"Fu Yun's family has fallen, and Murong Shun has ascended to the throne as Khan, but his position is far from secure," Li Yuangui pondered aloud. "He's a puppet propped up by our army, and I fear the tribes will be even more resistant. Once our forces withdraw, whether he can even keep his life is uncertain, let alone his throne. Yang Da is going to join his father, but they barely know each other, so it's hard to say how close they'll be. If Yang Da were exceptionally clever and could help his father stabilize the Khanate, that would be one thing, but he... sigh..."
No one understood Yang Xinzhi's capabilities better than Li Yuangui. He excelled in all forms of indulgence and entertainment, was socially adept and charming, and was fearless in battle—a perfect companion and guard, the epitome of a noble scion from the Guanlong region. But asking him to analyze military and political situations, devise strategies, or inspire subordinates... He had grown up under others' roofs, always at the mercy of their whims.
"In a few days, once things here are settled, I'll set off with Yang Da," Li Yuangui sighed. "I'm heading to Gaochang, while he'll escort his mother to Fuqi City. We can travel together for much of the way. I'll do my best to teach him along the way—his fate is in his own hands."
Li Chengqian didn't respond. Standing behind the railing on the third floor of the north tower—where the Son of Heaven would later descend to watch the polo match—he gazed downward with a strange expression, as if burdened by endless thoughts.
"Your Highness?" Li Yuangui ventured cautiously.
Li Chengqian glanced at him and said flatly, "You don’t need to go to Gaochang anymore."
"What?" Li Yuangui couldn’t believe his ears.
"The proposal for you to become Gaochang's royal son-in-law is canceled. The court will send an envoy to interrogate Qu Wentai for detaining our people and order him to repatriate them with due respect—you can go thank my uncle."
"What?" Li Yuangui repeated, now doubting not just his ears but his sanity. The first two sentences made some sense—the court had decided against sending him to Gaochang as a suitor and would instead dispatch an envoy for tough negotiations. But... thank his uncle? What did Zhangsun Wu-ji have to do with this?
"This morning, several ministers discussed the northwestern military situation in the Wanchun Hall," Li Chengqian paused, then even smiled. "His Majesty finally agreed to abandon the plan for Duke Yaoshi to launch a surprise attack on Gaochang from Tuyuhun. The entire army will withdraw in autumn, disbanding to their respective garrisons to recuperate and prepare for future campaigns. Lord Wei Xuancheng, on behalf of the Central Plains' people, bowed in gratitude to His Majesty and even put in a good word for you, Fourteenth Uncle. His Majesty joked that it was a shame Lord Xuancheng couldn’t take you as a son-in-law. Then my uncle, the Duke of Qi, stepped forward and said—"
"Why not bestow the boundless grace of Heaven and Earth to unite these two love-struck youths, and select another candidate to marry into Gaochang?"
In the Wanchun Hall, around the imperial throne, Zhangsun Wu-ji's shocking words left the chamber in stunned silence. Everyone stared at him, but the plump-faced imperial uncle remained smiling, utterly unperturbed.
Personal emotions between young men and women had never been—and could never be—a factor in state deliberations between ruler and ministers. The statement was bizarre, and at least Crown Prince Li Chengqian, standing behind his father, had no idea what his uncle meant. Wei Zheng was equally baffled, his confusion plain on his face. But Left Vice Director Fang Xuanling chuckled and replied:
"Is the Duke of Qi suggesting that Prince Wu is not the best candidate for an envoy beyond the frontier?""Indeed," Zhangsun Wu-ji nodded, raising his ceremonial tablet to address the Emperor directly. "Prince Wu recently participated in state discussions here. Prioritizing the welfare of the people, he suppressed his personal feelings and resolutely rejected his lifelong desire, even to the point of weeping uncontrollably before Your Majesty. I was deeply moved. The Supreme Emperor is blessed with such a fine son, and Your Majesty with such a virtuous younger brother—this is a blessing for the imperial clan. I hope Your Majesty will employ him according to his talents, allowing him to live out his days in peace and not become a calamity for the state."
He spoke at length, but the emphasis in his tone lay only on the phrases "suppressed his personal feelings" and "calamity for the state." Even Li Chengqian understood the implication. His father naturally did as well and chuckled, saying:
"Just say it plainly. Seeing Fourteenth Young Master's heroic resolve to sever personal attachments, you were reminded of my younger self, weren't you? That's why you immediately thought of a 'calamity for the state.'"
Everyone present laughed except Li Chengqian. Uncle Changsun smiled and said, "Your Majesty's divine prowess is a blessing to the realm. But for the sake of unifying the empire and ensuring peace in the world, the mandate of heaven belongs solely to the sovereign—this goes without saying. If Prince Wu were to proceed with the previous plan and go to Gaochang as a royal son-in-law, with his wife's family's territory and army on one side and merchant wealth and support on the other, controlling a strategic crossroads, coupled with his intelligence and resilience—what might happen in the future, I dare not speculate. Yet I must advise Your Majesty against gambling on this."
