For Yan Liben, the first thing that naturally drew his attention was the painting hailed as a national treasure, Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
Though he only caught a fleeting glimpse, Yan Liben still grasped its defining qualities with precision.
The scroll was extraordinarily long, its scope vast. Prosperity and bustle leapt vividly from the paper. The figures were exquisitely rendered, the scenery balanced and harmonious, with every detail accounted for.
It was precisely because of this that Yan Liben immediately understood why the work was revered as a national treasure.
Then a second thought surfaced.
Why not create a similar painting, one that captured the lives of Tang Chang'an's common people and passed it down to later generations?
After all, when it came to painting figures, no one in the Tang could rival him. As for palaces and warded markets, he could always seek assistance from his elder brother.
If that was the case, why not create a national treasure for the Tang?
As his thoughts drifted further, Yan Liben could not help but imagine the future described by later generations. They, these ministers of the present, would bear witness to the rising brilliance of the Zhenguan Tang.
The present age lacked the miraculous techniques of later times, those that could capture people and scenery upon a glowing screen.
Then let it fall to him, Yan Liben.
He would journey west to the edge of the world, gaze east toward the sea, travel north into the desert, and tread the lands of Jiaozhou. He would see the might of the Great Tang with his own eyes and paint the realm with his own hand.
...
Inside the inner hall, Zhao Guangyi could only be described as shaken to his core.
Strange thoughts had crossed his mind before, and he had sensed something amiss in the harsh judgments of Emperor Zhenzong. Even so, he had never imagined matters would be this severe.
Reckless issuance of paper money that stripped the people of their wealth. Repeated defeats in foreign wars that split the realm and forced a southern flight. Imperial consorts and princesses humiliated at the hands of invaders.
Recalling now the phrase "relying on virtue rather than terrain," Zhao Guangyi could not help but feel his face grow warm.
But when he turned to look at Zhao Pu and his elder brother, one calmly holding a booklet and writing away, the other seemingly lost in thought without a word, Zhao Guangyi suddenly felt that he himself was still too young.
If even his brother and the elder statesmen said nothing, what idle worry was he stirring up?
With his guilt fading, Zhao Guangyi's thoughts quickly became lively again.
He glanced at the trembling young eunuchs behind him and felt a hint of regret. His brother had summoned this talented calligrapher too late. Otherwise, with a little maneuvering, he might have obtained the written records and learned what the light screen had previously said.
As for now…
"Just who are these Western Xia bandits, daring to proclaim themselves rulers without respecting my brother?"
Zhao Kuangyin glanced at him and replied slowly,
"Most likely the Li clan that controls Xia Prefecture."
Zhao Guangyi was startled, and a trace of barely perceptible delight flashed through his mind.
"The Dingnan Army?"
He was no stranger to it. During the mid Tang, the Dangxiang people were settled in Xia Prefecture and granted the name Dingnan Army, governing five prefectures including Yin, Xia, Sui, You, and Jing. Later, Li Sigong steadily rose to power, passing the military governorship down within his family.
After the fall of the Tang, the Dingnan Army remained a force that could not be ignored. But the current military governor, Li Yiyin, was already a Grand Commandant of the Song, ranked among the Three Excellencies and obedient to his brother's authority.
Yet now it seemed Li Yiyin might harbor other ambitions.
Zhao Kuangyin said nothing, only observing his brother's expression from the corner of his eye.
...
In Han-era Chang'an, Kongming felt both astonishment and lament.
""It was a pity Liu Zichu was not present to see this."
The gold notes produced back in Chengdu had all been designed by Kongming and Liu Ba after careful and meticulous deliberation, drawing on scattered hints from later generations.
They had imagined the dangers of excessive paper currency, but never had those dangers been laid out so starkly as they were now.
Once the written summary arrived, it would naturally be sent to Liu Ba for his reading.
But Kongming could already picture Liu Zichu's dejected expression upon seeing it.
