Li Jing sent the messenger sent from the palace, looked at Zhang Zhongjian, and said: "Brother, your Majesty has summoned you to the palace tomorrow. If you are unwilling, I will enter the palace now to explain to your Majesty."
Zhang Zhongjian waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter, I just want to see him too."
He didn't care whether Li Shimin would be angry, but Li Jing couldn't care less.
If he didn't go, Li Shimin would definitely blame Li Jing.
In addition, he also promised Lin Xuan and made Li Shimin believe that Lin Xuan was his apprentice. What if he didn't go?
"Sir, why do you think His Majesty summoned eldest brother suddenly?" Zhang Chuchen asked a little strangely.
Li Jing naturally knew why Li Shimin summoned Zhang Zhongjian. Over the years, Li Shimin insisted on making insinuations and asking about Zhang Zhongjian's situation. Now that Zhang Zhongjian is back, Li Shimin will definitely not miss this opportunity.
But he didn't know what to say to Zhang Chuchen.
Zhang Zhongjian saw Li Jing's dilemma and said with a smile: "His Majesty has recruited me before. He summoned me this time. He probably wants to recruit me again."
Zhang Chuchen said: "Your Majesty really loves talents, but my eldest brother is already so old. Is it possible that Your Majesty still wants to recruit him as a general?"
Li Jing glared at her and said, "Don't talk about your Majesty."
Zhang Chuchen raised his eyebrows and said angrily: "Where did I make such an arrogant statement? Even in front of His Majesty, I dare to say it."
Li Jing has a headache. As His Majesty, you are still the former King of Qin.
Zhang Zhongjian said: "Okay! I don't want to, and your Majesty can't force me. There's nothing to worry about."
The next day, Zhang Zhongjian said goodbye to Zhang Chuchen and came to the palace with the people who came to pick him up.
Without waiting long, he was taken to the Manna Hall.
"Caomin Zhang Zhongjian pays homage to His Majesty." Zhang Zhongjian clasped his fists and saluted.
Li Shimin quickly stood up and went to greet him, smiling and saying: "Sir, there is no need to be polite. It has been more than ten years since we last saw each other. Your style is still the same. Time flies so fast."
Zhang Zhongjian smiled and said: "The common people are already old, so how can they maintain their style and style?"
"Sir, it looks like he is not much older than me. How can we talk about old age?" After Li Shimin asked Zhang Zhongjian to sit down, he smiled and asked: "Sir, there has been no news over the years. I wonder where he has gone?"
Zhang Zhongjian said: "Back to Your Majesty, the grassroots have been overseas these years."
Li Shimin's eyes flashed, and he said seemingly unintentionally: "I heard that overseas is a barbaric land. Why do you, sir, live overseas for so long?"
Zhang Zhongjian nodded and said: "What your Majesty is saying is that compared to the Tang Dynasty, those isolated islands overseas are indeed wild places. The common people have no worries and like to travel around. The common people of the Tang Dynasty have basically traveled all over the world, but overseas is a good place.
place."
"Sir, you are truly worthy of being an expert. I wonder if you have ever heard rumors about the Fairy Island in these years overseas." Li Shimin asked with a trace of exploration in his eyes.
Zhang Zhongjian said: "Your Majesty is talking about the three fairy islands of Penglai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang recorded in the Book of Mountains and Seas and the Book of Fengchan?"
Li Shimin's eyes flashed with passion, he nodded and said, "Yes, sir, have you heard of it?"
"The legend about the Three Fairy Islands has been circulating for a long time. Emperor Qin and Han Dynasty sent people to search for it, and the common people have naturally heard of it. But the common people overseas have never heard of the legend about the Three Fairy Islands." Zhang Zhongjian said calmly.
He did not lie to Li Shimin. He had been overseas for so long and had also searched for the three legendary fairy islands.
But there are no rumors about the three fairy islands overseas.
