He figured it out. Early in the morning, Yun Ye ran to the Court of Agricultural Administration with dark circles under his eyes, then to the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories, and after cross-referencing with archives from the Directorate of Armaments, he finally understood—this damned Tang Dynasty’s highest reward for inventors of new technology was a mere fifteen strings of coins.

In the fourth year of Wude, a craftsman made a “thirsty crow” device and was awarded ten thousand in gold. In the sixth year of Wude, a courier presented eyebrow balm. The Emperor was pleased and awarded ten thousand in gold. In the sixth year of Wude, the Wannian County Magistrate presented a waterwheel and was rewarded with two sheep and ten thousand in gold. After that, it was newly written by the Court of Agricultural Administration: In the third year of Zhenguan, Marquis Yun presented a seed drill and was awarded fifteen thousand in gold.

No wonder that old fellow Huangfu Wuyi had to play the fool and run to Yun Manor to swindle him. In this era, even if you built an airplane, the reward would only be fifteen strings. The old man wasn’t lying—he truly had been bought off by the Yun family’s wine and food, exceeding regulations by giving an extra five strings. Seeing this, the fury in his heart finally subsided.

Standing at the entrance to the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories offices, he only saw raggedly-dressed craftsmen going in and out of various workshops. A sour feeling arose in his heart. In later generations, he too was one of them, but today they weren’t called workers—they were called “corvée slaves,” “household slaves,” “government slaves.” Each year they had to work over twenty days without compensation. No wonder when he was distributing wages and bonuses at the Bureau of Technology, his subordinate clerks behaved so strangely, asking repeatedly whether to pay the craftsmen wages. At the time, he was busy organizing materials and without even turning his head said: “Aren’t they all on the register? Distribute according to the forms!” Using people to do work and paying them wages—at the time he thought this was a matter of course. Was there anything to consider? Now thinking back, those craftsmen bowed to him not because he was radiating some domineering aura, but because they were grateful he paid them wages.

“Such a loss, such a loss.” Just as he was muttering about how his seed drill was pearls cast before swine, Old Huangfu crept up from behind and heard what Yun Ye said.

“Marquis Yun is famously wealthy. What does a mere fifteen strings matter?”

“Never mind fifteen strings—even fifteen thousand strings wouldn’t concern me. I was just looking through years of reward archives. Why is the maximum only fifteen strings? Elder, don’t tell me it’s because the government has no money. The ‘thirsty crow’ draws water, waterwheels irrigate, seed drills plant grain—all are first-rate excellent things. To only reward fifteen strings, isn’t that somewhat harsh?”

“Marquis Yun’s youthful spirit naturally progresses bravely and vigorously. This old man is already in his twilight years and cannot stir up such great waves. How can old customs be changed in just a moment? This old man has also submitted memorials, but they couldn’t even pass through the Three Departments, much less reach His Majesty. Marquis Yun, tell this old man truthfully—if last night it hadn’t been this old man but some other subordinate from the Court of Agricultural Administration doing this, what would have been the result?”

He’d wronged the old man. Just as he thought—Old Huangfu, historically famous for his integrity, wouldn’t be so tasteless.

“In the Court of Agricultural Administration, it’s only you, old sir. If it had been anyone else, their legs would have been broken last night.”

“Hehe, that’s precisely this old man’s difficulty. Reaching out to ask others for their secret techniques—how could that not attract resentment? Fortunately, this old face still has some regard, otherwise the consequences would be dire!”

Taking leave of Old Huangfu, he’d just entered the palace planning to go tease Li Anlan again. Before reaching Tingtao Pavilion, he was grabbed by two dead eunuchs and carried to the rear garden. Was this a place he could come to? Just as he was about to flee, Empress Zhangsun came out from a pavilion accompanying an old fellow. If he still didn’t know who the old fellow was, his brain would be completely waterlogged.

