LFHYB -Chapter 197 Li Xuanba Forgives the Past

The ceremony of Li Yuan abdicating and then ascending the throne again proceeded as scheduled.

Li Yuan had tried to delay it until Li Shimin returned, but Li Xuanba had already set the stage and invited him; he had no choice but to attend.

Even those around him who wanted to seize opportunities advised him to finish this matter first before attempting to seize power. After all, the current court nobility were still nobles of the Sui dynasty. The young Sui emperor had burned himself to boost Sui’s reputation, and by praising the Sui, they were also saving face for themselves.

If Li Shimin were present, they wouldn’t dare do this, because Li Shimin could genuinely punish them collectively.

But even if Li Yuan became emperor with their support in the future, he would still have to rely on them. Naturally, Li Yuan had to be the one to endure the embarrassment.

Li Xuanba turned to the young noble beside him, who was holding a baby with a wooden pacifier: “Isn’t this interesting?”

Yang Tong, holding his cousin, laughed: “It really is.”

Yang You held his forehead: “Cousin, you brought us back with our older cousin just to watch this spectacle?”

Li Xuanba smiled: “I was worried that after your third sister left, no one could protect you. Your status is special; you just have to tolerate it a little these years.”

Yang You hurriedly said: “No, I’m not complaining, I just…”

Yang Tong said: “He just thinks that watching this farce as an onlooker is awkward enough.”

Yang You nodded vigorously.

Li Xuanba said: “If you don’t like watching farces, just stay indoors and study. Your uncle also prefers peace and quiet—let him properly guide your studies; you can’t fall behind.”

Yang You worried: “If we temporarily stay at our uncle’s house, won’t our identities be discovered?”

Li Xuanba looked at his two nephews, now lean and tanned from daily horse riding in Zhangye, and smiled wryly: “You’re descendants of the Hongnong Yang clan. If you don’t live in the house of the newly appointed head of the Hongnong Yangs, where else would you stay? The closer you are to him, the less others will suspect your identity. Besides… look in the mirror; how much do you still look like your old selves?”

The two tall, lean boys exchanged glances and awkwardly smiled: “True enough.”

Yang Tong said: “Even our mother and grandmother probably wouldn’t recognize me.”

Yang You silently nodded.

Li Xuanba said: “Then what are you worried about? Go… Qingzhi, I leave them in your care.”

Xue Deyin said: “Understood.”

Yang You felt guilty: “Is it really okay for Teacher Xue to follow us all this time? He’s so talented…”

Li Xuanba interrupted: “Even if he follows you, I’ll give him work to do. Do I look like someone who would let a colleague slack off?”

Xue Deyin’s mouth twitched: “As long as you know.”

Yang You: “…”

He looked at Yang Tong. Is that really the case?

Yang Tong shrugged. How would I know?

These two brothers, former members of the royal family, had been familiar strangers to each other. Since they were little, they only knew of each other’s existence and had almost never met.

Yang Guang had cruelly sent his legitimate grandson Yang You and daughter-in-law Crown Princess Wei to the western capital under the guise of “governing” it, while Yang Tong and his mother Liu Liangdi remained in the eastern capital Luoyang.

In terms of status in Yang Guang’s eyes, Yang Tong was probably slightly higher than Yang You, since he never returned to the western capital.

When Yang Tong and Yang You met in Zhangye, it was initially awkward. But Yang Tong, having accepted the situation, freely enjoyed his newfound independence and now pulled the embarrassed Yang You into daily mischief. Their bond had now become very strong.

Seeing that these former royal brothers not only got along but also learned to care for a child, Li Xuanba laughed and finally felt reassured about them.

The three of them supported each other and would likely live well in the future. Visiting their elder cousins’ tombs would also bring peace to those cousins.

Li Yuan’s enthronement ceremony was still very grand, and Li Xuanba did not skimp, as it was a matter of Tang prestige. Whatever treatment was appropriate, he ensured Li Yuan received it.

After ascending the throne, Li Yuan appointed Li Shimin as crown prince, Li Jiancheng as Prince of Qi, Li Xuanba remained Prince of Jin, and Li Zhiyun, the former Duke of Tang, became Prince of Chu.

