Chapter 102: An Uncontrollable Smile

Li Yuechen entered the Music Conservatory full of excitement, only to emerge an hour later feeling deeply disappointed.

While the musicians were certainly capable of playing the rhythmic patterns she wanted, the timbre was simply wrong. No matter how she listened to it, it felt off, and frankly, it was rather grating on the ears. Furthermore, since she lacked the ability to compose, she had to rely on humming melodies for the musicians to attempt to replicate, and the results were predictably poor.

Feeling somewhat dejected, Li Yuechen eventually shook her head and abandoned the plan, deciding it was best to stick to the musicians' original rhythms. To her, the background music was not the most important element; her own technical performance was. Besides, whether the roller skates could even be built, and whether they would achieve the desired effect once completed, remained entirely separate issues.

...

Time flew by, and it was the fifth day of the eighth lunar month. After breakfast, Li Yuechen left the palace and headed to a pavilion within the Imperial City that served as a resting place.

About twenty craftsmen were already waiting there, all top-tier blacksmiths and masons meticulously selected by Fu Lai.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" they all rose and bowed in unison as they saw Li Yuechen approach.

Li Yuechen entered the pavilion and sat directly on the railing. "No need for formalities. Please, sit."

Hearing the princess speak so casually, the craftsmen exchanged confused glances before sitting on the ground.

"There is no need for formal seating. I have summoned you today simply to discuss whether an idea of mine is feasible." She waved a hand and added, "Go bring some yogurt."

"Yes!" Fu Lai replied and immediately dispatched a young eunuch to fetch it.

Li Yuechen wasted no time and got straight to the point. "I want to know, if we were to build a sufficiently tall furnace, would it be possible to mass-produce high-quality steel?"

Upon hearing her question, the craftsmen present realized what the princess intended to do, and their initially stiff expressions began to relax.

One of the blacksmiths stepped forward. "In response to Your Highness, furnace temperature is crucial for refining high-quality steel. If the furnace is tall enough, it should be feasible."

Li Yuechen turned her head. "How high can we build a furnace currently?"

A mason pondered for a moment. "Your Highness may not be aware, but building a tall furnace is not difficult. However, the blue bricks currently in use are not heat-resistant. If used to construct such a furnace, there is a risk of collapse."

"Is there any suitable material, then?" Li Yuechen asked.

The mason thought for a while. "I cannot guarantee anything, Your Highness, but if you are not in a hurry, we can go back and experiment."

Li Yuechen nodded. "Very well. Discuss it amongst yourselves, then go back and try. While this is not an urgent matter, you must not be lax."

After the craftsmen agreed, Li Yuechen produced a simple design sketch of a blast furnace she had drawn. "Take a look. Is it feasible to build something like this?"

The moment they saw the drawing, the craftsmen were struck with astonishment. The shape of the blast furnace was not the issue—they were somewhat familiar with the concept—but the dimensions noted on the side were staggering: it was five *zhang* (about 16.5 meters) high!

Li Yuechen had seen the steel-clad blast furnaces of the industrial age, which were around that height, if not taller. Since they were built to that scale in the industrial age, she assumed the same logic would apply in this era.

The masons looked troubled. "Your Highness, we could build it, but... we have no idea what the internal conditions would be like!"

Li Yuechen shrugged. "To be honest, neither do I."

"..."

The masons felt awkward and glanced toward the blacksmiths.

"This... Your Highness, we will need to go back and deliberate on this."

"Very well. Go and think it over. If you're unsure, just build an experimental prototype first."

Li Yuechen understood their concerns. Suggesting such a massive furnace out of the blue was bound to cause uncertainty. After chatting a while longer to establish the direction for their experiments, she had them estimate the costs based on the prices of various materials.

It was no wonder people said that engaging in technology was a money pit. Li Yuechen finally understood the true meaning of that sentiment. She was about to pour money into building a blast furnace that might not even work, and it was certainly not going to be cheap.

After speaking with the craftsmen for nearly an hour, Li Yuechen gave the estimated costs to Fu Lai and instructed him to find a spot on Mang Mountain, outside the city, to oversee the construction of a test model. He was simply to follow the instructions of the craftsmen.

Li Yuechen felt that if they could succeed on the first try, that would be ideal; if not, she would simply have to do her best to build it without going bankrupt.

...

