When emperors die, they are generally violent. Possessing supreme power means they need not have any scruples about their actions. There have been more than just one or two emperors who cared nothing for the deluge that might come after their death.

So what Yun Ye needed to do now was to console the Emperor well, preventing resentment and anger from arising in his heart. The title of Cavalry General was too grand—many who possessed this position turned out to be rebels. Wang Mang, for instance.

After accepting this imperial decree, Yun Ye brought his entire family to move to Chang’an’s Xinghua Ward. The Yun Family’s fief at Yushan existed merely as a country estate. If even the Chang’an Garrison Commander didn’t live in Chang’an, who would dare to reside in the capital city with peace of mind?

In the end, Li Chengqian abdicated the throne to the eleven-year-old Li Jue. The moment Li Chengqian led Li Jue to sit upon the throne, Li Chengqian’s Taixing reign ended, immediately followed by the first year of Qianyuan!

Countless literati praised Li Chengqian’s actions. For three consecutive generations, the Great Tang’s imperial succession had been accomplished through abdication. This sent a powerful message to the realm—that the Great Tang’s throne transitions would no longer involve bloodshed. If this continued for just two more generations, whether the imperial clan or the people of the realm, all would gradually grow accustomed to this method of imperial succession.

Peace—this was the best gift Li Chengqian gave to the subjects of the Great Tang.

On Li Jue’s first day as emperor, Li Chengqian personally taught him how to write pardons. Thus those ministers who had been banished had not yet reached their destinations when they were summoned back by eight-hundred-li urgent dispatches.

Li Yifu had never left Chang’an at all. After claiming illness and delaying for two months, upon receiving the pardon, he prostrated himself at Li Jue’s feet in tearful gratitude, sobbing as he swore to devote his life to the Great Tang and so forth.

Zhang Jianzhi also returned. Unable to stand Li Yifu’s affected attitude, he accused Li Yifu of putting on airs. As a result, Li Yifu refuted him from ancestors eight generations back to descendants yet unborn. If Di Renjie hadn’t intervened, who knows how long their dispute would have continued.

Zhang Jianzhi couldn’t best Li Yifu in court, so the now hot-tempered man immediately wrote an essay for the gazette titled “The Treacherous Minister.” In ten thousand eloquent words, he exposed Li Yifu’s past completely, even revealing such secrets as how he forced a pitiful prostitute to receive clients endlessly. In an instant, the man-cat became a complete laughingstock!

The result was naturally that the two became mortal enemies. Li Jue ordered that one serve as an official in the Western Bureau while the other became a grandee in the Eastern Pavilion. From then on, it became extremely difficult for new policies of the Great Tang to be promulgated.

Yun Ye and Zhangsun Chong now frequently appeared in court, but they said not a word, sitting in their respective chairs with eyes closed in meditation. No matter how fierce the arguments below, they remained unmoved like mountains.

Neither man’s thoughts were on the court—rather, they focused all their attention on the rear palace, ready at any moment to receive news of the Emperor’s passing.

Li Chengqian had wasted away to skin and bones. Zhangsun sat before his bed, gently stroking his cheek. Her son had finally reached the end of his allotted years.

“Empress Mother, your child is failing. My inability to see you to your final rest is this child’s greatest act of filial impiety in this life. But fortunately you still live. With you present, Yun Ye and Zhangsun Chong won’t act recklessly. With them here, Dugu Mou won’t dare make a move. This is perhaps Heaven’s last bit of mercy toward your child.”

“Ten years—such a long time. I only hope Mother can help this child watch over those two. Should either of them harbor treacherous thoughts, it would be a disaster for the Great Tang. This isn’t the best method, but your child has no other recourse.”

Zhangsun wiped the sweat from Li Chengqian’s forehead and said in a hoarse voice: “It’s all right. Yun Ye is a man without ambition—both your father Emperor and I agree on this. Do you remember the day your father Emperor passed? Yun Ye relinquished Yushan’s defenses at the first opportunity, cleanly and decisively, without the slightest attachment. This shows that serving as Yushan City’s commanding general was not good fortune for him, but rather a burden.”

“After ten years, Jue will also be twenty-two. By that time, he’ll be able to make his own decisions. From his performance these past days, he remains a wise sovereign for our Great Tang.”

“Recalling all the Xuanjia Army to Chang’an—this was correct. Human hearts are most difficult to fathom. Even if all seems foolproof, the imperial house must possess reserve strength. This isn’t aimed at any particular person, but a necessary means for the nation’s continuation.”

“You’ve lived too wearily. Had I known it would be thus, I should never have sent you to the throne. It was the throne that destroyed your emotions, destroyed your body, and destroyed your friendships. You’ve lost too much.”

Li Chengqian’s face flushed red as he resolutely shook his head: “Your child has no regrets. Becoming sovereign of ten thousand chariots was this child’s dream since youth. What I most loved was leading a hundred thousand cavalry to thunder across the grasslands. My ancestors did this, and your child wanted to do the same. I am descended from wolves—my fate was destined to be a life of rushing about and killing.”

“Whether biting with teeth or tearing with claws—it’s all instinct! A wolf that doesn’t fight is not a wolf, but a dog!”

Zhangsun sighed, her palm gently passing over Li Chengqian’s eyes, hoping he would close them. She said softly: “You’re too tired. Sleep well, and tomorrow you’ll feel more comfortable.”

