This world
Spring came a little late in the eighth year of the Yonghui era.
When Wu Zetian was reviewing memorials in the Zichen Palace, she always felt that her fingertips were icy cold.
No matter how brightly the earthen stove burns, it cannot dispel the chill that seeps from the very marrow of one's bones.
She instinctively reached for the teacup and found that the Jianxi tea inside had already gone cold.
(Inner monologue: If only I had a thermos... or at least I could microwave it for thirty seconds!)
Once this thought arose, it grew wildly like weeds.
As she dressed in the morning, she looked at her blurry reflection in the bronze mirror held up by the palace maid and longed for the high-definition and beauty features of her phone's front-facing camera.
While having breakfast, faced with dozens of exquisite but bland dishes, she missed frozen dumplings and five-minute self-heating hot pot.
What devastated her most was when her period came, and she could only use a strip of cloth filled with wood ash. The roughness and discomfort made her almost want to scream.
(Inner monologue: After so many years of time travel, I still can't get used to this primitive life! What sins did I commit to be transported from the 21st century to this era where there's nothing at all!)
This restlessness reached its peak one afternoon.
She wanted to check a canal transport file from three years ago. The eunuchs brought over a dozen heavy wooden boxes. She spent two whole hours rummaging through the mountains of bamboo slips and silk scrolls, but even after searching until she was dizzy, she still couldn't find the scroll she wanted.
When her fingertips were scratched and bled from the rough edges of the bamboo slips, she finally lost her temper and pushed the entire box of bamboo slips to the ground.
"Useless! All of you are useless!" Her chest heaved violently as she looked at the palace servants kneeling all over the ground, and suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
(Inner monologue: I've had enough! No search engine, no digital archives, not even a flush toilet! This is just unbearable...)
"Meiniang?"
Li Zhi's voice came from outside the palace.
He had clearly just finished court and hadn't even changed out of his court robes when he heard the commotion, so he rushed over.
He waved for the trembling palace servants to leave, then bent down and personally picked up the scattered bamboo slips one by one.
He didn't ask what had happened, he just quietly tidied up.
The afternoon sun shone through the window lattice, casting gentle shadows on his focused profile.
When he picked up the bamboo scroll that had cut her finger, he carefully smoothed out the rough edges little by little.
As Wu Meiniang watched his clumsy yet earnest movements, she suddenly remembered many things.
He remembered how, when she suffered from morning sickness and couldn't eat, he personally went to the Imperial Kitchen to supervise the chefs in developing new dishes; he remembered how, when her hands were cold from reviewing memorials at night, he ordered that underground heating be installed in every corner of the Zichen Palace; he remembered how, when she casually mentioned that loquats from Jiangnan were delicious, fresh loquats were delivered by express horse and placed on her desk three days later...
(Inner monologue: Yes, there's no microwave here, but someone will warm up every hot water bottle for me; there's no search engine, but someone is willing to search through the entire archive for me...)
Li Zhi gently placed the neatly arranged bamboo slips back into the box, walked up to her, took her injured finger, and carefully blew on it: "Does it hurt?"
These two words alone caused Wu Zetian's pent-up resentment to vanish in an instant.
She looked at the man in front of her.
He was the emperor, possessing the entire world, yet he would frown over a trivial little cut on her finger.
He may never understand what she meant by "microwave oven" or "search engine," but in the most clumsy way, he gave her all the sincerity that an emperor could offer.
(Inner monologue: Li Wei, what are you still complaining about? This era certainly has a million inconveniences, but there's one thing the 21st century can't give you—a person who truly loves you.)
She took his hand in hers, pressed it against her slightly cool cheek, and suddenly smiled: "It doesn't hurt anymore."
The peach blossoms outside the window had already bloomed in full glory, and the warm spring breeze blew into the hall.
Looking at the pile of memorials on her desk and her husband who was watching her with concern, Wu Meiniang felt a sudden sense of relief.
(Inner monologue: Since we can't go back, why dwell on the conveniences of the past? This era has its rules, so I'll make it a better one in my own way. If there's no microwave, I can improve cooking utensils; if there's no search engine, I'll establish a more comprehensive record system...)
Isn't the point of life to live happily, no matter what situation we're in?
“Your Majesty,” she said, taking Li Zhi’s hand and leading him to the map, her gaze intense, “I have a new idea. We can establish specialized archives in each prefecture and county to organize documents by year and category…”
Li Zhi looked at her profile, now radiant again, and smiled gently: "Alright, whatever you say."
At this moment, Wu Zetian truly reconciled with this era.
The inconveniences remain, but she has found something more precious than modern conveniences—the power and determination to change this era.
——
[Mini-drama: My Empress is a Little Strange]
(Li Zhi's perspective)
My Empress is spouting strange things again today.
During the morning court session, while listening to the Ministry of Revenue's report, she suddenly muttered, "If only we could have video conferencing."
I quietly asked Wang Dequan what "video" meant, and the old servant shook his head, his face turning pale.
(My beloved concubine always has some ingenious ideas, like the "performance appraisal" she mentioned last time, which is indeed more effective than the previous assessment methods.)
While eating, she sighed at the apricot cheese, "It's not even as good as instant noodles."
I immediately ordered the Imperial Kitchen to investigate what "instant noodles" were, and as a result, the chefs worked through the night to fry countless thin strands of flour.
What worries me most is that last night, she choked up in her dream and cried out, "My perfect attendance bonus is gone."
I summoned the imperial physician overnight, and the old physician, trembling, said that Her Majesty was in good health.
(Perhaps it's because I'm not considerate enough that Meiniang is always preoccupied with things that don't exist.)
This morning, while changing clothes in front of a bronze mirror, she suddenly burst out laughing: "Isn't this just like a Hanfu Lolita girl!"
Although I did not understand her meaning, seeing her radiant smile made it all worthwhile.
Fine, since she likes to say "OK", I will have the Court of State Ceremonial use this phrase more often when receiving foreign dignitaries.
Since she keeps mentioning "express delivery," I will establish an additional 800-li express post road.
(Meiniang, you said you wanted to "be yourself," so I will make the whole world get used to your "self.")
——————
【postscript】
When Wu Zetian noticed that the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were giving "OK" gestures to foreign envoys, she silently rubbed her forehead.
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