Li Anlan rose to pour Yun Ye a cup of water and sat down beside him. Staring blankly at the green trees outside the window, she said to Yun Ye: “Even if you want to look at this body, you won’t be able to for many more days. I’m about to marry into Lingnan, going to a nest of barbarians. While the body hasn’t been defiled yet, look if you want. In a few days, this body will belong to that black monkey. Rather than let him see it, better to let someone who knows how to cherish it see it.”
Yun Ye adjusted Li Anlan’s collar properly, stood up, and walked toward the door. Reaching the doorway, he turned back and said to Li Anlan: “If you’re willing to marry someone else, I have nothing to say. But that black monkey actually wants to lay his hands on you—he’s tired of living. I think you wouldn’t mind being a widow, would you?”
“If you don’t want to marry me, I don’t mind being a widow, even if it’s in Lingnan.” Li Anlan answered Yun Ye with a smile.
Closing the door, Yun Ye scraped Little Lingdang’s nose and said to her: “Next time you eavesdrop, remember to press down your hair. Even a blind person could see those two round buns. Feel reassured now? Even if you go to Lingnan, you’ll be the ones eating others, not others eating you.”
Little Lingdang watched Yun Ye’s departing figure and hurried into the room. She found the princess studying one by one the rouge and powder she usually detested most. Seeing Little Lingdang enter, she asked: “Why is it that I just can’t use these things properly?”
“Princess, you took off your clothes again and let him see. Aren’t you ashamed? Didn’t you say a girl’s body can’t be shown to others casually?”
“When I can’t even preserve my life, who cares about such things? Letting him look doesn’t make me lose a piece of flesh. Besides, if I don’t let him see, how would he be willing to arrange Lingnan matters for us?”
“We still have to go to Lingnan? Can’t we not go?” Lingdang was very disappointed. She didn’t like Lingnan.
“Silly girl, what’s so good about Chang’an? You can only stay in the imperial palace—aren’t you bored? When we get to Lingnan, there are high mountains, great rivers, and the people of nine mountains and eighteen stockades. Once we’re there, everything will be decided by us. You can do whatever you want. We’ll eat the good food first and wear the beautiful clothes first. Tell me which of these things can this lifeless Chang’an compare to?”
“Silly girl, you can go into the mountains to pick wildflowers and gather mushrooms, find the most beautiful butterflies. No one will be able to bully you anymore, no one can order you to do this and that. On the contrary, you can command them, even order them to die.”
Little Lingdang was completely immersed in the happy life Li Anlan painted. Just thinking about being able to carefree search for mushrooms in the mountains made her so excited her palms sweated. As for ordering others to die, Little Lingdang had never even thought about it.
“How wonderful it would be if Young Master Yun came along too, right Princess? Young Master Yun is so clever—he’d surely make the nine mountains and eighteen stockades beautiful. I heard he’s already made Yushan into a place everyone wants to visit. Let’s bring Young Master Yun along too, okay?”
Little Lingdang shook her princess’s arm continuously in entreaty, not realizing that her princess was full of bitterness with nowhere to express it. Of course she hoped Yun Ye would also go to Lingnan. With Yun Ye’s help, before long it might truly become an earthly paradise—even completely giving him her body would be acceptable. Only, what he liked was this body, not the Li Anlan inside the body.
Leaving the imperial palace, Yun Ye went to the Court of State Ceremonial. The head there now was Tang Jian, who had just returned to the capital. He’d heard that when Tang Jian returned this time, the Emperor specially held a state banquet in Taiji Palace to celebrate his and Li Jing’s achievements. The scene was grand with a gathering of dignitaries. Someone of Yun Ye’s status couldn’t even get through the door. According to Niu Jianhu who served in the palace, His Majesty personally danced, the Great Emperor played the pipa, and the Crown Prince served wine—glory for a time.
Only after the glory, Li Jing closed his doors to visitors and saw no one, while Tang Jian was promoted to Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. The Grand Herald—one of the Nine Ministers with a prominent position, privilege to shade two sons, granted the title Duke Juguo. He’d heard that before long he would be promoted again to Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Yun Ye didn’t even know what sort of person Meng Shezhao was—how could he scheme? He at least needed to meet him first. These bastards who surrendered then rebelled, rebelled then surrendered again, had always been a cancer on Great Tang’s body. Cutting off one shouldn’t infuriate Li Er.
When Tang Jian heard of Yun Ye’s arrival, he specially descended the steps to welcome him. With the Ministry of Works’ precedent before him, he would naturally treat Yun Ye carefully.
“Yun Ye pays respects to the Duke. My congratulations come late—please don’t blame me, Duke Tang.”
“Hahaha, Marquis Yun gracing the Court of State Ceremonial—I’m happy to welcome you, how could there be blame? Just after I finish work, let’s share a cup together and reminisce about the grasslands, how about it?”
Entering the main hall, the smile on Tang Jian’s face instantly vanished as he said in a low voice: “Boy, you’re like a cat entering a house at night—nothing good comes of it. What scheming idea do you have coming here now? Let me make this clear first—I don’t care what schemes you have, but you have to wait until I leave the Court of State Ceremonial. After that, play however you want and I won’t care.”
“I came just because I heard those Lingnan barbarians are quite interesting and specially wanted to see them. I have no other intentions.” Yun Ye also quietly replied.
Tang Jian sucked in a breath as if suffering a toothache and said to Yun Ye with a bitter smile: “Meeting anyone is fine, except you cannot meet His Majesty’s son-in-law Meng Shezhao. This is His Majesty’s decree. His Majesty privately instructed me that if I let you meet Meng Shezhao, that black monkey would definitely not live long. So you can meet anyone—just not Meng Shezhao.” His words were utterly decisive.
