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

The banquet shall now begin!
On the other side, Li Shimin, Cheng Yaojin, and the others also finished fishing.

Many of the tables and other items were brought by villagers; otherwise, Xiao Ran's family wouldn't have so many.

Most of the people from Kaolao Village were there, along with Wang Shen and some people from the neighboring village.

They all went to their own groups, and the old men gathered around Li Yuan, Sun Simiao, and Zhang Mingde.

Empress Xiao, Empress Zhangsun, and several princesses and female relatives gathered together.

Li Shimin held a bowl of mutton soup in one hand and a piece of roasted mutton in the other. "It's so lively. It tastes better when there are more people around."

The food was already quite good, and the large group created a great atmosphere.

The group of children on the other side were also very quiet, and the little princess's face was covered in oil.

"It smells so good! I haven't had this kind of food in ages," Cheng Yaojin said with a smile.

The food tastes better when there are many people eating together; it's never because the food itself has changed its flavor.

It is the lively atmosphere and bustling activity around the pool that makes the ordinary aromas of meat and soup even warmer and richer.

Xiao Ran had prepared a lot of things, but nothing was left over.

The few that were left were shared among other villagers who took them home.

This meat and this soup will certainly not go to waste.

Li Shimin and the others also returned to the courtyard.

The weather was still hot, so Zhang Erya took out the popsicles she had prepared earlier.

This is one of the kids' favorite things; it's so comforting to eat this on a hot summer day.

"How is this made?" Li Shimin took a bite and looked shocked.

"That's not important, Uncle. How's your preparation of the saltpeter going?" Xiao Ran asked directly.

"It should be delivered in the next few days." Li Shimin pointed to the popsicles. "Can these be made elsewhere?"

Li Shimin felt that it would be perfect if it could be done in the palace.

"This won't work. It's only possible here; it won't work anywhere else, and there's no way to learn it there."

Upon hearing Xiao Ran's words, Li Shimin did not ask any further questions.

I understand what that means.

In the afternoon, Li Shimin, Cheng Yaojin, and the others prepared to return home. Before leaving, they needed to check on the vegetable garden.

I don't like spicy food, even though I know it's a good thing.

You can bring more tomatoes back with you.

Previously, Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong's families had also started planting it.

It's a bit late, so it's not quite working yet.

But the fruit is almost ripe in the village; a lot of it had been planted before.

Li Shimin and his companions picked a lot of tomatoes and left with them.

Empress Zhangsun asked Sun Simiao to examine her condition and decided to stay here temporarily.

Li Shimin will take care of the affairs of the palace.

The princesses were very happy that Empress Zhangsun was allowed to stay.

Even a little princess needs to be affectionate.

However, when she went to sleep at night, the little princess still didn't go to see Empress Zhangsun, preferring to stay with her girlfriends.

Empress Zhangsun's arrival did not significantly alter the lives of others.

Here, it's all pretty much the same.

Li Yuan and Sun Simiao were both old men.

Empress Zhangsun was the same as Empress Xiao.

The next morning, before the little princess went to school, she made a point of talking to Empress Zhangsun.

Empress Zhangsun nodded and saw the maids out of the courtyard.

Not far from the school, I watched the little girls walk away.

Empress Xiao and Empress Zhangsun then returned to the courtyard and sat down, and Xiao Yu made them a cup of tea.

"These teas are a bit worse than the previous ones, but they're still passable," Empress Xiao smiled. "The young master's previous ones were much better."

Empress Zhangsun picked up her teacup and sniffed it. "This is really good, not bad at all."

Empress Xiao smiled and turned her gaze to the wooden rack in the corner of the courtyard where Sun Simiao was drying herbs.

The herbs were spread out evenly, some half-dried and some still damp, clearly dried at different times according to their medicinal properties.

"I've been staying here for a while now and have been observing Mr. Sun's work. I've been deeply moved by what I've learned."

"When drying herbs, the master never waits for the midday sun to dry them. He always says, 'Herbs have their own nature. Dry herbs need to be dried in the shade, while moist herbs need to be dried thoroughly. You can't rush it.'"

“A few days ago, a villager came to see me with a severe cough. Mr. Sun did not prescribe any strong medicine. He only told him to go to the pond every morning to breathe in some cool air and drink some boiled pear water, saying that ‘the lung qi must be smooth. Forcing it will only damage the root.’”

Empress Xiao paused, then turned to look at Empress Zhangsun, her eyes filled with the gentle wisdom of someone with experience:
"Your body, like those herbs that need careful nourishment and patients who need to regulate their Qi, is most susceptible to 'impatience' and 'worry'."

"Erlang is a man of his own mind when it comes to matters in the palace, so you don't need to worry about everything."

“The children are here, with a school and friends, they are more comfortable than in the palace, and you don’t have to keep an eye on them every day.”

“When I first moved here, I was always thinking about the old days in Chang’an. Later, after visiting Mr. Sun, I would exercise for half an hour every morning, dry the medicine, drink tea, and chat with the old man. The days passed slowly, but I felt more energetic than when I was in the palace.”

