In his lifetime, he might not necessarily see ironclad warships racing across the ocean, but having this prospect was already excellent. Previously, he had also believed that industrial civilization was harming the world upon which he depended for survival. Now, standing from a different angle, he had a new perspective on this issue.
The human body was too fragile. Facing the primitive materials of the natural world, our bodies were vulnerable beyond belief. Fortunately, heaven leaves no one without a path—we knew how to manufacture tools and understood that donning armor could provide stronger resistance. Whether leather or iron armor, their most primitive starting point was consistent: to protect our bodies.
Conquering nature and transforming nature was easy to talk about, but wanting to advance even one step required enormous effort. Humanity’s ultimate ideal was to throw itself into the embrace of the starry sea. Today’s small step could establish the foundation for ten thousand generations to come and allow our footsteps to reach even farther.
Patting Li Gang’s tombstone again and again, he endlessly spoke his innermost thoughts. Speaking with the deceased was far more sincere than communicating with the living. At this moment, Yun Ye discovered he was like a sage.
The trivial family matters and court disputes all vanished without a trace at this moment. Only the joy welling from his heart filled his breast. At this time, the people he saw were no longer specific particular cases but, after blurring their features, had become extremely generalized. They had only one name: human.
They say that one stroke and one downstroke standing firm can establish oneself between heaven and earth. Yun Ye fantasized about one day adding indestructible armor to this character, allowing it to truly stand between heaven and earth, or even in the universe.
“Those who know me say I am troubled; those who don’t know me ask what I seek.” Yun Ye sat on the back of the stone turtle beside the tombstone and recited these two lines of poetry quite heroically.
“Master, I have witnessed the path we are now walking. There are too many wrong things in it. The reason I have abandoned academic research these years and instead focused on killing people, and now even compete for power like other bureaucrats daily, is because I want to protect these achievements. Sacrificing my own reputation and strength can give this newborn of modern science more time to grow. When it has already grown up and can protect itself, that will be when I return to the academy. Now, at the most critical time, I will not give up. If the imperial throne can be smoothly transferred, then all will be well. If not, this time I will have no mercy whatsoever. All who obstruct my plans will be eliminated at once. I want them to feel fear in their very bones.”
“Most of the Li family’s descendants are shameless scoundrels who remember meals but not beatings. If I cannot plant this fear deeply into their marrow, they will still slaughter each other to the death for that meaningless position. The savage bloodline still dominates their spirits to this day.”
“Therefore, if blood accidentally stains your grave at that time, please forgive me. When I go to that world, please don’t look down on me…”
This night’s conversation was for Yun Ye a process of self-redemption. The Great Tang’s court now appeared calm on the surface, but who would know that undercurrents were already surging beneath the tranquil sea.
Yun Huan ultimately obeyed his father’s command and married Huahua. The ceremony was extremely grand. Compared to the eldest son Yun Shou’s low-key wedding, Yun Huan’s wedding almost emptied the entire city of Chang’an.
The bridal procession stretched five li long. When carriages and horses rolled over the roads, it was like thunder. Copper coins scattered casually into the streets fell like raindrops. How could Duke Luguo’s granddaughter’s wedding be anything less than magnificent?
Old Cheng standing at the gate kept laughing heartily without cease. Facing the congratulations of various old friends, his mood was even more joyful. The entire Cheng household was decorated with lanterns and streamers. The scale of banqueting guests even surpassed that of the Yun family who was taking the bride.
Zhangsun Wuji stood in the tower looking at the endless bridal procession, his brow furrowed. If it were only the Cheng family making such a grand display, Zhangsun Wuji would be accustomed to it. After all, Old Cheng’s family was used to being ostentatious. But the usually low-key Yun family was this time also exhausting all efforts to prepare the wedding—this was strange. Could it be there was some secret he didn’t know about?
Chu Suiliang was also on the Yun family’s guest list. Now standing beside Zhangsun Wuji, he said, “Duke Zhao, why don’t I go take a look? As long as there’s anything amiss, it certainly won’t escape my eyes.”
Zhangsun Wuji shook his head and said, “The Yun family is building momentum. Yun Huan is Yun Ye’s second son. Logically, the scale of his wedding couldn’t possibly exceed that of his elder brother Yun Shou. The Yun family doing this is neither reasonable nor proper. So they’re building momentum. They say playing the pig to eat the tiger is right, but if the pretended pig doesn’t eat tigers, people will think you’re really a pig.”
“Don’t go to the Yun family. If you go, it will make the Yun family’s arrogance even more unbridled, which does me no good. Dengshan, you’re from Qiantang. Do you still have trusted family members in Hangzhou?”
Chu Suiliang nodded and said, “Yes, three clan brothers who are all outstanding.”
Zhangsun Wuji stroked his beard and said, “Then let them emerge from retirement to become officials. We know almost nothing about the south. Whenever our merchant convoys or officials enter south of the Yangtze, they encounter heavy obstacles. So this time, this old man plans to employ local people and will no longer dispatch people to the south. This way we might receive miraculous results.”
