Establish a literary hall and pay respects to a new teacher once more.

Li Zhi’s uncle, Changsun Wuji, suddenly spoke up at this moment, “Your Majesty, I humbly request that you grant Prince Jin permission to establish a Literary Academy and recruit men of talent from across the realm to advise on the development of Great Tang.”

Hearing Changsun Wuji’s words, Li Shimin felt somewhat moved. Though Li Zhi’s studies were nominally still overseen by Lady Xue, in truth, the breadth of Li Zhi’s knowledge had long surpassed her capabilities. Sending Li Zhi to the Imperial Academy seemed inadequate, as Li Shimin felt the faculty there were not of sufficient excellence. If a Literary Academy were established for Li Zhi, he could invite eminent scholars to further nurture him.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Shimin turned his gaze upon the others present. Unexpectedly, aside from Wang Gui, whose expression held a hint of regret, everyone else stared at him with burning anticipation. Their collective eagerness startled Li Shimin.

He asked in bewilderment, “My loyal subjects… why do you wear such expressions?”

Fang Xuanling, hearing Li Shimin’s question, was the first to respond, “Your Majesty, though I may be unworthy, I wish to recommend myself as Prince Jin’s tutor.”

The other high officials, upon Fang Xuanling’s declaration, could no longer maintain decorum and spoke up in succession, “I too am willing to devote myself to instructing Prince Jin. May Your Majesty grant us this honor.”

Each of these men was shrewd and perceptive; now they could see clearly that the young Prince Jin would inevitably become a pillar of Great Tang. If they could become his teachers at this juncture, it would guarantee them a lasting reputation for guiding such a prodigy. To let such an opportunity slip by would surely be cause for lifelong regret.

Li Shimin, hearing their declarations, could only respond with a wry smile. He had intended to consult them about whether they agreed to let Li Zhi establish the academy, but found them instead vying for the position of tutor. This put Li Shimin in a difficult spot, as each man’s learning and ability was beyond reproach, and he could not easily make a choice.

As Li Shimin wrestled with indecision, Changsun Wuji spoke again, “Your Majesty, why not allow myself, Chancellor Fang, and Chancellor Li to join forces and try our hand at teaching together?”

His proposal immediately made Li Shimin’s eyes light up. He silently appraised: Changsun Wuji, as Li Zhi’s uncle, would not lead him astray; Fang Xuanling, noted for his wisdom and magnanimity as well as his keen eye for talent, could help Li Zhi discern loyalty and treachery; and Li Jing, whose military prowess was unmatched at court, could instruct Li Zhi in the art of war.

With these considerations, Li Shimin quickly reached a decision. He addressed Fang Xuanling and Li Jing, “What do you two think of Chancellor Changsun’s suggestion?”

Fang Xuanling and Li Jing exchanged glances and readily agreed, “We are willing, Your Majesty.”

Upon hearing their answer, the others’ eyes betrayed a trace of disappointment. Yet, after a moment’s reflection, they recognized the wisdom of such an arrangement. Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Li Jing truly formed an ideal triumvirate, and their abilities commanded everyone’s respect.

The happiest among them was Li Zhi. With these three as his teachers, his future position would be secure unless he were to bring ruin upon himself.

Once steel production had increased dramatically, Li Zhi’s first order of business was to organize the craftsmen of the Directorate of Works to forge boilers in earnest. He wished to have them operational before the cold weather set in, so that even in winter, his parents and Li Lizhi could swim regularly in the pool and keep fit.

Meanwhile, Li Zhi moved into his own residence and issued a public call for talent, preparing to recruit skilled individuals from all fields.

Novel ice desserts soon became popular throughout Chang’an. Aside from popsicles, the rest were innovations resulting from Li Zhi’s sharing of ice-making methods with Pei Mingli, who then experimented and created them.

Li Zhi greatly admired the craftsmen of this era. Once he revealed the method for making ice, the entire palace was swiftly renovated, with thin ice walls added to the buildings and airflow harnessed to naturally cool the interiors.

Li Zhi’s remarkable achievements posed a significant threat to Li Chengqian and Li Tai. Li Chengqian was particularly unlucky, as his tutor, Li Gang, fell gravely ill at the moment when he was needed most. During these days, Li Chengqian devoted himself to caring for his teacher, behaving like a true son, which earned him much praise and recognition for his filial piety among the court ministers.

After long preparation, Li Tai finally petitioned Li Shimin for permission to write a scholarly work. He wished to lead a group in compiling a comprehensive treatise on geography. Li Shimin gladly approved his request.

The exceptional performance of his three legitimate sons filled Li Shimin with joy, prompting him to host a grand banquet for his ministers.

As Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, and Li Jing began instructing Li Zhi, they witnessed firsthand his astounding capacity for learning. Any book Li Zhi read, provided it was under ten thousand words, he could recite flawlessly within two days. More astonishing, however, was his profound understanding of texts; he often proposed unique insights to discuss with Fang Xuanling and the others.

Shortly after Li Jing imparted his own strategic theories to Li Zhi, the prince brought the military treatise to discuss special operations. When Li Zhi asked whether it was possible to select a group of veteran soldiers, each possessing exceptional skills, to form a small but formidable unit, Li Jing was taken aback. His first thought was that Li Zhi had heard about the Tang dynasty’s secret Black Armor Army. He quickly dismissed the idea, as the existence of the Black Armor Army was the highest state secret—even the ministers believed it had been disbanded.

Suppressing his astonishment, Li Jing asked Li Zhi, “Your Highness, what led you to this idea?”

Li Zhi replied, “Teacher, my reasoning is as follows: our external foes are mostly nomadic, rarely gathering large forces to confront us at fixed locations.”

He then carefully analyzed the respective strategies in front of Li Jing. According to Li Zhi’s summary: when Tang armies faced nomads, they always hoped to amass overwhelming strength and annihilate the enemy in one decisive blow. Yet the nature of nomads is their lack of permanent settlements; unless they initiate an attack, Tang forces usually confront only small enemy detachments. Though Tang’s numerical superiority brings victory, the excessive manpower often leads to disproportionate losses and little gain. Over time, Tang is forced to build formidable fortresses along the frontier, passively assuming a defensive posture.

Having reached this conclusion, Li Zhi said to Li Jing, “Teacher, I believe that Great Tang can organize a cavalry unit, employing speed to harry the enemy and keep them in constant fear, thus deterring them from daring to invade Tang.”