Chapter 29: The Imperial Academy (III)

The corridors wound gracefully, with soaring eaves and intricate brackets. Though made of plain blue bricks and tiles, placed in this Eastern Palace, they naturally carried the imperial aura unique to the land of Qin. Nobility and pride—those innate feelings of superiority had long been embedded in every clod of yellow soil in Yongzhou, remaining unchanged despite wars and dynastic changes. In this exalted place, the Shaoyang Palace, even the smallest brick or tile seemed to exude an air of nobility, making it hard for one not to look up in awe.

Even Li Kuo and Zhang Yanji, who had seen much of the world, could not help but feel awed. They had studied the works of sages and sold their knowledge to emperors. Whether they were refined scholars from noble families or reclusive hermits tilling the land in the mountains, their goal was always to enter government service—though the latter took a shortcut. (Note 1) All lands under heaven belong to the king. In this central plain, if one wished to stand out, they ultimately had to seek office. Although since the Wei and Jin dynasties, many scholars advocated for a life of seclusion and pleasure, most ordinary scholars still couldn’t let go of the bonds of fame and wealth, hoping to gain honor to bring glory to their families.

Regaining his composure, Li Kuo followed the eunuch along the bluestone path leading to the side hall. The side hall was built on a platform about one mu in size, two stories high. Uniformly painted red wooden pillars reached toward the sky, while the soaring eaves curved slightly eastward, complementing the main hall of the Green Palace. The morning sun cast a gentle glow, gilding the plaques inscribed in seal script, making the palace resemble a sacred place that inspired people to kneel and offer sacrifices in admiration for the imperial family.

The current crown prince did not reside in the Eastern Palace for long. Out of concern for father-son bonds, the emperor often brought the crown prince to live nearby in the palace. The crown prince fulfilled his filial duties diligently, paying regular visits day and night, which became a celebrated story throughout the court. As a result, the Eastern Palace fell into disrepair. Perhaps due to lack of maintenance, the lacquer on the carved doors and windows of the side hall had begun to peel, prompting sighs of regret. The eunuch surnamed Wang gently pushed open the wooden door, waved away the dust, and smiled obsequiously at Li Kuo and the other man. “These days, the prince receives guests in the library. Few people come to this side hall these days. Please forgive us, young masters. Please wait in the warm hall while I arrange tea for you.”

“Thank you for your trouble,” said Li Kuo, bowing slightly to the eunuch before stepping into the hall. He lifted the hem of his robe, sat down in the pearwood armchair designated for guests, stirred the tea leaves in his cup, and took a sip of the clear brew.

Zhang Yanji found a chair right next to Li Kuo and sat down, then asked doubtfully, “Brother Kuo, are you okay? Usually you pay the most attention to those formalities between ruler and subject. Why do you seem like a different person today, acting as if this Eastern Palace is your own home?”

Slapping his friend’s forehead lightly, Li Kuo laughed irritably, “It depends on the situation. If both you and I were as rigidly formal as the scholars in the Hongwen Academy, the Crown Prince would be driven mad.”

“That’s true. You could have just told me instead of slapping me!”

Zhang Yanji twisted his hands together and pouted in complaint.

“You!”

Li Kuo shook his head helplessly.

“The Crown Prince has arrived.”

With a high-pitched announcement, the hall fell instantly silent.

A middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, stepped into the side hall surrounded by two young eunuchs. It was undoubtedly Li Heng, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. The two youths immediately bowed down. “Your servant Li Kuo (student Zhang Yanji) pays his respects to the Crown Prince.”

Li Heng stepped forward a few paces, helped Li Kuo up, and smiled, “This must be the new guest of the Eastern Palace. Incidentally, I was the one who recommended you for this position.”

He then nodded at Zhang Yanji as a gesture of courtesy.

Li Kuo slightly raised his head and stared at the heir to the Tang Empire. To be honest, Li Heng was quite handsome and refined, with well-proportioned features and distinct facial contours. Coupled with his casually tied black hair, he would likely outshine even the most handsome young men in their twenties. Perhaps due to good maintenance, Li Heng’s cheeks were extremely fair, with not a single wrinkle on his smooth, jade-like complexion.

Feeling a bit uneasy under Li Kuo’s gaze, Li Heng coughed and said, “Why is Guest Li staring at me so intently? Has a flower grown on my face?”

Startled by the question, Li Kuo quickly tried to bow in apology. “Your servant has been rude. Your Majesty’s noble appearance is too striking for me to look away from. I have offended You Majesty; I am guilty.”

Li Heng waved his hand generously and smiled wryly, “What guilt? It’s strange how you, at such a young age, act like a pedantic scholar. I appointed you as a guest because I appreciate your courage and determination. If you also start talking in lofty terms all the time, it would be truly boring.”

Li Kuo quickly replied, “Your Majesty is right. But rituals must not be neglected. As the heir to the throne, Your Majesty, I dare not overstep my bounds.”

