Chapter 136 Looking Up

Inside the Hall of Longevity at the Huaqing Palace on Mount Li, music and dancing filled the air.

Hundreds of banquet tables were arranged, with a stage erected in the center. People moved to and fro, either clinking cups with colleagues and exchanging flattery, or moving in groups to offer congratulations to the Emperor and the Imperial Consort.

Only one man, wearing neither the official robes of the Hanlin Academy nor shedding his leather boots as he entered the hall, sat feigning drunkenness at his table. A wild figure in white, he drank bitterly in despair, lamenting his sorrows all alone.

Abe no Nakamaro, seated close by, felt deep concern and repeatedly shook his head. Though a traveler from a foreign land, it was his great honor to befriend such a literary master and swordsman; yet, feeling incapable of sharing his burden, he was acutely aware of his own helplessness.

The drumbeats ceased, the flutes began, the pipa plucked three or four notes, the zheng played six or seven chords, and the musicians struck up the melody of *Qingping Diao*.

The dancing girls left the stage to make way for a new troupe. With slender, bare midriffs, they performed dances with a touch of exotic flair—some whirling in the Sogdian style, others tossing their flowing sleeves—drawing the meticulous appreciation and commentary of the Imperial Consort.

Many high-ranking officials were left gaping, for such dances were utterly breathtaking. The soft, gentle dances of the outer circle set off the vigorous dance at the center, and the guests hurriedly polished their flattering remarks to congratulate the Emperor.

"Clouds remind me of her robes, and flowers of her face, the spring breeze..."

Hearing this song, Li Bai felt a turbulent mixture of emotions within his breast. What use was it that the palace maids sang so sweetly? Who could fathom the sorrow hidden within the notes? No matter how lingering the tune or how leisurely the song, it could not wash away the anguish in his heart.

Elder He had departed; the last great tree in the imperial court had grown old. Aside from himself, Taibai, still struggling here, there was no longer anyone truly worthy of sharing one's innermost thoughts. To be sure, Du Fu from the Princess's mansion often drank and made merry with him, slightly alleviating the melancholy in his heart. As for Abe no Nakamaro, owing to his status as an esteemed foreign guest, he was likewise someone Li Bai considered worthy of total trust.

"Brother Taibai, the Great Tang is now prosperous with song and dance, and the country is at peace—verily a blessing! There is no need for you to drown yourself in drink; unburdening your heart is the proper way!"

Seeing Li Bai so despondent, Abe no Nakamaro could only offer kind consolations. He no longer knew how many times he had spoken such words, yet Brother Taibai still drank himself senseless day after day, refusing to rise once intoxicated.

"Brother Abe need not urge me so. The skies over Chang'an have changed, and sooner or later, I, Li, shall have to leave! If I lacked even this bit of self-awareness, wouldn't my dozen years of traveling across the four seas have been in vain?"

His words were wild and unrestrained. Unsealing a jar of wine, he gulped it down savagely, then looked up and laughed aloud, his reckless voice nearly drowning out the music.

Seeing that Li Bai seemed intent on creating a drunken scene, Abe no Nakamaro hurriedly covered Li Bai's mouth, terrified that he might stir up a commotion. This was the Hall of Longevity at the Huaqing Palace, and the Emperor was seated upon the high dais deep within the hall. Although their seats were remote, there were limits to such outrageous behavior.

"You must not, Taibai! If you wish to get drunk, I shall drink with you!"

Filled with sincere loyalty, Abe no Nakamaro snatched the wine jar from Li Bai's hands and began to gulp the liquor down as well.

At a distant table, Li Liufu exchanged polite pleasantries with those who came to offer toasts, then raised his wine cup and walked over to Chen Liexi.

"Brother Chen, you must continue to correct my shortcomings in the days to come. You and I are both the left and right arms of His Majesty; only by being of one mind can we help His Majesty shoulder more burdens. Let us use this opportunity to encourage one another!"

This old fox wore a smile that did not reach his eyes. On the surface, he appeared utterly sincere, but in his heart, he had already marked Chen Liexi as his. Now that he wielded supreme power, and since this Chen Liexi was notoriously spineless, Chen would simply be putty in his hands to knead as he pleased!

"Indeed..."

Not daring to defy the Right Chancellor's wishes, Chen Liexi hurriedly raised his cup and drank first, terrified that the hypocritical creature before him might harbor malicious intentions toward him.

Only after Li Liufu had finished offering his toast did the discerning officials among the throng come forward to chat and drink with the Left Chancellor, putting on a show of deference to the head of the current hundred officials—Left Chancellor Chen Liexi.

At that moment, having finished putting Chen Liexi in his place, Li Liufu finally strolled over to the table of Li Bai, who was drunk beyond recognition. He seated himself gracefully, putting on the airs of a prime minister, and let out a sarcastic remark.

"Trust you have been well, Taibai. Judging by your drunkenness today, you must be rejoicing for His Majesty's sake as well! Rare, truly rare!"

Li Bai turned his head slightly and raised his eyelids. Catching sight of that old, fox-like face, his thoughts instantly dissolved into chaos, and a pent-up grievance surged within him like a volcano about to erupt.

Acting as if nothing were amiss, Li Liufu hummed a tune from *Qingping Diao* while pouring wine into his bowl.

"Exquisite flowers and a peerless beauty bring joy to one another, moving the Sovereign to smile as he gazes upon them... Ah, wonderful! People are like flowers, and flowers like people. Although I, Li, am lazy in my studies, having listened to poetry and songs so often, I understand the underlying meaning!"

