Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

In Kaolao Village, if she wanted to get up early to go to the school to see the children reading, she didn't have to wait for the palace servants to announce her.

If you want to go fishing by the pond in the afternoon, you don't need to ask "Will it interfere with your business?"

If you want to go with Xiao Ran to the back slope to listen to songs, you can leave anytime.

She no longer needs to think about "what I should do".

Just think about "what I want to do".

This sense of security, this ability to "live as one pleases," made her feel more at ease than the luxurious life in the palace.

She suddenly felt that the "greatness" of the palace was cold, a distant feeling separated by palace walls and rules.

The "smallness" of Kaolao Village is warm, filled with the warmth of everyday life and genuine intimacy.

Here, she doesn't have to be the "eldest princess whom everyone reveres," but simply "Li Lizhi who can laugh, make a fuss, and live freely."

This is true freedom.

Li Lizhi leaned gently on Xiao Ran's shoulder, "That's so nice!"

Kaolao Village is really nice.

"It's so good to have a young man!"

Xiao Ran smiled and turned his head to lean against Li Lizhi, "Fifth Sister, don't you want to go back to Chang'an?"

"I didn't expect that Mother is here now, Sizi and the others are here too, and so is Grandpa."

Li Lizhi had absolutely no intention of doing so.

"Young master, do you want to go to Chang'an?" Li Li asked.

"I had thought about going to Chang'an to make a name for myself, but I think I've fallen in love with this place," Xiao Ran said with a smile.

“I used to wander the world, but I never thought I could have a home here and a sense of belonging.”

Xiao Ran whispered, "It's so good to have met you guys, Si Zi!"

The two of them remained silent, listening to the song in silence.

The songs in the playlist were played randomly, and Xiao Ran himself had no idea what the next song would be.

The melody in my headphones suddenly changed.

The previous cheerful melody faded away, replaced by a gentle sound tinged with lingering melancholy.

Like the evening breeze swirling around the old elm tree, each lyric, wrapped in delicate emotions, gently falls into your ears.

Li Lizhi paused slightly as she leaned on Xiao Ran's shoulder.

Her feet, which had been swaying gently in the evening breeze, stopped, and her fingertips instinctively gripped his sleeve.

His gaze shifted from the smoke rising from the chimneys below the slope to Xiao Ran's profile, his attention completely drawn to the unfamiliar yet captivating melody.

"The military peaks of Zhuolu have melted away, and the traces of Yu the Great outline the Chinese civilization."

In the gentle singing, this lyric entered my ears first.

Li Lizhi murmured softly, her tone carrying a hint of uncertain certainty.

Zhuolu is where the Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou, and Yuji is the trace of Yu the Great's flood control efforts.
"Is this a song about ancient times?" Li Lizhi turned her head and murmured to herself.

His eyes gleamed with a hint of "I'm not mistaken, am I?", like a child who had discovered something new and interesting.

Before Xiao Ran could respond, the lyrics continued: "The paintings cannot capture the years that have passed by on the pioneering path, but the inscriptions on tortoise shells will recreate the vicissitudes of the past."

Li Lizhi's eyes lit up, and she gently tapped the edge of the earphone with her fingertip. The inscription was the oracle bone script of the Yin and Shang dynasties, which was used to record events on tortoise shells.

The phrase "筚路" (bī lù) refers to how difficult it was for the Zhou people to start their businesses by driving carts made of firewood.
"This song contains so many allusions to the old dynasties."

Li Lizhi slowly counted the words along with the lyrics. Although the melody was gentle, it was like a fine comb, slowly untangling a thousand years of time.

"The phoenix flew from Qishan to the battlefield of Muye."

Qishan is the root of the Zhou Dynasty. The Battle of Muye destroyed the Shang Dynasty. I read about Jiang Ziya in the Book of Zhou.

"The Jixia Academy, a hub of diverse schools of thought, nurtured the seeds of new ideas."

Her lips curved into a smile, and her tone became more respectful.

It was the Jixia Academy during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, where Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi discussed the Dao, and where a hundred schools of thought contended. That was truly a lively place.

"Those immortal laws are sung along the Qin roads."

Li Lizhi nodded gently. The Qin Dynasty's imperial roads and laws were what enabled them to unify the world. Later, the Great Wall collapsed, signifying the fall of Qin and the subsequent struggle between Chu and Han for supremacy.
From Zhang Qian's "camel bells drifting to Rome" along the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty, to Ban Chao's "abandoning his pen for the sword" and Dou Xian's "inscription on Yanran Mountain".

Then there's Cao Cao's "composing a poem while holding a spear" and Zhuge Liang's "Longzhong Plan".

The elegant demeanor of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" during the Wei and Jin dynasties, and the Sinicization under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty who advocated "returning to the Central Plains and becoming one with the Xia people."
Every sentence matched the classic texts that Li Lizhi had read, and the light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

It's as if following this gentle melody, I've taken a slow, thousand-year journey.

Until the song "Chang'an, the capital of the Nine Heavens, where all nations jointly depict the Zhenguan era" was played.

