"How did you…" Li Jing turned back in astonishment, glancing at the prison cart before fixing his gaze on Li Ce. His tears ceased at once. His mouth opened and closed, as though unable to believe what he was seeing. "You defeated the Imperial Guards sent to arrest you? That's outrageous!"
This was open defiance. A blatant rejection of imperial will. Rebellion, plain and simple.
He was doomed. Was it still possible to deny any association with Li Ce?
"No," Li Ce replied calmly. "I'll explain later. The man in the cart is Yan Jide. I have proof that he falsely accused me of treason. Once I present it to Father, all will be clear."
"Ohhh—" Li Jing let out a long "oh" before suddenly remembering something. He pressed his face against the bars of the prison cart and called inside, "Commander Yan, could I trouble you to… erm… return that… bun?"
Yes, it was true Yan Jide's situation was tragic. But the bun wasn't for him.
The wooden bars of the prison cart were narrow, and the bun had rolled too far to reach. Only the prisoner inside could help.
Yan Jide remained utterly still and silent, glaring at Li Jing with eyes like brass bells before turning away.
Li Jing stood frozen in embarrassment, then abruptly turned his frustration on Li Ce.
"A steamed bun? Really? This is all your fault!" he roared. "What were you thinking, doing disaster relief at Yangquan Mountain? Are you trying to kill me with rage?"
Before Li Ce could reply, someone leapt down from a nearby carriage. It was Ye Jiao.
She strode over carelessly, a wild stalk of foxtail grass between her teeth, casually swinging her broadsword as she leveled it toward Li Jing with a cold expression. "So tell me, who is this 'demonic Ye girl'? Who's the one supposedly carrying a child?"
"What are you doing here?" Li Jing recoiled in fright, hiding behind Li Ce. Then realization struck, and he pointed at Ye Jiao, bursting into laughter. "Ha! You were tricked! You actually believed it!"
He must have been the one who'd told her at the city gate that Li Ce had fallen off a cliff. And this foolish woman had come running.
Ye Jiao snorted and swung her blade at him. Li Jing, terrified, darted behind Li Ce's cloak.
But Ye Jiao's blade changed direction mid-swing. She slid it through the bars of the prison cart and skewered the soft white bun before retrieving it.
"That was for Xiao Jiu!" Li Jing protested, raising a hand—only to see Ye Jiao take a bite. He immediately relented. "Forget it, you can have it… just remember to pay me back."
As if Ye Jiao would ever pay him for the bun.
As a key witness, Ye Jiao accompanied Li Ce to the imperial audience in the Zichen Hall.
Li Ce laid out the full story, with Ye Jiao and Lu Shuisheng testifying. There were also displaced citizens outside the palace who could corroborate the events. The facts were clear.
Ye Changgen, who had stayed behind to safeguard the Tubo envoy, did not return, but he had submitted a memorial of appeal through Li Ce.
To be fair, the emperor allowed Yan Jide to defend himself.
Yan remained silent for a long time before speaking. "Your servant is indeed guilty—guilty of rash conduct. But my loyalty to Your Majesty is as true as the heavens themselves!"
He kowtowed forcefully, blood streaming down his face, yet he did not stop.
The emperor's expression shifted slightly. "Do you harbor any personal grudge against Prince Chu?"
Choking with emotion, Yan Jide replied, "None. But I know he covets the position of Crown Prince—he harbors ambitions beyond his station."
The emperor turned to Li Ce. "Think carefully. Have you ever had any friction or disagreement with him?"
Li Ce answered without hesitation. "Your son holds Commander Yan in high regard for his defense of the capital. We are not personally acquainted, and there is no ill will between us."
He did not mention how Yan Jide had driven Consort Shun mad. Accusing a prince of treason was already a grave crime; there was no need to drag his mother into public disgrace again. More importantly, if he brought it up, the emperor might suspect that Yan had acted out of fear of Li Ce's revenge.
What the emperor truly feared was not scheming between officials, but disloyalty and rebellion.
