Xuanyuan Ziwei True Person—this was Yuan Shoucheng’s new official title. After receiving official recognition, Yuan Shoucheng gently pushed the deceased Yuan Shoucheng on the small cart, saying softly: “Blazing flames, burn my worn body. The past like smoke, like dreams and illusions…”
The small cart glided gently. The floor surface suddenly split open revealing a doorway—this was a tunnel. After the small cart slid into the tunnel, flames immediately shot out from within. That small cart traveled farther and farther through the great fire…
The split doorway closed once more. Yuan Shoucheng donned a new Daoist robe, raised his cup and proclaimed: “From primordial beginning, spring glory and autumn fruition, water and fire mutually assist, yin and yang unceasing. This cup of wine I respectfully offer to toast the Great Emperor, to toast the Empress Dowager, to toast His Majesty!”
Li Er didn’t move. Li Chengqian raised his cup and declared loudly: “Drink to victory!”
After one cup of wine went down, the scene became strange. Even someone as carefree as Cheng Yaojin no longer spoke at this moment. Instead he lowered his head to drink. Having just watched Yuan Tiangang’s corpse devoured by great fire, these aged people found it very difficult to accept.
Li Jing suddenly stood up, cupped his fists toward Li Er in salute, preparing to take his leave. Also preparing to leave were Niu Jinda, Cheng Yaojin, and others. But those foreign old generals, such as Qibi and the others, instead appeared somewhat excited.
Li Er waved his hand indifferently. Li Jing and the others left. Yun Ye smiled and bid farewell to the Emperor. Li Chengqian seemed about to speak but stopped—he probably very much hoped Yun Ye would stay. But Yun Ye, whose mood was already quite bad, insisted on leaving. Yun Lei came bouncing and hopping back from Zhangsun’s side, grabbed his father’s hand, and they left Laojun Hall swaying together.
Actually quite many people had already left. The chattering Gao Yang cursed those heartless Daoists, saying they shouldn’t have set fire to the old man’s corpse—this would bring divine punishment.
Fang Xuanling, whose face had originally been indifferent, hearing his daughter-in-law say this, showed a trace of a smile on his frost-like face. Looking at his son and daughter-in-law, his gaze also became somewhat gentler.
This was the point Fang Xuanling was most satisfied with. Even if Gao Yang was extravagant and proud, she was without fault in filial piety and wifely virtue. As for other matters, he didn’t care. Thinking of his late wife’s conduct, Gao Yang being somewhat domineering really didn’t amount to anything.
When Yun Ye came out, he saw the Han Nu sitting cross-legged side by side in the corner. He ordered the chef to bring six roasted sheep. These Han Nu were all Han Zhe’s brothers. Being treated this way, his heart felt unspeakably desolate.
One roasted sheep was placed before each Han Nu. The Han Nu immediately embraced the roasted sheep and chomped away. Pang Zhun, smiling, followed behind saying: “They don’t lose their tempers much now. After the chains are removed, they’re also unwilling to go out. They always prefer sitting in corners.”
Yun Ye asked puzzled: “Back then Han Zhe told me that once the iron chains binding the Han Nu’s muscles were loosened, before too long they would die from obesity. The master of White Stone Palace has been dead so many years—why do you still have Han Nu?”
Pang Zhun’s face couldn’t display a sorrowful expression. There were tears in his eyes, but he looked like he was laughing. After quite a while he finally said: “Too many—they can’t die fast enough.”
Yun Ye took quite a while to understand the meaning of this statement. He patted Pang Zhun’s hand, then led Yun Lei onto his family’s carriage. They weren’t going to Chang’an City. The coachman cracked his whip and headed straight for Yushan.
Racing the whole way, Liu Jinbao and twenty family generals guarded beside the carriage. The road to Yushan was most lively in the evening. Only at this time was it the best time to transport goods and food supplies to Yushan City. However, moving these things was not allowed after the midnight hour—this had always been Yushan’s tradition.
Returning home with the flow of carriages, Wang Cai came out to greet them with grass roots all over his body. He sniffed at Yun Ye like a dog, then burrowed back into his own stable to sleep. Xinyue and Xiao Miao were still in the main hall. The two were also unbearably sleepy. Today, returning home from the mountain valley, once they relaxed, their whole bodies became weary.
“Were those crickets I marked last night caught and brought back?”
Having finished washing up, Yun Ye immediately asked about his treasures.
“Caught and brought back—twenty or thirty of them. Two have very large builds. You can tell at a glance they’re superior grade.”
Hearing Xinyue’s answer, Yun Ye nodded with satisfaction, then stepped back two paces to look at Xinyue’s legs. Seeing that walking and standing didn’t hinder her, he smiled and said: “The wound on your leg hasn’t become inflamed?”
Xinyue shook her head, had Xiao Miao carry the already sleeping Yun Lei to the bedroom, and while helping her husband remove his outer garments, said: “Qingniu Temple sent quite a lot of snow dragon meat, and also wine from grapes. They also sent some various melons and fruits—all rare things. The lychees saved for you were eaten entirely by Na Rimu alone. This stinking woman, even now, still can’t change her gluttonous habits.”
“If she likes eating, let her eat. I don’t like eating fruit. No need to save them for me. From now on, don’t accept things sent by Daoist temples anymore. My heart feels very uncomfortable. Tonight several old generals were also in a bad mood. On the contrary, Gao Yang comforted Minister Fang quite well.”
