Chapter 5, Li Ke's Ambition
Li Ke and Li Yin's mother, Yang Fei, was the daughter of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty. Yang Guang and Li Ke's grandfather, Li Yuan, were cousins, and Yang Fei was also a relative of Li Shimin. The two had known each other since childhood. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Fei became a princess of a fallen state, while the Li family seized the world. Yang Fei entered the royal palace when Li Shimin was still the Prince of Qin. Later, when Li Shimin became emperor, she was conferred the title of Yang Fei, becoming one of the four consorts in the palace. If the empress were to pass away, any of these four consorts would be eligible to ascend to the position of empress. Although Yang Fei was a princess of a fallen state, making her status somewhat awkward, she had been childhood companions with Li Shimin, which could be considered a form of childhood romance. Therefore, amidst the many beauties in the palace, her favored status was only second to Empress Changsun. This is also the reason why Yang Fei had the courage to plead for Li Yin multiple times. If Empress Changsun were to pass away, Yang Fei would also have the opportunity to become the next empress. This is the true source of Li Ke's inner turmoil.
After sending off Sun Simiao in the morning, Li Yin found himself lacking an appetite for breakfast. He decided to stroll around the storage warehouse to see if there was anything appealing that he could ask the cook to prepare. To his surprise, he discovered a bag of nearly moldy cumin in a corner of the warehouse. This delighted Li Yin, as cumin is a valuable ingredient, essential for grilling meat and fish, and is the key to the famous Xinjiang roasted lamb in later times
The matter was handled very smoothly. Six days later, Gao Chong returned to the Liang Wangfu with the weary Sun Simiao.
"Gao Chong, you go back and inform the Sixth Brother that this afternoon I will bring Mr. Sun into the palace!" Li Ke adjusted his mindset and said, regaining his composure.
Both parties took their seats and enjoyed tea. Li Yin praised Sun Simiao a few more times, then Li Yin directly got to the point: "Mr. Sun, I believe you can guess the reason for your visit to Chang'an. A senior of mine is gravely ill and in possession of books; his life hangs by a thread, and I would like to request your assistance in treating him." At this point, Li Yin stood up and solemnly bowed to Sun Simiao.
After the five-spice powder was prepared, Li Yin set up a barbecue grill in the backyard and began a cookout at home. By the time Gao Chong returned, several skewers had already been grilled, but unfortunately, they were slightly overcooked, just enough to be presented to him. As a result, Gao Chong was so moved that he knelt down and cried profusely. Eventually, they managed to persuade him to stop, and he left with the charred skewers, his face beaming with joy.
Hehe, Your Highness Prince Liang has overpraised me! Sun Simiao truly deserves to be recorded in the history books of future generations. In the face of Li Yin's compliments, he is still able to maintain a calm demeanor. It is important to note that Li Yin is the Prince of Liang; although he does not enjoy the favor of Li Shimin, he is still a royal prince. In contrast, Sun Simiao is merely a somewhat famous commoner. Most people would have been elated by such praise.
Finally, Sun Simiao inquired about the patient's condition from Li Yun. Unfortunately, Li Yun did not know much about Empress Changsun's illness, only that it was a respiratory ailment, and he was unaware of any other details. When Sun Simiao learned that the patient was actually Empress Changsun, he was taken aback. However, being a master of medicine, he quickly regained his calm demeanor.
The current Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Li Ke are of the same age, but in terms of talent and courage, Li Chengqian cannot compare to Li Ke, and even the fourth brother, Li Tai, is stronger than him. However, he holds the title of the eldest son, which is why upon ascending the throne, Li Shimin immediately established him as the Crown Prince. Li Ke is also a son of Li Shimin; to say that he does not desire the esteemed throne would be absolutely dishonest. However, as long as Empress Changsun is in the palace, the position of Crown Prince can only belong to the legitimate sons, leaving him with no opportunity whatsoever. Yet now that Empress Changsun is gravely ill, this inevitably leads Li Ke to entertain other thoughts. It is quite normal; as a prince unwilling to settle for mediocrity, who would dare claim to have no thoughts about the throne?
That night, Sun Simiao stayed at the Liang Wangfu. The next morning, Li Yin instructed Gao Chong and Sun Simiao to take a letter he had dictated to the residence of the Shu Wang, Li Ke. After all, Li Ke was still under house arrest and could not go out, let alone bring anyone into the palace. This matter had to rely on Li Ke's assistance, as from the previous interactions, it was evident that Li Ke cared for his brother and was a trustworthy person, without the need to worry about him taking credit for the recommendation.
Hehe, I have lost my composure! After a while, Li Ke finally came to his senses and said with a smile that carried endless bitterness
Hahaha, Mr. Sun has mastered the art of maintaining his youth; he truly is a remarkable figure among immortals! Seeing the humor in the other person's words, Li Yin couldn't help but laugh and praise him. Historical texts state that Sun Simiao lived for over a hundred years. Initially, Li Yin found it hard to believe, but now, seeing his youthful appearance, he is convinced that living to over a hundred is certainly not an issue
This is all Li Yin's fault. It has been half a month since he arrived in the Tang Dynasty, yet he still cannot adapt to his identity as a prince. The disparity in status between him and Sun Simiao is immense, and he simply cannot bow to the latter. This is Sun Simiao we are talking about; if it were an ordinary person, they would likely be frightened into kneeling, after all, Li Yin's status is evident.
In the royal guest hall, Li Ke, tall and elegant, held a letter in his hand, furrowing his brow in contemplation, while Gao Chong and Sun Simiao stood below him. He was considering whether to recommend Sun Simiao to Empress Changsun for medical treatment. It was not that he doubted Sun Simiao's medical skills; Li Yun had praised Sun Simiao's abilities in the letter as unparalleled in the world. Li Ke believed that even if his brother was usually reckless, he would not dare to lie about such matters. However, he had another layer of intention.
