Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

On the bluestone square in front of the hall, four pitch-black iron poles stand straight at the corner of the wall, each about two people tall, with an unfamiliar lamp hanging from the top of the pole, the lampshade flat and wide.

Several servants were gathered around the iron pole, adjusting its angle as instructed by a worker.

Li Shimin frowned and turned to Empress Zhangsun, who was coming to greet him.

"Guanyinbi, what is this?"

Empress Zhangsun smiled slightly, but before she could answer, Zhang Anan, who had been studying the iron poles for a long time, leaned forward and whispered.

"Your Majesty, this old servant thinks... perhaps the lantern poles have been heightened? So that the light can shine further?"

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," the guard captain stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and reported, "All four streetlights have been installed."

Inside the Lizheng Hall, a group of people were arguing animatedly around a cell phone.

The cards on Li Yinxun's phone screen were colorful and her hand was ridiculously good, with two kings and four twos. She threw out a series of bombs, and the screen exploded with gold coin effects.

She glanced at the numbers in the upper right corner with satisfaction: over a billion, accumulated purely through skill without spending any money.

Li Tai, sitting opposite him, turned green with rage.

"Impossible, how come Auntie always wins?"

"What can you do if you're lucky?"

Li Tai let out a wail, having lost seven games in a row, and his mentality had collapsed.

The little princess and Chengyang nestled in Guo Qian's arms, their little fingers poking around on the screen.

After Guo Qian taught them a few rounds, the two girls played cards even faster than Li Tai.

"We lost again!" Li Tai lamented.

The little princess made a face at him.

Youlan's voice came from the doorway.

"Princess Anping, the streetlights have been installed."

Li Yinxun put away her phone and stood up.

"Let's go take a look."

The little princess instinctively reached out her hands to Guo Qian, who bent down, scooped her up, and steadily hoisted her onto his shoulder.

The little girl sat high up and swung her legs proudly.

Chengyang took Li Yinxun's hand, and the group followed Youlan out of the palace.

In the square, four iron poles gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster under the midday sun.

The guard captain stepped forward and pressed the switch in the middle of the lamppost.

The lampshade at the top of the lamppost suddenly lit up.

A pure, clear white light poured down from the flat lampshade, still clearly visible under the midday sun.

Everyone looked up.

If it's like this at noon, imagine how it is at night...

Li Tai's eyes widened, and his mouth remained agape for a long time.

He had never been to the modern era, and electric lights were something he had only heard of but never seen.

He had seen solar-powered power banks glow in the palace, but those were just tiny indicator lights, nothing compared to the bright streetlight before him.

"Where...where does the light come from if there's no thunder or lightning?"

Li Yinxun smiled and pointed to the dark blue flat panel at the top of the lamppost.

"See that? That's a solar panel. When the sun shines on it, the light is converted into electricity, and the electricity is converted back into light."

Li Tai nodded as if he understood, but Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun had used solar-powered power banks before, but they didn't know the specific principle behind them.

"Can the Tang Dynasty manufacture this?" Li Shimin asked.

Li Yinxun shook his head, "We can't build it, the technology is too far behind."

"Solar panels require silicon wafers, silicon wafer purification requires industrial furnaces, industrial furnaces require electricity, and electricity requires power plants. This is just the most basic link. Take the most fundamental element, electrical wires, for example. Datang can't even stretch the copper wires evenly, let alone insulate them. Without electrical wires, the electricity generated can't be transmitted."

Li Shimin didn't understand terms like silicon wafers and insulation, but he grasped the core meaning: the technological gap behind these things couldn't be bridged overnight.

"Then we'll purchase these lamps from the future and install them throughout the entire palace."

It's unrealistic to cover the entire city of Chang'an, but covering the entire imperial palace is no problem.

Li Yinxun smiled and said, "It'll cost extra."

Li Shimin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but he did not bargain.

The value of goods sent to the Tang Dynasty in later generations far exceeded that of gold and silver. Li Yinxun's suggestion to add money was just a joke. In reality, the things she sent to the Tang Dynasty were worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

"Sure, just name your number." He nodded.

