Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 104 The Bloodline of Three Dynasties' Royal Family!
"Madam!" Xiao Ran greeted her quickly.

After guessing Empress Xiao's identity, Xiao belatedly realized why she and Empress Zhangsun were somewhat similar.

They were all empresses, women who embodied the virtues of mothers of the nation.

Her aura is definitely unmatched by ordinary people.

After the Jiangdu Incident, she protected more than a hundred members of the Sui Dynasty royal family with her frail body, demonstrating survival wisdom far ahead of her time.

Although Emperor Yang of Sui had a bad reputation, Empress Xiao, while not as good as Empress Zhangsun, was still quite decent.

Later generations, due to fictionalized accounts, developed a meme called "Liuwei Dihuang Wan" (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill).

The legend of "Liuwei Dihuang Wan" is essentially an over-interpretation of Empress Xiao's tragic life by later generations.

The real Empress Xiao was a victim of power struggles during a chaotic era, rather than a "femme fatale" who actively sought to curry favor with the emperor.

Empress Xiao was born in 567. She was 52 years old in 618 when the Jiangdu Incident occurred, and 64 years old when she returned to the Tang Dynasty in 630. The claim that she "still had charm that made the emperor fall in love" clearly violates common sense about physiology.

These are the six emperors; we will leave the others aside for now.

It's absurd to have Li Shimin.

Li Shimin and Empress Xiao were 32 years apart in age. Empress Xiao was Li Shimin's maternal aunt.

Later, Li Shimin married Empress Xiao's daughter, Consort Yang. Empress Xiao was not only Li Shimin's aunt but also his mother-in-law.

Consort Yang was Li Ke's biological mother.

Therefore, Empress Xiao was Li Ke's maternal grandmother.

Judging from Li Ke's clothing, demeanor, and the resemblance between his eyebrows and Li Shimin, Xiao Ran had his answer.

However, Xiao Ran didn't say anything, treating him as just an ordinary scion of a prominent family.

Having previously interacted with Empress Zhangsun, Li Lizhi, of Li Shimin, he felt no emotion when facing Li Ke Xiaoran.

Li Ke's current influence may not be as great as that of Li Lizhi, the eldest legitimate princess.

Xiao Yu, standing to the side, clearly felt a sense of superiority when facing Xiao Ran and Zhang Erya.

Xiao Ran looked at her; she was quite pretty and had a good presence.

However, she couldn't compare to Princess Li Lizhi of Yuzhang.

If Xiao Ran hadn't met Princess Yuzhang, Li Lizhi, before, he would have been amazed; now he finds her unremarkable.

In terms of clothing, appearance, and demeanor, she is indeed better than Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya.

Regardless, he comes from the Lanling Xiao clan, so he must be confident when facing ordinary people.

Sun Simiao wanted to treat Empress Xiao, but Xiao Ran did not stay.

Li Ke followed him out of the room.

"Xiao Langjun!"

Li Ke gives people the feeling of a humble gentleman, and Xiao Ran thinks that "gentle and refined like jade" is the most appropriate way to describe him.

"I don't know, what would be a suitable way to address you?" Xiao Ran asked deliberately.

Xiao Ran did not want to reveal his identity, nor did he want to address him as "Your Highness".

"Young master, you can call me Sanlang."

Xiao Ran thought to himself, "As expected, it is Prince Li Ke of Wu, the third son."

"Alright, Sanlang, please come inside!"

Li Ke nodded without being polite.

"To be honest, I had heard of the young man's name long ago, when the story of the curved plow had spread in the countryside of Guanzhong."

Li Ke spoke at a measured pace, “When the elders in my family talked about farming, they said that the plow ‘saves the effort of oxen and manpower,’ making farming easier.”

"At that time, I thought that the person who could make such a thing must be a capable person who understands the hardships of the people. It's just a pity that we have no connection and it's not appropriate to disturb him rashly."

