Chapter 2069: Taizong Chronicles 11: The Assembly of Princes at Taihe Tower

Before he knew it, Liu Xin had been led inside by Liu Ye, but he quickly recovered his senses and said in a deep voice: "Still not right!"

"What's not right?" Liu Ye asked offhandedly.

Liu Xin: "The capital region is no Andi! What just happened was hardly worth mentioning—Thirteenth Brother, you could have resolved it easily without even revealing your identity!

Yet you chose the crudest, most violent means—killing someone in the street, beneath the Son of Heaven's very feet, in the realm's foremost district. Such an approach is bound to bring trouble. I don't believe Thirteenth Brother isn't clear on this!

Yet you still did it—there must be a reason, a purpose behind it."

Meeting Liu Xin's probing gaze, Liu Ye couldn't help but laugh: "Fourteenth Brother, you ought to be a Judge at the Court of Judicial Review. What purpose could I have? I was simply overcome by anger! As for trouble—I'd actually like to see it!"

"Not afraid of offending the Imperial Uncle?" Liu Xin asked.

Liu Ye said calmly: "Prince Xu's prestige and standing among the imperial clan are certainly high, but he's hardly someone whose name makes people tremble in fear—and besides, he's merely the son of a Governor of Kaifeng!"

A trace of disdain flickered at the corner of his mouth: "To indulge one's sons and household slaves in such arrogance, I'd say that Liu Jichang is nothing special either!

Moreover, Prince Xu may not be easy to provoke, but am I, Liu Ye, so easily bullied? If Prince Xu himself stood before me, I'd bow in greeting, and even for Liu Jichang, out of respect for his office as Governor of Kaifeng, I could grant him some courtesy—but their sons and grandsons? Are they worthy of me even raising my hand?

To put it bluntly, Prince Xu is an elder of the imperial clan, virtuous and highly esteemed, but what merit has he rendered to the state and the altars? Can status earned solely through birth and seniority truly win people's hearts?"

Liu Ye's current state—"baring every blade" was probably the most fitting description. Every word and action seemed like swords clashing on a battlefield, full of aggression.

Seeing his torrent of words, Liu Xin couldn't help but remark: "These words of yours show too little respect for the Imperial Uncle. If Father heard them, you'd be in for a thorough scolding!"

Liu Ye fell silent at this, a trace of sorrow appearing in those ever-sharp eyes as he said slowly: "It's a pity—Father is no longer with us!"

The atmosphere grew heavy, but the low spirits were quickly pulled back by Liu Ye, who said: "Enough, let's not dwell on such trifles!"

Waving his hand, Liu Ye changed the subject, saying with a light laugh: "Fourteenth Brother, what do you think Liu Wenyuan's intentions are in inviting us to this gathering?"

At this mention, Liu Xin's expression turned serious for the first time—even somewhat gloomy. After pondering for a moment, he answered evasively: "Thirteenth Brother, perhaps in your eyes, my Raole Kingdom should be a peaceful, tranquil paradise?"

Hearing this, Liu Ye immediately said: "Is it not? Aside from being somewhat remote and cold in climate, conditions in every respect should be quite good. Those vast, lush pastures and lands—a hundred years ago, men would have fought and died to seize or defend them, and now they are all your territory.

With the court at your back and virtually no external threats, can you not simply be a carefree king?"

Liu Xin shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "This King of Raole of mine has no more than two or three cities, a population of barely a hundred thousand. My territory, while not small, is merely on the level of a mid-sized prefecture of the Great Han! If I were to style myself a solitary sovereign on that basis alone, I'd only make myself a laughingstock!"

"What's so laughable! Your kingship was personally conferred by Emperor Shizu—yours is one of the Great Han's first three enfeoffed kingdoms!" Liu Ye said solemnly.

Liu Xin turned his head to look at Liu Ye and said slowly: "It ought to be so, yet things are not as they ought to be!"

"Isn't it just a matter of a small population? Attracting distant people and settling them—isn't that precisely what a king ought to do?" Liu Ye said lightly.

