He was under house arrest—the Empress’s orders. If he dared leave the manor gates, his legs would be broken. Two fierce-looking imperial guards really were staying at the Yun family home and wouldn’t leave, following Yun Ye relentlessly with menacing expressions. As soon as the palace attendant who delivered the decree left, the bear-like imperial guards immediately showed their true colors—bending their backs, hunching their shoulders, shrinking their necks. They learned Yun Ye’s manner perfectly, loudly proclaiming they were forced to come under Empress’s orders. “Your Lordship, please take pity on us two brothers. As long as you don’t leave Yun Manor, anything else is fine.”

Sitting alone on the swing, recalling Li Anlan’s every smile and frown made his heart ache somewhat. Could it be he’d actually fallen for her? This brainless woman—she only had a face like his wife from the future but didn’t have her kind heart. An illusion! Deceived by appearances. When it came down to it, she was just an imperial princess—all of them were man-eating baby tyrannosaurs. What she considered playing, to him was life-threatening. Without dragon-subduing skills, one shouldn’t play such high-risk games.

It wasn’t like he was some lovesick little brat who’d lost all proper reasoning.

What a joke! Would I, a proud “red flag” man, fall at the feet of some little girl from a corrupt, degenerate, class-antagonistic feudal dynasty?

He needed to find some amusement for himself, or he’d get depression. Li Anlan’s matter could be discussed later—no time to consider such things now. Yun Ye encouraged himself.

Li Er was being unreasonable! Saying his old man had been made by Yun Ye to lose interest in food and drink, unable to sleep at night, and was growing thinner by the day?

Nonsense! It had only been three days total—how thin could he have gotten? Back when Yun Ye tried to lose weight, he starved himself for three full days, got on the scale, and had actually gained a pound. Who could he complain to? Li Er also said from now on, Yun Ye was strictly forbidden from approaching within ten zhang of Li Yuan.

This made him angry. I’m not a leper—is quarantine really necessary? And I’m supposed to be responsible for making his old man happy? If you didn’t kill off your own brothers, he wouldn’t be sad!

Just as they say, feudal society has no human rights. If he didn’t follow Li Er’s orders, he wouldn’t even have the right to be human.

Yun Ye carefully recalled what elderly people from later generations did. Tai chi? Sword dancing? Dancing? None seemed suitable for Li Yuan, this deeply depressed person—any energy he had went to sowing seeds. It seemed he’d have to bring out the ultimate weapon.

Mahjong! Wasn’t it said that nine out of ten billion people play mahjong? That’s it. Anyone who touched this thing couldn’t let go of it. It was a divine tool for treating depression.

Hearing Yun Ye call for the carpenter, Old Grandmother and his aunt came running out. They knew he had something new to make. Last time someone tricked away the seed drill blueprints, Old Grandmother was heartbroken for a long time, constantly saying she hadn’t watched the house properly, allowing the family treasure to be swindled by outsiders. This time’s good thing absolutely couldn’t be lost again.

The most loyal carpenter in the household was arranged to report. Yun Ye drew on paper strips: bamboo, circle, character, east, south, west, north, center, prosperity, white. Most importantly, he must draw the one bamboo as a peacock with bright, spirited eyes so Li Yuan would like it at first sight.

All made of sandalwood, the patterns specially smoothed away so they all looked the same. The family carpenter’s skill was excellent, carving the one bamboo vividly and lifelike. Yun Ye turned his hand and called out: “Two circles!”

Grandmother watching from the side didn’t understand and asked Yun Ye: “Ye’er, what are these little wooden blocks for? That little bird is carved beautifully though.”

“Grandmother, with this thing, you and the household aunties, aunts, and sisters won’t be bored anymore. This is a toy—a toy for adults.”

At the small dining table, the tiles were arranged. Yun Ye sat east, Grandmother sat south, Elder Aunt sat west, Auntie sat north. After explaining the rules, they started playing with open tiles. Yun Ye helped the elders form sets, pong, chow, ready hand, win. In just a few rounds, they’d all mastered the essentials. Aunt’s tile-drawing skill had already surpassed Yun Ye’s. Elder Sister, watching from the side with itchy hands, kicked Yun Ye off the table and took his place herself.

He could only hold Xiao Ya and tell her stories. The moon rose to mid-sky, and in his dreams Yun Ye still vaguely heard Aunt loudly calling “pong!”

Li Chengqian was drawing tiles through gritted teeth, his little face screwed up like a bun, his fingers making the tiles squeak from his grip. Probably not drawing good tiles, he casually threw one to the river and called: “Five circles!”

Zhangsun Chong beamed with joy, spreading his tiles and happily saying: “I win!” Reaching out far: “Thank you three, much obliged for fifty wen!”

Li Chengqian pushed his tiles into the river and continued shuffling, saying to Yun Ye while shuffling: “Yezi, this is the new thing you made for the Grand Emperor? You’re not trying to get my grandfather addicted to gambling, are you? I’ve only played this thing for a little while and already feel I can’t let it go. Can my Imperial Grandfather, a lonely old man, resist this thing’s temptation?”

Yun Ye took the opportunity to arrange a good hand for himself and said: “His Majesty only told me to make the Grand Emperor happy. Who cares if he gets addicted to gambling? He has plenty of money—couldn’t lose it all in a hundred years. As long as he’s happy, that’s good.”

