"How dare this descendant slander my reputation out of thin air!"
Li Shimin's eyes went wide.
The short, curled beard on his chin trembled with every breath, betraying just how irritated he really was.
For one brief moment, if not for the setting…
if not for the court watching…
if not for the Empress sitting beside him…
He truly wanted to jump up and start cursing.
This was filial duty!
What did people of later ages even understand?
Besides, he had honored his father as Retired Emperor, not sent him off to become a monk. Some matters were simply beyond his control.
For instance, two years ago his father, already sixty-two, had still managed to produce his twenty-second younger brother.
That… was not something Li Shimin could exactly regulate.
Still, Father's health really was…
He abruptly stopped his thoughts before they wandered too far.
Turning his head, he saw Empress Zhangsun smiling at him.
Several old ministers nearby pretended to look straight ahead, but their heads leaned ever so slightly in his direction.
Their thoughts were obvious.
Li Shimin sighed inwardly.
Fine. Sometimes listening to the nonsense of future generations really did make a man feel helpless.
At that moment, the Empress spoke up.
"What exactly is this 'floating fortress'? How could it possibly give birth to a child?"
The question neatly broke the awkward atmosphere.
Li Shimin shot her a grateful glance.
Next time someone from the future said nonsense like this, he decided he would simply pretend not to hear it.
Du Ruhui spoke slowly.
"This 'floating fortress' may be something like a Heavenly Palace."
Every time he thought of it, he felt a faint chill run through him.
The magnificence of the Earth alone had already shaken him.
But the idea that above this world's sky there floated another structure, forged by the descendants of Xia, felt almost unreal.
This was also why debate had arisen during the earlier replay in Ganlu Hall.
Chu Suiliang had wanted the replay to show previously skipped historical segments first.
Wei Zheng agreed, saying that when watching something, it should be seen whole from beginning to end.
Du Ruhui, however, felt differently.
Those earlier parts were just old Three Kingdoms history. Everyone present knew that material already. They could simply reread Records of the Three Kingdoms if they wished.
Given the chance, why not watch more of that terrifying cosmic view of Earth instead?
So when the future narrator made that joke, Du Ruhui could vaguely grasp the meaning.
Just as controlling Hexi allowed access to the Western Regions, if the future possessed a Heavenly Palace, then there must also be smaller palaces in the sky.
From such heights, one could easily dominate the ground below.
For example, by dropping gunpowder from above.
His speculation earned nods across Ganlu Hall.
The military men, especially Yu Chi Jingde, suddenly grew very interested.
When would they ever get to see what warfare in that future age truly looked like?
---
"What an abundance of chances there were to restore the realm…"
Zhao Pu held a notebook in his hands.
Based on the Song history explained by the future narrator, he had organized events in rough chronological order, imitating the style of historical analysis from that later age.
Beside him, the Hanlin medical officer Liu Han leaned over curiously to look.
Zhao Pu did not mind.
He even explained parts of it quietly, pointing out key events and sighing openly as he did.
If only the reformers and the emperor of that time had acted decisively…
If only the diplomacy between Song, Jin, and Liao had been reconsidered more carefully…
If only Zhao Gou had died in the chaos of war…
If only Yue Fei had been allowed to fulfill his ambitions…
If only…
By the end, nothing remained but a long sigh.
Liu Han spoke softly.
"Xunzi once said, if you cut away land bit by bit to bribe an enemy, then once the cutting begins, their desire will never be satisfied."
"Is Jin not exactly like that?"
That remark made Zhao Kuangyin burst into laughter.
"Emperor Taizong of Tang also said that the barbarians carry the hearts of beasts. They fear strength but never cherish virtue."
"Give them a sliver, and they want a pound. Give them a pound, and they demand the whole scale."
"I always thought this was common sense. Yet today I see another clever fellow who still wants to repay resentment with virtue."
Everyone in the hall instinctively turned their heads.
They saw the monk standing near the emperor, eyes bruised dark, shiny bald head gleaming under the light, looking unintentionally ridiculous.
One palace attendant nearly laughed out loud.
Zhao Kuangyin stood with hands behind his back, staring up at the projection above.
After a while his neck began to ache, so he turned back toward Liu Han.
"Minister Liu, since your family practices medicine, you must know that when prescribing drugs, one must measure every grain carefully."
Liu Han thought seriously, then shook his head.
"Not necessarily. Herbs lose some weight during preparation and boiling. Absolute precision is not always required."
Zhao Kuangyin froze.
Behind him, Zhao Kuangyi seized the moment and laughed loudly without mercy.
Zhao Kuangyin shot him a flat look that instantly shut him up like a duck with its throat grabbed.
Then he tried again.
"…But if even one or two ingredients are missing, a good remedy may turn harmful. For the state, we…"
"Your Majesty," Liu Han said earnestly,
"Some formulas still work even if the guiding ingredient is missing. And if the main herb is absent, the medicine simply becomes useless, not poisonous."
Inside, Liu Han sighed.
He actually envied the future age a little, where people did not avoid discussing illness or medicine. Even a youth could casually talk about medical knowledge.
Very different from now.
Zhao Pu nudged Liu Han with his shoulder and gave him a meaningful look that clearly said stop talking.
Then he smoothly took over.
"Your Majesty means that for a state, the loss of a single coin may seem small, yet the collapse of a thousand-mile dike begins with a single ant hole."
Zhao Kuangyin nodded and laughed.
"Exactly. Zhao Pu understands me."
Zhao Pu continued.
"The wealth of the state comes grain by grain from the people. Therefore it must be spent for the people."
"For irrigation and armaments, even ten thousand strings of cash may be too little."
"But for bribing enemies and feeding invaders, even a single coin is too much."
"I only hope Your Majesty will not repeat the mistakes of the Northern and Southern Song, but instead unify China so that later generations speak not of two Songs, but only of one Great Song."
The reasoning was solid and layered.
But the last line made Zhao Kuangyin hesitate.
"With this heavenly opportunity, how could our Song not build an age never seen before? I do not ask for ten thousand generations. Even if it lasts a thousand years…"
Zhao Pu looked at him seriously and sighed.
"Your Majesty… perhaps we should focus first on conquering Northern Han."
At that, Zhao Kuangyin's smile faded slightly.
After a moment of silence, he spoke with decision.
"If by next October I still suffer that misfortune…"
Liu Han immediately protested.
"Your Majesty is in excellent health. You eat lightly, abstain from wine. How could such a thing happen?"
Zhao Kuangyin forced a small smile, then shook his head.
"You are indeed a skilled physician, and I trust you. But if it is called a misfortune, it need not come from illness."
Liu Han's interruption made him feel that discussing this here was not appropriate anyway.
Even if he did not issue a secret decree, he should at least prepare a sealed chest for one…
But just as the thought crossed his mind, Zhao Kuangyin glanced aside and saw the monk Kong Jiong absentmindedly counting the beads around his neck.
If next October passed peacefully…
Would that mean the tale of candlelight and axe shadows might truly be real?