Several old fellows Yun Ye had encountered in the Great Tang were all decent people. Song Lian was upright, Li Gang was rigid, Huangfu was witty—they could be called masters of a generation. Old people should act like old people—wise and open-minded, calmly watching clouds gather and disperse—this was the correct view of elderly people. They shouldn’t act young when old, embracing beauties left and right, needing broad-waisted women to carry them on sedan chairs when walking two steps—that was immoral. What was even more bizarre was that Li Anlan also sat on the sedan, smiling like flowers, from time to time pounding the old fellow’s back and rubbing his legs, extremely attentive.

Alarm bells rang loudly in Yun Ye’s heart. Why had Li Yuan come out? Hadn’t he heard the old man planned to die of exhaustion among flowers? Why wasn’t he continuing with such a pleasant way to die and instead came to trouble him? You gave Li Er nine siblings in two years, contributing your strength to increasing the Great Tang’s population—all that was your son forcing you to do it. It has nothing to do with me.

Propriety still had to be observed. The Great Tang’s nominal highest leader had completely aged. His skin was slack, his beard and hair white. If not for his eyes being greenish like a wolf’s, Yun Ye wouldn’t have connected him with the name Li Yuan.

“This little punk bullied you?” Before he could raise his head, he heard Li Yuan speaking.

“Grandfather, it’s him. He not only bullied me but framed me.” Li Anlan had none of her usual strong spirit, acting coquettishly toward Li Yuan in a sickeningly sweet voice.

“Little punk, daring to bully my granddaughter—such guts! Someone! Drag him out, behead him, and feed him to the dogs!”

Hearing this simple verdict, every hair on Yun Ye’s body stood up. I’m going to be dog food just like that? Blinking his eyes toward Empress Zhangsun for help, she turned a blind eye, her face still wearing that half-smiling Guanyin expression.

Damn it, two burly women with fierce faces used a red silk rope and in no time tied him up. At this moment, Yun Ye instead calmed down. Just because of a small children’s dispute, did the Grand Emperor have the right to randomly chop off the head of a National Marquis?

Yun Ye was very angry—not angry at Li Yuan, but angry at Li Anlan. These past days, he’d never stopped sending food to the palace, all made with his own hands. No matter how busy, he never stopped. Even if you, Li Anlan, were a block of stone, you should understand I wasn’t casually teasing you—I genuinely like you. Even if you didn’t intentionally want to behead me, this is going too far. Can anyone bear the imperial family’s jokes? Or do you enjoy seeing me kneel and beg for mercy?

Tied up securely, but not sent to be dog food. Yun Ye’s face was iron-blue, head lowered without speaking.

Li Anlan felt somewhat awkward. Not seeing Yun Ye’s embarrassed appearance—when she went to beat him before, he would beg for mercy, bow, and make promises, looking very spineless. Why wasn’t he afraid of the Grand Emperor’s majesty?

Empress Zhangsun silently cried out in alarm. Yun Ye was famously like a donkey that needed to be stroked with the grain. The Grand Emperor using imperial authority to pressure him had aroused his pride as a worldly sage’s disciple. Now he probably harbored resentment even toward Anlan. Once a person with high spirits developed a rift, it couldn’t be reversed with a few words. Her father-in-law was somewhat muddled—he didn’t understand Yun Ye’s importance to the Great Tang.

“Marquis Yun, you’ve been terribly rude to Anlan. Why don’t you quickly apologize?” Before Empress Zhangsun could speak, a heavily made-up woman beside them spoke first. She too could see they were now riding the tiger and someone had to back down first.

Yun Ye said coldly: “The ospreys cry, on the river’s isle. A modest, retiring, virtuous young lady, for a gentleman a good mate. The ancient sages had famous sayings. This minister is unwed, the Princess unmarried. Having thoughts of seeking a phoenix is human nature. For the Grand Emperor to blame your subject for this is unjust.”

“Audacious!” Li Yuan shot up, pointing at Yun Ye and saying to Empress Zhangsun: “Such a fine subject of Er Lang! No regard for his sovereign—did the Emperor teach him this?”

