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

Chapter 372 Li Er could think of so much just from playing with a kite?

"Your Majesty, the Hongwen Academy must not be abolished!"

Xiao Yu's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly bowed to offer his advice, his tone filled with anxiety.

Having long been in charge of literary affairs, he was well aware of the importance of the books in the library and the great undertaking of compiling history. If it were abolished, years of hard work would be wasted.

Fang Xuanling stood in the train, silent.

Du Ruhui, who was standing beside him, stepped forward and bowed deeply to the ground.

"Your Majesty, the Hongwen Academy is not only a place for nurturing talent, but also in charge of the collection and restoration of the nation's classics. Since the fourth year of the Wude era, the academy has been commissioned to compile the histories of the Liang, Chen, Qi, Zhou, and Sui dynasties. Now, the historical materials have accumulated to thousands of volumes, and it also houses countless rare and valuable books of classics and histories. These are the cultural roots left by the previous dynasties. If we rashly abolish this project, not only will the great undertaking of compiling history be in vain, but these precious classics will also be difficult to preserve. This would be a great regret for the Tang Dynasty!"

These words hit the nail on the head.

The only way to prove the legitimacy of the Tang Dynasty is to revise the history of the previous dynasty.

Li Shimin frowned slightly as his gaze swept over the officials in the hall.

Du Ruhui's words were true; the Hongwen Hall was indeed the "national library" and "central hub for compiling history" of the Tang Dynasty, and abolishing it was indeed inappropriate.

Just then, Wen He suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your humble servant also believes that the Hongwen Academy should not be abolished."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

All the officials knew that the petition from the scholars outside the palace was secretly instigated by Wen He. They thought he would take the opportunity to advocate for the abolition of the Hongwen Academy, but they did not expect him to oppose it.

Li Shimin stared at him, his tone carrying a hint of accusation.

"But the scholars outside the palace are indignant. If I say today that I will not abolish it, how can they let it go? You will have to resolve the chaos you have caused yourself."

Li Shimin meant to tell Wen He.

You've caused me so much trouble, you'd better resolve it yourself.

Wen He chuckled twice and raised his head to offer his advice.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan."

Wen He chuckled dryly twice, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion: to open the Hongwen Academy."

"Impossible!" Changsun Wuji objected vehemently.

Is this guy channeling Cao Cao again?
He frowned and said, "The Hongwen Hall contains many precious books. If there is any accident, it will be an irreparable loss. In order to protect these books, the hall not only has special people to guard them, but even the cleaning has to be checked three times, for fear of any damage."

Changsun Wuji felt that Wen He was being too presumptuous.

If it could be opened to the public, why would the Hongwen Academy only admit thirty-eight students each year?

"If it were open to the public, I fear that the people who enter would be a mixed bag, and there would inevitably be some of them who are not of good character. If someone were to take advantage of the opportunity to borrow books to hoard them or accidentally damage rare editions, it would put the cultural heritage of the Tang Dynasty in danger. Such a loss cannot be made up for with gold or silver. Once it happens, it would be a regret for all time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement immediately filled the hall.

Xiao Yu nodded first: "Vice Minister Changsun is absolutely right! The books in the Hongwen Academy are national treasures. Last year, the staff of the academy spent three months of hard work to restore a fragment of the Book of Zhou. How can we open it to the public so easily?"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone else continued.

"The magistrate of Wen County only considers the needs of scholars seeking knowledge, but forgets the difficulty of protecting the classics. The Hongwen Academy currently has more than 3,700 volumes of classics, nearly half of which are handwritten. The pages are thin and fragile, and they will be damaged with the slightest carelessness. If every scholar could borrow them, the registration, verification, and accountability alone would require countless manpower, not to mention preventing those with malicious intent. This matter is absolutely unacceptable!"

Being attacked by them all at once, Wen He felt a bit overwhelmed.

He didn't know whether to say that these people were just used to sticking to old ways, or that they were genuinely afraid that some books they shouldn't be reading would be read by others.

He chuckled and shook his head, saying calmly, "Gentlemen, you've misunderstood. I hadn't finished speaking when Vice Minister Changsun interrupted me."

"Although I am young, I still know what is important."

His words drew sneers from many in the room.

Even Li Shimin shook his head.

Of all the people present, Wen He was the most clueless about the situation.

Seeing this, Wen He pursed her lips and looked at them, asking, "Since you gentlemen don't believe me, then you can solve this yourselves."

He didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

At this juncture, they had no particular ideas.

We can't just let the soldiers disperse the soldiers below, can we?

If that were truly the case, I fear the scholars of the world would be utterly disheartened.

In this era, there were still many scholars who regarded the saying "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated" as their guiding principle.

"Alright, stop arguing, go ahead and speak." Li Shimin looked outside and saw the scholars surging about, clearly getting impatient. He pointed at Wen He and told him to continue.

