Chapter 81

Chapter 81

[Li Erfeng Becomes Wanyan Gou – 1]

Liu Che placed great hopes upon his eldest son, and Yan Yuanxin did not disappoint him. Gifted in both civil and military affairs, he showed the bearing of an enlightened ruler despite his youth.

After ascending the throne, Liu Che began considering naming a Crown Prince. The child was already old enough that he was no longer as vulnerable to an early death as a small infant. There was little fear that the appointment would fail to endure.

Li Jiangyue reacted to the news with worry rather than joy. When she saw him, she advised, “Yuanxin is still young and cannot bear such a great responsibility. Furthermore, Your Majesty has several sons…”

Liu Che understood her fear.

Yuanxin was both the legitimate son and the eldest. He would soon grow up, while Liu Che might not yet be old. Fathers and sons of the Imperial House were relatives, but also rivals.

If some disaster occurred, it might end as it had for the Crown Prince Li…

But the present was not the past, and he was no longer the Liu Che he had once been.

He sighed, revealing a rare trace of tenderness. “Every father in the world feels joy when he sees his son born. He hopes the boy will succeed and become capable of bearing great responsibilities. No matter what happens later, that first paternal love is sincere. This child can bear the burden, and I am willing to let him. As his mother, why must you worry over imaginary dangers?”

He had made that mistake once and regretted it for the rest of his life. Even though he built the Palace of Longing for His Son, killed everyone who had framed his child, and spent his remaining years in repentance, what good had it done?

He did not wish to repeat the same mistake.

Li Jiangyue gazed deeply at him. After a long while, she smiled faintly and said softly, “Very well. This concubine will obey Your Majesty.”

When his eldest daughter and son had been born in his former life, Liu Che had been filled with ambition. He wished to cast off his grandmother and mother and wield power alone, attack the Xiongnu in the north, become an emperor unmatched through the ages, and leave his name in history. Thus, after a brief joy at each newborn’s arrival, his gaze eagerly turned elsewhere.

Though Liu Che had become a father at twenty-four or twenty-five, his attention more often remained fixed upon distant horizons. Inevitably, he missed his children’s growth. Only when he was old and frail did he look back and discover that, apart from a few brief fragments, his memory held almost nothing.

Given another life, he did not wish to make the same mistake.

Over the following decade and more, the brothers Guan Pu and Guan Sheng wielded their swords to expand his realm. Some men offered slander, claiming that the two princes bore another surname and commanded armies abroad, and might therefore cause trouble.

Yan Yuanxin gradually matured. As the legitimate eldest son and Crown Prince, people inevitably gathered around him. Other princes also plotted against him, hoping to pull their elder brother down from his position.

Still others impeached the Li brothers, their blade pointed directly at the Empress.

But Liu Che possessed his own measure of right and wrong. He ordered every accusation thoroughly investigated. If it proved fabricated, he immediately had the accuser’s entire family executed, then richly rewarded the two princes, the Empress, and the Crown Prince to reassure them. After this happened several times, the attacks ceased, and peace settled completely.

When Li Jiangyue was young, she had not dared ask. Only after reaching middle age, as the years passed and white appeared in her hair, did she finally find the courage.

Liu Che remained silent for so long that it seemed an entire century had passed. Just as Li Jiangyue decided he would not answer, he said, “Because I once made a mistake. A very serious mistake.”

Liu Che continued, “That mistake caused such agony that I will never forget it.”

He turned to look at her and even smiled faintly. “That is the answer.”

Li Jiangyue seemed to understand, yet also understood nothing.

After many years as husband and wife, she had always felt that another world lay within her husband’s eyes. No one inhabited it but him, and he never intended to invite anyone else inside.

She knew, but had never attempted to force him.

There was wisdom in occasional ignorance. Living too closely against harsh reality was not necessarily good.

“Ah, your birthday is next month.” Liu Che leafed through the calendar. “Is there anything my Empress desires?”

Li Jiangyue smiled and shook her head. “This subject is Your Majesty’s Empress and mother to all beneath Heaven, second only to one. What could I possibly lack?”

Ying Zheng sneered. “Her birthday is tomorrow. If you die today, that will be the best gift.”

