There are no secrets in the world, especially when it comes to Li Yuanying, a man who never stays still. If he disappeared for a day, the place he stayed would be significantly less lively than usual!
Wang Yifang, as the Chief Secretary of Prince Tang, didn’t follow Li Yuanying every step of the way, but he at least needed to know what Li Yuanying did each day.
Hearing that Li Yuanying was ill, Wang Yifang went to visit him immediately, wondering how Li Yuanying had suddenly fallen ill and couldn’t leave the house.
When he arrived at Li Yuanying’s residence, Wei Jiu and the others told him that Li Yuanying was seriously ill and couldn’t see anyone. This made Wang Yifang uneasy, and he immediately insisted on going to the academy to invite Old Doctor Sun, fearing that Li Yuanying would fall seriously ill. How would he answer to Emperor Li for the loss of such a brother?
Seeing that the matter was about to escalate, Wei Jiu had to tell Wang Yifang the truth.
So, Wei Jiu and the others sat in a row and were scolded by Wang Yifang. Wang Yifang was furious: “You knew he ran off to sea, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why didn’t you send someone to bring him back and instead helped to cover it up? Do you believe that if anything happens to him at sea, you’ll all be implicated and none of you will escape!”
Actually, even if Li Yuanying returned safely, this matter would not be well received in Chang’an. Did they really think that they could live freely forever? If Li Yuanying kept this up, he was living in a dream!
Wei Jiu and the others remained silent and obediently took the scolding.
Wang Yifang didn’t keep it a secret like Wei Jiu and the others. He immediately ordered someone to send an urgent message to Chang’an by fast horse, and at the same time, instructed people to set sail with a spare ship to pursue Li Yuanying.
Although the chances of catching up were slim, Tengzhou needed to show a strong stance, indicating that they were not refusing to chase but couldn’t catch up. Otherwise, if Emperor Li found out they had helped to deceive him, they would all be fired!
If it reached that point, they truly wouldn’t be able to help at all.
Wang Yifang arranged everything and sat down, rubbing his aching temples. His peripheral vision caught Lu Zhaolin coming over to help him massage them. Wang Yifang scolded him: “You just spoil him! Look at what you’ve made him into! It’s the sea, you helped him cover it up this time, next time he’ll dare to go again! You indulge him, but will the storms at sea indulge him?”
Lu Zhaolin didn’t dare retort and could only diligently massage Wang Yifang’s temples.
Wei Jiu was reminded by Wang Yifang and dared not delay, so she personally went to inform Liu Baolin of the matter.
Liu Baolin was very worried after learning that Li Yuanying had gone to sea, but she remained relatively calm in front of Wei Jiu. She even comforted Wei Jiu: “It’s not your fault, he’ll do what he wants, no matter how you try to stop him, he’ll still go. He’s always been headstrong, no one’s words can stop him.”
In the past, Li Yuanying never lashed out at her when he was upset. He would take revenge himself and come back only to talk about happy things. When Li Yuanying was young, Liu Baolin worried about him and would ask Dai Ting to report on what he encountered each day. Later, as Li Yuanying grew older, Liu Baolin feared that she would make him upset by inquiring too much, so she stopped asking. She believed whatever Li Yuanying said.
Sometimes, it’s better to be blissfully ignorant.
Seeing that Liu Baolin didn’t blame them for not watching Li Yuanying closely, Wei Jiu felt even more ashamed and stayed with Liu Baolin for a while before leaving.
The staff of Li Yuanying’s mansion, after a brief period of chaos, returned to their normal routines, each carrying out their duties, waiting to give Li Yuanying a good scolding upon his return.
Meanwhile, Li Yuanying had already left the island and embarked on a new voyage. He was in high spirits, following Li Dejian around, full of energy, cheering on the hardworking sailors.
The crew knew that Prince Tang was aboard, so they sailed with extra effort.
Li Yuanying had slept for a long time and was full of energy. As night fell, they were still at sea. Li Yuanying sat on the deck with the crew members who were on break, chatting and looking around. All he could see was endless ocean.
Li Yuanying looked up and saw the vast expanse of stars overhead, making the crescent moon seem dull in comparison.
He poked Li Dejian, inviting him to enjoy the unique starry sky at sea.
Li Dejian didn’t want to pay him any attention, but seeing the sparkle in Li Yuanying’s eyes and the way he wouldn’t sleep unless someone chatted with him, he could only reluctantly fulfill his duty as a companion and reply to Li Yuanying’s words with half-hearted responses.
Li Yuanying, carried away by the conversation, started talking to Li Dejian about his future plans: “Next time I’ll bring Shu Jie Jie and the others to see it.” This time, he managed to sneak in smoothly, with no adverse reactions, and Li Yuanying suddenly felt energized. He started planning his next trip.
Li Dejian said, “Don’t even think about it, no one will let you on the ship next time.”
Li Yuanying didn’t care whether Li Dejian agreed to take him or not. He said with a smug smile, “If you don’t want to take me, then I’ll ask Dai Ting to take me.” If others wouldn’t let him on the ship, Dai Ting would surely agree.
