Chapter Twenty-Four: Enlisting the Emperor for an Advertisement

Ganlu Hall.

Li Shimin had been in excellent spirits lately.

On one hand, the court had largely stabilized, and his imperial authority was now thoroughly established. While he might not have the absolute final word in every matter, he no longer suffered the indignity of being openly contradicted the moment he spoke. Furthermore, the Northern Turks no longer posed a significant threat to the Great Tang—at least not for the next five years. This window gave Li Shimin confidence that he could resolve any lingering issues within his realm.

Most importantly, he had discovered a true talent—Li Kong.

This young man had grown up in the Prince of Qin's household, and the bond between their families was beyond question; his loyalty was equally beyond doubt. As for the idea that “men's hearts are ever-changing,” that might apply to others, but certainly not to Li Kong.

In such a buoyant mood, even the previously tedious memorials now seemed endearing to Li Shimin, and he found himself brimming with enthusiasm for every task.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. An attendant approached and whispered, “Your Majesty, the eldest son of the Duke of Britain, Li Kong, is here. Shall I admit him?”

Li Shimin paused, his imperial brush still in hand, then sharply looked up and barked, “Send him in—now!”

The attendant shuddered and hastened out.

Moments later, Li Kong strode in, signaling the bearers behind him to bring in several items, which they arranged neatly in the hall. Only then did Li Kong step forward, bow deeply, and declare in a clear voice, “Your humble subject greets Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy eternal peace!”

Li Shimin glared, the tips of his mustache quivering with anger below his nose. After Li Kong’s formal greeting, Li Shimin slapped the table and thundered, “You little rascal! I ordered you to remain under house arrest for half a month, and not even three days have passed before you sneak out. Do you think I won’t deal with you?”

Li Kong was dumbfounded.

At that moment, he remembered—ah, yes, he was indeed under house arrest. But ever since the debut of his new set of tables and chairs, he had been so preoccupied with thoughts of making money that he had completely forgotten about it. Worse still, he had the audacity to bring his wares directly to Li Shimin—wasn’t this tantamount to slapping the Emperor himself?

Li Shimin was a proud ruler. Mishandling this could mean his head, or at the very least, he’d be sure to receive a brutal beating.

Coming to his senses, Li Kong hurriedly confessed, “Your subject knows his guilt!”

Li Shimin, still fuming, stood and unceremoniously dismissed everyone else from the hall. Only then did he walk over to inspect the tables and chairs. “What are these? They look like foreign stools, but not quite.”

Li Kong breathed a heavy sigh of relief and quickly explained, “Uncle Emperor, these are tables and chairs I’ve been tinkering with for the past few days. Look, this is a special desk I crafted just for you. Here’s your chair. Given the circumstances, I didn’t dare make a throne—after all, that would be treason—but you can use this as your office seat. It’s very comfortable. Would you like to try it?”

As he spoke, Li Kong set up the desk and chair, his eyes full of anticipation as he looked at Li Shimin. After all, this offering was more than just filial piety—it was advertising. Yes, advertising. In this era, nothing received more public favor than something the Emperor himself used. If Li Shimin accepted the set, Li Kong was confident that over eighty percent of Tang’s officials would soon come to him for their own.

Even if he didn’t become fabulously rich overnight, he’d certainly ascend to the ranks of the wealthy elite in no time. And beyond the officials, there were the great aristocratic families, who were the real customers. Li Kong was already plotting how to extract a tidy sum from them too.

With a skeptical air, Li Shimin sat down—and his expression immediately relaxed. A faint light shone in his eyes as he smiled, “It is indeed comfortable—much better than kneeling all the time.”

“Exactly. Kneeling for prolonged periods leads to poor circulation and can even cause a host of bone ailments. But sitting in a chair like this eliminates all those risks,” Li Kong began his sales pitch for the Great Tang’s first ‘direct marketing’ campaign.

Li Shimin ignored Li Kong’s chatter, instead placing his hands on the desk in front of him. The height was just right—no need to bend over or lower his head. A mere glance revealed everything atop the desk, a marked improvement over the low platforms he’d used before.

But Li Shimin was no fool. He had already guessed most of Li Kong’s intentions. So he stood up at once and scolded, “Such fanciful tricks! You, the eldest son of a Tang duke, spend your days tinkering with these trivial gadgets?”

Li Kong was stunned, then nearly burst into tears—this wasn’t how the story was supposed to go.

“Your Majesty—uncle—how can you say that? I truly devote myself to learning useful things. Take these tables and chairs, for example. It’s only because kneeling gave me sore legs and back that I tried to improve it. My mind is perfectly sound, I promise you!”

“Leave the things here, go back and finish your house arrest. If I catch you outside again, I’ll have you beaten!” Li Shimin kicked at him before Li Kong could finish.

Fortunately, Li Kong was quick and dodged just in time—enough to preserve the Emperor’s dignity without getting himself hurt. Grinning, he darted out of Ganlu Hall.

After he left, Li Shimin turned his gaze back to the tables, chairs, and a low platform that seemed designed for placing objects. He could tell at a glance that it was meant to hold things, though the specifics would require some thought.

Despite his sternness with Li Kong, it was actually a gesture of protection. Of course, he also had to safeguard his own imperial dignity. Otherwise, just Xiao Yu and Kong Yingda alone could make his head spin, not to mention Wei Zheng, who feared neither Heaven nor Earth.

Just then, Empress Zhangsun entered, moving gracefully with her hands resting gently on her abdomen, a soft smile on her lips.

“Guanyin, what brings you here?” Li Shimin asked with mild surprise, his gaze shifting to the two elderly physicians who followed her in.

Both were imperial doctors from the court’s medical bureau. At the sight of them, an uneasy feeling crept over Li Shimin. After all, the Empress had a chronic ailment. Although her attacks had become less frequent in recent years, Li Shimin could never forget the year Li Tai was born, when she nearly died.

Zhangsun approached, straightened his collar, and smiled, “It’s nothing. I was feeling a bit unwell and summoned the imperial physicians, who discovered that I am with child again. I came to share this joy with you, my dear.”

Li Shimin trembled from head to toe, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.