Chapter 14: with translation of title

【There is more than one time traveler in the world】

Having read too many tales of kin slaughter, this thought arose and instantly frightened Du Shanü into a cold sweat.

However, after she came to her senses a little, Du Shanü recalled other matters.

The so‑called "Taizong" is what officials or scholars call him.

The folk honorific for this Taizong Emperor is, "Embodiment of dragon and phoenix, sign of sun and moon, benevolent and mighty, ten‑thousand‑year great emperor".

This emperor is the second emperor of the Yin Dynasty.

During his reign his achievements were extensive: domestically he reduced corvée and taxes, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, widely accepted advice, and reformed the bureaucracy.

Externally he established the Xuanjia Army, struck north against the barbarians, pacified the Three Feudatories; politics were clear and the people's livelihood stable.

Seeing his benevolence and might, the common folk longed for his ten‑thousand‑year reign; thus they exhausted every means to laud him with fine words, also calling Taizong the Great Emperor to distinguish him from other emperors.

Alas, that Great Emperor had quelled the chaotic era of the preceding Zhou Dynasty; after the founding of the Yin Dynasty by Taizu, he lived only twenty‑eight years before his carriage rode off to heaven.

Precisely after his death, the northern barbarians boldly marched south through the passes, causing the realm to split in two and the Nine Provinces to divide...

In other words, he is already dead.

Such scenes of time travelers meeting, fighting over fame and profit, and attacking fellow villagers simply will not happen.

What's more, this Taizong Emperor still carries considerable awe among the common folk.

Even though Du Shanü's original memories are scant, she has heard from many commoners that the northerners did not move south because Taizong's Mingling Mausoleum protects them, deterring the northerners from venturing south...

If this were a senior time traveler, he would also be a good senior who protects the world; should she meet such a person, she would immediately bow and submit! The senior would naturally know her usefulness and help her spread his policies!

There, would we still have to explain things to people in the east and then in the west?

Du Shanü's smile faded a bit, and Ouyang Yan and his father, together with Leitie, seemed to recall the Taizong Emperor, momentarily grieving as if they had lost their parents.

Leitie could not conceal his thoughts, and without waiting for Du Shanü's reply to Liu Wenyuan, he blurted out a curse:

"Taizong Emperor… if the Taizong Emperor were still alive, how could we have come to this!"

"How mighty Taizong was in his day; why does the Young Emperor, unlike his father, lose half the realm?!"

The rebukes echoed through the drafty little hut on all sides.

Du Shanü clearly saw Yu Hen's body tremble for an instant, clutching the money box, and slowly shrink inward.

Du Shanü's finger paused; she unintentionally turned over that piece of water‑polished hemp paper, started a fresh sheet, and continued to doodle:

"Saying that makes it sound as if being emperor were simple…… I ask you, while the Young Emperor was still in power, were there harsh levies and miscellaneous taxes, and was the populace treated poorly?"

Everyone present was stunned.

Leitie thought Du Shanü was still holding a grudge about his earlier intention to leave and was deliberately making things difficult for him.

But having just gathered herbs, knowing that mouths are short‑handed and hands are soft, he also did not know how to speak, and his face flushed red for a moment.

Ouyang Yan hurriedly smoothed things over, saying:

"I have never heard of the Young Emperor oppressing the people; we merely fled from the north, seeing the barbarians strong and sturdy, advancing menacingly. Yet the Young Emperor…… "

Du Shanü understood the meaning: simply that the Young Emperor had not driven the barbarians out of the Central Plains, so everyone deemed him incompetent.

Nevertheless, Du Shanü clung to her own view:

"Being emperor is never easy; you all say Taizong was formidable, but do you not also know he died early?"

"Campaigning and killing wound the body, while memorials and secret reports most easily destroy one's spirit; each day he labors for the realm and the people, every step must consider consequences—since the Young Emperor is called such, his age at accession must be small; how could he possibly hold onto the realm?"

"To be frank, if you follow my view, maintaining the status quo is far harder than launching an assault."

When capturing a place, as long as one thinks of ways to kill, to burn cities, to destroy everything, one can reap short‑term abundant gains.

But once the realm is truly in hand, then comes endless toil.

When people mention the Taizong Emperor, they always speak of reduced corvée and taxes, encouragement of agriculture and sericulture, broad acceptance of advice, and reform of the bureaucracy...

But merely figuring out how to make taxes and corvée light is already a major problem.

Taxes concern the state treasury!

If collected lightly, the people's purses fill while the treasury empties.

If collected heavily, the people's purses are not full, the treasury abounds, yet popular resentment boils over.

Emperors like Taizong are rare; most emperors need only avoid slaughtering the people for pleasure, avoid wine pools and meat forests, avoid impulsive grand construction...

Even if he achieved nothing in his lifetime, in the eyes of the common folk he is still a good emperor who observes the mean.

The common folk never need the emperor to do anything special; merely not acting is already doing good.

But when the barbarians attack...

Who can keep it under control?

The horses of the Central Plains cannot match those beyond the passes; this has been a law since antiquity!

Du Shanü's charcoal pencil scraped the rough hemp paper, making a shasha sound, accompanying her words as they rang long in the autumn night's curtain.

No one spoke, until Yu Hen suddenly let out a sob.

Having finished the final stroke, Du Shanü turned to look, only to catch a glimpse out of the corner of her eye: the remarkably 'big‑framed' blind‑eyed beauty suddenly lunged straight into her embrace with such force that she nearly toppled over!

What a fine move 'throwing oneself into an embrace'!

Du Shanü's shoulder ached fiercely; she was about to speak when she again heard Yu Hen, in a 'big bird leaning on a person' posture, cling to her shoulder and shout loudly:

"I want to become your son‑in‑law!"

"I want to become your son‑in‑law!"

"I also want to be with you, relying on father's prestige to gain status!"

A Chou: "?!"

Leitie: "?!"

Ouyang father and son: "?!"

Liu Wenyuan: "......"

Du Shanü, who suddenly wasn't in pain anymore: "(*^▽^*)"

This change happened too suddenly; aside from Du Shanü being able to show a smile, everyone else almost had the look of having seen a ghost.

The beauty's warmth covered Du Shanü's shoulder, fragrant and alluring.

Du Shanü likes softness, not hardness; she really liked this approach, and after thinking, she coaxed him:

"No need to rely on paternal influence; actually, having a son or daughter is equally good."

Leitie shuddered, obviously getting goosebumps.

Liu Wenyuan, who had been completely ignored, finally couldn't hold back and asked again:

"How do you know about the water mill chain made by the Grand Ancestor? This thing isn't even widespread in the northern lands and southeast; this place is already in the far south, and we've searched everywhere without finding it, so how could you...."

Du Shanü had the beauty in her arms, staying very calm:

"Because there is more than one person who can rival the sun and moon besides the Grand Ancestor."

"Let me guess: the northern lands and southeast don't have this everywhere probably because ordinary water mill chains are too big, only usable at river mouths or in water systems with large elevation changes, whereas the southern lands mostly have small streams with gentle flow that can't drive them, so they aren't very effective."

"I've made a small modification; this little chain should now be usable here."

?? Du Shanü before being hit: a smiling tiger (superficial smile). jpg

? Du Shanü after being hit: (*^▽^*) unexpectedly still have such good fortune. jpg

(Dianniang's side's character card has already been approved, the background image is Xiao Ai's most intimidating Young Emperor period! At the start of the main text, the stage will be thinner, more worried, more exhausted...... there's a contrast, hehe).