Chapter 150: Is There Something You Wish to Say? (First Update)

Inside the back hall imperial garden of the palace, Emperor Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were practicing Tai Chi together, moving to and fro with deep affection.

After a few sets of the routine, Li Shimin was relatively unfazed, with only a light sheen of sweat on his face. Empress Zhangsun, however, was naturally frail and already burdened by chronic ailments. She was soon drenched in fragrant sweat, breathing heavily with soft, continuous gasps.

Seeing this, Li Shimin stopped, a pang of distress tightening his heart.

"Guanin, let's stop practicing for now," Li Shimin said gently, wiping the sweat from the Empress's brow while speaking in a tone full of tender concern. "Why not take a brief rest? It's not too late to resume later."

The Empress shook her head with a peach-blossom smile, still breathing heavily, and politely refused: "Your Majesty, your concubine must practice a few more times in hopes of curing this respiratory ailment early. That way, Your Majesty won't have to be distracted, neglecting state affairs and inevitably drawing reprimands from the senior ministers."

With those words, Empress Zhangsun offered a slight, graceful bow to Li Shimin, turned around, and resumed practicing the Tai Chi forms.

A somewhat helpless smile touched Li Shimin's lips. A warm glow filled his heart, followed immediately by a deep sigh of affection. "Guanin, since that's the case, I must accompany you even more!"

Without waiting for the Empress to refuse, Li Shimin adjusted his imperial robe, swept his arms wide, and struck a pose, preparing to practice the Tai Chi routine alongside her once again.

Just at that moment, Eunuch Gao hurried into the imperial garden from outside, a look of panic etched across his face.

"Eunuch Gao, what brings you here?" Li Shimin, who had just been about to accompany the Empress in her practice, paused upon seeing the eunuch's peculiar expression. He narrowed his eyes and asked.

Simultaneously, the Tai Chi posture Li Shimin had just assumed froze in mid-air.

Empress Zhangsun also turned her gaze toward Eunuch Gao.

Bowing slightly with clasped hands, Eunuch Gao reported everything in precise detail: "Reporting to Your Majesty, to the Empress, Li Bo'an and Cheng Chumo have dragged the Japanese envoys right into the Golden Throne Hall. They are accusing the Japanese of committing crimes and refusing to admit them, while also slandering our Tang subjects by claiming we framed them. They request that Your Majesty deliver justice!"

Hearing this, Li Shimin's brows twitched fiercely, his pupils contracting slightly as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. Yet, compared to his desire to practice Tai Chi with his beloved wife, this matter seemed utterly trivial. Li Shimin furrowed his brows deeply, clear displeasure written across his face.

After pondering for a brief moment, Li Shimin turned around with an apologetic smile and said bitterly, "Guanin, I'm afraid... I must break my promise to you once again today."

"Your Majesty, state affairs are paramount; you need not worry about your concubine," Empress Zhangsun said with a slight pursing of her lips. Shaking her head, she urged, "Your Majesty, please hurry and attend to affairs of state. I will have Xiao Wu come and keep me company."

"Very well, that works too!" Li Shimin let out a long breath and immediately instructed a guard standing nearby, "Hurry and summon Xiao Wu to the imperial garden to keep her mother company."

"As you command, Your Majesty." The guard acknowledged the order and immediately departed.

With that, Li Shimin sighed, took Empress Zhangsun's delicate hand in his, and admonished, "Guanin, remember not to overexert yourself. Once I have finished handling this matter, I will send Li Bo'an to check on you."

"Your concubine thanks Your Majesty." Empress Zhangsun nodded with a smile, urging him once more, "Your Majesty, please go quickly and attend to official business. Your concubine naturally knows her limits."

"Very well, then I shall take my leave," Li Shimin said, looking somewhat crestfallen.

"Do hurry, Your Majesty," the Empress smiled. Seeing this, the surrounding attendants immediately bowed in unison. With a final sigh, Li Shimin led his entourage toward the Golden Throne Hall.

***

Inside the Golden Throne Hall, Cheng Chumo still maintained a tight grip on the collars of Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji, glaring with wide, fierce eyes as he delivered a loud threat: "Li Fugui, let me tell you both, if you dare make another move, don't blame my fists for being blind!"

Caught in Cheng Chumo's grasp, Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji were so frightened by the threat that they instantly became entirely obedient.

Yet, the next second, the two men blinked in unison, stared at Cheng Chumo, and asked in utter bewilderment, "Who is Li Fugui?"

Cheng Chumo burst out laughing.

"Who is Li Fugui? You don't even know that...?" Cheng Chumo squinted, casting a joyful look toward Li Yi as he said, "Brother Bo'an, why don't you... tell them?"

Li Yi rolled his eyes in annoyance, too lazy to dignify Cheng Chumo's antics with a response.

Coughing somewhat awkwardly, Cheng Chumo put on a serious face and said, "In that case, let me tell you two who this Li Fugui is—"

Hearing that the answer was imminent, Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji widened their eyes in eager anticipation.

Yet in the very next second, they heard Cheng Chumo declare loudly, "This Li Fugui is none other than you two bastards, hahahahaha!"

Speechless expressions washed over everyone present. The looks they directed at Cheng Chumo were akin to gazing at a mentally disabled child.

