Chapter 2: A Summons Turns to Imprisonment! The Duke's Fury Bloodies the Gate

The imperial edict was here already?

Li Cijiu’s heart lurched at the announcement.

Court should only just have adjourned at this hour!

Perhaps his nephew had guessed correctly. Whoever stood behind this was after the entire household of the Duke of Liang.

His face darkened, deep lines bunching between his brows.

Li Xuanzhen looked much calmer. Still, the edict had arrived sooner than even he had expected.

As Li Cijiu prepared to take the brat out to receive it, Li Xuanzhen hurriedly asked, “Uncle, has anything happened in our household recently that someone could use against us?”

Li Cijiu frowned. After a brief hesitation, he answered helplessly, “Our household has neither embezzled funds nor abused its authority.

“There is, however, one matter involving you. It could be made into a serious offense, or a minor one.”

Now Li Xuanzhen understood.

So this was a whole chain of traps!

A servant came running over to urge them on quietly.

If good fortune awaited, it would do them no harm. If disaster awaited, there was no escaping it.

Before long, the people outside the Duke of Liang’s gate were on their knees.

Eunuch Gao read the edict aloud.

“By Heaven’s mandate, the emperor decrees:

“Li Xuanzhen, legitimate grandson of the Duke of Liang, was born into an honored military house and has repeatedly enjoyed imperial favor.

“His father, Li Xinnian, gave his life for the nation at the Battle of Shanhai. His manifest loyalty and valor remain deeply cherished by Us.

“And yet!

“On the tenth anniversary of the late emperor’s passing, while the nation observed reverent silence, this same Li Xuanzhen disregarded propriety and law. At the Imperial Academy he uttered insolent, reckless words, profaning an imperial princess.

“He spent the night at Hundred Flowers House, feasting extravagantly and indulging in pleasure, squandering public funds. His outrageous conduct corrupted public morals and desecrated the late emperor’s spirit.

“Such unbridled behavior by the sons of noble houses has drawn the disapproval of court and country and disgraced the customs of the realm.

“Without stern punishment, the wayward habits of the capital cannot be corrected, nor can the noble houses throughout the land be brought to account.

“In consideration of his father’s loyal and valiant sacrifice, and his family’s record of faithful service, We cannot bear to impose the ultimate penalty and end a loyal subject’s line.

“Li Xuanzhen is therefore summoned to the palace for an audience and questioning in person.

“Should these charges prove true, they shall be investigated to the end. No leniency shall be shown.

“Respect this decree!”

Well, there it was. Stick his head out or pull it back, the blade would fall either way.

Li Xuanzhen kowtowed and raised both hands above his head. “This student, Li Xuanzhen, receives the imperial decree.”

But Eunuch Gao carefully rolled the edict up instead of placing it in his hands.

“Young master,” he said shrilly, “you will accompany me to the palace for your audience.

“His Majesty will never wrong an innocent man. Nor, naturally, will he spare a wicked one.”

The Imperial Guard soldiers behind him advanced to seize Li Xuanzhen by the arms.

At the same time, other guards brought up a battered prison cart.

Li Xuanzhen frowned. He had never heard of an imperial audience requiring a ride in a prison cart.

It would be as good as pronouncing him guilty.

This treatment plainly did not match the emperor’s decree.

Was someone meddling behind the scenes?

Li Cijiu was alarmed. Why should his nephew ride in a prison cart to attend an audience?

Or was the boy unlikely to return alive?

He started forward to demand an explanation. This was a summons to an audience, so why the prison cart?

Eunuch Gao bowed with his hands cupped, but his voice carried a heavy warning.

“General Li, His Majesty also said that inquiries have established this matter concerns Li Xuanzhen alone. No other member of the Duke of Liang’s household will be implicated.

“This is a special act of grace, granted in recognition of your household’s meritorious service to Great Li.

“I trust you will conduct yourself accordingly, General.”

Li Cijiu’s expression grew grave.

He understood the unspoken message perfectly.

They intended to trade Zhen’er’s life for the safety of the entire household.

What a clever move.

Now he was more certain than ever that someone had framed Zhen’er for both incidents yesterday.

Li Xuanzhen jerked his arms free of the guards, walked up to Eunuch Gao, and cupped his hands with a smile.

“Would you be Lord Gao, chief of the imperial household?”

At the sight of that ingratiating smile, Eunuch Gao deliberately lifted his chin.

“Indeed.”

Li Xuanzhen snorted, raised a hand, and slapped him hard across the face.

Smack!

Eunuch Gao staggered back a step.

The guards stared, dumbstruck.

Li Xuanzhen was not finished. He kicked Gao to the ground, then laid into his most vulnerable spot, cursing with every kick.

“You gelded dog! You’ve got some fucking nerve! You don’t bow when you see me, and then you dare put on airs?

“I’m a duke’s legitimate grandson! Even when His Majesty summons me, you servants are supposed to deliver the summons courteously!

“Believe me, I can kick you so hard you won’t get out of bed for three days!

“Since your third leg’s already gone, why don’t I do you a favor and break the other two?”

Li Cijiu hurried over and pulled Li Xuanzhen away.

Only then did the guards recover their wits and rush to help Eunuch Gao up.

Gao’s face alternated between livid and pale. Li Xuanzhen’s footprints covered his brocade robe.

The guards’ heads were spinning. This was the chief of the Imperial Household Department, one of the emperor’s personal attendants!

If he whispered even a word or two against someone…

Li Xuanzhen, on the other hand, felt wonderful.

