Chapter 148: The Prophecy

"Yes, there was a miraculous portent. All the civil and military officials witnessed it today..." Yu Zhining blurted out, only to abruptly snap his mouth shut halfway through. Times had changed, and he could have slapped himself across the face twice over.

Originally, he had intended to interpret that portent as a heavenly sign that the Prince of Yue was blessed by the heavens, thereby subtly hinting that he would make a better crown prince than Li Chengqian. But now, it had been identified as the sign of the Martial Star. Who had ever heard of a Martial Star becoming an emperor? No matter how formidable the Martial Star might be, it could never transform into the Polaris Star of the Emperor.

"Why do you stop talking? Is there something you cannot speak of?" Li Shimin was listening to him intently, and noticing him suddenly fall silent, he asked with a trace of displeasure.

"After all, this official is an official of the Prince of Yue's estate. If this official were to speak of it, it would smack of singing one's own praises. Your Majesty should instead ask the various ministers! They all heard it."

Yu Zhining wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and awkwardly offered an explanation. Hearing this, Li Shimin did not find it strange and turned his gaze toward the others.

"This official did indeed witness it with his own eyes, and it was truly wondrous and mystical." Du Ruhui stepped forward with a smile. Regardless of whether what Li Chunfeng said was true or false, this would benefit the eradication of the locust plague and do no harm.

"Oh! You saw it too, Keming?" Li Shimin asked in astonishment. Du Ruhui was the one who detested such auspicious portents the most; if a sovereign rejoiced in good omens, the realm would report only auspicious news and conceal disasters. Therefore, anyone who dared to submit such a report would invariably face Du Ruhui's stern reprimand, and their year-end performance review would inevitably receive a failing mark.

"This official indeed saw it. Five-colored auspicious mists descended from the skies over Vermilion Bird Avenue, enveloping the Prince of Yue and never leaving his side by even an inch, until the Prince of Yue grew bored and returned to his carriage, whereupon the auspicious mists slowly dissipated."

"Tai'er, is this true?" Li Shimin was so excited that the hand gripping his chair turned white. If Li Taier dared to claim it was false, Li Shimin would ground him for another whole year.

"There was indeed a cluster of light shining upon me, but it was too dazzling so I retreated into the carriage," Li Tai replied truthfully. Li Shimin felt a strong impulse to slap this blockhead across the face. That was divine radiance! Had he absorbed a bit more of it, he might have lived to a hundred. Yet this little fatty had just sat by and watched his fortune slip away—it was simply a heinous waste of heavenly treasures!

Li Chunfeng wore a dazed expression. Could it be that he had hit the mark by a fluke? Where on earth had those auspicious mists come from? The statue of the Martial Star Lord that he had buried had not even been dug up yet!

"Hahaha... Truly, heaven has bestowed a Qilin child upon my Li family! Since Daoist Li puts it this way, as long as my son Li Tai and the Marquis of Chang'an preside over the locust extermination efforts, they will not suffer from the curse?"

Li Shimin was immensely relieved, and days of pent-up sorrow vanished in an instant. As long as he could issue the imperial decree to eradicate the pestilence, he would fear nothing.

"Precisely so!" Li Chunfeng nodded and spoke as if it were only natural.

"Good! Since that is the case..."

"Your Majesty, pray wait. All of this is merely Li Chunfeng's unilateral claim; who knows if it is true or false? This matter is of grave importance, and we must never place blind trust in it."

Seeing that Li Shimin was about to bestow honors upon Li Tai and the other, Fang Xuanling grew anxious and stepped forward to speak in a loud voice.

Other court ministers also stepped forward in opposition. No matter what, this kind of matter was far too unstable, and should anything go wrong, they as ministers might well be implicated.

"Why ever not? The Marquis of Chang'an is a living immortal of this generation—who dares say he is not? Which of you did not see the divine radiance enveloping the Prince of Yue?" Du Ruhui stepped forward to go toe-to-toe with Fang Xuanling, and the faction of ministers who supported him also stepped out.

They loudly denounced the opposing ministers for lacking backbone, arguing that since they held office, the realm should come first, and they must not shrink from action simply out of fear of being implicated.

Both sides quoted classic texts and argued fiercely. The military officials spoke crudely, their general meaning being that they should just take action; they could fight across the entire realm, so why should they be afraid of killing a few bugs?

Their words were directly ignored by the civil officials. For these rough-hewn military men, as long as you gave them a long enough blade, they would dare to pierce the very heavens.

