Li Yuan sat in the chair with vacant eyes, unconsciously pinching a mahjong tile in his hand. He reached back and stuffed that five circles tile into his bosom, saying to Yun Ye: “Begin. I need a good sleep to restore my spirits. Her punishment of me isn’t enough yet. I need to live a few more years, suffer more torment, before I can go see her.”

Yun Ye very much wanted to cover his ears. These words were better left unheard. Li’er’s face was so gloomy it could wring out water.

“Grand Emperor jests. You’re in the prime of life. His Majesty and the Crown Prince are extremely filial to you. You should take good care of your health and enjoy this splendid realm. You’re fine now. If you want to sleep, then sleep. I heard you didn’t even eat dinner. I had the chef cook some fresh lotus seed soup. Drink it hot, then have a good sleep. When you wake tomorrow, it will be a bright sunny day again.”

Yun Ye took out a bowl of lotus seed soup mixed with mafeisan from the food box at the door and handed it to Li Yuan, saying: “This bowl of soup contains some medicinal substances I’ve added to aid sleep. After you drink it, you’ll fall asleep very quickly.”

Li Yuan said nothing, took the porcelain bowl from Yun Ye’s hands, and gulped down the small bowl of porridge in a few swallows. Wiping his mouth, he smiled and said to Yun Ye: “Not bad. The porridge is cooked to perfect doneness. Just a trace of medicinal bitterness that affects the flavor.”

After speaking, he leaned back against the cushion on the low couch and closed his eyes. Soon, snoring sounds arose. Two inner attendants gently positioned Li Yuan properly, covered him with a blanket. Li’er beckoned, and except for the inner attendants serving Li Yuan’s sleep, everyone else followed Li’er out of the side hall.

Outside the great hall, the cold air pressed in. Having just emerged from the warm room, everyone involuntarily shivered.

Li’er stood before the white jade railing, patting the lion head sculpture on it. A ghostly voice drifted over: “Yun Ye, do you also plan to use your ghostly tricks on me?”

“Father Emperor, there’s nothing strange about it. It’s just a portrait painted with turmeric water. There’s a bit of alkali on the mahjong tiles and in the wine. When the two meet, they turn red. It’s a very simple chemical experimental change. Yun Ye just made a few modifications.”

Li Tai had just eaten half of Yun Ye’s chicken, so he jumped out to explain for him. In fact, matters involving spirits and demons were best exposed by Li’er’s own son.

Li Chengqian added: “When Yun Ye came, he said Imperial Grandfather’s illness was a heart ailment that needed heart medicine to cure. Your son switched the mahjong tiles when everyone was distracted. Yun Ye said the preliminary stage needed to be kept secret, so your son didn’t reveal it. Please punish me, Father Emperor.”

“Special illnesses require special treatments. Yun Ye does things unconventionally, with unbounded imagination. I would only be pleased, how could I blame him?”

Zhangsun said with a worried face: “You shouldn’t have exposed this matter. Now that your father emperor knows the reason, this method won’t work anymore.”

Li’er asked Yun Ye with a smile: “You still plan to use this kind of method to treat my illness?”

Yun Ye smiled and shook his head, clapping his hands. The inner attendant carrying the food box walked over. Yun Ye pointed at the food box and said to Li’er: “Your Majesty has campaigned ceaselessly throughout your life, swallowing ten thousand li like a tiger. Those undignified tricks work on the Grand Emperor, who is old and frail with confused thoughts, but if applied to Your Majesty in the same way, you would laugh at them.”

Li’er laughed heartily. He had indeed been prepared to laugh at Yun Ye just now. A trick full of holes wanted to deceive him? He was quite proud that his illness was more severe than his father’s and also more difficult to treat. As emperor, even getting sick should be more difficult to treat than others—that was proper.

“Your Majesty can’t sleep only because you worry about the Grand Emperor. Being influenced by him, you’ve disturbed your own mind. Actually, as long as the Grand Emperor is cured, Your Majesty’s condition will naturally heal. Of course, if you drink this bowl of porridge, you’ll sleep even more comfortably. Even if there really are demons and ghosts, with two Dukes present, even spirits will keep away.”

Li’er looked in the direction Yun Ye pointed in astonishment. He saw two great generals in full armor outside the Taiji Palace gate, holding sharp blades and guarding the entrance. One wore golden chain mail, held a bronze mace, had a bow on his back and a quiver at his waist. Under the reflection of the huge tallow candles, he looked like a celestial being descended from heaven. The other wore wrought iron armor, gripped a bamboo-jointed steel whip in his hand, had six short spears on his back, wore a face guard with only the eye holes emitting a forest of cold intent—this was a demon god from hell. This kind of dress was usually only seen on battlefields. Who would have thought it would now appear at the entrance of his sleeping quarters?