Li Dejian remained silent. He felt that Li Yuanying was overly optimistic. This time when they returned, it might not be the cheers of the people that awaited them, but the men sent by Emperor Li to arrest him! He and Du He dared to let Li Yuanying accompany them to sea, even if it wasn’t intentional, it was a huge dereliction of duty.
Li Yuanying, on the other hand, wasn’t even thinking about how to get through this, instead he was excitedly thinking about bringing his wife along next time. Wasn’t he afraid of being drowned in Wei Zheng’s spittle?
Li Dejian didn’t want to talk to Li Yuanying, and Li Yuanying didn’t bother him anymore. He found a place to lie down and looked at the stars, feeling that such a life was incredibly beautiful!
The ship sailed for about two days before finally reaching Japan on a sunny afternoon. The Japanese authorities attached great importance to the arrival of the Tang Dynasty fleet, especially since Prince Tang Li Yuanying was on board.
Along the way, Dai Ting, who had been sent by Wang Yifang, had caught up with Li Yuanying’s group and briefed them on the current situation in Japan. Japan had always been secretly in cahoots with Baekje, supporting Baekje’s fight against Silla. The current Emperor of Japan was the Empress of the previous Emperor, known as Empress Suiko. Because Empress Suiko was brought to power in a brutal power struggle, her actual power was not very strong, and the powerful Soga clan dominated Japan.
Currently, there were two factions vying for power in Japan: one led by the Soga clan, a group of powerful nobles, and the other was a coalition of various individuals who wanted to overthrow the Soga clan.
It’s worth mentioning that the relationship between Japan and the Tang Dynasty was not entirely peaceful. While there was no outward conflict, they were actually competing in Liaodong. The Tang Dynasty favored Silla, while Japan favored Baekje. Recently, because of the Tang Dynasty’s strong stance in Liaodong, Japan had even secretly extended its hand to Silla and Goguryeo, attempting to build good relations with all these small kingdoms in Liaodong!
All this information was gathered by Dai Ting during his time managing Goguryeo. At that time, he didn’t know Li Yuanying would be going to Japan, so he didn’t mention much, but it proved useful now.
Li Yuanying listened with great interest, especially the royal secrets of Japan. Japan was quite unrestrained, their royal family intermarrying within themselves, like the current Empress Suiko, who was actually the Empress of the previous Emperor. Before that, she had been married once and had a son, and after remarrying, she had two sons and a daughter. As for internal marriage, it was considered quite natural, and some even believed it ensured the purity of the royal bloodline.
Li Yuanying loved to hear these gossips, even if Dai Ting’s voice was flat, he was captivated. By the time they landed, he had a good grasp of the Japanese royal family and felt quite confident.
Li Dejian and Du He didn’t really believe he was confident.
However, Dai Ting had caught up with them, putting their minds at ease. While Dai Ting wasn’t older than them, he had accomplished more than they ever had. Every single thing he had done was worthy of boasting for a whole year, yet he never showed any pride, remaining respectful by Li Yuanying’s side.
With someone as capable and loyal as him, they wouldn’t have to worry about losing sight of Li Yuanying for even a moment!
Li Yuanying, unaware of how he was perceived as the most unreliable person in Li Dejian’s eyes, felt very good about himself. As soon as he got off the boat, he calmly greeted the people sent to welcome them from Japan.
Those who didn’t know Li Yuanying’s background were instantly impressed by his appearance and demeanor. The person who came to greet him was Prince Katsuragi, the son of Empress Suiko. His appearance stood out among the Japanese people, and his demeanor was quite extraordinary.
He was just a bit short.
Li Yuanying looked up and saw that most of the people, from princes to commoners, were short, Prince Katsuragi being considered above average.
Li Yuanying smiled slightly, revealing two small dimples, and walked over to speak with Prince Katsuragi. Although they didn’t speak the same language, Li Yuanying had Dai Ting, who was proficient in multiple languages, and Prince Katsuragi had a translator, making communication relatively easy.
Compared to Li Yuanying’s lack of martial skills, Prince Katsuragi was obviously trained in martial arts from a young age. Even though he was friendly, he still had a hint of fierce courage about him.
He expressed his admiration for the Confucian classics of the Han and Tang dynasties and even discussed several anecdotes with Li Yuanying.
In the past, Li Yuanying would have been clueless about these topics, but now he was a changed man. He could easily engage in any conversation and even expand on them by providing relevant positive or negative examples.
Prince Katsuragi was completely awestruck and insisted that Li Yuanying spend the evening with him discussing these matters by candlelight. In fact, Prince Katsuragi had heard about Li Yuanying before. The translators accompanying him included those who had studied in the Tang Dynasty, and they had witnessed Li Yuanying’s status in the Imperial Academy of the Tang Dynasty: the Imperial Academy, a prestigious institution, was essentially treated by Li Yuanying as his own domain!
Because of this, while others didn’t pay much attention to Li Yuanying’s visit, Prince Katsuragi personally came to greet him.
Both sides wanted to learn more from each other, so they chatted along the way, having a very lively exchange.
