Chapter 19: Brocade Robes and Splendid Attire

Outside the Sky Screen.

A thunderous declaration split the millennium-old mist.

Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter, "Good! What a creation of history by the people!" He came from the bottom, had been a monk, and begged for food.

He understood the suffering of the lower classes better than any emperor, and understood their power even more.

"Those sour scholars who read the sages' books, they keep chanting to us about the divine right of kings, about scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants!"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at the Sky Screen, "The people of later generations in the Sky Screen spoke the truth. Without those mud-leg farmers tilling the land, without those artisans hammering iron, what would these silk-clad official lords eat? What would they wear?"

"Mao Xiang!"

Mao Xiang, the Commander of the Brocaded Guard, knelt below, his forehead pressed against the golden bricks.

"Your subject is here!"

"Transmit our decree: increase the annual stipends for artisans across the nation."

"Abolish the ignoble registers! If farmers produce more grain, exempt them from taxes for three years!"

"As for corrupt officials and dirty clerks in all regions who dare to withhold artisans' wages or forcibly seize farmers' fields."

"No need to report to the Ministry of Justice for trial. Once one is verified, skin him and stuff him with straw for us."

"Hang him on the city gate tower, let all officials in the world see who is truly the foundation of this world!"

The state machinery of the Ming Dynasty roared and turned.

The status of the common people underwent a tremendous leap.

The Ferris wheel slowly descended.

Air conditioning in the cabin blew out cold wind.

Xiao Sizi leaned against the seat, silent for a long time.

Lin Xuan's words shattered the filter of supreme imperial power in her mind.

She began to observe modern society with a completely new gaze.

Delivery riders under the scorching sun, construction workers sweating on scaffolding.

In the eyes of the four-year-old girl, they were no longer faceless commoners.

They were living spines supporting this vast world.

The cabin landed, and the glass doors slid open.

Lin Xuan held her hand and walked out, checking the time on his wristwatch.

"Let's go."

"I'll take you to the mall to cool off with air conditioning and change you into some lighter clothes."

"That ancient costume of yours is too thick; in this hot weather, you'll easily get heat rash."

Lin Xuan led Xiao Sizi through the exit passage of the Yuleyuan.

Across the street stood a vast modern comprehensive mall.

Pushing open the heavy glass doors, a strong blast of cold wind hit their faces.

Inside the mall, lights were bright, and the marble floor tiles were so polished they could reflect images.

Lin Xuan led her straight to the girls' clothing section on the second floor.

They walked into a fast-fashion brand store.

Rows of brightly colored, diverse-style clothes hung full on the racks.

A sales assistant stepped forward with a professional smile.

"Buying clothes for your little sister? All the new summer styles are over here."

Lin Xuan waved his hand, indicating he would pick them himself.

He walked to the rack, tore down two T-shirts printed with cartoon patterns.

He also grabbed a pair of light-blue soft denim shorts and a pink sleeveless sport dress.

Then he stuffed a pile of clothes into Xiao Sizi's arms and pushed her shoulders toward the fitting room.

Lin Xuan pointed at the curtain, "Go in, take off that outfit you're wearing."

"By the way, do you know how to put them on yourself?"

Xiao Sizi held the clothes, looking at those few pieces of fabric, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"This garment has no ties, no frog buttons; how is it fastened?"

She fumbled with the waistband of those denim shorts.

Lin Xuan stood outside the curtain and instructed: "That is called an elastic band."

"Spread it open with both hands, step into it, and it will tighten around your waist by itself."

"There is a metal button on the back of the dress; pinch the pull tab in the middle, pull it down to open, and pull it up again after dressing."

"Try it."

Two minutes later, the curtain opened.

Xiao Sizi stood somewhat awkwardly before the mirror.

She had taken off that heavy, complex Tang Dynasty Jiaoling Ruju.

She had changed into a white short-sleeved T-shirt, and below was a pair of knee-length soft cloth shorts.

No layers of undergarments, no ribbons tightening her chest.

