Chapter 2073: Taizong Chronicles 15: A Lively Night

"Your Majesty, Wang Yue, Commissioner of the Palace City, requests an audience!" While he was still lost in thought, the head palace eunuch Zheng Yuan came to report, and naturally took the hand lamp from Liu Yang's hands.

Liu Yang was slightly surprised, then waved his hand and said, "Summon him!"

"This old servant certainly runs around diligently!" Liu Yang muttered softly as he slowly walked toward the main hall.

Since Wang Yue had taken office at the Palace City Office, the frequency of his reports at Chuigong Hall had been quite high — not quite three times a day, but at least twice was the norm, and the content of his reports naturally never strayed from the affairs and gossip of Luoyang city, especially the stories unfolding among the upper echelons of the nobility.

After the meeting and the formal bow, facing the Emperor's somewhat deep gaze, Wang Yue immediately adopted a cautious demeanor and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, just now the Administrative Assistant of Kaifeng led men to storm the gates of Duke Liang's residence and took away Zhou Sun, Duke Liang's personal guard, on charges of murder!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Liu Yang's brows immediately rose, clearly surprised by this news. After a moment's thought, he asked, "What was Duke Liang's reaction? He just let the Luoyang office take the man away like that?"

"According to reports, Duke Liang's personal guard did resist with weapons, but was stopped by Duke Liang himself. However, there was a verbal clash between Duke Liang and Kou Zhun — Duke Liang issued threats, but Kou Zhun stood firm without fear..." Wang Yue replied.

Liu Yang smiled, the laughter carrying a hint of reflection, as if surprised that Liu Ye could actually swallow such a "great humiliation."

"I see!" Liu Yang gave no further reaction, merely responding softly.

"There is one more matter!" Wang Yue continued, "When Governor of Kaifeng Liu Jichang learned of the incident on Yankang Avenue, he severely reprimanded his third son Liu Wei and carried out family discipline. It is said that both of Liu Wei's legs were broken..."

"Oh?" Liu Yang grew even more curious and asked, "The people and horses that died on the street — they all belonged to this Liu Wei?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, exactly so!"

"Wasn't it said that Liu Jichang doted on this son? He could actually be so ruthless as to strike so heavily?" Liu Yang remarked lightly.

Of course he could be ruthless. As the most capable son of Prince Xu, Liu Wei himself harbored considerable political ambitions, and at this critical moment of rising in his official career, he should have been advancing steadily without waves or ripples — yet this unexpected incident occurred.

Though it was hard to say what substantive negative impact this conflict might cause, even if it merely left a bad impression on the Emperor, that alone was not something Liu Jichang could afford at this time.

If a wastrel son and a senseless conflict were to cut short his official advancement, Liu Jichang might well have a stroke. This was the Jifu Circuit after all — the number one circuit in the realm. Although the position of Governor of Kaifeng was already considered by many to be higher than most circuit offices in the empire, the Jifu Circuit had always been the one exception. One could well imagine how "explosive" Liu Jichang's mood was upon learning what had happened on Yankang Avenue.

After thinking it over, Liu Yang maintained his composed demeanor and softly instructed, "Keep watching!"

"Yes!"

"If there is nothing else, you may withdraw!"

"This servant takes his leave!"

After Wang Yue left, Liu Yang furrowed his brow in deep thought, pondering the matter, muttering softly to himself, "Kou Zhun — what does he intend now? His rank is small, but his courage is certainly not!" Kou Zhun's act of going to arrest someone was unexpected, yet like the commotion at Liu Jichang's residence, it was merely a minor episode, a bit of entertainment — insignificant compared to matters of state and the enfeoffment of kingdoms. What made Liu Yang pay extra attention was perhaps only the fact that Liu Ye, a feudal prince, was entangled in it.

With many thoughts swirling in his mind, Liu Yang suddenly remembered something and turned to instruct the eunuch Zheng Yuan, "The King of Goryeo and the King of the Khitan haven't left the capital yet, have they? Summon them to the palace tomorrow and arrange a midday banquet — I shall personally host them!"

