Chapter 24: Grandfather, the Rougher the Waves, the More Valuable the Fish [New Book, Please Add to Library]
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The night at the Palace of Great Peace was no different from the night in the chambers of “Little Consort Yang.”
Nor were the people in the palace any different from those in “Little Consort Yang’s” chambers.
Everything was black as ink, and everywhere there were emperors and women.
At that moment, the Retired Emperor Li Yuan sat lazily upon a cushioned couch, one palace woman nestled against either arm. Zhang Jieyu was on his left, and Consort Yin De on his right.
Though Consort Yin De ranked above Zhang Jieyu according to the palace hierarchy, their positions in Li Yuan’s embrace made it clear that Zhang Jieyu was more favored. She was also younger and more beautiful than Consort Yin De.
To their left knelt a middle-aged man, smiling broadly as he chatted with Li Yuan.
“Retired Emperor, I know of your fondness for the pipa, so I have specially obtained a new kind of string for you. It is absolutely superior to those used in the palace.”
“Oh?” Li Yuan’s eyes lit up at once. “What sort of new string is it? Better than the palace strings?”
“I am not boasting, but the pipa strings used in the palace are made by twisting oak silk. Though the notes they produce are pleasing to the ear, the strings are difficult to maintain and break easily.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
Li Yuan was a master of the pipa and naturally understood the quality of its strings. He nodded in approval, then asked curiously, “And what material are your pipa strings made from?”
“Your Majesty, these strings are twisted from deer sinews. Not only are they far less likely to break, but the notes they produce are also exceptionally beautiful.”
As he spoke, he took a lacquered box from his robe and handed it to Li Yuan.
“Retired Emperor, please examine them carefully.”
“Very well.”
With a smile, Li Yuan released the consort in his arms and accepted the lacquered box. Opening it directly, he found several neatly bound pipa strings inside.
The middle-aged man continued explaining, “First, the deer sinew is split into five hundred strands and treated with saltpeter until each strand is as transparent as silk. Then they are twisted together and coated with sesame oil. They look like silk, but they are resilient when used and produce a sound as clear as struck metal and stone!”
“Excellent! Excellent, excellent...”
Li Yuan picked up the strings and examined them carefully. The longer he looked, the more delighted he became, and he could not help praising them repeatedly.
Then he put the strings between his lips, like a man utterly obsessed with the pipa. He plucked at them while testing their resilience.
Only after confirming that they were truly as extraordinary as the middle-aged man claimed did he ask with a smile, “Where did you obtain these strings?”
“Well...”
The middle-aged man hesitated, then glanced at Zhang Jieyu and Consort Yin De before giving an awkward laugh.
“If we are to speak of where these strings came from, we must first mention how difficult they were to obtain...”
“But—”
He abruptly changed direction and continued, “The Prince of Changle is truly devoted to the Retired Emperor.”
“The Prince of Changle?”
Li Yuan frowned and looked again at the pipa strings in his hand.
“What does this have to do with him?”
“Heh heh, to be frank, Retired Emperor, the Prince of Changle is in Liangzhou, where his men have done a little business with the Turks...”
“Hmph!”
Before the middle-aged man could finish, Li Yuan interrupted him with a cold snort. His expression turned stern.
“A prince is not permitted to engage in commerce. Is that not breaking the law?”
“Well...”
The middle-aged man wore an embarrassed expression.
At that moment, Consort Yin De, who had remained silent until then, leaned sweetly against Li Yuan and chided him in a coquettish voice, “Oh, listen to yourself, Retired Emperor. The prince’s little business amounts to nothing more than wine, jade, vessels, and such things...”
“Every one of those things is illegal as well!”
Li Yuan interrupted Consort Yin De too.
The atmosphere once again became awkward.
Although Li Yuan had withdrawn from the center of power, he was still an emperor at heart. Naturally, he disliked such unlawful and disorderly behavior.
At that moment, the young and beautiful Zhang Jieyu suddenly laughed softly.
“They say fine wine should be paired with fine dishes. Now that we have such excellent pipa strings, why not have someone test them?”
“Oh, yes, yes! Someone, summon a musician to test the strings!”
Li Yuan seemed to come to himself at Zhang Jieyu’s words. He nodded with a hearty laugh and issued the order.
Soon, a male musician from the Palace of Great Peace entered the inner hall.
Li Yuan casually handed the strings to Zhang Jieyu and had the musician replace the old ones before playing.
After roughly fifteen minutes, a melodious pipa tune rang through the inner hall. Li Yuan swayed his head from side to side, looking completely at ease.
“Hmm, not bad. The sound is indeed somewhat different from the palace pipa strings...”
“Yes, though they are a little stiff,” Zhang Jieyu agreed with a smile.
The middle-aged man quickly added, “A little stiffness is a good thing. It lets them be played longer. If they become too soft, they will make no sound at all...”
“Heh heh...”
Zhang Jieyu smiled noncommittally, then took the pipa from the male musician and began to play it herself.
No consort favored by Li Yuan could lack a special talent.
