The Duke of Chu, who hadn’t attended court for many years, actually attended court today. Wearing official robes and holding a ceremonial tablet, he sat in an enormous master’s chair with eyes closed, conserving energy. Countless officials came to pay respects. As the foremost military official, whether they were officials from the Academy or younger juniors, all had to come pay respects to the venerable Duke of Chu.

Unconscious light sounds from his nose counted as acknowledging them. With high rank and advanced age, he had become an old scoundrel. It was no longer like years ago when he needed to shamelessly call everyone “Uncle” or “Elder.”

The greatest benefit of being an old scoundrel was not having to wait for the palace gates to open. Eunuchs had long since opened the small gate and used sedan chairs to carry Duke of Chu into the palace. The Emperor needed to know the reason behind Duke of Chu’s abnormal behavior.

Wind and clouds surged with his sitting, lying, and walking—this described the current Yun Ye. Having such a powerful minister under his command could be considered the Emperor’s misfortune.

“What made you think of attending court? Couldn’t we discuss whatever matter after court ends? Why must you make it so official?” Li Chengqian was eating, but looking at the small bowl he held, one could tell his appetite was poor.

He most liked drinking millet porridge. Previously, he wouldn’t stop without two large bowls, but now he could only drink a small cup. His eyes seemed perpetually red, rarely showing normal coloring.

Yun Ye picked up the stew pot from his desk and sniffed it, frowning as he said, “Must you use these fierce medicinal tonics to squeeze out your last bit of energy? The Late Emperor did exactly this back then. You know the consequences—why must you follow in the Late Emperor’s footsteps? Didn’t I tell you? The empire is very stable, there are no wars on the borders. The power you should have consolidated, you’ve consolidated. Only the Lingnan fleet remains. The reason the Lingnan fleet isn’t given to you is because the South Seas aren’t peaceful. Recently, the Pirate Queen of the Red Sea has been attacking cities and seizing territory, planning to establish a nation. To guard against that ghost woman, we need to maintain powerful combat strength. If you want to reform things, you need the seas to be calm first.”

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said urgently, “I don’t have many days left to live. Mr. Sun has determined I have less than five months remaining. My time is very tight now—I have no time to concern myself with the Lingnan fleet. I must straighten out the Great Tang in the shortest time and hand it to Li Jue. That’s why I’m using these fierce medicinal tonics.”

Yun Ye smiled bitterly, “If that’s the case, at this time you should issue an edict summoning Li Xiang to the palace. Li Jue is too young—do you think there’s no problem with a ten-year-old child becoming Emperor?”

“That won’t do! Li Xiang has accumulated too much poisonous resentment over these years. Once he ascends the throne, the empire will immediately face torrents of blood. I know my own son. I know what he’s capable of. So Li Xiang has already been sent back to his Hengshan fief under forced mourning obligations.”

Yun Ye paused, looking at Li Chengqian, “Didn’t torrents of blood also flow after you ascended the throne? So what if your son kills again? This is called sons inheriting their father’s profession.”

Li Chengqian shook his head like a rattle drum, “I have self-control. I know when to stop. Li Xiang doesn’t. We can’t expect someone who’s lived a lifetime in poisonous resentment to know what ‘enough is enough’ means. The result of his killing spree would only be chaos throughout the realm. Someone like you has always looked down on Li Xiang—when the time comes, you’ll definitely wash your hands of it, and definitely stab him in the back. Such an emperor wouldn’t be accepted by court ministers, wouldn’t be accepted by the myriad people, and wouldn’t be accepted by our ancestors. Do you think he’s suitable to be Emperor? I don’t want the Great Tang’s realm to become fragmented from now on, perishing in the fourth generation!”

“Then what exactly do you want to do? The old people are all about to be scared mad by you. Cheng Yaojin has now even married a prostitute home as his wife. Li Jing is lying in bed unable to move, yet still busily sending descendants to distant islands. Don’t even mention Li Ji’s pitiful state—only a lonely old man is left at home waiting for you to behead him.”

“Dugu Mou is like a startled donkey, running to Qinzhou to see me. Just now at the palace gate, Zhangsun Chong’s expression was gloomy enough to wring water from. What exactly are you trying to do? Just say it! The Cheng family can split up, Li Jing can burn his military texts, Li Ji can enter the palace to become your eunuch—none of these are major matters.”

“Hmph, hmph, hmph—this is exactly the result I want. If I’m a bit harsher, then later Jue’er can be a bit more lenient. This way, we can achieve the effect of grace flowing from above, and also give Jue’er a few more years to grow… “

Yun Ye very rudely placed his hand on Li Chengqian’s forehead to check, only to be slapped away, “I don’t have a fever, I’m not speaking deliriously. You go look…”

“Forget it. Don’t you see what kind of people are under your command? Can such arrangements achieve results? Even if you demote them until they’re worthless, then have Li Jue restore them to their original positions, you’ll definitely harvest a lot of hatred. The possibility of you getting a good posthumous title is gone. I don’t care about you, but in the future, I want the posthumous title ‘Wenzheng.'”

Li Chengqian laughed heartily, extremely carefree, as if he didn’t care at all that he only had a few months to live.

“What posthumous title? When a person dies, everything is empty. I’ve told you long ago—it doesn’t matter if you give me names like Jie or Zhou. As long as the Great Tang flourishes for ten thousand generations.”