Liu Che sneered even louder. “I refuse! I insist upon dying only after celebrating my fiftieth birthday! And I will die in winter, inside my own bedchamber! I won’t be like certain emperors who suddenly died while touring and descended to the Underworld beside a pile of stinking fish and rotting shrimp!”

Ying Zheng: “…”

Ying Zheng said, “Have I become unable to lift my blade, or have you, Liu Wild Boar, grown too bold?”

“Unable to lift your blade? How strange. Haven’t you always used a sword?”

Liu Che smiled maliciously. “The king shouldered his sword?!”

Ying Zheng: “…”

Ying Zheng stared at him ominously and slowly uttered two words. “Very good.”

Liu Che: “Hehehe!”

…

His consciousness blurred. When Liu Che opened his eyes again, he stood within the White Mist Space. All the other emperors were present except Li Shimin.

He knew Li Shimin must have gone to the next world. Looking around, he asked curiously, “Has the white silk not fallen yet?”

Zhu Yuanzhang replied, “Not yet.”

“Now that is strange.” During the previous transitions, the silk should already have descended. As Liu Che wondered, he saw Ying Zheng and Zhu Yuanzhang roll up their sleeves and close in with ill intent.

“…Wait! Chotto matte!”

Liu Che recoiled. “What are you doing?!”

Ying Zheng blocked his left and drew his sword. “You seemed very happy when you mocked me.”

Zhu Yuanzhang blocked his right and drew his saber. “You seemed very pleased when you laughed at me.”
Liu Che resembled a weak young man cornered in an alley by thugs. He looked at Emperor Gaozu, who stood nearby enjoying the show, and cried for help. “Brother Li, save me!”

Emperor Gaozu frowned and thought for a moment. He slowly stepped forward, drew the saber at his waist, and handed it to Ying Zheng.

“Use mine. This one is sharper!”

“…” Liu Che: “????”

“…Hey!” Even while covering his head as blows rained down, Liu Che did not forget to protest, “You can’t summarize it like that! People will misunderstand!”

Li Shimin paid him no attention and hurried outside.

After giving Liu Che a thorough beating, the other emperors used Li Shimin’s eyes to study his surroundings. The buildings were wooden, with no trace of gold or jade, and everything nearby was exceptionally plain.

Outside the window stood lush green trees. A little farther away ran an official road that had gone unrepaired for years and had long since lost its original smoothness.

Was this an old post station?

Li Shimin wore splendid garments and possessed an elegant, extraordinary bearing. He appeared just over twenty. Though they did not yet know his exact identity, it was clearly uncommon. All the emperors began muttering inwardly.

What was this situation?

Why would a noble young lord from a great family stop at such a remote post station?

After leaving the room, Li Shimin also sensed that something was wrong. He quickly restrained his excitement and calmly surveyed the area.

A group of attendants waited outside. Their armor and sabers were all of fine quality. They bowed upon seeing him, but every face was clouded with worry and grief. They looked less like men accompanying their lord on business than mourners returning home for a funeral.

Li Shimin inevitably wondered whether they truly were going to a funeral.

But his clothing did not look appropriate for one!

As he puzzled over the matter, hoofbeats suddenly approached from the distance. The attendants plainly heard them as well and grew wary. Half surrounded Li Shimin, while the others moved forward on guard. Only when they recognized the newcomer did they abruptly relax.

“Your Highness, Prince Kang!”

The newcomer was powerfully built, with a broad jaw and a fierce beard. Heavy grief covered his face as he led a troop of light cavalry toward them. Seeing Li Shimin upon the post station steps, he called from afar. The moment he arrived, he swiftly dismounted and dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

“This subject Li Gang pays respects to Your Highness, Prince Kang! Dongjing (Kaifeng) has fallen. The Retired Emperor and the Reigning Emperor have both been captured by the Jin and taken north! By the Empress Dowager’s command, this subject has come to escort Your Highness to Nanjing, Yingtian Prefecture, where you must ascend the throne, inherit the great succession, and calm the hearts of the people!”

Prince Kang?

Dongjing had fallen?!

The Retired Emperor and Reigning Emperor had both been captured by the Jin?!!

The Empress Dowager had specially sent men to enthrone him?!!!