“From now on, don’t tell me these unrelated bits of news either. My heart just calmed down, and now it’s made tumultuous again like rolling thunder—not worth it. The Yun Family will close its doors to guests and live our own lives behind closed doors. Have less contact with people from Chang’an City. I’ve discovered two interesting people. Tell our family’s people below that if they fall into Suo Yuanli’s or Zhou Xing’s hands, they must notify our family at the first opportunity. If time passes, it becomes very troublesome.”
“Also, tonight I didn’t see Zhangsun Chong or Dugu Mou. How could the heroes’ gathering lack them? There’s something strange here. Have Xiao Wu go investigate. Don’t keep drilling into the mountains all day. She’s an instructor at the academy—what does it mean to always request leave?”
Xinyue recorded everything one by one, then asked worriedly: “You’ve already stopped asking about worldly affairs. Won’t those people come to trouble you anymore? Ever since Chengqian ascended the throne, you and Qing Que have constantly been retreating. You’ve never refused Chengqian’s requests. If this continues, what if people give them an inch and they take a mile?”
“This concubine heard that Chengqian plans to reorganize a massive naval fleet. When that happens, our family’s fleet will fall into a disadvantageous position. Hou Jie from the distant island is also asking you whether there’s a need to prepare one or two more fleets. Now the distant island has a permanent population of one million. The entire island has also become prosperous. Many craftsmen sent by various aristocratic families have already put down roots. He wants to expand the distant island’s sphere of influence. I heard that piracy on the Red Sea is very serious and has already threatened the South Sea Fleet.”
“This concubine doesn’t understand military strategy. I only know that our family’s fleet now needs to pay money to pass through the Red Sea. We never had this experience before. For this reason, this concubine sent a letter scolding Rong’er. This concubine doesn’t care about that bit of money—I only care about the Yun Family’s face. By rights, our family’s fleet shouldn’t need to pay money no matter where it goes.”
Hearing Xinyue’s complaints, Yun Ye couldn’t help but smile. Grasping Xinyue’s hand, he said: “The Yun Family has traversed the great seas for twenty years. You’re still not satisfied? The Former Sui was also only several decades of empire.”
“This concubine doesn’t manage matters of empire and state and cannot manage them. This concubine only cares about one principle—the Yun Family didn’t need to pay money before, naturally doesn’t need to now, and even more so won’t need to in the future.”
“A wild woman from Wa Country, relying on having a few broken ships, has become arrogant beyond measure. After Shopkeeper Lu sent a message back, this concubine was so angry. These days seeing you had no mind to manage family affairs, this concubine also didn’t speak. Autumn is almost here, and it’s time for the seafaring season again. Although the wind and waves are large at this time, the wind and water are favorable. The Yun Family needs to harvest spices—it’s a major source of family income and cannot be lost.”
Yun Ye’s smile became even more brilliant. He said to Xinyue: “Hou Jie’s large ships were completed long ago. Two Invincible-class warships are already at the distant island and have completed testing. As long as they’re equipped with weapons, they can go to sea for combat. The reason Hou Jie spoke to you this way was actually asking me whether he should take action. Since my wife believes the Yun Family’s money was paid unjustly, then go take it back!”
Having spoken, he placed a small seal in Xinyue’s hand, then quickly walked to the garden, listening to the chirping sounds from the crickets in the mud basins. In two separate mud basins, Yun Ye saw two glossy large crickets. In the mood, he named them Invincible Number One and Invincible Number Two!
Cheng Yaojin’s Shandong cricket was indeed fierce and mighty. As soon as it was placed in the fighting basin, it immediately displayed its fierce nature. Li Ji’s supposedly premium cricket obtained from the shady side of Mount Hua had two antennae bitten off in just a few moves and was chased all over the fighting basin. Everyone urged Li Ji to remove his defeated general, but who knew Li Ji ignored them all. He just said one phrase about not pursuing a desperate enemy, folded his arms, and watched the excitement. Sure enough, that cricket which had already been pursued in utter disarray really went mad and pounced forward again, opening its pincers to clamp onto one of the other’s wings without letting go, completely disregarding the mouth biting at its own neck.
After half of that cricket’s head had been gnawed off, the battle finally ended. Cheng Yaojin’s cricket achieved victory. Cheng Yaojin, bare-chested revealing a body of dark flesh, laughed heartily. Just as he was about to criticize Li Ji a bit, he saw Li Ji use one finger to pick up a remnant wing from the fighting basin, wave it at Cheng Yaojin, then dump in another cricket and say with a smile: “Again!”
Yun Ye was now the organizer of this elderly activity center. Some people liked reading, so they went to the library—such as Fang Xuanling and Li Jing. Some people liked to tinker with antiques everywhere—such as Du Ruhui. Some also liked writing books and establishing doctrines—such as Cheng Yaojin. He always had two young academy students following beside him. As soon as Old Cheng became idle, they would immediately surround him to hear Old Cheng narrate the great battle at Hulao Pass.
This great battle now needed to be analyzed from various aspects. Old Cheng at that time was still under Wang Shichong’s command, so the academy very much wanted to know what Wang Shichong’s strategy was like at that time. Therefore they hoped Old Cheng would narrate as detailed as possible.
Everyone thought that Li Er breaking through an army with a hundred cavalry was majestic and imposing, that at the Battle of Hulao Pass Li Er displayed divine might and captured two kings in one battle—but they didn’t know that was a desperate measure. Now hearing Cheng Yaojin slowly restore history, they learned that in that battle Li Er’s luck was truly ridiculously good.
“This is great fortune! When great fortune appears, even if you have heaven-reaching means, you’re powerless. This old man and Second Brother Qin, precisely because we saw such great fortune, decided with determination to submit to Tang. It’s just a pity that Dan Xiongxin didn’t believe in this turn of events…”