LFHYB -Chapter 36 Yang Guang’s Unlikely Friendship

“Let’s just call it an ancient text,” Li Xuanba said. “With the method for making colored glass and the crystal mine, we can trade for a fire pearl. I think the Emperor will approve when he sees our filial piety. Besides, the Emperor isn’t lacking fire pearls now. You didn’t notice, but the dragon pearls on the columns in the Eastern Capital’s palace are actually fire pearls—just not as beautiful as this one.”

“That makes sense. Now that my uncle is Emperor, he might not care about treasures as much as before. But I have an even better idea.” Li Shimin’s eyes twinkled as he beckoned his brother over: “Come closer and listen.”

Li Xuanba frowned: “Why all the secrecy?”

Li Shimin chuckled: “You said it yourself—it’s about the sense of ceremony!”

Li Xuanba sighed and leaned in to hear his elder brother’s “ceremonial” plan.

Li Shimin spoke for a while; Li Xuanba frowned slightly, added a few points, and Li Shimin continued.

When Lady Dou came to check on them, the two children finally crawled into bed.

After she left, Li Shimin got up, held out his hand: “The final ceremony!”

Li Xuanba held out his hand too, and they “clapped” together.

“Objective: reclaim Mother’s fire pearl!”

…

Li Jiancheng angered Old Lady Dugu again, but didn’t get punished.

Old Lady Dugu kept the matter secret, forbidding anyone from telling Li Yuan, and especially warned Lady Dou not to gossip.

Li Yuan usually ignored affairs in the rear palace. Unless someone told him directly, he wouldn’t inquire, so naturally he wouldn’t know.

Lady Dou sighed inwardly and quietly continued organizing the treasures to present to the Emperor, feeling a bit disheartened.

But her disappointment was temporary. Whenever she had a chance, she would still teach the children—after all, they were her own.

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba were to enter the palace. Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, thinking that the children might curry favor with the Emperor, which could also benefit him and Li Jiancheng. Besides, the Emperor had said that once Li Xuanba recovered, he wanted to see him in the palace. So Li Yuan took the two children inside.

Yang Guang was watching a musical performance. After announcing Li Yuan’s arrival, he dismissed him disdainfully, leaving only Li Shimin and Li Xuanba.

“Li Sanlang, are you finally well?” Yang Guang asked with concern.

Li Xuanba replied, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. There’s still a bit of coughing, but it’s nothing serious. I always catch a seasonal illness, so it’s routine. My reason for entering the palace this time is to present the long-delayed soap and soap solution samples to Your Majesty.”

Li Xuanba personally handed the small box he was holding to Yang Guang.

Yang Guang didn’t have anyone inspect it; he opened the box directly and took out the soap, sniffing it: “Milky?”

Li Xuanba: “It’s made from goat’s milk. The soap and solution for Your Majesty weren’t hot-processed but cold-processed. It takes a hundred times more effort but preserves more skincare nutrients.”

Li Xuanba coughed a few times and looked at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin sighed inwardly. Alright, alright, my brother’s too impatient to explain—time for me, the interpreter, to step in.

So Li Xuanba bragged inwardly about the glycerin and goat milk skincare components, while Li Shimin gestured dramatically, elaborating in vivid detail.

Li Xuanba thought he was already bragging enough, but his elder brother’s animated descriptions were even more lively and interesting. Yang Guang’s eyes sparkled, and he nodded repeatedly while stroking his beard, as if listening to a storyteller.

Li Xuanba’s thoughts drifted. If his brother lived in modern times and became a livestream seller, he could probably become the top seller.

But with his brother’s abilities, he’d more likely be a stationed peacekeeping general, never a seller.

“Good, good. Truly worthy of a Han Palace secret recipe,” Yang Guang said immediately, calling for palace attendants to bring warm water and test the goat milk soap.

He tested it with and without a foaming net. The soap solution flowed over the skin like milk, and after washing, he pinched his hand and felt that the back of his hand was smoother, as if the calluses from years of wielding knives and drawing bows had softened.

Li Shimin continued, elaborating on Li Xuanba’s points, exaggerating how complex the goat milk soap process was, how low the yield was, and that the shelf life was only a month.

Li Xuanba’s takeaway from online sales experience: customers for handmade crafts value uniqueness and instability; that’s called art and rarity.

For a wealthy client like the Emperor, a month-long production could be exaggerated into a quarter, a 50% yield could be claimed as 5%, and a three-month shelf life could be claimed as one month—perfectly matching his status.

Li Shimin concluded: this must be what Xuan calls “stupid people with money rushing to be the unlucky rich buyer.”

Since ancient times, the lesson people have learned is that people never actually learn lessons. If Li Xuanba could fool modern people, he could certainly fool the ancestors of modern people as well.

Ahem—though that seems backward.

In any case, Yang Guang was so thoroughly coaxed by Li Shimin that he was dazed. He had originally considered setting aside a portion for the Empress, but now even that he hesitated to part with.

