Chapter Thirty-Five: Making Money

The feeling of a family gathered around a hotpot truly was delightful, especially in the depths of winter, when the meal left everyone sweating from head to toe.

Still, as she always thought, hotpot without chili peppers simply lacked a soul!

As she ate, Li Yuechen silently vowed that, once she made money from producing glass, the very first thing she would do would be to assemble a fleet and send it across the vast oceans in search of chili peppers.

It would be even better if she could bring back potatoes, corn, and such—enriching the food supply of Great Tang and boosting harvests.

But for now...

Li Yuechen glanced around. Since her family had no idea what chili peppers were, even this plain, non-spicy hotpot was met with cheer.

Especially Li Zhi—his face flushed red, sweat pouring from his brow, yet he continued to eat enthusiastically.

Her other brothers were equally ravenous; Li Xian even pulled out a folding fan to cool himself as he ate.

Her mother, Wu Zetian, maintained her dignity and composure, but she too occasionally cooled herself with a graceful flick of her hand.

As the saying goes: the warmth of everyday life soothes the hearts of mortals. No matter that they were emperor and empress—they were, after all, only human.

Watching her parents, Li Yuechen couldn't help but laugh from the heart.

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of lamb from the broth and popped it into her mouth. Yet, as she put the chopsticks in, she felt a sudden pain in her mouth.

"Mm!"

Li Zhi turned his head. "Chen'er, what's wrong?"

Li Yuechen looked up, puzzled, and reached into her mouth to touch her front teeth. "Father... I think my teeth are about to fall out..."

"This is a good thing!" Li Zhi chuckled. "But you must be careful for the next few days."

"Okay," Li Yuechen nodded, indicating she understood.

Her tooth was only just becoming loose; it was not yet time to pull it out. She would just have to eat carefully for now.

After the hotpot, she returned to Chengxiang Hall and happened to bump into Shangguan Wan'er, so they chatted for a bit.

"Your Highness, are your teeth loose today too?" Shangguan Wan'er looked surprised. "Mine as well."

"Really?" Li Yuechen smiled. "What a coincidence."

Shangguan Wan'er knelt nearby, then suddenly looked up. "Your Highness, is it your upper or lower tooth?"

"Upper."

"Then, when it comes time to bury the tooth, may I join you?" Shangguan Wan'er asked.

Li Yuechen was confused. "Bury the tooth?"

After Wan'er's explanation, she understood: lower teeth were to be thrown onto the roof, while upper teeth were buried in the ground.

"Alright!" Li Yuechen waved her hand. She personally wasn't much for such customs, but since Wan'er wanted to do it together, why not?

...

By the end of October, winter had fully settled in.

Though there was no snow yet, the white mist of breath that accompanied every exhale was growing ever more noticeable.

After her morning practice, Li Yuechen returned to Chengxiang Hall, felt the chill that filled the air, and glanced at the brazier beside Shangguan Wan'er's desk, pondering the design of a honeycomb coal stove.

Making the stove itself would be easy; the real question was how to lay out the flues.

At this time, principles of geomancy were taken very seriously. To abruptly place a stove and long pipes in the hall—Li Zhi might not allow it.

Not to mention, the palace was vast; a small stove might not be able to warm the whole space. Li Yuechen doubted its effectiveness.

Aside from the honeycomb stove, she recalled the fireplaces she'd seen in Europe while skiing. To be honest, fireplaces provided far better warmth than air conditioners or radiators—after all, it was real fire.

But the Daming Palace was built of wood; lighting a fireplace inside would be courting disaster.

For now, these were the only two options she could think of, but neither could be used in the imperial palace.

Outdoors, it might work—brick houses did exist by now, though wooden structures were still the norm.

Bricks in this era were mostly reserved for city walls and other large projects.

Oh well, it's best to leave it for now.

If she ever managed to build a residence outside, she would be sure to make it out of brick, just to keep warm in winter.

As she sat cross-legged by the brazier, deep in thought, Shangguan Wan'er looked up from her writing and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"

"Idle matters..." Li Yuechen rose, knowing it was too soon to worry about such things.