Needless to say, Li Er was truly furious this time, blocking even his own daughter’s last avenue completely. It seemed his determination to punish Li Anlan was unshakeable. For father and daughter to get along to this extent was truly remarkable.
But thinking about the fates of his several sons and daughters—none ended up better than Li Anlan. Li Er simply didn’t know how to be a father. Making everyone rebel and turn away was only natural. Using imperial tactics on his children—who knew if water had gotten into his head.
“Old Tang, there’s no such thing. I’m just curious, wanting to see what sort of husband His Majesty found for the princess.” Yun Ye still tried to argue.
“Give it up. You’ve always eyed the princess covetously. Anyone who sets their sights on the princess comes to a bad end. Don’t tell me Zhang Liang’s wastrel son’s leg wasn’t crippled because you instigated Yuchi Baolin to break it. Don’t tell me the Longyou powerful Zhang family’s business suddenly becoming unable to move an inch in Chang’an wasn’t your handiwork either. Boy, you’re about to get married—why are you still holding onto the princess and not letting go? You’re utterly lacking in virtue. In my view, the princess having today’s fate—you bear half the responsibility.”
Now he was angry. Why were all the shit buckets being dumped on his head?
“Zhang Liang’s son publicly mocked Niu Jianhu for being crippled. If I hadn’t pulled fast enough, his head would’ve been gone. As for Yuchi Baolin, he just lightly kicked his leg. Who knew he couldn’t take a kick—three bones broke. What’s that got to do with me? The Zhang family actually dared to say in Chang’an that the camel caravans of the Longyou Zhang clan could fill Chang’an city. As a result they provoked public anger and everyone boycotted doing business with them. How did this get pinned on me again? Rumors kill people. Duke Tang mustn’t believe them lightly. You know my character—I would never do such things.”
“Hehehe, boy, keep pretending. This old man estimates that Lingnan barbarian also won’t escape your clutches. Fortunately you only have the minor faults of scraping up money and scheming after the princess. If you had other faults, would you let the hundred officials live? Building a broken palace, you can force Old Du to report sick and stay home. You’re capable, alright. Someone like you—this old man can’t afford to provoke. I absolutely won’t let you see Meng Shezhao. This old man will immediately deploy guards for strict surveillance. As for after he marries the princess, even if you dismember him into eight pieces, this old man will pretend not to see. Hehehe.”
Tang Jian extremely enthusiastically invited Yun Ye to tour the international friends staying at the Court of State Ceremonial guesthouse, specially pointing to several people who weren’t much different from black people, saying these were the natives who came to pay tribute.
The natives were simple and honest. Hearing the guesthouse official introduce him as a high official, they very warmly gave Yun Ye large quantities of local specialties. Just one word—generous. Tortoiseshell, pearls, strange stones, coral, and a large black lump. After listening for a while he finally understood this was the dried juice of the worry-forgetting grass. Chewing it in the mouth would make people forget all worries. Now they couldn’t go a day without this stuff.
Good stuff indeed. Yun Ye was currently worried to death. With this thing he could forget his worries. Excellent! Who said they were natives? They were clearly a group of considerate clever people. With it, Yun Ye’s troubles would completely vanish into smoke, and Li Anlan’s matter wouldn’t be a matter anymore.
Great! They actually presented this thing to the Emperor. What? They hoped the great, invincible, glorious, merciful Emperor would regularly use this medicine—it could multiply his spirits and make him vigorous as a dragon and tiger?
What wonderful natives! For the health of the great Emperor, they actually brought opium all the way from the distant Mediterranean through great hardship.
Was this something you bunch of addicts could obtain? Although your area was very suitable for growing poppies, when did barbarians who’d never left the mountain valleys know how to refine opium?
He remembered that at his company in his past life, he’d once made an anti-drug bulletin board. This stuff wouldn’t be introduced to the Central Plains for several more decades, initially as an ornamental flower planted by great families. Now this thing suddenly appeared in the natives’ hands and was being presented as tribute to the Emperor. How perfectly suited! Li Er’s migraines had no truly effective treatment even in the future. Now with this god-level painkiller, wouldn’t he use it to death?
Killing too many people always had downsides. For instance, enemies never forgot you. Once they had good stuff like opium, who else would they tribute it to if not you?
From the moment he got the worry-forgetting grass, Yun Ye smelled its somewhat acrid odor and knew this was pure raw opium. Thinking of the miserable state of addicts during withdrawal, Yun Ye didn’t dare imagine what terrifying things would happen if Li Er got hooked on opium.
Yun Ye was very happy, and Tang Jian was also very satisfied. As long as Yun Ye didn’t cause trouble on his turf, gaining some benefits was natural and proper. The two men boarded a carriage happily and returned to the Court of State Ceremonial. Behind them was another carriage loaded with Yun Ye’s gains, only that large lump of raw opium was held in Yun Ye’s arms and he wouldn’t let go.
Sitting in the main hall drinking yogurt, Yun Ye still held that black lump of raw opium without releasing it. Tang Jian was a bit curious. Yun Ye viewed material possessions very lightly—why today was he particularly fond of an inconspicuous little thing? Before he could ask, Yun Ye said to him: “Old Tang, don’t get angry. I call you Old Tang for your own good. I heard your family has an heirloom bright moon jade pendant that’s an extremely rare treasure. If you give it to me as a wedding gift, I’ll magnanimously save your entire family’s lives once. What do you think?”