Seeing that Li Shimin had gone a bit overboard, he quickly said that using the soap for the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess should be fine, and there would still be some left to reward others. But for all the nobles throughout the palace to use it, that would probably be impossible.

Li Xuanba added that aside from the goat milk soap, he could customize bathing and skincare products according to each person’s skin type. For example, the young imperial grandson shouldn’t use skincare products made with floral essential oils, as it could trigger allergies. Goat milk soap would be the gentlest.

Moisturizing, nourishing, antibacterial, anti-acne… Li Xuanba counted on his fingers, then sighed: “Four hundred years of the Han palace, truly impressive. It’s a pity that most books were lost to the flames of war.”

Li Shimin said, “That’s exactly why His Majesty wanted to compile books. To gather scattered, rare texts and compile them into a work encompassing all things—truly remarkable!”

Yang Guang nodded humbly, pleased, and continued to praise them.

He was very satisfied with the tribute soaps and soap liquids. He summoned his officials and directly finalized the matter.

All the tributes were purchased, which meant Li Shimin and Li Xuanba could profit. Moreover, to ensure a stable supply of tribute raw materials, they could directly draw on the palace’s reserves.

Not just cow, goat, or horse milk, or flowers and fruits—even rare medicinal herbs—they could access, as long as they had the palace-issued vouchers.

Of course, in practice, kickbacks and side arrangements at various levels would still be necessary. That’s how it has always been, everywhere in the world. Even the emperor knew this, and Li Xuanba was very experienced.

The matter of the tribute supply chain would be discussed gradually after leaving the palace. For Yang Guang, the matter was concluded once the tributes were assured each month.

Generously, Yang Guang said: “You’ve done very well. What reward would you like?”

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba exchanged a glance.

Here comes the main event.

Seeing the hesitation on their faces, Yang Guang teased: “Do you find it difficult to ask for a reward?”

Li Shimin cupped his hands: “My brother and I do indeed have a reward in mind, but we hesitated to speak it. Yet whether it is a prince or a senior asking, as subjects and juniors, neither Xuanba nor I should hide it.”

Li Xuanba cupped his hands as well: “The other day, my brother lost his post due to a drunken slip, and our father and mother were extremely anxious. We thought to come to Your Majesty to plead for him and make amends. Surely Your Majesty is already aware. Father is currently seeking fine horses.”

Yang Guang stroked his beard and smiled: “Li Yuan is usually very frugal. Even giving me two or three horses would make him feel uneasy for a long while. But for his son, he is willing.”

Horses were strategic resources, so Li Yuan’s search could not escape his notice.

Li Shimin said: “Among the gifts that Father had Mother prepare to make amends for my brother, there is one fire pearl that was part of Mother’s dowry from Grandmother. When Grandmother asked Emperor Wu for the fire pearl, she had monks and Daoists enchant it with protective talismans to ward off misfortune—and ahem, even some spells to prevent it from being lost. I heard that Empress Xianwen once instructed Mother to keep it carefully, and not to show it lightly.”

Li Xuanba added: “Mother was worried that the spells might be problematic… but Father didn’t really believe it. To make amends, naturally one must offer the most precious gift. Among the jewels in Mother’s dowry, the fire pearl is the largest, most suitable for this purpose.”

Li Shimin frowned: “Xuanba and I were worried the treasure might really be problematic. We checked many ancient texts and discovered… sigh, that the fire pearl is actually a so-called rare item hyped by merchants from the Western Regions. In truth, our Central Plains already had it, so the fire pearl isn’t truly rare.”

Li Xuanba scoffed: “We told Father, but he didn’t believe it. Yet offering a false treasure to Your Majesty—how could we, as subjects and juniors, do that? So my brother and I decided to quietly inform Your Majesty, and leave the decision to you.”

As soon as the dowry fire pearl of Lady Dou was mentioned, Yang Guang pictured that golden pearl in his mind.

To be honest, he wanted it.

Although he had already collected many fire pearls of similar quality to Lady Dou’s dowry, the fascination he felt when he first saw that pearl remained in his memory.

But when Li Shimin mentioned “dowry” and “spells,” his desire vanished.

He knew that this fire pearl had actually been part of Lady Dou’s dowry from Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. Although Emperor Wu had suppressed Buddhism, he still worried that suppressing it would invite curses, so the palace employed many extraordinary people.

The fire pearl was extraordinary and long considered a Buddhist treasure, said to contain the essence of the sun. When exposed to sunlight, it could ignite firewood even without a flame.

Such a treasure would naturally have been blessed by extraordinary people at Emperor Wu’s order.

Yang Guang recalled how his mother jokingly warned him when she helped Lady Dou count her dowry: “We’ve killed all the male members of the Northern Zhou royal family. Who knows how many of these items are cursed? Just looking at them makes me uneasy. Better let Lady Dou take them away quickly.”

