Chapter 197:
Days would change not by Li Er or Li Chengqian’s will. What would unfold would be beyond their intentions. As time passed day by day, it was just another ordinary day.
Su Che rushed into the courtyard at the Princess’s residence, exclaiming, “Mother, Father wants you to come to the study.”
At three years old, Su Che was naturally lively and active, as if he had endless energy every day. Seeing her son, Changle squatted down and tousled his hair.
“What does your father want me to do?” Changle asked with a smile.
“Dad said he made a new dress for you that no one is allowed to see, and he wants you to change into it in the study,” Su Che said, shaking his head.
Hearing this, the nearby court ladies and maids burst into laughter. Changle’s face turned slightly red, and she playfully scolded, “You’re already running around everywhere, but you’re still so straightforward with your words…”
Despite her words, she got up, took Su Che’s hand, and walked towards the study. The court ladies and attendants understood and didn’t follow them.
“Husband?”
Upon entering the study, Changle saw Su Li carefully examining a slightly glowing and soft vest.
“Has the madam arrived?” Su Li smiled and then turned to Su Che, saying, “Dear, go out first. Father has something to discuss with your mother.”
Su Che nodded and quickly ran out. As he grew older, Su Li became stricter with his upbringing. Su Che’s physical qualities were remarkably strong, making him a natural prodigy with immense strength.
There was an ancient saying in the Central Plains, “Possessing a weapon invites murderous intent.” Su Li understood the potential danger of Su Che’s strength to ordinary people and diligently educated him.
At age three, children typically busied themselves climbing walls, chasing birds, and exploring rooftops. Little Su Che was full of boundless energy, resembling a mischievous monkey. Changle’s attempts at disciplining him were not only unsuccessful but also lacked firmness. In the end, Su Li had to personally guide his son, and during playtime, Su Che would instinctively avoid actively approaching his father.
At such a tender age, he hadn’t developed a keen curiosity about what his father might discuss with his mother when he was absent.
“Madam, this is a new lining I’ve made. Try it on,” Su Li said to Changle with a smile.
Changle took the vest, and her eyes couldn’t help but reveal astonishment. The garment wasn’t made of fabric. Instead, its surface had a metallic sheen, but its texture felt warm and lacked the coldness associated with metal.
“Husband, what material is this?” Changle couldn’t help but ask.
Su Li shook his head with a smile. “This fabric is quite special. I’ve only gathered enough materials to make this one piece of clothing.”
Saying this, Su Li closed the door and signaled for Changle to put on the vest. After so many years of marriage, Changle had no shyness left before Su Li. She efficiently changed into the vest.
“How does it feel?” Su Li asked.
“It fits snugly. If I didn’t pay close attention, I wouldn’t even realize there was an extra piece of clothing on me. It doesn’t hinder movement at all,” Changle replied with slightly narrowed eyes, feeling the fabric.
Su Li nodded and then spoke seriously, “Madam, you must always wear this lining. Do not take it off under any circumstances.” freёweɓnovel.com
Seeing Su Li’s grave expression, Changle felt puzzled.
“This is soft armor, and its protective capabilities… are very strong,” Su Li smiled.
“Oh my!” Changle gave Su Li a playful glare and, while pretending to take off the vest, she complained, “Why would you give me something like this if you’re not giving it to Su Che?”
When Su Li claimed it was soft armor, Changle didn’t doubt it. If even Su Li said its protective capabilities were strong, it must be incredibly effective. After all these years following Su Li, Changle had seen her fair share of odd things and had naturally developed some immunity to such surprises.
However, being a mother meant that whatever good things there were, she instinctively wanted to provide them for her child. It was a mother’s nature.
Su Li paused for a moment and then stopped Changle’s actions, somewhat helpless. “There will be more of these in the future, and this one is too big for him anyway. It wouldn’t fit him properly.”
This soft armor was an acquisition made within the system, and it came at a great cost—an invulnerable armor resistant to both water and fire, impenetrable to blades and weapons. Su Li had personally tested it and found that even regular weapons could hardly pierce the armor. Only a forceful blow could cause harm by bypassing its defenses.
However, Su Li estimated that someone with a strength attribute score of less than 150 wouldn’t even be able to achieve that much. Giving one to Changle was a decision he had already made.
As for Su Che, that boy’s attributes far exceeded those of an ordinary person. Even the most formidable generals in the military would struggle to subdue him. Besides, he had always been in the princess’s residence, accompanied by Su Li whenever he went out. Unlike Changle, who occasionally ventured out alone, Su Che’s armor could wait until the next time he obtained one.
After chatting with Su Li for a while, Changle left. Next month was Zhangsun Wu Fei’s birthday, and she was busy preparing a birthday gift for her—a robe embroidered with hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix.
Glancing at the sky and realizing it was still quite early before nightfall, Su Li decided to take his son for a walk. He searched nearly half of the inner courtyard but couldn’t find Su Che. Finally, he arrived at the small courtyard where White Dragon was housed and spotted Su Che climbing up and down White Dragon’s back.
White Dragon was lying down on a bed of straw, wearing an expression of utter resignation on his horse-like face. While White Dragon might resist someone like Li Er, he wouldn’t hesitate to show some attitude. But when it came to his young master, he remained completely still, not out of fear of hurting Su Che, but to prevent the boy from playing too exuberantly. Su Che had been coming to pester him continuously for the past few days, and White Dragon found it a bit overwhelming.
“Dear, come with Dad for a stroll,” Su Li waved to Su Che. Su Che happily shouted in response and leaped from White Dragon, rushing excitedly to Su Li’s side. Father and son, without a word, sneaked out of the princess’s residence with their hands behind their backs.
As soon as they stepped out of the main gate, the lively sounds of vendors selling their wares reached their ears. Everywhere they looked, townspeople sold various items they had crafted themselves. With the abundant resources in the Great Tang, the citizens resolved their basic sustenance needs and gradually developed higher pursuits. The emergence of the Princess’s steelworks and salt production facilities thoroughly activated the enormous market of the Great Tang. During agricultural downtime, the people would utilize their rare leisure moments throughout the year to apply their cleverness and skills to create trinkets.
In the past, craftsmen didn’t have high social status, and their skills were passed down through generations. Young craftsmen struggled to find spouses, and matchmaking was hard to come by. But times had changed, and the lives of craftsmen had improved significantly. With more work available and increasing prosperity, they had grown stronger, and their marriage prospects improved. What was even more significant was that some children from farming backgrounds were now willing to apprentice under them and learn their crafts. In today’s Great Tang, the seeds of a commercial economy were gradually beginning to sprout.
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