After passing through the most difficult first and second years of Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty entered the third year of Zhenguan and clearly began to stabilize.
The most obvious situation is that natural disasters have reduced.
However, there are still plenty of droughts. However, compared with the fires everywhere in the previous two years, the drought in the prefectures in Guannei in the third year of Zhenguan was obviously significantly reduced compared to the past.
More importantly, there are no more disasters everywhere!
This is so important. Think about the past two years, there were either floods or droughts, and once they happened, they were often widespread.
This year is obviously much better. Only some places in Guanzhong are suffering from drought, while other places are starting to get back on track.
This made all the courtiers of the Tang Dynasty breathe a sigh of relief.
They really don't want to experience the kind of disaster they experienced two years ago. It's simply unacceptable.
Fortunately, God has eyes and takes pity on the people of the Tang Dynasty.
At the same time, Xuanzang petitioned the emperor to request a trip to the west. In the first year of Zhenguan, Xuanzang also asked Li Zhiyun to allow him to go to Tianzhu. However, at that time, Li Zhiyun was busy with disaster relief and really had no time to talk to him, so he did not agree.
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Two years later, Xuanzang went to the court again, hoping that the emperor would allow him to go to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures.
Historically, Li Shimin did not agree with Xuanzang's poor travel, so how did Xuanzang go there?
The answer is simple, smuggling.
The three years of Zhenguan in history were different from now. At that time, the Tang Dynasty did not have such powerful disaster relief measures as Li Zhiyun. The disasters accumulated for two years and completely broke out in the third year. Li Shimin had no choice but to switch and allow the people to survive on their own.
At that time, Xuanzang smuggled out of Guanzhong.
Now, although the people in the pass may not have enough to eat, they can definitely survive. Naturally, Li Zhiyun will not allow the people to move around on their own.
Therefore, Xuanzang had no choice but to sneak across.
In this era, without permission from the court, you need a voucher to cross the pass, otherwise you will be arrested.
Li Zhiyun met the prototype of the later 'Tang Monk' in the side room of Taiji Hall.
Xuanzang had a white face, big ears, and bright eyes.
"I can agree to let you go to Tianzhu, but I have a request." Li Zhiyun said calmly while sipping the fragrant tea.
His income from internal funds now has one more item. After years of popularization, tea has gradually become the main drink of the officials and gentry of the Tang Dynasty. The former tea is about to be eliminated.
"Please give me your Majesty's orders." Xuanzang clasped his hands together.
Li Zhiyun said: "It's very simple. I want you to record the countries, humanities and customs, and even the mountains, rivers and lakes you encounter along the way west."
After hearing this, Xuanzang had doubts in his heart, but he did not dare to ask.
"According to the decree."
Li Zhiyun also had his own plan. Let Xuanzang go to Tianzhu, which is in line with history, but the most important thing is not this, but to open up the people of the Tang Dynasty's impression of Tianzhu. When Xuanzang comes back, Li Zhiyun will let Xuanzang speak for him
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What to say?
For example, the land of Tianzhu is extremely rich, with three crops a year, and everyone eats, drinks and has fun lying on the mountains of gold and jade.
Another example is that there is no powerful country in the local area, but there are many small tribes, such as the vassal states of Zongzhou and so on.
Anyway, it’s just blowing!
When the people of the Tang Dynasty coveted Tianzhu, Li Zhiyun would send troops there. Anyway, Li Zhiyun was not lying. Tianzhu Nagada is indeed a treasure land, which was born to be colonized by others.
If he can't find America now, can he still not find India?
"Have you read Fa Xian's book?" Li Zhiyun asked.
The first person in history to go to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures was actually not Xuanzang, but Faxian during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. This guy was a great man. He went by land when he went there, and took a boat when he came back. He made a long circle before returning to the Central Plains.
"Your Majesty, are you talking about "Buddha Kingdom"?" Xuanzang made an enlightened guess. He was also a smart man and knew that the emperor had a very bad attitude towards Buddhism, so it was impossible to ask him what scriptures Faxian had translated.