Wen He was also worried that if it took too long, someone might take the opportunity to cause trouble, so she spoke up.

"We can limit the number of people and their status, for example, by only opening it six months before the imperial examination. In addition, now that we have printing technology and books, the court can pay for the printing of those books. At that time, we can expand the Hongwen Academy and divide it into an inner academy and an outer academy. Only officials can enter the inner academy, while all students can enter the outer academy to borrow or read books."

"Anyone who borrows a book must have a certificate, which can be issued by Chang'an County or Wannian County. The certificate must clearly indicate the scholar's residence and place of origin. If there is any error, the government office that issued the certificate will be held responsible."

This is actually the same as the library card in later generations.

Fang Xuanling raised his eyes and glanced at Wen He, just in time to meet his gaze.

Wen He smiled at him frankly, her eyes showing no trace of the previous conflict, as if the two had never argued.

Fang Xuanling was slightly taken aback, and sighed helplessly.

'These people from later generations have thicker skin than I do; this young man is surprisingly adept at navigating the ways of officialdom.'

He never expected that Wen He would forgive and forget with a smile.

However, what he didn't expect was that Wen He had actually been silently cursing him as an "old bastard" in her heart.

The reason he didn't argue with Fang Xuanling was entirely to better promote the reconstruction of the Hongwen Academy.

Otherwise, who knows if this old scoundrel will oppose for the sake of opposing?

Everyone fell into deep thought as they listened to what Wen He said.

It's not that this is a bad thing.

But it seems there isn't anything that aligns with their own interests.

That's why they're hesitating right now.

Li Shimin glanced at them, and seeing that no one made a suggestion, he pondered for a moment before speaking.

"This matter can be put on the agenda, but the specific details need to be discussed in detail."

Before anyone could react, he turned his gaze to Gao Yue.

"But today we can first inform the scholars outside the palace of the court's intention to open the Hongwen Academy, so as to reassure them."

He knew that the most important thing at this moment was to calm the scholars' emotions, and how to implement the plan afterward could be dealt with gradually.

To put it bluntly, it's about first making a grand promise of "fair access to education."

Meanwhile, the thousands of scholars under the Vermilion Bird Gate were growing impatient.

As the sun began to set in the west, there was still no movement on the city wall. Several people in short shirts with shifty eyes exchanged glances, their eyes filled with urgency.

They nodded quietly, about to speak and stir up emotions, when suddenly several large hands reached out from behind them, gripping the back of their necks with force from their knuckles.

With a few soft thuds, the men's eyes rolled back and they collapsed to the ground.

"Huh? Why did he faint?"

The scholar beside him exclaimed in alarm and quickly helped the unconscious man up.

The man supporting the person was a Hundred Knight soldier in civilian clothes. He chuckled twice and said in a low voice, "Perhaps the sun is too strong and he has heatstroke. I'll take him to the teahouse next door to rest for a while, so as not to delay everyone."

"Thank you for your trouble, brother!"

The scholars around them simply took it as a kind act by a well-meaning person and did not think much of it, turning their attention back to the city tower.

"His Majesty has decreed that the Hongwen Academy shall not be abolished!"

Gao Yue's clear and melodious voice pierced through the clamor outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, like a thunderclap exploding in the crowd.

At first, many people frowned and looked puzzled. If the Hongwen Hall was not abolished, what was the point of their previous petition?
Several men subconsciously took half a step forward, their Adam's apples bobbing as if they were about to voice their questions. But before they could utter a sound, several steady hands suddenly reached out from behind them, their knuckles pressing gently against the back of their necks. The men's eyes rolled back, and they collapsed into the arms of the plainclothes Hundred Knights.

After what just happened...

Those around them took it as a normal accident and quickly turned their attention back to the city wall. No one noticed that these "strange individuals" had been quietly taken away.

Just then, Gao Yue's voice rang out again, this time with a gentler tone.

"However, His Majesty understands the difficulties scholars face in pursuing their studies and wishes to discuss with his officials the matter of opening the Hongwen Academy. Once the detailed rules are finalized, scholars from all over the land will be allowed to enter and read the classics!"

The single word "desire" perfectly encapsulates the fact that the matter is still under discussion, yet it is enough to ignite the scholars' anticipation.

Meng Zhou stood at the front of the crowd. He caught a glimpse of Wen He's gesture from the corner of the city gate tower and immediately raised his arm and shouted.

"Long live your Majesty!"

That shout was loud and clear.
Wu Sheng and Fan Biao followed closely behind. The thousands of scholars reacted, first with a few scattered responses, which quickly merged into a roar like a tsunami.

"Long live your Majesty!"

The blue cloth robes of scholars rose and fell with the shouts.

This was naturally something Wen He had arranged long ago.

On the top of the Vermilion Bird Gate, Li Shimin stared blankly at the bustling crowd below.

The officials behind him had various expressions.

Just then, Wen He quietly approached Li Shimin and whispered something to him.

