Li Yuan rubbed his face and said to Yun Ye, “Let’s have a gamble tonight to see whether you owe old man gold, or whether you’ll have a tent for your family members to live in.” After hearing Yun Ye explain the entire incident, he felt there was no need to bring up this matter again. Li Yuanzhang’s tent was taken back by him.
Yun Ye never could understand why Li Yuan always liked to use those three lead-loaded dice—was it just because they rolled high numbers? Last time when he lost so badly his eyes turned red, he created those precious dice. Now they had become a symbol of Li Yuan’s luck. Playing mahjong wasn’t satisfying enough—throwing dice was the real skill.
As long as the strength was properly controlled, rolling three of a kind wasn’t a dream. Last time after winning against Li Yuan, he had forgotten to switch them back. Now these things belonged to Li Yuan. At the gambling table, there were no father and son. Li Yuan, Li Chengqian, Li Yuanzhang, Li Xiaogong, Li Daozong, plus Yun Ye—several people with their heads together, gathered around a table to gamble. The sounds carried far into the distance. Although Cheng Yaojin really wanted to join in and gamble a bit, thinking of Li Er’s cold gaze, he could only swallow his saliva and lie down in the grass to sleep.
Li Yuanzhang seemed to have it in for Yun Ye. Whenever Yun Ye bet big, he would definitely bet small. Before even an hour had passed, his tent now bore the surname Yun. Grand Emperor Li Yuan laughingly had the attendants set up the tent for the Yun Family, then dragged Yun Ye along to continue gambling.
Even a fool could tell there was something wrong with the dice. Throw ten times, and eight times it would be big. But since the gambling implements were provided by Li Yuan, Li Chengqian, Li Daozong, Li Xiaogong and others who quickly caught on all bet big every round. Only the teeth-gnashing Li Yuanzhang and his two cronies desperately bet small.
This kind of gambling was very boring. By the time the moon reached its zenith, Li Yuanzhang was already heavily in debt. When he once again prepared to ask his father for more silver, he was shooed away by Li Yuan waving his sleeve, saying he was purely a money-delivery boy who would lose however much he had, and he might as well find a grass nest early and go to sleep.
When everyone was betting big, there was no way for the gambling to continue. Li Yuan had no choice but to change the dice and start playing mahjong with Yun Ye, Li Daozong, and Li Xiaogong—the four of them.
Li Yuan’s gambling addiction was enormous. He could go a whole night without sleep and still be full of energy. Poor Yun Ye, Li Xiaogong, and Li Daozong had walked dozens of li of mountain roads carrying loads during the day. Yawning continuously, they accompanied the previous generation’s Li Family patriarch in playing mahjong. With such a mental state, it would be strange if they could beat Li Yuan. Li Yuan laughed wildly as he won continuously, becoming even more spirited.
When the sun rose in the east, just as Li Xiaogong and the other two could no longer bear their exhaustion, they heard a heart-rending scream from outside the tent: “Ah, hornets! Heaven, hornets!” Holding his head, Li Yuanzhang dove into Li Yuan’s tent. Close behind him flew in dozens of hornets the size of a thumb. Yun Ye grabbed the clothes Li Yuan had taken off and covered Li Yuan with them, pressing him down under the table, then wrapped the tablecloth around him. If something happened to Li Yuan, the crime of these several people would be enormous.
Very strangely, the hornets kept chasing Li Yuanzhang, completely ignoring Li Xiaogong and the others who were wildly swinging clothes around. Attendants rushed in with nets and quickly captured all the hornets clean, then knelt on the ground trembling as they waited for their punishment.
When Li Er, wearing an outer robe, hurried in and saw the disheveled tent, his fury soared. Especially when he saw Li Yuanzhang with his head buried in the soft couch and his bottom sticking up high, his anger erupted. Without thinking, he wanted to have all the attendants executed.
Li Yuan quickly climbed out from under the table and stopped Li Er from killing his attendants. These were the only devoted servants he had left. If they were beheaded too, he wouldn’t even have anyone to complain to.
When Li Xiaogong pulled Li Yuanzhang up from the soft couch, he couldn’t help but gasp. In such a short time, Li Yuanzhang’s head was no different from a pig’s head. His eyes couldn’t even open. One head was fully twice as large, and with his mouth twisted to the side, saliva flowing freely. Even in this state, he still shouted, “Yun Ye is the murderer! Father Emperor, seek justice for your son! I won’t let you go even as a ghost.” Even Li Er looked at Yun Ye with suspicious eyes. Yun Ye smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying nothing.
Li Yuan looked with heartache at his son’s terrible appearance and said to him, “This time you’ve really wronged him. From last night until now, he hasn’t left this tent even once. Even when relieving himself, it was in the chamber pot. Father Emperor specifically required this because I was worried they would run away. So there’s something else suspicious about this matter—it has nothing to do with him.”
Li Yuanzhang immediately burst into wailing. Only now was he truly afraid. If it wasn’t Yun Ye taking revenge on him, then only Li Er remained. This was meant to have him stung to death alive by hornets!
Li Yuan said tearfully to Li Er, “Let him go, let him go. My sons cannot die anymore.” At this moment, the elderly Li Yuan thought again of those days of rivers of blood. He couldn’t help but cry out in grief, begging Li Er again and again to spare Li Yuanzhang.