The fabric of the clothes fell naturally along the lines of her shoulders and neck.

When she waved her arms, there was no more dragging sensation of wide sleeves.

She stepped forward, her legs moving so lightly that the weight of the fabric was barely felt.

She jumped twice in place.

Air rushed in through the wide sleeves and pant legs, carrying away the residual heat from her skin.

The tailored fit perfectly avoided all moving joints, making her so comfortable she wanted to run a few laps on the flat ground.

"Lin Xuan, this garment is excellent." Xiao Sizi touched the elastic waistband, "No need for maids to attend; with a single turn of the hand, one can dress completely."

"And this fabric is not prickly like hemp; it has a softness that silk lacks."

Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Combed cotton woven by modern industrial looms."

"Breathable, sweat-absorbent."

Above the Sky Screen, a scene from a shopping mall projected onto the Great Tang.

Taiji Palace.

Empress Zhangsun watched her daughter jump joyfully after changing into the new outfit, her eyes turning red.

"This child has been sickly since childhood, fearing both cold and heat."

She turned to look at Li Shimin, "In summer, to preserve the royal dignity, she could only wrap herself in those three layers of robes and skirts."

"Every time the dog days arrived, patches of red rash would form on her neck and back, the pain keeping her awake all night."

Li Shimin reached out and held the Empress's wrist.

"Guan Yinbi, indeed, Sizi has suffered."

"People of later generations have taken these ordinary garments to the extreme of comfort."

Outside the fitting room.

Seeing Xiao Sizi's reluctance to part with the summer clothes, Lin Xuan turned and walked toward the deepest part of the store.

In the corner hung a sign reading "Off-Season Clearance."

Lin Xuan rummaged through a row of winter clothes.

Xiao Sizi had a severe history of asthma; once she caught a chill, it was easily triggered.

Although it was summer now, since they were here to buy clothes, winter cold-weather gear must be fully prepared.

Most importantly... off-season clothes are cheap!

He picked out two knee-length, long down jackets for children.

One was beige, the other pink.

Holding the clothes, he walked back to the mirror.

"Put this on and try the size."

Lin Xuan shook open the beige long coat.

Seeing the thickness of that garment, Xiao Sizi immediately stepped back, shaking her head repeatedly.

"Lin Xuan, it's too thick!"

Her small face scrunched up into a ball, her resistance evident on her face.

In the winter of the Great Tang, the palace used furs and winter clothes stuffed with chopped hemp and kapok for warmth.

Those clothes, once worn, weighed over ten jin, pressing on her chest until she felt stifled, unable to breathe evenly.

Therefore, she feared winter the most.

Without a word, Lin Xuan stepped forward and draped the down jacket over Xiao Sizi's shoulders.

With two hands, he helped her slide her arms into the sleeves.

Xiao Sizi closed her eyes, preparing to endure that familiar heavy pressure.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes.

No weight.

This coat, which looked even thicker and more puffy than the Great Tang winter clothes, felt light and airy when worn.

Crucially, the chill brought by the mall's air conditioning was clearly blocked out.

"Not heavy, right?" Lin Xuan asked hopefully.

"No weight at all."

Xiao Sizi touched the fluffy fabric on her arms and exclaimed, "What kind of divine object is this? Is it filled with clouds from the sky?"

Lin Xuan pulled open a hidden zipper on the inside of the coat, revealing a small transparent display window within.

"Not filled with clouds."

"This uses duck down, the softest layer of fluff from the belly of white ducks."

Xiao Sizi leaned in to observe.

"Duck feathers? Can the fur of such livestock keep out the cold?"

Lin Xuan patted the coat, "This is called a hollow structure."

"These feathers are very light and can store a large amount of still air."

"When air does not flow, heat cannot escape; this is physical insulation."

He pinched the sleeve of the down jacket.

"One such coat uses less than half a jin of duck down."

"But it is much warmer than your Great Tang's ten-plus jin of furs and cotton clothes."

"Rolling around in snow at minus ten degrees or lower, it won't let you freeze through."