Chapter 116: Li Zhi’s Conjecture

Nobles like Cheng Chumuo possess their own residences in both capitals. Although it is unlikely they would be summoned by the Emperor, they must always be wherever the Emperor is. After all, should any major event occur, the chance of being summoned by the Emperor remains significant.

Cheng Chumuo had evidently received word, for as soon as Li Yuechen hopped down from her carriage, he was already there to greet her.

"This humble official pays his respects to Your Highness the Princess!" he declared, his voice resonant like a bell as he saluted.

"Duke of Cheng, please, no need for such formalities," Li Yuechen replied, raising her hand while carefully observing the descendant of the legendary general Cheng Yaojin.

Like his brother Cheng Chubi, he was tall and broad-shouldered. He was approaching fifty, and though his hair was streaked with gray, it remained meticulously groomed. However, compared to Cheng Chubi, his hairline had receded significantly. Perhaps due to a rich diet and a lack of exercise, he appeared somewhat flabby, with excess fat accumulating around his chin. Yet, one could still tell by his features that he must have been a handsome man in his youth, despite his darker complexion.

After a few polite exchanges, Cheng Chumuo invited Li Yuechen into the main hall.

Li Yuechen sat cross-legged on a clean animal-hide mat and said, "I do not care for kneeling; let us be more casual."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"I assume you know why I have come today, Duke of Cheng," Li Yuechen said, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point. "I only hope that you will not punish them."

Cheng Chumuo poured her a cup of *sanlejian* wine and grinned, "What are you saying, Your Highness? It is their honor to be able to ease your burdens!"

"Duke of Cheng, there is no need to be so polite. I believe you have already realized that I intend to open a paper-making workshop," Li Yuechen said with a smile.

"Hmm..." Cheng Chumuo nodded but did not respond.

He was, of course, aware of the Princess's intentions. After all, her sugar and fruit shops, along with her soaps and moisturizing creams, had already become the rage in the Eastern Capital. Now that the Princess intended to enter the market and take a slice of the pie, what could he say? Should he dare to complain about her greed? That would be tantamount to a death wish.

Seeing his obvious lack of interest, Li Yuechen had no desire to chat further. After a few more perfunctory remarks, she rose to take her leave.

Upon returning to the palace, Li Yuechen went to the Renshou Hall to chat and drink tea with her parents, taking the opportunity to report her recent commercial achievements.

After finishing her report, Li Yuechen refilled their cups, smiling, "In summary, I expect to be able to provide you and Father a dividend of 500,000 guan by the end of the year. And that is just from soap, not even counting the glassware!"

Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) was so delighted by the figure that his eyes crinkled with joy. "Excellent, truly excellent! This way, there will be no more hesitation when it comes to disaster relief in the future!"

"Exactly," Li Yuechen laughed. "As long as you and Mother have money, the Great Tang's ability to withstand natural disasters will be much stronger."

"Nonsense, how can human effort overcome natural disasters?" Empress Wu Zetian interjected from the side.

Li Yuechen leaned against her and began massaging her arm, "It depends on the scale of the disaster, but we must at least try our best, mustn't we?"

"Chen'er has such a drive to strive; I am deeply gratified!" Li Zhi reclined in his rocking chair, rotating the health balls in his palm with ease. "What are your plans next?"

"Speaking of which, I intend to open a paper-making workshop to develop low-cost paper, allowing more people to read," Li Yuechen said. "In this way, the Great Tang will surely see a continuous stream of new talent."

Wu Zetian looked down at her teacup. "Paper... if this is successfully developed, I fear some people will start causing trouble again."

Li Zhi, still in his rocking chair, grinned. "Let them try! I am just looking for an excuse to deal with them."

In recent years, Li Zhi had realized he was aging and had begun paving the way for the Crown Prince, Li Hong. If he could clear obstacles for his son while he was still alive, Li Hong's throne would be much more secure.

Li Yuechen, however, was unconcerned. They had failed to kidnap her last time; did they really dare try again? Did they take her father, the Emperor, for a mere ornament?

Thinking of this, she went to the doorway and called Fulai inside. "Go to the lower reaches of the Luo River outside the city. Find a location; we are going to prepare a paper-making workshop."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Fulai replied. "However, Your Highness, since we purchased a large number of slaves previously, the price of slaves in the city is currently quite high, this..."

"There is no need to buy slaves; we can hire workers," Li Yuechen said with a smile.

Fulai was stunned. "How can that work? Wouldn't that mean we have to provide for their food and housing, as well as pay them wages?"

