If The Tale of the Bearded Hero were read simply as a piece of fiction, Li Shimin found it quite satisfactory.
But if someone insisted that this Bearded Hero had been modeled on him—
Then Li Shimin would call it utter nonsense.
The Li Jing in the novel was dashing and carefree, handsome in bearing, a man who moved through life with effortless ease.
As for the Bearded Hero? He would sit down to eat only after first displaying the severed head of an enemy, then calmly take out the heart and liver to share as food.
"Jieli is still enjoying wealth and comfort," Li Shimin said firmly.
"When have I ever eaten his heart and liver with my wine?"
"Pure fabrication by later generations."
He spoke with complete conviction.
The ministers exchanged looks, their gazes unconsciously drifting toward the slightly curled ends of the Emperor's beard.
And to be fair—Jieli was a full twenty years older than His Majesty. Yet now, every few days, he was either made to dance for court amusement or scolded like a wayward child.
Once the supreme ruler of the steppe.
Now, a palace entertainer.
Most likely, Jieli himself felt that life was worse than death.
"On the other hand," Li Shimin continued, clearly pleased,
"this later Tang author's portrayal of Li Shimin of Taiyuan suits my taste quite well."
"Arriving in an unfastened fur robe, spirited and radiant—truly striking."
The string of compliments made him smile broadly, nodding again and again.
Wearing a fur garment without an outer robe—xi qiu—was indeed something he had favored in his youth.
Watching the Emperor take visible delight in his own sense of style, Fang Xuanling, now fifty, and Li Jing, already sixty, met each other's eyes—
—and shared a helpless smile.
His Majesty's achievements were so overwhelming that one often forgot his age.
Strictly speaking, among the old retainers of the Prince of Qin's household, nearly all were older than the Emperor himself.
After indulging in self-admiration, Li Shimin suddenly recalled another matter.
"That later generations still remember the regrets of Zhenguan…"
He nodded slowly. "That brings me comfort."
"But compared to Goguryeo—Silla and Baekje must be destroyed completely."
Li Shimin still remembered what the Light Screen had revealed: that the later nation infamous for "mourning the wrong grave" traced its origins to Silla and Baekje, not Goguryeo.
Understanding the full context, Du Ruhui—who had once seen the image of the "One-Eyed Dragon Li Shimin"—could not help thinking to himself:
And His Majesty still says he isn't petty.
After consulting Li Jing in detail, Su Dingfang felt even more eager for action.
Whether in the Western Regions or across the Eastern Sea—
everywhere lay merit to be earned.
…
Liu Bei was also quietly reading this story.
As he read, he could not help but slap his thigh in admiration.
"These three truly possess the spirit of wandering heroes."
On the subject of chivalry, Liu Bei spoke with authority.
Valuing righteousness. Honoring loyalty.
Meeting as strangers yet bonding at first sight.
Judging the world, aiding the weak, striking down the strong, opening the way to an age of peace—
It all felt familiar.
"Isn't this just like us?" Zhang Fei said immediately.
Liu Bei turned and studied his third brother.
From the Yellow Turban uprising to now, thirty years had passed like flowing water.
Through countless wars and endless hardship—
Yet Guan Yu had never left him.
Zhang Fei followed him without fail.
Zhao Yun protected him with unwavering loyalty.
Zhuge Liang emerged from seclusion, unafraid of difficulty, to restore the Han.
Looking around the hall, seeing the faint smiles on everyone's faces, Liu Bei clasped his hands in greeting.
Unafraid of Cao Cao's blades.
Unmoved by Cao Cao's riches.
To have such companions—what more needed to be said?
Pang Tong laughed and called out loudly,
"My lord, why are you silent? Are you afraid we'll start demanding rewards?"
Liu Bei, who lacked facial hair, could not help glancing again at the Bearded Hero's luxuriant beard with a trace of envy.
Hearing Pang Tong's question, he stroked his own nonexistent beard and laughed.
"Since Shiyuan asks, speak freely."
Pang Tong did not hold back, a mischievous look on his face.
"I have served my lord for so long, yet I still regret never having received even a single cup of your wedding wine."
Pang Tong had only been recruited after Zhou Yu's death and had missed Liu Bei's wedding feast with Lady Sun in Gong'an.
At his words, Liu Bei's thoughts drifted unbidden to the face of the Wu lady, and he hesitated.
"…Let us watch the Light Screen first," he said vaguely.
[Lightscreen]
[Beyond myths and tales of wandering heroes, Li Jing also left behind a far more important legacy.
According to the Old Book of Tang, Li Jing enjoyed exceptional favor in his later years. To avoid suspicion, he withdrew entirely from public affairs and remained at home, devoting himself to writing military treatises.
His output during this period was astonishing. Works such as Mirror of the Six Armies, Wei Duke's Art of War, Mechanisms of the Yin Talisman, Jade Tent Canon, Admonitions for Hegemonic States, Secret Manuals of Stratagems, New Military Talismans, and Archery Formula were all written during this time.
Unfortunately, most of them have been lost.
Li Jing's rank and status made his writings difficult for ordinary people to obtain. Moreover, for the Tang dynasty, wars against neighboring states rarely required intricate strategy—overwhelming force was usually enough.
Then came the An Lushan Rebellion. Chang'an fell again and again, emperors fled again and again. Manuscripts that had never circulated widely had little chance of survival.
Naturally, some later generations would think of Questions and Answers of Duke Li of Wei.
This book was elevated in the Song dynasty alongside Sunzi, Wu Qi, Six Secret Teachings, and Three Strategies as part of the "Seven Military Classics." But anyone who actually reads it carefully soon notices something is wrong.
