Chapter 145: Chen Yan: I didn't even say I wouldn't agree

Chen Yan's face stiffened, and he hurriedly explained, "His Majesty, please don't listen to Imperial Physician's nonsense; I'm just an ordinary person."

There will definitely be no immortal arts, and certainly not a reincarnated immortal.

He's slandering me.

Li Lizhi and Empress Changsun instantly laughed upon hearing this.

They of course knew Chen Yan was just an ordinary person, but sometimes the things he made and his thoughts were indeed not quite the same.

Moreover, Imperial Physician kept telling everyone that Chen Yan knew immortal arts, causing this misunderstanding to deepen.

Li Shimin said with interest, "Your medical skills I won't mention for now; the method of making salt, and also the method of making glazed ware, I also consider you lucky."

However, how should your egalitarian attitude be explained?

Besides immortals, I really can't find anyone else who could be like you.

Chen Yan suddenly felt a headache.

He couldn't understand why Li Shimin had just been talking about letting him become an official, and now suddenly brought this up.

He felt that Li Shimin was acting unusually today, the topic kept shifting, but he didn't know why.

After letting out a slight sigh, he replied, "His Majesty, I once heard a story."

"Once, there was a couple with the surname Wang who had been in business for generations, and they conducted honest trade, enjoying a good reputation locally."

"The Wang couple had one son and one daughter, living happily and contentedly."

"But one day, their eldest son slipped and fell into the water, dying on the spot."

"Lady Wang was grief-stricken, clutching her son's corpse and wailing loudly, unable to let go for a long time."

"And in the Wang household there was a rural old man responsible for feeding the horses; seeing this, he was puzzled and asked Lady Wang, if the son died, why not just have another? Why be so sorrowful?"

Li Shimin and his three family members fell silent upon hearing this story.

Chen Yan continued, "Why would the old man think that way?"

"Because he came from a poor rural area where many people couldn't eat enough or stay warm, and with many children being born, they simply couldn't support them."

"He had grown accustomed to infants dying, even his own children."

"In the old man's view, if a child dies, just have another; it's no big deal, so he couldn't understand why Lady Wang was so heartbroken."

Chen Yan: "His Majesty, when I heard that story back then, I felt it was tragic."

"Life should be great; it is the greatest miracle in the world."

"Every person's life is hard-won, carried by a mother for ten months, born after stepping one foot through the gates of hell."

"Saying this I don't fear His Majesty's ridicule; last year during the great drought, I was wandering outside Weinan County with Qing'er when we encountered a pregnant farmwoman about to give birth."

"Her body was extremely weak, having gone almost a day and two nights without a drop of water, her face deathly pale."

"At that time, I had no time to find a midwife for her; as a doctor, I had to personally deliver her baby."

"And during this process, that farmwoman kept repeating a sentence to me; do you know what she said to me then?"

Li Shimin didn't speak, lightly tapping his finger to signal him to continue.

Chen Yan's eyes held reminiscence and a deep admiration: "She said, please save my child, please save my child."

Empress Changsun's eyes became moist.

Perhaps among those present, only she, as a mother, could most empathize with that farmwoman.

Maternal love has always been great.

At the most critical moment, the farmwoman's thought was still to let her child survive.

How could it not be moving?

"What happened then?" Li Lizhi also reddened her eyes.

She couldn't understand how such a short sentence could so greatly stir her emotions.

Chen Yan said, "Perhaps heaven took pity, unwilling to let a tiny life perish before opening its eyes to the world, unwilling to let a great mother fall into the death of her child."

"I successfully delivered the baby."

"Then, when I heard the baby's first cry, after cutting her umbilical cord, I personally helped her enter this world, and only then did I truly realize the preciousness of life."

"That indescribable shock, I still cannot forget to this day."

He looked at Li Shimin, "His Majesty, you ask why I treat everyone equally; I can only say that people should not be divided into ranks and classes, high or low, noble or base, because life is equal."

"We are all descendants of the Yan and Huang emperors, each contributing to the world's development and the transmission of bloodline culture, so there is really no difference among us."

After speaking, he added, "Of course, this is merely my personal view, unrelated to others."

Li Shimin gave a slight nod, gazing deeply at him.

"Zi An...... His Majesty knows, you harbor righteousness in your heart, you wish to let the common people live well in your own way, you despise the deceit and intrigue of the court, therefore when Cheng Qian spoke of recommending you for office, you refused without hesitation."

"But have you considered that a person's ability is limited; even if you are extraordinarily talented, what can one person actually do for this world?"

"Life has no perfection; if you wish to gain something, it means you must give up something else."

"You cannot both live a carefree, reclusive life and also drive development to make the Tang Dynasty's people prosperous."

He earnestly said, "Enter the court as an official; the court is not only corrupt officials, but also has Ke Ming, an official who wholeheartedly serves the people."

Chen Yan felt somewhat torn between laughter and tears.

He really hadn't expected that Li Shimin, after going around in such a big circle, ultimately still wanted him to enter the court as an official.

"Your Majesty, fish and bear's paw can actually be had together." Chen Yan laughed, "Look at me, I'll marry Gao Yang in three days, and after a while I can also bring home the Tang Dynasty's Princess Changle."

"I haven't given up on either of them, have I?"

Li Shimin: "......"

He darkened his face, "You haven't yet agreed to my conditions, and you still want to marry Lizhi?"

"And you talk about having both fish and bear's paw; be careful, I'll leave you without even fish."

Chen Yan: "......"

All right, it's just a joke.

Why are you still in a hurry?

Since the bear paw didn't agree, forget it; he isn't even planning to give him the fish.

How does this work?

At this moment, Empress Changsun also spoke up to advise: "Zi An, with your talent, you shouldn't devote yourself entirely to the merchant's path."

"I acknowledge that commerce is important, but ultimately merchants have low status and will be talked about."

"Even if you don't care, what about Gao Yang and Lizhi?"

After saying that, Empress Changsun fell silent, believing Chen Yan understood her meaning.

Beside her, Li Lizhi wanted to speak but held back.

Actually, she really wanted to say she didn't care either, but she also understood that Mother was right.

Chen Yan indeed shouldn't devote himself entirely to the merchant's path.

However, unlike what they imagined, upon hearing Empress Changsun's words, Chen Yan helplessly spread his hands.

Then he uttered a sentence that almost made Li Shimin have a cerebral hemorrhage.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty, I never said I refused or wouldn't take an official post."

Li Shimin:???

Immortal?

I fuck your immortal!

"......"