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墨書 Inktalez
After the morning court session, they escorted the Empress back to the palace. They lingered in front of Eternal Alley City Gate, where Yang Jishan, having changed into armor, said, "In a few days, I will host a banquet at my home. You all must come."
Everyone praised Yang Jishan for quite some time, and during lunch, they sneaked some wine and roasted lamb legs in the Guard Room.
In the afternoon, while Li Jian Cheng was lounging in the Guard Room and picking his teeth, a female official from Yong'an Palace came to summon him again. Li Jian Cheng followed her and upon entering the palace, he found Duke of Qi Gao Shan also present. He first bowed to the Queen before greeting Duke of Qi.
Gao Shan frowned at Li Jian Cheng; he did not understand why the Queen would summon such a young person.
Dugu Qialo asked Li Jian Cheng, "What kind of person do you think Duke of Qi is?"
After pondering for a moment, Li Jian Cheng replied, "Duke of Qi is a rare talent of the ages. He is well-versed in both civil and military affairs, understands worldly matters, can defeat enemies and conquer nations on horseback, and govern and bring peace to the people on foot. He has initiated the Imperial Examination, reduced taxes, cleared household registrations, and has made significant contributions in both literature and martial prowess. For over ten years, he has been revered by both court and commoners; there is no one else like him."
Dugu Qialo then asked, "What do you think Duke of Qi lacks now that he has reached such a high position?"
Li Jian Cheng's gaze fell lightly on the seemingly wooden Gao Shan as he softly said, "Duke of Qi now only lacks one thing: death."
Gao Shan's expression changed slightly as he solemnly looked at Li Jian Cheng. The two locked eyes without breaking contact for a moment until Gao Shan turned his head with a sigh and said, "The younger generation is formidable; I am getting old."
Dugu Qialo chuckled and said, "Jian Cheng, go deliver these books to Jin Wangfu for me."
"Understood."
Li Jian Cheng led several female officials out. After a brief silence in the hall, Gao Shan spoke up: "Your Majesty, this young man is ambitious and comes from a distinguished background. Keeping him around may bring future troubles rather than benefits. Even if we do not kill him, we should suppress him—let him live like his father in high rank but low position."
Dugu Qialo laughed lightly and said, "Are you afraid? So even you Gao Shan have moments of fear?"
"Your Majesty, this old minister is not envious of talent; it’s just that this child is extraordinary and does not seem like someone who can remain beneath others for long."
"Amor can be used as needed; those without ambition are merely mediocre talents. How can they assist a ruler? Speaking of which, who among your kind isn’t someone with lofty aspirations?"
Gao Shan had no time to dwell on Li Jian Cheng anymore; he seized on the main point: "Do you truly intend to depose the Crown Prince and establish Prince Jin instead?"
"Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince has many favored concubines and enjoys luxury excessively, he possesses a generous heart and an open character. He has the capacity to tolerate others and employ them; he is worthy of his position in the Eastern Palace. You must think carefully."
"He is our eldest son with His Majesty; have we not placed great hopes on him? He resembles both me and His Majesty in enjoying pleasures and being lustful. Especially since he dared to favor a concubine over his wife, causing Yuan Noble Lady—whom I personally sought for him—to die neglected!"
"Even complaining to others that Mother does not treat me like a good woman is quite hateful!"
Dugu Qialo slammed her hand on the desk: "That is Yuan, the oldest Xianbei family, the royal family of Northern Wei and Western Wei, my ally in founding the Sui Dynasty, and will also be his future support. Has This Palace done anything wrong to him?"
"Your Highness..." Gao Shan wanted to persuade her further, but Dugu Qialo had already turned away, leaving him no choice but to bow out.
...
Jin Wangfu was naturally not far from the palace, located on Kaihua Lane. Li Jian Cheng and several palace maids took two carriages and soon arrived at their destination.
