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

As dawn broke and the morning mist over Chang'an had not yet dissipated, Li Shimin had already changed into a blue cloth round-necked robe, with a plain leather belt around his waist, removing his usual dragon decorations and leaving only a simple jade pendant.

Empress Zhangsun also changed into a light gray ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), removed her hairpins and ornaments, and only inserted a wooden hairpin. The two stood at the palace gate, looking at the waiting carriage, just like an ordinary couple, without any airs of emperors and empresses.

Previously, the villagers did not know the identities of Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.

Ever since Xiao Ran proposed marriage with grain and Li Shimin issued the decree, the people of Kaolao Village learned the identities of several princesses and princes, as well as the identities of Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.

Upon seeing Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun arrive, Xiao Ran, Li Lizhi, Princess Yuzhang, and the others remained the same as before.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya were at a loss, unsure how to proceed.

"It's the same as before, and it's the same as now." Empress Zhangsun noticed their awkwardness and smiled to reassure them.

"Yes, Madam!" Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya smiled.

The children went to school, and Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun naturally saw the little princess and the others.

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun brought a small number of people, but they brought plenty of supplies.

Zhang Dalang, Cheng Chumo, and the others also came over immediately to move things.

Li Shimin took out the document and said, "Xiao Ran! You are now a count, it's time for you to have your own household registration!"

Xiao Ran took the document, opened it, and looked at it. It had the seals of the prefecture and county government on it.

For Li Shimin, handling such matters was as simple as giving a single word.

"I almost forgot!" Xiao Ran glanced at it and handed it to Zhang Erya next to him.

Zhang Erya manages all the money in the house, and we're used to handing it over to her.

Zhang Erya heard it too.

Zhang Erya's fingertips had just touched the edge of the document when she suddenly stopped, her knuckles unconsciously tensing up, and even the pads of her fingers turning slightly white.

It wasn't a forceful effort, but rather a sudden, helpless feeling as if something had tripped them up.

Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her gaze fell on the two words "household registration" on the paper. Like cotton soaked in warm water, her gaze slowly sank down, and even her breathing slowed down.

The document in her hand was so thin it was translucent, yet it felt heavy on her fingertips.

She gently pinched the corner of the paper, her movements so light she was afraid of wrinkling it. The paper, warm from her fingertips, seemed about to be softened by her touch.

The faint smile that had been playing at the corners of her lips had quietly faded away. Her lips twitched slightly downwards, then she quickly pursed them, as if afraid that the reluctance would leak out from between her lips.

She bent down to fold documents, pressing the creases exceptionally slowly, each one slightly lighter than usual, her fingertips brushing across the paper as if she were pondering something.

After folding it neatly, she reached for her inner pocket, paused for a moment as she put her fingers inside, then placed the document next to the pardon and gently pressed it down.

It's as if they wanted this new piece of paper to be closer to that familiar sense of security, so that it wouldn't be separated by the words "two households".

When she looked up, there was still a lingering sense of melancholy in her eyes, and her eyes were slightly red, but she blinked quickly to suppress the moisture.

He touched the outside of the cloth bag again with his fingertips, not to confirm whether the documents were there, but to try to feel the warmth of being wrapped up by "one family" through the cloth, unwilling to let it turn into the indifference of "two households".

Zhang Erya had thought about this a long time ago.

I was worried that Xiao Ran would go independent, but he never did.

The household registration was still with Zhang Dalang and his two siblings. After Zhang Dalang was pardoned and returned, Zhang Erya thought of this matter again.

I didn't expect it to come so quickly.

Now there are two families.

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun had to go and see Li Yuan, Empress Xiao, and the others.

Li Lizhi tugged at Xiao Ran's sleeve and pointed at Zhang Erya.

Seeing that Zhang Erya's expression was off.

Xiao Ran quickly realized what was going on and walked over to Zhang Erya. "It's the same. It'll be the same as before. It won't make a difference."

Zhang Erya nodded, feeling very happy.

Zhang Erya and Zhang Dalang took charge of the household early, and in fact, the two of them were not very old.

Xiao Ran felt safe and was used to being with him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Shimin called out, "Xiao Ran! The weather's nice, let's go fishing!"

“Okay!” Xiao Ran went into the room and took out fishing rods and other equipment.

Zhang Anan helped carry the things, and the others did not disturb them.

The two found a suitable place to sit down, and Li Shimin cast his fishing rod. "We've known each other for almost a year now!"

"Yes, I met Uncle Shi here around this time last year."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Time flies! A year has passed in the blink of an eye. The Tang Dynasty is slowly getting better. Other places have changed very little, but Kaolao Village has undergone earth-shattering changes."

After the autumn harvest, there was less work in the fields, and many people went back to work at the coal mines.

