Living leisurely in Tang Dynasty

Chapter 103

The boy hasn’t heard from the system for a very long time and wasn’t sure how to react. After coming back to his senses he asked the system what a dinosaur was and why has no one seen such a big  thing before?

“Dinosaur also translates to “scary big lizard”originally from a foreign language. This creature used to roam the earth but has become extinct for various reasons. It is roughly estimated that the dinosaurs had been extinct for about 65 million years. These bones were once hidden inside rocks for thousands of years and is appearing by chance. It can also be called as a fossil.” (System)

Simply put this huge creature no longer exist.

Yuanying is a bit regretful, if he can tame such a big guy, it will be majestic! It hasn’t crossed his mind that he might get trampled; all he really wanted to do was to climb on its back and ride it around.

Using the system’s knowledge, the boy gained a general understanding of a dinosaur’s appearance. He became curious about dinosaurs who could fly, swim and run extremely fast. He quickly changed his mind and asked Dong Xiaoyi to continue searching for dinosaur fossils to see if he could piece together a complete dinosaur skeleton or maybe find a flying dinosaur.

He also told Dong Xiaoyi firmly: “This is dragon bone.  You must look for it carefully!”

Although Sun Simiao studied in a Taoist school, he didn’t really believe in ghosts or myths.  Creatures like dragons are more like an illusory. Hearing the young boy’s instructions, he pondered but didn’t say anything to stop him. If he says it’s a dragon bone then it’s a dragon bone. After all no one had seen a dragon anyway!

Yuanying told Dong Xiaoyi to note his words then ran back towards the fossil and made a few rounds. He stretched out his hand to measure the length and thinks that it indeed is a strange creature. How can such a big guy just disappear? What a pity!

If he can find one, he will raise it in Xiangcheng Palace.

After that, the young prince and the doctor had a meal before returning to the palace together. Only after running around town and meeting up with everyone else did Li Yuanying visit the Emperor.

Li Er had originally wanted to go to Mount Tai this year but he failed to do so. He had already visited Luoyang and Jiucheng Palace recently and so he decided to stay in Chang’an and just bear with the hot summer. After dinner, he was informed that Li Yuanying is here and so he allowed him to come in.  

Li Yuanying ran to His Majesty and started telling him about the fossil he found. He drew a picture of the large dinosaur vertebrae for His Majesty while gesturing about it’s size while talking.

“Just the neck is sooooo big and sooooo long.They are much bigger than elephants.”

At the start when Li Er heard “dragon” he thought the boy was joking yet again but hearing him going into details as if he really has seen it, his Majesty was curious.

“Is there really such a dragon bone?”

“That’s right, Doctor Sun said that the bone looks like a piece from the cervical vertebrae. He is a master in recognizing bones.”  

Yunying then told His Majesty about his regrets:”I’m not sure if this dragon can fly. If it can fly, it would be so much fun for us to ride on its back!”

“You’ve seen a few bones but is already thinking too much.  Maybe this belongs to ‘Fangfeng Shi” ^[1]Fangfeng shi is a mythical giant in legends of early Chinese Dynasty that Confucius had mentioned before.”

Li Er had also read books about such strange incidents where a person in the country of Wu found a pile of huge bones that were so big that a cart is needed to move it. The citizens of Wu took these bones and asked Confucius what they were and he shared that it was from a  giant named Fangfeng. The King back then was Yu the Great and he instructed his men to meet at Mount Gui Ji but Fangfeng was late and was executed. This big bone belongs to him!  

Yuanying had also read the same book. He instantly knew which chapter the Emperor was talking about but still insisted to share his own opinion: “This must be a dinosaur fossil, not bone of Fangfeng!”

He continue with reasonable grounds, “Wasn’t the ruler back then all benevolent and righteous kings? Why would they kill someone for being late? Not just execution but to display their corpse in public? That’s not  benevolent or righteous, that’s crazy!”

The Emperor didn’t want to argue further so he just asked Yuanying to get his people to find all the bones and see if they are indeed able to arrange out a dragon figure from it.

Li Yuanying readily agreed. He then updated that Dai Ting will be home soon and added with great concern: “I wonder how Wencheng is doing in her new home. And whether her new husband is treating her well. The next time I send Dai Ting out, I need to give him an assistant that is good with words. That way he can write and pass on news to us.”

Since the boy often came by to grumble about this and that, the Emperor remembers Dai Ting. He was a youth with outstanding appearance and is someone with looks you won’t forget after meeting him once. At first when his younger brother wanted Dai Ting to serve him, he thought his brother was just choosing based on appearance. But now it seems that this little servant is actually capable. Not only did he travel to Gaochang with the army, he even travel with his own team to Tibetan Empire and is now returning safely!

“WenCheng is a Tang princess, who would dare treat her poorly? Just go back to studying and don’t worry unnecessarily.”

“Things I don’t see I will not worry but things that I do see I will worry.” Speaking of this, Yuanying wasn’t afraid of death and poked at  Li Er’s sore spot: “I heard that you were scolded by Old man Wei again!”

The Emperor had a sour look and he gave the boy the glare that meant “you can shut up now”.

But Li Yuanying couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“I think Wei is right. You really love Qingque but you are not thinking for Qingque.”

