Chapter Forty-Nine: The Family That Forbids Marriage (Extra Chapter for Alliance Leader "oO Rimuru Oo")

If it had been any other time, whenever there was the slightest possibility of a fire in the palace, Li Zhi would have been the first to seek refuge. But now, his first instinct was to hurry over and check if his daughter was in any danger.

Zhang Chengxin sensed trouble and immediately summoned the Imperial Guards to escort Li Zhi and Wu Zetian toward the Anfu Hall. Not just them, but many other palace maids and eunuchs, thinking there was a fire, rushed over with buckets of water, ready to extinguish the flames.

When Li Zhi and Wu Zetian arrived, they were met by a swarm of eunuchs and maids hurrying toward them with water. Before anyone could speak, Li Zhi suddenly sniffed the air. "What is that smell?"

Zhang Chengxin, standing nearby, also took a deep breath, his expression turning curious. Leaning closer, he replied, "Your Majesty, it seems... it smells like roast meat."

Behind them, Wu Zetian's beautiful face instantly fell, and she strode briskly into the Anfu Hall. Li Zhi, unable to help himself, chuckled, took the health balls from Zhang Chengxin, and walked in, rolling them in his palm.

Upon entering, they saw Li Yuechen sitting boldly on a stool, fanning the flames of a barbecue with a round fan, her demeanor like that of a young lord. The maids were crouched in a circle around her, including Princess Xuancheng and Princess Yiyang. They all gazed hungrily at the skewers of lamb on the grill, so absorbed they failed to notice the emperor and empress had entered.

Seeing the scene, Wu Zetian shouted, "You wretched girl! What trouble are you causing now?"

Startled, the maids scrambled to their feet to bow, the two princesses following suit.

Li Yuechen looked up with a grin. "Father, mother, you’re here!"

She waved her hand. "Just in time—today I’ve invented a new dish. Wait a moment, and you can taste it with me!"

"You—" Wu Zetian was about to scold her, but Li Zhi stopped her. He stepped forward, squatted by the grill, and sniffed. "This smells wonderful!"

"Of course," Li Yuechen replied with a sly smile. "I perfected this after forty-nine days of diligent effort."

As she spoke, she brushed some fragrant oil over the skewers. Instantly, the air was filled with a mouthwatering aroma, and even Li Zhi couldn’t resist swallowing.

Li Yuechen picked up a skewer, blew on it, and offered it. "Father, please try."

Li Zhi nodded, took it, examined it, and took a gentle bite. He quickly nodded in approval. "Excellent! The flavor is superb!"

Li Yuechen smiled, then handed a roasted chicken wing to Wu Zetian. "Mother, try this as well."

Wu Zetian’s face remained stern, but she still accepted it, hesitantly taking a bite. Though her expression didn’t change, her eyes betrayed her surprise.

"This grilled lamb is truly delicious, Yuechen. How did you come up with it?" asked Li Zhi.

Li Yuechen replied proudly, "This is nothing. Give me more time, and I’ll invent something even more marvelous!"

With that, she sprinkled cumin and chopped Sichuan pepper over another skewer. "Father, try this one—the taste is quite different!"

Li Zhi tried it, his eyes lighting up. "Indeed!"

He promptly handed the skewer to Wu Zetian. "You must taste this, Meiniang. It’s truly exquisite!"

Wu Zetian sampled it, nodding after a few bites. "It really is delicious..."

But she quickly turned stern again. "Even so, how can you fill the Anfu Hall with smoke and haze?"

Li Yuechen replied with a mischievous smile, "Mother, sometimes, if you want to eat something delicious, you must pay a little price."

"Yuechen is right!" Li Zhi agreed.

"Your Majesty, how can you spoil her so?" Wu Zetian finally lost her composure, scolding both father and daughter. "A princess filling the palace with smoke and fire—what sort of example is that? Shouldn’t you discipline her as her father?"

Li Zhi paused, then nodded. "Meiniang is right. Yuechen, next time, you must inform us in advance."

"Yes, your child will obey!" Li Yuechen replied cheerfully, easily dissolving Wu Zetian’s scolding.