With the Duke of Liang’s name behind him, he could put on a proper show.

More to the point, he had already worked out what to say before the emperor.

If things went smoothly, his household might emerge not merely innocent, but rewarded.

Seeing his uncle’s anxious face, he said quietly, “Don’t worry, Uncle. I have a plan.”

Just as Eunuch Gao was about to rebuke him, a figure emerged from the residence.

Everyone fell silent.

Even the grievously mistreated Eunuch Gao did no more than glare at Li Xuanzhen and snort.

Li Zhenbei, Duke of Liang, stepped over the threshold.

At the sight of the old duke, still vigorous despite his years, Gao’s expression changed at once. He approached with a smile and cupped his hands.

“This servant pays his respects to—”

Before he could finish, Li Zhenbei raised his hand and struck him across the face.

Smack!

The blow was full strength, the report sharp and clear.

Eunuch Gao fell to the ground.

Clutching his face, he stared at Li Zhenbei in disbelief.

“You dare strike me?” he cried. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to His Majesty?”

Li Zhenbei laughed coldly. “You old eunuch dog. You’re not fit to bring a charge against me.

“If I weren’t afraid of dirtying my hands, I could kill you, and His Majesty wouldn’t blame me for it.”

His figure blurred. In an instant, he was beside the prison cart.

Everyone’s vision seemed to swim; none had managed to follow the movement of this man in his sixties.

Li Xuanzhen could only marvel. Nicely done!

His grandfather was outrageously bold.

Steel flashed.

The old duke drew a saber from a guard’s waist and laid it against Eunuch Gao’s neck.

“One more word, you old dog, and I’ll cut you down where you stand!”

Gao shuddered and dared not speak.

The Duke of Liang had withdrawn from court years ago and no longer concerned himself with government affairs. But everyone knew his temper.

When he said something, he meant it.

Before the present emperor’s accession, people had brought accusations supported by fabricated evidence.

Li Zhenbei had settled the matter himself, alone with a single saber, cutting his way through every accuser.

The late emperor had not offered so much as a word of reproach. Instead, he had rewarded the duke handsomely.

After that, the Duke of Liang’s reputation for ruthless decisiveness spread throughout Great Li.

That same year, Ye Zhao seized three of Great Li’s commanderies in succession.

Li Zhenbei requested command, crushed the invading army, and had two hundred thousand surrendered soldiers buried alive.

His fearsome name spread across the Nine Provinces.

Had age not forced him to return to Tai’an, the Eastern Hu would never have dared invade while he held the northern frontier.

Li Zhenbei flicked his wrist. The cold blade edged closer to Eunuch Gao’s neck.

Gao trembled again.

The duke snorted. “Answer me. Did His Majesty’s decree say my grandson was to enter the palace in a prison cart?”

Though Gao’s brow remained dark with resentment, he shook his head.

“Then why,” Li Zhenbei thundered, “were you putting my grandson in one?

“Speak! Did someone pay you, you old eunuch dog, to make trouble for him?”

Faced with the duke’s fury, Gao broke out in a cold sweat and shook his head repeatedly.

The Imperial Guard commander stepped forward and saluted.

“Your Grace, while His Majesty did not order your grandson to ride in a prison cart, he did insist that his safety be ensured.

“Eunuch Gao resorted to this arrangement for that reason alone.

“I beg Your Grace’s understanding.”

The commander received no further questions from the duke.

He received a savage stroke of the saber.

Whoosh!

His head flew into the air. A column of blood spurted upward, staining the clean ground outside the Duke of Liang’s residence a glaring scarlet.

Everyone froze.

Eunuch Gao nearly wet himself.

Li Zhenbei snorted and slid the borrowed blade into the scabbard of a guard beside him.

“In that case, have a carriage prepared and take my grandson to his audience.

“If you delay him and His Majesty takes offense, you cannot bear the consequences!”

The guards shuddered and bowed with their hands cupped. None dared utter a word.

Gao’s legs were so weak he could not stand.

He had never imagined the old duke would kill a man in the street, much less a commander of the Imperial Guard.

But now none of them dared say another word, for fear the duke might take it into his head to cut theirs off too.

And so Li Xuanzhen was spared a ride in the prison cart.

Before long, the duke’s carriage was ready.

Li Xuanzhen bowed to his grandfather with his hands cupped, then climbed inside without a word.

Half a quarter of an hour passed.

Li Cijiu could no longer contain himself. “Father, are we just going to watch Zhen’er go into the palace?”

Li Zhenbei gave him a cold glance. “Useless fool. You can’t even protect the only child your elder brother left behind.”

Li Cijiu felt utterly helpless under his father’s rebuke. He wanted to protect the boy, but no one had given him the chance!

He sighed inwardly. “Father, this isn’t the time to assign blame. We need to save Zhen’er’s life. I truly can’t rest easy with him going before His Majesty alone.”

The duke snorted. “What the hell are you afraid of?

“My grandson is a decent soul. Villains must have framed him.”

Watching the carriage recede into the distance, Li Cijiu clenched both fists.

“Zhen’er is the last of my elder brother’s blood.

“I don’t ask him to accomplish anything. I only want him to live his life free of worry.

“If he gets through this, I won’t so much as frown even if he squanders every coin in this household.”

“Of course you won’t. It’s my damned household!” Li Zhenbei’s mustache bristled with anger. “Someone fetch the golden dragon-scale saber and golden-python glazed armor the late emperor bestowed on me. I’m going to see His Majesty.”