webnovelfull Chapter 431 General, do you think I am pretty?
Chapter 431 General, do you think I am pretty?
At the beginning of winter in the seventh year of Qianwu, the temperature was much lower than in previous years.
As soon as we stepped into winter, the gloomy sky couldn't wait to sprinkle heavy snow, and the snowflakes were as light as goose feathers.
In a blink of an eye, the bustling streets and scattered houses were all covered with the vast white snow. The whole world was wrapped in silver and spotless white.
This sudden heavy snow made the common people happy. They ran around telling each other that it was a blessing from heaven, which indicated that the coming year would be good weather and a good harvest.
As a result, in order to please their superiors and gain political achievements, officials from all over the country sent good news to Chang'an like snowflakes, and the number was too numerous to count.
These good news reports were filled with praise for His Majesty and the publicity of the so-called "auspicious signs" in the local area.
It is said that the situation inside the Taiji Hall is completely different from the "auspicious" scene outside the hall.
On that day, the emperor sat high on the dragon throne, furious.
As a result, an imperial decree was issued, canceling the year-end bonuses of all officials who submitted such good news as a punishment.
This decree made those officials with ulterior motives immediately regret it.
Li Shimin stood quietly outside the mansion gate, gazing at the snowflakes falling from the sky, but he had no interest in enjoying the snow. Instead, he sighed.
Winter always brings a sense of desolation, and the life and death separations he had experienced in the cold winter lingered in his mind.
Whenever this happened, he couldn't help but think that they all left in winter.
This cold winter is more like a spiritual ordeal for him.
In the Tiance Palace, Li Tai has been enjoying great success these days.
Some time ago, he successfully completed the Zhenguan Ceremony, which made Old Li very happy and he praised his ability to do things.
Because of this, Li Tai completely relaxed at home during this period and enjoyed a leisurely life.
He ate six delicious meals a day at home, eating until his stomach was full and he was very satisfied.
After eating and drinking, he lazily lay down on the bed, picked up an interesting storybook, and read it with relish, feeling free and comfortable.
Old Li, mindful of his contribution, did not reprimand him for his somewhat indulgent behavior, but simply let him enjoy himself to his heart's content, treating it as a reward for him.
Li Zhi also took advantage of the approaching New Year and returned to Xianyang in a dusty state.
During this year, he stayed away from the prosperity of Chang'an and embarked on a journey of traveling around the world alone.
He followed Li Chengqian's instructions and walked on every inch of land in the Tang Dynasty, went into those remote mountain villages, bustling towns, and prosperous markets, talked and chatted with all kinds of people, carefully observed their living conditions, and listened attentively to their thoughts.
Wherever he went, he would record in detail what he saw, heard, felt and understood. Over time, these records were compiled into a thick diary of people's sentiments.
After returning to Xianyang, he immediately submitted all the information to Li Chengqian, hoping to provide some useful help to his brother in governing the world.
After going through the hardships of this period, Li Zhi is no longer the ignorant boy he used to be.
There was a calmness in his eyes, and a maturity in his words and actions.
The feelings he once had for Wu Meiniang, which had troubled him, gradually dissipated like mist as he gained more knowledge in this vast world.
As his horizons continued to broaden, he saw clearly the changes in everything in the world and understood the responsibilities of being a member of the royal family.
Now, he is open-minded and clear-minded. Those romantic feelings that once seemed hard to let go of no longer stir up any waves in his heart. There is nothing that can make him obsessed and difficult to let go.
However, there was one problem that always gave Li Shimin a headache.
Li Zhi was already of marriageable age, but he was extremely resistant to the idea of marriage and even didn't care about such a big thing as having children.
He only longed for that kind of unrestrained life, and longed to be a free and unrestrained king, able to travel freely among the magnificent mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty and experience the customs and culture of each place.
He was willing to act as his brother's eyes and ears, and convey to Li Chengqian everything he saw and heard among the people without reservation, contributing his own strength to his brother's governance of the world.
Li Shimin was very dissatisfied with Li Zhi's idea at first, and tried to persuade him many times, hoping that he could get married and start a career as soon as possible.
Li Zhi always insisted on his own opinion and turned a deaf ear to Li Shimin's persuasion.
Over time, seeing that his persuasion was futile, Li Shimin could only shake his head and sigh helplessly, and never mentioned the matter again.
However, Li Chengqian had a different opinion on his brother's eccentric ideas.
Li Zhi was not the kind of person who was not ambitious. On the contrary, he saw Li Zhi's love for this country and his care for the people. It was just that the way he loved and cared was different from that of ordinary people.
Therefore, Li Chengqian not only did not blame Li Zhi for his idea, but instead praised his ambition of having a broad vision and not being particular about trivial matters.
