With a wine gourd tucked at his waist, walking along the bluestone path, listening to the intermittent chirping of insects, his robes spread open, the oppressive heat carried away by the cool evening breeze, the setting sun nowhere to be seen—only a patch of orange-yellow sky light remained on the mountaintop.

Slowly entering the mountain pass, the trees on both sides of the road grew tall and dense. Liu Jinbao flew up and kicked a large tree, and with a thunderous sound countless birds took flight from that tree, crying out as they circled in the sky.

Yun Ye also found a tree and kicked it, but the tree didn’t budge at all. Instead, his foot sole was left aching from the impact. Yun Ye pointed at the large tree and said to Liu Jinbao and the others: “When I was young I could kick them down, but now that I’m old, I can’t anymore.”

Knowing that the family master was in a bad mood today, the gray-bearded Liu Jinbao stuck up his thumb and boasted to the young household guards about the heroic deeds of how the Lord had once kicked down large trees. Though it was obviously unreasonable, those household guards actually all believed it, and with cupped fists wanted to ask the family master about the technique for kicking trees back in the day.

This wasn’t flattery—this was the family’s affection for him. Yun Ye knew that as long as he was unhappy, everyone from Xinyue to the household servants would find ways to cheer him up. When he was younger it wasn’t so obvious, but as he aged this trend became increasingly apparent. He wasn’t yet at the age to be coddled, but Yun Ye thoroughly enjoyed these crude forms of flattery.

When Huang Shu saw Yun Ye arrive, he happily came out personally to greet him, opening a bathing room specially reserved for Yun Ye, pulling out the stopper as water gushed in with a rushing sound.

Right after pulling out the stopper, Huang Shu immediately and mysteriously brought in a delicate plate from outside. When Yun Ye saw what was on the plate, he was so happy he nearly jumped up. He hadn’t smoked in decades—he’d thought he’d forgotten, but who knew that upon seeing the golden-roasted tobacco leaves, his entire body felt unbearably itchy.

Why stand on ceremony? The paper strips an inch wide and three inches long looked so lovely at that moment. He grabbed a tobacco leaf, crushed it in his hands, picked out the stems and carefully set them aside—these things could still be smoked after being chopped up. Heaven knows how many plants Huang Shu had grown from those few tobacco seeds.

After sprinkling on the tobacco, the little paper strip skillfully became a small trumpet shape in his hands. After expertly rolling it a few times, he stuck out his tongue to moisten the edge and seal it—a standard trumpet-shaped cigarette appeared in his hand.

After lighting it, he took a forceful drag but was choked by the strong smoke until he coughed violently. It was truly heart-wrenching and lung-splitting! Liu Jinbao rushed in alarmed, but didn’t leave after seeing, because he saw the Lord wreathed in smoke and looking very comfortable.

No need to be polite before the Lord. When Liu Jinbao saw that Huang Shu had just rolled one, he immediately snatched it and, mimicking the Lord’s example, lit it. The first drag still made him cough so hard he nearly died, but after slowly adapting, he felt this activity was very impressive, especially watching the Lord with his body in the clear water, head exposed, wreathed in smoke—simply marvelous and extraordinary.

After finishing one trumpet, Yun Ye shook his slightly dizzy head and said with a laugh: “Haven’t seen this thing in many years. Today I can finally fulfill this wish. So many times I dreamed about this thing. Huang Shu, how many did those few seeds I gave you actually become? I’d almost forgotten about this—I only told you how to prepare them once.”

Huang Shu smiled and pushed open the bathing room’s rear window. Yun Ye looked up—good heavens, the entire mu-plus of land in the back courtyard was full of rows upon rows of tobacco plants. This made Yun Ye beam with joy. Enough for him to smoke for many years.

“Lord, when I first started smoking I was also choked terribly, but slowly I appreciated its subtlety, especially having one of these after meals—it’s simply like being a living immortal!”

Yun Ye said to Huang Shu with a laugh: “This isn’t anything that prolongs life—it actually harms the heart and lungs. But you see, people are like this—even knowing it’s harmful, they still can’t resist the temptation. For a moment’s comfort, who cares about the future?”

Huang Shu took a drag of tobacco and exhaled a thick cloud of pale blue smoke, laughing loudly: “That’s exactly right. This old man was worried at first, but after smoking and smoking, I couldn’t leave this thing alone. Now if I don’t smoke for a bit, my whole body feels uncomfortable.”

“This thing is addictive. Once you start, it’s hard to quit. Your Lord here made at least a dozen resolutions to quit this thing, but ended up smoking even more than before. Later when I had none to smoke, I finally forgot about it. You know why your Lord is so greedy with his mouth? More than half the reason comes from this thing. Without it I always feel something’s missing, so I can only keep scratching at my mouth. I’m telling you all—either don’t smoke at all, or once you start don’t regret it, hahaha.”

Yun Ye was extremely pleased—this was the gift this era had given him. A great gift!

Smoking with such high spirits, he’d long forgotten he still needed to ask about Xiao Wu. Though Yun Ye didn’t bring it up, Huang Shu voluntarily said to Yun Ye: “Lord, the young master has practically hollowed out a mountain. You don’t know—with guidance from the Academy teachers, their progress has been astounding. Relying on the mountain’s terrain and the direction of rock layers, they’ve actually carved out an underground palace between two rock layers. It’s very spectacular! There’s even an underground river in the palace. That mountain was also very suitable for creating an underground palace—rock shell on top, rock below, but a large layer of broken stones between the two rock layers. As long as they remove the broken stone layer and erect a hundred or so sturdy pillars in the underground palace, the basic form of the entire underground palace is complete. I heard the young master also requested crystal from the Daoist school and agate from Han Zhe, saying he wants to decorate the place.”

