Chapter 121: The Magician Li Yuechen

Upon hearing Li Yuechen’s order, Fu Lai nodded and replied, "Yes!"

Without a second thought, he strode toward Lai Cao. Before the man could react, Fu Lai grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him toward the door.

Lai Cao was stunned for a moment before he finally realized what was happening. "No! Your Highness, Your Highness! I know my crime! I know it! Please, spare my life, I beg you, spare my life!"

He struggled while shouting, trying to scramble back toward the center of the room. However, Fu Lai held his collar in a death grip, kicked him behind the knees, and as Lai Cao collapsed to the floor, continued to drag him out.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!" As he was dragged to the threshold, Lai Cao gripped the doorframe with both hands, refusing to let go. He wept and wailed, tears and snot streaming down his face, his fingers clawing desperately at the wood as he begged for mercy.

The commotion attracted the attention of the craftsmen studying outside and the guards on duty.

Fu Lai yanked him twice, and with a loud "rip," the fabric of Lai Cao’s collar tore. Fu Lai lost his footing and stumbled back several steps. Looking at Lai Cao, who was still clinging to the doorframe and sobbing, Fu Lai turned his head toward the soldiers in the courtyard and barked in a shrill voice, "Are you all useless? Why aren't you coming to help? How much longer do you want this dog of a slave to disturb Her Highness?"

Several soldiers in the courtyard immediately rushed over to assist, but Lai Cao took this opportunity to scramble back inside.

Li Yuechen, who was sitting in her chair, clenched her fists, bracing for a sudden attack. However, she had underestimated Lai Cao’s cowardice; he dared not lay a hand on the Princess, but instead threw himself onto the floor before her.

He then began to kowtow violently, his head hitting the floor with a rhythmic *thud, thud, thud*. "I was wrong, I truly know my wrong! Please, Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, have mercy!!!"

He kowtowed so hard while crying that blood began to stain the floor.

Seeing him dare to take advantage of the situation to break back into the room, a sullen look crossed Fu Lai’s face. He waved off the soldiers who had come to help and snatched a horizontal saber from one of their waists in one swift motion.

Gripping the saber with the blade facing inward, Fu Lai strode back into the room.

"You damned dog of a slave!"

As he cursed, he grabbed Lai Cao by the hair, forcing his upper body upright, and prepared to plunge the blade into his back.

Li Yuechen suddenly looked up, stopping him in his tracks.

Fu Lai paused, quickly released Lai Cao’s hair, and bowed. Just as he was about to speak, she waved him off.

Li Yuechen jumped down from her chair, went to Fu Lai, took the saber from him, and handed it to a guard behind them.

Lai Cao, who had been dazed from his brush with death, finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly turned to kowtow again. "Please, Your Highness, forgive me..."

Fu Lai kicked him in the head, sending him rolling across the floor twice, and hissed, "Shut up!"

Lai Cao ignored the pain and scrambled back up to resume his kowtowing.

Li Yuechen walked over to him and looked down, her face expressionless. "In my view, what makes a person human is their sense of responsibility. I cannot trust those who lack it. If you can abandon your own wife today, you can just as easily betray me tomorrow!"

Her tone was not harsh, but calm. Her voice was quiet, as if she were merely chatting, yet every word carried weight.

It was precisely this calmness that made Lai Cao tremble violently. He kowtowed again. "I know my error! Please, Your Highness, forgive me! I will never dare do it again!"

"When I decided to employ you, I had Fu Lai investigate. Knowing your family was poor and relied on your wife’s support, I even intended to treat you well." Li Yuechen shook her head with a look of disappointment. "I never expected you to be such a shameless wretch."

Lai Cao dared not offer excuses; he could only kowtow repeatedly, begging for forgiveness. The previous moment had truly terrified him, especially the instant Fu Lai prepared to strike. It was the first time he had truly felt how close death could be.

Looking down at the blood on the floor, Li Yuechen shook her head. "Enough. This is a time when people are needed, so I will give you a chance to redeem yourself..."

Lai Cao kowtowed frantically. "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you!"

Li Yuechen waved a hand. "If such a thing happens again... you know that if I want someone dead, it is a very simple matter!"

"I will remember! Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness!" With that, he slammed his forehead against the floor once more.

Li Yuechen turned and walked out, gesturing to Fu Lai. "Leave him some money to buy medicine."

"Yes!"

