Chapter 13: Another Ancient Tome

Page 1 of 3

“Your Highness, Prince Shen. His Majesty summons you.”

Li Shen followed the young eunuch to the Hall of Sweet Dew. Empress Changsun was already there, along with Princess Jinyang, Li Mingda, and Prince Jin, Li Zhi.

“Greetings, Father. Greetings, Mother. Greetings, Ninth Brother.” Li Shen bowed to each of them in turn.

“You’re here, Shen’er. Come and sit. These fruits were sent as tribute from the south. They’re difficult to find at this time of year.” Before Emperor Li Shimin could say anything, Empress Changsun warmly invited Li Shen over.

“Thank you, Mother,” Li Shen replied respectfully.

“Sit down. I have something to discuss with you.” Li Shimin looked at him.

“Yes, Father.” Li Shen settled onto the couch, ready to hear what the emperor had to say.

“I’ve looked into your past. You have only one female official, two maids, and a eunuch by your side. Apart from them, there is no one else. I want to know where the imperial examination system you presented to me today came from.” Li Shimin’s meaning was clear: there was no brilliant adviser around Li Shen, so where had he obtained such an idea?

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shen replied, “Father, I saw it in an ancient book. Later, I couldn’t remember where I had put it. I spent a long time thinking about it last night before writing it down from memory.”

“Another ancient book?” Li Shimin said. “Li Shen, I’ve heard that you enjoy reading miscellaneous books. Your Consort Wei even had the Wei family search outside the palace for unusual volumes to send in. Reading more is a good thing, but you mustn’t neglect your studies.”

Li Shimin clearly doubted the existence of so many ancient books, but he did not expose the lie.

“Yes, Father. I won’t neglect my studies,” Li Shen answered at once.

Imperial princes of the Tang began a comprehensive education at the age of seven. Their studies included the classics, poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, military affairs, music, painting, horsemanship, archery, dance, literature, and history. Li Shen, however, thought most of these pursuits were useless, studied merely to display one’s status. Music, painting, dance, and literature held little interest for him, while poetry and the classics were mainly for cultivating one’s temperament.

“Li Shen, you should understand what happened in court today. The aristocratic clans merely intended to give you a warning. They never expected you to counter with such a ruthless move. They will look for other opportunities to make trouble for you in the future, so be careful. Still, there is no need to fear them. You are an imperial prince, not someone they can butcher at will. Just make sure they never get hold of anything they can use against you. You are still young. Be cautious and prudent in everything you do. Understood?”

“Father, I understand. I’m not afraid of them. I go only to the Imperial College every day, so they’ll have no opportunity to find anything against me. And in secret, they wouldn’t dare do much to me either.” Li Shen remained perfectly calm.

“Oh? How do you know they wouldn’t dare move against you in secret? You are indeed an imperial prince, but unless there is conclusive evidence, even I have no way to punish them.” Li Shimin asked curiously.

“Because of you, Father,” Li Shen replied.

“Because of me?” Li Shimin asked, puzzled.

Page 2 of 3

“Because you command the army, Father. You and the aristocratic clans are playing a game together, and everyone must follow the rules. If they were to move against me in secret and try to kill me, they would be breaking those rules. By then, whether or not there was evidence, you could retaliate against the clans under the pretext that they had murdered an imperial prince. You hold military power. Military power is a blade. Even if the aristocratic clans possess assassins, they have nothing more than daggers. At most, you would wipe out one or two of their houses, and they could not afford such a price. Besides, my proposed system has not yet reached the point where they would be willing to kill me.”

Li Shen analyzed the matter with complete clarity.

“Haha, good. Li Shen, you truly are clever. I never imagined that someone so young could see through matters so thoroughly. You are right—the clans and I are merely playing a game. Neither side will be the first to break the rules. But if they do break them first, I will exterminate two or three of their houses.” Li Shimin’s opinion of his tenth son had changed considerably.

“Even so, you must remain careful. You offered such a valuable proposal today. What reward would you like?”

Li Shen fell silent. He began seriously considering what he actually lacked. It was the first time Li Shimin had seen someone earnestly deliberate over what reward to request from him, and the emperor found him even more interesting.

After a long while, Li Shen raised his head. “Father, perhaps you could give me a little more money. Land would do as well. Even barren hills would be fine.”

Li Shimin stared at him in astonishment. “You’re already planning to establish your own estate?”

“You don’t know, Father. My last reward was confiscated by my aunt. She said she was saving it to build me a princely residence in the future. Then I’ll need money to marry and have children, and to build houses for my sons. They’ll need wives and children too. All of that requires a great deal of money.” Li Shen put on an innocent, ingratiating expression.

