Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 146 When people get old, don't they all want to enjoy their grandchildren?
After Gao Yue finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Li Shimin's expression. Seeing that he was calm, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon after, the eunuchs from Da'an Palace were brought over.

After exchanging greetings, Li Shimin asked somewhat impatiently, "Is the Emperor Emeritus feeling unwell?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus wishes to see fireworks and has asked Wen Xiaolang to build a grand fireworks display for him at the Da'an Palace."

The eunuch lowered his head and cautiously reported.

This was after he had already revised it; Li Yuan's original words were even more vulgar: "That rebellious son hoards all the good things for himself. If Jiancheng were here, he would definitely give them to me first. Tell that rebellious son to call Wen He over and make me a big firework."

The eunuch dared not say such things, fearing that he would lose his head if he did.

As the saying goes, "No one knows a father better than his son." Judging from the young eunuch's hesitant expression, Li Shimin knew that the original words were definitely not like that.

But Li Yuan was, after all, his father, so he had no choice but to compromise.

"Go and inform Father that the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works can also do this. If he is interested, I will send the craftsmen to do it."

The eunuch hesitated upon hearing this.

Gao Yue, who was standing nearby, immediately scolded, "Didn't you hear what His Majesty said? Get down here now!"

"Your Majesty!"

The eunuch trembled with fear and knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus said that Wen Xianzi must go, otherwise he will kill this servant!"

"Nonsense!"

Li Shimin was displeased.

He thought to himself, 'Why is Father becoming more and more willful?'

Li Shimin did not care about the death of a palace eunuch.

But he worried that Li Yuan would use this as an excuse to act even more recklessly.

The thought of how he would have to deal with his father in the future gave Li Shimin a headache. He rubbed his forehead and then compromised again, saying, "Fine, go tell Wen He to go to Da'an Palace tomorrow."

He did not object to Li Yuan coming into contact with Wen He.

Even if he learns about the future from Wen He, so what?
Now Chang'an belongs to him, and the entire Tang Dynasty belongs to him.

The so-called retired emperor is nothing more than a living memorial tablet hanging high above.

"You want me to go to Da'an Palace tomorrow?"

As soon as Wen He left the palace gate, a palace attendant caught up with her and conveyed Li Shimin's decree.

He stood there, pointing at himself in astonishment.

"But I'm about to go to Jingzhou, how can I have time to appease the Emperor Emeritus!"

He remembered that Li Yuan wanted to kill him the first time they met.

On their second meeting, he gave them a thorough dressing-down.

Wen He had almost no liking for him.

This time, they even met in private. The Xuanjia Guards protecting him probably wouldn't even be able to get through the gates of Da'an Palace.

"This, this is His Majesty's decree," the eunuch who came to deliver the message said with a smile.

Wen He chuckled twice at him, then left with a "I know" before getting into the carriage.

'Looks like I need to think of a way to appease this old man, mahjong...'

In my past life, I read a book about time travel to the Tang Dynasty, and it seemed to involve using mahjong to coax Li Yuan.

But Wen He quickly abandoned the idea.

Who was Li Yuan when he was young? He was the epitome of a playboy.

Mahjong and leaf games are things people have already played; you can't possibly win them over with mahjong.

More importantly... Wen He doesn't know how to play mahjong.

He didn't even know what a pure suit was.

"How about chess?"

He remembered that at that time, chess was called Liubo. The version that was improved in the Tang Dynasty was later called Baoying Chess. There were not as many pieces as later versions, and it was played on a Go board.

If that doesn't work, then he can only teach Li Yuan how to play Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game).

Return to the mansion.

Knowing that Wenrou was asleep, he went to the study to draw up blueprints, and then went to the side courtyard to find a craftsman.

These craftsmen all came from the Ministry of Works and were skilled at making woodwork; they could easily make a chess piece.

The next day.

During the meal, the three little ones stared at him expectantly, and even Wenrou winked at him.

"Speak your mind." With them staring at her like that, Wen He couldn't even eat.

"Sir, did you set those fireworks last night? Do you still have any of them?"

Li Tai had long been impatient.

"You guys are in great spirits. You weren't tired yesterday. By the way, why didn't you sleep in the East Palace last night?"

Wen He didn't see the three little ones at yesterday's banquet, and assumed they had returned to the East Palace after finishing their ancestral worship.

So I didn't ask them when I got back last night.

"I went back, but I was kicked out by the Empress Dowager." Li Chengqian pursed his lips, his eyes full of helplessness.

Although Empress Zhangsun had not yet become empress, Li Chengqian's address of "Mother" was not considered presumptuous, since there was no strong contender for her position in the harem.

"My mother said that if I don't learn even one percent of my teacher's skills, even if I become the crown prince, I can forget about living in the Eastern Palace. She said that this is my father's decree."

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, he looked pitifully at Wen He.

"Then you can live here for the rest of your life," Wen He said, placing a piece of pickled vegetable into his bowl.

Li Chengqian was even more frustrated.

"I was just kidding." Wen He gently tapped his head with her chopsticks.

Empress Zhangsun's words were just meant to scare the child.

Li Chengqian certainly won't stay with him for long.

Perhaps after returning from Jingzhou, he will move into the East Palace.

Otherwise, those court officials wouldn't have agreed.

"From now on, you won't need to do many things personally; you just need to understand them. If you have to do everything, what's the point of having those ministers?"

The emperor was always the decision-maker, and sometimes, he didn't even allow for discussion.

If he does everything himself, he'll eventually exhaust himself.

Despite saying this, Li Chengqian remained depressed.

Wen He suddenly thought of something.

Last night he was thinking of using toys to coax Li Yuan, but why didn't he think of the three little ones?

After all, he's his own grandson.

When people get old, don't they all want to enjoy their grandchildren?
This also allowed Li Yuan to experience the warmth of family.

"Alright, didn't you want to know about making fireworks? Today I'm taking you somewhere, Xiaorou, do you want to come along?"

"want!"

"I am coming too!"

Li Ke, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up and spoke.

Wen He turned to look at him, but he suddenly lowered his head to avoid her gaze.

I want to see fireworks.

"If you want to see it, then see it. Why are you so shy?"

Wen He chuckled, but felt a little strange inside.

After Li Ke moved into his house, he became much more reserved.

"Wenzhong!"

Wen He called out to the outside, and Wen Zhong, who was waiting outside, bowed and walked in, saying, "Young Master."

"Go ask Your Majesty, I want to take the three young princes to the Da'an Palace to see the Emperor Emeritus and ask him if he allows it."

This matter should be decided by Li Shimin.

Wen Zhong was taken aback upon hearing this.

The three little ones on the table were also dumbfounded.

We were supposed to go see fireworks, how did it turn into going to see my grandfather?

Despite their young age, they were well aware of what had happened recently and how their father had become emperor.

Children raised under elite education are too precocious.

Soon, Wenzhong brought back the message, and Li Shimin simply said "Approved".

"Alright, let's set off to pay our respects to the Emperor Emeritus."

(End of this chapter)