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Yang Guang was well aware of his brother-in-law's drinking capacity and directly instructed Li Jian Cheng to take him back to the Duke of Ju's Residence, which was quite far from the palace. Li Jian Cheng assisted Xiao Cong into his carriage.
As the wind blew past, Xiao Cong became slightly more alert and leaned against the soft cushion, saying, "A young man with a good reputation in the capital, what do you plan to do in the future?"
After sitting down across from him, Li Jian Cheng replied, "Be an honest person and do my duty."
Xiao Cong shook his head with a smile, clearly unconvinced. If he truly wanted to live such a simple life, why involve himself in the struggle for succession? He could simply wait to inherit the title of Duke.
However, he chose not to speak further and closed his eyes to rest. Even though they were now related by marriage, each had their own family, creating a barrier between them. Moreover, their familial ties had yet to be fully established.
Li Jian Cheng did not rush to curry favor with his father-in-law. At this time, the Lanling Xiao Clan already had a son-in-law who was a prince, and the entire family would increase their investment, flocking to Yang Guang's side. The resources or assistance they could provide him would not be substantial.
During this period, the main role of the Xiao Family was to strengthen their relationship with Yang Guang and, when necessary, have Consort Xiao whisper in his ear.
Until Yang Guang found himself in dire straits or until the Li Family established its own faction, the Xiao Family was like other relatives of the Li Family—merely helping each other establish themselves at court. In cases of conflicting interests, they would still prioritize their own families.
Soon they arrived at Xuan Yi Fang. Besides the Duke of Ju's Residence, there was also Chen Shubao's Changcheng County Public Residence. However, it was said that the two families had little interaction. What they did share in common was that both Dukes enjoyed drinking heavily.
Li Jian Cheng helped Xiao Cong down from the carriage, whereupon he was received by a servant from the Xiao Family. A steward approached to thank Li Jian Cheng and invited him in, saying, "It is troublesome for you to escort my lord back home. My lady requests that you enter and rest for a while."
Li Jian Cheng politely declined, saying, "The Duke is drunk and needs to rest. I have yet to change my clothes; please inform my lady that Jian Cheng will visit another day."
The steward bowed and insisted, "You have come such a long way; how can we not be hospitable? My lady is waiting for you inside the courtyard, and we have prepared Hangover Soup to warm your stomach. Please step inside."
At this point, Li Jian Cheng could no longer refuse. He followed the steward into the residence. The Duke of Ju's Residence was elegant and tidy, lacking the extravagant opulence of the Duke of Yue's Residence.
Upon entering, he saw a graceful and beautiful noblewoman standing not far away. Li Jian Cheng lowered his head and approached her to pay his respects. The Duchess of Ju State treated him warmly as if he were one of her own relatives and inquired about the Dou Family and Old Matriarch’s health.
Once seated in the hall, steaming Hangover Soup and various sweet pastries were served. Xiao Cong's two sons were occupied—one serving as an official in Xiangcheng while the other had become a monk at Great Majestic Temple—leaving no one else available to host Li Jian Cheng.
Fortunately, he was still young, and the Duchess of Ju State did not need to be cautious in her own residence. She sat down and began to chat about everyday matters, gradually shifting the topic to Li Jian Cheng, inquiring about his habits and preferences.
Having been a Queen, she was naturally adept at engaging with others, and there was nothing in her conversation that made Li Jian Cheng feel uncomfortable. He answered her questions obediently and honestly.
After a few cups of tea, sensing that the atmosphere was still pleasant and not awkward, Li Jian Cheng took the initiative to rise and take his leave. Cai personally escorted him out of the residence and asked him to convey a message to the Dou Family, inviting them to visit the Great Majestic Temple for incense offerings if they were free the next day.
After Li Jian Cheng agreed and bid farewell, a young maid dressed in green hurriedly slipped into the lady's chamber in the back courtyard of Duke of Ju's Residence. Along the way, older maids advised her to slow down so she wouldn't trip.
If Li Jian Cheng had seen her, he would have recognized her as the maid who served him fruit.
When she burst into the chamber, a brightly dressed young lady was intently playing a throwing game. Her hands were steady, almost guaranteed to hit the target.
"Lady, I saw that Li Langjun! He escorted the master back home. The madam invited Lord into the residence for a chat. While I was delivering fruit for Sister Wan'er, I took a good look at him," she reported excitedly.
Princess Yongning Xiao Chanyan of the former Liang Dynasty did not respond but continued focusing on her game. Soon, the pot was filled up, and another maid replaced it with a new ear-patterned pot.
"Aren't you curious? Just a few days ago, Duchess of Shenwu and Duchess of Zhao came by and talked about him!"
Xiao Chanyan turned to face her companion. She was stunningly beautiful, with delicate features—her complexion like peach blossoms, bright eyes like black pearls framed by elegant brows. Her lips were cherry red against her white teeth, exuding innocence without any makeup.
Though still young, her beauty seemed to embody the finest traits of her parents from Jiangnan. More remarkably, having experienced national turmoil and separation from her homeland, she carried an air of nonchalance that set her apart from other young ladies.
"Since Aunt has already arranged my marriage, it will happen sooner or later. It's better for me to keep some curiosity about someone I will see for a lifetime," she replied thoughtfully.
After the struggle for succession had passed, it seemed that Capital City had returned to calmness. The newly appointed Crown Prince obediently began attempting to handle some state affairs under the Emperor's guidance.
The Duke of Yue, Yang Su, successfully took over the esteemed position of Left Chancellor from Gao Shan, the Minister of Rites, becoming the Chancellor of the Sui Dynasty, truly at the pinnacle of power beneath the emperor.
He had always been someone who enjoyed luxury and indulgence. Even while under Gao Shan, he had thousands of servants and a harem of concubines numbering in the thousands, living in extravagant residences and emulating the grandeur of palaces. Now, his excesses had only intensified.
According to the emperor's past character, Yang Su should have been severely reprimanded and demoted for such behavior. However, for some unknown reason, he was instead favored even more by the emperor.
Perhaps it was because during Duke of Qi Gao Shan's administration, he would collaborate with the Queen to impose restrictions on the emperor's decrees, whereas Yang Su would never do such a thing. Now, Empress Dugu had also begun to withdraw from political affairs.
In those days, Your Majesty was attentive to legal matters and treated his subjects as his own children. Whenever there were legal decisions to be made, he would consult with various officials. His judgments were not arbitrary; he was a wise ruler.
Now, however, he acted capriciously regarding justice. He even ordered that anyone who stole more than a single coin should be executed and their bodies displayed in public. A single coin—barely enough to buy a flatbread—could lead to a death sentence.
Originally, only a few dozen criminals were executed each year by the court. Yet within a month of this decree being issued, nearly a hundred petty thieves had been executed in the capital alone. There were even three traveling merchants who were caught and killed for eating a melon out of thirst while passing through an orchard.
Such cruel governance had never been heard of in previous dynasties. The feedback from this decree across the realm was that if stealing a single coin warranted execution, then why not commit larger crimes? After all, death was inevitable either way.
As Your Majesty desired, there were indeed fewer petty thieves in the world; no one dared to pick up money dropped on the road, reminiscent of the ancient sage kings' era when theft was unheard of.
However, there were now many more major thieves and bandits. Murders and robberies occurred frequently; countless homes were invaded and burned. Bandits roamed both mountains and rivers, killing and plundering along their paths.
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