Chapter 117: Directions for Institutional Reform

An hour later, under Li Yuechen’s careful guidance, Li Zhi was already able to hold his daughter’s hand and glide around the plaza. He beamed with the excitement of a young child, swiftly tracing circles across the ground in her wake.

"Ready, turn!"

As Li Yuechen’s command rang out, the two pivoted in unison, shifting from forward to backward skating, continuing their glide. Wu Zetian reclined in a rocking chair nearby, a cup of tea in her hand, watching the father and daughter with a warm smile. To be fair, Li Zhi possessed a natural talent for athletics; after just an hour, he was already skating quite steadily. While he couldn't yet perform any flashy maneuvers, Li Yuechen had no intention of teaching him those anyway. The consequences of the Emperor taking a tumble were simply too great to risk.

Palace maids and eunuchs passing by were uniformly astonished by the sight, though they quickly averted their eyes, remembering the proprieties of court, and hastened their pace. Wu Zetian, watching from the sidelines, was quite intrigued, though she didn't ask to try it herself. She knew her daughter wouldn't forget her; in time, she would surely be gifted a pair of roller skates as well.

After another hour of skating, Li Zhi finally stopped, feeling unsatisfied but breathless, and sat on the steps to rest. Zhang Chengxin hurried over with two cups of tea. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please have some tea and rest."

"Mm."

Li Zhi accepted the cup and took a sip, as did Li Yuechen. The only difference was that while he actually drank his, Li Yuechen held the tea in her mouth, swishing it around her cheeks before spitting it back out.

"Hmm?" Li Zhi turned to her, puzzled. "Chen'er, is there something wrong with the tea?"

Li Yuechen shook her head. "No, no, it’s just a habit of mine. It’s good to moisten the throat after exercise; I’ll drink it in a quarter of an hour."

Whether this habit was scientifically sound was debatable, but it was mostly a personal preference. Yet, hearing her, Li Zhi—perhaps caught up in the whim of the moment—took another sip, swished it around, and spat it out just like she did.

Behind them, Wu Zetian raised her eyebrows in resignation. It seemed that whenever Li Zhi was with their daughter, he reverted to a childlike state. His imperial aura seemed to vanish entirely in Li Yuechen’s presence. She couldn't blame her daughter for this, and truthfully, she envied it. But since Li Zhi had already claimed the role of the doting father, she felt compelled to be the strict one.

She stood up and walked behind the pair. "You’ve been playing like wild children for two hours; it’s time to head back."

Li Yuechen looked back. "Mother, why not sit here and enjoy the view? Looking into the distance clears the mind and improves one's mood!"

The scenery from this spot was indeed magnificent. Given the vastness of the palace, one could look past the walls and see the Mangshan mountain range in the distance. Hearing her daughter's suggestion, Wu Zetian’s instinct was to offer a sharp rebuke, but after a moment’s thought, she sat down beside her.

With the parents on either side and Li Yuechen in the middle, she looked left and right, flashing a cute smile. "Sitting beside Mother and Father feels so warm!"

"Does it?" Li Zhi reached out to stroke her head. "Then, Chen'er, are you willing to help me share the burden of state?"

Li Yuechen suddenly looked wary. "This... Father, are you asking me to take on another official post?"

Seeing the caution in her eyes, Li Zhi laughed. "Why? Unwilling?"

"I don't have the energy for such trivial matters..." Li Yuechen said with a sigh, though she immediately brightened. "But I am willing to spend time playing with you both."

"Chen'er, you know I am the Emperor; how could I have so much time?" Li Zhi gave a bitter smile. "If I could, I would spend every day just playing with you."

Li Yuechen nodded. "I understand that, Father. So, just talking with you both every day is enough."

Seeing his daughter’s understanding smile, Li Zhi felt heartened; she had been remarkably empathetic since she was small. After chatting for a while longer, as dusk approached and it was time for dinner, Li Zhi finally stood up, escorting his wife and daughter back to the Renshou Palace for their evening meal.

