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Chapter 184
Chapter 184
Chapter 184
In the Tang Dynasty, even Wei Zhang altered his style and offered unreserved praise, showering Li Er with flattering words. These three years solidified Li Er’s position as a skilled emperor. During this time, the citizens of Changan would occasionally be awakened by news of victories in the Western Regions. With the frequency of such reports, people became accustomed to them. To the point that if they didn’t hear about victorious reports every month or two, they felt uneasy. Discussions about this matter would quickly spread in the streets and alleys. From their expressions, it seemed like an extended period without news of annexing another nation would suggest the Tang Dynasty’s military forces were performing poorly in the Western Regions.
The one most delighted by expanding the nation’s territory was, of course, Li Er. Following were the military officers. Fighting wars was their profession, and if such a large nation had no wars to fight for an extended period, they would all be unemployed.
During these three years, almost all the named generals in the military took turns touring the Western Regions. While enjoying the satisfaction of fighting battles even easier than hunting, they also accumulated significant military merit. Seizing this opportunity, the military also nurtured a group of young generals.
Apart from middle-aged commanders like Su Dingfang, a younger generation of outstanding talents like Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian emerged. The succession was well-organized. Li Er was most content with this aspect of these three years regarding the military.
As for the civil officers, they also indulged in the feast of pacifying the Western Regions, gaining both fame and fortune. With the expansion of territory, the need for officers naturally increased. Surprisingly, many new official positions were created, which was a favorable development for everyone.
Besides the continuous victories achieved through military actions, significant progress in people’s livelihoods under the Tang Dynasty was made. As Li Er had envisioned, the introduction of sweet potatoes and potatoes effectively eliminated concerns about food shortages in the Tang Dynasty.
During these three years, the Tang Dynasty experienced not only uninterrupted prosperity but also some calamities. In areas severely affected by disasters, grain harvests were often lost, which was not uncommon. However, neither the court nor the common people were worried about this.
In this era, which household didn’t have thousands of pounds of sweet potatoes and potatoes in storage? These two crops were almost overwhelming in abundance, almost like a plague. Even in years of disasters, people didn’t fear going hungry because sweet potatoes and potatoes were abundant.
The advice for anyone complaining about not having enough to eat was simple: “Eat until you’re full! There’s plenty of sweet potatoes and potatoes.” This wasn’t an exaggeration. It was said that in the outskirts of the capital region, many households were troubled by the excess of sweet potatoes and potatoes they had stored. The quantity was too much, and they couldn’t finish eating them.
In most households, three meals daily consisted of sweet potatoes and potatoes. People ate until they were stuffed, but they couldn’t consume much. As a result, they had no choice but to feed the surplus potatoes and sweet potatoes to livestock that were about to spoil. Who would have dared to imagine such a scenario if placed a few years ago? It was beyond anyone’s imagination that having an abundance of food could also lead to a food crisis.
In the past couple of years, the entire Tang Dynasty had gradually shifted from the mentality of the newly rich, and people had begun to approach farming more rationally. In essence, these matters could at best be considered pleasant troubles.
Within the princess’s residence, in the back garden,
“Little Prince, slow down!” A group of maids followed closely behind a toddler, their expressions cautious. The toddler paid no attention to their calls and dashed to the base of the wall. He used the vines clinging to the wall in just a few steps to climb up and reach the top. Then, standing atop the wall, he swayed a bit and took a few steps. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through, and the toddler lost his balance, falling straight off the two-meter-high wall. This scene shocked the group of maids, and they covered their mouths in shock.
However, in mid-air, the toddler spun around and landed smoothly on the ground. He then made a silly face towards the maids chasing after him, giggled, and ran away again. In the garden, there was once again a scene of chaos.
Inside a pavilion in the garden, Su Li and Changle looked on with amused smiles at the spectacle. The passage of three years had not left a trace on Changle, who still exuded the unique charm of a young maiden with her smiling face and white attire.
No matter how prosperous one was in this era, a woman’s aging process accelerated greatly after giving birth. No modern skin care methods were available at this time, and the cosmetics women used, like rouge and lipstick, were often toxic. The more luxurious the product, the more vivid the colors, which came at the cost of their complexion. Yet, Changle seemed untouched by time, maintaining a young girl’s smooth and delicate skin even as she aged.
“My lord, General Cheng Yaojin has returned. It is said that the city was in great commotion when the army entered,” Changle said. Su Li nodded with a smile. When he left the Western Regions, he had earned significant military achievements. The individuals who remained there could practically amass a great deal of credit without doing much.
Over the past years, under General Cheng Yaojin’s leadership, they had obliterated numerous countries. Regardless of the size or strength of those countries, the sheer number of nations they had conquered was staggering. Considering Cheng Yaojin’s personality, it would be abnormal if he didn’t make a grand entrance upon his return. “After his return, the General formally greeted our residence. Would you like to meet him, my lord?” Changle continued. “It’s alright,” Su Li waved his hand dismissively. Then, Changle brought up another matter. “My lord, Li Chunfeng has returned as well. Father met with him overnight yesterday. I have a feeling that once again, he came back empty-handed.” “If he can’t find it, he should try harder next time,” Su Li said with a faint smile. Changle blinked her large eyes, looking at Su Li, and suddenly asked, “My lord, aren’t you worried? Does Father believe he can find an immortal?” Su Li paused for a moment, glanced at Changle, and then couldn’t help but laugh. They had been married for four years, and Changle had managed to hold back her curiosity for four years. Yet now, at this moment, she had finally asked the question. After all, with Changle’s intelligence and the time they had spent together, how could she not have picked up on anything?