“Husband, since it’s credit, why give it to someone else? Especially to this person—knowing full well he won’t frame anyone, such a good opportunity is wasted.”
Yun Ye turned back with a smile and said: “I thought you were soft-hearted. I worried you’d be upset with me doing this. I didn’t expect you to also see this as an opportunity?”
Xinyue proudly held Yun Ye’s arm and looked up, saying: “If husband is a hero, then your wife is a hero’s wife. If husband is a treacherous minister, then your wife is a treacherous minister’s woman. If husband goes to kill people, your wife will help dig the graves. Even if we’re beheaded, your wife will accompany you. When we’re being tortured in the underworld, at least we’ll have each other for company.”
“Hahaha, naturally so! You’re my wife, my closest person. I naturally won’t let you all have a bad end. When we grow tired of living, we’ll board a great ship and sail straight to the edge of the sky, to a place even King Yama can’t find, and die there. Let them try to dig up graves and flog corpses in the future—they won’t even find our bones.” Yun Ye put his arm around Xinyue’s shoulder. The two of them walked through the moon gate like buddies. Today they didn’t plan to come out again.
Li Er looked across the desk at He Tianshang kneeling on one knee. On the desk lay the plate that had been chopped in half. After long contemplation, he finally asked: “Why didn’t you seize the opportunity Yun Ye gave you?”
He Tianshang gave a bitter laugh and said: “In response to Your Majesty, if your subject had operated this matter well, many unsolved cases could have been cracked overnight. Not only could it appease the people’s hearts, but this lowly official’s achievements could directly reach Heaven’s hearing. In the end, I would only need to clean up those who made moves. It perfectly fits what Marquis Yun described as simple, efficient, and direct.”
“Your subject engaged in a heavenly battle of conscience at Marquis Yun’s residence and nearly agreed. However, your subject still couldn’t persuade himself. These people entering a duke or marquis residence at night already deserves the death penalty. No matter what, they can’t escape a blade to the neck. But your subject just couldn’t do it. Marquis Yun spoke reasonably—I’m just someone unsuited for office. He and his disciples are the qualified ministers Your Majesty needs. Therefore, your subject could only report this matter and request Your Majesty’s decision.”
Li Er opened his mouth and smiled slightly, saying: “Yun Ye spoke too one-sidedly. A court full of gentlemen naturally isn’t good, but if the entire court were full of petty men, the consequences would also be quite terrible. Since ancient times, yin and yang complementing each other achieves balance. Good and bad have different perspectives from different angles. Don’t listen to Yun Ye’s bewitchment. That mouth of his could talk a dead person into sitting up from their coffin. He only hoped you would secretly report this matter to me. Did you really think he was finding you a path to promotion and wealth?”
“I’ve always wanted to test you, but with this incident, I’ve seen through your inside and outside thoroughly. No need for more. Now leave the palace. As for those people’s matter, you need not mention it to anyone. I have my own reasoning.”
After He Tianshang walked out, Li Er’s face flushed with anger. He heavily slammed his fist on the desk. The thunderous sound echoed in the great hall for a long time. The palace maids and eunuchs standing behind the pillars immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads. They heard the Emperor’s sinister voice ring out: “My duke was just exterminated along with his entire household, and now someone brazenly enters a marquis residence at night. What are they trying to do? Do they all take me for a dead man?”
The eunuchs and palace maids all knew the Son of Heaven was enraged. They thought heaven and earth would surely change color and rivers flow backwards. But when they got up the next day, they discovered light snow was actually falling outside. The Son of Heaven cheerfully strolled in the light snow, wanting no umbrella and wearing no crown, just walking back and forth in the snow in his regular clothes. His mood seemed very pleasant. From time to time he stretched out his hand to catch snowflakes—actually not snowflakes but snow particles that melted into tiny droplets on the Son of Heaven’s warm hand. When his hand became moist, the Son of Heaven rubbed both hands on his cheeks, not stopping until they were bright red.
After a full half hour, the Empress came over with a cloak, draped it over the Emperor, and chided: “Every year you put on this show. Your subject cannot see any difference between the first snow and other snows.” As she spoke, she stretched out her own palm to catch some snow and brought it before the Emperor, saying: “It’s snow dregs, not even a complete shape. So boring, yet you never tire of it.” She took out her handkerchief to wipe the water droplets from the Emperor’s hair.
Not knowing where the dragon claw pressed, the Empress cried out in surprise and kept chasing and swatting at the Emperor from behind. One emperor and one empress were quite delightful in the drifting snow powder.
“Chengqian, have your father and mother always been this disgusting?”
“You understand shit. This is what deep marital affection looks like. Actually, I envy my parents. They’ve been together over twenty years and still have this state of mind. Su Shi and I—it’s only been a few years and I’m unwilling to touch her much. Although Hou Shi also likes to play around, as soon as she exits the room, she becomes the Crown Prince’s consort with her eyes growing up to her forehead.”
“Loving the new and tired of the old, eh? Back when you had Changle help you arrange to meet someone to watch a play, I specially gave you the theater’s terrace. Taking advantage of watching the play, you nearly had your way with her right there. Now you say you’re unwilling to touch her—isn’t that a bit late?”
