In the early stages of asthma, as long as it is well managed, it is basically no different from a healthy person, just occasional coughing and chest tightness.
In Zhang Nuo's opinion, with the conditions of Li's family, as long as they go back and give some advice to the servants, pay attention to the environment and diet, and exercise more, there won't be too much trouble with this illness.
After giving the medical advice and comforting Li Shimin for a while, along with Empress Chang sun by his side, they finally managed to temporarily set this matter aside and resumed eating and drinking.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Empress Chang sun calmly looked at Zhang Nuo and asked,
"Xiao zhang shopkeeper, judging by your appearance, you were born in the Daye era, right? But I don't know how old you are?"
Zhang Nuo was slightly more nervous in front of this young lady who exuded an elegant temperament even when dining in a small restaurant than in front of Old Li. Seeing her question, he quickly put down his chopsticks and replied,
"I was born in the fourth year of Daye, and I just turned eighteen this year!"
In fact, Empress Chang sun had long been aware of these details. As the intelligence agency directly under Li Shimin's control, the Baiqi Department had never relaxed in its monitoring of major and minor events in Chang'an City.
And Zhang Nuo's small shop had actually been investigated before Li Shimin's arrival, but Zhang Nuo's family background was indeed clean and without any bad deeds. Otherwise, he would probably be eating jail food by now.
Empress Chang sun asked about Zhang Nuo's age in order to bring up a topic of interest to her husband.
She didn't want to see her husband, the most revered man in the world, thinking about nothing but her all the time, even though she enjoyed the feeling of harmony between husband and wife.
"Zhang Nuo shopkeeper, what do you think of Emperor Yang of Sui's performance as emperor?"
Zhang Nuo was taken aback, half-opened his mouth, and looked at Empress Chang sun. After a while, he cried and laughed,
"Sister-in-law, I didn't expect you to be interested in these things. However, although it is now the era of the Tang Dynasty, is it appropriate to discuss a former emperor?"
Empress Chang sun replied confidently,
"What's inappropriate about it? My husband and I also came from that era, and sometimes we still feel sentimental when we look back. What's wrong with chatting about it? Not to mention the current emperor, who is an enlightened ruler who allows free speech and doesn't forbid people from speaking their minds. It won't cause any trouble to chat about it, right, my dear?"
After finishing her sentence, Empress Chang sun lightly bumped Li Shimin's arm with her elbow.
Li Shimin is also feeling both amused and helpless at the moment. He doesn't want to spoil the atmosphere, but he is genuinely interested in the topic. He not only wants to hear Zhang Nuo's opinion on Emperor Yang of Sui, but also wants to see how a commoner would view him as a newly crowned emperor.
So, he casually patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Zhang Nuo. We're just chatting. I, Li , am a straightforward man who always keeps his word. I wouldn't go around blabbering."
Zhang Nuo was also taken aback at first, but then realized that Emperor Yang of Sui had been dead for nearly ten years, so it wouldn't be taboo to talk about him. Moreover, since a valued customer had made the request, they might as well discuss the topic.
After a moment's thought, Zhang Nuo boldly stated,
"In my opinion, Emperor Yang of Sui was a fool with vision but no ability, all talk and no action!"
This statement not only surprised Li Shimin, but even the Empress Chang sun, who had only been casually looking for a topic to change her husband's mood, became interested.
Over the years, many people had criticized Emperor Yang of Sui for his excessive taxation and incompetence, but this was the first time anyone had accused him of being all talk and no action.
Zhang Nuo was not one to hold back, and he took this rare opportunity to show off. Once he got going, it would be hard to stop him.
"Just look at three things: the Grand Canal, the conquest of Goryeo, and the imperial examination. Emperor Yang of Sui may have had vision, but he lacked the ability to execute his plans."
As Li Shimin appeared lost in thought, Zhang Nuo poured himself another drink and continued to speak.
"Let's start with the Grand Canal. Li, as a merchant who travels across the country, you naturally understand the transportation of goods. This Grand Canal, centered on Luoyang and spanning from Zhuo County in the north to Yuhang in the south, is worth a fortune for commerce alone, not to mention its value in politics and military. Do you understand this?"
Li Shimin remained silent for a moment after hearing this, but eventually nodded his head. Although Emperor Yang of Sui built the canal for his own pleasure, there was no denying its usefulness.
However, according to Zhang Nuo, besides promoting commerce and facilitating the transportation of food and goods, did it have other important functions?