She approached the desk and asked quietly, "Wan'er, do you crave peaches?"

"Peaches?" Wan'er turned her head curiously. "It's winter already—where would we find peaches?"

Li Yuechen grinned mysteriously, then dashed to the back corner of Chengxiang Hall and retrieved one of the very first jars of preserves she had made. She brought it to the desk.

"Xiao He, fetch two pairs of chopsticks! And a small knife."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Soon, Xiao He brought the requested items.

Li Yuechen used the little knife to pry open the wax seal of the jar, and at once there was a distinct pop.

Hearing that sound, Li Yuechen felt certain it had worked.

She pulled out the wooden stopper, and inside were bright golden peaches soaked in syrup, showing not a hint of spoilage.

"Wow, you really have them!" Shangguan Wan'er stared wide-eyed.

Li Yuechen smiled, leaned in to sniff the jar—no sign of rot—then picked up a piece with her chopsticks and tasted it.

The sweetness of the syrup mixed with the natural flavor of the peaches, instantly flooding her mouth.

She couldn't help but breathe in contentedly. "Delicious... Wan'er, try some!"

Shangguan Wan'er nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness."

She took a piece, and as soon as she tasted it, her little face was lit with happiness.

It was almost unbelievable to be eating preserved fruit in this season.

Li Yuechen had Xiao He bring two more jars, and they were just as perfect.

She then instructed Fulai to take the jars to Yan Ying Hall.

...

Upon entering, she found Li Zhi reclining on a rocking chair, health balls spinning in his hand, chatting with Wu Zetian.

Seeing Li Yuechen, Li Zhi beamed. "Chen'er, come and talk with me."

Li Yuechen bounced over. "Father, are you in good spirits today?"

"Not bad," Li Zhi smiled.

"Good, because today I have a small gift for you and Mother."

She waved to Fulai outside. "Eunuch Fu, bring it in!"

Li Zhi stood, intrigued. "Oh? Let's see what it is."

Wu Zetian, too, put down her pen and came over to look.

Fulai set the two porcelain jars on the desk and opened the stoppers, revealing the golden peaches inside.

"Peaches?"

Li Zhi was stunned. "How are there peaches in this season?"

Wu Zetian was equally curious—she sniffed the peaches and found no spoilage; they were real.

Li Yuechen lounged on the rocking chair, looking pleased with herself. "A while ago, Father, you mentioned wanting lychees, but the source is so far away. So I went home and thought up a way to preserve fruit for a long time. These peaches are from the batch you rewarded me with earlier this year—they have not spoiled at all."

Li Zhi asked Zhang Chengxin to fetch chopsticks. He tried a piece, and Wu Zetian followed, both looking amazed.

Li Yuechen crossed her legs and looked smug. "So? Am I clever or not?"

"Hahaha... Clever indeed!" Li Zhi laughed, scooping her up and holding her high. "Truly my daughter! Hahaha..."

Wu Zetian, on the other hand, grew solemn. "Your Majesty, this method is of great use!"

"Yes," Li Zhi nodded, holding his daughter. "Chen'er, would you be willing to share this method?"

Li Yuechen shook her head. "No, I would not!"

"You..." Wu Zetian was about to scold her, but Li Zhi waved her off.

He turned to his daughter. "Why not, Chen'er?"

"Because I want to open a shop in the city, sell these jars and make a fortune!"

She spread her arms to show how much.

Wu Zetian frowned. "You are a princess, and yet you want to stoop to the lowly trade of merchants?"

Li Yuechen met her gaze. "I've been to court and heard the ministers complain that there's no money for disaster relief. You and Father worry about it every day. If they won't solve it, I will make money myself. As long as we have money, you needn't worry—what does it matter if it's 'lowly'? I don't care about that!"

Wu Zetian's frown eased and her tone softened.

"Chen'er, I know you mean well, but as a princess, you cannot..."

"It's fine!" Li Zhi waved her off, cutting her short. "Which member of the imperial family doesn't have a shop in private? They call it base, but don't they all do it?"

"This is different, Your Majesty..."