In the eighth month, two significant events occurred. The first was the birth of the second son of her second brother, Li Xian. Although he was still an illegitimate son, the news kept Li Xian in high spirits for days. Not only was he happy, but he also invited his siblings to his estate to dine and see the newborn.

Truth be told, in Li Yuechen's eyes, newborn babies were not particularly cute, but she still offered a few words of blessing to her second brother. When she thought about it, it was quite interesting for this era—he didn't even have a primary wife yet, and he already had two sons.

However, to the people of this time, the expansion of the family line was always a good thing, and Li Zhi bestowed many gifts upon him. Perhaps because the siblings had maintained a good relationship in recent years, Li Xian treated both sons quite well, at least not with the cold indifference typically shown to illegitimate children in other families.

The second event was the passing of Xu Jingzong. He had once supported her father in making her mother, Wu Zetian, the Empress. Upon hearing the news, her father, Li Zhi, held a period of mourning, ordered the suspension of court sessions for three days, and commanded all officials to attend the funeral rites at his residence. He was posthumously granted the titles of *Kaifu Yitong Sansi* and Governor-General of Yangzhou, and was permitted to be buried in the Zhaoling Mausoleum.

Li Yuechen had a deep impression of Xu Jingzong. Strictly speaking, he belonged to her mother's faction. Honestly, he was a man of talent, and since he was also very smooth-tongued, it was no wonder her mother favored him. However, many in the court were dissatisfied with him, and he likely would not leave behind a good reputation in history.

Regardless, Li Yuechen personally held a decent impression of him, so she waved to Fu Lai. "Go and make an appearance at Lord Xu's residence. Pay my respects on my behalf."

"Yes!" Fu Lai replied.

...

Three days passed in a flash, and it was time for court again. Li Yuechen leaned against the wall of the corridor as usual, listening to the latest news.

As the court session was about to conclude, Li Zhi, sitting on the dragon throne, fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Regarding the posthumous title for Lord Xu, what are your thoughts, my ministers?"

The ministers turned their heads to look at the Doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Yuan Sigu, and his colleagues. Determining posthumous titles was the responsibility of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; typically, they would draft a proposal, which would then be debated by the officials. If a consensus was reached, it would be finalized.

Wang Fuzhou, a doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, stood up and stepped forward. "Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, we believe that 'Miao' (meaning 'perverse' or 'erroneous') would be an appropriate title."

"That is pure nonsense!"

Hearing this derogatory title, Yuan Gongyu roared in anger and stepped forward. "Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor and the Empress, Lord Xu was a man of absolute loyalty. How can you propose such a malicious title? This is clearly a personal vendetta! I implore Your Majesties to investigate this thoroughly!"

Li Yuechen, hidden in the corridor, couldn't help but smile. Indeed, those who managed to reach such positions were all masters of rhetoric. Yuan Gongyu was a staunch supporter of her mother; it seemed that the reason Pei Xingjian had been sent off to Turpan to "eat raisins" was likely his doing.

"Do not make false accusations!" Wang Fuzhou, undeterred, turned to argue. "What grudge could we possibly have against Lord Xu? We merely referenced his life's work. This title was decided after our most careful consideration!"

Li Yuechen, watching from the corridor, felt her curiosity piqued as the bickering began; she wanted to see how these intellectuals insulted one another. Wang Fuzhou was the father of the exiled Wang Bo; he came from a scholarly family and was a true man of letters.

"Hmph!" Yuan Gongyu sneered. "When Lord Xu was in court, he was utterly loyal, yet you blocked his many memorials... and now you propose such a malicious title. Your intentions are truly reprehensible!"

Hearing this, Wang Fuzhou opened his mouth, ready to retort.

However, another doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Yuan Sigu, stepped forward, his expression calm. "Reporting to the Heavenly Emperor, we bear no grudge against Lord Xu. Lord Xu rose through talent and held high offices. Yet, he abandoned his eldest son in the wilderness and married his young daughter to a barbarian chieftain. He claimed to study poetry and ritual, yet failed to practice filial piety. He accepted bribes for marriage arrangements... and openly engaged in lewd conduct with prostitutes... It is for these reasons that we propose the title 'Miao.' I ask the Heavenly Emperor to exercise your wise judgment!"

