The next day, the morning assembly! Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, surrounded by hundreds of officials.
There was silence in the Taiji Palace, only the rustling of papers could be heard. At the back of the officials, Meton yawned helplessly. He had suffered an unexpected misfortune. Li Shimin had caught him red-handed because he had set the alarm clock at seven in the morning.
Li Shiming looked at the records of Taiji Palace's court meeting after he left and couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. Overall, Li Chengqian had not failed to live up to his years of nurturing. He handled some of the conventional state affairs in a methodical manner. For example, Li Chengqian had the courage to directly agree to the four-faced clock. This had already exceeded Li Shiming's expectations.
"I would like to impeach Mo Jiazi for being lawless and changing the 24-hour clock system that has been passed down for thousands of years."
"I would like to impeach the four-faced clock system. Mo Jiazi's mechanical city is already the limit of civil architecture, but Mo Jiazi added a four-faced clock to the mechanical city."
"The citizens of Chang 'an are impeaching the four-faced clock system for disturbing the citizens. The citizens are frightened and uneasy."
…
As expected, the civil officials began to impeach the four-faced clock system built by the Mo Family.
Li Shimin closed the records and looked up at the agitated civil officials. He could not help but feel a pain between his eyebrows. He knew that Mo Jiazi's four-faced clock would cause a dispute. Fortunately, he had brought Meton here in advance.
"Meton, how do you explain this?" Li Shimin snorted coldly.
Meton could only step forward and say, "Your Majesty, the four-faced clock in the Mo Family's village has been reported to the imperial court. At that time, the officials did not object and it was approved by the Crown Prince. However, although the four-faced clock is out of bounds, it can allow the citizens to see the accurate time. Speaking of overstepping the system, the Buddhist pagoda and the Taoist pagoda are also out of bounds. Why don't the officials impeach them?"
Yu Zhining retorted, "The Buddhist pagoda and the Taoist pagoda are places where Buddhism and Taoism serve the gods. Only those in high positions can show respect to the gods. The Crown Prince was deceived by you and approved your overstepping of the system. Now that Your Majesty has returned, I implore Your Majesty to reconsider the four-faced clock system."
Modun chuckled and said, "Even the hot air balloon that His Highness Prince of Wei released into the clouds did not meet the gods. His Majesty's Mount Tai Pilgrimage did not receive any response from the gods. How can a mere Buddhist Pagoda of a few hundred feet and a Dao Pagoda worship the gods? There is also the moon, the Jinx, the Heavenly Dog eating the sun … "
Meton became bolder and bolder. The officials' faces darkened. After so much science from the Mo Family, the theory of the gods seemed to be more and more untenable in the Tang dynasty.
"Meton, don't be rude to the gods." Li Shimin reprimanded. In the Tang dynasty, you could not believe in ghosts and gods, but you could not disrespect them.
Meton restrained himself and said, "I don't mean to slander Taoism and Buddhism, but the pagoda worships the gods and sacrifices to Heaven. The four-faced clock accurately tells the time and benefits the people of Chang 'an. The people are the most important, the emperor is the least important, and the country is the second. The people's livelihood and sacrifices are equally important. The four-faced clock can benefit the country and the people. That's why the Minister took the risk to report to the Crown Prince. Fortunately, the Crown Prince is wise and approved the construction of the four-faced clock, so that the people of Chang' an can know when they are."
Li Chengqian took the opportunity to bow and ask for punishment. "I allowed the four-faced clock to exceed the limit without permission. Please punish me."
Li Shimin shook his head and said, "The four-faced clock is related to the people's livelihood. There is nothing wrong with you making an exception to allow the construction."
The four-faced clock could clearly show the accurate time no matter if it was cloudy or at night, and it benefited half of Chang 'an. From this point of view, Li Chengqian was not wrong. Even if he retried it now, he would not object.
The ministers could not help but sigh. They originally wanted to use the four-faced clock to make things difficult for the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, and warn Li Chengqian not to get too close to the Mo family. However, they did not expect Li Shimin to side with the Crown Prince and directly define the four-faced clock as an important matter for the people's livelihood.
Yu Zhining continued to say, "The Crown Prince is far-sighted, but Mo Jiazi betrayed the Crown Prince's trust and secretly changed the 24-hour system of the Tang dynasty. There are rumors that Mo Jiazi's action is to reverse Yin and Yang, disturb the Heavenly Design, and destroy the country's destiny to benefit the Mo family."
Meton flatly denied, "Nonsense. The Head of the Mo family, Zhang Minggui, aims to find the truth behind the ghosts and gods, and does not believe in the Dao of ghosts and gods. As for dividing the 24-hour system into two, there is no other intention except to make the time accurate. This is the obligation of every school of thought, and also the decision of the Mo family and the school of mathematics after discussion. "
"What a load of nonsense! The people of the world are used to the 24-hour system, and the Mo family, as one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, should go with the flow and serve the people. However, Mo Jiazi pretends to be virtuous and arbitrarily changes the system of time, disturbing the lives of the people. "Yu Zhining retorted.