He also specifically emphasized in Li Jiancheng’s appointment decree that Li Jiancheng humbly yielded the crown prince position, praising his brotherly loyalty to Li Shimin.

Li Zhiyun, having rushed back, whispered to Li Xuanba: “Hearing this makes me feel nauseous. And I’m the Duke of Tang—why does he keep living in my residence?”

Li Xuanba hadn’t replied yet when, in the crowd of dukes behind them, a certain Duke Gao cleared his throat. Li Zhiyun immediately straightened up, eyes fixed forward.

Li Xuanba thought inwardly: Teacher Gao’s authority is growing stronger and stronger.

Li Yuan praised Li Jiancheng in the imperial edict of enfeoffment—Li Xuanba had already known this and had even participated in drafting the edict, so he was not surprised.

He was simply curious why Li Yuan was so fond of the title “Qi.”

Indeed, aside from titles earned through personal merit, such as Zhu Yuanzhang’s “King of Wu,” titles like “Qin, Han, Jin, Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Wei, Han” were ranked above other Spring and Autumn feudal states, but in terms of ritual hierarchy, they were all on the same level. Li Xuanba had assumed that, since Wei and Zhao were in Li Yuan’s ancestral lands and Han had once been a unified empire, Li Yuan would give Li Jiancheng a title like Wei, Zhao, or Han.

Interestingly, Li Yuanji, who was already dead, would have originally been the King of Qi. How coincidental.

After Li Yuan finished enfeoffing his sons, many ministers who had worried about a succession struggle visibly relaxed.

They thought that the succession disputes at the founding of the Tang Dynasty would be resolved after this ceremony.

These concerned, loyal ministers looked at Li Xuanba, who respectfully stood behind Li Jiancheng, unable to hide their admiration.

After enfeoffing the princes, Li Yuan proceeded to enfeoff the consorts. Aside from Empress Dou and Noble Consort Wan, after Li Yuan became emperor, there were several women in the harem that Li Xuanba did not recognize; a few of them were already pregnant. All of these women were assigned their ranks.

This was of no concern to Li Xuanba or the ministers. They kept their eyes open but nodded off, enduring the lengthy harem enfeoffments, until finally it was time for the main event: conferring the posthumous title on the late Sui emperor.

---

At Yang Daoxuan’s residence:

Yang Tong propped his chin on his hand, watching his cousin crawl around on the couch. “Second brother, what posthumous title do you think I’ll get?”

After assuming new identities, they temporarily removed their elder brother, whom they weren’t very close to, from the sibling ranking. Yang Tong was the eldest, Yang You the second, and their cousin Yang Min became the third.

Yang You said, “You’ve only been emperor for a few days. You shouldn’t have a posthumous title.”

Yang Tong sighed. “I guess so. Uncle said that all matters of enfeoffment were up to Li Yuan. I want a good posthumous title, and I’ll pick one after our second uncle ascends the throne.”

Yang You replied, exasperated: “You’re not even dead yet, thinking about a posthumous title? Isn’t that unlucky? Besides, what’s the point of a puppet emperor’s posthumous title? If you want a title, we should study and train, and earn a more meaningful one in the future.”

Yang Tong said, “Why can’t I have two posthumous titles? Ordinary people have only one. If I have two, wouldn’t that be awesome?”

Yang You: “…I really don’t understand my brother’s thinking.”

---

In the imperial palace, all the ministers waited eagerly for Li Yuan to announce the posthumous title they had jointly agreed upon for Yang Guang.

Originally, when Yang Tong ascended, the small Luoyang court had assigned Yang Guang the posthumous title “Ming.”

“Ming” is a beautiful title. “One who is far-sighted and wise is called Ming; one who employs the virtuous and achieves distant goals is called Ming.” The second emperor of the Eastern Han, Liu Zhuang, widely regarded as competent, had the posthumous title “Han Mingdi.”

People of that era, unlike later generations, did not mistake the Grand Canal for the Sui-Tang Grand Canal, and thus would not praise Yang Guang’s “far-sightedness” as accurate. In a feudal dynasty, “far-reaching” primarily meant the continuation of one’s family and enterprise.

