novelAbuy Chapter 8 What Should I Use to Teach You?
Chapter 8 What Should I Use to Teach You?
Li Shimin's cheeks were burning, and he could even feel his ears turning red.
He waved his hand, his voice tinged with barely perceptible embarrassment: "Everyone...stop it."
The enormous Book of Rejuvenation at his feet, made of ten thousand bolts of tribute satin, now looked utterly ridiculous.
Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji blushed deeply, wishing they could disappear into the ground.
These people, who prided themselves on being the smartest minds in the Tang Dynasty, acted no differently than country bumpkins worshipping gods in the presence of true deities, and were even more foolish.
This completely humiliated the Tang Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, I... am guilty!" Fang Xuanling bowed and begged for forgiveness.
"Alright," Li Shimin waved his hand, having recovered from his shame and replaced it with an unprecedented excitement. "Since the gods have bestowed the right path, we shall follow it. Now, let's immediately discuss what we should offer and what we should say in our first 'memorial'!"
This time, no one offered any unrealistic suggestions.
The divine law of the [Sacrifice System] states clearly: "A hundred-word note will surely reach the ears of Heaven."
The core lies in the sacrificial offerings and the hundred-word inscription.
"Gold and silver are common items, which I fear will hardly meet the eyes of the immortals," Changsun Wuji spoke first. "In my opinion, the offerings should firstly demonstrate the rich resources of our Great Tang Dynasty, and secondly represent the sincere sincerity of our sovereign and his subjects."
"Fuji's words make sense." Li Shimin nodded. "Does the imperial treasury possess such treasures?"
A eunuch in charge of the royal treasury immediately stepped forward, pondered for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty, there is a pair of treasures from the previous dynasty in the treasury, called the White Jade Bi with Dragon and Phoenix Pattern."
This jade disc is carved from the finest Hetian white jade, its surface warm and translucent. One side is carved with a rising dragon, and the other with a dancing phoenix, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. It is a rare national treasure.
"A dragon and phoenix symbolizing good fortune?" Li Shimin's eyes lit up. "Excellent! For our Great Tang Dynasty, the immortal and the princess represent the perfect union of dragon and phoenix! Let this be the offering!"
The items for the sacrifice were decided, but more importantly, there was the one hundred-word note.
This was equivalent to the first official memorial submitted by the Tang Dynasty to the celestial realm; every word was worth its weight in gold, and there could be no room for error.
Li Shimin dismissed his attendants and returned to his study. He ordered someone to bring him pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to carefully consider and personally write down his memorial on the bright yellow paper.
Half an hour later, the hundred-word memorial, which carried the hopes of the entire empire, was completed.
Everything was ready on the altar.
Li Shimin personally carried a brocade box and walked side by side with Empress Zhangsun onto the altar.
He opened the brocade box and carefully took out the pair of crystal-clear, softly glowing dragon and phoenix jade discs, placing them in the center of the altar.
Then, he respectfully placed the written silk scroll next to the jade disc.
After doing all this, he led the civil and military officials behind him, who were holding their breath, to slowly retreat ten steps, and then bowed deeply in a grand ceremony.
"We respectfully request the venerable immortal to peruse this!"
Li Shimin's voice was solemn and devout.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a miraculous scene unfolded!
Suddenly, the pair of dragon and phoenix jade discs and the silk scroll on the altar emitted a dazzling golden light!
A beam of light shot into the sky, like a golden lightning bolt, and instantly disappeared into the sky without a trace.
The altar was empty.
"It's done!"
"The sacrifice... was a success!"
An even louder cheer erupted from the crowd!
If the previous divine pronouncements were somewhat illusory, then the sudden disappearance of the items was an undeniable and real miracle!
Li Shimin trembled with excitement. He held Empress Zhangsun's hand tightly, his eyes shining with an unprecedented light.
The path to heaven... has truly opened!
Modern rental housing.
As Jiang He was watching the lively little Sizi, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! You have received a sacrificial application from the "Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty". Do you wish to accept it?]
[Sacrificial Items: A pair of white jade discs with dragon and phoenix designs]
[Attached information: 1 item (100 characters)]
Jiang He's heartbeat quickened instantly.
coming!
He chose to "accept" without hesitation!
[Ding! Successful acceptance! The item has been delivered to you, and the information has been transcribed.]
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of light appeared on the coffee table in front of Jiang He.
A pair of ancient jade discs, radiating a soft luster and cool to the touch, appeared out of thin air!
Jiang He swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he reached out and picked up one of the jade discs engraved with a rising dragon pattern.
The jade disc feels warm and smooth to the touch, with a delicate texture. The lifelike carving, even after more than 1,300 years, still exudes a breathtaking royal majesty.
This...this is a national treasure from the Zhenguan era?!
He was a poor young man who had just graduated and was earning a monthly salary of three thousand yuan, yet he was holding an antique that was enough to buy an apartment in Beijing.
This feels so unreal!
Just as he was reeling from this windfall, the system's second message appeared before his eyes.
That was the system automatically translating classical Chinese into plain language.
[Before the Immortal Venerable:]
[Li Shimin, a mortal, bows twice. By the grace of the immortals, who have granted us the right path to communication, I and the millions of people of the Tang Dynasty are deeply grateful, with tears of gratitude that cannot be repaid. My daughter, Mingda, has been cured of her chronic illness and is as if reborn. This kindness and virtue will be forever remembered by me.]
I now offer you a small gift: a pair of jade discs inscribed with dragon and phoenix, a token of my sincere wishes. I earnestly hope that the celestial being will accept them with a smile.
[I dare to ask again, but the ways of Heaven are profound and mysterious, and mortals are foolish and dull. I wonder if the celestial being could teach me?]
Jiang He read it word by word, sentence by sentence.
Without flowery language, it is full of sincere emotions and a monarch's just-right humility.
Especially the last line, "I wonder if the immortal has any teachings for me?"
This statement carries immense weight, as heavy as Mount Tai.
It was no longer a simple prayer for blessings, but a great monarch seeking a brighter path for his country and his people.
Jiang He held the jade disc in his hand, but the secret joy of having gained a share of wealth was gone.
He looked up at the sky, where Li Shimin was leading his ministers, gazing expectantly at the sky, awaiting his reply.
Teach you?
What should I teach you?
Jiang He fell into deep thought.
As a modern person who is well-versed in the course of history, he has so much to teach.
Tell him about the existence of high-yield crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes.
Tell him how to extract penicillin?
Or... tell him directly that his most trusted son, Li Chengqian, will rebel in the future?
Tell him that his most beloved woman, Wu Meiniang, will one day seize the throne from his Li family.
For the first time, Jiang He felt that he was carrying a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, a responsibility that could change the course of history.