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

Chapter 308 I have never believed in immortality

The dozen or so men were all soldiers in armor. Upon seeing this, the Xuanjia Guards immediately gripped the swords at their waists and stood in front of Wen He and Li Lizhi, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

"But is the county magistrate of Gaoyang listed first?"

A bearded man stepped out from the group. His armor was still covered in dust, indicating that he had just arrived from the camp. He cupped his hands in greeting to Wen He and asked in a loud, clear voice.

“Yes.”

Wen He cautiously sized up the people in front of her, then took a barely perceptible half-step back, shielding Li Lizhi behind her.

The little girl was startled by the scene, and her little hands involuntarily tightened around his sleeve until her knuckles turned white.

The next second, a crisp "whoosh" was heard, and the sound of metal plates colliding rang out in unison.

The soldiers knelt down on one knee at the same time, clasped their hands in salute, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.

"On behalf of the soldiers of Guannei Prefecture, we express our deepest gratitude to the magistrate of Gaoyang County for his great kindness!"

The voices of more than ten people came together, causing the snow in the plum grove to fall in a rustling sound.

Li Lizhi was completely stunned and subconsciously shrank behind Wen He; Wen He was also stunned for a while before quickly stepping forward to help the man who had just spoken up to his feet: "Please get up, everyone! What's going on?"

He was genuinely taken aback. He never expected that these soldiers would specifically wait for him here and perform such a grand salute.

"If it weren't for the county magistrate, I'm afraid we brothers would have been freezing in the snow and ice when we went to the northern frontier after the New Year!"

When the man was helped up, his voice was still filled with excitement, and his eyes were a little red.

"We were also fortunate to have the county magistrate expose the corrupt officials who embezzled military pay, which allowed our brothers to leave more money for their families before they set off to get through the winter. We will remember this kindness!"

After he finished speaking, the soldiers behind him bowed in unison and saluted once again.

Wen He didn't dare accept the gift this time and quickly stepped aside, returning the greeting solemnly: "You are too kind. It is only natural for soldiers to receive rations and pay, and the provision of warm clothes in winter is also a sign of the court's compassion. Neither the military pay nor the woolen clothes are my achievement, but rather the result of His Majesty's benevolence and the planning of the court officials. If you should express your gratitude, you should thank His Majesty and the Great Tang!"

He wasn't being modest. Although these soldiers meant no harm, their hospitality was so overwhelming that it sent chills down his spine.

If Li Shimin were to accept this gift today, and word got out that "the magistrate of Gaoyang County has won the hearts of the army," he would probably toss and turn several times a night, given his temperament.

Other dynasties might be one thing, but the one sitting on the throne now is the one who fought his way out of Xuanwu Gate, and his sensitivity to military power is higher than anyone else's.

Wen He didn't want to wake up one day to find a bright yellow robe covering her.

Upon hearing this, the man's excitement subsided somewhat, but he still insisted, "Your Majesty is benevolent, and the court is compassionate; we will naturally remember this."

“But the things that the county magistrate has done for his brothers cannot be ignored by us! You came up with the method of wool spinning, you caught the corrupt officials, and you even taught your family members how to knit sweaters... We brothers remember all of this!”

Wen He didn't know whether to call these people stupid or honest, so she could only emphasize with a wry smile, "It was His Majesty, His Majesty ordered me to do all of this."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers all looked somewhat puzzled.

"Everyone says that the people of Gaoyang County are indifferent to fame and fortune. I didn't believe it before, but seeing it today, I can see that it is indeed true!" Suddenly, someone in the crowd slapped his thigh and exclaimed in realization.

"What do you mean?" The companion beside him looked bewildered.

“Think about it,” the man said, looking at Wen He, his voice growing louder.

"How many merits has Gao Yangxianzi made before? Gunpowder, improved crossbows... If it were anyone else, they would have been wearing scarlet official robes long ago, but he is still only a seventh-rank official! What is this if not indifference to fame and fortune?"

The soldiers around him immediately brightened up and nodded in unison: "I see!"

"Hey, hey, don't talk nonsense!" Wen He quickly waved his hand, "I'm just too young, and His Majesty is afraid that I can't shoulder too heavy a responsibility."

He finally understood: the imaginations of people in ancient times were in no way inferior to those of readers of online novels in later generations.

"Yes, yes, yes!" the burly man shouted loudly, "From now on, the descendants of Gaoyang County will surely be dukes and marquises for generations to come!"

The single stone stirred up a thousand ripples, and a dozen soldiers shouted in unison: "May the lords and marquises of Gaoyang County reign for ten thousand generations!"

The sound made Merlin buzz, startling passersby who stared at the scene from afar, thinking someone was plotting a rebellion.

"May your descendants be noble and powerful for generations to come, hehe."

Li Lizhi found it amusing and started waving her little hand and shouting along, completely unaware of Wen He's face, which looked as bitter as a gourd.

He just wants to make money peacefully and steadily!

I initially got into wool textiles simply because I saw that the clothing business was a quick way to make money.

After all, glass production is limited; how can it compare to the essential need for winter clothing?

But to everyone's surprise, such a huge blunder occurred.

Wen He realized something was wrong. If this continued, it might reach Li Shimin's ears and be misinterpreted.

He immediately raised his voice and shouted, "It should be His Majesty's boundless grace and the Empress's benevolent virtue! Let us wish His Majesty a long life!"

"Wishing Your Majesty a long life!" Li Lizhi reacted quickly, waving her little fist and shouting along. Her clear childish voice mingled with the soldiers' shouts, making it particularly loud.

The soldiers present were stunned for a moment, then reacted and shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor!"

Seeing the crowd chanting slogans with great enthusiasm, Wen He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was so startled that a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back.