In the original timeline, Emperor Taizhu had also given Yang Guang the posthumous title “Ming,” praising his foresight in employing capable ministers. Dou Jiande’s faction of scholars gave Yang Guang the title “Min,” meaning “compassionate but short-lived,” praising his benevolence.

To win over former Sui officials, they all grudgingly gave Yang Guang flattering titles. The irony is that the virtues “employing the capable” and “benevolence” were exactly what Yang Guang lacked during his life. Thus, the two posthumous titles were the opposite of reality, a subtle form of satirical praise.

Scholarship was indeed fascinating.

---

In actual history, Li Yuan conferred Yang Guang’s posthumous title in the fourth year of Wude, after the Tang foundation was secure. Now, with Tang controlling most of the realm, Li Yuan had no reason to flatter Yang Guang.

When deciding Yang Guang’s posthumous title, Li Yuan and Li Xuanba had a minor disagreement.

“Oppressing heaven and tormenting the people”—Li Yuan wanted to confer the title “Sui Yangdi.”

“Killing the innocent”—Li Xuanba, while agreeing that “Sui Yangdi” was suitable, mischievously wanted a different posthumous title than history.

The father and son’s disagreement was surprisingly amicable, and they summoned the ministers for consultation.

The ministers unanimously agreed Yang Guang’s title should be “Yang,” because it also implied “disregarding rites and distancing the masses.”

Yang Guang ignored ancestral laws, stayed in the eastern capital Luoyang for a long time, neglected the western capital Daxing, continually reduced the ranks and benefits of nobles, and favored relatives over capable ministers. To the ministers, this was indeed “disregarding rites and distancing the masses.”

“Oppressing heaven and tormenting the people” was the public’s curse; “disregarding rites and distancing the masses” reflected the ministers’ dissatisfaction.

Furthermore, Yang Guang indulged in building palaces and fighting with Goguryeo, neglecting other state affairs, even passively handling peasant uprisings. This was also a form of “dereliction of duty.” Not doing one’s job is dereliction of duty!

The ministers’ grievances erupted during the title discussion. Some older ministers became so agitated while criticizing Yang Guang that several fainted in the hall.

Fortunately, Sun Simiao, a renowned physician but also a civil official, was napping among the ministers and revived them using a golden needle from his sleeve.

Once conscious, the ministers refused to rest, continuing to stomp and berate Yang Guang.

Who builds massive state projects every year? The Grand Canal and Great Wall may serve some purpose, but building several palaces annually—are you insane?

And that Goguryeo king—what’s your problem with him? If you want war, then fight properly. Every time they surrender verbally, you retreat, then waste resources on another expedition? Are you playing games with the Goguryeo king?

Li Xuanba’s expression became extremely strange.

It wasn’t that he was cynical. It was just easy to misinterpret what they said. Yang Guang gambled away the entire Sui dynasty playing chase-and-tease games with the Goguryeo king? And we, Sui ministers, are just part of your entertainment?

Ugh. Li Xuanba felt nauseous.

Li Yuan sat on the throne, somewhat helpless.

Since you immediately decided on “Yang” as the posthumous title, shouldn’t we move on to the next topic? Why are all of you still ranting?

The group of old ministers stormed in, scolding so fiercely that they even rolled up their sleeves, as if ready to brawl.

Oh, they really did start brawling.

In this court, there were people who had been neglected by Yang Guang, those who were nearly wrongfully executed by him, and yes, even his sycophantic lackeys. So it wasn’t surprising that scolding Yang Guang escalated from a shouting match to an actual fight.

Li Jiancheng had been wearing a miserable expression the entire time, looking persecuted. Now, with his eyes wide, he cautiously tried to sidestep, only to bump into Li Zhiyun.

Li Zhiyun, startled by the ministers fighting in the court, accidentally tried to dodge in the same direction as Li Jiancheng.

The two brothers’ eyes briefly met in midair before both quickly looked away awkwardly.

The farce in the court finally ended when Li Xuanba led the guards in and dragged the ministers apart.

