Chapter 141 Embryo of an Intelligence Agency

If it were anyone else, Li Zhi might not dare to speak so casually.

However, Li Yuchen was different. Both husband and wife knew very well that the girl understood boundaries, so she was naturally allowed to experiment as she pleased.

Meanwhile, back at Anfu Palace, Li Yuchen sat alone on the railing of the Rippling Waves Pavilion, pondering the next steps.

The branch offices of the newspaper could certainly not be used merely for publishing articles.

Since things had already developed to this stage, the next logical step was to transform it into a massive intelligence network enveloping the entire country.

In the future, it might even lead to the premature emergence of a secret agent organization similar to the Jinyiwei.

Li Yuchen had no objection to this; the clearer the state's understanding of unfolding events, the faster and more accurately it could devise solutions.

However, institutions like the Eastern and Western Depots should better not appear. She vaguely remembered reading on the internet that during the late Ming Dynasty, the power of the eunuchs had expanded enormously.

Moreover, a famous figure named Wei Zhongxian had emerged, known as the Nine Thousand Years.

Li Yuchen silently reminded herself that she must not allow the Tang Dynasty to experience something similar when that time came.

Although she did not discriminate against eunuchs, it was also a fact that most eunuchs suffered from psychological abnormalities.

Whether it was Fulai or Zhang Chengxin by her father's side, anyone who managed to climb to such a position had undoubtedly weathered countless rounds of vicious infighting.

Of course, this was not necessarily entirely their fault; it was also closely tied to the toxic environment within the imperial palace.

Yet this was not something that could be changed overnight, so restraint remained the primary approach in this regard.

***

As April arrived, the weather had warmed up considerably, though it could not yet be called hot.

The good news was that, thanks to the continuous efforts of Wang Gangdan and the Directorate for Palace Buildings, the roller skates for the entire family had been completed.

Upon receiving this good news, Li Yuchen decided to teach them how to roller skate before the weather grew too hot.

She genuinely believed that a family should spend time together frequently, even if it meant arguing—it all helped foster affection.

If nothing else, take those troublemakers she grew up with in the orphanage: although they always swore every time they met that they wished the other would drop dead on the spot, the moment trouble arose, every single one of them would show up instantly.

Skipping and bouncing all the way to Renshou Palace, she found Li Zhi today not burning incense and playing the qin, but lying on a rocking chair, chatting with his wife.

"Ah-chen is here. Perfect, come have some tea together," Li Zhi beckoned with a smile.

"Father, everyone's roller skates are done. Shall we pick a day to play together?" Li Yuchen asked, sitting down beside him.

Li Zhi nodded. "Hmm, as it happens, I have nothing pressing today. There is no time like the present—let's make it this afternoon!"

"You got it!" Li Yuchen agreed, then turned her head and shouted, "Grand Eunuch Zhang! Send someone to inform my brothers to come to the palace to play this afternoon... No! Tell them to come to Renshou Palace for a meal right now! Tell the eldest brother to bring his wife along!"

"Understood, this servant will go right away!" Zhang Chengxin replied.

Although the second brother, Li Xian, already had children, he did not yet have an official princess consort, so he did not need to be brought along.

Currently, only the eldest brother had held a wedding; since it was a formal marriage, she was considered part of the family.

Lunch consisted once again of stir-fried dishes. Truth be told, after years of practice, the imperial chefs had developed quite impressive culinary skills and had even created many new dishes based on the foundation Li Yuchen had taught them.

The children were already accustomed to the family sitting together around a large table to eat; only Crown Princess Pei Qingwan wore a look of utter apprehension.

Before coming today, she truly could not have imagined that the Emperor's entire family would sit at the very same table for a meal.

The family chatted as they ate, and the atmosphere was remarkably relaxed, feeling just like an ordinary household.

Li Xian even dared to lean back against his chair right in front of his parents, casually asking Li Yuchen how those roller skates actually worked.

Watching a family with such a complete absence of rigid etiquette, much like commoners, Pei Qingwan felt that her previous impressions of the imperial family had been completely shattered.

***

After the meal, everyone planned to rest for a while, so a pot of tea was brewed and they began playing Werewolf.

Pei Qingwan did not know how to play and could only watch and learn from the side, while taking on the role of the moderator under Li Yuchen's guidance.

Having accepted the task with a bewildered expression, Pei Qingwan began watching them play.

After several consecutive rounds, she roughly grasped how the game worked. What surprised her, however, was that these younger royals truly did not treat the Emperor and Empress as outsiders—they voted them out without the slightest hesitation!