“Gongshu Jia is also working frantically to help him, because the young master promised that after it’s built, he’ll give the Gongshu family a side hall. I don’t understand what the young master wants to do, but since you haven’t stopped him, I’ve just been wholeheartedly helping the young master dig holes.”

After extinguishing the second trumpet, Yun Ye said: “Let her be. The Li family’s wild nature is hard to tame, their murderous heart unchanging. I have no need to worry more about them. If they’re killing people themselves, they shouldn’t blame others for helping them kill. Being able to help them have a hundred years of peace is already considering our many years of friendship.”

Since he’d already understood the entire sequence of events, Yun Ye no longer inquired further. He’d discovered that no matter how hard he tried to change history, events still stubbornly rushed toward their original track. So now he didn’t make those futile efforts—his heart had completely opened up. Just let things take their natural course.

His whole body scrubbed by Huang Shu until he resembled a cooked red shrimp, sitting in the steam room drinking chilled grape wine while chatting about family matters and talking about strange and wondrous mountain spirits and sea monsters—life’s pleasures were nothing more than this.

When Yun Ye, wearing just shorts, was lying beneath the moon smoking and resting, the back of his head was suddenly slapped. Yun Ye’s fury immediately flared up. He jumped up intending to retaliate, but discovered Li Er dressed all in black, standing behind him like a ghost. Clearly that slap was delivered by Li Er.

Li Er stood with considerable difficulty. Yun Ye quickly gave up his seat to him, then hurried to put on clothes. Since Li Er was here, then Empress Zhangsun must surely be nearby as well.

Huang Shu very skillfully brought the tobacco plate to Li Er, obsequiously rolling the trumpet cigarette, stopping just short of the final step of moistening it with saliva. Li Er took it and skillfully sealed it, bringing it to Huang Shu’s fire starter to light it, exhaling smoke clouds with great contentment.

“Your Majesty, this thing harms the heart and lungs. You’re not suited to smoking this thing,” Yun Ye said carefully to Li Er.

“What’s the point of living so long? From now on don’t call me Your Majesty. Your Majesty is in the imperial palace. Here there’s only Li Shimin.” Li Er’s mood also didn’t look too good.

“I heard you suffered a setback today? How useless. Since you planned to save someone, you shouldn’t have delayed. Just chop down that Zhou Xing with one stroke at your home, then go to that Court of Judicial Review and bring the person out—how nice. The moment you show the slightest concern for the Emperor’s dignity, things immediately change. Young man, being unreasonable is the way to survive. If your ideas and methods are all within others’ expectations, you yourself won’t be far from defeat.”

At this moment Li Er was like a philosopher, especially while smoking his trumpet cigarette.

Yun Ye looked left and right but didn’t see Empress Zhangsun, nor did he see Yang Fei or Yin Fei. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Li Er continue: “We few are just great idlers. This pond is quite nice. The Empress likes to bathe here. Hehe, I don’t know what ailment it is—probably wants to absorb some human vitality. She’s in the pond, and I’m waiting for her.”

Yun Ye carefully passed over the grape wine. Li Er drank a sip and poured it out, saying irritably: “Taking lukewarm soup to fool me? Where’s the one with ice fish added?”

Yun Ye had no choice but to add ice fish to his wine cup and refill it with wine. He heard Li Er say while swirling his wine cup: “Do you find it strange that I’m here waiting for the Empress and the others to bathe?”

“I find it strange myself. I just don’t want to be alone. I’ve truly grown old and can’t resist the invasion of past events anymore. Now in my dreams息Wang and the Hidden Crown Prince always appear.”

“Very strange! I always hope Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande will appear—I’m not afraid of those people. But sitting together with Xi Wang and the Hidden Crown Prince, my whole body feels uncomfortable. Tell me, what’s the reason?”

Yun Ye thought for a moment and said: “They have one thing in common—they’re all Your Majesty’s defeated opponents. Whether on the battlefield or in court struggles, they’re the losers. So Your Majesty has no need to worry. You’re just unaccustomed to the current coldness. Slowly it will improve. Do you still remember the Great Emperor’s final mahjong game at Zhaoyang Palace?”

Li Er nodded to show he remembered. Yun Ye smiled and said: “Then that’s it. You owe no one. Before the Great Emperor passed, he once said: ‘This old man just needs to win one round, just one round.’ After saying this, the Great Emperor passed away. You came and helped the Great Emperor win that round of Great Three Dragons. The Great Emperor’s wish was fulfilled. What do you have to be troubled about?”

Li Er looked up at Yun Ye and asked seriously: “Really?”

“False! These are words I’m saying to ease your mind. But you can take them as real. In this world, who can really tell true from false? Just remain somewhat muddled.”

“Rare to be muddled? Good idea! We live too clearly, that’s why we suffer. So let’s just muddledly smoke and muddledly live our lives. Good idea!”

Li Er laughed, took a big drag of smoke, then another sip of wine. The smile on his face became more animated…