sovbooks Chapter 26 Li Shimin wanted to recruit him to the court.
Chapter 26 Li Shimin wanted to recruit him to the court.
Wang Zhi was still sitting under the jujube tree, enjoying the blissful moments he had longed for in his previous life. He picked up a mouthful of braised noodles and put it in his mouth, feeling content.
The savory aroma of cured pork, the crispness of wood ear mushrooms, and the tofu soaked in fresh juices melt on the tongue layer by layer. Take another bite of cured pork, and the fatty part is stir-fried until it is translucent and soft, without any greasiness, only the sweet aroma of smoke and the richness of oil.
He chewed slowly, and suddenly remembered his grandfather from his previous life.
Grandpa always said when he cooked, "The timing of cooking is something you wait for, not something you rush." Back then, he was young and only knew how to eat, not the underlying principle. Now, with his advanced culinary skills, his hands have mastered the true meaning of timing.
At his feet, four little creatures huddled together, tilting their little heads up and gazing at him expectantly, wagging their tails and rubbing against his trouser leg.
Wang Zhi smiled and picked out a few pieces of non-salty tofu, giving them to the little guys. They immediately huddled together and ate with great relish.
After finishing the last bite of noodles, he leaned back on the stone chair, let out a long sigh of relief, and felt completely satisfied.
Having hot meals, cats and dogs for company, and a peaceful life—this is true human life.
Meanwhile, inside the Rikjeong Hall of the Imperial Palace.
The candlelight illuminated the hall, making it warm and inviting. Empress Zhangsun leaned against a soft couch, covered with a thin blanket. After a period of recuperation, her complexion had lost its former paleness and was now flushed with a light blush. Her lips also had color in them, and she looked much better.
Li Shimin sat by the couch, holding a freshly brewed cup of hot tea, a faint smile always on his lips.
Today, the Imperial Medical Bureau reported that the Empress's pulse was much more stable than last month, and her blood and qi were becoming increasingly abundant. After hearing this, he reviewed the memorials half an hour faster than usual.
Suddenly, a series of hurried, light footsteps came from outside the hall, pattering on the bluestone slabs. Without a doubt, it was his youngest daughter, Sizi, who had returned.
"Father! Mother!"
The little girl clenched her fists and dashed in through the palace gate, her pale yellow dress fluttering as she ran, her two little buns bouncing on her head, full of childlike innocence.
Li Shimin quickly put down his teacup, opened his arms, and scooped her up onto his lap.
Sizi immediately knelt in his lap, her little hands resting on Li Shimin's chest, her head close, her warm breath brushing against his nose, chattering incessantly: "Father! Mother! Sizi went to Pretty Brother's house today and saw so many fluffy little animals!"
"My boyfriend has two kittens and two puppies, all just a month old, so tiny and adorable!"
Sizi stretched out her chubby little hand and gestured in the air, "The kittens have colorful patterns on their bodies, so Sizi named them Huahua and Huihui!"
The dogs are a yellow one, named Ah Huang, and a black one, named Xiao Hei! Guo Guo and Da Jie both praised Si Zi for choosing such lovely names!
She spoke very quickly, gesturing incessantly with her little hands. Li Shimin opened his mouth but couldn't get a word in edgewise, and could only look at his youngest daughter with doting eyes.
Empress Zhangsun leaned against the couch, watching Sizi speak and gesture, her little mouth gurgling out words like boiling porridge, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, and the corners of her mouth unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.
"Huahua is so well-behaved. When Sizi touches it, it makes a gurgling sound, like it has a little stove inside its belly!"
As Sizi spoke, she nuzzled against Li Shimin's chest, pouting her little mouth and imitating a cat's purring sound. "Ah Huang even bit Sizi's skirt, but Guoguo said it was because she was teething and itchy, not because she was being naughty!"
She was afraid that her father would be angry and punish the puppy, so she hurriedly explained, her little face full of protectiveness.
Li Shimin suppressed a laugh and nodded repeatedly: "Alright, we won't punish it. Our Sizi is right."
After a short while, Sizi got tired of playing around, slid off Li Shimin, and snuggled into Empress Zhangsun's arms. Her little head rested on her mother's chest, and she closed her eyes in a few seconds. Her breathing gradually became even, and she fell asleep. The corners of her little mouth were still slightly upturned, presumably because she was still playing with kittens and puppies in her dreams.
Empress Zhangsun smiled gently, picked up a silk handkerchief, and lightly wiped the dust off the tip of the prince's nose.
The hall gradually quieted down. The candlelight flickered twice, and the soft light shone on the mother and daughter, creating a warm atmosphere.
At that moment, light footsteps sounded at the palace entrance, and Chang Le slowly walked in.
She had changed out of her outdoor dress and into a plain, casual dress. Her black hair, now without the jade hairpin, hung loosely over her shoulders, making her appear less dignified and reserved, and more gentle and graceful.
She walked quietly to the bedside, first looking at the sleeping Sizi to make sure her younger sister was sleeping soundly, before lowering her voice and looking at Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun: "Father, Mother, tonight, I want to talk to you about Wang Langjun."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin sat up straight, his expression becoming more serious.
"Today, my daughter took Sizi to the farm and saw the cats and dogs that Wang Langjun had recently adopted. They were all just a month old puppies, gentle and adorable."
When Chang Le spoke of Wang Zhihuan, a soft light unconsciously appeared in her eyes, her ears turned a light pink, and her tone softened. "He said that living alone was lonely, so keeping some small animals would bring a sense of warmth and life to the yard."
Empress Zhangsun responded softly, a hint of understanding in her eyes: "He is a solitary man, living alone on a farm outside the city; he must be quite lonely."
Chang Le lowered her eyes, concealing the shyness in them, and then slowly recited, word by word, the words Wang Zhihai had spoken in the courtyard about the existence of spirits in all things and the pursuit of knowledge through investigation.
He spoke at length about the innate intelligence of cats and dogs, the natural instincts of earthworms to burrow into the soil and rice to curl its leaves when it is thirsty, the principle of "what Heaven ordains is called human nature, and following one's nature is called the Way," and his practice of moving the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge from the study to the fields, using small things to illustrate the principles of self-cultivation, family harmony, national order, and world peace.
In closing, she softly repeated Wang Zhihuan's words: "He said that you must first understand the smallest step in everything before slowly moving up. If you can't even do the basics of things, then talking about governing the country and bringing peace to the world is just like trying to ride a horse before you can walk. It's all in vain."
The hall fell silent for a few moments.
Li Shimin leaned back on the couch, slowly turning the teacup with his fingers, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight, lost in thought.
He had heard about the Confucian principles of investigating things to acquire knowledge, cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world since he was a child, but no one had ever been able to integrate such profound principles into the mundane things of farming, raising pets, and living life like Wang Zhihuan. He didn't engage in empty talk or pedantry; his words were all practical and authentic expressions of the unity of knowledge and action.
He stood up, paced slowly around the hall, and said in a more serious tone, full of admiration, "This man is a man of great talent, a man of great ability who can be put to great use!"
Last time, he only admired Wang Zhihuan's medical skills and agricultural abilities, but after hearing Chang Le's words today, he truly saw the man's vision and perspective.
He is not just a bookish scholar who only talks the talk, but a practical talent who can put the principles of sages into practice. It is such a waste for such a person to stay outside the city and farm.
"I want to summon him to court and entrust him with important responsibilities. We must not let such a talent go to waste." Li Shimin's tone was firm, and he had already decided to cherish talent.