Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 91 Zhuojun
Although the Emperor now had a young son, only one year old, it was uncertain whether he could be established as the heir. Moreover, this prince was not born of the Queen, which naturally made him inferior to King Qi.
Therefore, unless something truly significant could influence the Emperor's feelings, the trivial matter of a woman being robbed would at most cause the Emperor to feel slightly displeased with King Qi, without leading to any obvious change in attitude.
Furthermore, reporting the faults of someone’s son in front of their father would yield little benefit. Li Jian Cheng insisted that those two had used King Qi's name to commit wrongful acts for personal gain.
The Emperor's gaze fell upon Liu Jianzhi: "I trust you, which is why I have entrusted King Qi to you. Your role is to assist and rectify matters diligently, not to come to me with complaints at every turn."
Liu Jianzhi bowed and accepted his reprimand, while Li Jian Cheng remained silent, standing respectfully with his hands at his sides.
Soon enough, the Emperor lost interest in them. After being dismissed from the palace, Li Jian Cheng clasped his hands toward Liu Jianzhi and prepared to leave directly.
Liu Jianzhi called out to him: "My Lord, Prince Qi does not possess the same tolerance as the Crown Princess."
"I am well aware of that."
With a sigh of concern, Liu Jianzhi departed, looking troubled. In contrast, Li Jian Cheng did not seem overly concerned; he was not the Chief Minister of the Prince's Residence, and King Qi's fortunes had little bearing on him.
Moreover, he believed that King Qi might not enjoy his success for long. A few days ago, he received news from Zhang Wansui that King Qi had ordered the local barbarian chieftains in Longxi to be detained and tortured severely until they provided their best horses as tribute.
To the Emperor, robbing was a minor issue; however, losing face for the Sui Dynasty internationally was a major concern. The Emperor had expended considerable financial resources to maintain the prosperity of the Celestial Empire, only for his son to engage in extortion.
Given the Emperor's penchant for maintaining face, it seemed likely that King Qi's ambitions for the Eastern Palace would come to naught. If we consider Crown Princess Xiao Zucheren as a reference point, then King Qi could be likened to Xiao Father and Proud. The Emperor hardly regarded Crown Princess favorably; it was even less likely he would look kindly upon someone so similar to himself like King Qi.
Although among his sons the Emperor had no other choice but King Qi, Crown Princess may have passed away early but still left behind three healthy Crown Princes.
After Crown Princess's death, the Emperor promoted her sons: Yang Tan became Yan Wang, Yang Tong became King of Yue, and Yang You was designated as a substitute king. As it stood now, King Qi held an equal rank with his three nephews in terms of titles.
…………
Li Jian Cheng led his wife back home and spoke with his father-in-law in the Main Hall while Xiao Chanyan returned to the Rear Hall to reunite with her mother.
“Due to the unfavorable conditions of the Yongji Canal, the Zhuojun Prefect has been dismissed by His Majesty, and a new Prefect has yet to be appointed.”
Zhuojun refers to Youzhou. Last year, the emperor abolished the prefecture system and changed Youzhou to Zhuojun, which now governs nine counties: Jizhou, Liangxiang, Anci, Zhuoxian, Gu'an, Yongnu, Changping, Huairong, and Luxian.
Xiao Cong took a sip of tea and said, “His Majesty has ordered us to recommend candidates. This is an opportunity for you, but Jian Cheng, while Zhuojun is a good place to work, it carries significant responsibilities. The emperor is eager to open the Yongji Canal for the campaign against Goguryeo.
The Yongji Canal leads directly north to Zhuojun. When the army gathers supplies and provisions there, any slight oversight could lead to severe consequences.”
Xiao Cong's words were quite insightful; currently, Zhuojun would not be a favorable position. Not only would one need to manage supplies before the battle, but during the war, it would also serve as a continuous support base for provisions. After the battle, regardless of victory or defeat, there would be a mess to clean up.
There would be plenty of dirty and exhausting work involved. When it came time for rewards and honors, one would be far less recognized than the generals on the front lines. It might be better to find a peaceful place to live comfortably while waiting for an opportunity.
