"This old subject is guilty. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Quan Wanji's face was pale as he repeatedly begged for forgiveness. This time, he was put in a difficult position and lost a lot of face. Not only did he fail to trick Meton, but he also offended many important officials and angered Li Shimin.
"Lord Quan, you only need to do your job well. There is no need for Lord Quan to worry about the imperial family's internal affairs." Li Shimin frowned and said coldly. He couldn't help but feel a little scared.
If he had listened to the slander and really allowed the princess of the Tang dynasty to choose a son-in-law, he was afraid that the princess wouldn't have a good marriage in the future. Wouldn't he have tricked his own daughter then?
However, what Li Shimin didn't know was that the princess of the Tang dynasty was extremely open-minded. In the later Tang dynasty, there were more than two hundred princesses, and more than eighty of them couldn't get married. If they were to choose a son-in-law, it would be good if more than eighty of them could get married.
"This old subject is guilty!" Quan Wanji's face was ashen.
The officials couldn't help but look at Quan Wanji with pity. All along, Li Shimin had been very polite to the officials. He had almost never made an official lose face like this. After this incident, Quan Wanji probably wouldn't have any face left in the imperial court.
However, no one pitied Quan Wanji. Today was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the imperial family, but Quan Wanji had ruined it. The atmosphere in the imperial court was awkward.
Just as the officials were silent, the Imperial Astronomer, Yuan Tiangang, stepped out and said, "Today is a joyous occasion for the imperial family. Taking this opportunity, the Minister also has a joyous occasion to congratulate Your Majesty."
The officials couldn't help but look at Yuan Tiangang. One had to know that Taoism was the national religion of the Tang dynasty. The Imperial Astronomer had a unique position and rarely spoke in the imperial court. Now that he suddenly spoke, how could the officials not be surprised?
"Oh! Minister Yuan, please speak! "Li Shimin's heart moved.
"Your Majesty once ordered the Minister to observe the heavens to predict the fate of the Tang dynasty. The Minister and his disciple didn't disappoint and finally produced a book, 'Push Back Chart'. Your Majesty, please read it clearly!" Yuan Tiangang bowed.
"Push Back Diagram!"
Meton was shocked. He had long heard of the famous Push Back Diagram in later generations. He didn't expect to see it again. Although many people in later generations claimed that the Push Back Diagram was made up by later generations, it could be proved that Yuan Tiangang's Push Back Diagram must be extraordinary. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been passed down for thousands of years.
"Oh! Quickly bring it up. "Li Shimin was overjoyed.
Which emperor in the past did not care about the fate of their own country? The Sui Dynasty was so powerful, but it was only the second time it had died. The Tang dynasty had not yet recovered the national strength of the Sui Dynasty. Li Shimin naturally wanted to know how his own country's fate was.
"Understood!"
After Yuan Tiangang finished speaking, Li Chunfeng bowed and stepped forward. He respectfully presented a book of divination with both hands.
Li Shimin took the Push Back Diagram and opened it. He saw that the Push Back Diagram was full of divination and prophecies. It was very obscure and difficult to understand. Li Shimin thought that he had read all the lost arts of Taoism, but he was still confused!
"Minister Yuan, this' Push Back Diagram 'is extremely mysterious. I can't understand it. Why don't you explain it to me?" Li Shimin's eyes flashed.
Yuan Tiangang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the mysteries of heaven are obscure. The Minister and his disciple's cultivation is shallow. Originally, they were unable to peek into the mysteries of heaven. It was all thanks to the help of Mo Jiu and his disciple who helped Taoism develop the Glimpse of Heaven that they were able to peek into the mysteries of heaven. They were lucky to get a little advice. There are a total of 64 divination in this book, and it will naturally come true one by one in the future. "
"Glimpse of Heaven!" Meton was suddenly confused. After thinking for a moment, he remembered that the so-called Glimpse of Heaven was just an astronomical telescope.
The civil officials in the court couldn't help but move back and forth between Meton and Yuan Tiangang. No one thought that Taoism would cooperate with Mo Jiu again, and it seemed that they had made something great.
