The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 241 Snowstorm (Thanks to Master Tang Meng for being the leader)

Zhang Sun Wuji said: "Your Highness is wrong. Prime Minister Fang's style was not like this before."

Li Chengqian added: "Uncle, you are here at the right time. The Secretariat has some difficult decisions to make, and I can discuss it with you."

Looking at the memorials beside him, Changsun Wuji said, "I will take care of these matters."

"Thank you, uncle."

Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "No problem."

I took my younger brother and sister back to the East Palace to pack up. The next morning, the sky was just illuminated by daylight.

Li Chengqian got up early and washed up. Today he specially asked Ning'er to prepare some simple clothes. It seemed that it was inappropriate for Mr. Yu Shinan to wear too luxurious clothes.

Dongyang went to Taiye Lake to see her fawn. Now there are five fawns in Taiye Lake, and they are like a family of brothers and sisters.

After returning to the East Palace, she prepared her backpack, took the silver needles and some medicinal herbs, and said, "Brother, Dr. Sun is treating the villagers in Shanzhou after the flood."

Li Chengqian put on his boots, stood up and asked, "Is the situation serious?"

"The news sent in is that many people have caught colds, and they can be cured."

Noticing that his sister looked a little worried, Li Chengqian comforted her: "Dr. Sun is such a person. He won't stay in one place for long. As his disciple, he hopes that you can also stand on your own."

Dongyang is usually quiet and her voice is not loud. She replied, "Sister, I understand the good intentions of Dr. Sun."

He asked Ning'er to prepare three pieces of silk and went to visit Mr. Yu Shinan.

Mr. Yu Shinan was eighty years old. He witnessed the establishment and collapse of the Sui Dynasty in his lifetime. He saw the rise and fall of dynasties in his life.

Today, we have seen the establishment of the Tang Dynasty.

He is of the same generation as my uncle, and my father values ​​him very much.

Mr. Yu Shinan’s mansion was not particularly luxurious, but he was from a noble family after all, and many people came to visit him.

When Li Chengqian brought his sister here, he also met his uncle.

Gao Shilian, with a white beard, sighed and said, "I thought I would die first, but it was Bo Shi who left first."

Ouyang Xun said: "Everyone will eventually have this day, why should Duke Xu be anxious?"

Gao Shilian said in annoyance: "What a pity! What a pain."

The two old gentlemen talked for a while before they noticed the Crown Prince and Princess Dongyang standing beside them.

Ouyang Xun bowed solemnly.

Gao Shilian nodded and said, "Your father is on a winter hunt, so he asked you to come visit him?"

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and said, "Grandson will go see the old man first."

Gao Shilian made way and let the grandson go into the house to visit first.

Li Chengqian led Dongyang into the house. In the dim room, there were only a few female relatives standing beside the couch with their heads lowered.

Yu Shinan sat on a chair, holding a piece of paper in his trembling old hands.

"Old sir?"

Hearing the words, Yu Shinan slowly turned his head and was about to salute.

Li Chengqian quickly supported him and said, "No need to bow, old sir. My sister is a disciple of Dr. Sun and can help you diagnose your pulse."

Yu Shinan said weakly: "Thank you, Your Highness. Actually, they have all said that it is not surprising that I am already in my seventies."

Dongyang took her pulse silently. She had seen many deaths and separations, so her expression was calm.

After a long while, she whispered, "Old sir, is there anything you want to eat?"

Yu Shinan smiled and said, "I have eaten everything I wanted to eat. Before I die, I still want to play cards with the two old men outside."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Okay! Let's play cards."

At night, it snowed again in Chang'an City. The three old men lay on the couch and played cards quietly, while Li Chengqian and Dongyang sat quietly beside them.

With the ringing of a bell, the eleventh year of Zhenguan ended and the twelfth year of Zhenguan arrived.

Yu Shinan, his uncle and Ouyang Xun were playing cards and were still having a great time.

Seeing Gao Shilian win again, Yu Shinan shook his head and said, "I am almost buried, how can you win so much?"

Gao Shilian said: "You are about to be buried, why do you still care so much about success or failure?"

Ouyang Xun sighed, "He will probably die with his eyes open."

Li Chengqian listened to the conversation between the three old men, suddenly smiled, looked back, and saw Dongyang sleeping on the table.

Li Chengqian took off his cloak and put it on Dongyang, then refilled the tea for the three elderly people.

Midnight had passed and it was the twelfth year of Zhenguan. The snow was still drifting all over the sky. Faintly, one could see someone walking outside the house holding a candlestick. Most likely, it was the old man's family preparing for his funeral.

The old man was still playing cards when he was dying.

After one round, Gao Shilian played his cards, and seeing Yu Shinan with his eyes closed, he called out, "The old man played his cards."