In Li Jian Cheng's view, if one only sought enjoyment in life, then Zhuojun was indeed not a good destination; it was far less splendid than the prosperous Jiangnan. However, if one aimed to build power, Zhuojun was a treasure trove.
His position did not need much elaboration; the local customs were fierce. Youzhou's cavalry was renowned throughout history. It rose during the Yan state period and gained fame during Emperor Wu of Han's reign. It once again flourished during Emperor Guangwu's time.
What Li Jian Cheng valued more was that when launching an expedition against Goryeo through the Yongji Canal, all supplies would converge in Zhuojun. Based on the emperor's nature, he would surely spare no resources in strengthening his troops.
Rather than letting Goguryeo benefit from it all, it would be better to keep some resources hidden away. Li Jian Cheng pondered for a moment before saying, “Please recommend me to my father-in-law.”
Xiao Cong sighed upon hearing this: “I do not know your true intentions; you need not share them with me. I only hope you find what you seek.”
“Father-in-law, what are you saying? Jian Cheng naturally only wishes to glorify our ancestors.”
Xiao Cong waved his hand dismissively: “Recommending someone is easy; at this time, there should be no one else competing for it. However, His Majesty will certainly summon you for inquiries; think carefully about what you want.”
“Understood.”
After Li Jian Cheng returned home with his wife, he saw a guest approaching to pay his respects. This man was from Yangzhou and well-versed in current affairs after traveling extensively. Xiao Chanyan then said, “Mother asked me to bring her some Shu brocade; please attend to your matters first.”
Li Jian Cheng escorted his wife to the courtyard door when the guest stepped forward and said, “I have fulfilled my lord’s request and found an exceptionally beautiful woman who is also skilled in music and painting.”
Since the last incident, King Qi had sent people to harass the Li Family's properties, and the officials from the Li Clan serving in Qi Wang Mansion were also heavily suppressed. Several who could not bear the humiliation had already resigned and returned home.
Naturally, Li Jian Cheng had to retaliate. He heard that Princess Le Ping was imitating the old practices of the Han Dynasty princesses, searching for a beauty to present to the emperor. Thus, he sent someone to Jiangnan to find a woman who met His Majesty's preferences.
Princess Le Ping had previously looked down on such matters, but since the passing of her predecessor emperor and her mother, she had to live according to her brother's wishes, especially after witnessing the fate of Lanling Princess.
She was the most favored princess by their father. After Duke Liu Shu was exiled to Longchuan, Lanling sought to follow him, but the emperor refused. Lanling, filled with resentment, submitted a memorial before her death: "In the past, we swore an oath together, writing beautiful verses. Though I am guilty, I secretly admire the ancients. Since I cannot follow my husband in life, I beg to be buried in the Liu family's ancestral tomb."
However, after reading this, the emperor grew even angrier. He summoned her sisters and scolded Lanling for being unfilial and disloyal. Not only did he refuse her dying wish to be buried in the Liu family's Ancestral Tomb, but he also ordered her burial far away at Hongdu River with very little tribute.
So meager that there were no accompanying officials or noblewomen for her burial, this frightened the other princesses of the predecessor emperor. Yang Lihua could afford to disregard her own honor and disgrace due to her ups and downs.
But after seeing that Yang Yong's son had also been almost completely eradicated, she had no choice but to consider her own daughter and son-in-law. Given the emperor's temperament, if they could not please him, everything would come to an end.
Thus, when the emperor expressed such intentions, Yang Lihua had no choice but to lower herself and engage in this matter. However, lacking the capabilities of the Han Dynasty princesses, she offered several beauties but failed to win His Majesty's favor.
On this day, a servant from Princess Mansion joyfully brought someone to meet her. After Yang Lihua took a look, she unhesitatingly spent a fortune to redeem her. After teaching her a few days of palace etiquette, she sent an eunuch into the palace to report.
………
(End of Chapter)
Comment 0 Comment Count