Li Shimin's eyes suddenly lit up. He strode to the city wall, pushed aside the imperial guards in front of him, and raised his arms to shout.

"Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried a powerful, resonant quality honed on the battlefield, penetrating the sound waves and clearly reaching the ears of every scholar.

Standing in the shadows of the city tower, Wen He looked at this scene and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

If that person were here, I'm afraid they wouldn't be shouting "Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

Perhaps only that one person truly cares about the people.

The scholars below the city wall were in an uproar.

The moment they saw Li Shimin's true face, many people's eyes welled up with tears. What had been a unified chant had now turned into a frantic wave of paper and pen towards the city wall.

Li Shimin gazed at the thousands of tearful eyes below, his hands, hidden in the sleeves of his dragon robe, clenched tightly.

In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the battlefield of yesteryear.

At that time, when he raised his arm and called out, the soldiers responded in unison, willing to charge into battle for him.

At this moment, these unarmed scholars had the same burning passion and loyalty in their eyes.

……

"well done."

After the court meeting ended, Li Shimin kept Wen He by himself.

"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom."

Wen He gave a faint laugh.

Li Shimin glanced at him and snorted irritably, "Now it's just the two of us, father-in-law and son-in-law, so there's no need to pretend here."

"How could this be an act? These are my honest words. If it weren't for Your Majesty's support today, I'm afraid I would have been torn to pieces by those people."

Wen He deliberately acted as if she was still scared.

Li Shimin pointed at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

At this moment, Gao Yue brought over tea and also brought Wen He a bowl of honey water.

After taking a sip of tea, Li Shimin asked, "Some of the scholars today mentioned abolishing the Hongwen Academy. Was it really not you who proposed it?"

“If Your Majesty had brought it up, I wouldn’t have mentioned the reconstruction,” Wen He said helplessly.

Li Shimin chuckled and looked at him, saying, "Why not? You first had someone propose abolishing the Hongwen Academy, and then used a strategic retreat to advance by changing the subject to rebuilding the Hongwen Academy. Isn't that the same thing?"

"Hmm...that actually makes sense."

Wen He was stunned.

However, judging from his appearance, Li Shimin guessed that those who were talking about abolishing the Hongwen Academy were not actually arranged by Wen He.

Otherwise, those riders wouldn't have secretly taken those people away.

Li Shimin's face was somber.

This is clearly someone trying to do something using this opportunity.

They actually took advantage of Wen He.

"You fool, you've been used." Li Shimin's eyes narrowed slightly.

Wen He immediately looked surprised: "Your Majesty is wise! This humble subject never thought of that."

In fact, he had already thought of this when he heard that someone wanted to abolish the Kobunkan.

These people are really bold to dare to take advantage of me.

If he hadn't arranged for a hundred riders to be in the crowd beforehand, things probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

However, he still acted somewhat ignorant in front of Li Shimin.

"Alright, alright. After all, you haven't been in office for long. It's understandable for a young person to make some oversights. After all, you've already taken precautions."

Li Shimin's lips curled slightly upwards as he deliberately put on a stern face and reprimanded him.

Wen He looked obedient and receptive to instruction.

"Your humble servant has learned a great deal."

"Let the Hundred Cavalry conduct a thorough interrogation. I want to know who this person is."

Li Shimin's face darkened, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

"The minister obeys the order."

When Wen He came out of the Lizheng Hall, he was thinking about returning to the Hundred Cavalry Camp to handle the follow-up matters when a clear but somewhat aggrieved child's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Ahe!"

Wen He paused, turning around to look.

Standing under the corridor was a small figure wearing a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with pink ribbons tied in her double buns; it was none other than the Fifth Princess, Li Lizhi.

The little girl had her hands behind her back, her brows slightly furrowed, and her big, round eyes were full of resentment, like a little dumpling that had been neglected for a long time, staring at him without blinking.

Wen He stood there, blinking with a wry smile on her face.

Although he was already engaged, he couldn't muster any romantic feelings for this naive young girl.

The reason I agreed to this marriage was simply to save my life in the future.

Even if they really want to date, they should at least wait until Li Lizhi grows up.

The two stared at each other in silence, the only sound in the air the rustling of locust leaves in the wind.

Li Lizhi was followed by six palace maids, who looked at each other in bewilderment.

Just now, the princess insisted on coming to find Gao Yang County's son after hearing that he had entered the palace. Why did she stop talking to him after they met?
The leading palace maid quietly stepped forward, wanting to persuade the princess to speak, but was gently stopped by Li Lizhi with a look.

Suddenly, as if she had made up her mind, Li Lizhi ran quickly towards Wen He with her short legs, her skirt fluttering gently with her movements.

Running up to her, she looked up at me with her little face upturned, her lips pursed, and said in a pitiful voice.

"Ahe, you haven't come to play with me in so long! Father won't let me leave the palace either, you're all bullying me!"

Wen He then suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out the little girl was angry because she felt ignored.