"Shout 'Long live the Emperor!'"

Inside the Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin stroked the memorials on the table. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

The sunlight streaming through the window lattice made that smile appear even more genuine.

"This must be the work of that brat Wen He. Only he would come up with such a novel phrase as 'Long live the Emperor'."

He put down the memorial, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. His tone carried a hint of helplessness, yet it couldn't hide a trace of indulgence.

He still remembered the first time he took Wen He to see his father, the emperor. The boy opened his mouth and shouted "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!" in a hurry and loudly, which surprised him greatly.

At that moment, he felt utterly humiliated. In such an occasion, he should have been arrogant and domineering, but this brat used some unorthodox etiquette, which immediately deflated his confidence.

But today, when I think of those three words again, I feel inexplicably happy.

That brat actually had a plan.

"This servant believes that the Lady of Gaoyang County is truly offering her blessings to His Majesty."

Gao Yue, who was standing by, seized the opportunity to speak, her tone full of flattery, but not entirely empty words.

He had followed His Majesty for many years and could see that His Majesty valued Wen He far more than ordinary ruler and subject.

Li Shimin suppressed his smile, looked at the bare paulownia branches outside the palace, and sighed softly, "Long live the Emperor? Although I rule the people in the name of the Son of Heaven, I am ultimately a mortal with a fixed lifespan. How can I truly live to be ten thousand years old?"

There was a hint of melancholy in his words. He still had so much to do.

The northern frontier is not yet pacified, the Turks have not yet been defeated, the canal transport system needs to be reformed, the equal distribution of land needs to be implemented, and there is still the deep-seated blood feud with Goguryeo.

The Tang Dynasty's land was in ruins and needed rebuilding.

They all need him to take charge of the power.

But time waits for no one. He was only twenty-eight years old, but gray hairs had already begun to appear at his temples. After reviewing memorials for a long time at night, his back would ache slightly.

Thinking about all this, I can't help but sigh.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yue's eyes darted around quickly. Suddenly remembering something, her face flushed with excitement, and she hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty! A few days ago, Huang Chunlai reported that the magistrate of Gaoyang County had secretly sent people to search for the whereabouts of Physician Sun."

"I've heard that this Physician Sun has miraculous healing abilities, capable of bringing flesh back to bones. Perhaps... perhaps the magistrate of Gaoyang County is searching for the elixir of immortality for His Majesty!"

"shut up!"

The melancholy on Li Shimin's face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling aura, and his voice suddenly deepened.

Gao Yue was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud, her forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor tiles, her voice trembling: "This servant misspoke! This servant deserves to die!"

The air inside the hall froze instantly.

"Wen He is looking for Sun Simiao because of the Empress's illness and Shu Bao's old injury, not for immortality!"

Li Shimin's voice was not loud, but every word was like a knife.

"I have never believed in immortality!"

He slowly rose, the hem of his dragon robe sweeping across the corner of the table, stirring up a gentle breeze.

"Do you think that if there truly were an elixir of immortality, the First Emperor would have died of illness at Shaqiu? And that the Qin Dynasty would have perished after only two generations?"

He walked up to Gao Yue and looked down at him.

"Emperor Wu of Han sought immortality and enlightenment, but in his later years he neglected state affairs and built temporary palaces. If he hadn't issued an edict of self-reproach, the Han dynasty would have been in grave danger. With such a lesson before me, how could I have repeated the same mistake?"

Gao Yue lay on the ground, her back soaked with cold sweat.

These words seem to be Li Shimin reprimanding Gao Yue.

But it's more like he's reminding himself not to yearn for that elusive path to immortality.

There was something he didn't say aloud.

"Besides, that brat Wen He often says that in the era he came to, dynasties and imperial systems were all just fleeting clouds. Even dynasties rise and fall; how can people not die?"

Therefore, he knew that rather than pursuing the elusive prospect of immortality, it was better to do more practical things in his limited years.

"Your Majesty is wise." Gao Yue's voice was choked with sobs, and her whole body was still trembling.

Li Shimin waved his hand, turned around and sat back down on the dragon throne, the coldness in his eyes gradually dissipating.

He didn't really want to blame Gao Yue. Although the maid had misjudged the situation, she was acting out of loyalty and wanted him to live longer.

"Get up."

He said lightly.

"From now on, never mention the word 'immortality' again. What I want is not how long I live, but how long this Tang Dynasty can last, and how long the people can live in peace. Otherwise, the world will once again fall into the state of chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty."

'We must not allow future generations to fall into the trap of the Five Dynasties period described by that scoundrel.'

Thinking of this, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel invigorated.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will remember your teachings."

Gao Yue then dared to slowly get up, bowing her head and standing aside, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"By the way, have Zheng Yuanzhu's family members been settled?" Li Shimin asked after sitting down.

Gao Yue immediately stepped forward respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, Zheng Yuanzhu's wife and daughter have been redeemed from the Jiaofangsi by the Zheng family. Except for Zheng Jiulang, all the other children have gone to Chongzhou with their father."

"Where is Zheng Wuniang? Is she still in the Jiaofangsi?" Li Shimin asked.

“She’s still here, but I specifically instructed them to do so, so the people from the Imperial Household Department didn’t make things difficult for her,” Gao Yue said.

"Yes, in a little while, send someone to take her to Wenhe's residence and give her three palace maids as a reward."

Li Shimin's lips unconsciously curled up.

Upon seeing this, Gao Yue immediately understood.

Although Your Majesty says that the path to immortality is illusory, you still like the "Long live the Emperor" that the Prince of Gaoyang said.

So, even though he was supposed to be the future prince consort, His Majesty still sent a palace maid to him.

This is unprecedented in this dynasty.

(End of this chapter)