At the time, he thought it was certainly a joke, because the Sui Dynasty used many Northern Zhou treasures—why would anyone fear curses?

But recalling the brilliance of the fire pearl from Lady Dou’s dowry, Li Shimin’s words made its “miraculous” nature feel “demonic” to him, which was unsettling.

After all, this was a Buddhist treasure gifted to Lady Dou by Emperor Wu after handling it himself. It shouldn’t really harm him, right?

Yang Guang had been having nightmares lately, dreaming that Yang Yong’s ghost came to claim his life. While he wasn’t afraid of Yang Yong, he had become a little paranoid.

He initially wanted to scold Li Yuan for sending cursed, unlucky items to the palace: “Do you also want witchcraft?” But when Li Shimin said, “The fire pearl is fake; our Central Plains already have it,” Yang Guang was completely stunned.

He interrupted the back-and-forth between Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, frowning: “Isn’t the fire pearl a rare overseas treasure, a Buddhist relic?!”

Li Shimin said: “The fire pearl and the water jade are actually the same type of stone. The so-called ‘fire pearl’ of sun essence, the ‘ice spirit’ of eternal ice, and the ‘water spirit’ of aquatic spirits in supernatural novels all refer to it. It is merely a mineral buried underground—beautiful, but not as powerful as the legends claim.”

Li Xuanba said, “Second Brother and I brought all the books that record crystal stones.”

Yang Guang quickly had the two children bring the books over and began introducing him to the crystals.

Li Shimin picked up an “ancient” book and said, “At first, we saw from this incomplete volume we found at the Western Market that fire pearls and crystals were the same thing… ahem, Your Majesty, but we were tricked. This isn’t actually an ancient fragment.”

Yang Guang was about to ask what kind of fragment it was, but when he heard Li Shimin say “tricked,” he was caught between laughing and crying. “Tricked?”

Li Shimin opened the fragment: “The yellowing is too even—it’s obviously dyed.”

In fact, Xuanba had dyed it very naturally before, but now it had been redyed into something unnatural.

Li Shimin pointed to the worm-eaten holes: “When insects chew through pages, the edges should be uneven, but these holes… hmm, they’re too perfectly round.”

When Xuanba repaired the holes, Li Shimin had been shouting beside him that they weren’t round enough, not fake enough, and had personally dug out some holes himself.

Li Shimin then showed the clerical script in the book to Yang Guang: “This clerical script… the strokes are too sharp. Clerical script should be smooth and rounded.”

It had taken Xuanba a lot of effort to create a half-clerical, half-regular script.

Yang Guang picked up the “ancient” fragment and examined it carefully, laughing: “Indeed, this is a modern imitation of an ancient work. How much did you get tricked for?”

Li Shimin sighed, “A full three hundred coins!”

Yang Guang laughed: “Learn from your mistakes. Consider the three hundred coins as the price of a lesson. So, although this fragment is a fake, is the content itself real?”

Li Shimin nodded: “Xuan doesn’t care whether a fragment is real or fake; he always reads and verifies. So even though this isn’t an ancient book, the content might have been copied from real ancient books. That’s why Xuanba fell for it.”

Li Xuanba said, “…If the content is real, then it is an ancient book. The ink and paper don’t really matter.”

Li Shimin sighed to Yang Guang: “Xuanba is stubborn again.”

Yang Guang chuckled and began reading the records in the fake ancient book.

As Li Shimin had said, the book itself was fake, but the content accurately recorded what ancient books had said.

Crystals were also called water jade, water emerald, or jade essence in ancient texts. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that water jade is abundant in the Shitangting Mountain and Dan Mountain, southeast of the Luo River region. Gengshan Mountain has much water emerald.

In the pre-Qin Chu Ci, it says “Climbing Kunlun to eat jade essence”; in the Han Shanglin Fu, “water jade piled like coral”; in the Three Kingdoms Guangya, it is called “quartz”—all referring to crystals. From early times, crystals were commonly used as decorations by nobles.

Furthermore, the annotations in these ancient books clearly record that crystals were abundant in Donghai Commandery.

Yang Guang sighed: “Donghai Commandery—that’s Haizhou, isn’t it? In pre-Qin times it belonged to Chu. Sima Xiangru’s father-in-law, Zhuo Wangsun, also traded salt and iron there. And the folk tales about the Donghai Crystal Palace, they’re referring to Donghai Commandery too, right?”

Yang Guang knew all this because he was planning to rename Haizhou back to Donghai Commandery. The reason was that the tribute crystals from Haizhou pleased him greatly; he felt that Donghai suited crystals perfectly.

Li Shimin said with a pained expression, “In Donghai, dig three feet into the ground and you can find crystals. Fire pearls are just large crystals ground into spheres.”

Li Xuanba imitated his brother’s pained expression and added, “As for what they call the ‘essence,’ that’s just crystals growing with other metals mixed in—like adding gold or silver threads when making glass. In Donghai, such crystals are called ‘phosphorescent crystals,’ and they’re not uncommon. I remember the palace even has a large phosphorescent crystal rockery in a bonsai display.”

