Chapter 58

As the sky began to brighten, an old man and a young boy stood on a small hill outside the city. The old man, with his sleeves fluttering and his beard and hair flying, spoke eloquently, looking like an old immortal from a painting. The young boy, dressed in a white short robe, had a mischievous smile on his face, which occasionally broke into a laugh. The two engaged in conversation, each with their own hidden intentions.

"Regarding who will ascend the throne today, I observed the stars last night. The Purple Star, which represents the emperor, is dim, while the Wolf Star in the northwest is shining brightly. Therefore, I deduce that the Qin King will inherit the throne! The Wolf Star is associated with war and is the most aggressive among the stars of generals. Among the emperor's many sons, only the Qin King has such an outward appearance." Yuan Shoucheng, who had brought out his star observation skills, clearly intended to convince Li Kuan to reveal the formula for the medicine.

Yuan Shoucheng was already in his eighties. Although he had been a charlatan all his life, he felt a bit reluctant to deceive a child. However, thinking about his nephew (actually his son) Yuan Tiangang, who was at a critical stage in Daoist health practices and needed potent medicine to break through, and that the secret Daoist pills he had used up in his early years were not yet prepared, he was deeply moved by Li Kuan's medicine. When Li Kuan poured out the pills, Yuan Shoucheng recognized that many of the ingredients were excellent for replenishing qi and blood, which was exactly what he needed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lost face by taking the medicine and running away.

"Are all these conclusions from your star observations?" Li Kuan was indeed a bit impressed, but he admired the old Daoist's reasoning and persuasion skills, not his star observation techniques. From the few clues that were visible, Yuan Shoucheng had deduced that Emperor Li Yuan was critically ill and that Li Shimin was the most likely contender for the throne. This was something Li Kuan only knew from reading history books in the future. If he were a native of this era, he would have thought the current emperor was in his prime and could still have eight women a night, a lecherous old man.

However, Li Kuan knew a lot of inside information: Li Yuan's health had been deteriorating over the past two years. Even during court sessions, he had to place a spittoon in front of the imperial throne, and he would vomit frequently. The court sessions were also shortened, and his energy was much worse than before. There were even rumors that Li Yuan had coughed up blood, which Li Kuan had overheard from a conversation between Li Shimin and his wife. Since then, Li Kuan had felt the entire Qin Palace enter a tense state. When Li Shimin left the capital, he left a team of Black Armor Guards stationed around the Qin Palace, forming a confrontational layout with another courtyard, where a large group of people, actually the guards of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, were also stationed. They rotated under the pretext of rest.

Yuan Shoucheng had been observing Li Kuan's facial expressions. At first, the constant mischievous smile made him frown, thinking the boy was mocking him. But later, Li Kuan's expression became serious, and a look of admiration flashed across his face, making Yuan Shoucheng feel he had successfully deceived the boy, though the boy was very composed and didn't show it too much.

"How about it, boy? Is the prediction from my star observation accurate?" Yuan Shoucheng's goatee twitched, and he was quite pleased.

"Not really! It's all vague and ambiguous. It's like saying nothing at all. Except for the last part about the Qin King ascending the throne, the rest is just empty talk. What are these Purple Stars and Wolf Stars? I don't know them, so how can I tell if you're right? But I have an uncle who studies mysticism, which is about predicting the future based on existing clues, similar to your star observation!" Li Kuan started to deceive as well, thinking, "Do you think you're the only one who can do this? With your thousand-year-old intelligence and knowledge, how can you compare to my brain, which has been through the information explosion? If I don't deceive you today, I won't be Li."

"What? You have an uncle who can do this too?" Yuan Shoucheng was a bit surprised. Those who could unravel such intricate details were usually core figures in their respective schools. The fact that this boy knew such a person and seemed to be on familiar terms suggested that he held a high position in his school.

Yuan Shoucheng was a smart man, but the smarter he was, the more likely he was to fall into Li Kuan's trap. Simple-minded people would just laugh at it, but only the smart ones would dig deeper and realize how deep the water was, firmly believing that Li Kuan had a powerful backer. So, he and Li Shimin and Changsun fell into the trap.

"What did your uncle say?" Yuan Shoucheng wanted to see how his so-called uncle compared to himself.

