LFHYB -Chapter 44 The Friends’ Group Conspires for the First Time

After returning home, Li Shimin sat hugging his knees, silent.

Li Xuanba read for a while, and seeing his elder brother still withdrawn, he put down the book and sighed. “Brother, we’re still young. How can you worry about things that even the senior officials in court cannot solve?”

Li Shimin sighed and stretched out on the bed, “A-Xuan, do you think the teachers will remonstrate?”

Li Xuanba said, “The chance is fifty-fifty, I’d say.”

Li Shimin rolled his eyes. “Are you spouting nonsense?”

Li Xuanba replied, “It is nonsense. We cannot control our teachers’ choices.”

He had already done what he could. If even the temptation of witnessing the fall of Sui in a dozen years, followed by a prosperous dynasty twenty years later, cannot stop the teachers from walking the path of death, there was nothing more he could do.

Li Shimin tilted his head and looked at Li Xuanba. “A-Xuan, you’re so cold. That’s our teachers we’re talking about.”

Li Xuanba said, “Then what do you want me to do? Cry my heart out with you?”

Li Shimin smacked his lips and sighed. “Don’t cry then. If you cry, no one will tell me not to cry. Pass me some tissues.”

Li Xuanba gave him a wry look.

Li Shimin continued lying sprawled out, silent.

Li Xuanba ignored him and went back to reading.

By the time half of the sunset had disappeared outside, leaving the remaining light dull like half a salted egg yolk, Li Xuanba finally put away his book and had the candles lit.

“Are you still going to lie there?” Li Xuanba asked.

Li Shimin rubbed his stomach and got up. “I’m hungry. Let’s go to the kitchen and steal some roasted chicken.”

Li Xuanba said, “There’s jerky in the cabinet.”

Li Shimin put on his shoes and dragged Li Xuanba along. “Who wants jerky when there’s roasted chicken?”

Li Xuanba stumbled to keep up.

In the kitchen, the cooks saw them coming and smiled, taking down the roasted chicken from the still-warm stove and slicing it for them.

Li Xuanba took only a drumstick.

Li Shimin hugged a whole tray of chicken, devouring it with both hands. By the time Li Xuanba slowly finished his drumstick, Li Shimin had eaten half the tray.

Li Xuanba wiped his mouth and hands and asked for a bowl of unsweetened warm milk, sipping it slowly.

Li Shimin got a large bowl of sweetened warm milk, holding the chicken in one hand and the bowl in the other, drinking heartily.

Li Xuanba finished his milk, stretched, and loosened his neck and arms.

Li Shimin let out a loud burp. “I’m full!”

Li Xuanba thanked the cooks who had stayed up for their snack and handed them a handful of copper coins as a tip.

The cooks hurriedly said it was left by the mistress.

But Li Xuanba insisted, and the kitchen staff all beamed, seeing the two young lords off with courtesy.

Li Shimin rubbed his stuffed belly and sighed. “Full now… time to get back to worrying.”

Li Xuanba was at a loss.

Li Shimin draped his arm over Li Xuanba’s shoulder. “A-Xuan! Don’t you worry at all? Don’t you think about how to help our teachers?”

Li Xuanba said, “I’m not worried. Teachers are definitely more capable than we are. They know exactly what they must do and what the consequences will be. We’re only eight. Teachers are over sixty.”

Li Shimin held Li Xuanba by the shoulders and shook him back and forth. “A-Xuan, we can’t just do nothing, right? Even if it’s just setting up a small shelter outside the city to hand out porridge…”

Li Xuanba, having just eaten and nearly shaken into vomiting, stretched out a foot to kick his elder brother’s calf.

Li Shimin, as nimble as a rabbit, dodged the attack with a quick sidestep.

Li Xuanba said, “Handing out porridge isn’t something we should do first. But we can hire labor. The soap workshop has earned a lot of money—I want to expand the business and launch more products. If any of the disaster victims know carpentry, they could also be recruited into the printing workshop.”

What Li Xuanba meant by “recruit labor” was actually buying a large number of slaves.

At this time, owning slaves was legal. During years of disaster, it was the perfect opportunity for the wealthy to buy slaves in bulk.

