Chapter 13 Farewell (3) "On the Self-Cultivation of a Straight Man"...

As the Zhuque Gate of the Imperial City of Daxing slowly opened in the September morning light, the kneeling subjects along Zhuque Avenue knew that their emperor would once again leave Xijing and head to his beloved Dongdu.

Although Yang Guang disliked Xijing, he didn't mind showing the wealth and power of the holy dynasty to the ants of Guanzhong. The people also eagerly awaited the emperor's procession, longing to witness his grandeur. The imperial procession was a deliberate display of power and ostentation.

The carriages of local officials and some court officials led the way, followed by cavalry and infantry clearing the road. Soldiers followed in two rows, each carrying six dragon flags. Four magnificent horses pulled a series of carriages: a compass carriage, a mileage-measuring carriage, a white egret carriage, a phoenix-flag carriage, an evil-repelling carriage, and a leather-bound carriage. As the procession passed, dust billowed across the rammed-earth street, obscuring the sky. Amidst the haze, twelve rows of cavalrymen descended like celestial warriors. Armed with swords and carrying bows and arrows, their horses thundering, they arrogantly swept over the heads of the bowed people.

Following the cavalry appeared a band of about eight hundred musicians. The two leading musicians raised flags and gave the order, and the drums, large drums, cymbals, gongs, small drums, and feather drums resounded. The flutes, xiao, reed pipes, long whistles, medium whistles, large horizontal flutes, and bili resounded to the sky, and the clanging sound of gongs penetrated the entire Zhuque Street.

Following the band, twenty-four imperial horses passed proudly amidst a procession of banners. The Azure Dragon and White Tiger banners guided the procession of court officials. Armed cavalry and infantry interspersed themselves among the officials' ranks.

Behind the grand and dazzling procession, the emperor's jade carriage moved slowly under the strict guard of the left and right generals and more than forty elite soldiers. The outer perimeter was heavily fortified with imperial guards. Peacock fans, small round fans, square fans, yellow banners, crimson banners, and black tortoise-shaped banners shimmered in the morning sun, their gold and bronze hues sparkling like jewels.

The Empress's phoenix palanquin, the concubines' fragrant carriages, the princesses' colorful palanquins, and the princes' carriages were arranged in order, like a dazzling long dragon, stretching eastward in the morning light of September.

Emperor Yang Guang awoke and fell asleep repeatedly from a hangover. The resulting dull pain felt like a rusty knife, scraping against his skull. Only when his attendants helped him into his jade carriage did he remember that today was the day to travel to the Eastern Capital. Suddenly, the gilded bells hanging from the carriage shafts moved without wind. Yang Guang gripped the peacock-blue brocade curtains tightly; the curses that had gnawed at him in the dead of night returned.

"You patricide! He defiled the late Emperor's Consort Xuanhua!" Su Wei's voice pierced the eardrums.

"Prince Fangling was wrongfully killed! Return the throne to Prince Fangling!" The former subordinates of the deposed crown prince Yang Yong joined forces to carry the emperor to the foot of a tree. Suddenly, the headless crown prince emerged from the gap in the tree, clutching his own head and crying out mournfully, "Father, Mother, let us avenge this injustice!"

"You tyrant! He forced He Ruobi and Yu Qingze to their deaths!" In the blink of an eye, He Ruobi and Yu Qingze restrained the struggling Yang Guang and poured poison into his mouth.

The most jarring voices came from the veterans of Liaodong: "Does Your Majesty still remember the sons and daughters who died unjustly in Liaodong? Three hundred thousand corpses have frozen in the Sa River!"

The imperial carriage suddenly jolted violently. Yang Guang lifted the curtain and saw that the kneeling people on Zhuque Street had all turned into blue-faced, fanged demons. He instinctively reached for the sword at his waist, but he couldn't stop the demons from surrounding the carriage.

The cunning and ungrateful commoners, the two-faced court officials, the powerful clans betting on multiple things, and the alarmist remonstrance officials all exacerbated his headaches!

He could have easily executed them to avoid endless trouble, but the benevolent, wise, and diligent Emperor Yang Guang magnanimously allowed them to live, to reinforce the Great Wall, to widen the Grand Canal, and to expand the territory of Tuyuhun and Goguryeo.

The benevolent emperor devised such a meticulous and grand plan for the peace and tranquility of future generations, even allowing them to view his imperial procession up close, so that these ignorant and unteachable people could truly feel the grandeur of the empire.

Why aren't they grateful!

He summoned the eunuch; he needed Empress Xiao's company. She was his wife who had shared his hardships, and only with her did he feel safe.

The empress was three years older than the emperor. She experienced being disliked and abandoned by her family, becoming the queen consort of the suzerain state as a princess of a vassal state, unexpectedly becoming a pawn for the Sui Dynasty to suppress the Chen Dynasty, and then her fortunes turned sour as she became the empress of a brand new dynasty as splendid as the morning sun.

