Li Er was actually very talkative. He once had a record of conversing with Li Jing knee-to-knee for an entire day and night. The two men discoursed extensively on the world situation and views on warfare, which gave birth to the “Dialogue Between Li and Duke Wei.”

These two intelligent men had a total of 98 questions and answers. The matters discussed were quite extensive, and they often cited many sources, boldly evaluating and discarding previous military thought. Though it was a dialogue, there were questions without answers.

Li Er was originally a mounted monarch skilled in riding and archery, rich in battlefield combat experience, while Li Jing was a military strategist with a belly full of strategic wisdom. The dialogues between them could often inspire each other and enlighten military thinking. For instance, Li Jing’s unique insights on the “extraordinary and orthodox” in military use were produced through the collision of thinking with Emperor Tang Taizong. This shows that the question-and-answer model of discussing military affairs itself has advantages and is also a method of recording historical facts. They placed great importance on such dialogues. Later generations summarized this with the evaluation: “Distinguishing the extraordinary and orthodox, pointing out attack and defense, easily exchanging host and guest positions – in military subtle words, there are constant insights.”

However, the “Dialogue with Marquis Lantian” was extremely uninteresting. The two men sat on either side of a pot of porridge cooking on a small stove talking. Basically it was Marquis Lantian speaking with flying spittle, describing the ocean’s magic and grandeur, using bewitching language and exaggerated gestures to incite the Emperor to go see Lingnan.

“Your Majesty, Chang’an people have prejudices about Guangzhou, always thinking it’s a barbarous wasteland. Actually, as early as the Qin Dynasty it was already a major city. Later, after development through the Two Han dynasties and Two Jin dynasties, and finally with the Former Sui constructing the South Sea God Temple in Guangzhou, this thoroughly established Guangzhou as a brilliant pearl on the edge of the South Sea.”

“Now Feng Ang is too old to draw a bow. Defending Guangzhou has become beyond his strength. Such a prosperous major metropolis – how can you easily overlook it?”

Li Er gently stirred the white rice porridge with a spoon. After hearing Yun Ye’s words, he asked him: “First tell me an honest truth. After beating you so severely a few days ago, do you still harbor resentment toward me now?”

Yun Ye was stunned for a moment. Who asks questions like this? But he still honestly answered: “If I said I had none, that would be disrespectful to you. Accepting a small beating but fleeing from a severe one – that’s this minister’s bottom line. If you had beaten me even more severely, I definitely would have run far away and not come back.”

Li Er used the spoon to scoop up a spoonful of hot porridge and drank a mouthful. After putting down the spoon, he wiped his mouth, looked up at Yun Ye and said: “For instance, running to the Distant Island? According to your temperament, it’s very possible. This is the honest truth. Since you’re speaking honestly with me, then let’s continue this game of honest talk. I won’t hide or conceal anything either. Let’s say whatever we have to say. Talk about the Distant Island – what are your plans? The island already has nearly three hundred thousand people. The nobles all know this – what does it mean to only hide it from the Empress and me?”

Yun Ye rose and filled two bowls with white porridge. He placed one bowl before Li Er and one before himself. Looking at the porridge bowl, he slowly said: “This matter has its origins. Under imperial power there are no father and son. Your Majesty is the sovereign, while Chengqian, Qing Que, I, and other nobles are all subjects. So in many situations, we cannot speak to Your Majesty about emotions.”

“Faced with iron laws, we chose to flee. Under your increasingly imposing authority, we didn’t even have the courage to resist – we just thought about running far away.”

“When the Distant Island was first chosen, it was to settle Hou Junji’s family members. They could never go ashore for their entire lives, but people cannot always remain on ships – living like that has no meaning.”

“But later when Your Majesty extensively stripped nobles of military power and concentrated authority in the center, with everyone feeling endangered, the Distant Island became extremely precious. Perhaps that place is our final refuge.”

Li Er smiled bitterly: “There’s never a way to satisfy both sides. Continuing like this, I truly will become a solitary man. Chengqian, Qing Que, you’re all running away – planning to leave the Empress and me two people alone in the palace to grow old? What cruel hearts.”

“Open the history books and look – which emperor after succeeding hasn’t extensively slaughtered meritorious ministers? Only me! Hou Junji had a way of courting death – no one could save him. Besides him, which other trusted important minister have I killed?”

“Liu Hongji, such a scoundrel – now it can be said he has little use to the country. After I stripped his title, didn’t I still return it to him?”

“Wei Zheng contradicted me countless times, even secretly manipulated the Court Diaries. Didn’t I still return his Duke title to him? Though he didn’t have many days left to live, that was old age illness – what does it have to do with me?”

“Opening my heart like this still can’t domesticate you ungrateful wolves. If you have the ability, pick up your swords and fight a great battle with me. What kind of ability is it for each of you to run like turtles to the ends of the earth?”

“However far the ends of the earth, it’s still my land. Under all heaven, there is no land that is not the king’s!”

Seeing Li Er somewhat agitated, Yun Ye lowered his voice and said quietly: “Your Majesty, since we’ve already started running, we don’t mind running farther. You wanting to find an island on the ocean is too difficult. Even if you found it, it wouldn’t be of much use. The Distant Island is too far – hoisting sails with favorable winds and waters still requires running for a year. One trip there and back – you cannot afford the time.”

