Chapter 4: Consort Yan Falls into the Water, Resuscitation of Heart and Lungs

With a high-pitched chant from a eunuch, a group of people approached from afar. In the lead were three figures, with Li Shimin in the center, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. Beside him were the graceful and noble Empress Zhangsun and the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who wore a pale yellow casual gown.

Following them were Prince of Wei Li Tai and Prince of Jin Li Zhi, the latter carrying a little girl in his arms. Li Shen guessed it must be Princess Jinyang, Li Mingda. According to what he knew, Li Mingda was gentle, clever, and kind-hearted, though she passed away at a young age. Li Shen had never heard the exact nature of her illness, only that it was likely asthma.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Empress, and Crown Prince." The group hurried forward to pay their respects.

Li Shen stood at the back and bowed as well. Fortunately, the Tang Dynasty did not practice the kneeling rituals that became popular in later, queue-wearing dynasties; such gestures were reserved only for specific, formal occasions.

"Rise, everyone. There are no outsiders today, so there is no need for such formality. This lake excursion was suggested by the Empress because she felt I was weary and needed a rest, so please, do not stand on ceremony. We shall dine at the Wangyun Pavilion at noon. Consider this a family banquet." With those words, he and Empress Zhangsun headed toward the South Sea Lake.

The concubines followed behind, though the princes and princesses did not; the concubines were eager to show their faces before the Emperor, hoping that if his mood were favorable, he might spend the night in one of their palaces.

There were several pleasure boats on the South Sea Lake. Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun boarded one, accompanied by Li Shimin's personal eunuch, Wang De, the commander of the imperial guards, Li An, and of course, Li Tai, Li Zhi, and Princess Jinyang.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian, accompanied by the Crown Princess, Lady Su, boarded another boat with their servants. Li Chengqian had married earlier that year; Lady Su was a lady of noble upbringing and kind character, whom Li Shimin and the Empress favored greatly. Li Shimin had hosted a grand banquet for the officials on the day of their wedding, which Li Shen had attended.

The remaining concubines took several other boats, while some stayed on the shore to admire the view. Li Shen’s mother, along with Consort Yang, Consort Yin, and Consort Yan, boarded a boat with their maids and eunuchs, drifting toward the center of the lake.

Li Shen, having no interest in this, walked to a pavilion far from the crowd and sat down. He instructed a nearby eunuch to fetch some refreshments. On such an occasion, only the Emperor, Empress, noble consorts, and the Crown Prince were permitted to bring their own personal attendants; the servants of the princes and princesses waited outside, as the palace staff here were all arranged by the imperial household. In every dynasty, palace regulations were strict, primarily to ensure the safety of the Emperor.

Soon, a eunuch arrived with a plate of snacks. It was May, in the spring, and there were no fresh fruits to be had—even if there were, there would be none for him.

Despite his mother, Consort Wei, being the head of the four consorts, Li Shen had realized over the past year that she was not particularly favored. Furthermore, in terms of treatment, Li Shen and his elder sister, Li Mengjiang, fared worse than many other princes and princesses born to Li Shimin’s concubines. Li Mengjiang still lacked a formal title, and he had been sent off to his own fief at the age of eight. Sometimes, Li Shen wondered if he would even exist at all had it not been for his mother’s towering stature of 1.9 meters.

In his previous life, there had been much debate online regarding Consort Wei, especially about her height. Some claimed archaeologists had made a mistake, others called it hearsay, and some dismissed the idea of Li Shimin falling for her at first sight as impossible. However, Consort Wei’s tomb had been opened; it was reported that she died at 69, and archaeologists found her teeth intact and her height nearly 1.9 meters. One could only imagine how tall she was in her youth.

When Li Shen first saw Consort Wei, he believed the archaeologists. His mother was indeed nearly 1.9 meters tall. He also suspected that it wasn't love at first sight for Li Shimin, but rather a simple case of being drawn to her beauty and a desire for conquest. After all, Li Shimin was barely 1.8 meters tall, not the "eight feet" mentioned in historical records—later documents often exaggerated, and tomb epitaphs were no exception.

Seeing a giant beauty like Consort Wei, any man would feel the urge to conquer her. Her height was unique among the imperial concubines of the dynasties, which made Li Shimin quite proud.

Li Shen picked up a snack and took a bite. "Tastes terrible," he thought. The snacks of this era, aside from their appearance, were nothing but dry crumbs. Without water, one could easily choke to death.

Looking at the snack, he wondered if he should try making his own. As a man who had lived for over thirty years in the modern era, few were incapable of cooking. Besides, having watched countless short videos on food preparation, he remembered the steps well enough. If he failed once, he would try ten or a hundred times until he succeeded.

"Little brother, what are you thinking about?" The voice of Li Mengjiang interrupted his musings. She entered the pavilion, followed by a young girl.

