Chapter 10: A Broader Perspective Unfolds

Chapter 10: Expanding Horizons

“Of course it’s true,” Li Qing affirmed confidently. “This explanation is more or less accurate. The theory that the Earth is a sphere has been systematically verified by science.”

To make the explanation more vivid, Li Qing spent ten emotional points to activate a holographic projection system, conjuring a glowing blue Earth before Li Shimin’s eyes.

“This…” Li Shimin pointed at the Earth in astonishment, unable to conceal his shock. “What kind of magic is this? How did it suddenly appear…”

He reached out to touch the glowing globe but found his hand passed straight through its surface, touching nothing.

“This is a hologram, Brother Li,” Li Qing smiled and gently pressed Li Shimin’s arm, explaining, “You can think of it as an image, like a mirage, created just to give you a clearer understanding.”

With a snap of his fingers, the Earth began to spin rapidly.

“Our Earth has two poles, the South Pole and the North Pole. The Earth rotates around the axis running between these poles, completing one rotation every twelve hours.”

Li Qing waved his hand, and the holographic image shifted to show the entire solar system.

“The Earth's rotation means that one half faces the sun while the other half faces away, creating day and night… each full rotation marks one cycle of day and night.”

Li Shimin gazed dreamily at the solar system before him, his eyes filled with wonder.

No one could resist the mysteries of the cosmos, not even an emperor.

At this point, Li Qing finally got to the main topic. He grasped at the solar system hologram, which instantly shifted back to Earth. Pointing to Europe, he said, “Nine hundred years from now, the Holy Roman Empire in this land will be ruled by an emperor named Charles V, whose territory spans Europe, Africa, and parts of the Americas—crossing two and a half hemispheres.

“He once boasted that ‘the sun never sets on my empire,’ which is how the first ‘empire on which the sun never sets’ came to be in human history.”

“An empire on which the sun never sets? An empire on which the sun never sets…” Li Shimin muttered, staring at the Earth with burning desire.

If the Westerners could do it, why couldn’t I, Li Shimin?

“The second and final empire on which the sun never sets was the British Empire, twelve hundred years later. At its peak, it spanned thirty-five and a half million square kilometers, the largest territory in history,” Li Qing said, shading the British Empire in blue.

“What about the Tang Dynasty then?” Li Shimin frowned.

“The Tang Dynasty fell…” Li Qing sympathized, patting Li Shimin’s shoulder gently. “The Tang had twenty-one emperors and lasted two hundred and eighty-nine years.”

“What? Only two hundred and eighty-nine years?” Li Shimin asked incredulously.

Li Qing comforted him, “Actually, the Tang Dynasty was quite remarkable. Among unified empires, look at Qin and then the Sui… Compared to the Han dynasties, we might have fallen short, but we were still better than those two failures. The last Han unified empire actually lasted even shorter than the Tang.”

As he spoke, Li Qing rotated the Earth model back to the Tang Dynasty, coloring the territory from the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era in red. “Let’s talk about land area. The Tang is gone, but let me give you a comparison with the Tang at its height. Around the eleventh year of Zhenguan, its territory was about five million square kilometers, and it reached its peak under Emperor Gaozong in the second year of Zongzhang, about twelve million three hundred seventy thousand square kilometers.”

“My wise brother!” Li Shimin suddenly looked up, grasping Li Qing’s arms tightly, his tone begging like a seasoned traveler pleading for guidance. “You must help me—help my Tang Dynasty become an empire on which the sun never sets!”

“How can we settle for an empire on which the sun never sets?” Li Qing said disdainfully. “Can’t we broaden our horizons? We need to think long-term. Our goal should be that there is only one Tang Dynasty in the world!”

“There should be only one Tang Dynasty in the world?” Li Shimin pondered the phrase, his eyes instantly sparkling. “Excellent! Wise brother, only one Tang Dynasty in the world! A true man living in this world should wield a sword three feet long and achieve unmatched glory. Before, my vision was limited to the Tang’s borders, far too narrow. Your words today have opened my eyes like the sun breaking through clouds. Tonight, wise brother, sleep beside me; let us talk deeply.”

Li Qing: ?

“You’re not sleeping with Wu Meiniang, but with me?” Li Qing made a face of polite refusal, waving his hand to cancel the hologram. “Don’t be like this, Brother Li. My orientation is normal. You should find me a place to live instead…”

“Nonsense, I don’t like men,” Li Shimin immediately denied.

Li Qing sized him up and shook his head, “Hard to say. Your son is a bit… unusual.”

“My son is unusual?” Li Shimin frowned. Instinctively, he didn’t believe it. But since it came from Li Qing, he had to consider it. After thinking for a while, he cautiously asked, “Could it be Prince Qi, Li You?”

“No, Li You’s oddness is intelligence-related.”

“Could it be Prince Shu, Li Yin?”

“No, Li Yin’s problem is his character.” Li Qing glanced at Li Shimin with a hint of sympathy. He had to admit, among Li Shimin’s sons, the rate of ‘worms and insects’ was quite high—almost comparable to Zhu Yuanzhang.

“Enough, Brother Li, stop the elimination process,” Li Qing said as he saw Li Shimin still guessing. “It’s your eldest son, Li Chengqian.”

“Chengqian? Impossible, absolutely impossible!” Li Shimin waved his hand to reject the claim. “Chengqian has a son; there’s no way he’d be what you say…”

“You mean his son Li Xiang?” Li Qing began to reveal the spoiler. “Next year, Crown Princess Su will bear Li Chengqian’s legitimate son, named Li Jue, but that doesn’t stop him from indulging in other pleasures. If you don’t believe me, check the records of the Ministry of Rites—there’s a music boy named Chengxin, said to be handsome and skilled in singing and dancing, more womanly than women… Perhaps Chengqian had a thing for pretty boys.”

“There’s a story that this boy was discovered by Prince Han, Li Yuanchang, and given to Chengqian. The two were inseparable and unusually close. When you found out, you were furious and ordered Chengxin’s execution.

“Because he missed Chengxin, Chengqian built a small room in the Eastern Palace, placed a statue of Chengxin inside, worshipped it morning and night, wandering and weeping in the chamber. Later, he even built a small tomb in the palace gardens, erected a stone stele, and secretly bestowed official titles on Chengxin.”

After telling the anecdote about Li Chengqian, Li Qing looked up, meeting Li Shimin’s bloodshot eyes.

The prompt sound of gaining emotional points buzzed incessantly. Li Qing guessed that if he hadn’t given Li Shimin some medicine, the emperor might have already fainted from anger.

(End of chapter)