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Chapter 150: Yan Wang
Seeing Li Jian Cheng so leisurely, it was clear he did not take the court's efforts to quell the rebellion seriously. Many were envious of his early rise to prominence and harbored jealousy, eager to report him for censure.
However, with Dan Xiongxin's decisive victory over Liu Yuanjin's Right Minister and Qin Shubao capturing Yuhang, along with Luo Yi's eight thousand defeating forty thousand, these impressive military achievements silenced any dissent.
Could they really report to the emperor that the main commander’s absence led to the army’s frequent victories?
Moreover, Li Jian Cheng was not always a soft-hearted person. When the grain transport from Jiangdu was delayed by three days, he executed three grain officials from Jiangdu, one of whom was Liu Chai, the uncle of Prince Yan Yang Tan who was stationed in Jiangdu.
This caused an uproar among the Jiangnan Scholar Society. Their impression of Li Jian Cheng was that of a young noble accompanying the emperor on his southern tour—gentle, cultured, and remarkably talented in poetry. They never expected him to wield such authority now.
It should be noted that Prince Yan Yang Tan was the Crown Prince. Although he was not born of the Consort Crown Prince, he was favored most by the emperor.
Everyone speculated that with the Crown Princess having a legitimate son to inherit the throne, His Majesty had yet to confirm the Crown Prince, possibly intending to pass the title to Yan Wang.
Thus, Li Jian Cheng's blatant disregard for Yan Wang was astonishing. The families in Jiangdu were all careful to support Yan Wang.
After the incident, Yan Wang's grandparents naturally came before him in tears. Yang Tan, as the eldest grandson at eleven years old, could no longer be considered a mere child; he still held significant power in Jiangdu.
"Your Highness, you must seek justice for your uncle! That boy Li Jian Cheng killed my son without any petition—what right does he have to do so?"
Yan Wang's grandmother lamented, "Pity my daughter passed away early; pity my son is gone as well. How can I continue living like this?"
The Liu family was not considered a prominent noble family but rather a respected household among scholars, thus they were labeled as the Crown Prince's consort family.
Yang Tan had lost both parents at a young age and valued familial ties deeply. Seeing his relatives in such distress filled him with rage.
Yet, being the child most resembling Crown Prince Yang Zhao—studious and virtuous—he did not utter any violent threats despite his anger.
He remembered his father once telling him that Li Jian Cheng was a relative of their family and would be a pillar of the nation in the future; thus, he should treat him with respect.
"Grandfather and Grandmother, do not grieve too much. I have already sent someone to question General Li. If it turns out he killed my uncle over trivial matters, I will personally report this to Grandfather and seek justice."
"Your Highness, how will His Majesty punish him?"
Yang Tan paused for a moment before replying, "He has just achieved great merit and is about to subdue Liu Yuanjin. Moreover, it is true that my uncle’s grain transport was delayed. I suspect Grandfather will only reprimand him and demote him at most."
He felt embarrassed to even look at Grandfather and Grandmother after saying that, and at the same time, he felt a bit uncomfortable. Was his uncle really only worth this much?
"Ha, indeed it is the Noble Families of Guanlong; my son has died in vain!"
...
Facing the envoy sent by Yan Wang, Li Jian Cheng did not say much. He simply handed over the prepared accounts and a letter to him. This was evidence of Liu Chai secretly selling weapons and armor to Liu Yuanjin.
The envoy took a look and immediately bowed to Li Jian Cheng, saying, "On behalf of His Highness Yan Wang, I thank the General."
What was Liu Chai? How could he be worthy of selling such things?
This was something only the Noble Families of Guanlong could do!
It was merely relying on Yan Wang. If the Emperor found out about this, the entire Liu Family would be executed, and Yan Wang's reputation would naturally be tarnished.
The struggle for succession was constant and pervasive, so Li Jian Cheng immediately executed Liu Chai without making it public or presenting it to the Emperor. This was a great favor to Yan Wang.
Li Jian Cheng helped him up and said, "This matter is known only to us. It is just that His Highness Yan Wang is young, and there are complexities involved..."
The envoy quickly replied, "Although Yan Wang is young, he is well-read and exceptionally intelligent. The General's kindness will surely be appreciated, and I will also report the gains and losses."
Li Jian Cheng nodded. "That’s good. I have a brotherly bond with the Crown Princess; I would never disregard His Highness's reputation. As for the Liu Family matter, it ends here. As long as Your Highness can pacify the Liu Family members, there will be no further rumors."
After saying this, he began discussing the beautiful scenery of Taihu with the envoy. The envoy was a local and was eager to accompany him, making their conversation quite enjoyable. While they were chatting, reports of victories from various factions came in.
After hearing them, Li Jian Cheng waved his hand to dismiss everyone, appearing nonchalant. This made the envoy admire Li Jian Cheng's demeanor even more, and he spoke with increasing sincerity.
Before leaving, Li Jian Cheng gifted him a book that was not particularly rare or ancient but was treated like a treasure by the envoy.
Once the envoy left, Li Jian Cheng's expression became inscrutable. Liu Yuanjin could become influential not because of himself but because Liu Chai alone could not nurture him.
The world was in chaos; even the Southern Aristocracy had begun secretly cultivating power. How interesting.
As for why it was Liu Yuanjin—firstly, he had acted heroically in his youth and had gained quite a reputation among the heroes along the coastal counties; secondly, he had hands over a foot long each and arms that hung past his knees. To ordinary people, this indicated he had the appearance of an emperor.
In the following month, Li Jian Cheng continued to roam through these several counties. Many rare and heroic figures came seeking him out, and Li Jian Cheng would put them to a slight test. Those who passed were rewarded with gold and silver, and he would send them to the front lines to achieve merit.
Meanwhile, in Jiangdu, Yan Wang received a letter brought back by an emissary. He immediately dispatched someone to the Liu Family for verification, and indeed it matched up. He called for his Grandfather and Grandmother and questioned them about the matter.
"Your Highness, your uncle has indeed made a mistake. At worst, we can return all that we Guardians have received. How could you just kill him? He is your own uncle."
Seeing this, the Emissary hurriedly approached Yan Wang and whispered, "Li Langjun has always been known for his benevolence and righteousness. This time, the killing is truly for your sake. Among the rebels, there must be a leader who needs to be captured and brought before the Emperor for execution as a warning to others. If they say anything before their death, His Majesty will surely be enraged and investigate.
Only if Liu Chai is dead—without any witnesses—can this matter be kept from tarnishing your reputation."
Yan Wang nodded. However, given his nature, he could not speak harshly to his elders; he could only gently comfort them and mention that the wealth should be kept by Grandfather-in-law for their use, compensating for any losses himself.
After finally sending the two away, Yan Wang inquired once more about Li Jian Cheng's attitude. Upon hearing from the emissary that he was still thinking of the Crown Princess and often reminiscing about his time as the Crown Prince's Imperial Guard, Yang Tan's face also showed tenderness. He felt gratitude towards this uncle he had barely met a few times.
He personally wrote a long letter, expressing his thanks in the tone of a nephew addressing his Uncle, saying many things and even asking about some political matters he did not quite understand at present.
Additionally, he selected some furs from his residence to send along. Autumn had arrived; although Jiangnan was not extremely cold, there were still damp winds and rains. This was a small gesture of goodwill.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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