Li Chengqian’s thoughts were drawn far away by Yun Ye’s words. Watching his parents playing in the snow, he said to Yun Ye: “Let’s come back this afternoon. No matter how important the matter, it’s not more important than my father emperor and mother empress’s joy.”
Yun Ye deeply agreed. In a person’s lifetime, such joyful days aren’t many. To disturb them for trivial matters really wasn’t right. The two turned back to the Eastern Palace.
Su Shi, as usual, didn’t come out. Hou Shi, holding up her big belly, had paraded it in front of Li Chengqian and Yun Ye three times now. It had only been three months—did her belly need to be this big?
Li Chengqian irritably rushed over and pulled out a deflated little pillow from under Hou Shi’s clothes, threw it on the soft couch, and said with a dark face: “Yun Ye already knew long ago that you were pregnant. I told him the first moment, and he’s already prepared a gift. If you’re not satisfied, go pick something from his household treasury. Now have someone bring tea. How can we not have hot tea to drink in such cold weather?”
Hou Shi left in a huff. Li Chengqian smiled bitterly at Yun Ye: “This woman has gone mad. Ever since learning she was pregnant, she keeps asking me why her belly hasn’t gotten bigger. I said it needs time—the fetus growing also needs time. Then she started stuffing pillows in her clothes. This isn’t the first time. Last time when Qingque came, she did the same.”
Yun Ye laughed heartily: “This is nothing! She can only show off in front of us few. Over three years without getting pregnant, and now that she has a child, if I were her I’d stuff pillows too.”
After Hou Shi brought tea, Li Chengqian said seriously: “The court’s newly promoted officials collectively submitted a memorial. Chancellor Fang and Chancellor Du have already reviewed it, then sent it to me. Chancellor Fang said the methods in the memorial are ruthless, the words cut to the bone—every slap draws blood, every lash leaves a mark. He told me to look carefully, saying it might be greatly beneficial.”
“I looked, and was shocked enough to nearly lose my seat. Everyone knows the Daoist sect has basically yielded this time. Who would see so much in these lines? The Daoist sect’s memorial is almost everywhere a trap, full of cunning schemes. A single provision about paying taxes per mu of land could take full advantage of the court. Using money to offset corvée labor sounds enticingly promising, but even such a good thing is full of hidden edges everywhere. Daoist priests accompanying the army can actually gain military merit in the future? Just because it can’t be considered corvée labor, only conscription—a two-character difference, but the consequences are one in heaven, one on earth! How did they think of all this?”
Yun Ye picked up that memorial, glanced at it, then tossed it aside. With a worried frown he said: “The academy’s education still isn’t adequate. These bastards were used as pawns by others and still don’t realize it. They think they’re so capable and still have the face to submit memorials.”
Yun Ye’s words completely confused Li Chengqian. He asked puzzled: “This was fortunate thanks to them. Otherwise the court would have suffered a great loss and lost face too. Why do you evaluate them like this?”
“Chengqian, do you really think old fox Fang Xuanling couldn’t see the subtleties within? Do you really think Du Ruhui had no awareness? It’s understandable that rigid people like Wang Gui couldn’t see it, but if these two old foxes couldn’t see it, then heaven’s principles wouldn’t allow it. Do you think ‘Fang’s schemes and Du’s decisions’ is just a joke? I’m afraid more than just one or two people in the court saw through it—forty or fifty wouldn’t be surprising.”
“Under His Majesty’s command, talent abounds, and they’re all talents honed by turbulent changes in the wind and clouds. Those fellows in the court who look so incompetent you’d want to kick them—flip through their records and you’ll understand. Which one isn’t an elite among men? One or two might be deceived, but could several hundred people all be deceived?”
“I admit I don’t have that ability, so these years I’ve always followed the rules. Think about it—it’s already been ten days. That time is enough for those fellows to chew over every character three times. They’re all seasoned officials experienced in worldly matters. How could they not see clearly?”
“Then why was the court full of praise?”
“They’re all waiting—waiting for fools to appear. What benefit is there to offending the Daoist sect? If you don’t believe me, hold back this memorial. When His Majesty announces it, many loyal righteous men will definitely jump out to obstruct. After all, pretending to be foolish is one thing, but being truly foolish is another. If the academy’s little fools hadn’t jumped out, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and these people would sooner or later expose the Daoist sect’s tricks and formulate even more ruthless countermeasures.”
“Chengqian, you must never, never forget—these old foxes all rose up through rebellion. Those who could help your Li family ultimately gain the realm in chaotic times—which one would be simple? Think about it—where are the eighteen rebel kings and thirty-six clouds of dust now? Dou Jiande’s heroism, Li Mi’s venom, Xiao Xian’s four seas, Wang Shichong’s wealth, the Xue father and son’s fierceness—they say one hero emerges from a hundred people, one outstanding talent from a thousand. These people were all heroes among heroes, outstanding among the outstanding. You know their final outcomes better than I do. Even now, do you still dare underestimate the figures under your father emperor’s command?”
Before Li Chengqian, the court ministers continuously appeared. Their deeds also flowed through his mind one by one. Startled with alarm, he said to Yun Ye: “I’m afraid it’s truly so. Fang Xuanling is treating me as a fool, not wanting to touch any karmic consequences with the Daoist sect himself.”