Chapter 108: The Fluttering of Butterflies (An Extra Chapter for All Readers)

Since there was nothing pressing to do before the end of the year, Li Yuechen changed her visits from once every five days to once every three days, teaching this group of children the true meaning of mathematics.

As for the Arabic numerals and the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division she introduced, Lu Zhaolin’s initial astonishment had long since turned into admiration. These numerals were incredibly convenient; no matter how large the number, it could be written down in an instant. Though these numerals had not yet fully taken shape in this era, Li Yuechen estimated that in the future, they would likely be named "Princess Numerals" or "Great Tang Numerals."

Back when she was a student, she had always found learning tedious, but being a teacher was a different experience entirely. Especially when faced with a group of obedient children who were desperately hungry for knowledge, the sense of achievement was so intoxicating she couldn't pull herself away. Everyone enjoys being looked at with such adoration, and Li Yuechen was certainly no exception.

On the way back to the palace, Li Yuechen suddenly recalled the extreme sports she used to play, which always drew cheers from large crowds. Sometimes, after successfully completing a thrilling stunt abroad, a group of foreign girls would rush over to hug and kiss her—there was no describing how exhilarating that felt.

Seeing a slightly lewd smirk appear on Li Yuechen's face, Fulai cleared his throat. "Cough... is Your Highness thirsty?"

"No, no..." Li Yuechen snapped out of her memories and waved her hand dismissively.

Upon returning to the palace, she found her two sisters chatting and playing chess with Shangguan Wan'er at the Linbo Pavilion. Seeing her return, Princess Yiyang smiled. "Chen'er, how does it feel to teach the little ones?"

"It’s fine, they are all very obedient," Li Yuechen said with a smile as she sat down. "It’s not much trouble."

"Are they learning quickly?" Princess Xuancheng asked.

Li Yuechen shook her head. "Naturally, they aren't as brilliant as my sisters, but they are still young, so one must be patient."

"Every time I hear Chen'er say things like that, I have this strange illusion that you are much older than you are," Princess Yiyang laughed.

Shangguan Wan'er nodded in agreement. "That's true. My mother also says Your Highness is very mature and tells me to learn from you."

Li Yuechen crossed her legs and chuckled. "Don't learn from me; children should act like children."

"Then what should I say, Your Highness?"

"I am a deity reincarnated; you cannot compare yourself to me," Li Yuechen joked.

Although she was teasing, the three people across from her nodded with earnest, convinced expressions. Seeing this, Li Yuechen couldn't be bothered to explain. In this era, it was hardly the time to popularize atheism. It was a limitation of the age, and she alone could not change it. Rather than trying to change it, it was better to make good use of such an advantage. At the very least, if she could make everyone believe she was a reincarnated deity, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone daring to harm her. Whether her mother or her brother became Emperor in the future, she would have nothing to fear.

...

The weather was turning colder day by day. Although the climate in this era was relatively warm, it still snowed in winter. However, the snow never lasted, melting within a few days. So, if one wanted to have a snowball fight, it was best to do it right after the snow fell.

On the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, there was heavy snow. It was not just the solar term "Heavy Snow"; it was genuinely snowing heavily that day. Li Yuechen, wrapped in thick furs, stood at the palace entrance watching the heavy flakes drift down and nodded with a smile. "This is good!"

Beside her, Shangguan Wan'er was puzzled. "Your Highness, what is good about it? After the snow falls, the roads become slippery and it’s easy to fall."

"A heavy winter snow covers the wheat like three layers of quilts, so we can sleep on pillows of steamed buns next year!" Li Yuechen smiled and patted her head. "You'll understand when you're older."

This year, in the Imperial Manor, she had conducted comparative experiments, planting not only rice but also wheat using adjusted fertilizers. The fields were divided into several zones with different planting densities and had been sown at the end of the ninth month. A snowstorm now indicated that the climate was normal, and they should see good results next year.

After getting close to Li Yuechen, Shangguan Wan'er could clearly sense when she was in a good mood and immediately suggested, "Your Highness, shall we go outside and build a snowman?"

"Let's go!"

