Li Tai’s days were unbearably tormented. Several times he had steeled his resolve, only to give up helplessly. With Hypatia about to give birth, Li Tai remained torn and indecisive.

In the imperial family’s education, indecisiveness was considered a great taboo. Whether making the right decision or the wrong decision, either was better than this current state of inaction. Every day, watching Hypatia with her enormous belly wandering east and west through the streets, searching everywhere for fresh and delicious food while also getting exercise, had already become a familiar sight in Yezhou, yet Li Tai remained at a complete loss.

Just as he watched Hypatia emerge from Mr. Sun’s place, Li Tai remembered to inquire with Mr. Sun about the child’s condition. However, before Li Tai could even ask his question, he was thoroughly scolded by Mr. Sun. Two self-righteous clever people, stupid as pigs! Fortunately, there had been no extreme actions taken; otherwise, the old gentleman would certainly have told everyone about this matter and broken off relations completely with these two pig-like clever people.

Having been thoroughly scolded, Li Tai returned with his mouth agape. Carrying a pot of wine, he found Yun Ye, who was reviewing documents, and asked: “Ye’zi, tell me, does this Li Tai of mine count as a clever person?”

Not understanding what this was about, Yun Ye replied puzzledly: “Not bad, a bit worse than me though.”

“Do you think I, Li Qingque, count as someone of gentle and generous disposition?”

“Not bad. Up until now, aside from enjoying robbing the natives’ palaces and enjoying using wasps to sting your own uncle, I haven’t heard of you committing any atrocities.”

“Is my family background acceptable in the eyes of the world?”

“It’ll do. Apart from your father being the Emperor, there’s really nothing much to say.”

“Since I, Li Qingque, have decent character, decent learning, passable looks, and an unparalleled family background, why is Hypatia unwilling to become my secondary consort? You know very well that the matter of the principal consort is unavoidable.”

Yun Ye carefully took the wine pot from the despondent Li Tai’s hands. This fellow had become moody and unpredictable lately, randomly throwing things around and smashing objects had already become commonplace. His just-completed document review couldn’t be allowed to suffer disaster—if he had to review everything again, Yun Ye himself would go mad.

“Weren’t you always worried about the child? How did this shift to Hypatia? To be honest, I really don’t like this woman now. Too selfish.”

Li Tai waved his hand and said shamefully: “The selfish ones are us two brothers. Hypatia has been right from beginning to end. Ye’zi, do you know who the four sons born to the saintly Empress Dowager Dou were?”

“Your eldest uncle Jiancheng, your father, your third uncle Xuanba, and your fourth uncle Yuanji. Why bring this up? What connection does Hypatia giving birth have with the elders? This is really far-fetched.”

“How is it far-fetched? My father and my third uncle were born in the same year. Have you never questioned this?” Li Tai stretched his neck and looked at Yun Ye strangely.

Yun Ye scratched his head and thought for a long time before remembering that in the tenth year of the Daye era, Li Xuanba died of illness at the age of sixteen. In the tenth year of Daye, Li’er was also sixteen years old. Since they were born of the same mother, aside from the explanation of twins, there was no other interpretation.

“Are you saying Hypatia is pregnant with twins?” Yun Ye’s voice changed, like a chicken whose neck had been squeezed.

“Exactly! Mr. Sun told me today, and the old Daoist even scolded me. How shameful—only now did I think to go to Mr. Sun’s place to ask whether the fetus in Hypatia’s womb was safe. My mind was full of thoughts about my own dignity and reputation. Don’t look at me like that—you’re the same way. Mr. Sun said we two are two clever foolish pigs. How apt!”

“What difference is there between twins and one child? They’re all your children. It only shows that Hypatia is even greedier—she doesn’t plan to give you either of the two children. What a huge loss.”

“You don’t understand shit! Twins borrow fortune to be born, depend on each other for existence, their bloodlines intimately connected. The strong plunder the weak’s vital essence and blood, thus the strong become stronger and the weak become weaker. This is just the struggle before leaving the mother’s womb. After birth, the struggle for fortune begins again. This is heavenly fate—it cannot be defied. They are natural adversaries by birth.”

“You know how formidable my father is. He was formidable from the womb. My poor second uncle weighed only a bit over three jin at birth, while my father weighed a full six jin and seven liang. This was his achievement during his prenatal period.”

“My father was formidable from before birth and even more valiant and matchless as he grew up. As a child, he had no illness or disaster, but my second uncle suffered constant ailments. When my father was three years old, he fell from a five-chi-high decorative rock garden and got a big bump on his head, yet remained perfectly fine and continued sleeping soundly. My second uncle inexplicably fell gravely ill for a full half year and nearly died.”

“The more formidable my father became, the weaker my second uncle grew. Finally making it to the tenth year of Daye, when Emperor Yang of Sui returned without success from his third expedition against Goguryeo, my father believed the Sui Dynasty’s days were numbered and established great ambitions, preparing to replace it. Such grand ambitions and great aspirations—how could the sickly and weak second uncle bear them? So he fell ill once again, and two months later finally departed this world.”

“My father’s literary and martial talents are unmatched. Why did my grandfather not favor my father, but instead preferred the Crown Prince Xi and Prince Chao? The reason is that my grandfather believed my father was predatory by nature, having absorbed my second uncle’s vital essence and fortune, which gave him his civil and military achievements. If my second uncle hadn’t died, he too would have been an extremely capable figure. Adding the two together doesn’t count as true ability.”