Fu Lai replied, first retrieving the three gold biscuits from the table, then tossing a small string of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins to Lai Cao before turning to follow Li Yuechen out of the room.

Once outside, Li Yuechen let out a soft sigh of relief, feeling a thrill in her heart. She couldn't help but marvel at how terrifying it was to be a favored Princess; a single sentence could force a man to his knees in terror and make a servant like Fu Lai ready to kill without hesitation. It was no wonder that countless people fought until the earth ran red with blood for the sake of power—the allure of it was truly immense.

***

As they walked out of the workshop gate, before they reached the carriage, Fu Lai suddenly hurried forward and knelt on the ground. "This servant has served poorly; please punish me, Your Highness!"

Li Yuechen looked down at him, shook her head, and bypassed him to board the carriage, tossing a light remark over her shoulder: "Forget it, let this be the last time."

As she entered the carriage, she realized she didn't actually care much. After all, under the circumstances, who could have predicted that Lai Cao’s clothing would rip? But even if she didn't care, she couldn't say so. Li Zhi had personally taught her that with subordinates, one must exert pressure when necessary, or they would become presumptuous. Furthermore, even if you like someone, you cannot show it too much, or it will inevitably cause trouble—and when it does, it could be a major disaster.

This was the art of governance and the management of people, personally imparted by Li Zhi.

***

A few days later, the Emperor received a letter from Chang'an: the Crown Prince, Li Hong, had departed, traveling light and with a minimal retinue, intending to return for his arranged marriage.

At the same time, Li Yuechen received a reply from her eldest brother saying he would be back soon and that he missed his sister dearly.

Li Yuechen smiled and put the letter away, planning to go and welcome her brother to let him continue feeling the affectionate love of his sister. She decided she would at least travel ten miles outside the city to meet him, just to show what a good sister she was.

The next day, after lunch, Li Yuechen went to the Renshou Palace to drink tea and chat with her parents. She also considered whether she should have someone look into the craft of stir-frying tea. The tea of this era was far too troublesome to prepare, and because they added a mountain of seasonings, the taste was quite strange. Alas, she didn't know the specifics herself—she only knew it needed to be stir-fried, so she would have to let the people below gradually research it.

"Chen'er, I have just discussed it with Meiniang. After this matter is concluded, we intend to take you all to the Jiucheng Palace to escape the summer heat. What do you think?" Li Zhi asked.

*Damn, why are you running off to Baoji again?* Li Yuechen thought. It seemed like a whim. When the Emperor traveled, the entourage was massive, and the logistics were a nightmare. She had classes to attend and experiments to observe—how could she find the time to accompany them for the summer?

Though she complained wildly in her heart, she wore a cute smile on her face. "It would be enough for Mother and Father to go; I won't go. The grain experiments here need constant supervision, and I’m also researching papermaking and blast furnaces. It would be very troublesome if I left."

Hearing his daughter say this, the health balls Li Zhi was rotating in his hands stopped. "That is indeed true; it is not the time to leave."

Wu Zetian thought for a moment. "Then perhaps, Your Majesty..."

Before she could finish, Li Zhi raised a hand to stop her. "If Chen'er doesn't go, wouldn't we go months without seeing her? I couldn't bear it! We won't go this year!"

Hearing Li Zhi’s somewhat willful remark, Li Yuechen smiled and gave him a hug. "I appreciate your consideration for me, Father."

"Don't hug, it's hot!" Li Zhi pushed his daughter away, unable to hide his discomfort. It wasn't that he didn't want to hold her, it was just that the weather was already very hot. Everyone was wearing long robes, and even though they were silk, it was still stifling!

"If it's hot, why not have some *Sushan*?" Li Yuechen suggested.

*Sushan* was a unique frozen treat of the era—essentially shaved ice topped with cheese, fruit juices, or diced fruit. Of course, the taste couldn't compare to the future, but it had a natural, rustic flavor.

Wu Zetian shook her head. "There are only so many ice blocks in the ice cellar; whether for eating or rewarding others, everything must be rationed. Summer hasn't even truly begun. If we are impatient now, what will we do when the scorching heat of the sixth month arrives?"

Hearing her mother say this, Li Yuechen remembered that this era seemingly didn't know that saltpeter could be used to create ice. *Well, since you've delivered this opportunity to show off, I'll perform a bit of magic for you!*

Li Yuechen waved her hand nonchalantly. "Chief Zhang, come in for a moment!"

