Chapter 20: The Dark Omen (II)

“Get out! All of you, get out of here!”
Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty grabbed a stack of memorials from his desk and threw them forcefully. Raising himself up with difficulty, gasping for breath, he felt an unnamed fury burning within him, driving him to madness. Ever since he suppressed Empress Wei and ascended the throne by executing Taiping, he had ruled as emperor for over forty years. He had rectified corrupt policies, reformed the bureaucracy, and welcomed advice from all. Appointing capable ministers like Yao Chong and Song Jing, he and his subjects worked together to create the prosperous era of Kaiyuan, comparable to the Zhenguan era—whose achievements could compare to his own? Looking at the confidential memorials on his desk, Li Longji shook his head with a bitter smile. Yes, forty years had passed, and some people could no longer wait. First it was Ying, then Heng, and even Mao must hate him. The crown prince kept changing like a revolving door, yet no trace of father-son affection remained. Everyone said Li Longji was ruthless, having killed his aunt and son, but who knew how much he longed to enjoy family life with his descendants? He had warned them time and again, but they stubbornly pursued a path to destruction. They brought this upon themselves—no one deserves to live. Heng, do not blame your father for being heartless!

Striking the desk repeatedly, Li Longji quickly calmed his anger. He glanced at the eunuchs below, cleared his throat, and once again became the majestic Tian Kehan.
“You did well this time. Go back and keep a close eye on your master. Report to me immediately if anything unusual happens. I won’t fail you.”
“Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace,” the eunuch replied in a high-pitched voice after bowing deeply.
Waving his hand impatiently, Li Longji closed his eyes in exhaustion. Over the years, he had grown increasingly tired. After spending time with Yu Huan, he would sleep deeply the next day and be unable to get up. Even the elixirs offered by alchemists could only provide temporary relief, leaving him even more exhausted afterward. Had he really grown old? No, he was still the Tian Kehan whose authority stretched across the land, with nations coming to pay homage—he would never grow old!
“Your Majesty, are you still troubled by matters of the Eastern Palace?”
An aged voice sounded in the hall, pulling Li Longji out of his thoughts.
“It’s Yuan Yi. Come here to me.”
Li Longji waved at the eunuch, a rare smile appearing on his lips.
That eunuch was Gao Lishi, the powerful General of the Cavalry, who held great favor in the palace. He rose lightly and reached Li Longji’s side in just a few steps.

Looking at the white hair at Gao Lishi’s temples, Li Longji sighed deeply. “Yuan Yi, we’re both getting old. Back when we quelled the Taiping Rebellion, I rode swiftly on my horse, commanding the battlefield with unrestrained confidence. You managed to find a set of armor to protect me back then. You old fool, if the time comes when I need your protection, it likely means my days are numbered.”

“Your Majesty, you’re so strong—how can you say you’re old? As for this old servant, my body aches more and more often.”

Waving his hand lightly, Li Longji’s eyes darkened as he handed a secret letter to Gao Lishi, sighing, “Even this brief moment seems too long for him to wait. What should I do?”

Gao Lishi took the letter with both hands, skimmed through it quickly, and also frowned deeply.

“Your Majesty, do you truly think this was done by the Crown Prince?”

Li Longji frowned slightly, displeased. “What do you mean, Yuan Yi? Could I possibly wrong him?”

Gao Lishi sighed. “It’s not what I mean. But there are many suspicious aspects to this matter. I urge Your Majesty to handle it carefully.”

Li Longji’s heart sank. Waving his hand, he said, “Speak up if there’s a problem. Since when have you become so hesitant?”

“The murder at Leyouyuan seems to be the work of the Qingke Alliance at first glance, and their four-line prophecy was indeed found at the scene. But all the suspects captured by the Jingzhao Prefecture were burned to death in the fire, making it impossible to determine the cause of death. It’s possible someone is trying to cover up the truth.”

Pausing briefly, seeing that Li Longji wasn’t impatient, Gao Lishi continued, “Moreover, Your Majesty already knows that the Qingke Alliance is an organization secretly cultivated by the Crown Prince. With his intelligence, would he risk giving others power and exposing himself? Besides, the officials from Jingzhao Prefecture found large amounts of blue phosphorus on the victims—something exclusive to the royal family in the Western Regions. Aside from Your Majesty, only the Crown Prince has it in the palace. How could he be so foolish as to sacrifice himself and give others a chance to accuse him?”

Li Longji narrowed his eyes and said solemnly, “Are you saying someone is deliberately framing Heng Er?”

“I don’t know. But I’ve seen the Crown Prince grow up. He’s kind-hearted and would never harbor ill intentions toward Your Majesty.”

“Hmph. You can’t know what’s in someone’s heart just by looking at them. How do you know what he’s thinking?”

Shaking his head, Li Longji said loudly, “Enough. Let’s not dwell on these troubling matters. Keep an eye on him for me. I’m tired. You may retire.”

“This old servant obeys. I hope Your Majesty takes care of yourself for the sake of the kingdom!”

