Dreams from youth, after being settled and revised over fifteen years, transform into actionable plans. The empire belonged to the Li family, but simultaneously belonged to all the nobles as well. Every person had the responsibility to make it better.

Occupying a position without doing anything was actually the greatest enemy of the nobles. Once a person lost the motivation to advance, living another hundred years wouldn’t be much different from living one day. Li Chengqian’s action this time was actually telling his father: you cannot sit in that position forever without moving, even if you like it very much!

Yun Ye very much agreed with this point. Nobody likes an emperor who possesses both the domineering aura of a tiger and the wisdom of a fox. Even if you govern the country exceptionally well, it won’t do. Too much time, and the emperor easily becomes a god, and a god’s will cannot be defied by mortals.

You can stand in the ninth heaven with flashing lightning and thunder, splitting clouds and splitting trees that grow too tall – that’s fine. But you cannot stand on level ground and at close range strike lightning down on the pig in my yard. That would cause dissatisfaction.

“In the coming years, our main task will be domestic governance – strengthening central control over local regions, developing people’s livelihoods, developing Jiangnan, constructing roads, comprehensively enlightening the common people. Do all of you agree?”

“Agreed!”

“Since we’re going to do things, from now on we must make good preparations, begin laying the foundation for our era, and be prepared to make sacrifices for it. Do all of you agree?”

“Agreed!”

“I don’t agree!”

All five people fixed their gazes on the person who said he didn’t agree – that is, fixed their gazes on Yun Ye.

“I don’t agree!” Yun Ye once again declared his view.

“Don’t look at me like that. Doing things is fine, but don’t dream that I’ll stake my life on it. I love this country, and I love all of you, but my life I won’t give! Absolutely won’t give. This has nothing to do with faith, nothing to do with integrity, and nothing to do with courage.”

“When Yun Ye risked life and death in battle, when Yun Ye risked life and death to remonstrate – there was actually a precondition for all of it, which is that I would only do it under circumstances where my life could be preserved. I will not hand over my life to my own ideals, nor will I hand over my life to some grand slogans. The only thing that could make me completely surrender my life is my wife and children.”

“To tell the truth, I’m already utterly tired of the court. If it weren’t because you, Chengqian, haven’t yet ascended the throne, I would have long ago run far away. Compared to facing documents all day in the court, I much prefer catching crabs by the seaside, planting wheat in the fields – even leaning against a wall root bragging with country farmers is more comfortable than listening to those scheming words.”

“So, when you plan to thoroughly form an alliance of interests, don’t count me in. In the future I’m destined to go home and farm the land. And I have a warning for you all – don’t rashly form alliances, otherwise the ones suffering will only be yourselves.”

“You don’t know how great the power of interests is. Sometimes it will sweep you along to do things you’re unwilling to do. Chengqian! Don’t form factions. As long as you set this precedent, people will immediately follow suit, because the only thing that can deal with one faction is another faction.”

“Once factional strife begins and opposition for opposition’s sake emerges, then you won’t need to do anything anymore, because your enemies will be your own ministers, will be your own brothers. Such enemies are far more powerful than any Dashi people or Tubo people. How will you handle yourselves then? As long as the first blade falls killing brothers and ministers, afterward you’ll have countless opportunities to wield the blade.”

“So, I’m not joining. Even if I go herd horses I won’t join. To speak deadly honest words – your father had the Tiancel Mansion and that’s why he had those past events that pierced his heart. The benevolent are invincible – previously I completely looked down on such rubbish from these musty old books, but now I’ve discovered that the truly foolish and ignorant person is me.”

After Yun Ye finished speaking these words, he found a comfortable place and lay on his back on the straw, putting his feet in the sunlight to warm them. This could serve the function of a foot soak.

Li Chengqian’s expression didn’t change as he continued to ask: “From now on we must make good preparations, begin laying the foundation for our era, and be prepared to make sacrifices for it. Do all of you agree?”

“Agreed!” This time there were no dissenting voices. Each person had their own demands. The Yun family’s demand was to contend with no one, but the others couldn’t do that. Various reasons made them link their own interests with Li Chengqian’s interests.

They were all adults. The will of every person here was incomparably strong. They simply wouldn’t change their own thinking because of a few words from someone. Yun Ye didn’t expect these few words of his to change anyone’s mind. He only felt that as brothers, if he didn’t speak honestly, he would definitely regret it greatly in the future. The Yun family’s power and foundation had already been established – demanding too much would only bring disaster. Withdrawing bravely from swift currents is what’s called knowing the opportune moment.

The remaining matters were for the five of them to discuss. Although they deliberately spoke loudly, wanting Yun Ye to hear, Yun Ye turned a deaf ear. The sun felt comfortable. Before long, snoring sounds arose…

The five of them now were like conjoined people. Ever since the six were squeezed into one cell, they would converse during morning exercise, would converse while eating lunch at noon, and would still converse after lights out in the evening. Each one lacked even basic security awareness. Right in front of Yun Ye they began planning how they would respond if the worst outcome appeared.