Yun Ye’s mood darkened as he said to Li Chengqian, “You’re a very pure person, purer than the Late Emperor. All your thoughts are on the realm and state. Now you’re even giving your life to the Great Tang. Fine, I’ll return to Yushan. You arrange things well yourself. When you feel it’s not working, tell me. I’ll make you a meal to see you off.”

Li Chengqian laughed again, throwing his rice bowl onto the table, “Noodles—only eat noodles. I like the symbolism of noodles—long, long…”

“I’ll make you one noodle, extremely long, with a beginning and an end, so that whether you go to heaven or hell, you’ll remember that flavor. All these years I’ve always wanted to fight you. Many things you did always gave me the impulse to beat you up. Now your body is very poor and can’t be beaten. When you get to the other side, wait a few more years. Wait for me to come over and settle all accounts with you…”

Li Chengqian suddenly tapped the table, “How about you flog my corpse? I’ll give you an edict allowing you to flog my corpse after I die!”

Yun Ye stood up from his seat with a whoosh, his expression alternating between light and dark as he said, “What do you want me to do? To actually pay such a great price!”

“Help me, help me garrison Chang’an and Yushan, just like you helped Father Emperor garrison Yushan City. Ye Zi, I’m begging you. I have no friends left—only you can be entrusted. Help me, help me garrison Chang’an for ten years!”

“With you garrisoning Chang’an, petty villains throughout the realm won’t dare act rashly. With you garrisoning Chang’an for ten years, Jue’er can grow up safely. Zhao Shi is a foolish woman—I’ll dispose of her before I leave. A young child with a vigorous mother doesn’t follow the rules. Jue’er will be taught by the Empress Dowager for me. The Sixteen Guards will be controlled by Qing Que for Jue’er. I need you to help me defend Chang’an and Yushan for ten years!”

“As long as you agree, even if my corpse is dismembered into ten thousand pieces, it’s fine. I lack ten years of time!”

Li Chengqian completely disregarded his status, gripping Yun Ye’s sleeve and pleading bitterly. Yun Ye couldn’t remember whether he agreed or didn’t agree. He shuffled step by step out of the palace. He didn’t even ride in his favorite sedan chair, just walked step by step out through the Vermillion Bird Gate.

Just after returning home, the Emperor’s edict had already arrived. Yun Ye’s new identity was General of Swift Cavalry serving as Chang’an Guardian! At the same time, Zhangsun Chong was promoted to the Three Excellencies as Chancellor, and Dugu Mou was promoted to Assisting the State General, serving as Luoyang Guardian.

At the same time, other ministers in the court were either demoted or reduced in rank but retained. Xu Jingzong, that old fox, finally succeeded in extricating himself from the court, only serving as Libationer of Yushan Academy. Master Yuanzhang was too old and unable to manage Yushan—he retired to Yushan and would no longer concern himself with worldly affairs. Also leaving were Master Yushan and Master Lishi.

Zhao Yanling became the Director of Yushan Academy, Hypatia became Chief Instructor, and Wu Mei became Yushan Academy’s first female Vice Director.

On the ninth day of the first month of Taixing’s thirteenth year, the Great Tang’s Prince Zhongshan Li Jue was installed as Crown Prince. In the same year, on the fifth day of the second month, Empress Zhao died in the Liangyi Hall. It was said that before dying, she cursed the Great Tang’s destruction. The enraged Emperor Li Chengqian ordered people to cover Zhao Shi’s face with disheveled hair, stuff chaff in her mouth, and hastily bury her in the tomb already prepared for the Emperor in Qian County.

Sun Renshi was demoted to Hezhou as Military Advisor, Xue Rengui was demoted to Liaodong as Governor-General of Pacifying Liao, Cheng Chumo was demoted to Jinzhou, Niu Jianhu was demoted to Jiangzhou, Li Yifu was demoted to be Governor of Yuanzhou…

For a time, the court was emptied…

Yun Ye hid at home, unhappy, spending entire days holding a small winnowing basket in the enormous granary, selecting last year’s wheat grain by grain. Only after selecting a dou of wheat did he place it on the millstone to grind. He didn’t allow anyone else to intervene—only the aggrieved young Wang Cai pulled the millstone, constantly circling.

Yun Ye only took the first-grade whitest flour, carefully storing it in a cloth bag and hanging it in his study where he could see it by looking up. He had asked Mr. Sun—the Emperor didn’t have much time left. He probably wouldn’t make it past this spring.

Yun Ye looked up at the lead-gray clouds in the sky. Spring had already arrived, but the first spring rain hadn’t fallen. The remaining snow on Yushan’s peak hadn’t completely melted, so spring hadn’t yet reached Yushan. The apricot tree branches still showed no flower buds, so there wouldn’t be scenes of busy bees and fluttering butterflies. Even the spring silkworms hadn’t hatched from their black cocoons. This spring might be a bit late, Yun Ye said. This was also the scenario he very much hoped for.

Zhangsun moved into the palace to live, Li Tai moved into Chang’an City to live, Dugu Mou moved to Luoyang. Yun Ye had just finished reciting “The Jiangzhou Assistant Magistrate’s blue shirt is wet” at the ferry crossing, and sang at the Ba Bridge “Do not linger at the crossroads, children together dampening their kerchiefs”…

Now the military officers and soldiers in Chang’an stretched their necks waiting for the General of Swift Cavalry to enter Chang’an. Only with the General garrisoning Chang’an would military officers throughout the Great Tang settle their hearts—those who should invade foreign countries would invade foreign countries, those who should plunder foreign tribes would plunder foreign tribes, without worrying that a grass-roots king would suddenly spring up from somewhere.