"My Raole Kingdom has neither wealth nor power—how can it attract people?" Liu Xin said self-deprecatingly.

Seeing this, Liu Ye maintained that same composed, unrestrained demeanor, waving his hand: "Internally, request people from the court—find ways from Yanbei, Shanyang, and Liaodong. Externally, the Khitan of Mobei, the Shiwei, and all manner of miscellaneous barbarians can be absorbed and tamed.

Why did Father implement enfeoffment in the remote border regions? If it were merely to rule those Han and barbarian peoples close to the court, why establish kingdoms at all—one or two loose-rein prefectures would suffice.

It was precisely so that you could guard the frontiers and pacify the people for the court in places where the court's strength falls short and its reach is too long—eliminating barbarian troubles before they arise. Anyone within your borders, regardless of origin, is your subject!"

Hearing Liu Ye's discourse, Liu Xin merely furrowed his brows slightly. Judging by his expression, it wasn't like a sudden revelation—he seemed to already have some understanding of this.

"And why did Father enfeoff you in Raole back then? And why you, rather than someone else?" Liu Ye asked again.

This time Liu Xin responded, his tone very serious: "Could it be because of my mother's origins?"

"Consort Dowager Yelu is the cause; you are the effect!" Liu Ye's gaze once again turned forward, but there were clearly ripples in his eyes as he expressed his view for the first time in such a serious tone:

"At court, you are merely an obscure, unfavored junior prince bearing Khitan blood. But beyond the northern frontier, bearing the blood of two peoples is your greatest advantage.

As a royal prince of the Liu clan, those northern barbarian tribes might hold you in awe—but as half a Khitan remnant, their attitude might well be one of conviction and trust.

Not because the Khitan of today are still so powerful or wield such deep influence, but because you can more easily earn their recognition—they will see you as one of their own.

This advantage—across the entire imperial house, only you possess it. If you can put it to good use and go with the flow, your Raole Kingdom is bound to see a new outlook.

I can't vouch for the other tribes and miscellaneous barbarians, but at the very least, the Khitan are susceptible to your influence. If you can attract the Khitan tribes of Mobei under your rule, the court will also support it—after all, that would be a weakening of the Mobei royal court.

Speaking of which, from the perspective of the Khitan royal house, you and the current Khitan king, Yelu Longxu, happen to belong to two different branches. The decades of Khitan succession struggles—who knows, twenty years after they subsided, they might fall upon the two of you."

Hearing Liu Ye's words spiraling further and further out, Liu Xin said with displeasure: "Thirteenth Brother, this joke of yours has gone too far!"

"I'm not joking!" Liu Ye's mouth curved slightly as he turned his head to look at Liu Xin, saying with a grin: "On this matter, I speak from deep experience!

Unlike Sixth Brother, I had virtually no foundation in Andi—yet how did I gain a firm foothold? It wasn't just the late Emperor's favor and the court's support. More importantly, there were over ten thousand Yao people and several thousand Yao soldiers. In Andi—now my Kangju Kingdom—they are my most solid reliance, the source of my confidence, vowing to follow and serve me unto death!

Fourteenth Brother, you of all people should most keenly empathize with this."

Liu Xin was stirred by these words—though he tried hard to restrain himself, the wavering in his eyes betrayed something of his inner thoughts.

Seeing this, Liu Ye couldn't help but laugh aloud. Old Fourteen had always been quiet and mild-mannered, viewing things with equanimity—being able to stir his emotions clearly gave Liu Ye some satisfaction.

However, after a brief moment of thought, his expression suddenly stiffened, and he laughed and scolded Liu Xin: "Without realizing it, you've led me off track—you still haven't said what Liu Wenyuan's purpose is in hosting this banquet!"

"Thirteenth Brother, your perception is keen—if even you don't know, how would I?" Liu Xin gradually returned to calm, spreading his hands quite naturally. "Your Raole Kingdom and Andong are close neighbors! You should have dealings with each other in normal times!" Liu Ye said.

