“Ye’zi, the Feng family wants to venture out to sea, so why do you seem unhappy?” Li Tai was somewhat puzzled about why Yun Ye had called him out of the tent to discuss this matter. Military strength had certain limitations—if the Feng family directed their forces toward the ocean, what they invested on land would decrease. This way, the armored soldiers at Meiling could be reduced somewhat. But looking at Yun Ye’s reaction, he seemed even more worried.

“This decision is difficult to make, Qing Que. The reason I took the risk of bringing you with me to the sea was so you could see with your own eyes how prosperous the ocean is. Our ancestors have lived on the Loess Plateau for generations upon generations. We have an infinite desire for land—we plant grain wherever we can, and even where we cannot, we still try. We cherish every inch of land, yet we turn a blind eye to the vast, boundless sea.”

“The Feng family has people, wealth, and capability. The only thing they currently lack is shipbuilding ability. Over time, they will inevitably develop their own system, which will be detrimental to future generations’ control over the ocean.”

Li Tai smiled without speaking. He ran to the roadside, relieved himself, then returned to say to Yun Ye: “Ye’zi, I’ve discovered a flaw of yours. Promise you won’t get angry and I’ll tell you.”

“What kind of flaw could make you unable to hold your urine? I’m all ears.”

Li Tai hesitated before saying: “I’ve discovered that you don’t act like a dignified marquis, but more like the shopkeeper of a street-corner grocery store.” Yun Ye paused, then made a gesture for him to continue, meaning he should finish speaking.

“You lack a certain magnanimity. While I was urinating just now, I carefully recalled your actions and found that you’re very petty. In this respect, you fall far short of my elder brother, not to mention my father the Emperor.”

“This world is said to belong to our Li family, but it’s better to say it belongs to all the people under heaven. My father the Emperor only positions himself as a helmsman, comparing the imperial family to a great ship. When he speaks of ‘water can carry a boat but can also overturn it,’ he’s explaining that the Li family cannot monopolize all the benefits under heaven.”

“The Great Tang was founded on the breadth of mind and courage to embrace all rivers and seas. As long as it’s within the conditions permitted by Tang law, you can act as you wish. Our armies advance west, east, north, and south to proclaim to the entire world that all land under heaven belongs to the king—whatever we want, we can obtain.”

“National strength is ultimately limited and cannot bloom in all directions. My father the Emperor needs to deploy forces with specific targets, facing the most critical and important situations. Other matters need to be completed by the Tang’s nobility and common people.”

“You worry too much about the Feng family. The Li family doesn’t care about having one more opponent in the future. As long as what the Feng family does now doesn’t violate national law and they harbor no treasonous thoughts, why shouldn’t we give them a way forward? Moreover, this path forward isn’t necessarily secure—the Feng family needs to use lives and wealth to forge it.”

“Ye’zi, you’re wrong. The Feng family are subjects of the Great Tang. The conveniences that Tang people possess, they can also possess. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the Feng family insisted on not dividing the land, not declaring independence, maintaining national integrity and preventing a military disaster. This is their achievement. Such merit would not be excessive even if rewarded with a princedom.”

“I don’t understand why you’re always thinking about future generations. Are you certain that what you think is correct? Do you know that what you’re giving them is what they want? I’m unwilling to walk the path my father the Emperor has arranged for me, much less future generations.”

“We cannot exhaust all the wealth in this world, nor can we possibly finish all the tasks for our descendants. We should just do what we ought to do and fulfill our own responsibilities.”

“If future generations complain that we didn’t conquer enough land for them or leave them enough wealth, then let them complain. Let them grumble at our graves. If I knew of such incompetent descendants from beyond the grave, I’d definitely jump out of my coffin and strangle them to death. What use are such worthless people?”

“The enemies we haven’t finished killing are left for them to continue killing. The wealth we haven’t finished seizing is left for them to continue seizing. The land we haven’t finished occupying is left for them to continue occupying—not for them to lie on the merit books of their ancestors, living off them while waiting for death.”

“If they’re bullied by others due to their own incompetence, that’s deserved. If the Li family descendants lose the ocean, lose the continent, lose Chang’an, lose the ancestral graves due to their own incompetence, that’s deserved. If at that time my tomb is dug up and my corpse exposed, that’s also deserved. Even as a ghost I wouldn’t complain once.”

“Ye’zi, open your heart. The Feng family isn’t the enemy—they never have been. If we’re suspicious of everything and guard against everything, then we shouldn’t do anything at all. I’d rather see Tang warships crisscrossing the seas than countless foreign warships strutting about there, even if Tang warships pose a greater threat to the Li family than foreign ones.”

“When going to sea, bring the Feng family’s young men. Don’t conceal anything, don’t guard against them—we’re all brothers. Suspicion is the greatest root of losing people’s hearts.”

“The Feng family could tolerate my sister entering Lingnan, could tolerate you moving freely throughout Lingnan, could tolerate Lingnan being divided into pieces by the court. This is already the greatest loyalty.”

“Those in power cannot only demand that subordinates give—they must also reward their subordinates. Reciprocity is human nature. An old saying goes well: ‘If the ruler treats his ministers like his own hands and feet, the ministers will treat the ruler like their own heart; if the ruler treats his ministers like dogs and horses, the ministers will treat the ruler like a stranger; if the ruler treats his ministers like dirt, the ministers will treat the ruler like an enemy.’ This is the principle. Whether the Feng family becomes independent depends on Chang’an’s attitude toward them, not how much ocean they occupy.”