The disaster victims were also usually willing to sell themselves. As long as someone bought them, they basically had a chance to survive.

Although Li Xuanba had only thought of the disaster after the floods struck this year, natural disasters of various sizes happened every year in Huaxia. The Sui dynasty was notorious for storing grain but not providing relief. Li Xuanba’s plan to make money was to buy strong slaves to form a secret personal army, so his preliminary plan was already prepared.

Li Shimin followed a few steps behind Li Xuanba, then quickened his pace to catch up. “A-Xuan, if we buy these disaster victims, will they really survive?”

Li Xuanba: “…” His elder brother was surprisingly perceptive; the disguise of “recruiting labor” hadn’t fooled him.

Li Xuanba answered evasively, “I originally only planned to buy strong laborers, but since you put it that way, we’ll buy them household by household.”

Li Shimin laughed. “I knew you’d have a solution, A-Xuan. Even the lonely women and children…”

Li Xuanba said, “As long as they can work, they count as strong laborers.”

Li Shimin agreed, “You’re right, A-Xuan! If we don’t have enough money, we can even sell the little pony Father bought for me.”

Li Xuanba looked at his elder brother. “Are you sure?”

Li Shimin’s face showed reluctance, but his voice was resolute: “I want to help too! Besides, I still have an even better little pony sent by His Majesty. The pony from His Majesty is an imperial gift and can’t be sold.”

Li Xuanba chuckled. “Fine, then we’ll sell your little pony.”

He wasn’t joking. Since his elder brother had the idea and was willing to pay such a price, he had to support it.

The next day, Li Shimin dragged the half-asleep Li Xuanba to see Lady Dou, telling their mother about their thoughts on donating to the Buddhist temple.

“Mother, let’s donate a little less to the temple, just enough to appear decent,” Li Shimin crawled into Lady Dou’s embrace, hugging her neck and whining. “We’ll keep the money to buy slaves. We can’t just give porridge to disaster victims for free—we can buy them!”

Lady Dou looked at Li Xuanba, whose head was nodding off beside them, and asked, “Does Dade one think the same?”

Li Xuanba yawned several times before weakly saying, “If the Tang Duke’s estate needs labor, we can purchase some. But buying too many would arouse suspicion.”

Lady Dou nodded. “It’s enough that Dade one understands. Buy however many slaves you need. Mother knows how to provide porridge for them—the temple isn’t completely useless.”

Li Shimin frowned. “I know the temple will give out porridge too, but half of the money we give them will probably be swallowed up.”

Lady Dou patted Li Shimin on the head. “Better than nothing. Leave this matter to me.”

Li Shimin said, “Alright then.”

Lady Wan smiled and sighed. “You two are still so young. These matters aren’t something you should worry about.”

Li Shimin said, “A-Xuan said the same, but doing nothing is what worries me. As long as we do what we can, I won’t be troubled!”

After saying goodbye to their mother and aunt, Li Shimin dragged the still-drowsy Li Xuanba out to inspect the estate where the soap workshop had been built, discussing with the steward about buying disaster victims.

Lady Wan said, “Erlang is really full of energy; he never seems to rest.”

Lady Dou said helplessly, “Poor Dade, always dragged around by the energetic one.”

Lady Wan said, “Running around is good for the body. When Xiao Wu grows a bit older, I’ll definitely tell him to follow second son around too.”

Lady Dou smiled. “Xiao Wu is already very lively.”

Lady Wan covered her mouth with a handkerchief, laughing coyly. “Not lively enough; he still needs to learn from his two elder brothers.”

Lady Dou said, “I hope Xiao Wu really grows up like Erlang. I hope you don’t regret it.”

How could Lady Wan regret it? Look at second and third sons—so young, yet already thinking about how to help disaster victims. Their compassion aside, their decision-making and action skills alone made her admire them.

If Xiao Wu follows his two elder brothers, there will be plenty of opportunities to take action.

She wasn’t worried that Xiao Wu would become a mere follower—she worried that no one would “put him to work.”

Lady Dou, happy to see the brothers get along, tacitly agreed to Lady Wan’s subtle request.

She also remembered Li Yuanji and felt a headache coming on.

