Chapter 32: Extending an Invitation to the Kong Family

"Prince of Yue? Shall we return to the manor now?" Lu Anshou asked as Li Tai emerged.

"No, let’s go to Kong Yingda’s residence first," Li Tai replied calmly.

Lu Anshou hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. "Your Highness intends to visit the Kong residence?"

"Yes," Li Tai nodded. "I really must see him. This matter cannot be accomplished without the Kong family."

"Understood." Lu Anshou, ever discreet, waved his hand and signaled for the ox-cart driver to head toward the Kong residence.

In truth, the so-called "Seed Plan" was merely a ruse Li Tai had concocted to entice the noble families into providing his initial capital. Anyone who had ever done business knew that earning the first million was the hardest part; once that milestone was reached, everything else followed with ease. This was the essence of Li Tai’s Seed Plan: the noble families would provide the capital, and Li Tai would have the initial resources to trade books for books in the future.

Furthermore, Li Tai was not worried about running out of books. He had already devised a solution: before graduating from the academy, every student would be required to write a thesis summarizing their four years of study—whether it be a technical summary or an analysis of a specific crop. With six different subjects, Li Tai did not believe these students would leave empty-handed. Even those who graduated could stay on as instructors to continue their research and writing. Regardless, the content would be substantive and academic. If the students were diligent, simply compiling their daily experimental logs would easily result in a ten-thousand-word document. Li Tai imagined that if he could produce seven or eight hundred such volumes a year, the noble families would be eager to acquire them.

From a realistic perspective, while these books might initially circulate only within the Agricultural Academy, they would surely be opened to the public step-by-step. By the time the noble families eventually declined, perhaps anyone would be able to come and read them. As long as one put in the effort, the project was destined to succeed. It catered to the noble families' desire for preservation and survival; for Li Tai, it broadened the horizons of his students; and for the imperial court, it compelled the noble families to contribute more of their hidden knowledge.

However, the plan was not without its flaws, the main one being the existence of the Kong family. If the Kongs decided to lead such an initiative themselves, the other noble families would undoubtedly choose them over the Li Tang court. The reason was simple: "Noble families last for a thousand years, dynasties for a hundred." These families had histories spanning a millennium or two, whereas no dynasty had ever lasted a thousand years—not even three hundred. If the Kong family spearheaded this, Li Tai would be at a severe disadvantage.

Therefore, he had come to see Kong Yingda first. If he was there, all the better; if not, he would leave his calling card and schedule a formal discussion. The Kong family was the key.

Since it was a rest day, Kong Yingda was practicing calligraphy at home. He frowned slightly when a servant announced Li Tai’s arrival, but after a moment of thought, he opened the doors to receive the prince in the main hall.

"Greetings, Prince of Yue."
"Greetings, Baron Kong."
After the customary pleasantries, they took their seats.

Kong Yingda looked at Li Tai and asked, "I wonder what brings the Prince of Yue to my humble home today?"

"It is like this," Li Tai began. "Since the chaos of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the noble families have been scattered and struggled to survive. My uncle and I have been discussing how to ensure these families have a way to preserve their heritage. We intend to have portions of their family archives copied and stored at the Agricultural Academy. If a family should fall on hard times, their descendants need only come to the academy to reclaim their records. We call this the 'Seed Plan.' My Li family and the Zhangsun family have already donated two thousand volumes. I wanted to ask if the Kong family might be interested in joining. I came to your residence first after leaving the Zhangsun estate."

"Does the Prince of Yue wish for the Kong family to join?" Kong Yingda’s expression turned serious.

"If the Kong family is willing to join, that would naturally be best. But today, I have another request," Li Tai said, looking at him. "Since I proposed the Seed Plan, it would be inappropriate for me to oversee the verification of the donated books. I hope the Kong family will provide someone to act as supervisor, to confirm the count and the contents. In the future, if descendants need to make copies, it would be most appropriate for the imperial court, the Kong family, and the noble family itself to all hold a record. After all, the Confucian tradition has lasted a millennium; I believe only the Kong family could make such a role credible to all."

Kong Yingda hesitated. Truthfully, for the noble families that had survived the chaos of the Sui and were now in the Tang, the future was uncertain. With the Turks lurking, no one knew if the darkness of the past would return. Leaving a seed of their heritage in the name of the imperial court was a wise move. It did not require them to give up their originals, only to have them copied. For families accustomed to diversifying their investments, this was an offer they would not refuse. If the plan succeeded and the Kong family became the overseers, it would naturally cement their status. It aligned with their mission to spread Confucianism and their duty as scholars. Kong Yingda found it difficult to refuse.

Li Tai sat in silence, patiently waiting. He knew that the great scholars of the Han and Tang eras still held onto their principles. If the Kongs joined, the plan would move forward smoothly. More importantly, it would wash away the resentment caused by his earlier, careless remarks. If Kong Yingda disapproved, he at least wouldn't shamelessly try to copy the plan later. As long as the Kong family stayed out of it, Li Tai didn't care what other families did.

