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墨書 Inktalez
Li Jian Cheng approached and saw that the person was quite young, likely even younger than him, but their skills were undeniably impressive.
"Young Master, you have remarkable skills. May I have the honor of inviting you to share a drink with me?"
At that moment, a seven or eight-year-old child felt no hesitation and boldly extended the invitation.
This was Li Jian Cheng's first encounter with Shen Guang, but since Shen Guang had arrived in the capital, he had heard much about his reputation. Seeing the esteemed Li Langjun impressed by his abilities, Shen Guang happily accepted the invitation.
A large group made their way to the Western Market, encountering familiar faces along the way who insisted on joining them. Eventually, they all joyfully settled down at a table.
Without needing any instructions, fine wine and delicious food were promptly served. The serving girls and musicians, who came almost daily, had long since learned to operate smoothly without special requests.
Shen Guang was indeed talented, but being young, he quickly revealed his background. His father had once served as the Minister of Personnel during the Chen Dynasty but was now out of office and struggling. Both his father and older brother made a living by copying books.
Shen Guang found little interest in earning small amounts through writing. Instead, he mingled with some of the city's wayward youths, often participating in competitions for them and earning some money to help support his family.
Among those present were people who had seen Shen Guang race horses. They praised him for riding with such skill that it seemed as if he flew like a shooting star, unmatched by anyone else!
If they had heard this before, they might have thought he was merely a knight skilled in horsemanship, perhaps even better than those raised on horseback like the Turks.
However, after witnessing Shen Guang's other extraordinary talents today, their opinions changed. Yet being a group of officials and nobles, they did not regard Shen Guang as someone significant; they merely thought he could provide them with more topics to discuss in front of outsiders.
In times of peace, with the Turks subdued, what good was exceptional horsemanship? Could it surpass that of the former Dunhuang Guardian? Even those admired by General Shiwansui struggled to make a name for themselves in court; how could the son of a mere former deputy minister stand out?
Nevertheless, Li Jian Cheng held a deep appreciation for Shen Guang. In the future, when peace was not guaranteed, someone so young with such skills could grow into a valiant cavalry commander. Given his current struggles, it was essential to win him over.
He took Shen Guang's hand and spoke with him. While changing clothes, he instructed his companion Li Xiaogong: "Go to my shop at home and fetch three hundred strings of cash and two carts of silk to send to the Shen family. Also, have the kitchen prepare some fine wine and meat dishes to send along."
Li Xiaogong replied but added, "Brother, if we wish to win this person over, shouldn't we start with something less extravagant? How will we reward him in the future?"
Li Jian Cheng smiled and said, "Earlier at the temple, many people tossed rewards. I noticed several valuable trinkets that could be worth over a hundred strings combined. Yet he did not pick them up; this shows that such a proud person cannot be won over solely with silver."
"The gifts I intend to send are for his father and brother—fine food and drink—while everything else is merely an addition."
"Xiaogong, you are my closest kin and my most trusted confidant. Only you can handle these matters to demonstrate my family's sincerity."
"Yes."
Li Xiaogong felt that Shen Guang was not worth such effort, but since his elder brother had said so, he would certainly prepare seriously.
Li Jian Cheng smiled as he watched his brother's retreating figure. Xiaogong was a good child; although he rarely showed off, he was exceptionally talented and had the qualities of a leader. In Li Jian Cheng's heart, he was far more important than any knight.
Returning to the banquet, amidst the joyful chatter, a servant from the Li Family suddenly came upstairs. Seeing the servant's expression, Li Jian Cheng knew it was news concerning outsiders and said, "These are all my close friends; there is nothing to hide from them. Speak plainly."
The servant complied and reported on the recent events at court, as well as the emperor's decree given to the Left Minister.
Everyone at the banquet held their breath and turned their gaze toward Li Jian Cheng, who sat at the head of the table. No one dared to speak or laugh; most of them were younger sons of noble families, with elder brothers inheriting the family business.
They lacked neither wealth nor status, but they had no opportunity to enter officialdom so early. Even if they did enter, they could not involve themselves in matters concerning the Left Minister of the court.
Li Jian Cheng's expression remained calm as he pondered slightly with his head lowered. The others sat in silence, waiting for him to speak. Shen Guang, seeing this scene for the first time, was left speechless, much like when everyone had watched him perform earlier.
Though Shen Guang had heard of Li Jian Cheng's reputation, he truly did not expect that these noble youths would show such reverence; many of them were also sons of dukes from the Duke of Longxi's household.
Shen Guang's original pride began to crumble as he recalled how arrogant he had been in front of Li Langjun just moments ago; it now seemed extremely laughable.
At that moment, another person came upstairs and bowed to Li Jian Cheng, saying, "My Lord, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence."
"Oh, I will go right away."
Li Jian Cheng stood up and addressed a few older guests, saying, "Please entertain our guests in my stead and ensure everyone enjoys themselves."
"Of course, important matters come first. Jian Cheng, you go ahead; we will manage here," they replied hastily.
The others quickly rose to see him off. Li Jian Cheng turned to the somewhat shy Shen Guang and said, "It is unfortunate that we could not drink and enjoy ourselves until we were fully merry on our first meeting. I hope we can meet again in the future."
"Certainly."
After cupping his hands in farewell to everyone, Li Jian Cheng gracefully descended the stairs. He mounted his horse and headed straight for the palace city. Once his figure disappeared from sight, everyone returned to their feasting under the guidance of a few older guests.
The topic inevitably shifted back to the matter at hand, with everyone expressing their opinions animatedly, wishing they could wield power in the court.
Meanwhile, Li Jian Cheng took his seat in the Eastern Palace. Aside from Yang Su, most of the others had arrived.
Yang Guang felt somewhat anxious. His greatest support for ascending to the throne was the Queen and Yang Su. With the Queen gone and Yang Su now under suspicion, how could his position not be shaken?
Noticing this, Li Jian Cheng said, "Your Highness, Duke of Yue must not make any moves at this time. We should defend rather than attack; slowly regaining His Majesty's trust is key. Currently, no one in the court can replace Duke of Yue, so we still have time."
Yang Guang nodded slightly. Although he still had Right Chancellor Suwei under him, that man had no involvement in the struggle for succession and held no grievances against the deposed Crown Prince or Han Wang. Such a person could not be pushed into that critical position.
Others were offering various suggestions, but most were just empty talk. The person Yang Guang trusted, Yuwen Shu, had returned to Jiangnan, leaving only Yuwen Huaji to take his father's place, who was clamoring to kill Liu Shu directly.
Yang Guang felt a headache coming on. Seeing that Li Jian Cheng had remained silent after his initial comments, it was clear he had something unpleasant to say publicly. Yang Guang dismissed everyone except for a few close confidants.
"Jian Cheng, do you have anything to say?"
"Uncle, we cannot afford to be without allies in the palace. I have heard that Consort Chen is currently favored by His Majesty."
As the legitimate son of the Queen, Yang Guang naturally looked down upon flattering his father's concubine. However, he knew Li Jian Cheng was right; allowing Liu Shu and A Wu to whisper in their father's ear every day would inevitably lead to great chaos.
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