"Glimpse of Heaven?" Li Shimin couldn't help but look at Meton on the side, but now was not the time to ask this. Li Shimin asked with concern, "Do we have any clue about the fate of the Tang dynasty?"
Yuan Tiangang frowned, and a flush appeared on his face. He said helplessly, "The Minister and his disciple peeked into the mysteries of heaven with the help of external forces and found that the fate of the Tang dynasty still exists eternally after a thousand years. As for the future, it is beyond our ability."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty." The officials immediately congratulated when they heard the words.
Li Shimin was overjoyed when he heard the words, but he said modestly, "If the fate of the country lasts for a thousand years, doesn't it exceed two weeks of the dynasty? I don't have such extravagant thoughts. I will be satisfied if the dynasty can last for twenty-four emperors like the Han Dynasty."
"Your Majesty is too modest. The foundation of the Tang dynasty will exist eternally and be passed down for thousands of generations. How can the mere twenty-four generations be complacent?" Zhangsun Wuji was the best at figuring out Li Shimin's mind, so he retorted with a straight face.
Other officials echoed one after another. They took advantage of this opportunity to show their loyalty, which made Li Shimin very happy.
"How difficult is it to pass down for thousands of generations? I have been diligent all my life, afraid that the foundation of the Tang dynasty will be destroyed. As for the future generations, I have the heart but not the strength. "Although Li Shimin was very happy, he was still very clear-headed.
Meton's heart moved. He stepped out and said, "The ancients said that the past is the teacher of the future. Since ancient times, there have been countless examples of dynasties going from prosperity to decline. Not only in the Central Plains, but also in the Far West. Your Majesty has ordered us to sort out the reasons for the rise and fall of each dynasty, find out what is missing, and compile it into a book to pass it down to the future generations of emperors. It is not impossible for the Tang dynasty to be passed down for thousands of generations."
Meton knew that the purpose of Sima Qian's compilation of the "Comprehensive Mirror of Governance" was to guide and summarize many historical experiences and lessons for the rulers to use as reference, which was helpful for governing the country. However, it was only compiled from the standpoint of the officials.
As an emperor for thousands of years, if Li Shimin wrote a book on the basis of protecting the rule, there might be a book that was not inferior to the "Comprehensive Mirror of Governance". The history of the Tang dynasty might have a different ending. At least, there would be a weapon to restrain the future generations of emperors, so that the imperial power would not be unrestrained.
"What Merton said is right. Is this a good plan? " The officials were moved. Now that all kinds of immortal myths had been dispelled, and the Mo family had dispelled Heaven's Perception one by one, there was nothing that could restrain the emperor. If Li Shimin compiled an emperor's book, wouldn't it mean that there would be another way to restrain the future generations of emperors?
Li Shimin's eyes lit up. Since ancient times, the scholars had taught ordinary people how to conduct themselves. There had never been a book that taught how to become a qualified emperor. And now, in the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin was probably the only one who had the qualifications to compile such a book.
If the royal family also had a sacred book that could guide the emperor's governance, wouldn't it be passed down for generations? And the one who compiled this book would be on the same side as Kong Mo of the Pre-Qin Dynasty, who had established the book as a sacred book. At the same time, it would also be beneficial to the Tang dynasty. After all, which emperor would not want their dynasty to be passed down for generations?
"Alright, then I'll take up this responsibility. Will Lord Yan be responsible for collecting and organizing the rise and fall of the dynasties?" Li Shimin looked at Yan Shigu excitedly.
Yan Shigu was a great historian of the current era and was proficient in the historical records of the dynasties. He was the most suitable candidate.
"Meton, you'll be in charge of the rise and fall of the dynasties in the far west. Use it as a reference." Li Shimin looked at Merton.
"Yes, Lord Minister!" Meton accepted the order. He could be said to be the person who understood the far west the most in the Tang dynasty. Naturally, he would be in charge of it.
"This book will summarize the affairs of the emperors of the dynasty. I've decided to name it 'Emperor's Book'," Li Shimin said in high spirits.
At this point, the 'Emperor's Book', which was the highest guiding ideology of the emperors of the Tang dynasty, officially began to be compiled. At the same time, it also set a precedent for the emperors of the past to write books.
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