"Um... Your Majesty, this official, may I say a few words?" Cai Cong raised his hand and spoke timidly.

Li Shimin's spirits were lifted—this kid was about to make his move. Therefore, he said loudly, "Of course you may. The channels for my subjects to speak are not yet closed."

"As for the matter of exterminating the locusts, this official will not do it." As soon as Cai Cong finished speaking, he was so embarrassed that he nearly buried his head in his crotch. The assembled ministers fell silent in unison, all staring at Cai Cong.

That wasn't right! Given this kid's usual temperament, he was always the most enthusiastic about such matters; yet this time, he was actually backing down.

"Cai Cong, do you know what you are saying?" Li Shimin glared angrily at Cai Cong, feeling that he had been betrayed. Cai Cong had stabbed him in the back at a critical moment.

Li Shimin's wrath surged, and the ministers retreated. On ordinary days, he acted like a peacemaker mediating relations among his officials, but once his anger flared, everyone held their breath in terror, unwilling to face the might of the Son of Heaven.

"This official has no choice either! The locust demons are too powerful, and this official is not the Prince of Yue. He belongs to the celestial ranks and is immune to all evils, but this official cannot do it! Even if we submit a memorial to sacrifice to heaven and gain heavenly protection, it will still cost us ten years of our lifespan! Therefore, at most, this official can only play a supporting role to the Prince of Yue in this matter. Only the Prince of Yue can undertake the sacrifice to heaven."

When Cai Cong finished speaking, he was overcome with shame and used his sleeve to shield his face, feeling utterly disgraced for lacking the courage to shoulder the responsibility. Li Shimin's complexion softened slightly, and looking at Cai Cong again, he no longer found him so repulsive—this rascal was trying to push his own little fatty onto the altar of veneration.

"This official impeaches the Marquis of Chang'an for selfishness, disregarding the lives of the common people for the sake of his own survival. He deserves to be executed!" Du Ruhui acted like a mad dog, biting whoever crossed his path.

Cai Cong took two quick strides to stand before Du Ruhui and spat a massive mouthful of saliva directly onto Du Ruhui's robes.

"You stand there and talk without feeling the backache! That is not your ten years of life—why don't you try taking your turn?"

"This old man's heart is entirely devoted to the public good. If I could use my own life to replace the Marquis of Chang'an, what does losing ten years of lifespan matter? The Marquis of Chang'an is welcome to take them." Du Ruhui spoke with righteous indignation, while the others looked at Cai Cong with undisguised contempt.

"Bah! This Marquis thinks you don't have many years left to live anyway. By my reckoning, you can live for two years at most—what do you have to offer as ten years of vitality?"

Cai Cong spoke in a loud voice, turning Du Ruhui's face pale and making the expressions of the others exceedingly ugly. It was normal for officials serving in the same court to have disputes, but cursing someone like this was going too far.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Chang'an has gone too far. Prime Minister Du is utterly devoted to the public; how can he tolerate such malicious curses?"

"Shut your mouth! Is this a curse? Ask Old Du himself how long he thinks he can live. Am I cursing him? I have already calculated it; he cannot live past two years."

Cai Cong sneered. Since he had already been hoisted onto the altar, how could he not have a couple of striking deeds to leave people talking? Using Du Ruhui's lifespan as a prophecy was enough to leave the deepest possible impression on countless people.

"Hahaha... Since that is the case, this old man is willing to trade two years of his vitality for two years of the Marquis's life. This matter concerns the livelihoods of the common people, and I hope the Marquis will not look only after his own selfish interests and forget the people of the realm."

Du Ruhui smiled bitterly. He did not refute Cai Cong's words, wishing only to trade for two years of life. Everyone present was deeply moved. Li Shimin's eyes turned red as he stepped down to grasp Du Ruhui's hands, choking with emotion and unable to utter a word.

Fang Xuanling turned away to wipe the corners of his eyes. His old friend truly had not long to live; they had walked through those arduous days together, but why could he not hold on a little longer now?

"You had better cherish the remaining two years! Spend more time with your family and exert yourself less; perhaps you might live a little longer," Cai Cong said, rolling his eyes. Why was this old man so stubborn?

"Death may be heavier than Mount Tai, and to die for the realm is what this old man willingly desires. After all, the Prince of Yue has little experience and is bound to be rash in his actions; he still needs your assistance."