Li Er and Feng Ang got along extremely harmoniously as sovereign and subject. They walked hand in hand from outside the palace back to Taiji Palace. This imperial audience continued from afternoon until evening, which was extremely rare for Li Er, who handled everything with great efficiency.
After the audience ended, three edicts were issued. The first was that Feng Ang’s position as County Duke of Wu was elevated to Commandery Duke of Yue, with a fief of eight hundred households and shade for two sons. The second authorized him to conduct campaigns against the Liao tribespeople scattered in various places to bring them under civilized rule. The third was that Li Anlan was promoted to Princess Shouyang. Since her marriage to Liao King Meng Cha came first and Meng Cha’s attempted assassination came after, the marriage remained valid. She was to go to the Liao territory to pacify the people, select a Liao King from among Meng Cha’s close descendants, and assist the Liao King in governing the people beyond civilization to win their hearts.
When Yun Ye heard the edict, his heart turned half cold. What a ruthless Li Er—kill their king, seize their land, and now pacify their people. He was going to squeeze out every last bit of Li Anlan’s usefulness.
His head leaned against a pillar of Jinde Hall, not saying a word. This father and daughter—one put family, state, and world first with a heart hard as iron; the other was consumed by power lust, maneuvering circuitously. It seemed this outcome was a happy ending for all, each getting what they needed with neither side suffering, achieving perfect balance. Li Er had found the best person to pacify the Liao tribes, and Li Anlan obtained the power she hoped for. Eight hundred li of southern frontier was enough for her to maneuver for a lifetime.
The crabs were steamed. The cooks picked the fattest ones and filled a basket. Yun Ye personally prepared ginger vinegar sauce, put it in a porcelain bowl, and asked Lanling to deliver it to Li Anlan. Eight-year-old Lanling’s mouth was greasy from eating, crunching the crab claws loudly. Carrying the basket, she still complained that Yun Ye was stingy, only letting her eat two crabs. This thing was extremely cold in nature—how could a little girl like Lanling with weak heart and lungs eat more?
Only after receiving the promise of one beggar’s chicken did she extremely reluctantly go to Li Anlan’s small building. Watching Lanling depart, Yun Ye flew into a rage, driving all the cooks out of the kitchen. He wielded a knife himself, fiercely chopping spare ribs. An entire pig’s worth of spare ribs was chopped into a mess by his wild blade work. Gasping for breath, he threw the cleaver aside and leaned on his waist, panting.
“If you liked her, you should have asked for her hand back then. Do you know? His Majesty and I were always waiting for you to propose marriage. You didn’t. Instead, you hid far away. Since you don’t like her, how His Majesty arranges her is none of your business. What’s the point of throwing this worthless tantrum now?”
He didn’t turn around but knew it was Zhangsun. Twisting his neck, he said: “Sending a young girl to a miasmic land—I don’t know if she can survive, and she still has to bear the responsibility of pacifying the Liao tribes. Can she handle it?”
“One look and you’re useless. This is a wonderful assignment—a king over eight hundred li! In ancient times, receiving a fief was nothing more than this. How many people have kowtowed until their heads broke hoping to get this assignment? Only you’re the first to think of it as a miasmic land. When our ancestors opened up territories and expanded frontiers, which place wasn’t a miasmic land? Weren’t they all exchanged for this splendid realm today with blood and flesh? Anlan is a daughter of the imperial family, destined to be shattered to pieces for Great Tang. Don’t think the children in the palace enjoying glory and wealth is something they should take for granted. These will all have to be paid for in the future. You’ve misjudged Anlan. Right now, she’s probably laughing triumphantly, not crying. Your crabs delivered now are quite fitting—just right to accompany wine.”
