The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 131: Welcome the New Life and Say Goodbye to the Dead

Li Heng was aware of the current complicated situation in the court and was making his own plans, but now was not the time to tell Yang Yuhuan and Zhang Mujin, so he listened to Zhang Mujin and did not say much.

Instead, he changed the subject and asked Zhang Mujin, "How is Mujin's medical foundation being sorted out?"

Before Zhang Mujin could speak, Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "I have compiled a volume and handed it over to the government office for distribution. Now the people of Anxi are grateful for Sister Mujin's kindness."

Zhang Mujin said, "I am grateful for your kindness, Your Highness. What I did was just a small favor."

Yang Yuhuan said: "I have also heard that the people of Anxi are now grateful to you, my lord."

"Really?" Li Heng hasn't paid much attention to these things recently.

Yang Yuhuan nodded and said, "Before you took over as Jiedushi, you investigated corrupt officials, rectified the administration, and stood up for the people. After you took over as Jiedushi, you won consecutive battles abroad, encouraged people to cultivate agriculture and improved farm tools, and asked Wang Canjun and others to guide farming. You also cared about the sufferings of the people. With such benevolence, the people are both grateful and worried."

Li Ying asked curiously, "What are you worried about?"

Yang Yuhuan said, "I'm worried that my husband will be transferred. If he is transferred and replaced by a governor like Gai Jiayun, their lives will be difficult again."

Li Ying smiled upon hearing this and said, "We talked about doing a lot of good deeds so that we can be together in the next life. I think this should be considered as doing good deeds."

"Of course." Yang Yuhuan nodded happily and took Li Heng's hand. "My dear, you have done so many good things. We will definitely be together in the next life."

As they talked, they looked at each other and smiled.

……

……

……

In the following period of time, Li Heng first signed a contract with He Tuo, and then told He Tuo his ideas for improving Li Tejin.

He Tuo's daughter was very talented in weaving. She accompanied him throughout the process and was responsible for implementing Li Heng's ideas.

While Li Heng was busy improving the Li Tejin, he was also working on explosives. At the same time, he asked Gao Xianzhi to return to Qiuci and handed over the affairs of Suiye City to An Sishun in advance.

A month goes by in a blink of an eye.

This day was the ninth day of the eleventh month in the twenty-seventh year of Kaiyuan.

With the cry of a baby, Li Ying's first child was born.

The midwife opened the door and said to Li Ying, "Your Highness, everything is fine. The baby is A-Cha."

A-Cha is the name for girls in the royal family who have not been given a title.

Li Heng came in excitedly, took the child in his arms, looked at his daughter happily, went to Yang Yuhuan's bedside, gently stroked Yang Yuhuan's sweaty face, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Yang Yuhuan said: "Let me see the child."

"Yeah." Li Ying put his daughter next to Yang Yuhuan.

Yang Yuhuan looked at her daughter tenderly and said with a smile, "Your nose is like mine, and your eyes are like yours. Have you thought of a name, my dear?"

Li Heng said, "We will name our child together. She already has the last name Li, which is equivalent to me picking a character. You can think of the rest."

Yang Yuhuan said, "I can't think of it, my dear, please think of it."

"Let me think about it." Li Heng smiled, leaned over and kissed Yang Yuhuan on the forehead, and said, "The key now is that you have to take good care of yourself."

"Yeah." Yang Yuhuan responded obediently.

At this time, an imperial decree suddenly arrived.

Li Ying hurried back to the lobby and respectfully received the imperial edict.

The imperial edict said that Yuan was seriously ill and her life was at stake, so Li Heng was ordered to return to Chang'an as soon as possible.

After receiving the imperial edict, Li Heng sighed heavily, then came to Yang Yuhuan's bedside, asked everyone else to leave, and then told Yang Yuhuan the news.

Yang Yuhuan heard this and asked, "When will you leave, my dear?" "Tomorrow." Li Heng habitually reached out and smoothed Yang Yuhuan's hair, saying, "At this time, I should have accompanied you, but something happened suddenly."

Yang Yuhuan grabbed Li Heng's hand and said softly, "There is a long time to come. My husband will spend a lot of time with me. I don't mind these few months. But as a daughter-in-law, I cannot go with my husband to visit Yuan A Niang. It is unfilial. I hope Yuan A Niang will not blame me."

Li Yan said, "Your health cannot allow you to travel far. She won't blame you. And you'd better not return to Chang'an for the next two years."

Next year will be the year 740.

In 740, Li Longji fell in love with Yang Yuhuan and made her a Taoist priest.

Li Heng always felt vaguely uneasy.

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan agreed, "I will rest for two years. If anything happens to Yuan Niang, please kowtow to me a few more times."

"Okay." Li Ying nodded.

Yang Yuhuan paused for a moment and said, "The situation in the court is unclear right now, my dear, please be careful."

"I will." Li Heng replied, "I will arrange everything for Anxi, you can just rest assured and recuperate."

"Well, I'll wait for my husband to come back." Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Heng, her eyes full of reluctance.

Li Heng leaned down, got close to Yang Yuhuan, and said, "After we parted last time, I saw that you had lost weight when I came back. Don't be like last time this time."

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "Last time, my lord said he would punish me, but he never did."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng kissed Yang Yuhuan and said, "Okay, I'll punish you."

Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "Not enough."

"Let's talk about it when I come back." Li Heng pinched Yang Yuhuan's face.

……

The next day.

Li Heng asked Gao Xianzhi to stay in Qiuci and told Cen Shen to study explosives seriously. He then took Li Siye, his personal guards and Zhang Mujin with him to Chang'an.

Before leaving, Imperial Physician Zhang found Li Heng, took out a box from his bosom and presented it to him, saying, "Your Highness, I am no longer employed by the Imperial Medical Bureau. Wang Bing and Zhou Guang in the Imperial Medical Bureau are both capable people. If they were to diagnose your pulse, they would definitely find clues. Therefore, I have specially prepared a pill. After your Highness takes it, your pulse will be the same as that of a stagnant pulse, but there will also be a short-term side effect. Within half a day, your Highness will be completely exhausted."

Li Heng took the box and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang."

"This is what I should do." Doctor Zhang smiled slightly, then sighed and said, "I have wanted to get involved in government affairs all my life, but now it seems that all my efforts are in vain. Perhaps the most correct thing I have done is to diagnose Your Highness."

Li Ying said: "Many things cannot be predicted without seeing the results. I will try my best to make sure your efforts are not in vain."

Doctor Zhang said, "Now that I have retired, my mind is much clearer. Now I just want to focus on studying medicine and save more patients."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries and Li Heng set off.

As soon as Li Heng entered Chang'an, he received the news that Yuan Shi had been dead for five days.

So Li Heng did not return home, but changed into mourning clothes and went straight to Prince Ning's mansion.

In Prince Ning's mansion, everyone knelt on the ground in unison, and when they saw Li Heng, they made way for him.

Li Heng came to Yuan's coffin, knelt down, and cried, "Mother Yuan!"

Li Ying's sorrowful voice immediately caused crying in the room.

Everyone cried for a while, and then Yuan's eldest son Li Jing helped Li Jing up and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou is not feeling well, and you have been traveling so hard. Please stand up first."

Li Heng did not refuse, and stood up and said, "I hurried as fast as I could, but I still didn't get to say a word to Yuan A Niang."

Li Jing said in a tearful voice: "Everything in the world is destined. Before my mother closed her eyes, she was thinking of His Highness the Prince of Shou."

(End of this chapter)