The printing workshops also started to get busy.

Many people started picking chestnuts and persimmons.

Xiao Ran didn't make roasted chestnuts to sell, but many people in the village did, including Zhang Jinhe.

This is indeed very profitable.

Several families are preparing to expand their houses or renovate their existing ones.

Winter is cold, so we need to prepare early.

“Yes! Things have changed a lot.” Xiao Ran also dug out the fishhook: “The people in the village are hardworking and resilient. The good life they have now is all thanks to their hard work.”

Xiao Ran had no intention of taking credit.

Li Shimin waved his hand, signaling Zhang Anan to step aside.

"You little rascal, where did you come from? Why won't you tell me?" Li Shimin was very curious.

"Uncle, didn't I already say that I came from the Western Regions and am a descendant of the Tang Dynasty?"

"You're kidding me!" Li Shimin said irritably. "How could someone like you possibly come from the Western Regions?"

"So, Uncle, where do you think I come from?"

"If I knew, would I still be asking you?" Li Shimin was speechless.

Xiao Ran showed no intention of speaking.

Li Shimin didn't ask any further questions. Li Shimin and the others knew that Xiao Ran had no hostility or ambition.

Xiao Ran has done many things that benefit the country and its people, which is widely acknowledged.

"Let's leave the rest aside and talk about returning prisoners to their original prisons!" Li Shimin looked at Xiao Ran beside him. "I've heard too much about that. Now I want to hear something different." Li Shimin wanted to hear about the drawbacks, or a different evaluation.

Xiao Ran paused, his gaze falling on the ripples spreading across the water. He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his tone more somber than usual:

"If Uncle wants to hear something different, then I'll say something that future generations might ponder."

“When future generations look back on this, they may not entirely praise the ‘benevolent governance.’ They might even say that it was a ‘political show.’”

Xiao Ran glanced at Li Shimin, and seeing that the other man wasn't angry, but merely raised an eyebrow waiting to hear more, he continued:
“They will say that the prisoners released by Uncle Shi were not the most heinous criminals—Uncle Shi had personally checked the list before, and those released were all people with extenuating circumstances and remorse, not all prisoners awaiting execution.”

“Outsiders would think that this was because the people were ‘screened in advance,’ and that the emperor dared to release prisoners because he knew that these people would most likely come back. In the end, it was to show the emperor’s reputation as a ‘benevolent ruler,’ not because he truly believed that ‘everyone has good intentions.’”

The fishing rod swayed gently in his hand, and Xiao Ran added:

“Some people might say that providing travel expenses, issuing post station tickets, and even arranging for skilled people to go to the workshops—these thoughtful measures are certainly benevolent, but in the eyes of others, they seem like a prelude to ‘preventing things from going wrong’.”

"Fearing that someone might escape and ruin the reputation of 'mutual trust between the monarch and the people,' they prepared a way out in advance, making these people 'have no choice but to return' and 'return for their own benefit.' This cannot be considered pure 'trust.'"

He reached out and gently touched the buoy on the water's surface, lowering his voice:

"Of course, these words are not to say that Uncle Shi did something wrong—when benevolent governance is implemented, you can't gamble on 'what ifs'; you have to be thorough and let the people see a way back, otherwise it's irresponsible."

"But when later generations look at history, they always like to pick out the 'impure' parts. They will not be in Zhenguan's situation, they will not know the worries of the uncle at night when he was thinking about 'whether there will be an escape'. They will only stand at a distance and say 'this is a show for the world'."

Li Shimin stared at the float on the water, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the fishing rod. After a while, he finally smiled.

"You dare to say that, but you're right. When later generations look at the previous dynasty, they're always separated by a layer of fog. How can they know the difficulties involved?"

“When I released the prisoners, I wanted to test the power of benevolence to influence people. But I was not foolish enough to treat the law as a joke. Filtering out the most heinous criminals was to protect the people and the foundation of this benevolent governance.”

“If we really release those who commit patricide and treason, and they escape, it will be the common people who suffer. That would be a real mistake.”

"It's good that Uncle knows the truth."

Xiao Ran also smiled, “Actually, these ‘different evaluations’ are not a bad thing. If future monarchs want to learn from ‘releasing prisoners,’ they will understand when they see these words that benevolent governance is not ‘acting a play.’ They must truly choose the right people, pave the way, and establish a strong foundation in the hearts of the people. Otherwise, if they only learn the superficial aspects, they will only make things worse.”

"From this perspective, these 'bad words' are more useful than a chorus of praise."

The float on the water suddenly sank, and the two of them raised their hands at the same time, the fishing rods bending into a beautiful arc. The wind by the pond carried the chill of autumn, but it did not dispel their candid conversation.