Li Yuechen waved her hand, took Shangguan Wan'er to the courtyard to build a snowman, and then called her two sisters to join in. The four of them worked together, and soon, a clumsy, adorable, chubby snowman stood beside the Linbo Pavilion. Shangguan Wan'er tilted her head as she looked at it. "No matter how I look at it, it’s just so cute!"

Li Yuechen muttered to herself, "Anything is cute when it’s chubby, except for people."

Princess Xuancheng walked around the snowman. "Can we only build a snowman? I mean... can we make something else?"

"Of course!" Li Yuechen nodded. "What would you like to make, Sister?"

Princess Xuancheng lowered her head to think. "How about a little turtle?"

Li Yuechen had no objections. Never mind a turtle; she could even build a person. Back in her college dorm, one talented roommate had once spent a snowy night building a life-sized woman lying prone on the hood of someone’s car... Since then, the style of Li Yuechen’s snowmen had become somewhat skewed. But here, they were all good children, so it was probably best not to corrupt them.

...

A few days later, in the courtyard of the Imperial Manor, Li Yuechen announced to the children, "Starting today, winter vacation begins. We will resume classes when spring arrives."

In truth, there was no other choice. In the bitter cold of winter, these children didn't have thick clothes to keep warm, so most could only huddle near the stove for heat. Under such conditions, their hands would tremble with cold, making it impossible to continue lessons. Li Yuechen decided to give them a winter break so they could rest and consolidate what they had learned.

Lu Zhaolin also thought this was a good idea and promised to help the children with any questions they might have during the break. Seeing the uncontrollable smile on his face, Li Yuechen raised an eyebrow. "Has that Madam Guo written back to you?"

"Yes, she will arrive after the New Year!" Lu Zhaolin nodded. "We can hold the wedding here when she arrives."

Li Yuechen smiled. "Let me know when the date is set, and I will send you a wedding gift."

Seeing her use such a respectful tone, Lu Zhaolin did not refuse, bowing with a smile. "Then I thank Your Highness in advance."

Since he had decided to make his home here, Li Yuechen wouldn't treat him poorly. She couldn't guarantee him immense wealth, but she could certainly ensure his family would never go hungry or cold. If he could maintain a good mood, perhaps it would even alleviate his illness.

...

Two days later, with the Winter Solstice sacrifices approaching, Xiao He brought new flower-based nail polish to tint her nails. Li Yuechen didn't refuse; after all, now that she was a girl, it was better to look the part, at least to keep her mother happy. Watching her bright red nails glinting in the sunlight, Li Yuechen had to marvel at the wisdom of the ancients—to think they could come up with such a method just to enhance their beauty.

Her two sisters and Shangguan Wan'er also benefited, getting their nails painted too. Only when she was with them did Li Yuechen feel like a girl. At the same time she was becoming more feminine, the women of the Eastern Capital were becoming increasingly masculine. Now, not only did they walk the streets without veils, but many had even begun to openly challenge men to poetry competitions.

With women now serving as officials in the court, their social influence was actually greater than Li Yuechen had imagined. Recently, there had been quite a few cases of domestic violence—the kind where the wives beat the husbands. In fact, ever since the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, men fearing their wives had been a social trend, even a fashion. But talk was one thing; women who actually dared to lay hands on their husbands were rare, unless the man had married into the woman's family.

However, ever since news of Li Yuechen’s appointment spread, such incidents had increased, leading to rumors among the common folk. They whispered that the Princess was a man reincarnated, that soon the court would be filled with women... In Li Yuechen’s view, most of this was just "marketing"—or rather, fabricated nonsense from teahouses and taverns. After all, such topics attracted customers, and it was nearly impossible to track down the source of such rumors.

Fulai reported the news he had heard from Wang Xiang to Li Yuechen. "Your Highness, should we..."

"Forget it, there's no need," Li Yuechen leaned against a pillar of the Linbo Pavilion and smiled. "At the end of the day, it’s just that 'certain people' are afraid of the environment changing."

As she spoke, the smile on her face turned much more sinister. "When the times change, those who cannot keep up will inevitably be eliminated!"