He believed that it was rare and refreshing for Li Zhi to have such a detached state of mind.
Li Shimin looked at his two sons standing in front of him, his eyes revealing expectation.
He raised his head slightly, glanced at Li Tai and Li Zhi, and then asked softly, "Qingque, Zhinu, have you taken everything I asked you to bring to General Li Jing?"
Upon hearing this, Li Tai and Li Zhi hurriedly shook the bags in their hands.
These packages contained carefully selected precious medicinal herbs, nourishing products, and some of Li Jing's favorite items.
The two nodded heavily and answered in unison: "Aye, it's all done!"
Seeing this, Li Shimin nodded slightly and a relieved smile appeared on his face.
Although the two sons have very different personalities, they both have filial hearts, which makes him feel very gratified.
At this time, Li Zhi carefully took a tiger-skin robe from the hand of a servant beside him. The fur of the robe was shiny and the texture was soft. It was obvious that it was a high-quality product.
Li Zhi gently shook out his robe, walked quickly to Li Shimin's side, and draped the robe over his father's shoulders with both hands. He said softly, "Father, the weather is cold. Put on this robe to keep warm."
Li Shimin felt a sudden warmth in his heart.
He reached out and gently patted Li Zhi's shoulder, and said with loving eyes: "Okay, let's go."
After saying that, the three of them straightened their clothes, took a deep breath, and strode out of the gate of Tiance Mansion against the howling wind and snow, heading towards Li Jing's home.
In Li Jing's house, there are no less than five charcoal stoves. The blazing charcoal fire emits scorching heat, making the whole room warm.
In order to prevent the air in the house from being too stuffy, a window was slightly opened to let in a cool breeze.
For Li Jing, an old man whose health is getting worse and worse, winter is undoubtedly a difficult test.
Every inch of cold air mercilessly stung his aging body and eroded his remaining energy.
During this period, the doctor had visited Li Jing many times, but faced with Li Jing's increasingly weak body, he could only shake his head and sigh helplessly, leaving some prescriptions for health care and leaving in a hurry.
After all, human power is limited, and birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural laws that all things in the world cannot escape.
Li Jing was very clear about this in his heart. He knew that he probably didn't have much time left, and every day seemed like the final countdown in his life.
Hong Fu Nu paced back and forth in the room helplessly. She looked at her husband's increasingly haggard face, her heart ached, but she didn't know how to alleviate his pain.
The only thing she could think of was to add a few more stoves in a futile attempt to make the temperature in the house higher, hoping that this would relieve her husband's discomfort.
Because the doctor had repeatedly reminded the general that he was extremely weak and must not catch a cold. He must keep the room warm like spring, otherwise his condition would become more serious.
Li Jing sat quietly beside the bed, holding a cool storybook he had just finished reading in his hand, with a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.
He pursed his lips slightly, as if he was recalling the exciting plots in the book, and as if he was lamenting his own eventful life.
After a moment, he gently shook his head and said softly, "Madam, this article is not very enjoyable to write. It is not as enjoyable as my whole life."
When Zhang Chuchen heard Li Jing's words, he hurried forward, looked at his husband with concern, and asked softly, "Husband, have you finished reading? If you want to read more, I'll go buy you a few more."
Li Jing shook his head slowly, a faint bitter smile appeared on his face, and there was a hint of loneliness in his eyes.
He raised his head, looked at his wife's worried face, sighed softly, and said, "Madam, there is no time to finish reading a book. Your time is running out."
"Help me sit up, go get Hongfu, and let me take a good look at you. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to see each other again after I leave."
Hearing Li Jing's affectionate words, Zhang Chuchen's body suddenly froze, his eyes instantly turned red, and tears kept rolling in his eyes.
After a moment's silence, she choked up and whispered, "Husband, I'm old and not as pretty as before."
Li Jing smiled, his eyes full of tenderness. He gently shook his head, reached out, and held Zhang Chuchen's slightly trembling hands. He said, "Madam, in my heart, you will always be my favorite. No matter how time changes, you will always be the most beautiful."
When Zhang Chuchen heard Li Jing's words, tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.
She nodded vigorously, then turned and slowly walked to the corner and opened the box that had not been opened for a long time.
Her hands trembled slightly as she carefully took out the red whisk from the bottom of the box.
This whisk carries the memories of her and Li Jing's life, witnesses their acquaintance, understanding and love, and accompanies them through countless ups and downs.
She gently stroked every silk thread on the whisk, and those beautiful times emerged before her eyes like a scroll of paintings.
She held the red whisk in both hands and walked in front of Li Jing, with a hint of shyness in her red eyes as if they had just met.
She raised her head slightly, looked into Li Jing's eyes, and asked softly, "General, do you think I'm pretty?"