Li Shimin Feels a Headache for His Younger Brother - Chapter 2

Li Xuanba was not paranoid. He was certain that if his grandmother woke up, she would dismiss his mother’s exhaustion and persist in getting his mother to attend to her illnesses.

The old Lady Dugu of the Tang State Residence was a pitiful yet respectable great mother.

Lady Dugu and the old Tang State Duke, Li Feng, had four sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Li Cheng, married and passed away prematurely without leaving behind offspring. The second son, Li Zhan, left behind two infants before he too left this world. The third son, Li Hong, tragically passed away shortly after birth.

The couple only had their married daughter and the young son, Li Yuan, surviving.

In the year 572, Li Feng passed away from illness, and the title of the Duke of the Tang State was inherited by the seven-year-old Li Yuan.

Lady Dugu managed to hold up the burdens of the Tang State Residence, raising the young Li Yuan and her two grandsons along with her two widowed daughters-in-law.

By the year 578, the brilliant and mighty Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou dynasty, Yuwen Yong, passed away prematurely. The eccentric Emperor Yuwen Yun ascended to the throne. By this time, Li Yuan was just thirteen years old.

Three years later, in the year 581, Yang Jian usurped power to establish the Sui dynasty.

Immediately after ascending the throne, Yang Jian broke his promises, killed the Northern Zhou Emperor who abdicated to him, and initiated a massacre against the members of the Northern Zhou royal family. He spared only a handful from the collateral branches to showcase his false mercy.

During these tumultuous years, Lady Dugu sheltered Li Yuan and the grandsons under her wings and managed to persist.

As a widow and orphans, they depended on each other for survival, leading to naturally strong emotions. Li Yuan was known for his deep filial piety.

However, this was not good news for Lady Dou.

Lady Dou was the daughter of the Chancellor of the Northern Zhou, Dou Yi, and the Northern Zhou Princess of Xiangyang. She was brought up by Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou. Born to nobility, she was beautiful and smart, with exceptional abilities. Suitors were lining up at her door, almost stepping on each other’s heels.

Dou Yi hosted a public competition for suitors, declaring that whoever could successfully hit the eye of the peacock on the screen with a bow and arrow would win Lady Dou’s hand in marriage. Only Li Yuan accomplished this, thus the phrase, “selection from the peacock screen.”

When Li Yuan proposed to Lady Dou, Lady Dugu was ecstatic; however, she felt uncomfortable once Lady Dou entered the Tang State Residence.

Having been pampered by her family and winning a good husband through “selection from the peacock screen,” Lady Dou was deeply in love with Li Yuan after marriage. She immediately displayed her capability and began to manage the internal affairs of the Tang State Residence.

Since Li Yuan was the only son and the Tang State Residence was only so big, tension inevitably arose between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. In the words of Lin Meimei from later generations, “It’s either the East wind overpowering the West wind, or the West wind overpowering the East wind.”

When Lady Dou became pregnant, Lady Dugu used the excuse of Lady Dou’s inconvenient condition to bring in quite a few concubines for Li Yuan. One of them was even from the influential Wan family of Jiangdu, more than eligible to be the wife of an average official.

Li Yuan was deeply filial and Lady Dou had no choice but to obey her mother-in-law and tolerate it.

As for Lady Dou’s family, by the standards of that era, it was acceptable and even expected for a man to take a concubine while his wife was pregnant. The Dou family was proud of their daughter’s virtuous conduct and considered her a model of a virtuous wife, rather than feeling that she was being oppressed.

Decoding the historical records, we can see glimpses of Lady Dou’s hardships during her early years.

Lady Dou’s eldest and second sons were ten years apart. In those ten years, they only had one daughter, Princess Pingyang. By the time her second son, Li Shimin, was born, Li Yuan already had five daughters, and Princess Pingyang was his third daughter.

The records subtly suggest that the Lady Dugu was irritable and harsh towards others. When she was bedridden, even the two widowed daughters-in-law, who had shared hardships with her, were reluctant to care for her, leaving only Lady Dou to shoulder the responsibilities.

The turning point in the relationship between Lady Dou and her mother-in-law was the birth of Li Shimin and Li Xuanba.