Thinking back carefully, it's true that I haven't seen her for a long time.

But this is not his fault; it's all because of Li Er.

He crouched down to be at eye level with Li Lizhi, and softened his voice.

“Your Highness, it’s not that I don’t want to see you, but I’ve been too busy with court affairs lately and I simply can’t spare the time. Besides, things are not peaceful outside the palace recently, and His Majesty doesn’t want you to leave the palace because he’s afraid you’ll be mistreated. It’s much better for you to stay in the palace.”

"There's food, fun, and plenty of sleep; life is carefree and comfortable."

"The palace is not a good place!"

Li Lizhi pouted and suddenly grabbed Wen He's sleeve with her small hand and shook it gently.

"There are rules everywhere in the palace. You have to walk slowly, speak softly, and you can't even run. It's so boring! Ah He, can you take me out of the palace? I want to go to the East Market to see sugar paintings, and I also want to go to Qujiang Pool to feed the ducks!"

She shook her sleeves with a light touch, but it carried a childlike, coquettish quality, and her eyes sparkled.

Wen He's heart softened, but she still shook her head.

"Your Highness, leaving the palace is really not an option; His Majesty will be angry if he finds out. If you'd like to have some fun, how about I accompany you for a stroll in the Imperial Garden?"

"not good!"

Li Lizhi immediately let go, shaking her head like a rattle drum, and then grabbed Wen He's sleeve again and clenched it tightly.

"If you don't take me out of the palace, I won't let you leave!"

Wen He looked at her stubborn little face and smiled helplessly.

I simply sat down on the stone bench next to me and patted the spot next to me.

"Okay, if you're not going, then we'll just sit here and sunbathe."

Li Lizhi was taken aback by his decisiveness and sat down next to him, gently resting her arm on his arm.

The afternoon spring breeze, carrying the fragrance of locust blossoms, felt warm and comforting on people.

She closed her eyes, and a comfortable expression gradually appeared on her face, even the grievances she had just felt dissipated.

Seeing that the two were at peace, the palace maids quietly retreated to the nearby corridor to wait, leaving only one person to keep watch nearby.

Wen He remained seated, her gaze fixed on the flowerbeds not far away, watching the butterflies rest on the peony petals.

Suddenly, I felt that this moment of tranquility was much more pleasant than the intrigue and backstabbing in the imperial court.

Life is much more comfortable without those old scoundrels nagging in my ear.

Consider that he was originally a college student who had never even entered the workforce.

Having only been in the Tang Dynasty for a short time, I already have to face a group of old foxes.

One careless move and your life could be in danger.

When he first joined Li Er's side, he clearly wanted to be a parasite.

Even if he were just a mascot, Li Er insisted on making him do things.

They also deducted a year's salary from his paycheck.

Isn't this bullying?

If I didn't have to do anything, and could just spend all my time with Li Lizhi looking at flowers and trees, eating and sleeping all day long, how wonderful that would be.

It didn't take long.

A flock of sparrows landed on the locust tree branch in front of them, chirping and occasionally pecking at the grass seeds under the tree.

Upon hearing the sound, Li Lizhi suddenly opened her eyes, pointed gently at the treetop with her small hand, and excitedly lowered her voice.

"Ahe, look! So many little birds!"

Wen He looked in the direction she was pointing and nodded with a smile: "Yes, lots of birds."

Li Lizhi was mesmerized, her head tilted slightly, her eyes sparkling.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept by, whipping up fallen leaves that crashed against the locust tree, causing its branches to shake violently.

Startled, the sparrows all flew away with a "flutter," leaving only the empty treetops.

Li Lizhi's smile vanished instantly, her lips trembled, tears welled in her eyes, and her voice trembled with sobs: "How annoying the wind is! Humph!"

Wen He quickly comforted her, "Your Highness, don't be sad. The little bird will fly back when the wind stops."

"really?"

Li Lizhi looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, her eyelashes still glistening with them, making her look exceptionally pitiful. Wen He was trying to figure out how to comfort her when suddenly a brilliant idea struck him. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I've got it!"

Huh, why doesn't it hurt?

"it hurts."

The sudden shout startled Li Lizhi, and she forgot to shed tears.

She clutched her chest and gave Wen He a coquettish look.

"Ah He, you scared me to death! Why did you pat my leg?"

Wen He was stunned.

He then realized that he had patted the wrong leg.

Embarrassed, he quickly changed the subject and said...

"Your Highness, I've thought of something fun! It's much more interesting than watching birds; they can even fly!"

"Fly into the sky?"

Li Lizhi immediately became interested and blinked her wet eyes as she pressed for more information.

"What is it? Can it fly even better than a bird?"

"It's called a kite."

Wen He said.

"What is a kite?" Li Lizhi blinked curiously.

“It’s a kite,” Wen He explained, but the little girl still shook her head, completely confused.

Wen He was stunned for a moment before she remembered.