“Father Emperor, if this matter was done by your son, I will be struck by lightning and reduced to dust, dying without a burial place.” After speaking, he knelt down before Li Yuan.
Hearing Li Er’s assurance, Li Yuan immediately stopped his tears. He knew all too well what kind of person his second son was. If he said he didn’t do it, then he definitely didn’t do it. This son had never lacked such integrity.
Li Yuan helped Li Er up and said, “I wronged you. Since you said so, it wasn’t you. But you must find the villain who harmed Yuanzhang and tear him to pieces to vent my heart’s hatred.”
Li Er nodded and arranged for the attendants to tidy up the tent. He himself led Li Xiaogong and others out of the tent. Just as they left the tent, Li Er’s wolf-like eyes fixed on Yun Ye and asked, “Boy, does this matter really have nothing to do with you? If you want to deceive the Grand Emperor, you could do it right under his nose.”
Yun Ye showed his white teeth in a foolish grin and spread his hands to indicate he truly didn’t know. Li Er nodded. He still trusted Yun Ye. Since he said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it. In this aspect, Li Er’s judgment was extremely accurate.
The news that Prince of Han nearly died from hornet stings quickly spread throughout the camp. Immediately rumors began circulating, saying things like the Prince of Han was punished by heaven on the auspicious day of the Heaven Worship, and that this was not a good sign, and so forth.
The entire camp was searched, but no one knew who did it. In another hour, it would be time for the grand ceremony to begin—they dared not delay. Seeing Yun Ye’s death-like appearance with continuous yawns, Li Er helplessly let him go rest for a moment while he himself mentally filtered through everything again to see who was most suspicious.
Of course Yun Ye knew who did it. It could only be Li Tai—no one else. Earlier he thought Li Tai had given up his revenge plan, but who knew he would actually dare to implement his plan at such a critical juncture? The childhood trauma had harmed him too deeply.
Li Ke took out an oiled paper package from his bosom and handed it to Yun Ye. Opening it, he discovered it was a greasy chicken leg. Sighing, he wrapped the oiled paper package back up and tucked it in his bosom. This afternoon they still had to walk a long way—he didn’t know if Grandmother could hold up.
“Qing Que was somewhat reckless. He shouldn’t have done this at this time—it will stir up imperial family disputes.” Li Ke whispered in Yun Ye’s ear. Not only did he know, Li Chengqian probably guessed something too. But from his earlier silence, it was clear he never intended to betray his younger brother from the start. Li Ke was now just confiding his worries to Yun Ye, hoping Yun Ye would think of a way out for Li Tai after this matter was exposed.
“This matter has become quite serious with terrible consequences. All we can do is keep our mouths shut. After the Grand Ceremony passes, I estimate Qing Que will tell the Empress. His Majesty’s eyes cannot tolerate a grain of sand. Qing Que will have a perfect way to handle this matter. We just need to observe quietly and wait.” Yun Ye had strong confidence in Li Tai’s wisdom.
The Yun Family’s tent stood arrogantly in the middle of the camp. Last night, Xinyue had invited the female relatives of various mansions close to the Yun Family to stay there. Even if people were packed together, it was better than sleeping exposed in the wilderness. In the end, only Grandmother Yun and several elderly madams moved in, along with twenty-some children. When Yun Ye walked to the tent’s edge, Xinyue stopped him, smiling as she said, “Husband has worked hard. The Yun Family has never before had such great face. Your concubine slept in the wilderness last night and was still happy.”
“Your husband wasn’t comfortable at all. I played mahjong all night. Now I’m about to die of exhaustion. Where’s the grass nest you slept in last night? I want to go sleep for a while.”
It was indeed a dry grass nest. Li Er’s Grand Ceremony was purely complete archaism. Couldn’t worry about all that now. As soon as his body lay down in the grass nest, snoring sounds rang out. Xinyue took a piece of clothing to cover him and sat beside him, shooing away those annoying flies.
Hypatia emerged like a ghost and whispered to Xinyue, “I know how that prince was stung by the hornets.”
Xinyue was so shocked she almost cried out, but quickly covered her mouth. Looking around and finding no one near her, only then did she ask Hypatia, “Have you told anyone else?”
Hypatia said proudly, “No, you’re my only friend, so of course I told you first.”
Xinyue said seriously to Hypatia, “Shut your mouth. You know nothing, and I heard nothing. Do you think you’re the only clever person in the world? My husband is such a clever person, yet he knows nothing about this matter. Other clever people in the camp also know nothing. Could it be their wisdom is inferior to yours? If you want to live peacefully and teach at the academy, then close your mouth. What do hornets or no hornets have to do with us women of the inner quarters? That’s something for men to consider.”
Hypatia wasn’t stupid after all. After hearing Xinyue’s warning, her small face immediately turned deathly pale. She suddenly remembered that the very first generation of Hypatia had died so miserably precisely because she became involved in disputes between royal power and religion.
Thinking of this, her earlier pride turned into boundless fear. Subconsciously, she moved closer to Xinyue, seeking a bit of comfort. Seeing that Hypatia was about to burrow into her embrace, Xinyue couldn’t help but recall what her husband had told her—that Hypatia seemed to prefer women more. This was too much! She stood up without leaving a trace and sat on the other side of her husband.