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Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Li Jiancheng received good news: Hua Ying had arrived, accompanied by a brother named Yu Minjie. Yu Minjie was also a guard from Erxianzhuang and had fought alongside Dan Xiongxin in the Wagang Army. The guards of Erxianzhuang were quite capable, but their brilliance had been overshadowed due to their association with Dan Xiongxin.
Li Jiancheng was naturally very welcoming of Hua Ying and Yu Minjie joining the Eastern Palace. Both were strong and relatively unknown, making them perfect candidates to deal with Li Shimin and achieve unexpected victories. Moreover, both harbored resentment towards Li Shimin, as Dan Xiongxin had been killed by him. They also held no fondness for Li Yuan, since Dan Xiongzhong had been slain by Li Yuan.
"Welcome to the Eastern Palace! As you serve me, I will not treat you poorly in the future!" Li Jiancheng said as he shook their hands in greeting.
The handshake left Hua Ying and Yu Minjie feeling anxious; after all, such gestures were not customary in the Tang Dynasty, especially coming from the Crown Prince himself. They quickly replied, "It is our fortune to serve His Highness."
After the handshake, Li Jiancheng looked at them and asked, "How are your skills? Would you like to spar with Niu Fu and Ma Qiang?"
"At your command!" they readily agreed, eager to showcase their abilities before the Crown Prince.
Niu Fu and Ma Qiang exchanged glances, inwardly groaning. Having both come from the Wagang Army, they were well aware of the prowess of Dan Xiongxin's guards.
At Li Jiancheng's request, the four engaged in a simple sparring match. The outcome was a complete defeat for Niu Fu and Ma Qiang.
"Excellent! From now on, you two will be fully responsible for security within the Eastern Palace. You will also participate in the training of the Changlin Army. The commander of the Changlin Army is General Feng Li; I will introduce you to him shortly," Li Jiancheng announced while applauding.
Hua Ying and Yu Minjie accepted their orders with enthusiasm.
"Your true identities must remain confidential for now; only we few shall know. When introducing yourselves to others, simply say you served in the Wagang Army and do not mention Erxianzhuang. Also, try to avoid contact with outsiders. If anyone comes to the Eastern Palace, do your best to avoid encounters," he instructed.
Hua Ying and Yu Minjie nodded in agreement.
Li Jiancheng then turned to Niu Fu and Ma Qiang: "You two will often accompany me outside, so I entrust palace security to them."
Niu Fu and Ma Qiang nodded in understanding.
"Let’s go to the Training Ground!" Li Jiancheng beckoned to the four of them.
They complied and followed him toward the eastern side of the Eastern Palace, where there was a large Training Ground with barracks built alongside it. The Three Thousand Imperial Guards were stationed there, and Li Jiancheng had named these soldiers the Changlin Army.
General Feng Li was currently commanding soldiers during training at the Training Ground. Upon seeing Li Jiancheng approach, he quickly saluted: "This subordinate greets His Highness!"
Li Jiancheng smiled as he stepped forward and patted Feng Li on the shoulder. "General Feng, no need for formalities. Come here; I have two new additions for you—Hua Ying and Yu Minjie. They are quite skilled and have previously served in the Wagang Army; I believe they will bring new energy to the Changlin Army. They will assist you in training," he said.
Feng Li followed Li Jiancheng's gesture and saw two robust men standing behind him, exuding confidence and strength. Understanding Li Jiancheng's intentions immediately, Feng Li stepped forward to welcome them warmly.
"I have met you, General Feng!" Hua Ying and Yu Minjie said in unison, bowing to Feng Li.
Feng Li warmly shook their hands and said, "Welcome to the Changlin Army! I believe you will both showcase your talents here. Come, let me introduce you to our team."
As he spoke, Feng Li led Hua Ying and Yu Minjie towards the soldiers who were training. He introduced them to the situation of the team as they walked, helping Hua Ying and Yu Minjie quickly familiarize themselves with their new environment.
Hua Ying and Yu Minjie listened attentively to Feng Li's introduction, nodding occasionally to show their understanding. They were well aware of the significant responsibility that came with joining the Changlin Army and knew they needed to adapt to life and training here as soon as possible.
After the introductions, Feng Li brought Hua Ying and Yu Minjie back to Li Jiancheng's side.
"Your Highness, do you have any further instructions?" Feng Li asked, noticing that Li Jiancheng had not left yet, suggesting he had more to discuss.
"General Feng, I have no instructions for now. I just need to speak with Hua Ying and Yu Minjie about something today; they can report to you tomorrow!" Li Jiancheng replied.
"Understood," Feng Li nodded.
"Let’s go!" Li Jiancheng said to Hua Ying, Yu Minjie, Niu Fu, and Ma Qiang.
The four responded affirmatively and followed Li Jiancheng away from the Training Ground.
"Your Highness, do you need us to do anything?" Hua Ying asked at that moment, recalling that Li Jiancheng mentioned needing to speak with them.
"Hua Ying, I want you to take over the Blacksmith Shop in your name," Li Jiancheng answered.
"Your Highness wants to buy the Blacksmith Shop?" Ma Qiang asked in confusion.
"Yes. Ma Qiang, take Hua Ying and Yu Minjie with you to find Zhao Registrar, then go secure that Blacksmith Shop. By the way, keep everyone at the Blacksmith Shop; I will visit them this afternoon for some matters," Li Jiancheng instructed.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Ma Qiang replied and led Hua Ying and Yu Minjie to find Zhao Hongzhi.
Li Jiancheng returned to the living room with Niu Fu.
"Niu Fu, do you know General Yuwen from Prince Qin's mansion?" Li Jiancheng asked.
Niu Fu nodded. "I know him. Your Highness, have you forgotten? General Yuwen served under you for a time."
"Oh? That makes things easier!" Li Jiancheng remembered this fact as well.
Yuwen Shiji was different from others in Prince Qin's mansion; he had directly allied himself with Li Yuan when he defected to Tang and had fought alongside both Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng. Therefore, during the struggle for the position of Crown Prince between Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng, he did not take sides. However, before the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Yuwen Shiji was serving in Prince Qin's mansion, leading people to believe he was aligned with Li Shimin.
"What makes it easier?" Niu Fu asked in confusion.
Li Jiancheng looked at Niu Fu and asked, "Do you think it’s possible to bring Yuwen Shiji over to our side?"
Niu Fu was taken aback for a moment before pondering for a while and replied, "Your Highness, this... might be somewhat difficult. Although General Yuwen has served here before, he has always maintained neutrality without clearly supporting anyone. Moreover, his position in Prince Qin's mansion is quite high now; persuading him to betray Li Shimin would likely not be an easy task."
Li Jiancheng nodded, indicating his understanding. After a moment of silence, he said, "I know this is difficult, but we must try our best. Yuwen Shiji is a capable general, and if we can bring him to our side, it would greatly aid us in our struggle for the throne."
Niu Fu, after hearing this, agreed that Li Jiancheng had a point. He thought for a moment and suggested, "Your Highness, why don't we send someone to test General Yuwen's stance and see if he might be willing to change his position?"
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