novelSusiti Chapter 28 Li Shimin, filled with regret
Chapter 28 Li Shimin, filled with regret
Chapter 28 Li Shimin, filled with regret
Opposite him, Wei Zheng, dressed in a scarlet robe, held two scrolls of official documents in his hand. His eyes, like a demon-revealing mirror, were fixed on the two fake mustaches on Li Shimin's chin that were trying to cover up the truth.
"Xuanling—no, Xuancheng."
Li Shimin wanted to rip off the fake beard, but felt it would be too undignified, so he could only laugh awkwardly and say, "What a coincidence? I—I came out for a stroll."
Wei Zheng didn't respond to that question, his gaze sweeping from Li Shimin's turban to his cloth shoes.
"Do I need to dress up as a eunuch for a stroll?"
"Isn't this just for convenience?"
Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back, trying to regain some imperial dignity, but his attire was simply not up to par. "I want to go to the Inner Palace to see if the palace servants are suffering from heatstroke in this sweltering heat, and whether there is a shortage of ice. Showing concern for the servants is also a form of benevolent governance."
Wei Zheng raised an eyebrow.
I don't believe you.
"Since Your Majesty is so considerate of your servants, that's perfect."
Wei Zheng stepped forward, blocking the only way to the imperial kitchen. "I have just received an urgent report from Henan Province. There has been a severe drought for months, with not a drop of rain. The people are even resorting to cannibalism. I was worried about how to report this to Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty is so compassionate, let's talk about disaster relief."
Li Shimin felt a chill run down his spine.
He had just approved the memorial from Henan Province that morning, allocated grain, and appointed officials.
Wei Zheng was clearly doing this on purpose!
"Um—Xuancheng, shall we discuss this matter again at tomorrow's court meeting?" Li Shimin glanced towards the imperial kitchen.
If we don't go now, the daylilies will be too cold, and there won't even be any corn husks left, let alone corn fritters.
"People's lives are already difficult; how can we delay?"
Wei Zheng, with a stern face, plopped down on the stone bench next to him and patted the empty seat beside him. "Your Majesty, please."
This is their attitude; they won't let me leave until we've talked it out completely.
Li Shimin was furious.
But this old man is a stubborn mule. If we force him to go now, he might break the pillars of the Liangyi Hall tomorrow.
"Okay, let's talk."
Li Shimin sat down, gritting his teeth. "Let's just chat for a bit."
Two sentences?
Once Wei Zheng started talking, he began to recount the story of the Yellow River flowing down from the sky.
The discussion ranged from the drought in Henan to the locust plague in Shandong, from flood control to official corruption, and finally, the author cited historical examples to criticize the previous dynasty's Emperor Yang, whose pursuit of pleasure led to the downfall of the country.
"Your Majesty should learn from history and reduce palace expenses as needed. I have recently heard that there is a trend of extravagance in the inner palace, with things like icebergs and exotic foods. This trend must not be allowed to continue."
Wei Zheng was spitting as he spoke.
Li Shimin sat there, as if he had nails stuck to his bottom.
As the sun gradually sank lower, the clouds on the horizon changed from golden to fiery red, and then slowly darkened.
The aroma wafting from the imperial kitchen had long since been carried away by the evening breeze.
Li Shimin's cravings, which had initially roared, turned into mournful cries, and finally he gave up completely, curling up into a ball and pretending to be dead.
"Xuancheng is right, absolutely right."
Li Shimin nodded mechanically, but his heart was bleeding.
My golden brand, my bursting bean.
Finally, darkness fell.
Wei Zheng seemed tired of speaking, or perhaps he felt that today's educational goals had been achieved. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty's willingness to heed honest advice, even if it is unpleasant to hear, is truly a blessing for the nation. It is getting late, so I will not delay Your Majesty any longer—to observe the people's conditions."
After saying that, the old man ignored Li Shimin's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, and with a wave of his sleeve, he left gracefully.
Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng's back, took a deep breath, and almost fainted.
