Chapter 14: The Passing of Li Yuan
As soon as the Empress Dowager Changsun heard the mention of her son Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince, she immediately became alert. Li Chengqian was not only the heir apparent but also her own son. Naturally, she hoped that her son would have strong support when he eventually ascended the throne.
“Why not arrange for Li Shen to stay close to Gaoming? Spending more time together will build a bond. After all, they are brothers,” Empress Dowager Changsun suggested gently.
“That won’t work. Li Shen is still young. We can’t tell what he’ll be like in the future. Besides, he has declared that he will not contend for the succession, so naturally, he won’t be involved,” Li Shimin replied.
“Er Lang, Gaoming has always been reliable,” Empress Dowager Changsun said softly, implying that Li Chengqian was quite capable and urging Li Shimin to abandon any thoughts of changing the heir. Recently, she had noticed that Li Shimin was showing excessive favoritism towards Li Tai, which was leading Li Tai to entertain ambitions he shouldn’t have. The Empress Dowager had even spoken to Li Tai, urging him to behave and focus on his studies, but it seemed ineffective. They were all his own sons, so naturally, she did not want to see brothers turn against each other.
“Rest assured, I know Gaoming has always done well. But he still lacks sufficient refinement,” Li Shimin responded. Historically, Li Chengqian was highly regarded—appointed to twelve government positions and overseeing state affairs at the age of fourteen. But now, at sixteen, he was entering a rebellious phase, showing signs of waywardness. Hence, Li Shimin’s comment about Li Chengqian needing more discipline.
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More than a month had passed since Li Shen was impeached, yet nothing much had changed for him. No one bothered him anymore, and his life remained a simple routine. The biggest task Li Shen had undertaken during this month was crafting desks and chairs for Li Shimin. When Wang De last delivered 500 strings of coins to Li Shen, he told him that the emperor wanted several sets of furniture made for his various offices—the Two Instruments Hall, the Sweet Dew Hall, the Receiving Heaven Hall, and even the Empress Dowager Changsun’s Lifting Governance Hall.
Li Shen took on this significant commission, spending his days shuttling between the Imperial Academy and the Workshop for Official Furnishings. Furniture made for the emperor was a different caliber entirely. Every piece was tailored to Li Shimin’s height, leg length, and habits. When it came time to measure the emperor, Wang De was initially asked to do it, but he dared not. Then the head of the imperial guards, Li An, was asked, but he knelt in fear. Measuring the emperor’s height required one to stand taller than him, which was considered a grave offense—a breach punishable by death. Finally, to accomplish the task, Li Shen had no choice but to call upon the Empress Dowager Changsun, who provided the necessary authority.
The materials were all fine rosewood, especially for the dragon throne, which required intricate carving. Li An borrowed two master carvers from the Ministry of Works specifically for the task, and dozens of craftsmen were deployed. It took seven full days to complete, with the throne’s backrest demanding the most time. Every inch was polished smooth as glass, astonishing Li Shen. Who said the ancients were backward and incapable of producing exquisite works? It all depended on who the work was for.
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Besides crafting furniture for Li Shimin, Li Shen’s life was peaceful and uneventful. He enjoyed the solitude without disturbance. However, this tranquility was short-lived, as a major event occurred—Li Yuan fell gravely ill.
Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty, had been forced to abdicate to Li Shimin after the Xuanwu Gate Incident. In his later years, he resided in the Da’an Palace. In the eighth year of the Zhenguan era, he suffered a stroke. As his grandson, Li Shen also went to visit him, believing it to be a stroke. Now, as the emperor’s condition worsened, all the imperial family members, regardless of sincerity, were obliged to visit. Li Shen was no exception. That day, all the princes and princesses accompanied Li Shimin to the Da’an Palace. In the Weigong Hall, they saw the once mighty founding emperor, now on his last breath. Li Shimin stepped forward and gently called to Li Yuan, who weakly opened his eyes. Li Shimin spoke softly:
“Father, your son and your grandsons have come to see you.”
Li Yuan turned his head slightly to look at his many children and grandchildren, then at Li Shimin. He raised his hand slightly, and Li Shimin understood, quickly taking hold of Li Yuan’s hand and drawing closer so he could hear better.
Li Shen stood at the back and could not clearly hear what Li Yuan said to Li Shimin, only seeing Li Shimin nod repeatedly in response. After a while, Li Yuan closed his eyes and weakly released Li Shimin’s hand. Li Shimin slowly stood and nodded to Wang De beside him. Wang De understood and moved to the hall’s entrance, loudly announcing, “The retired emperor—the late emperor—has passed away!”