Li Yuanji… she’d better handle personally. Second and third sons couldn’t manage this younger brother.

…

Buying slaves didn’t require Li Shimin and Li Xuanba to do it personally—they just needed to inform the steward.

Where to buy the slaves, how to select suitable ones—the stewards were all experienced; the young masters didn’t need to show off.

If such minor matters had to be done personally, the Tang Duke’s estate stewards would be far too idle.

When the stewards heard that Li Shimin and Li Xuanba wanted to “buy household by household” and “widows with children who can work are also acceptable,” they knew the young masters wanted to do good deeds and understood how to do it.

After giving the instructions to the stewards, Li Shimin dragged Li Xuanba off to meet their little friends.

The two children couldn’t think of ways to help their teacher—but weren’t there three talented friends? Five heads are better than two.

After hearing Li Shimin’s request, Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui both displayed complex expressions on their faces.

Changsun Wuji simply shrugged. “Don’t count on me—I can’t think of anything.”

Having spent a long time mingling with his four scholarly friends, Changsun Wuji had already given up his futile pride and learned the art of letting go.

Li Shimin said, “Even if I don’t expect much from you, you still need to think it through. Right or wrong, at least think it through.”

Changsun Wuji sighed helplessly, “Yes, yes, I’ll try my best.”

He crossed his arms and hung his head, lost in deep thought.

Li Shimin turned to Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui with a bow. “Brother Fang, Brother Du, do you have any wise suggestions?”

Fang Qiao hesitated for a moment.

He knew the emperor was wary of Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi. Especially Gao Jiong, who had originally stood by the deposed crown prince—anything he did could be interpreted negatively by the emperor. Out of principle, Fang Qiao didn’t want to get involved in matters concerning Gao or Yuwen.

But Li Shimin’s description of the disaster-stricken people touched him. He felt that if he stayed silent, he would have a guilty conscience.

Du Ruhui looked at Fang Qiao. “Why hesitate? Just offer your advice. Do you think Li Erlang or Li Sanlang would betray you?”

Fang Qiao cleared his throat. “Of course I know they wouldn’t. I’m just thinking about the best way to do it.”

Du Ruhui said, “Even if we already know what to do, Duke Gao and Duke Yuwen may not adopt our plan. They’ve maneuvered in the court for decades—why would they care about the opinions of a few unknown juniors?”

Li Shimin patted his chest. “Just give your advice. We’ll handle the rest. Success or failure, at least we must try first. Right, A-Xuan?”

Li Xuanba replied weakly, “Yes… yes.”

Du Ruhui smiled. “If even Li San says so, then I won’t hold back either.”

Li Xuanba’s lips twitched. Du Ruhui, being a scion of a prominent family, often carried the habits of his clan, such as using surname plus rank as a form of nickname.

Others at least added “Lang” or “Jiancheng” at the end, but Du Ruhui just called him “Li Er, Li San.”

Li Xuanba found being called “Li San” rather odd, but no one else thought it strange—much like others thought names like “Daxiong” or “Dade” sounded fine.

Li Xuanba didn’t bother arguing and endured it.

Though it still felt awkward to hear each time, perhaps after a few years he’d introduce himself as “Li San.” After all, both “Li San” and “Li Dade” carried a strong local flavor.

Du Ruhui pondered, “This matter must start with the Crown Prince. He wants to protect Duke Gao and Duke Yuwen, and he also wants to provide relief to the disaster victims.”

Fang Qiao spoke, “The Crown Prince is benevolent and filial, but excessive benevolence and filial piety turn into weakness. If the emperor has made a decision, he dares not question it.”

Changsun Wuji nearly bit his tongue in shock.

Weak? Fang Xuanling, you’re bold—daring to say that!

Fang Qiao continued, “The Crown Prince can only pass messages. Ultimately, he must consider how to please the emperor. The emperor dislikes remonstrance and loves only praise. Whether this relief effort succeeds or fails, if the aim is to protect Duke Gao and Duke Yuwen, any advice must be words of praise in the emperor’s ears, not criticism.”

Changsun Wuji’s face turned pale.

N-No way… You’re still the Fang Xuanling I know—shy, cautious, and not good at socializing—and now you’re even criticizing the emperor!

