CHAPTER 583: CHAPTER 383: FAME, DO YOU HAVE IT?

Chapter 383

Although Fang Xuanling did not explicitly express his stance, what he said indeed touched upon the key points.

This debate was like a boundary drawn by Fang Xuanling: based on different viewpoints, everyone cited scriptures and classical references, presented facts, and gave examples. The argument was so heated it became almost impossible to untangle. If a person like Duke Song were present, there would probably be an even fiercer quarrel.

After more than an hour passed, it was still difficult to determine the superior argument. Apart from Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and one Xiao Song, nearly everyone else had been drawn into the debate.

Li Shimin’s heart was already filled with disappointment toward both the Crown Prince and Prince Wei, and after enduring subtle and sharp criticisms, direct and indirect, for over an hour, his displeasure only grew.

Although he was the ruler of a country, he was also a father. Which father in the world could tolerate a whole group of people criticizing his son to his face, and for over an hour at that? Li Shimin was already showing great magnanimity.

"Enough." Li Shimin could no longer bear to listen and lightly raised his hand to say, "First, verify the truth of this matter. If it indeed turns out to be true, we will come to a conclusion on another day."

"Understood."

The group of ministers, with great decorum, immediately stopped talking, straightened their robes, and with the impassioned words from moments ago seemingly not having come from them, they bowed in unison to Li Shimin and then quietly exited the hall in order.

Xiao Song was the first to come out, intentionally slowing his pace. It was not that he wanted to hear what others might discuss; all of them were core ministers at the heart of Great Tang, and they certainly would not gossip immediately upon leaving the hall.

Xiao Song greeted each person who passed by him, and in the end, he noticed that indeed Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng had not come out.

Outside the palace gate, to his surprise, snow had started to fall. There was no wind, and the snowflakes gently spiraled down. By the time Xiao Song reached his home, it had turned into a flurry of large snowflakes, quickly whitening the ground.

The bedroom emitted a warm glow. Xiao Song stood in the corridor, brushing off the snow from his body, and his mood suddenly became especially cheerful. There was a time when he returned to utter darkness, but now, with a beloved wife, he too had found his harbor.

He was the place where Ran Yan’s heart could rest; and was not Ran Yan also the peace of his heart?

Upon entering, he saw through the delicate bamboo curtain that Ran Yan was indeed leaning on the couch reading a book. She seemed to hear a noise and set the book aside, lifting the curtain to peek.

"Didn’t you say not to wait?" Xiao Song took off his cape, tossed it onto the screen, and turned to look at her with a beaming smile.

Ran Yan attempted to get up, but Xiao Song quickly said, "Lie down; don’t come out and catch a chill."

Ran Yan, however, did not heed his words and walked over to help him take off his official uniform, noticing the snow on his body, she said, "Is it snowing outside?"

"Yes." Xiao Song swiftly undressed and urged her again, "Quick, get on the couch."

Ran Yan smiled faintly, "I am not so delicate; the room is heated, it’s not cold."

Xiao Song took a fox fur coat from the screen and wrapped her in it, chiding with a laugh, "Disobedient."

Ge Lan led several maids in to attend to him as he quickly freshened up. They also stoked the fire in the brazier before leaving.

The two of them got on the couch, and Ran Yan helped him unravel his hair knot, asking, "Why were you gone so long, has something big happened?"

"Indeed, Sang Suiyuan has accused the Crown Prince and Prince Wei. The Emperor is up in arms, toying with the idea of deposing them. He called a group of powerful officials for consultation. They sent for me to only assign the task of investigating the matter." Xiao Song relaxed completely, enveloped in the subtle fragrance of orchids emanating from her.

Ran Yan’s hand, while combing his hair, paused slightly as she asked, "The Emperor isn’t contemplating appointing Li Ke, is he?"

Even though she knew the future Emperor would be Li Xiaojiu, and it seemed Xiao Song might have designs on Li Xiaojiu as well, with her ability to traverse time, what event couldn’t be changed? Whether history is irreversibly fixed is still a question that only time can answer.

"Perhaps, but appointing Li Ke, that’s difficult." Xiao Song exhaled and lazily reclined on the couch, "As Cen Wenben said, what defines legitimate and illegitimate? It’s nothing more than birth from the favored mother. But the difficulty lies precisely in this point."

"Why is that?" Ran Yan pulled the covers over him and lay down beside him.

Turning to face her, Xiao Song said, "The Emperor has numerous concubines in his harem, but most are there to bind the allegiances of powerful families. Although the Emperor is also very passionate, with Empress Zhangsun present, the beauties are vibrant; without Empress Zhangsun, no matter how beautiful a lady is, she may not be interesting. The position of Empress is not for just anyone to sit."

In other words, Li Shimin’s position of Empress belonged solely to his Guanyin maid, and whether it was because of his feelings for Empress Zhangsun or due to the support and circumstances surrounding the Zhangsun Clan, it was unlikely that he would lightly appoint another Empress.