Chapter 29: The Library

"To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to carry forward the lost teachings of the sages of the past, and to establish eternal peace for all generations!"

Li Shimin naturally kept a close watch on Li Tai’s Agricultural Academy. Perhaps harboring the hope of supporting his son in the future, he cared for Li Tai to a significant degree. As long as Li Tai’s endeavors were not harmful to the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin was ready to provide his full support.

While the path Li Tai had chosen was by no means a shortcut, it was a steady, step-by-step progression. Though Li Shimin could not fully grasp what Li Tai was doing, as long as it benefited the common people, he was willing to be the pillar of support behind his son, allowing him to continue on this path. After all, Li Tai was his own son by Empress Zhangsun.

"The Prince of Yue has a broad mind. Despite not yet reaching his majority, he possesses such spirit and has authored such a school motto. He is truly fit to be a teacher of agriculture for the world!" Wei Zheng praised Li Tai while standing beside Li Shimin.

"The boy doesn't handle praise well, he really doesn't. But to begin clearing wastelands as early as the end of the second or beginning of the third lunar month—that is indeed diligence." Li Shimin wore a beaming smile, clearly very satisfied with his son’s performance.

"However, now that we have reached the third month and the spring plowing, it is time to hold the agricultural ceremony. Doulu Kuan, you decide on the date."

"As you command, Your Majesty," Doulu Kuan replied, stepping forward.

"The plan for the year begins in spring. The harvest this year depends entirely on this spring plowing!" Li Shimin remarked.

At this moment, Dou Jing stepped forward and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, some time ago, the Prince of Yue discussed with me the matter of locust eggs surviving the winter. He mentioned that since the weather turned warm early this spring, locusts might hatch and multiply once again, leading to a resurgence."

"This matter must be handled with the utmost priority. We must not allow the subdued locust plague to flare up again." Li Shimin's expression shifted at the mention of locusts; last year's drought and plague had left a deep impression on him. The officials present also had no desire to witness such a disaster again.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The Ministry of Agriculture has already coordinated with the Bureau of Animal Husbandry to keep ten thousand ducks on standby, and we have already communicated with the duck farms under the Prince of Yue. Should a large-scale locust outbreak occur, we will immediately deploy the ducks for cleanup."

Dou Jing spoke calmly, though he hesitated for a moment before adding, "The Prince of Yue also recommended a new type of plow to the Ministry of Agriculture, called the 'curved-shaft plow.' This plow is incredibly effective; it turns easily and digs deep into the soil—a true instrument of efficiency for farming. The Prince said that since this plow is a new invention, although its benefits are apparent, it is not yet fully perfected. Therefore, he suggested conducting small-scale trials at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Academy first, and if it proves effective, we can promote it across the empire next year. Although the Prince is young, he is prudent and cautious. However, I have personally used the curved-shaft plow myself, and I fear that if we miss the chance to use this tool during this year's spring plowing, we will lose out on a significant portion of the autumn harvest!"

"Oh?" Li Shimin recalled something upon hearing Dou Jing's words. It seemed there was a casual note in Li Tai’s diary regarding this, but he hadn't paid it much mind. After all, as the Son of Heaven, he couldn't imagine the difference or the effect of a straight-shaft plow versus a curved-shaft one. Realizing this now, Li Shimin immediately responded, "Zijing, you go and verify the effectiveness of the curved-shaft plow. If it is truly effective, have the Ministry of Works put its production on the agenda as soon as possible to facilitate the people's farming."

Hearing this, Duan Lun immediately stepped out and replied, "I will strictly follow your command, Your Majesty."

"It’s a pity that Qingque is just too cautious in his actions," Li Shimin said with a boastful yet proud tone. "Always taking his time—if it truly benefits the people, and he keeps it for himself for another year of verification, wouldn't that make the people suffer for a year longer?"

The officials present were all shrewd; hearing this, they paused their work for a brief moment before resuming with fluid efficiency.

***

The officials chose not to respond. Li Shimin scanned the room, his gaze finally landing on Wei Zheng. Understanding the cue, Wei Zheng asked, "Is Your Majesty planning to reprimand the Prince of Yue?"

"I was clearly intending to praise him! Where did you get the idea of a reprimand?" Li Shimin was stunned by Wei Zheng’s question.

"That is what I thought as well," Wei Zheng replied. "The Prince’s prudence is a virtue, and he is only verifying his inventions carefully. If Your Majesty did not intend to reprimand him, why speak of the people suffering? Would that not cause the Prince to be wrongly accused?"

Li Shimin felt as though Wei Zheng was scolding him, and his mood was somewhat spoiled. The urge to bestow a grand reward upon Li Tai dimmed slightly. "When the Ministry of Works verifies the effectiveness of the curved-shaft plow, if it truly saves livestock and human labor as Dou Jing claimed, then reward the Prince of Yue with five hundred bolts of silk!"

Seeing this, Wei Zheng returned to his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the information regarding Li Tai, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although the Prince of Yue was not currently competing for favor with Li Chengqian, every step he took left a mark, and his contributions were beneficial to the state. Before an enlightened ruler like Li Shimin, such merit could not be erased.

The only thing he could do was pick the right moments to dampen Li Shimin’s mood, ensuring that any rewards remained rational rather than being so excessive as to surpass the treatment of a first-rank prince. Honestly, if Li Tai were any ordinary official, he would be delighted to promote such a capable minister. But looking at Li Tai now, despite his young age, Wei Zheng saw more and more of Li Shimin in him.

