Chapter 6: The Losses of the Great Tang

“Hmph!” Li Jing swept a cold glance at Li Yi, his face stern, and grunted again to show his displeasure. His poor impression of Li Yi had only just begun to improve, but to his surprise, Li Yi’s unruly and dissipated nature was exactly as it had always been. He was the very image of a heedless and frivolous young noble.

Now, Li Yi was even brazenly teasing a maidservant right in front of him! Li Jing was instantly incensed. Admittedly, the maidservant Yue’er had long been intended as Li Yi’s concubine, but in Li Jing’s eyes, such behavior in broad daylight was a disgrace to proper decorum.

Li Jing had always frowned upon Li Yi’s frivolity. And now, the boy showed not even a hint of restraint. “You idle your days away, forever indulging in distractions, never applying yourself—you’re hopeless!” Li Jing scolded, his eyes wide with anger and his tone full of reproach.

Li Yi, however, acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing. He pursed his lips, rolled his eyes out of habit, and turned his head away. With Lady Red Whisk standing by his side, Li Yi had not the least bit of fear toward Li Jing. Indeed, such displays only helped conceal his true identity from suspicion.

Witnessing this antagonism between father and son, Lady Red Whisk could only shake her head in helpless amusement. Without delay, she stepped forward to Li Jing.

“Come now, my lord, don’t be angry,” she said with a gentle smile, her voice soft and persuasive. “Sanlang is still young and thoughtless. Don’t take his antics to heart—be careful not to let your temper harm your health.”

“Ah, Chen’er…” Li Jing sighed, looking at Lady Red Whisk with an expression of utter helplessness. “You mustn’t spoil this rascal so. If you continue, you’ll only make him worse…”

As he spoke, he shot another fierce glare at Li Yi.

Lady Red Whisk nodded and smiled. “Don’t worry, my lord. I know how to draw the line.”

With her intervention, Li Jing managed to stifle his anger for the time being. Still, he didn’t forget to grunt a warning in Li Yi’s direction.

In response, Lady Red Whisk merely smiled and shook her head in silence. Yet her feelings at that moment were quite different from Li Jing’s. Far from being displeased, she was actually rather pleased to see Li Yi teasing Yue’er—after all, it was she who had chosen Yue’er to be Li Yi’s concubine.

Li Yi, after being scolded and glared at, simply stood there silently, neither speaking nor responding, his gaze wandering as if everything around had nothing to do with him.

Seeing this, Lady Red Whisk shook her head and, feigning annoyance, frowned at Li Yi and scolded, “Sanlang, shouldn’t you apologize to your father? In the future, you mustn’t be so disrespectful!”

“Yes, Mother,” Li Yi replied readily, bowing to Li Jing with a perfunctory smile. “Father, your son knows he was wrong.”

“Let it be.” Seeing Lady Red Whisk step in and Li Yi’s ready (if insincere) admission of fault, Li Jing waved his hand, unwilling to pursue it further. He knew his younger son’s temperament well enough—there was little point in arguing.

Just then, Li Jing suddenly remembered the matter of Taiji. He fixed his gaze on Li Yi and asked with great seriousness, “Sanlang, this Taiji—did you truly learn it from a master in your dreams?”

“Indeed, Father,” Li Yi replied with a slight smile. He knew how much Li Jing valued Taiji, so he kept his answer brief. “Not long ago, in a dream, I met an immortal elder and became his disciple. My master taught me Taiji and instructed me to pass it on to my family, for health and cultivation.”

Li Yi rattled off his story smoothly—after all, he had already used this excuse to deceive Lady Red Whisk. As for feeling embarrassed? Not in the slightest—Li Yi was thick-skinned as they come.

“Oh?” Li Jing’s interest was piqued, seeing no sign that Li Yi was lying. He pressed eagerly, “Did this immortal elder ever say whether Taiji could be taught to others?”

At this, Li Yi hesitated, pondering inwardly. Was his father planning to present Taiji to the emperor? Or perhaps teach it to the soldiers?

Watching Li Jing’s fervent gaze, Li Yi thought his guess might be right.

Sure enough, seeing Li Yi pause, Li Jing continued, “What I mean is, for instance… if it were presented to His Majesty, would the immortal elder mind?”

Li Jing could not help but ask—Taiji was, for the Tang Dynasty, a treasure beyond compare. Though tradition held that such teachings should remain closely guarded, Li Jing still hoped for a chance. If Taiji could be presented to the emperor, it would be a blessing for the realm and the dynasty.

Li Yi glanced at Li Jing, hooked his left index finger under his chin, and feigned deep thought, not answering immediately. Li Jing did not press, but waited in silence.

After a long while, Li Yi sighed and spread his hands helplessly. “Father, I’m afraid this matter would require my master’s approval—I dare not decide on my own.”

It was not that Li Yi begrudged sharing Taiji, but if he agreed too readily, it would arouse suspicion. Previously, he had never said Taiji could be taught to others. Besides, with the ‘immortal elder in a dream’ story, he could always find an opportune moment to inform Li Jing later, without raising doubts.

In any case, whether there was an immortal elder or not depended entirely on what Li Yi said. Thus, after careful consideration, Li Yi chose this response.

“Very well…” Li Jing gave a wry smile, a little disappointed. He understood the importance of preserving such teachings. In this feudal society, few were willing to share their closely guarded secrets, so he did not press further. This matter would have to wait and could not be forced.

“All right, Sanlang, you may go and rest. Remember to spend more time reading and cultivating your mind—don’t idle away your days!” Li Jing looked at Li Yi and gave this final admonition. With his anger dissipated, he found his son much more agreeable and even his tone had softened.

“Your son obeys.” Li Yi nodded, bowed to his parents, and said, “Father, Mother, your son takes his leave.”