The dumplings were ultimately not eaten. Another group of people arrived. The first to come were Li Gang, Yushan, Yuanzhang, and Lishi, followed by Yan Zhitui. Just as everyone had gathered together and was preparing to start boiling the dumplings, Li Er arrived.
Li Tai and Li Ke followed behind with worried expressions. The Emperor did not travel at night, so the person who came was Li Er—this concept was quite mind-boggling. Yun Ye had also expended great effort to figure out the difference between the two.
Only when wearing the dragon robe was he the Emperor, able to command the world, stamp the imperial seal at will, traverse the realm freely, and act as he pleased. Without the dragon robe, he was not the Emperor. Even conducting business, he could only use the private seal of “Mingyue Elder,” greatly diminishing his authority. Li Gang merely leaned forward slightly from his seat as a greeting. As for Yan Zhitui, with a piece of pig head meat in his mouth, he didn’t even glance over.
Li Er wore a round-collared blue robe with a gauze hat, the two black wings hanging behind his head. He looked more like a pedantic scholar than an emperor. After exchanging pleasantries, he naturally took his seat. Li Er even had to bow and inquire about Yan Zhitui’s health. Seeing the old man laboriously swallow a large piece of pig head meat, only then did he smile and offer some compliments, waiting for others to bring him tableware.
Originally, they had planned to have the cooks do these tasks, but that was now impossible. Zhangsun Chong went to boil the dumplings, Li Huairen went to serve the plates, Cheng Chumo kept peeling garlic, Yun Ye prepared to mix the oil bowls, and Yuchi Baolin kept his head down, silently adding fuel to the stove without a word.
Li Chengqian very cleverly introduced the dumplings he had made to his father. Although they were rather ugly, Li Er still prepared to eat what his son had made. He was someone who changed his mind very easily. After the dumplings Niu Jinda made were brought up, he never touched those shriveled dumpling wrappers that Li Chengqian had made.
Young people in the Great Tang had virtually no rights. The fist-sized dumplings that Cheng Chumo and the others had made could only be enjoyed by themselves. After boiling for half a shichen, Zhangsun Chong fished out more than a dozen enormous meatballs from the pot. Frowning, he placed one each in Yun Ye’s and his own bowls. So Yun Ye didn’t get to eat homecoming dumplings—what he ate was a very large meatball.
With the Emperor traveling incognito, the soldiers had no choice but to retire early, pricking up their ears to listen to the commotion outside. Everyone’s heart was like ocean waves, rising and falling restlessly. Now, who still remembered the coldness of their return?
Holding his meatball, Yun Ye kept describing to everyone his overseas experiences—the scenery-rich Penglai Island, the beaches with blue water and sky, the strategic importance of Beisha City, the prosperity of Cangyan City, and finally focused on the magnificence of Daewang Castle.
“Your Majesty may not know, but that Daewang Castle is entirely built of bluestone. The city walls are higher than those of Chang’an. Below the city is a moat surrounded by clear water that doesn’t freeze even in winter. The reason, it turns out, is that the bottom of the moat is full of springs, some even hot springs. As Your Majesty knows, flowing springs don’t freeze, so with just simple dredging each day, Daewang Castle’s moat won’t freeze even in the depths of winter. The world is vast and full of wonders.”
“Hehe, the Goguryeo people have indeed used the advantages of terrain to the utmost. Yun Ye, how much longer do you think it will take for Daewang Castle to return to its former appearance?”
Hearing Li Gang’s question, Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, “It will never be possible to restore its former appearance. A fortified city that had never been breached has now been conquered—the blow to military morale and fighting spirit is devastating. It’s like a married woman who can never become a virgin again. What’s lost cannot be retrieved, never.”
“Though Zhijie speaks crudely, the words may be coarse but the reasoning isn’t. The notion of Daewang Castle being an impassable barrier in Liaodong can now be laid to rest.”
Li Er also seemed quite fond of the dumplings. After eating a large plate, he finally remembered that his son had been standing behind him. After praising Old Cheng with one sentence, he handed the plate of now-cold dumplings in front of him to Li Chengqian.
No one asked about the battle, nor did anyone inquire about the battle situation. Victory was victory and could not be erased. Li Er, who had commanded armies in campaigns for many years, understood this principle very clearly.
After eating two bites of pig head meat, he instructed Duan Hong to go to the back and select some good portions to bring back to the palace. This dish suited his taste perfectly.
Yun Ye nudged Li Tai, who was squatting beside him eating meatballs, with his elbow and asked quietly, “Didn’t you say you’d bring back a black dog? Why did you come empty-handed?”
“There are plenty of black dogs, but I don’t care for those ordinary dogs outside. Who knows, they might have been raised eating feces—not clean. So I set my sights on that big dog in the palace. When I was catching it, my father discovered me, so we all came together. I didn’t catch the dog either. Eating dog meat—leave that to me. There will be a day when I succeed.”
Li Ke, who was also eating meatballs nearby, found their conversation disgusting and quietly shifted outward, distancing himself from these two revolting fellows.
Everyone knew Li Er’s purpose for coming, so after finishing the meal, they took their leave one by one. In the end, only their family remained along with Yun Ye. Li Er was quite pleased with the moonlight outside and decided to take a walk. He walked ahead while Li Chengqian brought Yun Ye, Li Tai, and Li Ke following behind. Duan Hong darted around the military camp like a ghost.