“He often said, ‘When the mind is undisturbed, the body is at peace,’ and that’s true.”

“I used to think that as an elder, one has to shoulder all the responsibilities in order to fulfill one’s duties.”

Empress Xiao sighed softly, her tone tinged with a sense of relief:
"But after living here for a while, I've come to realize that some things are better left to fate than to force them."

"Just like Mr. Sun's approach to conditioning his body, he never said 'this illness must be cured immediately,' but only 'eat according to the season, regulate the qi and calm the mind.' Over time, this approach proved to be more effective than taking any amount of tonics."

"You shouldn't always push yourself so hard. Put aside palace affairs if you can, and let the children make their own way."

"Every day, I would bask in the sun and drink tea with Mr. Sun, listening to him explain the principles of herbal medicine. Only by calming my mind could my body slowly recover."

Empress Zhangsun looked at Empress Xiao's gentle gaze, then glanced at Sun Simiao's figure slowly turning over the dried herbs in the corner of the courtyard, and the coolness on her fingertips seemed to dissipate a little.

She took a sip of tea, the refreshing minty aroma spreading in her mouth, and whispered, "I've never really thought about what my aunt said before."

"I always feel that it's my duty to worry, but I forget that my own health is the most important thing."

“From now on, I will listen to my aunt, try to worry less, and learn more from Mr. Sun’s ‘slow’ approach.”

Empress Xiao smiled and patted her hand: "That's right. Look at life in this courtyard, so unhurried, everything goes smoothly."

"The affairs of the palace and the children all have their reasons. There's no need to rush them. Letting things take their natural course will bring peace of mind."

The scent of mint in the corner of the courtyard, mixed with the astringent aroma of the old locust tree, slowly wafted to my nose.

Empress Zhangsun held the warm teacup, her fingertips finally no longer feeling cold as they had in the palace.

She gazed in the direction the little girls had run off to, where faint footprints remained on the stone path, and a sudden emptiness filled her heart.

It wasn't the kind of restless, overwhelmed feeling you get in the palace; it was a relaxed, warm emptiness.

When in the palace, one had to get up before dawn to handle all the affairs of the inner palace, including the expenses of each palace and even the menu of the Imperial Kitchen.

At that time, I always felt that "worrying" was my duty and the responsibility that the empress should bear, but I was always on edge, even when I drank tea I would think about "whether this tea suits the taste of each palace".

But it's different here.

In the morning, I don't have to be woken up by the greetings of the palace servants; I can wake up to the birdsong by the pond.

The little princess no longer needed to follow the palace rules to learn to walk and bow; she could chase after Xiao Hei barefoot in the courtyard, and didn't need to wipe the mud off her face immediately. Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang also no longer needed to strictly adhere to the princess's demeanor and could help with household chores with others.

Seeing the children so at ease, I suddenly realized that what I was afraid of before was not that "the children will not learn well", but that they would be like me, bound by "rules" and their nature would be restricted.

I just took the little girls to school and watched them run away hand in hand, their ponytails swaying behind them.

Empress Zhangsun suddenly remembered that when they were in the palace, the little princess would always timidly ask, "Mother, can I play a little longer?"

Back then, she always said, "Learn the rules first," but here, the little princess can run around with her friends without even asking.

Even the school teachers wouldn't criticize their occasional playful fighting.

This freedom of "no explanation, no constraints" made her feel more at ease than the luxurious life in the palace.

The sound of Sun Simiao's wooden rake used for drying herbs clattering interrupted her thoughts.

She turned her head and saw the old man squatting beside the wooden frame, carefully turning over the half-dried licorice.

Sunlight fell on his gray hair, revealing a childlike earnestness.

Having grown accustomed to the meticulous and cautious manner of imperial physicians holding their medical records in the palace, I found Mr. Sun's "slow" pace endearing.

Drying herbs must be done at the right time, and when consulting a doctor, one must listen to the patient finish speaking. Even the prescription given to her only says "eat porridge in the morning and take a walk in the evening," without a single word about "urgent supplementation."

Empress Zhangsun let out a long sigh of relief, seemingly feeling much more at ease.

Empress Xiao knew that Empress Zhangsun had taken her words to heart.

Around noon, Li Tai returned from the workshop with several young girls.

The little princess rode on Li Tai's shoulders.

Empress Zhangsun was quite surprised to see this, as it had never happened before.

“That little girl, Sizi.”

Empress Xiao, who was standing nearby, said with a smile, "It was the young master who was like this before, and Sizi liked it. I guess Silang knew about this too."

Everyone dotes on the little princess; she's the youngest.

People gradually returned from lunch, and the aroma of food filled the air near the courtyard.

Accompanying the young girls were several renowned scholars, including Yu Shinan.

"Mother~" the little princess called out as she entered the courtyard.

Li Tai put the little princess down, and the little maid ran to Empress Zhangsun.

"Is it fun?" Empress Zhangsun looked at the little princess with doting eyes.

