The process of living is a process of struggle. Even if you have no goals, you still need to toil for your belly. The more powerful a person is, the more they hope for powerful opponents to appear. Emperors and generals without opponents are lonely—those tedious official documents, year after year, day after day, will grind away all your passion.
Why did those powerful emperors in history become tyrannical in their later years? Most importantly, life lost its purpose. Either they anesthetized themselves by indulging in fine wine and beautiful women, or they satisfied their bloodlust through slaughter. The First Emperor of Qin was like this, Emperor Wu of Han was like this, and even Emperor Taizong of Tang could not escape this constraint. As the minister closest to Li Er, Yun Ye could clearly sense that bloodthirsty desire in Li Er’s heart. Sometimes Yun Ye suspected Li Er was eagerly anticipating large-scale killing.
Leading troops in battle was something he had always longed for. An invincible commander could now only watch others maneuver freely on the battlefield, while he could only sit in the imperial palace waiting for news of victory. Such days made him extremely depressed.
“Yun Ye, if We had the chance to lead a hundred thousand cavalry, We would certainly sweep across the world, invincible in all directions. This world is too small—so small it suffocates Us. The palace towers are also too low, preventing Our gaze from penetrating ten thousand miles. A picturesque empire, a picturesque empire—it sounds pleasant, but Our sight cannot even leave Chang’an. Better to lead a hundred thousand cavalry to the ends of heaven and the corners of the sea to see for Ourselves. Even if wrapped in a horse hide upon death, We would at least achieve complete satisfaction.”
After drinking a little wine, Li Er began his drunken raving. Yun Ye was certain he wasn’t drunk—he was just very restless, similar to his own recent state. Persuading him was useless. The idea that Li Er would listen to advice was a joke. Every time he accepted ministers’ remonstrations, it was actually a process of self-restraint. Even springs have compression limits, let alone Li Er who was an extremely narcissistic person.
Hearing Li Er mention death, Zhangsun couldn’t help but shed tears, begging the Emperor not to casually speak this word. She also said that if the Emperor departed, she wouldn’t plan to continue living either. Li Er sighed deeply, holding Zhangsun’s hand with a mournful expression—extremely disgusting.
Good heavens! Wasn’t it just drinking one cup of yellow wine and eating three drunken crabs? Was it necessary to talk nonsense and for the couple to perform such an entangled display? Couldn’t they eat crabs peacefully?
He couldn’t stand watching anymore! Li Er didn’t care about these things—when he had intercourse with his consorts, there were always eunuchs nearby observing and recording. Occasionally performing affection between husband and wife didn’t require avoiding anyone.
Looking at the bluish crabs in the dish, Yun Ye grabbed one in each hand, preparing to leave. Who knew what would happen next? He still couldn’t get used to the decadent lifestyle of the Great Tang imperial family.
“Yun Ye, We are asking you a question—why don’t you answer?” Seeing Yun Ye about to flee, Li Er immediately pressed him for his views on his ideals.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty possesses commanding heights and eagle-like vision. This humble minister admires and respects this. The ancients said: The Emperor’s sword has Yanxi and Shicheng as its point, Qi and Dai as its edge, Jin and Wei as its spine, Zhou and Song as its guard, Han and Wei as its handles; it encompasses the four barbarians, wraps the four seasons, circles the Bohai Sea, girds Mount Changshan; it is governed by the Five Elements, judged by punishment and virtue; opened by yin and yang, wielded by spring and autumn, executed by autumn and winter. This sword, when thrust forward has no obstacle, when raised has nothing above, when pressed down has nothing below, when swung has nothing beside. Above it cuts through floating clouds, below it severs the earth’s boundaries. Once this sword is used, it rectifies the feudal lords, and the world submits.”
“You need only sit in Chang’an to make the world submit. This is the commander’s style of planning strategies within a tent and winning victories a thousand miles away. Personally leading armies to charge east and west, capturing cities and seizing fortresses, would diminish Your Majesty’s dignity. Even killing enemies would be giving them face—not worth it.”
“Get lost! We know what the Emperor’s sword is better than you. How to choose is Our own decision. These grandiose empty words, the classic lip-flapping of Strategist School rhetoric—speak less of them before Us in the future. Instead of wasting effort on this nonsense, pickle two more jars of crabs and send them to the palace—that would be better than anything.”
Li Er’s burst of energy finally passed. He sat down and continued eating crabs. Zhangsun broke open a crab and used a silver spoon to scoop out the roe inside for Li Er to eat. Male crabs in the ninth month were the fattest; female crabs in the tenth month were best. Eating crabs during chrysanthemum season was absolutely one of life’s greatest pleasures.
“Yun Ye, I heard you lived alone in Listening to Waves Pavilion for a month? That house is specifically used by Duke Luguo’s family to chase away guests. How could you get accustomed to living there?”
Zhangsun always cared about Yun Ye’s whereabouts. Yun Ye, mourning Yan Zhitui’s passing, had lived alone for a month in the world’s worst house to express his grief. This had already become a celebrated story in Chang’an’s scholarly circles. The words Yun Ye spoke that night when he left had also spread: “Don’t tell me when my old friend has departed.” This had become Chang’an’s most sincere expression of mourning a deceased friend. And Yun Ye forcibly living in Listening to Waves Pavilion for a full month made everyone feel his deep sorrow. Someone offered five thousand strings of cash to buy Listening to Waves Pavilion from the Cheng family. It was said Old Cheng threw him out of the house. Listening to Waves Pavilion had now become a classic tale of Chang’an.
