Chapter 66: Who Is This Person?
Imperial Palace, within the royal study.
Li Shimin absentmindedly practiced his calligraphy with a brush, quietly awaiting the triumphant return of the Imperial Guards, eager to savor the delights of the Orleans Set Meal. Yet he waited a long while, and still there was no sign of the guards’ return. Annoyance crept into Li Shimin’s heart.
“How is it that these men carry out their duties so sluggishly?” he muttered with a frown.
His earlier good mood had vanished. No longer in the frame of mind to continue practicing his calligraphy, Li Shimin set his brush upon the rack, his gaze fixed intently beyond the doors of the study, lost in thought.
Suddenly, he caught sight of a figure at the entrance.
“At last, after waiting half the day, you have finally arrived…”
He assumed it was the Imperial Guards, returning with the much-anticipated delicacies. Instantly, delight lit up his eyes. He straightened in his seat, hurriedly pushed aside the paper and brushes on his desk to make space, busying himself in anticipation.
He was almost tempted to sing a little tune to amuse himself…
But as the figure drew closer, Li Shimin realized it was not a guard, but his fifth child, Li Lizhi.
His brows furrowed slightly and his expression dimmed a shade. In a somewhat perplexed tone, he asked, “Why have you come, Fifth?”
At the same time, his hands, which had been tidying the writing tools, froze in mid-motion.
“I missed you, Father, so I came to see you!” Li Lizhi replied with a gentle smile, approaching her father at a measured pace.
Yet she soon noticed that Li Shimin did not seem to be in high spirits.
“Could it be… Father is troubled by something?” she wondered to herself.
She did not ask outright, but instead said with a bright smile, “Father, what are you doing? Do you need my help?”
Li Shimin managed an awkward smile. Taking up the writing set he had just pushed aside, he assumed the posture of practicing calligraphy and said in a low voice, “Ahem… I was just about to practice my writing.”
Hearing this, Li Lizhi believed him without hesitation, knowing well her father’s daily habit.
But recalling that Li Shimin had worked late into the night before, only to rise early again today—and now seemed troubled enough to seek solace in calligraphy—Li Lizhi’s heart ached for him.
She resolved then and there to do something to cheer him up. Otherwise, if she later broached the topic of leaving the palace, all might come to nothing.
---
Li Lizhi stepped lightly to the desk, glanced at the blank sheet, and flashed her pearly teeth in a smile. “Father, let me grind the ink for you.”
Li Shimin was momentarily taken aback, suspecting she must want something if she was being so attentive. Otherwise, why would she appear so early?
But since Li Lizhi said nothing, he did not press her, merely nodded with a smile. “Very well.”
With a playful giggle, Li Lizhi stuck out her tongue and began grinding the ink with practiced ease.
Yet as Li Shimin prepared to set brush to paper once more, he felt a sense of being caught in an awkward predicament—never before had he found calligraphy such an ordeal!
Fortunately, before long, Grand Eunuch Gao entered and spoke quietly, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have returned.”
Relief washed over Li Shimin, and all at once his mood brightened.
“Bring them in, quickly!” he said, putting down his brush and looking up with a smile, instructing the eunuch.
“At once, Your Majesty.” The eunuch bowed and withdrew, admitting the guards to the royal study.
Li Lizhi, seeing that her father had official matters to attend to, quietly stepped aside. She could not help but notice the change in him—his entire demeanor, even the atmosphere of the study, warmed with newfound cheer.
“What could this be, that brings Father such happiness?” she wondered, puzzled.
Just then, the guards entered and, without warning, all dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground as they pleaded in unison, “We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness; we have failed in our mission!”
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the kneeling guards. Seeing their empty hands and their posture of supplication, the smile faded from his face.
“What is going on here? Why have you returned empty-handed?” he asked in a low voice.
The temperature in the study seemed to drop at once.
The guards, sensing Li Shimin's anger, dared not speak, maintaining a fraught silence.
After a moment, when no one answered, Li Shimin spoke with growing irritation, “Have you all gone mute? Speak!”
---
At once, the guards shivered uncontrollably.
Still, none dared reply. Realizing Li Shimin's anger was genuine, Yang Lin knew this was the perfect opportunity to settle accounts with Li Yi. If he shifted all responsibility onto Li Yi, the latter would surely be doomed.
Rising slightly from his knees, Yang Lin spoke obliquely, “Your Majesty, the owner of Drunken Immortal Tower said that after selling today’s allotment of one hundred portions, there would be no more for sale.”
As expected, Yang Lin’s roundabout explanation immediately piqued Li Shimin’s curiosity.
“No more for sale?” Li Shimin murmured with a frown.
He had not foreseen that Drunken Immortal Tower’s strange rule, just as Li Lizhi had described, would be so strictly enforced—one hundred portions sold, and not even he, the Emperor, could procure more.
Suppressing his irritation, Li Shimin fixed his gaze on Yang Lin and asked, “Yang Lin, tell me: who is this owner of Drunken Immortal Tower?”
Yang Lin replied without hesitation, “Your Majesty, it is the maid of Li Bo’an, third son of Lord Li.”
Having said this, Yang Lin felt a great weight lift from his heart, a faint, secret smile curling his lips.
“Li Bo’an, you are nothing but an idle wastrel, yet you dare provoke me, Yang Lin?”
“Hmph, even if your father is Li Jing, what of it?”
“I’d like to see what happens now that you have offended His Majesty—let’s see what fate awaits you!”
Yang Lin’s mind seethed with cold laughter, imagining Li Shimin’s rage upon learning that the true culprit was Li Yi.
Yet, to his surprise, Li Shimin showed no particular fury. Instead, he fell into a profound silence.
The atmosphere in the royal study grew still, as tranquil as the quietest night.
(End of chapter)