Li’er strode quickly to the front of the palace, choking up as he said to the two old marshals before the hall: “How have my beloved ministers come to this? I only have a slight ailment. How could I trouble my two beloved ministers with such great devotion?”

Qin Qiong said in a deep voice: “Now all the people under heaven depend on Your Majesty alone. The great army is about to begin征伐 disloyal lands. Your Majesty’s unsettled mind is a great taboo. With this old subject guarding the gate, I don’t believe any demons or monsters would dare step through the palace door.”

Yuchi Gong also laughed harshly: “This subject and Old Qin have killed like hemp in this lifetime. If there really were wronged ghosts seeking our lives, we’d have long been a pair of dried bones. Yet aren’t we still eating a bushel of rice and ten jin of meat per meal, living comfortably? Your Majesty is the commander-in-chief. You’ve been too benevolent these years. Every kind of thing dares to come to your door. When they were alive, we dismembered them. Now that they’re dead, would I have no way to deal with them?”

“Old Qin’s body is weak. When fierce ones come later, leave them to me. You just observe the enemy and scout the formation. Have that boy Yun set up an oil cauldron. I’ll behead one, and you fry one. In this freezing weather, they’re perfect to go with wine.”

“Yuchi, you forget that I too am a warrior who fought in battle formations. I’m not a fool who asks ‘why don’t they eat meat?’ Tonight I’ll sleep soundly and thoroughly. Tomorrow we’ll discuss how to pacify the realm. Hahaha!”

Li’er had no more polite words. Laughing loudly, he entered the palace. He didn’t even drink the lotus seed soup Yun Ye had prepared, intending to go fight those dead ghosts in his dreams.

Zhangsun bowed to Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, then entered the palace with a smile, showing none of her earlier haggardness.

Li Chengqian had at some point also donned armor and stood on the steps gripping a horizontal sword. Li Tai and Li Ke weren’t to be outdone either, each donning armor. Li Tai even said to Yuchi Gong: “Uncle Yuchi, don’t kill all the evil ghosts in a bit. Leave one for your nephew to practice on.” Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong laughed together, saying good and praising him as a tiger’s son producing no dogs.

Yun Ye, wrapped in thick leather clothing, called for palace servants to bring several charcoal braziers covered with iron grates. On such a cold night, how could he justify not doing some barbecue?

Working personally without letting the chefs help, he had all the chicken wings from the palace kitchen removed. The frozen mutton was cut into thin slices, tofu cut into large chunks. He selected some suitable vegetables, took seven or eight potatoes—roasted potatoes would be a good choice later. Three or four medium-sized fish. He stir-fried red peppers with Sichuan peppercorns and spices until fragrant, filled a large pot with chicken broth from the imperial kitchen, then excitedly headed toward the Taiji Palace.

Li’er didn’t need people to kill ghosts for him—he only needed sufficient confidence and human presence. No matter how terrifying the scene, when cheerful voices and laughter drifted over, any person would gain boundless courage.

He lay on the warm bed covered with thick blankets, Zhangsun embracing him. Hearing the cheerful voices and laughter outside the palace door, his lips couldn’t help but curve upward. He intermittently heard the chaotic sounds of Li Tai and Yun Ye fighting over chicken wings. He felt no displeasure, only warmth. He whispered in Zhangsun’s ear: “Guanyin maiden, I have you as my empress, Old Qin and Yuchi as such subjects, Qian’er, Qingque, and Ke’er as such children, Yun Ye as such a junior—Heaven truly treats me generously.”

Zhangsun kissed Li’er’s forehead and gently patted him without speaking. Li’er very much wanted to go outside the palace to join the gathering because he smelled the spicy aroma, but drowsiness like a tide instantly submerged him. He vaguely heard Yuchi Gong loudly cursing Li Ke. Why? It seemed a potato was cooked and Li Ke had snatched it away?

Li’er fell asleep, his snoring like thunder. Qin Qiong signaled the noisy people outside the hall to lower their voices, afraid of affecting Li’er’s sleep.

Yun Ye snatched a strip of mutton, then said to Old Qin: “Uncle, no matter. The palace is too cold and quiet. His Majesty needs to hear these breaths from the mortal world.”

The six people outside the palace all knew no ghosts or monsters would come. Their sole reason for existing was to put the Emperor’s mind at ease, so they became even more boisterous.

When Zhangsun woke, she found it was already the third watch. Her husband still slept sweetly without signs of nightmares. She rose and dressed. The gentle palace maids draped her in a fur cloak. Opening the door, she saw Qin Qiong still blocking the palace entrance, his weapon never leaving his hands. Though two wine jars were stacked beside him, his eyes still swept around alertly with spirit.

On the left side, Yuchi sat on a wine jar with a lamb leg in his hand, roasting it over the charcoal brazier in front of him, then cutting off a slice with his knife and eating happily.