"My uncle said: In the sixth month of the ninth year, the true dragon will emerge from the water, the Black Warrior will shed blood, and the Tang Dynasty will rise." Li Kuan made up sixteen characters on the spot and said them.

"This statement is straightforward, but it's too confident, even specifying the time. If it doesn't happen, won't you be embarrassed?" Yuan Shoucheng was skeptical. In their line of work, it was important to speak in vague terms to avoid losing face if the predictions were wrong. This had become a standard, like saying "the father dies before the mother" or "the peach garden three brothers, another branch of plum" which had become clichés and were still popular today. These were often based on people's experiences being forced into these sayings, not because the fortune-tellers were really accurate.

"It's already early May, just one or two months away. Why don't you wait and see? If my uncle's prediction is wrong, you'll know my identity, and you can come to me for an explanation. I'm willing to use the formula for the medicine as a bet!" Li Kuan said confidently.

"Oh! You trust your uncle so much?" Yuan Shoucheng looked at Li Kuan in surprise. "And you can make decisions about the formula?"

"Of course I can! Because I'm not just anyone!" Li Kuan said proudly. This was a sure win; how could he lose unless the Tang history had been altered, and the Incident at Xuanwu Gate didn't happen in the sixth month of the ninth year?

"Alright, I'll bet with you, but I don't have anything as precious as your formula to bet with!" Yuan Shoucheng said a bit awkwardly.

"Don't worry about that, old sir. We'll see what happens. If my request isn't too much, I hope you can represent Daoism and agree to it!" Li Kuan's eyes darted around, but Yuan Shoucheng didn't pay much attention. He thought, since the boy was of royal blood, what could he possibly want that Daoism couldn't provide?

"Fine! As long as it doesn't harm the fundamental interests of Daoism, I'll agree!" Yuan Shoucheng's nod sealed the secret bet, giving Li Kuan the opportunity to extort Daoism, which he and his nephew Yuan Tiangang would later regret.

"Old sir, you speak so straightforwardly, I admire you!" Li Kuan flattered him, knowing that Daoism would have to pay a price, as the world was still too poor, and Buddhism and Daoism had taken up too many resources, not much less than the aristocratic families. This couldn't be allowed, as the world ultimately belonged to the Li family. Although Li Kuan had no interest in the throne, he needed a strong empire to support him, as he wanted to lead the Tang cavalry to the ends of the earth.

"Hehe... We'll see who wins, little guy. Don't cry if you lose!" Yuan Shoucheng didn't think it was a big deal. Daoism had nothing worth the royal family's coveting, and he was confident about this. However, he later almost cried when he realized how vast Daoism's assets were, which he had never expected. He had always thought Daoism was clean and upright, but the reality was shocking.

After making the bet, they each went home, keeping the matter secret. Their identities were the best guarantee that no one would renege.

Li Kuan jogged home, feeling his strength gradually returning. His legs became stronger, and his speed increased. The muscles in his legs provided the power for his high-speed run, thanks to the medicine and the extreme training method.

"It seems I can do this more often! The effect is pretty good!" Li Kuan felt more relaxed, as although extreme training was harmful to the body, with the medicine, he could quickly improve his strength. He lacked time. The Incident at Xuanwu Gate was approaching, and his body wasn't fully recovered. If Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji sent people to attack the Qin Palace, he might not be able to escape, as it wasn't just him but also the people he cared about: Changsun, Li Lizhi, and Li Nianwei. These three women gave him a motherly warmth, were his beloved sister, and another innocent and joyful sister. He couldn't let anything happen to them. More strength meant more security.

Back home, he changed into his usual long robe and resumed his lazy appearance. He leaned back in a recliner, holding a book and pretending to read, though only he knew how much he actually absorbed.

The sun rose, and it was already the hour of Mao, time for breakfast. The little ones in the Qin Palace also started eating three meals a day with Li Kuan. Changsun sometimes ate a little, but mostly sat on the side watching the children fight over food, especially the chubby Li Tai and the newly toothed Li Nianwei, who were the most lively and would cheerfully cry out at mealtime. Li Tai ate a lot, while little Nianwei was just being mischievous.

PS: The Mid-Autumn Festival is here, and I wish all my readers a happy Mid-Autumn Festival, a happy family, and all the best. If you enjoy the book, please give me a recommendation vote! It's been a while since I asked for votes!!!

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