In the fourth month of the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, the Tang West Sea Route Army achieved a great victory.
On the Guiyou day, Prince of Rencheng Li Daozong defeated the main forces of the Tuyuhun at Mount Ku. Murong Fuyun burned the grasslands and fled into the Great Sand Desert with his light cavalry guards. After deliberation among the Tang generals, Grand Commander Li Jing divided the army into two routes. He personally led the northern route with Xue Wanjun and Li Daliang, achieving consecutive victories at Niuxinduo, Chishuiyuan, and Mantoushan, slaying a Famous King of Tuyuhun and capturing numerous livestock to replenish military provisions. When envoys were dispatched to report the victory, the northern army was pursuing Fuyun Khan toward Lake Wuhai. Hou Junji and Li Daozong took the southern route, engaging the main forces led by Tuyuhun's King Sky Pillar, also crushing their ranks and pursuing them into the uninhabited territory of Poluozhen Valley.
When the Imperial Bulletin reached the capital, it should have been a joyous occasion for nationwide celebration with amnesties and feasts. However, due to the passing of the Supreme Emperor and the ongoing mourning period, officials and commoners alike restrained their outward expressions of joy. Still, many managed to copy the victory bulletin, circulating and reading it in secret, gathering to excitedly whisper and discuss.
That day, after unintentionally eavesdropping on court discussions in the small hall, Li Yuangui saw the Son of Heaven lead the officials outside to receive the report and never return. Much later, a eunuch escorted him out and placed him in a Mourning Hut outside the Supreme Polarity Hall to recover from his lingering headache and dizziness—separate from his brothers but not too far away. Several brothers and nephews who were close to him, stifled by the rigid mourning rituals in the hall, sneaked over to visit him and brought news of the West Sea Route victory.
After reading the bulletin repeatedly, Li Yuangui could only join his brothers in praising Duke Yaoshi's divine military strategy and the invincible might of the Tang army. What else could he say? "I truly wish I were serving as one of the Three Guards in Dai Guogong's army—even dying wrapped in a horse's hide would be far better than being reduced to a traitor of my family and country now."
The suicidal impulse he felt when first bidding farewell to the Supreme Emperor in the Supreme Polarity Hall had mostly faded, leaving only resignation to fate. After resting in the hut for several days, his head injury improved, and his thoughts grew clearer. Then two eunuchs brought him to a small chamber west of the Supreme Polarity Hall.
The Emperor was waiting cross-legged on a sitting platform, his head wrapped in coarse hemp and wearing the coarsest mourning garment, with a bamboo staff laid across his knees—the same mourning attire as Li Yuangui's own. Accustomed to seeing him in his usual spirited and neat black gauze folded turban and buff-colored robe, the sudden sight of him clad in ragged hemp and paper-like edges was jarring.
Beyond the shabby attire, the Son of Heaven's face bore heavy exhaustion, with dark circles under his eyes. Mourning rituals were grueling—eating coarse rice, sleeping on straw mats, and wailing at scheduled times before the spirit tablet. After the first few days, hardly anyone could shed real tears. The stench of decay from the coffin in the summer heat, combined with the unwashed mourners packed together day and night, was best left unmentioned.
Yet despite the fatigue, the Emperor's posture was relaxed, leaning lazily against a ring-footed waist-hugging armrest while gazing absently beyond the hall. During their last meeting at the Black Tortoise Gate tower, Li Yuangui had sensed the Emperor's anxious and irritable mood—cold words had quickly escalated to violence. Now, he seemed far calmer.The great victory over Tuyuhun had evidently greatly alleviated the Emperor's anxiety, while the passing of the Supreme Emperor... though it might cause him some short-term hardship, ultimately removed a variable. At least from now on, there would be no more disturbances from the Great Peace Palace.
To Li Yuangui's surprise, Crown Prince Li Chengqian was also standing in attendance behind his father. As a grandson in mourning for his grandfather, he wore a Hemmed Hemp Cloth of Second Degree Mourning Robe, standing with hands clasped, his face solemn, eyes downcast in contemplation.
After the formal greetings, the Emperor noticed Li Yuangui staring at the Crown Prince and kindly explained:
"Though the late Emperor left an edict ordering me to continue governing, it would be unfilial not to observe proper mourning. For twenty-seven days, I shall observe Mourning on Straw and Clods of Earth, leaving routine governance to the Crown Prince as regent. Only military and state affairs need be reported."