After a few rounds of games, the food had settled enough, so the family stood up and walked to the square behind Zhenguan Dian, beginning to put on their roller skates.

Since there had been no time to make a pair for Pei Qingwan, and because she was naturally quiet and disliked strenuous exercise, she simply sat on the side to watch.

Seeing Li Zhi and the others sitting directly on the stone steps to change their shoes, she hesitated for a moment before sitting down as well.

However, she kept her hands impeccably poised in front of her lower abdomen, maintaining an elegant posture.

Once everyone had their skates on, Li Yuchen began teaching them how to move, while Li Zhi, who had already learned, held onto his wife to keep her from falling.

Most of Li Yuchen's attention was also focused there; after all, her mother was no longer young, and a bad fall could very well cost her half her life.

Pei Qingwan had never seen roller skates before, but she could roughly guess how they worked just by looking, though she secretly wondered why Li Yuchen never seemed to fall.

As Li Yuchen started teaching nearby, Li Hong and the others leaned forward slightly, swinging their arms and slowly managing to glide.

Their posture, however, looked exceptionally awkward, falling far short of Li Yuchen's silky-smooth movements.

"Alright, those are all the essentials for moving forward. Practice on your own for a bit."

Just as Li Yuchen finished speaking, she glided over to her mother's side, spun half a circle in place, lifted her heels, and came to a smooth, steady stop.

Then, she joined Li Zhi in teaching the Empress how to glide.

At its core, this kind of activity was easy to master quickly as long as one wasn't afraid.

Knowing her daughter would protect her, Empress Wu let go of her apprehensions and began to glide.

Li Yuchen stayed right beside her. Although she almost fell a few times at first, Li Yuchen's quick reflexes caught her every time.

Growing bolder, Empress Wu let go completely and began to glide freely. In no time, she had fully mastered it, holding her daughter's hand as they skated in circles around the square.

Though it was their first time wearing roller skates, the two elder princesses had previously watched her teach Shangguan Wan'er, giving them a theoretical grasp of the technique.

The athletic abilities of the brothers were also quite decent, and they quickly got the hang of it.

Only Li Hong learned a bit more slowly, but he could now stand steadily and ensure he wouldn't fall over at any moment.

***

Two hours later, the entire family had learned both forward and backward skating, holding hands and playing "choo-choo train" across the square.

Seated on the side, Pei Qingwan occasionally handed a towel to Crown Prince Li Hong to wipe away his sweat or poured him a cup of tea.

At the same time, she could not suppress her astonishment.

When she first married, her father had repeatedly warned her to be extremely cautious upon entering the imperial family and to mind the countless palace rules...

Yet Pei Qingwan now felt that among all aristocrats, the imperial palace probably had the least amount of rules.

Even before her marriage, she would never have dared to frolic and laugh freely with her parents or siblings at home.

Look at them now: a whole family shouting, laughing, holding hands, and skating in a long line across the square.

They even playfully chased and bantered with one another from time to time—Li Yuchen and her fourth brother, Li Lun, even dared to gang up and tease the Emperor!

And looking at Zhang Chengxin's accustomed expression nearby, it was obvious this was far from the first time.

Pei Qingwan felt her worldview undergoing a violently intense shock; no one would ever believe that behind the solemn majesty of the imperial family, a family could get along with such harmony.

***

After playing wildly for an entire afternoon, as the sun approached the horizon and dusk fell, a wave of fatigue washed over everyone.

They all sat in a row on the stone steps, holding cups of tea and quietly sipping as they watched the sunset.

Li Yuchen sat beside her mother, gently massaging her slightly aching calves. "Mother, how is it? You haven't been this active in a long time, have you?"

"Yes, I'm a bit out of practice," Empress Wu said with a smile, nodding.

Seeing this, Li Lun hurried over to Li Zhi's side. "This son will help Father beat your legs!"

"Very well," Li Zhi stretched out his legs. "Let's see if my son's leg-beating skills compare to Ah-chen's."

Seeing this scene, Li Xian and Li Li also started to stand up, but Li Zhi raised a hand to stop them. "Alright, Erlang and Sanlang, just stay seated. There's no need for everyone to crowd around; being packed together makes it entirely too warm."

Empress Wu also turned her head and smiled at the two elder princesses who were about to rise. "You two as well, just sit obediently and rest."

That evening, after the family had dinner together, the day's activities came to an end, and the children successively stood up to pay their respects and take their leave.

***

Stepping out through the Xihua Gate, Li Hong looked up at the starry night sky overhead, then suddenly turned his head. "Ahem... Qingwan, would you care to take a walk with me?"