"Yes!"

The Great Han Empire still had several close neighbors around it — the Khitan, Goryeo, Japan, Khotan, Chenla, and others — but of those who came to the capital in person as sovereigns to mourn Emperor Shizu and attend the new emperor's coronation ceremony, only the Khitan King Yelu Longxu and the Goryeo King Wang Song.

Goryeo's King Jingzong, Wang Zhou, had passed away as early as the twenty-fifth year of Kaibao, and Crown Prince Wang Song succeeded to the throne. As Wang Song was young at the time, for the past six years the Goryeo court had been governed by his mother, Empress Dowager Liu, as regent.

And Empress Dowager Liu was the daughter of Prince Xu, Liu Chengyun. One could well imagine that over the past few years, relations between Goryeo and the Great Han had grown increasingly close, and Goryeo continued the policy of "serving the Han" from Wang Zhou's era, keeping the entire kingdom in a stable and orderly state.

Only last year, when Emperor Shizu passed away, did the fourteen-year-old Goryeo King Wang Song finally leave the palace and his kingdom, crossing the sea accompanied by Interior Minister Xu Xi, to conduct a "state visit" to the Great Han Empire.

Just like his father, every time he came to the capital he brought large quantities of tribute and gifts, and the Prince Xu family was never left out — after all, Prince Xu was also Wang Song's maternal grandfather. And the horse that Liu Ye had killed was a gift from Wang Song.

Originally, after concluding the great matter of the Great Han's succession and maintaining bilateral relations, Wang Song, like the Khitan King Yelu Longxu, had already submitted a memorial requesting an audience to take his leave, but Liu Yang had not found the time.

This time, however, he happened to remember. As two vassal states bordering the Great Han closely, whether the Khitan or Goryeo, they deserved some attention and respect — at least that was what Liu Yang thought at the moment.

In the dead of night, a spacious carriage moved steadily along streets illuminated by sparse lantern light, with guards and attendants before and behind — a very high level of protection. This was the ceremonial procession of Prince Zhao, Liu Fang.

Inside the carriage, Liu Fang's expression was calm, his upright posture swaying slightly with the motion of the vehicle, though a faint, barely perceptible bitter smile hung at the corner of his mouth. His imperial elder brother had given him a difficult task!

Just now, when the Emperor summoned him by night, Liu Fang had no choice but to set aside his strategy of lying low and rush to the palace. At Chuigong Hall, Emperor Liu Yang wasted no words — he didn't even ask Liu Fang's thoughts or opinions, but simply issued a decree in a calm tone, ordering Liu Fang to pacify the various princes and prevent the matter from blowing up and affecting the court's harmony and stability.

To be fair, it would be unrealistic to say Liu Fang had no thoughts at all about Liu Yang's instructions. However, facing an imperial decree, he truly could not find a reason to refuse. From childhood to adulthood, the education he had received and the consciousness formed within him left him no choice but to do his best to carry it out.

"Your Highness, shall we return to the residence?" Seeming to sense the turmoil in his master's heart, the attendant outside the carriage did not immediately steer the carriage toward the residence but instead took the initiative to ask.

Calming his emotions, Liu Fang said, "No! Go to Prince Wei's residence!"

At the gathering at Taihe Tower, Liu Fang had decisively declined Liu Wenyuan's invitation. He naturally knew that this was a gathering of restless nephews and younger kin — attending would bring nothing but trouble.

Especially for a meritorious prince like himself — and without being modest — he, Liu Fang, was different from the other princes. The most significant difference was that he could arouse the new emperor's suspicion, something others could hardly manage, including Liu Wenyuan, the heir of his elder brother Liu Xu.

At the same time, during the period of national mourning while lying low, Liu Fang had been pondering a question in his heart: what exactly was Emperor Shizu's purpose in summoning him back to the capital before his death?