novelAbuy Chapter 68 "That" Philosophy
Chapter 68 "That" Philosophy
Chapter 68 "That" Philosophy
He turned to look at the map, his gaze falling on the winding official road leading from Chang'an to the northern border.
That was the lifeline for transporting grain, and also the only route for the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry to launch their northern expedition!
"Tough enough—"
Li Shimin muttered to himself, "Is this an indication that my resolve for the Northern Expedition must be firm, and that our logistical support must be robust?"
"Long enough—"
Fang Xuanling also came over, stroking his beard thoughtfully, "Could it mean that the battlefront needs to be prolonged? No, perhaps it means that the preparation period needs to be extended?"
"Enough!"
Changsun Wuji slapped his thigh suddenly, "The word 'strength' is the most exquisite! It refers to the need for a balanced deployment of troops, like a fully drawn bow, ready to be released but not yet released, yet guaranteed to hit its target!"
The three most brilliant minds of the Tang Dynasty were working frantically, trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind these three words.
The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more he felt it made sense.
Su Mu is using my daughter's words to give me some pointers!
The reason he refused to come out of seclusion was because he felt the time was not right, the path was not yet paved, and the timing was not right!
"A master! Truly a master!"
Li Shimin paced back and forth in the main hall, his face flushed with excitement. "I am still fretting over this trivial matter of moldy old grain, but Mr. Su has already seen the bigger picture!"
He was reminding me that this grain transport route, this path to a strong army, is not something that can be accomplished in a day; it requires meticulous refinement, like kneading dough—no, like kneading the warp and weft of the universe!
Little Sizi stood to one side, holding a spicy snack in her hand, looking at the adults who had suddenly become strange and confused, with a blank expression.
Isn't that just a piece of gluten?
Is it that complicated?
"Ah Ye————"
Little Sizi tugged at Li Shimin's sleeve, "My lord is so charming—"
"What else did he say?"
Li Shimin immediately stopped and squatted down to be at eye level with his daughter, his gaze a hundred times more earnest than when he was listening to Wei Zheng's advice.
Xiao Sizi took out another one from his pocket and offered it to Li Shimin's lips.
"If the heat isn't right, there's no use rushing it."
boom!
These words struck Li Shimin like a heavy hammer blow.
If it's not ready, there's no use rushing it!
This is a warning to me not to be too hasty, and not to lose my composure because of the current predicament!
Li Shimin's eyes welled up with tears as he took the bright red spicy strip from his daughter's hand.
He solemnly put the spicy strip into his mouth.
Occlusion.
The chewy texture of the gluten bounces between your teeth, and the sweetness that requires effort to chew perfectly illustrates the saying "it's chewy enough."
"Good! It's not quite done yet!"
Li Shimin chewed vigorously, eating with great emotion. "Xuanling, convey my decree: suspend the urgent grain requisition orders from the northern border. Order the Ministry of Revenue to re-inventory the grain. Even if it's slow, ensure that every grain of rice delivered to the soldiers is clean! I will pave this road solid enough!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Fang Xuanling and the others bowed in unison, their hearts filled with even greater reverence for the "Mr. Su" they had never met before.
Despite residing in a woodshed, he possessed a keen insight into the affairs of the world, and with just a few words from a child, he dispelled His Majesty's impatience. Such a level of understanding is truly admirable.
After finishing a spicy snack, Li Shimin licked his lips with lingering satisfaction, his gaze falling on the bulging cloth bag on Xiao Sizi's chest.
"Rhinoceros."
Li Shimin put on a kind father's smile and reached into the pocket. "This whole pocket—are they all Mr. Su's brilliant plans for you?"
Little Sizi immediately took a step back alertly, clutching her pocket tightly with both hands.
"This was given to Xizi by her father! Don't you dare take it, Father!"
"Why would I steal?"
Li Shimin rubbed his hands together, grinning like a wolf in sheep's clothing. "I just wanted to—want to grasp the essence of Mr. Su's rubbing techniques. Look, Uncle Fang and the others are all here, shall we all try to understand them together?"
Changsun Wuji swallowed hard.
The smell was so delicious; I haven't eaten since the morning court session.
"No!"
