

Li Shimin looked at the battle report that had been delivered and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"The pharmacist is almost seventy years old, why won't he admit he's getting old? Does he have to compete with Li Ji?"

Despite saying that, Li Shimin's eyes were full of satisfaction.

Goguryeo had a treacherous terrain and fortified cities.

Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty launched three campaigns, mobilizing a million troops, but all ended in failure, leading to widespread chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

But in the face of cannons in later generations, those so-called fortified cities only held out for a few more days.

Historically, he never managed to destroy Goguryeo, but now he can just kick it to death.

The difference was so great that Li Shimin sighed with regret.

Technology is indeed the primary productive force; later generations have proven me right.

Just then, a series of curses and swears came from outside the hall, and then Cheng Yaojin burst in.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I, Old Cheng, have something to report!"

Li Shimin was startled and said irritably, "Zhijie, what's wrong with you now? Didn't you know to announce yourself before entering the palace?"

"Oh dear, one must act expediently in times of crisis!" Cheng Yaojin blurted out, "Your Majesty, could you also grant me the title of Jinshi?"

Li Shimin's lips twitched. "What would a dignified military general like you need a Jinshi degree for?"

"Hey, Your Majesty, you have no idea!" Before Cheng Yaojin could even speak, Yuchi Gong interrupted, "That old geezer went to a few kids and bragged about his literary and martial talents, but when they asked him if he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he was completely stumped! He lost face, so he came here to throw a tantrum!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You lost your boast, and now you want His Majesty to abuse his power for you? The throne is not to be trifled with!"

Cheng Yaojin retorted, "How is that bragging? I, Old Cheng, have conquered the world; don't my skills deserve a Jinshi degree?"

He got more and more excited as he spoke, spitting as he pointed at Fang Xuanling and said, "Xuanling, do you dare to compete with me, Old Cheng? If you can withstand three of my axe blows, I'll acknowledge that your Jinshi degree is more valuable than my Duke's!"

"You...you brute!" Fang Xuanling was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"Hahaha!"

Watching his old buddies bickering, Li Shimin laughed so hard he almost fell over, and the fatigue from handling government affairs for days vanished.

"Alright, alright, it's shameful for the dignified Duke Lu to argue with a few children."

After a long commotion, Li Shimin finally managed to get rid of this clown.

Li Shimin stretched and walked slowly to the window, watching the golden sun slowly sinking in the distance.

Since digesting the contents of the Heavenly Curtain, the entire Tang Dynasty has been changing rapidly and is thriving.

Externally, it conquered and expanded its territory, displaying overwhelming military might; internally, it reformed the imperial examination system, leading to the prosperity of all industries.

More importantly, he confirmed Li Chengqian's position as crown prince and learned from past mistakes, adopting the later method of "secretly establishing an heir."

At least for a century after his death, it would be enough to bless the Tang Dynasty with prosperity and peace.

As for what happens next... well, there's really nothing he can do about it.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin suddenly became interested, turned around and returned to his desk, and ordered someone to bring him pen and ink.

Looking out the window at the afterglow that had dyed half the sky red, he picked up his brush and wrote a poem on the paper:

"In the past, the flames of war illuminated the border regions; this year, plowshares have been replaced by iron helmets."

"The dragon's strategy has already laid the foundation for a thousand-year legacy; let us drink and rest together under the setting sun."