"You two..." Wu Zetian’s eyes widened, pointing at Li Yuechen, then glaring at Li Zhi, fuming in silence.

Li Yuechen brought over some grilled fish, hugging her mother’s waist. "Alright, mother, don’t be angry. I know I was wrong this time. Come, have some fish!"

Li Zhi nodded from the side. "Yes, Meiniang, don’t be upset. I’ve already taught her a lesson! It won’t happen again!"

Wu Zetian glared at Li Zhi, her eyes round, but she couldn’t find any words to reply.

"Yes, yes, it won’t happen again!" Li Yuechen teased, scratching her mother’s side while offering her the fish. "Mother, eat some fish!"

"Go! Stay away from me!" Wu Zetian grumbled, but after a moment’s hesitation, she accepted the fish. The smell was simply too enticing.

Li Yuechen sat down again to continue grilling, sending Xiao He to fetch more stools for everyone to sit. The grill was large enough to cook plenty at once.

Before long, Li Zhi, Wu Zetian, Li Yuechen, and her two sisters were all seated together, enjoying the meal. Zhang Chengxin, after observing for a while, was sent off by Li Zhi to take charge of the grilling.

Li Zhi took a sip of amber sake, then bit into another skewer. "Who would have thought, eating barbecue under the night sky truly lifts the spirits!"

Wu Zetian, her cheeks slightly flushed, glanced sidelong at Li Yuechen. "If you have this much time, you could spend it reading and studying..."

"Mother is right, you needn’t worry. I won’t neglect my studies," Li Yuechen coaxed, clinking her cup with Li Zhi’s as they shared a drink.

Watching father and daughter pay her words little mind, Wu Zetian could only sigh.

"By the way!" Li Yuechen waved. "Eunuch Zhang, go and invite my brothers. Such delicious food should be enjoyed together!"

Li Zhi agreed. "Yuechen is right—go quickly!"

"At once!" Zhang Chengxin replied, sending a young eunuch to fetch them while he continued grilling.

He asked, "Your Highness, how is the heat? Is it time to add the spices?"

"Wait a little longer," Li Yuechen replied. "If you’re unsure, just try one yourself—it’s fine."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

About twenty minutes later, Crown Prince Li Hong and the others arrived, paid their respects, and joined the barbecue. Barbecue itself wasn’t new to this era; it’s just that the imperial family had never done such a thing. In a time of strict ritual, the royal family typically kept their distance from such activities.

But Li Yuechen, with her knowledge of the future, brought not just the barbecue itself but also the spirit of the whole family gathered together, eating and laughing—a rare sight for any imperial household of the time.

Li Hong had intended to lecture her as the eldest brother, but seeing Li Zhi happily eating, he could only sit and join in. Second Brother Li Xian was different—while eating, he praised Li Yuechen and even got up to inspect the grill.

"Yuechen, I’ll have to get one of these for my own residence. It’s excellent," Li Xian said.

Fourth Brother Li Lun nodded in agreement. "I think so, too."

Yet it was Li Zhi who was most moved by the scene. Raised alongside his sister Yizi by Emperor Taizong Li Er, his relationships with his other brothers had never been close. Now, seeing all his children—legitimate and otherwise—gathered together, eating, joking, and laughing, a rare smile crept onto his lips.

At that moment, he couldn’t help but think of his two sons serving as vassal kings in distant lands. For a moment, Li Zhi wondered if the customs of the past had always been mistaken.

Especially Li Yuechen, unable to sit still for a moment—playing with her brothers, then her sisters, then back to her parents, filling the night with laughter.

Li Zhi looked up at the starry sky, feeling more certain than ever that he had made the right decision.

Barbecue, in truth, fills you up quickly—especially when accompanied by wine and drinks. With Li Zhi’s approval, Li Yuechen even shared some with the palace maids and eunuchs of Anfu Hall. Shangguan Wan’er received a generous share, enjoying it with her mother, Lady Zheng.

Not until nearly midnight did the family feast finally come to an end. After their sons took their leave, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian walked back together.