“That’s true.” Li Chengqian rather agreed with Yun Ye’s view. Since Li Yuan abdicated, to compensate the old man, Li Er had been frantically stuffing money and beauties toward his father, hoping to make some compensation. This was also why Li Yuan had produced nine princes and princesses in two years.

“Xiao Ye, Chenqian, why don’t we enter the palace and find the Grand Emperor? He must be very lonely. How about we keep him company for a few rounds?” Zhangsun Chong seemed to have an epiphany.

Niu Jianhu pushed away his tiles and stopped playing, saying resentfully: “Damn it, a room full of despicable villains.”

The palace had specially built new halls for Li Yuan—”magnificent and splendid” wasn’t enough to describe their character. Yun Ye clicked his tongue, patting a golden nanmu pillar thick as a man’s embrace. Just this one pillar was enough for the Yun family to eat and drink for three years. Zhangsun Chong stared blankly at the endless stream of beauties in the palace. Li Chengqian had already scouted ahead and returned saying:

“My mother isn’t here. She returned to the rear palace after paying respects to Grandfather at noon.”

“Then what are we waiting for? The Grand Emperor must be waiting anxiously—we three brothers are all that’s missing.” Zhangsun Chong’s eyes turned into the shape of gold ingots.

Li Yuan reclined on a newly acquired armchair, drinking wine intermittently. His clothes hung half-open, revealing dark chest hair—only it lacked the vigor of earlier years. His muscles sagged, and a big belly protruded as if he were three months pregnant. Perhaps this was the goal Li Er needed to achieve! Yun Ye secretly criticized.

The three young men stood neatly, respectfully paying their respects to Li Yuan. The envy in the Grand Emperor’s eyes briefly appeared then disappeared.

“How did you three come here? And so coincidentally, all three arrived at the same time?”

“Hearing from Mother Empress that Imperial Grandfather has been in poor spirits recently, your grandson specially invited Cousin and Brother Ye to come keep Imperial Grandfather company and relieve his boredom.” Li Chengqian spoke with great filial piety, and his earnest intent immediately pleased Li Yuan.

“Haha, rare that you have such filial devotion. Boys, keep this old man company drinking.” As soon as the words fell, lavishly dressed beauties brought grape wine and poured a bowl for each of the three. The dark red wine in white porcelain bowls looked like pools of amber.

After three rounds of wine, Zhangsun Chong stood and said to Li Yuan: “Grand Emperor, this boy grew up hearing legends about you. Hearing of your youthful chivalrous spirit fills me with admiration—drinking from big bowls, eating large chunks of meat, dividing gold by the large scale. Jinyang still spreads tales of your deeds. But this boy was somewhat doubtful. Xiao Ye specially made an interesting thing for you. Why don’t we let this boy accompany the Grand Emperor for a few rounds?”

Li Yuan laughed heartily: “I knew you coming to this old man’s place meant no good. So you want to scheme against this old man? Then you’d better show some skill. Let this old man see what remarkable thing the Marquis Yun, famous throughout Chang’an, has made that gives you such confidence.”

Worthy of being someone who’d been Emperor for many years—how could their little schemes escape his sharp eyes?

“Grand Emperor, last time this boy was impolite. You’ve always been magnanimous, so please don’t take it to heart. This boy specially made a toy for you. Though it seems simple, it secretly conforms to the principles of heaven and earth. Grand Emperor, be careful—this boy has ten taels of gold in his pocket today, specially coming to seek profit from capital.” Yun Ye simply spoke openly.

Li Yuan laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, pointing at Yun Ye: “Of these three, you’re the most cunning. To have your schemes exposed yet remain unruffled and shamelessly boast—that’s not something ordinary people can do. Anlan using imperial authority to pressure you was a terrible move. Let’s see how she resolves it. Come, come, come, let this old man see your new toy.”

Palace maids quickly set up a table. Yun Ye spread out the mahjong tiles and introduced them one by one to Li Yuan. Li Yuan picked up the one bamboo, examined it for a moment, and said to Yun Ye: “You truly put thought into this. These tiles are indeed designed for this old man. Good! The rules are clear. Let’s start now and let this old man experience these principles of heaven and earth you speak of.”

Very quickly, after familiarizing themselves with one round, Li Yuan tossed out a one-tael gold ingot. The gambling match officially began. Mahjong’s allure was indeed hard to resist. At the gambling table, there are no fathers and sons. The four became excited gambling, no longer separated by status. When Li Yuan got good tiles, he beamed with joy; when he got chaotic tiles, he cursed this and that. Li Chengqian’s eyes were wide open, working hard at the tiles in his hand, nearly crushing them. Zhangsun Chong’s hat had disappeared somewhere, urging Li Chengqian to play. Yun Ye squatted in his chair like a monkey, one shoe here, one shoe there.

Before they knew it, the sun was about to set. None of the four had any intention of stopping, still noisily banging mahjong tiles. Empress Zhangsun stood at the doorway watching for a long time without entering. Seeing her father-in-law bare-chested, concentrating intently on rolling dice, she shook her head and left.

When the street-clearing drums sounded, Zhangsun Chong and Yun Ye lay on the floor counting their day’s harvest—you take one ingot, I take one ingot, dividing them joyfully.

Li Yuan lay wearily on the couch, the corners of his mouth holding a smile, drinking wine and saying softly: “Interesting boys.”

Li Er stood before the window, looking at the sky full of stars, silently saying to the stars: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I hope you find peace in heaven.” Empress Zhangsun nestled against her husband’s chest, feeling his increasingly calm heart, her own chest filled with joy and peace.