The earliest use of kites was in military applications.

According to the Records of Strange Things, in the third year of the Taiqing era, Emperor Wu of Liang was trapped in Taicheng near Jinling by the rebel Hou Jing. Jian Nu suggested making a paper kite to hide an imperial edict inside, so that it could fly through the air and deliver the message in order to seek reinforcements. However, the plan failed because the kite was shot down by the enemy.

And then there are no further records.

It wasn't until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) that kites were used for entertainment.

However, although the kites at that time were called paper kites, they were actually made of silk cloth, and were extremely expensive.

It seems that after the Northern Song Dynasty, papermaking technology was improved, and kites were introduced to the common people.

It really does prove the saying: "The swallows that once graced the halls of the noble and wealthy now fly into the homes of ordinary people."

"It uses bamboo strips as a frame, covers it with paper, and ties ropes to it. When the wind blows, it can fly into the sky, floating like a bird, and it can even move with the ropes."

Wen He explained patiently.

“In the past, the Mohists made ‘bamboo magpies’ that could fly in the sky for three days and three nights; and Gongshu Ban, also known as Lu Ban, once made ‘wooden kites’ to spy on the cities of the State of Song. Our kites are lighter and more portable than theirs, and we can also paint beautiful patterns on them.”

"Wow, Wen He, you're amazing! You know even more about pressure than your father."

Li Lizhi's eyes lit up as she listened, and she tugged at Wen He's sleeve, asking eagerly.

"Can we make it now? I want one with a little bunny design!"

"Um, not a little bird?"

"I want a rabbit! Little rabbits are so cute! Can Wen He have one?" The little girl tugged at Wen He's sleeve and pleaded.

"Okay, then I'll be the rabbit."

Wen He nodded indulgently and turned to the palace maid not far away.

"Please trouble you, young lady, to fetch some bamboo strips, thin paper, cotton thread, paint, and paste, the more the better."

The head palace maid hesitated.

Princesses were allowed to make unfamiliar objects at will in the palace, and if anything went wrong, the palace staff could not afford to take responsibility.

Seeing Li Lizhi's expectant eyes, she nodded and said, "This servant will go and get it right away."

After the palace maid left, Li Lizhi sat on the stone bench, chattering about the kite pattern she wanted.

"I want to draw a little rabbit on the kite, as well as cabbage leaves and a few little flowers..."

Wen He listened patiently, nodding in agreement from time to time.

Children's minds are indeed simple; they can be happy over the smallest things.

On the other side, a palace maid who went to fetch materials happened to encounter Takazuki, who was there to report on matters, as she passed by the Rissei-den Hall.

Seeing her carrying a pile of bamboo strips and paper, Gao Yue asked curiously, "What are you going to do with this?"

The palace maid immediately stopped and answered respectfully.

"Reporting to Eunuch Gao, the magistrate of Gaoyang County is making an object called a 'kite,' which is said to be able to fly into the sky and accompany Princess Changle."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yue was intrigued and immediately turned around and entered the Lizheng Hall to report to Li Shimin.

“Your Majesty, the Prince of Gaoyang is still in the palace and has not returned to the Hundred Cavalry Camp. He said he wants to make a strange thing called a ‘kite’ to play with the Fifth Princess.”

Li Shimin was reviewing memorials when he heard this. He looked up and frowned in surprise.

"Oh? He's still in the palace? Didn't I just send him to the Hundred Cavalry Camp to interrogate those suspicious individuals mixed among the scholars?"

"Your Majesty, it was the Fifth Princess who stopped the Prince of Gaoyang and insisted that he play with her."

Gao Yue quickly explained.

"Gao Yang County had no choice but to stay."

Upon hearing the words "Fifth Princess," Li Shimin's expression instantly softened, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"This girl is quite persistent. Since she's accompanying Lizhi, then so be it. Whatever materials he needs, have someone prepare more of them so that Lizhi doesn't suffer any injustice."

"The slaves obey the order."

Gao Yue bowed and withdrew, secretly marveling: His Majesty's affection for the Fifth Princess is truly unmatched by anyone else.

Before long, Wen He and Li Lizhi were busy in the open space of the Imperial Garden.

Wen He first used a knife to cut the bamboo strips into thin strips, bent them into a diamond-shaped frame, and carefully fixed them with rope.

Li Lizhi helped by handing over glue, and every now and then she would touch the bamboo strips with her little hands and ask questions out of curiosity.

"Ahe, won't this bamboo strip break?"

"Will not."

Wen He said with a smile.

"The bamboo strips I chose are very sturdy. As long as they are glued firmly, they can support the paper."

After the skeleton was finished, Wen He picked up a piece of thin paper and carefully pasted it onto the skeleton, then glued the edges and corners in place.

Li Lizhi held a paintbrush and began drawing a little rabbit on the paper.

