webnovelfull Chapter 427 May the Emperor be in good health and live a long life!
Chapter 427 May the Emperor be in good health and live a long life!
The steaming water vapor filled every corner of the bathhouse, blurring the vision but also creating a different kind of comfort.
Li Shimin leaned lazily on the wooden bench, his eyes slightly closed, enjoying this rare leisure time.
Just after hearing the old man next to him praising his past governance measures, he couldn't help but smile complacently. In that smile, there was both the joy of being recognized and the pride of being an emperor.
But in a flash, the smile froze on his face.
The old man raised his head slightly, and his tone became deeper: "What a pity, even the emperor emeritus is not as good as His Majesty!"
This evaluation made Li Shimin listen attentively.
The old man paused, his eyes revealing the emotion of having experienced many vicissitudes of life, and continued: "Look, my brother, among all the emperors in the past dynasties, which one has ever truly cared for us, the peasants at the bottom of society?"
"In their eyes, we are nothing more than insignificant ants, as worthless as the grass on the roadside. Our lives and deaths are like dust, and no one cares."
At this point, a hint of grief and anger flashed across his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by gentleness. "Only His Majesty truly places us peasants at the top of his heart, caring about our well-being and worrying about our safety."
He slowly scanned the people around him, as if seeking some kind of resonance, and continued, "Think about the past, when those officials walked the streets and treated us ordinary people with such arrogance and contempt. We were inherently inferior to them, and their eyes were filled with disdain and disgust."
"But look at you now. When His Majesty returned to Xianyang City, he was approachable and kind, without any airs. He even smiled amiably at us peasants in coarse linen clothes, and happily chatted with us."
"Your Majesty, if you do this, the officials below will naturally not dare to act rashly again. Who would dare to act violently against us now?"
Li Shimin listened to these words quietly. The pride on his face had long disappeared, replaced by a complicated expression, which included both reflection on the living conditions of the people and scrutiny of his past behavior. His face suddenly wilted.
At this moment, the old man who was rubbing Cheng Yaojin's back stopped what he was doing, cleared his throat, and broke the brief silence: "Brother Zhu, this is wrong."
He frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a unique determination. "In my opinion, Your Majesty has made extraordinary achievements in both civil and military affairs. There is no doubt that his contributions will last for generations."
"But when it comes to the martial virtues of charging into battle and expanding territory, he's still a bit inferior to the retired emperor!"
When Li Shimin heard this, his heart suddenly moved. His eyes, which had been somewhat dim, suddenly brightened up again and became sharp again. He couldn't help but prick up his ears and listened attentively.
These most authentic voices from the people are like precious advice to him, and their importance is self-evident.
This would make him feel that Wei Zheng was back.
The old man continued to talk while continuing his hand movements.
"Although the vast lands of the Tang Dynasty were indeed founded by Emperor Gaozu, who in the world doesn't know that every inch of this territory was conquered bit by bit, piece by piece, by the retired emperor, through bloody battles?"
"Everything is difficult at the beginning. If it weren't for the bloody battles fought by the retired emperor to establish the Tang Dynasty, how could Your Majesty have such a solid foundation today and allow us to live a peaceful and prosperous life?"
"So, in my opinion, the Emperor's contribution is greater and more powerful."
"I have to say, back then, the devil Cheng Yaojin and the black Yuchi Jingde were trapped in a desperate situation by Dou Jiande's army, hanging on the line between life and death."
"It was the Emperor who, regardless of his own safety, personally led the army to rescue them."
"That scene was truly filled with heroic spirit soaring to the sky!"
"Since ancient times, most ministers have risked their lives to save their kings. Have you ever seen a king disregard his own safety to save his ministers?"
"Just based on this point, the emperor is just like this in my heart!"
As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up with admiration on his face.
"No matter what emperor you are, he is no match for our Tang Zong!"
The old man spoke loudly, his words full of admiration for Li Shimin.
Hearing the heated argument between the two, the old man who was scrubbing Yuchi Jingde's back frowned and said, "Okay, Lao Zhu, Lao Zhao, stop arguing so fiercely."
"How can we, short-sighted peasants, arbitrarily make up stories about someone who can conquer the world?"
"Let's quickly rub these guests' backs and make them feel comfortable. This is our most important task right now!"
When everyone heard the old man's words, they were stunned at first, and then burst into laughter.
After rubbing their backs, Li Shimin, Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin stood up and felt as if all the fatigue in their bodies had been washed away by the hot water. They felt comfortable and refreshed all over.
Li Shimin casually picked up a soft white robe used for rubbing the body after bathing, gently draped it over himself, and then walked over to Uncle Zhu. With a gentle smile on his face, he reached out and patted Uncle Zhu on the shoulder, saying, "Not bad, you rubbed very well, with skillful techniques and just the right amount of force. I'll come again next time when I'm free."
Uncle Zhu raised his head, his eyes full of excitement, and said quickly: "As long as you are satisfied, brother, as long as you are satisfied! I will definitely wait for you to come again."
After saying that, Li Shimin took Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin, smiling and talking as they walked towards the massage place.
Only three old men were left standing there, looking at each other in confusion.
After a while, Master Zhu sighed slightly and said softly, "Your Majesty, you are not feeling well anymore."
In fact, they recognized it from the moment Li Shimin and the other two stepped into the bathhouse.
Especially Yuchi Jingde's dark skin, anyone who sees him can immediately associate him with his identity.
They also knew in their hearts that they all lived through the same period as the retired emperor. Time was unforgiving, and now, as time slowly passed, their group of people had become fewer and fewer, just like the fallen leaves in autumn, withering away day by day.
Now they have such a rare opportunity to chat with Li Shimin calmly and reminisce about the past years, which is a great satisfaction for them.
Young people don't want to hear them talk about the past.
As soon as the words "The Emperor is not in good health" came out, the three of them fell silent.
The retired emperor had faked his death once, and although they had some feelings at that time, the feeling was not as profound as it is now.
Nowadays, the times are developing rapidly, changing with each passing day and year by year. They increasingly feel that they are somewhat out of tune with this new era, as if they are people from two different worlds, and gradually cannot integrate into this new world.
In their hearts, the new era belongs to those vigorous and energetic young people, and the reason why they, the old people, can find a long-lost sense of belonging here is simply because the emperor is still here.
In their eyes, the retired emperor is still the Khan they are familiar with and admire, and the symbol of the Tang Dynasty in their hearts.
They knew in their hearts that if the emperor really disappeared one day, the hearts of their generation would become empty and they would have no one to rely on.
Thinking of this, the three of them muttered to themselves.
"May the Emperor be in good health and live a long life!"