Chapter 196: Erlang, what did you say, Taishang Laojun has shown his spirit?
Early the next morning, Li Shimin was so cruel that he found a box and put the crystal cup engraved with a dragon that he had obtained. Then he took the box and went straight to the imperial city to ask for an audience with His Majesty Aye Li Yuan.
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In the Tang Dynasty, the emperor was not like in the TV series. He would go to the Tai Chi Hall every day, and then all the officials would stand in the hall. The eunuch would shout, "If there is something to do, go out and start playing, if there is nothing to do, roll up the curtain and withdraw from the court..."
Having such a big battle every day would be too much for the emperor, not to mention the ministers.
In fact, the Tang Dynasty's court participation system was similar to the company system more than a thousand years later. It is said that "all the civil and military officials in Beijing are in the ninth rank and above, and they look after the Japanese dynasty; their civil and military officials are in the fifth rank and above, and they supervise the censor, Yuanwailang, Tai
Dr. Chang, take ginseng every day."
A simple translation means that only during the Lunar New Year, His Majesty Li Yuan will go to the Taiji Palace to meet with all the officials of the ninth grade and above in civil and military affairs in Chang'an City to discuss important affairs of the government. This move is basically the same as what the company would do every week a thousand years later.
It's like a department meeting, just to confirm the next work arrangements and decide on some major issues.
In normal times, only those with rank five or above and supervisory censors, Yuanwailang, and Dr. Taichang can attend court. However, this court attendant is not in Taiji Hall, but in Zhaode Hall on the right side of the palace, far away from Hanlin Academy and Zhaowen Hall.
The museum is very close, and the format is just like the general manager of a company summoning middle-level employees in the office.
By the way, the most important point is that in the Tang Dynasty, officials at court had seats, just like most companies!
Because today is not a synodic day, Li Shimin's request was quickly approved.
When Li Shimin entered the Zhaode Hall carrying the box with the crystal cup, he happened to see his Aye Li Yuan talking happily to Pei Ji sitting aside, looking very happy.
"It's Erlang..."
After seeing Li Shimin come in, Li Yuan waved to him enthusiastically.
"Come and sit here, Aye."
"Thank you."
Li Shimin agreed, then respectfully walked to Li Yuan's side with the box in hand, and sat down on the seat spread on the ground.
"Um……"
After Li Shimin sat down, His Majesty Li Yuan looked at Li Shimin with a kind smile on his face and nodded.
"Erlang has been recuperating for several days, and he finally looks a little healthier. When Erlang came back a few days ago, he was so thin that Aye didn't dare to admit it. It seems that Erlang should rest for a while."
Li Shimin quickly put down the box in his hand, left the table and knelt down.
"The child is unfilial and makes Aye worry about the child!"
"Get up, get up..."
Li Yuan smiled and waved towards Li Shimin.
"There's nothing unfilial about you. It's just that I, an old man, can't bear to leave you. Go back and sit down."
"yes!"
Li Shimin knelt down and saluted again, then stood up and returned to his previous position to sit down.
After Li Shimin sat down again, Li Yuan turned to the topic.
"Erlang came to see me this time. What's the matter?"
Li Shimin stood up from his kneeling position, folded his hands into fists, bowed down again, and saluted Li Yuan respectfully.
"My son is here to express his congratulations to his father!"
"Hello?"
After hearing what Li Shimin said, Li Yuan was immediately confused.
He hasn't seen any happy events recently, but bad things have happened one after another.
The Turks invaded, Liu Heitai made a comeback, Tuyuhun also took advantage of the situation, Xu Yuanlang in the south was still resisting, and that guy Dalang didn't dare to go to Hebei...
"I don't even know what happy events I can have recently? Pei Qing..."
Li Yuan turned around and looked at Pei Ji, who was kneeling on the other side.
"You are well-informed, do you know what happy event Erlang is talking about?"
"I don't know what the happy event King Qin is talking about?"
Pei Ji also looked confused and said tentatively.
"From what I've seen, it could be that the news of Feng's surrender in Lingnan has reached Chang'an..."
"oh!"
Li Yuan nodded with a look of sudden realization.
"It turns out that this is what happened. I actually forgot about Lingnan for a while. This is really a happy event."
"Aye, actually this is not the happy event that the child was talking about..."
Li Shimin lowered his head and acted very respectfully, but there was a hint of embarrassment in his tone.
"Feng's surrender is only a matter of time. Although it is a happy event, it is far less than this."
"Oh? Far less than..."
After hearing what Li Shimin said, His Majesty Li Yuan also sat up straight, with a curious look in his eyes.
"Then what is the happy event that Erlang mentioned? It actually makes you feel that it is more important than Feng's surrender. Tell me quickly."
"yes!"
Li Shimin agreed, and then said in a respectful tone.
"My distant ancestor of the Li family, Duke Boyang, made a holy appearance in Chang'an City yesterday!"
"Hey...what do I think is going on?"
After hearing Li Shimin's words, His Majesty Li Yuan's originally straight back suddenly bent down again, and his tone became a little listless.
"Which Taoist priest has seen Taishang Laojun again? Forget it, I don't want to know... King Qin, just reward him as usual and then tell the world!"
"this……"
Li Shimin's tone paused slightly before he answered firmly.
"It wasn't a Taoist priest who saw it, but the child saw it with Qiao, the counselor in the mansion."
"Um……"
After hearing Li Shimin's words, His Majesty Li Yuan's smiling face instantly turned serious. He sat up straight, narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Shimin up and down, and said to Pei Ji in a strange tone.
"Pei Qing, look at it, it's still disrespectful for me to honor our distant ancestors. In the past, our distant ancestors asked some outsiders to send me messages, but this time our distant ancestors have already arrived in Chang'an City, and they actually went to see Erlang instead of me!