Li Lizhi suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly warm, her voice trembling:

"It's our Great Tang! The Nine Heavens Gate is the grandeur of Chang'an's city gates, and Zhenguan is the reign title of Emperor Zhenguan."

"All nations come to pay tribute—isn't that exactly what it's like now!"

She tightened her grip on Xiao Ran's sleeve, her pride concealing a softness, even the evening breeze that brushed through her hair seemed to carry warmth.

But this tenderness didn't last long; the melody of the lyrics gently sank down:

"This golden age will eventually come to an end. A single city can save the nation, but several attempts at revival ultimately fail like fallen petals."

Li Lizhi's smile froze instantly, her brows furrowed slightly, and the light in her eyes dimmed, like a cool leaf being swept away by the evening breeze.
"Even the most glorious eras eventually come to an end. Will the Tang Dynasty also face this day?"

She murmured to herself, her voice revealing an unease she herself was unaware of.

What confused her even more was yet to come.

Li Lizhi realized that the lyrics to the following songs were a matter for later, and she was no longer as relaxed as before.

The lyrics are incredibly valuable.

Li Lizhi naturally guessed it.

Li Lizhi remained silent and listened quietly until the end.

After the song ended, Li Lizhi took off her headphones.

"Young master, what's the meaning behind this poem?" Li Lizhi asked Xiao Ran.

"You know about the Fifth Sister from before, so let's just say the rest is a prophecy!" That's all Xiao Ran could say.

"Chang'an, the capital of the Nine Heavens, is a place where all nations jointly celebrate the Zhenguan era! Could such a golden age have been foreseen?"

"The Tang Dynasty's golden age was inevitable; it was an unstoppable trend," Xiao Ran said with a smile.

"Why do you say that?"

Xiao Ran pondered for a moment, "Isn't this how things always are in the world—after a long period of chaos, things will eventually be brought back to unity?"

"If the government is stable, a golden age will surely come."

"The Warring States period lasted for more than 500 years, with the feudal lords fighting each other, until finally Qin unified the world."

"Although the Qin dynasty was short-lived, the Han dynasty took over, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive, which led to the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, Emperor Wu, and Emperor Xuan, and the subsequent golden age."

"Later, during the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was more than 300 years of chaos. People of various ethnic groups migrated to and fro, merging with each other, until the Sui Dynasty unified the country again."

"Although the Sui Dynasty eventually fell, the principle of 'unity after a long period of chaos' has never failed to hold true."

Xiao Ran paused, then looked at Li Lizhi, "What the Great Tang is now receiving is the foundation after this 'union'."

"It's like farming. The previous generations loosened the soil and removed the weeds. As long as we take good care of it, good crops will naturally grow."

"Let's talk about ethnic issues again."

Xiao Ran continued, "Those few hundred years of chaos during the Wei and Jin dynasties were not for nothing."

"The Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, Qiang, and Han people lived and ate together."

"Some learned Han etiquette and customs, while others taught Han horsemanship and archery. By the time of the Sui Dynasty, it was no longer possible to distinguish who was a pure 'Hu' and who was a pure 'Han'."

“After His Majesty ascended the throne, he never made such a clear distinction between ‘Han and Hu’.”

"Turkic generals could become Grand Generals, Tibetan envoys could reside in Chang'an, and even caravans from the Western Regions could do business on Zhuque Street." "Did the Han Dynasty have this kind of 'everyone is equal' inclusiveness?"

"Was it during the reign of Emperor Guangwu?"

"No."

"But it was only after the Tang Dynasty, with the integration of the previous hundreds of years, that we had this confidence."

"The arrival of all nations to pay tribute is not due to luck, but because the Tang Dynasty was able to accommodate all people from all over the world, so naturally people from all over the world were willing to come to pay tribute."

"The most important thing is Your Majesty!"

Xiao Ran's voice softened further, "He had witnessed the fall of the Sui Dynasty and knew that the people would rebel if they suffered, so he dared not mistreat them."

"He knew that ministers who dared to speak out would make fewer mistakes, so he was willing to listen to the advice of Uncle Wei Zheng."

"With such a monarch, coupled with the capable ministers of the Zhenguan era, and the foundation laid by the previous few hundred years of 'enough chaos, thorough integration, and a solid financial base,' it would be strange if the Tang Dynasty did not experience a golden age."

He smiled and said, "So the song's line 'All nations jointly depict the Zhenguan era' is not a fabricated prophecy."

"It is the principles of the world and the hopes of the people that come together to propel the Tang Dynasty toward a golden age."

"This is not accidental, it is inevitable."

"Just like planting in spring and harvesting in autumn, when the time comes, there will naturally be a good harvest."

Li Lizhi looked into Xiao Ran's eyes, but her suspicions remained.

But I think what Xiao Ran said makes a lot of sense.

"Fifth Sister, it's getting late, let's go back!" Xiao Ran pulled Li Lizhi back.

Xiao Ran has told Li Lizhi many secrets.

If she were to say again that she came from the future, Li Lizhi would definitely ask many more questions.

Many things will not happen anymore, and there's nothing more to say.

When they arrived at Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi's house, they saw that the little princess and the others had also returned from school.

Princess Yuzhang taught several young maids how to make ice from saltpeter.