Li Chengqian obediently closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them again to tell his mother: “Once your child falls asleep, please, Mother, teach Li Jue well. If Li Xiang makes any suspicious moves, order Yun Ye to kill him with utmost speed!”

Having said this, he slowly closed his eyes. His constantly rising and falling chest gradually stilled.

Zhangsun sat for a long while before slapping Li Chengqian’s face, tears seeping from her eyes as she choked out: “You father and son…”

While everyone else grieved over the Emperor’s death and proceeded with the state funeral, Yun Ye traveled day and night rushing toward Yuezhou. There was no other reason—Li Xiang had rebelled.

The seven prefectures of Heng, Fu, Tan, Chen, Shao, Yong, and Dao simultaneously rose up, raising banners to eliminate the false emperor. They madly attacked along the Xiang River, their forces once pointing toward Yuezhou. But they were defeated by the old general Xue Wanren and turned instead toward Changsha.

Li Xiang had gone mad. Perhaps all the Li family carried genes of madness. What made him believe that merely by raising his standard, heroes throughout the realm would rally to his cause? The realm had long enjoyed peace. The prosperous age had lasted two full generations—where would any heroic figures emerge? Only troubled times produce heroes! Who would abandon home and livelihood to fight and die for him? He wasn’t an immortal!

Yun Ye believed that as soon as he reached Hengyang, the troops Li Xiang had coerced would immediately scatter. He was seeking death! So when Yun Ye went to Yuezhou, he brought only three thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers. Dealing with one Li Xiang didn’t require making a great fuss.

Arriving at Yuezhou, he used his tiger tally to mobilize troops from the thirteen prefectures surrounding Yuezhou. With cooperation from Yuezhou’s Governor Xue Wanche, he set out toward Hengyang without a moment’s rest.

Though Li Xiang couldn’t defeat Xue Wanche, he brought terrible calamity upon the people under his rule. All along the route lay corpses everywhere, ruins at every turn. The common people under his governance who had fortunately survived the military disaster knelt before Yun Ye’s horse, hoping the imperial army could avenge them!

These people under Li Xiang’s command were no longer rebels—they had become bandits. They burned, killed, robbed, and committed every evil. It was said Li Xiang called such behavior revenge—revenge against his subjects for refusing to follow him in rebellion.

The forces that had diverted to attack Changsha were also defeated by local garrison troops and had to retreat once more to Hengyang. The five prefectures of Tan, Chen, Shao, Yong, and Dao were gradually recovered one by one by surrounding military forces. The territory Li Xiang could control was reduced to only Hengyang and Fuzhou.

“Kill without mercy!” This military order was issued by Yun Ye. Anyone who participated in the rebellion had only one fate—death. If Li Xiang and his ambitious subordinates weren’t severely punished, who knew how many more would proclaim themselves kings.

They say the wild geese at Hengyang leave no lingering sentiment. When Yun Ye saw Hengyang City, even he couldn’t help but be shocked by Li Xiang’s cruelty. The city walls were festooned with severed heads—men, women, old and young alike.

According to reports from Bureau of Waterways agents, the heads displayed on the walls belonged to Hengzhou Prefect Zhang Dexiang and Assistant Administrator Chunyu Fen’s entire families, young and old. When Li Xiang first rebelled, the two had desperately tried to stop him, and this was their final fate.

This account made the veins on Yun Ye’s forehead throb with rage. This time, even if Zhangsun tried to stop him, he would still dismember Li Xiang into ten thousand pieces. Both Zhang Dexiang and Chunyu Fen were graduates of Yushan Academy, and even friends of Li Xiang. When he thought that Yun Shou was also one of Li Xiang’s so-called friends, wave after wave of fear washed over him. He himself had once advised Li Chengqian to abdicate the throne to Li Xiang. If he had truly succeeded, the Yun Family would hardly have had any good ending.

Facing Yun Ye’s great army, Li Xiang actually sent an envoy, offering the price of King of Lingnan in hopes that Yun Ye would join the rebel army. If Yun Ye wasn’t satisfied, dividing the realm at the river was also negotiable.

Li Xiang was full of confidence in his envoy. In his eyes, he was the Emperor’s eldest son, possessing righteous legitimacy. Making such concessions could only be called retreating to the limit.

After Yun Ye waited for the envoy to finish speaking, he waved his hand. Before this madman who hadn’t yet announced his own name could react, Liu Jinbao led men to hang him from the flagpole. When Li Xiang stood atop the city wall and saw the envoy’s corpse hoisted high, his complexion finally turned deathly pale.

He didn’t care about losing several prefectures. He had placed all his hopes on the great general who came to suppress him. If it were Yun Ye or Zhangsun Chong, it would undoubtedly be best. Only now did he discover how absurdly wrong his expectations had been…

Hengyang had few firearms. Many had been lost in battles with Xue Wanche. Now on Hengyang’s walls, the usable firearms were very few. Looking again at the firearms of those troops below the city, Li Xiang didn’t believe he had any path to survival.

After a long silence, he finally ordered the city gates opened to surrender. He was confident his grandmother wouldn’t simply kill him—at worst he’d be placed under house arrest like the Sixteenth Prince.

Yun Ye dug a very large pit outside Hengyang City. Anyone confirmed to have participated in the rebellion was stabbed once and thrown into the pit. All of this was done before Li Xiang’s eyes. When Li Xiang, who had already vomited until dizzy and disoriented, finally discovered that he too was being lifted by soldiers to be thrown into the pit, he finally realized that he seemed not to have guessed a single thing correctly…