At this, Liu Xin fell silent for a moment, his gaze deep, then said slowly: "In the future, this close neighbor—it's hard to say whether it will be a friendly one or a hostile one!"

Liu Ye's brows immediately knitted: "In the northeast, Andong may be powerful, but would Liu Wenyuan dare to slight you, an Imperial Uncle?"

Hearing Liu Ye say this, Liu Xin was speechless, silently complaining to himself—Liu Ye was the last person qualified to say such a thing, having just disparaged and mocked Prince Xu moments ago.

"That's not quite it!" Liu Xin shook his head, his expression growing more somber, his tone somewhat cautious: "From my observations over these past few years, Liu Wenyuan is a man who keeps to himself—and even more so, one who refuses to suffer losses! And in recent years, the greatest loss Andong has suffered was precisely when the late Emperor cut off a large piece of flesh and gave it to my Raole Kingdom!"

Hearing this, Liu Ye understood at once, immediately connecting it to the current situation in Andi. The division of territories had just been completed—one could only obey Emperor Shizu's distribution, but obedience didn't mean acceptance. Some conflicts were unavoidable; Liu Ye knew this well, and Liu Min's situation was likely much the same.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Ye resumed that relaxed demeanor and said with a smile: "It sounds like the northeast region isn't nearly as peaceful as it appears on the surface!"

"Alright, no more guessing—I'd like to see just what tricks this Liu Wenyuan is up to!" Liu Ye lightly kicked his horse's flanks and sped off.

"Taihe Tower!" On the crowded main street, Liu Ye reined in his horse, looked up at the luxurious restaurant standing by the roadside, and couldn't help but quip: "Who is this? Trying to compete with the Zhao family's (Duke of Lu's mansion) Taihe Tower?"

"Though only one character differs between the two, they are vastly different!" Liu Xin clearly knew the establishment's origins, saying with a light laugh: "Compared to the Taihe Tower that the Zhao family has opened across Jiangnan and beyond, this Taihe Tower before us is far more special—in the entire realm, it is the only one!"

"Oh?" Liu Ye grew interested and asked: "Who's behind it?"

"Seventh Brother!" Liu Xin didn't keep him in suspense, answering directly.

Liu Ye was visibly stunned for a moment, then laughed: "If it's a restaurant Seventh Brother set up, it must be of extraordinary taste—today's trip won't be wasted after all!"

After the "Downfall of Wang" affair back then, the Seventh Prince, Duke of Wu, Liu Hui, had sunk into complete despondency. Not only was he expelled from the Hall of State Affairs, but he was also half-confined within his ducal mansion. The once-bustling Liuguang Garden quickly fell silent, leaving only Liu Hui himself, who would occasionally go sit there for a while, strumming his zither and sipping wine.

It was precisely in this bleak atmosphere that Liu Hui wrote many fine ci poems. From his recent works, a clear shift in style could be seen—compared to his earlier flashy and ornate pieces, there was now more sediment of the years, greater depth, and more poignancy that stirred the heart.

Of course, besides his works, rumors also leaked from the Duke of Wu's mansion that Liu Hui's mind had developed problems—that he would fly into uncontrollable rages, beating and cursing his concubines and servants at the slightest provocation. However, after Emperor Shizu's passing, he seemed to gradually return to normal, began going out again, and started making his presence known.

The threshold for receiving guests at the Taihe Tower had always been high. This time, Prince Andong Liu Wenyuan was hosting, so naturally the entire venue was reserved and other guests were turned away. As a result, the vast Taihe Tower, situated on the bustling Yankang Avenue, had an oddly desolate feel to it.

Outside the tower, the street market remained densely crowded, yet hidden among the masses and the buildings on both sides were countless informants and spies, keeping close watch on the situation inside the Taihe Tower. But no matter how concerned they were, they could only observe from afar—the fierce guards stationed inside and outside the tower were hardly easy to deal with.

The brothers Liu Ye and Liu Xin dismounted, and Prince Andong, who had been personally waiting, stepped forward to greet them, saluting with a smile: "I pay my respects to my two imperial uncles!"