Seriously? He could become emperor the moment he landed? Was his luck truly this good?!!!

And what was wrong with this country? Why was it so weak?!

Jin people, silver people-when he had been alive, the chieftains of such barbarians had plainly all been reserve members of the Great Tang’s national dance troupe!

The emperors of this generation were no good!

Li Shimin frowned and curled his lip inwardly.

Li Gang drew an edict written upon yellow silk from inside his robe and presented it with both hands. “This was personally written by the Empress Dowager and bears the names of the court’s principal ministers. Please examine it, Your Highness!”

Solemnly, Li Shimin opened it. One glance made his brow jump.

He had not yet met this Empress Dowager, but her calligraphy alone was exceptional. The contents written upon the yellow silk were so steeped in grief and blood that they were painful to read. The names of more than a dozen senior ministers and official seals followed, showing how much weight the edict carried.

The Jin had broken the capital, captured both emperors, and swept up the entire imperial clan. Thus, the Empress Dowager had summoned Prince Kang, who had not been in Dongjing, to inherit the throne at Nanjing, Yingtian Prefecture?

But something was wrong.

Both emperors were important, so the Jin naturally had reason to seize them. Yet the Empress Dowager could hardly be an obscure figure. How had every imperial clansman remaining in Dongjing been caught while she alone escaped, gained the ministers’ recognition, and issued an edict summoning him to inherit the throne?

If she had abandoned the Retired Emperor and emperor during the crisis and fled alone, why would the ministers respect her and permit her to summon him to Yingtian Prefecture?

Surely enthroning her would have offered more value!

It made no sense.

Li Shimin immediately suspected that this Empress Dowager had a story. He neither accepted nor rejected the edict, but added a hint of hesitation to his voice. “The Empress Dowager…”

He uttered only those three words.

Li Gang misunderstood nothing. Realization appeared on his face as he explained, “This Empress Dowager is not Empress Liu, but Empress Meng, whom the Retired Emperor once deposed. When Empress Liu was still a Jieyu, she falsely accused Empress Meng of witchcraft. The Retired Emperor was shocked and furious, deposed her, and moved her outside the palace under the title Immortal Master Yuqing Miaojing. When the Jin broke Dongjing, they demanded every member of the imperial clan listed in the registers. No one in the capital escaped. Empress Meng alone survived because she had long since been deposed and lived outside the palace.”

The matter involved the Retired Emperor’s old scandals, and Li Gang looked uncomfortable as he continued. “The Meng clan has possessed an honorable reputation for generations. Empress Meng was unjustly deposed and suffered a grievance. After Empress Liu died, the Retired Emperor felt deeply ashamed of his treatment of Empress Meng and drafted an edict restoring her position. Before it could be formally proclaimed, however, the Jin reached Dongjing. After discussion, the ministers welcomed Empress Meng as Empress Dowager to establish proper legitimacy.”

Li Shimin immediately understood. He helped Li Gang rise with both hands, grief and anguish upon his face. “The heartland has fallen and the state lies in ruins. The arrogance of the Jin has reached such heights. We can only exert all our strength and support the mansion before it collapses, lest we die without the face to meet our ancestors!”
After breaking Dongjing (Kaifeng), the Jin chained the two emperors, imperial clansmen, and members of eminent families and carried them north in a vast procession. Dongjing, once the most prosperous city beneath Heaven, was stripped bare. The pride and confidence accumulated by Chinese civilization in the Central Plains over nearly a thousand years suffered a mortal blow. How could the word humiliation possibly describe it?

Li Gang was a military official and had personally witnessed Dongjing’s misery. Hearing Prince Kang speak this way, tears streamed down his face. “Your Highness possesses such lofty ambition. This is the good fortune of the ancestors and the state!”

Li Shimin, holder of the title Heavenly Qaghan and an outstanding actor, also shed several tears. Choking with emotion, he asked, “What is the present situation beneath Heaven?”

Li Gang looked at him with pity, as though unable to bear speaking. “The Retired Emperor… Your father was captured by the Jin.”

Li Shimin: “…”

Holy shit. Could there be better news in this world?!