Even as they were being pulled apart, the ministers stretched their legs out, trying to kick at each other.

Yuwen Bi shouted, “Pei Shiju, you’re nothing but a petty loyalist of the Sui, always flattering the emperor! You’ve half the blame for Sui’s downfall! Why didn’t you die in Jiangdu?”

Pei Shiju shot back, “Nonsense! At least I worked diligently for Sui! I was even demoted for advising the late emperor! You’re the real petty one!”

Li Xuanba interjected, “Teacher Yuwen, Teacher Pei, enough, enough—stop kicking… hey, don’t kick me either!”

Li Xuanba, accidentally hit while trying to mediate, was pulled behind by the watchful Changsun Sheng for protection, while Yuwen Bi and Pei Shiju continued their leg-stretching duel until the guards finally removed them.

Changsun Sheng was Li Shimin’s father-in-law, with a status unlike the others. No one provoked him into a fight, and he wouldn’t step in voluntarily.

Xue Daoheng, already hot-tempered, had joined the fray early. Even the usually calm and self-controlled Gao Jiong, surprisingly, was pinning someone to the ground and punching.

Li Xuanba watched in horror, genuinely fearing that Teacher Gao might cause a fatality in the court.

In short, although there was consensus on Yang Guang’s posthumous title, the scene was chaotic enough to give the young ministers their first sleepless night after attending court.

Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui, who had hurried back, pounded their chests at Li Xuanba: “The old ministers of Sui are terrifying. Our ministers in Tang can’t act like this.”

Li Xuanba gave a perfunctory “hmm.”

Du Ruhui had died early and had no distinctive style in court. But Fang Xuanling, you frequently shout “kill” or “fight”—what makes you more civilized than this group is that you only suggest killing rather than brawling physically.

Li Xuanba resolved that once his brother became emperor, he would secure a special privilege: not having to attend court.

While recalling the chaos surrounding Yang Guang’s posthumous title, Li Yuan finally announced it:

Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang.

In this timeline, it was still the same.

The ministers rejoiced, even more exuberantly than when Li Yuan had declared himself emperor.

Li Xuanba squinted and glanced up at the southern sky.

While the true emperor of Tang was still away on campaign, he would seize the moment to open the country. His second brother wouldn’t be angry upon returning, would he?

Ha! He had no choice. How could loyal ministers of Sui grant Yang Guang the ultimate evil posthumous title? This was a matter for his father.

Yang Guang had worked so hard; if their meddling tarnished the loyalist reputation of Sui, he wouldn’t get the top posthumous title. How unfair to the old ruler!

“Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang,” Li Xuanba murmured, lowering his head slightly, his voice barely audible. “Brother, what posthumous title do you want someday? If it were me, perhaps ‘Wise’ or ‘Loyal.’”

Li Zhiyun interjected: “Huh? Can we decide our own posthumous titles? I’ll go back and study, then pick the most suitable one for myself. Third brother, which one do you think I should choose?”

Li Jiancheng’s expression darkened.

He knew Li Xuanba’s question about a posthumous title was both a warning and a curse. Yet Li Xuanba casually discussed his own title with Li Zhiyun, showing that his own irritation might be petty.

This time, Xue Daoheng coughed heavily. What are you two doing?! Discussing your posthumous titles at your father’s enthronement—if the historians record this, what will later generations think of you?!

But it was too late; the historian had already taken note, planning to write it down later.

“Our brotherhood had no real rift, only distance caused by age difference. Now that we serve in court together, we have plenty of time to grow close.” After the enthronement, Li Xuanba smiled and bowed to Li Jiancheng: “Brother, I hope for your guidance from now on.”

Li Jiancheng’s face stiffened. He was just a young man in his early twenties, inexperienced, and not yet thick-skinned like Li Xuanba. Even knowing he should play along, he could not make his expression appear warm and natural.

Li Zhiyun earnestly said, “Big brother, in the future, if we work together to assist father and elder brother the crown prince, we can surely restore Tang’s glorious era!”

Li Jiancheng’s expression stiffened even more, recalling how Li Zhiyun had mocked him upon returning: “I am the Duke of Tang; this house belongs to me. What are you doing here?”

