Yun Ye sat atop Taiji Palace surrounded by electric light. Combined with the dark sky and thunderous booming, his imposing presence was matchless, like a deity descended from heaven.

If he could strike a few awesome poses right now and shout a couple of times, it would be absolutely perfect.

Unfortunately, his legs were weak and soft, his whole body lacked strength, and his crotch was somewhat wet. Forget about standing up—even if he could stand, he wouldn’t. Were there any immortals with wet crotches?

He regretted it so much he pounded his chest. Why pretend to be an immortal? Why pretend to be an immortal? Lightning was raging just over ten meters above his head. The thunder shook his ears until he couldn’t hear sounds anymore. Especially recalling what he knew from later generations about lightning rod protection probability—that damned ninety-seven percent! How many citizens of the Celestial Empire had perished in that legendary three percent! Surely this master wouldn’t be so unlucky? Yun Ye secretly prayed that Li Er’s long spear could serve as a divine artifact and preserve his little life.

Seeing Yun Ye, weak as a small chick in the thunder and lightning, Li Er inexplicably felt a surge of tender affection. Yun Ye’s current predicament reminded him of when Qingque as a child was chased by the Crown Prince’s hunting dogs but endured without crying. He felt somewhat angry, somewhat moved, and somewhat humiliated. Looking at those power-wielding bigshots of the Shandong great clans, the cold intent in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.

Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and others hadn’t closed their mouths. Old fool Yuchi stared at the lightning-wreathed great iron spear, puzzled beyond comprehension. He had also used His Majesty’s long spear before. Apart from being entirely forged from refined iron, there was nothing outstanding about it. Why could it protect young Yun unharmed?

Yu Wenshi Ji suddenly prostrated himself on the ground and called out loudly: “Your Majesty’s illustrious imperial majesty still stands! Startling thunder cannot disturb it, lightning cannot harm it. This old minister congratulates Your Majesty!”

Only then did the ministers awaken from their shock. They immediately knelt and made mountain-calling obeisance. Outside the hall, the guards, eunuchs, and palace maids also performed great ceremony and worship. The voices congratulating His Majesty filled the imperial palace. Before long, it spread beyond the palace gates, reached Vermilion Bird Street, and spread throughout Chang’an.

People follow blindly, especially this kind of congratulations without clear reason. Yun Ye rode on the roof ridge. Riding high, he could see far. He saw Chang’an’s citizens all walk out of the ward markets, their eyes toward the imperial palace, extremely happy, as if merely because their Emperor’s prestige was magnificent, they could drown all the locusts with one piss.

The Five Surname great clans’ faces were ashen. They knew it wasn’t what Yu Wenshi Ji called magnificent heavenly majesty, but had another reason. Yet they couldn’t find a single flaw. That boy who climbed onto the roof was trembling there. Lu Shou lay gasping on the artificial mountain. The lightning filling the sky and the muffled thunder seemed to have all taken interest in Li Er’s long spear, yet turned a blind eye to that scourge who climbed the roof, who was right before their eyes.

Lu Shou squeezed out the last breath from his chest and shouted loudly: “Heaven above! Are you blind?”

Having said this, he thoroughly sent the Five Surname great clans into hell.

Slandering Heaven? Especially doing this in front of Heaven’s son—this was purely asking for trouble. Adding that the whole court of civil and military officials were looking to grab their pigtails, worried they had nowhere to start, now it was perfect. Both witness and material evidence were complete. Zhangsun Wuji smiled lecherously as he had guards seize this group of old men who disrespected Heaven and slandered the imperial family. The family heads who on ordinary days were treated as honored guests wherever they went didn’t resist and obediently submitted to capture. No one looked at Lu Shou lying on the artificial mountain with his life or death unknown.

After everything was handled, the clouds in the sky also dispersed and the sun came out. The strange clouds hadn’t dropped a single drop of rain water. This was also something Yun Ye was very dissatisfied with. Without rain water, what could this master use to cover up the fact that he’d pissed his pants?

“Boy, what are you still riding up there for? Hurry down!” Li Er shouted loudly.

“I can’t come down. My legs are weak!”

The whole court of civil and military officials burst into laughter. Even Li Er couldn’t help but laugh.

