Chapter 62 Lei Yin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died. Let's receive the emperor...

Guess which one I like?

"What was written on the marriage certificate? I don't remember a single word." Changsun Qingjing only remembered that on the day Dou Daosheng visited, her heart was filled with the bad news that her uncle Gao Shilian was about to be exiled. She even answered Dou Daosheng's questions absentmindedly and incoherently.

It's unlikely that Dou Daosheng had any affection for her personally; he was merely going along with his willful nephew to complete the six rites of marriage. If Dou Daosheng were to speak well of her to Li Yuan and his wife, the reason would have nothing to do with her.

It was probably because this former Duke of Chen, who had been stripped of his title, and his cousin the emperor had long been at odds, that he rationally believed that most of those implicated and demoted in the Husi Zheng case were innocent people dragged out by Pei Yun's masterful manipulation. His admiration for Gao Shilian's talent and pity for his fate caused Dou Daosheng to look at Changsun Qingjing through a veil of prejudice.

Li Shimin gazed at the lanterns held high along the canal in Tongyuan City, and said without looking away, "Marriage agreements are naturally all the same. Do you expect my father to praise you for your benevolence in disguising yourself and escaping after injuring your uncle Changsun Xiuming's servant? Or to praise your skill in riding horses, playing football, picking vines, and exploring the wonders? What else can we praise you for besides your beauty and virtue?"

“You weren’t disheveled at Mangshan that day, you were as charming and lovely as a cat…” Seeing Changsun Qingjing pout and frown upon hearing this, Li Shimin stared in astonishment and asked, “Why are you so concerned about your appearance?”

Changsun Qingjing puffed out his cheeks and said, "Hmph! I sincerely hope that His Majesty also possesses such virtuous character and outstanding achievements as you, so that during his secret journey on the Lantern Festival, he may discover the pearl and not easily discard this fragrant herb as if it were alfalfa..."

When Li Shimin heard that Changsun Qingjing compared Yang Guangfang to a beauty, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself: "It's fine if I'm paired with that great beauty, but I'm not so bad as to be a carefree clover."

Although the young man before him was eccentric and unconventional, he was remarkably insightful and profound in his observations, possessing a remarkable wit and humor that always brought a smile to one's face. Changsun Qingjing's unpleasant mood, which he had brought back from Xiushanfang, vanished instantly.

The alfalfa tree, leaning against the railing, gazed at the towering blood coral in Tongyuan City and sighed, "Father has been on duty at the Ziwei Palace for several days and nights, all for the emperor's extravagant banquets and the people's lavish feasts. Mother has just passed away, and Father is already depressed. He has been working hard for days. I wonder how he is doing?"

Changsun Qingjing and Li Shimin stopped agonizing over whether to prove their loyalty with a perfect performance or to win the emperor's trust with a slightly flawed one.

Upon hearing the news, the two were so panicked that they almost lost their shoes and ran down the stairs. Each of them unwrapped a scroll.

Lady Liu and her several personal maids couldn't help but peek out on tiptoe, fearing that discouraging news had come from the palace, such as the emperor inquiring about Tang Gong's health with ill intent, the guests coming and going from the mansion, or the young masters' recent studies...

"Tonight!" Li Shimin and Changsun Qingjing said in unison.

Everything has settled down.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was now completely free of any hope of a happy ending.

Lady Liu's brows relaxed. The emperor's personal probing meant this was at most a minor danger, not a certain death.

"Tell me," Li Shimin asked, shaking the note in his hand, "which of these two plum trees, which are so similar, is the loyal one and which is the treacherous one?"

“What a boring question.” Changsun Qingjing picked up a honey-soaked plum from the fruit plate held by a maid and stuffed it into Li Shimin’s mouth. “Add more honey and you’ll forget the plum’s original sour taste.”

Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by people themselves.

Everything can only be judged by the successor of that vast and powerful dynasty that spanned three generations, the sage Khan who made the Chanyu bow his head and Yuechang re-translate, a man of hidden treacherousness and outwardly simple and profound poetry.

On the Lantern Festival, after a grand banquet at the Ziwei Palace, Yang Guang was still not satisfied and wandered around the Xiushan and Jishan neighborhoods in plain clothes.

Pei Ju's son, as usual, was engrossed in his studies, his face lifeless, showing no interest whatsoever in going to Tongyuanfang to watch the Hu people's Hesheng dance. It was fortunate that Yang Guang had even considered entrusting the affairs of the Western Regions to a trustworthy young man, intending to have him follow in his footsteps; now it seemed he would have to find someone else.

Pei Yun has recently greatly angered the emperor. Li Hun's household is in turmoil, and the prophecies are making the emperor uneasy. Yang Guang hinted to Pei Yun that there was a good way to keep both sides at peace forever, but Pei Yun was quite oblivious. Every time he reported that there was no evidence of treason, it was unclear where his skill in framing Xue Daoheng had gone.

Tonight, Yuwen Shu's family became artificial and affected. When the servants and maids no longer wore the exquisitely patterned Wu-Yue embroidery or the finely crafted gowns made by Yun Dingxing to parade through the streets, Yang Guang couldn't help but chuckle. Recalling how his feigned displeasure had frightened Yuwen Shu to the point of turning his face ashen, he felt even more pleased.

Yang Guang thought it was such a wonderful thing to have a confidant who shared his views, was kindred spirits, and was always mindful and cautious, never daring to be idle!

Yang Guang firmly believed that Yuwen Shu could fabricate a plausible charge against Li Hun and his entire family, replacing Pei Yun, that indecisive and hesitant scholar. After Yuwen Shu promised to handle Li Hun's treason case and ensure its resolution, Yang Guang left the Xu State Palace satisfied.