Du Ruhui agreed, “How about proposing disaster relief in the name of celebrating His Majesty’s northern tour and the submission of the Turks? It would be a way for the emperor to ‘open the granaries’ and let all rejoice together.”

Fang Qiao said, “It’s worth a try. At least the emperor won’t think it’s criticism. Daxiong, Dade, what do you think?”

Li Shimin said, “I’m in favor. A-Xuan, your thoughts?”

Li Xuanba’s expression was indifferent. “You’re overlooking one thing. In His Majesty’s eyes, the people have no right to celebrate when the entire court rejoices. If we follow Brother Fang’s plan, the emperor might not get angry, but he certainly won’t provide disaster relief.”

Fang Qiao said, “At least it protects Duke Gao and Duke Yuwen.”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “Our teacher understands the emperor better than I do. Since they know this would be a futile effort, they wouldn’t advise it.”

Li Shimin said, “I think you understand the emperor even better than our teacher. A-Xuan, help us think this through. Success or failure, at least we should try.”

Li Xuanba sighed. “Fine, I’ll try. Brother Fang and Brother Du’s suggestion—to request disaster relief in a flattering manner—might not work. But if we compare it to the previous emperor’s actions, there may be a small chance of success.”

Li Shimin asked, “How would we make the comparison?”

Li Xuanba said, “The previous emperor did not provide relief because the granaries of the righteous store were insufficient. His Majesty, however, generously opens the imperial granaries, showing that under him the Great Sui is more prosperous. This minor expense for disaster relief is trivial compared to the overall stockpiles.”

Fang Qiao smirked sarcastically, “And by doing so, His Majesty appears more benevolent in comparison to the previous emperor?”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “Our emperor doesn’t care about appearing benevolent at all. More precisely, when His Majesty finishes his northern tour, the Turkic khan will bring along his nobles. Disaster victims gathering in or near the capitals would disturb order. If troops were sent to disperse them, it could cause even greater trouble. Better to give some food and settle them.”

Du Ruhui frowned. “What you’re saying is… too…” He thought for a long while but couldn’t find words to describe Li Xuanba’s point.

Changsun Wuji repeatedly made the gesture of wanting to cover his ears, yet reluctant to do so.

He felt these words shouldn’t be heard—but listening to friends comment on the emperor was thrilling!

Li Xuanba said, “The previous emperor only withheld relief because there wasn’t enough grain. His Majesty, by providing relief in front of the Turkic khan, demonstrates that the imperial granaries are more ample than in the previous reign. With ample provisions, the army is strong, and the Turks will fear him more.”

Li Shimin was puzzled. “The emperor doesn’t care if the people live or die, but he cares what the Turks think?”

Li Xuanba replied calmly, “Yes. Replace the Turks with any foreign power, it’s the same. His Majesty only cares about those not yet under his control, not those who have already submitted. The people of the Great Sui have submitted, so he no longer worries about them. What matters is the opinion of those who haven’t yet submitted.”

This move by Emperor Yang of Sui is not kowtowing to foreigners.

In fact, Emperor Yang looked down on the Western regions and the Turks. His grand display in front of them was simply to show his wealth, power, and prestige to those not yet under his control, ensuring their submission.

Li Shimin said, “I always feel that what you say is strange; I just can’t make sense of it. But since you, A-Xuan, say it this way, I’ll take note of your plan. I’ll also note down the suggestions of Brother Fang and Brother Du, and we’ll report them together to the teacher.”

Li Xuanba asked, “Is it enough to just tell the teacher?”

Li Shimin smiled: “It’s just like what you, A-Xuan, said. We’re still young; there are very few things we can actually do. How this matter turns out in the end depends on the teacher’s own choice. As long as we’ve made the effort, we can have a clear conscience.”

Li Xuanba observed his older brother for a while. His brother was genuinely carefree.

He really didn’t understand how his brother could be so relaxed. Just do something, and the result doesn’t matter?

He himself couldn’t be that easygoing. He valued the result above all. Without a result, any effort was meaningless; the more he tried, the more tortured he felt.

Now, being pulled along by his brother, he just had to roll up his sleeves and get to work without a word about the outcome. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally.