***

After dinner, the sun had fully set, and the Milky Way draped across the sky. Li Yuechen bid her parents farewell and walked slowly back toward her own Anfu Palace. As she walked, she considered that Li Zhi’s attitude clearly signaled his willingness to let her stir things up. Since the opportunity was laid out before her, what could she take advantage of?

Li Yuechen had previously considered the issue of institutional reform, but it had to be done gradually; she couldn't take too large a step at once. She knew well that if she suddenly attempted to reform the tax laws as the Yongzheng Emperor had done, it might trigger chaos across the empire.

What, then, should be the first step?

Li Yuechen looked up at the twinkling stars as she walked. Suddenly, she asked, "Fu Lai, if you were to form a gang, do you think it is better to control it alone, or to appoint a second-in-command and a third-in-command to help manage things?"

Fu Lai thought for a moment. "In this servant's view, the former risks orders not being carried out effectively, while the latter carries the risk of betrayal. But comparing the two, I would still choose the former. After all, one can cultivate one's own loyal confidants."

Li Yuechen nodded. "For now, I share your view."

With that, Li Yuechen made up her mind. Institutional reform must not be rushed; the Second Emperor of Sui had tried that, and everyone saw the result. Yet, it had to be admitted that his vision was formidable; whether it was the late Emperor Li Er or her current father, Li Zhi, the core direction of their policies largely followed his blueprint.

Therefore, Li Yuechen decided to divide her plan into two steps.

First, once the paper workshop produced a low-cost paper, two goals must be achieved: allowing more people to read, and launching a newspaper to control public opinion. Once a newspaper was in circulation, the court's policies could be quickly disseminated to every region. Furthermore, the right to publish must remain firmly in the hands of the imperial family, ensuring that at the very least, the common people would know what the Emperor intended. If anyone in the middle attempted to defy those orders, they would have to think twice.

The second step was to find a way to transform the current aristocratic political system into a bureaucratic one, allowing for the extreme centralization of imperial power—much like the Ming and Qing dynasties, where imperial authority was remarkably stable. It was said that the Wanli Emperor didn't attend court for decades, and many ministers served their entire lives without ever knowing what the Emperor looked like. Yet, the throne remained as steady as Mount Tai. That was the result of highly centralized power. Of course, Li Yuechen was well aware of how those dynasties eventually ended, so this stage was merely a transition, not the ultimate goal. For now, however, she didn't need to worry about the aftermath; she just needed to make it happen first.

Once she reached the palace, she found her two sisters chatting with Shangguan Wan'er in the Linbo Pavilion. Seeing Li Yuechen return, Shangguan Wan'er trotted over. "Your Highness, why do you return so late these days?"

"If you ever become an official yourself, you will understand," Li Yuechen said, pinching her cheek.

Princess Xuancheng thought for a moment, then asked with some uncertainty, "Chen'er, what if I were to ask Father for an official position?"

"Hmm?"

At this, not only Li Yuechen but also Princess Yiyang and Shangguan Wan'er were stunned.

"Sister, why would you want to be an official?" Li Yuechen asked. "I am practically dying to retire."

Princess Xuancheng replied, "You’ve already given me all those problems to solve, and the lists from the Directorate of Works are simple to calculate. I feel bored staying in the palace all day; I want to do something."

*Good heavens*, Li Yuechen thought, *is the spirit of a straight-A student awakening?* She couldn't help but smile. "Have you mastered the *Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art* and similar texts?"

"Mostly," Princess Xuancheng nodded. "I have no problems with the majority of them."

Li Yuechen nodded and waved at Shangguan Wan'er. "You should head back now."

Knowing the conversation that followed was not meant for her ears, Shangguan Wan'er bowed and retreated. Only the three sisters and Fu Lai remained in the pavilion. Li Yuechen didn't dismiss him, as that might arouse her mother’s suspicion; it was better to have him stay and listen.