In Li Yuanying’s mind, Japan was just a small island. However, after interacting with Prince Katsuragi, the image of Japan gradually became clearer. Even in such a small country, there was no shortage of internal struggles and intriguing tales.
Li Yuanying was interested in this and said to Prince Katsuragi, holding his hand, “The unusual stories you told me are fascinating! How about I send some people to collect some of your Japanese legends and stories for me to enjoy?”
Prince Katsuragi, having heard about Li Yuanying’s fondness for stories, readily agreed.
Li Yuanying then turned to Dai Ting in front of Prince Katsuragi and said, “Dai Ting, you take a few people and stay here then.”
Dai Ting replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Prince Katsuragi looked over, and only then did he notice a handsome young man standing behind Li Yuanying, barely out of his teens, dressed as an eunuch. He seemed even less harmful than Li Yuanying, the spoiled prince, and truly looked like someone who would collect stories.
Li Dejian and Du He: “…”
They had a feeling that Li Yuanying was about to trick Japan.
Li Yuanying had no awareness of being a trickster. He accompanied Prince Katsuragi to meet Empress Suiko.
Empress Suiko had just passed fifty, but she was well-preserved and had a commanding presence. However, she was quite amiable to Li Yuanying, constantly asking him during the dinner if he was enjoying his food.
Soga no Iruka, the current head of the Soga clan, also attended the banquet. He had decided to show up after learning that Emperor Li held great importance for his brother Li Yuanying.
Li Yuanying didn’t fall behind in the face of the two actual rulers of Japan. He ate and drank as he pleased and even enjoyed a Japanese dance performance. He seemed so relaxed and carefree that by the end, some even asked him if he needed any assistance at night!
Li Yuanying naturally refused without hesitation.
He didn’t want to leave any royal bloodline in Japan. Even with various methods of contraception, it was still possible to be tricked. The best way to avoid falling into a trap was to control himself! Besides, he had to preserve his essence for the future and produce intelligent children with Shu Jie Jie.
Li Yuanying slept soundly.
At this time, the urgent message sent to Chang’an by Wang Yifang’s fast horse had also reached the Secretariat.
**Author’s Note:**
Little King: Wandering, wandering, wandering!
Li Dejian: You’ll be beaten to death sooner or later.
Du He: You’ll be beaten to death sooner or later.
Update!
Today, I wandered around to see the peonies! Thank you all for your kindness! Many of them are still in bloom! They’re so lively! The only problem is the scorching sun! Talking about peonies in Luoyang reminds me of “Playing Song” next door, Wang Xiaopang, and the relocation of the capital to Luoyang… wandering, wandering… I walked for a long time, it really takes courage to travel like the ancients! It’s so tiring.
**Note:**
* **Henan Road (河南道):** A historical administrative region in China.
* **Emperor Li (李二陛下):** Refers to Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, known as Li Shimin, who ruled from 626 to 649.
* **Prince Tang (滕王殿下):** Refers to Li Yuanying, the fifth son of Emperor Taizong.
* **Government Office or Official Residence (府):** Used for government buildings or official residences.
* **Yu Shu (幺叔):** A term of endearment for a younger uncle.
* **Teng Wang Pavilion (滕王阁):** A famous pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. It is associated with Prince Tang.
* **The Pearl of the East (东方之珠):** A traditional title given to Hong Kong. Here, it seems to be used figuratively for a place of beauty and splendor.
* **Shangyuan Festival (上元节):** Also known as Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
* **International Expo (万国博览会):** A large exhibition of goods and services from various countries.
* **Tianzhu (天竺):** An ancient name for India.
* **Chang’an (长安):** The capital city of the Tang Dynasty.
* **Soga Clan (苏我氏):** A powerful aristocratic family in ancient Japan.
* **Baekje (百济):** One of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
* **Silla (新罗):** One of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
* **Goguryeo (高丽):** One of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
* **Taishang Huang (太上皇):** Retired Emperor.
* **Xuanzang (玄奘):** A famous Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India in the 7th century.
* **Hongfu Temple (弘福寺):** A Buddhist temple in Chang’an.
* **Record of the Western Regions (大唐西域记):** A book written by Xuanzang documenting his travels to India.
* **The Wang Clan of Taiyuan (太原王氏):** A prominent family during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
* **Duke of Xun Guo (勋国公):** A hereditary title granted to noblemen.
* **Princess Pingyang (平阳公主):** A daughter of Emperor Gaozu of Tang Dynasty.
* **Left Prime Minister (左仆射):** One of the highest-ranking government officials in the Tang Dynasty.
* **Imperial Academy (国子监):** A prestigious institution of higher learning in the Tang Dynasty.
* **Min Gui (臣轨):** A book of rules and regulations for government officials.
* **Honglu Temple (鸿胪寺):** A government department responsible for diplomatic affairs in the Tang Dynasty.
* **Bamboo-shoot dish (傍竹鲜):** A type of dish made with bamboo shoots.
* **Empress Changsun (长孙皇后):** The wife of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty.
* **Li Chengqian (李承乾):** The eldest son of Emperor Taizong.
* **Wei Zheng (魏征):** A famous minister and advisor during the Tang Dynasty.
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