Empress Wu Zetian also advised, "Chen'er, wouldn't this increase your costs?"

Although Li Zhi remained silent, his expression mirrored hers, clearly failing to understand why she would do this. Yet, beneath his confusion lay a hint of curiosity; he seemed eager to hear her explanation.

Li Yuechen turned to look at Fulai. "Can you eat money? Once you have money, don't you have to spend it? And don't you have to use that money to pay taxes? Wouldn't the ultimate beneficiary be the Great Tang itself?"

The Tang Dynasty relied on a poll tax; as long as one lived, one had to pay taxes and fulfill labor duties. Of course, one could opt out, provided they paid extra money to offset the labor. Li Yuechen would provide their meals, and their wages would be just enough to support their families and pay their taxes—money that would eventually return to the state treasury.

"I thought you would understand," she said, shaking her head.

"This servant is dim-witted!" Fulai quickly admitted his fault and rose to leave. "This servant will go handle it immediately."

After Fulai left, Li Zhi chuckled, "Wouldn't that mean Chen'er will earn much less?"

"I am a princess of the realm; I have everything I need, so what is the point of having so much money?" Li Yuechen laughed. "My goal is for the Great Tang to be wealthy. As long as the Great Tang has wealth, it can remain prosperous and flourishing forever!"

...

After Li Yuechen left, Li Zhi squinted, as if speaking to himself, "It seems Chen'er has intentions of reform."

"I have the same feeling," Wu Zetian nodded. "Zhinou, should we give her a warning? Otherwise, if this continues..."

"There is no need!" Li Zhi suddenly laughed. "In fact, I am now looking forward to seeing what kind of changes Chen'er can bring to our Great Tang."

Wu Zetian was puzzled. "You trust Chen'er that much?"

Li Zhi lowered his head and picked up his teacup. "At the very least, it has been proven that my decision to let Chen'er enter the court was correct. By using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. This proves that the ancestral institutions are not necessarily always correct. The two Han dynasties combined lasted only four hundred years. The Zhou dynasty, which the late Emperor so admired, lasted only eight hundred. How long can the Great Tang endure?"

Wu Zetian poured him more tea. "Then do you believe Chen'er can make the Great Tang's reign eternal?"

"Meiniang, do you not feel that Chen'er's way of thinking is different from ordinary people?"

"I do indeed feel that way. She attends to everything herself and is always willing to find solutions to problems. Compared to the Confucians, she is more like the Mohists."

Li Zhi nodded. "In recent years, I have learned a few things from Chen'er. Systems should change to adapt to the environment. If one blindly follows ancestral customs, the day the system fails to keep up with the environment is the day of its downfall!"

Hearing this, Wu Zetian was slightly startled and could not help but look up. "Zhinou... have you noticed something?"

"There are many people fleeing their households in the empire today," Li Zhi replied. "Though not many, there are far more than during the reign of the late Emperor. If this development continues, it will certainly not be a fortunate sign."

Hearing his words, Wu Zetian muttered to herself, "Seeing a single leaf fall, one knows the year is coming to an end..." Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she thought of something. She looked up abruptly, "Could it be... that she understands the future and knows the subsequent fate of the Great Tang?"

Li Zhi laughed and shook his head, rotating the health balls in his hands. "It is hard to say... Li Chunfeng was a man of great talent; who knows what he might have taught Chen'er?"

"But... if that is truly the case, we should ask Chen'er to be clear about it!" Wu Zetian suggested.

"Let us not even mention that this is merely speculation, and we do not know if it is true... even if it were as you say, if we were to press her, would she dare to speak? If this were true, speaking of it would be leaking the secrets of heaven! At best, she would lose years of her life; at worst, she would meet a miserable end!" Li Zhi looked over and asked, "Meiniang, could you bear that?"

Wu Zetian shook her head, "No, I could not!"

Li Zhi nodded solemnly. "Neither can I! So, no matter what she intends to do, let her be. With me standing behind her, whatever she does will proceed more smoothly."

Wu Zetian nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Zhinou."

Hearing her words, Li Zhi shook his head and took her hand, stroking it gently. "Ever since I ascended the throne, the palace has been cold and lonely. Bringing you back from Ganye Temple brought a glimmer of warmth. After all these years, and with the addition of Chen'er, this palace finally feels like a home... just like when I was young, with my father and sister by my side."

Wu Zetian reached out and hugged him gently. "So many years have passed, do not dwell on them. In the future, I and Chen'er will always be by your side!"