There was such secret history? Li’er’s abilities were created by two people? Yun Ye listened with flushed ears and face, and before long had drunk the pot of wine dry. Who had passed down such nonsense—no, such profound reasoning?

Li Tai took the wine pot, shook it, discovered there wasn’t a drop of wine left, and ordered the maid to bring two more pots. He continued speaking to Yun Ye: “You might find this ridiculous? But in the imperial family, this matter isn’t funny at all. My father himself also believes he wronged my second uncle, believes he plundered his second uncle’s fortune and vital essence, so he’s living one lifetime as two lifetimes. He feels that if he doesn’t live stronger than historical monarchs by double, he can’t be considered a hero.”

“So you see, after Hypatia had twin fetuses, she became terrified day and night. Mr. Sun likes her so much—upon discovering she was carrying twins, how could he not tell her these imperial family secrets? So you see, Hypatia fundamentally doesn’t want the children to enter the imperial family to suffer. Perhaps this blow might even come from my father the Emperor.”

“Many common folk’s twins can live peacefully and safely precisely because they act peacefully, do things calmly, and thus can live long lives, living like ordinary people. In the imperial family’s life of fierce fire, lightning and thunder, the two children would inevitably be drawn into the vortex. Even if one dies young, Hypatia is unwilling to accept it. To avoid putting me in a difficult position, she deliberately concealed this matter, attributing all the fault to herself. Ye’zi, such a woman—using her as the principal consort would be no problem, right?”

After finishing a pot of wine with Li Tai, he left. Having unlocked his mental burden, Li Tai walked with his hands behind his back to the marketplace to find Hypatia. Originally, he should have been accompanying Hypatia to stroll the marketplace, enduring people’s cold stares, which he deserved. Bayberries absolutely shouldn’t be eaten in excess—just now the servants reported that Hypatia had bought a very large basket of bayberries.

Yun Ye was stunned for a long while before shaking his head and continuing his work. Such matters would only strengthen their feelings. Although rather exhausting, with one willing to hit and one willing to be hit, it was also part of life’s flavor.

The Lingnan Navy had already destroyed Goguryeo’s last naval forces. They hadn’t even spared fishing boats. If Takayama Yoko didn’t transport supplies to Goguryeo soon, having already endured three consecutive years of famine would completely drag Goguryeo into the depths of the nine netherworlds.

King Gao Jianwu of Goguryeo, Grand Minister Yeon Gaesomun, Queen Seondeok of Silla, and King Buyeo Uija of Baekje together submitted memorials to the Great Tang Emperor, requesting the lifting of the blockade. Because the powerful Lingnan Navy not only sank Goguryeo people’s ships but also didn’t spare Baekje and Silla’s ships. As for the Wa Kingdom, they had already submitted letters three times, because the Lingnan Navy had carelessly sunk the Wa Kingdom’s envoy ship as well.

Among them, Queen Seondeok’s state letter was the most interesting. Every character was embroidered with silk thread. The reasons given were sufficient, the words spoken ambiguous. What did “sweeping the couch in anticipation” mean? What was “waiting at the gate looking forward to return”? And what was “gazing at the moon while longing for one’s beloved”?

The letter was written too disgustingly. Yun Ye wanted to throw all these things into the fire, but didn’t dare. His Wuli Sima was stroking his chin, laughing lecherously with a “hehe.” He was very proud of such a letter that resembled a love letter more than a state letter, and seemed to greatly anticipate his Majesty favoring the Goguryeo Queen once.

“Commander, these are all letters blackening our reputation. This humble officer, leading the brothers, searched the envoy delegation and, worried it would be disadvantageous to us, took it upon myself to capture the envoy delegation and bring them to Lingnan. Commander, how do you think they should be handled?”

“How thoughtless! The enemy’s pain is precisely our victory. When His Majesty left, the military order he gave us was that not a single plank on that peninsula could go to sea. Who cares about Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, or the Wa Kingdom? We eat the salary grain His Majesty provides and listen to His Majesty’s commands. Since they’re carrying state letters, send them to Chang’an. Basic protocol must still be observed. It’s also inappropriate for me to privately receive foreign tributaries. You take the trouble to make the trip and take them to Chang’an. While you’re at it, bring the Emperor design plans to His Majesty. In another five months, I’ll lead the fleet upstream and accept His Majesty’s inspection at Yunmeng Marsh.”

“Commander, the envoy of Goguryeo’s Grand Minister Yeon Gaesomun wishes to see the Commander. She says she’s an old acquaintance of yours and, not having seen you for many years, misses you very much.” After thinking for a while, Wuli Sima still spoke these strange words.

“Better not. They want to see me certainly because they have requests of our Lingnan fleet. Better not to meet. Your Commander cannot resist gold, silver, and precious jewels, and might be bribed.”

Yun Ye spoke playfully, and Wuli Sima laughed heartily, saying: “The Commander is a wealthy household of the Great Tang. What does Goguryeo have that could bribe the Commander? Even emptying their national treasury wouldn’t be worth a single bath for the Commander. However, that envoy truly is a stunning beauty.”

“A woman?” Yun Ye asked strangely.

“Indeed a woman. I heard she’s Yeon Gaesomun’s favorite concubine.”

“Get lost! Instead of being a proper Wuli Sima, you’ve come to act as a procurer.”