She was a gentle and intelligent woman. In her youth, she cooperated with her husband's ambition to succeed to the throne. After becoming empress, she watched coldly and calmly outlived the remorseful and depressed Consort Xuanhua and the beloved Chen Juan. In her middle age, she lost the crown prince and was busy mending the rift between the emperor and Prince Qi Jian.

The emperor may have simply loved and respected her in a routine manner, regarding her as the only warmth left over from his terrible past, but he never regarded her as a talented, ambitious, and capable ruler of the realm who could assist him.

"To achieve one's lifelong ambition is as rare as Confucius obtaining the unicorn." The Empress combed the hair of the bloated and listless Emperor. This statement was both a consolation to the Emperor and a sigh of resignation to her own fate.

"You said that a unicorn was captured during the western hunt in the fourteenth year of Duke Ai's reign? That's too ominous! What does that have to do with my great cause?"

Yang Guang was not very satisfied with the empress's lukewarm consolation. He needed to be revered as a god and his great cause to be worshipped with his entire life.

"Has the Empress also heard about those messy discussions from the previous dynasty? Does she also think that the conquest of Liaodong was wrong? Or that the digging of the canal was inappropriate?" He huddled in his heavy robes, his voice somber and hoarse, as if the clothes were his only support.

"Let's stay at the Eastern Capital Palace for a while longer. Your Majesty can grant a general amnesty when the time is right. Ahai has also been much more restrained in his behavior recently. Your Majesty should not hold a grudge against him anymore... Azhao has been gone for many years. As her mother, I am naturally heartbroken. However, the imperial grandsons Tan, Tong, and You are all young. For the sake of the country, Your Majesty, should you consider establishing an heir again?" Empress Xiao wanted to make one last effort for herself, for the Prince of Qi, and for the future of the country.

Yang Guang pretended that the deafening drum music drowned out his wife's voice, making it hard for him to hear clearly: "Yes, yes, if A Zhao were still alive, there wouldn't have been Yang Xuangan's rebellion." He inexplicably disliked the Prince of Qi, disliked his domineering attitude towards the throne. This son, like his father and brothers, often appeared in his nightmares.

He's still avoiding the issue! He believes the country will be forever secure and the dynasty will last forever. He seems to think that another military victory can restore lost authority, another long tour can quell dissenting opinions, and a canal can circulate throughout the entire world.

Empress Xiao felt somewhat helpless, thinking that her husband had always been like a willful child. However, when the world became a toy, everything inevitably veered towards the abyss.

The music from the rear surged like a tidal wave, engulfing time. The sheng, xiao, drums, and horns intertwined to create a magnificent symphony, as if even the sunlight trembled in the sound waves.

The imperial procession moved slowly forward. The square palanquin was solemn and dignified, the smaller palanquins were light and exquisite, the waist palanquins were luxurious and elegant, the golden palanquins were dazzling, the elephant palanquins were steady and majestic, and the leather palanquins were simple and heavy. The five palanquins were arranged in order, each decorated with gold, silver and jewels, which shone brightly in the morning light. The people watching the ceremony along the way looked up and held their breath, their gasps of amazement rising and falling, but they quickly fell silent under the cold gaze of the imperial guards, leaving only low gasps.

Following the convoy, the yellow-bannered guard marched solemnly, with the Imperial Guards carrying the yellow banners, their bearing impeccable and their steps thunderous. Closely behind them was the spear-wielding guard, their bronze spears gleaming coldly, awe-inspiring.

Finally, bringing up the rear was a massive procession of banners that blotted out the sky. Banners adorned with mythical creatures such as the Bixie, Jade Horse, Yellow Dragon, Qilin, Dragon Horse, Triangular Beast, Black Tortoise, and Golden Ox fluttered in the wind, stretching out like living beings. Sunlight pierced through the banners, casting dappled shadows, as if the entire Vermilion Bird Avenue was enveloped in a mythical splendor.

At the edge of the whirlwind of sound and light, the carriages of lower-ranking officials and their families moved slowly forward. Li Shimin was in the middle of these carriages. His awkward position of not being in the official procession of the grand ceremonial entourage made him reluctant to encounter the relatives and friends who had come to watch the ceremony at this time and place.

Amidst the swirling yellow dust, he unexpectedly spotted a vibrant splash of Tian Shui Bi, and his back straightened instantly on horseback.

He rode up to Changsun Qingjing, grinning foolishly with joy. However, their meeting was not without regret; the girl found the boy without any danger, but the boy had not even been officially included in the imperial entourage.

To make matters worse, they had to part ways after only a few words.

"Thank you for your concern." Li Shimin blushed.

“My brother said I was stupid. The Prince of Yan is young, the Prince of Qi is a capable soldier, and the Empress favors the Prince of Qi. After the Emperor passes away, there will inevitably be a war between the uncle and nephew. So I changed my tune and said, ‘Let’s bet on the Prince of Qi. I’ll let you serve as the Prince of Qi’s storehouse officer. You will still have made a contribution by supporting the Emperor…’”

"Actually, I..."