Hehe~ It's fun~

He had originally wanted to say a few more words to Empress Zhangsun, but when he saw Xiao Ran come out, he ran over to her eagerly.

A carriage stopped outside the courtyard, and Xiao Hei barked a few times to alert the others.

Upon seeing the carriage, Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi went out from the courtyard.

The woman who alighted from the carriage was about the same age as Empress Zhangsun.

She was elegant and luxurious; she was clearly not an ordinary person.

Xiao Ran didn't recognize him and was a little confused.

"Auntie!"

Li Ke, who had returned from the other side, jogged over.

Seeing Li Ke's reaction, Xiao Ran knew that this was Empress Xiao's daughter, Consort Yang.

Li Shimin and Consort Yang were also related by blood, and they had a son named Li Ke.

"Madam!" Xiao Ran walked over and greeted her.

"Young master, I'm sorry to bother you. Come and see your mother and Sanlang." Consort Yang smiled.

"You're too kind, Madam. Please come in."

Consort Yang entered the courtyard and saw many familiar faces.

Li Yuan, along with several princesses, was no stranger to Consort Yang.

They saw Empress Xiao and Empress Zhangsun on the other side.

She quickened her pace, calling out, "Mother, Sister!"

"The girl is here!" Empress Xiao was also happy to see her daughter.

It was Li Shimin who sent her; otherwise, Consort Yang wouldn't have been able to come.

Yu Shinan, Kong Yingda, and the others also knew of Consort Yang, but they didn't refer to her by that name here.

He simply smiled and nodded, which was his way of greeting.

"You've come at the perfect time, just in time for dinner," Empress Xiao said, pulling Consort Yang along.

"My husband told me that this time is just right." The "my husband" that Consort Yang was referring to was naturally Li Shimin.

At lunchtime, there was one more person at the table where Empress Xiao and the others were seated.

Consort Yang did not leave immediately; she also sought out Sun Simiao to examine her illness.

I can also visit Empress Xiao and Li Ke, and stay to keep Empress Xiao company.

The courtyard was quite large. Sun Simiao, Li Yuan, and a few others were on one side, while Empress Xiao, Empress Zhangsun, and a few others were on the other.

On the other side are Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi.

The little girls went to take their afternoon nap.

Looking at Consort Yang, Xiao Ran thought of the Yang family of Hongnong and the Xiao family of Lanling, where Empress Xiao was from.

"What are you thinking about, young master?" Li Li asked.

"Fifth Sister, have the Yang family of Hongnong and the Xiao family of Lanling declined now?" Xiao Ran's voice was not loud, and the others could not hear it.

It's not good for others to hear this kind of cricket chirping.

Following Xiao Ran's gaze, Li Lizhi glanced at Consort Yang and Empress Xiao talking, her voice extremely low:

"In a way, they have indeed declined—both of these families were once the residences of true dragons, but now, they have lost their former glory."

She first looked in the direction of Empress Xiao, her tone now showing more respect:
"The Xiao family of Lanling is the imperial family of the Southern Dynasties. The emperors of the Qi and Liang dynasties both came from this family. Back then in Jiangnan, the 'Wang, Xie, Yuan and Xiao' were known as the most prestigious families. How glorious they were!"

“When I was young, my mother told me that the Xiao family produced more than forty prime ministers, and my maternal grandmother was from this branch.”

"But the Southern Dynasty has been gone for so many years, and the Xiao clan has scattered. Although some branches are still in the court, the most prominent one is Xiao Yu."

"He is his maternal grandmother's younger brother and now holds a high position in the court. However, compared to the power of the Qi and Liang royal families back then, where 'one word can determine the fate of Jiangnan,' he is now just an important minister from a prominent family. The true dragon has become a wise minister assisting in the government, so it can no longer be considered the height of his power."

When the Yang family of Hongnong was mentioned, Li Lizhi's tone became somewhat complicated:

"Needless to say, the Sui dynasty was descended from the Hongnong Yang clan. Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang were their relatives. Back then, they held the entire empire in their hands."

"But during the chaotic end of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang lost the empire, and the Yang clan suffered as a result."

"Some died in war, some went into hiding, and even their noble titles were lost."

"Among the Yang family members in the court today, the most respectable is Yang Shidao, the youngest son of Yang Xiong, the Prince of Guande of the Sui Dynasty. After surrendering to our dynasty, he married Princess Guiyang and is now serving as the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He can be considered to have a distinguished family background."

"But in the end, he relied on his status as a member of the royal family and his own talent to establish himself, and he was no longer as grand as the 'birthplace of emperors' of yesteryear."

She gently shook her head, her gaze returning to the ordinary bluestone slabs in the courtyard:
"It's no wonder, really. In times of chaos, it's the royal family that has the hardest time. Once the dynasty changes, the former glory becomes a burden."

"It is already remarkable that these two families have managed to leave some branches of their lineage serving as officials in the court."

"Compared to the imperial grandeur of their former days, when their word was law, they have ultimately toned down their brilliance. To say they have 'declined' wouldn't be an exaggeration." (End of Chapter)