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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 87: Guests
After the tribute was paid, it was time for the invitation, but Li Jian Cheng was currently busy entertaining a distant guest, Dan Xiongxin from Caozhou Jiyin County.
At Cangxia Tower, Li Jian Cheng personally sliced some lamb ribs and presented them to Dan Xiongxin, who stood up awkwardly to receive them. "My lord, you are too kind. I am just an unknown person; how could I deserve such treatment from you?"
This was the Wuchuan Noble, Crown Prince of the Duke of Tang, and the Crown Prince's Imperial Guard, Silver and Blue Grand Minister. Not to mention that he was merely an ordinary commoner; even the Prefect of his own province would not warrant such hospitality from Li Langjun.
Dan Xiongxin was a burly man with a ruddy complexion, clearly a valiant warrior. Indeed, he could charge through a hundred men with just a fine steed and a spear, leaving bloodshed and chaos in his wake.
Li Jian Cheng smiled and said, "Brother Dan, you saved my two close friends from the clutches of mountain bandits, allowing them to live. That is a great favor to me; how could I not treat you with all my heart?"
It was quite a coincidence that Dan Xiongxin had not originally planned to come to the capital. He had merely encountered mountain bandits on the road who were blocking travelers. Seeing that several of those being robbed looked distinguished, he stepped in to help.
With just over a hundred ruffians, he charged forward and swiftly dispatched ten or twenty of them; the rest fled in terror. He had hoped to forge good relations and perhaps secure a better position for himself by escorting them back to the capital.
However, upon entering the city, he was brought here for a warm reception. Only after inquiring did he realize who the lord at the head of the table was, which left him feeling somewhat anxious.
Beside him, Chen Ben also advised, "There is no need for you to be so polite. Li Dalang has always been this way. Upon hearing about your deeds, he insisted on personally hosting you to express our gratitude."
After encouraging Dan Xiongxin, Chen Ben turned to Li Jian Cheng and said, "I heard you are getting married soon. We hurried here as soon as we could. The road we traveled has been safe many times before; we didn’t bring many guards this time. I wonder how so many mountain bandits gathered unexpectedly."
Millions of commoners were conscripted for labor; tens of thousands had perished. Naturally, some unwilling to serve had taken refuge in the mountains and along roadsides as outlaws.
Just last month, the emperor issued an edict conscripting over a million men from north of the Yellow River to dig the Yongji Canal, diverting Qinshui southward to connect with the Yellow River and Zhuojun to the north. With not enough men available, they began conscripting women as well.
Digging canals and rivers was laborious work that even strong men struggled with; how could women possibly endure it? The emperor's impatience was evident.
Moreover, the emperor planned to construct a Summer Palace just north of Fen Prefecture at the source of Fen River to build Fenyang Palace. It remained uncertain how many commoners would be conscripted for this project.
Li Jian Cheng pondered this matter for a moment before setting it aside. The emperor had never been defeated; thus no one dared challenge his authority. His will would continue to prevail.
In the following days, he took Dan Xiongxin everywhere, allowing this young landlord from Shandong to witness what true wealth and power looked like.
Especially with Li Jian Cheng's wedding approaching, many friends made a special trip to the capital from all corners of the country, including Westerners and Turks.
Eventually, Li Jian Cheng became somewhat fearful, not daring to gather so many people at once. Instead, he had to spread them out across various taverns in the two cities and even set up a banquet early on. Regardless of who it was, even a beggar could sit down and eat their fill.
It was a lavish display of extravagance, and such enormous expenses nearly emptied Duke Tang's Residence's treasury, forcing Li Yan and the Dou Family to seek loans from relatives.
People in the capital both envied Li Jian Cheng's wide circle of friends and mocked him for trying to appear prosperous. They wondered how he would manage to host a wedding feast on the big day.
Many friends advised Li Jian Cheng not to go to such lengths; they had enough wealth themselves to witness his wedding and then return home. However, Li Jian Cheng insisted that they should not spend any money.
When Li Yan began selling off some family heirlooms and Li Jian Cheng went to borrow from Qi Wang Mansion, he finally learned from Wang Yi that the emperor's gaze had shifted away from him.
Li Jian Cheng sighed in relief; he truly hadn't expected so many people to come, especially since he hadn't specifically invited them.
Yuwen Huaji intercepted Li Jian Cheng. Now a Right Tunwei General, holding a third-rank position responsible for assisting the Grand General in managing affairs and leading various Eagle Wing Houses, his real power was incomparable to Li Jian Cheng's Silver Blue Grand Minister of Ceremonies title. It was clear that the Yuwen Clan was the emperor's true confidant.
"Jian Cheng, why didn't you come to me when you ran out of money? I've been waiting for you for days; I had to bring it myself. Don't be shy about it," Yuwen Huaji said with a smile, waving his hand at the servants behind him. They opened a bag filled with coins and poured it onto the street. The coins spilled into small piles before being kicked around, scattering copper coins everywhere. The sight drew the attention of nearby citizens, but upon recognizing Yuwen Huaji, no one dared to reach down and pick any up.
Yuwen Huaji laughed wildly. Although his official position overshadowed Li Jian Cheng’s, everyone knew that if there were important matters for the emperor that could be entrusted to Li Jian Cheng, they would never be given to Yuwen Huaji.
Nine-year-old Li Shimin's face turned red; it was an age where pride mattered. He kicked away some coins that rolled near his feet and muttered, "Who wants your money..."
Li Jian Cheng interrupted his brother's words, bent down to pick up a few coins from the ground, and said, "Brother Yuwen, why did you only bring this little? It's not even enough for my daily expenses."
Li Xiaogong and Shen Guang silently squatted down to start picking up the coins as well. The other servants opened their bags and followed suit. Seeing this, Dan Xiongxin hesitated for a moment before joining in.
Yuwen Huaji pointed at Li Jian Cheng, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "You don't really think I'm here to help you, do you? Ha ha, kid, you should hurry up and get rid of all those freeloaders, or your father might just sell the Duke's Residence."
Li Jian Cheng stood up and replied with a smile, "It's just some trivial possessions. Our guests have traveled far and wide; even if it means selling off family assets, I must treat them well."
Before long, those who had heard the news rushed over. Although they were visibly angry at the situation, they managed to hold it in and followed the Li Family's servant to gather the coins, quickly filling their bags.
Li Jian Cheng cupped his hands toward Yuwen Huaji and said, "Thank you very much."
He then instructed the servant to hand the money bags to his arriving friends. "I heard you all didn't drink last night; that's unacceptable! Quickly, bring more wine and meat!"
The leader among them was a member of the He Dong Xue Clan, who smiled as he accepted the bags. "Well then, we won't hold back! But this amount will only last us a day."
"Ha ha, good! Tonight I'll send more silver over."
Xue Ping turned to the others behind him and said, "Let's go, let's go! We won't stop until we're drunk!"
Yuwen Huaji felt that things hadn't gone as he expected. He never thought that Li Jian Cheng would actually accept this money. A twinge of regret washed over him, but it would be awkward to ask for repayment now; he could only insult him a little verbally.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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