Nearly ten years into his marriage to Lady Dou and his concubines, Li Yuan only had one son, Li Jiancheng. Lady Dugu was frustrated and impatient. Eventually, Lady Dou bore two more sons for Li Yuan.

By this time, Lady Dou had learned to suppress her temper and treat her mother-in-law with utmost respect and diligence. Likewise, Lady Dugu was often bedridden due to health issues resulting from overwork in her early years and needed Lady Dou’s care.

Gradually, the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law improved. The conflicts in the Tang State Residence ceased, Lady Dou’s relationship with Li Yuan deepened, and Lady Dugu often praised Lady Dou to others as a good daughter-in-law.

People praised the deep affection between the Duke and Duchess of the Tang State as well as the harmonious relationship between Lady Dou and Lady Dugu.

However, Lady Dou’s life was not entirely smooth and favorable.

Having been dominant all her life, Lady Dugu’s nerves must have been on edge now that Li Yuan was away on official duties, and she had to rely on her daughter-in-law. She urgently needed to ascertain Lady Dou’s filial duty to feel secure.

By normal standards, in a big household like that of the Duke of the Tang State, the daughter-in-law caring for the sick mother-in-law should merely maintain watch, and details of care left to the servants.

Although Lady Dugu’s other two widowed daughters-in-law claimed to be ill, and thus excused themselves from service, they had no choice but to attend to their mother-in-law when their lies were exposed by doctors. Given this, Lady Dou should not have been excessively taxed.

However, Lady Dugu turned a blind eye to the reluctance of her other two loved ones. She despised being helped by servants and insisted that Lady Dou personally take care of her.

On top of managing household affairs and educating the children, Lady Dou could only rest or eat hastily after her mother-in-law went to sleep, or deal with housework.

The moment Lady Dugu opened her eyes, Lady Dou had to be by her bedside, ready to meet her demands.

Li Xuanba, from the perspective of people from later generations, interpreted this as his grandmother honing his mother.

However, whenever someone called on her grandmother, she always heaped praise on his mother. Upon hearing this, everyone would marvel at the deep bond between the grandmother and the mother, and commend the mother’s benevolence and filial piety.

Perhaps the grandmother and mother, both involved parties, considered all this as commonplace.

Li Xuanba sympathized with his mother, but he couldn’t go against societal norms. Thankfully, his grandmother was very kind to him and his younger brother, so he would occasionally feign illness to give his mother a break.

The excuse he came up with this time should let his mother have a good meal and a quick rest.

Just as Li Xuanba anticipated.

Just as the food was served, Lady Dugu sent someone to look for Dou Shi.

Upon hearing that Li Jiancheng’s late-night frolic with friends caused Li Xuanba to lack sleep and fall ill, Lady Dugu, out of love for her grandsons, did not send anyone to rush Dou Shi.

Dou shi learned about this. She didn’t say anything, she just picked up Li Xuanba and kissed his forehead.

Li Xuanba was embarrassed, much to Dou Shi’s amusement.

Li Shimin immediately crawled into Dou shi’s arms: “I want one too!”

Dou Shi laughed and pulled Li Shimin close, also kissing his bald little head.

Li Shimin was overjoyed, squirming so much he almost squeezed Li Xuanba out.

Li Xuanba wanted to escape, but Li Shimin caught the almost squeezed-out Li Xuanba, and insisted that Li Xuanba stay with him in their mother’s arms.

Li Xuanba rolled his eyes. It was too hot!

“Brother, it’s time to eat.” Li Xuanba reminded him.

Li Shimin only then stopped being clingy and obediently returned to his seat.

The servants had brought all the food.

Sui and Tang dynasty cuisine – heavily influenced by the integration of different ethnicities following the Wei and Jin dynasties – was favored by the nobility, displaying a preference for lamb and beef, dairy products, and wheat-based foods. Mostly, the cooking methods involved grilling using numerous spices. The grander the dishes, the more it expressed the host’s prestige.

For example, the giant “Gu Lou Zi” with one catty of mutton filling was a staple dish at nobles’ banquets.

The lifestyle gap between Sui and Tang nobility and common people was vast. For common people, these foreign foods were luxuries. Their diet mainly consisted of corn, brown rice, wheat, and beans, supplemented by fruits and vegetables; the nobility’s tables rarely had vegetables, as they considered vegetables to be lower-class food eaten by common people.

