HNYWEF -Chapter 32 A Difficult Problem

Fourth day of the first month, Zhenguan Year One.

The snow had stopped. The sky was still gray, clouds hanging low, as if more snow was coming.

Charcoal burned inside Taiji Hall, filling it with warmth. Li Shimin sat before his desk with a memorial in hand. He stared at it for a long time without turning a single page.

Qin Qiong stood below, waiting.

He had been there for nearly fifteen minutes already. He had repeated Zhou Xiong’s words exactly as they were—

“Find a way to make Li Shimin agree to develop poultry farming in the Jingji region.”

After hearing it, Li Shimin said nothing.

He simply sat there holding the memorial, eyes fixed somewhere else.

Qin Qiong did not urge him.

He just stood there and waited.

Only after a long while did Li Shimin finally speak.

“What exactly did he say? His original words.”

Qin Qiong thought for a moment.

“He said: ‘Find a way to make Li Shimin agree to develop poultry farming in the Jingji region.’”

Li Shimin asked, “He didn’t say why?”

Qin Qiong shook his head.

“No.”

Li Shimin fell silent for a while.

Then he asked again, “Zhijie was there too. What did he say?”

The corner of Qin Qiong’s mouth twitched slightly.

“Zhijie asked him if he simply liked eating chicken and duck. He said this concerned whether the common people would have food to eat.”

Li Shimin froze for a moment.

“Whether the common people have food to eat?”

Qin Qiong nodded.

Li Shimin went silent again.

He stood and walked to the window.

Outside, the sky was dull and gray, the sun nowhere to be seen. Several bare trees stood in the courtyard, remnants of snow weighing down their branches.

He stared at those trees for a long time.

Then suddenly, he asked a question.

“Shubao… what kind of person do you think he really is?”

Qin Qiong stood below without answering.

Li Shimin did not wait for an answer either.

He continued:

“Where exactly did he come from?”

Qin Qiong remained silent for a while.

Then he said:

“This subject does not know.”

Li Shimin turned back to look at him.

Meeting his gaze, Qin Qiong said:

“This subject only knows one thing—he is my brother. That is enough.”

Li Shimin looked at him for a long time.

Then he turned back toward the window once more.

“Brother…”

He softly repeated the word.

Very softly.

As though remembering something.

Or perhaps as though he had missed something.

After a long while, he spoke again.

“Shubao, how do you think I can invite him into the court?”

Qin Qiong froze.

“Your Majesty?”

Without turning around, Li Shimin said:

“A talent like his should not remain buried in a blacksmith’s shop.”

Qin Qiong was silent for a while.

Then he said:

“Your Majesty, he would never agree.”

“I know.”

“If he does not wish to do something, no one can force him.”

“I know that too.”

Li Shimin turned around and looked at Qin Qiong.

“So I’ve been thinking about what I should do.”

Qin Qiong said nothing.

Li Shimin walked back to the desk and sat down.

He looked at the memorial on the table, though his eyes were not truly focused on it.

“He once saved my life. That alone is enough to grant him a marquisate.”

He paused.

“But I can only feel that…”

Qin Qiong said:

“He does not accept favors from anyone.”

“I know.”

Li Shimin was silent for a while.

“He saved me because he is a physician. Not because of who I am. He opened the door for Zhijie because Zhijie is Zhijie.”

He raised his head and looked at Qin Qiong.

“Shubao, what do you think I should do?”

Qin Qiong stood there thinking for a long time.

Then he said:

“Your Majesty, allow this subject to speak boldly.”

Li Shimin nodded.

Qin Qiong said:

“You cannot treat him as a subject.”

Li Shimin froze.

“What?”

Qin Qiong said:

“If you treat him as a subject, he will never come.”

Li Shimin looked at him.

Qin Qiong continued:

“He is not that kind of person. Back in Wagang寨, when Shan Erge invited him to join them, he said ‘fine.’ When Cheng Yaojin told him to drink, he drank. When this subject asked him for help, he helped. But no one ever ordered him to ‘obey commands.’”

He paused.

“It’s not that he refuses to listen. It’s just that… he does not recognize that kind of relationship.”

Li Shimin remained silent.

Qin Qiong said:

“If Your Majesty wants to use his talent, then first you must treat him as a person. Not as a subject, not as a lifesaver, and certainly not as a debtor. Just… a person.”

Li Shimin said nothing.

He lowered his head and looked at the memorial on the desk.

For a very long time.

Then suddenly he let out a soft laugh.

Very soft.

“Shubao, you’re right.”

He lifted his head.

“I’ve always been thinking about how to ‘use’ him. How to make him ‘serve me.’ How to make him ‘accept my favor.’”

He shook his head.

“But he simply does not care about any of that.”

Qin Qiong remained silent.

Li Shimin stood again.

He walked back to the window.

Outside, the sky was still gray.

The clouds still hung low.

Looking at that dim sky, he suddenly said:

“Shubao, what if I go see him myself—without mentioning the court, without mentioning official posts—and simply ask him why poultry farming? Why chickens and ducks?”

Qin Qiong froze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

“Your Majesty, that might actually work.”

Li Shimin turned around.

“Do you think he’ll answer?”

Qin Qiong thought for a moment.

“I don’t know. But at the very least, he won’t throw you out.”

Li Shimin laughed softly.

As though he had finally figured something out.

He returned to the desk and sat down.

Picking up a brush, he wrote several words on a blank sheet of paper.

Then he set the brush down and stared at the paper.

For a long time.

Qin Qiong stood below, watching his profile.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

“Your Majesty, this subject has one more thing to say.”

Li Shimin looked up.

Qin Qiong said:

“When you go, don’t bring anyone else.”

Li Shimin froze for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

Qin Qiong said:

“When he sees too many people, he stops talking.”

Li Shimin fell silent for a while, then glanced once more at the words he had just written.

Then he nodded.

“I understand.”

“But it seems… there’s no need to ask anymore.”