In the end, unable to endure the pretentiousness of Li Xuanba and Li Zhiyun, he simply fell silent.

Li Jiancheng had often treated his younger brothers this way before, and no one could fault him.

Yet this time, giving Li Xuanba and Li Zhiyun the cold shoulder drew audible murmurs from the ministers.

Afterward, Li Yuan summoned him for a rebuke.

Li Yuan had good intentions. He had resigned himself and now wanted Li Jiancheng to do the same. Since Li Xuanba and Li Zhiyun harbored no grudges and wished to reconcile with Li Jiancheng, as a father he naturally hoped his sons could live harmoniously.

Having abandoned the idea of using Li Jiancheng to check Li Shimin, Li Yuan returned to his paternal role, hoping for friendly relations among his sons.

Only now, whereas Li Yuan had previously persuaded Li Shimin and Li Xuanba to appease Li Jiancheng, the object of persuasion had changed.

Li Jiancheng could not believe his father was siding with Li Xuanba. That scoundrel was obviously a deceitful hypocrite, yet his father expected him to get along with him, and even demanded that he himself approach Li Xuanba warmly?!

Li Yuan also knew that Li Xuanba was sweet-talking while scheming behind his back.

When Li Xuanba agreed to ascend the throne only after Li Yuan stepped down, he promised to hand over power to Li Yuan temporarily, allowing him to be the true emperor for a while.

But after Li Yuan complied, Li Xuanba turned around and handed “all matters except military and political affairs” to his father. Even when it came to appointing slightly higher-ranking officials, Li Yuan needed Li Xuanba’s approval. Otherwise, even if an imperial edict was issued, Li Xuanba wouldn’t dare accept it and would find every possible excuse to refuse the appointment.

Li Yuan knew Li Xuanba was scheming behind the scenes, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what he was doing.

He was already the emperor, and Li Xuanba was just a minor prince of Jin. If Li Shimin had done the same, he could understand the ministers fearing the “regent crown prince,” but Li Xuanba was just a prince—what authority did he have to intimidate the court?

Li Xuanba had deceived Li Yuan, and Li Yuan was furious.

Li Jiancheng was even angrier.

Li Xuanba didn’t bother him directly, but Li Zhiyun and the constant little nuisances kept pestering him. Every time, Li Zhiyun brought many gifts, as if trying to get close, yet all he ever did was remind him of the glorious deeds of Li Shimin and Li Xuanba since childhood—and of how their elder brother, ten years older than Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, had led a carefree, untroubled life as a nobleman.

“Elder brother has always treated power like dirt. Second and third brothers started official careers very young, while elder brother has never bothered with office—truly enviable, your carefree life.”

Li Zhiyun admired Li Jiancheng’s indifference to fame and fortune, praising how he could be ten years older than the others yet remain so effortlessly unattached.

“Hahaha, third brother, you should see Li Jiancheng’s expression!” Li Zhiyun rolled with laughter. “He must be at his wit’s end!”

Li Xuanba sighed helplessly. “I told you not to provoke him—he’d bite the hook on his own.”

Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, Li Zhiyun said, “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead when I went to anger him. I just thought, once he’s about to die, I won’t get this chance again. Third brother, leave the serious stuff to me—I want to take revenge personally.”

Li Xuanba said, “He hasn’t really harmed us. What revenge are you talking about? We’re just dealing with a traitor.”

Li Zhiyun turned, sitting cross-legged with hands on his knees, smiling at his third brother. “Third brother, you understand prophecy, right? In those prophecies, the future of the Tang has no place for you—or for me, right?”

Li Xuanba was curious. “Why do you say that?”

Li Zhiyun rolled his eyes. “You didn’t deliberately hide things… Hmph. I think you not only didn’t hide it, but you even deliberately dropped clues so second brother could guess—so that when something happened to us, he could accept it quickly.”

Li Xuanba said, “I’m not that wicked.”

Li Zhiyun thought to himself: Do you even believe that yourself?

Climbing beside Li Xuanba, Li Zhiyun snuggled close. “Now that second brother is away, can you tell me the original future? I’ve guessed that my death is related to Li Jiancheng. How’s Mother? She’s still favored, right? There must be other sons—she won’t be too heartbroken over me, right?”