Having finished speaking, Zhangsun Wuji felt a pain in his chest. He groaned and said, “Chong’er went to the desert. The round trip will take a year, but my health is very poor. These past two years, worn down by paperwork, I already feel I can’t hold on much longer. I really want to rest for a while, but Yun Ye’s actions are continuous. From Lingnan comes a report that Feng Ang’s second son has already led a fleet to Dongyi Island. During the Three Kingdoms period, that island already had inhabitants. This is a new development for the Feng family. It’s said Yun Ye also contributed considerably to the Feng family’s action this time. So the court must quickly dispatch officials to the island to establish government offices there. Only this way can the Feng family not legitimately become local emperors on Dongyi Island. Dengshan, you need to handle these matters quickly. We hold the court’s righteousness—Feng Ang dare not defy it.”
“His Majesty isn’t very reassured about Lingnan either. The Xuanjia Army has already advanced to Meishan, and its numbers have increased from six thousand to twelve thousand. The Xuanjia Army equipped with firearms is like a fierce tiger with wings. Its firepower is so fierce that apart from the Lingnan fleet which can compare, others are not worth mentioning. With the Xuanjia Army present, now is our best opportunity to advance into Lingnan. I hear it has now become a paradise of fragrant melons and fruits, no longer a barbarous wasteland full of miasma everywhere. Yun Ye truly has skill in governing localities.”
After Chu Suiliang left, Zhangsun Wuji’s hand supporting the desk loosened, and he collapsed onto the soft couch. In such a short time, he felt the world spinning. After closing his eyes to rest, he felt somewhat better. He extended one hand, and a trembling maid crushed a wax pill and placed it in Zhangsun Wuji’s hand. This was Sun Simiao’s specially made heart-clearing pill. After swallowing it in one gulp, he drowsily fell asleep. Without this thing’s help now, Zhangsun Wuji found it very difficult to sleep soundly.
Those suffering weren’t just Yun Ye and Zhangsun Wuji. Li Er now also couldn’t sleep night after night. The young consort beside him had long since fallen sweetly asleep, while he still stared wide-eyed at the canopy, awake to a detestable degree.
Only the map of the realm on the screen could make his heart feel a trace of warmth. Logically, there was nothing to worry about. Affairs under heaven were still within his grasp. The struggle between Yun Ye and Zhangsun Wuji was also restrained within a controllable range. He was still this world’s unique emperor.
He remembered—Yun Ye had once used a term called emptiness. That’s right, Li Er now felt his entire body was so hollow it could serve as a drum. So he raised his hand and struck his chest twice. It indeed sounded very hollow, producing thumping sounds.
Li Er started in alarm and sat up, turning over. The young consort who had been sleeping with him immediately woke up. Disregarding her naked body, she helped Li Er put on his sleeping robe. Li Er looked at this woman with disgust, then said, “Return to your Ziwei Pavilion.” Then he sat on the bed and habitually picked up the teapot to drink water.
Following Li Er’s instruction, a eunuch immediately came over, rolled that consort up in a blanket, and carried her back to Ziwei Pavilion.
After drinking a mouthful of tea, Li Er remembered that Sun Simiao had said not to drink tea when sleeping, otherwise one couldn’t sleep. Indeed it was so! Li Er very much wanted to close his eyes, but it was futile. With difficulty he endured until dawn, when drowsiness finally flooded over him like a tide. “Tomorrow, bring the Empress back. Without her, the palace is too quiet!” Li Er muttered and entered dreamland.
Yun Ye, who was sleeping, was forcibly pulled from his bedding by someone sent by the Empress. After he had unleashed a burst of thunderous rage, he still helplessly got out of bed, fiercely washed his face with ice water, and went red-eyed to see the Empress.
Zhangsun was eating. Ever since Li Zhi had been sent away, her mood had been very good and her appetite had opened up. The academy’s food couldn’t be called exquisite, but the Empress had refused both the imperial chefs and the Yun family’s cooks, insisting on eating from the academy’s large kitchen. These past days, the Empress was handling specimens of two giant scorpions. She had personally named this newly cultivated scorpion species “King Scorpion.”
Yun Ye and Li Tai, both listless, each swallowed a bowl of thin congee and pushed away their plates, eating no more. Zhangsun said angrily, “Look at you two’s behavior! Qing Que must bid farewell to Hypatia, so being somewhat fatigued is human nature. Yun Ye, why do you also look half-dead?”
Seeing Li Tai’s old face turn red, Yun Ye couldn’t very well mention him, so he could only truthfully tell Zhangsun, “You don’t know—when Master Li Gang passed away, he once told me that if he discovered the other world was very splendid, he would visit me in a dream. As a result, it’s now been over a year and he still hasn’t appeared in a dream. So last night, this subject went to the master’s grave to urge him along.”