Li Chi looked at Tang Pidi’s stubborn face, and for a moment, didn’t know what else he could say.

Old Tang held firmly to one belief — that Dachu should never have any Wang with a foreign surname. Not now, and certainly not in the future.

If Dachu were to endure for ten thousand generations, then through all those ten thousand generations, there must never be any Wang of a foreign surname.

“We have always felt that you should trust in the future of Dachu — that it will be different. You should also trust your own descendants, that they will protect Dachu just as you have.”

“Your Majesty, your servant firmly believes that among the tens of millions in this world, those who are self-disciplined are beyond count, and that your servant may hold a place among them.”

Tang Pidi said: “Yet your servant does not believe that those who surpass your servant in self-discipline are not also beyond count. What your servant can accomplish, the common people of the realm may not be able to accomplish, and your servant’s own children and descendants may not be able to accomplish it either. Your Majesty knows this — your servant has always been arrogant.”

Li Chi: “Why won’t you give them a chance?”

Tang Pidi answered: “Your Majesty, your servant *is* giving them a chance.”

Li Chi let out a long breath. “We did not come here to quarrel with you. If you can persuade us, then bring forth whatever it is that could persuade us.”

Tang Pidi looked into Li Chi’s eyes and said: “Your Majesty, if something truly capable of persuading you could be brought forth — would that not be a great misfortune for Your Majesty, for Dachu, and for the people of the realm? What your servant is doing now is precisely to ensure that such a thing can never be brought forth — not now, not in the future, not ever.”

Li Chi fell silent once more.

After a long while, Li Chi also looked into Tang Pidi’s eyes and said: “As long as We are here for even one day, put it out of your mind.”

This time it was Tang Pidi’s turn to let out a heavy breath.

The two of them remained at a standstill, neither willing to yield.

“How about we…”

Yu Jiuling ventured carefully: “Eat first?”

Li Chi looked toward Yu Jiuling, who immediately lowered his head — yet Li Chi chuckled: “Then let’s eat first. We are genuinely hungry.”

Yu Jiuling thought to himself: *Your Majesty, you drank so much wine — are you sure you’re hungry? You’re only saying this to give me face…*

But of course he dared not ask. He was terrified Your Majesty would kick him squarely in the backside and send him flying beyond the nine heavens.

The meal was, in truth, not relaxing in the slightest. Because of Old Tang’s stubbornness, everyone ate with great care, and spoke with equal care.

Night fell.

Li Chi stood at the window gazing blankly outside. Gao Xining came over and draped the large cloak over Li Chi’s shoulders.

“Old Tang has his reasons. Don’t be too forceful with him.”

Gao Xining offered a gentle word of counsel.

Li Chi smiled bitterly: “His reasons are entirely based on his own conviction that something bad is bound to happen — this man is stubborn to the point of being genuinely unreasonable.”

Gao Xining smiled: “Yet that is precisely where you and Old Tang are most alike.”

Li Chi turned to look at Gao Xining: “Are We that stubborn too?”

Gao Xining said: “Sometimes you are even more stubborn than Old Tang.”

Li Chi asked: “In what circumstances?”

Gao Xining: “Most of the time.”

Li Chi burst out laughing at that.

“Why does he simply not believe in himself?”

Li Chi said: “The children and descendants raised by Tang Pidi himself — how could they possibly turn out poorly?”

Gao Xining said: “Today, the Tingwei branch office here in Liangzhou City sent someone to see me, and they mentioned something. I think this is perhaps one of the reasons for Old Tang’s stubbornness.”

“What matter?”

“Tang Anchen is also such an outstanding person — a general who is strict with himself.”

Gao Xining said: “Yet his indulgence of his child may be something even he cannot control — he has yet to find where the proper limit lies.”

“The people from the Tingwei office said that a few days ago, when Tang Anchen brought his family to Liangzhou, his only son Tang Xu was especially disobedient.”

“Before even entering Liangzhou, Tang Xu climbed out of the carriage and tried to jump down. When a guard tried to stop him, he grabbed a riding crop and lashed the guard across the face — laughing all the while. Inside the carriage, Tang Anchen only shouted at him a few times, but made no move to stop him.”