After getting off the carriage, Li Jian Cheng noticed that standing in front of the gate of Jin Wangfu were Prince Jin Yang Guang and his wife, Xiao Family.
Having just turned thirty, Yang Guang was known for his handsome appearance and lack of wisdom. His looks were strikingly handsome, while his wife, Xiao Family, was renowned for her beauty that could topple kingdoms. The sight of this beautiful couple smiling together was truly delightful.
Li Jian Cheng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness's wife. I come at the command of the Empress."
Yang Guang stepped forward, pulled up Li Jian Cheng, and embraced him with a laugh: "I learned of your actions upon returning to the capital and wanted to get closer to you. However, I must obey the orders of the Empress, so I could only endure for now. But now it is all well."
"Jian Cheng, we are blood relatives; your father is my cousin. From now on, just call me by family terms; there’s no need for formal titles."
Xiao Family also smiled gently: "What a heroic young man! I held you in my arms when you were little, and now look how grown you are."
Li Jian Cheng expressed his gratitude with tears in his eyes: "That might not be appropriate according to etiquette."
"You are my nephew; that is simply a fact. What is inappropriate about it?"
Feeling slightly shy, Li Jian Cheng bowed again: "Then I greet you, Uncle and Aunt."
"Hahaha, good! Come in and talk. Your aunt has just made some fish soup with Sugar Crab, which is extremely delicious; you are in for a treat."
With that, Yang Guang wrapped an arm around Li Jian Cheng and led him into the residence. Meanwhile, Xiao Family approached the palace maids, kindly taking their hands as they walked inside while inquiring about her mother-in-law's health. The maids felt honored by such attention from nobility and were quite happy.
The interior of Jin Wangfu was very simple; there were few Servant maids around. The floor was paved with blue bricks, and the wooden beds and tables were rudimentary. The screens were simply decorated without gold or silver embellishments. The musical instruments behind the screens were dusty and broken. Aside from its size, one would hardly guess that this was indeed the residence of a prince of the current dynasty.
Li Jian Cheng sighed as he stopped in front of the Main Hall and said, "Although I have heard about it before, seeing it today still leaves me astonished. Uncle is indeed too frugal; how could it come to this?"
He marveled inwardly at Yang Guang, who was truly extraordinary. No wonder he could deceive both the emperor and empress as well as the entire court. Who else could endure such harsh treatment for so many years under conditional circumstances if they did not possess great ambitions?
Meanwhile, the Xiao Family led the female officials to place the books awarded by the Queen before guiding them to the chambers. Inside, several maids dressed in silk were busy mending clothes. The Xiao Family sat among them and smiled, saying, "I only have this one dress left to mend; it will be finished soon. Then shall we eat together?"
The female officials dared not watch Consort Jin work while they stood idly by, so they hurriedly stepped forward to help. However, as they began, they realized that Consort Jin was remarkably skilled while they appeared clumsy.
They couldn't help but feel ashamed; after all, the princess was the legitimate daughter of Liang Wudi Xiao Yan and Liang Mingdi.
Yang Guang and Li Jian Cheng took their seats and began to eat. The fish soup was made by scraping off scales, removing bones, cutting the fish into pieces, and boiling it into a thick broth, which likely had a generous amount of vinegar added. The Sugar Crab, as its name suggested, was crabs marinated in molasses to make them sweet before eating.
The meal was both sour and sweet; it was hard to understand what peculiar eating habits these two had.
After finishing their meal, they brewed tea and began to converse. Yang Guang was quite talkative; his literary talent was impressive, and he effortlessly recited various articles and anecdotes. When inspired, he could even compose poetry on the spot.
About half an hour later, Yang Guang went out to change clothes. When he returned, his demeanor was even friendlier than before; it seemed that Li Jian Cheng's remark about Gao Shan being one step away from death had spread.
Gao Shan had always been part of the Crown Prince's faction. His daughter was Consort of the Eastern Palace, but now the position of Consort Crown Prince remained vacant.
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