Oblivious to this, Cheng Chumo tilted his head back and continued laughing heartily, immensely pleased with himself.

Fortunately, at that precise moment, Eunuch Gao's shrill voice echoed from outside the hall:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Only then did Cheng Chumo cease his laughter and, alongside Li Yi, offer a slight, cupped-hand bow to Li Shimin.

"Rise," Li Shimin said with a smile.

Simultaneously, Li Shimin's gaze swept inadvertently across the three individuals kneeling on the floor before he strode directly toward the dragon throne at the head of the Golden Throne Hall.

Despite the smile on his face, apart from the entourage that had accompanied him, not a single person inside the Golden Throne Hall knew of the displeasure currently churning within Li Shimin's heart.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty." Everyone responded in unison. Only after Li Shimin had seated himself upon the dragon throne did they straighten up.

"Minister Li, Minister Cheng, and the two esteemed envoys," Li Shimin addressed them from the dragon throne, bypassing any pleasantries to cut straight to the point. "What is the meaning of this? What on earth has happened that requires me to deliver justice for you?"

This time, Li Yi did not rush to speak, for Cheng Chumo had already stepped forward.

"Your Majesty," Cheng Chumo said, stepping out from the ranks and offering a slight bow with cupped hands. He proceeded to recount the entire sequence of events exactly as he had witnessed them.

Following that, Cheng Chumo pointed indignantly at Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji, stating bluntly, "Your Majesty, these two actually claimed this was merely a trivial matter and even attempted to bribe Brother Bo'an... Physician Li with silver."

Catching himself just before his habitual nickname slipped out instead of Li Yi's official title, Cheng Chumo paused slightly and hastily corrected himself.

Then, he continued, "Your Majesty, your humble servant simply could not stand by, which is why Physician Li and I personally escorted this group to the palace to request Your Majesty's judgment!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin turned his gaze toward Li Yi and asked with a smile, "Minister Li, is this true?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Li Yi quickly cupped his hands in assent, a serious expression settling on his face. "It is indeed true. General Cheng's account is entirely factual. If Your Majesty doubts it, the patrons of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion can all serve as witnesses for your humble servant."

Hearing that Cheng Chumo and Li Yi had beaten them to the punch and laid out the facts, Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji were terrified into dropping heavily to their knees with a loud thud.

"Your Majesty! We beg Your Majesty to examine this with clear eyes and absolute fairness, Your Majesty..."

Kneeling on the floor, Inokami no Omitokishi kept his head bowed low, speaking with a heart full of terror: "I previously questioned these three men, but all three insisted adamantly that they had not stolen any recipes. Because of that, I thought to intercede on their behalf."

"Yet within my heart, there was not the slightest intent to show disrespect toward the Tang State or toward Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, Ambassador Inokami's words are entirely true!" Hichiji chimed in frantically to defend himself. "We harbored no intentions of slander, nor any disrespect, Your Majesty!"

Seeing this, Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly and fell into a silent contemplation for a brief moment.

Tugging at the wide sleeve of his imperial robe, Li Shimin finally raised his gaze, glanced briefly at the kneeling Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji, and then shifted his focus to Li Yi and Cheng Chumo. "In that case, does either side possess evidence?"

"Your humble servant has evidence!" Li Yi smiled, cutting off any further attempts at defense from Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji. With a stretch of his hand, he produced the recipe from inside his robe.

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin drew a sharp breath. He looked toward Eunuch Gao at his side and commanded with a furrowed brow, "Go, bring the evidence forward for me to inspect."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Eunuch Gao acknowledged the order with a nod, descended from the dais, took the recipe from Li Yi's hands, and delivered it straight to Li Shimin without casting a sideways glance.

Picking up the recipe, Li Shimin perused it repeatedly, the furrow between his brows deepening progressively. Suddenly, he raised his head and instructed Eunuch Gao in a solemn tone, "Go and fetch the imperial kitchen's recipe book."

"...As you command, Your Majesty." Though momentarily startled, Eunuch Gao understood the gravity of the situation and dared not linger. He immediately dispatched a junior eunuch to the imperial kitchens.

An absolute, pin-drop silence descended upon the entire Golden Throne Hall; not a single soul dared to speak out of turn or utter an extra word.

Meanwhile, Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji grew increasingly aware of the immense severity of the situation.

They calculated frantically in their minds, realizing that if they were unwilling to abandon these three pawns today, their entire delegation of Japanese envoys would likely be implicated.

Yet figuring out how to handle the aftermath was now the most urgent task they needed to resolve.

Just then, the eunuch dispatched to retrieve the recipe returned swiftly, presenting the imperial document to Li Shimin.

Placing the two recipes side-by-side upon his desk, Li Shimin compared them meticulously. He discovered that the handwriting on both was identical, clearly originating from the very same hand, thereby confirming the authenticity of the case.

"Hmph!"

The previously calm Emperor suddenly let out an angry snort, bringing his palm down heavily upon the desk. Staring with narrowed eyes at the kneeling Inokami no Omitokishi and Hichiji, he demanded in a stern, piercing voice, "The evidence is now ironclad. You two ambassadors—do you still have anything to say for yourselves?"