"I know!" Li Zhi nodded, but then laughed. "She doesn't need to appear in person, just as the others do. Let her treat it as amusement!"

Wu Zetian was left speechless.

Li Zhi set his daughter down. "Chen'er, do as you wish. I support you!"

"Father, you're the best!" Li Yuechen jumped with arms raised, then stuck out her tongue playfully at Wu Zetian.

With the emperor's decision, Wu Zetian could only warn her, "You must not handle this in person. Do you understand?"

"Don't worry, I understand!" Li Yuechen said, approaching her mother. "I'll make lots of money so you and Father won't have to worry!"

Li Zhi grinned. "Good, then I'll wait and see!"

From his expression, it was clear he didn't take it seriously—after all, how much could a jar of preserves possibly earn?

Li Yuechen, of course, knew better. Preserves were just the beginning!

Once she produced glass and refined salt, they'd see what a real Tang imperial enterprise looked like!

At that, Li Yuechen turned. "Eunuch Fu, do you have a trustworthy person?"

Fulai was delighted—he was being entrusted with the task!

He bowed. "Your Highness, I have a nephew who studied at a private school, can keep accounts, and is trustworthy!"

Li Yuechen nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you. Next year, gather fruit and open a shop in the Western Market by the year's end."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

She added, "This money is to help my parents—don't you dare take a cut!"

"Oh no!" Fulai knelt in a panic. "Not even if you gave me ten times the courage! I could never betray your trust!"

"Alright, get up!" Li Yuechen hurried over and pulled him up. "After New Year, go to Lingnan and collect lychees. Next year, I want my parents to have lychees!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Fulai agreed hastily.

Having finished her instructions, Li Yuechen took her leave.

After she left, Li Zhi sat down, chuckling. "Chen'er truly knows how to handle people! She even uses my name as a warning... what talent!"

Wu Zetian shot him a look. "You spoil her like this; aren't you afraid she'll be ruined?"

"Don't worry. Chen'er is clever by nature and truly talented!" Li Zhi smiled, picking up a peach and offering it to Wu Zetian. "Here, have a peach!"

"No," Wu Zetian replied, turning away.

"There, there..." Li Zhi comforted her. "If Chen'er misbehaves in the future, I'll make sure to discipline her properly! Satisfied? Here, have a peach!"

Wu Zetian glanced at him, knowing he was just trying to reassure her, but nevertheless opened her mouth for a bite.

...

Half a month later, both Shangguan Wan'er and Li Yuechen lost their first baby teeth, one after the other.

Hand in hand, they went to the edge of the Taiye Pool and tossed their teeth, wrapped in red thread, into the water.

Now, when Li Yuechen grinned, a gap showed in her teeth, and she spoke with a whistling lisp—quite comical.

Even her brothers couldn't help but tease her about it.

Li Yuechen didn't mind, but watching their mischievous grins, she had to resist the urge to punch them.

But when Li Hong brought a jar of preserves she had given him to show off to the other boys, her second brother Li Xian came over to make amends.

"Come on, Yuechen, just give your brother some," Li Xian pleaded pitifully.

Li Xian wasn't alone—Li Xian looked equally pitiful.

"Hmph, not a chance!" Li Yuechen turned away. "Serves you right for making fun of me!"

"Come on, your brother is apologizing! As your elders, we shouldn't have teased you," Li Xian said solemnly, pulling the third brother to bow in apology.

The fourth brother, Li Lun, seeing the situation, rubbed his face to hide his smile.

"Yuechen, since second and third brother have apologized, why not share some with them?"

Li Yuechen crossed her arms. "Since fourth brother has spoken, I'll share a little."

Li Xian immediately brightened and dashed over with a broad grin. "I knew Yuechen was the best! Finally, we can have some fruit in this cold winter! Yuechen, don’t worry, if anyone bullies you in the future, just tell them second brother’s name!"

Li Yuechen nearly turned to punch him.

For heaven's sake, who would dare bully a princess of the imperial family? The last one to try is probably buried in some remote wasteland by now!

Still, despite her grumbling, she shared the preserves with Li Xian and Li Xian.

After all, her brothers usually doted on her. This was only fair.