Chapter 117: Departure

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, after nearly ten days in Honghua Prefecture, Wang Wei and Gao Junya finally prepared to return to the capital to report. When they had arrived, they traveled lightly with minimal entourage, but now their departure was accompanied by several additional carts laden with goods—goods whose origins were all too obvious. Yet, despite this, Wang Wei remained dissatisfied because one thing Li Shimin had steadfastly refused to hand over.

Since both Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng were unable to move freely due to their conditions, it fell to Li Shimin and Li Xuanba to see them off. As they stepped out of the governor’s residence, Li Shimin earnestly asked, “Esteemed officials, are you truly not staying a few more days?”

Wang Wei chuckled. “We deeply appreciate Second Master’s hospitality, but His Majesty awaits our report. It’s truly inconvenient to linger further.”

“If that’s the case, I won’t insist,” Li Shimin replied smoothly. Bowing slightly, he added, “Please, esteemed officials, speak kindly on behalf of my father before His Majesty.”

“Of course, of course.” Wang Wei readily agreed, then smirked faintly as he asked, “By the way, Second Master, has that dancing girl still not returned?”

Li Shimin smiled calmly. “Indeed, just yesterday I asked Second Mother, and she said the dancers wouldn’t return until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It’s entirely my oversight—I let them return home early for the New Year celebrations. My inability to entertain you fully is regrettable and deserving of punishment!”

Gao Junya rolled his sharp, triangular eyes and sneered sarcastically, “Whether it was an oversight or deliberate, Second Master knows best.”

“Hmph!” Wang Wei shot him a glance. “What nonsense are you spouting? How could Second Master act deliberately? If anyone is to blame, it’s us for arriving at such an inconvenient time, during the New Year festivities.” He then turned to Li Shimin and said, “My brother here is simply blunt—what he says, he means, but there’s no ill intent. Please don’t take offense, Second Master.”

“This entire matter stems from my own negligence, so how could I blame Lord Gao?” Li Shimin responded respectfully. Then, he continued, “Father heard that His Majesty enjoys hunting falcons, so he specially sought out a pair of exceptional falcons. He asks that you two esteemed officials convey them to His Majesty on his behalf.” With that, he ordered the attendants to bring out the pair of falcons along with the two falcon trainers. As Li Yuan had predicted, upon seeing the birds, Wang Wei and Gao Junya’s eyes immediately lit up, their gazes darting between the falcons and the young women.

“May we trouble you two esteemed officials with this task?” Li Shimin’s words snapped Wang Wei back to attention, and he quickly assured, “Second Master, rest assured. We will present them to His Majesty without fail. I’m certain His Majesty will appreciate Governor Li’s gift.” After thanking Li Shimin profusely, Wang Wei added, “Well, it’s growing late. We must depart. There’s no need for you two gentlemen to accompany us further.”

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba bowed together. “Wishing you a safe journey and swift arrival in the capital.”

Wang Wei nodded graciously. Once they had boarded their carriages, the drivers urged the horses forward toward the city gates. Watching the retreating carriages, Li Xuanba brushed his sleeves and sighed in relief. “Finally, they’re gone.”

Li Shimin chuckled. “What? Were you so eager to be rid of them?”

Li Xuanba grumbled, “How about you, Brother? Would you enjoy continuing to entertain them? Just now, when you tried to persuade them to stay longer, I was genuinely afraid they’d agree. These past days, we’ve been forced to accompany them in trivial pursuits like cockfighting and dog racing, drinking and revelry—all while pretending to be pleased. It’s nearly driven me mad.”

“Not that bad, surely,” Li Shimin teased.

Li Xuanba shot him a serious look. “I mean it. If given the choice, I’d rather spend an entire day practicing martial arts than endure their company. Brother, I simply don’t understand—why must we pretend to be so enthusiastic about things we despise? And why are there strange women residing in the western wing? I asked around, and they’re supposedly Father’s concubines, but I’ve never seen or heard of them before. What’s going on?”

“You’ll understand in time,” Li Shimin replied evasively, patting his shoulder. “Enough of that. Now that they’re gone, there’s no need to pretend anymore. Go practice your boxing.”

Li Xuanba grinned. “I’ve been waiting for those words.”

After Li Xuanba turned and went inside, Li Shimin summoned Lin, the head steward. “Send word to those dancers—they’re to return to the residence tomorrow.”

As Lin bowed and complied, inside the carriage, Gao Junya was venting his frustrations to Wang Wei. “That Li Shimin pretends to treat us with respect, but in reality, he defies us openly. Despite your repeated reminders, Elder Brother, he stubbornly refused to hand over that dancer!”

Wang Wei nonchalantly flicked his nails and coolly remarked, “It doesn’t matter. She’s just a mere dancer.”

Gao Junya was astonished. “You’re truly willing to swallow this insult?” Having known Wang Wei for years, he understood his temperament. Beneath his ever-present smile lay a vindictive streak rivaling his own.

Wang Wei shifted his plump body slightly and smirked. “Why shouldn’t I? Before long, the Li family will cease to exist anyway.”

Gao Junya was startled and stared at him. “What do you mean by that, Elder Brother?”

“Li Yuan has disobeyed the imperial decree, feigning illness to avoid coming to court. He harbors rebellious intentions. Tell me, once His Majesty hears of this, will he allow the Li family to live?”

Gao Junya furrowed his brow. “But Imperial Physician Zhu examined Li Yuan—he does have injuries. And from what we’ve observed these past days, Li Yuan has shown deference to His Majesty without any sign of rebellion.”

“The injuries are real, yes—but who’s to say whether they were inflicted by assassins or self-inflicted to avoid traveling to the capital? The key isn’t whether Li Yuan is injured, but rather, what we choose to say.” Though their official ranks were modest, both men enjoyed Emperor Yang’s trust. Whatever they declared black would remain black.

At this, Gao Junya understood his meaning, his elongated face betraying a hint of unease. “Isn’t this… somewhat excessive? Aside from the matter of the dancer, the Li family treated us quite courteously.”

Wang Wei’s voice grew icy. “I gave Li Shimin plenty of opportunities earlier, but he refused the easy path and chose the hard one instead. Don’t blame us for what comes next. As for courtesy—refusing to hand over even a single dancer, do you truly believe they treated us with genuine respect? They were merely putting on a show, hoping we’d leave as soon as possible.”

“That’s true,” Gao Junya conceded hesitantly. After a pause, he asked, “And the falcons and those two women…?”

Wang Wei narrowed his eyes. “Naturally, they’re ours to keep. Li Yuan does have some taste—the falcons and the trainers are all top-notch. They’ll certainly alleviate the boredom of our journey.”

Gao Junya nodded in agreement, completely unaware that both he and Wang Wei were gradually stepping into the carefully laid trap set by Li Yuan.