Chapter 7: Tables and Chairs

After finishing the meal, Li Shimin also returned to his office. Resting for half a day was already quite good. Everyone else returned to their respective palaces. Li Shen followed Consort Wei and Li Mengjiang back to the Great Luck Hall. They entered the front chamber and sat down. Consort Wei said, “Shen’er, your actions today were quite reckless. Where did you learn such a method? If it had no effect, do you know what the consequences could have been?”

“Mother, you’re right. I won’t do it again. It’s just that watching Consort Yan suffer and die was unbearable for me,” Li Shen replied.

“Ah, Shen’er, I know you have a kind heart. But in this palace, you must always be cautious and careful. Everyone here is vying for favor, chasing status and benefits. I work diligently and fulfill my duties precisely because I fear causing trouble that could ruin your future. I may never leave this place in this lifetime, but you can. Mother hopes for a good life for you,” Consort Wei sighed, a trace of sadness in her voice.

“Mother, please don’t worry. Once I establish myself in my fief and achieve great merit, Father will treat you well,” Li Shen comforted her.

In truth, Li Shen felt a pang of sadness himself. He was about to be sent to his frontier fief, and it might be years, even decades, before he could see his birth mother again. For someone from the modern era, this was hard to accept.

“All right, let’s not dwell on this. From now on, think carefully before you act. Though I reside in the palace, I am aware of some things. The outside world is not peaceful either. Your father is having a difficult time; many policies face opposition. I also heard from your uncle that your father has been favoring the Prince of Wei lately, and that prince may be harboring dangerous ambitions. You must stay far away from any succession disputes. Throughout history, such struggles have been bloody, and few have ended well. Understand?” Consort Wei warned Li Shen.

“I understand, Mother. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave now so as not to disturb your rest,” Li Shen said, standing up and preparing to attend to important matters.

“Very well, go ahead,” Consort Wei replied.

Li Shen left the front chamber and summoned Lan Yuer and Xiao Shitou, along with a few others, heading straight to the Imperial Workshop. The furniture he had designed yesterday—the table and chairs—needed to be made today. Upon arrival, he found the supervising eunuch and explained his purpose, then presented the blueprints to the craftsmen.

After examining them for a while, one craftsman asked, “Prince Shen, this looks somewhat like a Hu-style stool, but with some differences. It should be simple enough to make in a few hours. How many do you need?”

“There are several designs. I’ll oversee the work here and provide sizes as we go. I need one square table like this, one large chair like this, one large round table, and twenty chairs of this style. Send more craftsmen to help. If you have questions, ask me. I need them urgently,” Li Shen ordered.

“Very well, Prince Shen. I’ll assemble the craftsmen right away,” said Zhang Wang, the managing eunuch of the Imperial Workshop, ranked seventh grade. Zhang Wang was cooperative; at this quiet time, no one had much to do, and it was good to build a good relationship with Prince Shen.

Soon, a dozen or so craftsmen arrived and began working. Li Shen had them first try making one chair to get familiar with the design. After making a few chairs and wasting some materials, they finally produced one satisfactory piece. He then instructed several craftsmen to replicate it nineteen more times, requiring all chairs to be identical in length, width, height, and the curve of the backrest.

Li Shen then started working with the remaining craftsmen on the tables. The tables were actually quite easy to make; the smaller one was custom-made to his height, intended as his desk in his bedchamber. The large round table was meant for dining in the side hall, while the Eight Immortals table and tea tables were for the front chamber.

This explained why so many chairs were needed. The craftsmen worked until nearly mealtime before finishing. Li Shen instructed them to sand the furniture smooth with no splinters. When he mentioned that the emperor would be hurt by a splinter, the craftsmen carefully pressed their faces against the wood to sand every inch. Li Shen marveled at the saying from later times: “A leader speaks, but the subordinates run their legs off.”

When the work was completed, Li Shen asked Zhang Wang to call people to help transport the furniture back to the Great Luck Hall. It was nearly mealtime, so few people were outside—mostly palace maids and eunuchs. Seeing Li Shen at the front, no one dared to stare, for curiosity in the palace could be dangerous. They knew the rules well.

At the Great Luck Hall, the eunuchs placed everything in the front courtyard. Then Li Shen took two strings of coins from Dongmei and handed them to Zhang Wang. “Thank you for your hard work today. Please distribute this among everyone. It’s not much, so don’t mind the amount.”

“Oh, Prince Shen, how can we accept your money? This is just our duty as servants. We cannot take it,” Zhang Wang quickly declined.

“Enough, I know your work in the Imperial Workshop is not easy. You’ve helped me all afternoon, and it looks like you won’t have time for dinner. Consider this a token of appreciation. I’m limited in means, so please don’t mind,” Li Shen said, pressing the money into Zhang Wang’s hand. Actually, two strings of coins was a substantial sum, roughly half a month’s salary per person when divided evenly.

Eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty received compensation from two sources: salary and rewards. Salary depended on rank, paid in money and land. High-ranking eunuchs could earn about 100 strings of coins annually, such as third-rank chiefs. Those without rank earned only a dozen or so strings yearly. Most craftsmen in the Imperial Workshop held no rank. Rewards, meanwhile, were typically given to those serving favored consorts, princes, or princesses, especially during festivals or special occasions. Those in the workshop rarely received such bonuses, and mistakes could even result in fines.

Therefore, Li Shen’s words acknowledged their hard work and hardships.

Zhang Wang was deeply moved holding the money. They were powerless in the workshop; any eunuch serving a favored consort could look down on them. Today, Li Shen showed sympathy, which touched them profoundly.

“Thank you, Prince Shen,” Zhang Wang called out to the other eunuchs.

“Thank you for your generosity, Prince Shen!” the group bowed in gratitude.

“All right, you may return now,” Li Shen instructed.

“Yes, we will take our leave. If Your Highness requires anything in the future, please just say the word,” Zhang Wang replied, leading the others back to the Imperial Workshop.

“Shitou, get some people to move the furniture,” Li Shen excitedly called.

Shitou summoned palace eunuchs to carry the items inside. First, they placed a child-sized office desk in front of Li Shen’s bookshelf in his bedchamber. The round table was set in the side hall for dining, surrounded by ten chairs.

Due to time constraints, only a simple round table was made this time; later, Li Shen planned to have a rotating one crafted.

He felt it best to leave the design and refinement to Zhang Wang, since he himself lacked the skills. Understanding the concept was enough; the rest could be researched by the attendants.

One must never underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. Many unearthed artifacts could not be replicated even with modern technology.

Finally, in the front chamber where Consort Wei received guests, the original couches were removed by Li Shen. In their place, a central Eight Immortals table was set with two grand chairs on each side. At the lower end, three tea tables flanked by three chairs on each side were arranged—just like the setup often seen on television in the previous life. The host sat at the upper end; guests sat below.

Li Shen imagined himself sitting there, commanding loudly, “Bring tea here!” That feeling was truly imposing.

(Note: As for tables, chairs, and stools — anyone can make those.)