He paused briefly, glancing at the persimmon cakes Zhang Erya had brought over, and his smile deepened: "Later, sugar-roasted chestnuts appeared on the streets of Chang'an, their sweet aroma wafting across half the street. After that, persimmon cakes also became a popular item in the capital, and it's said that even the imperial chefs in the palace learned to make them. When asked about their origin, everyone said they came from a young man named Xiao from Kaolao Village."

"I guessed then that it might be the same person."

Li Ke looked up at Xiao Ran with a sincere gaze, without a trace of the arrogance of a royal.

"To be able to make farm tools that benefit all people and to make ordinary food so exquisite, one must possess both great skill in managing the world and benefiting the people, as well as keen insight into life. Such talent is truly admirable."

"Today I met him and he was even more down-to-earth than I had heard. Indeed, the saying 'great wisdom appears as foolishness' is not an exaggeration."

Xiao Ran couldn't help but admire the person's eloquence.

"Hahaha." Xiao Ran laughed. "Sanlang, stop. I'm getting embarrassed by your praise. You're just lucky."

Xiao Ran suddenly found herself quite fond of Li Ke.

"Young master, you're too modest. This isn't just good luck!"

Li Ke picked up the tea that Zhang Erya had just brewed, took a small sip, and added, "A few days ago, I heard from my grandmother that she was going to look for Mr. Sun. I learned that Mr. Sun was staying with you, young master, so I thought I would finally have a reason to pay him a visit and fulfill a wish. I hope you will forgive me for bothering you."

His words both highlighted Xiao Ran's achievements and concealed his own identity, his tone full of admiration but without any flattery.

He had a perfect grasp of propriety, and was the very image of a gentleman.

Li Ke genuinely wanted to find Xiao Ran, but knowing that Li Shimin, Li Lizhi, and the others frequently visited, he decided against it.

Especially since Xiao Ran also shares the surname Xiao, and so does his maternal grandmother, Empress Xiao, he was even more eager to come and see.

Li Ke's position is awkward.

The root cause lies in the fact that he simultaneously carried the dual labels of being a descendant of the Sui Dynasty royal family and a prince of the Tang Dynasty, a contradiction that was particularly prominent in the political climate during the Zhenguan era.

Li Ke's mother, Consort Yang, was the daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui and belonged to the core branch of the Hongnong Yang clan.

Although the Yang family was not purged after the fall of the Sui Dynasty, their political status as "survivors of a fallen state" plummeted to rock bottom.

Li Ke was labeled a "descendant of the Sui Dynasty" from a young age, which naturally carried a sense of original sin in the Zhenguan court dominated by the Guanlong Group.

Historical records indicate that in the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era, when Li Shimin briefly considered making Li Ke the crown prince, Changsun Wuji immediately and strongly opposed it on the grounds that "Ke was not born to Empress Changsun." On the surface, it was a dispute between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, but in reality, it implied a rejection of the Sui dynasty's bloodline.

Although Li Ke was skilled in both literature and martial arts, he was excluded from the core of power for a long time due to his bloodline, and was even demoted and sent to other places many times.

Historical records indicate that in the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era, he was dismissed from his post as governor of Anzhou due to disturbing the people during hunting. This treatment of being "capable but untrustworthy" directly reflects the awkwardness of his position.

Li Ke's maternal grandmother, Empress Xiao, was a representative figure of the Lanling Xiao clan, which had complex marital ties with the Li Tang imperial family.

Xiao Yu, the younger brother of Empress Xiao, was an important minister of Li Shimin and also the political representative of the Xiao family in the Tang Dynasty.

This relationship meant that Li Ke was both Xiao Yu's grand-nephew and the emperor's son in the court, and this overlapping identity made it difficult for him to take sides completely in the power struggle.

Historical records show that Xiao Yu spoke up for Li Ke on several occasions, but ultimately failed to change his fate, which indirectly confirms the sense of powerlessness brought about by this ethical misalignment.

Li Ke's sense of belonging is characterized by "cultural closeness and political alienation".

Although he was proud of his maternal family's cultural heritage, he had to be politically loyal to the Li Tang imperial family.

