442 Taming the Eagle (2/2)
Ning Que was indeed a very important person, but Li Yu was the princess. She didn't have to please Ning Que. If she did him a favor, she would need to be paid back.
”Well, they were just something from the mountain, they weren't too expensive.”
Li Yu walked over to the wall and looked at the antiques on the shelf. Her expression changed slightly. She said with a chuckle, ”When I was young, I had asked father for this pen brush, but he said that it was gifted to her, so I couldn't have it. I didn't expect to see it in your study now.”
Ning Que looked at the pen brush made of black jade. He said, ”If you like it, you can take it.”
Li Yu said mockingly, ”She gave it you, so how can I ask for it?”
There were only two people in Chang'an who dared to call the Empress a ”she”—Li Yu and her brother.
Of course, even she could only address the Empress as such in private.
Obviously, Li Yu did not care about letting Ning Que see her true attitude toward the Empress.
Ning Que didn't respond.
Li Yu smiled and looked at him, saying, ”I heard that you have often entered the palace recently. You must be familiar with her?”
Ning Que said, ”We are much more familiar than before.”
Li Yu asked, ”What kind of person do you think she is?”
Ning Que answered directly, ”I don't know.”
Li Yu thought for a moment and said with a self-mocking grin, ”I've been fighting against her for so many years, yet even I haven't been able to figure out what she's thinking about. How can I expect you to know her thoughts?”
Ning Que shook his head and said, ”Why are you so concerned about it?”
Li Yu sipped the herbal tea in her cup, and her eyebrows twisted slightly. Then, she smiled and said, ”It's good. Is this Sangsang's mulberry tea? I have heard of it several times, but this is my first time tasting it.”
Listening to Her Highness talking about the short stories of her family, Ning Que felt relieved, and he was just about to explain the recipe of the mulberry tea, emphasizing that it was his own invention.
However, he was not prepared for Li Yu's next sentence.
The atmosphere turned from good to bad in a single second.
”You know, my idea is simple.”
Li Yu calmly and persistently looked into Ning Que's eyes.
Ning Que did not avoid her gaze, saying, ”I have already told you my thoughts.”
Li Yu said, ”I know you have some issues with the Imperial Army.”
Ning Que said, ”I admit that's true, but it is problem that can be solved, so I'm not too concerned about it.”
”After killing Huang Xing and Yu Shuizhu, I doubt you can still talk with Xia Hou happily while letting the military's old generals believe that you are harmless.”
Li Yu continued, ”These problems cannot be solved so easily. Maybe you really don't need to care about them. But if you wish to continue doing as you have, you have to take care.”
Ning Que said, ”Those things Your Highness just mentioned, naturally I will not admit to them. As for the slight friction between me and General Xia Hou, I believe it will not last long.”
”Everyone knows that Xia Hou is the Empress's trusted follower.”
Li Yu said, ”The empress now keeps hooking you in. Naturally, she doesn't want the conflict between Xia Hou and the Academy to continue to expand. But are you willing to let it go?”
Ning Que thought to himself, ”Even I know that the empress is the sister of Xiahou.”
Eldest Brother had already warned him about that. He certainly wouldn't reveal this big secret in front of Li Yu.
Li Yu said, ”If the enmity between you and Xia Hou really is only the conflict between you in the Wilderness, since Mr. First has already made his judgment, I hope that you will persuade yourself to obey him.”
Ning Que frowned slightly, wondering why she would choose the same position as the Empress.
Li Yu whispered, ”There are only a few young generals in the army who are willing to follow me. Hua Shanyue is leading the reservists of Hebei county. It's difficult for him to gain any military achievements where he's currently stationed. And with only his current qualifications, there's no way he can take over Xia Hou's position. Still, Xia Hou's retirement is a good thing for me, and I don't want anything else to interfere with this.”
This explanation was blunt and sincere. Even Ning Que was shocked.
A moment later, he sighed and said, ”Such things are really boring.”
Li Yu said mockingly, ”You really are a student of the Headmaster of the Academy, even affairs of the throne of the Tang Empire can make you bored.”
Ning Que replied, ”I've told you before. Don't be too concerned about my attitude as a student of the Academy entering the human realm. I am only concerned with my mentor, senior brothers, and senior sisters. On your end, there is His Majesty the Emperor in the palace. There are the Nation Master and Huang Yang in the temples. There are those old generals like Xu Shi in the army. Whether the dragon throne is passed to your younger brother or to the son of the Empress, in the end, it is decided by these people.”
Li Yu looked at him quietly, then suddenly said, ”But have you ever thought that even the Emperor and the old generals might not always be with us?”
”Why did the Academy send you to enter the human realm? Why does my father think so highly of you? Why is Xu Shi so vigilant to you? It's all for the same reason.”
”No one can resist the fate decided by Haotian. As time passes, the Tang Dynasty will eventually lose out to its fate. Some people are worried that you may become an evil eagle, one that goes against the wishes of its masters and harms the world after their death. The Headmaster of the Academy and my father remained silent. They have guarded you, tormented you, and polished you. They want you to grow from a baby eagle to a great eagle, to guard the Tang Dynasty once they have passed.”