“You said that the ocean is much larger than land. Just let the Feng family go occupy it and see how much they can take. Thirty sons and over ten thousand slaves and servants is a joke in all of the Great Tang—there aren’t even as many as near your Yun family estate. What does that amount to?”

“I, Li Tai, don’t believe that if I treat the Feng family with sincerity, they would rebelliously betray me without feelings or righteousness. Even if they rebel, a shameless traitor’s downfall is but a matter of moments.”

Li Tai’s words left Yun Ye’s face flushed red with shame. He bowed deeply and remained bent. Li Tai was right—his petty commoner’s mentality was thoroughly exposed. How great one’s heart, so great one’s deeds; how great one’s heart, so great one’s future. This was truth itself. Even monkeys in mountain valleys know to cooperatively throw stones together, yet he was imagining people at their worst.

Behind him, thunderous laughter rang out. Feng Ang, carrying his giant bow, emerged from behind a large tree, pointing at Li Tai and saying loudly: “This old man concedes! This old man concedes! Your Li family deserves to rule the realm. With princes like you, the kingdom will have no worries for three generations. I hear your elder brother is even more outstanding than you—this is your Li family’s great fortune. The best of the Feng family’s young men is Zhi Dai, yet he can’t even compare to that monkey Yun Ye, only able to follow behind eating dust. Li Tai, tell your father that from now on, the Feng family is utterly loyal to him. If you want the Feng descendants to also remain utterly loyal to your Li descendants, then show the bearing of a true sovereign. As long as there’s that bearing, what’s wrong with the Feng family serving as subjects for generations?”

His most shameful moment had been witnessed by others. What’s more, Li Rong was over there poking her little head out to watch. Yun Ye’s face turned from blue to red, and he was about to explode when he heard Feng Ang continue.

“Yun Ye, don’t be unconvinced. Although you have endless schemes and constant tricks, even the ability to slaughter all of Lingnan’s people, this old man just isn’t impressed by you. You’re ruthless—you’re the most ruthless person this old man has ever seen. Everyone else has bottom lines they must uphold, but you don’t. Using all of Lingnan’s people to threaten this old man—you’re the first. What worries this old man most is the fierce flames in your eyes when you said those words. If I really harmed your son Li Rong, I believe you truly would slaughter all of Lingnan’s people as burial companions. You’re the demon king who truly regards human lives as grass.”

“But even so, this old man still looks down on you. You never trust anyone. Haha, I’m afraid even when doing business with your wife in bed, you’re still guarding against her in your heart!”

“This old man heard about the Chang’an affair. Your behavior made this old man look down on you even more. If you like the Crown Prince, stand on the Crown Prince’s side. What’s so terrible about overthrowing the Emperor? If you feel the Emperor’s grace is impossible to repay, then follow the Emperor and subdue the Crown Prince. If you fail, at worst you lose your head. Why run? A true man has clear gratitude and grievances, is open and upright. The way you do things so indecisively—where’s the bearing of a five-foot man?”

“You’re disloyal as a subject, unrighteous as a friend, selfish and self-serving, petty and scheming against people. What kind of hero or good man are you!”

Yun Ye’s face had already changed from black to white. He discovered that right now he also very much wanted to vomit blood. Being stripped naked and thrown onto Vermillion Bird Avenue must feel exactly like this. No wonder Linghu Defen was angered to the point of vomiting blood by him. Vomiting blood truly was a good method for relieving shame.

His eyes inadvertently glanced at Feng Zhi Dai, discovering he seemed to hope Yun Ye would die of anger. The shame and rage in his heart receded like ocean tide—in an instant, his anger vanished. Damn it, everything today was within their calculations. Those bastards even calculated Li Tai’s reaction. Truly remarkable indeed.

“Feng Ang, you just cursed me how many times? Your Feng family will pay with that many lives. It’s not your place to criticize how I conduct myself. Wanting to develop on the ocean truly is an excellent idea. The Feng family’s prosperity can already be anticipated. This is the consequence of talking too much. Count slowly—your Feng descendants will pay a heavy price for your momentary loose tongue. Perhaps a wrong sea chart, perhaps a hidden reef I didn’t explain clearly, perhaps an island with cannibals, perhaps a medicine for preventing plague. In any case, people will die.”

“The ocean isn’t as simple as you think. It’s not something you can run around in just because you have a few ships. Star-steering techniques, compasses, scurvy, jaundice—the Feng family has much to learn. Take your time. Use your family’s young men’s lives to pay enough tuition, then we’ll talk about how to dominate the ocean.”

Li Tai clutched his head, unable to bear watching Feng Ang’s face looking as if he’d swallowed a fly. Li Rong bounced over and grabbed Yun Ye’s robe, saying: “Father, I want to learn too! I want to learn too!”

Yun Ye picked up his son, kissed his face, and said: “Good, good. As long as you like learning, Father will teach you everything, not leaving anything out. There will always be a day when everything is taught. If you don’t like learning, that’s fine too. The ocean has strong winds and big waves—it’s not fun anyway. Father will teach you other things. Let those fools risk their lives in the ocean while we stand on shore collecting money. That’s another skill altogether. Once you learn it, you mustn’t teach it to those fools.”