"This wife naturally has no objection, but your health..." Pei Qingwan looked concerned.

"It's of no consequence," Li Hong smiled gently, walking shoulder to shoulder with her toward the Eastern Palace.

Lü Sheng instructed the carriage to follow behind at a distance, while he himself dropped back a few paces to steady follow at their side.

Looking up at the stars, Li Hong suddenly asked, "I noticed the look of astonishment on your face today. What was that about?"

Pei Qingwan smiled with a trace of embarrassment. "This wife... simply didn't expect the atmosphere in the palace to be so... relaxed."

Li Hong chuckled softly. "Actually, before Ah-chen was born, the atmosphere in this palace was no different from what you originally imagined. It only became like this in recent years."

Perhaps wanting someone to talk to, Li Hong slowly recounted many events that had occurred since Li Yuchen's birth as the two of them walked.

The more Pei Qingwan listened, the more astonished she became, until her eyes widened in disbelief by the end. "It feels as though Her Highness is..."

"Both my parents suspect that Yuechen is a deity reincarnated; in truth, I think so too... Ahem!"

"Having heard Your Highness's words, this wife feels the same way," Pei Qingwan replied.

Returning to the Eastern Palace, the two washed up and lay down in bed to rest.

Li Hong suddenly grasped her shoulders, making her look directly into his eyes. With a grave expression, he lowered his voice. "Qingwan, I need you to promise me something."

"Go ahead."

"If one day I should pass away..."

"Why would you say such a thing?" Pei Qingwan's eyes widened instantly as she bolted upright. "Could it be..."

Li Hong pulled her hand into his. "Alright, there's no need to be so shocked—let me finish!"

"How can you say such things so casually? What on earth has happened?" she demanded, eyes wide.

"Hush, listen to me first." Li Hong smiled with apparent ease and pulled her back down to lie beside him. "If this illness of mine can be cured, there should be no trouble. But if it cannot, it will likely be a matter of these next few years. If one day I pass away, no matter what happens in the palace, you must never get involved!"

Tears welled up in Pei Qingwan's eyes in panic. "How... how could..."

Li Hong's smile remained calm. "As for this illness of mine, do not go inquiring about it blindly, nor let word of it leak! If I continue living, forget everything I've said tonight. But if one day... when that time comes, remember above all else: no matter what occurs within the palace, you must never, ever participate!"

Pei Qingwan fell silent, two trails of clear tears streaming down her cheeks as she simply stared at him.

Meeting such a gaze, Li Hong felt a pang of heartache and gently pulled her into his arms. "Originally, I did not wish to marry, but the commands of parents are hard to disobey. I have only wronged you... Should I not be around in the future, you will be doomed to a solitary widowhood."

"Is there truly... no other way..." she asked, unwilling to accept it.

"Alright, enough said. As long as I am still here for a single day, act as though you never heard these words!" Li Hong gently stroked her cheek.

***

During this period, the heads of the various branch offices resided in the dormitories of Xixian Fang. Every few days, they listened to Li Yuchen's lectures and underwent related training.

To be honest, finding even a few literate individuals among the retired frontier soldiers was no easy task, and Li Yuchen had truly done her utmost.

"Today, you must set out."

Li Yuchen stood by the well in the middle of the courtyard, trying her best to keep her height comparable to theirs.

"Everything that needs to be said, this palace has already said. I hope that after you return, you will continue to shine and contribute to the Great Tang! Neither this palace nor the Emperor and Empress will ever forget the contributions you make to the country!"

Li Yuchen delivered her final mobilization speech before their departure. The funds were all in place; once they arrived, they could immediately hire reporters to gather news. Within a few months at most, branch offices would be established across every prefecture and county within the borders of the Great Tang.

As for how well they would perform, that depended entirely on their own abilities.

If they did a good job, Li Yuchen certainly wouldn't mind promoting them or improving their treatment.

Their official cover upon returning would be gathering gossip and news, while also ensuring that newspapers dispatched from the capital of the Great Tang were accurately delivered to local areas.

Simultaneously, however, they carried a secondary, covert mission: monitoring the affairs of all sizes within these major prefectures and counties. At the slightest sign of trouble, they were to report it immediately.

Although they currently possessed no overt investigative powers, they at least served as the imperial family's eyes planted in every prefecture and county.

Compared to the previous state of affairs, the Emperor now had not only regular official reports but also his own independent eyes. Through mutual supervision and checks and balances, the situation in the localities would become increasingly transparent.

Both sides would fear being punished by the Emperor for failing to report clearly, which was itself a form of imperial statecraft.