Li Chengqian looked at Li Tai sitting before him, seeming uncomfortable all over. Frowning, he tapped his plate with chopsticks and said: “If you have something to say, say it quickly. After eating, I still have to attend court. Coming here so early in the morning without saying a word—what’s that about? If you don’t want to talk, just eat. Stuff your mouth with food.”

Li Tai reluctantly drank a bowl of porridge before saying to Li Chengqian: “Elder Brother, could you hand Zhou Xing and Suo Yuanli over to me? When entering the palace just now, many ministers were already pulling me aside crying.”

Li Chengqian finished the steamed bun in his hand with large bites and said to Li Tai: “Sure, wait another year. After I’m done using them, you can deal with them however you want.”

“A year?” Li Tai jumped up in alarm and said: “Elder Brother, if you continue letting these two fellows run wild, major chaos will erupt. Your objectives that should be achieved have already been achieved. There’s no need to continue like this. Haven’t you seen that all the old ministers have moved to live at Yushan? Gao Yang, with her domineering nature—after you took away her authority over the Weaving Bureau, she also went crying to Yushan. This won’t work. Another year and heaven knows what chaos will occur.”

Li Chengqian rinsed his mouth and spat the tea into the spittoon, smiling: “Chaos? What chaos could occur? Once the East Sea Fleet and the commercial ports are all dealt with, even if you all don’t kill those two, I’ll still have to kill them. Calming public anger is very necessary. Right now they’re investigating the East Sea Fleet case and can’t be recalled.”

Li Tai clutched his head and roared in pain: “Zhang Liang! What’s wrong with him now?”

Li Chengqian said with a smile: “He has a son who eats human flesh. Doing such things in enemy-occupied territory isn’t a big problem, but continuing to eat people in our Great Tang—that won’t do. However, given that Zhang Liang is very sensible and tactful, as long as we kill that cannibalistic son of his, he can still return home with honor and be his marquis.”

“Your nature is kind, so don’t get involved in these filthy matters. Just do your research properly. By the way, I heard Hypatia is pregnant again? Not bad, she really is capable. However, as your elder brother I must say a few words—don’t you also have quite a few Han wives? Why is it always Hypatia giving birth? Our Li family already has barbarian bloodlines. Now is precisely when we should slowly cleanse our bloodline. You constantly producing blue-eyed children isn’t appropriate.”

“Hui’er is your legitimate son. Yuan Shoucheng helped you confirm the lineage, so naturally he can inherit your title in the future. But bloodline matters cannot be treated carelessly. I’m now the clan leader, and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs keeps nagging. Make an effort and have another child without blue eyes to placate them.”

Li Tai immediately became angry, slapping the table and roaring: “Do they also have to manage which consort I sleep with?”

Li Chengqian quickly spoke soothingly: “Alright, alright, alright. They’re busybodies sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Won’t ask anymore. Go to the palace and see your sister-in-law and her newborn child. I’ve already named him Li Jue—very intelligent. Go see him. I’m going to court.”

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, he announced his departure for court. Li Tai had no desire to see that bewitching woman Zhao Shi. Heaven knows why Elder Brother had taken the opportunity to elevate that gentle woman Su Shi to position. Hou Shi was now on her last breath, probably not many days left to live. That stubborn woman had cursed day and night for all these years after her daughter married Yun Shou, and now finally reached the end of her life.

Su Shi still wore coarse cloth clothing, living in a courtyard at Yeiting Palace. She showed neither anger nor sorrow, every day just tending to the flowers and plants in her courtyard. Since her second child died of illness, caring for flowers and plants had become her only hobby. Some in the palace spread rumors that her child was buried beneath these flowers and plants…

When Li Tai entered the palace, he brought many gifts. Especially a large panda plush toy that most pleased Su Shi. After sitting face to face with Su Shi drinking a cup of tea, he was about to take his leave when Su Shi brought out a package of flower tea from inside the house and handed it to Li Tai, saying: “Uncle, please accept this. I specially prepared this for Hypatia. She just loves this. When she came to the palace to see me last time, she mentioned it.”

Li Tai accepted the flower tea and said carefully to Su Shi: “Tell Xiang’er not to make trouble anymore. Now is different from the past. I, as his uncle, don’t have much say anymore. Once something happens, no one can help him. Yun Ye is already almost at war with Elder Brother, so we can count on him even less. Although the Prince of Hengshan is only a prince of second rank, his status is noble. Don’t harbor any more fantasies.”

Su Shi wept: “Who will listen to this concubine’s words now? Who is willing to listen? Only you still acknowledge me as sister-in-law. Never mind—I can’t help anyone, I’ll only become an obstacle for others!”

Li Tai didn’t know what to say well, could only heave a long sigh, walk out of the small courtyard, and prepare to go see Hou Shi.

Hou Shi, now thin as a skeleton, finally no longer cursed. She was carried out by palace maids and placed on a reclining chair, wrapped in blankets to sun herself. The conditions here were much better than Su Shi’s place. Although Li Yanrong wasn’t in Chang’an, the seasonal gifts were never lacking. It was also because of Li Yanrong that Hou Shi could survive until now.