"Hmm..." Yu Shinan slowly opened his eyes, looked at the cards in his hand and tremblingly played a card. He whispered, "I had a dream."

Ouyang asked: "What dream?"

Yu Shinan whispered, "I had a dream that no one in Chang'an City was starving, and no one was imprisoned."

In fact, the old man only closed his eyes for a few breaths, but he had already fallen asleep and had another dream.

The card game was still going on. Li Chengqian stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at the flickering candlelight outside the window. The candlelight was getting more and more, and a lot of discussions were heard in the house.

"Old man? Old man?"

Gao Shilian called out a few times and shook his arm.

A string of cards fell out of Yu Shinan's hand, and it was exactly a straight.

Gao Shilian's eyes widened as he watched, and he said, "You old bastard, you want to win before you go to the grave."

The old man passed away after all and could never be woken up again.

But there was a smile on the old man's face.

Dongyang also woke up. She took off her brother's cloak, hurried forward to take his pulse, feel his breathing, and nodded slowly.

Li Chengqian opened the door, felt the wind and snow coming towards him and said, "The old man is gone."

Mr. Wen Yanbo passed away last summer, and Mr. Yu Shinan also passed away at the beginning of this year.

Recalling the memorial he made in Ganlu Hall, the old gentleman still tried to advise his father at this time not to learn from Xiang Yu, but to emulate Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Li Chengqian and Dongyang stood under the eaves, letting the old man's family arrange his funeral.

Ouyang Xun said: "In fact, he has always said that if he wins a round, he should win a round, but your uncle always refuses to let him."

"really?"

"Yeah." Ouyang Xun stood in the snow with his hands behind his back, looking up and exhaling a breath of hot air, saying, "It's good now. He finally won a game before he was buried."

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and said, "My uncle doesn't want the old man to rest in peace."

"Now I am at peace."

Ouyang Xun laughed loudly towards the sky and left.

When his uncle came out, Li Chengqian said, "Mr. Ouyang is gone."

Gao Shilian's expression was not happy. Firstly, his uncle was still complaining about why Yu Shinan died earlier than him, and secondly, it was because Yu Shinan finally won a hand before his death. "This old man must have been very happy to get such a good hand before he closed his eyes."

“It’s the happiest thing to have good cards in hand. If you play the good cards, it won’t be so satisfying.”

"That's right." Gao Shilian stood in the snow, his hair and beard blown up, and said slowly: "Is your father still hunting in Mount Li?"

Li Chengqian said sadly: "I don't know when my father will come back. Is Duke Zheng still trying to persuade my father?"

Gao Shilian shook his head and said, "Duke Zheng is more concerned about you as the crown prince now."

Snowflakes kept falling, and in a short moment, some snow remained on the shoulders of the grandfather and grandson.

Dongyang brushed off the snow on his brother and uncle's shoulders.

After a moment of silence, Gao Shilian asked again: "Is your father still the emperor?"

Li Chengqian was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean, uncle?"

"I heard that you have prepared enough food and soldiers for His Majesty?"

“Isn’t this what a grandson should do?”

Gao Shilian smiled again and said, "Very good, very good."

Following his uncle's footsteps, they walked out of Mr. Yu Shinan's mansion, with Li Chengqian walking beside him and Dongyang following behind him.

The guards stood on both sides.

It was curfew time when the emperor's decree came, allowing Yu Shinan's family to prepare for the funeral at midnight. The emperor also praised Yu Shinan's virtue and loyalty, his erudition and literary talent, and said that his running script was one of the best five-character quatrains of the time. He was buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum, posthumously named Wen Yi, and given the title of Minister of Rites.

Listening to the imperial edict being read aloud, Li Chengqian followed his uncle farther and farther away.

Walking from the alley to Zhuque Street, Gao Shilian took out a book and said casually: "Yu Shinan has no regrets in this life. This book is for you."

Li Chengqian took the book and, using the torch held by the guard, read the four words on the scroll under the light: "Beitang Shuchao"

"Uncle." After hesitating for a moment, Li Chengqian asked quietly, "Isn't it possible that while the old man is dying..."

Gao Shilian shook his head and said, "How could I do such a thing? Yu Shinan asked me to give it to someone else, and I thought there was no one else to give it to. In this Chang'an City, only the prince can catch my eye."

"Uncle has a unique vision, and I admire him."

"This is what Yu Shinan learned from the experiences of past sages. If you don't like it, just give it back to me."

After saying this, Gao Shilian waved his sleeves and said, "Forget it, this old man is already buried. I am annoyed when I see his things."

Li Chengqian put away the book and sent his uncle home with his hands in his pockets.

The only sound left in the silent Chang'an City was the wind. Gao Lin helped his uncle back to the house, and Li Chengqian also returned to the palace with his sister.

It was still snowing on the first day of the twelfth year of Zhenguan.