It's clear that the children are very serious and interested.

"Little Nangjun~" the little princess tugged at Xiao Ran, "Sister Niu is so awesome~"

The little princess was greatly amazed when she saw ice being made.

Princess Yuzhang smiled and said, "This is not difficult. I would like to let Sizi and the others try it themselves."

"Yes, that's a good idea. It helps develop practical skills. By doing it yourself, you'll learn a lot of things." Xiao Ran also agreed wholeheartedly.

Kids love this kind of thing because it's much more interesting than reading and memorizing.

"Young master, come too, let's stay together." Princess Chengyang pulled Xiao Ran along.

"I'll watch over things, Sizi, you guys can handle it!" Xiao Ran squatted down beside him.

The earthenware basin was placed in the courtyard, and the well water that had just been poured in was still shimmering with tiny sparkles.

The little princess clutched the cloth bag, her tiny fingers prying out a bit of saltpeter powder from the seam of the cloth.

When I poured it into the basin, some powder drifted onto my chin.

The little princess instinctively stuck out her tongue and licked it, then immediately wrinkled her face: "It's bitter~ It's not good at all~"

Princess Chengyang sat on the stone steps beside her, clapping her hands with laughter: "Sizi, this isn't candy, you can't lick it!"

Third Sister quickly handed over a handkerchief to wipe Sizi's chin, and gently coaxed, "Don't lick it next time, you can't eat this."

Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi, who were standing nearby, were also at a loss for words, neither laughing nor crying.

Di Renjie didn't get too close, but stared at the small bronze basin in the center of the earthenware basin. Seeing that it was slightly tilted by the water, he got up, walked over, and gently straightened the bronze basin.
"It needs to be placed upright, otherwise the ice will freeze crooked."

He spoke in a low voice, afraid of startling the rhinoceros.

Sizi looked up at him and saw that he was holding a small wooden spoon with a short handle. Her eyes lit up: "I want this!"

“Okay!” Di Renjie handed the wooden spoon to the little princess.

The spoon handle was specially shortened so that Sizi could grip it. "Like this, turn it in one direction, but don't turn it too fast."

Di Renjie squatted down next to the little princess, gently placed his hand on the back of her hand, and slowly stirred it with her:

"See, this way the water won't splash out."

The little princess followed his movements, her face full of seriousness. After stirring for a while, her arm ached, so she handed the wooden spoon to Third Aunt: "Third Aunt~ Here you go~"

"Okay!" Third Sister accepted it.

Before long, a thin layer of frost formed on the wall of the earthenware basin. The little princess touched it with her little finger, but quickly withdrew it because it was so cold.

Excitedly tugging at Xiao Ran's sleeve, she exclaimed, "Little Nang-jun~ It's so cool~ So refreshing~"

Di Renjie leaned closer to examine the small copper basin, pointed to the surface of the water, and said, "Sizi, look, there are already small ice crystals here!"

The little princess leaned closer, her eyes wide open: "Mmm, mmm~ So awesome~"

After waiting a while longer, the water in the small copper basin completely froze.

Fearing the ice would stick to the basin, Di Renjie first poured some cool water around the basin's sides, then gently pried it open with a wooden spoon.

A round, thin piece of ice was taken out.

He didn't take it directly, but instead placed a handkerchief under it and handed it to the little princess: "Sizi, take this, be careful not to get your hands cold."

The little princess held the ice in her two tiny hands. Although her fingertips were red from the cold, she refused to let go and even held it up for Princess Chengyang and Third Sister to see.

Hehe~ It's so refreshingly cool~

The little girls seemed to have tasted the fun and found it very enjoyable.

They continued working on it.

This time, Yan Yao and San Niang also tried it themselves.

Wang Ji also went over and saw the girls doing it.

"No, it's impossible, even though the kids like it."

“Uncle, there’s plenty of saltpeter now, and there haven’t been any recreational classes lately. Why don’t we let the children try it out?” Xiao Ran suggested.

“That’s a good idea. We have saltpeter, but we’ll probably have to bring the other tools from home ourselves,” Wang Ji said thoughtfully.

"Several people should form a group and discuss which tools to bring." Xiao Ran looked at the little princess and the others. "Later, Si Zi and the others can teach the others."

The little princess turned to look at Xiao Ran, "Hehe~ I've failed miserably~"

"Wow, that's really impressive!"

“There’s too much saltpeter, we don’t need it, let’s send it back to Uncle!” Xiao Ran said to Li Lizhi.

The imperial court is definitely useful.

Li Lizhi nodded. "I'll write to Grandpa tomorrow and ask him to arrange for someone to bring some back."

It would be a waste to leave these things here if they weren't used.

Just keep a portion.

Li Shimin had sent a lot before.

The little girls played until it was time to eat.

Di Renjie tried it once, then stopped and watched others do it.

It's hard to imagine that this is a child who is only a few years old.

He wasn't very old, but he was taking care of the others.

The little princess, in particular, is pampered by the other children, which is what makes her special.

"Seven Rice~" the little princess called out.

Yan Yao took a handkerchief and wiped the little princess's face. (End of Chapter)