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

Chapter 169 I will bestow upon you a courtesy name, and also grant you a marriage.

"who!"

Startled by the dark figure, Wen He jumped out of bed and threw a straw-filled pillow at it.

He saw a pair of deep eyes staring at him.

By the flickering candlelight, Wen He was finally able to see clearly who was in front of her.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty."

He rubbed his eyes and confirmed that the cold-faced man in front of him was indeed Li Shimin.

"How did you come?"

"Is the Prince of Gaoyang sleeping well? Should I have someone come and serve you?" Li Shimin walked over with a smile, but Wen He immediately felt a dangerous aura when she saw his forced smile.

"His Majesty!"

Wen He suddenly shouted, and Li Shimin stopped in his tracks, squinting at him.

"Well, I can explain."

Wen He knew that he had definitely come to demand an explanation.

He had planned to come back and get some sleep, and if Li Shimin sent someone to summon him, he would go to the palace to meet the emperor.

Unexpectedly, he slept until now. Even more unexpectedly, Li Shimin didn't send Gao Yue to wake him; instead, he came himself.

Li Shimin's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he suddenly pulled out a rattan whip from behind him.

To be honest, Wen He found this vine whip to be familiar.

It seems to be the same brand of cigarettes he usually smokes, the same ones Li Tai smokes.

"Alright, explain yourself. I'll listen to you. Why did you return to Chang'an instead of coming to the palace? Why are you sleeping here all alone? Why did you forge an imperial edict to build a mound of skulls? Explain everything to me."

Li Shimin pressed on relentlessly.

Wen He quickly shrank into a corner, clutching the blanket.

"Your Majesty, I was just afraid of disturbing your official duties. The Jingguan incident was mainly to make you famous. Really, you have to believe me."

Li Er launched a sudden attack.

If she could beat him, Wen He would definitely have gone up and fought him.

"Humph!"

Li Shimin's expression suddenly changed. He took the rattan whip and swung it through the air. The loud cracking sound made Wen He's body tremble.

'Is Li Er going to have some kind of unusual fetish?'

"Your Majesty, we won a great victory! We almost captured Jieli."

Wen He blinked repeatedly, trying to divert Li Shimin's attention.

He didn't know what Li Er was so insistent on. He wasn't a general leading troops, so why was he coming back to the palace?

"Hmph, you don't need to repeat it, I already know."

Li Shimin sat down on the edge of the bed in a bad mood and casually tossed the rattan whip aside.

"You little brat, you know fear now!"

"That thing hurts when it hits you."

"Really? But you seem to use it to hunt bluebirds quite often."

"Um... If the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness."

"Then this is the father's fault for not teaching his son properly!"

Li Shimin glared at Wen He, and Wen He cowered.

He only dared to mutter to himself, 'You, Li Er, you want to be my father? Dream on… No, a father-in-law is a father too, but you didn't marry Li Lizhi to me.'

"I heard you went into battle with Li Jing?" Li Shimin turned his head, looked Wen He up and down, and saw that he was still healthy and could still be joking around. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

When he first heard that Li Jing had brought Wen He with him when he charged into battle, he cursed, "Nonsense!"

A ten-year-old child... no, that brat's soul is probably almost as powerful as mine.

"Lord Li insisted on taking me with him, probably so that I could convey a message to His Majesty. It's not that he didn't want to pursue Jieli, nor that he failed to capture Jieli alive, but rather that Jieli was too cunning."

This was something Wen He came up with later.

Li Jing wouldn't have taken him into battle without a reason.

He was probably worried that failing to capture Jieli would lead to a misunderstanding by Li Shimin.

They thought he was harboring bandits to enhance his own prestige.

"Even you noticed." With a heavy sigh, Li Shimin shook his head.

"Yeah... uh, no, what do you mean by 'even I could tell'?" Wen He was speechless.

Is he really that insensitive in this regard?
It seems there is a bit of that, but that's only because he hasn't had any prior experience with it.

Otherwise, he would have taken the civil service exam long ago.

"Medical Master Li, you still don't trust me... Tell me, when he returns, how about I bestow upon him the title of Duke of Dai?"