"That girl really knows how to stir things up," Wu Zetian laughed.

Li Zhi took her hand and smiled. "To be honest, I never imagined such a scene before today."

Wu Zetian glanced at her hand in his, then interlaced her fingers with his. "What are you thinking, Zhinu?"

"In the past, I always followed tradition in dealing with our children... But now, I wonder if those traditions were really right."

"Yuechen does have many clever ideas, but..." Wu Zetian started, but Li Zhi shook his head.

"It's not just Yuechen. Only today did I realize that throughout history, the way emperors have treated their children... it's all been wrong."

Wu Zetian looked at him, as if about to argue, but after a moment’s thought, perhaps he was right.

"In the future, with Hong’er and Yuechen, I’ll be at ease," Li Zhi said suddenly.

"Don’t talk nonsense," Wu Zetian chided. "You’re still well and healthy."

Li Zhi grinned, "Alright, alright, I won’t say such things..."

Beneath the night sky, a middle-aged couple walked hand-in-hand through the Ziwei Palace, with Zhang Chengxin and the Imperial Guards following at a respectful distance.

The next morning, after her yoga practice, as Li Yuechen was having breakfast, Shangguan Wan’er leaned in. "Your Highness, the barbecue was delicious!"

"If we get another chance, we’ll do it again," Li Yuechen smiled. "When my shop opens, perhaps we can sell barbecue there."

Of course, it was easier said than done. The Tang Dynasty had a curfew, and with the ward-market system, barbecue—an activity best enjoyed at night—would be hard to promote. Still, perhaps in places like Pingkang Ward, the city’s red-light district, business would thrive.

The curfew didn’t forbid going out, just that activities had to stay within the ward and not spill onto the main streets.

Still, if possible, Li Yuechen hoped to change these rules in the future. Such restrictions severely limited commerce and economic growth.

As she pondered this, she began her martial training, and the morning quickly slipped by. After a lunch of flatbread and mutton soup, she spent the afternoon reading and writing. Remembering the deed to a shop given by Princess Qianjin, she decided to inspect her future store.

After all, the canned goods wouldn’t be ready for sale until the year’s end, and leaving the shop idle seemed wasteful. Perhaps she could find something else to sell in the meantime.

With that in mind, Li Yuechen took Shangguan Wan’er and Xiao He out of the palace once again. As before, she had the Imperial Guards dress in plain clothes and rode in a low-key carriage to the southern market.

Navigating the bustling streets, their carriage stopped before a shop facing the road. Li Yuechen lifted the curtain to look—two stories tall and currently shuttered.

The location was good—not the very heart of the city, but close enough.

Above the door hung a plaque that read "Li’s Spice Shop," yet to be taken down.

Shangguan Wan’er peered out, "Is this your shop, Your Highness?"

"Yes," Li Yuechen replied. "Wan’er, what do you think we should sell before the canned goods are ready?"

"Why not sell incense?" Shangguan Wan’er asked.

Li Yuechen considered it. "It’s not a bad idea. With a spot like this, we’re unlikely to lose money, given the location."

Still, her modern instincts nagged at her—surely there must be something with explosive potential.

As she pondered, she heard a quarrel out front—a familiar voice. Peeking out, she saw it was Liu Huang, once again embroiled in a dispute.

Li Yuechen, curious, moved to the front of the carriage, lifting the curtain to watch, wondering if a fight would break out.

But this time, after a few harsh words, Liu Huang actually backed down, stepping away.

That struck her as odd. Liu Huang’s grandfather, Liu Rengui, was a prominent minister; he could usually afford to offend most upstarts. Yet now he was backing off—who could the opponent be?

At that moment, the other party said something more and walked away.

Left behind, Liu Huang sighed, and by chance, glanced over to see the princess watching from the carriage, beckoning him over.

Curious, Liu Huang approached. "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"At ease," Li Yuechen said casually. "Who was that just now? Did you back down because you couldn’t win, or because you couldn’t afford to offend them?"

Liu Huang gave a wry smile. "Your Highness, that was someone from one of the Forbidden Marriage Clans!"