After reviewing Madam Lu’s information, Lin Wanwan exited the document and opened the website to check the major events recorded in the fourth year of Zhenguan.
This January, military god Li Jing led 3000 cavalry, braving the wind and snow to penetrate hundreds of miles deep into the territory, and defeated the Eastern Turks at Evil Sun Ridge. He killed Jie Li Khan’s wife, the Sui Dynasty’s Princess Yicheng, and captured Empress Xiao, wife of Yang Guang, and her grandson Yang Zhengdao.
This series of victories shattered Jie Li’s morale, prompting him to hastily send envoys to Chang’an to surrender to Li Shimin, expressing a willingness to move and submit internally. Delighted, Li Shimin dispatched Tang Jian as an envoy to negotiate the terms of surrender with Jie Li.
At this time, military god Li Jing made another decisive decision, taking advantage of the enemy’s complacency to annihilate the Eastern Turks entirely, erasing their presence from the map and eliminating potential threats.
With the war reports in hand, Li Shimin and his father Li Yuan reconciled their past grievances, granting pardons across the realm, and gathered ministers and relatives at Lingyan Pavilion to celebrate for several days, one playing the pipa and another dancing, sharing joy with the people.
The unrivaled beauty, Empress Xiao, Xiao Chong’s paternal aunt, would also be brought back to Chang’an and lived to a very old age of over eighty before she passed away.
Seeing this, Lin Wanwan stroked her chin, recalling in many unofficial histories that Li Shimin might have taken Empress Xiao.
However, considering the age, Empress Xiao should be almost sixty by this time, while Li Shimin is only in his thirties. Even if Empress Xiao had once been remarkably beautiful, she’s old now, so could she still attract Li Shimin?
It’s likely this is the result of writers giving in to their penchant for sensationalism, writing such unofficial histories solely to satisfy their gossiping desires, catch eyes, and smear Li Shimin and Empress Xiao’s reputations.
In any case, Lin Wanwan did not believe it; one must remember Li Shimin also married Yang Guang’s daughter as Princess Consort Yang. If he were to take Empress Xiao too, it would be too deplorable; the Emperor ruling over the beauties of the realm would not be lost to such allure, especially since Empress Zhangsun is still present.
"Empress Xiao, alas, Princess Yicheng was kind to her. Now she’s killed by Li Jing... No wonder her brother of the same mother, Xiao Yu’s grandfather Xiao Yu, would submit a memorial to impeach Li Jing. It’s a pity he did not comprehend Li Shimin’s intentions, and by July, he would be dismissed from his role as Imperial Censor and no longer participate in the government, only being granted the title of Crown Prince’s Tutor with no real power."
Lin Wanwan muttered under her breath and thought: I wonder if grandfather being relieved from position would affect Xiao Chong, probably not, as they are so far from the Emperor that it might actually be beneficial. A family shouldn’t have too many outstanding individuals, inciting jealousy. With Xiao Chong’s grandfather stepping back, the future descendants can rise to prominence.
The series of events triggered by the Eastern Turks in the fourth year of Zhenguan was certainly the biggest historical event.
The passing of the famous Prime Minister Du Ruhui and Xiao Chong’s grandfather Xiao Yu being dismissed would certainly change the power hierarchy in Chang’an, but it’s far away and doesn’t affect me.
Additionally, the floods and droughts continued as usual; however, in Jiangnan, especially this generation from Mao County, they fortunately did not suffer major natural disasters.
After reviewing the general information, Lin Wanwan stretched and relaxed a lot, continuing to focus on farming and creating her own Peach Blossom Spring.
As for whether to warn Xiao Chong about this, she merely thought for a second and then dismissed it.
Not to mention that these big figures always have strong personalities and won’t easily change, even if they did, it might not necessarily be a good thing. On the whole, with grandfather’s dismissal, although Xiao Chong’s family would be somewhat affected in Chang’an. In Jiangnan, their Lanling Xiao clan remains the top family, deeply rooted and not afraid of anything.
Moreover, with Xiao Chong’s capabilities, he can completely control Mao County’s power; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to undertake such a large project like the Ta Mountain Dam.
Lin Wanwan didn’t understand politics, so it’s best not to get involved, enjoying her time as a farmer is the right way.
Opening the door, Lin Wanwan checked the map and walked toward the nearby department store by the hotel, planning to buy modern cosmetics like foundation to bring to the Great Tang.
Lin Wanwan decided to first try trading cosmetics in her Xiao Family cousin’s circle, not just for profit, but crucially to penetrate the female circles of high society and gain numerous invisible benefits.
This type of monopoly business is both incredibly profitable and can solidify one’s social circle status, a perfect opportunity not to miss.
Lin Wanwan spent nearly two hours reviewing and researching the information, and by the time she reached the mall, it was ten in the morning, the doors had opened, but it was still not crowded inside. Lin Wanwan did not delay and headed straight to the cosmetics area to find her preferred brand.
Foundation is easy to repack, and it’s also the quickest cosmetic to show results, making it a must-buy, along with notably good loose powder.
In the Great Tang, the powder used by ordinary people contains high amounts of lead, while the nobles, although they do not use powder with high lead content, their cosmetics made from medicinal ingredients and pearls do not have as good beauty makeup effects as modern ones.
Lin Wanwan selling these to the Great Tang would undoubtedly find a market.
Also, skincare items like water, lotion, and essence can be bought as they’re all quite easy to repack. Under modern craftsmanship, skincare products certainly have better effects than those from the Great Tang. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
The brands selected by Lin Wanwan welcomed a big client early in the morning, and the counter attendants were delighted, almost replicating the diligence of Japanese store clerks bowing to thank.
Carrying several large bags of skincare product packages upon leaving, Lin Wanwan acquired numerous counter attendants’ contact information, even though it wouldn’t be of much use to her. In the future, she would definitely opt for online shopping, given that cross-border e-commerce is very developed now, and sites like Koala offer prices more affordable than buying in malls, with a lot less tax to pay.
After purchasing cosmetics and skincare products, she bought a box of Swiss chocolates favored by Little Qingyu and returned to the hotel to put everything away before heading out again to view a house she had scheduled online.
Since she planned to stay in Qiantang for a month, she definitely needed to find a secluded and quiet residential area to settle in; the hotel was only a temporary measure.
It’s just that Yu City has now become a quasi-first-tier city with property purchase restrictions in place; otherwise, Lin Wanwan would have been keen to buy a lake-view house by West Lake locally.
West Lake is so beautiful, it’s also Lin Wanwan’s ideal residential area. Bai Juyi served as magistrate here for three years, and upon leaving couldn’t forget the place, leaving behind an eternal poem:
North of Lone Mountain Temple, west of Jia Pavilion, the water just level, the clouds low.
Several early orioles compete for warm trees, whose new swallows peck at spring mud.
Messy flowers gradually desire to blur one’s eyes, only shallow grasses can hide horse hooves.
Most love for traversing east of the lake, in the shade of green willows on White Sand Dyke.
The rental property Lin Wanwan found online was located in a single apartment building by West Lake. She chose the twenty-first floor and arranged a viewing with the agent.
When Lin Wanwan arrived at the entrance to the apartment complex, the agent was already there with the landlord waiting. Both were visibly impressed to see Lin Wanwan, even with a mask.
Beauty is , even a mask cannot conceal one’s attractiveness.