Chapter 89

After playing to his heart's content all day, Xia Hongsheng felt very happy. This was probably the most enjoyable day he had since coming to the Tang Dynasty. The next morning, Xia Hongsheng slept in, and when he got up, Qi Yong and the twenty-odd personal guards of Qu Tongs were gathered around someone, talking. Seeing Xia Hongsheng get up, Qi Yong led that person over: "Reporting to Young Master, the Old Lady has arrived in Luoyang City. This is the messenger sent by the General from Luoyang City, who has come to inform you that the Old Lady will arrive in Chang'an in no more than four days."

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback, Old Lady?! He then understood that Qi Yong was referring to his sister-in-law. Since Qi Yong had never met his sister-in-law, he called her the Old Lady. Thinking about it, his sister-in-law was only in her twenties, and if she heard someone call her the Old Lady, she would probably have a very strange expression. Thinking of this, Xia Hongsheng laughed, thanked the messenger, and gave him some copper coins as a reward, which greatly excited the messenger.

The cook had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for Xia Hongsheng, but before he could eat, someone came to report that the palace guards had arrived and were waiting outside. Xia Hongsheng was taken aback and quickly invited them in, going forward to greet them. When he saw the guard, the guard first bowed to Xia Hongsheng and then said, "The Emperor's command, summoning the Lord of Jingyang County to the palace's imperial garden for a chat."

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback again. Li Laoer wants to see me? Xia Hongsheng didn't know what Li Laoer wanted, so he said to the guard, "Brother Guard, I wonder why the Emperor has summoned me? Please allow me to change into formal attire, and then I will go with you."

"The Emperor said that today is not a court session, but a casual chat. You don't need to be formal, just casual attire is fine," the guard bowed to Xia Hongsheng again and said.

"Since that's the case, let's go," Xia Hongsheng nodded. Qi Yong also followed along, and they went to the palace gate together. Qi Yong was not allowed to enter, so he waited outside. Xia Hongsheng followed the guard into the palace, turning left and right, until they finally reached the entrance of the imperial garden. On the way, Xia Hongsheng maliciously speculated that these twists and turns might be to confuse assassins in the palace!

It was the same imperial garden and the same pavilion as before. This time, in addition to Li Laoer and Wang De, there were two palace maids, each holding a fan and kneeling on either side of a block of ice, fanning the cool air from the ice towards Li Laoer. While internally criticizing Li Laoer for his luxurious lifestyle, Xia Hongsheng quickly walked up and bowed.

"Exempted, today is not a court session, no need to be formal," Li Laoer interrupted him before he could bow, and had Wang De bring a stool for him, which made Xia Hongsheng feel relieved. He didn't have to kneel, which was much more comfortable. Xia Hongsheng was thinking about his new residence and wanted to hire a carpenter to make a set of tables and chairs!

Sitting opposite Li Laoer, he immediately felt a cool breeze, which was very refreshing. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he suddenly remembered something and said, "Your Majesty, although the cool breeze from the ice is comfortable, it's not good to fan it directly at a person, especially when it's hot and the sweat hasn't dried. It's very bad for the body. Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, should be more careful. If you feel hot, you can place the ice closer and use more blocks, so you won't feel the heat, otherwise, you might catch a cold."

"Oh? You know medicine?" Li Shimin smiled at Xia Hongsheng.

"Uh, I know a little, but I'm not an expert," Xia Hongsheng shook his head.

"More blocks? Do you know that even in the palace ice cellar, the remaining ice from winter to summer is not much? I had to use this block of ice today just to chat with you. My ice can only be harvested in winter and stored in the ice cellar until summer. I don't have the skill to make ice from the ground like others," Li Shimin leaned back, raised his eyebrows, and smiled at Xia Hongsheng. Although he was smiling, Xia Hongsheng felt a sense of threat.

Look at how well the Emperor speaks. For a mere fifth-rank official without a real position, he used the word "please" to invite him for a chat. This word "please" is used so well, showing great respect. He also said that he used the ice for him, which is a great honor! If it were another minister, they would probably be grateful and flatter him with loyalty! Xia Hongsheng instantly decided to do the same!

But just as he was about to bow and speak, Li Laoer grunted, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Don't learn those useless things from those people!"

Oh? This is not right! Xia Hongsheng quickly changed his tone, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the method of making ice from the ground is just a trick, not real! Don't be fooled by the rumors. It's just putting nitre in water. This... I have sinned, I taught this method to the owner of Mingxiangju, and now they are selling ice. I will write down this method and submit it to Your Majesty! Please forgive me, Your Majesty. You know, my family was poor at that time, and we couldn't even afford food, so I had to use this method to get some money from Mingxiangju..."