A monarch listening to future generations criticize his benevolent rule, while someone from the future speaks of the weighing of history behind it—this is more genuine than a court full of praise.

The fish that Li Shimin caught was bigger than the one that Xiao Ran caught, which made Li Shimin very happy.

A horse approached from not far away; it was a messenger from Chang'an, sent to Li Shimin.

Upon seeing someone arrive, Zhang Anan went over and took the letter.

Send the letter to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin put down his fishing rod and opened the letter. The contents were short, but after reading them, Li Shimin's expression became very complicated.

The ink seemed to deepen as the fingertips pressed on the words "Khan Jieli" and "Time is running out."

At first, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his pupils contracted slightly, as if he hadn't expected the news to come so quickly, a faint glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.

That was the look he gave his old rival during the standoff at the Wei River Alliance and the decisive battle at Dingxiang, but it vanished in an instant, leaving behind a deep sense of melancholy.

He lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the blank space on the letter, as if he could see the captured Khagan Jieli through the thin paper.

The image of the grassland overlord who once led the Turkic cavalry to approach Chang'an, bowing his head in the Taiji Hall but not completely submitting.

The slight smile that had appeared on his lips from winning the fishing contest slowly faded, and even the muscles in his face seemed to relax a bit. Gone was the previous lightness; only a sense of melancholy remained, as if "an era was coming to an end."

My gaze drifted to the distant field ridges, where the autumn grass was turning yellow and swaying gently in the wind.

In a daze, he seemed to see the grasslands of the northern desert of yesteryear, with banners fluttering and the sound of horses' hooves pounding. He and Jieli faced each other across the military formation, their eyes filled with an unyielding sharpness.

His breathing became slightly heavier as he slowly folded the letter, folding it more neatly than usual, but also much more slowly.

His knuckles were no longer as taut as before, but the grip on the letter still carried a subtle air of solemnity.

It is not hatred for the enemy, but respect for an old adversary who accompanied the Tang Dynasty through its most difficult years; it is a complex reflection on those battles that have now become the past.

Xiao Ran looked at the scene and realized that Li Shimin had seemed quite happy before, but suddenly he felt melancholy.

"Uncle, what's making you so heavy-hearted?"

Li Shimin handed the letter to Zhang Anan, saying, "Jieli's days are numbered!"

"Ananda, arrange for the imperial physician to take a look and treat him if possible!"

"Yes!" Zhang Anan walked over to the messenger and said a few words.

"It is now the seventh year of Zhenguan, and we should be able to survive until the eighth year of Zhenguan," Xiao Ran remembered that was what the historical records said.

"You know about this too?" Li Shimin looked at Xiao Ran.

"Just guessing, I think that's probably it."

"If that's what you're saying, then it's probably true." Li Shimin didn't know why, but he just felt that what Xiao Ran said couldn't be wrong.

“These people are really unlucky to be born in the same era as Uncle Shi!” Xiao Ran laughed.

"These people? Who else?" Li Shimin asked curiously.

"Li Mi, Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, Liu Heita, Liu Wuzhou, Xue Ju, Luo Yi." Xiao Ran paused slightly, "Oh, and the Crown Prince!"

Everything was going well until Li Shimin heard about the Crown Prince, at which point he was speechless.

"Only a brat like you dares to spout such nonsense!" Li Shimin knew Xiao Ran was joking and didn't take it to heart.

"Without Uncle Shi, these people might have had the opportunity to achieve great things, especially Dou Jiande and the Crown Prince!"

"Hmph! Let's leave Dou Jiande aside for now, the Crown Prince is probably in trouble!" Li Shimin looked at the water.

"Without Uncle Shi, it would indeed be difficult for the Crown Prince to stand out among these people. Even if the Tang Dynasty wins in the end, it probably won't be an easy victory."

Li Shimin's lips curled up slightly; he was pleased with Xiao Ran's words.

“Actually, if the pharmacist and his men were here, there shouldn’t be much of a problem.” Li Shimin highly regarded Li Jing’s military capabilities.

"There are a lot of variables!" Li Jiancheng is no less capable, and neither is Li Yuan, but they are somewhat inferior to Li Shimin.

"Many people in later generations must be cursing me for the Xuanwu Gate Incident."

"What you're saying is an insult to you. Even if you portray the Zhenguan era as a golden age, the historians will not record that you were the rightful heir."

Li Shimin couldn't help but roll his eyes at Xiao Ran, not wanting to speak. "If you can't speak properly, then don't speak! Annoying!"

"Hahaha!" Xiao Ran couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Uncle, your idol is Emperor Wen of Han, right?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Li Shimin did not deny it. (End of this chapter)