Volume 1 Princess Taiping Grows Up Chapter 43: Strange Order
While saying this, Li Zhi's expression was like that of a sulky child, which made Wu Zetian couldn't help but smile.
"Zhi Nu is a saint of the Tang Dynasty. Is there anyone in this world who is better than Zhi Nu?"
"Well...then I don't care! Anyway, no one is allowed to think about my daughter now!" Li Zhi said angrily.
Wu Zetian covered her mouth and chuckled: "How could that young slave bear to watch Chen'er live out his life in loneliness?"
"this……"
For a moment, Li Zhi was at a loss for words: "Let's wait until Chen'er grows up!"
Seeing his speechless look, Wu Zetian couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Zhang Chengxin, who was guarding the door, heard laughter coming from inside. He looked around and drove some of the servants around him out.
…
On the other side, Liu Rengui walked out of the palace, mounted his horse, and walked back while thinking.
What is the meaning of the emperor asking him to test the princess?
Is it really as he asked, that he wants to train the princess to become a general?
After all, there is a record of princesses leading troops to fight in the Tang Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Liu Rengui shook his head.
He knew very well that Li Zhi was an emperor who dared to break the rules, and in this respect, he was even more courageous than the previous emperor.
So things may not be as simple as I thought.
Then he thought again that Li Zhi was in poor health and most of the government affairs were handled by the queen.
It can be said that the Queen has reached her current position because she was taught by the Emperor personally.
This brings us to a question. Whether it is the previous Sui Dynasty or the current Tang Dynasty, the emperors of these two dynasties were very Hu Feng, and they did not mind women showing up in public.
Take Emperor Wen of Sui for example. It is actually difficult to tell whether many of his policies were his own ideas or those of Empress Dugu.
So strictly speaking, there were actually two emperors in the Sui Dynasty, but one sat on the dragon throne in the open, and the other sat in the dark behind.
To put it bluntly, the current emperor and empress follow the same pattern, and have even surpassed it. The empress has officially stepped onto the stage and is ruling the country from behind the curtain.
The emperor's action was most likely for the future crown prince's consideration.
Speaking of the current Crown Prince Li Hong, everyone in the court couldn't help but praise him for being "kind-hearted, benevolent and filial". It can be seen that he will definitely be a good emperor in the future!
But a good emperor is not the same as a wise ruler! There are still many things that are not considered.
Thinking about it this way, the emperor's meaning became almost clear.
As a minister, you must always consider the emperor's intentions in order to stay in the court for a long time.
Liu Rengui was certainly well aware of this, so he considered the emperor's purpose in doing so.
…
Looking at the tilled garden in Anfu Hall, Li Yuechen handed the hoe to Xiaohe and stood beside it, clapping his hands.
Shangguan Wan'er came over with a basin of water for her to wash her hands, and asked curiously, "What are you going to plant here, Your Highness?"
Li Yuechen washed her hands and shook her head: "Don't plant anything! This year, let's cultivate the land first!"
After washing her hands, before Shangguan Wan'er had time to hand over the towel, she saw her casually shaking it and patting herself a few times.
Then he used his half-dry hands to tidy up his slightly messy hair.
After lunch, Li Yuechen sat at the desk, took a brush and started writing and drawing.
Feeling a little curious, Shangguan Wan'er quietly came over and poked her head out from behind her, wanting to see what she was writing.
Li Yuechen had already heard the footsteps behind him, but was too lazy to say anything. Most of his attention was still on the paper in front of him.
Shangguan Wan'er poked her head out from over her shoulder and saw words like plaster of Paris, wood ash, fresh cow dung, etc. written on the paper.
I was curious: "Your Highness, what is this?"
"Something that may increase grain production." Li Yuechen replied while scratching his head, "But I forgot the ratio. It seems like something is missing..."
He scratched his head while thinking, and soon, his neat hair became a little messy.
Xiao He, who was just coming in from the door, saw this and reminded him, "Your Highness, comb your hair again!"
"Um."
Li Yuechen also felt that if he couldn't think of it for the time being, he should stop thinking about it and do something else to change his mind.
After combing her hair, Xiao He subconsciously prepared to do a little trick for her, but was rejected by Li Yuechen.
"Find a red rope and simply tie a braid!" Li Yuechen ordered.
“Yes!”
Although doing so was clearly against court etiquette, she was the emperor's favorite princess, so she had to do as she was told.