"Hmph!"

Li Bai let out a cold snort. His white sleeves fluttered as he pointed a finger directly at the nose of the treacherous villain across from him and jabbed fiercely. "A mere crafty scoundrel, devoid of talent and virtue, how could you possibly understand how to appreciate these three movements of *Qingping Diao*, or how to comprehend the great principles of statecraft!"

Li Liufu's nose was knocked askew, and he tumbled backward to the floor.

Many sharp-eyed officials who witnessed this inwardly panicked. Those pretending to be drunk stayed down, while those wishing to curry favor with the Right Chancellor rushed over to scold the Hanlin Scholar Li and help the Right Chancellor to his feet.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! It is nothing, nothing at all!" Rubbing his fiercely aching nose, Li Liufu pretended on the surface that nothing was wrong, but in his heart, he made a ruthless mental note: this matter would not end here!

Just as Li Bai was restrained by a startled Abe no Nakamaro before a greater disaster could occur, his anger seemed to have largely subsided.

With a sinister yet bland smile, Li Liufu showed no fear of Li Bai's outbursts. He shifted his position to block the space between them, pressing his forehead nearly against Li Bai's. "The new libationer is Scholar Song, whom I recommended to—Agh!"

His hands being held down by Abe no Nakamaro so that he could not strike back, Li Bai simply used his head to butt him.

The blow landed with a dull thud, causing the other man to cry out in pain and nearly flip backward. Fortunately, someone nearby reached out to steady him, preventing Li Liufu from tumbling into the hot springs pool. Despite his facial agony and a bleeding nose, however, his objective had been achieved.

If his calculations were correct, the music and dancing had stopped for quite some time now, and His Majesty should have seen the scene of Li Bai bumping into him quite clearly. After all, the Emperor's gaze had been directed from behind Li Liufu; even if they were head-to-head in provocation, it would only be perceived as Li Bai suffering an emotional outburst, his head raised not to gaze at the bright moon, but to butt someone instead.

Just as expected, everything unfolded precisely according to Li Liufu's calculations.

Having witnessed the situation from behind Li Liufu and finding Li Bai's behavior so devoid of manners, Li Longji naturally grew displeased. This was, after all, a joyous banquet; for someone to insist on striking others and making a boorish scene ruined his mood no matter how one looked at it.

He saw it with his own eyes and carved it into his memory. When this spring banquet concluded, Li Bai's position as a Hanlin Scholar would be stripped away directly. The attitude was already abundantly clear: demotion was now unavoidable.

Even if Wu Yueling intervened to mediate, she could no longer protect Li Bai.

His demotion and departure from Chang'an were merely matters of time.

That being the case, among the Eight Immortals, Zhang Xu had been taken home by his son, one had departed without a farewell, and two had been demoted—the situation was far from optimistic.

The flourishing scene that Wu Yueling had painstakingly built was like an ephemeral flower; once it had bloomed, it withered away instantly, and no one could hold back the falling petals.

Yet this was not even the most critical matter. The newly appointed Grand Commandant Ji Wen had stumbled upon a most interesting memorial in the Hall of Government Affairs, filled with opinions on revising the Tang legal code. He had secretly copied it down, followed the clues, and first dispatched Chief Constable Cao and Zheng Kaiyi of the Ministry of Justice to keep tabs on Wei Jian, intending to discuss the next steps with his father-in-law.

After reporting the matter to his father-in-law and conducting several subsequent investigations, Ji Wen had not expected that the old codger He Jizhen would have arranged one final move before his departure, not only clearing the relationships within the Hall of Government Affairs, but even thoroughly probing the domain of Wei Jian.

At the same time, he was secretly alarmed by the actions of the Princess Protecting the State, warning his father-in-law that this woman could not be underestimated. If she were allowed to meddle in the laws of the state, the hidden troubles in the future would be considerable; such a budding threat needed to be snuffed out entirely at the first opportunity, lest it pose a threat to his father-in-law's position.

Their discussion with his father-in-law having reached a general consensus, they would first secretly monitor Wei Jian's movements. Once any flaws were exposed, dealing with the Princess Protecting the State behind him would become much easier.

Furthermore, Ji Wen suggested co-opting Luo Yishi of the Manichaean sect—not merely because of this man's temperament, which reined in his martial arts-world eccentricities, but more importantly, because of his sharp mind. To win over a capable individual and put him to one's own use was naturally for the best.

As for Li Bai, he spent his days drinking in the Princess's mansion, occasionally getting Du Fu dead drunk as well, thereby forging a steadfast friendship between the two. As for Abe no Nakamaro, now holding an idle sinecure, his worries for Taibai brought him frequently to their door, seemingly treating the Princess's mansion as his own home.

Wu Yueling was similarly driven to distraction by Li Bai, yet she still brooded over the question of how to save the common people, a problem raised during the Eight Immortals' drinking contest.

Regarding Li Bai's stubborn persistence, having spent so much time in Chang'an, she could discern a few clues. Her adoptive father's drinking and merrymaking, aside from the usual taxes, also involved the massive corvée labor for the Qianqiu Festival, which heavily increased the burden on ordinary citizens.

To save them—truth be told, with every step she took, she acutely felt the crushing weight upon her shoulders. Yet the more it was so, the more her fighting spirit was ignited.