After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I Went Crazy With Joy!

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 Jing’s popularity among the public wasn’t 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 Gong’s Art of War” from a mysterious figure at night captured people’s 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 Jing’s 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.

Initially, Li Yuan and Li Er secretly considered reversing their allegiance due to the chaotic state of the world and their family’s military strength.

However, Li Jing soon learned about this plan. At that time, he held a prominent position in the Sui Dynasty and strongly advocated loyalty and patriotism.

Without hesitation, he brought this matter to the attention of Emperor Yang of Sui (Yang Guang).

As a result, he was quickly apprehended by Li Yuan’s army after revealing the secret. Despite this, Li Jing remained flexible and chose to surrender instead.

Later, before Li Er killed his brother and usurped the throne, he also tried to gauge Li Jing’s intentions. However, Li Jing remained tight-lipped and maintained his silence. This impartial attitude annoyed Li Shimin. So, Li Jing’s ranking on the Lingyan Pavilion’s list of respected officials wasn’t very high.

But considering that Li Jing had managed to offend two successive Tang emperors and still received important responsibilities and that he had achieved the top military merit, it was evident how formidable he was.

Even though he had been irritated by Li Jing before, Li Er still had to reluctantly admit it. After all, Li Jing was the real deal, achieving invincibility in battles!

Regarding the art of war, Li Jing was genuinely strong!

If there was anyone suitable to be Su Li’s teacher, it was undoubtedly Li Jing!

Thinking about this, Li Er told Su Li, “During this time, focus on taking care of Changle at home, but don’t neglect the art of war. I will find you a teacher. How do you feel about having Acting Duke Li Jing as your teacher?”

Su Li hesitated.

Having Li Jing, the great Tang military god, personally teach him the art of war was a rare opportunity. But Su Li knew his own capabilities. He had the unique advantage of the system, granting him abilities beyond human imagination. However, he also realized that he wasn’t all-powerful yet.

Given his current understanding, learning the art of war might not be the best use of his time.

With his perception attribute at 69, Su Li knew it might not be the most efficient use of his time to learn tactics.

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 I’m afraid I won’t have the time to study,” Su Li sighed, adopting a sincere and earnest expression.

With Changle on his side, Su Li didn’t need to look for additional reasons. Upon hearing this, Changle’s eyes curved into small crescent moons, clearly delighted.

During the conversation, the three of them reached the dining area. The breakfast in the Princess’s Mansion was unique.

After receiving training from Su Li, the chefs incorporated many innovations into their dishes. Therefore, unless under special circumstances, Su Li didn’t 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 person’s 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 wasn’t a concern in this era.

They were known as buns as long as they were within the Princess’s Mansion. Su Li didn’t 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 Er’s 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.