The so-called fairy island is actually a mirage. The ancients did not understand this phenomenon, so they mythologized it and regarded it as a fairy island.
Zhang Zhongjian has seen mirages twice during his more than ten years overseas.
When Zhang Zhongjian saw the mirage for the first time, he really thought that the legends about Penglai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang Islands were true.
But the second island where the mirage appeared was an island he had visited before.
Although he didn't understand the principle, it made him understand that the so-called fairy island did not exist.
Li Shimin looked carefully at Zhang Zhongjian's expression and found nothing unusual.
Does the so-called fairy island really not exist? Li Shimin sighed inwardly.
Li Shimin was a very calm person. He had searched for so many emperors but could not find them. He naturally thought that those rumors were false.
But he still had a sense of luck in his heart.
Li Shimin's mentality was also the mentality of those emperors who pursued immortality in history.
The so-called immortality has never been achieved by anyone. With so many emperors learning from the past, why are there still so many emperors pursuing immortality one after another?
When a person has power, strength, financial status, and everything he has, no one will want to lose it, let alone those emperors who have the world and are rich all over the world.
"I wonder if you, sir, would like to serve as an official in the court?" Li Shimin was not a mortal after all. He quickly calmed down and did not continue to talk about this issue.
Zhang Zhongjian shook his head and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty. The common people are used to idleness and wild cranes. Now that they are old, they no longer have any utilitarianism."
Li Shimin had recruited him before, but he didn't even agree, and it was even less likely that he would agree now.
Unless Li Shimin surrenders the world to him, this is naturally impossible.
"Since you don't want to, sir, I can't force you. Where will you go from here?" Li Shimin just mentioned it casually. He had no hope in the first place, so naturally he couldn't be disappointed.
Zhang Zhongjian said: "Your Majesty, the common people feel that they are getting old. They are coming back this time to visit Li Jing and his wife. After a while, the common people will leave overseas again and will never set foot in China again in this life."
"Sir, your ambition is overseas. This may be the last time I see you. I hope you will take care of yourself," Li Shimin said.
Zhang Zhongjian cupped his fists and said, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty. The common people will leave."
Li Shimin looked at Zhang Zhongjian's leaving figure and fell into deep thought.
Now it seems that Lin Xuan did not lie to him.
If Zhang Zhongjian can teach a talent like Lin Xuan, he must be more capable.
But he knew that people like Zhang Zhongjian were determined and once decided, it was difficult to change.
Fortunately, Zhang Zhongjian did not intend to stay in China, otherwise Li Shimin would definitely not allow such a person with super abilities but no control over him to exist.
…
Li Chengqian was a little surprised that Li Tai invited him to race horses.
The Li family has some Xianbei ancestry, and the Tang Dynasty established the country by force and soon conquered the world, so they did not neglect to teach the princes martial arts and riding skills.
Horse racing is a very common thing for Xungui.
However, because Li Tai was obese, he could not ride a horse at all and had never held a horse race.
Now that a horse race was suddenly organized and he was invited, it had to make him feel strange.
Li Chengqian frowned slightly, wondering whether he should attend or not.
Lin Xuan once told him not to ride a horse. Although he didn't know Lin Xuan's intention, he remembered it in his heart.
But if he didn't go, he could think that Li Tai would definitely come to Li Shimin and say bad things about him.
Li Shimin always hoped that their brothers would be harmonious. Li Tai invited him to participate in the Jockey Club. If he didn't go, would Li Shimin think that he was petty?
For a moment, Li Chengqian was hesitant.
…
Lin Xuan has been at the college these days, teaching Arabic numerals to the college teachers.
Mathematics textbooks have been printed, but he can't teach arithmetic to the entire college by himself.
Lin Xuan was very surprised when he heard that Li Chengqian had summoned him.
I just met Li Chengqian a few days ago, and nothing major happened these days. Why did Li Chengqian suddenly come to see him?