Du Ruhui laughed: “Li Er is right. As long as we have a clear conscience, it’s enough.”

He clenched his fist and raised it: “Becoming friends with you is one of the best things ever! We should guide the court and the country, and accomplish great deeds!”

Fang Qiao also felt his heart swell with excitement.

Although he knew he shouldn’t get involved, it would have been better to stay out of it. But young people are easily impulsive, and he couldn’t completely resist.

“Let’s hope this matter succeeds.” Changsun Wuji could not express an opinion, so he could only offer his blessing: “I’ll write to my father and beg him, if possible, to speak well of Lord Gao and Lord Yuwen, as long as he is safe.”

Li Shimin slapped Changsun Wuji on the shoulder: “And you say we can’t count on you? Maybe in the end, it’ll all come down to your letter!”

Changsun Wuji was a little pleased: “Well… I’ll do my best to plead with my father, but don’t expect too much from me.”

Li Shimin said: “Every little bit of hope is precious. Thanks, Fourth Brother Changsun! You truly are a good brother!”

Li Shimin gave Changsun Wuji a brotherly hug.

Changsun Wuji’s cheeks turned red: “Alright, alright.”

Li Shimin then hugged Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui, disregarding the fact that his hugs to these already-grown friends looked more like a child hugging a father.

Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui couldn’t help but smile.

“Little brother!” Li Shimin spread his arms.

Li Xuanba dodged behind Fang Qiao.

Li Shimin said, “Help me catch him! How can he not play along?”

Du Ruhui immediately held Li Xuanba by the shoulders and gave him a mischievous smile.

“Little brother!” Li Shimin lunged forward, holding Li Xuanba’s head in his arms and tousling his little pigtail.

Li Xuanba cursed: “Brother, are you crazy?!”

Li Shimin put his hands on his hips and laughed: “Hahaha, who told you to always act so mature and indifferent? You don’t look eight years old, you look eighty!”

The other three laughed along, making Li Xuanba stomp angrily and try to grab Li Shimin’s pigtail.

Li Shimin used Changsun Wuji as a “shield,” dodging his younger brother’s attacks while making faces to tease him.

Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui stood by with their hands behind their backs, smiling at the children’s antics.

The mixture of feelings toward friends and elders made one’s emotions complex indeed.

…

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba delivered the letter and ran off, noting “burn after reading” on it, as if they were plotting something secret.

The two old men, who were actually scheming, exchanged a silent look.

Yuwen Bi couldn’t help saying: “Do we really look so incompetent that children need to come up with plans for us?”

Gao Zong said lightly: “Just consider it a gesture of filial piety.”

Yuwen Bi said: “I know it’s filial, but…”

Yet it was an awkward silence.

They had served as officials in the court for decades, serving two dynasties, and surely knew how to deal with the emperor.

They hadn’t been cautious before, because they were certain that as loyal ministers to the Sui dynasty and emperor, even if the emperor disliked them, the worst would be dismissal or reassignment.

Who could have guessed that, as high-ranking officials, they couldn’t even comment on court affairs without risking punishment?

They never imagined that the emperor could kill ministers for “slandering the court.”

This charge might be used against commoners, but against top officials? That’s the behavior of a tyrant.

Even historically, when foolish emperors killed outspoken officials, they usually cited another crime, like “rebellion.”

The previous emperor had mistakenly killed loyal ministers, but he always used the charge of “treachery.”

The crime of rebellion was the tyrant’s blade to eliminate rivals, because whether it was true or not was entirely up to the emperor. Any emperor wanting to kill someone could rely on this.

But this emperor, under Li Dade’s “prophecies,” didn’t even use that blade. He directly massacred ministers under the charge of “slandering the court.”

He didn’t even care about his reputation. He was practically another Tianyuan Emperor.

No, he wasn’t even as good as the Tianyuan Emperor. Although the Tianyuan Emperor was foolish and cruel, when Leyun brought the coffin into the court and denounced him, listing eight crimes, the emperor didn’t kill Leyun and even rewarded him.

Knowing Yang Guang’s true nature, they could only submit petitions while carefully testing his limits.

Although they couldn’t ignore the danger of petitioning, they weren’t seeking death.