With a quick glance, Li Shimin spotted a round, chubby figure in the crowd.

"Bluebird".

Li Tai's plump body stiffened, and he slowly turned around to meet Li Shimin's gaze, immediately giving a humble smile.

"Why aren't you taking care of your elder brother? What are you doing here?"

"I...I'll go right away..."

Li Tai dared not utter a single word of dissent, obediently returned the phone to Empress Zhangsun, and then, like a chubby hamster that had been scolded, slunk away dejectedly.

Li Shimin's gaze fell on Guo Qian. "Brother-in-law, how's the poultry acquisition going?"

"A buyer has been found, and once we decide where to keep it, it can be transported back to the Tang Dynasty."

Guo Qian shared his thoughts: "Brother-in-law, I think the imperial court could set up a special department to manage the breeding. After the poultry are ready for market, they can be divided into two batches: one batch will be slaughtered and sold to supply the people of Chang'an; the other batch will be wholesaled to merchants in various places and distributed to surrounding prefectures and counties."

"inappropriate."

Li Shimin paced back and forth for a few steps. "Aquaculture is extremely costly in terms of manpower and resources. Furthermore, how much loss occurs during the long-distance transport of live poultry? Chickens and ducks are fragile; half of them die after three to five days of bumpy travel. By the time they arrive at their destination, only three to five survive. Merchants, in order to make a profit, will inevitably raise prices to recoup their costs. By the time it reaches the common people, a chicken will be more expensive than a bushel of rice. Who can afford that?"

Guo Qian fell silent; what Li Shimin said was the truth.

The road conditions in the Tang Dynasty were what they were—no cold chain logistics, no highways—and the loss rate of live poultry transportation was alarmingly high.

Even if the imperial court sold at cost, after layers of transportation and price increases by merchants, the price that reached ordinary people was still not affordable.

Li Yinxun suggested, "Then let's not sell it."

All three of them looked at her at the same time.

"It will be distributed for free, per household. Each household will receive eight chicks, six ducklings, and one piglet."

Li Shimin frowned slightly. "Free?"

"That's right." Li Yinxun offered his suggestion, "Now the food problem in the Tang Dynasty has been basically solved. Potatoes yield 20 shi per mu, sweet potatoes yield more than 10 shi per mu, and there are also rice and wheat. The people can eat their fill, and with their fill, they have the energy to raise livestock."

"Chickens lay eggs, eggs hatch into chickens, and ducks are the same. In one year, one flock becomes two flocks, and in two years, two flocks become four flocks. The common people do not need the court to provide them with supplies. As long as they are given a starting point, they can expand their flocks on their own."

"Eggs can be eaten or hatched; chickens and ducks can be slaughtered for meat when they grow up, or they can continue to lay eggs; any surplus can be sold at the market for money. It's a very profitable business."

Li Shimin disagreed, saying, "The plan is good, but the national treasury cannot afford it. If we want to distribute it to every household for free, the cost of purchasing, transportation, and manpower will be too much for the national treasury to afford."

This was exactly what Li Yinxun was waiting for.

"No need for the national treasury; I will provide the meat and poultry, and give them to the Tang Dynasty free of charge."

Li Shimin was taken aback.

"But I have one condition." Li Yinxun's gaze fell on a small figure swaying its short legs, "It must be issued in the name of Princess Jinyang."

Li Shimin remained silent for a few seconds, of course he understood what Li Yinxun meant.

By bestowing favors in the name of the ox, the people would remember Princess Jinyang's name, and the little princess would accumulate goodwill and prestige, which would be a long-term form of protection.

"Approved." Li Shimin nodded.

Li Yinxun smiled slightly, then thought of something else, "However, there is one thing that must be said in advance. At present, the road conditions in the Tang Dynasty are not good. The first time, it will only be issued to Chang'an City and the surrounding counties. After the Tang Dynasty improves the roads and transportation, it will be gradually extended to all prefectures and counties in the country."

Li Shimin nodded, recognizing the importance of road construction; without roads, even the best national policies would be unable to reach beyond Chang'an.