These words left Yun Ye speechless. Indeed, Li Anlan was celebrating now, not crying. The imperial family were all monsters, including Zhangsun. They didn’t look at things based on sentiment but on results—simple and direct. An enemy that could be killed with one blade would absolutely not require two. Before power, any other matters could be abandoned. Perhaps, probably he was thinking wrong? Li Er wasn’t punishing Li Anlan but compensating her? With Feng Ang there, Li Anlan’s journey to Lingnan wouldn’t even stir up waves. When Li Anlan took up residence among the Liao tribes, Feng Ang would definitely have the Liao tribes pacified into complete submission, not daring to even fart.
“What, figured it out? If you can’t let go, give her more ways to make money so she won’t suffer when she goes. You think of one method worth three years of her work. That daughter of mine isn’t even married yet and is already a widow. She’s quite pitiful too. As an old friend, if you don’t do your best, who will?”
Yun Ye turned around in astonishment, looking at the formally dressed Empress. This was too surprising. The words were spoken so ambiguously, as if Yun Ye and Li Anlan really had something going on—completely unlike the Empress’s usual way of handling matters.
“Yun Ye, now His Majesty and the Duke of Yue’s audience is about to end. How is your meal preparation coming along? Since you accepted Zhidai’s one string of cash, you need to do the job well. For your one meal, Zhidai took out the very foundation of how the Feng family established themselves in Lingnan to exchange for two strings of cash. What’s wrong with having him order you to prepare a banquet? Besides, those eating are His Majesty and the Duke of Yue—it won’t lower your status.”
Zhangsun looked at Yun Ye innocently with those large eyes, as if she had never said those words just now. How difficult it was for the Empress, especially Zhangsun, to say such things—this deserved thanks! The Emperor and the Duke were having a formal audience. A heavily pregnant Empress wasn’t convenient to show her face. She dared not give crabs to a pregnant woman, but this large bowl of fatty pork belly meat seemed very much to her taste. Steamed fragrant, crispy, and tender, extremely delicious. Last time, he’d discovered she really liked braised pork. Perhaps due to pregnancy, her appetite was wide open. She rolled several strips in lotus leaf pancakes and ate them.
If the Empress asked the imperial kitchens for fatty pork belly meat, it would scare the cooks to death. Only Yun Ye could provide this convenience. Under Zhangsun’s encouraging gaze, Yun Ye fished out a large bowl of braised pork from the steamer, along with a plate of lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice, and put them in a food box. He also added many lotus leaf pancakes before stopping. Zhangsun’s personal maid expressionlessly carried the food box in her hand and helped Zhangsun walk away gracefully.
The story of the Hongmen Banquet had frightened Zhidai. He didn’t hesitate to exchange an ancestral secret recipe for a safe meal for his old father. In his view, this was extremely worthwhile. He’d also found an excuse Yun Ye couldn’t refuse—the academy’s reward. Using those two strings of cash, even though Yun Ye clearly knew he was being used, he wouldn’t harbor resentment because everything was proceeding according to Yun Ye’s rules.
A man in his thirties still insisted on studying at the academy. It felt strange at the time. Studying—what a noble act. Confucius said: “If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening.” Who would have thought he actually came with a purpose? Stroking his beard while studying alongside a group of fresh-faced youths, he felt not the slightest embarrassment. He sat in class for three months. His heart for seeking learning and the Way was not inferior to the young people at all. Following Sun Simiao into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, he was also dedicated. He never threw aristocratic family tantrums. He inadvertently discovered that qinghao could treat malaria, causing Old Sun to regard him as heaven-sent. At the academy assembly, he vigorously fought to obtain two strings of cash in scholarship money for Zhidai. As for what Zhidai did with these two strings of cash, Old Sun paid no attention. In his view, nothing was more important than a good medicine that could effectively treat malaria.
After obtaining Yun Ye’s promise, Zhidai went to beseech the Emperor, hoping that this welcoming meal for his father could be prepared by Yun Ye, so his father could also experience his filial devotion.
Benevolence and filial piety throughout the realm—Li Er had no reason to refuse. He agreed with a smile, only calling Yun Ye to the rear hall to scold him thoroughly, also saying he had no brains. How could anyone grab him and use him? If he dared to make decisions carelessly again in the future, his legs would be broken.