Little Sizi was adamant and turned to run away, "This is specially made! It's not spicy! It's sweet! Giving it to Ayeqi would be a waste!"
After saying that, the little girl took off running towards the back hall, shouting back as she ran, "Mother's so sweet! If Father dares to steal my meat, I'll be sleeping in the study tonight!"
"Oh! This child!"
Li Shimin's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and he coughed awkwardly twice.
Looking back at the two high-ranking officials who were trying not to laugh, Li Shimin immediately straightened his face and regained his imperial dignity.
"What are you looking at? I'm testing the princess's ability to protect her food—no, her ability to safeguard her wealth!"
He put his hands behind his back, walked back to the dragon throne and sat down, but his gaze still couldn't help but drift towards the rear hall.
What exactly does this special, sweet, non-spicy flavor taste like?
"hiss--!"
A gasp broke the silence in the woodshed.
Su Mu was fanning the small stove with a palm-leaf fan when he heard the noise and turned around.
Little Sizi was sitting on her special little wooden stool, holding half a bright red spicy strip in her hand. Her little mouth was open in a circle, and her big eyes were brimming with tears. She wanted to cry but dared not, looking as aggrieved as could be.
"What's wrong?"
Su Mu threw down his palm-leaf fan and strode over in two steps.
"pain----"
Xiao Sizi pointed to the corner of her mouth, her speech becoming even more slurred. The spicy strip she usually treasured was thrown back into the oil paper bag as if she had seen some kind of monstrous flood.
Su Mu pinched her chubby chin and leaned closer to take a look.
Inside the corner of his mouth, white spots were particularly glaring, surrounded by redness and swelling.
"It's bubbling."
Su Mu released his grip, his brow furrowing. "How much have you eaten these past few days?"
Little Sizi shrank back guiltily, stretched out his chubby fingers to try and count, but then realized he couldn't count them all, so he simply hid both hands behind his back: "No—not many ducks, just—a little bit."
"How can such a small amount of food cause such a mouthache?"
Su Mu flicked her forehead in annoyance, "You're getting a sore throat. This stuff is very oily and spicy, and it's also very hot in nature. How can your little body handle this?"
After saying that, he stretched out his long arm and picked up the floral cloth bag that Xiao Sizi was holding as a treasure.
"Confiscated."
"Wow--!"
When Little Sizi saw that her food supplies had been confiscated, the tears she had been holding back burst forth instantly. She flailed her little hands in the air, crying, "No! That's my life! You're so mean! Give it back to me!"
Su Mu hung the cloth bag on the high roof beam, dusted off his hands, and said in a tone that left no room for negotiation: "Crying won't help. From today onwards, the spicy strips are no longer available. We'll talk again when the blisters in your mouth have gone down."
Little Sizi plopped down on the ground, kicking its short legs and throwing a tantrum, but Su Mu was determined this time. He turned around and went to the water vat to scoop water, not even glancing at it.
Half an hour later.
The broken wooden door of the Imperial Kitchen's backyard was being pounded on so loudly it was like an attack on a city.
"Brother Su! Open the door! I, Old Cheng, followed the scent!"
Cheng Yaojin's raspy voice could shatter eardrums even through a door, "I know you're home! Don't hide and stay silent! My boys haven't eaten breakfast and are waiting for this to save their lives! Yesterday's was too bland, so add more dogwood today!"
Not only was Cheng Yaojin outside the gate.
Several eunuchs from various palaces, clutching silver in their hands, stood on tiptoe and peered inside, each one as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
"Mr. Su, please do me the honor. Consort Wei is waiting."
"Exactly, even just three would be fine!"
Creak—!
The door opened.
The crowd's faces lit up with joy, but before they could even squeeze in, a dark, rotten wooden plank was erected at the entrance.
Several large characters were hastily written on it with charcoal:
The owner is in a bad mood, so the business is temporarily closed for rectification. Whoever knocks on the door is a dog.
"Bang!"
The door closed again.
Cheng Yaojin looked at the word "dog," his dark face turning a deep purplish-red, and he didn't dare to bring down his raised fist.
If this gets smashed, we might not even be able to get soup anymore.
"What the hell is this?!"
Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh, wincing in pain, "This is going to cut off my supply line!"
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