drought
"How am I his brother?" Zhou Ziliang couldn't help but find it amusing, but he also knew that if he continued to tease Tang Feng, Tang Feng would really get angry. He patted Tang Feng's back and said, "Go to sleep. Didn't you say you had to go to court tomorrow? You've been resting for a few days and your complexion looks much better. If you go to court, you'll lose weight again." "It's really comfortable not to think about anything." Tang Feng said that he felt much better these past few days, at least that's what he thought. He didn't know if it was Wen Yunsheng's medicine that worked or if his body had really recovered from the rest. After a few days, his cough had lessened, and he was even sleeping much more soundly.
The next morning, Tang Feng was woken up by Zhou Ziliang. Before he even opened his eyes, Zhou Ziliang said, "Aren't we supposed to go to court today? Aren't you getting up?" Tang Feng struggled to open one eye and looked out the window. The sky was not bright, but rather hazy. Tang Feng turned over, pretending not to hear Zhou Ziliang's words, but Zhou Ziliang shook him again. "Little Feng, if you don't get up, you'll be late." Then, looking at Tang Feng's sleepy appearance, Zhou Ziliang sighed. "How about we skip today and go tomorrow?"
"No... Oh my god, help me up!" Tang Feng seemed to have been pulled from his wits. He sat up with his eyes closed, touched the clothes on the bed, slowly put them on, and opened his eyes, saying, "Where's Liu Yiwan?" "She's waiting at the door. Let's go once you're ready."
Tang Feng sat in the sedan chair. He had walked through Jiming Street countless times, and each time the feeling was different—his heart pounded with fear, a mix of deep sorrow, reluctance to part, and excitement and curiosity. He leaned against the window, watching the people coming and going. Although most of them were struggling to make a living, how could he not envy their freedom? Attending court was probably just a formality, but why did Tang Feng insist on coming? He just wanted to hear what was happening lately. After all, Li Yunyu was at the perfect time to make his mark. He had recommended Li Yunye, not only gaining Li Yunye's favor but also using him as a front for Li Yunyu—a rather underhanded strategy. Standing in the main hall, listening to the ministers' endless chatter—about the west wall collapsing and needing repair, or the east river overflowing and causing crop losses—Tang Feng was getting drowsy. If Zhang Mobai hadn't nudged Tang Feng's shoulder with a protective board, Tang Feng probably would have fallen asleep. "Your Majesty, I have a report to present." Tang Feng was startled by the powerful voice and instantly snapped out of his daze, listening intently. "Your Majesty, Wanliang has not received rain for nearly ten months, and grain production has been declining since last year. The number of disaster victims is constantly increasing. I humbly request Your Majesty's decision."
Drought? Reduced grain production? Tang Feng looked up at Emperor Yun, their eyes meeting. Emperor Yun asked, "Is Grand Tutor Tang feeling better?" Tang Feng quickly stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "It's just a minor illness; Your Majesty need not worry about it."
"Now that things are settled, tell me, how should we handle this?"
Tang Feng didn't know why Emperor Yun was suddenly so fixated on him. Was it because he had been too presumptuous at the empty family banquet a few days ago, or because Emperor Yun thought he was guilty of lying about being ill? "Your subject wouldn't dare." "You wouldn't dare? What wouldn't you dare?"
"Your Majesty, I currently have no solution in mind and dare not speak rashly. Would it be presumptuous of me to speak on matters of national importance?" Tang Feng knelt on the ground, listening to Emperor Yun speak. There was a moment of silence in the hall before Emperor Yun said, "Then who do you think has a solution?"
"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, and I know that Your Majesty already has a plan in mind, but simply wants everyone to contribute their ideas. Although everyone here is skilled in both literature and martial arts, you are slightly inferior to Your Majesty's own sons."
Looking at the unmoved Li Yunheng and the nervous Li Yunye below, Emperor Yun waved to Tang Feng, signaling him to leave, and casually asked, "Yunye, what do you think?"
Li Yunye hadn't expected Tang Feng to launch a surprise attack, leaving behind a mess. But since the Emperor had already questioned him, he could only say, "Your subject is incompetent... and can't think of any solutions..." The Emperor snorted coldly and then looked at Li Yunheng, "Where is the fourth prince?"
Li Yunheng stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and glanced at Li Yunye. "Third brother is the eldest. If even the elder brother has no solution, then I, as the younger brother, am certainly incompetent."