These words had been spoken less than an hour earlier. Li Chengqian relayed them to his fourteenth uncle with perfect clarity, blunt and unvarnished, then gave Li Yuangui a chilling smile:
"Congratulations, Fourteenth Uncle. Duke Qi holds you in high regard, believing your talent and ambition rival those of the sovereign in his youth. In all my years of study before the throne, I’ve never heard my uncle speak of anyone in such terms."
This... was certainly no compliment.
No matter how naive or oblivious Li Yuangui might be, he had grown up in the imperial household, accustomed since childhood to hearing palace women gossip about past affairs. He felt the hairs on his neck rise one by one, as if a sharp blade now dangled above his head, swaying precariously, ready to drop at any moment.
And if someone else had relayed this, it might have been different—but it had to be Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince, whose appearance and temperament were publicly acknowledged to most resemble his father. Hearing his father and uncle "praise" another young man of the family in his presence, one could only imagine the bitterness in his heart. Facing the Crown Prince's half-smile, Li Yuangui opened his mouth, unsure whether to respond with "Acknowledged" or "I dare not," and ultimately chose to play the fool.
His legs felt weightless as, in a daze, he heard Li Chengqian announce that the Son of Heaven had decided to cancel Prince Wu's diplomatic mission. After further discussion, the sovereign and his ministers concluded that selecting another imperial clansman as the groom would be too complicated, involving too many entanglements, and would contradict the decision to "send an envoy to Gaochang to provoke conflict." Thus, the proposal was abandoned altogether.
Li Yuangui didn’t know whether to feel joy or sorrow, whether to laugh wildly or weep. He was freed from the agonizing, imposed marriage and unexpectedly learned that Wei Shufen's father had revised his opinion of him, removing the obstacles to marrying the woman he loved. Yet at the same time, the opportunity he had dreamed of since childhood—to distinguish himself on the battlefield and bring honor to his family—was stripped away. Over a decade of rigorous study and training had been for nothing.
In this bewildered, conflicted state, his mind a whirlwind of emotions, he stood on the upper floor, barely registering what Li Yuangui said to him afterward. Only when the sound of drums and music rose outside, signaling the arrival of the imperial procession, did he descend to welcome the Emperor. After performing the rituals of obeisance, he escorted the imperial entourage back upstairs.The Emperor glanced casually at the polo field and its surrounding arrangements, appearing rather satisfied, and offered a few words of praise to the host, Yang Gongren. Before the imperial arrival, all other spectators had already arrived in succession, filling the seating areas along three sides of the field. Across the East Cross Street, the high towers of the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns were also adorned with fluttering red and green banners, bustling with figures—the Empress and the noblewomen must have arrived as well.
Before the match between the uncle-nephew pair of Tuyuhun princes began, Li Chengqian had arranged for two teams of guards to play first as a warm-up performance. With a drumbeat from the imperial pavilion, two teams emerged simultaneously from opposite sides of the field—one clad in red, the other in green. The young men on horseback, all dressed in tight waistcoats and short attire, were full of vigor, and cheers resounded to the heavens.
The polo players saluted the imperial pavilion, and the Son of Heaven nodded to commence the match. The two sides charged at each other with their mallets, engaging in a lively back-and-forth. The accompanying spectators returned to their seats, and amidst the movement of the crowd, Li Yuangui suddenly noticed a guard approach Crown Prince Chengqian, whispering something into his ear. Li Chengqian's expression changed, and he instructed an attendant, "If His Majesty asks, just say I've gone across the street to the nunnery," before hurriedly descending the stairs.
Li Yuangui felt slightly puzzled but didn't dwell on it. He returned to his seat and rested for a long while, only feeling the dizziness in his head gradually subside as the warm-up match neared its end. Just then, an attendant came to summon him: "His Majesty requests Prince Wu to come upstairs for a word."
The seating for the dozen or so young princes was on the second floor of the imperial pavilion. Li Yuangui rose and followed the attendant up another flight of stairs to the central third floor, where he saw the Son of Heaven seated alone on the Imperial Bed, with those around him standing at a distance. On the table before the bed were exotic fruits, and beside it stood a folding stool. The Emperor waved for Li Yuangui to rise without formalities and stood up himself.
Downstairs, the two teams had finished their match and were kneeling before the imperial railing to express their gratitude. The Son of Heaven ordered rewards to be distributed. After the commotion and cheers died down, the Emperor turned to Li Yuangui and asked if the Crown Prince had already informed him about the matter of the Gaochang prince consort.
Li Yuangui replied that he had been informed and expressed his gratitude, showing little emotion. The Emperor, however, looked at him with a smile. "Still unwilling to accept it?"
How should one answer such a question... But he didn’t need to. Noise erupted outside the pavilion again—today's main event was beginning. The former Tuyuhun Crown Prince Zun Wang and the current Crown Prince Nuozhebo each led their horses onto the field.
Something was clearly amiss. Li Yuangui took half a step forward, leaning over the railing to get a better look.
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