Chapter 482: Mount Tai Fengshan?

Upon hearing his words, Li Shimin seemed to have his attention drawn, and finally shifted his gaze over.

"What? You want to take away a few people?"

Chen Yan sneered, "I always feel that if I return to Chang'an, you would surely squeeze me hard; having a few familiar people under my command would make handling affairs a bit easier."

Li Shimin: "......"

He laughed in irritation, "What do you mean I want to squeeze you hard? I gave you a high official post and power—does that count as squeezing?"

"If that's called squeezing, then presumably everyone in the Tang Dynasty would want to be squeezed by me!"

Chen Yan hesitated, then clasped his hands and said, "His Majesty, as you know, I don't have such grand ambitions; high offices and power are, to me, less important than spending more time with family, teaching a few younger sisters, and occasionally lying down to rest with Gao Yang and Li Zhi as before, basking in the sun."

"Such a life already satisfies me enough."

"You......" Li Shimin was truly like iron that wouldn't become steel.

Chen Yan had this thought; he had known it long ago, after all Chen Yan never hid it and had repeatedly mentioned it to him plainly.

If it were an ordinary son‑in‑law, Li Shimin would have just gone along with him.

But since the person is Chen Yan, how could Li Shimin let such talent run off to enjoy himself all day?

Look, look—after Chen Yan entered his sight, how much has the Tang Dynasty changed?

It could be said to be earth‑shaking; the prosperous age is no longer a distant, unattainable dream.

Li Shimin originally thought that by granting Chen Yan power and letting him enjoy the scenery of authority, it would change him a bit.

He never expected that, even now, it would still be like this.

"You!" Li Shimin pointed at him, "What good can I say about you?"

Seeing that Li Shimin had misunderstood his meaning, Chen Yan hurriedly said, "His Majesty, I am not refusing to return to Chang'an for a post; it's just that I am habitually lazy. I hope you can give me a few more people to assist me, and grant me some free time to spend with my family."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's expression finally softened, "You speak as if I were some kind of slave‑owner. Look at Ke Ming—none of them fail to complete their assigned duties, right? Would I be so unreasonable as to deprive you of any time to be with your family?"

"Fine, I won't compare with you; I grant your request."

"Take Du Gou, Fang Yizhi, and Ma Zhou with you; I will make the arrangements later."

"Since you're leaving anyway, I reckon Ke Ming and the others won't keep Du Gou around; the remaining few should be enough to handle the current situation in Weinan County."

Chen Yan inwardly sneered, "If I hadn't brought it up, they might really treat me like a beast of burden."

"Then thank you, Your Majesty," Chen Yan said happily, without pretence—he was truly pleased.

Now that there's a guarantee, even returning to Chang'an is not unacceptable.

Li Shimin waved impatiently, and kept his eyes on the servant digging potatoes.

As each potato was unearthed, the surprise in his eyes grew more and more.

At this moment, Empress Changsun glanced at Chen Yan unintentionally, feeling both helpless and somewhat gratified.

The helplessness was that Chen Yan could have told her directly, letting her discuss privately with Li Shimin; there was no need for him to speak to Li Shimin face‑to‑face.

Because what Chen Yan said to Li Shimin might provoke Li Shimin's stubbornness, making him harder to deal with later.

Later I'll assign you more state affairs; see how you handle it.

"By the way, last time you mentioned cooperating with the aristocratic families—how's that going now?" Li Shimin asked suddenly.

"That..." Chen Yan thought for a moment, "Since we reached a preliminary understanding in Chang'an, the aristocratic families haven't approached me again."

"I think they've been hurriedly gathering detailed information across Weinan County, so that when formal cooperation begins, they can swiftly seize what I hold or uncover my secrets."

"I estimate... within at most half a month, they'll send someone to my door."

Saying so, Chen Yan shrugged, "It's just a trial; if it yields a pleasant surprise, fine, if not, there's no loss. I'm not in a hurry."

"Hmm, you're right; no need to rush," Li Shimin said lightly. "Given the current situation, they should be the ones in a hurry. Since the Imperial Examination news was released early this year, countless students have already returned home to prepare for the county exams."

"During this period, your library has contributed greatly; I believe this year's Imperial Examination will likely see some humble‑origin youths emerge."

"Thus, it will be a good start; as long as your library remains standing, more humble youths will appear in the future."

"When that time comes, those aristocratic families will lose their greatest advantage!"

Chen Yan said, "Speaking of that, I was just about to discuss it with you. With many students returning home, whether they pass or fail, they'll certainly come back here."

"One library is ultimately insufficient; I think we could reopen libraries in Chang'an City, and build two of them. What do you think?"

Li Shimin was a bit puzzled, "Why tell me this? The library is yours; I can't control it. Open it if you wish. It's a good thing, and I won't stop you."

Empress Changsun, listening beside them for a while, couldn't help but place her hand on her forehead upon hearing her husband's words, "His Majesty, I think Zi An means that you now lack neither money nor resources; you possess movable‑type printing technology and abundant books—this is a good opportunity to earn fame and win the people's hearts."

Li Shimin only then realized and exclaimed in surprise, "You want me to open a library?"

Chen Yan nodded, "A Royal Library, or a Royal Book Hall—how does that name sound to you?"

One library has already earned him enough reputation; it's time for Li Shimin to taste some of the sweetness.

He can't always turn to him when problems arise, move to the palace when danger looms, and think of him when faced with tricky matters.

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then said with some emotion, "Sometimes I feel quite lucky; it's fortunate I'm not too old, otherwise I would have to hand you over to Cheng Qian with regret."

"Your words are heavy, Your Majesty," Chen Yan smiled modestly, "It's not just Weinan County; the Tang Dynasty is also on the fast‑development track."

"Your Majesty, are you ready to usher in a prosperous era and lead us to Mount Tai Fengshan?"

Mentioning this, Li Shimin's blood boiled and his spirit rose, "In the past, a minister once suggested I go to Mount Tai Fengshan, and I refused!"

"It's not that I didn't want to go; at that time I felt I lacked the qualification!"

"But I am always prepared!"

"......"