Zhang Jieyu’s pipa playing was clearly more graceful and fluid than the male musician’s. Every note flowed into the ear like silk.
The middle-aged man was overcome with emotion. With a smile, he sighed,
“Listening to the Liangzhou Melody, drinking Zhangye wine, eating roasted venison tail; night dew carries the fragrance of flowers, spring waters ripple beneath the moonlight, meeting wandering beauties on the Han River, encountering two consorts by the Xiang River... Retired Emperor...”
“Indeed!”
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Li Yuan cast him a sidelong glance and said with a sigh, “That is Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty’s ‘Spring River, Flowers, and Moonlit Night.’ Such exquisite pleasures! You, Grand General of the Left Gate Guard, live a more comfortable life than I do, the Retired Emperor!”
The middle-aged man’s heart tightened at those words, and he hurriedly replied, “You jest, Retired Emperor. How could I compare with you...”
“Heh heh...”
Li Yuan smiled without committing himself, then said casually, “I hear that there is nothing in the entire city of Chang’an that you, Changsun Anye, do not know...”
“You flatter me, Retired Emperor. In truth, there has not been much happening lately. His Majesty discussed the New Year rewards for meritorious officials at court, and the Prince of Yian received nothing. He seems rather displeased...”
“Hah!”
Li Yuan gave a derisive laugh, as if he had long since seen through everything.
“As for me, I am already the Retired Emperor. I no longer concern myself with affairs of state. If someone is unhappy, let him fight for what he wants himself!”
“But...”
Changsun Anye opened his mouth, hesitating.
At that moment, Zhang Jieyu spoke again.
“Retired Emperor, I have heard that the Prince of Yian is deeply loyal to and devoted to the Great Tang.”
“Indeed!”
At her words, Li Yuan seemed to recall something. He nodded and said, “In the thirteenth year of Daye, when I raised an army in Jinyang, Xiaochang was the Magistrate of Huayin under the Sui dynasty.”
“At that time, he surrendered Yongfeng Granary to us.”
“The Sui dynasty had four great granaries in all. They were the foundation of its national strength.”
“Xiaochang surrendered one quarter of them to us. We then opened the granaries and distributed the grain, and more and more people joined our cause.”
He paused, then added with a sigh, “Otherwise, taking Chang’an would truly have been troublesome.”
“So the Retired Emperor made him Prince of Yian because of this?” Consort Yin De leaned closer and asked with a curious smile.
Li Yuan glanced at her and said indifferently, “That is the only achievement for which he could have been made a prince.”
“That achievement was no small matter!”
Changsun Anye picked up the thread, intending to say more, when a voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
“Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhongshan requests an audience!”
“Hm?”
Li Yuan was slightly startled. Why had that boy come so late?
Could he have slipped over secretly?
The thought brought to mind what had happened during the day, and Li Yuan’s heart began to stir.
At the same time, Changsun Anye and Consort Yin De exchanged a knowing glance. Consort Yin De spoke first.
“Retired Emperor, I am a little tired. I would like to return and rest...”
“Go, go. Get some early rest!”
Li Yuan dismissed Consort Yin De with a wave of his hand.
He knew that Consort Yin De and Li Chengqian did not get along, and he had no desire to watch them quarrel.
However, the moment Consort Yin De left, Changsun Anye rose to his feet and bowed.
“Retired Emperor, I shall also withdraw for now.”
Li Yuan found this amusing.
“He is your nephew. Why should you withdraw?”
“This...”
Changsun Anye was rendered speechless.
Li Yuan then gave an order.
“Let him in.”
“Yes!”
A palace attendant acknowledged the order and soon led Li Chengqian inside.
“Your grandson Chengqian pays his respects to Grandfather, the Retired Emperor!”
Li Chengqian entered and bowed with great respect.
Li Yuan smiled warmly.
“Come, my good grandson. Come closer to Grandfather. There is a brazier here; it is warm.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
Li Chengqian obediently moved to a place not far from Li Yuan and knelt there.
Just then, he caught sight of Changsun Anye from the corner of his eye and asked curiously, “Who is this?”
“Uh...”
The corners of Changsun Anye’s mouth twitched, his face filled with embarrassment.
Li Yuan glanced at him with an amused, inscrutable smile.
“Do you not recognize him, my grandson? This is your maternal uncle.”
“My maternal uncle?”
Li Chengqian froze.
“My maternal uncle is not Changsun Wuji?”
“Uh...”
Changsun Anye was so embarrassed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in. He hurriedly said to Li Yuan again, “Retired Emperor, Your Consort Aunt also asked me to find something for her. I shall take it to her first.”
“Heh heh...”
Li Yuan smiled faintly and did not make things difficult for him. He waved his hand.
“Go on. All of you, leave.”
At those words, not only Changsun Anye but Zhang Jieyu as well tactfully withdrew from the inner hall.
Soon, only grandfather and grandson remained.
“Grandfather, I have brought you a female musician. She says she can play the pipa backward. Would you like to hear her?” Li Chengqian asked with a smile.