Pang Tong, meanwhile, grinning broadly, shoved paper and brush into Lu Su's hands.
"Since we have finished reading, Zijing, please inscribe a few words."
Lu Su glanced around curiously. Seeing not only Pang Tong but also Lord Xuande, Zhang Fei, and the others looking at him with eager expressions, he suddenly felt put on the spot.
"What words should I write?"
Zhang Fei immediately shouted,
"Obviously something like 'Eight hundred tiger guards cross the river, one hundred thousand…'"
Liu Bei leapt up at once and clamped a hand over his third brother's mouth, laughing awkwardly.
"What do you think of 'To beget a son, one should be like Sun Zhongmou,' Zijing?"
Kongming shook his head at once. My lord, you too…
Lu Su was taken aback. He had no idea why everyone had suddenly become so enthusiastic. Faintly, he even caught phrases like "Child of the Sun cannot surpass Hefei" and "King of Wu loyal to Great Wei," a jumble of nonsense that left him bewildered.
In the end, Kongming stepped forward to restore order.
"Please have Zijing write the four characters 'Mighty Grace Spreads Far,' and add your signature and seal."
Since it was Kongming's request, Lu Su nodded without hesitation.
The phrase referred broadly to punishment and reward, a concept Lu Su knew well.
"Mighty" meant broad and far-reaching. Together, the four characters conveyed fairness and impartiality in rewards and penalties, a fitting inscription.
Yet as he wrote, Lu Su grew increasingly surprised. He had already noticed that the paper made in Yizhou was exceptional. The sheet used now was even finer than anything he had previously seen.
Though he found it astonishing that so many unheard-of things existed under Lord Xuande's banner, when he thought of the glowing screen before them, it no longer seemed so strange.
After a short while, once the inscription was complete, Lu Su watched as Kongming carefully placed the calligraphy on an empty low table beneath the light screen.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the characters Lu Su had just written vanished.
Though filled with amazement, Lu Su noticed Pang Tong's barely concealed anticipation and guessed there would likely be more to come. He waited quietly.
Still, one could not simply wait in silence. Recalling Pang Tong's brief explanation that the Cao clan would ultimately usurp power, only to be usurped in turn by the Sima clan, Lu Su's curiosity was stirred.
"Cao thief followed Wang Mang's old path. How do later generations view such a man?"
The question left everyone scratching their heads. Zhang Fei, however, reacted quickly. He scribbled a note and tossed it straight into the light screen.
"Why not just ask?"
Before anyone could stop him, Zhang Fei was already laughing delightedly.
He had wanted to do this for a long time.
When they looked up again, words floated across the screen that had just finished playing.
[Zhang Fei: Erfeng, Lu Zijing wishes to know. Can Cao Cao be called a hero?
The phrasing left the hall momentarily speechless. Liu Bei, however, quietly felt his heart lift. He, too, was curious about the answer.
To everyone's surprise, another line appeared almost immediately.
[Li Shimin: Wei Wu was full of cunning. I deeply despise his character. As for commanding armies, though he possessed the wisdom of a single general, he lacked the capacity of a true sovereign.]
His character…
The weight in Liu Bei's heart eased slightly. Soon after, he felt he had worried too much. From the Tang emperor's perspective, considering his own military achievements, this evaluation was entirely fair.
Seeing that no one was paying him any attention, Zhang Fei tore off another strip of paper.
[Zhang Fei: Then how is my elder brother at commanding armies?
Li Shimin: Hahaha.]
Liu Bei's face immediately flushed.
"Yide!"
He then issued an order.
"Mengqi, confiscate Yide's paper and brush. Forbid him from touching them again."
Zhang Fei muttered under his breath in protest.
"I just think big brother can be called a hero too."
...
In the Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin gazed thoughtfully at the light screen as it brightened once more after the broadcast ended.
He thought that during these idle waiting moments in the future, he might very well imitate this Zhang Fei and exchange a few words with the Marquis of Wu.
When Li Jing returned victorious, he would surely find it most interesting.