Li Gang paused, drew a deep breath, and said painfully, “The Reigning Emperor… Your eldest brother was also captured by the Jin.”

Li Shimin: “…”

Heavens, there actually was!!!

Li Gang watched Prince Kang’s phoenix eyes widen. A fierce, soaring emotion filled them, and his fists clenched tight. Li Gang could scarcely bear to look.

He lowered his head dejectedly. “Apart from Your Highness and your own household, every other member of the imperial clan was captured by the Jin.”

Li Shimin: “…”

Dear mother, what an unbeatable opening hand!!!

He had awakened to find his father and eldest brother captured by the enemy, while everyone in the family except his own wife and children had been taken too. Only an Empress Dowager of questionable legitimacy remained. Had the game not dealt him both jokers and all four twos from the very beginning?!

Li Shimin turned away and covered his face in agony, struggling not to launch into a beatbox performance on the spot.

Li Gang raised his gaze slightly. Prince Kang stood with his back to him, shoulders shaking uncontrollably, as though overwhelmed by grief. It also seemed as though a mountain-heavy burden pressed upon those shoulders while he clenched his teeth and struggled to endure.

Li Gang’s eyes grew wet. Barely able to continue, he suddenly knelt. “Your Highness!”

Weeping, he said, “The Jin are plundering our territory and slaughtering soldiers and civilians. The people’s cries carry for more than ten li. Households in the north have fallen sharply. The misery is beyond description!”

The heat in Li Shimin’s heart instantly cooled.

He had encountered chaos in his youth and knew how thoroughly war destroyed livelihoods and the economy. Building might require decades, while destruction could be accomplished in mere months or less.

In the days of the Great Tang, had the realm he inherited after the Xuanwu Gate Incident not also been devastated, with everything awaiting renewal?

At the beginning of the Zhenguan era, the Great Tang had fewer than three million registered households. Even so, he had personally supported the state and turned the tide with the meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion. How magnificent the flourishing Zhenguan reign had been!

He had endured hardship and exhaustion before. He had personally rebuilt a nation from ruins. What was there to fear?

Recalling the past, Li Shimin’s heroic spirit surged. Filled with ambition and emotion, he said, “Tell me plainly. After the Jin’s plunder and slaughter, how many registered households remain in our territory?”

Two million? One and a half million? Or one million?

Surely there could not be fewer?!

Li Gang sobbed. “Your Highness, fewer than eleven million households remain!”

Li Shimin: “…”

Li Shimin: “????”

Question marks filled Li Shimin’s head. He asked, “And what of tax revenue?”

Li Gang replied, “Fortunately, the Jin remain in the north and have not occupied the southeast. Though the treasury suffered losses, the southeast is wealthy and can still support us.”

Li Shimin: “Ah.”

Li Shimin’s mouth fell open. He remained stunned for nearly a quarter of an hour.

Li Gang recalled the rumors in Yingtian Prefecture and the arrogance of the peace faction. Seeing Prince Kang like this, he feared the Jin’s power had intimidated him into abandoning a northern campaign and seeking a humiliating peace. Grief and indignation rose within him. He repeatedly kowtowed and pleaded, “The two emperors are humiliated by the Jin, and the state has collapsed. How can we compromise and associate with them after such an extraordinary shame? If we do, what face will this subject have to meet the ancestors after death?”

The stone beneath him was hard, but he paid it no heed. After several knocks, blood covered his forehead. “Your Highness, our dynasty still has great generals such as Zong Ze, Zhang Suo, and Fu An. We also have rising talents like Yue Fei, Zhang Jun, Han Shizhong, and Liu Guangshi. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers stand ready, all hoping the royal army will march north. If Your Highness gives the command, this subject can immediately go north to resist the enemy. Please hold firm to your resolve and do not be deceived by the petty men of the peace faction!”

Li Shimin: “…”

Li Shimin could not resist telling his old companions in the space, “My life is too hard! A flying dragon is sitting on their face. It would be fucking difficult to lose even if I tried!”

The emperors: “…”

Wanyan Gou in another world: “????”

“Ah.” Li Shimin sighed. “Stop calling them Jin people. That is far too narrow-minded. They are clearly the duet branch of an ethnic minority song-and-dance troupe!”