activa-t Chapter 15 The Emperor and Empress Visit
Chapter 15 The Emperor and Empress Visit
Chang Le knelt to the side, startled by her father's reaction. She had expected him to take it seriously, but she hadn't anticipated him to be so agitated.
"Your Majesty," Empress Zhangsun spoke, her voice gentle and calm, "this rice harvest is a matter of great importance. But I just heard the saying, 'A masterpiece is born of nature, and a skillful hand may occasionally bring it to fruition'—"
Suddenly, I realized that what's most valuable about this young master Wang is probably not his agricultural skills.
Li Shimin turned to look at her.
"The art of farming and sericulture can probably be figured out by those who are intelligent and willing to study."
But a person with such a broad mind and such a high level of understanding…”
Empress Zhangsun paused for a moment, then continued, "To be able to utter 'May all the poor scholars of the world be sheltered and rejoice,' to be able to say 'For there is a source of living water,' and to be able to comprehend 'Literature is inherently perfect'—"
The world is not lacking in beauty; what it lacks is the eye to see it. Such a mindset, such insight, is truly rare.
She looked at Chang Le: "Zhi'er, what do you think?"
Chang Le nodded gently: "Your subject thinks so too. Young Master Wang is a man... pragmatic yet unconventional, talented yet unpretentious, with the world in his heart yet content in the countryside."
Every time I visit him, I feel that he is not just going through the motions, but doing what he is supposed to do.
Of course, he didn't need to deal with us, since we hadn't revealed our identities.
The poems and words I heard were all natural expressions from him, not something he deliberately uttered.
Li Shimin sat down on the couch again, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees.
He remembered what Chang Le had said before—this man taught tenants how to grow rice for free, treated people for free, and the rent was 20% lower than elsewhere.
At the time, he thought this person was either really stupid or really smart.
Now he understood. This man wasn't stupid, nor was he merely clever.
This is a higher level of cognition—knowing what you want and knowing what you should do.
Not for fame or fortune, not for power, but simply because I felt in my heart that I should do it.
"This person is usable, and can be of great use," he said with absolute certainty.
"I will go to see him tomorrow. Firstly, he took in Si Zi and took care of Chang Le, so I should thank him in person."
Secondly, I want to see his land and his rice with my own eyes. Thirdly—”
He paused, then said, "I want to see for myself what kind of person is capable of composing the famous line, 'Literature is born of nature.'"
Empress Zhangsun thought for a moment and said, "I shall go as well."
"Your body—"
"It is precisely because of my poor health that I must go." Empress Zhangsun smiled slightly. "Your Majesty is thinking about rice and poetry, but I am thinking about something else."
Last time Chang Le came back, he said that he treated the tenants for free.
I have been suffering from this cough for years, and I have tried all the treatments offered by the Imperial Medical Bureau, but I still cough.
Your Majesty wishes to meet this person in person. What if... he has other insights?
"I know my own body. If possible, I would like to spend more time with Erlang and the children."
When she said "what if," her tone was very soft, but her eyes were very serious.
Li Shimin looked at her. He knew that Guanyinbi never spoke of "what if".
Over the years, her health has been the heaviest burden on his heart.
The imperial physicians drank countless doses of medicine, and the imperial doctors were changed time and again, but the results were always disappointing.
"Very well," he said. "Tomorrow, I will go with Guanyinbi."
The next morning, two unassuming carriages left the palace.
Sizi was held in her wet nurse's arms, and she kept saying "Guoguoguoguo".
Li Lizhi sat next to her, her palms slightly sweaty.
She didn't know what today would bring, but she knew that after today, many things would be different.
In another carriage, Li Shimin was dressed in an ordinary blue robe, while Empress Zhangsun wore a moon-white cloak.
Neither of them spoke, but when their eyes met occasionally, they both understood what the other was thinking.
The carriage stopped at the edge of the field. Li Shimin jumped down first, then turned around to help Empress Zhangsun out of the carriage.
Sizi rushed into the yard like a pebble shot from a slingshot, shouting "Guo guo guo guo!" in a voice so shrill it could shake all the sparrows off the jujube tree.
Wang Zhihuan emerged from the backyard, carrying a wooden ladle in his hand, his trouser legs covered in mud.
Upon seeing the person standing in the courtyard, he paused for a moment.
The man wore a blue robe, and the woman wore a moon-white cloak.
Si Zi and Chang Le stood on opposite sides. There were no guards, no ceremonial procession, and they were dressed casually.
But Wang Zhihuan knew at a glance that this couple had an extraordinary demeanor and were definitely not an ordinary wealthy family.
The man stood tall and straight under the jujube tree. Although he was just standing there casually, he exuded an indescribable air of authority.
The woman was gentle and dignified. Although she looked unwell, the composure between her brows was something that could not be faked.
Thinking back to his previous speculations about Li Zhi's identity, Wang Zhi knew perfectly well that these two men were probably the most prominent figures in Chang'an.
But his expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward, greeting the visitor as if he were an ordinary one.
"And you two are—"
Chang Le stepped forward half a step and smiled slightly: "Young Master Wang, these are my father and mother."
"When Sizi went missing last time, you took him in, and you have troubled us many times since then. My parents feel indebted to you, so we have come to express our gratitude today."
Wang Zhihuan was aware of the situation, but since the other party had come in an ordinary capacity, he treated them with ordinary courtesy, bowing slightly to Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, his tone calm and natural:
"Master Li, Madam Li, please have a seat. Sizi tells me every day how wonderful her parents are, and seeing them today—no wonder they raised such an obedient daughter."
Li Shimin was slightly taken aback. These words were spoken too naturally, so naturally that it didn't seem like he was speaking to the reigning emperor.
He forgot that in the young man's mind, he was not the emperor.
However, his long-standing lifestyle made him feel a bit abrupt and unaccustomed to the boy's humble yet assertive attitude.
But upon closer examination, there is no flattery or probing in the words; it is simply an ordinary, polite remark.
He came to his senses, lifted his robe, and sat down on the stone bench.
Empress Zhangsun also sat on the stone bench.
Sizi immediately climbed onto her lap, holding up the bamboo dragonfly to show her: "Mommy, Mommy, look! Pretty boy made another bamboo dragonfly!"
While the mother and daughter were talking, Li Shimin looked around. The courtyard was not large, but it was clean and tidy.
Not a single fallen leaf was swept under the jujube tree, the firewood was stacked neatly, and several earthenware jars on the windowsill were sealed tightly.
A dozen or so yellow-feathered chickens were peeking out of the coop.
"Young Master Wang keeps this courtyard very tidy," he said.
"If I live alone, I won't feel comfortable if I don't keep things tidy."
At this moment, Empress Zhangsun suddenly turned her head and coughed twice.
The cough wasn't severe, but Wang Zhi could still hear it—the cough was dry, ending with a very faint wheezing sound.
Looking at her complexion, it was pale with a yellowish tinge, her lips were light, and the corners of her eyes had a bluish tinge.
Springtime is the time when illnesses caused by qi stagnation are most likely to flare up.
"Madam, you've had this cough for quite some time now, haven't you?" he asked.
"It's an old problem. It always flares up for a while every spring." Empress Zhangsun covered her mouth with her handkerchief.
"Springtime temperatures fluctuate greatly, and there's a lot of pollen and willow catkins, which can easily irritate the throat. I'll brew a pot of herbal tea for my wife, with licorice root and dried tangerine peel, to soothe her throat."