Chapter 36: Truly worthy of being Empress Wende of the Great Tang

"We can begin collecting it now."

Wen He’s thoughts shifted, and he hurriedly pointed at the distiller, offering a dry, awkward smile. His acting was not very good; one could even call it clumsy.

Li Shimin, however, did not probe further. He simply gave a faint "hmm," waved his hand, and said, "You must be exhausted today. Once the alcohol is prepared, instruct the servants on how to use it, and then go and rest. If the old general recovers, I will credit you with one merit. If this alcohol truly has miraculous effects, I will credit you with another."

*Two merits?* Wen He wondered if his current title of County Baron would be promoted to a County Viscount.

As Wen He was lost in these daydreams, Yan Liben, who was crouched nearby inspecting the copper pipe’s outlet, let out an exclamation. "There really is water—no, wait, it’s transparent alcohol dripping out."

He looked up at Wen He in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief. The others in the courtyard were equally stunned. Cheng Zhijie rushed over in two or three strides, pushed Yan Liben aside, caught a drop in his hand, and put it to his mouth. As soon as it touched his lips, he frowned.

"It’s so stinging hot! Is this really wine?"

"I told you, this is alcohol. You can't drink it directly, or it will burn your stomach and intestines," Wen He said, though he had been too slow to stop Cheng Yaojin’s impulsive action.

Hearing that it would burn his insides, Cheng Zhijie’s eyes widened, and he quickly pulled back the hand he was about to reach out again. Li Shimin was also curious; could something extracted from wine be this potent?

Zhangsun Wuji laughed dismissively. "Isn't that an exaggeration? It’s merely something extracted from wine."

Seeing his doubt, Wen He didn't waste words. He had someone bring a fire starter, took a tiny bit of the alcohol, and ignited it on the table. The crowd watched him, puzzled. He then took a cup of water and poured it over the flames. Instead of being extinguished, the fire flared up even more intensely.

"This is alcohol?" Li Shimin looked at Wen He with a grave expression. In that brief moment, many possibilities had crossed his mind. "Could this replace lamp oil?"

"It could," Wen He nodded confidently. "However, this alcohol is mostly used for treating external wounds. If Your Highness needs weapons for laying siege to cities, I have even better methods." He smiled slyly, arching an eyebrow at Li Shimin.

Seeing him like this, Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then he too smiled. "I understand what you mean. But there is plenty of time; I will consult with you properly in the future."

To Li Shimin, Wen He was currently like a hen that could lay golden eggs. He could kill the hen to get the eggs, but if he did that, he might lose much more. That was why he was indulgent with Wen He, treating him no differently than any other talented individual. He was now even more glad for his approach; if he had truly imprisoned Wen He to force secrets of the future out of him, he might not have discovered things like alcohol.

As for the more powerful weapons, Li Shimin didn't take them too seriously. "No matter how strong future weapons are, they are still just swords, bows, and crossbows; at best, the smelting technology might improve. Still, if you know of such things, you can discuss them with Yan Liben."

It wasn't that he looked down on Wen He, but rather the limitations of the era. People of this time could rack their brains and never imagine a future where a city could be turned to ash from thousands of miles away. Even if they could imagine it, Wen He couldn't build it. Developing something like black powder should be fine, but as for firearms and the like, the technology was too complex—that could wait for later.

Li Shimin seemed a bit weary, likely thinking about the affairs of the Prince of Qi’s residence, so Wen He did not disturb his mood. He was merely curious about how beautiful that Lady Yang must be to make the wise and martial Li Shimin so eager, to the point of wanting to make her Empress in the future. Wen He clicked his tongue, not noticing that Li Shimin had caught that entire expression.

...

Li Shimin left with Zhangsun Wuji, Cheng Yaojin, and Duan Zhixuan. The task of collecting the alcohol was left to Yan Liben. Wen He finally breathed a sigh of relief and, led by a servant, made his way to his quarters.

He had just reached his small courtyard and was about to enter when he heard the sound of playful laughter from within. He pushed the door open and saw Empress Zhangsun smiling radiantly as she rubbed Wen Rou’s soft cheeks, while Li Lizhi pulled at her arm, pouting. On the other side, the three young princes—Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Ke—were copying something with varying expressions.

*Why is everyone here?* Wen He wondered, puzzled. But seeing his little sister’s happy expression, he didn't mind.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Wen He bowed at the doorway.

The people in the courtyard finally noticed him. The three young princes turned their heads, and in a rare moment of unity, all three brothers hurriedly lowered their heads to continue their copying.

"Brother!" Wen Rou broke free from Empress Zhangsun’s embrace and Li Lizhi’s grasp, running toward him.

Li Lizhi looked at her empty hands and pouted, glaring at Wen He with dissatisfaction. *Who is this person? He looks familiar. But why is he taking Sister Rou away?* At her age, children were forgetful; having not seen him for most of the day, she could no longer remember who Wen He was.

"I heard something happened in the front yard and you were called away. Has it been resolved?" Empress Zhangsun asked with concern.

Wen He patted Wen Rou’s head and smiled at the Empress. "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The old general was injured, and His Highness asked me to assist. Fortunately, I was able to help."

"The old general is injured?" Empress Zhangsun was surprised, but she was even more shocked by something else. "You know how to treat illnesses?" She was genuinely curious—how could such a young child know so much? If it were mere precocity, it seemed almost monstrous.

"It doesn't count as treating illnesses; I just know some basic principles. For the old general to fully recover, we will still need the imperial physicians." Wen He was telling the truth; he didn't know medicine, only bits and pieces from his past experience in wilderness survival.

But Empress Zhangsun didn't believe him.

"Brother is very capable! He once treated Da Zhuang in our village. We didn't have much to eat, and I can work too," Wen Rou said, fearing that the Empress was angry and might chase them away. She hurried to speak up for Wen He.

Seeing her anxious expression, Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but laugh, though she also felt a pang of heartache. She had been just like Wen Rou and Wen He once, living under someone else’s roof with her own brother. She gently beckoned Wen Rou to come over. Wen Rou looked at Wen He for approval, and once he nodded, she walked to the Empress. Empress Zhangsun gently touched her face.

"Rest easy. If you don't wish to leave, no one will drive you away, and the same goes for your brother."

"Really?" Wen Rou exclaimed, delighted. She truly loved this place—it had warm beds and good food.

Empress Zhangsun smiled tenderly. The scene was so heartwarming that even Wen He felt moved. *As expected of the Empress Wende of the Great Tang, so virtuous and gentle. No wonder the scholars of later generations hold her up as such a rare model,* Wen He mused.

Empress Zhangsun, who had been leaning down to talk to Wen Rou, looked up just in time to catch Wen He’s wistful gaze, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.