Tang Dynasty: Saving Lives and Helping Others, Li Lizhi Falls for Him

"Please have a taste, sir."

Li Shimin looked at the slices of meat in the bowl, but did not pick up his chopsticks immediately.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang.

The two understood, stood up, used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of mutton from the soup, put it in their own bowls, and took a bite.

In an instant, Li Chunfeng's eyes lit up.

"Delicious! How come this meat is so tender?"

Li Shimin then picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of meat from the bowl, and put it in his mouth.

The sliced ​​meat was incredibly tender and juicy, and the rich broth and meaty aroma burst in my mouth. It was unlike any other meat I had ever tasted, and it was bursting with meaty flavor.

"This...this is pork?" Li Shimin exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes, this is indeed pork." Shen Chang'an nodded.

"impossible!"

One of the aides blurted out, "Pork has a terrible, unpleasant smell, how can it taste so good?"

Shen Chang'an smiled and explained, "What you all don't know is that pork has a strong, unpleasant smell because the pigs weren't castrated."

"A few months ago, I taught my neighbor, Wang Laosi, how to castrate piglets. After castration, the pigs no longer had that fishy smell, and the meat was tender."

"If you don't believe me, you can send someone to investigate. Old Wang lives two miles southeast of Qixia Gate. He keeps several pigs at home, all of which have been castrated."

Li Shimin glanced at Li Chunfeng, who nodded slightly, indicating that he had remembered it.

"I see."

Li Shimin suddenly realized, "Mr. Shen even knows about raising pigs, he is truly learned."

Shen Chang'an added a few more slices of potato to the soup, cooked them for a while, then scooped them out and distributed them to everyone.

Li Shimin took a bite; the potato was soft, sweet, and melted in his mouth.

"How can these potatoes be so soft and tender?" He was stunned.

"Sir, potatoes can be eaten as a vegetable or as a staple food," Shen Chang'an said. "If there is a food shortage, people can survive on potatoes alone."

Li Shimin's eyes reddened slightly.

The sweet potatoes were also boiled; they were soft, sweet, and delicious, and we even ate the skin.

The tender corn pieces, cooked in the soup, combined the savory flavor of the broth with the sweetness of the corn, making it irresistible to everyone.

"Mr. Shen," Li Shimin put down his chopsticks and let out a long sigh, "If these crops you mentioned can truly be promoted, they will save the lives of all people. On behalf of the people of the Tang Dynasty, I thank you."

He stood up and solemnly bowed.

Shen Chang'an quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "You flatter me, sir."

……

After a hearty meal and drinks, everyone had a few cups of tea. Li Shimin waved his hand, signaling Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang, and several advisors to retreat to a distance in the courtyard.

Only Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, Li Lizhi, Li Chengqian, and Shen Chang'an remained in the pavilion.

Li Shimin remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Mr. Shen, now that things have come to this, there's something I can no longer hide from you."

Shen Chang'an's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended not to know and instead showed a look of doubt on his face: "Please speak, sir."

Li Shimin took a deep breath, stood up, straightened his clothes, and solemnly cupped his hands to Shen Chang'an: "I am the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chang'an showed just the right amount of surprise on his face, quickly stood up, and bowed: "This humble subject, Shen Chang'an, greets Your Majesty! I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival and have failed to greet you properly; I deserve to die!"

"Mr. Shen, please rise."

Li Shimin personally helped him up, saying, "Sir, you are truly talented. It was my fault for concealing my identity. What crime have you committed, sir?"

Shen Chang'an stood up, stood with his hands at his sides, and looked respectful.

Li Shimin looked into his eyes, his gaze full of approval: "Mr. Shen, you have treated the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess, and presented prescriptions for hemostatic powder and wound medicine. Now you have even brought out this high-yield crop that benefits the country and its people. I would like to ask you, what reward do you desire?"

Shen Chang'an shook his head: "Your Majesty, this humble subject does not need any reward."

"unnecessary?"

Li Shimin was taken aback. "As for titles, honors, gold, silver, fertile land, and beautiful houses, whatever you ask for, I will grant it."

"Your Majesty," Shen Chang'an raised his head, his gaze frank, "my humble ideal is simply to heal the sick and save lives. I am neither skilled nor fond of the affairs of officialdom. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."

"Furthermore, His Majesty has not yet verified these seeds before bestowing them upon me, which is truly improper!"

"As for the medical treatment I provided to Her Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince, and Her Highness the Princess, I have already received payment for the services; therefore, I do not require any further reward!"

Li Shimin fell silent. He hadn't expected that even when he personally asked, Shen Chang'an still wouldn't want anything.

Moreover, Shen Chang'an's words made sense, and he couldn't refute them.

Those grain seeds haven't been planted yet, so it's a bit too early to bestow rewards.

Seeing Shen Chang'an's reaction, Empress Zhangsun secretly winked at Li Shimin and whispered, "Second Prince, Mr. Shen's ambitions lie elsewhere. Forcing him would be counterproductive. It's not too late to bestow rewards after the crops have been cultivated!"

After seeing Empress Zhangsun's meaningful look, Li Shimin understood that the matter of bestowing rewards could be discussed in more detail later.

At this moment, Li Chengqian also said, "Father, I know Physician Shen's character. He is not interested in fame or fortune, but only wants to help people and save lives. Such a person cannot be forced to stay."

Li Shimin sighed: "Mr. Shen, have you thought this through?"

"I've thought it through." Shen Chang'an nodded. "If Your Majesty truly wishes to reward this humble subject, it would be better to distribute more grain to the disaster-stricken people. They need it more than this humble subject."

Li Shimin gave him a deep look and slowly nodded.

"I will remember Mr. Shen's great righteousness."

He paused, then said, "The illnesses of the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess will require your continued assistance, sir."

Li Shimin gave him a deep look and slowly nodded.

"I will remember Mr. Shen's great righteousness."

He paused, then said, "The illnesses of the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess will require your continued assistance, sir."

"These are all things that ordinary people should do."

After the matter of bestowing rewards was concluded, Shen Chang'an asked everyone to sit down again, took out the Green Wood Needle Box from his medicine chest, and began the follow-up examination.

Although the patient is still the same patient, his identity and status are now different, so he needs to maintain a greater distance during consultations.

We need to pay particular attention to Empress Zhangsun and Li Lizhi.

During the diagnosis and treatment, Empress Zhangsun's pulse was stable, her complexion was good, and the fetus in her womb was unharmed.

Li Lizhi's physical weakness has also been alleviated, but she still needs to continue her treatment.

Li Chengqian's health has improved significantly, and he can stop taking medicine after another month of recuperation.

Li Shimin's own health also improved significantly; his headache was greatly reduced, and he had more energy than before.

Shen Chang'an administered acupuncture and prescribed medicine one by one, working for more than an hour before finishing the entire treatment.

As evening approached, Li Shimin rose to take his leave.

"Mr. Shen, I will bring the Empress for a follow-up appointment in five days."

Li Shimin walked to the courtyard gate, glanced back at him, and said, "I will have people plant those seeds on the imperial estate. If it is truly as you say, then you are the benefactor of the Tang Dynasty."

Shen Chang'an cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, please take your time."

The carriage rumbled away and disappeared into the twilight.

Shen Chang'an closed the courtyard gate and let out a long sigh of relief.

His identity was revealed, the reward was declined, and the seeds were given away.

Next, I can focus on treating my illness, cultivating my skills, and refining elixirs.