"Second brother, the children are still young, take it slow." The eldest grandson, who knew Li Shimin well, saw him frown and understood what he was thinking. He gently placed his hand on the back of Li Shimin's hand and said gently.
"Chengqian, what have you been studying lately?" Li Shimin asked, his brows slightly relaxed.
"Your Majesty, your son and the Left Vice Minister are studying at the Imperial Academy, practicing archery and horsemanship," Li Chengqian hurriedly and respectfully replied.
"Hmm! Very good. As the crown prince, you should be proficient in both literature and martial arts. From now on, on the first and fifteenth of each month, you will go and cultivate with Qin Huaidao and the others." Li Shimin said with a softened expression.
"Your subject obeys the decree!"
"Father! Your son also wants to learn from Qin Huaidao!" The chubby Li Tai stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.
"No!" Li Shimin knew that his son liked Confucianism, so he frowned slightly and gently shook his head in refusal.
"Why?" Li Tai was somewhat bewildered, not expecting Li Shimin to refuse so directly.
"If you wish to study Confucianism, Your Majesty has decreed that the great Confucian scholar Li Gang will teach you." Li Shimin did not explain, but simply said this.
"Can Li Gang make me a Confucian scholar quickly?" Li Tai asked.
"Whether one can enter the path of Confucian cultivation does not depend on the teacher, but on one's own dedication, effort, and talent! Tai'er, you have outstanding talent, but do you know why you cannot enter the path of Confucian cultivation?" Li Shimin pondered for a moment and said slowly.
"Your subject does not know," Li Tai said, shaking his head blankly.
"Because you are smart, but it is precisely because you are smart that your mind is too cluttered. This is your biggest obstacle. If you can overcome this obstacle, then you can embark on the path of Confucian cultivation at any time," Li Shimin reminded him. He also had some headaches about this son. He was very smart, but he was young and his mind was complicated. Recently, he had begun to learn how to win people's hearts.
He was actually in a dilemma. He wanted to entrust the task to Qin Mu and teach him like his two daughters, but he also wanted to retain his own smooth-talking mindset. After all, princes are different from princesses, and it would be better if they had more methods.
Qin Mu became a scholar in such a short time, which Li Tai found unacceptable, believing he could have done the same at his age. This competitive spirit is common among young people, but Qin Mu's ability to teach three Confucian scholars truly astonished him. His request to study under Qin Mu wasn't out of admiration, but rather because he too wanted to embark on a path of cultivation. Li Tai had no interest in martial arts or Taoism; his favorite path was Confucianism. He believed that poetry and prose could be used for combat, and this was the most suitable method of cultivation for him.
“Tai’er, the great Confucian scholar Li Gang was also Qin Huaidao’s teacher. You can learn from him and ask Qin Huaidao for advice, can’t you?” Changsun reminded him with a smile.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I understand." Li Tai's eyes lit up, and he bowed.
"As princes and princesses, you should be careful in your words and deeds, study diligently, and practice hard so that you can share the burdens of your father in the future," the eldest grandson said gently as he looked at the others.
"I will heed Your Majesty's teachings!"
"Your Majesty! They are still children. Being too strict will only backfire." Changsun pressed Li Shimin's hand, preventing him from continuing.
“Alright! This was originally your responsibility, Empress. I shouldn’t have interfered,” Li Shimin said, his brows easing.
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Shouldn't you teach these children?" Changsun feigned anger.
"Hehe, I misspoke!"
"Your Majesty, have you perhaps experienced some kind of shock today?" Changsun was not truly angry, of course. He withdrew the small hand from Li Shimin's hand and asked curiously.
"Sigh! That little fellow Qin Huaidao is really something, he doesn't seem like someone who grew up in a mountain village at all," Li Shimin sighed.
"Why does Your Majesty say such a thing?" Consort Yang asked curiously.
"A mere fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, standing before me without any nervousness, handling everything with ease—how many people in Chang'an can compare to him in this respect?" Li Shimin asked, reflecting on the situation.
"Perhaps it's precisely because he came from a mountain village that His Majesty doesn't have a strong affinity for officials?" Consort Yang said with a slight smile.
“My beloved concubine is right, that’s a possibility, but this little fellow has gathered so many people to open a restaurant, and within the Six Doors, his opinions are the main ones. He doesn’t seem like a child at all!” Li Shimin sighed.
“Your Majesty! Although this child brought people together to open a restaurant, he probably didn’t have any other intentions. In the beginning, it was just Yuchi Baolin, Cheng Huaimo, and a few other juniors who started it; others were envious and tried to join in. Qin Huaidao was just unable to refuse. You know how many people came to him, the pressure was still considerable.” Changsun’s expression changed slightly as he spoke.
"Of course I know all this. I was just marveling at what a fine son Shubao has. Guanyinbi, you don't need to worry. I wouldn't think so badly of a child who is only a teenager," Li Shimin said, waving his hand.
Li Shimin knew that this was because Changsun was worried that he would have reservations about Qin Mu, so he also offered an explanation.
"Hehe! Thanks to Qin Huaidao for this business deal, I'm afraid I'll make quite a bit of money," Changsun said with a smile.
"Oh! What good stuff did that kid bring out?" Li Shimin asked curiously. Changsun, traveling incognito, only reported that the people were settled properly and were very satisfied. He only had a clean and novel impression of the pedestrian street and shopping mall, since the goods had not yet been put on display, so there was not much to say.
But once Qin Mu produced the product, and Changsun arranged for people from the Imperial Household Department to make a large batch, the sensory experience was greatly enhanced.
At first, Changsun simply followed Qin Mu's ideas and made some exquisite clothing, intending to wear it—in other words, her everyday attire. With palace maids carrying bags and slings, she only found it slightly convenient. Therefore, she thought it was nothing special, just a good idea, and that she could sell quite a bit because of Changsun's influence. Her main interest, however, lay in the vegetables produced by the Imperial Household Department sold on the first floor, since those were sold in large quantities.
Upon hearing Princess Changning's message, Qin Mu knew that no one had grasped the essence of the technique, so he personally drew some blueprints.
The various exaggerated costumes, along with the fierce-looking blouse, high heels, and handbag that he had Princess Changning make for him, completely transformed his aura.
"Your Majesty will see when you see it!" Empress Zhangsun said with a smile. She then ordered people to make preparations and sent all the children out, leaving only herself, Consort Yang, and the other two to accompany Li Shimin.
There was no music, no catwalk, but groups of palace maids, dressed in various costumes, appeared in Lizheng Hall. Some were gorgeous, some were ethereal, and some accentuated their curves, making Li Shimin's eyes almost pop out.
Li Shimin swallowed hard, then guiltily looked away and asked, "These are all palace maids from Lizheng Palace, right? How come they've changed so much?"
70
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com