Kong Yingda looked at the composed prince and said, "Your Highness, this request is sudden. I am accustomed to deliberation. May I have some time to consider it?"

"That is perfectly fine," Li Tai replied humbly. "May I ask for a specific timeframe so I may return for your answer?"

"One month," Kong Yingda said. "I will give you an answer by then."

"Then I shall return in one month," Li Tai bowed respectfully.

Watching Li Tai depart, Kong Yingda stood in silence before calling for his second son, Kong Zhiyue.

"Father," the son said, bowing.

Kong Yingda spoke, "The Prince of Yue wishes to implement the Seed Plan to leave a path of survival for the noble families. I want you to pay close attention to his movements over the next month and summarize them."

"Father, we are a family of the Sage; how can a gentleman engage in such covert activities?" Kong Zhiyue asked indignantly.

"A gentleman is like a woman—the greatest fear is trusting the wrong person," Kong Yingda replied. "Do you know that if this plan proceeds, you will be dispatched to Li Tai’s side as the guardian of the noble families?"

"I shall keep a close watch on the Prince of Yue!" Kong Zhiyue promised firmly.

"Do not be too underhanded," Kong Yingda cautioned. "Maintain the dignity of the Kong family. I only wish to know if he is truly waiting for my answer or making other preparations."

"Father, I feel that since the prince succeeded in controlling the locusts, you no longer despise him as you once did," the son observed.

"Because he is actually doing things," Kong Yingda sighed. "And reflecting on his words—the Han dynasty was strong yet fell. As the keepers of Confucianism, we indeed bear an inescapable responsibility. If we cannot even admit that, how can our learning progress? As the Master said: 'In a group of three, there must be a teacher for me.' It is true indeed."

Li Tai, unaware of Kong Yingda’s reflections, felt that the delay was actually a good sign. He did not fear hesitation; he feared opposition. He knew that a family of such high standing would not resort to petty theft or copying his plan before giving their formal answer. Regardless of whether Kong Yingda agreed, he would wait until he had answered Li Tai before making a move. After all, Li Tai was a son of Li Shimin; no sane person would choose to offend him.

While Kong Yingda hesitated, Li Tai began visiting other families. He went to the "Five Surnames and Seven Clans" and the major families of the Guanzhong group—the Pei, Xue, Liu, Yang, Linghu, Du, and Xiao families. What started as a single visit soon became public knowledge throughout Chang'an.

No family, no matter how ancient, could guarantee their own survival forever. Seeing that Li Tai was offering a way out, the noble families began to cooperate. Those with large archives gave over a thousand volumes, others a hundred. Before long, Li Tai had collected over twenty thousand volumes, far exceeding his original goal of a small library. The construction workers had to expand the site to accommodate the massive influx of books.

Naturally, this movement caught the attention of Li Shimin, who summoned Li Tai to the palace.

Li Shimin held a memorial and said, "The censors have reported that you are forming factions and plotting something illicit!"

"Me? Forming factions?" Li Tai blinked. "Father, I am wronged! Since the locust plague, I haven't held any office in the court. What faction could I possibly be forming? Can these censors just say whatever they want without consequence?"

"Reporting on rumors is their duty," Li Shimin said. "If you hadn't caused such a stir in Chang'an, they wouldn't be attacking you! Look at you—every month since you left the manor, you’ve been reported. Do you know how many memorials I've suppressed for you?"

"Father, this really isn't my fault. The censors are just clutching at shadows!" Li Tai argued.

"You dare talk back?" Li Shimin slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming.

"Qingque dares not!" Li Tai instantly lowered his head and backed down.

"Tell me about this 'Seed Plan.' I hear you've been visiting the Zhangsun, Kong, Du, and other families to collect books. Do you really have ten thousand volumes?"

"Yes," Li Tai said. "I haven't counted precisely, but I believe it is nearly twenty thousand!"

"Twenty thousand?" Li Shimin was startled. "Truly?"

"I even received an original copy of Wang Xizhi’s 'Yellow Court Classic' from the Zheng family. I am too young to appreciate such a masterpiece, so I brought it for Father to enjoy. I only need a printed copy for the library," Li Tai said, respectfully offering the scroll.

"Ahem! Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy is exquisite... you are indeed still young and perhaps unable to fully appreciate it. It is only natural. I shall keep it for now," Li Shimin said, his voice softening as he carefully took the scroll.

"Now, tell me everything about this 'Seed Plan.' From the very beginning, every word."

"It all started when I wanted to build a library..." Li Tai recounted the entire story—how his request to the court was denied, leading him to create the Seed Plan to entice the noble families into contributing.

After listening, Li Shimin sighed, "So, this Seed Plan is just a front for your library at the Agricultural Academy. You are trying to 'borrow a chicken to lay eggs' again!"

Li Shimin realized that his son was truly a genius. *Was I this clever at nine?* he wondered, before deciding, *Of course, it's only because my father wasn't Emperor and didn't give me such a platform.*