Is Li Er asking for my opinion?
Wen He was surprised. Was his opinion really that important?
However, Wen He quickly realized that this was not an inquiry, but rather that Li Shimin needed a reason.

"In the original history, after Li Jing destroyed the Eastern Turks, you enfeoffed him as the Duke of Dai and promoted him to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Later, after he conquered Tuyuhun, he was promoted to the Duke of Wei, a hereditary title."

Wen He could not make decisions for Li Shimin; all he could do was tell him the history of later generations.

And it seems he mentioned this before.

"I know," Li Shimin said in a low voice.

"In fact, given Li Jing's achievements, he should have been a Duke long ago. However, Father Emperor still remembers what happened back then. But I am also worried that if the reward is too generous, there will be discord between the emperor and his minister in the future."

When he said this, he glanced at Wen He.

It seems that it's not just about Li Jing.

"Well, Li Jing will definitely make further contributions in the future, but you can hold back for now. For example, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is now Yuwen Shiji, so let's not give it to Li Jing for now."

Wen He pretended not to know what was going on and continued talking about Li Jing.

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin raised his hand and slapped him on the head.

"I am aware of this matter."

"You know it, so you know it, why did you hit me!" Wen He rubbed her head, gritting her teeth indignantly.

Li Shimin glared at him, knowing that Wen He was deliberately avoiding the topic, which is why he struck him with a slap.

However, he also held back his strength; otherwise, with his strength, Wen He wouldn't have been able to sit and talk.

He sighed and said with a hint of helplessness.

"You did well this time too. The crossbow, gunpowder, and telescope—Li Jing praised you highly in his letter. If it were anyone else, they could easily be promoted one or two ranks based on these alone."

Wen He knew that with those words, she would definitely not be promoted to a noble title.

Since that's the case, why not use these achievements to exchange for something more practical?

"Your Majesty, as you know, I am a man of high moral character and incorruptible. Actually, I have a small request, perhaps..."

"Therefore, I have made my decision."

Li Shimin waved his hand, interrupting him.

Under Wen He's astonished gaze, he continued, "You're not young anymore, and you have no connections in Chang'an, no father or mother, and no teachers, so I intend to..." "Your Majesty, please don't say you're going to adopt me as your godson!"

When Wen He recalled Li Shimin's words, "It is the father's fault if he raises his children without teaching them," he felt a chill run down his spine.

How could Li Er possibly say something wrong?

"You brat, even if you want to recognize me as your godfather, I will not allow it!"

In ancient times, adopted sons also had the right to inherit, of course, only if both the legitimate sons and illegitimate sons died.

However, how could Li Shimin possibly give Wen He any chance?

He continued, sounding annoyed.

"What I mean is, I'm going to bestow a courtesy name upon you. Ordinary people don't receive a courtesy name from their teachers until they reach adulthood, but your foundation is weak, and you are already a county magistrate. If you don't have a courtesy name, people might laugh at you."

This is true.

In this era, people with titles or official positions would usually receive a courtesy name in advance, regardless of whether they had undergone the coming-of-age ceremony.

For example, Li Chengqian's courtesy name was Gaoming, and Li Tai's courtesy name was Huibao. However, the latter has not yet been given a courtesy name; he only has the nickname Qingque given to him by Li Yuan.

Wen He stroked her chin, pondered for a moment, and looked up at Li Shimin expectantly: "Then what courtesy name will Your Majesty give me?"

With Li Shimin's literary talent, it must have been something earth-shattering, something that would be sung by later generations.

With his expectation, Li Shimin spoke slowly.

The preface to the Book of Documents states: "When Tang Shu obtained grain, it was found that the ears of grain were the same in different fields. The king ordered that it be returned to the Duke of Zhou in the east, and he composed the poem 'Returning the Grain'. When the Duke of Zhou obtained the grain, he was entrusted with the emperor's command and composed the poem 'Auspicious Grain'."

Kong Chuan: Different grains with the same husk symbolize harmony and unity throughout the world. Commentary: Later generations named grains with the same husk "auspicious grains" after this.

amount……

Wen He scratched his head.

He hadn't even read the preface to the Book of Documents, so listening to this passage felt like being lost in a fog.

"so what?"

"Therefore, I will give you the courtesy name Jiaying."

Wen Jiaying?
"That doesn't sound like a man's name."