“What do you mean by I don’t think for him?”

“When he become an adult, you were reluctant to part and kept him in Chang’an. This is human nature. But if you don’t let him learn to be independent, what will he do in the future?”

“He is a prince of the Tang Dynasty and the younger brother of Chengqian. He is a smart boy. Even if he knows nothing, who would dare neglect him.”

“You are wrong, think about it, you have so many sons, but you only love Qingque. Wouldn’t the others have an opinion about this? You favour him now so narrow-minded people will envy him and people with ulterior motives will curry favour with him. Even if Qing Que doesn’t initiate things, there will be people who will cling on to him and use his power to make a fortune.”

Yuanying looked straight at His Majesty seriously: “When you regret this in the future, it will be too late. By then he will already have thoughts he shouldn’t have and have done things he shouldn’t do. Who is going to tolerate his behaviour? No matter how good-hearted Chengqian is, there is bound to be knots in his heart! When that happens, can he still live safely as a prince?”

Li Er had a sullen face.

He was not willing to listen to such words and no one had dared say such words, including Wei Zheng who only hinted at it by using Prince Hailing as an example.

But Yuanying didn’t care about the Emperor’s black face and continued on in an orderly manner: “If you really love Qing Que, let him learn how to be independent instead of always keeping him by your side and giving him whatever his heart desires.  This is how you should raise pets but not kids. What more to leave him on the cusp of the storm, making him an easy target for seduction and to be hated by others. The things you are doing now, even if  Cheng Qian and the others follow in your footsteps, I wouldn’t be surprised –”

The Emperor was furious: “How dare you, I think you are the one overly spoilt!”

Li Yuanying sat quietly and his black eyes met Li Er’s angry eyes without blinking.

Li Er’s cheeks trembled, stopped his scolding but didn’t drive Li Yuanying away.

The brothers sat opposite each other for a long time before Yuanying spoke again: “Lord Brother, if you don’t want to hear such words, I won’t say them in the future. “Let me go to my fiefdom.”

The Emperor looked at Li Yuanying who was giving him full respect kneeling on the ground.

Most people serving him wants something – be it fame, profit, power, or glory for their family. When there is a want involve, it is easy to handle these people. But this piece of meatloaf in front of him doesn’t need or want anything from him. So, the kid dares to do and say anything to him.

The rage in His Majesty’s heart gradually calmed down.

Such a piece of meatloaf that can’t be beaten or scolded. What can you do to him?

If you say go away to his own lands, he will be happy!

Li Er scolded: “Since you want to go there so much, I won’t let you leave.”

Li Yuanying: “…”

Such a childish older brother!

Li Er told his younger brother to get lost and not be a bother.  

Li Tai who was supposed to leave to his own fiefdom after getting married, had been kept in the Capital until now, it is indeed a violation. There must be many who thinks the same as Li Yuanying in the government. It is just that no one dared to voice out their thoughts except for Wei Zheng who had tried to persuade him.

Li Er closed his eyes and the scenes before and after the Xuanwu Gate incident flashed in his mind.

Back then, it’s just like what his younger brother said, even if he hadn’t had intentions, those around him would have persuaded him to do it. They would have all planned and contributed all their efforts in the guise of “achieving great things”. Once that has happened, even if there were any sense of brotherhood left between the siblings, the situation still wouldn’t allow them time to hesitate. Killing his brothers and persecuting his own father, these are things he had done. If he had already done so, what’s stopping his sons from doing so?

Given he is healthy and strong now, his children wouldn’t dare have ideas but what happens when he grows old and is weak? Can he still control the overall situation like he can now? Then he would have really pushed his sons into a deadlock and there would be no room for change.

The Emperor sat and silently ponder on his sons’ future.

The late Queen passed away rather early and left him with young children. Cheng Qian the oldest was only a teenager then. He wanted to keep all his children around for a more years.

Now that Qingque is 22, it really is not suitable for him to continue staying Chang’an. He believes that his child filial and obedient son, but he also knows that temptation is hard to withstand. He will not let speculators find a chance to instigate a fight between his sons.

He can’t put Qingque in a difficult situation just because he favours him. If the situation escalates to the point that even biological brothers can’t get along, what good life will Qing Que have in the future?

Li Er didn’t think about this before, but now he made a clear decision.

It’s time for his dearest QingQue to leave the nest.

The next day, the Emperor took out a list and said to Li Tai: “Qing Que, I’ve made a list of candidates for you, see if you want anyone else in it?”

These candidates are men who will be following the Vassal Prince to his new land and will assist and guide him in ruling.

This is the Emperor’s most beloved son and so all the men he has chosen for him are the best among the best, so that Li Tai can live happily.

If it was another son, Li Er would just appoint someone.

Li Tai couldn’t react and didn’t understand what His Majesty meant.

When he came back to his senses, he realized that father was watching him and waiting for him to take the list.

Father wants to make him a feudal lord!

Li Tai was dumbfounded.

Notes from the Author:

Little Prince: Brother, someone out there is teaching Qing Que bad things!

His Majesty Li Er: You are right. This is just like back then, I was forced to do things

Little prince: …Little Prince: Shameless! (pointing)

References

↑1Fangfeng shi is a mythical giant in legends of early Chinese Dynasty