Emperor Yun coldly stared at the two princes kneeling on the ground, remaining silent for a long time. The officials below were sweating profusely. Finally, Li Yunye spoke again, "Father, though I am not talented, I will go back and find a solution." "You'd better come up with something," Emperor Yun said, his deep voice tinged with displeasure. Li Yunye had no choice but to reluctantly agree. At this moment, Tang Feng, covering half his face with his ceremonial tablet, couldn't help but smile, only to be nudged in the lower back by Zhang Mobai. "Little brother, be more reserved. Don't make too obvious a move in the main hall."
Two hours of morning court failed to satisfy Emperor Yun; the drought remained unresolved, and now a host of trivial matters arose. Looking at the court officials standing below, he impatiently waved his hand and stormed off. Tang Feng sauntered over to Zhang Mobai and whispered, "Shall we go back together later?" Zhang Mobai craned his neck and glanced at Zhou Ziliang beside him, "Did you two have a fight?"
"Huh?" Tang Feng turned around and glanced at Zhou Ziliang. "Why do you think we had a fight..."
"You don't come to the temple without a reason, and you don't come to Zhou Ziliang without a reason. So, what is it?"
"No... nothing much, just want to go back with you..." Tang Feng was a little confused by Zhang Mobai's antics, but still smiled awkwardly, straightened Zhang Mobai's court robes, and then chuckled, "Want to go have a meal together?" "Wow? This young man's got some unusual luck today?"
"But I need to ask you for a favor before we eat..." Tang Feng smiled sheepishly, only to be pinched hard on the waist by Zhang Mobai. "I knew it wouldn't be anything good! Little brother, how come you've become so cunning since you got married? We weren't like this before." Zhang Mobai glanced at Tang Feng but didn't refuse. Seeing that Zhang Mobai didn't say anything, Tang Feng took Zhang Mobai's arm and whispered, "Do you have any days off lately?"
What do you want to do?
"Would you like to go to Wanliang?"
"Are you causing me trouble again?" Zhang Mobai was angry, thinking about what happened at the Luohe Bridge. "Is it because of His Highness the Ninth Prince again this time?"
"I guess so," Tang Feng said, head down.
"Really? You owe me quite a few favors because of the Ninth Prince, young man." Zhang Mobai waved to his coachman, "You go back first, Grand Tutor Tang and I will walk back." Turning to Tang Feng, he said, "I've met the Ninth Prince before. He's thoughtful but kind-hearted. He's not suited for heavy responsibilities. Are you putting all your eggs in his basket?" Tang Feng nodded, "After all, I can't just run away at the last minute! Help me! You're in the Ministry of Revenue, so I have some connections."
What are you planning to do this time?
"I don't want to do anything, but I want to see the Vice Minister of Revenue."
Zhang Mobai was somewhat surprised, but quickly regained his composure. "It's not that it's impossible. With your current rank, meeting the Vice Minister is certainly not a problem. I'll introduce you in a couple of days. However, let me warn you beforehand: Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Revenue is notoriously timid. Don't expect him to be of any help to you."
Tang Feng smiled. "No rush to introduce me. I'll go back and think about it first. How about coming to my house for dinner today? My treat." Zhang Mobai raised an eyebrow and teased, "Treat me? Little brother, if you really care, at least treat me to a meal at Taibai Restaurant." Tang Feng immediately blinked pitifully. "Mobai... pick something cheap... you know how little I have to my name, and I'm sick every day, so I need to spend money on medicine."
Zhang Mobai snorted coldly, "You're so stingy, aren't you? Didn't Ziliang buy all those things for you? How could I touch your little piggy bank?"
"What are you saying? We're a married couple, how can you separate 'me' and 'him'? Let's just have a meal at home, okay? I haven't seen you in ages, and besides, my house hasn't been lively in a long time." Seeing Tang Feng's feigned aggrieved look, Zhang Mobai knew he was doing it on purpose but was too embarrassed to call him out on it. He sighed, "I know, I know, I know you're having dinner at home because you want to discuss Wanliang with me."
After returning to his residence, Li Yunye carefully considered Tang Feng's actions during the morning court session and felt increasingly uneasy. While Tang Feng's strong support for him as crown prince before the Emperor was commendable, it didn't mean helping him wouldn't benefit Tang Feng. Whether Li Yunyu still harbored any intention of vying for the throne, or whether Tang Feng was helping him, Li Yunye had absolutely no idea. Thinking about this gave Li Yunye a headache. After instructing a servant to go to the Shen residence to fetch Shen Qinghang, he strolled to the backyard and found Wen Yunsheng sitting leisurely under a tree. "Ah... Your Highness is back?" Wen Yunsheng seemed to have heard the noise and looked up in the direction Li Yunye had come from.