"Enough, enough, stop crying poor to Me. I don't intend to blame you," Li Shimin waved his hand impatiently. "So, this method..."

"Will be submitted immediately! Right away!" Xia Hongsheng quickly promised, "I will submit any good methods I have in the future to the state!"

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction and then suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard you have some ideas about the northern threat?"

Xia Hongsheng's heart sank. This must be the real reason for today's summons! It must be Li Ke, the big mouth!

Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from outside, "Father, I, Chenggan, request an audience."

At this time, it was early Tang, and the terms "father" and "son" were not yet used. However, Xia Hongsheng knew that the person about to enter was Li Chenggan.

This piqued Xia Hongsheng's curiosity. He turned back and saw a very handsome and impressive young man standing there. Although he still looked somewhat young, there was a maturity in his eyes, and he bore a resemblance to Li Shimin. He approached and bowed to Li Shimin, apologizing for being late because his studies had not yet ended.

"I, Xia Hongsheng, Lord of Jingyang County, pay my respects to the Crown Prince," after he bowed to Li Laoer, Xia Hongsheng stood up and bowed to him.

Li Chenggan politely returned the bow, "I often hear my third brother speak of you. Today, I finally meet you, and you are indeed as famous as your reputation. Whether it's the poem 'Manjianghong' or 'Jingzhongbaoguo,' they have already spread throughout the palace. Every time I hear them, I feel a surge of emotion, wishing I could immediately ride out and wield my sword on the vast steppes to wash away the shame of the Wei Alliance. I have heard that my third brother and you are friends. Perhaps I can also call you Brother Xia, what do you think?"

Xia Hongsheng bowed forward, "It is a great honor!"

Li Chenggan made a good first impression on Xia Hongsheng. He was polite, approachable, and didn't put on airs, which made Xia Hongsheng wonder why he later became so different. It must have been due to his physical disability leading to psychological issues.

Li Laoer just smiled and watched, not saying a word, seemingly satisfied with Li Chenggan's actions. He nodded at him and had Wang De bring another stool.

"Alright, now that you two have met, you haven't answered My question yet," Li Laoer said, looking at Xia Hongsheng. "Yesterday, you and Ke were chatting, and you said, 'We only fight but do not occupy. No matter how many times or how many years we fight, the Central Plains will still be the Central Plains, the steppes will still be the steppes, the Han people will still be the Han people, and the Turks will still be the Turks. Even if we defeat them now, in a hundred or two hundred years, they will rise again, and they will still be a threat. This is not a solution.' What do you mean by this?"

Sure enough, it was Li Ke, the big mouth! Xia Hongsheng hesitated, "This..."

"Brother Xia, there's no need to be formal. Just speak your mind. When has our Tang Dynasty ever punished people for their words? If we did, how could the censors survive?" Li Chenggan spoke first.

Li Laoer nodded, "That's right. Speak freely. No matter what you say, I will not blame you today."

"Then I will speak boldly," Xia Hongsheng took a deep breath and said, "The northern threat has a long history. In the Han Dynasty, there were the Xiongnu, and now there are the Turks. Whether it's the Xiongnu or the Turks, they have always been the ones to invade, and we have always fought them back. The Xiongnu were once defeated, but later, they rose again during the chaos in the Central Plains. Why is there no method to permanently resolve this conflict? It's because we adhere to the teachings of the sages and are full of righteousness. We repeatedly defeat the barbarians, but to show the magnanimity of the Central Kingdom, we not only release the prisoners but also reward them if they submit and pay tribute. These rewards are not small. They are enough to compensate for their war losses, allowing them to return and continue to develop and grow. When they become strong again, they find an opportunity to invade us again. We have to fight them again, and the cycle repeats. Thus, the Xiongnu remain the Xiongnu, and the Han remain the Han. Even if the Xiongnu are defeated and scattered, their descendants can still rise again on the steppes under a different name and repeat the process. If we treat the Turks the same way, the result will be the same. Therefore, I say that the Central Plains will always be the Central Plains, the steppes will always be the steppes, the Han will always be the Han, and the Turks will always be the Turks. To thoroughly resolve the northern threat, we must make the Central Plains and the steppes part of the Tang, and the Han and the Turks part of the Tang. Only then can we root out the problem."

After saying this, Xia Hongsheng saw Li Shimin frown and seemed to be deep in thought. Turning his head, he saw Li Chenggan writing furiously, apparently recording his words.

After a long while, Li Shimin spoke in a deep voice, "Your words are not without reason. If what Xia says is true, what plan do you propose?"

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