In the Two Extremes Hall, Li Shimin was discussing matters with Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and others.
Yuan Tiangang was also present, stroking his freshly grown stubble as he said to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, in seven days, we can escort the former Emperor."
Fang Er, who had walked to the hall entrance, was curious about what method Sun Simiao had used to preserve Li Yuan's body for so many days without it decaying.
He wondered, "Did that old man pickle Li Yuan?"
"Ugh! That's too terrifying. I'll have to ask Old Sun about it later."
After the eunuch announced him to Li Shimin, Fang Er stepped over the high threshold and entered the hall.
"Your subject, Fang Anzhi, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Li Shimin looked at Fang Er with an unnatural expression.
He had gone to find silver mines for the Great Tang, leaving the family in his charge.
As a result, he had absconded to Shenyang to watch the excitement, not only had his workshop been raided, but his own father had been lost as well.
"Marquis of Liaodong, you may rise. Is there something?"
Fang Er stood up and said, "Your subject wishes to go to Shenyang. You have given me the title of Marquis of Liaodong, but there is still no official residence for the Marquisate. It is time to move there."
Li Shimin frowned. "I have already issued an edict for the Hundred Guard Division, the Left Valiant Guard, and the Right Valiant Guard to leave the capital in search of Hou Junji and others."
Hearing his response, which didn't quite address his question, Fang Er thought, "Does he think I want to go solo?"
"Your Majesty, what I am primarily considering is the reconstruction of the workshop."
After speaking, he explained his analysis to Li Shimin.
He added, "Of course, the workshop at Fang Family Manor still needs to be rebuilt. Some necessities for the people will remain here."
"The cotton has all been picked. From now on, this place will focus on textiles."
Li Shimin felt a little awkward. He realized he might have been overthinking things, but he still felt uneasy.
He then said, "When do you plan to hold your wedding with Yue'er?"
Fang Er blinked. "Your Majesty, is it appropriate to bring up marriage at this time?"
Li Yuan had passed away. This was a national mourning!
"That's your father. He's not even buried yet, and you're discussing this with a subject? This is absurd!"
Fang Xuanling walked over to Fang Er and said, "For you, it's just a hundred days of mourning. By then, the year will have passed, and you will be eighteen. It's time to get married."
Fang Er…
"What's going on? Why is everyone so concerned about my marriage instead of sending the Taishang Huang to his tomb first?"
Even Wei Zheng, who was usually verbose, had the same expression and offered no objections.
It felt like something was amiss.
However, thinking about it, moving to Shenyang would mean being far away from the emperor's direct influence, allowing him to act more freely. Fang Er didn't dwell on it.
"Your Majesty, I have two more matters for Your Majesty's approval."
Li Shimin did not answer him but said to a nearby eunuch, "Summon the Duke of Chai."
Fang Er…
"What? Summoning Chai Shao too? Does he want me to complete all these tasks before letting me go to Shenyang?"
With a speechless expression, Fang Er looked around the hall. There was a brocade stool next to the imperial desk, so he walked over and placed it by a pillar and sat down.
Then, he crossed his legs and took out a cigarette to smoke.
As the smell of smoke emerged, everyone else looked at him.
"Uh, it seems inappropriate for me to smoke. I should get out the cigarette case."
The cigarette case, a product of the system, had no information other than the brand of cigarettes.
He shook the cigarette case twice, and a few cigarettes shot out their tips.
"Hey, would you like a cigarette?"
Fang Xuanling walked over and took the entire cigarette case.
"Kid, remember, hogging it all is not a good habit."
Fang Er thought, "Doesn't this sound like he's hinting at something?"
Li Jing, on the other hand, walked over. "These little things aren't satisfying. Bring out your thick, black, and long ones."
Fang Er had no choice but to reach into his chest, pretend to search for a moment, and then took out two cigars and handed them over.
By the time Chai Shao arrived, the entire Two Extremes Hall was shrouded in smoke.
Even Li Shimin was smoking a cigar.
Upon entering the hall, he walked directly to Fang Er, extended his hand, and said.
"Give it here."
Fang Er, being sensible, got him one.
After he started smoking, Li Shimin said, "Duke of Chai, how about we set An Zhi and Yue'er's wedding for next year?"
Chai Shao looked indifferent. "You decide, I don't care about this."
Fang Er was even more speechless. "When people marry off their daughters, they usually cry their hearts out, or at least show some reluctance. But Old Chai here acts as if she's someone else's daughter."
"Why do these people seem so off today?"
Yuan Tiangang confirmed Chai Yue's birth date with Chai Shao, then walked over to Fang Er. "Kid, give me your birth date?"
Fang Er thought for a while before reciting the birth date of his current body.
"Year Xīnwèi, Month Gēngyín..."
After listening, Yuan Tiangang made hand seals and muttered incantations, looking exactly like the street fortune-tellers from his previous life.
After calculating for a while, he withdrew his hand seals, flicked his horsetail whisk, and said to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, next year, the seventh day of the second lunar month, is most auspicious!"
Fang Er couldn't help but calculate in his mind.
Li Yuan would be buried in seven days, which meant the national mourning would start from then.
It was currently the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month. Seven days later would be the twenty-second day of the tenth lunar month.
Counting another hundred days from then.
Fang Er was bewildered!
ps: Third watch.