Of course, while the nobility did not eat vegetables, they did not lack vitamins and dietary fiber. They ate plenty of fresh fruits and would mix delicacies such as mushrooms, bamboo shoots, lotus roots, etc., with lamb and beef.

At this time, commercial catering was not yet flourishing.

After Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty established Daxingcheng, he implemented a market system where shops could only open during the day, except for a few holidays. As a result, the food culture among common people was rather basic and the market eateries often served dishes that addressed sheer hunger.

The nobles meanwhile, would host banquets and eat “Sifang Cai” in their own homes. These private recipes were valued like family heirlooms, and when a woman got married, she would take one or two of these recipes with her.

The situation started changing around late Zhen’guan to the prosperous Tang period when common people’s lives improved. Restaurants started springing up in the marketplaces. Following the trend, even fancier restaurants largely served lavish Hu food.

By the Song dynasty, a culture that valued literature and restrained military affiliation became prevalent. They no longer suppressed commerce and shifted their preference from agricultural to more refined eating practices. The food culture transitioned from the nobility’s extravagance to common folk’s elegance.

During the Sui and Tang periods, banquets were full of merrymaking where the host and guests would eat heartily, drink in huge gulps, reveling with singing and dancing. In contrast, during the Song period, the banquet would be a spectacle, featuring slow, graceful savoring of food and sips of wine, moving in rhythm with intentional, deliberate poise.

The “Dugu Gongfu” was an aristocratic family from the Sui dynasty, and every meal in their household was naturally extravagant.

Today’s main dish in the kitchen was roasted suckling pig, “Kao Ru Tun.” The golden skin of the piglet was glazed with honey mixed with a blend of Western spices worth a fortune. The belly was filled with diced mutton, a fair mix of lean and fat.

The heat was expertly controlled by the chef, such that the mutton and piglet fat combined together, mingling with the tantalizing aroma of spices and peppers, stimulating just by its smell.

In addition to the succulent suckling pig, a colossal stacked pile of grilled Hu bing was laid out on the table.

A single plain Hu bing required half a liter of fine flour. An ordinary adult could feel full with just two bings.

However, the bings at the Dugu Duke’s manor were not ordinary. The Hu bing was seasoned with ample cheese and diced meat. The melting cheese flowed onto the plate, wafting a delightful aroma all around.

Dou shi asked her servants to step out. After washing her hands in a water bath adorned with flower petals, she cut meat and bing for her two children with a bright, snow-white curved knife.

Li Shimin did not even use his chopsticks. Clutching a knife in one hand and meat in the other, his mouth filled with the juicy, dripping goodness.

On the other hand, Li Xuanba used a small dining knife and fork, making a slow, deliberate effort to slice the bing and meat into small chunks, elegantly feeding them into his mouth.

Li Xuanba: “The tradition of Western dining can even be found in Tang cuisine. What’s pizza? That’s our Hu bing!”

While chomping on a piece of meat, Li Shimin raised his head towards Li Xuanba and said, “What pizza…cough cough cough…”.

Dou Shi, who had just cleaned her oily hands, hastily came over to help Li Shimin, patting his back. Looking helplessly at Li Xuanba, she asked, “Sanlang, what did you say to Erlang?”

Li Xuanba explained, “I didn’t say anything to him.”

Li Shimin gulped down a huge bowl of milk, washing down the meat stuck in his throat. Traces of milk formed a ring around his mouth, giving him a milk beard. “You said it! What Western food, pizza?!”

Li Xuanba answered firmly, “I’m not talking to you.”

Li Shimin responded, “I didn’t want to listen either. So, what is pizza?”

“Pizza,” Li Xuanba explained, “is what the Hu people call their Hu bing.”

“Oh.” Li Shimin lost interest. He didn’t bother to wipe the milk beard from his face and continued gnawing on a pig’s knuckle.

Dou Shi smirked as she started eating her own meal.

Li Xuanba glanced at his mother who was eating slower than him and said, “Ask Mother if she doesn’t like the food.”

Li Shimin swallowed the chunk of meat in his mouth, “Why don’t you ask her? Ah Xuan, don’t be lazy. You ask her yourself.” Clearing his throat, he went on, “Mother! Ah Xuan wants to know if you don’t like the food!”