Li Er looked at the location of the Distant Island that Yun Ye pointed out for him. He sighed deeply, picked up his bowl and began drinking porridge. Only after finishing the entire bowl did he put it down, wipe away the rice porridge stuck to his beard, and stare blankly at the huge map Yun Ye had posted on the wall.

After a long while he said: “I was greedy. I wanted both the realm and loyalty – these two ultimately cannot coexist. Actually, as long as I don’t press too hard, there probably aren’t that many people willing to abandon home and property to go to the Distant Island, are there?”

Yun Ye laughed and cupped his hands saying: “Only fools would willingly go to the Distant Island. The Hou family had no choice but to go. By the same logic, unless it reaches a situation where they truly cannot survive, who would go to the Distant Island? That place is just somewhere to ensure the incense doesn’t go out – leaving a branch of descendants there to multiply and reproduce, guarding the incense in the ancestral hall so it doesn’t extinguish. To speak plainly, it’s just the job of watching over the ancestral shrine.”

“Your Majesty, actually you should also leave a bloodline there. In this way, what difference in closeness or distance would there be between you and the nobles? You’re the largest branch among the nobles – you should be in step with us.”

One sentence made Li Er laugh. He sat back down in his chair and talked about how his Li family was courageous and good at warfare within the Guanlong aristocratic families, how they became one of the Eight Pillar Generals. This man with such a strong desire for control finally recognized that in this world there were still places his power could not reach.

Yun Ye busied himself in the palace for a day and night, spending half the night accompanying the Emperor in idle chatter. He didn’t know whether he’d stirred up his thoughts of a southern tour or not. Li Er was like this – never easily making a decision. Even when leaving, he didn’t give Yun Ye a definite answer.

A person wandering aimlessly in the palace showed that this number one person in the world had reached a boring degree of loneliness. Seeking immortality was nothing more than a probe in his extreme boredom. Through Li Er’s behavior, Yun Ye roughly deduced why monarchs, after growing old, would become muddled and tyrannical. The greatest reason was very likely that after seeing clearly all the states of the world, they acted willfully and recklessly.

The morning sun shone on the desk. Another morning of this empire began. Counting on his fingers to the bell and drum sounds – one hundred and eight strikes, not one more, not one less. The world would not change because of one person’s pain, even if that person was the Emperor.

He had countless beauties, but at night what he most enjoyed was strolling about. He had countless delicacies, but what he most enjoyed eating was noodles. He had many sons, but they could only call themselves minister-sons. The only thing he could truly possess was control over the living beings on this vast land. The land was not his – it never had been.

The Yun family’s evil reputation had a street-clearing effect in Chang’an’s red-light district. No one dared perform any segments related to the Yun family anymore. According to secret rumors from Pingkang Ward, those singers who entered the Yun family were first violated a hundred times – allegedly by Great Tang’s War God Yun Ye personally wielding the knife – then hung naked on frames for all to view and exhibit.

Countless literati beat their chests and stamped their feet but dared not put it in writing. Shangguan Yi became gravely ill and personally came to the Yun family gate to apologize, wanting to achieve the goal of rescuing those pitiful singers by humbling himself. But he was shut outside the Yun family gate and rebuffed. With nowhere to appeal, he could only continue going home to be ill.

His face naturally wasn’t enough, but another person’s face was very significant – refusal wasn’t possible. Even Old Qian had been beaten by her. The chivalrous female hero on her first journey down the mountain naturally had to challenge evil forces. Very unfortunately, after hearing of the Yun family’s evil deeds, the female hero came right to their door.

Liu Jinbao, upon seeing the female hero, only dared hold his head and crouch on the ground, letting her kick him fiercely twice. Wang Cai wanted to go over and be affectionate, but ended up getting a big slap, so could only turn around and walk away feeling wronged.

Left hand holding a long sword, right hand holding a red-glowing scorpion, she chased the Yun household servants leaping and jumping about. The maids’ crying filled the air. Yun Ye sucked in cold air through his teeth continuously. Xinyue looked on with curiosity. Yun Mu clapped her hands wanting the female hero’s movements to be even faster. Old Zhao looked like he was about to run out the family gate.

The black-clothed black-skirted female hero was still captured by Xiao Miao using just one hand. The scorpion was also taken away by Yun Mu and hidden behind her back – by the looks of it, she didn’t plan to return it.

“Not knowing the female hero was arriving, the Yun family was indeed discourteous. Shall we go to the Imperial Palace now, or to the Eastern Palace?”

“Not going. I want to play to my heart’s content before going back. Give me some money – I have no money.”

“Can’t do that. If I give you money, only heaven knows where you’ll go. Come back to the palace with me right now.”

“You dare go to the palace? The evil deeds you did at the Yun family estate – I know all about them. Those pitiful singers were ruined by you. When we get to the palace, let’s have a proper discussion.”

“Hmph, I have a belly full of grievances too. Inexplicably I’ve been made to carry a huge black pot, and this black pot was placed on my head by your father and your brother. Having a discussion would be good.”

“You release those pitiful women, then I’ll speak with you again. Lecher!”

“Bullshit lecher. Those people by now have probably long since married themselves. If common people wait for you to save them, their bones will have rotted long ago…”