bayedsolid Chapter 284 No "Frost" in the World, a Henpecked Husband
Chapter 284 No "Frost" in the World, a Henpecked Husband
Sizi remembers it vividly:
"Of course!" Empress Zhangsun withdrew her hand and shook her index finger. "Being my 'strategist' is no easy task. I have to turn 'Rules for Women' into a 'survival guide for the court,' and transform grand principles into 'Chang'an dialect' that the soldiers can understand. How about that? Isn't this strategist amazing?" Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and as if by magic, she pulled out half a roll of Xuan paper from her sleeve and waved it triumphantly.
"See that? The newly written sequel to 'Spring Outing Song' is even more fragrant than the peonies that have just bloomed in the Imperial Garden!" The clear and melodious recitation had just ended.
Li Shimin slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind: "Excellent! This song should be proclaimed to the world! How dare those old scholars in the Censorate laugh at me for being afraid of my wife?"
His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. "I will let them know that a woman who can make me 'fear' is enough to terrify the whole world! Afraid of his wife? This is a grace I bestow upon the world—whoever has a virtuous empress like me, what does it matter if they fear her for three lifetimes!" Before he finished speaking, a silvery laugh came from outside the hall.
Little Sizi's skirt was covered in petals, like a pink butterfly fluttering its wings. Her skirt billowed like a colorful butterfly as she stumbled and fell into the palace. Zhenzong was thoroughly enjoying the childlike state of the little girl. The fluffy flowers in her hair swayed violently with her panting: "Father! Mother! I've unearthed the biggest 'treasure secret' in the palace!"
Finally, Zhen Zong started releasing the Queen's version of the Great Chieftain's outfit. She wanted to remember more about her mother's appearance from the past, and she kept asking her father about it...
Si Zi clutched the hem of Li Shimin's dragon robe, her bright eyes brimming with excitement. "Just now, in the corner of the Imperial Garden, the ministers were huddled together whispering something about 'no frost under heaven'!"
Li Shimin flicked her rosy cheek with his finger, the pearl necklace of her dragon crown jingling: "Oh? My little scout, tell me quickly, is this 'Frostless' a treasure that can freeze Chang'an?"
"I think it's amazing too!" Si Zi stood on tiptoe and leaned over the desk, her nose almost touching the memorial. "But what is 'frost'? Is it colder than the ice cream in the imperial kitchen? Can we win battles like Father Emperor without it?"
Empress Zhangsun laughed so hard she held her waist, her handkerchief unable to conceal her crescent-shaped eyes: "Silly girl, what they meant was 'unparalleled under heaven,' meaning that our Tang Dynasty is unique, even the stars in the sky can't compare!"
"Huh?" Little Sizi tilted his head and tugged at his hair, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Then they also said that Father Emperor has 'appointed' people 'successively'! Does that mean Father Emperor is hiding a 'General Luxury' who is 'appointing' a general?"
She clenched her fists and raised them above her head, imitating the general's majestic appearance, "He must be riding a Ferghana horse and holding a spear taller than me!"
Li Shimin suddenly lifted his daughter onto his lap, his laughter causing the calligraphy and paintings in the hall to tremble slightly: "My little ancestor! It means 'appointing the virtuous and capable,' which means making good use of capable ministers! 'One after another' means that talented people are like the Wei River, continuously flowing into the court!"
"Wow—" Little Sizi suddenly clapped her hands and jumped up, the tassels in her hair brushing against Li Shimin's chin. "So Father Emperor has an unseen 'great army'! So many wise ministers are joining hands to help Father Emperor draw the map of the Tang Dynasty to be super big!"
Empress Zhangsun pinched her daughter's chubby cheeks, and gentle lines appeared at the corners of her eyes as she smiled: "That's right! These ministers are like stars; only when they gather together can they illuminate the whole world."
She looked at Li Shimin, her eyes filled with pride, "And your father is the one who has grasped all the stars."
The incense continued to rise in wisps. Si Zi could now ride on Li Shimin's lap as she pleased, her pigtails swaying and lightly brushing against the golden dragon thread on the dragon robe: "Father! Everyone says that Mother is the most powerful mother in the world. Did she really give birth to Brother Li Chengqian, Brother Li Tai, and Sister Chang Le and the other seven siblings?"
Li Shimin laughed heartily, the beads on his dragon crown jingling as he gently stroked his daughter's nose: "Our little Sizi's ability to gather information is almost on par with the secret agents of the Dali Temple! Your mother is not only a 'super empress dowager,' but also the pillar of the Tang Dynasty. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, she donned armor and climbed to the top of the city wall, personally fastening the soldiers' battle robes..."