Li Yuan was slightly startled. It was not that he had never heard of this female musician who could play the pipa backward, but was she not Erlang’s musician? How had this boy brought her here?
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Before he could react, Li Chengqian clapped his hands, signaling Xiao, the musician, to enter as though presenting a treasured gift.
“This humble woman pays her respects to Your Majesty, the Retired Emperor!”
“Uh...”
The corner of Li Yuan’s mouth twitched, and for a moment he did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Although what Li Chengqian had done was somewhat outrageous, it clearly showed how genuinely good the boy was to his grandfather.
Compared with those who offered only false affection, he was far superior.
“Play.”
Now that matters had come this far, Li Yuan said no more and accepted the arrangement with remarkable ease.
Xiao, the musician, immediately sat cross-legged outside the hall and began playing the pipa.
When Li Yuan heard the music, his expression became one of complete rapture. Seeing this, Li Chengqian smiled knowingly.
“Grandfather, how do you find this female musician’s playing?” Li Chengqian asked with a deliberately innocent smile.
“Hmm, not bad.”
Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly sensed that something was amiss. He looked at Li Chengqian strangely.
“You must have something else to say, do you not? Something you left unfinished today...”
“Grandfather is wise!”
Li Chengqian knew that the old man was a fox with a thousand years of cunning. He had no intention of spinning tales for him, so he came straight to the point.
“What does Grandfather think about restoring me as Crown Prince?”
“Pei San already asked you, did he not? If Grandfather establishes you as Crown Prince, will your father agree?”
“Under normal circumstances, he certainly will not. But we must make the circumstances abnormal before we have any chance.”
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.
“How do we make the circumstances abnormal?”
“Grandfather, what sort of situation do you think my father’s next actions will create?” Li Chengqian asked with a smile.
Li Yuan frowned at him and pondered briefly.
“As the saying goes, it is easy to invite a deity but difficult to send one away. When rewards are bestowed, everyone rejoices. But if those rewards are reduced, it may provoke widespread anger and resentment...”
“Exactly!”
Li Chengqian shrugged.
“My father will certainly offend a great many people because of this. He may even force some of them into rebellion. We only need to make matters a little more difficult, then have Grandfather resolve them with ease. What do you think the situation on my father’s side would become?”
“This...”
Li Yuan stared at Li Chengqian in astonishment.
If he still regarded Li Chengqian as merely an eight-year-old child, then he would no longer be the founding emperor of the Great Tang, Li Yuan.
“Do you understand the consequences of doing this?”
Li Yuan recovered from his astonishment and looked at Li Chengqian with a solemn expression.
“Of course I do. But Grandfather, have you never considered this? Whether you act or not, reality remains unchanged. The Great Tang can have only one person who makes the decisions!”
Li Chengqian smiled meaningfully.
“The great officials Grandfather placed at court will sooner or later be replaced by my father’s men. If Grandfather does nothing and simply allows them to obstruct my father, your days ahead may not be easy.”
He was not speaking carelessly. Historically, Li Yuan had indeed been tormented by the very old ministers who had served him.
“So there are only two paths before Grandfather now. One is to make my father feel your pressure, so that he will not dare act recklessly. The other is to abandon the old ministers of the Wude era completely and retire peacefully.”
“This...”
Li Yuan widened his eyes, staring at Li Chengqian in disbelief.
“Who taught you this?”
“If I said no one taught me, would Grandfather believe me?”
“You...”
Li Yuan was shocked once more. Almost against his will, he pressed on.
“How do you think Grandfather should act?”
Li Chengqian thought for a moment.
“To be honest, given my father’s current strength, Grandfather will have very little chance of restoring yourself to power. So, in my opinion, we should pursue both paths at once and make my father understand one thing: you are not incapable of taking back the realm of the Great Tang—you simply no longer wish to exhaust yourself with such struggles.”
“Of course, this depends on me returning to the position of Crown Prince. That way, the rest of Grandfather’s life will not be spent shut away in a palace courtyard, watching autumn pass in silence.”
“Heh heh...”
Li Yuan laughed. His laughter was astonished, enigmatic, and impossible to read.
“Does my grandson know that if this matter is mishandled, many people will die?”
Li Chengqian blinked, then smiled as well.
“Grandfather, have you ever heard a saying?”
“What saying?”
“The greater the storm, the more valuable the fish.”
“?”
Li Yuan’s face filled with confusion. He could not understand what the boy meant.
Then he watched as Li Chengqian slowly rose from the floor. With his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke in a tone far older than his years.
“Grandfather, when a war is fought, someone must always make the sacrifice.”
“What we are doing is not about fighting my father for power or the throne. It is about reclaiming our dignity and telling everyone that whatever we have lost, we will take back with our own hands!”
“This...”
A look of surprise crossed Li Yuan’s face. What extraordinary courage this boy possessed.
And yet—
To reclaim their dignity, to take back with their own hands what they had lost?
That was rather interesting.
“Tell me your plan.”