The only difference was that Li Shimin’s strength lay in military affairs. When he was conquering the world, everyone knew he was strong, but no one expected him to be so powerful that he would single-handedly finish the work of unifying the realm and become the Tang Dynasty’s greatest general. As for Li Tai’s military capabilities, Wei Zheng was unsure, but in his eyes, Li Tai building the Agricultural Academy was just like Li Shimin choosing to join the army—finding his own niche and pouring his efforts into it.

"For a man like the Emperor, it is impossible for the Li family to produce two of them in succession, and both secondary sons at that!" Wei Zheng mused. He felt he was overthinking it. Even if he took a step back, there was a saying: "There is no first in literature, and no second in martial arts." Martial prowess was easy to judge—Li Shimin had simply defeated everyone who opposed him, so he was the greatest. But literature was different. Unless the ruler was weak and the ministers were strong, it was impossible to dominate completely through administrative ability alone.

Wei Zheng stopped dwelling on it. After all, the challenge for Li Tai wasn't just about being "first" in literature; it was his attitude toward Confucianism. If Li Tai remained focused on running his Agricultural Academy and doing the hard work for the court, it was manageable. Confucian scholars, out of respect for Li Shimin’s protection, would likely not target him too harshly. At worst, they could deal with him once Li Chengqian took the throne.

Li Tai’s life was currently smooth, but if he truly entered the race for the throne, the Confucianists would surely bet heavily on Li Chengqian. It wasn't just the Confucianists; even those like himself, who had walked through the Xuanwu Gate Incident, hoped for a stable succession. For Li Chengqian, he didn't need to be a genius; average talent was enough. Moreover, the Crown Prince was intelligent and filial. Just a few days ago, seeing his teacher Li Gang unable to walk due to foot pain, the Prince had personally guided him onto the palace grounds, bowed respectfully, and sought his counsel with humility. The Confucian scholars had praised him endlessly. He was truly a rare and wise Crown Prince.

Wei Zheng felt that if Li Tai were content to be a prince, it would be fine, but if he developed improper ambitions, Wei Zheng saw no possibility of success for him.

"Forget it, let it be for now. I just need to remind the Emperor to respect the order of seniority and avoid the tragedy of the Xuanwu Gate!" Wei Zheng sighed. It was fine for now, but what would happen when they both grew up? Many said that Li Shimin’s coup had set a terrible precedent, but in reality, one couldn't blame him. Look at the dynasties before him—which succession was free of bloodshed? If one had to blame someone, it should be the Sima family, who broke all political boundaries by killing Cao Shuang and then murdering the Emperor in the street.

That taught the world that as long as one held power and had a strong army, one could be Emperor. Talent and morality didn't matter. Li Shimin followed this path, but only because his predecessors had set the standard. Even Yang Guang had driven his own father to death, yet he still sat on the throne—had he not invaded Goguryeo three times, the empire might still bear the name Yang! Li Shimin, at least, did not kill his father and let Li Yuan live out his days. His morality was certainly more reliable than Yang Guang’s.

As Li Shimin handed the silk to Li Tai, Li Tai realized after hearing the explanation that Dou Jing had recommended the curved-shaft plow to the Emperor after testing it.

"Minister Dou is surprisingly easy to talk to!" Li Tai said while accepting the silk and giving a small tip to the attendant.

"It seems His Majesty already knows the effort you've put into the Agricultural Academy!" Ma Zhou said, taking a sip of wine with a relaxed smile after the attendant left.

"This is our duty, after all," Li Tai replied. "Besides, a curved-shaft plow is just a tool. The world is never changed by tools; only people can change the world!"

"So you built this academy, hoping to cultivate people like yourself, who want to change the world?" Ma Zhou turned around. From the academy came the sound of rhythmic reading, deafening in its intensity.

"Yes!" Li Tai sighed. "Changing the world... it’s too hard for me alone. I must find like-minded people, and if I can't find them, I will create them!"

Ma Zhou was moved. "What kind of world do you hope for?"

"A world where everyone has enough to eat, where everyone has clothes to wear, where everyone can read, and where everyone can reach for the heavens!" Li Tai looked at Ma Zhou.

"That sounds like nonsense!" Ma Zhou said with a mocking tone, though he paused. "Perhaps this is the 'Great Harmony' society that the sages pursued."

"I don't know," Li Tai shrugged. "But isn't that what we are doing now? And at least we are on the first goal: ensuring everyone in the world has enough to eat and no one starves to death anymore."

"Tell me, is it too late for me to run away now?" Ma Zhou asked with a calm smile.

"The doors are welded shut. Don't even think about jumping ship—there aren't even any windows!" Li Tai said fiercely.

"Tsk, tsk!" Ma Zhou didn't understand the term "welded shut," but he gathered the meaning.

"Hehe," Li Tai chuckled, then turned to Ma Zhou. "There is one thing I need you to handle."

"Oh?" Ma Zhou’s expression turned serious, knowing this was a formal matter.

"Go and acquire a paper mill and a publishing house. We need our own channels for printing books!" Li Tai declared.

"A paper mill?" Ma Zhou frowned. "Are you really planning to write books and establish a legacy?"

"One copy of the *Thousand Character Classic* and one copy of *Basic Mathematics*. From now on, every student who graduates from our academy will be gifted these two books. Even if they can only teach one other person to read and calculate, it will be worth it!" Li Tai said.

"That can't be your only goal, right?" Ma Zhou asked.

"Indeed," Li Tai nodded. "I want to build a library inside the Agricultural Academy!"

"A library?!" Ma Zhou was unfamiliar with the concept.

"Yes, what kind of academy would it be without a library?" Li Tai nodded, his expression resolute.