Dou Shi gave a weary smile, “It’s a bit greasy. I’ll eat some more fruits later.”

Looking at the spread of roast meat and bing on the table, Li Xuanba thought, ‘People cannot stand heavy, greasy food when they’re exhausted. Mother must be very tired.’

Li Xuanba had a small appetite. Having had two small bowls of meat and bing, he already felt full.

He put down his knife and fork, “Tell Mother, I will go to the kitchen and ask the chef to prepare some light food for her.”

Li Shimin responded, “Ah Xuan, speak for yourself!”

Li Xuanba was already off his chair, rushing towards the kitchen before Li Shimin finished speaking.

Dou Shi wore a puzzled expression, “What happened to Sanlang? Does he have an urgent need?”

Li Shimin heaved a deep sigh, expressing his annoyance, “Ah Xuan went to ask the chef to prepare light food for Mother. Uh, he needs to learn to speak up. I’m really afraid he might end up becoming mute.”

Upon hearing this, Dou Shi also appeared somewhat worried.

Translator’s Footnotes:

“唐国公” (Tángguógōng): Literally translated as the Duke of the Tang State. In ancient China, this was an honorary title that represented a high-ranking nobility in society.

“窦氏” (Dòu shì): Nagatively referred to as Lady Dou. ‘氏’ (shì) is used for married women showing their maiden family name before their husband’s surname.

“独孤老夫人” (Dúgū lǎo fūrén): This is referring to Old Lady Dugu. The term 独孤 (Dúgū) is the surname, while 老夫人 (lǎo fūrén) translates literally to “old lady”, a respectful term that connotes her status and age.

Sorry Lady Dugu, you would be an amazing woman if you didn’t try to compete for your son with your daughter-in-law. Why are you like that? Aren’t you also a woman?

(┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

“尊者讳” (Zūnzhě huì): Literally translated as “respecting the taboo.” This phrase suggests a respect to avoid criticizing or blaming a respected elder explicitly.

“堪称佳妇楷模” (Kānchēng jiāfù kǎimó): Literally translates as “can be called a model of a virtuous wife.”

“毕恭毕敬” (Bì gōng bì jìng): This literally means with the utmost respect, signifying Lady Dou’s respectful manners towards her mother-in-law.

“任劳任怨” (Rèn láo rèn yuàn): This phrase means to bear hardships and complaints without complaints, highlighting Lady Dou’s martyr-like devotion and patience.

“伉俪情深” (Kànglì qíngshēn): Literally translates to “deep affection between husband and wife.”

“装病” (Zhuāngbìng): Literally translated as “feign illness”. It refers to pretending to be sick or ill in order to avoid doing something.

“古楼子” (Gǔ lóu zǐ): This term refers to a type of large bread with meat fillings, commonly served during grand occasions among the Chinese nobility.

“热死了啊啊啊啊!” (Rè sǐle a a a a): This phrase emphasizes Li Xuanba’s exclamation about feeling too hot. The repetition of the “a” character is a common form of emphasis in Chinese language dialogue but might seem unusual to English readers.

“私房菜” (Sīfáng cài): “Private kitchen dishes”, these are the unique recipes that are native to a household and usually not served outside.

“贞观后期至盛唐时” (Zhēnguàn hòuqī zhì Shèngtáng shí): Refers to period between late Emperor Tang’s reign to the prosperous Tang dynasty period, often considered the golden age in Chinese history.

“烤乳豚” (Kǎo rǔtún): A traditional dish usually served in grand feasts, it is a roasted suckling pig.

“烤胡饼” (Kǎo húbǐng): Refers to a sizeable, grilled pastry often filled with a variety of ingredients and is considered a fulfilling meal on its own.

“胡人口中的胡饼” (Hú rén kǒu zhōng de húbǐng): Pizza as referenced here by Li Xuanba, is to indicate how traditional Chinese cuisine also has dishes similar to popular Western food. Hu Bing is a type of grilled bread from the Hu people.

“阿玄” (Ā Xuán) and “三郎” (Sānláng): Both are referred to Li Xuanba, the latter is also a term to show respect to the third son, here referring to Li Xuanba. “Ah” is informal.

Really, I’m learning a lot about Chinese culture and history by translating this novel.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

I love ya ⸂⸂⸜(രᴗര๑)⸝⸃⸃