"Isn't it the spirit of 'The Ballad of Mulan' that inspires the army? The Queen Mother's heroic figure is a model for all, and the three armies shout 'The King of Qin will surely win!'"
Li Shimin nodded. "Wow! Mother, it's even more impressive than the battle flag of the Xuanjia Army!" Xiao Sizi suddenly jumped up, waving a silk handkerchief and imitating her mother's heroic posture back then. "No wonder the ministers all say that half of His Majesty's military achievements in ascending the throne should be attributed to Mother!"
"Military achievements are far more than just military exploits!" Li Shimin stroked Sizi's head, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "Your mother was also a great editor. Her personally compiled 'Rules for Women' is worthy of being passed down to future generations..."
"Hmm, I've heard that 'Rules for Women' has become a textbook for governing the country for women in the imperial harem..."
"Your mother also strongly defended Wei Zheng and other remonstrating officials, speaking frankly that 'a wise ruler has upright ministers,' which was also a crucial factor in the achievement of the Zhenguan era. Whenever I struggled to review memorials, she could always find good solutions for governing the country in the Book of Han and the Records of the Grand Historian. Even Fang Xuanling praised her as a 'female prime minister'!"
The little ox, who was actually Zhen Zong in disguise, rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling: "So Mother can not only give birth to babies, but also write heavenly books and protect loyal ministers! When she gets fierce, is she more frightening than the torrential rain in Chang'an?"
She suddenly mimicked her mother's pose with her hands on her hips, and shouted in a cute but fierce tone, "Your Majesty! If you slack off again while reviewing memorials, you will be punished by copying the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era' a hundred times!"
Li Shimin laughed so hard he almost fell over, pulling Sizi into his arms: "Your mother's 'shrewish roar' is far more powerful than a torrential rain! Back when I insisted on building the Luoyang Palace, she brought up the story of Emperor Wen of Han 'cherishing the people's strength,' which made me blush with embarrassment, and I immediately issued an edict to stop the construction. She often said, 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.' This saying is not only engraved on my dragon throne, but also in the hearts of the people of the Tang Dynasty."
"I want to be a heroine with vision like my mother!" Little Si suddenly grabbed a writing brush from the table and gestured in the air. "Father, Brother Zhinu was made a king at the age of three and was able to govern Bingzhou at the age of seven. Isn't he as smart as my mother?"
"Your third brother inherited your mother's wisdom." Li Shimin gently stroked his daughter's back, his expression turning solemn. "Back then, the struggle for the crown prince was fraught with undercurrents, and it was your mother's dying words, 'Only with benevolence can one govern a country,' that made me determined. Although she is no longer here, the seeds of benevolence, virtue, loyalty, and filial piety she sowed have already taken root and sprouted in your youngest brother's heart..."
Little Sizi's eyes shone brightly, capable of holding the entire Milky Way. Like a little rhinoceros hanging from a tree branch, she wrapped her legs around Li Shimin's waist, her belly still protruding, and buried her big head into her father's arms: "Father! When I grow up, I want to be the 'Number One Female War Goddess of the Tang Dynasty'! In my left hand, I'll hold a bunch of adorable dolls from Wowo Design, developing a 'cute baby economy' and turning Sister Chang Le's embroidered ball workshop into a super-popular product factory; in my right hand, I'll hold a calligraphy brush and write legends, making Western Region merchants chase after our 'Rainbow Feather Dress Dance' shouting 'Oh my god!' I also want to learn from Mother and turn the imperial court into a 'Hall of Gods' Almsgiving,' so that all the people in the world can live a good life with meat to eat every meal and lantern festivals every day!"
Li Shimin's dragon robe was torn and twisted, but he laughed so hard that even his dragon crown trembled. Suddenly, his nose tingled, and he quickly rubbed his big beard against his daughter's soft face: "You little rascal, if your mother heard this, she would probably sit up in Zhaoling and applaud you!" He tightened his arms and hugged his daughter even tighter, his voice filled with honey-like tenderness.
"But don't forget, Sizi—" Li Shimin suddenly stopped speaking and said mysteriously, "If you want to be a superhero, you have to get past your father first! Tonight, you'll start by reciting the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era.' If you don't finish reciting it, you're not allowed to steal any osmanthus cakes from the imperial kitchen!"
Sizi's eyes widened instantly, and a kitten whose tail had been stepped on cried out, "Father, you're cheating! This is clearly Grandpa Wei Zheng's task..."
Before her protest could subside, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall, and the guard's report startled the bronze bells on the eaves: "Your Majesty! Urgent report from Bingzhou—" Li Shimin and Xiao Sizi exchanged a glance, both revealing sly smiles. A new "court adventure" had begun...