This was the Emperor seeking filial reputation by focusing on mourning rites while temporarily delegating governance to his son. Though not unprecedented, Li Yuangui found it slightly surprising. This arrangement showed great trust in his eldest son, yet from what he knew, Li Chengqian had recently made several mistakes and disobeyed his parents, earning harsh reprimands from the Son of Heaven, straining their relationship.
It seemed major events could instantly dissolve such tensions between father and son—after all, blood runs thicker than water...
"I was not in the palace when news of the Supreme Emperor's passing arrived," the Emperor said with some emotion. "Chengqian was in the Hall of Established Governance with his mother when they received the sad tidings. The Empress was so overcome with grief she suffered a sudden qi disorder, causing great chaos. Yet the Crown Prince handled everything without error..."
A brief glow of pride flashed across Li Chengqian's youthful face.
Even Li Yuangui knew the Emperor doted excessively on the younger children born to the Empress, while being stern with his firstborn since childhood, rarely offering praise. Such open commendation was high praise indeed. Li Chengqian must have handled the chaotic situation exceptionally well to earn his parents' approval for regency during the Emperor's Seclusion Period.
"Fourteenth Brother, your actions at Great Peace Palace were originally unforgivable," the Emperor stated bluntly the reason for summoning Li Yuangui. "Though the Eight Considerations include leniency for relatives and nobles, and I believe you had no rebellious intent, the matter is too significant to overlook. Yet now there's an opportunity for you to atone through service while contributing to Tang's western expansion."
Li Yuangui's head jerked up in disbelief. Had his fortunes turned so dramatically?
"Chengqian will explain the details," the Emperor frowned. "I leave you with this: remember who you are, and bring blessings to those around you."
With that, he rose to return to Supreme Polarity Hall to continue his filial mourning performance. As Li Yuangui and Li Chengqian knelt in farewell, before they could rise, they heard the Emperor's deliberately hushed voice beyond the threshold:
"Is the horse ready?... Fool! Who told you to bring Soaring Frost White? Too conspicuous?... Where's the Plain Carriage outside?..."
Inferior horse and plain carriage—where could he be going? It hardly sounded like returning to nearby Supreme Polarity Hall... Li Yuangui vaguely sensed the Emperor had used this audience as pretext to slip away from mourning rites, delegating official business to his son while sneaking off to some unknown destination.He turned his head to glance at Li Chengqian, just in time to see the Crown Prince roll his eyes skyward with an expression of stifled frustration, as if wanting to complain but unable to voice it. The uncle and nephew exchanged formal greetings and took their seats again, neither in the mood to dredge up past grievances. Li Chengqian couldn't even be bothered with pleasantries and cut straight to the point:
"The great victory over Tuyuhun—I assume Fourteenth Uncle is already fully informed, so I won't elaborate. The imperial court was originally negotiating marriage alliances with the Western Regions kingdoms. Now that our Celestial troops have demonstrated their might, sending the barbarians fleeing in terror, more and more envoys are arriving to seek marriage alliances. The Son of Heaven and the Empress have been discussing—"
"My seventeenth sister is young and delicate, often ill—she cannot be sent to the frontier for a marriage alliance!" Li Yuangui interrupted the Crown Prince, rejecting the proposal outright.
With a sharp "smack," Li Chengqian slapped the armrest of his seat and snapped:
"Have you no sense of propriety? Let this prince finish speaking first!"
"This subject begs forgiveness," Li Yuangui bowed in apology, "but what I said is true. If the Son of Heaven orders me to send my sister to submit to barbarians, I would rather die than obey the decree!"
Above him, Li Chengqian snorted derisively through his nose, his tone turning provocative:
"Willing to die rather than send your sister for a marriage alliance? Then what if I said we could keep your seventeenth aunt in the capital, provided you, Fourteenth Uncle, undertake another task in compensation—would you agree?"
"I would not refuse even if it meant ten thousand deaths!" Li Yuangui answered without hesitation. After all, he was already a condemned prisoner awaiting execution for treason—what could possibly make his situation worse?
"Good. Then it's settled." Li Chengqian sneered. "I shall report to the Son of Heaven that Fourteenth Uncle has volunteered to go to Gaochang for the marriage alliance himself and will take full responsibility for persuading the court. After the Supreme Emperor's twenty-one day mourning period concludes, I will summon the Regular Court Officials for a public debate on this edict. Fourteenth Uncle, you may begin your preparations."
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