LFHYB -Chapter 69 The Strategist Never Admits Defeat

Li Xuanba stumbled from Li Shimin’s push, almost falling.

Changsun Sheng was pacing in his study, thinking about proposals for the emperor. Seeing Li Xuanba almost fall, he steadied him. “What decree? The emperor sent you with an order?”

Li Xuanba said, “Don’t listen to Second Brother spouting nonsense.”

Changsun Sheng, fuming with anger, said, “The emperor’s orders aren’t something you can spread recklessly. If this gets out, even the Duke of Tang won’t be able to protect him.”

After speaking, Changsun Sheng was about to go out and teach his future son-in-law a lesson.

Li Xuanba quickly grabbed Changsun Sheng’s arm. “Wait, I have something to discuss with Uncle first.”

Changsun Sheng paused, looking down at Li Xuanba. “Does it have to be under the pretense of a falsely conveyed imperial order?”

Li Xuanba guided Changsun Sheng to sit on the couch behind the desk, even adjusting the backrest for him.

Changsun Sheng’s face grew more suspicious. “You’re asking for my help?”

Li Xuanba was usually aloof. Though always polite to his elders, Changsun Sheng had only ever seen him flatter the emperor—not anyone else.

Li Xuanba brought over a small stool, placing it across the desk, and sat down, just enough to let a shoulder peek out.

“It’s not about asking for your help,” Li Xuanba said seriously, “but I have something important to tell you. You are trusted by the emperor, and should know that His Majesty has long feared Teacher Gao and Teacher Yuwen. They were once outspoken and candid, but now they’ve retired early from court to compile books. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”

Changsun Sheng’s expression remained unchanged. “Not strange.”

Li Xuanba thought: …Why isn’t he following normal logic?

He continued, “Teacher Xue is eccentric, with all the habits of a scholar. He too has left court…”

Changsun Sheng interrupted, “Not strange. But Dade, speaking ill of teachers behind their backs isn’t right.”

Li Xuanba groaned inwardly.

He could tell Changsun Sheng wasn’t uninterested, but clearly, he didn’t want to relinquish control of the conversation.

What skill does Changsun Sheng have? In the Warring States era, he’d be a strategist like Zhang Yi or Su Qin, later honored as a diplomat. Li Xuanba was just a commoner at the bottom—how could he match these diplomatic tacticians in verbal sparring?

When Li Xuanba showed a pained expression, a faint smile appeared on Changsun Sheng’s stern face.

Li Xuanba really was clever; even now, entering court, he could outperform most ministers. But compared to Changsun Sheng, his verbal skills were still immature. Like Emperor Taizong, he needed guidance from elders.

After regaining control in just a few words, Changsun Sheng poured a cup of water for Li Xuanba and pushed it across the table. “Say what you need to say directly.”

Li Xuanba sighed. “I had hoped to build a bit of context first.”

Changsun Sheng said, “Take your time thinking. I’ll go deal with Daxiong first and come back to listen.”

Li Xuanba twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Fine, no context. Uncle, I have the ability of prophecy.”

Changsun Sheng laughed.

He poured himself a cup of water, took a sip, and then said, “Teacher Gao, Teacher Yuwen, and Teacher Xue only left court because of your prophecy? They believed the emperor would execute them?”

Li Xuanba was about to nod when Changsun Sheng shook his head.

“Given their personalities and insight, they wouldn’t easily believe a prophecy,” Changsun Sheng said.

“They really did believe,” Li Xuanba replied.

Changsun Sheng shook his head again. “Knowing your character and cleverness, you wouldn’t casually reveal a prophecy. Let me guess: you told Teachers Gao and Yuwen, but not Teacher Xue. Before Xue resigned due to illness, Gao came to Luoyang. Perhaps it was then that Gao persuaded Xue to leave court.”

Li Xuanba: “…” He felt like running.

Changsun Sheng continued, “But Gao knew the emperor feared him and still intervened to help Xue… hmm, since you said you have prophetic ability, it must have been you who spoke to Gao.”

Li Xuanba’s head practically sprouted ellipses. He had no desire to witness Changsun Sheng’s amusement any longer.

After explaining his reasoning, Changsun Sheng’s stern expression softened, losing the previous intimidating air.

He sighed. “I maintain the same assumption: given your cleverness, you wouldn’t casually reveal a prophecy. You must know what would happen if the emperor discovered it. Teachers Gao and Yuwen didn’t tell the emperor about your abilities because, if given the chance, he would have executed them first before dealing with you.”

He pushed some pastries toward Li Xuanba. “This raisin milk cake is delicious.”

Li Xuanba picked up the cake, drinking water as he ate.

Though he didn’t know why Changsun Sheng suddenly fed him, not eating would be a waste—and he was a bit hungry.

After finishing a piece and cleaning the crumbs from his hands, Changsun Sheng continued: “Unlike Teachers Gao and Yuwen, I am very close to the emperor. Even if Daxiong is my future son-in-law, you shouldn’t have told me this.”

