The death of Ji Daochun has pitted the aristocratic family against Li Guanyi. The aristocratic family is worried that if they give him a grand burial at this time, it might incite the scholars’ public opinion. Those young people are at an age easily influenced by the aristocratic family, but it is also at this age that they have a fiery spirit that no one can stop once ignited.
Both Ji Zichang and Li Guanyi are quite skilled in martial arts.
After sneaking in, Ji Zichang pointed at the tombstone and cursed loudly.
Li Guanyi, with a handful of snacks, watched as Ji Zichang drunkenly cursed, considering from his behavior that day on the Imperial Path, Ji Zichang truly wanted to roll up his sleeves and beat Ji Daochun until his face was as pink as peach blossoms.
After cursing for a while, Ji Zichang still wasn’t satisfied. He thought for a moment and directly untied his waistband.
He urinated on Ji Daochun’s tombstone.
Li Guanyi was dumbfounded.
Li Guanyi burst into laughter.
It seemed the commotion startled the guard, who shouted that they were coming. Li Guanyi and Ji Zichang hurried into the small forest, avoiding the approaching people, and locked eyes, both bursting into laughter.
Ji Zichang directly put his arm around Li Guanyi’s shoulder and said, "Good brother, accompany me once more in this mischief today, and later I’ll give you a good gift that won’t disappoint you!"
Li Guanyi took a sip of Thousand-Day Drunk, leisurely saying, "Alright!"
In his heart, there was also a slight feeling of gloom with these layered rules and orders that envelop the era. With his temperament, he hadn’t felt at ease these days either. The two hit it off instantly—one an emperor showing a bit of hooligan temperament, the other a feudal lord who grew up wandering.
But, after all, it was just going to the casino to see what it looked like, strolling into the Ghost Market to see the trades there; Ji Zichang was greatly interested in brothels, wanting to drag Li Guanyi along.
Li Guanyi carried him backhandedly.
Ji Zichang, drunk, said, "You’re not interested?"
"Ah, at your age, with such martial skills, are you not a Primordia Yang of..."
Ji Zichang was flipped onto the ground by a back throw.
Ji Zichang lay there with his arms wide open in some pavilion courtyard, laughing, "Pity, pity, I’m not much older than you, and I do have a daughter, but she’s only five. If she were twelve or thirteen, I’d let you betroth her."
Li Guanyi replied, "You are indeed open-minded."
Ji Zichang raised a finger and said, "After all, at your age, with your skills, and how should I put it..." He looked at Li Guanyi, smiling, "After Mr. Wang Tong’s incident, your temperament has changed slightly."
"Before that, you still had a sharp heroic aura."
"Today, you seem more composed."
Li Guanyi said, "People change."
Ji Zichang said, "Indeed, even someone like me can change, let alone you?"
Ji Zichang laughed weakly, clutching his belly and lying there, murmuring, "I have several daughters, but as for sons, I did have one."
Li Guanyi said, "How old was he?"
Ji Zichang gestured, softly saying:
"I did have one, but he died young, poisoned. His face was blue and purple, fingers still curled, very cute. When I last saw his body, his little hand was clutching a rope."
"Attached was the longevity lock I gave him."
"I hoped he could grow up healthy and strong. It was brought from the Wenxue Palace and the Innate from the Tao. The longevity lock had shattered."
Li Guanyi looked at Ji Zichang.
As Ji Zichang described his son’s death, his tone was plain.
You couldn’t see any sadness.
Finally, in silence, he added a sentence: "If he were still alive now."
"He would be seven years and one hundred thirty-two days old."
"It would be the age to grasp a sword and read books."
Ji Zichang said, "He was the son of Noble Consort Wen. I know who killed him; it was the Empress. But she claimed it was a Palace Maid, cried and knelt, saying she didn’t manage the harem well, asking me to punish her."
"How could I punish her?"
"My Empress is the daughter of the Qinghe Cui family, while Noble Consort Wen is of the Wen family. This isn’t personal strife, but a struggle of power over the world, affecting even the inner palace."
"Noble concubine, talented; each one is a disciple of an aristocratic family. Pharmacist, do you guess why the Emperor can’t have only one wife? If there were only one wife, wouldn’t there be none of these annoying, bloody, sorrowful struggles?"
Li Guanyi looked at him, as Ji Zichang raised a finger, drunkenly saying:
"If I had only one Empress, the daughter of the Cui family with branches in all countries, unconsciously, the Court would be filled with Cui family members or those associated with the Cui family."
"The Great General would be my brother-in-law, the Young Family Master of the Cui family managing finances."
"In less than ten years, there would be no one usable in the Court."
"Officials of all departments would have to curry favor with them because my Empress was sole. The son I have with the Cui family would be the Crown Prince, haha, truly laughable. Therefore, different female members of various aristocratic families are needed as concubines to use one aristocratic family against another."
"The pure talented individuals I employ would be attacked by aristocratic officials, having to demote them to protect them, but when I want to use them again, something would happen."
"Either join an aristocratic family or die abruptly."
"In the past, I just thought, it’s the Heavenly Mandate, Heaven doesn’t give me the right timing; everything I do can’t go as desired. I lost my father young, and as I matured, lost my beloved. When I became an Emperor, the scholars and able ministers I valued either fell or died untimely."