Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian, and though he didn't speak, his eyes were filled with satisfaction.
Especially the four words "Inner Sage, Outer King" were completely in line with his own thoughts!
This was indeed the successor he had chosen!
Kong Yingda didn't know how to refute.
Even the sage didn't understand the art of having enough to eat and wear!
Not to mention those ingenious crafts of manufacturing firearms and cannons.
Another person behind him, feeling unconvinced, stepped forward.
"May I ask Your Highness the Crown Prince, there is still one question you haven't answered."
"Regarding the fall of the Han Dynasty, you said you had a different perspective, and this official would like to hear it."
Hahahaha!
Fang Er, who was sitting and smoking, suddenly stood up and stopped Li Chengqian, who was about to speak.
"Let this matter rest for now. I see the sky outside has changed, and it looks like it will rain soon."
"Why don't we go and see how the lightning attraction works first?"
Kong Yingda, thinking he was helping Li Chengqian out of a difficult situation, refused to back down.
"This old man wants to hear the Crown Prince's high opinion first! It's not too late to go after that!"
How could he know that Fang Er wasn't trying to help Li Chengqian, but was trying to save him some face?
Seeing his lack of tact, Fang Er sat back down.
A mocking smile played on his lips.
"Heh, you little brat, I offered you face, but you didn't take it. Then don't blame my disciple for making you speechless."
Li Chengqian bowed to Li Shimin again.
"Father, please forgive me!"
With that, he stood up and looked at Kong Yingda.
"The fall of the Han Dynasty, attributing it entirely to the struggles between the imperial relatives and the eunuchs, might not be entirely fair!"
"The Han was founded by Daoism and Legalism, but after banning all schools of thought except Confucianism, Wang Mang usurped the throne."
"May I ask, Mr. Kong, what books did Wang Mang, the Emperor of the Xin Dynasty, read?"
Fang Er listened and secretly praised him.
Li Shimin's mouth twitched. His son was going to completely offend the Confucian scholars!
It seemed like he would have to do some work!
He wasn't afraid of his son causing trouble, but he was afraid that if something happened to him, Li Chengqian would be at the mercy of others.
Now, it seemed, that worry was unnecessary!
Kong Yingda felt a surge of frustration after hearing Li Chengqian's words.
*Poof~!*
Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood!
"Why?"
"It is because the Xin Dynasty was a dynasty established by Confucianism!"
"Wang Mang was a disciple of Confucianism!"
"After replacing the Han Dynasty and establishing the Xin Dynasty, it vanished in only fifteen years!"
This was simply a resounding slap in the face for Confucianism!
Not only Kong Yingda, but the other old Confucian scholars also looked ashen.
Their original intention was to take Li Chengqian back, impart Confucian classics to him, and earn the title of Imperial Tutor.
In this way, Confucianism could be further promoted and glorified.
Who would have thought that it would turn into lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet!
Now, let alone becoming the Imperial Tutor, even the reputation of Confucianism was at stake!
Kong Yingda still wanted to make a final struggle.
"Lightning attraction! I don't believe it!"
"If you, the Marquis of Liaodong, cannot attract the divine lightning, then all of this is futile! It means that what you teach is heresy and deception!"
"Now, this old man will wait under the iron frame!"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince! This official will wait for you at the Eastern Palace tomorrow!"
With that, he rushed out of the study and headed towards the iron frame outside for attracting lightning.
Fang Er was stunned.
"Is this guy really going?"
Although the man was a bit pedantic and sought fame and fortune, he was still a master of his generation.
What if he got struck by lightning? Wouldn't that be too much of a waste?
He quickly rushed out and grabbed Kong Yingda.
"Mr. Kong, I was just joking earlier. You don't have to risk your life."
"How about I have a cow tied up and substituted for you?"
Kong Yingda glanced at him and snorted coldly.
"Hmph! I stand by my word! Let's wait and see!"
Fang Er was enraged. Damn it, what a lack of gratitude!
He glanced at the dark clouds already gathering in the sky.
He shouted to Huang Sheng, who was by the iron frame.
"Huang Sheng! Tie this old fellow up for me! Get a cow and tie it to the iron frame, quickly!"
Kong Yingda was tied up securely, and a six-month-old calf was brought over and tied to the iron frame.
The students, seeing the dark clouds overhead, had already dispersed and were waiting from a distance to witness the lightning attraction.
The few old Confucian scholars, looking at the bound Kong Yingda, tried to help him untie himself, but were stopped by the Yan Yun cavalry.
Li Shimin walked out of the study, followed by his three sons.
The four of them walked along, talking about something.
Li Shimin felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him!
The Xuanwu Gate Incident was forever a thorn in his heart.
Now, seeing his three sons getting along so harmoniously made him extremely gratified.
He walked to Fang Er's side and pointed at Kong Yingda, asking.
"You're a bit excessive, aren't you?"
Fang Er pointed at the cow tied to the iron frame and said.
"Your Majesty, you'll understand when we have beef hot pot later."
Two quarters past the hour of Wei!
Suddenly, a chill set in, and a gust of wind began to blow.
The dark clouds in the sky gathered more and more.
Fang Er had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something.
But after thinking for a long time, he couldn't recall it.
In his helplessness, he decided to put it aside for now.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
Fang Er looked at Li Tai and asked.
"How far away is the place where the lightning struck from us?"
Li Shimin was stunned. The thunder hadn't reached them yet, and he could already calculate where the lightning struck?
Li Tai had already started counting in his mind when he saw the lightning.
1, 2, 3, 4,
He counted all the way to twenty before hearing the rumbling thunder.
Li Tai casually replied.
"Back to you, Mountain Chief, the lightning struck about 6,800 meters away from us. Judging by the direction and distance, it should be near the Ba River shipyard!"
Li Shimin was shocked!
Did his youngest son really calculate it?
What was the reason behind this?
Seemingly sensing his confusion, Li Tai voluntarily explained.
"Father, the Mountain Chief taught me that sound travels through the air at approximately 340 meters per second."
"One second can be understood as the time for one breath, and one meter is three feet long."
"The speed of light is too fast to be considered, so the time from seeing the lightning to hearing the thunder is the distance the sound needs to travel."
"With speed and time, it is easy to calculate the distance."
Li Shimin looked at Fang Er.
"Are these things you taught him?"
Fang Er nodded.
"Your Majesty, there are many things I teach. I must say, Qingque's learning talent is truly unparalleled!"
"Anything I explain to him once, he not only remembers but can also apply it."
Li Chengqian listened to Fang Er praising Li Tai, without any trace of jealousy.
Instead, he said to Li Shimin.
"Yes, Father, when Qingque learns things, Han Wang and I are far behind."
"Qingque said that in the future, he will build something that can fly into the sky, so that my brother and Father can go up together and see if there are immortals in the sky!"
Empress Zhangsun, who had been following Li Shimin and had remained silent, looked at her three children, her eyes filled with tears.
"Erlang, I always feel that the three children have grown up so much these past few days!"
"It seems the Marquis of Liaodong has indeed taken a lot of care of them."
Li Shimin nodded and cast a look of approval at Fang Er.
He remained silent, as if waiting for the lightning to strike.