Considering that the emperor had previously asked him to record the geography of the country on the westward journey, he thought of "Buddha's Country" written by Fa Xian.
"good."
"Slightly dabbled."
Li Zhiyun nodded, "That's good. When you return to Chang'an one day, I hope that your recorded experiences in the Western Regions will be more detailed than in "Buddha's Kingdom"."
"I will do my best." Xuanzang agreed.
In any case, the emperor allowed him to go to Tianzhu openly, which is something to be happy about.
Before leaving, Li Zhiyun personally sponsored him with five hundred taels of gold.
Xuanzang was grateful for this, kept the emperor's words in mind, and promised to bring back to the emperor the most complete record of his experiences in the Western Regions.
Li Zhiyun knew very well that it would take Xuanzang more than ten years to come back from his poor trip. And more than ten years would be enough for Li Zhiyun to plow the surrounding foreign countries several times. When the country is strong and the people are prosperous, he can send people
Follow Xuanzang's route to Tianzhu, and send ships to Tianzhu according to Faxian's route from the sea back to the Central Plains.
In his lifetime, America may not be found, but Tianzhu Nagada must be explored.
It is a pity for Weiwei that the records of Faxian's sea journey are not very detailed. Even if Li Zhiyun goes to see it now, he doesn't know where it is. He can only wait for the good news to come back from Yangzhou.
In fact, Li Zhiyun had the intention to send someone to follow Xuanzang, but on second thought, he was afraid that no one would want to go to the ethereal Tianzhu.
"Xuan Zang, I hope everything goes well for you." Li Zhiyun prayed to him silently.
It doesn't matter what scriptures Xuanzang brings back in the future. What matters is the records of the Western Regions he brought back. This will be very important.
After all, Faxian's "Buddha Kingdom" is some years old and cannot be used as a reference.
Next, Li Zhiyun started to have another headache.
Candidates for the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
Zhang Rui, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, is currently taking over this position temporarily, but acting is not a formal official position. The prime ministers have begun to ask him to quickly select a candidate for the new Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The Ministry of Personnel is not as important as the Ministry of Civil Affairs. If this minister is not found well, the people will only suffer.
Thinking of this, he felt a little regretful. If Cen Wenwen had given him some strength back then, it wouldn't be so difficult for him to choose now.
After much thought, Li Zhiyun decided to let Wei Zheng serve as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. With Wei Zheng in the Ministry of Personnel, a lot of moths could be reduced. At the same time, he also wanted to find something for Wei Zheng to do, so as to prevent him from spraying him all day long.
Dating with my second sister-in-law.
The next day, the edict was issued.
Wei Zheng was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Han Zhongliang, Shaoqing of Dali Temple, was promoted to Minister of Dali Temple.
On the second day after Wei Zheng took office, Li Zhiyun found him and gave him an order to reduce the number of officials in the Tang Dynasty and eliminate unnecessary worms.
Wei Zheng readily agreed to this.
After the officials learned that Wei Zheng had been appointed Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, they suddenly thought: can the emperor be promoted?
Ever since, there was a lot of excitement over at Yushitai.
The various shows of presence made Li Zhiyun very unhappy.
Although I wanted to beat up those guys who were showing off their presence, I didn't take any action.
Because it's not necessary.
They say theirs and I do mine.
After settling this matter, Li Zhiyun found Zhao Cijing, the Minister of Rites.
"This year's imperial examination is scheduled for February. When you go back, make good preparations."
Zhao Cijing asked: "Are the test papers of the type required by His Majesty?"
"Of course." Li Zhiyun said without hesitation: "Besides, you can ask the gentlemen from Chang'an Primary School and Middle School to compile the test questions with you. When the time comes, I will check it myself."
"Yes." Zhao Cijing accepted the order with his hands raised.
In Li Zhiyun's view, no matter what the result of this imperial examination is, he must continue.
Even if the final ones admitted are children from aristocratic families.