Li Xuanba pushed his clingy younger brother away. “Why do you want to know this?”

Li Zhiyun said, “I just want to know. I’m curious!”

Li Xuanba sighed. “You’re still the Prince of Chu. Don’t think too much. Go away. If you’re bored, help me… Huh? Where are you going?”

Li Zhiyun leapt off the seat so quickly he hadn’t even tied his shoes, running out of the study.

From afar came his voice: “I’m going to the barracks to find Sister! I’m busy! Third brother, handle the paperwork yourself!”

Li Xuanba: “…”

He shook his head, frowning, and returned to his paperwork.

Li Zhiyun ran out the gate, then crouched in place.

Luo Shixin, on patrol, saw him squatting there and curiously ran over. “What’s wrong? Did Third Brother scold you?”

Li Zhiyun looked up. “No. By the way, you know that Third Brother understands prophecy, right?”

Luo Shixin said, “Yes.”

Li Zhiyun asked, “Do you know your original future?”

Luo Shixin: “Probably that I would have died in battle very early.”

He complained, “I feel like Master and Third Brother overprotected me. They never wanted me to go fight, saying I was too young, that I’d have plenty of chances in the future. When Master returns, I won’t let him treat me so lightly! Did Third Brother scare you with prophecy too?”

Li Zhiyun crouched on the ground, looking up with a bitter smile. “Third Brother’s expression is completely calm when he lies. But when he scares me, there’s a mischievous grin.”

Luo Shixin was silent for a moment, then crouched down beside his friend.

Lowering his voice, he asked, “Did Third Brother lie to you?”

Li Zhiyun nodded. “My ending is certainly bad. When Third Brother was confused by illness, he once mumbled, ‘Li Jiancheng has now not only lost Xiao Wu, he’s also lost me. Luckily I’m clever—I can protect Xiao Wu.’”

Luo Shixin said, “Are you upset that Li Jiancheng harmed you? Didn’t he do it now too?”

Li Zhiyun hung his head. “I also guessed that even if Li Jiancheng killed me, Father would say it was because I was too young. He covered for Li Jiancheng and let him continue as crown prince. As for Third Brother, he probably died of illness early.”

Luo Shixin asked, “Are you sad that your father abandoned you, or that Third Brother died so young?”

Li Zhiyun plopped down on the ground, burying his face in his arms and knees. “I don’t know.”

Luo Shixin wanted to say, “The current emperor still protects Li Jiancheng,” but he couldn’t bring himself to. He only comforted, “None of that has happened. Third Brother is alive and well. Master and Third Brother have always protected you carefully—no one will abandon you.”

Li Zhiyun muttered, “I know.”

Though what he experienced had almost put him in danger—since Li Jiancheng fled out of cowardice and didn’t take him—this event was essentially unrelated to him. The Sui wouldn’t have captured him, so it was an accident, not truly Li Jiancheng harming him. Therefore, his father siding with Li Jiancheng wasn’t overly partial.

But what about the future that Third Brother foresaw?

Li Zhiyun had probably already guessed the truth.

It was likely that when Father raised the army, he followed Li Jiancheng and wasn’t by Father’s side.

Father’s letter had warned that Li Jiancheng had fled—but Li Jiancheng had left his “young” self behind, causing him to be killed.

“Young.”

Although he didn’t know exactly when his father would raise troops, the situation in the Sui dynasty wouldn’t change much just because the teenage third brother could foresee the future—after all, the Sui dynasty belonged to Yang Guang.

So Father would act either last year or this year.

At fourteen or fifteen, he was already skilled in horseback riding and archery from a young age—how was he “young”? As long as he knew he needed to escape, even if he had to flee separately from Li Jiancheng, he was confident he could survive.

Luo Shixin, who was the same age as him, had already been a brave young general under Zhang Xutuo before the fall of the Sui dynasty!

It turned out Father not only favored Li Jiancheng with a “he’s still alive, isn’t he?” attitude, but even if he himself had been killed, Father would still favor Li Jiancheng.

