Du Ruhui's remark made Li Shimin lift his head slightly.
If we talk about recognizing and employing talent, he, Li Erfeng, was not exactly bad at it either, right?
It could only be said that he had the misfortune of never encountering the Marquis of Wu.
And when he further thought about Du Ruhui's early death, Hou Junji's inexplicable rebellion, Li Shimin felt an added layer of vague, hard to describe gloom settle in his heart.
Because only about four hundred years separated them, the people of early Tang were not unfamiliar with Shu Han.
Thus, as the civil and military officials appeared one after another on the light screen, voices overlapped as they eagerly filled in omissions and corrected details for the display.
If there was anything truly unexpected, it was probably that piece of rotten wood standing beside Liu Bei.
Hearing the light screen recount the grudges between the Later Lord of Shu and that rotten timber, Zhangsun Wuji could not help but sigh.
"Plain silk has no constancy. It takes on whatever dye it is given. Though the Later Lord of Shu did grant authority and allowed the people to recover, he also trusted treacherous eunuchs, which led to the fall of the state."
"To call him rotten wood is not entirely unfair."
Yet as Zhangsun Wuji spoke, everyone else instinctively completed the thought he left unsaid.
If the Later Lord of Shu was to be called rotten wood, then looking back across the long sweep of history, there were countless emperors who could not even compare to that piece of timber.
At that thought, the officials of the Zhenguan era could not help but feel a faint, complicated chill. What, after all, was the true depth of failure an emperor could reach?
The people of the Zhenguan era felt this question all the more keenly.
After leaving the Wuhou Shrine, the light screen finally reached its last stop, the museum.
The displays were solemn, the relics heavy with meaning.
"A million Sichuan soldiers rose together to save the nation. A hundred thousand gave their lives in national calamity."
Just these few lines were enough to move everyone present.
"The Japanese pirates bring disaster. We must wipe them out completely and leave no future trouble."
Li Shimin's words were sharp and resolute as he looked at the museum on the great light screen.
Fang Xuanling, meanwhile, felt that this museum resembled the grand arrangements used during the New Year court assemblies.
Only those displays showcased either the heavy treasures of princes and nobles or secret riches of the state treasury, whereas this museum was far more diverse.
But from another perspective, the founding history of the later nation was precisely contained within every brick, every tile, every book, every piece of cloth preserved here.
This moved Fang Xuanling deeply.
Perhaps when Great Tang established protectorates in the Western Regions, opened trade routes, and achieved feats that surpassed even the mighty Han, they too could emulate this museum.
Invite all vassal states to behold the achievements of a powerful Tang.
At this point, the light screen finally dimmed completely and vanished.
Yet the people in the Ganlu Hall remained seated for a long time, quietly exchanging their thoughts in low voices.
Only the Yan brothers hurried out of the hall.
Although the star lit night of Chengdu in the later age was astonishing, for Yan Lide, the pressing work at the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories mattered far more.
As for Yan Liben, he planned to visit the papermaking workshop under his brother's supervision to see whether there was still room to improve the production of xuan paper.
That fleeting glimpse of Along the River During the Qingming Festival had left Yan Liben unable to calm himself even now.
Previously, not knowing had been one thing. Now that he knew it was possible to preserve the image of a flourishing age through painting, he found himself completely unable to restrain his ambition.
After all, later generations had already certified it.
At the end of the Tang, his painting had reached a divine level.
But if he wished to paint a Zhenguan Chang'an, his first task was naturally to become intimately familiar with Zhenguan Chang'an itself.
That Along the River During the Qingming Festival must have taken several years to complete, and the prosperity of Bianjing seemed even greater than that of Chang'an. The people could not possibly have stood still for the painter.
The only explanation was that the artist had been deeply familiar with the street scenes, able to imprint them directly into his mind.
If he wished to paint a national treasure for Tang, then he too needed to construct a Zhenguan Chang'an within his own mind.
…
In a small courtyard in Chang'an at the end of the Han dynasty, with Du Xi no longer present and having learned from the documents that Liu Bei's faction likely concealed many secrets, Xiahou Yuan began to feel increasingly uneasy.
Even his arguments with the common folk outside the walls had grown weak and half hearted.
Zhang He often sat by the chessboard playing against himself, but Xiahou Yuan could see clearly enough.
Zhang Junyi frequently lost focus while playing alone, and his heart was likely no calmer than his expression suggested.
