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墨書 Inktalez
After the two parted ways, they each went to seek out their family elders. After briefly explaining the situation, a group gathered at the city gate, mounting their horses and riding out of the city. Among the members of the Li Family were General Li An, the Right Commander of the Imperial Guard, and Chancellor Li Shao of the Yellow Gate.
Currently, only these two elders from the Li Family held positions in the capital, both being uncles of Li Jian Cheng. Li An also inherited the title of Duke of Longxi from Zhao.
The present state of the Li Family is such that aside from the direct line, which carries on the legacy of Duke of Tang, there are five branches that have emerged, but none are particularly prosperous. The second branch still has Li Shao serving as Governor of Zezhou, while the fifth branch consists of Li An and his brother. The other three branches have no titles at all; their highest official ranks barely reach six or seven pins, making it impossible for them to stand on their own.
Li An rode closer to Li Jian Cheng and whispered, "Why didn’t you consult with the clan? It’s good to curry favor with Her Majesty, but you must not offend His Majesty. Don’t you remember what your fourth great-uncle did? The consequences linger even now!"
Li Jian Cheng's fourth great-uncle, Li Zhang, served in Northern Zhou as Governor of Liangzhou. He had conspired with Zhao Wang Yuwen You to assassinate Chancellor Yang Jian, who held power in the court. However, when their plot was exposed, they were killed.
It seemed like a monumental issue at first glance, but in reality, many families had opposed His Majesty back then; it could be said that every family had one or two members who did so. After His Majesty ascended to the throne and established his reign, he executed those responsible but spared their families.
The current situation of the Li Family was not caused by this incident.
Li An spoke these words because he felt that Li Jian Cheng, being a mere youth, was presumptuous in taking a stand for the family without consulting them first. He wanted to use seniority to pressure him into apologizing to the emperor to prove his loyalty.
A family exists in such a way that when you can wield its power, it serves as your greatest support; when you cannot hold onto it, it becomes a hindrance.
However, abandoning it is not an option. In this era, an individual's strength is too insignificant; without a clan backing you up, you cannot even maintain a basic foundation. Outsiders hold too much military power; without anyone to balance them out, why would they listen to you?
There is no such thing as unwavering loyalty in this world. The Yuwen Family and Yang Family—who among them has not fought fiercely for previous dynasties and received their due rewards? Yet when they amassed enough strength, they showed no mercy when plotting against the throne.
An individual may possess absolute loyalty, but a family will never do so.
Members of the Dou Family and Dugu Family glanced over here; although they wished to say a few words for Li Jian Cheng, they found it inappropriate to interfere in matters internal to the Li Family.
Li Jian Cheng remained expressionless: "Though Jian Cheng is young, I understand respect for my elders. I dare not extinguish familial ties for national service."
Li An stared coldly at Li Jian Cheng while on the other side, Li Zhe looked sorrowful. After letting out a long sigh, he turned his horse around and left.
Years ago, when Li Zhang conspired with Yuwen You, it was Li An who informed then-Chancellor Yang Jian about their plot. This led to their downfall and execution while he himself gained trust and was promoted.
"Uncle," he said sharply, "whether we advance or retreat is determined by ourselves; there’s no need for further words."
"Hmph! Ignorant and fearless."
Li Jian Cheng did not respond, merely urging his horse forward. The group galloped for over twenty miles into Lishan, finally catching sight of the disheveled Your Majesty and the circle of officials surrounding Emperor Dugu Kaiyuan.
Under the guidance of Yang Jishan, Uncle Yang Yue, and a large group of the Emperor's old ministers dismounted and rushed over. Some draped their clothes over His Majesty, while others pulled out pastries from their pockets, and a few clung to the Emperor's legs, weeping loudly.
Li Jian Cheng and Yang Jishan quietly dismounted and stood among the Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle, silently watching the scene unfold, witnessing this drama of the Emperor running away from home.
"Your Majesty, how can you so easily abandon the millions of subjects? How can such a precious body gallop away like this?"
