Chapter Forty: The New Invention

The Purple Tenuity Palace seemed even larger than the Daming Palace. Li Yuechen spent the entire afternoon exploring it, barely managing to see everything.

To say nothing of the rest, just the Jiuzhou Pool here was already much bigger than the Taiye Pool in Daming Palace. Taiye Pool only had three small islands, while Jiuzhou Pool was dotted with countless islets, and above them stood the Yaoguang Hall, formed by three grand halls connected together. The three halls were arranged in a straight line, spanning the Jiuzhou Pool like a magnificent bridge.

In this age, untouched by pollution, the whole scene was nothing short of a celestial paradise.

Before Yaoguang Hall stood a Glazed Pavilion—though called a pavilion, it was two stories tall and large enough to be a palace in its own right. From afar, its red wood and green tiles made it look as if it floated atop the water, breathtakingly beautiful.

Li Yuechen couldn't help but click her tongue in awe. Indeed, the royal family was beyond imagination in its extravagance.

She then returned to the inner palace for a closer look and finally decided that the Anfu Hall, near the Taoguang Garden, was an excellent choice. The area was spacious, with several separate courtyards, and there was even a small man-made lake within the hall itself. She imagined soaking her feet there in summer would be a delightful pleasure.

As the most favored little princess, there should be no issue with her living there.

After all, Li Zhi and Empress Wu were busy with state affairs every day; the Renshou Hall or Yisui Hall beside the Western Pavilion would be their best options, being close by.

Apart from Wu Zetian and Li Zhi, there were still some court ladies and concubines, though all the concubines had long since passed away. Only a couple of palace attendants remained.

By now, Li Zhi probably couldn't remember what they looked like, nor would they compete with Li Yuechen for quarters.

Toward dusk, the Grand Steward, Zhang Chengxin, found Li Yuechen in Anfu Hall.

"Your Highness, His Majesty summons you!"

"Very well, let's go!" Li Yuechen nodded and followed Zhang Chengxin out.

When she arrived outside Renshou Hall, Li Yuechen nodded to herself; as expected, they had chosen this place.

The servants had already tidied the hall, set up the tables and desks, and even placed the rocking chairs she had made for her parents inside.

When Li Yuechen entered, her parents were lounging on the rocking chairs, chatting.

Seeing their relaxed demeanor, Li Yuechen leaped onto the table. "Father, Mother, I've made my choice!"

"Oh?" Li Zhi looked up, rotating his health balls in his hand. "Where would you like to live, Chen'er?"

"I'd like to live in Anfu Hall!" Li Yuechen grinned.

A proud smile spread across Li Zhi's face. "I knew you would pick that place."

Li Yuechen was curious. "How did you know, Father?"

"You've always loved tinkering with odd inventions. This spot is perfect for your pursuits," Li Zhi said, glancing at her.

"Hehe, Father, you truly have keen insight!" Li Yuechen praised him.

Wu Zetian, sitting nearby, turned to her. "You have good taste in your choice, but living there, you mustn't grow complacent and indulge yourself..."

Li Yuechen sidled up to her, rubbing her cheek against her mother's. "Don't worry, Mother, I won't give you two any trouble!"

"Go, go... Don't try to sweet-talk me!" Wu Zetian pushed her away.

Li Zhi, however, turned his head. "Come here, Chen'er. Ignore her, I'll cuddle you!"

"No cuddling!" Li Yuechen shook her head. "Father's beard is prickly!"

"Hahahaha..." Li Zhi suddenly laughed, sprang up, and chased after her. "That's not up to you!"

Li Yuechen immediately turned and ran. "You can't catch me, Father!"

Li Zhi laughed and gave chase. "We'll see about that!"

Seeing him lunge, Li Yuechen dashed toward a table. Just before reaching it, she pushed off with both feet, dove over a meter through the air, and vaulted over the table. Her body arched gracefully in the air before she landed and, with a light push of her hands, rolled and sprang to her feet.

"Bravo!" Li Zhi stopped before the table, wide-eyed with praise. "Superb skills!"

Li Yuechen, proud, raised a finger and brushed the hair from her eyes. "Hehe, see? You can't catch me, Father!"

