Chapter 145 The Princess's New Attire

Shangguan Wan’er referred to these twelve recommendations as the "Twelve Proposals," which were published in the newspaper on June 15th. Unsurprisingly, this move by the Empress Dowager sparked a tremendous response among the women of the common folk. Even among the lower-ranking officials, her prestige steadily rose day by day. Notably, sales of this particular issue of the newspaper far exceeded those of previous editions.

The next day, Li Yuechen hurried to the Renshou Hall to share the good news with her father and mother. Li Zhi and Wu Zetian exchanged a glance and nodded in mutual satisfaction. This silent acknowledgment led Li Yuechen to suspect correctly that the twelve proposals were a joint effort by her parents. Both parents refrained from explicitly stating their intentions to their daughter; upon hearing the increase in sales, they merely smiled and said little before changing the subject.

Li Yuechen did not realize that her parents were paving the way for her future; she simply believed that these measures were beneficial for the country's development. After less than half an hour of conversation, as Li Yuechen was preparing to take her leave, her mother suddenly spoke, “Yuechen, yesterday I went to the Bureau of Garments and saw you making a sleeveless garment. What is the meaning of this?”

“Oh, it’s almost finished,” Li Yuechen nodded. “Since the weather has been scorching upstairs, I thought sleeveless clothes would be cooler to wear.”

Wu Zetian set down her teacup, her expression tinged with helplessness. “There are limits to your recklessness. How old are you now? Don’t you know what propriety is?”

“Mother, it’s hot...” Li Yuechen looked aggrieved. “Would you really let me suffer from heat rash?”

The topic made Li Yuechen feel somewhat intoxicated. Why was it acceptable to expose part of the chest, but the arms were forbidden?

“You cannot disregard propriety and expose your bare arms just because you’re hot,” Wu Zetian raised an eyebrow.

Li Yuechen shook a finger at her. “Mother, you’re mistaken. Propriety must evolve with the times. Only in a powerful era can women fully express their individuality. In fact, this is a testament to the strength and abundance of our Tang Dynasty!”

“You...” Wu Zetian frowned.

“Evolve with the times?” Li Zhi muttered under his breath, “Well said, truly well said!”

Li Yuechen continued, “In our Tang Dynasty, women from well-off families wear necklines that grow progressively lower, which is proof of our nation’s prosperity. If this were a barbarian land, women dressed like this would have been abducted long ago.”

“Where do you get such twisted logic?” Wu Zetian scowled.

Li Zhi nodded thoughtfully. “There is some truth in what she says.”

“See?” Li Yuechen smiled, her dimples faintly showing.

In the end, the matter of the garment was set aside for a couple of days. When it was ready, Li Yuechen would wear it to show them, and then they would make a final decision.

The next day, Li Yuechen went to the Craftsmanship Bureau to check on the progress of the bicycle. She found the craftsmen staring blankly at the completed frame.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

After bowing, the craftsmen replied, “Your Highness, the brakes lack sufficient force.”

“Lack sufficient force?”

Li Yuechen furrowed her brow and leaned in to inspect. After squeezing a few times, she identified the problem. The iron wire used for the brakes was elastic, stretching slightly with each squeeze. Over time, this stretching made the brake cable too long and useless.

Scratching her head, Li Yuechen realized that using the technology of this era to make brake cables for future bicycles was quite challenging. Then she recalled that old-fashioned bicycles had lever brakes.

However, those were more costly and troublesome to maintain. Still, as a princess, she planned to sell these bicycles to aristocratic children who wouldn’t mind the expense.

Determined, she changed the plan and explained the principle of lever brakes to the craftsmen with a quick sketch. They immediately understood and agreed it was simple enough to make.

After addressing all the recent issues the craftsmen had encountered and providing solutions, Li Yuechen left.

Instead of returning to Anfu Hall, she went to the Armory Bureau.

Since she had crafted a Tang sword there previously, many recognized her and greeted her respectfully.

“Bring the craftsmen responsible for bows and arrows!” she ordered.

Soon, nearly twenty seasoned artisans arrived.

“If the bow’s body is made of steel, can the current bowstrings withstand the tension?” Li Yuechen inquired.

One craftsman bowed and answered, “Your Highness, even if steel could be used for the bow, almost no one could draw it.”

“Don’t worry about whether it can be drawn; I want to know if your existing bowstrings can handle it.”

“They can, but the strings would need to be thicker,” came the reply.

Li Yuechen nodded. “Good. Also, consider other materials for high-strength bowstrings. I will consult you again.”

With that, she turned to leave, leaving the craftsmen exchanging puzzled glances, unsure of her intentions.

Outside the Armory, Li Yuechen scratched her head, deep in thought.

She planned to learn archery someday, but the bows of this era were unfamiliar to her. She wanted to explore whether it was possible to create a future-style mechanical compound bow.

Compared to the bows of this time, a mechanical compound bow doesn't necessarily make drawing easier, but once fully drawn, maintaining the tension requires much less effort.

If made, such a bow in the hands of expert marksmen could significantly enhance the Tang army’s combat capability.

Besides compound bows, there was also a future invention called a semi-automatic quiver, which could be mounted on bows or crossbows. It could hold ten or more arrows and, when aimed and triggered, would automatically shoot arrows.

Many future armies were equipped with such devices, and given the craftsmanship level of this era, it was entirely possible to produce them.