However, Li Ke was indeed extraordinary and soon dismissed this unrealistic thought. He realized that his thinking was too simplistic; even if Empress Changsun were to pass away, anyone could ascend to the position of empress, except for his own mother. The reason was simple: the Tang dynasty was established by seizing power from the Sui dynasty, and his mother was a princess of the former Sui. Both he and Li Yin carried the blood of the former Sui royal family, and the entire Li clan, along with most civil and military officials, would not be willing to see the current crown prince as a son of the former royal lineage. This would touch upon the very foundation of the Tang dynasty, and it was likely that even his father shared the same sentiment. Therefore, no matter how much he favored Consort Yang, Li Shimin would never elevate her to the status of empress.
Gao Chong returned to report to Li Yin, who was personally grilling lamb. The chefs in the residence had decent skills, but after a few days, the food became monotonous. Moreover, the variety of seasonings in this era was limited, resulting in the same few flavors being repeated in the dishes. Especially lacking was chili; in his previous life, Li Yin had a strong preference for spicy food, to the extent that he could not enjoy a meal without it. In the first few days after his arrival, he managed to endure it, but now it was becoming increasingly unbearable. No matter what delicacies he tried, they all tasted like wax, and he had completely lost his appetite.
In just a moment of distraction, the second batch of meat skewers was sacrificed once again, and Li Yin could only helplessly throw them to the dogs. It seems that he truly does not have the talent for being a chef. He called over Lao Wu to take over for him, while he sat aside just waiting to eat. Lao Wu, being a professional, produced something entirely different; the meat was a rosy color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a unique aroma of cumin that whetted the appetite. If only he could have a bottle of chilled beer to go with it, he wouldn't trade it for anything, not even for an emperor.
Having come to this realization, Li Ke understood that he was likely destined to be estranged from the throne for the rest of his life, which filled him with a sense of despair and helplessness. Gao Chong, accompanied by Sun Simiao, waited below for quite some time without hearing Li Ke speak. Taking a chance, he stole a glance and noticed that the King of Shu's expression was fluctuating, revealing that he was lost in thought. Not daring to urge him, he could only lower his head and continue to wait.
Uh? The common people have been calling this name for over sixty years, which can be confirmed! Sun Simiao was momentarily taken aback, but he immediately laughed and responded to Li Yin's words. It is evident that he has a great sense of humor
Sun Simiao did not expect Li Yin to bow to him, which startled him so much that he jumped up from his chair. He reached out to support Li Yin and said, "Your Highness, the Prince of Liang, you have overwhelmed this old man. It is the duty of a physician to treat the sick and save lives, and it does not warrant such great respect from Your Highness"
Gao Chong responded with an acknowledgment and then slowly exited to report to Li Yun, while Sun Simiao remained to accept the hospitality of Li Ke. During the banquet, Li Ke, still feeling uneasy, subtly inquired about Sun Simiao's medical skills. Only after witnessing Sun Simiao's fluent responses did he feel reassured. That afternoon, he took Sun Simiao into the palace to treat Empress Changsun.
It has been a long time since I last had barbecue, and now I have both the opportunity and the time. I immediately called for Lao Wu, the chef from Liang Wang Fu. Lao Wu is a newly hired chef at Liang Wang Fu, and because he is skilled in cooking, he has won the favor of Li Yin. Therefore, matters related to food are generally entrusted to him.
Under the direction of Li Yin, Lao Wu dried the cumin, then ground the cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and other spices into fine powders, mixing them with cumin in a specific ratio to create five-spice powder. Originally, Li Yin also intended to make thirteen-spice powder, but he could not remember all thirteen ingredients, nor the proportions, making five-spice powder a much simpler option, with its mixing ratios being less stringent.
Li Yin realized that he had perhaps gone a bit too far, feeling embarrassed as he straightened up and invited Sun Simiao to take a seat. Subsequently, Li Yin inquired about various aspects of health preservation, as he was greatly intrigued by Sun Simiao's youthful appearance that belied his age; after all, no one would wish to live fewer years. During their conversation, Li Yin inadvertently mentioned some medical knowledge, which piqued Sun Simiao's interest significantly, leading to a pleasant exchange between the two. However, Gao Zhong, who was serving nearby, was puzzled: when did his master become so knowledgeable about medical matters?
In Li Yin's imagination, the Medicine King Sun Simiao was at least a transcendent figure with white beard and hair, embodying the essence of a sage. However, upon meeting him, he realized how far off he was. The Medicine King before him was dressed quite ordinarily, not very tall, and appeared thin and dark, resembling a coal miner from later generations. His long, jet-black hair and thick beard made him look nothing like a man in his sixties; instead, he resembled a middle-aged man in his forties.
"You... are you really Sun Simiao?" Li Yin looked at the Medicine King in front of him with a face full of suspicion, examining him up and down. No matter how he looked, it felt awkward; how could he be so different from what he had imagined?
The Yongxingfang Shu Wangfu is situated in an excellent location, right next to the imperial city, while Li Yin's Liang Wangfu is located in the more distant Anxingfang. This also reflects the degree of favor each prince enjoys; generally speaking, the more favored a prince is, the closer his residence is to the imperial city
Li Yin looked at Gao Chong's back with some emotion. If there is anyone in the Tang Dynasty whom he could trust, it would definitely be Gao Chong. However, he still had some psychological barriers regarding eunuchs. After all, the eunuchs recorded in history books were not good people. Li Yin had been taught this since childhood, and now he found it hard to change his mindset. Therefore, he could not bring himself to feel close to Gao Chong.