The Empress suggested to the Emperor whether he should visit his aunt, the Grand Princess Ancheng's, residence. Yang Guang strongly resisted. Dou Kang and Dou Daosheng might be with his mother, the Grand Princess, and his younger brother, Dou Qing. Although Yang Guang never obtained concrete evidence of Dou Kang's conspiracy with Prince Yang Liang of Han, he could sense the obvious disdain in the discerning and condescending gaze of this cousin, making him extremely uncomfortable. He resolutely rejected Empress Xiao's suggestion.

The noble ministers who usually fawned over Yang Guang had all been teased, and the emperor suddenly lost interest in the trip. If only Yuwen Kai were still alive, he could have discussed with this Minister of Works the construction of the Taihang Road to conquer the Turks in the north, the improvement of the supply wagons and the conquest of Goguryeo again at Liuhe City, and how he needed a more magnificent imperial boat and a more luxurious floating boat to sail south to Jiangdu.

Unfortunately, this master of dreams, full of imaginative ideas, is no longer with us.

Just as the emperor was about to turn back to the Purple Palace and return to the Labyrinth to frolic with the Yue maiden Wu Wa, Yu Shiji, the leader of the "Seven Nobles of the Selection Clan," secretly reminded the emperor that there was still one mansion he had not yet set foot in: "Your Majesty might as well take advantage of the Lantern Festival to visit the mansion of Duke Tang."

The emperor, sitting in an ordinary palanquin, watched his cousin, who was carrying a sword and was always on guard against unpredictable events, approach the imperial procession ahead. Suddenly, he ordered his two sons-in-law to replace the Duke of Tang in guarding the procession and called him to his side: "Shude, let's go to your house for a visit."

Li Yuan's reply was neither humble nor arrogant. He neither feigned gratitude and tears to compete with the emperor's sycophants, nor did he try to conceal his ulterior motives for fear of being discovered.

After briefly expressing his gratitude, the Duke of Tang frankly told Yang Guang with some concern, "I only have two ignorant children at home. Please allow me to send someone home first to instruct them to dress properly, open the central gate, set up the throne, and hold the broom..."

"Cousin, you're being too polite. Let's just talk about family matters today and leave aside all these formalities..." Yang Guang said with a smile.

Empress Xiao, who was standing nearby, also said gently, "Duke Tang, don't frighten the children. Just treat them like family. Consider it an elder or uncle's idea to visit the younger generation."

Yu Shiji echoed his sentiments from the side.

Imperial Son-in-Law Yuwen Shiji caught a glimpse of Lady Wang, the Imperial Concubine, and Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, their eyelashes meeting, and he remained silent, lost in thought.

"Oh, I've heard about it..." Yuwen Shiji said with an embarrassed smile, no longer glancing around.

The newly appointed imperial son-in-law, Yuwen Xiao, who had just been chatting and laughing with Yu Shiji, fell silent upon hearing the emperor's plan to visit the Tang State Palace. His newlywed wife, Princess of Hanoi, seeing her husband's anxious and helpless demeanor, scoffed, "Coward! You're usually so arrogant and domineering, why are you so easily frightened today?" With that, the domineering princess spurred her horse and galloped away, ignoring her husband completely.

The ministers were already used to Princess Hanoi's behavior of changing her mind several times a day, and they were too lazy to investigate the reason, so they all laughed it off. Only Empress Xiao frowned in response.

Yang Guang ignored his wife's hints that he should discipline his illegitimate daughter, and instead felt that the daughter's demeanor and appearance were quite similar to her father's, so he couldn't bear to be harsh on her.

The current emperor endured years of hardship while Empress Dugu was alive, his illegitimate son was abandoned, and his illegitimate daughter was left to fend for herself. Princess Hanoi, born out of wedlock during her grandmother's lifetime and described by Empress Wenxian as a "dog and pig," was fortunate enough not to die of illness in infancy and was eventually able to return to her father's side.

The so-called tragedy of heaven and man is nothing more than the fact that all the laughable prophecies and absurdities ultimately point to reality.

Of course, Yang Guang wouldn't have these worries with the daughter who most resembled him.

Seeing that the emperor was oblivious to Princess Hanoi's inappropriate behavior, Empress Xiao could only remain silent in her anger. She summoned Princess Nanyang to her side and began to inquire about the recent situation of her grandson, the Chan Master Yuwen.

The group chatted and laughed as they headed toward the Tang State Mansion in Jishanfang.

Yang Guang closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of how to test this extremely familiar yet extremely distant cousin when he arrived at Li Yuan's residence.

The blinding torch forced him to open his eyes again. Yang Guang stared blankly at Li Yuan's retreating figure on horseback, and began to lay out and carefully sort through the events of the past. They had been two people who lived in peace, but from childhood to adulthood, Li Yuan had always made Yang Guang feel uncomfortable and uneasy from time to time, unintentionally.

The emperor's cousin lost his father at the age of seven and was deeply loved by his stepmother, Empress Dugu Wenxian. Yang Guang himself sometimes chuckled to himself at his own jealousy of his cousin who had lost his father at a young age.

However, the mother was paying far too much attention to this nephew.

The drunken emperor began to ponder the subtle shifts in his emotions, the source of the intertwined feelings of admiration, affection, and resentment...

Author's note: I realized I still couldn't bear to portray these people as purely stupid; let's leave it at that that they each have their own agendas.

The next chapter features a series of performances by veteran artists, recognition of the young actors' skills, and a slightly chaotic situation among the four young people.