Chapter 30: Sincerity is the Only Ultimate Move!

After Li Simo and Li Ji withdrew, the air in the Liangyi Hall seemed to linger with the presence of their departure. Li Chengqian frowned slightly and whispered an instruction to the young eunuch beside him. Upon receiving the order, the eunuch swiftly replaced one of the lamps in the hall with a brighter one.

In an instant, the light within the hall sharpened, casting shifting shadows upon the golden nanmu window frames. Li Jing remained seated in silence, his posture as upright and unyielding as an old pine, yet he spoke not a word, resembling a silent mountain peak.

Li Chengqian also remained quiet. He focused on wielding his brush, attending to the memorials Fang Xuanling had sent for his deliberation. At times, he would furrow his brow; at others, a flash of resolve would cross his eyes. He reviewed the documents with intense focus, each stroke of his brush imbued with unquestionable authority.

In the stillness of the Liangyi Hall, the sound of the brush scratching against the rice paper was remarkably clear. The "swish-swish" rhythm seemed like the footsteps of time passing, echoing through the vast, empty palace.

Thus, time slipped away in silence, nearly half an hour passing before anyone realized it.

Li Jing finally could bear it no longer. He gave a light cough, shattering the silence: "Your Majesty! May I ask why you have summoned this old minister?"

His voice was low and gravelly, heavy with the vicissitudes of age. Li Chengqian merely looked up at Li Jing, his gaze as deep as an abyss. He did not answer, instead lowering his head to continue reviewing the memorials, as if he had not heard Li Jing at all.

Only after finishing the document in his hand did Li Chengqian slowly set down his brush and let out a long sigh. He picked up his now-cold tea, took a small sip, and frowned slightly, as if noticing the chill.

"Someone! General Li's tea has gone cold. Bring him a fresh, hot cup."

He spoke in a loud voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The eunuch waiting outside immediately stirred. Before long, he brought a new cup of steaming hot tea before Li Jing, the fragrant scent of the brew instantly filling the air.

Once the eunuch had departed, Li Chengqian spoke again.

"General Li, I have a question for you."

Li Chengqian's eyes were fixed intently on Li Jing, filled with a probing intensity.

"Your Majesty, please ask. This old minister will surely tell you everything he knows."

Li Jing bowed slightly. Fatigue showed on his face; after all, he was advanced in years, and at this hour, drowsiness was washing over him in waves. He struggled to remain alert.

"Are you old?"

Li Chengqian's question was simple and direct, yet it struck Li Jing like a sharp blade.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this old minister is seventy years old this year. I am indeed old."

Li Jing answered truthfully, a trace of resignation in his tone as the marks of time became clearly visible in that moment.

Upon hearing Li Jing's reply, Li Chengqian looked at him deeply, a flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes.

He then continued: "General Li, you remain silent in the court, rendering yourself entirely transparent and marginalized. I want to ask you: do you intend to be the Sima Yi of the Jin Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian spoke with a calm expression, yet these words struck Li Jing's heart like a heavy bomb.

Li Jing was far from calm upon hearing this. A shiver ran through him, and his drowsiness vanished instantly. He hurriedly stood up, a wave of panic rising within him, and stepped aside, about to kneel.

But he heard Li Chengqian’s stern reprimand: "Do not kneel! I did not tell you to kneel; go back and sit down! I am speaking heart-to-heart with you, just answer my question!"

Li Chengqian’s voice was immensely majestic, echoing throughout the palace.

"I will ask you once more!"

"Do you intend to be the Sima Yi of the Jin Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian’s gaze remained locked on Li Jing, not letting a single expression on his face escape.

Hearing this, Li Jing did not return to his seat but instead bowed with cupped hands directly toward Li Chengqian: "Your Majesty, this old minister has absolutely no such intent!"

His gaze was firm and sincere, as if he were laying his heart bare before Li Chengqian.