He had suddenly realized that even if he received a fief, he would need capital to develop it. Otherwise, he would have to rely solely on its tax revenue, and who knew how many years that would take? He had also asked other members of the imperial family about the matter. Under normal circumstances, after paying taxes to the court, a fief still had to cover the salaries of its officials and clerks, as well as the daily expenses of the prince’s residence. There was usually almost nothing left. In years of disaster, the prince even had to provide money and grain for famine relief, since the people in his fief were his responsibility.

Li Shen had decided to develop commerce in his fief. That was how it always worked in the novels he had read. But doing business required capital, and he had none.

“All right, stop pretending. I’ll give it to you.” Li Shimin saw through his act at a glance. “Tomorrow I’ll have five hundred strings of cash sent to the Hall of Great Fortune.”

“Only five hundred strings?” Li Shen blurted out before immediately regretting it. He hurriedly covered his mouth.

He had thought that, considering the magnitude of his contribution, he would at least receive a substantial reward. The fifty thousand in gold he had received last time had actually been copper cash—fifty thousand coins, or fifty strings. Though ordinary people could not earn even five strings in a year, five hundred strings still seemed a little meager for such a great achievement.

“What? You think it’s too little?” Li Shimin asked. It was the first time anyone had ever complained that his reward was insufficient.

“No, no. Five hundred strings is fine. I’ll save it little by little.” Li Shen quickly waved his hands.

“Hmph. You’re so greedy at such a young age. How will you serve the Great Tang when you grow up?” Li Shimin snorted.

“Father, everyone has different ambitions and different things they pursue.”

“Oh? Then I’d like to hear what your ambition is,” Li Shimin said with a derisive smile.

“My ambition is to be a carefree, idle prince with more money than I can ever spend. I’ll marry several wives and concubines, have a whole crowd of children, and help the Li family flourish with many descendants.” Li Shen spoke with complete seriousness.

Li Shimin was so furious that he nearly choked. Beside him, Empress Changsun burst into laughter.

Page 3 of 3

“Absurd! You have no desire to improve yourself and no ambition to advance. As a member of the imperial family, have you never thought of serving the country or helping relieve my burdens?” Li Shimin was livid.

Li Shen, however, asked solemnly, “Father, if I’m not greedy for wealth, what else could I possibly be greedy for? Do you truly want me to remain in the capital and serve the country?”

The gravity of Li Shen’s question left Li Shimin momentarily speechless. Before the emperor could answer, Li Shen turned to him and Empress Changsun.

“Father, Mother, I still have to go to the Imperial College this afternoon. I’ll take my leave first.”

“Very well. Go,” Empress Changsun said gently.

Li Shen then left the Hall of Sweet Dew and headed for the Imperial College.

“That child, Li Shen, really is a fine boy,” Empress Changsun said slowly. “He is learned, courteous, poised, and generous. Consort Wei has certainly done an excellent job raising him.”

Li Shimin came back to himself and replied, “More than that. Guanyinbi, our tenth son is exceptionally intelligent. He knows how to read the situation and act accordingly.”

“What makes you say that? Shen’er claimed that he saw the proposal he presented in an ancient book,” Empress Changsun said, puzzled.

“Hmph. An ancient book? The Imperial Medical Office has still been unable to understand the method he used to save that man from the Southern Sea Pool. The physicians have asked me several times to seek Li Shen’s guidance, and he claimed that method too came from an ancient book. A few days ago, I dined at the Hall of Great Fortune. The tables and chairs there were remarkably practical, and he said he had seen them in an ancient book as well. Now even this excellent proposal supposedly came from one. Guanyinbi, if these strategies were all recorded in ancient books, why had no one in earlier generations ever used them?” Li Shimin said.

“Then did someone tell Shen’er about them?” Empress Changsun guessed.

“I had Wang De investigate. There is no expert hidden around him. My guess is that he combined ideas from various books and came up with part of them himself. That is why I say this son is exceptionally intelligent. And didn’t you hear the two things he said before leaving?” Li Shimin took a sip of tea.

“What about them?” Empress Changsun asked obligingly.

“He said that if he wasn’t greedy for wealth, what else could he be greedy for? In other words, he only wants wealth and has no desire for power. He does not intend to contend for the throne. Then he asked whether I truly wanted him to remain in the capital and serve the country. That was his way of telling me that he knows I would never agree to his competing for the succession. It was also his way of saying that I was lying—that I never truly wanted him to remain in Chang’an. This son of ours is no simple child. If he can one day assist Gao Ming, then Gao Ming will be as formidable as a tiger with wings.” Li Shimin finally dispelled Empress Changsun’s doubts.