Zhang Chengxin wiped the sweat from his brow as he entered the hall. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Go get some saltpeter. Also, bring a large basin and a few porcelain bowls, and fill the basin with water," Li Yuechen instructed.

Zhang Chengxin agreed, then asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, do you not need a copper furnace?"

*What would I need that for?* Li Yuechen looked confused. "What for?"

"Is Your Highness not planning to refine alchemy pills?" Zhang Chengxin asked.

"Cough..."

Li Yuechen felt helpless. Even if she were refining pills, she wouldn't do it in front of the Emperor, would she? Not to mention the heat—didn't he realize it was already scorching?

"Not alchemy, just go get it quickly!" Li Yuechen waved her hand. "Oh, and bring some yogurt as well!"

"Yes! Please wait a moment, Your Highness, this servant will fetch them immediately!"

Li Zhi and Wu Zetian looked at each other. "Chen'er, what is all this for?"

"Hehe, Mother and Father, just watch!" Li Yuechen smiled mysteriously, not revealing the answer immediately.

About ten minutes later, Zhang Chengxin returned with several young eunuchs carrying the items. A wooden basin was filled with water, along with several small porcelain bowls and a bag of saltpeter. Li Yuechen hadn't specified an amount, so they had brought about half a jin.

Li Yuechen opened the bag, looked at the basin, and felt the ratio was about right. She waved them away, then went over to pour some water into the porcelain bowls so they would float in the basin.

Li Zhi and Wu Zetian watched her bustling about, curious as to what she was planning.

Li Yuechen stood before them, grinned, and made a sword-finger gesture at the bag of saltpeter, chanting, "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits... *mumble, mumble*..."

The chanting became quieter and quieter until even Li Yuechen herself didn't know what she was saying. While chanting, she used a small wooden spatula to add the saltpeter into the basin bit by bit.

Before long, the entire bag of saltpeter was in the basin, and Li Yuechen was still muttering. Li Zhi and Wu Zetian exchanged puzzled glances, seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Just as they were about to ask what she was doing, they both suddenly noticed that the water in the porcelain bowls floating on the surface was actually starting to freeze!

At first, it was just a thin layer of ice crystals, but they were growing at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The couple stood up in surprise, walked around the table, and crouched by the basin to observe. As they got closer, they felt a chill—it was indeed freezing. They even reached out to touch it; the icy sensation left them stunned and speechless.

Li Yuechen put down her hands and grinned. "Hehe, there, isn't there ice now?"

She tested it, took the porcelain bowls out, and used a needle—usually for breaking tea cakes—to chip and crush the ice. She poured the prepared yogurt over the crushed ice, stirred it, and handed it to Li Zhi with both hands. "Father, have a taste!"

Li Zhi took it in a daze, took a sip, and then handed it to Wu Zetian in a daze. From their expressions, it seemed they hadn't yet recovered from the shock.

Wu Zetian took a sip and wore the same expression, staring at her daughter with wide eyes, unable to utter a word.

Seeing them look as if they had seen a ghost, Li Yuechen found it amusing. "I never imagined I would see such expressions on Mother and Father."

Li Zhi licked his lips. "Chen'er, this... how did you do it?"

Li Yuechen smiled. "Just add saltpeter to the water in a certain ratio! Ah! But remember, the water soaked with saltpeter cannot be drunk!"

Wu Zetian looked down and saw that the water in the wooden basin itself hadn't frozen. She looked up and asked, "Then what was the purpose of the incantation earlier?"

"It was useless!" Li Yuechen suddenly grinned, her expression adorable, her eyes curving into crescents. "I just thought chanting a spell would be more interesting! Actually, you don't need to chant at all!"

"Ah?"

Wu Zetian was stunned, still not quite processing it. Her beautiful eyes flickered. "This... is it not Daoist magic?"

"No," Li Yuechen replied. "Anyone can do it, as long as you add the saltpeter to the water in the right proportion!"

Seeing that they still seemed a bit dazed, Li Yuechen explained the principle to them earnestly.

Once it was fully explained, Wu Zetian put down the bowl and walked over with a fierce glint in her eyes. "You little brat! You actually dared to deceive your own parents!"

Li Yuechen turned and ran. "Oh, Mother, don't be angry! I just saw that you and Father were hot and irritable and wanted to make you laugh!"

"Still running! You stand still!" Wu Zetian shouted from behind.

Li Zhi, still crouching on the floor, watched the interaction between mother and daughter, stroked his beard, and began to chuckle.