Chapter 0007: A Great Fear

Li Yuan did become emperor, but why was it that after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, it was Li Jiancheng who ascended the throne instead of Li Shimin, who had killed his elder brother and younger brother?

Moreover, this governor of mine cannot be considered strong or powerful; if anything, he can barely be classified as an average one, leaning towards the lower end of the spectrum.

In this estate, the other individuals do not dare to manage this young master, or at least do not dare to manage him excessively. Even if Li Ze cannot surpass Ming Lu, he is still the master; as long as Li Anguo is alive for a single day, they do not dare to show the slightest defiance towards this young master

What about the Zhou Xing of the group? And the cruel official Lai Junchen, who got himself involved with the group, is naturally also absent

At the same time, they also fell into a deep state of anxiety

No one believes that an eight-year-old child can recognize many characters, even with a teacher to guide him. Li Anguo never expected this child to amount to anything. The teacher he hired was certainly not a renowned scholar, but rather a failed scholar from the countryside, who was completely unaware of the family's background. Teaching Li Ze was merely a means to earn a living, and thus he did not take it seriously. Li Anguo never expected this child to amount to anything. The teacher he hired was certainly not a renowned scholar, but rather a failed scholar from the countryside, who was completely unaware of the family's background. Teaching Li Ze was merely a means to earn a living, and thus he did not take it seriously.

This sent chills down his spine

At that time, it was the most chaotic period in the history of Chinese civilization. Having a gun meant being a king of the grass, and chaos was the most typical characteristic of that era. In this corrupt and bloody time, human life was as insignificant as grass. Perhaps today you are still a lofty nobleman, but tomorrow you could fall to become a despised prisoner.

From the current situation, the history of this space-time seems to overlap with the history of the space-time that Li Ze experienced previously

What about the exceptionally talented Shangguan Wan'er

Where did the only female emperor in Chinese history, Wu Zetian, go

At present, it seems that this is the situation

Such a discovery plunged Li Ze into deep concern

The Great Tang, this is the Great Tang. Upon first discovering that the dynasty he was in was actually the Great Tang, Li Ze was overjoyed, as the Han and Tang dynasties are considered the most brilliant eras in the history of China. However, as he traced back through the years, he became completely confused.

The emergence of powerful military governors indeed suppressed resistance to a certain extent, but it was precisely the rise of these military governors that accelerated the decline of this vast dynasty

Although history has always been written by the victors, and history books often contain various exaggerations and empty rhetoric, overall, the context is generally clear

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, is no more, and thus the Guifei hanging on the branches of the southeast at Mawei Slope is also gone. The phrase "the plump and the slender" seems to have lost its relevance in later generations. Expressions such as "a glance and a smile give rise to a hundred charms," "the beauty of the six palaces pales in comparison," and "in heaven, I wish to be a pair of winged birds; on earth, I wish to be intertwined branches"—as well as timeless couplets like "the heavens and earth may one day come to an end, yet this sorrow endures without cease"—are now nowhere to be found.

Shouldn't the period before the Tang Dynasty be the Sui Dynasty? Where did the Sui Dynasty go? The tyrant Emperor Yang of Sui, who has been criticized for thousands of years, didn't even have a chance to make an appearance. Surprisingly, before the Sui, there was the Liang Dynasty; what kind of nonsense is that?

The current emperor of the Tang Dynasty is named Li Yan, with the era name of Kaiping. He is a young sovereign, of an age similar to his own. Judging from the era name, this young sovereign does not seem to aspire to achieve great things. However, given the current circumstances, Li Ze does not believe he has the power to turn the tide.

Li Ze naturally did not care about this absent-minded teacher. However, one needed Li Ze to make a living, while the other required someone to act as a cover for him, so they continued to deceive each other for several years. It was not until Li Ze turned eleven that he felt he no longer needed such a person to embellish his facade, and thus he devised a way to have this pretentious scholar expelled.

Setting aside these matters, the Tang Dynasty remained powerful for several hundred years; however, it seems that the current situation is not very promising. The history of this world has diverged significantly from the history that Li Ze is familiar with, yet it appears that there is a certain inevitability to it all. When they reach the end, they seem to return to a similar trajectory.

Historically, for a dynasty to maintain its strength and ensure its dominance over local regions, it is essential to have a strong trunk and weak branches. When the situation arises where the branches are strong and the trunk is weak, that dynasty has essentially begun to dig its own grave.