The emperor let out a cold laugh and paced slowly behind the imperial seat, his gaze falling on the three dukes and Prime Minister Fu Qian. "Minister Fu, you tell Us—how should this case be judged?"
He knew there could be no baseless accusation without cause. The truth eluded him, and that made him furious. Perhaps both Yan Jide and Li Ce had sides he could not yet see—shrouded in mystery.
Fu Qian bowed and said, "According to Tang law, slander of this magnitude warrants exile three thousand li away, or execution."
Whether it would be exile or death, the final decision rested with the emperor.
The emperor nodded and turned to the most senior of the three dukes, the Grand Preceptor—who, perhaps due to age, seemed unwilling to see more bloodshed. He interceded, "Then allow this old subject to beg Your Majesty for mercy. For the sake of Commander Yan's seven years defending the capital, may he be spared execution."
After all, the incident hadn't caused irreparable harm.
The emperor inclined his head. "Let it be as Grand Preceptor Zhang suggests. Confiscate Yan Jide's assets and exile him three thousand li."
Yan Jide did not plead for mercy. Two palace guards stepped forward and dragged him away.
The three dukes and the prime minister took their leave. Only the emperor and the younger generation remained: Li Ce, Ye Jiao, and the ever-curious Li Jing.
"I understand now," the emperor said, pacing within the hall. "Li Ce went to Yangquan Mountain because of the refugees; Ye Changgen saw smoke signals and followed. But what of Ye Wu Houzhang? Did he possess… foresight?"
His tone still carried the weight of unresolved anger.
Li Jing shrank back at once, contemplating how to sneak out of the hall.
To his surprise, Ye Jiao did not expose him.
"Your Majesty," she said, bowing low, "this servant heard that His Highness Prince Chu was headed to Yangquan Mountain in search of refugees. I followed out of concern."
She didn't mention being duped by Li Jing, who breathed a silent sigh of relief.
What caught the emperor's attention, of course, were the words "out of concern."
So she still cared for Li Ce. Even after the rejection, the severed engagement—she still worried, still remembered him, even risked her life to save him at Yangquan Mountain.
She was… pitiable, admirable, and utterly endearing.
The emperor cast another glance at Li Ce and Li Jing. His anger surged anew.
Two rebellious sons—one refuses marriage, the other won't produce an heir. They'll be the death of him.
He looked back at Ye Jiao, trying to soothe his fury with her presence. Then his voice softened: "It is thanks to you—and your brother—that Yan Jide's massacre of the refugees was prevented. Tell Us what you desire. Whatever it is, We shall grant it."
He looked at her with hope. Just say you wish to marry Li Ce—he'd have them wed on the spot, even if it meant dragging Li Ce to the altar.
But Ye Jiao had something else in mind.
She raised her head and replied, "Your Majesty, since I assumed the post of Military Patrol Commander, I have patrolled the capital daily and discovered that two of the watchtowers have poor visibility and should be relocated. Furthermore, the patrols between the military guards, the Jingzhao Prefecture, and the Imperial Guards lack coordination—sometimes they overlap, other times the streets are left empty. I've drafted several memorials and would ask Your Majesty to read them at your leisure."
The emperor was stunned—and disappointed.
What was this? He wanted her to marry; she wanted him to do administrative work. Utterly unreasonable.
With a low growl, he asked, "How is that a reward? Is there nothing else you wish for?"
Ye Jiao shook her head, her face radiant with sincerity. "A peaceful realm and the honor of beholding the imperial presence—these are already Your Majesty's greatest gifts. I ask only that Your Majesty enjoy boundless longevity and that our Tang dynasty flourish for generations. That would be reward enough."
The emperor's brows rose, and he exchanged a glance with Gao Fu. The praise warmed him, yet he regretted that he couldn't keep hearing it.
Gao Fu, too, was smiling. What a sweet-tongued girl. Thank heavens she wasn't a man. Otherwise, with that mouth, she'd have stolen the emperor's favor right out from under him.
The emperor coughed lightly, signaling the end of the flattery. "You've all had a tiring day. Be off now."
Ye Jiao and Li Jing bowed and departed.
But then—Li Ce spoke...