“Later, inside Liangzhou City, this child — only a few years old — carried on like a demon turned loose upon the world.”

“When playing in the city, he would simply take whatever he wanted the moment he saw it. If people refused to give it to him, he would snatch it.”

“The people Tang Anchen had arranged followed close behind Tang Xu, cleaning up his messes — whenever he snatched something from someone, they would pull out money to pay for it.”

Hearing this, Li Chi’s brow had already begun to furrow slightly.

Gao Xining said: “Although they did pay for everything, some things weren’t things people intended to sell — they were things people treasured for themselves.”

Li Chi made a sound of acknowledgment, then looked toward the doorway and gave an order: “Ye Xiaoquian, send someone to inform Tang Anchen that We wish to see him first thing tomorrow morning.”

The commander of the imperial guards, Ye Xiaoquian, immediately bowed and dispatched men to deliver the imperial summons.

Li Chi said: “Tang Anchen is a cautious and careful man, steady and measured in all he does. We truly had not anticipated that a man like him could indulge his child to such a degree.”

Gao Xining said: “Old Tang naturally already knows about Tang Xu’s behavior and has scolded Tang Anchen for it. Tang Anchen has confined Tang Xu to his lodgings for the past few days, forbidding him to leave. Apparently the residence has been nearly wrecked by that child, and the servants all dare not restrain him.”

Li Chi let out a sigh: “You and We must never be like this in the future… A subject’s family affairs — We may inquire, and may advise him to discipline the child more strictly. Words of counsel We may speak, and for what he cannot manage on his own, the law of the realm will eventually step in. Yet if a true grave offense is committed, people will still condemn him for it. If our own children one day become this arrogant and domineering, the harm they bring will fall upon all of Dachu.”

Gao Xining nodded.

At the same moment, at Tang Pidi’s lodgings.

Shen Shancoral handed Tang Pidi a cup of hot tea. She looked at him with a pained expression, wanting to say something to comfort him, but in the end simply rested her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.

Tang Pidi turned his head and smiled at her: “You need not worry about anything. Between me and His Majesty, there will never be any estrangement.”

Shen Shancoral said: “I naturally know there will be no estrangement between you and His Majesty. What I fear is that your way of defying His Majesty will make it difficult for His Majesty to maintain his dignity before his ministers — that it will ultimately affect His Majesty’s authority. Old Tang… things are different now from before. Before, you and His Majesty addressed each other as brothers, and banter between you was boundless. Now you must think more of His Majesty’s dignity.”

Tang Pidi nodded: “My lady’s counsel is right. I will keep it in mind.”

Shen Shancoral said: “If it truly cannot be resolved, tomorrow when you go to see His Majesty, take a step back — let the title of Grand General Wang stand, and ask His Majesty to first rescind the extraordinary honor of hereditary succession…”

Tang Pidi sighed: “You know His Majesty better than that. Once His Majesty has set his mind on something, there is not the slightest room to turn back.”

Shen Shancoral also sighed.

Indeed. His Majesty was just as stubborn as Old Tang — so similar one could say they were exactly alike.

In this matter, His Majesty had no intention of yielding, and therefore it was impossible for him to change Old Tang’s title of Grand General Wang to one that was non-hereditary.

“Then let’s look for another opportunity later.”

Shen Shancoral counseled: “I have already resigned from all my military posts. On Anchen’s side, he has also relinquished most of his military authority. The ministers at court likely won’t say much.”

Tang Pidi shook his head: “This was never about fearing what others might say. You know full well — when have I ever feared the gossip of others?”

Speaking of Tang Anchen, Tang Pidi felt a wave of frustration.

“The child Tang Xu has been spoiled rotten by those two — he has no proper bearing whatsoever. He is still young now, and can still be disciplined strictly. If he continues to be indulged, there will be serious trouble in the future.”

At this, Tang Pidi looked toward Shen Shancoral and said: “I already scolded him two days ago. To go find him again so soon would be inappropriate — after all, he is a grown man, and being scolded by me repeatedly would be hard on both his face and his heart. In a little while, go and see his wife — have a proper talk with her.”

Shen Shancoral nodded: “I’ll go shortly.”