Li Er turned his head and stared at Yun Ye viciously, saying, “What audacity! Others massacre cities, but you exterminate them. Zhang Jian’s eight-hundred-li urgent report has already reached my desk. The Goguryeo people are gathering forces on a large scale, seemingly with the intention of pressing with heavy troops at the border. He submitted a memorial to me requesting reinforcements, saying Liaodong needs at least fifty thousand more troops to maintain peace. Li Jing also sent a fast horse with a report saying the Goguryeo people are already on the edge of madness. That stone tablet you erected at Daewang Castle has already been smashed to powder by them. They’ve said that if I don’t send your head to Goguryeo, their fury cannot be appeased.”
Yun Ye smiled and said, “Isn’t this precisely the outcome that those who sent this humble servant to Goguryeo hoped for?”
Li Er laughed darkly with a sinister tone, “Aren’t you worried that I might use your head to extinguish the flames of war?”
Yun Ye looked at Li Er with surprise and said with extreme certainty, “This subject is more concerned about facing the scholars’ interrogation when reporting tomorrow at court. As for exchanging one of our own people’s heads for temporary peace, even the most pedantic scholar wouldn’t agree to that. Would Your Majesty agree? The Goguryeo people dare to humiliate the Great Tang like this—it seems this humble servant’s situation tomorrow will be much better.”
Li Er burst into hearty laughter, patting Yun Ye’s shoulder and saying, “Indeed so! If the Goguryeo people had groveled and begged, your situation would be quite bad. But they chose to threaten instead. Hahaha! It has always been our Great Tang threatening others—no one has ever been able to threaten our Great Tang. Never mind that you’re a marquis who has rendered meritorious service to the nation—even if you were a farmer, I would not agree.”
Having spoken such grand words, Yun Ye, Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Ke could only kneel on one knee and shout loudly, “Long live our Emperor’s might!”
“Boy, you’re still young. Wait slowly, endure slowly. Only when the old fellows become too old to move will this world truly be grasped in the hands of us ruler and subjects. Killing a few Goguryeo people and they say we practice internal sagehood and external kingship. Someone told me that we need to use moral transformation to make those barbarian tribes submit, so as to achieve subduing the enemy without fighting, ultimately reaching the sage-king realm of all nations coming to pay tribute. Then there will be universal peace, weapons will be stored away, and horses will be released to graze on southern mountains. All the aristocratic families will live poetic and romantic lives, living in drunken stupor, and all the common people will have no worries about food and clothing. Boy, do you think that’s possible?”
Yun Ye’s eyes widened. Which fool advised the Emperor like this? The Sima family did exactly that—what was the result? The Han people were killed until they changed from the largest ethnic group to a minority. Why haven’t they learned their lesson?
“Ridiculous, isn’t it, boy? When I heard such advice, my jaw nearly dropped. So I sent him to pacify those Liao tribes in the Sichuan region. Zhangsun Shunde has nearly turned that place into scorched earth. When killing our own people, they actually praised it lavishly, saying this was punishing those who wouldn’t submit and required harsh measures. You didn’t kill your own people—you killed Goguryeo people—and they think it damages the Great Tang’s benevolence. Outrageous! Fortunately, they still know they need some face. When I told them the Goguryeo people’s conditions, at least no one shameless enough to agree to send your head over. If they had agreed, I would have immediately executed people.”
“Hahaha, this battle has let me see many people’s true faces clearly. Chengqian, you must remember—when employing people, you must constantly observe them. You can’t see clearly after just once or twice. Among Zhuge Liang’s principles of employing people, one is to intoxicate them with wine to observe their nature. You cannot only look at what a person says normally—you must also observe their actions.”
“I don’t like Cao Cao’s methods, but I have to acknowledge his way of employing people—selecting officers and talent without emphasizing virtue. This works in chaotic times, but not in an enlightened world. Unfortunately, the world has many talented people without virtue, and rarely sees those with both virtue and talent. So I plan to establish a set of imperial standards. I’ve had this idea for a long time, and now it’s time to act.”
Li Chengqian and Li Ke bowed to offer congratulations, but Yun Ye and Li Tai frowned. Li Er saw the two different reactions from the four people. He could understand the Crown Prince and Li Ke agreeing, but he couldn’t figure out why Yun Ye and Li Tai opposed it. Fortunately, there were no outsiders around, so he asked with displeasure, “Qingque, Yun Ye, do you two have different opinions?”
“Father Emperor, your abilities are known throughout the world. The examples you summarize and conclude will certainly be accurate and incisive. Your son believes that in the future, when eldest brother governs the country according to the regulations you establish, there will certainly be no problems. What your son worries about is the future. The regulations you establish will certainly become ancestral law, and future descendants will certainly not dare to easily touch them.”
“Father Emperor, all learning in this world will, with the passage of time, eventually fail to keep pace with later generations. Look at our Great Tang now—it can be said to change three times in one day. The military is about to start having firearms. Your son believes that with the development of firearms, our Great Tang’s military forces will certainly become a new-style army centered on firearms. This involves many elements. Many of the old command methods from before will gradually be eliminated, so your son is worried.”
Li Er narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then said to Yun Ye, “Do you also think my rules will become stumbling blocks for future descendants?”
Yun Ye didn’t hesitate and nodded heavily, saying, “This subject is still unaccustomed to speaking insincere words before Your Majesty. Indeed, that is so. Your Majesty, let’s not discuss this matter for now. This humble subject asks that you observe for another two years. Your Majesty is in your prime—it’s too early to discuss these things now. This subject dares to wager that the Great Tang two years from now will certainly force Your Majesty to continuously supplement and perfect the laws to meet the Great Tang’s needs.”
Li Er clasped his hands behind his back, smiled, and nodded. “Then I shall observe for another two years to see exactly how the eleventh year of Zhenguan will force me to revise the laws.”