latelenovela Chapter 93
Chapter 93
Chapter 93
The news about Li Yuanying’s group enrolling into the Academy spread like wildfire.
Many were happy. After all, instead of letting the young prince run wild in the open, it is better to lock him in the Imperial Academy for strict discipline. Always running to the Emperor every day, who knows what else he will come up with?
The happiest person was naturally Li Tai. During Chinese New Year celebration, he cheerfully congratulated young uncle for his enrollment during the palace banquet.
Yuanying himself looked happy. Finally Li Tai speaks like a human. He immediately took his hand and discussed with Li Tai: “The <
Li Tai didn’t expect such a reply to his sarcasm. The flesh on his face trembled and he felt that this boy is someone that can even make ridicule powerless. He will never answer according to your expectations at all!
“That’s not necessary right?” (Li Tai)
Li Yuanying actively lobbied: “You should, you should. Paper is now cheap and I have an engraver on standby who can make books fast. I don’t want your money, I just want a batch so that I can put them into the library. I want scholars to learn and understand about different customs from various places. In the future, if they serve the country as officials and are assigned to foreign places, they will not be caught off-guard!”
Li Tai was a little moved hearing this speech. He has read Li Yuanying’s <
Now that he has walked this path, why wouldn’t he want to gain good reputation within the scholarly community? Although Li Tai was moved, he still had to refuse on the surface: “How dare I make young uncle spend money? Why don’t you lend me manpower and I then purchase paper from you so that I can print my book and send a batch for your library?”
Li Yuanying had no habit of giving away free money so he agreed.
“Okay, I’ll drop a note to Li and you can prepare your manuscript and pass it to him. Let Li cost out an estimated cost and you can pay him directly.”
Li Tai nodded: “I have dedicated my work to the Emperor, so I have to ask for his permission first.”
What else can His Majesty say but to agree? Of course he will agree to it. He also didn’t need Li Yuanying or Li Tai to finance this and went with public funding. Since paper is now cheap, this means that people can not only afford paper but get access to books and resources which were initially scarce.
Books were originally extremely expensive and only aristocratic families could afford them. Now with lower cost, anyone can skip a few meal and afford them! This might not be a game changer for scholars in Chang’an who had access libraries but it will be for scholars in smaller towns!
This is why the Emperor agrees with the suggestion.
If this printing method really works then the imperial court can produce more books in the future!
Most scholars are from aristocratic families and this is a concern for the Emperor. The Li family was also an aristocratic family in the past and even during the previous dynasty it was families like these who held talents and military power in warring times.
It is precisely because of this that he ordered Fang Xuanling to find a reason to get rid of many officials after succeeding to the throne. At one point, his court only had 600 people left and he had to slowly replenished the numbers from talents gathered from the imperial examinations and through recommendations in hopes of diluting the almost monopoly power held by some of the aristocratic families.
If the general public could now afford books then the threshold for reading would be greatly lowered. In time to come, many from humble families will flood into the imperial court!
Perhaps these humble children will become the new aristocratic families in the future but before that can happen, they can be used to attack the original aristocratic family. And when this new batch gradually solidify power and become stronger, they will then be challenged by other latecomers. This is the only way for power to remain with the Li and Tang royal family so that it will not fall into the hands of others.
Yuanying didn’t think as much as his brother. Since brother had agreed, he took one look at Li Tai and remembered something else.
“There is another matter. Not sure if Chengqian told you yet!”
Li Er looked at him and motioned for him to continue.
Li Zhi was too lazy to reply so he just asked Yuanying to open the box to inspect the things Lady Liu had prepared for him.
“Uniform will be given so just bring some inner clothes. Why are you taking so many clothes, these are enough to last a whole month without repetition.” (Li Zhi)
“Mother said that it rains a lot in spring. If the uniform issued by the Imperial College gets wet, don’t I need clothes to replace? Of course I need enough clothes to last for a whole month.” (Li Yuanying)
“You only wear these clothes once?” (Li Zhi)
Li Yuanying looked at him with a “what’s wrong” expression. Do you have to do laundry? (Li Yuanying)
Li Zhi: “...”
Li Yuanying had made careful plans.
“I don’t want to waste. Everyone can wear the clothes prepared by my mother. I will wear them once and give them away. Then others can wear them themselves or give it to their younger siblings. It will never happen that no one is willing to wash the clothes that are given to them for free.” (Li Yuanying)
Li Zhi did the math. Even if Yuanying stayed at the Academy for a year, it would only be about 300 sets of clothes. This small amount is nothing to Li Yuanying. That being the case, Li Zhi didn’t say anything. Anyway, he didn’t believe that young uncle could last for a year!
Li Zhi stop asking about the rest of the dozens of boxes. They went to pick up Chengyang and bid farewell to His Majesty Li Er. They then reported to the Imperial Academy with a mighty box-carrying team.
When they got there, Yuanying was dumbfounded. The place they will be living in is too small, a dormitory shared by a dozen students in one room. There is no room for him to put his belongings.
Li Yuanying went to meet the person in charge of housing and wanted a vacant room to put his things. But the other party ruthlessly said to return his belongings where it came from. NO special treatment.
These are items that mother had carefully prepared for days, how can he send it back? He thought about it and asked his men to find a corner outside that could shelter from wind and rain to put his things. He will just go out to collect them if he needed something. The academy is full of promising scholars and they cannot move at will. Surely no one would steal worthless clothes and ink.
Li Yuanying’s mighty moving brigade attracted the attention of many and they all stopped to discuss about him. It was only when Li Yuanying was formally arranged into the dorm that the others realized that the little devil king will really be studying with them!
Tang Xuan has been in the Academy for a year now and has good results and is loved by teachers. Knowing that both Li Yuanying and Di Renjie will be joining him, he was overjoyed and looked forward to their arrival. Perhaps Kong Yingda did it on purpose, but Li Zhi and the others were arranged in different dormitories and only Li Yuanying alone was arrange to where Tang Xuan was.
When Tang Xuan got the news, he changed bed with someone so that Li Yuanying will sleep next to him. The young prince usually has his bed made for him by servants and this is the first time he is seeing an empty bed. This made him very excited. He enthusiastically declined Tang Xuan’s proposal to help him. Under Tang Xuan’s guidance, he began preparing his own bed for the first time in his life.
Li Yuanying spread out the warm quilt in a dignified manner, then arranged the small pillows he brought.
He then said to Tang Xuan proudly: “Making the bed is not that difficult. You don’t have to teach me next time!”
Before Tang could respond, someone came in and laughed at him.
“You are so proud of making the bed. People who don’t know you will think that you have never done anything great!”
Notes from the author:
The little prince was triumphant: I can put on clothes now!
Zhi Nu: ...