Chapter 67 The Lantern Festival Night was absolutely terrible, but thankfully we still had each other...
Li Yuan neither pretended to be deaf and dumb like Yu Shiji, nor dared to speak frankly like Empress Xiao. He could only say insincerely, "Your Majesty, with me here, even if I were to die a martyr, I would certainly protect Your Majesty!"
"Can I trust you and entrust my safety to you?" Yang Guang's gaze was sinister and ruthless, instilling a chilling fear in everyone present.
"My loyalty shines as bright as the sun, and I will never waver in the face of death." Li Yuan wept and kowtowed.
"Shude, are you and your son willing to serve as my henchmen?" Yang Guang asked solemnly, raising his "Ode to the Falcon," "to deal with those rebellious rioters, bandits, and overthrowers."
The image of a hungry beast, or perhaps the sound of starving refugees gnawing at the jade steps, still echoed in his mind.
The restless people of Hedong, the ungrateful mob, transformed before his eyes into monsters with human heads and animal bodies or animal heads and human bodies, devouring everything edible and inedible.
Every blue brick, every piece of glazed tile, and every pillar in the Ziwei Palace is being scraped and gnawed by invisible claws.
Luoyang, the fallen celestial pivot, is being devoured by hungry and greedy demons and monsters.
“Listen to me…” Yang Guang’s fingers were just waving wildly in the air, aiming at non-existent spirits.
Changsun Qingjing recalled the nightmare on Mangban Road, the real-life scroll of "Hell Transformation," and the jackal that almost succeeded in its sneak attack...
She suddenly realized that Yu Shiji, Pei Yun, and Pei Ju may never have deceived Yang Guang. The one who could deceive heaven and earth, block the path of loyal advice, and turn a deaf ear to the perilous situation was never a sycophant, but the emperor himself.
In truth, Yang Guang knew everything—he knew the turmoil in the land, he knew the people's resentment… but how could someone who aspired to emulate Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han possibly see the grass, trees, bricks, and stones beneath his grand vision?
Sparrows and ants. Corvée labor, taxes, death... just a line or two of cold numbers in a memorial. Did he ever show them any pity?
Suddenly, Li Shimin loosened his grip and rushed to Li Yuan's side, kneeling down with his father.
"Though I am cowardly, I am willing to serve as your hound, to do my utmost, even unto death!" Li Shimin declared loudly.
"Good! Good!" Yang Guang broke free from the attentive service of the Empress and the two imperial sons-in-law, and asked the Li family to help him up. He slowly moved to the outside of the screen and looked directly at the lights, sparse stars and bright moon in the courtyard.
"So, this is Luoyang, not the rotten Daxing? I am in the Tang State Mansion, not Renshou Palace?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Yuan replied.
"So, with Duke Tang as my vanguard, I am certain that I can protect my health and secure the nation?" Yang Guang pressed on relentlessly.
"Your subject will defend you with utmost care and ensure nothing goes wrong." The number of times Li Yuan swore his loyalty in that one night, whether in open or covert, was probably equal to the total number of times he had done so in the previous forty years. Yet, he tirelessly and repeatedly expressed his unwavering devotion.
Yang Guang's indecisiveness, stubbornness, and outward leniency but inward suspicion left Li Shimin and Changsun Qingjing in awe.
Changsun Qingjing refused to admit that the monarch his valiant father had devoted himself to and swore to serve was such a petty man who was outwardly magnanimous but inwardly narrow-minded and did not resemble a true ruler.
Li Shimin could not imagine how his father had managed to safely navigate the dangers of living alongside a tiger over the years.
After taking several deep breaths of cold air, the noise in Yang Guang's mind gradually dissipated, and the smell of sand and gravel mixed with blood in his nasal cavity slowly returned to the night atmosphere of benzoin and charcoal fire.
His mind gradually cleared, and he suddenly asked the Li father and son in a serious tone: "There are rumors in the court that bandits are gathering everywhere and bandits are causing chaos. What do you think?"
Changsun Qingjing felt a burning sensation in his throat, wishing he could tear off a piece of paper, write "Follow the story of Shusun Tong," crumple it up, and throw it into Li Shimin's arms.
"Don't volunteer! Don't volunteer! Don't volunteer!" she muttered to herself. "Given your personality, don't answer! Don't answer! Don't answer!"
“These are just a bunch of thieves, nothing more than petty thieves, not worth worrying about,” Li Shimin replied on behalf of his hesitant father.
"Well said," Yang Guang said, shaking his robes. "Thieves and petty thieves are nothing to fear. That good-for-nothing Fan Zigai couldn't even stop a few refugees, letting them cross numerous checkpoints from Pujin Ferry all the way to Shangdong Gate to beg. I'll remove this derelict Hedong Pacification Ambassador from his post and put him on trial sooner or later. Useless!"
"May Your Majesty take good care of your health to live up to the hopes of the people. Do not let this good-for-nothing cause you any more harm." Yu Shiji, who had been kneeling silently all along, finally got a chance to speak and express his own loyalty.
Yang Guang ignored him, instead lingering on the steps, muttering to himself, his thoughts unfathomable.
He suddenly shouted as if divinely inspired: "Forget about the trivial matters of Hedong. What I urgently need now is a victory to deter the restless villains of the world. I will wage war against the Turks, and then march south to Yangzhou. Military preparedness will be displayed on the battlefield, and wealth will be displayed in the markets, so that the people will admire my virtue and the wicked will be silenced. Before that, I will conscript laborers to restore the Taihang Road, build the Eastern Capital, construct fortified walls, and repair the Piling Palace."