“In reply to Your Majesty, this humble minister recently feels like a ball of fire is pressing on his heart. Originally I could barely suppress it, but Old Master Yan’s passing completely doused this fire with a jar of oil. To avoid losing composure, this minister confined himself alone in Listening to Waves Pavilion, wanting to find an outlet.”
Li Er’s eyes widened with concern as he asked, “Has that fire in your heart been extinguished?” He also had such problems to face. That earlier outburst was actually one form of explosion.
Yun Ye smiled bitterly and spread his hands, saying, “No, not the slightest use. I estimate if I could go to Goguryeo again, perhaps it could be calmed.”
Li Er threw a leftover crab leg onto the table and said, “I thought you had some good method to release heart-fire. Turns out you also want to rely on slaughter and conquest to achieve your goal. Forget it. These few years, we sovereign and minister have no battles to fight. Those who have battles are Li Jing and the others. We still have to stay cooped up in the palace, and you still have to teach at Jade Mountain. If it really can’t be suppressed, how about we sovereign and minister put on armor and beat each other for a while? In all of Great Tang, you’re the only one with even a bit of courage to truly cross swords with Us.”
“I won’t do it. It’s not mutual beating—it’s you unilaterally beating me. If I want to vent, I’ll go beat up Zhangsun Chong, Li Huairen, and Cheng Chumo. Although I can’t beat them, I also won’t get beaten.”
An honest man speaking honestly—Li Er could only sigh helplessly. His own problems still needed to be solved by himself. Others couldn’t help. Quieting the mind and purifying thoughts might be the good method.
Zhangsun looked at the Emperor, then turned to look at Yun Ye. Her eyes suddenly brightened and she clapped her hands, saying, “Your Majesty, your heart-demon has risen again. It seems Yun Ye’s heart-demon is also not light. Why not have this consort widely invite eminent Buddhist monks from across the realm, famous Taoist masters, even rural shamans and spirit mediums from the vassal states, and have them gather in Chang’an to hold a dharma assembly to pray for Your Majesty’s blessings?”
Yun Ye, with the mentality of watching excitement without fearing trouble, applauded in welcome. If Li Er’s restless thoughts couldn’t be suppressed and he insisted on sparring with him, that would be a human tragedy. Days of getting beaten daily were unbearable. As for how eminent monks and great virtues would perform deliverance, how famous Taoist masters would cast spells, how shamans would make sand and stones fly, how shamans would be possessed by spirits and convulse—what did any of that have to do with him? At worst, he’d close Jade Mountain at the time and prevent the academy students from being poisoned.
“Hmph, the Empress does not know—even if you don’t summon them, within ten days, gods and buddhas will fill Chang’an. Xuanzang has returned, accompanied by the incarnation of the Peacock King, two rustic mountain spirits. A month ago they already entered Jade Gate Pass. By calculation, they should reach Chang’an in these few days. It’s said Xuanzang’s harvest this time was quite abundant—he obtained 1,350 scrolls of scriptures. We want to have Xuanzang return to secular life as an official. Yun Ye, what do you think?”
Yun Ye’s expression was strange. Xuanzang returned to Great Tang ahead of schedule—very likely related to Buddhism’s tragic current state. Without a monkey, bringing back a peacock—what was that about? Two rustic spirits? Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing?
Seeing Yun Ye thinking, Li Er didn’t take offense and continued speaking to Zhangsun, “The person hasn’t even entered Chang’an yet, but the stories have preceded him into Chang’an. Someone said Xuanzang encountered an earth dragon turning over in the wilderness, and a stone emerged. Inside the stone was a Buddha who asked Xuanzang what time it was now. Xuanzang informed him, and that Buddha in the stone told Xuanzang that a new Buddha would soon descend into the world, and he wanted to continue sleeping until the new Buddha’s time before waking. We are very curious to know who this new Buddha is?”
Yun Ye said strangely, “Xuanzang is just a rigid monk with firm faith. Being able to walk tens of thousands of miles to Tianzhu to obtain scriptures, his willpower is naturally top-notch. But wanting him to create these strange and bizarre things—that’s not something his rigid mind could think up. This minister once required him to write down what he saw and heard in the Western Regions and Tianzhu. Presumably he will certainly honor this agreement. As for the Buddhist scriptures brought from Tianzhu, they’re probably all palm-leaf scriptures. Buddhism has many sects. Buddha said there are as many gods and buddhas as grains of sand in the Ganges River. There are theories of three types of Buddhas: past, present, and future, and even Buddhas of the horizontal three worlds.”
“Now our Great Tang has ordered the Buddhist community to pay taxes and stipulated laws prohibiting the tonsuring of children. They feel Your Majesty is suppressing Buddhism and want to gain Buddhism’s renewal in Great Tang through some Buddhist reforms. First create public opinion, then changes won’t be so abrupt. This humble minister thinks Xuanzang is probably the key node in this.”
Zhangsun said happily, “Xuanzang is an honest person. This Palace has met him—he truly has the appearance of an eminent monk. If he harbors no ulterior motives, this Palace also welcomes his founding of a sect.”
“Hmph, whether you welcome it or not, it’s probably inevitable. Eminent monks from across the country have already surged toward Chang’an. I heard Master Xihua from Hebei is also rushing to Chang’an. Daoist Sun’s small monastery is also being urgently repaired. They all want to become immortals! Among them, probably only Daoist Sun is being compelled. As for the others, We plan to observe first before deciding.”
Hearing Li Er’s words, cold sweat began running down Yun Ye’s spine. What did “observe first before deciding” mean? If things didn’t go well, would blades be drawn again? Weren’t enough people killed last time?
He didn’t dare think about it. After returning home, he shut his doors and refused to go out or see anyone. Better not to attend Xuanzang’s welcome ceremony—extricating himself was most important.