The Emperor snorted, "A few days ago, Chengqian and his third uncle-in-law brought Kang Su-mi to see me. That old foreigner was full of flattery and knew exactly what to say—far better than you. He claimed to have received divine revelation from the sacred fire, saying I was the reincarnation of the God of Light, invincible in battle, with no equal in all the land..."
Lies to his face, Li Yuangui thought. During the Tang-Tuyuhun war, when the initial battles were uncertain and the Tang forces suffered a major defeat at Wild Fox Gorge, Kang Su-mi had clearly been hedging his bets, even secretly sheltering King Zun as a fallback. It wasn't until Li Jing captured Fuqi City and Murong Fu-yun fled that the old merchant finally decided to side with the victors. Then he'd promptly sold out King Zun to the Tang court—without even informing Li Yuangui...
"I know his heart isn't pure. But why demand perfection from a foreign merchant? Even my own flesh and blood are full of selfish thoughts," the Emperor said, shooting Li Yuangui a glare. "Selling yourself to a foreign merchant for fifty thousand bolts of silk—you must be quite the prize! The bloodline of the founding Emperor of the Great Tang is worth so little?"
I was wrong, Li Yuangui realized. Kang Su-mi hadn't just "sold out King Zun to the court behind my back"—he'd sold me out too.
Was this why Li Chengqian had been testing him and putting on airs? The Emperor and his son couldn't fully trust his loyalty—they needed him but had to keep him at arm's length. It probably wasn't until that moment at the funeral when he'd impulsively stopped the Son of Heaven from drinking the "poisoned wine" that their doubts were finally dispelled?
No matter how immature, reckless, or absurd Li Yuangui might be, he would never allow harm to come to his elder brother the Emperor... Perhaps his half-brother had considered this too, for his expression softened slightly as he sighed:
"Your youthful spirit and ambitions aren't wrong. At your age, I was the same—I'd go stir-crazy if I didn't ride out for a day. But what times did I live through? A world in chaos, bandits everywhere, burning and looting, people unable to survive! The Supreme Emperor was tasked with pacifying Hedong, and though he won every battle, what good did it do? Crush one band of rebels, and ten more would rise in the hills—the people had no other choice. The fighting never ended, only grew worse, with no hope in sight..."
"So Your Majesty advised the Supreme Emperor to raise troops in Taiyuan, overthrow the Yang dynasty, then conquer east and west to unify the realm, bringing about this golden age of peace," Li Yuangui muttered sullenly. "We who are fortunate to live in these tranquil times, and even more fortunate to be born into the imperial family, should only shut ourselves away to study and glorify this prosperous rule, without any improper ambitions."
His tone carried clear resentment, which the Emperor noticed, scoffing:
"What 'improper ambitions'? You, Fourteenth Young Master, have trained hard since childhood in both civil and martial arts. You wanted to distinguish yourself on the battlefield, and now resent being held back? Well, I spent half my life campaigning, built this imperial army with my own hands, and now I'm likewise barred from leading expeditions or waging war—who should I complain to? Forget personal campaigns—even that plan to have Li Jing strike directly at Gaochang from Tuyuhun, do you know how much effort I poured into it? Days and nights buried in maps and logistics, all those hopes—then you and your father-in-law teamed up to oppose it, rendering it all for nothing! Tch!"He struck the railing with his hand, the lingering sound cutting clearly through the surrounding revelry, a clear sign of the resentment in his heart. If Li Yuangui had wanted to refute him, the words were ready—his father-in-law—ahem, the Imperial Secretary Wei Zheng’s admonishment in the Hall of Eternal Spring that day: "Your Majesty is the ruler of the realm; your priority should be the peace of the state and the well-being of the common people. Deploying troops, planning attacks, and strategizing defenses are the duties of generals, not the concerns of a sovereign!"
But Li Yuangui had no intention of refuting him. This was not a formal audience between ruler and subject, but rather—if one could say so—a heart-to-heart talk between brothers?
Down below, the polo match was still underway. Even without looking at the score, it was clear that Yang Xinzhi had taken a commanding lead. The musicians and guards watching from the sidelines were in high spirits, beating drums and playing wind instruments. But mere instrumental music wasn’t enough—two groups of spectators began singing military songs in response to each other, the tune of "Sword Dance" carrying on the wind:
"The Emperor wields his blade strong, one by one he ascends to Prince Qin... Hearing of the enemy’s valor, valor, valor, he charges forth without fear... With just three or five strokes, none among ten thousand dare stand against him..."