Was Li Jing really this reckless?
In the book, Li Shimin asks Li Jing what would happen if Li Ji and Zhangsun Wuji jointly governed the state.
Li Jing allegedly replies that Li Ji is loyal and reliable—but Zhangsun Wuji, despite his upright appearance, is jealous of the capable. Yuchi Jingde withdrew because of him; Hou Junji rebelled because of him. This is not slander, Li Jing claims—he speaks only because the Emperor asked.
Li Shimin tells him to keep these words secret.
Li Jing promptly writes them into the book.
A real-life version of: What proper person writes things like this down?
Whatever Zhangsun Wuji's character may have been, he could not possibly bear responsibility for both of those cases.
Beyond this, Questions and Answers turns Li Jing into something like a national preceptor of the Tang—omniscient, omnipotent.
Li Shimin, described as having "no equal in the use of troops," must be taught basic concepts such as military authority, formations, yin-yang principles, and tactical techniques.
Policies jointly developed by Li Shimin and Wei Zheng are attributed to Li Jing.
Victories personally achieved by Li Shimin are explained back to him step by step.
At one point, Li Shimin is even portrayed as not understanding the concept of "living off the enemy" and needing Li Jing's instruction.
Yet the most famous practitioner of this tactic was Huo Qubing—whom Li Shimin deeply admired.
Historical records state that in the seventh year of Wude, when Li Yuan faced Jieli's advance and considered retreating the capital, Li Shimin submitted a memorial likening himself to Huo Qubing, vowing to destroy Jieli.
For these reasons, the problems with Questions and Answers are substantial. It can be conclusively determined that it was not written by Li Jing.
It is far more likely a later introductory military manual falsely attributed to his name, mixed with serious misunderstandings of early Tang politics.]
Everyone felt heartache at the loss of Li Jing's eight volumes of military writings.
The most distressed person of all was Li Jing himself.
The idea of writing military treatises had long been on his mind. After defeating the Turks, he had even drafted the opening of Mirror of the Six Armies in a moment of inspiration.
And now he was being told that his painstakingly distilled military wisdom had not been passed down at all?
Li Jing could not help wondering whether he should follow His Majesty's example and copy a set to be buried in his tomb.
"Write as much as you like," Li Shimin said decisively.
"As for preserving them for later generations and spreading them across the world—that is my concern."
Li Shimin took full responsibility without hesitation.
He now understood this clearly:
A great age of peace was the greatest achievement of all.
And such an age required great generals and ministers to embody it, civil and military accomplishments to give it form, fair treatment of old retainers to serve as proof, and the people's peace to carry its reputation forward.
To glorify his ministers was to glorify himself.
Thinking along these lines filled Li Shimin with enthusiasm.
Drawing inspiration from later museums and the grand displays of the New Year court ceremonies, a new idea slowly took shape in his mind.
He even reserved a place for Jieli—
a conquered enemy, too, was part of his merit.
As for what Jieli himself thought, Li Shimin did not concern himself with that.
While the atmosphere was warm, Zhangsun Wuji suddenly saw his own name appear and immediately cried out in protest:
"When have I ever been jealous of the capable?"
Li Jing also felt compelled to clarify:
"Even if such secrets were spoken, if His Majesty truly asked, I would never have answered in this manner!"
Li Shimin quickly reassured them both.
"Wuji, do not worry. This must be slander by later writers falsely attributing a text."
"As for such questions of state, I would never ask them in this way either."
Li Shimin was no fool. The old general had just destroyed three states and was eager to avoid suspicion—how could he possibly be asked such a blunt question about regency ministers?
That answer, and the act of writing it down, was like voluntarily jumping into a pit and burying oneself. Utterly lacking in judgment.
So Li Shimin treated it as a joke and offered comfort.
Yuchi Jingde felt a flicker of anger rise within him, but Qin Qiong quickly soothed him.
"We are His Majesty's trusted men. Guard your conduct, and there is no need to worry about the rest."
Only after seeing Yuchi Jingde nod did Qin Qiong relax slightly.
At this moment, he found himself missing Cheng Zhijie.
Among the old warriors of the Prince of Qin's household, Cheng Zhijie had been fearless in war, always charging first beneath the banners.
In peace, he could govern a region and preserve stability, earning frequent praise from His Majesty.
Yuchi Jingde's temper, however, Qin Qiong understood all too well.
Without restraint, it would eventually bring trouble.
According to the Light Screen, Yuchi Jingde's later withdrawal was probably real. Though the details were unclear, Qin Qiong suspected it had much to do with that explosive temperament.
He would need to persuade him more in the future.
At this moment, only Li Ji could still smile calmly.
Even if it was a forgery, the later judgment of him as "loyal and righteous" suggested his ending would not be bad.
Li Jing, still wiping sweat from his brow, then saw the title "Li Jing, Grand Strategist of the Great Tang."
Looking at the completely fabricated scenes of him instructing Li Shimin in everything, Li Jing instead felt relieved.
Rumors were most dangerous when they mixed truth with lies.
But a page full of absurdity like this would only ever be taken as a joke.
Wasn't it precisely because he could not shine beside His Majesty that he had requested to campaign in the south against Xiao Xian?
At that time, His Majesty had just defeated Wang Shichong—what need was there for instruction?
Li Shimin thought the same and was remarkably tolerant.
"To debate military matters with Yaoshi," he said with a smile,
"and together produce an introductory work for strategists—"
"That, too, could be a fine story."