Empress Zhangsun’s face turned deathly pale. Li Anlan hadn’t expected Yun Ye would be so unyielding, facing the Grand Emperor without giving an inch. Anxiously, she signaled Yun Ye with her eyes, hoping he would soften. At this moment, Yun Ye’s chest blazed with fury—how could he care to look at her?

“Father Emperor, please calm your anger. Marquis Lantian has traveled the world with a worldly sage since childhood and has been spoiled, lacking proper upbringing. Recently, your daughter-in-law has taken over his education. His disrespectful words are your daughter-in-law’s fault. Please, Father Emperor, consider his youth and ignorance and spare him this once.” Empress Zhangsun, disregarding the dust on the ground, prostrated herself.

Li Yuan’s anger lessened slightly. He ordered someone to help up Empress Zhangsun and said to her: “You and your husband both quite like this boy? Usually you don’t defy me—whatever orders I give, you follow without question. Today you prostrate yourself in the dust for him—this is the first time in over ten years. It seems this boy is quite something!”

“Your daughter-in-law and His Majesty don’t know why, but upon seeing this boy, we feel affection. Perhaps it’s Heaven’s will!” After answering Li Yuan’s question, she turned to glare at Yun Ye: “You scoundrel, why don’t you come apologize to the Grand Emperor? Do you truly not want your life?”

Others’ efforts cannot be wasted, others’ goodwill cannot go unthanked—this had always been Yun Ye’s principle of conduct. Empress Zhangsun had gone this far for him—what else was there to say? Unable to kneel while bound, he bowed and said: “This minister was momentarily flustered. Please, Grand Emperor, forgive me.”

The words came out, but the tone was stiff and cold.

“You’re not convinced?” Li Yuan took a sip of wine and said casually.

For some reason, seeing Li Anlan made Yun Ye angry. The fury that had just subsided flared up again as he said loudly: “Of course this minister is not convinced. Could it be that only the Grand Emperor as a magistrate is allowed to set fires, while Marquis Lantian as a commoner is forbidden to light lamps?”

Li Yuan nearly spat out his mouthful of wine. Forcibly suppressing the drink, he asked strangely: “What kind of allusion is ‘magistrates setting fires and commoners lighting lamps’?”

“This boy heard someone say that when Tian Deng served as a magistrate, he tabooed his own name. Anyone who violated it would surely face his anger, and clerks and soldiers were often beaten. Thus, throughout the prefecture, everyone called lamps ‘fires.’ During the Lantern Festival when lamps were lit and people were permitted to enter the prefecture offices to view, the officials posted a notice in the marketplace saying: ‘This prefecture, following custom, sets fires for three days.’ When this boy told his master, his master laughed heartily and said: ‘Only magistrates are allowed to set fires; commoners are forbidden to light lamps!'”

As soon as the words finished, the beauties nearby all covered their mouths and laughed. Li Yuan also smiled. Empress Zhangsun relaxed. Li Anlan’s expression was wooden, not knowing what she was thinking.

“You’d better explain how I set fires as a magistrate. If you can’t explain clearly, two crimes together will be severely punished without leniency.”

“Your Majesty has forgotten the matter from the Sui years—choosing a son-in-law by shooting arrows at a peacock screen. This allusion is already known throughout the realm. This small minister is merely picking up Your Majesty’s wisdom.” Yun Ye looked at Li Yuan disdainfully—old bastard who forgets old friends when he has beauties.

Empress Zhangsun drew in a breath of cold air. This boy dares say anything.

Li Yuan sank into irresistible memories. Waving his hand for palace attendants to carry him back to the palace, he had no more mind to deal with Yun Ye. The deceased Empress Dou was the eternal pain in his heart, especially after experiencing the heart-wrenching upheaval of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. The children Empress Dou bore killed each other, blood flowing like rivers. Empress Dou, how fortunate you are! Leaving me to endure this alone.

Li Anlan looked at Yun Ye, but Yun Ye was looking at the sky. Bitterness filled Li Anlan’s chest. He no longer looks at me…

Just as he was trying hard to put on an air of aloof self-appreciation, Yun Ye suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ear. Empress Zhangsun’s furious face appeared before his eyes.