A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 697 Military Funeral
"His Majesty,"

Chai Shao, the Duke of Huo, who was granted a fiefdom of 1,200 households and ranked fourth among the meritorious officials, came over with a wine cup.

"The princess's condition has recently worsened, and I would like to resign from my post as the commander-in-chief of the expedition against Liang Shidu and stay in Chang'an to accompany the princess."

Li Shimin looked at his brother-in-law and beckoned him to sit down beside him.

"Has Third Sister's condition not improved yet?"

Chai Shao sighed.

Princess Pingyang was a heroine. When Li Yuan hastily raised an army in Taiyuan, Princess Pingyang and her husband Chai Shao were still in Guanzhong. Chai Shao went to Taiyuan to seek refuge with his father-in-law. The journey was long, and he could not take his wife and children with him.

Li Sanniang voluntarily stayed.
After her husband left, she did not hide or flee. Instead, she spent all her wealth to recruit soldiers and actively united several armed forces. She even incorporated several rebel armies and eventually raised an army of 70,000 to 80,000 in Guanzhong.

It's a pity about this heroine.

In recent years, however, he has been plagued by illness, and despite seeking out various renowned doctors, his condition has only worsened. Now, he is terminally ill and on the verge of death.

Chai Shao abandoned his wife and children to go to Taiyuan back then, and now he cannot abandon his wife again to go to war.
This time,
He might never see his wife again.

Li Shimin sighed.

Princess Pingyang was his half-sister and had always treated him very well. Even when his relationship with the Crown Prince was extremely bad, Princess Pingyang always defended him in front of the Emperor.

"Wu Yi." Li Shimin summoned Li Yi.

"His Majesty."

"I still remember when we fought the Battle of Qianshuiyuan against Xue Ju, I contracted malaria. It was you who gave me the medicine that made me recover quickly."

Do you still have any such elixir that can cure Princess Pingyang?

“Your Majesty, the medicine I presented was left behind by my master, Master Li. I do not understand medicine, and my master did not leave behind any miraculous medicine that could cure the princess’s symptoms.”

If Li Yi had the ability, he would also like to cure Li San Niang.

In fact, Chai Shao had invited him to the princess's residence to treat her more than once. The princess's illness was actually a hereditary disease of the Li family, a kind of wind-related ailment.

The princess's symptoms included headache, dizziness, and numbness in her limbs. According to modern medicine, the illness diagnosed by the imperial physician as "wind disease" should actually be a cardiovascular disease.

Given the medical capabilities of the Tang Dynasty, especially considering the princess's already severe symptoms, this illness...
Indeed, it is beyond medical help and there is no way to reverse it.

"I've heard that there's a divine physician in Zhongnan Mountain, revered by the people as the King of Medicine, named Sun Simiao. Has Duke Huo been able to find him?" Li Yi asked.

"The whereabouts of the Medicine King are hard to find."
However, I once found his disciples and asked him to come to my residence to treat the princess.

He diagnosed that in addition to her qi ailment, the princess also suffered from a deficiency of fire in her life gate.

"When the fire of the gate of life (mingmen) is weak, the yang energy is deficient, the heart loses its warmth and nourishment, and the spirit is unable to be invigorated, hence the listlessness and lethargy..."

Li Yi listened for a while.
I roughly understood that "deficiency of fire at the gate of life" should actually be a symptom of kidney disease. The princess's condition is not just ordinary nephritis or kidney deficiency; it should be that her kidney function has already failed.

The patient's life force is weak, leading to early-stage infertility due to cold uterus, and now it has become life-threatening.

Even Sun Simiao's personal disciple couldn't save Princess Pingyang, so how could Li Yi possibly have that ability, let alone that miraculous elixir?

Now the princess also has problems with her lungs and stomach.

It was only thanks to a traditional Chinese medicine prescription prescribed by a disciple of Sun Simiao that the princess's suffering was slightly relieved.

Simmering Piper longum in milk is beneficial. Milk is slightly cooling and can replenish deficiencies. Piper longum is warming and can warm the middle and dispel heat. The combination of the two harmonizes the cold and heat.