"I know. I know you have no such intent. I simply wanted to speak to you directly." Li Chengqian’s tone softened slightly.

"I am not the Late Emperor; I do not care for circles and detours. I called you here today to speak with you frankly."

He stood up and walked slowly toward Li Jing.

"I have never once guarded against you."

"Old General, there is no need to hide."

Hearing Li Chengqian say this, Li Jing slowly raised his head, trying hard to see the young master of the Great Tang Empire clearly through the dim light.

How young he was! A twenty-two-year-old youth!

That youthful face possessed a composure and majesty far beyond his years, and his eyes held a wisdom and decisiveness, like a rising star emitting a dazzling light.

"This old minister thanks Your Majesty!" Li Jing’s voice trembled slightly.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Jing, his expression unreadable.

He spoke slowly: "General Li, if I remember correctly, you were born into a branch of the Longxi Li clan, were you not?"

"To answer Your Majesty, this old minister does indeed hail from the Longxi Li clan," Li Jing replied, feeling puzzled as to why Li Chengqian had suddenly brought this up.

"You also know that I do not get along with the great clans; I do not like them. Since you were born into such a clan, it is ironic that you, like me, despise the great clans to the bone."

Li Chengqian paced the hall as he spoke.

"Red-Sleeve Lady, Kunlun slave, tiger in the hall."

"These three were the favorites of your youth."

"In the fourth year of Wude, you pacified Xiao Xian, bringing glory to Lingnan! In that battle, you were like a heavenly general descended to earth, leaving Xiao Xian with no power to resist and bringing all of Lingnan under the Great Tang. Your fame spread far and wide."

"In the sixth year of Wude, you destroyed Wu Gongan! You once again displayed extraordinary military talent, removing a great threat to the Great Tang."

"In the eighth and ninth years of Wude, you campaigned against the Eastern Turks! You maneuvered against the Turks in the frozen wilderness, guarding the borders of the Great Tang."

"In the fourth year of Zhenguan, you captured Jieli Khan! What a magnificent feat; it made the Turks tremble at the mere mention of your name."

"In the ninth year of Zhenguan, you pacified Tuyuhun! You ventured deep into enemy territory, overcoming countless difficulties, and rendered immortal service to the stability of the Great Tang."

"You have fought countless battles, a life spent on horseback."

Li Chengqian stopped walking and looked intently at the seventy-year-old Yaoshi.

"I truly do not understand, Li Yaoshi. Are you really content to just grow old and die in bed?"

Li Jing’s mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something, but he felt as though his throat were clogged, and for a moment, he could not utter a word.

"Is Your Majesty not afraid of me?"

Li Jing managed to squeeze out these words after a long while.

A flash of complex emotion crossed his eyes—surprise, being moved, and a hint of confusion.

Hearing Li Jing’s words, Li Chengqian could not help but burst into laughter. The sound echoed in the empty palace, carrying a sense of confidence and magnanimity.

"Li Jing, I thought you were a peerless general, but I did not expect you to be an old mischievous child as well."

He laughed and walked to Li Jing’s side, patting him on the shoulder.

"What is there for me to fear? I am so young; am I to fear that you, a seventy-year-old man, will come to seize my throne?"

"Even if you did seize my throne, how many more years could you be Emperor, Li Jing?"

At this, a hint of amusement flickered in Li Chengqian’s eyes.

He slowly walked to Li Jing’s side, placed his hand on his shoulder, and his eyes were filled with trust.

"Yaoshi, I want to give you military power because I trust you. Whatever you want to do, do it boldly."

"I intend to have you lead an expedition against the Tubo. Just help me dampen their arrogance; you do not necessarily have to annihilate them, as long as you keep them outside the borders of the Great Tang."

"Come next spring, I will have the time to turn my attention to completely exterminating the Tubo."

Li Jing was about to speak, but Li Chengqian cut him off directly: "Although the Tubo invasion is urgent, it is not so urgent that it cannot wait these few days. Yaoshi, you may go back and get a good rest."

