bookrandom Chapter 608 Why can’t country bumpkins read and write?
Chapter 608 Why can’t country bumpkins read and write?
Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered slightly, and the orange-yellow light illuminated the faces of Li Jingyou and Qin Ruzhao.
Qin Ruzhao looked serious.
"Your Highness, we are now in the Arab region and we have to be on guard."
"Your Highness, please think carefully. Once the Arabs learn that our Tang Crown Prince is passing through their territory, even if their superiors are willing to control him, there is no guarantee that some extremely fanatical Arabs will not do crazy things in a fit of rage. They may not care about the huge risk of being annihilated by the Tang Dynasty and will do something bad to harm you. Their goal is to make Your Majesty feel the pain of losing a son and thus undermine the dignity of the Tang Dynasty."
When Li Jingyou heard this, he clenched his hands subconsciously. A hint of surprise first flashed across his face, followed by a deep solemnity.
Before this, he had devoted all his attention to the affairs of his diplomatic mission to India, planning how to demonstrate the national prestige of the Tang Dynasty and how to let India know the majesty of the Tang Dynasty.
At this moment, after Qin Ruzhao's reminder, many dangerous scenes instantly emerged in his mind. He truly felt the precariousness of the situation. Any slight mistake would cause a blow to his father.
Qin Ruzhao quietly observed Li Jingyou's reaction. He saw that he was stunned at first, and then his eyes flashed. It was obvious that he had understood the danger and nodded secretly in his heart.
He knew very well that Li Jingyou, as the son of His Majesty, had often served Emperor Taizong since he was young. Although he was still young, he was extremely intelligent and had a high level of understanding. In many complicated and difficult matters, he could quickly grasp the key points and draw inferences from one example with just a little guidance from others.
"General Qin, I understand. I will go and tell everyone not to go out."
Li Jingyou had a stern expression and spoke concisely and forcefully, fully demonstrating the prince's responsibility.
After saying that, he stood up and strode out of the tent.
When Li Jingyou conveyed Qin Ruzhao's warning to the children of officials who were traveling with him, the crowd, which was originally noisy and full of laughter, suddenly quieted down, and then there was a burst of sighs one after another.
These young men, who are usually doted on by their families, have been staring at the colorful stalls outside the camp.
The stalls were filled with rare treasures from foreign lands, and the constant shouting of vendors was like an invisible hand, tickling their hearts. They could no longer suppress the urge to go out and take a look.
At this moment, when they heard the order not to go out, the smiles on their faces disappeared instantly, replaced by disappointment, their eyes full of unwillingness, and some even pouted their lips and muttered softly to express their dissatisfaction.
But the Tang Dynasty army had strict discipline and military orders were as firm as a mountain. These were ironclad rules that no one dared to violate easily.
What's more, the army was led by a famous and iron-blooded general like Qin Ruzhao.
Qin Ruzhao was extremely strict in disciplining his troops, and was known in the army as someone who was "not easy to mess with."
There was no slack person in his army, let alone the young and energetic sons of officials who had not experienced too many storms. Even their fathers who held high positions in the court had to be respectful when meeting Qin Ruzhao and dared not act rashly.
Helplessly, everyone could only return to the big tent where they were staying, dejected and listless, like eggplants hit by frost.
Inside the big tent, the atmosphere was dull and depressing, filled with a sense of loss.
Only Wang Wen was immersed in the book in his hands, reading with great interest.
For him, this trip to India was like a fantastic adventure, which greatly broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge.
The magnificent mountains and rivers and exotic customs that could only be imagined in ancient books are now vividly displayed before our eyes.
When he first saw the vast desert, the wind blew and the sand waves rolled, and the blue lake like a gem, the lake water was crystal clear and reflected the sky, it was like a fairyland.
These beautiful natural scenery deeply touched his heart.
The moment Wang Wen saw these, countless farmers like himself in the world involuntarily emerged in his mind.
They work hard on the land all their lives, working from sunrise to sunset, facing the earth and their backs to the sky.
Their world may consist of only a few acres of thin fields and a few thatched huts. They will never be able to leave that familiar land in their entire lives and will never have the chance to appreciate such beautiful and magnificent scenery.
Wang Wen was filled with emotion, and the increasingly aging faces of his parents emerged in his mind, his father's rough hands covered with calluses and cracks, and his mother's kind smile, always filled with concern for her family.
There are also the innocent smiles of my younger brothers and sisters. The world in their eyes is simple and pure.
He hoped that one day his family would be able to see the wonders of this world with their own eyes, but he knew in his heart that this was nothing but a distant and unattainable wish.
If it were not for the grace of Your Majesty, as an ordinary citizen, it would not only take a lot of time but also cost a huge amount of money to cross the Western Regions and come to this distant Arabian land.
However, money has become a stumbling block for countless ordinary people in pursuing their dreams, and has hindered many people who are eager to see the outside world.
Thinking of this, he carefully took out the pen, ink, paper and inkstone from his arms.
He gently spread out the paper, poured the ink into the inkstone, and slowly ground it with the ink stick. He planned to record everything he saw and heard along the way in detail and send it back to his village so that his fellow villagers could also feel this unique splendor and know what kind of world there was in that distant place.
Just as he picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and prepared to write, a shrill voice suddenly rang out: "Oh, you can write, country bumpkin."
Wang Wen paused abruptly with the pen in his hand. He slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound.
He saw a man in a red brocade robe looking at him with disdain.
This man exuded an air of arrogance that came from a life of luxury. His clothes were embroidered with exquisite gold thread patterns, and he had a valuable jade pendant hanging around his waist. It was obvious that he came from a wealthy family.
Wang Wen just glanced at him lightly, then lowered his head silently and continued with his work. He knew in his heart that arguing with such a person was meaningless and would only add to his troubles.
People who look down on others just because of their background are not worth wasting your breath on.
When the man saw that Wang Wen ignored him, he suddenly felt embarrassed. A trace of anger flashed across his face, and his already arrogant attitude became even stronger.
He took a step forward, raised his voice, and almost shouted: "Hey, country bumpkin, I'm talking to you. What's wrong? Are you deaf and can't hear me?"
The person who spoke was Chen Dezheng. At this moment, his face was full of anger and his eyes were full of contempt, as if Wang Wen was just an insignificant ant in his eyes.
Chen Dezheng's words instantly broke the silence in the tent, and everyone's attention was drawn to the sudden conflict.
The originally dull atmosphere suddenly became tense, and everyone's eyes were filled with a sense of watching the fun.
Wang Wen knew that he could no longer hide, so he put down the pen in his hand and slowly stood up.
Although he was thin, he stood straight and exuded a sense of tenacity.
He bowed slightly to Chen Dezheng, politely and respectfully, and asked, "Excuse me, why can't country bumpkins read and write?"
He looked directly into Chen Dezheng's eyes with a firm gaze.