But this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
To be honest, the princess's ailing body has only been able to survive this long thanks to various renowned doctors and miraculous medicines, but her time is already up.

The palace banquet was not over yet.

Li Shimin also lost the will to sit there any longer.
He then took Li Yi and, along with Changsun Wuji, accompanied Chai Shao to Princess Pingyang's residence to visit his third sister late at night.

"The princess hasn't rested yet."

The imperial physician on duty at the princess's residence told the emperor that the princess's condition had recently worsened, she was suffering greatly, had difficulty sleeping, and was in a daze all day.

Time is running out.

When Li Yi met the princess with Li Shimin, he could hardly recognize her as Li Sanniang.

Li Yi had met the princess before.

But the princess was no longer human; her hair was gray, she was emaciated, and her face was bloodless.

When Li Shimin saw the princess like this, he quickly turned his head away. He saw that the emperor's eyes were brimming with tears, which showed that the siblings truly had a deep bond.

The emperor secretly wiped away his tears, forced a smile, and went to the princess's bedside.

Third sister,
Today is the day I ascend the throne.

I came especially to see you, chat with you, and even brought you several desserts from the banquet—all your favorites.

Princess Pingyang smiled and extended her hand.
"Erlang, come and sit down."

The princess's hands were as thin as bones.
She reached out and took her brother's hand, and then asked her husband to sit down as well.

"Erlang, your elder sister is leaving. Don't be sad for me."

"Your elder sister has a few things to tell you. Now that you are the emperor, let bygones be bygones regarding the things that happened between you and Dalang in the past."
"Jiancheng and Yuanji are our brothers, born of the same mother. Please let them go."

Li Shimin nodded, holding his sister's hand, "Don't worry, sister. I promised Father long ago that Jiancheng and Yuanji would be temporarily confined in the palace. After a few years, they might be sent to live in a border region. I will ensure they live a peaceful and worry-free life."

Li San Niang squeezed her brother's hand tightly.

“Your father has passed the throne to you; you must be filial to him.”

"Ah."

The princess looked at her husband one last time and said, "Chai Lang is still young. After I leave, you can remarry and take more concubines and have more children."

Zhewei and Lingwu will also have more brothers and sisters to keep them company.

"Erlang, from now on, please take good care of these two motherless children for me."

Princess and Chai Shao only had these two sons. Later, due to poor health, they never had any more children. Now, as she is about to pass away, she still cannot let go of her two children.

After chatting for a long time, the imperial physician brought out a juice made from boiled long pepper and milk.

Chai Shao wanted to feed her, but Li Shimin took the medicine bowl and personally fed it to his sister.

The princess now drinks almost nothing but this every day and can't eat anything else.

He ate very little of the medicine, but vomited a lot.

Finally, the princess fell into a deep sleep.

Li Shimin took a handkerchief and carefully wiped the medicine from his sister's mouth.

When returning to the palace,
Li Shimin sighed to Li Yi from inside the carriage.
“Yuanji, who is destined to die young, is in good health, but Third Sister doesn’t have much time left. Heaven is so unfair.”

The next morning,

The morning assembly was not over yet.

A message was urgently sent to the palace.

Princess Pingyang has passed away.

Upon hearing the news, Li Shimin was stunned for a long time.

"When Princess Pingyang died, she was buried with military honors and was granted a full complement of feathered banners, drums and trumpets, a large carriage, flags, forty men with swords, and armored soldiers."

The emperor wiped away his tears and announced that the princess would be buried with military honors.

As soon as this word comes out,
This greatly surprised the officials in the hall, as it was something that had never happened before.

The Minister of Rites, Doulu Kuan, reminded the emperor that burying women with fanfare was against the rules of etiquette, and that there had never been a woman buried with military honors.

Li Shimin stood up.
He stood with his hands behind his back before the throne.
His gaze swept over the ministers in the hall.

"The drumming and gonging is essentially military music."

In the past, the princess raised an army in Sizhu Garden to respond to the righteous cause. She took the lead, personally held the drum and gong, and commanded a formidable women's army, achieving great merit.