He waved his hand.

"Give me your answer at the morning court the day after tomorrow."

"By the way, Yaoshi, take this."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian pulled an object from his robes and tossed it toward Li Jing.

Li Jing instinctively caught the item. Looking at it carefully, he saw it was a dragon carved from bronze.

The bronze dragon was lifelike, as if it were about to take flight. Every scale was carved with extreme precision, shimmering with a mysterious light under the lamp.

"Yaoshi, this is the command token for my Three Thousand Battalion—three thousand heavy armored cavalrymen, with equipment even more refined than my father's Xuanjia Army. The only drawback is that they haven't seen much blood."

"I trouble you, Yaoshi, to help me train this force well," Li Chengqian said with a solemn expression.

After speaking, Li Chengqian beckoned to Li Jing and turned to walk toward the inner palace, leaving Li Jing alone in the hall.

Before long, Li Chengqian’s figure disappeared into the darkness, apparently heading back to sleep.

Inside the Liangyi Hall, Li Jing sat back down. He gripped the command token tightly, as if it were the most important thing in his life.

He picked up his tea cup and drained it in one gulp, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes, as if he had made a momentous decision.

...

Ganye Temple.

The moonlight was like water, spilling over the ancient temple and casting a mysterious veil over everything.

Beside the well, a young girl sat quietly at the edge, like a beautiful painting.

Her eyes were like stars, clear and bright, shimmering with a charming light in the moonlight, as if hiding countless secrets.

Her skin was whiter than snow, fine as mutton-fat jade, glowing with a warm luster in the moonlight, as if she were the purest jade in this world.

Even with her long hair shorn away, it could not hide the alluring charm she possessed. That allure came from the depths of her soul, like a poppy blooming in the dark of night—beautiful yet dangerous.

"Coo-coo, coo-coo."

On the small path behind the back gate, the call of a cuckoo broke the silence of the night.

Hearing this sound, the girl felt a stir in her heart. She looked left and right, and upon discovering that no one was around, she rose quietly, her movements as light as a cat's.

She walked with small, hurried steps to the side courtyard and gently opened the back gate.

Outside the gate stood a young man in green robes, his features delicate and refined.

The moonlight spilled onto him, outlining him with a faint halo.

"Zhinu, you've come!"

Surprise hid in the girl's eyes—a surprise like fireworks suddenly blooming in the night sky, lighting up her gaze.

Her voice was as soft as a spring breeze, carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling—an emotion where excitement and joy were intertwined.

Seeing the bright-eyed, white-toothed girl, Li Zhi’s heart almost melted.

His eyes were filled with love, as if the entire world consisted only of the girl before him.

"Meiniang! I missed you so much! Since you left, I have been so bored in the palace every day! There is no one to play with me anymore!"

Li Zhi’s voice carried a tone of spoiled affection, and his face beamed with a pure smile, which seemed exceptionally radiant in the moonlight.

Hearing Li Zhi’s words, Wu Meiniang could not help but burst into laughter, her smile as beautiful as a blossoming flower.

"You silly boy! You are a Prince now! You can do whatever you want! There is so much for you to play with!"

She teased him gently, her eyes full of doting affection.

"Meiniang!"

Li Zhi looked at her earnestly, his eyes filled with determination.

"There is a morning court the day after tomorrow. I have decided to attend. I will ask my Imperial Brother to let me leave the palace to establish my own estate! Once I have my own Prince's mansion, I will be able to secretly bring you over!"

His tone was filled with anticipation, as if he had already seen a wonderful future.

Hearing Li Zhi’s words, Wu Meiniang’s expression turned serious instantly. She frowned slightly, a flash of worry crossing her eyes.

"You cannot do that, Zhinu! Even if you are a Prince, if you bring me into the mansion and it is discovered, you will be ruined!"

Her voice was low and grave, like a warning bell ringing in the night sky, shattering Li Zhi’s beautiful fantasy.