"Your Majesty, how can you let matters of the harem shake the State? You and the Empress have been affectionate for years; it must be that wicked woman’s seduction that has led to this day. Your Majesty should gather your spirits!"
"How can Your Majesty be swayed by one woman?"
Everyone spoke at once. Yang Jian stood under a tree for a long time before sighing, "I am honored as the Son of Heaven yet cannot enjoy freedom; I am not as fortunate as a commoner."
"Your Majesty..."
Before anyone could persuade him further, Yang Jian mounted his horse and said, "Let us return to the palace."
The crowd was somewhat speechless; if he was fine, why scare them by running out of the palace?
The group returned to the palace in grand fashion, causing the citizens of Capital City to gaze from afar and whisper among themselves, unsure of what rumors they were concocting.
The Emperor had no mood to heed anyone and returned to Ren Shou Palace in sorrow. Meanwhile, Li Jian Cheng and others lingered at Eternal Alley City Gate.
A few wore worried expressions. Yang Jishan addressed Dou Dan and Yuan Shibin, saying, "Alright, we three are just here to follow orders; there’s no need for such distress."
Then he turned to Dugu Kaiyuan and added, "As for your side, don’t go seeking forgiveness just yet. After some time has passed, let an elder from your family visit to explain."
"Jian Cheng," Yang Jishan remarked with admiration as he helped him remove his outer armor, "I truly didn’t see this coming; what courage! How did you dare? His Majesty is not known for his good temper; if I may say so, he has become increasingly irritable these past few years."
Dou Dan also expressed concern, saying, "What should we do? Perhaps we should ask the Empress to resign from the Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle position."
Before Li Jian Cheng could respond, a eunuch arrived with an imperial decree: "Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle Li Jian Cheng, having initially received Imperial Favor upon taking office but defying orders, is hereby demoted to standby status and shall receive ten lashes!"
Li Jian Cheng calmly accepted the decree. He had anticipated this outcome; the current Your Majesty had an extreme temperament. While he practiced frugality himself, he was never stingy with rewards for loyal subjects—lavishing high positions and riches upon those who served him well.
But he also had a tyrannical side. In his early years, he would beat people in the court, sometimes doing so several times a day. By counting, the number of officials he personally struck dead in the court was no less than a dozen.
Until all the court officials were filled with fear, the Queen and Prime Minister Gao Ying, along with Liu Yu, submitted a petition stating, "Your Majesty's staff is as large as a finger. Those who are beaten number thirty, while the usual number is in the hundreds; therefore, many have died. The court is not a place for killing, and the hall is not a place for punishment."
Only then did he remove the staff that was placed beside the imperial desk. However, later, when Li Jun Cai, an army officer from Chuzhou, submitted a petition accusing the Emperor of favoring Gao Ying too much, Yang Jian, in a fit of rage, sought to kill him with the court staff. Unable to find it, he instead used a whip and brutally whipped Li Jun Cai to death in front of all the civil and military officials.
Of course, most of those people were scholars from the south; the Noble Families of Guanlong were not subjected to such treatment.
Dugu Kaiyuan stood up to seek an audience with the Queen for help but was stopped by the eunuch: "Your Majesty has ordered Lord to personally carry out the execution."
Dugu Kaiyuan glared furiously while Yang Jishan and Yuan Shibin held him back. Dou Dan said to the eunuch, "Li Langjun is a noble relative with an illustrious lineage; he is the legitimate heir of our Grand Duke of the Sui-Tang Dynasty. How can he be subjected to such punishment? Please take me to see Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty will not see anyone right now; Lord Dou should not make things difficult for this servant."
Yang Jishan quietly reminded Li Jian Cheng, "The Eight Proposals."
The Eight Proposals refer to a special pardon for nobles. With his status, there could still be reductions—either through monetary compensation or by substituting official positions.
However, these methods could only be used when the Emperor was willing to reason; now he did not want to reason at all. He was venting his anger towards the Queen and demonstrating his fury; as for legal principles and reasoning, they had become irrelevant.
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