Yang Guang raised a hand and pointed.

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba turned their heads.

Ah, there was a phosphorescent crystal rockery in the corner of the palace room.

Yang Guang was almost exasperated with the records in the ancient books: “A group of monks, for the sake of preaching, targeted the mysterious colors of crystals. They ground crystals into spheres, pretending they were natural gems, and flaunted them everywhere. And they even reached Emperor Wu of Zhou? His ministers uncovered their trick, which strengthened the Emperor’s resolve to suppress Buddhism? That actually happened?”

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba exchanged a glance and shook their heads: “We don’t know that. We asked our mother, and she also didn’t know—just said that one day the Emperor suddenly disliked fire pearls. But the Emperor still applied incantations to the pearls, so he probably believed, at least a little, that fire pearls were Buddhist treasures?”

Yang Guang twitched at the corner of his mouth: “Crystals can naturally be imbued with incantations.”

At that point, Yang Guang completely lost interest in the crystal spheres.

He liked fire pearls because they were unique even among treasures from the Western Regions, and because they were Buddhist treasures. But knowing they were just ground crystals? That was boring.

Yang Guang did not doubt Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, because everything they said was true.

The ancient texts were real, the records were real, and the stories about Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou and the Buddhist treasures were half-true, half-myth.

People in ancient times still got tricked because there was no “search engine.” Even if a record existed in a book, unless you happened to read that volume, you could be fooled for life. This is information bias.

Xuanba’s advantage compared to ancient people is that modern knowledge is already integrated. So he just needs to “follow the map” according to modern knowledge to find the relevant ancient texts.

Most “mysterious” things, once exposed, feel underwhelming—like a magic trick being revealed.

Most of the ancient texts Xuanba collected were ones Yang Guang had seen. Works like Classic of Mountains and Seas, Chu Ci, Shanglin Fu—which scholar hadn’t seen them? Guangya was even a beginner-level text.

So Yang Guang, skimming through, felt both disappointed and annoyed.

Those Western monks actually used such obvious trickery. No wonder Emperor Wu was angered enough to suppress Buddhism.

Yang Xian and Empress Dugu were devout Buddhists, but Yang Guang, seeing himself as comparable to Emperor Wu, felt indifferent toward Buddhism.

Although he often patronized Buddhist temples to flatter Yang Xian and Empress Dugu, the grand buildings he personally built were all palaces for himself, emphasizing his self-centered nature. Gods and Buddha were not worth much attention to this self-proclaimed emperor of the ages.

On this point, Li Xuanba actually admired him.

After a palace changed dynasties, it could continue being used or be demolished; building Buddhist temples could someday create tax-exempt religious elites, spreading like psoriasis…

Yang Guang was preparing to head west. After uncovering the treasures of the Western Regions, his curiosity about them had lessened. He decided not to go west after all, and instead would go north to visit the Turks.

Building the canal was just the first step of a great emperor. An emperor who craved achievements would never neglect “military accomplishments.” Yang Guang planned first to test his hand against the somewhat unruly Goguryeo; after Goguryeo surrendered, his greatest “military achievement” would naturally be conquering the Turks.

Compared to Goguryeo, the Turks were the real threat to the Central Plains dynasty. His father had restrained the Turks; he would completely eliminate them.

Li Xuanba’s butterfly wings had flapped a little—causing only one or two fewer roads to be built on the imperial highways—but it wasn’t much, and Yang Guang still decided to leave Daxing City come spring.

After learning the true nature of the “Fire Pearl,” Yang Guang casually agreed to the rewards Li Shimin and Li Xuanba desired.

Originally, Yang Guang had considered having Lady Dou exchange it for something else, but Li Xuanba tactfully mentioned that the late emperor had been very devout with Buddhist treasures; directly exposing the secret of the treasure might not be appropriate.

Yang Guang joked: “I see, you’re just worried your father would start picking through other items in your mother’s dowry again. Li Yuan is really something—Tang Duke Mansion isn’t poor, yet he insists on scrutinizing a woman’s dowry. Ridiculous.”

Even Li Shimin, who still greatly liked Father, couldn’t help nodding at that.

So Yang Guang decided to first accept the gift and then grant the Buddhist treasure, the Fire Pearl, to Li Shimin and Li Xuanba—both as a recognition of the children’s loyalty to him and their filial piety to Lady Dou.

After the Fire Pearl was granted to Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, Lady Dou, as their mother, would help safeguard the imperial gift. But imperial gifts could not be given to others, not even to family members; no one could force Lady Dou to take the Fire Pearl from the dowry and give it again.

Li Shimin couldn’t help silently shouting: [Yes!!!]

A smile appeared at the corner of Li Xuanba’s lips as well.

Yang Guang generously said: “I have no need for this Fire Pearl; it doesn’t count as a reward. You two may request one more reward… since you exposed the Fire Pearl trick, you can have an extra reward!”

Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, “I don’t really want anything… Ah! I remember now—A-Xuan is always craving the imperial library’s books, often saying he wants to assist the scholars and help read the texts. It’s not appropriate for the Crown Prince to always accompany him.”

Yang Guang casually tossed a token to Li Xuanba.

Li Xuanba didn’t react at once.

Li Shimin leapt sideways, easily catching the token, and said proudly: “A-Xuan is clumsy, I’m still better. Thank you, Your Majesty! A-Xuan, say thank you to His Majesty.”

Only then did Li Xuanba come to his senses and hurriedly expressed his thanks.

Yang Guang asked: “What does the third son wish for? Is this on behalf of the second son?”

Li Xuanba thought for a moment and said: “I wish to speak with Your Majesty alone.”

Before Yang Guang could respond, Li Shimin was surprised: “Why? Do you have something you need to hide from me?!” This wasn’t according to plan!

Li Xuanba said: “I just don’t want to tell you.”

Yang Guang gently pushed Li Shimin’s small head aside and laughed: “Alright, you won’t tell Li Erlang. Guards, take Li Erlang away.”

Li Shimin protested: “A-Xuan! Are you even my brother anymore? How can you hide something from me!”

Yang Guang snapped his fingers: “Cover his mouth.”

Palace attendants smiled as they covered Li Shimin’s mouth and carried him away.

Yang Guang chuckled: “I’m also curious—what does the third son need to hide from the second son?”

Li Xuanba first rose and approached Yang Guang. After respectfully kneeling and kowtowing, he rose and sat properly: “I was born weak. Physician Sun once said it would be difficult for me to survive to adulthood.”

Yang Guang was momentarily stunned, then his expression softened with a trace of regret and sympathy.

In truth, he had vaguely heard this from the imperial physician and Empress Xiao. Back then, the two children were simply amusing juniors to him, so he didn’t pay much attention. Now, with Li Xuanba speaking to him directly, he felt more affection for the two children, which naturally stirred his emotions.

Li Xuanba lowered his head: “A few days ago, my elder brother spoke carelessly after drinking, and the second brother and I were scolded. I then realized that a legitimate elder brother is different from an ordinary one. And the second brother is full of talent; the road ahead will surely be difficult. My body is weak; even serving as an official will be difficult. After careful thought, I can only accumulate some wealth for the second brother. So that when he works in the future, he will have some financial cushion, perhaps suffering less.”

He kowtowed again: “Therefore, I request Your Majesty, in the name of the imperial household, to participate in my business, granting me authority akin to that of a court merchant. This way, I can bypass Tang Duke Mansion and save more private funds for my brother.”

Yang Guang looked at the frail child kneeling before him, his emotions extremely complicated, unable to speak for a long time.

Finally, Yang Guang rose and helped the frail child up: “Why go to such lengths? With me here, Tang Duke Mansion won’t act unfairly.”

Li Xuanba said: “Legal and ethical norms cannot be altered. Your Majesty manages countless affairs, and the world is full of matters that trouble you. Whether as a subject or as a junior, I shouldn’t trouble Your Majesty with such trivial matters. Moreover, if even minor issues always require Your Majesty’s decision, wouldn’t it show that my brother and I are incapable? We must retain some self-respect and pride.”

Yang Guang couldn’t help but laugh: “You two are indeed somewhat proud. And you only request this? I find Li Jiancheng quite mediocre; letting your second brother inherit the title would also be acceptable.”

Li Xuanba shook his head vigorously: “Harmony in the family brings prosperity. Brotherly friendship and filial respect are the most important. Court laws and principles should not and must not be changed. My elder brother is our full brother; my second brother and I should yield. Moreover, this world is vast, the court grand, and Your Majesty is our maternal uncle; my second brother has ample opportunity to achieve merit. I only wish that when my brother later requests funds from Tang Duke Mansion, he will not displease our elder brother.”

Not a single word of Yang Guang’s comment did Li Xuanba believe.

Although Yang Guang, as the legitimate second son, became heir, he would get angry if anyone criticized the legitimate second son and despise an incapable eldest son. Anyone who disparaged the primogeniture system in front of him would provoke lethal intent.

It was precisely because he seized the succession that he needed to defend the eldest son, to prove that he had not usurped but was the chosen heir of his parents—the legitimate succession. Only because the eldest son had been deposed did he become the heir.

He wasn’t attempting to seize the throne; he was the rightful heir.

In modern terms, it’s like those who get on the carriage first often weld the doors shut.

Yang Guang’s treatment of his legitimate younger son, Yang Xian, illustrates this perfectly. In history, after Crown Prince Yang Zhao died, Yang Xian believed that by order of succession he should become the new crown prince, so he assumed the title himself. Yet Yang Guang immediately grew suspicious of him and placed him under strict surveillance; Yang Xian was nearly under house arrest.

