"How can my Great Song be said to possess only the ability to ornament elegance and compose refined verse?"
Zhao Kuangyin knew from the voice alone that it was his younger brother speaking.
Perhaps experience had taught him restraint, for this time it was only a low complaint rather than a loud outcry.
Even so, it caused Zhao Kuangyin to glance at him with complicated feelings.
By the Gaoliang River, a donkey cart swayed. At Mount Tai's summit, self-deception took the place of the Way. In Bianliang, brocade splendor was trampled beneath iron hooves. At Yashan in the southern seas, cold winds wailed.
After the two Songs had come to their end, what the surviving people recalled was a Song of gently swaying fans, slow songs, and measured dances. They did not see Wang Anshi's resolve, Yue Fei's unjust blood, Xin Qiji's unwillingness, Cao Youwen's desperate stand, Meng Gong's solitude, Wen Tianxiang's righteous composure.
The Song recorded in later generations was certainly not without merit. Yet in a world where a hundred states competed and a thousand peoples contended, what that Song had done was far from enough.
Such a gaze from Zhao Kuangyin made Zhao Guangyi give a dry laugh.
"Elder Brother's new Song will surely surpass my Song. It will not leave a wreckage for descendants to labor over as I did."
The Song ruler turned around. After a moment of silence he said,
"I believe Master Kongjiong has copied too few Buddhist sutras."
Having spoken, he did not look again at his brother's suddenly altered expression. Zhao Kuangyin's tone gradually grew firm.
"Song is Song. It is only the Great Song founded by Zhao Kuangyin."
"Now that we know, we shall not leave calamity to our descendants. We seek only to leave blessings to benefit those who come after in Huaxia."
The words were simple, yet they filled Zhao Guangyi's heart with lingering sorrow.
Think thrice before acting. Deliberate deeply before governing. Dignified in bearing, convincing in every word and decision.
Such an elder brother upheld an empire, yet also forever cast his younger brother into shadow.
He wished to recount the merit of Chen Bridge. He wished to discuss the governance of Song. He wished to prove that he too possessed the talent to sit upon that seat.
But now it seemed he had indeed never escaped his brother's shadow.
"Ah. This Hongwu Emperor truly bears such an extraordinary visage?"
"No wonder he could accomplish such vast achievements beyond ordinary men."
Zhao Kuangyin sighed in admiration. Then he saw the words displayed upon the light screen, along with another portrait of Zhu Hongwu, and he frowned.
"This portrait must be a forgery of the Qing who imitated Yuan."
Zhao Pu and the others exchanged glances. Liu Han voiced dissent.
"The later generations have already said that this likeness is truly how Zhu Hongwu appeared."
Zhao Pu more calmly pointed out the fallacy.
"Your Majesty, one who achieves great enterprise need not possess an extraordinary visage. Such was Tang Taizong. Such is Your Majesty."
"And one who bears unusual features need not accomplish great undertakings. Such as…"
There was no need to finish. The gazes present turned in silent accord toward one man.
Li Yu was enraged.
"An extraordinary appearance does not require one to seize the realm!"
"I am not yet forty years of age. I am still in my prime."
"The literary world of this age still awaits the engraving of my romantic name. Why can I not accomplish great enterprise?"
Those observing cast varied looks toward the former lord of Jiangnan, then shifted their eyes away. Zhao Kuangyin hastened forward to console him.
Whether Li Yu could shape the literary world did not concern Zhao Kuangyin for the moment. But the agreement to purchase the Worthies' Residence at a grand price was something he was unwilling to abandon.
...
"These later generations."
Li Shimin felt a sudden imbalance in his heart and muttered,
"When speaking of Great Tang, why did these descendants not offer such praise?"
"And even setting that aside, they spoke only of matters that discomfort me."
In truth it was only mild complaint. Soon Li Shimin sighed instead.
"The situation faced by this Zhu Baba was indeed far more difficult than mine."
"Great Tang still had the former Sui as warning. When the Hongwu Emperor looked back, among Song, Yuan, Liao, and Jin, none could be called exemplary."
"Not to mention his birth. To accomplish this, I find it difficult even to imagine."
Though the light screen had earlier mentioned Zhu Yuanzhang's humble origins, those had been mere fragments of description. One might have thought them exaggerated.
Now the screen had made it plain.
His parents and siblings had all perished under the tyranny of the Hu Yuan. Alone and without possessions, he ultimately forged vast achievement.
Compared to him, Li Shimin's birth could not merely be called privileged. Though both ultimately pacified the realm, the Tang emperor understood clearly that the difficulty of their achievements was wholly different.
If their places were exchanged, could he pacify the world under Zhu Yuanzhang's circumstances?
The answer required almost no hesitation. He still could.
Only that, under such circumstances, what he required would not merely be courage, strategy, and literary talent. He would need to confront hunger, disease, bandits, and river pirates, matters he had never once needed to place at the forefront of his mind.
He would need to fight the chaotic age at close quarters, cross barrier after barrier between life and death, and only then earn the right to contend upon the same stage as other righteous armies.
Considering thus, Li Shimin felt even greater admiration.
"I regret that I cannot sit knee to knee and converse long with this Hongwu Emperor."
Empress Zhangsun smiled gently.
"If the Hongwu Emperor knew of Your Majesty's sentiments, he would surely take joy in them."
"Yet at present, I wonder at what time the Ming Emperor resides. Has he yet encountered the calamity of losing wife and son?"
Though she spoke thus, her gaze rested upon Sun Simiao.
The Medicine King stroked his beard and shook his head.
"By later methods of reckoning, Ming stands seven hundred years from our Tang. Their physicians should surpass my abilities."
"Let us see whether imperial physicians observe alongside Hongwu's court. We may exchange knowledge before speaking further."
Empress Zhangsun nodded in understanding and offered Sun Simiao a bow.
The gesture left him momentarily at a loss, glancing between her and Li Shimin, unsure where to place his hands.
Li Shimin also assumed a sincere expression.
"Though I have thanked you repeatedly, today I must again declare: the grace of saving my wife, my queen, is beyond repayment."
"I can only assist the Medicine King in compiling medical canons, establishing apothecaries, traveling the realm to heal the people so that his name is praised throughout. Only thus can I avoid failing his act of rescue."
Sun Simiao became truly flustered, yet upon hearing the Tang sovereign's promise he was deeply moved, protesting the thanks while murmuring,
"A physician upholds benevolence. How can one know of illness and not treat it?"
In the distance, Du Ruhui also bowed toward the Medicine King, then presented a small box beneath the light screen.
...
Within the prefectural office at Xuchang, Zhang Fei laughed loudly.
"Are kings and marquises born to their rank?"
"Born to it?"
Liu Bei was pleased. Zhuge Liang was delighted. Cao Cao remained silent.
Zhang Fei did not quiet thereafter. Rather, now that he had finally set his heart at ease, he seemed faintly jubilant.
"My Zhuo Commandery has at last returned to Huaxia?"
"After centuries of calamity, restored to the House of Han in a single dawn. Good. Good indeed."
"Most legitimate in gaining the realm are only Han and Ming? Hahaha. The descendants speak well!"
"It is only that this Zhu Hongwu's appearance was somewhat strange. Could such a face truly win a wife?"
"They placed the wrong one. That is more reasonable. Such a countenance truly bears imperial dignity!"