Li Yuanji sneered: “So what if his surname is Yang? Yang Guang is already dead, and the Yang family’s dynasty has long been nearly ruined. If you ask me, we should just finish him off with one clean stroke.”
“Shush!” Li Jiancheng made a silencing gesture, his expression serious: “You can think such thoughts in your heart, but you absolutely cannot speak them aloud, or you’ll only ruin Father’s great cause!”
“Oh.” Li Yuanji reluctantly agreed with unwillingness, spurred his horse and quickened the pace. At the first watch, they arrived at Chengtian Gate and personally escorted Yin Shishi inside. After crossing a plaza fully three hundred steps wide, they came to Daxing Palace, where Li Yuan and a group of generals were discussing matters. Li Shimin was also there.
When they saw Yin Shishi being escorted in, Li Yuan’s pupils suddenly contracted. He said to the generals: “Gentlemen, please return for now. We’ll continue discussing the remaining matters tomorrow.”
After watching the generals depart, Li Yuan turned his gaze to Yin Shishi, who was shaking like chaff in a sieve. He walked before him with his hands clasped behind his back and said slowly: “General Yin, we meet again!”
Yin Shishi said tremblingly: “What… what do you want to do?”
“Naturally, to settle our accounts properly with General Yin.” Li Yuan’s words carried a bone-chilling coldness. For him to hate someone to this degree, Yin Shishi could be considered quite a character.
Yin Shishi was so frightened his legs shook violently as he said with difficulty: “We each served our own masters then—you can’t blame me. Besides… you said yourself that after entering the city, you wouldn’t kill… wouldn’t kill any who surrender. I… I surrender!”
Li Yuan shook his head in disappointment: “I thought before that although you were despicable and shameless, you at least had some loyalty—preferring to be shattered jade rather than intact tile. Now it seems I overestimated you! The Great Sui Dynasty fell into decline precisely because it had too many officials like you and Wang Wei.”
“I… I know I was wrong. I beg you, I beg you to spare my life.” At this moment, Yin Shishi could be said to be utterly shameless—for the sake of staying alive, he would do anything, say anything.
“Too late.” With these words, the last trace of warmth in Li Yuan’s eyes vanished completely: “Drag him out and behead him!”
Hearing this, Li Yuanji immediately became unhappy: “Father, he dug up our Li family’s ancestral graves and killed Fifth Brother. Beheading is far too easy for him. If you ask me, even if we don’t use lingchi, at least it should be roasting.”
Li Shimin shook his head: “That won’t do!”
Li Yuanji had never submitted to him, and seeing him oppose his opinion now, he immediately stiffened his neck: “Why won’t it do? Don’t tell me that at this point, Second Brother still wants to be merciful to him?”
Li Shimin frowned slightly: “It’s not that I’m being merciful, but Father has just taken control of Chang’an City. If we use cruel punishments now, it would be very disadvantageous to Father.”
Li Yuanji scoffed at his words: “What’s so disadvantageous about it? Someone who doesn’t even spare others’ ancestral graves—no death would be too much for him.”
Li Shimin sighed: “Yes, you’re right. Yin Shishi indeed deserves to die many times over, but now people throughout the realm are watching Father’s every move. If Father makes even the slightest mistake, it will become ammunition for others to attack him. Take the lingchi and roasting you mentioned—wouldn’t that saddle Father with a reputation for brutality and cruelty?” He continued earnestly: “Fourth Brother, Yang Guang’s example is right before our eyes. We absolutely cannot repeat his mistakes.”
Li Yuanji sneered: “Second Brother’s words are far too alarmist. How could Father be the same as Yang Guang? You’re simply…”
“Enough.” Li Yuan stopped their argument and looked at Li Jiancheng, who had remained silent: “Jiancheng, what do you think?”
Li Jiancheng pondered: “I also agree with Shimin’s view. Using cruel punishments now would bring us nothing but harm and no benefit. There’s no need to satisfy momentary anger only to leave infamy among the people and in the history books. Right and wrong, merits and faults—people will naturally judge them.”
“Good!” Li Jiancheng’s answer greatly satisfied Li Yuan. His sons couldn’t merely know how to charge and kill in battle—they needed both wisdom and courage, understanding how to consider the big picture. In this matter, both Jiancheng and Shimin met his expectations. As for Yuanji… this child was too impulsive and rash—he still needed proper tempering.
“No! Don’t kill me! I’ll do whatever you want—just spare my life!” Yin Shishi pleaded with tears and snot streaming down his face. Seeing no one paid him attention, he quickly knelt down: “Just think of it as… as sparing a dog, I beg you.”
“If you had known it would come to this, why did you act that way in the first place?” After saying this, Li Yuan called in the soldiers waiting outside. Amid Yin Shishi’s wailing, they dragged him out. As they crossed the vermillion threshold of Daxing Palace, just as Yin Shishi thought Li Yuan might change his mind, he said: “Before the execution, go invite Second Madam over. If she wants to do it herself, let her.”
He had never forgotten the revenge for Li Zhiyun; nor had he forgotten the promise he made to Wan Shi.
Regardless of whether Wan Shi ultimately acted personally, after this day, there would no longer be a person called Yin Shishi in this world.
Besides Yin Shishi, Guyi was also executed. As for Wei Wensheng, he had died many days ago. After handling this matter, Li Jiancheng suddenly said: “Father, I would like to ask you for a favor.”
Li Yuan asked puzzledly: “Oh, what favor?”
Li Jiancheng said solemnly: “Please grant a general amnesty to Chang’an, releasing all prisoners in the jails, and abolish all harsh laws of the Sui Dynasty to comfort the people!”
Li Yuan never expected Li Jiancheng to make such a request, but it aligned perfectly with his own thoughts. He immediately said: “Good, I’ll do as you request. Once Chang’an City is stabilized, I’ll issue the decree.”
Hearing this, Li Jiancheng smiled broadly: “Thank you, Father!”
After leaving Daxing Hall and parting from Li Shimin, Li Jiancheng glanced at Li Yuanji walking beside him: “What’s wrong? Still angry with Big Brother?”
“How dare I be.” Though his words said this, his tone revealed his true thoughts. Li Jiancheng smiled: “Upset that Big Brother sided with Shimin?”
Hearing this, the anger Li Yuanji had been suppressing for so long suddenly flared up: “Yin Shishi killed Zhiyun and dug up our ancestral graves, scattering our ancestors’ bones to the wind. What’s wrong with wanting to subject him to lingchi and roasting? I don’t understand what’s gotten into all of you.”
Li Jiancheng’s eyes darkened: “Fourth Brother, you can say anything in front of Shimin, except you must never mention Zhiyun’s matter.”
Li Yuanji asked uncomprehendingly: “Why not?”
Li Jiancheng glanced around, and after confirming no one was nearby, he said in a low voice: “Shimin already knows about that matter.”
Li Yuanji was first stunned, then his face changed as he said incredulously: “Big Brother, you… you’re saying Second Brother… he knows about Zhiyun’s matter?”