When Fang Jie saw the straight sword named Morning Dew, his eyes were glued to it. His attention, previously focused on the short gun, was completely drawn to this straight sword, his gaze burning with fervor. Prince Yi, Yang Yin, had been watching Fang Jie closely, and when he saw the fervor in Fang Jie's eyes, he couldn't help but laugh.
To win someone over, catering to their desires is paramount.
Fang Jie took the Morning Dew sword from Yang Yin's hand. In an instant, the sword's chilling aura spread from his palm throughout his body. The sheer weight of the sword startled Fang Jie. He couldn't help but examine it closely, discovering a fine layer of water droplets on the blade, reflecting beautiful colors in the sunlight. This sword was considerably heavier than the standard horizontal sword of the Sui Dynasty; even Fang Jie found it somewhat cumbersome in his hands.
Judging by its size, the Morning Dew Blade was only slightly longer than the standard horizontal sword of the Sui Dynasty, demonstrating the exceptional nature of the black iron used to forge it. Its most remarkable feature was undoubtedly the layer of fine water droplets covering its blade. Despite the frigid air, the water droplets on the blade did not freeze, adding to its mystique. Fang Jie curiously wiped away the water droplets with his sleeve, but soon another layer slowly reappeared.
Yang Yin picked up the jewel-encrusted short sword Fang Jie had seen earlier from the table, saying, "That merchant from Dongchu said this short sword is an extraordinary treasure, capable of cutting through gold and jade. Try it out and see if it's sharper than the Morning Dew."
Fang Jie was reluctant; he feared ruining the perfectly crafted Morning Dew Blade. Even a tiny chip on the blade would be unbearable.
"It's alright."
Yang Yin smiled, then suddenly drew his short sword and struck the Morning Dew Blade. Fang Jie, with his skill, could easily have dodged it, but he hesitated and didn't move. With a crisp clang, the so-called Eastern Chu treasure sword in Yang Yin's hand snapped in two. Looking at the Morning Dew sword, its blade remained undamaged.
Fang Jie gazed at the Morning Dew sword, captivated by its beauty.
"I gave you this sword for the sake of the court and the nation, and of course, it's also because we hit it off immediately. Having this sword in your hands fulfills a long-held wish of mine. In the future, I will find a skilled craftsman to forge a scabbard worthy of this Morning Dew sword."
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Highness!"
Fang Jie placed the Morning Dew sword aside, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.
Standing to the side, Shen Qingshan glanced at the sword, then at Prince Yi, Yang Yin, and frowned slightly. However, standing beside Yang Yin, he naturally couldn't see her expression. Yang Yin stepped forward to help Fang Jie up, preventing him from bowing, and said with a smile, "As I said before, this knife is most suitable for you. If it lies in my storeroom all day without seeing the light of day, it will become just an ordinary item, no matter how good it is, merely an ornament. If you really want to thank me, just don't refuse when I need your help in the future."
"Your Highness is too kind; how could I dare refuse?"
Fang Jie bowed his head and replied earnestly.
Yang Yin nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the items on the table, saying, "If you like anything, just take it. Anyway, these things are all free; giving them to you will earn me a favor."
Fang Jie thought for a moment, looking at the short pistol, and said, "Then I'll take this one too."
Prince Yi hummed in agreement and turned to ask Shen Qingshan, "Is there anything you like? If you see anything you like, just take it. This is your first time meeting me with Fang Jie, so I should give you a small gift."
Shen Qingshan smiled and said, "Thank you." "Your Highness is too kind, but I truly don't know what to ask for. Perhaps Your Highness could bestow anything, anything at all."
"Haha."
Yang Yin seemed to be in a very good mood. He looked around the table and finally chose a pure gold fan inlaid with many gemstones. After examining it, he handed it to Shen Qingshan: "I know your name contains the character for 'fan' (扇). Giving you this is a bit vulgar, but it suits your name perfectly, so it's not bad."
"Thank you for your gift, Your Highness."
Shen Qingshan accepted it generously and examined it carefully.
This fan was merely a beautiful treasure; it couldn't be used to fan wind or as a weapon. However, its value was undoubtedly considerable; the gold spent on crafting it alone was no small sum.
"Come, let's go downstairs for some wine."
Yang Yin had given away three gifts in a row, seemingly in a good mood. He instructed the servants to put away the other items and then went downstairs first. Following the spiral staircase to the third floor of the ship, the servants had already laid out the wine and dishes. The dishes were nothing special, neither extravagant nor greasy. The cook was clearly skilled; the dishes looked ordinary, but it was precisely these kinds of home-style dishes that were most difficult to make outstanding.
"Sit down," Yang Yin said after taking his seat.
"There are no outsiders, just the three of us. I had originally prepared a few elegant courtesans to entertain our guests, but Qing Shan also came along. Fang Jie… you can't say I haven't been hospitable."
Fang Jie smiled awkwardly and said, "Your Highness, please forgive my poor hospitality."
Yang Yin said, "What's this? A man without a confidante is truly a laughingstock. Whether a man is successful or a failure can be clearly seen by the women beside him."
Fang Jie disagreed with this, but couldn't refute it. It seemed to be a common saying since ancient times. Although it sounded disrespectful to women, it was indeed true. In fact, if you think about it another way, what woman doesn't want her man to be a true, upright man? "Juexiao, how long do you think the war in the Northwest will last?"
After taking a sip of wine, Yang Yin asked seemingly casually.
"Taking Manduqi is not difficult, but defending it is. At the very least, this war will not end for several years. If the Sui Dynasty occupies Manduqi, Möngke will definitely send troops to take it back. He won't give up until it's taken back immediately. Therefore, I dare not say how long this war will last."
