The Thirty-Seventh Chapter: Zhangsun Wuji
Yun Ye had been in the Tang Dynasty for seven months, perhaps due to the environment or perhaps due to fear. He had shrunk his social circle very small, and apart from the military camp, he didn't have the mood to explore the outside world. The people he knew were all related to the army. Li Chengqian was an exception; he allowed this great Tang crown prince to be in close contact with him, aside from some utilitarian factors, it was more out of infinite sympathy for this tragic crown prince. Standing before him was a child after all, still with strong malleability. Out of revenge for his own misfortune, he wanted to try and change Li Chengqian's fate, see if he could be the butterfly that flapped its wings on the gears of fate, stirring up an unknown storm in this great Tang world. Knowing others' fates gave Yun Ye a sense of superiority, so he didn't have much respect for historical great figures, such as Longsun Wuji, the number one hero of Lingyan Pavilion, standing before him.
"Ah, it's actually Young Master Changsun. I'm so sorry for my rudeness, please forgive me." As a low-ranking official and being young, he had no choice but to play the role of a bootlicker everywhere. Changsun Wuji supported Yun Ye who was about to kowtow: "Ah, you and Chong'er get along famously, I've heard that you two call each other brothers, so I'll just call you 'Xianzhi' (noble nephew)?" In ancient times, once one had grown children, they could be called 'old man', thinking about it, it's also reasonable - getting married at 14 or 15 and becoming a grandfather at 37 or 38, how can one not be worthy of the title 'old man'? Anyway, there are already two uncles, what's wrong with having another one?
"Uncle is too kind, Xiao Yan has been fortunate to have the care and concern of all the elders, and also to have made friends with Xiao Chong, Huairen, and Chu Mo. It's truly a blessing for me to have met such good friends at the beginning of my journey in this world. I'm so lucky! Please accept my bow."
Originally, Longsun Chong should have been present to return the courtesy, but now he is suffering in prison and cannot reciprocate.
Longsun Wuji helped Cloudy up, smiling and saying: "It's a good thing for young people to make friends. I've heard that you're a disciple of an extraordinary person, and you're also extremely talented. In just half a year since entering the world, you've already made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty, creating salt, tools, and improving iron smelting techniques, teaching the art of archery... these achievements have already made me think you're a heavenly being! And yet, I didn't expect that you would also cultivate a crop that yields 50 stones per mu. When I saw Chong's letter, I thought it was just nonsense, but then I received a message from the Left Guard General and rushed to Lanzhou overnight, only to miss the auspicious occasion. It's truly regrettable. However, being able to meet you is not in vain for me to travel hundreds of miles under the stars."
Cloudy bowed and acknowledged his words.
"Come, come, follow me into the tent and let's talk about what happened." Zhangsun Wuji pulled Yunyan into the tent, but saw Li Chengqian busy changing clothes and combing his hair with the help of an attendant. Seeing this, Zhangsun Wuji's face fell. Li Chengqian didn't even bother to finish combing his hair, hastily greeting: "Your nephew greets you, uncle." Zhangsun Wuji respectfully returned the courtesy: "The crown prince is too polite, I already know what happened at the Left Guard, that you can share joys and hardships with the soldiers, and not enjoy comfort alone. But why are you now disheveled?" Li Chengqian hung his head in shame, unable to speak. Yunyan intervened: "It's all my fault, I made a bet with the crown prince to see who could do 50 push-ups first, but he didn't expect it and ended up like this." Zhangsun Wuji was puzzled: "What is a push-up?" "It's a basic exercise that strengthens arm strength, waist and abdominal strength, and also improves heart and lung function. Please, crown prince, demonstrate for General Zhangsun." Li Chengqian did a few standard push-ups on the ground.
"Oh, I see. So it was like that. I apologize for misunderstanding you, Your Highness." Any intelligent person would not comment on something they have never encountered before, as it is easy to make mistakes. A wise man would not do so either. Zhangsun Wuji was originally a clever person among clever people and would not pursue the trivial matter of why the Crown Prince was disheveled. Without needing Yun Heng to say more, Li Chengqian recounted the entire story of the sweet potato's origins and consequences, listening to which Zhangsun Wuji's emotions surged wave after wave. The many years of war had exhausted the vitality of the Central Plains, and although Emperor Taizong and his ministers worked diligently to manage the country, the foundation was too weak, and it would take more than a short period to change the fact that the country remained poor. Moreover, Emperor Taizong had usurped the throne unjustly, killing his brothers and forcing his father into hiding in the rear palace. This gave ambitious individuals an excellent excuse for rebellion, and this time, the rebellion of Yuwen Huaji had the shadow of a usurper king. At this critical moment, a tremendous piece of good news was needed to alleviate the consequences of regicide and fratricide. Yun Heng's presentation of the sweet potato was undoubtedly the best gift at this time. Searching through historical records, which dynasty or era had ever achieved a grain yield of 50 stones per mu? This was not an auspicious sign; what else could be considered an auspicious sign? The emergence of the sweet potato not only solved concerns about food shortages but also greatly benefited Emperor Taizong politically. Under the pretext of a heavenly blessing, he could quell domestic reactionary forces without bloodshed and use the name of heaven to justify his imperial ambitions.
Changsun Wuji walked away with a smile, not even inquiring about his son being locked up by Old Cheng. It was as if the person locked up wasn't his own son, but a stranger. Later on, it became clear that only one person in the Tang Dynasty dared to lock up the Crown Prince in a dungeon - Cheng Yaojin. He had even locked up the Emperor himself before. When he was a general under Wang Shichong, he fought against Li Shimin, who was still a prince at the time, below Luoyang City and trapped him in a stone cave on Mount Long for two whole days. If Qin Qiong hadn't led Cheng Yaojin to defect, there wouldn't be the story of the 100 cavalrymen of the Qin King breaking through the 100,000-strong army of Dou Jiande. Moreover, Old Cheng was a true military man who executed military law with precision. In front of him, whether in the military camp or not, there were no princes or low-ranking soldiers - only soldiers who had to execute orders. If someone committed an offense, they would be punished according to the relevant article, without exception. No wonder Changsun Wuji didn't go to plead for mercy. Besides, it was only four days of imprisonment, and hadn't Old Cheng's own son also been locked up? Who could possibly persuade him otherwise?
Chang Sun Wuji didn't worry about Old Cheng's impartiality at all, for it was not his usual style to take revenge in private. Since he had been locked up, there must be a reason for it, and with the appearance of this extraordinary potato, he had never felt as confident about the future of the Tang Dynasty as he did now. The Tang Dynasty had wise kings, brave generals, clever ministers, and soldiers who dared to die for their country; with the potato filling in the last gap, there was no reason why a prosperous era like that of Wenjing wouldn't appear. Just thinking about it made him excited, wanting to loudly proclaim to the whole world: The Tang Dynasty's golden age is coming!
