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Yuwen Shu raised a cup and said, "Your brother, with his remarkable achievements, has assisted the court for many years, earning great merit. However, even with such dedication, it is difficult to quell public opinion. There are many who have suffered humiliation at the hands of your family."
Yang Yue smiled and replied, "His Majesty's wisdom shines brightly, and he trusts my elder brother to carry out his duties. A few insignificant clowns are hardly worth mentioning."
Yuwen Shu chuckled softly, "Though your family is favored by the sovereign, there are still many who wish to bring you down. If the Sovereign were to abandon the courtiers, how would you seek protection?"
Before Yang Yue could respond, Yuwen Shu continued to persuade him, "If we were to support Prince Jin through your words, it would indeed lead to great accomplishments. The king would surely engrave this in his memory, thus averting the danger of fragile alliances and ensuring stability."
Yang Yue remained silent. Seeing that he did not refute him, Yuwen Shu knew it was time to make an offer. He calmly laid out the promises made to Prince Jin, which was precisely what both of them had sought for many years.
At this point, Li Jian Cheng realized that a significant event was about to unfold; the day of succession was not far off. The next step would be to consolidate their power and topple Gao Shan.
Suddenly, Yuwen Huaji whispered, "Li Dalang, this achievement belongs to my family first. In the future, my father will surely hold a higher position than that old Yang Su. You should think carefully about whether you will stand with me or with Yang Xuangan."
Li Jian Cheng smiled and cupped his hands in response. Yuwen Huaji nodded in satisfaction. "You know your place; remember to keep your distance from their family in the future."
Seeing Li Jian Cheng's honest demeanor, Yuwen Huaji suddenly had a thought. "By the way, I heard you've been swimming in money lately. How about I help you spend some?"
Li Jian Cheng's expression darkened. He had no intention of engaging with someone as foolish as Yuwen Huaji and turned his face away.
However, Yuwen Huaji seemed deeply offended and reached out to grab Li Jian Cheng's collar but was met with Li Jian Cheng's firm grip on his wrist.
Though young, Li Jian Cheng had been practicing archery since he was five years old with a specially crafted bow. He adhered strictly to the rules set by Li Yan and had never missed a day of practice. No matter how late it was, he always shot at least two dozen arrows.
His strength far exceeded that of an average person. While he wouldn't claim superiority over all heroes of the realm, compared to someone like Yuwen Huaji, he certainly had the upper hand.
"Shh." Yuwen Huaji winced in pain as his wrist was squeezed tightly and couldn't help but let out a cry. But Li Jian Cheng showed no signs of stopping; with his other hand clenched into a fist, he struck that annoying big nose with satisfaction.
He had endured bullying from Yang Jian and Yang Su; now even Yuwen Huaji dared to step on him.
"Ah!" Two streams of blood flowed from Yuwen Huaji's nose, and his painful cry caused a momentary silence in the room, but it quickly resumed its chatter. A servant from the Yuwen Family stepped forward, only to be stopped by a servant from the Li Family; this was the Li Family's territory.
Yuwen Huaji crouched on the ground, covering his nose, glaring fiercely at Li Jian Cheng. He mumbled under his breath, ready to say something harsh, but as Li Jian Cheng raised his fist expressionlessly, he immediately switched to a clear-eyed smile.
He released his hand to let Yuwen Huaji pull out a silk cloth to wipe the blood. This was actually a good thing; there was no conflict. Yang Guang was also afraid they might join forces against him, and Li Jian Cheng's ability to endure and get along with everyone made him easily suspicious.
Moments later, Yuwen Shu emerged first, using his gaze to stop his son, who was about to rush in with a grievance. He then glanced at the bloodstained silk cloth that his son had deliberately displayed.
"Hmph, Li Dalang is indeed someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong."
Li Jian Cheng clasped his hands and replied coldly, "Duke, please take care; I won't see you off."
Yuwen Shu ultimately restrained his anger. The Li Family had once been one of the Eight Pillars State, while the Yuwen Family was not related to Yuwen Tai; they had merely followed him and were granted the surname Yuwen for their contributions.
Although they were part of the Wuchuan Noble class, they weren't even among the twelve generals and didn't count as core members. Even if the Li Family was weak now, they were not something the current Yuwen Family could suppress. But once Prince Jin ascended to the throne...
Yang Yue slowly spoke up, "Yuwen Shu is not someone with a broad mind. Jian Cheng, you must be careful in the future; after all, he is a confidant of Prince Jin."
Li Jian Cheng smiled and said, "Indeed, how could such a person be willing to remain beneath others? Minister Shao, today's Duke of Yue could very well become tomorrow's Duke of Bao; there is only one position for Chancellor."
"By the way, have you heard? Prince Jin has betrothed his only beloved daughter to Yuwen Shiji. Be careful."
Yang Yue's smile faded as he reached out to pull Li Jian Cheng closer. "Jian Cheng, I spoke with my brother yesterday about the young nobles in Capital City. Truly, among them all, only you shine like a bright moon while others fade into obscurity."
"Soon enough, the entire world will know that the Li Family has produced a Qilin Child, praised by both Sui Dynasty officials as someone formidable in youth!"
This was a custom left over from Wei-Jin times; young scions of noble families would begin to make their names known around this age. Once their reputation was sufficient, they could rise rapidly.
Although there were now Imperial Examinations, only three or four candidates passed each year. Most still relied on recommendations or family connections for official positions or entered through military service based on their achievements.
Li Jian Cheng couldn't determine whether this was a good or bad thing, but he knew it was a notification from the Yang Family rather than a choice given to him. Perhaps it was a gesture of goodwill, aimed at alleviating some trivial conflict, or perhaps it was malicious; Yang Yue was deep-minded, not someone an ordinary person could see through.
After Li Jian Cheng expressed his gratitude, Yang Yue left with satisfaction. As Li Jian Cheng pondered over the figure receding into the distance, Zhao Da approached with a steward-like individual and bowed.
"My Lord, several of our other shops have reported that someone is causing trouble and vandalizing. It seems to be the servants from Duke Bao's Residence."
Li Jian Cheng was momentarily at a loss for words. Yuwen Huaji truly lived up to being the shame of Wuchuan.
"Where are they? If they haven't run away, capture them all and let Duke Bao's Residence redeem them."
Zhao Da complied and left. Li Jian Cheng had no interest in such trivial matters; he headed straight to Xuandu Temple from the Western Market. Since Yang Su had taken care of things here, it was time to give the Crown Prince a push.
Xuandu Temple was located near Chongye Workshop, facing the Great Prosperity Temple across Zhuque Street. The temple's pavilion rose eight feet high, with eaves extending over thirty feet, making it a magnificent royal Taoist temple.
The Abbot was Wang Yan, styled Zi Xuan, also known as Fengshang Shiping. He resided in the temple alongside Mr. Zhenyi Chen Junbao and shared a close friendship with Real Person Li Shunxing. They studied under Huashan Sage Jiao Kuang, living together in a stone chamber, dining on simple meals and drinking from springs in secluded tranquility.
He was considered the leader of the Taoist sects in the realm today. The Emperor himself had once visited Xuandu Temple as a believer to receive the Great Wisdom Precepts, after which nobles and scholars followed suit with reverence. The incense offerings at Xuandu Temple were beyond description in their abundance.
Nobles and ministers were required to dismount and pay their respects before entering; otherwise, they wouldn't even be allowed through the temple gates.
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