They still wanted to see the prosperous age their students spoke of, to confirm the achievements they suspected in their hearts.

For instance, whether Li Shimin, born alongside the naturally extraordinary Li Xuanba, would achieve what they speculated.

“Anyway, it’s still filial piety,” Gao Zong said. “Surely Li Daxiong is doing unnecessary things, and Dade is following along recklessly.”

Yuwen Bi said: “Exactly.”

The two complained about their disciples, yet their faces couldn’t hide the proud and gratified smiles.

When disciples respect and value you so much, how could you not feel pleased?

“Both children are so concerned about us; we can’t let them down.”

“He’s just another Emperor Tianyuan. We survived Emperor Tianyuan; we can survive this one too.”

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi were not ignorant of how to deal with a foolish ruler—it was only that they had never imagined Yang Guang would turn out to be one.

In essence, their strategy was the same as that of Li Shimin, Li Xuanba, and the others: wrap honest advice in a layer of flattery.

They first went to the Crown Prince and tearfully complained. If unrest broke out among the people because no disaster relief was given, the money and grain needed to suppress it would far exceed what was required for relief. Moreover, once rebellion erupted, His Majesty would fly into a rage, and who knew how many innocent officials would lose their heads?

The Crown Prince sighed. “Yes… what should we do about this?”

Gao Jiong said, “If His Majesty fears that opening the state granaries will make the people lazy and dependent on the court, why not donate money and grain to the temples in the name of praying for the late Emperor? The temples can then distribute charitable porridge to the people of the realm. His Majesty is extremely filial—he will surely agree.”

The Crown Prince said, “This… I’ll give it a try. Do Lords Gao and Yuwen have any other advice?”

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi handed over their written memorials and added, “We have already withdrawn from court and should not really be meddling in these affairs. But even in semi-retirement, to turn a blind eye would be disloyal to His Majesty.”

The Crown Prince said solemnly, “I will pass your words to my father. Your loyalty will surely be recognized by His Majesty.”

Afterward, Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi contacted people they trusted.

To these acquaintances they said that since His Majesty ascended the throne, the realm had been peaceful and the people content, which showed that he was destined to become a ruler even greater than the late Emperor. This was the first time His Majesty had encountered such a massive flood, so he must feel deeply troubled. But natural disasters happen every year—whether the realm falls into chaos depends solely on whether the ruler is wise. Since His Majesty was wise, there was no need to worry that disaster would lead to rebellion.

Once they began to be wary of Yang Guang, Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi tore away the veil from their eyes and quickly discerned which people around them were his informants.

Their private words, along with the Crown Prince’s letter, were soon delivered to Yang Guang.

Yang Guang had originally been very displeased that the two men were again offering advice. But after reading the Crown Prince’s letter, his mood calmed somewhat.

Perhaps the Crown Prince was right. With those two men’s personalities, if they saw problems at court yet pretended not to notice, that would mean they were truly disloyal and harboring resentment toward him—and then they really would deserve to die.

He then received reports from his spies about their private remarks.

“Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi are pedantic,” Yuwen Shu said. “Precisely because they are pedantic, once they are convinced by Your Majesty’s ability, they will truly admire you. Right now they have no intention of returning to court—they’ve shut their doors and live in seclusion, focusing solely on compiling books for Your Majesty. It seems Your Majesty can rest easy.”

Yuwen Shu was not defending them out of the goodness of his heart.

Through Yuwen Shiji, Li Xuanba had presented Yuwen Shu with a large amount of soap and unreleased skincare products. As for the so-called rare treasures, those were merely the boxes for the soap and cosmetics and the packing filler hidden in their layers—extras thrown in along the way.

Yuwen Shu was greedy, but he was a very competent corrupt official. As long as the money was sufficient, he truly got things done.

Having received Li Xuanba’s gifts, Yuwen Shu waited for a moment when Yang Guang was in a good mood and then spoke a few good words for Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi.

Since those two were already destined never to return to high office, and were unlikely to offend the emperor again, Yuwen Shu felt safe advocating for them.

Yang Guang trusted Yuwen Shu’s words.