...

A few days later, at the end of the second month, the Directorate for Palace Manufactures finally finished the roller skates commissioned for Li Zhi. Li Yuechen ran excitedly to the Directorate to pick them up; with these, she could get her father to exercise more. As long as he didn't attempt anything too flashy, it wasn't strenuous exercise, and it would serve as a good way for him to balance work and rest.

Upon entering the Directorate, Li Yuechen was stunned to find only a solitary apprentice craftsman. She couldn't help but ask, "Where is everyone?"

Although she didn't personally care about being greeted, it was a bit excessive for no one to acknowledge the Princess's arrival.

"Reporting to Your Highness, all the masters have gone to Mangshan to participate in the construction of the blast furnace. Please accept my apologies on their behalf!" the apprentice bowed.

"No need for formalities!"

Knowing the reason, Li Yuechen nodded. There was nothing to blame them for. She glanced at the hollowed-out wooden box on the table. "Is this it?"

The apprentice quickly opened the lid. "Yes, Your Highness, please take a look!"

Li Yuechen lifted them to examine, spun the wheels with her finger, and nodded, satisfied. She closed the lid, grabbed the box, and tossed it to Fulai. "Let's go to Renshou Hall."

Truth be told, the roller skates were quite heavy. Fulai, who had never practiced, stumbled back two steps after catching them and hurriedly followed Li Yuechen toward the Renshou Hall.

Inside the hall, seeing Li Zhi still lounging in his rocking chair with his health balls, she ran over, grabbed his hands, and pulled him up. "Father, don't just lie here all day! Your body will rust!"

Li Zhi grinned. "I'm not an iron man; how could I rust?"

"You still can't just lie there all day. Only by balancing work and rest can you keep your body healthy!" Li Yuechen pulled him toward the door without hesitation. "The roller skates I made for you are finished; I'm taking you to try them out."

"Wait, at least let me change my clothes!" Li Zhi put down the health balls and turned his head. "Meiniang, you should come watch as well. Once yours are finished, we can all play together."

"Very well, let us go see," Wu Zetian, sitting behind the desk, nodded and put down her brush.

Li Yuechen nodded. This was more like it. Life lies in movement; sitting still every day was not good for the body. Why could wild boars live for fifty years while domestic pigs usually only lived for twenty? Movement was the key. This was something her elementary school physical education teacher had said—though, from a scientific perspective, the comparison might not be entirely accurate...

Taking Li Zhi to roller skate obviously couldn't be done in the Imperial City; otherwise, if seen and reported to the Censorate, she would be reprimanded at the next court session. So, Li Yuechen took him to the inner palace, where the courtyard behind the Zhenguan Hall was paved with flat stone slabs, making it a decent practice area.

She called out to Fulai, "Go fetch my skates, too; I want to play with Father."

"Yes! Your Highness, please wait a moment!"

Fulai promised and ran back to the Anfu Hall to retrieve her skates.

Li Zhi took off his dragon robes and changed into a *kuzhe* (a form of nomadic-style clothing). This attire was particularly convenient for archery or horseback riding, though in Li Yuechen's eyes, it was still quite cumbersome.

Arriving at the courtyard behind the Zhenguan Hall, Li Zhi sat carelessly on the steps to change his shoes. A short while later, Fulai came panting with Li Yuechen's skates, and she changed into them as well. Wu Zetian sat curiously in a rocking chair that Zhang Chengxin had sent someone to fetch, intending to watch up close how this thing worked.

After putting them on, Li Zhi slid his feet back and forth a few times, turned his head, and asked, "Will I not fall while wearing these?"

"Don't worry, Father, I am watching; you won't fall!" Li Yuechen said confidently. She stood up, skated to her father, did a spin in place, and came to a steady stop.

Seeing her hand extended, Li Zhi leaned on her and slowly stood up. Perhaps because he wasn't accustomed to it, his legs trembled slightly.

"Don't be afraid, Father, I am here!" Li Yuechen reassured him, holding his hands and skating backward to pull him forward a distance.

Li Zhi lost his balance and began to fall backward, but Li Yuechen caught him, stabilizing his posture. With her strength, she was now fully capable of supporting him.

"How is it? I told you there was no need to fear; I wouldn't let you fall," Li Yuechen said with a confident smile.

In truth, she wasn't 100% sure she could keep him upright once they started moving, but saying so was necessary to build his confidence. With this thing, the more afraid you were, the harder it was to learn.