Tang Pidi sighed: “Seeing what Tang Xu has become, my heart grows ever more anxious… In the future, let our children avoid entering official service if they can. If the country needs them, they should sooner serve the nation in anonymity than go about raising the banner of the Tang family. The banner of Tang Pidi — I may raise it myself, but my children and descendants may not.”

Shen Shancoral made a sound of assent, then gently embraced Tang Pidi: “These past days, you have been exhausted in both heart and strength. Stop worrying over these things — I’ll go speak to Anchen and the others.”

—

In Liangzhou City, at the home of Dantai Qi.

Dantai Qi handed Xiahou Zuo a bowl of wine and sat down, his tone somewhat complex: “Tomorrow, go speak to Old Tang again. This cannot go on with him butting heads with His Majesty like this.”

Xiahou Zuo laughed: “His Majesty and Old Tang — do you think I could talk either of them around?”

He drained his wine and said: “Old Tang and my situation are different. When His Majesty wanted to ennoble me as a Wang back then, my mother went to His Majesty to make a scene, and Yili went to make a scene too.”

“His Majesty could disregard Yili’s words, but he could not disregard my mother’s. The old woman cried rivers before His Majesty, snot and tears everywhere, and His Majesty’s heart softened.”

Dantai Qi couldn’t help but laugh: “You and Old Tang, honestly… I don’t know what to say about the two of you.”

“If it were anyone else about to be ennobled as a Wang, they’d probably be so overjoyed they’d fly into the sky. The two of you just keep holding out, refusing to accept.”

Xiahou Zuo laughed: “I know perfectly well what kind of man I am. If even someone like Old Tang is afraid he can’t keep his descendants in check — could I?”

He poured himself another bowl of wine and tilted his head back to look up at the night sky.

“This Dachu… it wasn’t won only by His Majesty pouring his heart’s blood into it. It is the peace that all of us together bought by risking our lives…”

Xiahou Zuo paused to collect himself before continuing: “So I can understand Old Tang. This realm, this peace — if we don’t help His Majesty guard it, who will?”

At this, he looked toward Dantai Qi and smiled: “Sooner or later I’ll resign from the post of Grand General of the Imperial Guards. I think this Northwest is truly magnificent — when the time comes I’ll come find you, and you arrange somewhere for me to stay. I may just plant myself here and refuse to leave.”

Dantai Qi pursed his lips: “Who knows when I’ll resign from this post of Grand General of the Western Frontier myself. If you come looking for me, then we’ll go together to the Northwest Camp and find Old Tang — the two of us will sponge off his food and drink.”

Xiahou Zuo burst out laughing: “When you put it that way… I find myself looking forward to it tremendously.”

“Xiahou, what you said just now was right.”

Dantai Qi drained his wine in one swallow, then spoke with grave solemnity: “How dearly won was the peace of this realm, the well-being of its people.”

“Old Tang does not want this peace, this well-being, this prosperity that could span ten thousand generations — to be destroyed by our own kind.”

“His Majesty led us to build all this. So many people died, so much blood was spilled. If one day in the future, our own children and descendants become the destroyers of this prosperity…”

Dantai Qi shook his head: “I dare not even think it.”

Xiahou Zuo said: “When all is said and done, it is we who are all trying to give up our military authority, while His Majesty has been trying with all his might to keep us. Yet the one who will be condemned by history will certainly be His Majesty. Future generations may even say that His Majesty was cold and ungrateful.”

Dantai Qi fell silent, because he knew Xiahou Zuo was right.

“His Majesty can protect us, cherish us, even indulge us…”

Xiahou Zuo raised his wine bowl and took a sip, then spoke with a heaviness in his voice: “But we cannot be so thoughtless as to take it for granted.”

Dantai Qi nodded: “Yes… if even the people around His Majesty feel they can act without restraint because of their military merits, then Dachu will one day become the next Chu…”

He shook his head once more: “It cannot be allowed. It absolutely cannot be allowed.”

Xiahou Zuo said: “And so His Majesty suffers.”

Dantai Qi was taken aback for a moment, then let out a sigh: “Yes… the one who has always suffered most — has always been His Majesty.”

—