Just when Yun Ye could bear it no longer and was preparing to have the jailer lock him alone in a cell, someone finally came to the prison. The Court of Imperial Family Minister with his corpse-like face, smiling without warmth, read out the Emperor’s edict – that is, the final punishment decision.

Li Chengqian’s guard of a thousand men was reduced to three hundred. Li Tai’s princely stipend was confiscated for three years. Yun Ye’s salary rice as Minister of War and Marquis Lantian was also confiscated for three years, though it seemed he hadn’t actually received Great Tang’s salary for many years anyway.

Returning home all scruffy and unshaven, every wife rushed up crying. This made him somewhat regret marrying so many wives. After comfortably taking a bath attended by Xiao Miao and Lingdang – a bath that took rather long, and during which it seemed some other activities occurred – when he lay in the reclining chair waiting for Xinyue to bring the razor to trim his face, seeing the bright gleaming razor made him a bit worried.

Xinyue ultimately didn’t murder her husband. Her hands were clean and efficient as she helped her husband finish trimming his face. Then with a bitter expression she said to Yun Ye: “Husband, what exactly happened this time? You were called away in the deep of night by a red-plumed urgent messenger. How did you end up in the Imperial Palace fighting over women, with deaths and injuries all over? This concubine counted the guards you brought three times and didn’t find anyone missing. These past days when you were in a bad mood this concubine didn’t dare ask, but now that clouds have passed and sun has risen, you must tell this concubine.”

Not having touched a woman for over ten days, although the activity level just now had been a bit much, when Yun Ye saw Xinyue’s low neckline, he still couldn’t help reaching his hand inside.

“Don’t ask anymore. You just need to know that this time things were very dangerous – the Emperor almost met his end, the Crown Prince almost met his end. As for me bearing a bad reputation, this is a good thing – at least for you it’s a good thing. A lecher who can’t stand seeing beautiful women – which family’s daughter would dare not avoid your husband when seeing him? Even in the Imperial Palace he had the audacity to snatch people. If it happened outside, wouldn’t he be executed on the spot?”

Xinyue’s face reddened as she slapped at Yun Ye’s hand moving chaotically at her chest, saying: “Old husband and wife – who doesn’t know who? If you have the ability, execute this concubine on the spot right now for me to see. You already executed two just now. This concubine only worries that you, this executioner, lack stamina.”

This made him angry. As long as you’re a man, you can’t tolerate these words. He picked up Xinyue sideways, kicked open the bedroom door, and walked inside…

Early in the morning he wouldn’t get out of bed. As soon as his lower back moved it would crack and pop. His wives and concubines covered their mouths and secretly laughed. But Yun Ye was privately celebrating – fortunately Na Rimu had gone to Sanyuan County to receive the Yun family’s new estate. Otherwise his old life would have been finished right here.

Though his salary had been confiscated, Zhangsun had given the Yun family’s eldest daughter an estate in Sanyuan County that specialized in producing rice, saying it was adding to his daughter’s dowry. So that one large and one small pair of money-lovers, after being affectionate for a while upon seeing Yun Ye return safely, hitched up the carriage and went directly to Sanyuan County to look at their property.

Xiao Miao had strength in her hands – her massages were most comfortable. After she massaged him from head to toe, Yun Ye immediately felt himself refreshed and invigorated. However, when Xiao Miao was massaging the soles of his feet, perhaps something wasn’t right – Yun Ye’s gaze habitually looked down through Xiao Miao’s open neckline. Before he’d looked for long, Xinyue slapped him awake.

“Yesterday when you came back you were happy – making a ruckus all day was fine. But how can you still have this deadly behavior now? Do you want your life or not?”

Xiao Miao giggled and said: “Sister, just now I pressed husband’s foot center and stimulated his kidney energy, so that’s why he became lustful. It was so amusing – just now husband kept looking down my neckline.”

Xinyue cursed “foolish girl” and backhanded Xiao Miao a slap, then said to Yun Ye: “Husband, one of your students is kneeling at the gate requesting an audience.”

Yun Ye’s smiling face disappeared in an instant. He said to Xinyue: “Have the steward go out and say that I never taught my students that there’s any art of immortality in this world. Therefore, from now on he is no longer my student.”

Seeing her husband’s expression was very poor, Xinyue nodded and went out. Xiao Miao moved her body onto Yun Ye’s lap and asked quietly: “Who is it?”

“Wang Xuance! A person with very high talent, a person capable of single-handedly destroying a nation, also a person capable of persuading Songtsen Gampo – who had just returned from great defeat – to lend him troops.”

“Then why do you treat him with such disdain?”

“Because that person’s heart has gone bad. Since his heart has gone bad, this person is also ruined. Even if he has heaven-reaching talent, he can no longer be used. An unscrupulous clever person is very dangerous to employ.”

Xiao Miao nodded in confusion, then quietly pulled open her neckline and said quietly to Yun Ye: “Look – have they gotten a bit bigger?”

After Wang Xuance heard Old Qian’s message, he despondently bowed toward the Yun family gate, then rose. He still had a long road to travel. Going to Yanzhou in Qianzhong Circuit – who knew when he would be able to return.