The rabbit she drew was round and chubby, with long ears and two small black dots for eyes. She also drew a few cabbages and small flowers crookedly next to it.

Why not a carrot?
Because the Tang Dynasty didn't have it?

Watching from the side, Wen He couldn't help but praise, "Your Highness's painting is truly beautiful."

Li Lizhi blushed slightly at the compliment and painted even more diligently.

Soon, a pink bunny kite was finished. Wen He tied a long cotton string to the tail of the kite and said to Li Lizhi, "Your Highness, let's go fly the kite!"

Li Lizhi nodded excitedly and followed Wen He to the open space. Wen He picked up the kite, ran a few steps into the wind, and the moment she let go, the wind carried the kite slowly upwards. The pink little rabbit floated in the sky, like a lifelike little animal.

"It's flying! It's flying!"

Li Lizhi clapped her hands with joy, grabbed the cotton thread, and carefully followed the kite.

The kite floated in the sky for a while before gently falling down. She wasn't discouraged at all; she took Wen He's hand and asked him to fly it again.

The two ran and laughed in the open space, their joyful sounds echoing throughout half of the imperial garden. The palace maids stood by watching, unable to suppress their own smiles.

At that moment, Li Shimin, inside the Lizheng Hall, was frowning and deep in thought as he looked at a memorial concerning the floods in Jiangnan.

Suddenly, a burst of cheerful laughter came from outside, interrupting his thoughts. His face darkened, he put down his vermilion brush, and asked in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall.

"Gao Yue! What's that noise outside? How dare they cause trouble here!"

He has always been strict in disciplining his children.

Besides, the Empress would absolutely not allow princes and princesses to play here.

If anyone comes, they must have broken in without permission.

Gao Yue hurriedly walked in from outside, bowed, and explained carefully.

"Your Majesty, it was the Fifth Princess and the Prince of Gaoyang who were playing with a kite. The kite could actually fly. The Fifth Princess was having a lot of fun, so she made a bit of noise. Please forgive her, Your Majesty."

"A kite? It can fly in the sky?"

Li Shimin frowned, clearly disbelieving.

"Are you trying to fool me? These are just things made of bamboo strips and paper, how could they possibly fly?"

"This servant would never dare to deceive Your Majesty!"

Gao Yue quickly said.

“That kite can indeed fly. I saw it outside the palace just now. It was pink and had little rabbits painted on it. It looked so beautiful floating in the sky. The Fifth Princess and the Prince of Gaoyang were having a lot of fun.”

Looking at Gao Yue's serious expression, Li Shimin knew that he didn't have the guts to lie.

I couldn't help but feel curious.

Wen He, that brat, can actually make something that can fly? He put down the memorial and stood up.

"Let's go, I'll go take a look too."

As Gao Yue walked out of the Lizheng Hall, before they even reached the Imperial Garden, they heard Li Lizhi's clear voice calling out, "Ahe, raise it higher! Higher!"

Li Shimin quickened his pace and turned through the corridor, and saw Wen He accompanying Li Lizhi to fly a kite in the open space not far away.

A pink bunny kite floated in the sky, swaying gently with the wind. Li Lizhi, holding the cotton string, hopped and skipped along, her face full of a bright smile.

Wen He stayed by her side, adjusting the rope length from time to time, her eyes full of tenderness.

Li Shimin stood there, his displeasure gradually fading.

He recalled that Li Lizhi was always well-behaved in the palace and rarely laughed heartily like this, and he couldn't help but feel gratified.

He stepped forward and smiled at Li Lizhi, saying, "Lizhi, why are you so happy today?"

When Li Lizhi saw Li Shimin, she immediately stopped, ran to his side, grabbed his hand, and said excitedly.

"Dad! Look! This is a kite that Ahe made. It can fly in the sky! It's so much fun!"

Li Shimin looked in the direction she pointed, and there was a pink rabbit kite still floating in the sky, which was indeed very interesting.

He looked at Wen He and nodded.

"You little rascal, you've got some clever ideas."

Wen He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. They are just small trinkets, as long as they make the princess happy."

"That's right, making Lizhi happy is a great achievement."

Li Shimin smiled.

"I'll let you off the hook for today. Go to the Hundred Cavalry Camp to handle official business tomorrow."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wen He replied with a bow.

Li Lizhi tugged at Li Shimin's hand and said coquettishly, "Father, why don't you come and fly a kite too? It's so much fun!"

Looking at his daughter's expectant eyes, Li Shimin couldn't bear to refuse and nodded: "Okay, Father will play with you."

Wen He quickly handed the kite string to Li Shimin.

Taking the rope, Li Shimin, imitating Wen He, ran a few steps into the wind, and the kite rose steadily once again. Li Lizhi clapped and cheered, and laughter echoed in the Imperial Garden for a long time.

Wen He stood aside watching, and couldn't help but sigh: even the most majestic emperor would show such a tender side when facing his own child. He thought about how he had transmigrated to this era, from being cautious at the beginning to now being able to establish himself in the court and gain Li Shimin's trust. Perhaps, in this era, he could truly find his own place.