Li Yuechen knew clearly that, in the eyes of history, she was an anomaly. Although she didn't know much about it, she knew that in real history, Princess Taiping never served as an official in the court; otherwise, her textbooks would have mentioned it. Yet, it had happened here, and not because she wanted it, but because Emperor Li Zhi had personally appointed her! This meant that the butterfly effect she had caused upon arriving in this world was significant enough to completely alter the course of history.

Unfortunately, she couldn't determine which direction it would tilt. Would her mother, Wu Zetian, still become Emperor? If she did, would it happen earlier or later? If not, who would be the next Emperor? Would Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ever emerge? Li Yuechen knew none of these things. She only knew that this history would drift further and further away until it was completely detached from the original, walking down an entirely new path!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh. Originally, she had intended to participate in nothing and watch this history as an outsider, but she had inadvertently pushed it to this point. She didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse.

Women serving as officials was a signal to the world that the social status of women would continue to rise. Many were unwilling to see this, but there was no helping it; the trend was irreversible, and it wasn't something one or two people could stop. Li Yuechen, however, was quite happy to see this. She didn't seek equality for all in this era, but she did hope that everyone could be well-fed and clothed, and that the country would be at peace!

She had no intention of launching extreme reforms in this era; if she did, she might end up dead. Although she didn't know history well, she had heard of Wang Mang. With that cautionary tale, Li Yuechen didn't want to test whether she might be struck by a meteorite one day. Whether it was a joke or a true warning from her predecessors, Li Yuechen did not want, nor dared, to touch the bottom line of imperial power!

...

While she was idly lost in thought, a young eunuch ran in and whispered something to Fulai.

Fulai walked over. "Your Highness, the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories says the device is almost finished and would like you to come and take a look."

"Let's go, then. Let’s see it."

Li Yuechen vaulted over the railing, stretched her neck, and walked out the door toward the Directorate.

Upon arrival, she saw a pair of newly finished roller skates sitting on a table, with a group of craftsmen gathered around them, discussing something. The wheels were made of wood, wrapped in a layer of leather, and even had a slight sheen. The base was wooden, the nails and axles were metal, and she could clearly see the ball bearings embedded inside. The boots were also made of leather and didn't look much different from the roller skates of the future, though because they were handmade, they had a sense of high quality.

Seeing Li Yuechen, the craftsmen bowed. She waved her hand and picked them up to inspect. She reached out and spun each wheel; they whirred smoothly without a hint of resistance. The brake at the front of the toe was made of wood covered in a layer of cow tendon, giving it a translucent appearance.

A craftsman watched her expression and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, what do you think?"

Li Yuechen nodded. "It looks good. I need to test them to know for sure."

Saying this, she picked up the skates and headed outside. The ground inside the Imperial City was not dirt, but paved with stone slabs, seamless and perfectly flat. It was more than enough for a testing ground. Seeing her head toward the pavilion outside with the skates, the craftsmen exchanged glances and followed. Since she wasn't planning to go back to the palace to try them, they might as well watch here.

Arriving at the pavilion, she sat on the railing, took off her shoes, put on the skates, and tightened the laces. Come to think of it, these laces were also her design; if all went well, they would likely catch on in the future.

Seeing her stand up after putting on the skates, Fulai reached out to grab her arm. "Your Highness, be careful! In case you fall..."

"It’s fine!" Li Yuechen waved him off, stepped down from the platform, and tried lifting her legs back and forth to get a feel for them.

Then, she leaned her body forward, applied a little force, and glided ahead.

When they saw her gliding forward with such grace, the craftsmen and Fulai’s eyes widened instantly. Li Yuechen kept her hands behind her back, shifting her center of gravity between her feet, and glided across the ground with effortless fluidity.

"My goodness, it’s divine!" Fulai couldn't help but exclaim in wonder.

After circling the square twice, Li Yuechen gave a light flick of her feet, spun her body half a circle, and transitioned from forward skating to backward skating. She still kept her hands behind her back with ease, her lower body moving as if it were completely independent of her upper body. With a gentle sway, she glided backward with extreme grace, like a butterfly dancing through the courtyard.