Yang Yin nodded, remaining silent for a moment: "Then do you think it was right or wrong to wage war against the Mongols?"
These words... made Fang Jie's heart tighten immediately!
...
...
Taiji Palace.
East Warm Pavilion.
The Emperor sat cross-legged on the earthen bed, flipping through a book in his hands. Perhaps he was tired of reviewing memorials, so he picked up an ancient book and casually flipped through it. Thinking back, he realized he had read this book thoroughly when he was a child, but after thirty years, he found he had forgotten most of it.
Being a prince is far more arduous than being an ordinary child. They have so much to learn that they have no time to manage their own lives; even a moment of play is a luxury. Being emperor is naturally even more exhausting; not only is there no time for play, but there's no desire for it either.
Thinking of this, the emperor felt a pang of envy for his father, who had sat on the throne for over forty years. He was the complete opposite of his late father. The late emperor was someone who never wanted to confine himself; during his forty-year reign, he would almost annually travel outside Chang'an, essentially escaping the court to relax.
Sometimes, Yang Yi would think of simply letting go and going out to play for a while. His palace on the coast of the East Sea had been renovated for six or seven years, but he hadn't visited it even once. One would think that an emperor should have a wealth of experience, but there were so many things he hadn't seen. He hadn't seen the sea, the Yangtze River, the vast grasslands, or the towering mountains; he hadn't even had time to explore the legendary, picturesque Jiangnan region.
Being an emperor in this position seemed somewhat devoid of joy.
But Yang Yi enjoyed this life.
He loved the feeling of holding power in his hands; it was more satisfying than seeing any breathtaking scenery. He even enjoyed reviewing memorials, which his father considered the most agonizing and torturous task in the world. In truth, given the strength and foundation of the Sui Dynasty, even if he were to be a passive, inactive emperor, nothing bad would happen to the Sui.
But he refused. As emperor, how could he not be remembered for eternity? How could he not achieve lasting merit?
He had become emperor as he wished, but he didn't want to be a mediocre one. In the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, apart from Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, which other emperor was truly memorable? Emperor Taizu founded the dynasty, Emperor Taizong expanded its territory; these two emperors are still praised and respected by the people of the Sui Dynasty even centuries later. But if he didn't accomplish anything great, all that would remain would be a pale and powerless name in the history books.
Therefore, he chose the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.
Which previous Sui emperors dared to easily wage war against the Mongol Yuan? He dared!
His name was Yang Yi.
His thoughts were a jumbled mess. Yang Yi closed the book, then rubbed his temples with his eyes closed. After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "Is Fang Jie still in Prince Yi's residence?"
The eunuch Su Buwei bowed slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, not yet. The Shadow Guards have been watching closely. They saw Fang Jie and Prince Yi ascend to the highest point of the ship using their telescopic eyes, and then disembarked shortly after."
"Hmm."
The Emperor hummed in agreement. "Fang Jie is clever. Entrusting this matter to him will surely not disappoint me. The Sixth Prince hasn't given up yet, and is even resorting to underhanded tactics. I killed the Vice Minister of War, Hou Junci, and dismissed the Minister of War, Yu Donglai, yet he still won't behave himself… Is gaining power so intoxicating? Or does he harbor other intentions?"
Su Buwei dared not answer, nor could he. The Emperor knew that Su Buwei wouldn't dare respond to such a question, so he sighed and said, "Go and invite Dean Zhou. I have something to discuss with him."
Su Buwei acknowledged and turned to leave.
The Emperor leaned against the wall, shook his neck, and sighed softly as he looked at the setting sun outside the window. Prince Yi had become quite active lately; he knew his sixth brother wanted the position of Grand General of the Western Expedition. People in the court were already speaking on his behalf, saying that Prince Xu, Yang Kai, lacked the qualifications to control the overall situation, and that the Northwest campaign had been delayed because Yang Kai was afraid of war.
Weren't these words paving the way for his sixth brother?
The Emperor knew all this, but he wasn't sure if his sixth brother had other intentions.
Officials in the court were secretly in contact with Prince Yi; if he wanted to know, no one could hide it from him. But what he hadn't expected was that the list Luo Weiran had submitted was so shocking. While not all these officials were necessarily won over by Prince Yi and became his confidants, many had taken bribes and spoken on his behalf. Even if just one official remained wholeheartedly loyal to Prince Yi, it would still be a cause for concern for the Emperor.
After much deliberation, the Emperor realized that Fang Jie was the most suitable person to approach the Sixth Prince. He didn't truly trust a single official in the entire court.
But did he trust Fang Jie?
The Emperor had asked himself this question before, and the answer was… no. As an emperor, he couldn't truly and completely trust anyone.
Thinking of that young man, the Emperor's lips curled into a smile.
"If you are capable, I will naturally not bury your talent."
He murmured, thinking, "I not only want to leave a peaceful and prosperous empire for the Crown Prince, but I also want to cultivate some capable talents."
Just then, the heavy cotton curtain was lifted from the outside, and a small head peeked in, then smiled brightly: "Father, will you fly a kite with me?"
It was a beautifully sculpted little boy, about five or six years old, with an adorable, chubby face. Most striking were his large, clear black and white eyes, which seemed to speak volumes when he smiled.
Yang Yi held out his hand, and the little boy ran inside, clumsily climbed onto the earthen bed, and buried himself in Yang Yi's arms: "Sister won't take me to fly a kite, Father, will you take me?"
"Okay!"
The Emperor picked the little boy up and lifted him high above his head: "Father will lift you high, so no one can reach you, okay?"
"Okay!"