Chapter 15: with translation of chapter title

Li Shimin pulled Li Chunfeng outside the Fengyang Pavilion and asked in a low voice, "Grand Historian, does your meaning that Zi'an is Xiao Sizi's noble person and also the breaker of calamity?"

In the past, shortly after Xiao Sizi was born, Li Chunfeng declared that she would face three calamities in her life; if she could get past them, she would enjoy boundless fortune and the rest of her life would be happy and healthy.

If she cannot pass them, she will have a fleeting beauty and a short life, unable to surpass the twelve years of youth.

At that time, Li Chunfeng also said, "Although Xiao Sizi bears the appearance of an early death and her fate is thin, there will nevertheless be a breaker of calamity."

However, Li Chunfeng could not calculate who that breaker of calamity was, nor where he was.

It was as if that person did not exist in the world at all.

But now, Li Chunfeng's single remark that the noble person arrives treading on clouds has sparked a glimmer of hope in Li Shimin's heart.

Chen Yan, could he really be that breaker of calamity?

Empress Changsun stared nervously at Li Chunfeng, fearing to hear a denial.

Li Chunfeng replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, heavenly secrets must not be revealed too fully; I can only tell you that from now on, regarding matters of the little princess, you may listen to the Marquis of Weinan."

His words amounted to almost the same as a direct admission.

Li Shimin and Empress Changsun were overjoyed upon hearing that.

Xiao Sizi's illness had almost become a heart-demon for the couple, worrying them constantly these past two years.

Now, that breaker of calamity has finally appeared.

"The Chen family... Zi'an, truly he is a noble person of my Li family!" Li Shimin said with some feeling.

In earlier years, the two uncles of the Chen family followed Li Shimin in conquering the realm, establishing magnificent military achievements.

Later, Chen's father also protected his wife and children at a critical moment.

And now, Chen Yan has become Xiao Sizi's breaker of calamity.

How could Li Shimin not feel moved?

Empress Changsun, however, was more concerned about her daughter's condition and asked, "Grand Historian, can Xiao Sizi's first calamity be passed safely?"

Xiao Sizi is still in a coma now, and her condition shows no sign of improvement; although we know Chen Yan is that breaker of calamity, she still worries a bit.

Li Chunfeng nodded, "Your Majesty, please rest assured; the first calamity is not inherently a deadly one, and even without the noble person's aid, there is still a chance of survival."

"Now that the noble person himself is taking action, the little princess certainly has no possibility of an early death."

Li Chunfeng spoke these words with great confidence.

He does not trust Chen Yan so much as he trusts his own abilities.

As long as he makes a calculation, either he cannot figure it out, or if he does, there is absolutely no possibility of error.

Obviously, Li Shimin and Empress Changsun both know Li Chunfeng's abilities.

Seeing him speak so confidently, the worries in their hearts dissipated by half, and smiles reappeared on their faces.

At this moment, Li Shimin suddenly thought of something and said helplessly, "Grand Historian, you once told me that Zi'an and the Princess Gao Yang have perfectly matched horoscopes, a heaven-ordained marriage."

"But they have only met twice, and already they have fought twice—this, this, this..."

Li Chunfeng burst out laughing at the words and explained, "Your Majesty, I have heard all about the Marquis of Weinan and the Princess Gao Yang."

"But have you ever considered that if the Marquis of Weinan and the Princess Gao Yang did not fight, you would not be able to obtain that thing you hold in your arms?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of Li Shimin and Empress Changsun changed abruptly.

Li Chunfeng continued, "If the Marquis of Weinan and the Princess Gao Yang did not fight, would the Marquis of Weinan be in the palace today?"

"Or would he have been delayed by meeting the Princess Gao Yang, thus missing the timing to attend to the little princess's condition?"

The couple's faces changed again.

Li Chunfeng said with deep meaning, "Fate! Fate! Fate! How wonderful!"

Li Shimin and Empress Changsun exchanged a glance, silently pondering Li Chunfeng's words.

Indeed, if Chen Yan had not fought with the Princess Gao Yang, there would have been no incident of him being arrested and thrown into the Dali Temple Prison.

Naturally, there would also have been no plot by Li Shimin together with Cheng Yaojin to scare Chen Yan, which led to Chen Yan presenting the salt-making method.

Moreover, he would not have entered the palace today, encountered the Princess Gao Yang again, and happened to arrive just as Xiao Sizi's first calamity came.

"Er Lang, what the Grand Historian says is not bad; it really seems to be so." Empress Changsun said happily.

Li Shimin nodded deeply in agreement; his previously wavering attitude immediately became utterly steadfast.

The Princess Gao Yang must marry Chen Yan!

No one can change that!

"......"

Li Shimin and his wife, together with Li Chunfeng, had just entered the Fengyang Pavilion.

Biyun then brought two young eunuchs carrying some food into the Fengyang Pavilion.

"Young master, these are the meals the little princess usually eats; please have a look."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan raised his head, but at first glance he was stunned, unable to believe it: "Do you usually feed the Princess Jinyang these things?"

The two young eunuchs brought up not much: a bowl of white porridge, a hu bun, and three dishes.

Yet among those three dishes, there was not a trace of meat or fish.

They were melon gourd, eggplant, and spinach.

Chen Yan walked over, picked up a piece of spinach and put it in his mouth, but after chewing two bites he could not help wanting to spit it out.

Considering that the emperor and empress were present, Chen Yan forced himself to swallow it.

Empress Changsun quickly asked, "Zi'an, is there something wrong with these meals?"

Chen Yan was speechless, his heart burning with anger, but he could not lash out at the empress, so he suppressed his fury and said, "How could there be no problem? This problem is huge!"

"If I am not mistaken, these dishes probably contain no oil or grease at all."

"The Princess Jinyang is only two years old, originally constitutionally deficient, yet you only feed her steamed vegetable leaves."

"She is basically a true ox; her body will surely collapse as well!"

Her Majesty the Empress, let me be frank with you—if this continues, Princess Jinyang won't live past twelve!

As his last words fell, the hall erupted in an uproar, and all the palace maids and eunuchs panicked.

Princess Gao Yang flared up even more: "Chen Yan, if you're cursing my younger sister, I'll make you regret it!"

But unlike everyone else's panic, as the parents of Xiao Sizi, Li Shimin and Empress Changsun remained remarkably calm.

Because Li Chunfeng had said the same thing before, bluntly stating that Xiao Sizi couldn't survive three calamities and wouldn't live past twelve years.

"Double six years" just means twelve years, right?

The Imperial Physician felt a cold sweat soak his back, a chill run down his neck, and he blurted out, "My lord, the little princess suffers from a qi disorder—she's supposed to avoid meat and strong flavors, eating light foods instead."

The Empress's diet is pretty much the same as this!

The reason the Imperial Physician panicked is that these meals are exactly what the Imperial Medical Bureau prescribes.

If something really went wrong, the Imperial Medical Bureau figures a lot of people would be facing the extermination of their nine clans.

Empress Changsun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself: "Zi An, I really have been eating just like this all these years, and there's never been a problem."

"Why do you insist that Xiao Sizi won't live past twelve just because she eats these foods?"

Upon hearing that Empress Changsun also ate this kind of food, Chen Yan felt his temples throbbing.

No wonder Empress Changsun had a short life in history, living only thirty-six years.

I suspect that besides the qi disorder and bearing too many children, diet also accounts for a large part of the reason.

After all this turmoil, living to thirty-six is already a blessing from heaven.

Then and there, Chen Yan began to explain the cause......