Everyone present knows what it means to flaunt military might to deter disobedience and to display wealth to win popular support. It means that able-bodied men are conscripted, causing spring planting to be neglected, and the agricultural season to be lost, leading to empty granaries.
This was nothing short of a series of interconnected farces! Yet everyone present had to pretend to understand the emperor's heart and show concern for the country and its people, thus joining in on this farce.
"Your Majesty's power extends throughout the land, and your wealth is renowned throughout the world. This is truly a wise and far-sighted strategy for governing the world. Your subject dares to offer to take up the reins and follow you to the death!" Li Yuan said with emotion, bowing his head.
Li Shimin felt that his mother must be protecting his father in the unseen world tonight, which made his father, who was always genuine and unpretentious, speak eloquently and beautifully, which made Yang Guang's long-standing doubts about the Li family disappear instantly.
However, tonight the Li family received a certificate of entry personally signed by Emperor Yang Guang.
At least in the short term, the Duke of Tang will become the royal family's most steadfast ally and the emperor's most trusted henchman.
As for when this contract will be inexplicably torn up, that is something that the parties involved cannot accurately predict.
The moment Yang Guang arrogantly concluded that the Li family, who shared the same knowledge of prophecies and divination, would be loyal to him to the death, he began to consider leaving.
Li Yuan, Li Shimin, and Changsun Qingjing then saw Yang Guang and the rest of his entourage off outside the central gate, disappearing into the street corner of Jishanfang.
Li Yuan brushed the dust off his knees and asked if his son had written to him recently. Changsun Qingjing quickly instructed Guoniang to present a stack of letters requesting that Li Yuan or Lady Dou open them personally. Li Yuan glanced at the letters—sent without knowing Lady Dou's death, hoping she would read them—and was overcome with grief. Clutching the letters, he barely heard the young couple's advice that he should retire early. The flowers and trees in the courtyard swayed and their leaves gently tilted, swallowing his lonely, desolate figure.
After being tested by Yang Guang, Li Shimin appeared to be in a state of complete exhaustion, with a bellyful of complaints, doubts, and indignation he wanted to vent.
Changsun Qingjing accompanied her husband back to the warm pavilion where they were observing mourning. The maids were tidying up the cups and bowls, wiping the tables and chairs, and changing the cushions and bedding.
Changsun Qingjing noticed Li Shimin's disgusted expression towards the temporary throne that Yang Guang had just sat on, so she instructed the maids to open all the doors and windows for ventilation.
"Replace the benzoin in the smoked balls with pepper and borneol." She repeatedly instructed Cicada Wings to remove the benzoin and replace it with another spicier spice to mask the fishy smell.
Li Shimin murmured, "I wonder how long it will take to get rid of that rotten smell. His Majesty always complains about the stench of Daxing, but little does he know that it is his own body that smells like that."
Changsun Qingjing took a deep breath of the fresh aroma emanating from the smoked ball, exhaling the fear, unease, and filth along with it: "Finally, the dust has settled. My mother has been helping me from beyond the heavens. It seems that my prayers in Yique have also been answered. The Li family is about to have a change of fortune."
She sat down, sighing with emotion, her mind still heavy with exhaustion and worry. Unpleasant memories from the day began to resurface, leaving her feeling dazed.
Li Shimin insisted that she answer his question: "Guanyinbi, I am quite surprised by your apparent familiarity with the emperor's preferences. Your responses were so perfect that they have baffled both my father and me. This is clearly beyond your capabilities and understanding. How did you manage to do it?"
"I'm sorry." Changsun Qingjing seemed not to hear, then suddenly burst into tears. "I just ordered people to burn Xue Daoheng's 'Ode to Emperor Gaozu Wen' and 'Cherish Salt'. I'm so sorry! Now that you know the truth, you must be furious." She twisted her hands, looking extremely regretful.
Li Shimin held her hands: "It's alright, it's alright. The 'Ode to Emperor Wen' is a type of 'Fish and Algae,' and the whole piece is full of profound meaning. I'm curious why Mother would collect this ode, as it's so unlike her personality. The 'Cherish Salt' is a poem of death written because of jealousy caused by talent. Both of these are unlucky, so it's better to burn them."
He asked warily, "Did you go to see Changsun Anye and find out a lot about the Emperor's likes and dislikes from him?"
"Yes," Changsun Qingjing sobbed. "It's all over now."
How could Heaven have so drastically bestowed upon this half-sibling a combination of the Right Valiant Guard General's kind and intelligent nature and his wicked and cunning nature!
Changsun Qingjing suddenly broke free from Li Shimin's embrace, her chin twitching and eyes fixed, as serene as a gentle breeze: "An Ye can't hurt me, and I won't cry for him. I just feel sorry for Xue Xuanqing's brilliant writing."
It was a truly awful Lantern Festival night, but thankfully they had each other for company.
"I will never again go against my conscience to please anyone! Not even if the person sitting in front of me is the Emperor himself." Li Shimin sat upright, his posture solemn and dignified.
The combination of pepper and borneol gives a tantalizing, intoxicating sensation, like a potent, smooth brew.
Even if it's poisonous, so what?
Author's Note: The main villain has finally made his exit. Thank you all for accompanying me as I finished writing these bloody portraits of humanity.
The reason I wrote it this way, and expanded the storyline between Changsun and Erfeng's marriage and their trip to Jinyang, is to use my clumsy writing to reasonably imagine how two young people from noble families developed those simple, people-oriented ideas. Then, my pen once again projects its ink onto the rural countryside and their ideals. [Three-flowered cat head]
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