He really carried absolutely no weight in Father’s heart.

“Good thing I had my second and third brothers to protect me,” Li Zhiyun choked out, “No wonder when the third brother went to Zhangye, even if he had a quarrel with Mother, he insisted on taking the young me along. My second and third brothers were still children themselves—Mother and Aunt must have worried about how they would care for me.”

Luo Shixin sat on the ground beside his good brother, signaling the patrolling soldiers to leave with his eyes: “The Lord and Third Young Master really pamper you. You’re not a brother, you’re a son.”

Li Zhiyun laughed through his tears, looking up and wiping his face: “Luo Shixin, are you asking to get beaten?”

Luo Shixin replied, “Wanna test it? My hands are just itching.”

Li Zhiyun said, “Wait a moment, I haven’t caught my breath yet.”

Luo Shixin said, “Fine, catch your breath… Ah! Don’t wipe your nose on my clothes!”

Li Zhiyun’s sniffling was incredibly loud.

Inside the courtyard, Li Xuanba drew the fur collar of his cloak closer and sighed silently.

It was late autumn; Li Xuanba had long since donned his fur coat, unlike the fiery young men Li Zhiyun and Luo Shixin, who were still wearing just a single layer.

At first, Li Xuanba hadn’t noticed Li Zhiyun’s emotional state.

But Li Shimin, in order to protect Li Xuanba, had kept both Wudie and Hanggou. The two eagles now spent their days idly circling in the sky, so they wouldn’t become overfed; otherwise, when their leader returned, they’d be made to train more.

Today, it was Hanggou’s turn to monitor Li Jiancheng and Li Yuan, while Wudie rested at home.

Seeing Li Zhiyun hugging his knees and crying at the doorway, Wudie rushed through the window, slid across the desk on its rump, nearly ruining Li Xuanba’s entire morning’s work.

Li Xuanba lowered his head and said to Wudie, “Looks like we’re not needed after all.”

Wudie tilted its head.

Li Xuanba smiled and turned back to the study.

Wudie tilted its head again, ignored Li Xuanba’s words, took off, and then made a dive.

Just as Li Xuanba was returning to the study, a scream came from outside the courtyard gate:

“Wudie! Why are you pulling my hair!”

“You naughty bird! I’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Shixin, don’t laugh! Who exactly are you helping!”

“Wudie, stop! Don’t fly! So what if you have wings! Aaaah, you’re killing me!”

“Luo Shixin! I’m cutting ties with you!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Luo… Shixin!”

Li Xuanba shook his head, unable to suppress a smile, pushed open the door, and continued his work.

…

“Strategist, the Turks have really gathered their forces—probably tens of thousands,” Xue Ju gulped down some water before speaking. “They march stealthily and even relocated their tribes beforehand. If it weren’t for your foresight, sending me to stake out the grasslands, we wouldn’t have noticed.”

Li Xuanba said, “Good work. Rest for a few days; there will be more tasks for you soon.”

Xue Ju smiled: “Alright! I’ll sleep a few days and regain my energy.”

After Xue Ju left, Zong Luohu said, “I wonder how Li Jiancheng will get the Turks into the city.”

Li Xuanba replied, “Probably by infiltrating the guards of nobles. Mix in a few dozen today, a few dozen tomorrow, and soon it will add up to thousands. Many will go hunting outside the city soon—you keep a close watch.”

Zong Luohu said, “Our Lord has landed from the canal and is almost here. Shouldn’t we act first?”

Li Xuanba smiled: “If Second Brother doesn’t come back, how could Li Jiancheng assassinate the emperor? I finally have Second Brother as bait.”

Zong Luohu: “…” Even the Lord himself is the strategist’s bait—terrifying.

Li Xuanba stretched his neck: “Probably Teacher Yu reminded Second Brother that I’d cause trouble in Chang’an. Otherwise, with how much he trusts me, it would take a while for him to realize something was wrong. Even without Teacher Yu’s warning, Fourth Young Master Changsun would have made Second Brother return early. He doesn’t believe the nonsense that I never cause trouble.”