Old fool Yuchi climbed up the ladder onto the roof and grabbed Yun Ye with one hand. Seeing that where he had been sitting was wet in a large patch, then looking at his pants, he laughed as if having convulsions. Taking advantage of catching his breath, he even loudly told the ministers: “Ha ha ha, this boy was so scared he pissed his pants! Ha ha ha!”

The laughter that had just subsided instantly became wild again. Some clutched their bellies, some slid down along the wall base, some wiped snot and tears while continuing to laugh loudly. Even the eunuchs serving nearby opened their mouths in great laughter. The palace maids who had been taught by Zhangsun not to smile carelessly also hugged the ceremonial canopy and screens, squatting on the ground laughing.

The helpless Yun Ye was carried in old fool Yuchi’s hand, letting things take their course, allowing them to exhibit him.

As long as they forget this master’s mighty divine display from just now, that’s fine.

Perhaps laughter is the most effective means of closing the distance between people. Just moments ago they were amazed by Yun Ye’s miraculous abilities. Now they only felt he was just a junior generation’s foolish nonsense, nothing more. Gone was the astonishment—only intimacy remained.

“Not bad. Just yesterday it was said, and today you’ve already achieved great merit. However, you get the Empress’s reward. I can’t control that.” Li Er glanced sideways at Yun Ye’s wet crotch.

“What about this subject’s ten thousand strings of cash?” Yun Ye only hoped that this time the Emperor wouldn’t swallow his money again. He still had to build houses. Old Li had mentioned it several times already.

“That was an agreement made before they violated the law. It will be given to you—not a single coin less. You’ve already pissed your pants, yet you’re still thinking about that bit of money? A boy naturally born to want money more than life.”

Following Li Chengqian to his Eastern Palace to bathe and change clothes, he also grabbed Li Tai, who was covering his nose nearby.

“Brother Ye, why aren’t you afraid of thunder and lightning? Oh, you already pissed your pants, so of course you were afraid. I mean, how did you know Father Emperor’s iron spear would draw away the lightning?” Li Tai asked in a muffled voice, still unwilling to take down the hand covering his nose.

“Do I stink that much? If you keep covering your nose, next time I’ll send you to the roof to be struck by lightning.”

Li Tai quickly put down his hand. He wasn’t afraid of his elder brother—he was genuinely afraid of Yun Ye. Last time, just because he made Xiao Ya cry, the next day he was given a huge pointed-bottom wooden bucket. Carrying water nearly killed him. Adding to that, Li Ke wasn’t so easy to fool anymore either, firmly refusing to agree to place the water bucket on the side closer to himself. Strangely enough, there were fewer and fewer fools at the academy. Ordinary tricks no longer worked. Even Yuchi the big fool was starting to be hard to deceive.

Lying in the Eastern Palace’s huge bathing pool, Yun Ye buried his head in the water and made a bubble, then came back up. Li Chengqian lay beside him. Opposite them, Li Tai was researching whether the body displaced more water or the bathtub displaced more water, repeating this over and over with endless enjoyment. This child—beyond saving.

“Ye’zi, tell me, can we withstand this locust disaster? Guanzhong is my Li family’s foundation. I feel that Father Emperor taking risks with our foundation this time is somewhat not worth the loss.”

“Do you know why your father could defeat countless enemies and ultimately achieve imperial rule?” After drinking a mouthful of grape wine, Yun Ye asked him.

“Father Emperor naturally has heroic talent and great strategy. How could we compare?” Li Chengqian greatly admired his father.

“Heroic talent and great strategy—some of these things are innate, but the vast majority come from one’s own later comprehension. Haven’t you noticed? As long as there’s seventy percent certainty of victory, your father will immediately implement it without the slightest hesitation. Where in this world is there such a ridiculous thing as one hundred percent certainty? If one day you have this kind of feeling, then you must heighten your vigilance, because danger is very close to you. Even cracking beans can break teeth, let alone when what you’re dealing with is a creature as terrifying as humans. If you have complete certainty, it proves this is very likely false information your enemy has given you to make you relax your vigilance. He will launch an attack on you from where you least expect.”

Li Chengqian had always treated him well. Whatever he could teach him, he taught. Whether he could comprehend it was his own affair—no pressure. Historically, he thought he had complete certainty about rebelling, yet who knew he would fall early into his father’s trap, unable to extricate himself.