The other group refused to be outdone, matching the tune with their own lyrics: "A true man’s strength is whole, one man worth a thousand... Fierce courage surges from his heart, death is but sleep to him... Never letting go of his weapon, ever at the front of battle..."
The lyrics were crude and popular among the troops, sung by veterans to praise the young Prince Qin—now the Son of Heaven. Earlier, when the Emperor had first arrived, the court musicians had performed "Seven Virtues," originally known as "Prince Qin’s Victory Over the Battle Array," a spontaneous dance from the soldiers and elders during the Emperor’s campaigns. Since the Zhenguan era, Li Yuangui had heard and seen it countless times, but today it carried a different weight.
If he could have his way, this second elder brother of his would likely have preferred to remain a soldier, a general, pouring all his thoughts into strategy and the thrill of battle—testing his strength, overcoming obstacles. That was where his true passion lay, and where his natural talents truly shone.
The Emperor of Great Tang turned his face away, gazing at the vast blue sky beyond the railing, and spoke amidst the unceasing clamor:
"You were born into the imperial family, with fathers and brothers of great achievements, never wanting for food or clothing—what more could you possibly lack? Why chase after glory and accomplishment? Why yearn to charge into battle and conquer lands? Why forsake the wealth and privilege already at your feet? On the battlefield, blades and arrows have no eyes—who cares if you’re surnamed Li or a prince of the blood? Lose a battle, and you’ll be disgraced, stripped of rank, thrown into prison. Even if you win, what good does it bring? Sleeping in the wind, eating when you can—you’re young now, you don’t understand the toll. Past thirty, who isn’t riddled with ailments? The brothers and soldiers who follow you into battle will demand high ranks, riches, titles for their wives and children—can you give them that? Can you decide? If you fight for it, your fathers, brothers, and the court ministers will see you as ambitious, expanding your influence day by day, heading straight for usurpation. How will you explain yourself? How will you prove your innocence?""So, what's the point of studying civil and military strategies, striving to become a general or minister, or fighting for a place in history? Born into such a family, you must accept your fate. While you're young, don't overthink it—just enjoy life to the fullest. Marry a beautiful lady from a noble family, live in harmony with mutual respect, keep a few concubines, and raise some children. Spend your leisure time playing with them, teaching them horseback riding and archery, and in your later years, enjoy the company of grandchildren. Take on a leisurely official post, go to your fiefdom, leave the mundane affairs to your secretaries and advisors, gather a few renowned scholars as guests, compose poetry under the moon, sing and dance with wine, enjoy spring outings and flower viewing, go horseback riding and hunting—do whatever makes you happy. Before you know it, you'll grow old. Just make sure you don't have regrets when that time comes..."
After these words, the two brothers fell into a long silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Li Yuangui mustered his courage and tentatively called out, "Your Majesty..."
"Hmm?"
"Your Majesty mentioned something about a father-in-law earlier... May I go to the Imperial Clan Court to receive the decree... Has the Son of Heaven already bestowed upon me, Li Yuangui, the imperial decree for marriage to the Wei family?"
A moment later, the Emperor could no longer maintain his stern expression and burst out laughing:
"You rascal! You sure know how to seize an opportunity! I've never seen you put so much thought into your duties!"
Not refusing was as good as tacit approval... Li Yuangui pressed further, "Then what should be done about the debt note of fifty thousand bolts of silk I wrote to Kang Su-mi? After all, the Tuyuhun prince has been found..." He was currently running around joyfully on the polo field downstairs.
"Was it you who found him?" The Emperor shot him a glare. "Claiming credit for heaven's work—shameless! To be honest, Old Hu Kang has already presented that debt note to me. From now on, I am your creditor..."
Before he could finish, footsteps sounded on the wooden stairs. Both brothers turned to look. A palace maid dressed in male attire—commonly known as a "wrapped-head inner servant"—approached after being announced by a eunuch and bowed to the Son of Heaven, reporting:
"This servant comes from the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns across the street. The Empress reports that there may be a major breakthrough in the case of Princess Linfen's murder at the Temple of Common Vocation earlier this year. She requests Your Majesty to bring Prince Wu, along with all material evidence and witnesses such as Kang Su-mi, to a designated location for confrontation."
Li Yuangui's heart sank. The Emperor responded in surprise, "Why bring up that case now? Very well—no need for the Empress to trouble herself further. Let's go across the street to the nunnery."
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