Li Xuanba said seriously, “Uncle, you’ve guessed so much already. Want to guess more?”

Changsun Sheng chuckled. “Guess? It’s obvious. You came to persuade me not to take troops to the Western Regions. Perhaps I’d die from illness, leaving Fourth Brother and Guanyin…”

His words trailed off, cut off by a sigh.

The smile on his face faded, his brow furrowed.

“Even if you reveal a prophecy, it’s hard for me to believe Anye would harm his siblings,” Changsun Sheng said. “After he was born, I was often away in the Western Regions for years, sometimes over a decade. When I returned, my hair had turned gray.”

He touched his temples, his stern face showing signs of age and fatigue.

“It is my fault if I failed to teach my children properly,” Changsun Sheng said. “What will become of Fourth Brother and Guanyin?”

Li Xuanba replied, “They’ll do well—one becomes empress, the other chancellor.”

Changsun Sheng’s face froze, a mix of grief and weariness.

“I’m serious, not joking,” Li Xuanba said.

Changsun Sheng: “…” He quickly drank water to calm himself.

This time, a faint smile appeared on Li Xuanba’s face.

After drinking, Changsun Sheng looked at Li Xuanba with a complex expression. “This is how you spoke to Teachers Gao and Yuwen about the prophecy?”

Li Xuanba nodded.

Changsun Sheng rubbed his forehead. “Prophecies and omens aren’t supposed to… supposed to—”

Li Xuanba interrupted: “Spout some baffling lines of poetry, then back it up with fortune-telling, physiognomy, feng shui, and cloud signs? That I really can’t do.”

Changsun Sheng forced a wry smile. “Then how do you expect people to believe your prophecies?”

Li Xuanba said, “I say what I say. Whether they believe it or not isn’t my concern. As Buddha says: ‘Good words are hard to persuade a damned soul; mercy cannot save those who refuse it.’ I’ve done my best.”

Changsun Sheng remained silent for a long moment before saying, “Buddha never said that.”

Li Xuanba replied, “Let’s just pretend he did.”

He straightened up, his face serious once more: “I know you are an intimate minister to His Majesty, Uncle, but this concerns your future, so I have to take the risk. But as you said yourself, my risk isn’t really risky. If you tell His Majesty about my prophecy, I might not die—he would still need to ask me about it. But your family… that’s another matter.”

Changsun Sheng studied Li Xuanba carefully, then asked earnestly, “Do you want to learn the art of strategy from me?”

Li Xuanba replied, “Thank you for the compliment, Uncle.”

Changsun Sheng leaned back against the cushion Li Xuanba had moved for him, speaking lazily: “Carry on.”

He relinquished the initiative to Li Xuanba, no longer trying to dominate the conversation.

Li Xuanba said, “You will pass away next year. The Book of Sui does not record your deeds in the two years before your death…”

Changsun Sheng’s half-closed eyes snapped open. “What? Which book did you say?”

Li Xuanba replied, “The celestial book I consult is called the Book of Sui.”

Changsun Sheng: “…!”

He finally understood why Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi believed in Li Xuanba’s prophecies.

The Book of Sui?! Who compiled it??

Li Xuanba asked, “Are you curious about your own placement in the Book of Sui?”

Changsun Sheng finally couldn’t keep his composure, his mouth twitching slightly: “Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi have already asked?”

Li Xuanba: “…Ah, you actually call their teachers by name? I thought Uncle Changsun, always on Yang Guang’s side, would be a semi-political rival to Teacher Gao and Teacher Yuwen. How can he be so polite?”

Li Xuanba nodded.

Changsun Sheng, sounding annoyed, said, “Didn’t you say the Guanyin is to become empress? Why should I care about the Book of Sui?”

Li Xuanba replied, “Perhaps because you’ll die too early?”

Changsun Sheng’s hand itched slightly. “Is that how you spoke to Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi too?”

Li Xuanba nodded again.

Changsun Sheng said, “They didn’t punish you?”

Li Xuanba replied, “The teachers favor me.”

Changsun Sheng burst out laughing inwardly. “Favor you? Probably because you’re weak and they’re afraid of breaking you.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “If I were in the Book of Sui, there’s no way I’d come before Gao Jiong. Never mind. Continue. After the Book of Sui is the Book of Tang? What, will my future son-in-law become a founding emperor?”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “The founding emperor will be my father.”

Changsun Sheng frowned. “Impossible. If the world falls into chaos, Li Yuan might hold a piece of it, but with his indecisive nature, how could he become a founding emperor? He might look like a strong ruler in a chaotic region, but once he has a stable territory, he won’t risk further ventures.”

Li Xuanba said, “Once Father stabilizes things, Second Brother can go conquer the rest of the world, pacify the Central Plains, and then he becomes the founding emperor.”

Changsun Sheng: “…You really dare say anything.”

Li Xuanba smiled.

What’s that? Don’t believe me? Then go report it. Tell Yang Guang or Li Yuan. The father-in-law of Emperor Taizong of Tang?