Moton sneered and said, "Disrupting the lives of the common people? In my opinion, it's more like disrupting the lives of the scholars. It has always been the scholars who use the 24-hour time system, and the scholars in Chang 'an only account for ten percent of the total population. But in the entire Tang Empire, the scholars account for only five percent of the total population. And those ninety percent of the people can't even tell the difference in their entire lives. But they only need one day to recognize these twelve numbers, understand the four-sided clock, and know what time it is."
"Nonsense! You have only been using the four-faced clock for a few days, and you dare to deny the 24-hour system of time that has been passed down for thousands of years." Yu Zhining was exasperated.
"I'm not denying the 24-hour system of time, but inheriting and developing the 24-hour system above the 24-hour system. The Minister of Foreign Affairs once asked the Mo family to investigate among the common people, and now 70% of the illiterate people can understand the time represented by the four-faced clock. If even illiterate people can understand it, it is not a problem for scholars. From this point of view, the twenty-four hour system represented by numbers is much easier to understand than the twelve hour system represented by Zi Chou Yin Mao. This is not a negation, but an improvement, "Morton said seriously.
"70% of the people have already accepted the four-faced clock!"
The officials were in an uproar. No one expected that the 24-hour system with the four-faced clock as the carrier would be popularized in just a few days.
At the same time, the clock chimed seven times outside the hall. It turned out that it was already seven o 'clock.
"It is seven o 'clock now. After the morning meal, the people can start their day's work. Five hours later, it will be noon. Eleven hours later, it will be six o' clock in the evening. The people will finish their work and prepare to go home. Everything is precise and orderly. Now, the four-faced clock has been integrated into the lives of the people. The people eat, work, and sleep according to the time of the four-faced clock. What the people need is not the four-faced clock, but a more precise and easier to understand method of time. I think the people of Chang 'an have already made their choice whether to use the 24-hour system or the 24-hour system." Meton looked around and said proudly.
Suddenly, all the officials in the court fell silent. The foundation of the Hundred Schools of Thought's existence was the people of the world. Now that the four-faced clock of the Mo family had been accepted by so many people, they had lost their momentum.
"In that case, the four-faced clock will temporarily use the 24-hour system. If there are any mistakes, we will discuss it again." Li Shimin waved his hand. Although he was not used to the 24-hour system, the ordinary people had already accepted it, so he followed the good advice.
Meton could not help but look at Li Shimin in surprise. He did not expect that Li Shimin would stand on his side. What Meton did not know was that the real reason Li Shimin let him go was that Li Shimin had read the memorial of his proxy war.
"Amazing!" Li Shimin's eyes lit up. But when he saw that Li Chengqian had chosen Zhangsun Chong's compromise, he could not help frowning.
"Stupid!"
Li Shimin scolded in his heart. With his eyesight, he could naturally see that no matter which proxy war or the Tang dynasty personally sending troops, this was the best strategy. Zhangsun Chong's compromise was the worst strategy, but Li Chengqian had chosen this.
"Your Majesty, news of victory has come from the grassland. Our army has won." Fang Xuanling bowed and reported.
Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief. Although Li Chengqian had chosen the worst strategy, fortunately, there were no mistakes.
"It's natural for our army to defeat the Tuyuhun. The firearms army's combat prowess is number one in the world. With the firearms army, Great Tang will definitely be invincible." An imperial censor flattered Zhangsun Wuji.
However, Zhangsun Wuji did not appreciate it. He stepped forward and said sorrowfully, "This old official is guilty. Your Majesty, please punish this unfilial son."
Li Shimin frowned, "Minister Zhangsun, what is the meaning of this? This war has already been won. Why would I punish a meritorious official?"
Zhangsun Wuji gritted his teeth and said, "This is the first time my unfilial son went to the battlefield. He was actually greedy for merit and advanced prematurely. As a result, Xue Yantuo found a flaw and caused the firearms army to be surrounded. Fortunately, General Li Ji risked his life to save him and turned the situation around. If this unfilial son spoils the situation of the imperial court, this old official will definitely put righteousness before family and personally kill this unfilial son."
As Zhangsun Wuji spoke, he handed over Zhangsun Chong's letter of apology.
Li Chengqian could not help but narrow his eyes. He did not expect Zhangsun Wuji to take the initiative to reveal the evidence of Zhangsun Chong's crimes. However, he did not think too much about it. He thought that Zhangsun Chong took the initiative to confess to Zhangsun Wuji, and this wily uncle of his took the initiative to remedy the situation.
Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Being greedy for merit and advancing prematurely. Which soldier doesn't want to establish their career? It is rare for Chong 'er to have such intentions. Fortunately, he did not cause a huge disaster."
Zhangsun Wuji said with an ashamed expression, "Reporting to Your Majesty, if it was just these old officials, it would be fine. However, that unfilial son actually abandoned the firearms army and fled when the army was surrounding them."
"Abandoned the army and fled!"
Instantly, the entire imperial court was in an uproar. In the first report of victory, Zhangsun Chong was the hero who turned the situation around. However, he had now become a deserter who abandoned the army and fled. The difference was too big.
Li Shimin's expression could not help but change. If it was due to being greedy for merit and advancing prematurely, he could still cover for Zhangsun Chong. However, abandoning the army and fleeing involved Li Shimin's bottom line.
When he saw that more than half of the firearms army had died, he could not help but feel pain in his heart. One must know that the firearms army was very expensive. Compared to the most expensive Mo Saber Unit, their equipment was even better, not to mention the expenditure during their daily training.
When Li Chengqian saw Li Shimin's expression, he secretly rejoiced that he did not cover up for Zhangsun Chong. Otherwise, even he would not be able to escape the blame.
"Your Majesty may not know, but there is a misunderstanding. The Minister believes that General Zhangsun Chong did not abandon the army and fled. Instead, he was brave and resourceful. He saved the firearms army from tens of thousands of soldiers. Not only is he not at fault, but he is also meritorious." The Minister of Works, Zhang Liang, said in a clear voice.
"Being greedy for merit and advancing prematurely, causing the firearms army to be surrounded and then abandoning the army to flee. I would like to hear what reason General Zhangsun Chong has to not be at fault and instead be meritorious." Meton said with a cold expression.
The firearms army was cultivated by him. Even if it was taken away by Zhangsun Chong, he still supported it wholeheartedly. Now that they were surrounded by Zhangsun Chong, even if they won, it would be a pyrrhic victory with heavy losses. How could Meton not be angry?
Zhang Liang explained, "Merton did not know the situation on the battlefield. At that time, Li Simo was originally covering the firearms army's retreat. However, when Xue Yantuo's cavalry caught up, Li Simo actually abandoned the firearms army and fled alone. When General Zhangsun Chong saw this, he immediately ordered the firearms army's deputy general, Sun Wukai, to lead the firearms army while he chased after the 40,000 Turks. He coerced the Turks into restraining Xue Yantuo. In the end, he continuously asked for help before General Li Ji arrived. If it was not for General Zhangsun Chong's prompt decision, not only would the firearms army have been completely annihilated, it would also be unknown whether we could have won this war."
Li Chengqian sighed in his heart. He did not expect Zhangsun Wuji to step in and actually reduce Zhangsun Chong's crime to the lowest. Presumably, even the transaction of military merits had been settled. Fortunately, he had never thought of falling out with his uncle. He could not help but bury the secret in his heart.
Meton was so angry that he laughed instead. "I have never heard a general speak of fleeing without fighting in such a refreshing and refined manner. On the battlefield, it has always been a real battle with real swords and spears. I have never heard of a story of a deserter helping the army to win. Thinking back to when I returned to Chang 'an after the army had won and returned to the imperial court, I was impeached by the entire imperial court. Now, the eldest son of the Zhangsun Clan has actually become a great hero by abandoning the army and fleeing on the battlefield. This is simply the biggest joke in the world. "
Instantly, the expressions of all the civil and military officials in the imperial court changed. Only then did they remember that back then, Mo Jiazi had returned to the capital alone because Princess Changle had given birth. That was why he was removed from his position in the Firearm Army. And now, the mistake that Zhangsun Chong had committed was far more serious than Mo Jiazi's. If it was so easily passed, they would not be able to account for it.
"A general abandoning the army is a great taboo at any time, especially on the battlefield. If Zhangsun Chong is not punished, it will not be enough to stabilize the morale of the army." Qin Qiong, as the representative of the military, expressed his opinion.
Li Shimin slowly nodded and said, "Pass down the order. Strip Zhangsun Chong of his position as the general of the Firearm Army. His merits and demerits will be investigated by the Ministry of War before he is punished."
No matter what Zhangsun Chong's motive was, on the battlefield, his abandonment of the army was already a foregone conclusion. According to Meton's example, Zhangsun Chong's position as the general of the Firearm Army would definitely be lost.
"Your Majesty is wise! This old subject will definitely not have any objections. " Zhangsun Wuji placed righteousness before family and said. If Mo Jiazi did not cause trouble, Zhangsun Chong could easily pass the trial. However, he could accept this result. At least Zhangsun Chong still had room to turn things around.
"This unfilial son. If it was not for the Old Man receiving the information in advance, you would definitely be dead this time!" Zhangsun Wuji said hatefully in his heart.
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