Li Heng let out a soft sigh and said, “As you wish. Actually, there’s no major matter in summoning you to the Eastern Palace. I’ve heard about your deeds these past days—they truly inspire one’s enthusiasm. Fulfilling one’s duty for the country and pursuing traitors is loyalty; helping friends and fighting against barbarians is righteousness; leaving clues to inform the guards is wisdom; facing danger fearlessly and risking one’s life is courage. Such men of loyalty, righteousness, wisdom, and courage who can serve our Tang Dynasty are indeed a blessing to it!”
The young man’s cheeks instantly turned red. Not to mention he hadn’t thought so much at the time, even the act of informing the guards certainly didn’t deserve credit!
Yet Li Heng seemed unconcerned. Turning his back and gazing at the shadows under the locust trees outside, he continued, “When your heroic deeds reached the Daming Palace, my father was overjoyed and immediately appointed you as a minor official. I thought that if you could serve as an official in the Eastern Palace, it might serve as an example for my two worthless sons. So I asked my father for a favor and brought you here.”
“Your Highness is too kind. I could never repay such kindness, even at the cost of my life. After all, Princes Guangping and Jianning are both outstanding figures—beyond the reach of an ordinary man like me…”
“Ah.”
Li Heng waved his hand lightly and said, “I know well my own sons’ worth. Besides, if we talk about blood relations, your father should be the direct grandson of the Prince of Hengshan. In fact, we are of the same generation. I even thought of addressing you as my younger cousin.”
Li Kuo was shocked and quickly knelt down, saying, “Your Highness, you’re killing me with your kindness. Since my father rose to power, my family is no longer part of the imperial clan. It’s only through the grace of the emperor and Your Highness that I’ve received an official position. How dare I compare my humble light to the brightness of the moon?”
Li Heng leaned forward and helped the young man up, his tone indifferent. “Enough. Since you have a cautious and reliable nature, I won’t press further. Sometimes I think that if I were born into an ordinary family, fulfilling my duties to my parents and enjoying time with my children would also be a pleasure. But now it seems that living in this world is all about repaying debts—everyone has their own difficulties.”
As he spoke, the brightness in Li Heng’s eyes gradually dimmed, and his tone grew colder. “From now on, you don’t need to report to the Spring Bureau every day. Next year, you’ll take the imperial examinations, so you must not neglect studies in classics, history, and writing. In my opinion, come to the Eastern Palace once a month. What do you think, Guest Li?”
Li Kuo didn’t understand why the crown prince’s attitude had changed so quickly, but he didn’t dare say much. He bowed and replied, “It’s up to Your Highness to decide. Then I’ll come at the end of each month to listen to Your Highness’s teachings.”

Li Heng waved his hand listlessly and said, “If there’s nothing else, you may leave. I practiced calligraphy for too long earlier and am quite tired; I want to rest.”
Li Kuo bowed deeply to the crown prince before leading Zhang Yanji out of the side hall. As they left the warm pavilion, they heard a sad sigh coming from inside.
Once off the platform, Zhang Yanji muttered softly, “What’s wrong with the Crown Prince? He was so enthusiastic and full of praise for you just a moment ago—how could he become so cold so quickly? They say it’s hard to read a ruler’s mind. Even before he becomes emperor, he already confuses people. If he becomes emperor, his subjects will spend most of their time trying to figure out his thoughts!”
Li Kuo covered his friend’s mouth and whispered, “Be careful with your words. The Crown Prince isn’t someone we can casually criticize. This is the Eastern Palace. Are you trying to get yourself killed by speaking such treasonous words? Our grandfather always said that as a subject, one should only complete the tasks assigned by the ruler and not say a word more than necessary.”
Zhang Yanji shrugged and said, “I was just talking. Look how nervous you are. But I can tell the Crown Prince has high hopes for you. Work hard, and remember to help your brother when you succeed.”
“Mm,” the young man replied softly.
The two youths walked together out of the Eastern Palace and headed south along the paths of the imperial city. Upon reaching Anmen Gate, they showed their identification cards to the soldiers of the Shenwu Army before rushing out of the palace.
It was noon, and the sun was scorching. The shadows were extremely short, and the light filtering through the locust trees by the road cast a hazy mist over the water in the ditches on either side. Due to the unbearable heat, the two youths walked along the ditches toward the east, thinking about renting a carriage to travel.
However, as soon as they entered Chongren Fang, Li Kuo was stunned. There was a constant stream of people in front of the Taibai Wine House right at the entrance of the district, but Li Kuo immediately spotted him.
The figure leaning against the doorpost, dressed in a rough, coarse robe, looked extremely familiar. Taking a deep breath, he mustered the courage to take a closer look. The young man felt dizzy… Seven years ago, that person had also worn a similar style of coarse dark robe, with a black square headscarf casually tied around it. He always liked to hold him in his arms and sit under the big locust tree in the front yard of their old house in Chongren Fang, telling him about the wars in the north and the clouds over the rivers.
The sunset was like blood, lighting up the sky. Back then, he had the same smile and gaze as now…
Note 1: Both of these are sons of Li Heng. The Prince of Guangping is the later Emperor Daizong.