When the father and son died, Yang Guang even asked whether Yang Xian had staged a coup, while Yang Xian, thinking his father wanted to kill him, kept protesting his innocence.

“Seizing the throne” was Yang Guang’s inner demon. Even after Yang Zhao’s death, Yang Xian, as Yang Guang’s only adult son at the time while the youngest, Prince of Zhao, was still an infant, could not show the slightest thought of “seizing the throne.”

As for Yang Xian’s “crimes” — being lax in governance, living extravagantly, and having affairs with widows — among the imperial clan’s children, these were trivial. Yang Guang knew about them beforehand and didn’t care much. Punishment only came if it rose to the level of a “capital offense.”

So, although Yang Guang “sympathized” with Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, occasionally intervening for them in minor matters, if either of them showed any intent to violate law or order, Yang Guang would immediately dislike them.

Yang Guang would not allow anyone to challenge the rules, especially the rules of hierarchy.

But the conflict between Li Shimin, Li Xuanba, and Li Jiancheng was already out in the open. Even a simple soap shop could cause so many problems—how many more conflicts would appear before Yang Guang in the future?

To prevent Yang Guang from overreacting, Li Xuanba gave him a “preventive injection,” presenting himself as a victim in advance and speaking openly of his intentions.

He wouldn’t live to adulthood, so nothing he did was an attempt to usurp Li Jiancheng’s position as the legitimate eldest son.

His second brother was proud, would earn his own merits, and would never covet Li Jiancheng’s position.

Everything he did was simply to accumulate trivial, overlooked goods, so that when his second brother eventually became independent, life would be easier for him.

This “imperial merchant” role could even separate his second brother from his own career.

He was skilled in business, but commerce wasn’t exactly a noble pursuit. His second brother running a bookstore was more than enough.

Li Xuanba had prepared carefully this time, but he hadn’t expected Yang Guang to test this child so directly.

Fortunately, he had also accounted for what seemed impossible.

A child judged by both court doctors and renowned folk physicians as unlikely to survive to adulthood naturally aroused pity.

Matters in commerce, which scholars looked down upon, naturally aroused disdain.

Combining pity and disdain lulled Yang Guang into a false sense of ease.

Besides, who would suspect a seven-year-old child of calculating with an emperor presiding over a flourishing empire?

Even Li Shimin, knowing his brother was lying, could not imagine why Li Xuanba insisted on collaborating with the emperor.

Did he actually want to make money? If so, he could just ask the emperor for rewards.

Yang Guang sighed: “You wouldn’t happen to want to pass your shop on to Daxiong in the future, would you?”

Li Xuanba replied: “That depends on whether Father allows me to marry. I still want to leave some for the family.”

Yang Guang chuckled: “You’re quite honest. Fine. What business do you want to do next?”

Li Xuanba said: “The soap and cosmetics business can conveniently use materials from the imperial estate.”

Yang Guang: “I’ve already allowed that.”

Li Xuanba revealed a proud smile: “I saw people from the Western Regions using crystals that already existed in our Great Sui to promote Buddhist relics, selling them at high prices to us. I want to sell Great Sui goods to them at ten, even a hundred times the price. Father pleases the emperor frugally, only using money to buy horses. I will please the emperor by making the Western Regions willingly offer their best hawks and horses with both hands.”

Li Xuanba spread his thin arms in a wide circle: “The Western kingdoms will never willingly give their most precious items as tribute. By trading with them, I will learn what they truly value. Merchants prize profit over loyalty; with enough money, they will even obediently offer fine horses, swords, and armor that the Western kingdoms themselves refuse to provide.”

“I read in the Book of Han that many Han envoys used commerce to gain benefits for the Han. After meeting General Changsun, I became even more inspired. Even if I might not live to adulthood, I still want to open a Silk Road for His Majesty, for Great Sui, for Sui envoys! To allow our vast empire to welcome nations without conquering them by force!”

Yang Guang looked at his nephew, whose slightly hollowed cheeks made his eyes appear larger and brighter.

Li Xuanba’s words struck a chord.

His northern expedition to intimidate the Turks was precisely to reopen the Silk Road!

He hadn’t told anyone, not even his most trusted Yuwen Shu, yet a child’s ambitions aligned with his own!

Yang Guang finally began to take this younger generation seriously.

Although he had repeatedly joked about making Li Erlang and Li Sanlang his Champion Marquises, jokes were just jokes. Li Erlang and Li Sanlang were too young; the future of a prodigy was unpredictable.

This time, Yang Guang truly felt a sense of regret.

Why was Li Sanlang so young? Even if he were twelve or thirteen, Yang Guang would immediately appoint him.

“Don’t worry, you might yet live to adulthood,” Yang Guang said earnestly. “I am waiting for you to grow up, to be my left and right arms.”

Li Xuanba said respectfully but proudly: “Nephew does not want to place hope on the future, so Nephew wishes to serve Your Majesty now.”

Yang Guang sighed: “If you overexert yourself, you may die even sooner.”

