Chapter 2068: Taizong Chronicles 10: The Two Princes

A squad of constables hurried over; judging by their clothing and cap ornaments, they were patrol officers under the Luoyang prefecture, led by a patrol clerk, and they arrived in a menacing manner.

Pushing aside the onlooking commoners, the patrol clerk looked at the chaotic scene—dead horses, dead men—and his brows jumped several times. But when he saw Liu Ye and his party, his face changed drastically, and he quickly stepped forward to bow: "I pay my respects to the Prince!"

"You know me?" Liu Ye shot the man a cold glance.

At the question, the patrol clerk immediately replied: "This humble one is Zhang Xun, a patrol officer of Yankang. When Your Highness returned to the capital last year, I was fortunate enough to behold your countenance."

"You've come just in time. Since this is your jurisdiction, you can handle it!" Liu Ye pointed at the ground and commanded with considerable force: "This horse ran rampant through the streets and charged into people, and this thief had the audacity of a dog's gall, intending to take my life—both have been summarily executed. Leave the aftermath to your Luoyang prefecture!

This Prince still has matters to attend to and won't linger here. If there are any problems afterward, contact my guard captain, Zhou Sun!"

Having said this, Liu Ye turned around, mounted his horse by the saddle, and noticed the stains of blood on his clothes that couldn't be wiped clean. He simply took off his outer robe, bundled it up, and casually tossed it into the street, then spurred his horse away. No one blocked him, and no one dared to.

The patrol clerk Zhang Xun and his subordinates could only watch helplessly as Liu Ye and Liu Xin's party departed, still maintaining respectful postures until they had gone far, only then snapping back to their senses.

The first thing was to detain those two household servants and drag out a few local toughs from the crowd of onlookers to inquire about the specifics. The matter wasn't complicated to begin with, and the explanation was simple. However, after learning the course of events—especially the identity of the other "culprit" party—Zhang Xun's already grim face turned ugly.

That was how the capital was. Especially on such a long avenue and busy market, pick any random person and they might have some connection to the powerful and noble. Zhang Xun had originally guessed that anyone daring to act so ostentatiously on Yankang Avenue was no ordinary person, yet he still harbored a sliver of hope—what if Liu Ye had merely killed some blind-eyed commoner in a fit of rage?

But things went against his wishes—the party involved happened to be none other than the household of Liu Jichang, Governor of Kaifeng! Liu Jichang was the most beloved and most outstanding son of Xu Prince Liu Chengyun, and Xu Prince Liu Chengyun was the eldest of the imperial clan. Especially after Emperor Shizu's passing, his status and prestige had risen another level. Even Liu Ye, when before the Xu Prince, would have to respectfully perform the rites of a nephew.

Even setting aside his lineage, Liu Jichang himself was a man of immense power and position. Kaifeng remained the legitimate capital of the Great Han, on par with Luoyang. Moreover, rumors had long circulated in the capital region that Liu Jichang was due for promotion—either being transferred to serve as Administration Commissioner of the capital circuit, or taking charge of a major ministry at the center. Either way, he would be among the most top-tier powerholders of the Great Han.

When Duke of Liang and Prince of Kangju clashed with Liu Jichang of Kaifeng, as an onlooker one would naturally enjoy the spectacle. But as a lowly patrol clerk caught up in the middle, Zhang Xun could only feel terror—neither of these two great deities was someone he could afford to offend.

At the same time, he couldn't help but complain inwardly: both being imperial clansmen, how could the Duke of Liang be so ruthless, leaving not a shred of face? He could have simply sent the fellow back to the Governor's household—could that base slave have gotten off easy anyway?

Though merely a minor patrol clerk on Yankang Avenue, this Zhang Xun had a keen nose for danger. But before this little man could scare himself into a heart condition, that very night, someone smashed to pieces all the jars and jugs rattling around in his heart.

Kou Zhun, Administrative Assistant of the Luoyang prefecture, summoned him immediately upon learning of the matter, had him recount the whole affair in detail, and then assigned him a truly horrifying task: to arrest Zhou Sun, the guard officer of the Duke of Liang who had committed murder in the street.