Wen He was taken aback. Why did she choose such a name? It sounded so effeminate.

"Nonsense! Jia Ying refers to the ear of auspicious grain, the divine fungus that displays its unique color, and the spirit seedling that sprouts its finest ear. This is the 'Records of Lost Things: Emperor Yan Shennong' written by Wang Jia of the Former Jin Dynasty. I told you to read more classics, but you are ignorant and incompetent!"

Wen He had indeed not read this book.

But he could sense that those two words represented Li Shimin's expectations for him.

"Isn't it a bit too heavy?"

Wen He felt a little guilty.

“It’s not heavy.” Li Shimin’s attitude was unquestionable, and Wen He had no choice but to accept it.

"However, it is likely that those who bestow names are teachers and elders. I am without a name or title. If I were to rashly bestow a name upon you, I fear it would invite criticism."

"Um, so what?"

Wen He suddenly felt a little confused.

Why is Li Shimin talking so strangely today?

and many more!

Wen He suddenly thought of a possibility.

Li Shimin didn't recognize him as his adopted son, but he still wanted him to be his father, so it seemed there was only one way.

"What do you think of Li Zhi?" Li Shimin suddenly asked.

Wen He was stunned.

Suddenly, I had an unrealistic feeling that my wish had come true.

"It's okay."

He suppressed his inner joy and nodded calmly.

"What do you mean 'not bad'!" Li Shimin snorted in dissatisfaction.

"That's settled then. I will betroth Lizhi to you. Once she comes of age, you will marry her."

He made his decision before Wen He could speak.

Li Shimin was worried that Wen He would act recklessly, so he refused before Wen He could finish speaking.

Little did he know the excitement Wen He was feeling at that moment: "I've got the life-saving charm!"

While marrying Li Lizhi was something to be happy about, what made Wen He even happier was that he had essentially obtained a half-get-out-of-jail-free card.

When Li Chengqian ascends the throne in the future, his status will be much more than just that of an imperial tutor.

He's also his brother-in-law... wait, it seems like his status has dropped.

Oh well, everything comes at a price.

Do those three little ones really dare to treat him as their brother-in-law?
He'll beat them to death.

"Are you willing?" Li Shimin asked.

Upon hearing this, Wen He forcibly suppressed her inner joy and feigned modesty, saying, "Should we ask Lizhi and the Empress for their opinions on this matter?"

"It was an arranged marriage by her parents and a matchmaker, and Guanyinbi had already agreed."

"Actually, I am quite in favor of freedom... Yes, Your Majesty is right."

Wen He had only spoken halfway when she felt Li Shimin's sharp gaze.

"Alas, Your Majesty values ​​me so highly, I am truly moved to tears." He rubbed his eyes forcefully, but unfortunately, not a single tear came out.

Seeing his theatrical performance, Li Shimin didn't hesitate to slap him on the head.

"If you're really that grateful, then get on with your work. Maybe your compost will be ready for next spring's planting?"

He suddenly changed the subject, and Wen He stopped acting and nodded with a smile.

However, he soon remembered something.

"Instead of composting, shouldn't we solve the drought problem first? There will be a drought in the Guanzhong and Shaanxi areas in the spring of the first year of Zhenguan, followed by famine. The drought is the time when locusts breed. If we wait for them to grow up, they will swarm everywhere."

Wen He had mentioned this to Li Shimin before, back at Xuanwu Gate.

I don't know if he's made the arrangements yet.

"I have already instructed Xuanling and the others to handle this matter. There was a heavy rain a few days ago, and the Wei River rose. Now is the perfect time to build canals to divert water. By the way, do you have any simple methods for diverting water in your later generations?"

When Wen He brought up the matter, Li Shimin casually asked about it.

"Yes, I have."

Wen He smiled: "Dragon bone... Oh, this thing existed in the Han Dynasty. Waterwheel, yes, water-powered waterwheel. I thought of it when I was in Huizhou. It's perfect for making paper."

"Oh?"

If Wen He hadn't brought it up, Li Shimin would have almost forgotten about papermaking.

His eyes lit up, and he suddenly sneered.

"I happen to have something to discuss with those people recently. Could the paper you produce be of any help to me?"

(End of this chapter)