Li Yuechen, behind the screen, curled her lip. She knew about these matters; they were common gossip in the court. Xu Jingzong was a lecher. His wife, Lady Pei, had died early, but because her maid was quite beautiful, Xu Jingzong favored her and made her his secondary wife, referring to her as Lady Yu. For some reason, Lady Yu had an affair with his eldest son, Xu Ang. When Xu Jingzong discovered this, he deposed Lady Yu and memorialized the throne to exile his son to Lingnan on charges of unfilial behavior. Xu Ang was actually quite talented and had served as a Crown Prince's attendant. But in this era, being unfilial was a serious crime, so his son was exiled. During the Xianqing era, likely having cooled off, he petitioned for his son to return and serve as a county magistrate, but his son died of illness shortly after taking office.

Whether there was more to the story, Li Yuechen didn't know, but she preferred to believe there was. After all, this was the Tang Dynasty, where fatherly kindness and filial piety were legendary.

Furthermore, there were rumors in the court that he had married his daughter off to a foreigner because of a large dowry. As for his lewd behavior with prostitutes—that was more than just court gossip; everyone in Chang'an likely knew. He had built several "flying towers" at his home—siege towers used in warfare to observe or attack city walls, roughly three stories high with drawbridges. When he had nothing to do, he would connect these drawbridges and have prostitutes ride horses across them while he watched from below. Since these towers were taller than his courtyard walls, many outsiders could see the spectacle.

Honestly, in this era, such affairs were usually dismissed as mere romantic scandals, not grounds for political attack. But in this context, and given that he had offended many people while alive, it became a different matter entirely.

The court erupted into a heated debate, with many ministers nodding in agreement. However, those led by Yuan Gongyu—the faction of Xu Jingzong, or rather, the faction of her mother, Wu Zetian—expressed their fierce opposition. The court turned into a marketplace, chaotic and noisy, with faces turning red and eyes widening as if they were about to come to blows.

Her mentor, Liu Ren-gui, as well as Pei Xingjian and Qibi Heli—all seasoned veterans with high martial prowess—did not participate in the shouting match. Li Yuechen felt they were right to refrain. While their factions differed, they were all battle-hardened generals; if they couldn't win the argument, they might very well resort to their fists.

The argument grew more intense, and even Dai Zhide, a Vice Minister of the Secretariat and a supporter of her eldest brother, Li Hong, stood up to express his support for the derogatory title. The eldest brother, Li Hong, standing in front, turned his head and frantically signaled for him to stop, but Dai Zhide seemed not to notice and firmly maintained his position.

From the side corridor, Li Yuechen could see her eldest brother, Li Hong, frantically pulling faces at Dai Zhide. Her brother was usually very serious; this was the first time she had seen him lose his composure. The stark contrast made Li Yuechen cover her mouth, laughing silently.

Li Hong was anxious. He knew that Xu Jingzong’s faction belonged to their mother, and since Dai Zhide was his own man, taking such a stand would surely displease her. If their mother was unhappy, he would certainly not be happy either.

But Dai Zhide didn't see him; his attention was entirely focused on the minister arguing with him.

Li Zhi, on the dragon throne, sighed as he watched the scene, feeling a headache coming on. Though it wasn't the first time, the chaotic noise still irritated him. Just then, he happened to see his daughter in the corridor, her mouth covered as she laughed silently, her bright eyes crinkled into crescents. Curious, Li Zhi turned to look at Li Hong, only to see him turning his head, doing goodness knows what. However, seeing Dai Zhide in his line of sight, he could guess his expression.

Watching this, for some reason, Li Zhi suddenly raised a hand to cover his head and bowed. It looked as if he were suffering from an illness, but his shoulders began to tremble.

Laughter is contagious, especially in situations where one knows they shouldn't laugh; the contagion becomes even more pronounced.

Seeing her husband bow his head in silent laughter, Wu Zetian was curious, wondering what had happened. She turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of her daughter in the corridor, laughing silently with her hand over her mouth, while her other hand pounded her thigh.

Wu Zetian, who had originally intended to glare at her and teach her a lesson, suddenly found herself unable to resist and laughed as well. Fortunately, she was behind the beaded curtain and remained unseen. She tried to hold it in, but the more she tried, the harder it became, and she had to bow her head to laugh silently to herself.

The three of them were laughing in silence, which was a trial for Zhang Chengxin, who stood by their side. He wanted to laugh too, but he dared not. He had to clench his teeth tightly, trying to control his expression. Because he was biting down so hard, the veins in his neck bulged, and his face turned bright red.