Chapter 29: Don't Take Tolerance for Granted

  Deep autumn night, cool as water, quiet and soundless! The occasional watchman's call reminds of the passage of time...

  Li Yuanba, looking exhausted, lay on the roof, muttering his wife's name: "Han Lin... Du Lingyue..." Without the hustle and bustle of the daytime, Li Yuanba missed his loved one who had walked into and out of his world like a passing guest.

  "It's been six years, and in these short six years, I've had two wives... In these six years, I've lost the ones I loved. How could this be? With invincible martial arts, I couldn't protect the people I love... It's really a world of difference! Lin'er, I shouted to conquer the world for you, thinking that as long as my martial arts were known to the world, I could live carefree with you; Lingyue, on your body, I realized that my unparalleled martial arts are just a joke... I should have known this earlier! Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, and Lü Bu, the War God of the Three Kingdoms, both had unparalleled martial arts, but were unable to protect their women... They were all blinded by their own strength! Xiang Yu was called the Martial God, but in the end, he was surrounded, his woman took her own life, and his soldiers lost morale, leading to his own death. What a joke, what a pity! If he had my martial arts, why fear Liu Bang? Greed is humanity's greatest original sin; even if Xiang Yu had my martial arts, he would still be unable to protect his loved ones... because there is no one with a body like mine! And if I were to gain power? Hehe, perhaps you would leave later... Not afraid of theft, not afraid of robbery, but afraid of being remembered! Who would have thought that my wish to live carefree with you all would become empty talk... Perhaps only by leaving the world behind can one find peace, but what's the point of leaving the world? I recall a movie I saw before, which said that if you want to leave the Jianghu, retreat to the mountains; but what is Jianghu? Where there are people, there is Jianghu! Can you escape? Every day, people die, and new lives are born, with grudges and affections emerging... Power, money, and endless desires, when standing at the highest point, one realizes it's not worth it! I couldn't commit patricide or fratricide, so I don't want to fight for that throne-like prison! People fear me, but my family is also on guard against me; a king without even a usable servant... I know they would send people after me, but what's the use?"

  Li Yuanba ignored the autumn wind blowing by, and the cold dew quietly condensed. He slowly stood up, his eyes changing from confusion to ferocity: "People fear me, are afraid of me, harm me, kill me! Then I'll use blood to tell the world about my loneliness and determination!" But immediately afterwards, he lay down again in despair: "But what's the point of this... I'm already lonely, and I've proven my determination... From the start, the path I chose was destined to be wrong! Haha, really didn't expect that from the beginning, standing at the top of the world, couldn't even find one person to trust..."

  Li Yuanba really wanted to go back to the past, so that he could cultivate his own power in an upgraded way and protect the people around him. But now, it's too late! Everything is too late! Even his own family members don't trust him anymore, and they're all on guard against him. How can he still build up his own loyal forces? Ah, let's just wait and see...

  Seeing the white at the horizon, Li Yuanba jumped off the rooftop.

  "Master, you've slept on the roof again. If Miss finds out... Ah, I've already prepared hot water for you, Master. Go take a bath and get rid of the chill in your lower body!"

  "Hmm! Qing'er, you don't have to be like this in the future. You are still Lingyue's sister after all... Your father-in-law has asked for you to return home several times..."

  "Master, don't say that! I am Miss's maid. If you despise me, a servant girl, then I won't serve in front of Master from now on!"

  "You... Ah, forget it! Qing'er, from now on just call me Yuan Ba directly, don't call me Young Master anymore. I'll go wash up first." After saying that, Li Yuan Ba shook his head and walked away with a helpless expression.

  After daybreak, Wang Ting came from the east. Xuanzang also finished his morning lesson and walked out.

  After finishing breakfast, the two of them rushed to Li Yuanba's residence and started a new round of verbal bombardment, during which the little monk couldn't help but let out miserable cries.

  Li Yuan took advantage of Li Yuan's absence to rectify internal affairs and merge the forces that had surrendered, and launched a large-scale attack on the surrounding forces! In the winter and autumn seasons, Li Shimin led his own Tian Ce Fu staff with 30,000 elite soldiers to attack Zhou Shiwu, taking his head and winning a great victory!