He most hated talking with Li Er. Before, he still had the heart to offer him advice, wanting to gradually change Li Er’s already rigid mind to benefit the myriad people and prevent Great Tang from taking wrong turns. Who knew that now he was being assimilated by him, working daily for the family’s prosperity, doing it without complaint or regret.
Empty words changed nothing. Saying something a thousand times wasn’t as good as doing one thing yourself. In Li Er and his subjects’ eyes, Great Tang’s system was already perfect and didn’t need major changes. He even began formulating something called the “Imperial Model,” many years earlier than in history, wanting to explore through his own practice a set of norms for emperors that would remain unchanged for ten thousand generations. Yun Ye collectively called this the ISO9000 system. Self-love to this degree could be called unprecedented and unmatched.
Being emperor required keeping pace with the times, not following outdated rules. Things were constantly changing, and so was the court system. If future emperors all followed his pattern, Yun Ye could assert that Great Tang’s realm wouldn’t last long.
All the vessels for holding dishes were silver—so bright that they conversely felt somewhat dark. Watching the cooks use various ingredients to decorate the serving plates gave him a feeling of returning to later times. The imperial cooks also made one dish that Yun Ye still couldn’t make, called “Hunyang Meihu.” This was an indispensable dish when the Emperor entertained distinguished guests.
The lamb was roasted golden, continuously dripping oil. Handful after handful of pepper was sprinkled on, and who knew if it could still be eaten. Thick pepper wrapped the lamb meat tightly. The pungent smell made people unable to breathe. Yun Ye didn’t care about this—the Empress had specially instructed it.
Feng Ang in his fifties sat there like a mountain. The traditional dark complexion of Lingnan people glowed red. He laughed heartily with Li Er from time to time. Fang Xuanling and Zhidai, who sat beside them in attendance, also smiled broadly. The scene was harmonious, sovereign and subjects in accord.
Yun Ye walked in, followed by a long string of palace maids, each holding an enormous silver platter, entering in single file. Li Er was a generous person. Since Yun Ye liked to take on responsibilities, he could do the eunuchs’ work too, letting him receive the full measure of gratitude. This scene would make Feng Ang remember for a lifetime. Anyway, the beneficiary would be Li Anlan. The effect of Yun Ye accepting this favor far exceeded deliberately bestowing grace.
As soon as the bitter-faced Yun Ye entered, Fang Xuanling laughed heartily: “Today, thanks to the Duke of Yue’s blessing, Xuanling can finally taste once the ultimate delicacies of the mortal realm. Worthy nephew Feng’s painstaking devotion—for his old father to enjoy true delicacies, he exhausted all efforts to obtain the academy’s reward. This is truly rare. Duke of Yue, what good fortune!”
Before Feng Ang could speak, the Emperor spoke first: “This lad is especially skilled in matters of food—it can indeed be called unique. The delicacies he makes, even I haven’t eaten many times. If Zhidai hadn’t forced him into a corner with no way to back out, Duke Feng might not necessarily be able to eat them.”
Feng Ang hastily stood up and said to Yun Ye: “My unworthy son was foolish. Please don’t blame him, Marquis Yun. If you must blame someone, blame this greedy old man. This favor—let Feng Ang make it up later.”
Yun Ye paid his respects to Li Er first, then said to Feng Ang: “Your son Feng Zhidai studies diligently and made a significant discovery, thus obtaining this term’s academy scholarship. The academy stated in advance that these two strings of cash could be used to request an academy master to do something. Yun Ye serves as an academy master and will naturally abide by the system. Duke of Yue, please don’t speak of favors or not—it puts this humble one in a difficult position. If by chance greed arises and I come to your door to collect, please don’t find it bothersome, Duke of Yue.”
Li Er was extremely satisfied with Yun Ye’s words and burst into loud laughter. Fang Xuanling also laughed along. Only Feng Ang’s laughter was the most resounding, almost penetrating the roof beams.