This contradiction is often reflected in his behavior: on the one hand, he actively promoted the equal-field system during his tenure as governor of Anzhou, demonstrating his commitment to the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

On the other hand, he was seen as a threat by Changsun Wuji because he resembled Li Shimin, and ultimately became a victim of political struggle.

This sense of rupture is just like the words he left before being ordered to commit suicide in the fourth year of the Yonghui era: "If the state has a spirit, Wuji will be exterminated." It is both an indictment of fate and a helpless explanation of his own complex identity.

The awkwardness of identity is essentially a microcosm of the political transformation during the transition from the Sui to the Tang Dynasty.

His lineage made him a focal point in the power struggle between the Sui dynasty's descendants and the Li Tang imperial family.

Their sense of belonging wavers between the political legacy of the Hongnong Yang clan and the cultural genes of the Lanling Xiao clan.

This contradiction ultimately led him to a tragic end, but it also left behind an eternal question about identity and political destiny.

As stated in the "Epitaph of the Late King of Wu of the Great Tang Dynasty" unearthed from his tomb:

"During the turmoil of the late Sui Dynasty and the rise of the Tang Dynasty, you, a nobleman of noble birth, were burdened with many hardships." These few words fully express the helplessness and struggle of the aristocratic children of that era in the torrent of history.

Li Ke possessed royal blood from three different families: the Tang Dynasty, the Yang family of the Sui Dynasty, and the Xiao family of the Southern Liang Dynasty. He was truly unique!
The Xiao family of Lanling served as the imperial family for both the Southern Qi and Southern Liang dynasties during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, which was extremely rare among the aristocratic families of the medieval period.

This also made it one of the four great clans of the Southern Dynasties, alongside the Wang, Xie, Yuan, and Xiao families, and its influence continued into the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Xiao Xian at the end of the Sui Dynasty and Xiao Yu at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty were both descendants of the Xiao clan of Lanling.

When they noticed the glass, Li Ke's reaction was similar to Li Lizhi's.

The conversation turned to glassmaking, and Xiao Ran took Li Ke to the place where glass was made.

"Young master, you are truly a divine being!" Not many people knew about the glass incident.

Li Ke was visiting Kaolao Village for the first time, so he certainly didn't know this.

Very shocked.

Xiao Ran could sense that Li Ke was very interested in glassmaking.

“Young master, it doesn’t seem like you’re burning charcoal.” Li Ke asked, not giving a definitive answer.

"Yes, it's coal."

"Huh? Coal? We can use it?"

"It was inherently unsafe, but it's been dealt with," Xiao Ran said.

"That's amazing."

Among the young people in Kaolao Village, Zhang Jinhe is the most literate.

The others were illiterate, but Xiao Ran saw that Li Ke was so interested and wanted Li Ke to study glassmaking.

I have other things to do, so I can't be there every day.

Xiao Ran knows many things and understands the principles, but it is actually very difficult to actually do them.

It's like solving a problem; you know the answer, but you need to figure out the reasoning process.

"Sanlang, if you'd like to learn, you can come here."

Li Ke looked at Xiao Ran in disbelief, "Young master, is it alright?"

"Hmm." Xiao Ran picked up a glass. "The quality is much better than it was at the beginning, but it's still far from enough. It can be even better."

“I am very willing, but I need to talk to my family about this and get my father’s approval first.” Li Ke did not dare to come rashly.

Their status was not comparable to that of Li Chengqian and Li Tai, who were direct descendants, so they had to be even more careful.

“That’s natural.” Xiao Ran understood Li Ke’s situation.

Empress Xiao was actually in very good health; she just needed a routine check-up.

I'll also take this opportunity to chat with my old friend Sun Simiao.

So they chatted for a long time before finally leaving Sun Simiao's room.

Xiao Yu waited at the door the whole time. Zhang Erya asked Xiao Yu to go to the living room, but Xiao Yu didn't go.

Not seeing Li Ke upon exiting, Empress Xiao asked, "Where is Sanlang?"