Princess Wen's mother was listed among the Ten Disorderly Women. Her contributions to the emperor's life were extraordinary, far exceeding those of ordinary women.

Throughout history, has there ever been a woman like this?
"Now that the princess is to be buried with military honors, what's wrong with that?"

Li Shimin insisted on breaking with precedent and burying his sister with military honors.

He personally selected Zhao as the posthumous title for the princess.

“Virtue and merit are called illustrious.”

Princess Pingyang Zhao.

After the court session,
Li Yi also made a special trip to the princess's residence to offer his condolences.

When we got home,

When Du Shiniang and the others heard that Princess Pingyang had passed away, they were all very saddened and said that the princess was a very good person, especially compared to other princesses.

Historically, the princesses of the Li Tang dynasty had a bad reputation.

Princess Taiping, who was involved in political turmoil, and Princess Gaoyang, who was licentious, were both princesses who were generally extravagant and dissolute.

Princess Taiping was granted a fiefdom of ten thousand households, with farmland spanning the capital region. Her business extended as far as Lingnan and Sichuan. Princess Anle, on the other hand, encroached on the land of the common people and even tried to persuade the emperor to grant her Kunming Pool within the imperial city.
Because of the system, the emperor did not grant it, so Princess Anle led people to dig a new pond next to Kunming Pond and named it Dingkun Pond.

Princess Anle, who wanted to become the crown princess, later even poisoned her father, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.

Princess Yongjia, the younger sister of Princess Pingyang, had an affair with her sister Princess Changguang and Yang Shidao's son, Yang Yuzhi, even after her marriage. After being discovered, she divorced her husband and later remarried Helan Sengjia. She remained unchanged in her character, being promiscuous and licentious.

Historically, the princesses of the Li Tang dynasty were all incredibly arrogant and domineering, with many even known for their promiscuity, making it difficult for anyone to marry them.
In particular, the direct descendants of the five major clans and seven lineages in Shandong fled Chang'an as soon as they heard that the emperor had taken a liking to a princess and wanted to marry her off.

Compared to those princesses,

Princess Pingyang was truly an admirable princess. She had a very good relationship with her husband, Chai Shao, and even though she often associated with noblewomen like Du Shiniang,
There has never been any talk of arrogance or putting on airs.
Not to mention their oppression of the people and their encroachment on farmland.

Li Yuan and his family...

Who says the imperial family is heartless?
Li Shimin and Princess Pingyang Zhao had a deep sibling-like relationship.

The people of Chang'an
I witnessed the most unusual funeral.
A woman,
A woman who, in many people's eyes, even had a short lifespan.
However, he was buried with the most solemn military honors.

The entire court of civil and military officials attended the funeral.

Incitement, Ban Jian.

this day,
Countless former female soldiers who were once princesses,

They all came to see him off.

More than 200,000 soldiers and civilians lined up for a 30-mile farewell.

Li Yuan stood atop the gate tower of Taiji Palace, leaning on his dragon-headed cane as he gazed into the distance, seeing them off.

Tears streamed down my face.

The only legitimate daughter, she passed away suddenly at such a young age.

The white-haired man sends the black-haired man.

He originally thought he would send Jiancheng or Yuanji away.
Unexpectedly, it was their daughter, San Niang, who passed away first.

The emperor stood on the palace gate tower until nightfall.
"Your Majesty, it is getting late. Please return to the palace," Zhang Anan advised.

Li Yuan gazed in the direction where his daughter was buried.
Go and tell Erlang.
I no longer wish to reside in the Taiji Palace.
This Taiji Palace is too big.

I'm too lonely living here. I'll renovate the Hongyi Palace that I originally built for him and move there.

He's the emperor; he can't stay in the Eastern Palace forever. He should also appoint an empress and a crown prince.
A father cannot occupy his son's land forever.

He cannot occupy Chengqian's Eastern Palace, nor can I occupy Erlang's Taiji Palace.

"I am old and only wish to enjoy a few days of peaceful and quiet retirement."

(End of this chapter)