Seeing that Li Longji wouldn’t listen to further advice, Gao Lishi didn’t dare insist. With a silent sigh, he bowed and left the office.

Inside the Imperial Academy of Wubenfang, at high noon, the students were in an uproar, their emotions running high.
Xiao Wenruo raised his wine cup and said angrily, “That Qingke Alliance is far too arrogant—daring to commit violence in a key area of the capital!”
Liang Zike took a sip of the fine wine and said, “If it had no backing in the court, what trouble could such a martial alliance cause? I think there must be powerful figures behind it, using it to intimidate their political rivals.”
Du An leaned over slightly, bowed his hands, and said with a smile, “Could the two elders please explain this to me? It sounds quite interesting.”
Liang Zike snorted and said, “What’s difficult about that? That day, the Qingke Alliance sent out invitations to everyone, asking them to gather on the night of the full moon on April 15th outside the Qinglong Temple in Leyouyuan to hold a meeting.”
After downing a cup of fine wine, Liang Zike continued, “When the bright moon was high and the members of Qingke had gathered, the leader of the Ghost Face Gang gave a command, and dozens of archers emerged from the bamboo forest. At his signal, thousands of arrows were shot at once. All those Qingke members captured by the Jingzhao Prefecture that day were instantly turned into porcupines!”
“Sigh.”
Du An took a deep breath and said, “How could that damned Qingke Alliance have military crossbows? Those guys are truly ruthless!”
Glancing at him disdainfully, Liang Zike said proudly, “You don’t know that, do you? Although military crossbows are strictly prohibited among civilians, it’s not impossible to get them. The defense of the capital is handled by the Sixteen Guards, which rotate every year, with two guards serving at a time. There are also the Left and Right Dragon Warrior Armies that guard the palace.”
After a pause, Liang Zike lowered his voice and said, “Of course, both the Sixteen Guards and the Left and Right Dragon Warrior Armies are under the direct command of His Majesty. Without His Majesty’s orders, they would never commit such acts of harming the people. Besides these armies, only the Six Commanderies of the Eastern Palace have standard military crossbows in Chang’an.”
“Liang Zike, watch your words. Do you know what crime it is to falsely accuse the crown prince?”
A handsome young man in white rushed to the table and shouted at Liang Zike.
“Hey, hey, hey. Did I say it was the Crown Prince who did it? Wei Jianming, don’t be so nervous. I’m just stating the facts. It seems some people are admitting their guilt without even being asked.”
Pushing Wei Jianming’s arm aside effortlessly, Liang Zike pressed on.
“You! You’re going too far.”
Wei Jianming shouted angrily and rushed forward to fight with Liang Zike. In a moment, fists and feet flew, creating a chaotic scene. After a fierce struggle, both of them became enraged, and they ended up injured from the exchange.
“Stop it all!”

Sun Jian’an, the head of the Imperial Academy, pointed at the two of them with anguish and shouted, “Look at yourselves! Your clothes are in disarray, your faces covered in blood. You’ve disgraced scholarship and dignity!” Waving his sleeve, he continued, “In five days, the Imperial Academy will hold exams on classics, history, and literature. Those who fail will be dismissed—there’s no room for idlers here!” Turning and walking toward the main gate, Sun Jian’an added resentfully, “Spend more time studying the classics. Don’t always try to cheat. How can you, mere children, judge matters of the court? Don’t wait until disaster strikes before regretting it!” At a square table near the south wall, Li Kuo frowned and said, “This matter is more complicated than I thought. If we investigate further, it will involve countless people and lead to chaos and bloodshed.” Zhang Yanji tilted his head skeptically and asked, “Even Brother Kuo is afraid? I fear this matter is already inevitable. Even if we don’t bother them, those behind this will surely try to silence us.” Shaking his head slightly, Li Kuo said, “For now, we can only take things one step at a time. After the exams, there will be three days off. We can plan more thoroughly then. For now, focus on reviewing for the exams to avoid embarrassment later.” Zhang Yanji pouted and said, “It’s all because of Grandpa. He never mentioned that studying at the Imperial Academy required exams. If I fail and get expelled, even if Grandpa doesn’t scold me, I won’t dare go home.” Li Kuo tapped his friend’s forehead and smiled bitterly. “You little troublemaker. I heard the exams at the Imperial Academy test what the teachers teach on a daily basis. Go back and review the notes I’ve written. I’m sure you’ll be fine for the exams.” Zhang Yanji bowed seriously to Li Kuo, trying hard to hold back his laughter, and said, “Then I owe you one, Brother Kuo!”
Note 1: Yuan Yi, whose real name was Feng Yuanyi, entered the palace as a child and was adopted by Gao Yanfu, who then changed his name to Gao Lishi.
Note 2: The Sixteen Guards system was an advanced form of the guard system and the culmination of the Sui and Tang dynasties’ military system. Unfortunately, as this system declined, the grand dreams of the Tang dynasty turned to ashes. Li Longji bore significant responsibility for this.