“If they’d realized things earlier, they wouldn’t be reduced to compiling books now,” Yang Guang snorted. “What, are they trying to curry favor with me now so they can come back and serve me?”

Thinking of Li Xuanba’s letter, Yuwen Shu replied, “With their stubborn natures, they probably don’t want to return to court. They just say whatever is in their hearts. I doubt they even realize they’ve been exiled by Your Majesty. They genuinely want to do scholarship, and they sincerely believe that compiling books is a heavy responsibility entrusted to them by Your Majesty—a sign of trust and esteem. They may even be deeply grateful to you for it.”

Yang Guang was puzzled. “Yuwen Bi aside, Gao Jiong was driven from the post of chancellor to compile books—he’s actually grateful to me?”

Yuwen Shu said, “At Gao Jiong’s age, he should have retired anyway. He served as chancellor for two reigns; perhaps he no longer values the position that much. From my observation, old men like him, who no longer care about power and have one foot in the grave, value their posthumous reputation far more. Compiling books is a great undertaking that will secure a lasting name—how could he not be grateful to Your Majesty?”

Yang Guang thought it over carefully and was convinced.

“That’s right— I demoted him, and he should be thanking me!” Yang Guang burst into laughter. “Since he’s grateful, I won’t hold it against him for his former blindness in supporting Yang Yong.”

Yuwen Shu said, “By now Gao Jiong must surely realize that Your Majesty is far more capable than Yang Yong.”

Yang Guang reread the Crown Prince’s letter, growing more and more pleased as he did.

Wasn’t it exactly so? Gao Jiong had been praising him all along. Gao Jiong even believed that Great Sui had become more powerful in his hands. That meant he had already surpassed his father!

“Very well. Though we must not encourage the people to grow lazy and expect something for nothing, I am more benevolent than my father. This time I’ll agree to the Crown Prince’s relief proposal…” Yang Guang paused, then corrected himself. “No—this is something I intended to do all along. I will open the granaries wide to relieve the disaster victims, and then I’ll take the Turkic khan to see just how abundant my stores of grain are!”

Yuwen Shu knelt. “Your Majesty is wise!” He was a little puzzled—how had this suddenly turned into something about the Turks?

…

Changsun Sheng read his son’s letter again and again. Only after he nearly memorized it did he burn it.

“Silly child. There are some things you shouldn’t even tell your father. You’ve betrayed your friends,” Changsun Sheng said, pressing his temples in a headache.

He knew, of course, that Changsun Wuji had no intention of betraying anyone—he simply trusted his father too much.

Or perhaps Changsun Wuji had never even realized what that gathering of friends truly represented.

So Li Erlang and Li Sanlang privately harbored wariness and contempt toward His Majesty… The emperor’s favor toward the two of them had truly been misplaced.

Just as Changsun Sheng thought this, he sighed. “Then again, it wasn’t misplaced—it was simply each taking what he wanted.”

Li Erlang and Li Sanlang currying favor with His Majesty—how was that any different from how he and people like Yuwen Shu did the same?

Likewise, the way Li Erlang and Li Sanlang were secretly wary of His Majesty was no different from how he and the others were.

If they did not understand His Majesty’s true nature, how could they ever have become his favored ministers?

But Wuji… why are you so naïve?

If Li Erlang were not already his future son-in-law…

A chill went through Changsun Sheng’s heart. If Li Erlang were not his future son-in-law, would he have informed on them?

No—he would not.

Li Erlang and Li Sanlang were far too young, and they were also relatives of the emperor. If he were to report two eight-year-old children to His Majesty, it would only be taken as a joke.

Their age was their greatest protection.

Did those two children even realize what was going on?

Changsun Sheng once again felt how unfathomable these two boys were.

“This is a good thing.” After thinking for a long time, Changsun Sheng finally smiled in relief. “But Wuji needs to be taught a lesson. If he truly wants to integrate into the small circle that Li Erlang and Li Sanlang have built, and become their close friend, he cannot act so recklessly again.”

Changsun Sheng wrote a letter to Changsun Wuji, explaining in detail what he had done wrong in this matter and telling him to apologize to his friends.

After sending the letter, he waited for His Majesty to summon him.