Li Shimin, being pulled by his daughter, looked up at the kite in the sky, then glanced at Wen He, who was bowing respectfully beside him, and a smile appeared on his lips: "Alright, Father wants to try it out and see just how fun this flying object is."

Wen He quickly stepped forward and handed over another roll of spare cotton thread: "Your Majesty, this roll of thread is longer. You can try to fly the kite higher."

Li Shimin took the cotton thread and, imitating Wen He's earlier actions, took a few steps into the wind. With a gentle flick of his arm, the kite, which had been slowly descending, immediately rose again with the help of the wind, flying higher and higher. Its pink silhouette became a small dot of light on the horizon.

"It's really flying!"

Li Lizhi clapped and cheered, running around Li Shimin again and again, her laughter echoing like silver bells in the Imperial Garden.

Li Shimin held the kite string, watching the pink rabbit kite float more steadily in the sky. He suddenly turned to Wen He, his eyes full of inquiry: "This thing is quite novel. Hey, Jia Ying, what do you think? If we make this kite bigger and strengthen the frame, could people fly on it too?"

Wen He was watching Li Lizhi chasing after the kite when he heard this and was taken aback, not expecting Li Shimin to ask such a question.

Before he could respond, Li Shimin continued, "I remember you mentioned something about a 'hot air balloon' before, saying it could make people fly. You also said that it was complicated to make. But this kite looks simple to me, and the materials are ordinary. If we improve it according to this idea, we might be able to try flying it."

"Forehead……"

Wen He was completely stunned. He never expected that Li Shimin could connect a small kite to flying and remember the hot air balloon he had casually mentioned before.

I should never have mentioned those novel items from later generations to Li Shimin during our casual conversation. Now, I've inadvertently stirred up the emperor's "flying dream."

He secretly regretted it, feeling like he had dug a huge hole for himself.

After calming herself down, Wen He carefully spoke: "Your Majesty, theoretically speaking, increasing the size of the kite and reinforcing its structure might be able to support a certain weight, but actually flying it with people on it would be extremely risky. The kite relies entirely on the wind for support. If the wind direction changes suddenly, or the frame breaks due to the weight, people falling from a great height would likely be in grave danger. This is not something that can be accomplished with simple improvements; it requires repeated experiments, and each experiment is accompanied by danger. If things go wrong, someone could die."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin glared at Wen He, his tone tinged with displeasure: "You brat, you're always such a spoilsport! I was just mentioning it casually, and you immediately started saying this is difficult and that is dangerous. Can't you think of the bright side?"

"Father, you can't talk about Ahe!"

Hearing Li Shimin reprimand Wen He, Li Lizhi immediately stopped chasing the kite, ran to Wen He's side, pouted unhappily, and reached out to snatch the kite string from Li Shimin's hand.

"Ahe's kite is the most fun! Father shouldn't have scolded him! Besides, Father has been playing with the kite for quite a while now, it's my turn to play!"

Fearing that the little girl might recklessly break the kite string, Wen He quickly reached out and hugged her, gently comforting her.

"Your Highness, please don't rush. We'll release them all together once His Majesty has had his fill of playing."

Li Shimin was both angry and amused as he watched his daughter protecting Wen He, and he chuckled and scolded her in an annoyed tone.

"You silly girl, you're not even married yet, and you're already protecting him like this. When you finally marry him, won't you spoil him rotten?"

Li Lizhi blinked her round eyes, completely unaware of what "getting married" meant, let alone what getting married had to do with protecting Wen He.

She frowned and pouted, complaining.

“Before, Father took the Crown Prince and my brother to play, but he didn’t bring Lizhi and Mother. There’s nothing new in the palace lately, and I’m so bored. It was so hard for Ah He to come to the palace and make me a kite, but Father still said it wasn’t good. Father is just wrong!”

Li Shimin was both amused and exasperated by his daughter's words. Upon reflection, he realized that she wasn't entirely wrong.

Recently, he has been preoccupied with court affairs, focusing on reforming the imperial examination system and handling local government affairs. He has rarely spent time with Li Lizhi and has even seldom visited Empress Zhangsun's Wanchun Palace.

He had originally intended to go there a few days ago, but a concubine in the harem was pregnant, so he turned his attention to that concubine instead.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin's tone softened, and he spoke gently to Li Lizhi.

"Yes, yes, it was Father's fault. I shouldn't have said that to Jiaying, and I shouldn't have been so busy with official duties that I neglected you. In a few days, when I'm not so busy with official duties, Father will take you and Mother to go boating on Xianchi Lake, okay?"

Upon hearing about the new way to play, Li Lizhi immediately went from angry to happy, clapping her hands and laughing.

"Okay, okay! Father, you can't lie to me!"

