HNYWEF -Chapter 50 The Unknown

Second day of the ninth month, first year of Zhenguan.

No one knew what had happened that day at the training grounds.

People only knew that afterward, Zhou Xiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong spent the entire afternoon drinking in the military camp beside the grounds.

Some people saw Cheng Yaojin come out laughing so hard he could barely straighten his back.

Others saw Yuchi Gong come out with an expression on his face that was hard to describe—not like he had lost, but not like he had won either. Just… strange.

And when Zhou Xiong came out, he still looked the same as always, with no expression on his face at all.

But he was holding Zhou Yi’s hand.

The child’s cheeks were flushed red. No one knew whether it was from running around or from laughing.

Maybe Cheng Yaojin knew what had happened.

Maybe he didn’t.

Over the next few days, Zhou Yi followed his father to the training grounds several more times.

Each time, he ended up recognizing a few more uncles and elders.

Some taught him archery, some taught him horseback riding, some taught him the basics of wrestling. He wasn’t shy at all—if they told him to call someone uncle, he did; if they told him to practice, he practiced. He learned seriously.

The uncles all laughed when they saw him like that.

Someone said, “This kid is nothing like his father.”

The man beside him asked, “How’s he not alike?”

The first man thought for a moment.

“Back then, his father cursed every other sentence. This kid’s quiet.”

Another person added, “And his father used to love laughing. This kid doesn’t like to smile.”

Several men exchanged glances.

No one spoke.

Then someone changed the subject and continued teaching Zhou Yi how to draw a bow.

Fifth day of the ninth month.

Liangyi Hall.

Li Shimin sat behind the desk with a report in his hand.

He looked at it for a very long time.

Fang Xuanling stood below, waiting.

The hall was silent.

Li Shimin put the report down.

Then he looked up at Fang Xuanling.

That look—

Fang Xuanling had seen that look before.

When his son had done something wrong as a child, that was exactly how he looked at him.

Without speaking.

Just staring like that.

The kind of stare that made your whole body uncomfortable.

Fang Xuanling felt his scalp prickle under that gaze.

He finally spoke.

“Your Majesty?”

Li Shimin said nothing.

He just kept looking at him.

Three breaths.

Five breaths.

Fang Xuanling stood there motionless.

After a long while, Li Shimin finally spoke.

His voice was calm.

“Do you know what’s written in this report?”

Fang Xuanling shook his head.

“This minister does not.”

Li Shimin nodded.

He picked up the report and read aloud a few lines—

“On the nineteenth day of the eighth month, Zhou Xiong entered the training grounds. Yuchi Gong invited him to spar. They faced each other for roughly half an hour, exchanging only a few probing moves. Afterward, the three men entered the camp to drink, dispersing only at dusk.”

After reading, he set the report down.

Then he looked at Fang Xuanling again.

Fang Xuanling stood there, not knowing what to say.

Li Shimin said, “Guess how long they drank in the camp.”

Fang Xuanling stayed silent.

Li Shimin answered himself.

“Four hours.”

He paused.

“Four whole hours. When Cheng Yaojin came out, he was laughing so hard he couldn’t straighten his waist. When Yuchi Gong came out, the expression on his face was described by the man writing the secret report for half a page before he finally settled on four words—‘impossible to describe.’”

He paused again.

“Impossible to describe…”

He repeated the phrase once.

Then he looked at Fang Xuanling.

“What do you think they talked about in that camp?”

Fang Xuanling shook his head.

“This minister does not know.”

Li Shimin nodded.

“I don’t know either.”

He stood and walked to the window.

Outside, the sunlight was bright, spilling across the courtyard and over the flowers and plants.

He watched quietly for a while.

Then he spoke again.

“Fang Xuanling.”

Fang Xuanling answered immediately.

“This minister is here.”

Li Shimin did not turn around.

“What do you think I did wrong?”

Fang Xuanling froze.

He looked at Li Shimin’s back for two breaths.

Then he said,

“Why does Your Majesty say such a thing?”

Li Shimin laughed softly.

“Why?”

He turned around and looked at Fang Xuanling.

That look—

Still the same look.

Like he was staring at a child who had done something wrong.

Fang Xuanling felt his skin crawl beneath it.

He wanted to say something.

But he didn’t know what to say.

Li Shimin walked back to the desk and sat down.

He picked up the report again and glanced at it once more.

Then he put it back down.

He looked at Fang Xuanling.

“What happened that day at the training grounds—Cheng Yaojin didn’t report it, Yuchi Gong didn’t report it, and neither did you.”

Fang Xuanling opened his mouth.

Li Shimin didn’t let him speak.

“I only found out by reading someone else’s secret report.”

He paused.

“Fang Xuanling, tell me—why is that?”

Fang Xuanling stood there without moving.

The silence in the hall was terrifying.

Li Shimin clearly knew what he had done.

After a long time, Fang Xuanling finally spoke.

His voice was low.

“This minister… does not know.”

Li Shimin looked at him.

For a long time.

Then he waved his hand.

“You may leave.”

Fang Xuanling remained standing there, unmoving.

Li Shimin waved again.

“Leave.”

Fang Xuanling bowed, turned around, and walked out.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped.

Without turning back.

He stood there for a single breath.

Then he pushed open the door and left.

The hall fell silent once more.

Li Shimin sat there, looking at the report.

For a long time.

Then he set it down.

He looked out the window.

The sunlight outside was bright.

Now, he understood a little what that look had meant.

He sat there quietly for a while.

Then suddenly he let out a soft laugh.

“Impossible to describe…”

He murmured the words to himself once again.

Then lowered his head and continued reviewing memorials.