Chapter 19

The Li Family

Li Jiancheng looked at Li Shimin in surprise, then said, “Indeed, I’ve already ordered people to closely guard Songtao Residence. No one will be able to sneak in again.”

Lin Shi glanced at Li Jiancheng and, in a soft voice, added, “Yes, Governor, with Eldest Brother and Second Brother together trying to capture her, unless the assassin turns into a bird, she won’t be able to escape.”

“But...” Wan Shi began to speak again, but Li Yuan interjected, “Enough, there’s no use in saying more. Let Jiancheng and the others handle capturing the assassin.”

Wan Shi was not pleased with this response, but after so many years of receiving Li Yuan’s favor, she was clearly skilled in reading the room. She nodded and said, “I understand.”

Li Yuan took a deep breath before asking, “Do you know anything about the assassin’s origins?”

Li Shimin lowered his head and said, “Father, we only know that her name is Shen Yunyi. She calls herself the sister of another named Shen Mopeng, and both came to work at our residence, claiming to be from Xiaoyang Village. I’ve already sent someone to investigate, and we should have news soon. However... there’s something I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

Li Shimin replied, “For all these years, Father, you have always been kind and helpful to others, never mistreating anyone. Whether you were serving as the Governor of Qiao, Long, or Qi, or as the Governor of Xingyang or Loufan, you’ve treated the people with kindness and never made enemies. Why, then, would someone suddenly try to assassinate you?”

Li Yuan’s gaze flickered slightly as he slowly replied, “You think that being kind to others means they will feel gratitude? No matter what, as long as one’s conscience is clear, that is enough for me. I’m tired now. You all may leave.”

Wan Shi quickly said, “Governor, I will stay here to take care of you.”

“There’s no need. I wish to rest alone. You didn’t sleep last night, so go back and get some rest,” Li Yuan said, and with that, Wan Shi had no choice but to leave with the others.

After they left, Li Yuan did not rest as he had said, but instead called for a servant and said, “Go and ask Summer Hou to come.”

The servant complied and left. After a while, Xia Hou Duan appeared in Li Yuan’s line of sight. Li Yuan tried to lift his hands in a gesture of respect and said, “Thank you so much, Summer Hou. If not for you, I would have already become a ghost in the underworld.”

Xia Hou Duan quickly replied, “Brother Li, please don’t say such formal words. We’ve been friends for many years; how could I not help? But this time, it was truly dangerous. This poison is very rare in the Central Plains, and even I didn’t have complete confidence. The fact that you’re still alive is pure luck.”

Li Yuan smiled and said, “No matter what, I must thank you for saving my life.” He then asked, “How is Xuan Ba doing?”

“Don’t worry, he’s young and strong. Even if he didn’t take the medicine I prescribed, he’ll be fine,” Xia Hou Duan joked before turning serious. “That said, Brother Li, you must be careful in the future. Wherever you go, always have guards with you.”

Li Yuan’s face grew slightly pale as he asked, “Are you saying that something like this could happen again?”

Xia Hou Duan sighed and said, “Do you know why I came here today?”

“I was just about to ask you, but then the assassin situation happened,” Li Yuan said. Seeing Xia Hou Duan’s solemn expression, he added, “What’s going on? Is something serious happening?”

“The Emperor has killed Jin Cai!” Upon hearing these six words, Li Yuan was struck with shock. He immediately tried to sit up but forgot that the poison in his body had not yet cleared. For a moment, he felt dizzy and disoriented. After Xia Hou Duan helped him lie back down, he gradually began to recover. Once he felt somewhat better, he could not wait to ask, “When did this happen?”

“It happened some time ago. I only learned of it from a close friend in the capital. It will take some time for the news to reach here.”

Li Yuan furrowed his brows tightly. “Jin Cai is a prominent noble in the court, someone who has contributed to the dynasty. Why would the Emperor want to kill him?”

The Jin Cai they were speaking of was a descendant of the Han Cavalry General Li Ling, the tenth son of the Grand Tutor Li Mu, named Li Hun. “Jin Cai” was his courtesy name. He held the position of Left Wu Guard General and led the Crown Prince’s guards.

Back in the day, Li Mu had supported Emperor Yang of Sui in quelling the rebellion of Yuchi Jing. He was granted the title of Grand Tutor and awarded special privileges, such as being exempt from punishment. Though Li Mu passed away in the sixth year of the Kaihuang era, the Li family’s prestige did not end. His legacy remained strong, and of his ten sons, eight had risen to hold official posts, with Li Hun being the most outstanding. That was why Li Yuan was so shocked to hear that Li Hun had been executed by Emperor Yang.

“I’ve heard that Jin Cai plotted a rebellion, so the Emperor killed him along with dozens of his relatives, including the Director of the Imperial Workshop, Li Min.” Just as Xia Hou Duan finished speaking, Li Yuan became agitated and said, “Impossible! Although Jin Cai had some grievances with the Emperor, he would never rebel. This is a false accusation!”

“I thought the same as you, Brother Li, which is why I sent people to inquire further. To my surprise, I learned something shocking.” Under Li Yuan’s intense gaze, Xia Hou Duan slowly said, “Peach and plum trees, don’t speak idly; the yellow heron flies around the mountains, gracefully in the garden.”

Li Yuan was puzzled and asked, “What does this rhyme mean?”

“Peach and plum trees, ‘Li’ refers to a surname, and peach can be written as ‘Tao,’ symbolizing the ancient wise emperor, Tao Tang. It can refer to the emperor. The meaning behind this rhyme is that the Li family is about to replace the Yang family and take over the world!”

Before Xia Hou Duan could finish speaking, Li Yuan exclaimed, “That’s absurd! How could something like that happen!”

“You think it’s absurd, but the Emperor doesn’t think so. Since this rhyme appeared, the Emperor has favored a sorcerer named An Jiatu, who has been by his side every day. It’s said that the matter with Jin Cai is related to this sorcerer. Just at this time, you were suddenly attacked by an assassin, which may very well mean... the assassin was sent by the Emperor himself!”

“Impossible!” Li Yuan immediately denied it. “My Li family has been loyal to the Emperor. We have never had any rebellious intentions. How could the Emperor treat me this way?”

“You have no rebellious intentions, but what about Jin Cai?” Xia Hou Duan shook his head and said, “The ‘Li’ in the rhyme could refer to Jin Cai, to you, Li Yuan, or to any other person with the surname Li. We both know the Emperor’s nature—he is proud, loves fame, and seeks pleasure. He doesn’t care about the suffering of the people, nor does he appreciate the loyalty of his ministers. To him, anyone who might pose a threat can be killed!”

Li Yuan fell silent for a long while before finally speaking quietly, “If the Emperor wants to kill me, he can issue a decree. Why would he need to send an assassin? This matter... Brother Xia, you’re overthinking.”

“You think he doesn’t want to issue an edict to kill you? But first, he has no evidence. Second, the situation in Hedong still depends on you to stabilize it. If the Li family were eradicated, Hedong would immediately fall into chaos. So he cannot issue such a decree. However... sending an assassin to kill you removes many complications and, without anyone questioning it, he can have someone else take over everything you have now.”