Chapter Five: Matters of the Heart
Li Chengqian’s cheeks flushed faintly. His gaze flickered evasively, as if Zhao Mu had struck a nerve. In Zhao Mu’s presence, he always felt like a child stripped bare, every thought laid bare and seen through. The sensation was strange—both embarrassing and somewhat comforting.
After a moment of silence, he finally sighed, tinged with self-mockery and awkwardness, and spoke softly, “To be frank with you, Brother Zhao, my actions are not entirely of my own volition.”
“Oh?” Zhao Mu raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue.
Li Chengqian took another gulp of wine, the blush on his face deepening, his voice dropping even lower. “Actually… I only wanted to… make Father angry.”
“Pfft—”
Next door, Emperor Taizong nearly spat out blood. His eyes widened in disbelief. This unfilial son! To think he deliberately behaved so absurdly just to spite him!
For a moment, Taizong’s heart was a tumult of conflicting emotions. He had always believed it was Gaoming who had changed, never imagining the true reason lay beneath.
After hearing Li Chengqian’s explanation, Zhao Mu showed little surprise, merely uttering a soft “Oh.” Then, with a tone of certainty, he said, “You did this because you feel inferior.”
Li Chengqian stiffened abruptly, the color draining from his face, his expression suddenly darkening.
Inferior?
All his life, he had been crown prince of the Tang dynasty, second only to the emperor, towering above all others—how could he ever be associated with such a word?
Yet, for some reason, hearing it from Zhao Mu left him speechless.
Yes, he was indeed inferior.
Because of his leg, because of Father’s growing disappointment in him.
Because of the subtle attacks both inside and outside the court, and because of his increasingly accomplished younger brother, Li Tai.
These pressures weighed on him like towering mountains, suffocating him.
He wanted to resist, to prove himself, but he did not know how.
So he chose the most foolish and direct path—decadence.
Had anyone else dared utter the word “inferior” to him, he would have flared with rage and ordered them dragged out for a beating to death!
But Brother Zhao was different.
With Brother Zhao, he truly felt joy and relaxation.
Though sometimes sharp, every word from Zhao Mu struck right at his heart.
He even felt that Zhao Mu understood him better than Father or his uncle.
Zhao Mu looked at Li Chengqian’s sullen face but said nothing comforting, instead continuing calmly:
“If I’m not mistaken, not long ago, that man Hou Junji must have been inciting you to rebel, right?”
Boom!
Li Chengqian felt as if something exploded in his mind!
He jerked his head up, eyes wide, staring fixedly at Zhao Mu with shock and disbelief.
This… was his greatest secret! The deepest, darkest taboo of his heart!
Hou Junji had indeed approached him, more than once whispering deceitful words.
He spoke of “His Majesty in his prime and when the prince shall rise,” of “Better to fight desperately than wait for death.”
Each time, Li Chengqian had refused firmly.
Admittedly, Hou Junji’s words had stirred a flicker within him.
But he never imagined Zhao Mu would see through it with a single phrase!
How… did he know?!
Next door, Emperor Taizong was so shocked he nearly jumped from his chair!
Hou Junji?!
Rebellion?!
Gaoming?!
Those words combined made his heart nearly stop.
He had always known Hou Junji was ambitious but never dreamed he’d set his sights on the crown prince!
From Zhao Mu’s tone, Chengqian… hadn’t completely refused?
A chilling cold swept through Taizong’s body.
While both Li Chengqian and Emperor Taizong were stunned, Zhao Mu’s voice rang out again, tinged with disdain:
“Don’t get on that villain’s bandwagon.”
“That villain deserves to die!”
Li Chengqian’s face turned pale.
He immediately shook his head. “Brother Zhao, that’s not fair. General Hou is a meritorious official.”
“He earned great achievements for the Tang—when he pacified Gaochang, he was the commander, expanding the borders. His contributions cannot be denied…”
In his most desperate, helpless moments, Hou Junji was one of the few who had actively befriended him and openly offered support.
That ‘friendship’ was hard to abandon.
“Hah,” Zhao Mu sneered, “Achievements? You mean pacifying Gaochang? Wiping out a tiny country hardly counts as great merit.”
“In terms of expanding territory, can he compare to Xue Rengui, who fought the Turks to tears in the bitter cold of the northern deserts?”
“In terms of charging into battle and taking the enemy general’s head amidst thousands, can he match those like Yuchi Gong and Qin Qiong, who carved a bloody path outside Xuanwu Gate to protect your father? Even that old rustic Cheng Yaojin is probably braver and more straightforward than him!”
Li Chengqian fell silent.
Indeed, when it came to those illustrious, history-making feats, Hou Junji always seemed a bit lacking.
Seeing Li Chengqian’s lost expression, Zhao Mu continued coldly:
“Hou Junji prides himself on being both a scholar and a warrior, believing his talent surpasses all others.”
“But when it comes to military achievements, he’s overshadowed by seasoned commanders like the Duke of Weiguo and the Duke of Yingguo. He wasn’t even among the earliest to follow your father.”
“Seeing his name always fall short on the list of merits compared to those battle-hardened generals, how could he feel at ease?”
“Moreover, he’s now a prisoner. Do you think he harbors no resentment?”
Years ago, Hou Junji led troops to pacify Gaochang, winning unprecedented glory.
But upon his triumphant return, he was exposed for hoarding vast amounts of gold and silver meant for the treasury and allowing his troops to pillage.
Emperor Taizong’s face darkened with fury, and he ordered Hou Junji arrested and imprisoned.
For Hou Junji, this was injustice!
He had achieved such great merits—what harm was there in coveting some treasure?
“Resentment?” Li Chengqian murmured, his gaze wandering.
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