  In October, Dou Jiande captured Rongyang and took prisoner Xu Gai (Li Shidu's father), Wei Zheng, Prince of Huainan Li Shentong, and Princess Tong'an (Li Yuan's sister). Only Li Shidu escaped with a few hundred men across the Yellow River. Seeing his father taken prisoner, Li Shidu surrendered to Dou Jiande several days later. When Weizhou heard that Rongyang had fallen, it also offered its city to Dou Jiande. Dou Jiande made Li Shidu Left Prowess-Guard General and allowed him to remain in command at Rongyang but kept Xu Gai as a hostage. Wei Zheng was appointed an imperial attendant. The household slaves of the Tang Dynasty's Weizhou governor Wang Quan killed Wang Quan and surrendered to Dou Jiande; several days later, Weizhou also surrendered to Dou Jiande along with Xu Yuanlang.

  In the same month, Wang Shichong sent his younger brother Wang Shibian to lead troops from Xuzhou and Bozhou to besiege Yongqiu (now Qi County, Henan), with a fierce offensive. At that time, most of Henan was occupied by Wang Shichong, and only Li Gongyi, the governor of Qizhou, remained in defense. Due to being isolated without support, Li Gongyi sent someone to Chang'an for help. Li Yuan believed that Yongqiu was too far from the capital, and with Wang Shichong blocking the way, it was impossible to send troops to rescue them. Li Gongyi had no choice but to take a risk, handing over the heavy responsibility of defending Yongqiu to his general Li Shanxing, while he himself led a light cavalry to Chang'an for help. On the way to Xiangcheng (now Linru, Henan), he was intercepted by Zhang Yin, one of Wang Shichong's generals, and taken to Luoyang. Wang Shichong advised Li Gongyi to surrender, but Li Gongyi refused and was killed by Wang Shichong. Yongqiu was exhausted and finally fell to Wang Shichong, with Li Shanxing dying in battle.

  Li Yuan was enraged and ordered Crown Prince Li Jiancheng to take charge of internal affairs, while he personally led an army of 200,000 to attack Wang Shichong, but suffered a great defeat.

  "Li Yuanba, I now order you to set out immediately and kill Wang Shichong! Bring me his head, if not, don't come back!" Li Yuan was furious, his anger burning away his reason, blaming the whole loss of face on Li Yuanba. If only Li Yuanba had killed Wang Shichong in Luoyang last time, there wouldn't be this humiliation today! This is 200,000 against 130,000, yet they suffered a great defeat and lost 50,000 elite soldiers and dozens of generals!

  Li Yuanba sat calmly in his chair, seemingly ignoring Li Yu's gaze and deaf to his words.

  Wang Ting and Xuanzang, who started a verbal attack on Li Yuanba's side, saw the embarrassed Li Yuan and ran away quickly! Only Du Qing, who was standing behind Li Yuanba, remained still.

  Li Yuan saw Li Yuanba being so indifferent to himself, and his fingers trembled as he pointed at Li Yuanba, angrily saying: "Good! Good! Hmph!" The three "good" words and one "hmmph" word expressed Li Yuan's helplessness and resentment towards Li Yuanba!

  "Am I really that unwelcome? Even my own father has the heart to kill me......" Li Yuanba said softly after Li Huan left, not knowing whether he was asking others or himself.

  "Your father is now the Emperor, and as his son you don't even give him a bit of face. You're disloyal and unfilial! You'd best hurry to Luoyang and kill Wang Shichong, maybe then your father will forgive you!" Wang Ting said from outside with great displeasure.

  "Master Li and Master Wang are right! I also think you should do it this way!" Xuanzang also stood up to say solemnly.

  "Hong~~ Bang!" Li Yuanba suddenly swung out a hammer, striking right in front of them!

  "Shut your stinking mouths if you don't want to die! Did I let you speak?" Li Yuanba said with a gloomy face, his tone indifferent.

  Wang Ting was startled, hearing Li Yuanba's cold words, and immediately wanted to counterattack with so-called righteousness. Just as things were about to take an unpredictable turn, Xuanzang pulled him away, small in stature but big in spirit!

  "Don't take my tolerant attitude towards you as a sign that I'm enjoying the commotion." Li Yuanba thought lazily, reclining in his chair.