Outside Chang'an City, Fang Family Manor.
Li Xiuning brought Empress Changsun aboard the helicopter.
Accompanying them were Consort Yin, the one-and-a-half-year-old Li Zhi, and three-year-old Gao Yang.
And, of course, Haha, who loved to carry Gao Yang around, was also with them.
In the Imperial Palace, at the Two Poles Hall.
Li Shimin and Consort Yang sat opposite each other, a chessboard placed between them.
"You and Consort Yin are like sisters. Don't you feel any resentment towards me for not being able to leave together this time?"
Old Li spoke, moving a chess piece, setting up a "forward cannon" formation.
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Someone has to stay behind to keep you company, right?"
Consort Yang smiled sweetly, shifted the pawn that had crossed the river one square, leaving a wide-open flank and rendering Old Li's cannon without support.
She said it lightly, but only she knew the bitterness in her heart.
She was, after all, a princess of the previous dynasty. Not only the court officials but even the consorts in the harem were wary of her.
It was only Empress Changsun's virtuous nature; otherwise, if it had been someone with a small mind, she probably would never have been able to have a child in her life.
"I heard that two years ago, Xiao Yu brought an old woman back from the grasslands. Does my beloved consort know of this matter?"
Li Shimin moved the other cannon over, launching a double-cannon attack!
Consort Yang's body suddenly trembled.
Xiao Yu was her maternal uncle!
"Your Majesty, I have lived in the palace for a long time and have had no contact with my uncle. How would I know who he brought back from the grasslands?"
Consort Yang tried to conceal her true emotions as her jade hand moved a chess piece.
Li Shimin grabbed her hand, "Beloved consort, your 'General' has left the palace..."
Consort Yang's body jolted, and she immediately knelt on the ground, "I have sinned, please punish me, Your Majesty!"
"It's just a wrong move; it can be corrected. What crime is there?"
Li Shimin smiled faintly, helped her up, and pulled her into his arms, caressing her chin.
"Where is that old woman now?"
Consort Yang's body stiffened, as if the hand on her chin could snap her neck at any moment.
She could no longer maintain her composure and quickly said.
"Reporting, reporting to Your Majesty, Mother Empress was settled by Uncle in the mule and horse inn of the Tianyong Division in the East Market for recuperation."
"I beg, beg Your Majesty to spare her life!"
Li Shimin leaned close to her ear and took a deep breath, appearing somewhat intoxicated as he smiled with his eyes narrowed.
"Beloved consort, this is where you are wrong!"
"After all, she was the Empress of the previous dynasty. How could she live in such a place?"
"Little Dengzi, take people to bring Empress Xiao into the palace!"
With that, he scooped Consort Yang into his arms and walked towards the back of the Two Poles Hall.
Empress Xiao, Yang Guang's wife, Xiao Yu's sister, Consort Yang's stepmother, Li Shimin's cousin-in-law!
In the official history, after Yang Guang's death, she fell into the hands of Yuwen Huaji. Later, when Yuwen Huaji was eliminated, she fell into Dou Jiande's hands.
Xie Li's wife was Yang Guang's sister. Upon learning of this, how could she stand by and watch her sister-in-law being bullied?
Therefore, she asked Xie Li to intervene. At that time, the Central Plains were in a state of division, and Dou Jiande dared not offend the Turks!
Thus, Empress Xiao once again fell into the grasslands.
After Li Jing destroyed the Turks, she came to the Central Plains with the surrendered Xie Li and was settled by Li Shimin to live in Chang'an City, granted a residence and servants to live out her days.
Of course, in unofficial histories, there were some "paid" interactions between her and Li Shimin.
However, in this world, perhaps due to the butterfly effect, Xie Li was eliminated too early, causing her to not appear in the public eye.
The next morning, Empress Xiao was brought back.
Her worn clothes still couldn't hide the noble aura she possessed.
Facing Li Shimin, she was neither humble nor overbearing.
"Widow of the previous dynasty, Xiao, pays respects to Your Majesty!"
"May I ask why Your Majesty summoned this old woman?"
Li Shimin stood up and circled her for a long time, unable to imagine how such an old woman, nearing sixty, could have had an affair with him in unofficial histories.
Damn it, was he someone who would eat anything out of desperation?
However, speaking of which, this cousin-in-law, even at this age, was still so elegant!
After a long while, he cupped his hands in a salute to Empress Xiao and then smiled.
"I just found out that you were settled in the bustling market by the Lord of Song."
"What is your status? How could you stay in such a filthy place?"
"If you don't dislike it in the future, you can stay in this Imperial Palace."
"Whether it's from my perspective or Consort Yang's, you are an elder."
"If you are still allowed to wander outside, where would my face be if this got out?"
Empress Xiao slightly bowed, dodging his salute, "This old woman is merely a survivor of a fallen kingdom and cannot accept such treatment from the Emperor!"
"Furthermore, I dare not reside in the palace. If the Emperor is not at ease with me, he can just kill me with a single blow."
"What are you talking about?" Li Shimin smiled wryly. "If that were the case, how could I face Consort Yang in the future?"
"Guards, attend to Empress Xiao for bathing and changing clothes!"
"Then send her to the harem to reunite with Consort Yang."
"Yes!"
Deng Dengjie quickly descended the steps and helped Empress Xiao walk out.
Watching them leave, Li Shimin thoughtfully walked to his imperial desk and sat down, picking up the memorial to read.
But before he could finish one memorial, a guard rushed in.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Qi Wudao of the Hundred Riders Bureau requests an audience!"
"Announce him!"
He picked up the vermilion brush, drew a large cross on the memorial, and looked up towards the door.
Qi Wudao entered the hall with his head bowed and performed a curtsy.
"Greetings, Your Majesty, a dispatch from Yangzhou!"
Saying that, he presented a telegram with both hands.
The eunuch took it and delivered it to Li Shimin.
"May Your Majesty be well. Yangzhou has recently broken out with a plague, and thousands of people are seriously ill. We hope the imperial court will provide swift assistance!"
"Prefect of Yangzhou—Marquis Cuantian."
Upon seeing the content, Li Shimin frowned.
It was almost the New Year, and the weather was getting colder, so why did a plague break out at this time?
"Summon the Duke of Zou immediately!"
"Yes!"
An hour later, Zhang Gongjin was brought into the hall.
Li Shimin handed him the telegram.
"A plague has broken out in Yangzhou. As the supervisor, you must return to preside over the situation at this time."
"Ensure proper disaster relief work and, at the same time, guard against anyone attempting to cause trouble during this period."
"Send a telegram to me anytime if you need anything!"
"Your subject obeys!"
Zhang Gongjin understood the gravity of the situation and dared not delay. After leaving the Imperial Palace, he asked Li Jing for a helicopter and flew back to Yangzhou.
At the same time, Fang Er, who was in Australia, also received a telegram from Li Shimin.
"Boy, a plague has broken out in Yangzhou, and I need to use your convoy to transport supplies!"
As always, his tone was direct, as if from his own father, showing no politeness. Fang Er frowned, not because of the tone, but because of the plague! A great epidemic had always been terrifying!