It was no wonder that Li Shimin did not understand. People at this time did not value the concept of transportation as much as future generations did. They could only think of a Grand Canal as a means to solve the transportation of grain in the vital areas around the capital and the transportation of goods, as well as irrigation of farmland along the canal.
Li Shimin was now fully interested in this topic and disregarded social status. He took the wine jug and filled Zhang Nuo's half-empty glass, saying with a smile,
"Mr. Zhang, don't rush to talk about Goryeo's affairs. Tell me more about this Grand Canal. You know I am a merchant and really do not know that the canal has so many advantages."
Zhang Nuo looked at the full glass of wine in front of him and nodded in satisfaction. That's more like it. What he knew was what great scholars in future generations had studied and analyzed, which was the true insight that had been verified by history. Listening to it was gaining something.
"The Grand Canal has three major functions. First, it protects the capital. As long as the canal remains unobstructed, the two lines of the north and south are like two fists stretching out from the Guanzhong and the vital areas around the capital, covering the safety zone."
"Second, it is used to transport goods from the southeast. Old Li, think about it. The grain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is piled up like a mountain. Without this canal, how much effort would it take to transport the grain to Chang'an by just relying on carts and pack animals?"
Li Shimin was a true emperor who rode horses and conquered the world. He knew better than anyone else how important an unobstructed and convenient logistics channel was for a war.
Not only him, even Empress Chang sun was fascinated by it. When Zhang Nuo stopped speaking and drank the wine, she quickly picked up the wine jug and filled his glass.
Zhang Nuo, who was unaware of this country's most prestigious couple personally pouring wine for him, had the pleasure of chatting with his drinking buddy in the past and continued to speak enthusiastically,
"The third function is related to another achievement of Emperor Yang of Sui, which is to conquer the northeast and aim at Goryeo!"
"With this Grand Canal, countless amounts of grain and military supplies can be continuously transported to Zhuo County. This has a huge role in preventing invasions from the Turks, the Xianbei, and the Khitan in the north, not to mention conquering Goryeo."
"Although Emperor Yang of Sui launched three military expeditions against Goryeo and suffered great defeats, it cannot be denied that if Emperor Yang did not consume a large amount of Goryeo's national strength, it is still unknown whether the northeastern border of our Great Tang Dynasty would be safe and sound."
At this moment, Li Shimin felt as if he was not talking to a young man ten years his junior, but rather, a knowledgeable and talented wise person giving him a lecture.
Unconsciously, the matters that he had previously found blurry and unclear became gradually clearer under Zhang Nuo's analysis. This made Li Shimin, who had originally wanted to look after Zhang Nuo, even more enthusiastic.
It seemed that Zhang had not spared any effort in cultivating this Zhang Nuo over the years. His demeanor, knowledge, and insight were almost comparable to the high-ranking officials in the court.
As Li Shimin looked at him with admiration, Xiao Zhang felt pleased. This was the very reason why he boasted - to impress those around him and make them agree with him.
"Speaking of the third thing that Sui Yang Emperor did, that would be the imperial examination! This was an excellent thing for both the common people and the royal family."
"As the saying goes, 'there are no distinguished offspring in poor families', and also, 'the imperial family of a hundred years is like a clan of a thousand years'. The imperial examination connected the royal family and the common people, and it was an important tool to break down these barriers."
"Poor scholars needed such a way to demonstrate their knowledge and to seek promotion. The royal family needed such a channel to recruit talented scholars who were not from powerful and influential families to resist the growing power of the aristocratic families."
Li Shimin clenched his fist under the table, especially when he heard the phrase "the imperial family of a hundred years is like a clan of a thousand years", he almost exclaimed.
But his slightly heavy breathing was noticed by Empress Zhang sun, who had been paying close attention to him.
The empress turned and took Li Shimin's hand, leaning gently against him, and he immediately calmed down.
Meanwhile, Zhang Nuo continued to speak. He was one of those people who, when they got carried away, were completely unaware of what was happening around them.
"Why did Sui Yang Emperor have vision but no means? Look at the three things I mentioned earlier. They were all good things, but he turned them into disasters for the country and the people. Isn't this a case of having great vision but lacking the means?"
By now, Li Shimin had already calmed down and, following the train of thought that Zhang Nuo had laid out, suddenly felt enlightened.
Yes, having vision was one thing, but having the means to carry out one's plans was another. He believed that he was not inferior to this cousin of his in terms of strategy and military tactics. Furthermore, he was much more patient than his cousin.