"Greetings, Sixth Sister." Li Shen quickly rose to pay his respects to the girl. Her name was Li Anran, the Princess Yuzhang. Born to a low-ranking concubine who had died in childbirth, she had been raised by Empress Zhangsun, who treated her as her own. Because she was raised by the Empress, Li Shimin felt differently toward Princess Yuzhang and favored her greatly. It was said she was to be betrothed to the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue, Tang Shanshi.

"Tenth brother, why are you sitting here in a daze instead of enjoying the sights?" Princess Yuzhang asked softly.

"In reply to Sixth Sister, I was contemplating the lessons left by my tutor," Li Shen answered earnestly.

Seeing Li Shen’s serious demeanor, Princess Yuzhang laughed. After all, he was only seven.

"Tenth brother, I hear you study very diligently at the Imperial Academy and never go out to play with the children of other noble families. That is not good. While studies are important, you must learn to relax. Building relationships with these scions will be beneficial for your future in your fief. These young men will eventually enter the court as officials," Princess Yuzhang advised.

Li Shen looked at Princess Yuzhang with surprise. It wasn't that she didn't understand these things—children of this era were precocious, and having been raised by Empress Zhangsun, she would naturally be well-versed in such matters. What surprised him was why she was telling him this. Children in the palace were not as close as one might imagine. Even among Li Shimin’s children, there was a sense of distance, and even biological siblings were not necessarily close.

In the year since he had transmigrated, Li Shen had learned this well. Furthermore, all children born to concubines were required to call Empress Zhangsun "Mother," while calling their own biological mothers "Aunt." The term "Mother-Consort" used in television dramas was certainly not the practice of the Tang Dynasty. Li Shen only dared to call Consort Wei "Mother" within the confines of her palace; he would never dare to do so outside. At first, Consort Wei had disagreed, fearing trouble, but for someone raised with modern education, calling his own mother "Aunt" was something he could not bring himself to do.

Seeing Li Shen’s surprised expression, Li Anran understood. She quickly explained, "I am close with Mengjiang. She told me that besides studying at the academy, you spend all your time in the palace reading, and she is worried you will become a bookworm who knows nothing else."

*Oh.* Li Shen realized then; he had thought his relationship with Princess Yuzhang hadn't reached that level of familiarity yet.

"Someone has fallen into the water! Help! Someone save them!"

"Quick! Consort Yan has fallen in! Save her!"

At that moment, cries for help erupted from afar. Li Shen could faintly distinguish his mother's voice. Looking toward the sound, he saw a figure splashing about in the South Sea Lake, some thirty meters from the shore. Clearly, the person could not swim.

Not far away, a pleasure boat was turning, but even in modern times, boats could not stop on a dime, let alone these manually rowed vessels. They were not fast, but they were difficult to maneuver, and the eunuchs were not professional oarsmen.

Li Shen watched as the person stopped struggling and began to sink. Several eunuchs who could swim jumped in to retrieve her. After two or three minutes of struggle, they finally brought her onto the boat.

Once the boat reached the shore, they carried the unconscious woman off. Li Shimin’s boat had already docked, and a eunuch had long since summoned an imperial physician. A man in his fifties or sixties stepped forward to examine the situation.

He directed them to turn the victim over to expel the water, then checked her pulse, listened for breath, and lifted her eyelids.

Li Shen and the two princesses had rushed over upon hearing the cries. Standing behind the crowd, he peered through the gaps. Only then did he see that the person who had fallen in was Consort Yan, the birth mother of Li Zhen. Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun approached, and the crowd parted for them.

"Physician Xu, how is she?" Li Shimin asked.

"Your Majesty," the physician replied, "Consort Yan has been in the water for too long. The rescue came late, and water has entered her lungs. I have checked her pulse; there is none, nor is there any breath. Her lips are turning purple. I fear... I fear..." Physician Xu trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

The Tang Dynasty had methods for treating drowning, such as the inversion method or the ash-burying method, but those required signs of life, such as a faint pulse or breath. Consort Yan had neither. If he declared her dead, he feared the Emperor’s wrath; if word got out that someone had drowned during an imperial excursion, it would be a stain on the Emperor's reputation, and he knew officials like Wei Zheng would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to criticize him.

"Is there truly no way?" Li Shimin understood what the physician meant, but he asked nonetheless, unwilling to give up. A death during an excursion was bad for his reputation, especially for someone like Li Shimin, who valued his image deeply after the incident at Xuanwu Gate.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent. Consort Yan, I fear..." Physician Xu answered cautiously.

"Aunt!" At that moment, Li Zhen, who was only eight years old, collapsed beside Consort Yan, sobbing. Hearing the physician say his mother was dead, he could not contain his grief. The onlookers, whether sincere or not, all wore expressions of sorrow.

*The opportunity is here!* Li Shen thought.

"Father, I believe she can still be saved." A sudden voice cut through the air, interrupting everyone's thoughts. The crowd turned to see it was Li Shen who had spoken.