"Sister, being an official is not a good thing, especially for you." As she said this, Li Yuechen gave her a slight wink with her right eye, shielded from Fu Lai, who was standing behind them.

"Mm," Princess Xuancheng understood. She smiled. "It doesn't matter. I just want to find some challenging math problems to solve."

Relieved that her sister understood, Li Yuechen said, "If it's a challenge you want, I truly have some. Tomorrow, I will teach you some more difficult problems."

"That would be wonderful," Princess Xuancheng agreed.

***

That night, lying in bed, Princess Yiyang opened her eyes. "You went a bit too far today."

Beside her, Princess Xuancheng gave a bitter smile. "Perhaps I've been getting a little carried away lately. I couldn't help but let it slip."

Princess Yiyang leaned in close to her ear. "Right now, we are under Chen'er’s protection, so the Empress cannot act openly. If we are caught, our lives may be at stake!"

"Don't worry, Sister, I understand. I won't make such requests again," Princess Xuancheng promised.

The sisters relaxed, holding hands and staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Did they harbor resentment toward Empress Wu? Certainly. But they also knew that if their own mother, Consort Xiao, had been the victor, the Empress's fate likely would have been no better. Palace intrigue was always this cruel. Having Li Yuechen’s protection was a blessing; without their younger sister, they would likely still be suffering in the Ye Court. They knew revenge against the Empress was impossible; for the rest of their lives, they asked for nothing more than to live safely.

The next afternoon, Li Yuechen stayed in the palace and taught Princess Xuancheng the last of her mathematical knowledge. This was high school-level mathematics, most of which she only vaguely remembered. As for university-level math—that was out of the question; she had attended a sports university, specializing in long-distance running. Even so, high school mathematics was far ahead of this era.

After three days, Li Yuechen had taught everything she could recall. "Sister, in the realm of mathematics, I have nothing left to teach you. The rest will depend on your own exploration."

"That may not be true," Princess Xuancheng laughed. "For instance, your explanation of 'force' and 'energy' last time—we could never have come up with that."

Li Yuechen nodded. "True, but those are just occasional insights; one cannot force them."

***

On the eighteenth of the third month, Lu Zhaolin was married, and he invited many friends and relatives to celebrate. Li Yuechen sent Fu Lai with a generous gift, but she did not attend in person. As a princess of the realm, her presence would steal the spotlight, and she had no desire to overshadow someone’s wedding.

With no lessons to attend, Li Yuechen took a carriage out of the city to see how the construction of the blast furnace at Mangshan was progressing. There were Imperial Guards stationed at the foot of the mountain, so safety was not a concern. The carriage ride up was arduous due to the poor road conditions, and the jolting was worse than usual. Feeling as though she would be bruised beyond repair, Li Yuechen jumped out and walked the rest of the way.

The furnace site wasn't too high up; it was situated on a natural platform about thirty feet tall. The craftsmen had carved a groove into a protruding side of the platform, embedding half of the furnace into the rock so that loading could be done from the upper platform.

Seeing Li Yuechen arrive, the craftsmen set down their tools to bow. She gestured for them to rise and began to observe. It didn't take long to spot the problem. Because of the natural terrain, they only needed minimal adjustments, but many of the materials had to be hauled up from the bottom of the mountain. The path was winding and steep, and with each worker carrying a large basket, the efficiency was abysmal.

Li Yuechen walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Fu Lai rushed over to pull her back. "Your Highness, be careful, if you were to..."

"Don't scare me, I won't fall," she said, waving him off. She looked down and saw a steep but flat slope of earth. The distance from the base to the platform was about twenty yards.

She stepped back and fell into deep thought. She remembered her grandfather mentioning that in the communes during his time, they used a relatively easy method for transport. She wondered if it could be tried here.

"Let’s go back to the palace," Li Yuechen commanded. "Tomorrow, have two carpenters brought to me!"