Shangguan Wan'er next to him asked, "Why does Your Highness prefer red?"
I like it if I like it, why? My former sponsors were mainly red.
Li Yuechen smiled: "It looks festive, and I feel good!"
Xiao He took a red rope and tied a simple ponytail according to her request .
Li Yuechen looked at himself in front of the shiny bronze mirror, then waved to Shangguan Wan'er, "Let's go. I'll take you to the Craftsman's Office today!"
As a palace maid, Shangguan Wan'er could not leave the harem at will.
Because theoretically, the women in the harem, whether they are concubines or palace maids, are the emperor's women and cannot contact outsiders casually.
But since the princess is with her, that’s another matter.
Shangguan Wan'er was also very happy. She stood up and followed Li Yuechen out.
Now when Li Yuechen walks, her ponytail swings left to right, which looks very rhythmic.
Many palace maids saw this and while paying their respects, they were also wondering why the princess came out so casually today.
Li Yuechen didn't care about that. He took Shangguan Wan'er out of the harem and came to the Imperial City's Craftsmen's Bureau.
Seeing the princess coming again, Wang Jiancheng walked over with a smile and saluted: "Greetings, Princess. What new things do you want to make today?"
"Yes!" Li Yuechen nodded, "Please ask Wang Jiancheng to call the carpenters and blacksmiths here."
"Yes! Your Highness, please follow me!" Wang Jiancheng made a gesture of invitation.
When they entered the room, Wang Jiancheng asked her to sit down and then had someone bring her a cup of yogurt.
After a while, they came in with a group of blacksmiths and carpenters.
Now these people were familiar with the princess, and after paying their respects, they stood still and listened to what the princess wanted them to do.
"This time we need to make two kinds of objects, one is made of pure wood, and the other may require your combined efforts to make."
Li Yuechen took out a small piece of wood and explained: "The first one is a wooden plaque of this size, a total of 136 pieces! The patterns that need to be engraved on them will be delivered to you tomorrow!"
After handing the wooden sign to a carpenter, he continued to explain: "Second, for a tricycle, you need to cooperate with each other..."
Of course, what she wanted to make was not the kind of tricycle for transporting goods. After all, a chain problem could stump a lot of people in this era.
What we are going to make this time is a children's tricycle that does not require a chain and is driven directly by the front wheel.
Li Yuechen asked for paper and pen to draw a picture on the table, and then used his hands and feet to explain, and finally they figured out what this thing was.
"Do you all understand?" Li Yuechen asked.
"Understood!" The craftsmen nodded in response.
Li Yuechen nodded and gave them a thumbs up.
The craftsmen didn't know what she meant, so they just followed her lead and gave her a thumbs up.
After leaving the Artisan Workshop, Shangguan Wan'er still looked curious: "Your Highness's tricycle, can it really move without a horse or a push? It is really a Taoist magic weapon, right?"
"Not really..." Li Yuechen shook her head and explained to her with a smile, "Although you don't have to push it, you still need to step on it, so you still need to exert your own strength."
But at the same time, I was also thinking, is it possible to make a chain in this era?
Even the most skilled craftsman in the world cannot make exactly the same parts, because humans are living beings, and living things are inherently unstable.
But if a simple machine tool could be developed in this era...it would be possible.
Not to mention something as exaggerated as a motorcycle, if we could make a bicycle in this era, it would be a leap beyond imagination.
But then again, even if we could make bicycles in this era, we certainly wouldn’t be able to play with them as well as we would with our mountain bikes a thousand years later.
Thinking of this, Li Yuechen couldn't help but shook his head with a look of regret.
…
After returning to Anfu Hall, he told Xiaohe to send someone to water the empty land in the small garden, and then continued to lie on the table thinking about the raw materials and proportions of the soil fertilizer.
On the other side, in Renshou Hall, Li Zhi took out two books and handed them to Zhang Chengxin: "Send these two books to Chen'er, and tell her and my other children to read them."
Zhang Chengxin agreed, then turned around and handed the two books to Li Yuechen.
Wu Zetian, who was sitting opposite him, helped him fill up his tea cup and said, "Your Majesty, is this really feasible? Why don't you teach it yourself?"
Li Zhi smiled with ease, and answered while holding the health ball: "Chen'er is very talented and self-disciplined, so he is more suitable for self-study."