Li Xuanba: “As long as I can shine, what does shortening a few years matter? My life was never long anyway.”

Yang Guang couldn’t help but tap Li Xuanba on the head: “You truly are… sigh, so arrogant. Daxiong isn’t half as overconfident as you.”

Li Xuanba bowed slightly: “Nephew admits, indeed so.”

Yang Guang chuckled.

He rubbed Li Xuanba’s head and said with a smile: “Alright, I’ll grant you permission. Whatever you want to do, write me a memorial. Can you write a memorial?”

Li Xuanba: “Yes!”

…

Li Shimin turned his back to Li Xuanba, tears dropping with a plop, plop sound.

Li Xuanba walked up to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin continued to turn away.

The two children circled around for a while. Li Xuanba sighed: [I’ll tell you on the way back.]

Only then did Li Shimin wipe away his aggrieved tears and obediently get on the carriage with Li Xuanba to go home.

On the carriage, Li Shimin pouted and glared at his younger brother. He wanted to hear what his brother had to say.

Actually, he knew that what his brother would tell him now were things that didn’t need to be hidden from him.

Li Xuanba thought for a moment and said, “I asked His Majesty for the authority over the imperial merchants. From now on, I’ll make money together with His Majesty. I’m going to take you out of the shop; in the future, it will only be me working with His Majesty.”

Li Shimin sniffled: “Why?”

Li Xuanba said, “You will pursue an official career in the future. Getting too involved in business won’t be good for you. I’m weak; I can at most serve as a minor official. Business suits me better—I can stay home and check the accounts. Besides, I like money.”

Li Shimin asked, “Does this need to be kept from me?”

Li Xuanba nodded: “I have to give His Majesty the impression that I need to hide it from you. That way, it feels more real.”

Li Shimin lowered his head and said nothing, unsure whether he believed him.

But when they got off the carriage, he reconciled with Li Xuanba and didn’t bring it up again.

Li Xuanba knew his brother still had some doubts in his heart and might have guessed part of the truth.

Probably about his lifespan, and about telling the emperor that his second brother would take an official path, while he, a short-lived ghost, would make money to pave the way for his second brother.

But Li Shimin didn’t know that Li Xuanba had another reason for keeping things from him.

Li Shimin was very sentimental. Although Yang Guang was a tyrant hated by the people, now they were flattering him, and Yang Guang treated them generously and with trust.

Li Xuanba intended to continue using Yang Guang to get involved in the Western Regions’ first ventures.

His goal was young and strong slaves, armor, weapons, and warhorses!

He wanted to build an elite private army that even Li Yuan didn’t know about! That way, even if the future became unstable because of his actions, he could guarantee the safety of himself and his second brother, ensuring that the “forcing the emperor” plan would succeed!

A little-known fact: the Xuanjia soldiers were organized by Li Yuan. The second brother was the commander of this Xuanjia cavalry.

In the 12th year of the Daye era, Li Yuan personally trained 2,000 cavalry to defeat the invading Turks. In the 13th year, when he was about to rise in rebellion, he used an empty city ruse to lure the Turks, attack them, capture their horses, and then, after taking the initiative, wrote to the Turkish Khagan requesting support with warhorses. That gave him the capital to establish the Xuanjia cavalry.

The second brother could not move the Xuanjia soldiers on his own; during the palace coup, he used only his own household troops.

Before becoming emperor, Li Yuan could truly be called a hero. When he raised troops, he personally fought on the battlefield. Otherwise, even with his status as Duke of Tang, the best talents wouldn’t have flocked to him.

Li Yuan before ascending the throne could shoot seventy arrows in a row, build watchtowers to suppress rebels, and defeat the Turks with inferior forces—a fierce general indeed, and the real father of Li Shimin.

The second brother’s glory actually began after Li Yuan became emperor. After ascending, Li Yuan completely changed, sitting in the rear and never appearing on the battlefield.

Li Xuanba knew that he and his second brother’s true enemy had always been Li Yuan.

Although Li Yuan had weaknesses of indecision and lost his daring after becoming emperor, he was by no means useless. One careless move, and he and the second brother could lose everything.

Li Xuanba planned to gather his troops early, hide them within his sister’s army, and secretly blend into Li Yuan’s Xuanjia soldiers.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was extremely dangerous; the second brother almost lost his life.

But what if there was also a “Yellow Robe Ascension”?

He was ready to use Yang Guang to raise troops, but he couldn’t tell his second brother.

The future was too heavy.

Moreover, Yang Guang was genuinely kind to them now.

If he didn’t carry the psychological burden, his second brother surely would.

Before falling asleep, Li Xuanba turned over, back to his brother: [Brother, when you grow up and can ride a horse and fight the Turks, I’ll tell you.]

Li Shimin gritted his teeth: “You’re using that line to brush me off again.”

Li Xuanba: [I’m not brushing you off.]

Li Shimin sighed: “Alright, alright. If you don’t want to say it, I don’t want to hear it. Sleep well, good night.”