That old scoundrel! He definitely did it on purpose!
By the time Li Shimin arrived at the backyard of the imperial kitchen, the moon had already climbed to the treetops.
This place is remote, and there isn't even a lantern.
By the moonlight, you could see that the broken wooden door was half-closed.
Li Shimin tiptoed in and pushed open the door.
The courtyard was quiet; there wasn't a soul in sight.
At the base of the wall, the legendary slide stood quietly, casting a long shadow on the ground.
The stove was already cold, and the pot lid was tightly shut.
Only the lingering sweet aroma, a blend of oil and the scent of roasted grains, still faintly wafts in the air, reminding visitors of the lavish feast that once took place here.
Undeterred, Li Shimin walked to the stove and lifted the pot lid.
It's cleaner than a face.
Not to mention the corn fritters, there wasn't even a drop of oil left.
He then went to rummage through the bamboo basket next to him.
empty.
All that remained were the peeled husks and a pile of cleanly gnawed white cotyledons, not a single seed left.
The cores were piled up into a small mountain, showing how fierce the battle was.
"this----"
Li Shimin picked up a bare stalk and examined it carefully by the moonlight. It was somewhat heavy, white in the middle, with a ring of pits around the edges, and had a faint, sweet smell.
Is this what they call "corn"?
Can you make that kind of golden-yellow food?
"Snoring—!"
A rhythmic snore came from the corner.
Li Shimin looked in the direction of the sound.
Between the two old locust trees hangs a rope bed, or rather, a recliner.
A figure was lying on it, covered with a coarse cloth shirt and with a tattered straw hat over his face, fast asleep.
The palm-leaf fan fell to the ground, and with each snore, his chest rose and fell.
Is this the master?
Li Shimin held the corn cob in his hand, took two steps forward, and wanted to wake him up to ask if there was any left, even if it was raw.
But as soon as he stepped out, he pulled his foot back.
Wei Zheng's words were still ringing in my ears.
"Masters" are often eccentric and disturbing one's sleep. If you anger them, you'll have no hope of getting any more delicious food in the future.
and----
Li Shimin looked down at his incongruous eunuch attire and then touched the two fake beards on his chin that were about to come unglued.
For the mighty Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to meet a esteemed figure in such a state is truly—too shameful.
"You're lucky."
Li Shimin angrily threw the corncob in his hand onto the ground.
The corncob rolled under the rocking chair.
Su Mu rolled over, smacked his lips twice, and mumbled in a dreamy voice, "Don't fight over it—that's the last one—"
piece----"
Li Shimin felt as if an arrow had struck his chest.
He clutched his still-protesting stomach, stared at the soundly sleeping fellow for a long while, and finally could only stomp his foot in frustration before turning and disappearing into the darkness.
tomorrow!
Tomorrow I will openly and honestly raid this imperial kitchen!
No, it's traveling incognito! A clandestine trip! We absolutely must avoid that old geezer Wei Zheng!
Su Mu wasn't actually dead asleep.
Even the quietest footsteps of such a large person entering the courtyard would make a sound. Moreover, this body has been enhanced by the system, making its five senses frighteningly sensitive.
He's just too lazy to move.
It's late at night, whoever wants to work overtime can work overtime.
I listened to those furtive footsteps wandering around the yard, lifting pot lids, rummaging through the trash, and finally standing in front of me for a long time.
Su Mu rolled his eyes under his straw hat.
These palace eunuchs are so greedy, coming to steal food so late at night?
Fortunately, the man was sensible enough not to lift his hat and left after standing there for a while.
Su Mu reached out and scratched his belly, shifting to a more comfortable position.
Today's corn fritters were a bit too greasy; I'll have to make something lighter tomorrow.
If only I could get some mung beans, I could make a soup and serve it with fried dough rings.
As I was thinking, I actually fell asleep this time.
The moonlight spilled onto the corn husks scattered on the ground, gilding the dilapidated courtyard with a layer of silver frost.