"Jumping about like a monkey," Wu Zetian remarked. "No wonder you could invent a character like Sun Wukong."

Li Yuechen laughed as she backed away. "After days of travel, you must be tired. I won't disturb you further. I'll come pay my respects tomorrow! Please excuse me!"

"Go on, go on!" Li Zhi waved her off with a laugh. "After such a journey, you should have a good rest too."

...

When she returned to Anfu Hall, her two elder sisters and Shangguan Wan'er had already settled in.

As Li Yuechen entered, her sisters, who were in the Linbo Pavilion over the artificial lake, came running to her.

"Chen'er, are we really allowed to live here?" Princess Xuancheng was incredulous.

Princess Yiyang shared the disbelief. "Yes, it's so beautiful here!"

"Don't worry, just settle in! Father has approved it!" Li Yuechen assured them.

The two princesses were thrilled. Princess Xuancheng crouched down and hugged her. "Chen'er, you're amazing!"

Li Yuechen grinned smugly. "Elder sisters, have you thought about what to have for supper?"

Princess Xuancheng nodded. "Hotpot! Spicy hotpot is just delicious!"

"Alright, hotpot it is!" Li Yuechen nodded, turning to the eunuch. "Eunuch Fu, go prepare the ingredients."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Fu Lai replied, hurrying off.

For the people of this world, hotpot was a highly addictive novelty. Her two sisters were clearly hooked.

...

Perhaps because the emperor had come to the Eastern Capital, the Spring Plowing Ceremony was moved to the ninth day of the second month.

Several princes and Li Yuechen attended as well.

Watching Li Zhi expertly operate the curved-shaft plow, Li Yuechen's thoughts drifted to deeper matters.

Improving a single plow wouldn't make much difference. What truly needed to be done was to boost crop yields.

The only solution she could think of was chemical fertilizers.

In her previous life, before she turned ten, she had lived with her grandfather in the countryside and had some exposure to these things.

But after so many years, she'd forgotten most of it and would need to experiment.

The key issue was that in recent years, droughts had been frequent. Even if she developed chemical fertilizers, there would be no solution if a drought struck...

Thinking carefully, Li Yuechen shook her head. Never mind the droughts for now, she would first see if she could make any progress.

She vaguely remembered that the best time to fertilize was after autumn. Since it was only spring, she still had time to experiment.

In this era, the main crops were millet and wheat; rice was rare. Even in prime fields, the average yield per mu was under two hundred jin; in poor fields, less than a hundred jin was common.

In Li Yuechen’s view, this was the era’s most pressing problem.

As long as they could increase grain yields and ensure the state granaries were full, there would be no danger of famine at the slightest mishap.

But persuading Li Zhi to let her work on this would not be easy.

No matter how favored she was, a princess handling things like manure and urine? It was clear Li Zhi would never agree.

So it could not be rushed; she would have to proceed gradually.

After the Spring Plowing Ceremony, the court settled thoroughly in the Eastern Capital.

Li Yuechen’s Journey to the West was also nearing completion. After her daily martial arts training, she would spend some time working on the story.

Now, with the ending at hand, she was making final edits.

After all, who could possibly remember that long list of Buddha names at the end? She made some changes.

In her version, the three disciples parted ways, the White Dragon Horse reverted to its dragon form and returned to the West Sea, and Tang Monk, originally prepared to leave as well, decided—by edict of the reigning emperor Li Zhi—to remain at the Great Mercy Monastery, translate the scriptures, and achieve enlightenment in the flesh, becoming a Buddha in spirit.

When she finished, she reviewed her work, nodded, and took it to Li Zhi.

In Renshou Hall, Li Zhi lounged on his rocking chair, read the last chapter, and handed it with a smile to Wu Zetian. "Chen'er, this is an excellent tale!"

"Hehe, as long as you like it, Father," Li Yuechen replied, sitting on the armrest.

"What a pity..." Li Zhi turned his health balls, smiling, "If only I truly had the power to command the gods and Buddhas."

Li Yuechen propped her head on his chest. "Father, you are the Emperor of Men—you naturally have the power to appoint gods! In the future, should a minister pass away, you could always..."

Before she finished, Li Zhi clapped his hand over her mouth.

