Chapter Nineteen: Unfathomable
Most children are indeed like this! But is Li Zhi an ordinary child? He knows more than the teacher during lessons, has an eidetic memory, and can infer from one thing to another—so much so that even Crown Prince Li Chengqian is left in the dust. For someone like Li Zhi, you absolutely cannot judge him by common standards!
Li Shimin snorted, “This little rascal… always so inscrutable!”
“Your Majesty, you’re too sensitive!”
“Let’s hope so,” Li Shimin replied, not dwelling too much on the matter. He instructed Li Zhi to avoid weaponry and focus more on scholarly pursuits. After all, these were peaceful times; there was no need for warriors to charge the battlefield, but to govern the realm, literature was indispensable.
Li Zhi was a talent seen only once in a century—he must not be squandered.
…
The rear courtyard was still filled with the sounds of carving the Records of History.
The rhythmic clatter echoed out, drawing Li Shimin’s attention.
“Empress, why do I hear noises from the back? Is something being repaired?”
“It’s just Zhi—he’s being terribly mysterious… I have no idea what he’s up to!” Empress Changsun replied, equally curious. She had tried several times to go in for a look, but Luo Tong had blocked her each time.
“Your Majesty… shall we go see for ourselves?”
“Very well!”
With a grand air, Li Shimin strode toward the rear courtyard to inspect.
Li Zhi saw this and knew Luo Tong could not stop them, so he hurried over and clung to Li Shimin’s leg. “Father, you can’t go! I haven’t finished yet. When I’m done, I’ll show it to you!”
“What are you making?”
“I can’t say yet!”
…
“I’ll just take a look and find out…” Li Shimin’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and he insisted on heading to the rear courtyard.
Li Zhi played up his role as a mischievous child, clutching his father’s leg, refusing to let go, wailing and crying incessantly.
Li Chengqian, Li Lizhi, and Li Tai watched, exchanging bewildered glances. What could possibly be in the rear courtyard?
“Child, why are you crying? Get up!” Empress Changsun hadn’t expected Li Zhi to be so stubborn. She picked him up, saying, “Your Majesty, let’s let Zhi keep his little mystery for now. The courtyard isn’t going anywhere. In a few days, we can go see it—perhaps it’ll be a pleasant surprise.”
Just as Li Shimin’s curiosity was ignited, it was abruptly extinguished. Out of respect for the Empress, he returned to the guest hall, rather displeased.
Li Zhi said, “Don’t be angry, Father. I’ve prepared a gift for you!”
“What gift?”
“Wait here…” Li Zhi hurried back to the rear courtyard and found Luo Tong. “Pretty boy, hand over the stir-fried cured pork you’ve hidden. My father wants to taste it!”
“Stir-fried cured pork? I don’t have any!”
His eyes obviously darted evasively.
He wasn’t telling the truth!
Li Zhi snorted, “Don’t fool me. I saw you yesterday, sneaking into the kitchen and hiding a big bowl. You haven’t finished it yet—give me the rest!”
“Fine…” Luo Tong was speechless. He thought Li Zhi hadn’t noticed.
“Here, take it!”
He fetched a plate holding half a bowl of greasy, golden pork.
Li Zhi smiled, “When I have time, I’ll make another portion for you. Next time, I’ll give you a plate of top-grade stir-fried pork with black fungus—it’ll be even tastier!”
Sizzle…
Luo Tong swallowed unconsciously. “Haha… I’ll look forward to it!”
Li Zhi carried the half plate of stir-fried cured pork back to the guest hall.
“Father, please try this!”
“What is it?”
“A delicacy… I made it myself!” Li Zhi replied.
“You made it yourself?” Li Shimin was shocked. “You know how to cook?”
…
Empress Changsun had already tasted the stir-fried cured pork and found it delicious.
She quickly said, “Your Majesty, Zhi’s cooking is quite good—try it for yourself?”
“Alright then.”
With a tentative attitude, Li Shimin picked up a piece of meat as if he were taking medicine and sent it to his mouth. The sight was comical.
But!
As soon as he tasted the meat and savored its flavor, his eyes widened. “Such a unique taste—I’ve never had anything like it!”
“Zhi… did you really make this?”
“Yes!”
A three-year-old child, cooking for the first time, and able to make such a delicacy!
Li Shimin was at a loss for words.
“Our son is truly talented. He’s only three… Just imagine what he’ll achieve when he’s older—he’s sure to be extraordinary!” Li Shimin laughed.
“Father, what about us?” Li Chengqian, Li Lizhi, and Li Tai lined up, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.
Li Shimin laughed, “You’re all quite good too, but not as diligent as your younger brother. You should learn more from him!”
“Bah!”
The three didn’t pay it much mind.
They were, after all, older siblings—Li Zhi was just a little brat, sometimes wobbling as he walked. What would they learn from him, anyway?
…
Li Shimin finished the entire plate.
Not even the congealed fat was left.
If his wife and children weren’t present, he might have transformed into a sycophant and licked the bowl clean.
“I’m full… Zhi, you should teach your cooking skills to the kitchen staff. Next time, I want to eat this again. You can’t be expected to make it every time, can you?”
“Of course, Father!”
Li Zhi agreed outwardly, but inwardly, he had no intention of doing so. “Want to learn how to cook? Not so easy—there’ll have to be some price paid!”
After Li Shimin left, Li Zhi returned to the rear courtyard.
At that moment, Master carver Dong Fu reported a situation.
“Your Highness, after working day and night, we’ve finished carving. But all the characters are separated, scattered and messy—how can we find them when needed? Just arranging them in order takes half a day. And every time we print a page, we have to rearrange them again. It seems the speed isn’t much better than before, when we carved whole plates! We have to print a thousand copies of the Records of History, after all!”
“Idiots!”
“Fools!”
“No wonder our Tang Dynasty’s printing industry has stagnated and remained in a slump—it’s because of you blockheads, holding back progress!” Li Zhi scolded them sharply.
Dong Fu wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed. “May I ask, Your Highness, how should we proceed?”
Li Zhi replied, “First, I’ll teach you how to sort and locate these characters. This involves phonetic letters—arrange all the characters according to the order of phonetic spelling, placing them in designated spots, and retrieve them when needed…”
Li Zhi spoke with authority, his reasoning sound.
Yet, everyone listened in confusion, unable to grasp a thing. Even Dong Fu, the master carver, appeared utterly baffled.
Li Zhi spent half an hour explaining the concept of phonetics, only to be met by a group of fools. “Do you understand anything at all?”
“We are dull-witted, Your Highness—truly unable to comprehend!” Dong Fu replied.
Everyone present was deeply ashamed.
Huff…
Li Zhi suppressed his anger. “You can’t even learn phonetics—how hopeless! For the next few days, I’ll arrange the order myself, and you’ll just handle the printing.”
“Yes!”
That night,
Li Zhi did not return to his room to sleep.
He made a bed on the floor in the rear courtyard, ready to assist with the printing at any moment.
Each time sorting was needed, finding the separated characters, everyone wore anxious expressions and struggled for ages to locate them. But whenever Li Zhi took charge, he found each one with precision.