She smiled playfully: "I was just imagining things before. I'm just glad you're back safe and sound..."

"Thank you for considering things so thoroughly for me." Li Shimin lowered his head and said somewhat dejectedly, "Actually, I'm not qualified to be with the princes yet."

“I’m not a captain. People would laugh if they heard that.” The boy’s face was a little red. “I’m far from being a captain. I’m just a Kuzhi, a strange and low-ranking position in the Northern Languages. I don’t even have a formal letter of appointment, and the emperor’s verbal appointment is very perfunctory. I don’t even know if there’s a corresponding official language for this Xianbei-speaking position. His Majesty has temporarily forgotten me. I wonder if he will remember me when he gets to Dongdu? Ah, once my father achieves merit and wins the hearts of the people in Longyou, His Majesty will become suspicious of him and remember me in the process.”

"Keep your voice down." Qingjing had heard that many people had been executed recently for baseless accusations and did not want Li Shimin to get involved.

"People of Daxing City, quickly hide your beautiful young daughters! His Majesty is sending his henchmen to snatch your precious jewels! Protect your daughters!" A shrill, manic voice echoed through the crowd. Soon, the imperial guards responded and dragged away the incoherent old man who was trying to rush into the rear of the imperial procession.

Li Shimin and Changsun Qingjing were stunned by the hoarse roar.

"Are your uncle and mother alright?" Li Shimin steadied the frightened horse, wanting to unsaddle it and have a good chat with Changsun Qingjing, but Changsun Qingjing stopped him.

“We’re all doing well. I’ve relayed your message to the whole family. Grandmother specifically asked us to come and see you off. You really are a benefactor to our family!” said the eldest grandson, Qingjing, frankly yet reservedly. “Although we could have escaped that day.”

Li Shimin tightened his grip on the horse's belly, gently controlled the saddle to move closer to Changsun Qingjing, and smiled, "That's natural. Your brother is brave and resolute, and you are clever, just like your father, the Right Valiant Guard General."

Changsun Qingjing was only feeling a little proud; she wasn't ungrateful. However, Li Shimin's praise made her blush.

She considered herself dignified and proper, but her grandmother's reminder of her being a "benefactor" made her let go of some of her reserve and happily come to Daxing City to bid farewell to Li Shimin.

“My brother will definitely come back to see you off.” Changsun Qingjing blushed. “I was thinking that you were hung up and beaten by your eldest brother because of our family’s troubles, so I thought I should come and see you off too.”

"Oh, did your grandmother force you to come, or did you want to come on your own?" Li Shimin asked playfully.

Qingjing chuckled: "You've prepared quite thoroughly over these ten days."

“You are from Luoyang, and your maternal grandfather was from Qi. You must have many relatives and friends in the Central Plains. Do you need me to deliver a message?” he asked, volunteering.

"Okay, I'll try to find out. Please thank your grandmother for me! Is there anything else I can bring you?"

Changsun Qingjing hesitated for a moment, then a look of admiration suddenly flashed in his eyes: "Do you know Secretary Yu Shinan?"

"I don't know him," Li Shimin thought for a moment. "I've only heard my mother mention him."

“That’s the younger brother of Yu Shiji, the Grand Master of the Palace.”

"His brother's reputation is indeed legendary!" Li Shimin laughed, wondering why Qingjing was concerned about the younger brother of a treacherous minister.

"Could you ask him for a few words for me? Or you could try to get a few of his discarded notes or scraps of paper, just some random scribbles, like 'Stomachache at Night', 'Footache', 'Leave of Absence', etc..." Qingjing awkwardly gave some embarrassing examples. "I'd be so proud to receive notes like that."

"Alright, alright, I understand. As long as it has characters, it will be fine. I'll definitely do it. When I'm successful, I'll have this great talent write a screen for you." Li Shimin was already planning how to get Yang Guang and Yu Shiji to exchange poems, then casually inquire about his younger brother Yu Shinan, and finally ask Yu Shinan for advice with his own copy of the character "王" (Wang). After some gentle persuasion, Yu Shinan would surely give the Duke's son face and demonstrate a few strokes, and then this difficult task would be accomplished!

She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly smiled and asked him, "Look at my gauze, isn't the subtle peony pattern on the light gauze pretty?" Li Shimin thought he must be seeing things because he was so happy; she even unconsciously swayed her hips slightly.

It doesn't look good at all; it makes you look like a walking birdcage! What a burden! You'll only look good without the veil!

But what he said was a completely different story.

"Beautiful!" He made Changsun Qingjing laugh with his crisp and decisive remark.

A note from the author:

Let's talk about this: This picture mainly depicts Hirokami's grand entrance and inner weakness.

The young couple's farewell carried a hint of foreshadowing for the future.

If you like it, please save it, leave a comment, and help me recommend it to more fans of the Queen!