Chapter 83:
After a few moments of thought, Li Er settled on a candidate.
Acting Duke Li Jing!
At this time, Li Jing, who had recently defeated the Eastern Turks, had returned to Changan after relinquishing his role as the chief commander of the Ding Xiang Road military. He embraced retirement and resumed civilian life.
Although he had the accomplishment of defeating the Eastern Turks, Li Jings popularity among the public wasnt particularly high compared to fierce generals like Weichi Gong and Cheng Yaojin. The reason was simple common people preferred grassroots heroes like Weichi Gong.
In reality, within the Tang Dynasty Army, everyone knew that Li Jing was the most skilled in the art of war! The art of war has always been seen as a complex skill, and most people might never understand its intricacies in their lifetime.
Therefore the legendary tale of Han Xin, the military genius, receiving Tai Gongs Art of War from a mysterious figure at night captured peoples imaginations.
An extraordinary figure, Han Xin could not be understood through common reasoning.
In reality, the transmission of military strategies was not as miraculous as the legends portray. Coming from a prestigious background with a strong family heritage was already an advantage. Becoming a renowned general was a natural outcome if guided by a skilled mentor and possessing intelligence.
Li Jing possessed all these advantages!
Even Li Er had to admit that most of the generals under his command, compared to Li Jing, were not much different from ordinary soldiers.
Li Jings maternal uncle was Han Qinhu, a renowned general of the former Sui Dynasty. Han Qinhu was one of the top four generals of the early Sui Dynasty, known for single-handedly defeating both Northern Qi and Southern Chen.
His bravery and understanding of military tactics set him apart from other Sui Dynasty generals. Han Qinhu personally mentored Li Jing from a young age. In his later years, Han Qinhu mentioned that Li Jing was the only one capable of discussing military strategy with him. The evidence showed that Li Jing was far from a theorist like Zhao Kuo.
Despite the many notable generals in the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing was undoubtedly the most deserving when it came to military accomplishments. It was noteworthy that neither Li Yuan nor Li Er was particularly fond of Li Jing.
Li Jing was an incredible military figure, but he might not be able to teach a learning-difficulties student like Su Li.
It would be more efficient to focus on boosting his perception attribute first. Once he elevated his understanding, learning the art of war would be much easier and more productive. The cost-benefit ratio was too low, so Su Li decided against it.
Your Majesty, I appreciate your kind intentions. However, I still need to take care of Changle, and Im afraid I wont have the time to study, Su Li sighed, adopting a sincere and earnest expression.
With Changle on his side, Su Li didnt need to look for additional reasons. Upon hearing this, Changles eyes curved into small crescent moons, clearly delighted.
During the conversation, the three of them reached the dining area. The breakfast in the Princesss Mansion was unique.
After receiving training from Su Li, the chefs incorporated many innovations into their dishes. Therefore, unless under special circumstances, Su Li didnt need to personally cook anymore. He only needed to place orders.
As they entered, the aroma of food greeted them. Breakfast was simple, a bowl of lamb soup with flatbread, a plate of side dishes, and lamb and green onion buns as the main course.
These sharp-edged buns look rather unique! Li Er sat down, pinching a bun with interest and commenting.
In the Tang Dynasty, buns were also called steamed buns. Steamed buns without fillings were just plain buns, while those with fillings were called pointed steamed buns.
Zhu Liang, a prominent figure of the Shu-Han Dynasty, was said to have invented buns. According to legend, he used a live persons head as a sacrifice and wrapped meat in flour, then steamed it with a human face painted on top as an offering.
Nonetheless, this food naming dispute wasnt a concern in this era.
They were known as buns as long as they were within the Princesss Mansion. Su Li didnt bother correcting Li Er on such minor details. The three of them took their seats and began their meal.
As soon as he tasted the buns, Li Ers eyes lit up. Initially, he had only smelled the fragrance, and looking at the dishes on the table, he thought they were ordinary, not thinking much of them.