Li Xuanba: “Good night.”

…

A few days later, Li Yuan gathered dozens of hunting falcons, hunting dogs, and fine horses, and presented them along with treasures—including Lady Dou’s fire pearl—to Yang Guang.

Yang Guang took Li Yuan’s gifts with a half-smile, then had the fire pearl picked out from among them.

“Forget it. You may resume your official duties. Li Jiancheng is demoted back to a sixth-rank official, to be further trained. This pearl must be your wife’s dowry, right? Your second and third sons specially asked for a favor from me. This fire pearl I will reward to Li Erlang and Li Sanlang.” Yang Guang said, “Although I return the pearl, treasures that have passed through my hands must not be given away casually. Keep it properly, and when you see it, reflect on your lack of strictness in managing your household.”

Li Yuan happily took the pearl back and, before leaving, asked, “Why didn’t Daxiong and Dade ask His Majesty for a horse? They only remembered Mother?”

Yang Guang couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time, specially came down and kicked Li Yuan, telling the shameless man to scram.

Li Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the matter was truly settled, and went off happily.

“Madam! Madam! Look what I brought back for you!” Li Yuan called everyone in the house, opened the box, and said, “Look!”

Lady Dou was surprised: “His Majesty didn’t want the fire pearl? Impossible, he must have loved this pearl.”

Li Yuan handed the fire pearl to Lady Dou, then held Li Shimin’s hand with his left and Li Xuanba’s with his right: “This is thanks to Daxiong and Dade. It turns out last time they went to the palace, they weren’t just presenting soap—they also asked His Majesty for a favor.”

Li Shimin proudly said: “This fire pearl is full of Mother’s memories. I won’t give it to anyone else, not even His Majesty, right, A-Xuan?”

Li Xuanba said: “Second brother, be careful with your words. Do not be disrespectful to His Majesty.”

Lady Dou held the fire pearl, trembling, tears falling, lips moving for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

Li Yuan released Li Shimin and Li Xuanba’s hands and embraced Lady Dou. “Alright, alright, it’s all over. Jiancheng, take this as a lesson. Don’t let your mother give out her dowry again.”

Li Jiancheng was also excited and quickly said, “Yes! I will remember this lesson and will never speak carelessly again while drunk.”

Li Yuan nodded with satisfaction. His eldest son was still a good boy.

Although he was angry that Li Jiancheng lacked responsibility, Old Lady Dugu had said many kind words on his behalf, so he held back.

Li Yuan still felt a little uncomfortable about the incident, but he trusted his mother’s words—Li Jiancheng was still young and couldn’t handle such situations yet; he’d grow out of it. From now on, Li Yuan decided he would personally guide Li Jiancheng, step by step.

“The emperor said that although the Fire Pearl has been returned, officially it’s a gift for Daxiong and Dade. We should display it properly, and whenever we look at it, we must remember this lesson.” After comforting Lady Dou, Li Yuan teased Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, “Your mother once wanted to give this Fire Pearl to Jiancheng’s wife, but now that’s not happening. When you two get married, who wants this Fire Pearl? Want to have a contest? Whoever wins gets it?”

Li Jiancheng, who had been in high spirits, suddenly looked a little pale.

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba shook their heads in unison. “No one wants it. Mother should keep it herself.”

Li Yuan laughed. “Good. I knew you two were filial. Lady Dou, happy now?”

Lady Dou nodded through her tears. “Yes.”

Li Shimin bounced around his mother, trying to make her laugh.

Li Xuanba stood quietly by, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

The military discipline during the Sui-Tang transition was chaotic. There was no city that wasn’t looted. When the Sui dynasty fell, the palaces were plundered, and hardly any treasures survived.

Even if they didn’t steal, they would still cause destruction. Even Li Shimin, who emphasized discipline, couldn’t stop them.

For example, the Sui dynasty originally had over 370,000 volumes of books. After several generations of Tang emperors collecting them, by Emperor Xuanzong’s time, the pre-Tang books amounted to only 28,469 volumes.

If books that were spared from looters fared so poorly, the treasures were even worse.

Moreover, Yang Guang was generous with his possessions. After his northern tours, he developed the habit of giving things too freely to foreigners. Once he got tired of the Fire Pearl, he might have just handed it off without a thought.

So Li Xuanba knew there were risks, but he still had to act immediately to reclaim his mother’s Fire Pearl.

Who could stand to see his mother cry?

Li Xuanba didn’t have much of a conscience, but he still had some.

Lady Dou knelt on the ground, hugging Li Shimin and Li Xuanba tightly, choking back her tears. “Thank you, Erlang and Sanlang.”

Li Shimin proudly said, “No need to thank me! But Mother, the one you should really thank is A-Xuan. It was his idea!”

Li Xuanba awkwardly replied, “It’s nothing… just what a son should do.”

Li Jiancheng glanced at Li Xuanba and quickly looked away.