The one who orchestrated the false charges against the late Prince Chen was Prince Su, Li Long. But the one who denied him a chance to defend himself and issued his execution was the Emperor.
Ye Xi opposed the marriage not out of whim, but because he knew that Li Ce's brothers would treat him as the Emperor had treated the late Prince Chen—ruthlessly severing even the most remote threat, regardless of distance or loyalty. Even if he had already left the capital and taken up his fief, they would not spare him. He would become the next Prince Chen—his life extinguished, dragging the entire Duke Anguo's household into ruin.
It was this clarity, this foresight, this understanding of consequence, that kept Li Ce from arguing or doubting. He merely gave his solemn word:"I will be careful."
Without warning, a violent gust burst through the window lattice, catching the edges of their loose sleeves. Ye Xi's coarse, thin Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, yet his figure stood unyielding, exuding a noble austerity as if molded by the wind itself. His eyes, clear and luminous, carried the weight of a bitter defeat from more than a decade past—a failure when he had tried to halt a catastrophe, yet lacked the strength to stem the tide.
His fingers gripped the window ledge tightly as he sighed,"When a sword hangs above your head, what use is caution?"
Imperial power, like a blade, hung ever ready to fall. No amount of vigilance could alter that cruel truth.
Li Ce gave no direct reply. Instead, his gaze settled on a nearby temple that enshrined the Three Pure Ones, and he murmured,"'From Heaven's high gate the palaces unfold, and nations bow to the Emperor's robes.' The world sees only Tang's might and splendor, but not the land seized by the powerful, the regions divided by warlords, the court's indulgent excess, and the people's silent suffering. Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Nanzhao—all eye our borders hungrily, waiting for chaos to split the empire."
Ye Xi's expression shifted—at times solemn, at times faintly comforted."That you perceive this is a rare blessing for the court," he said gravely, with a flicker of approval in his gaze.
"Which is why," Li Ce paused briefly before continuing,"why I refuse to be the spark that ignites that chaos."
It was precisely because he would not see the empire descend into strife that he would not struggle, not seize, not climb over bones to sit upon the throne.
"But I will do everything in my power," he vowed,"to protect her. To protect the Duke Anguo's family. Chang Geng, Sister, Jiao Jiao, even Aunt—they are not weak. They are not to be bullied."
Li Ce took his leave. Ye Xi remained at the window, eyes following the youth's retreating figure—straight-backed, slender, yet bearing an extraordinary grace.
A man like this. Words like those...
"Are you not so furious your organs might rupture, Brother Ye? Come, drink this cup of wine and let me explain.""Don't come near me!""Our swords may slay wolves and foes, but they have never turned against our own blood. You wouldn't wish for me to be the cause of the Tang Empire's downfall, would you?""Fine, you're brothers. I'm just an outsider. I'll leave!""Ye Xi—"
Back then, Prince Chen, Li Qian, seized him from behind in a tight embrace and said earnestly,"You are my closest friend—closer than any brother. You understand everything I say, don't you?"
He did. He understood it all. He bore no blame—only fury at his own powerlessness.
On the road back, Li Ce ordered Qingfeng to inform the Duke Anguo's household that Ye Xi had returned and was residing at Qingya Temple outside the city. Since he had already seen Ye Xi, it was no longer right to keep it from them. After all, this was family that had been separated for over a decade.
"What did Madam Ye say?" he asked upon Qingfeng's return.
"She thanked Your Highness for the notice," Qingfeng replied, tone calm.
Li Ce relaxed—until Qingfeng added,"However, the moment she heard the news, her round fan slipped from her hand. She bent to retrieve it, but knocked over a flower stand. The porcelain vase shattered."
Li Ce's nerves tightened, regretting not delivering the message himself.
"Was she hurt?"
"No injuries," Qingfeng reassured,"but as I left, I saw Shuiwen rushing out, saying she was going to fetch the young lady home."
Ye Rou stayed at home; surely, she meant Ye Jiao. How were things unfolding now in the Duke Anguo's residence?
There, Madam Ye's face was flushed crimson with rage.
"When our land was seized, he didn't come back. When Jiao Jiao was five and following me on trade ships, he didn't come back. When Rou'er was bullied by her in-laws and Chang Geng nearly punished, he still didn't come back. But now that Chang Geng has been promoted, and Jiao Jiao is to marry into the Prince of Chu's house—now he returns?"
She slammed her fan on the table. After a few hits, the bamboo handle snapped in two. She continued to strike with the fan's remains until it cracked and crumpled.
Ye Rou gently soothed her mother's chest, urging calm.
"Taoist priests are wanderers," she offered gently."Perhaps he merely passed through the capital."
"Too coincidental!" Madam Ye snapped, then turned to her younger daughter, seated quietly grinding tea leaves.
"Jiao Jiao, why don't you take someone and fetch your father from Qingya Temple? After all, he is the master of this household."
With Chang Geng absent, only Ye Jiao could run errands on the family's behalf.
Ye Jiao lifted her head, eyes slightly puzzled.
"Isn't the master of this household our mother?" she asked."You manage the business, the estates, and our daily lives. You raised me single-handedly. I've long forgotten what Father even looks like. Fetch him? What for? Is the Duke Anguo's residence a temple now?"
A Taoist ought to reside in a temple. Since he had chosen the monastic path, why return?
Madam Ye stared blankly at her daughter, much of her anger dissipating. To be recognized and supported by one's children—sometimes, that comfort surpasses any apology from a wayward husband.
"At least I didn't raise you in vain," she murmured.
"But..." Ye Rou hesitated,"I've passed by Qingya Temple before. It's terribly rundown."
"So what?" Ye Jiao said coolly."Taoists disdain luxury. They eat in the wild and sleep under the stars to win the heavens' favor. Only in hardship can one ascend to immortality."
Ye Rou fell silent, unable to refute her sister's argument.
Ye Jiao continued,"The Astronomical Bureau issued warnings of spring windstorms a few days ago. That temple—well, surely it won't be blown away?"
Madam Ye's eyes flickered."How strong could the wind be? We're not near the sea."
"Exactly." Ye Jiao nodded, rising."A colleague joked that at most, it might blow a sow into the sky. I still have matters at the Ministry of War. I'll be off."
A sow flying into the sky... That must be quite the gale.
Watching her graceful departure, Madam Ye no longer voiced complaints about Ye Xi. Yet a hint of unease crept into her heart.
"Are all Taoists like that?" she asked Ye Rou.
"Perhaps," Ye Rou replied."Temples in the capital are wealthy, but those outside are often just two rooms. If incense is scarce, they can't even afford paper for the windows."
"Serves him right," Madam Ye muttered bitterly."He brought it on himself."
As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the distant palace.
Did His Majesty know... that Ye Xi had returned?
Madam Ye clenched a torn strip of the fan in her hand. Upon it was embroidered a fading flower—half-wilted, half-blooming.
Her heart surged with memories, grief, and unspoken thoughts.
After a day of quiet reflection, she made up her mind to visit Ye Xi on the mountain. Though she harbored much resentment, she also knew—given the circumstances back then—his retreat into the Taoist path had, in fact, preserved their family.
Their life had been hard, but they had survived.
When the road is no longer fraught with peril, people find it easier to forgive.
Thus, Madam Ye packed quilts and bedding, instructing the steward to deliver them to Qingya Temple.
He soon returned, reporting that the master had accepted them and had asked if Madam might meet him at a nearby teahouse—he had something important to say...