In terms of age alone, these three—uncle and nephews—were roughly the same age. Liu Xin was even a year younger than Liu Wenyuan. Moreover, they had rarely crossed paths in the past, so to say that Liu Wenyuan truly held great respect for his fourteenth uncle would hardly be realistic.

Liu Ye, with his usual bold and unrestrained bearing, laughed at Liu Wenyuan and said: "I truly have great face, to trouble Prince Andong to personally come out and receive me!"

Liu Wenyuan displayed rare humility, cupping his hands with an apologetic smile: "Thirteenth Uncle jests. It is my uncles' acceptance of the invitation that honors this young nephew. As a junior, I should not merely bow in welcome—even kneeling to receive you would be only proper!"

"A word spoken must be followed by action!" Liu Ye said immediately, his face wreathed in smiles, even looking a bit roguish as he pointed at the floor tiles beneath his feet.

Liu Wenyuan's expression stiffened on the spot. He raised his eyes to stare hard at Liu Ye, his gaze unguarded and sharp. But who was Liu Ye? Utterly unruffled, he watched as Liu Wenyuan was about to lose his composure, then burst into loud laughter and said to Liu Xin beside him: "Look at his expression—how amusing! It was but a jest, pray do not take it seriously!"

Seeing this, Liu Wenyuan finally shed some of his embarrassment and said: "Thirteenth Uncle is still so full of wit!"

Clearly, Liu Wenyuan's forced smile only made Liu Ye find it more amusing. After exchanging a glance with Liu Xin, he said calmly: "I've kept you waiting long. You've arranged this banquet today—surely you haven't invited only your thirteenth and fourteenth uncles?"

"All the imperial uncles are already waiting inside the tower!" Liu Wenyuan gave Liu Ye a deep look, maintaining his humble posture as he led the two inside: "Please, my two uncles!"

Upon entering the Taihe Tower, they discovered the scene inside was quite lively indeed. Around the grand and ornate main stage were arranged banquet tables, where a circle of imperial princes of the Liu clan sat.

At first glance, it looked like a "round-table meeting" of the Liu family. Food and wine were already set out on the tables. Someone like Prince Linyi Liu Shu, unlike his more reserved and decorum-conscious brothers, had already begun eating on his own, and was eating with grease smeared all over his mouth.

"Thirteenth brother, why have you come dressed like this?" Looking Liu Ye over, Liu Shu picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands and asked with great interest.

Liu Ye tilted his head up and laughed at Liu Shu: "Ran into a bit of trouble on the road, lost my outer robe!"

"Oh?" Liu Shu grew even more eager: "Who dared to provoke my thirteenth brother? That really is a big trouble!"

"Ninth brother jests! In the entire capital, everyone knows that the Ninth Prince is the biggest trouble of all!" Liu Ye shot back.

Liu Shu took no offense, instead chuckling happily: "We two brothers, two troubles, meeting together—we ought to drink a great toast!"

"Let your younger brother go upstairs and drink deeply with Ninth Brother!"

"Since you've come, everyone take your seats!" Prince Wei Liu Min, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke.

Hearing this, Liu Ye glanced at Liu Min, whom he had already spotted, and cupped his hands with a cynical air: "Sixth Brother commands, and I shall naturally obey!"

It had to be said, among the Liu imperial clan members present, Prince Wei Liu Min was the one of the highest seniority and standing. And besides the brothers Liu Min, Liu Shu, Liu Hui, Liu Han, Liu Ye, and Liu Xin, there were also Prince Yong Liu Chun and Prince Jin Liu Wenhai.

These people, with the sole exception of Duke of Wu Liu Hui, all shared one thing in common—they were all current feudal princes of the Great Han. Perhaps two were missing: Liu Wenwan, who had inherited the fief of Prince of Liangxiao Liu Xiao—but that child was only eleven years old, qualified by birth but lacking the ability to participate in such a gathering.

As for the other one, naturally that was Prince of Zhao Liu Fang...