After the Tang dynasty was reestablished, Daxing was renamed Chang’an, reviving the spirit of the Han. Li Xuanba could finally speak without mistakes.

Zong Luohu firmly stood by his strategist: “Actually, Third Young Master isn’t really causing trouble, right? Isn’t it Li Jiancheng who provoked us?”

Li Xuanba said, “Right. He provoked us. By the way, what is Father doing now?”

Zong Luohu said, “He knows what Li Jiancheng is planning, but doesn’t actively help. He just turns a blind eye, giving slight convenience so Li Jiancheng can learn the palace defenses.”

Li Xuanba laughed: “That’s typical of Father. He always thinks of himself as someone sitting steadily while fishing from a high platform.”

He sighed, then smiled: “People say Father favors Li Jiancheng, but actually his love for him isn’t that great. If he truly loved Li Jiancheng, why would he push him to a dead end? Perhaps he once valued Li Jiancheng most, but now he merely treats him as a tool to balance and seize power.”

“I wonder if Li Jiancheng himself realizes it, haha.”

…

“A-Xuan, he hasn’t caused trouble, right!” Li Shimin grabbed Li Zhiyun, who had come out to greet him.

Li Zhiyun pulled his collar back from his second brother’s hand: “Second Brother, what do you mean by ‘causing trouble’?”

Li Shimin said: “As long as A-Xuan hasn’t killed his brother, it doesn’t count as causing trouble!”

Li Zhiyun: “……Killing a brother is just ‘stirring up trouble’ for Second Brother?”

He shook his head. “Third Brother treats Li Jiancheng so well. How could he do something like that? He’s always been patient with Li Jiancheng since childhood—you know that as well as I do.”

Li Shimin was furious: “What! Li Jiancheng bullied A-Xuan again! Soldiers! Follow me and crush—ow!”

Yu Shinan struck Li Shimin on the head, stopping him mid-sentence.

Even though the road was bumpy, Yu Shinan had followed Li Shimin back.

“Where’s Dade?” Yu Shinan asked. “Isn’t he sick again?”

Li Zhiyun replied, “He caught a cold. Mother forbade Third Brother from leaving the palace… huh? Second Brother, slow down!”

Li Zhiyun watched speechlessly as Second Brother rode off like the wind, leaving the soldiers, his teacher, and even Li Zhiyun himself—who had come to greet him—behind, vanishing in an instant.

Li Zhiyun slowly added, “Actually, Third Brother’s cold is nearly better; Mother is just overly worried… never mind. Even if Second Brother hears this, he wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

He raised a mischievous smile: “Third Brother made Second Brother fight on an empty stomach; Second Brother made Third Brother meet Father and Elder Brother alone. I wonder if they’ll end up fighting… hehe, I should hurry too… ow.”

Yu Shinan withdrew his hand: “Prince Chu, please speak and act with caution.”

Li Zhiyun recognized Yu Shinan. Having loved calligraphy since childhood, he had been taught more by Yu Shinan than even by his Second or Third Brother.

Ah great, here comes another teacher who scolds me.

…

“A-Xuan! You’re sick again?!”

Li Shimin’s voice reached first, even before he arrived.

Li Xuanba said to Dou Huiming, “Mother, you must scold Second Brother properly! He never brings enough provisions and rushes everywhere. When Wei Xuancheng transported supplies to Lujiang, everyone else ran off to Xijing. I heard he went a whole day hungry before attacking Dou Jiande, and even personally led the vanguard! He’s risking his life!”

Li Xuanba handed over a whip.

Dou Huiming gave him a helpless look and took the whip in hand.

Behind her, Consort Wan covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

After Li Xuanba fell ill, the Empress had moved into the palace where he stayed to personally care for him.

Consort Wan, having heard that Li Shimin would return today, had come specifically to wait for him.

She knew that since Li Shimin knew about Li Xuanba’s illness, he would first visit Li Xuanba before paying his respects to Li Yuan.

But she hadn’t expected… snicker.

“A-Xuan!” Li Shimin burst into the hall. “Huh? Mother and Aunt are here too?”

Li Xuanba shouted loudly: “Mother! Beat him!”

Li Shimin: “???!!!”