"
Pei Ji blinked, looking confused.
He really didn't expect King Qin to talk about this matter. If possible, he really wanted to disappear from here and return to his office.
Pei Ji opened his mouth and answered with a wry smile after a long while.
"Your Majesty, King Qin has always been honest, so why don't you ask Erlang carefully what happened?"
"Oh, yes, I should ask."
His Majesty Li Yuan looked at Li Shimin with squinted eyes, and his tone of voice also showed some subtle changes.
"Then Erlang, can you tell me what the distant ancestor said when he appeared directly in front of my Erlang? Did he say that my Erlang is worthy of being a prince?"
After hearing Li Yuan's words, Li Shimin's heart suddenly felt as if it had sunk into ice water, and he was so cold.
He left the table again, knelt down opposite Li Yuan's desk, and kowtowed loudly.
"That's not the case. Please listen to me from the beginning..."
"Say it!"
Li Yuan tilted his body, placed his hand on the cushion next to him, and said lazily.
"I'm listening to how you make it up."
"Everything the child said is true..."
Li Shimin straightened up and said fearfully.
"Before Sanniang went to war, she once found a child and asked her to take care of someone. I believe Aye also knows about this person. He is the Taoist priest Qingwei from Qingdu Temple."
"Looking for you to take care of Qingwei...Why does Sanniang ask you to take care of him? Does she think that neither I nor Dalang can help him take care of someone?"
"..."
Li Shimin hesitated for a moment in embarrassment, as if he didn't know what to say.
"His Majesty……"
Pei Ji on the other side turned sideways, approached His Majesty Li Yuan, and whispered.
"In a few days, Duke Huo will return to Chang'an."
"Ahem..."
Li Yuan coughed twice.
Well, back then it was me and Dalang who helped Chai Shao fuel the flames and allowed Chai Shao to secretly find trouble with that Taoist priest in Qingdu Temple, so it’s understandable that Sanniang didn’t bother herself and Dalang this time.
Original.
"Erlang, what does this matter about Yuanzu have to do with Qingwei?"
"Because the distant ancestors did not come to see the children when they appeared as saints, but came to see Qingwei."
Li Shimin raised his head and said calmly.
"My child just remembered Third Sister's instructions after seeing her off last night, so after checking the curfew situation, I went to Qingdu to have a look..."
Then, Li Shimin told in detail how he took Fang Qiao to Qingdu Temple. It turned out that Qingwei Taoist priest traveled to Lingnan, and an old Taoist received him. Then, how the old Taoist priest gave him a taste of overseas sweet syrup that he had never tasted before, and
Finally, before Taoist Priest Qingwei returned, he told how the Taoist revealed his Dharma, how clouds formed under his feet, and how he rode a white beam of light straight into the sky.
Of course, he also concealed some of what the old Taoist said, such as the things that the old Taoist himself could do for the Emperor Taiping.
After finishing speaking, Li Shimin picked up the box placed next to him with both hands. After opening it, he took out a crystal cup half filled with brown liquid and raised it with both hands.
"This is the crystal cup and sweet syrup given by our ancestors yesterday. I'm sure I don't have anything like this in the Central Plains!"
Li Yuan squinted his eyes and looked at Li Shimin as he raised the cup. He moved his chin slightly. Pei Ji on the side immediately stood up, took the crystal cup with both hands, and placed it respectfully on the tables in front of Li Yuan.
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Li Yuan stretched out his hand, picked up the crystal cup, looked up and down, and looked at it carefully. In order to see clearly the specific situation of the dragon in the cup, he even raised the crystal cup in front of his eyes, and moved it with his hand.
He rubbed the cup repeatedly.
The more he looked, the more serious His Majesty Li Yuan's face became.
Originally, when he heard that Li Shimin actually said that he had met the Supreme Lord Li Boyang, Li Yuan was very angry.
Damn it, Taishang Laojun!
When you, Erlang, brought Ji Shanxing to me, did you think that I couldn't tell that he was a liar? Today you actually plan to do this. Do you plan to use Lao Jun to hold me hostage?
This time, Laojun showed his holiness in front of you, so next time you should tell me that Laojun has appointed you to be the emperor, and I should give up this position to you.
But now the more His Majesty Li Yuan looks at this crystal cup, the more he feels that Erlang did not lie this time.
Let’s not talk about how hard it is to find this kind of transparent crystal. Let’s talk about the dragon on the cup. It is not engraved on it. Because His Majesty Li Yuan carefully looked at the outside and inside of the cup, they are very smooth.
His Majesty Li Yuan had also heard stories about dragons hiding in various places to avoid lightning strikes, so he now deeply suspected that this cup contained a living dragon.
Then, His Majesty Li Yuan made a shocking move. He reached out and poked the remaining cocoa in the cup, then put his finger in his mouth and licked it.
"His Majesty……"
Pei Ji immediately took a step forward, seemingly intending to stop His Majesty Li Yuan, but it was already too late.
"What are you..."
"rest assured!"
Li Yuan turned around with the cup in hand, avoided Pei Ji's hand, and said with an indifferent expression.
"Pei Qing, don't be so excited. This is something Erlang sent. He will still harm me..."
After hearing Li Yuan's words, Li Shimin made a loud noise and knocked again.
"Ah Ye, these words make the child feel ashamed."
"I'm complimenting you."
Li Yuan carefully placed the cup in his hand on the table, looked up and down at King Qin Li Shimin who was kneeling on the ground, and then his tone became gentler.
"Erlang, since you have met the distant ancestor, does the distant ancestor have anything to say to me?"