He didn't seem angry, though; instead, he chuckled. "You! There's nothing you won't say!"

Li Yuechen glanced at the attendant, stuck out her tongue, and fell silent.

Wu Zetian, meanwhile, looked up from the manuscript, seemed thoughtful, then resumed reading.

After playing with Li Zhi for a while, Li Yuechen took her leave.

Outside, she dusted off her round-collared robe and felt a gentle breeze as she looked up at the clear sky.

Spring was truly on its way.

As she strode toward the imperial city, Fu Lai hurried after her. "Your Highness, where are you headed?"

Li Yuechen waved a hand. "The Office of Artisans!"

When she arrived at the Office of Artisans, the overseer immediately came to pay his respects. "Greetings, Princess!"

"You may rise," Li Yuechen said, lifting her hand. "Overseer Wang, fetch me a few carpenters."

"At once!"

Wang answered and went to call for the craftsmen, no longer surprised by her requests. By now, everyone in the palace knew this princess was quick-witted and inventive; no one could guess what she’d think up next.

Soon, five or six carpenters arrived. They had made the rocking chairs for Li Zhi, so they were used to her unusual demands.

"This time I need a triangular frame," Li Yuechen instructed, "three sides, each three feet long—a small margin of error is fine. It must be sturdy but not too heavy, and covered with silk to catch the wind..."

The carpenters exchanged looks before one in the middle asked, "Do you have any specific requirements for the materials, Your Highness?"

"Use whatever you see fit," Li Yuechen replied, "but it must be strong and able to catch the wind."

She then explained her design in detail. It took about ten minutes for them to understand.

Li Yuechen left the Office of Artisans and headed straight to the Wardrobe Bureau.

After the attendant saluted her, she stated her request. "I need a large piece of scarlet silk, cut into a triangle, and some long streamers..."

She gestured and explained her requirements, then turned to leave.

Fu Lai, trailing behind, was puzzled. "What is Your Highness planning to make?"

"You’ll see soon enough! Go find me some sturdy hemp twine."

"How much do you need?"

Li Yuechen thought for a moment. "About a hundred zhang."

"A hundred... a hundred zhang?" Fu Lai was startled. What could she be planning with such a long cord?

"Just get it," Li Yuechen said, impatiently waving him off.

Fu Lai hurried to carry out her orders.

Though a hundred zhang of cord was hard to come by, it could always be made on the spot. Since it was the princess's request, they would do their best to fulfill it.

Li Yuechen returned to Anfu Hall and found Shangguan Wan'er feeding fish at the Linbo Pavilion.

Seeing her, Shangguan Wan'er quickly tossed aside her bait and ran down from the wooden bridge. "Your Highness, why are you back so late today?"

"Late?" Li Yuechen looked up at the sun, still high. "It's not even time for supper yet, is it?"

Shangguan Wan'er pouted but said no more, though her expression was clearly unhappy.

Li Yuechen didn't notice, and led her inside. "My teeth have grown in well. How about yours, Wan'er?"

"They’re fine too," Shangguan Wan’er replied, showing her teeth.

Li Yuechen peered at her seriously. "Hmm, quite neat."

When she leaned in suddenly, Shangguan Wan’er instinctively stepped back, eyes wide with surprise.

Li Yuechen thought nothing of it; she just found her expression cute and patted her head.

Shangguan Wan’er pouted again, as if wanting to say something, but was interrupted when Xiao He suddenly rushed out.

"Your Highness, be careful!" Xiao He ran out from the hall, wielding a broom.

Li Yuechen turned to see a large, dark rat darting from the hall, making straight for her. Perhaps it spotted her and tried to veer away.

Li Yuechen reacted swiftly, stepping forward and stomping down with a thud, catching its tail.

The rat, fierce as ever, didn't try to flee but turned, baring its teeth at her foot.

Li Yuechen raised her leg and kicked out sharply.

"Squeak—"

The rat let out a shrill cry and flew several meters through the air. Whether she had struck a vital spot or not, when it landed, it didn't try to run but began twitching uncontrollably.

Xiao He hurried over with the broom. "Are you alright, Your Highness?"

"I'm fine," Li Yuechen replied, glancing down at her right foot in confusion.

She hadn’t felt as if she used much force at all...