Wen He stood aside, watching Li Shimin treat Li Lizhi with such gentleness and accommodation, and couldn't help but feel moved.

No wonder I always heard people say that Emperor Taizong of Tang was a famous "doting father to his daughters".

This emperor, who was so majestic and decisive in the court, was like an ordinary person when facing his daughter.

Just as Wen He was sighing inwardly, Li Shimin suddenly turned to look at him, his eyes sharpening again, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"You brat, what were you laughing at just now? I said I wanted to try flying, and you looked so unwilling. What, can't I order you around? You can't even make a mere flying object, what use are you to me!"

Wen He was already somewhat annoyed because Li Shimin had forced him to try flying.

Hearing Li Shimin say this, he got angry and retorted with a stiff neck.

"Who says I can't do it! It's just flying! As long as Your Majesty is willing to provide the money and manpower, and give me enough time, I refuse to believe that I can't create something that can fly!"

Anyway, he understood the principle of hot air balloons. It simply uses the fact that hot air is less dense than cold air to generate buoyancy. As long as he found suitable materials to make the air bladder and made a good load-bearing structure, it could theoretically be made.

At worst, we can spend more time experimenting and waste more materials, but we can still make a prototype.

Seeing that Wen He had finally agreed, Li Shimin's eyes flashed with a smile, but he deliberately kept a straight face and asked, "You said it yourself, you can't go back on your word!"

Wen He immediately patted his chest, looking confident: "Your Majesty, a man of his word is a man of his word. As long as Your Majesty supports me, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

"Good!" Li Shimin said loudly, "How much money do you want, how many craftsmen and materials do you need, I will give them to you! But I have one condition: before the second year of Zhenguan, I must see that 'hot air balloon' you mentioned flying. If it cannot be made, your marriage with Lizhi will be called off, and you will not need to stay in Chang'an. Go to Shazhou for a few years to temper your character!"

"Um... the second year of Zhenguan?"

Wen He was instantly dumbfounded. It was only the beginning of the first year of Zhenguan, which was only a year at most. To build a hot air balloon in such a short time, was Li Er trying to drive me crazy!

He waved his hand hastily, his tone tinged with panic.

"Your Majesty, only a year? That's too rushed! And Your Majesty, is it really necessary to gamble so much? I was just acting out of spite, you don't need to take it seriously. It's not too late to regret it now!"

In Wen He's view, it was no big deal that the engagement was called off, since he had no romantic feelings for the six-year-old Li Lizhi anyway.

But going to the sandbar is a different story.

Shazhou is located on the border, with a harsh environment, far from Chang'an, and the area to the west is deserted.

"Regret? You just said that a gentleman's word is as good as his bond." Li Shimin chuckled.

If I want to control you, it's a piece of cake.

Wen He was stunned.

Okay, he acted impulsively just now.

However, going to the sandbar isn't a bad idea. You might even run into Tang Sanzang, who was on his way to the Western Paradise to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. It would be quite interesting to go with him to see the Western Regions.

Um, but the timing doesn't seem to match up.

It was only the early years of the Zhenguan era, and Tang Sanzang had not yet set off for India. Moreover, Europe was in constant turmoil, Africa was a wild and untamed land, and India was not a peaceful place either.

"Depend on!"

Wen He cursed inwardly. In all the world, apart from Chang'an, he really didn't have any good places to go.

Li Shimin felt a little nervous when he saw the expectation in Wen He's eyes.

I wonder if going to the sandbar would fulfill that brat's wish.

Or should we go somewhere else?
But he hadn't even spoken yet.

Wen He suddenly took a deep breath, bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, your humble servant will do his utmost to build the hot air balloon before the second year of Zhenguan!"

Li Shimin only said he wanted to see a hot air balloon, but he didn't specify that it had to carry people!
If we really can't build a manned lantern, we can build a larger Kongming lantern, tie a pig or a sheep to it, and let the livestock "fly into the sky," which will also fulfill the promise.

Anyway, Li Shimin didn't mention carrying people, so he can always find an excuse to get away with it later.

Seeing that Wen He agreed so readily, Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder: "Good! I await your good news! If you can really build it, I will reward you handsomely!"

Wen He smiled slyly, but he soon realized a problem.

Why did Li Shimin want to create something that could fly in the second year of the Zhenguan era?
What happened in the second year of the Zhenguan era in history?

He remembered droughts, floods, and locust plagues.

But none of this has anything to do with hot air balloons.

unless……

Wen He suddenly realized something, and was startled. She looked up at Li Shimin.

Flying!

That is, high in the sky.

If you were in the sky above the grasslands, with a telescope, you could see everything clearly.

Wait a minute, how could Li Er, who was just playing with a kite, come up with such a systematic way of fighting?
That's probably unlikely... right?

Just as he was guessing what Li Er was thinking, he suddenly saw Huang Chun's figure appear not far away.

He seemed to be holding a bamboo tube in his hands, and was walking anxiously this way.

(End of this chapter)