Li Tai had the palace maids move a chair and sat facing Hou Shi. He waved his hand in front of Hou Shi’s face, but she seemed to have no awareness, her eyes still staring blankly at the paulownia tree in the courtyard that had already lost all its leaves.

Having his accompanying eunuch set down the gifts, Li Tai was about to leave. The gray-haired Hou Shi had long lost the brilliant radiance of years past. She’d wanted to become Empress her whole life, but in the end, her fate was most miserable.

“I want to see Yanrong!”

Hou Shi suddenly spoke. Her eyes moved from the paulownia tree, fixing on Li Tai as she shouted again: “I want to see Yanrong!”

Li Tai smiled and placed a box of osmanthus cakes before Hou Shi, saying with a smile: “Yanrong will return soon. Her husband Yun Shou has become Silver-Blue Glorious Grand Master and will soon return to serve in the Ministry of War. You’ll see her very soon.”

“Has Yanrong given birth to sons?” Hou Shi ignored the osmanthus cakes and asked Li Tai sternly.

“Yes, two! Yun Ye’s mouth is smiling so wide it’s almost crooked. Every day he talks about his two grandsons in front of me.” Li Tai still wore a smiling face, trying his best to make Hou Shi happy.

Sure enough, a blush appeared on Hou Shi’s pale, bloodless face. She roughly stuffed a piece of cake in her mouth and muttered: “That’s natural. Yanrong is of noble status, and she’s the Invincible General’s granddaughter. In this world, only Yun Ye’s son barely matches my child. That child has deep blessings and will naturally give birth to sons.”

“I need to eat my fill and wait for my child to come see me. Those dead slaves never give me food. When my child returns, I’ll have them all die!”

Li Tai looked darkly at those eunuchs and palace maids. Those slaves immediately kowtowed frantically. An old palace maid who’d long cared for Hou Shi said trembling to Li Tai: “Prince Wei, please see clearly—even with the greatest courage, this slave wouldn’t dare mistreat Madam. Every meal’s food is never short, and even the milk arranged by the Princess when leaving the capital has never been discontinued.”

The head eunuch following Li Tai bowed and said: “Your Highness, this slave can attest to this. Madam Hou’s meals have never been short by anyone. Otherwise, Madam couldn’t have endured all these years.”

Li Tai nodded, his expression becoming gentle. Seeing Hou Shi hand him a piece of cake, he accepted it with a smile. At this moment, Hou Shi was just like when she’d first become his sister-in-law, complaining about whose gifts were too light, whose gifts were delightful. Li Tai held the cake and listened to Hou Shi talk with a grin until the mentally exhausted Hou Shi fell asleep, then signaled for the palace maids to carry Hou Shi back to her room.

Turning back to look at the head eunuch, he said: “I know about palace matters, but you must watch these two people carefully for me. If something really happens to them, it will be a major matter. At that time, even His Majesty won’t be able to protect you all completely. Remember, remember with your heart!”

After leaving Hou Shi’s place, Li Tai no longer had the inclination to see Zhao Shi and Li Jue. Looking at the towering palace buildings, he heaved a long sigh and left the imperial palace in the rustling autumn wind. Walking out the gate, he was still thinking that Yun Ye was right—he shouldn’t have come to the imperial palace!

However, Li Tai still stood before Vermillion Bird Gate, because today he’d promised those court officials he’d guarantee their safe return home. This was simply a joke, but Li Tai didn’t think so anymore. He moved a chair to sit before the Court of Judicial Review’s main gate—entry permitted, exit forbidden. He would wait until those officials left before departing.

Prince Wei sat there like a clay or wooden statue. Now he could only serve as a clay bodhisattva blocking disaster. All officials leaving the palace bowed deeply upon seeing Prince Wei, as if worshipping a bodhisattva. Behind him, those sneaking officials from the Court of Judicial Review were like evil ghosts from the netherworld. Now with the bodhisattva blocking disaster, everyone’s steps inevitably quickened somewhat. (For the authority of the Court of Judicial Review, please refer to events during the Shenlong era. At that time, Zhou Xing, Suo Yuanli, and Lai Junchen were truly soul-stealing evil ghosts. In just five short years, the number of people falsely accused and killed reached over three thousand, to the point that officials had to arrange their affairs before leaving home in the morning!)

Li Tai didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there until the guard captain came up to pay respects, asking if Your Highness needed another layer of clothing, before he emerged from that numb feeling. Seeing that no more people were coming out of the palace, he finally stood up and boarded his carriage. For some reason, his heart ached terribly.

Elder Brother had his own views. Right or wrong couldn’t be said—standing in the Li family’s position, there seemed to be no error. This was probably also the reason Father Emperor could tolerate it.

Killing had never been taboo for the imperial family—it was a necessary means. Li Tai had understood and known this principle from a very young age. Before going to Yushan Academy, the teachers in his study had already explained these principles countless times, breaking them apart and crushing them fine. This was the most important subject in Imperial Studies.

Why did he find unacceptable what Elder Brother considered perfectly natural? Why did he vaguely feel that Elder Brother’s methods were wrong? Li Tai thought for a long time and finally understood. He discovered that Elder Brother Li Chengqian had never received education at Yushan Academy…