Before that, Changsun Sheng had already tactfully advised the emperor that the Turks were still not obedient, and that because the Sui had just changed to a young new emperor, their attitudes were beginning to waver.

They had heard that His Majesty had just ascended the throne, suppressed rebellions, and built the Eastern Capital and the Grand Canal in rapid succession. They might think the nation’s strength was depleted. His Majesty ought to show them the true might of Great Sui.

Changsun Sheng knew the emperor loved grand achievements and ostentation. So His Majesty would surely think that he was simply catering to the emperor’s preferences by urging him to treat the Turkic khan generously.

But Changsun Sheng deliberately emphasized grain supplies and troops. Once the crown prince’s letter arrived, if His Majesty saw the grain stored in the state granaries, he might connect it with what Changsun Sheng had said and link opening the granaries for relief with intimidating the Turks.

“This is all I can do. If it works, then Li Sanlang… Li Xuanba has guessed His Majesty’s mind far too accurately.”

Thinking of Li Xuanba, Changsun Sheng found himself feeling wary of a mere child.

A child who could see through the emperor’s thoughts even more clearly than a favored courtier like himself—would he one day become a worthy minister of Great Sui, or turn into a villain even worse than Yuwen Shu?

Changsun Sheng then thought of his upright and forthright future son-in-law.

He could not help wondering: if Li Xuanba were to walk down the path of flattery and treachery, would Li Shimin break with his younger brother?

…

“Achoo.” With the change of seasons, Li Xuanba had caught another mild cold.

This time Li Shimin was fine. He sighed and said, “A-Xuan, when will you ever stop getting sick whenever the seasons change?”

Li Xuanba’s throat hurt, so he replied with his thoughts: [Maybe in my next life.]

Li Shimin hurriedly said, “Don’t say something so unlucky. You’re still young—when you grow up a bit more, your body will definitely improve. Come, drink your medicine.”

Li Xuanba glared at the bitter medicine as if it were an enemy.

Li Shimin urged him, “Hurry up and drink it!”

Li Xuanba shut his eyes and painfully gulped down the decoction in one go.

If he had another life, he would definitely switch from being a hardcore Tang Taizong anti-fan to a hardcore traditional-medicine anti-fan.

After putting away the medicine bowl, Li Shimin sat beside Li Xuanba and spoke about serious matters. “Changsun Wuji got scolded by his father. He came to apologize to us, saying he shouldn’t have told his father about our gathering, and that his father had already reprimanded him for being careless. You were sleeping, so I didn’t let him come in to disturb you.”

Li Xuanba drank a cup of honey water to wash away the strange taste: [Oh ho, we’re in trouble. General Changsun already knows that the two of us harbor disloyal thoughts toward His Majesty.]

Li Shimin’s face went dark. “I don’t think it’s that serious yet!”

Li Xuanba replied: [It doesn’t matter. Since he chose to let Changsun Wuji tell us the truth, it means he’s on our side. We don’t need to be too wary of him.]

In truth, Li Xuanba had been badly startled by this news—cold sweat had broken out all over him. Changsun Wuji’s “mistake” could really have dragged them into disaster.

Changsun Sheng’s reaction, however, made Li Xuanba breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that Changsun Sheng not only saw through Yang Guang clearly, but also felt gratified and supportive of the fact that he and his second brother saw through Yang Guang as well.

The old really were more cunning. Whether it was the two teachers’ counter-use of the emperor’s spies, or Changsun Sheng’s sharpness, both had given Li Xuanba another valuable lesson.

Perhaps when Changsun Sheng was gravely ill, he could leak a little future “spoiler” to him, to put his mind at ease and let him pass away peacefully.

Although your eldest son will drive out your second wife and younger children and cause your second wife’s early death, your daughter will become empress and your son prime minister. You can close your eyes without regret.

Li Shimin held the honey water and asked, “A-Xuan, what are you thinking about? Why does your smile look so sinister?”

Li Xuanba reflexively answered in his thoughts: [Oh, I was thinking about telling Changsun Sheng, when he’s on his deathbed, that Changsun Anyi will be exiled and Changsun Wuji will hang himself—would that make him so angry he comes back to life…]

Li Shimin, who was drinking honey water: “PFFT!!!”