It seems that his father, Li Anguo, is just one of the many military governors. More than ten years ago, he was merely a general, but by the time Li Ze turned fourteen, his father had already worked his way up to the position of a military governor, existing in his own territory much like an emperor.

Is it not the most awkward position to be in, whether to go up or down

After finishing the history, he once again sought out those records of mountains and rivers, travelogues, or local chronicles to peruse. By examining these, he aimed to find a way out for himself, so that in the future, if he needed to flee, he could be more familiar with the geographical conditions. However, upon looking at them, he was once again rendered speechless. Is this still the Earth? Why can he not find any trace of those iconic mountains and rivers he was familiar with? Instead, he is confronted with an entirely different geographical landscape.

Why has such a situation arisen? Historians of later generations have provided an answer. The once-mighty Tang Empire was too powerful, too advanced; it was an empire sprawling over tens of thousands of miles, rich in resources, with transportation connecting the world, thriving industries, a gathering of cultures, and a blend of ethnicities. It was an empire engaged in trade and maritime activities with neighboring and distant lands, an empire whose civil governance and military prowess surpassed that of the Eurasian continent. Once it collapsed, the enormous power vacuum it left behind could not be filled by anyone in a short period of time. New leaders would inevitably emerge only after years of struggle and tempering during this prolonged chaotic era, until a new sovereign appeared to unify the world and recreate the universe. Only then could everything return to the correct path.

It is unclear what psychological factors are at play, but Wang Fu-ren hardly pays any attention to this son of hers. According to Li Ze's later thoughts, it is likely because this son is not what she desired, or perhaps seeing him reminds her of the tragic fate of her own family. Yet, he is ultimately the child she carried for ten months, and to truly abandon him would evoke a slight sense of reluctance. This represents an extremely contradictory mindset, but from Li Ze's perspective, he still expresses understanding.

Although the space-time is different, and history has long been in disarray, the current Tang Empire is gradually sliding towards the chaotic era that Li Ze is familiar with

In a grand dream, Li Ze felt exceptionally spirited, with no trace of drowsiness remaining. With his hands clasped behind his head, his thoughts were completely immersed in the memories of these past years

From the age of 8 to 11, Li Ze spent a full three years finally understanding what kind of world this is

It is regrettable that, based on my own research, that dark and bloody era is ultimately inevitable. My own good days are certainly not guaranteed; do not be deceived by the fact that my cheap father is a military governor. How many military governors met untimely deaths during that dark period of the past? And how many individuals even more powerful than military governors did not die a good death?

Between the Tang and Song dynasties, the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was marked by chaos and fragmentation, a time when the social order was disrupted and various industries declined. The feudal empire of China, which had been inherited for thousands of years, lost its direction during this period. Moral civilization virtually disappeared, giving way to a survival of the fittest mentality, where the struggle for power and profit prevailed, and the might of one's fist determined the validity of one's claims

A vast empire is in decline, sliding uncontrollably towards the abyss of collapse. The specific manifestations include internal banditry arising and external alien tribes stirring restlessly. In order to suppress these destabilizing factors and ensure the stability of the central court, regional governors are beginning to emerge one after another

This left Li Ze feeling very perplexed

If everything were to truly develop according to Li Ze's conjecture, he certainly does not believe he would have a bright future. Although being a small landowner in the countryside is not considered a promising prospect, at least one could live leisurely, without worries about food and clothing, possessing a considerable family fortune, and having a family background that, while awkward, still holds some weight. If it were a time of peace, living as a rice weevil, with everything handed to him, would be quite wonderful. Wasn't this the life he had longed for in his previous life?

This is to be attributed to his father, whom he has hardly seen. Although he has hidden them, mother and child, in this remote village, everything that should be present is here. It is not only material enjoyment but also a considerable amount of spiritual enrichment: a large room full of books

The books he reads in the study are primarily historical texts

Madam Wang, the mother of Li Ze, hails from a prestigious literary family. These books are likely prepared for Madam Wang, encompassing a wide range of subjects, from poetry and prose to Confucian classics, from historical anecdotes to tales of the mountains and the strange.

After three years, he finally fully mastered this body, and after another three years, he gained a relatively in-depth understanding of this place he had come to.

Perhaps General Li Anguo intended for these books to help Madame Wang alleviate her loneliness, but ultimately, these items became a window for Li Ze to understand this world

Thus, from the age of eight, Li Ze began to delve into this vast study.

However, upon seeing this, Li Ze was completely bewildered