After returning to the Eastern Palace, Li Chenggan took a quick nap and then sat in front of the gate of the Eastern Palace, staring at the wind and snow in a daze. At this moment, he didn't want to think about anything and just wanted to empty his mind.

Li Zhi, Li Shen, and Mingda are working on a jigsaw puzzle.

The emperor still knew about the incident in Xingqing Palace. It was not easy to punish Xiao Sizi, so he had to punish Zhinu and Li Shen to restore the puzzle.

Dongyang went to take care of her fawn again. Li Chengqian was drinking tea. Even though he was sitting under the eaves, many snowflakes still fell on his body.

Li Daoyan walked to the gate of the East Palace and reported: "Your Highness, the road is blocked by heavy snow."

Li Chengqian looked clear and asked, "Which road is blocked?"

"Your Highness, the main road from Mount Li back to Chang'an was blocked by heavy snow. The snow was five feet deep. Your Majesty, the Queen, and five thousand soldiers were trapped on Mount Li."

Not only the emperor and the queen mother, but also several younger sisters were on Mount Li.

Li Chengqian put down the tea bowl, stood up and walked into the wind and snow.

When Ning'er saw this scene, she hurriedly took out a cloak from the palace and ran into the snow to put it on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Although the prince's health is much better than before and he has not been sick for many years, he still needs to pay attention to the temperature.

After letting Ning'er put on her cloak, Li Chengqian and Li Daoyan hurriedly walked out of Chengtian Gate.

Along the way, he asked about the situation in Mount Li.

Li Daoyan continued: "Your Highness, should we send troops to help His Majesty?"

Li Chengqian suddenly stopped and walked towards the Secretariat, saying, "There will probably be more news coming. Go and invite General Li Ji, and then General Qin Qiong and General Cheng."

"Here."

The snow and wind were still strong. The wind blew on my face and I could hardly open my eyes.

In fact, as long as there is enough food and grass in Mount Li, plus the spoils from my father's hunting these days, and with the guards of General Yuchi and Xue Wanjun, and Prime Minister Fang.

Perhaps my father is living very comfortably in the Lishan Palace now. Since the heavy snow has blocked the roads and carriages cannot travel, he doesn't have to consider whether to return to the court.

Maybe he is soaking in the hot spring, drinking wine and eating meat, having a great time.

My father is just such a person. A small snowstorm is nothing in front of him.

Soon, news came from Mount Li again. The person who brought the news was a general under General Yuchi Gong. He reported: "Your Majesty has ordered that Your Majesty is trapped in Mount Li due to heavy snow. Please ask Your Royal Highness to continue to supervise the government and guard Chang'an."

Li Chengqian asked, "Are there any troops going to help Mount Li?"

"Your Highness, Princess Changle made a skateboard that can be used to slide in the snow. Your Majesty saw Princess Changle playing around and ordered 300 craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to make a skateboard using local materials. I used the skateboard to get down from Mount Li. Your Majesty is also very..."

He hesitated for a moment, and seeing a group of generals coming towards the Secretariat, he said with a stern expression, "Your Majesty also loves skiing."

Li Chengqian was deeply moved that his father was not only taking a vacation in Mount Li, but also going skiing.

Years ago, I played skiing with my younger brothers and sisters. Now this game has spread to Mount Li. Not only are we not troubled by the siege, we are playing it now.

Li Chengqian said: "You are worthy of being my father."

Soon, all the generals walked into the Secretariat and bowed, saying, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The generals' voices were deep and clear. Li Chengqian asked, "How is General Qin's health?"

Qin Qiong said: "Everything is fine now, fortunately Princess Dongyang is here to treat me."

Li Chengqian paced back and forth with his hands in his pockets. Several generals were worried about His Majesty and were eager to set off for Mount Li right away.

Looking at the heavy snow, he ordered: "General Cheng."

"The general is here!"

"Lead the left army with a thousand soldiers to clear the snow on the main road between Mount Li and Weinan County, ensure that subsequent food and grass can be supplied to Mount Li, and stabilize the morale of the troops in Mount Li."

"Here."

"General Li Ji, lead 300 men to Mount Li first to inquire about the emperor's condition. Be careful along the way as the snow is deep."

"Here."

"General Qin is leading a hundred men to wait five miles from Mount Li. Once the news arrives, it will be sent to Chang'an immediately."

"Here."

After three orders were given, the three generals left quickly.

Li Chengqian stood alone in the Secretariat with his hands in his pockets. Seeing Li Daoyan still standing at the door, he ordered, "Call the Jingzhao Prefecture Governor and the Jingzhao Prefecture Vice Governor. I have something important to tell you."

Thanks to the leader, let Xiao Zhang prepare for two days, will add more, will add more (very honest)

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(End of this chapter)