"Hmm," Li Yunye sat down opposite Wen Yunsheng, pouring himself some tea as he asked, "Did you notice anything unusual when you went to the Tang residence a few days ago?" Wen Yunsheng thought for a moment, then tilted his head, looking completely puzzled. "What kind of unusual clues are you referring to?"
Li Yunye pondered for a moment and said, "I'm still a little worried about him and Lao Jiu. Did you notice anything while you were at his residence? For example, what kind of contact do he still have with Lao Jiu, or did they have any secret talks?"
Seeing Li Yunye's serious expression, Wen Yunsheng couldn't help but laugh. "Your Highness, Grand Tutor Tang knows I'm the physician you sent. Even if he's truly allied with the Ninth Prince, he'll still be wary of me. How could he so readily discuss important matters in front of me?" Li Yunye thought about it and realized it made sense. He scratched his head and asked, "How is his health?"
"Not good. It's a hopeless case," Wen Yunsheng shook his head, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at Li Yunye's blurry figure. "Take good care of him. Three or four years of painstaking effort, more than a year, and that's about it."
"You think it's incurable?" Li Yunye seemed somewhat incredulous. He had only thought it was a psychological ailment, not something this serious. Now, hearing this, it seemed his life was in danger. Li Yunye recalled what Tang Feng had told him in the palace that day: that he didn't have much time left, wasn't greedy for wealth or official position, and had no reason to vie for the throne. Now, it seemed somewhat credible. Li Yunye knew Tang Feng's character; even Li Yunrui's treatment of him hadn't earned him this sincerity. How much more so would the Ninth Prince, a fallen prince, be able to offer him nothing?
"Tang Taifu's illness stemmed from qi stagnation in his lungs, likely due to his poor health in childhood."
"Can't you cure him with your medical skills?"
"Your Highness, emotional distress is difficult to cure. I can only prescribe some medicine to alleviate his coughing up blood; there's really nothing else I can do. His emotional distress is deeply entrenched and beyond medical help. The previous doctor also told him this, and he accepted it quite quickly."
"What did he say?"
"He didn't say anything, just that he had long anticipated his fate was sealed," Wen Yunsheng shrugged. "What a pity, I still admire him quite a bit."
Li Yunye, however, was lost in thought. After a long while, he finally said, "I... also admire him, but unfortunately, we're not on the same page, so he definitely won't help me."
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Li Yunye said, turning around at the sound of the voice. Seeing Shen Qinghang standing at the door, he quickly stood up and asked, “What do you mean?” Shen Qinghang glanced at Wen Yunsheng, who had been sitting silently to the side. Wen Yunsheng seemed to realize his overstepping boundaries and spread his hands, “Alright, alright, I’ll be going now. I can’t possibly disturb Your Highness’s grand plans, can I?”
After Wen Yunsheng leisurely left the backyard, Shen Qinghang sat down and said, "The relationship between Tang Feng and the Ninth Prince is not as good as Your Highness thinks. The Ninth Prince is naive and impulsive, and has long been out of His Majesty's favor, so he is simple-minded and finds it difficult to trust others. Tang Feng, on the other hand, is meticulous and, although unwilling to get involved in officialdom, possesses some strategic acumen. One is straightforward, the other is adept at intrigue and deception. I imagine there is much discord between them."
Li Yunye frowned and asked, "But do you know that Tang Feng doesn't have much time left?"
"Of course," Shen Qinghang continued, seeing Li Yunye's dazed expression. "But doesn't Your Highness prefer Tang Feng to help you seize the throne?" "I...I don't quite understand. Whether Tang Feng assists the Ninth Prince or not, he's unwilling to help me; that's a foregone conclusion."
"No, no, Your Highness, think carefully. What does Tang Feng want? He doesn't want wealth, and he dislikes officialdom, yet he's involved here. That means there's something more attractive to Tang Feng than the former two things, something he'd risk his life for. Since he's willing to fight tooth and nail for it, it doesn't matter who he supports. Whoever sits higher has more power." After hearing Shen Qinghang's words, Li Yunye nodded thoughtfully. "Then... what do you think I should do next?"
Shen Qinghang tapped the stone table with two fingers for a while before saying, "His Majesty asked about Wanliang today. I imagine Tang Feng will take action when he returns, just like he did during the Luohe Bridge flood. He will definitely take the Ninth Prince to resolve the matter. If you accompany him, His Majesty will not only have a good impression of you, but Tang Feng will also be thrown into disarray. The Ninth Prince is easily influenced and indecisive, so there will likely be a significant rift between the two. You should just go and talk to the Ninth Prince."
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