"You are really confident!" Wu Zetian smiled and filled her own cup of tea.
"Chen'er has been living like this for so many years. Why should you be worried?" Li Zhi smiled, picked up the teacup and gently clinked it with hers.
Li Yuechen in Anfu Hall heard Xiaohe say that Zhang Chengxin came to deliver something, so he went to the hall gate to greet him.
"Your Highness, the saint said that all children must read this book!" As he said this, he handed over the two books in his hand, one was a folded sutra, and the other was a scroll.
"Okay, I understand." Li Yuechen took it and smiled, "Thank you, Eunuch Zhang!"
"No, no!" Zhang Chengxin said with a smile, "Then Your Highness, let's go back first."
"good."
Li Yuechen agreed, then lowered his head to see what book was delivered, just hoping it wasn't something like the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, the Four Books and the Five Classics.
Looking down, he saw that the folded scroll was the "Golden Mirror".
Li Yuechen had read this book when she was still in her infancy. She didn't know what it was at first, but now of course she knew that it was written by the late Emperor Taizong.
Then he opened another scroll, and as soon as he opened it, the words "Emperor's Model" came into view!
Oh shit!
Li Yuechen's hands trembled, and he almost dropped it. He hurriedly said, "Eunuch Zhang, wait!"
"Hmm?" Zhang Chengxin, who had already walked to the door, turned around and flicked the whisk in his hand, "Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"
Li Yuechen's expression was a bit complicated: "Grandpa said that all his children must read these two books?"
Zhang Chengxin nodded slightly: "The saint did say so."
After hearing his answer, Li Yuechen nodded in a daze: "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Eunuch Zhang!"
After saying this, he returned to the hall in a daze, but questions in his mind kept appearing one after another.
What the hell? Isn't this something that only the crown prince can see? What does it mean to show it to all the children? What's wrong with you?
Li Yuechen wanted to rush to Renshou Hall and point at Li Zhi's nose and ask, "It's only been a few years since the Xuanwu Gate incident? The ghosts floating over the Tang Dynasty are still staring at you! Have you forgotten?!"
No! The emperor must have a purpose for doing this, we must think about it carefully!
After taking a deep breath, Li Yuechen calmed down, sat cross-legged at the table, and began to think carefully.
First of all, think carefully, my mother, Wu Zetian, must have read these two books.
Li Zhi's character is not pedantic. He is not a person who follows the rules. Instead, he is quite good at breaking the rules!
Then his intention of letting the children watch "Emperor's Fan" can be explained from another perspective.
What is the specific explanation...let's wait and see!
Thinking of this, Li Yuechen opened the book "The Emperor's Fan" and started reading it.
It was still classical Chinese without punctuation and extremely obscure, but she didn't dare ask Zheng to help copy it, and at the same time told everyone not to get close to her without permission.
This is all for their own good. If they saw the contents, they might lose their heads tomorrow.
It’s true, the content is quite long. Li Yuechen read it from mid-afternoon until almost dusk before he finished it.
"call--"
After reading it, Li Yuechen slowly closed the scroll and slowly exhaled.
After reading the whole article, my first impression is that there is too much content and it is impossible to sort it out all at once.
But in essence, this is not so much a manual for the emperor as it is a summary of the life experience of a great monarch.
Looking back now, the significance of Li Zhi letting the children read this book might be precisely to prevent the Xuanwu Gate Incident from happening again.
The whole book tells what an emperor should do, and also conveys the fact that being an emperor is not easy.
If we think about it from this perspective, perhaps Li Zhi's move was to tell the children that being an emperor is not that easy, so there is no need to fight for that position.
But that’s not right!
Why not just let the sons take care of it? Why bring the daughter along?
Li Yuechen found that she, as a daughter, could not even guess what her father was thinking. She could only say that the emperor was worthy of being the emperor.
An emperor who is mysterious and unfathomable is a great emperor!
As for this book... I should read it more when I have time. Since he ordered all his children to read it, it doesn't matter if he asks the two sisters to read it together, right? After all, he didn't say that bastards can't read it!
Moreover, Li Yuechen felt that since they had shown it to all the children, they should not care about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. At least recently, Li Zhi's attitude towards his two illegitimate daughters had improved a lot.
Besides, since it has been sent, Li Zhi must have thought of this. Since he didn't point it out, let's take it as his agreement.