"General Xiahou, General Zhang, Lord Xuande invites you both to a banquet."
Once again, it was the familiar General Ma who broke the courtyard's quiet.
If there was a banquet, then they would attend. Xiahou Yuan did not refuse. After changing into more suitable clothing, he even had the leisure to tease Ma Su.
"Will General Ma be willing to drink a few cups with me tonight?"
Ma Su merely smiled and did not answer. Once Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He were ready, he led the way ahead.
The courtyard was not small, but Xiahou Yuan still felt his spirit loosen only after passing through the gate, as though he had escaped a cage.
Two months had passed, and Chang'an, which had undergone extensive construction, was beginning to take shape.
Though it was far from its former splendor, at least the people now had shelter from wind and rain, and there were wide roads and markets to make daily life convenient.
Xiahou Yuan even saw that the sign for a relay station had already been hung. Judging by the lights in the stables and the station itself, people were already living there.
"Has an envoy come to see Lord Xuande?" Xiahou Yuan asked.
Ma Su nodded casually. "Sun Quan has sent Bu Zhi as an envoy to seek peace."
Although he had expected it, hearing it in person still made Xiahou Yuan's throat feel dry.
"Then Lord Xuande…"
Ma Su smiled. "General Xiahou need not worry. My lord did not agree. Bu Zhi is unwilling to leave and is still waiting here, hoping my lord will change his mind."
Xiahou Yuan fell silent. If Liu Bei had eagerly agreed, that would have been far more worrying.
It was precisely Liu Bei's attitude that set alarm bells ringing in Xiahou Yuan's mind.
After all, Liu Bei currently held only Jing, Yi, and Guanzhong, three provinces. Facing the combined ten provinces of Cao and Sun with such confidence was no good sign for the Chancellor.
But no matter how much one sighed, the meal still had to be eaten.
Liu Bei arranged only a small banquet, with Jian Yong as the sole companion, which made Xiahou Yuan feel much more at ease.
Yet when he heard that Liu Bei urged him to write to Cao Cao, proposing an exchange of Yi Province troops and guarantees for Ma Teng's family in return for his eastern return, Xiahou Yuan's mood soured again.
After drinking two cups in irritation, Xiahou Yuan could no longer suppress his doubts and spoke directly.
"General of the Left… do you truly believe you will certainly defeat Chancellor Cao?"
The causes and consequences of Yi Province were now completely clear to Xiahou Yuan.
Even if it were reclaimed, most of the troops would likely be disbanded and sent back to Chengdu to win the people's hearts, offering no real military benefit. Coupled with Ma Su's words about rejecting Bu Zhi's peace offer, Xiahou Yuan grew increasingly indignant.
Liu Bei fell silent for a moment, then abruptly shifted to an unrelated topic.
"Miaocai, what do you think of today's flatbread?"
Xiahou Yuan answered honestly. "Sweet and delicious. It is of high quality."
In truth, sourness was the norm for wheat products. Even seasoning with meat broth or fermented beans could not fully conceal the acidity.
Yet what they had eaten today was unseasoned, sweet on the tongue, with no sourness at all.
Liu Bei laughed heartily.
"This was made from wheat harvested in Guanzhong this year. It is not inherently superior."
"Kongming once said that land and crops are divided into acidic and alkaline, which is why the same seeds yield different fruits in north and south."
"Food is the same. Flatbread is acidic by nature. Kongming adds a small amount of alkaline water, balances acid and alkali, and leaves only sweetness."
"In today's world, traitors hold sway, like acid and alkali out of balance, making the flatbread hard to swallow."
"I strike the corrupt with righteousness, just as alkaline water removes the sourness from dough."
"With justice as my blade, how could I not prevail?"
After speaking calmly and with measured confidence, Liu Bei lifted his tea and took a sip, immediately feeling his mouth refreshed.
These words came from his recent experience assisting Kongming in improving wheat products with alkaline water.
Not long ago, Liu Bei had watched as Kongming added only a few handfuls of alkaline water to a full stone of flour, completely neutralizing the sourness caused by fermentation, turning decay into something almost miraculous.
For a moment, Liu Bei felt quietly pleased with himself.
Such reasoning was surely something Cao Cao would never grasp.
Unfortunately, when he looked up, the expression on Xiahou Yuan's face was the same one Liu Bei had seen before on his third brother.
Innocent. Completely clueless.
"What is acid and alkali?" Xiahou Yuan asked.