Zhang Xun was a thousand times unwilling in his heart. This was a matter of genuinely risking his life—judging by Liu Ye's performance on Yankang Avenue, the man killed without mercy! Going to humiliate the Duke of Liang like this and losing his life—wouldn't that be a wrongful death?

Administrative Assistant Kou, however, was quite relaxed, spouting righteous rhetoric about enforcing the law on behalf of the state and upholding the clan laws established by Emperor Shizu. Zhang Xun didn't believe a single word of such high-sounding nonsense—Kou Zhun must have other motives.

Therefore, no matter how the Administrative Assistant Kou pressured him, Zhang Xun would rather give up his post than comply, forcing Kou Zhun to come out personally. But Zhang Xun still couldn't escape—he was ordered to lead the way and identify the man.

Setting aside the reaction of the Luoyang prefecture, the Liu brothers continued to stroll under the warm sunlight, slowly making their way along Yankang Avenue toward their destination.

Compared to before, the atmosphere was noticeably more subdued. Liu Xin stared blankly at the street with listless eyes and asked calmly: "Thirteenth Brother, since returning to the capital I've noticed—your changes over these years have been truly enormous." Liu Ye smiled and replied casually: "I'm nearly thirty now. Some changes are only natural—how could I still be as naive and childish as in my youth?"

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but your bloodlust is a bit heavy these days!" Liu Xin said after some hesitation.

Liu Ye was visibly startled for a moment, turned his head to look at Liu Xin's half-composed profile, then faced forward again and said coldly: "You've never experienced battle, never been to the northwest, and you don't know what Anxi is really like. To be honest with you, our Sixth Brother, Prince Wei, has turned that place into a living hell!

In the Anxi region, slaughter and death are the most ordinary things imaginable, especially over the past year or more..."

"Could it be the camp reforms and the suppression of the faith?" Liu Xin said.

"You've heard of that too?"

Liu Xin said softly: "One hears things, after all."

"Correct!" Liu Ye said directly: "I hear that in the court, some pedantic scholars have already taken to calling the reforms and faith-suppression in Anxi 'genocide.'"

As he spoke, a flicker of contempt passed over Liu Ye's lips: "These high officials perched in their grand halls—what do they know of the hardships of the borderlands, of the difficulty of conquest! They truly ought to be exiled to the frontiers, every last one of those idle talkers, so they can experience for themselves how the soldiers and people of the border regions live!"

"Thirteenth Brother carries quite a lot of resentment!" Liu Xin said with meaning.

"Fourteenth Brother, given the bond between us brothers, there's nothing to hide!" Liu Ye, after a moment's thought, spoke slowly with composure and calm: "I'm not entirely convinced by our Sixth Brother. The reason is simple—in generalship and military strategy, I consider myself no less capable than him. The achievements he's made so far are hardly worth boasting about.

The Kaibao Northern Expedition and the long march into the great desert—that was merely earning seniority by accompanying the army. The western campaign of ten thousand li, recovering Gaochang, destroying the Kara-Khanids, repelling the Arab coalition—that was only accomplished with the assistance of commanders like Yang, Guo, and Kang, the court's support at any cost, and the bloody sacrifice of over a hundred thousand soldiers!

These credentials are commendable, but if I were placed in that position, I'm confident I could achieve the same results, or even surpass them. Compared to Sixth Brother, I was simply born ten years later. Given that ten-year gap, taking a subordinate position to him—there's nothing unacceptable about that!"

Having said this, Liu Ye paused and glanced at Liu Xin, saw that he was listening attentively, and continued: "In all these years in Anxi, being suppressed by Sixth Brother at every turn, I naturally have a belly full of complaints! However, on certain matters, I stand firmly on Sixth Brother's side! Such as the suppression of the faith!"

"I've heard that those who believe in the teachings of Islam are fanatical and stubborn—they'd rather lose their heads than change their faith," Liu Xin said.

"That's just hearsay!" Liu Ye said coldly, his right hand clenching into a fist with force as he spoke, as if snapping an enemy's neck: "Those Arabs have the same flesh and blood—lose their heads and they die just the same! The lands and cities taken by the Anxi army—of course there were fervent believers among them, but after more than ten years, most of them are dead. As for the rest, when faced with steel blades and doctrine, most people will make the smarter choice."