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Li Yuan said, "It's not good to stay in Chang'an City for too long. I plan to send you and Shiming to Jiangnan for a private visit."
A private visit to Jiangnan? And with my second brother? What does that mean?
Li Yuanji didn't have time to think further and could only respond, "As you command, Father!"
Li Yuan nodded and said nothing more. The other princes were too young and did not toast Li Yuan again. The banquet continued.
The concubines toasted Li Yuan without any regard for order; it was a rush of eager attempts to please him. After toasting Li Yuan, most of the concubines then toasted the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng to curry favor with the future emperor. A very few concubines, like Concubine Wan and Yu Wen Zhao Yi, did not do so. Concubine Wan held resentment towards Li Jiancheng and, being the highest-ranking in the harem, saw no need to flatter the Crown Prince.
Yu Wen Zhao Yi was clever; she believed that the throne might not necessarily belong to the current Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and could potentially be seized by Prince Qin, Li Shimin! Therefore, in such a public setting, she would never do anything to provoke Li Shimin.
Indeed, Li Shimin felt quite displeased when he noticed that those concubines only toasted Li Jiancheng and not him. He thought about how he had fought bravely to establish this empire, allowing these women to live in luxury while they showed him no gratitude at all!
Suddenly, he remembered his biological mother, Empress Tai Mu, who had passed away early and never enjoyed the blessings of today. He couldn't help but feel sorrow rise within him, his eyes filling with tears. However, he quickly realized that this was not an appropriate occasion for sadness; he hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve and forced a smile onto his face.
But the scene of Li Shimin wiping away his tears had already been noticed by Yin De Fei and Zhang Jieyu. They exchanged knowing glances, thinking: How ridiculous! Crying at such an occasion? Clearly, he can't stand seeing everyone else happy! We must find an opportunity to tell the emperor.
The others either did not notice Li Shimin or simply did not care.
After the concubines finished their toasts, each one unwilling to be outdone by the others began dancing or softly singing, adding much joy and warmth to this reunion dinner. Li Yuan looked at these young and beautiful concubines with a sense of comfort and satisfaction in his heart.
The entire Tai Chi Hall was filled with rich fragrances and a joyful atmosphere. The music flowed melodiously as the royal princes and grandsons enjoyed their time together with the concubines during this festive gathering.
On this special night, Li Yuan not only relished the happiness of being reunited with his family but also felt the honor and responsibility of being a ruler. He understood that his mission was to seek welfare for the country and its people, ensuring that they lived stable and prosperous lives. Therefore, he maintained a clear and steadfast belief in his duty to govern effectively, guiding the Tang Dynasty towards prosperity.
As night deepened, the New Year's Eve of Wu De Year Seven gradually came to an end. Li Yuan and his family spent an unforgettable New Year's Eve filled with laughter and joy, leaving behind a beautiful memory in Tang Dynasty history.
Li Jiancheng's first New Year's Eve in ancient times thus concluded. He hurried back to the Eastern Palace with his family to rest while there was still time because he would be busy over the next two days.
After New Year's Eve comes what is known in later generations as Spring Festival; in the Tang Dynasty it was called Yuan Ri—"the beginning of a new year." On this day, the emperor would receive greetings from officials, akin to holding a grand court assembly. As Crown Prince, Li Jiancheng naturally could not be absent.
The busiest were those responsible for arrangements. Once the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve concluded, Chen Fu from the palace supervision led several people into Tai Chi Hall to set up imperial tents and arrange seating for civil and military officials as well as guests.
High-ranking civil officials of third rank or above were seated on the right side facing the emperor; this was considered the most prestigious location. The descendants of Confucius were seated after them; during the Tang Dynasty, they were not yet granted the title of Duke of Confucius but were given a marquisate by Li Yuan.
In the past, the Northern Zhou dynasty ceded power to the Sui, and the Sui in turn passed it to the Tang. As a result, their descendants, Duke Jian and Duke Xing, were positioned on the left side facing the emperor. It was likely that this was the only occasion in a year when they could attend the grand court assembly. Military officials of third rank and above stood outside these individuals, slightly further back; governors and inspectors from various regions occupied decent positions as well, flanking the military officials of third rank and above, with higher-ranking officials standing closer to the front.
Civil officials of fourth and fifth ranks were positioned on the right side of the main area, while those of sixth rank and below were relegated to the corners, seemingly filling empty spaces. Envoys from vassal states faced the emperor directly, arranged according to their geographical origins in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest directions, positioned behind high-ranking civil and military officials.
Another crucial group allowed into the Tai Chi Hall consisted of royal relatives, who were seated in the last row. Others present in Tai Chi Hall had no seats and were referred to as standing outside, but they still counted as participants in the grand court assembly.
On the day of the Tang dynasty's Yuan Zheng Festival, the grand court assembly was a grand and solemn political ceremony. As dawn broke, Chang'an City gradually awakened under the strict control of the Imperial Guards, creating a tense atmosphere of heightened alertness. Yellow banners and ceremonial regalia shone brightly in the morning light, signifying the inviolability of imperial power.
The grand court assembly was scheduled for Wu Geng, which corresponds to today's early morning hours between 5 AM and 7 AM.
Li Jiancheng, as a prince, needed to arrive early at Wu Gate like other ministers to demonstrate his respect for royal etiquette and commitment to state affairs. Therefore, he got up promptly during Yin time. For convenience and speed, he brought only two attendants and chose to ride rather than take a carriage.
By the time he arrived at Wu Gate, he saw a dense crowd gathered. The civil and military officials stood solemnly in their splendid court attire, awaiting the start of the ceremony. Prince Qin Li Shimin and Prince Qi Li Yuanji had also arrived; they stood together engaging with surrounding officials.
Li Jiancheng dismounted and made his way through those greeting him until he reached his two younger brothers. Smiling, he greeted them: "Shimin, Yuanji, you’re here so early?"
"Big Brother, since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I came early," Li Yuanji replied with a smile.
"Yeah, after having our reunion dinner last night it was already quite late; getting up this early again makes it hard to sleep," Li Shimin echoed.
"Second Brother, it seemed like you cried during our reunion dinner last night," Li Yuanji intentionally brought up this topic in front of Li Jiancheng. At that time, Li Jiancheng had been busy receiving toasts from some concubines and hadn’t noticed Li Shimin’s condition.
"I thought about Mother then; she didn’t get to see today’s scene. It made me a bit sad," Li Shimin admitted openly since all three brothers shared the same mother.
"Oh. Mother passed away a bit early; she didn’t get to enjoy her blessings!" Li Jiancheng nodded lightly. The mother Li Shimin mentioned was their previous incarnation; he felt no sorrow over it.
Hearing his second brother say this did not resonate with Li Yuanji either. From birth, he had been looked down upon by their mother. He held no feelings for his biological mother Empress Tai Mu.
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