The princes and princesses then knelt, crying out for their grandfather, the late Emperor Li Yuan, among them Li Shen. Li Shen could see that Li Shimin was genuinely grieved. No one wished for Li Yuan’s death more than Li Shimin himself. All along, Li Shimin had sought to prove that his father was wrong and he was right. His years of diligent governance were partly motivated by the desire to demonstrate his excellence to Li Yuan. Now that Li Yuan was gone, Li Shimin felt an emptiness in his heart. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Changsun was already weeping loudly. Li Yuan had favored her greatly and had personally selected her as a match for Li Shimin.
The passing of the retired emperor necessitated numerous formalities. The body had to be preserved for a long time, requiring specialists to care for it. They had to choose a burial site, set up a mourning hall, arrange the body, and prepare the funeral garments and crown. Since it was a national mourning, many foreign envoys came to Chang’an to pay their respects. Li Shen and his cousins were assigned to guard the coffin multiple times.
Li Shimin issued an edict giving Li Yuan the temple name Gaizu and posthumous title Emperor Taiwu. The entire nation mourned, and foreign ambassadors came to the palace to express condolences. Li Shen was assigned to guard the coffin over a dozen times, continuing until October. Then Li Shimin decreed that Li Yuan be buried at Xianling, eighty li from Chang’an, alongside his mother, Empress Dowager Taimu of the Dou clan.
After a long four months, Li Shen’s life gradually returned to calm. Li Yuan’s death greatly affected Li Shen—not because he was particularly sorrowful, as life and death were natural. Li Yuan had lived into his seventies, which was considered a fortunate longevity in this era. Li Shen’s concern was more practical: what would happen if he himself fell ill? In this age, even a common cold could be fatal. He recalled that in ancient times, the leading cause of death was typhoid and external pathogens entering the body—that is, infections.
Because of Li Yuan’s death, Li Shen was required to observe mourning for three years, though the maximum was actually twenty-seven months. For example, Li Shimin resumed court after just a hundred days. Li Shen, on the other hand, had to stay home for at least a year. Most princes and princesses followed similar rules, except for the Crown Prince or the Prince of Wei, for whom the emperor could find excuses to excuse their attendance for official duties.
Since contemplating life and death, Li Shen had been restless. He admitted to himself that he was somewhat timid and fearful of death, feelings he could not shake. So during his mourning period at home, he spent his days pondering how to find a solution.
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After half a month of reflection, he finally recalled a detailed scene from a Japanese medical drama, “Jin,” which showed the extraction of penicillin. He had also researched online and found that the method was feasible.
The materials shown on the show were not hard to find: rice flour and taro juice as a nutrient medium, mold from moldy steamed bread for the fungus, and carbon sources readily available. The only difficulty was the filtration apparatus, but fine gauze layered multiple times could suffice. The only drawback was the unknown concentration, but the drama also mentioned repeated purification to increase concentration. Thus, Li Shen began preparations.
Early penicillin was discovered in mold. Li Shen was no expert but could follow the procedures experimentally. Given enough time, success was certain. Beginning in the eleventh month of the ninth year of Zhenguan, Li Shen embarked on his path as a scientific enthusiast. During this period, aside from news of the army’s victory over the Tuyuhun and their return to the capital, there was little noteworthy information. No one, including Li Shimin, paid much attention to Li Shen, so he focused on his experiments amid various moldy substances emitting sour and foul odors.
At the end of December, with the New Year approaching, the palace customarily held a banquet. Wang De personally came to summon Li Shen, as few others could locate him.
“Prince, we’ve finally found you. The emperor wants you to attend the banquet at the Lindian Hall tonight. Only officials of fifth rank and above and their families are invited. You must go,” Wang De said with some difficulty.
“Old Wang, do you think I can skip it? I thought mourning meant no entertainment activities,” Li Shen replied reluctantly. Since Wang De had last given him money, Li Shen considered the eunuch trustworthy and addressed him as “Old Wang,” a term Wang De found endearing and did not object to. Li Shen had not left his chamber for nearly two months. Despite preparing nearly a hundred samples of penicillin, none had succeeded. It seemed knowing the steps alone was not enough. How did those in novels manage to produce penicillin just by traveling through time?
“Oh my prince, this isn’t entertainment, don’t say that. It’s a custom to acknowledge the ministers’ hard work over the year. Please don’t trouble your old servant,” Wang De quickly responded.
“All right, all right. I’ll wash up and change my clothes now,” Li Shen said, heading toward his quarters.
Note: For reference, please watch the Japanese time-travel drama “Jin,” which includes detailed methods of penicillin extraction and purification, similar to the techniques used on the German front lines during World War II. The author researched online and found that a student influencer successfully replicated the method, though the quantity of penicillin mold was small, requiring two weeks to produce enough for one person. The optimal culture medium was corn paste, but Li Shen decided to forgo that. Additionally, it was revealed that during the war, Germans without access to medicine extracted penicillin mold from the urine of treated wounded soldiers, which was also effective.