“Madam, Sanlang and his young master have gone out,” Xiao Yu said.

Empress Xiao prepared to return, and Li Ke was also summoned back.

Although I was very reluctant to leave, I had to go back with them.

On the carriage, Li Ke excitedly talked to Empress Xiao about Xiao Ran and the matter of burning glass.

Li Ke simply kept praising Xiao Ran without revealing any technical details.

Xiao Yu, standing next to him, looked at Li Ke with a sly gaze, clearly not fond of Xiao Ran.

Xiao Yu felt they weren't a good match.

Even though they knew about Xiao Ran's improvements to the curved plow.

In fact, that's not the case.

Previously, it was still possible for Xiao Yu and Li Ke to get together, but the imperial court had previously issued a decree prohibiting marriage between close relatives.

There was absolutely no possibility for Li Ke and Xiao Yu to get together.

Xiao Yu's grandfather and Empress Xiao were siblings, and Li Ke was Empress Xiao's grandson, so they were close relatives.

This made Xiao Yu quite depressed.

The idea that close relatives cannot marry has long been known within the community, and even members of prominent families are aware of it.

After escorting Empress Xiao and Xiao Yu back home, Li Ke immediately went to the palace to request an audience with Li Shimin.

Because Li Shimin was busy, Li Ke had to wait a long time.

Only then did he meet Li Shimin, who was reviewing memorials, in the Taiji Hall.

"Sanlang, what is it?" Li Shimin looked up at Li Ke and continued reading the memorial.

“Father, today I will accompany my grandmother to Kaolao Village to see Mr. Sun for treatment.”

Upon hearing about Kaolao Village and Sun Simiao, Li Shimin put down the memorial and asked, "Hmm, what's the situation?"

“My maternal grandmother is in good health. The old man said she was fine.”

"That's good. Is there anything else, Sanlang?" Li Shimin saw that Li Ke looked troubled. "There are no outsiders here, so please speak freely."

“Father, I saw the young master Xiao Ran.”

"Yes, it's normal to go to Xiao Ran's house to see him."

"The young man took me to see the burning of paper money and glass. He said that the young people in the village are illiterate, so it is sometimes inconvenient for them. I wanted to try it, but he said that glass is not very useful nowadays."

Li Shimin understood Li Ke's meaning and smiled, "Do you want to go?"

"I will follow Father's arrangements."

"Then go for it! It's a good thing to learn this."

"Father, Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, and Sizi often go there. What if we run into them? Should we just admit our relationship?"

“There’s no need to deliberately hide it; he should know your identity.” For some reason, Li Shimin felt this way.

Although there is no evidence, it is believed that Xiao Ran knew Li Ke's identity.

"When I first met the young man, neither did my grandmother. Why was that? Was it the old gentleman?"

Li Shimin shook his head. "The old gentleman couldn't possibly say that Xiao Ran knew it on his own. These things are not important. Xiao Ran also knows my and Li Zhi's identities, but he just hasn't revealed this relationship."

"You don't need to worry about it. Just take it easy and pretend he doesn't know."

Li Ke had many questions in his mind, but he didn't ask any more. "It's Father, I'll remember."

“Follow Xiao Ran closely and learn from him. He is knowledgeable, generous, and you can learn a lot from him.” Li Shimin felt that Xiao Ran was not a person who would keep secrets.

A person who keeps things to themselves is unlikely to teach others things like persimmon cakes and roasted chestnuts.

"It's Father!" Li Ke was also happy.

"Remember to bring plenty of things with you when you go." Li Ke couldn't go empty-handed, but Li Shimin still gave him this reminder.

“Father, I’ve got it.”

"Yes, go!" Putting aside issues of bloodline, Li Shimin still liked Li Ke very much.

Li Ke's biggest disadvantage was that his birth mother was not Empress Zhangsun; otherwise, Li Zhi would not have been involved.

As soon as he left the Taiji Hall, Li Ke packed his bags and prepared his things to go to Kaolao Village first thing tomorrow morning.

(End of this chapter)