Li Chengqian sat upright on the ground, his face flushed red from the brazier fire. Without realizing it, Zhangsun discovered her eldest son’s lips already had some dark fuzz—he had become a man.

Qin Qiong and Yuchi nodded to the Empress without moving. Li Tai came forward, took his mother’s hand, and placed a roasted golden potato in her hand, saying: “Mother Empress, these potatoes taste absolutely delicious roasted. Try it. Your son will roast some other things for you.”

Yun Ye smiled brightly at Zhangsun and said: “His Majesty is sleeping soundly, right? From now on, His Majesty won’t be tormented by nightmares anymore. As long as he passes this hurdle, with His Majesty’s brilliant talent and great strategy, the arrival of a prosperous age is not just a dream.”

“You’ve taken such trouble. The imperial family has wronged you these days, keeping a talented scholar full of talent confined to teaching at the academy—a waste of great talent.”

“Your Majesty’s words are mistaken. These days of tranquility are actually what I most yearn for. I have no grand ambitions, only hoping to pass this lifetime peacefully and happily. Marching and fighting, governing the realm—these are not my strengths. A few days ago, His Majesty even asked me if he gave me a province to govern, could I make it as prosperous as the Yun family estate?”

“Your subject’s answer was no. Self-knowledge is essential. Governing a nation, a circuit, a province, a county, and a family are completely different matters. If Your Majesty wants to see your subject beheaded and displayed to the public, then by all means entrust me with heavy responsibilities.”

Zhangsun broke open the potato and took a bite, comfortably narrowing her eyes. After finishing that bite, she said: “You’re just lazy. You’re only eighteen or nineteen this year. It’s not too late to learn anything. With your intelligence, what couldn’t you learn?”

“Your Majesty, clever people have a flaw—a fatal one. When there’s danger, clever people often choose to evade. Because they’re clever, they might very well evade it. Unlike those of mediocre talent who know they can’t evade, so they charge head-on. After once, twice, many times, they forge a tenacious character—this is the quality those who accomplish great things should have. Clever people are always evading. After evading for a long time, they lose the courage to advance against difficulties. If just once they can’t evade, it’s a catastrophic consequence.”

“What you say makes great sense. Someone who emerges through hardship and suffering is indeed far stronger than someone who relies purely on cleverness. But this principle doesn’t apply to you. When cleverness has grown powerful enough to solve any problem, it itself is a kind of strength, unrelated to diligence—it’s a matter of natural talent. Like you, like Qingque.”

Yun Ye didn’t respond, just raised his head to look at the sky. Damp cold mist rose, fine snow powder scattered down sporadically—this was frost, not snow. Through the thin fog, the moon became an eerie purple.

“In another month, my child will be born into this world. As a parent, I must create a suitable space for him to grow safely. What I value most in this world is life. Nothing is more moving than a small flesh ball growing into a magnificent man.”

Bringing up this topic, Zhangsun was somewhat displeased.

“If I remember correctly, you already have another child born into the world. Why don’t you mention him?”

From a grandmother’s perspective, Yun Ye’s indifference toward Li Anlan’s child made her feel she’d been hurt.

“Li Rong, that child, will become an upstanding man. After he turns five, I’ll bring him back to raise and teach personally.”

This was what Yun Ye had long determined. Though this child’s circumstances were complicated, as long as he was Yun family flesh and blood, there was no reason to abandon him. Letting the child take the surname Li was the greatest concession Yun Ye had made.

Zhangsun finished that potato, accepted the tea Li Tai brought up to rinse her mouth, and said to Yun Ye with a half-smile: “I hope you have sufficient wisdom to cope with future matters. The Yun family is also a prominent household—it would be embarrassing if disputes between legitimate and illegitimate children spread.”

She returned to the palace. Yun Ye rubbed his face and ladled out two bowls of the chicken broth simmering on the brazier to send to Qin Qiong and Yuchi. These two old marshals, as long as they received military duties, absolutely refused to be negligent. Even knowing clearly that no ghosts would approach, they still wouldn’t leave their chosen sentry posts.

They drank the broth extremely boldly. Both men gulped it down with a clang, their weapons never leaving their hands throughout.

Li Chengqian still sat upright at the end of the path, his horizontal sword resting on his knees. Yun Ye specially fished out a chicken leg for him to warm up—wearing iron plates definitely wouldn’t be too comfortable.

“Your mother empress just came. Why didn’t you speak to her?”

Eating his chicken leg, Li Chengqian said sullenly: “I’m an adult now. Circling around Mother all day—what kind of behavior is that? That’s what Qingque should do.”

One sentence left Yun Ye speechless and choking. He decided not to bother with this fool. Finding a place to hunker down himself was the responsible thing to do.