Of course, by modern firearm standards, these were not truly “automatic” weapons but more akin to bolt-action rifles, requiring manual action after each shot.

However, Li Yuechen decided to postpone this endeavor until she grew older. Without her own secret workshop, making such devices now would risk leaks—an unforgivable offense.

Although the Armory was under her family's control, the palace was crowded with many eyes and ears, making secrecy nearly impossible.

She was certain many palace maids and eunuchs were bribed by outsiders, though these people usually only had access to trivial gossip, so the emperor rarely investigated.

A few days later, the Bureau of Garments delivered Li Yuechen’s custom-made clothes.

Still her favorite vibrant red, the hems of the tunic and pants were embroidered with gold patterns.

The design was simple: a sleeveless long vest paired with wide-legged skirt-like trousers.

After changing, Li Yuechen stepped out and spread her arms, turning slowly. “How is it?”

Princess Yiyang and the others stood up straight, somewhat surprised.

The trousers ended just at the ankles, leaving the feet uncovered. The vest hung just above the knees, fitted slightly at the waist.

The collar featured traditional knotted buttons, neatly centered.

Her pale, bare arms exposed to the air gave her a taller appearance.

Her high ponytail tied with a red cord added a spirited vigor, softened by her beauty.

“Your Highness looks stunning!” Little He was the first to praise.

Princesses Yiyang and Xuancheng approached and circled her. “Honestly, this new style is quite striking and pretty!”

Tang aesthetics tended toward vibrant colors and multicolor combinations. Yet, influenced by diverse cultures, a style combining bright colors with relatively simple cuts was also accepted.

Shangguan Wan’er nodded. “Your Highness looks much better than in your usual masculine attire—still spirited but with added feminine grace.”

“Really?” Li Yuechen glanced down and smiled. “I’ll go show Grandfather and Grandmother.”

She slipped on her wooden clogs and hurried to Renshou Hall.

Upon arrival, she quickly removed her shoes and ran into the hall.

Just as her parents looked up, Li Yuechen spread her arms wide. “Grandfather, Grandmother, look! How do you like my outfit?”

Wu Zetian was momentarily stunned, while Li Zhi put on his spectacles for a careful look.

Li Yuechen slowly spun around, then approached Li Zhi with a sweet smile. “Grandfather, what do you think?”

“Hmm...” Li Zhi appraised her from head to toe and nodded. “I heard you wanted to expose your arms. I wasn’t sure how it would look, but this is quite nice!”

Wu Zetian stood and examined the outfit carefully before nodding in approval. “Though simple, it is neither vulgar nor cheap. Very good!”

Both parents had excellent taste. The skirt-pants combined the flowing elegance of a skirt with freedom of movement, achieving a perfect balance.

Though exposing feet was somewhat improper for the era, the overall look was harmonious.

Despite temporal differences, most people share similar aesthetic sensibilities. Variations rarely diverge to opposite extremes.

Thus, Li Yuechen’s attire gained their acceptance.

Li Zhi removed his glasses, smiling faintly as he whispered, “I think Mei Niang could try this style, too. It’s hot; dressing cooler is better.”

“Mm,” Wu Zetian nodded, circling her daughter. “If we alter the embroidery, it could become different styles.”

Seeing their softened stance, Li Yuechen relaxed. She had expected a reprimand but found both parents surprisingly open-minded and receptive to new ideas.

That made future fashion experiments much easier.

The summer of the first year of the Shangyuan era passed peacefully with no major incidents.

Notably, news from Chang’an reported that, thanks to Li Yuechen’s methods and the absence of drought, crops were thriving, promising a bountiful harvest.

Hearing this, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian breathed a sigh of relief—they could return to Chang’an this year.

This year’s Zhongyuan Festival was somewhat different. Since Li Zhi had composed new music, the songs played during the ancestral rites were completely new.

The festival involved many ritual activities, honoring ancestors and reporting the harvest.

Royal ceremonies rarely involved only family; the entire court of civil and military officials usually attended.

After the rites, a banquet was held for the ministers.

Normally, only the Crown Prince and other princes needed to attend, but now Li Yuechen, as a court official, was required to participate as well.

After the ceremonies, officials urged the emperor and empress to the palace. Li Zhi suddenly suggested with a smile, “By the way, Er Lang and San Lang both have some musical talent. Why not have them lead their musicians east and west for a friendly contest?”

Li Xian and Li Xian both nodded in agreement; the brothers often played music together privately.

Wu Zetian nodded gently, curious to see their musical skills.

Li Yuechen also found it interesting and wondered which brother played better.

Unexpectedly, Hao Chujun behind Li Zhi spoke up, “Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate!”

“Oh?” Li Zhi turned to him. “Why do you say that?”

“The two princes are still young and undecided in their pursuits. They should be cooperative and harmonious,” Hao Chujun replied. “Competing here today would be disrespectful to propriety.”

Upon hearing this, the other ministers nodded in agreement.

Li Zhi considered and then nodded, “Your insight is profound, beyond what most understand.”

Watching this, Li Yuechen couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She finally understood.

Throughout history, conflicts among brothers often stemmed partly from meddling ministers like these!

What began as playful rivalry among brothers was twisted by officials into breaches of propriety, which, when fanned by others, bred lasting resentment.

Li Yuechen wondered if Confucius’s teachings were truly understood this way by today’s ministers.