Chapter 15: Master Dou

With the support of Changsun, Li Kuan was fully confident in what he was about to do next.

At dawn the next day, just as the sky began to lighten, a carriage rolled slowly along the imperial road leading out of the palace.

Chang He, commander of the palace guards, stood atop the tower of the Vermilion Bird Gate. Upon witnessing the scene before him, he could only sigh helplessly.

No need to guess who was coming.

“Chang He! Open the gate!” Li Kuan’s strong voice came from inside the carriage as it came to a halt before the palace gate.

The old eunuch Jiang Qu, who was temporarily serving as the carriage driver but in fact tasked with protecting Li Kuan, looked at the still-closed gate and suggested, “Your Highness, shall I go down and urge them?”

This elderly eunuch, personally assigned by Li Er to accompany Li Kuan, might have appeared unremarkable, but his status within the palace rivaled even Yun Shang, Emperor Taizong’s trusted attendant eunuch.

“No need,” Li Kuan replied casually. “Chang He is an old acquaintance of mine; he wouldn’t be so inconsiderate.”

Sure enough, not long after, the tightly shut Vermilion Bird Gate slowly swung open.

Standing by the gate, Chang He’s expression was complicated as he watched the carriage. Heaven knows how much he wanted to avoid dealing with this master.

He had just counted the days on the tower; the princes were supposed to attend lessons as usual today, with no rest.

But since it was the Second Prince arriving, it was obvious—he was skipping class yet again.

Chang He hesitated slightly, torn between loyalty to the emperor and the predictable scowls of the assembled civil and military officials waiting outside once the gates were opened.

But there was no other choice. If he didn’t open the gate, this unruly Second Prince would likely resort to even more brazen acts, like secretly pouring syrup on the gate hinges.

Chang He was truly afraid.

So, after the gate opened wide, Jiang Qu glanced at the sea of officials outside with their darkened faces, lowered his gaze, cracked his whip, and the master and servant gradually drove out of the palace.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the “mirror of the ages” Wei Zheng—men of scholarly integrity—all harbored some resentment toward the Second Prince, who had arrogantly forced open the palace gate and driven a eunuch-drawn carriage right before the assembled officials.

“Outrageous!” The fiery-tempered Wei Zheng, upon witnessing this, immediately tried to step out from the ranks of officials to reprimand this “upstart” the emperor often complained about.

But at the next moment, someone stopped him.

“Lord Wei,” Dou Shilun grabbed the embroidered robe of Wei Zheng. This seemingly frail middle-aged scholar exerted considerable strength. Wei Zheng struggled in vain, while Dou Shilun spoke gently, “Don’t cause trouble. It’s time for court.”

“You!” The genuinely scholarly Wei Zheng was furious, flushed with anger. “Why do you turn a blind eye to the Second Prince’s outrageous conduct? You’re not helping him—you’re harming him!”

“Who said I’m helping the Second Prince?” Dou Shilun laughed softly and raised his chin, gesturing for Wei Zheng to look elsewhere. “Look what Lord Pei is doing.”

Wei Zheng turned to see Pei Ji, the first prime minister of the Tang dynasty, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.

Li Kuan’s creaking carriage rolled past him, and the great statesman simply pretended not to see.

Seeing this, Wei Zheng took a deep breath and looked back at Dou Shilun. “I understand what you mean, but Pei Ji can feign ignorance—I, Wei Zheng, cannot!” With that, he struggled again to break free.

“You must have misunderstood me,” Dou Shilun said calmly to this stubborn man, but his words struck like thunder: “I, Dou Shilun, was once carefully nurtured by Empress Dowager Taomu. Now that you, Wei Zheng, seek fame by exploiting her most beloved grandson, I will not agree.”

Dou Shilun’s cutting words stopped Wei Zheng in his tracks.

Even the surrounding officials fell into silence.

Meanwhile, Li Kuan’s carriage passed through the ranks and slowly disappeared into the distance.

“You say I seek fame through Li Kuan?” Wei Zheng gritted his teeth, each word practically spitting out.

“Best if not,” Dou Shilun released Wei Zheng’s arm, composedly smoothing his wrinkled official robe. “Just remember this: whenever it concerns the Second Prince, I Dou Shilun always stand in the darkest corners, ready to fathom the minds of those who harbor ill will toward him.”

“Dou Gong, is this necessary…” Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who had been watching, exchanged worried glances and stepped forward to intervene.

“The Second Prince is not yet of age,” Dou Shilun said expressionlessly to the three men before him. “If you have grievances, take them out on me.”

As long as the boy is spared.

This was not merely meant for their ears.

Because of the earlier dispute, Dou Shilun and Wei Zheng had become the center of attention.

So when Dou Shilun’s words echoed across the square, almost everyone heard what he said to Wei Zheng.

In the morning mist, the officials gazed at the figure before them, dreamlike and surreal.

Wei Zheng was at a loss for words.

He never imagined that the usually uncontentious Dou Shilun would go to such lengths over the Second Prince.

“Dou Shilun, are you threatening me?” Wei Zheng sneered.

“Not at all,” Dou Shilun smiled as well, like a genuine good-natured man. His next words were calm yet commanding: “But whoever dares to trouble my Second Prince, don’t blame this old man for turning around and troubling them instead…”

Boom!

The entire square seemed to explode with murmurs.

Such audacity! And from a mere Duke of Lingyang?

And to say “whoever”—in this early Tang period, when powerful dukes abounded, a mere duke like him had little standing to make such a claim.

Yet Dou Shilun boldly said it anyway.

Madness—sheer madness.

This was the true thought of the officials at that moment.

Pei Ji, standing at the head of the ranks, never looked back at the commotion behind him. But when he heard Dou Shilun’s loaded warning, a cold smile flickered at the corner of his mouth.

This powerful and soon-to-fall chief minister of the Tang suddenly harbored a daring idea in his heart…