Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The next day, the Dou Family sent someone to the Shenwu Duke's Residence to deliver a letter, requesting their elder brother, Duke of Ju, Xiao Cong, to pay a visit. Only after that did the Dou Family send an invitation to Jin Wangfu, waiting for Consort Jin's reply before setting off.
Meanwhile, the Dugu Clan could not sit idly by. They sent a letter to their elder brother, Duke of Zhao, Dugu Luo, asking him to inquire with his son-in-law, Zhongshu Shilang, Xiao Yu, about the Xiao Family's intentions.
If it were the legitimate daughter of the Lanling Xiao Family, that would be one thing; but if it were a concubine's daughter, then even with Prince Jin and Consort Jin personally mediating, it would be impossible.
Xiao Yu was the seventh son of Liang Mingdi, Xiao Kui, and the New An Wang of the Liang Dynasty. He was also the son-in-law of the Dugu Family.
When Li Jian Cheng returned from his duties and went to greet his grandmother, he found his mother and grandmother happily chatting. He realized that this marriage proposal was likely secure.
"Grandmother, Mother."
Li Jian Cheng stepped forward to take the medicine bowl from his mother's hands to serve his grandmother. The Dugu Clan smiled at their daughter-in-law and said, "Consort Jin is a kind-hearted person. I heard she does not like extravagance and appreciates literature. I have a few rare ancient books in my chest; you should take them to her one day."
The Dou Family responded with smiles, and then both their gazes turned to Li Jian Cheng. However, it was clear they were not looking at him but rather envisioning the future—likely considering his future children.
Feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny, Li Jian Cheng cleared his throat. The Dou Family snapped back to reality and said to him, "I will visit Consort Jin. The princess is said to be her elder brother's legitimate daughter. Over a decade ago, she was still a princess herself; it seems quite fitting."
Li Jian Cheng felt a bit surprised as well. Consort Jin's elder brother was none other than the former emperor of the Liang Dynasty, Guangyun Di—now Grand Minister Duke of Ju, Xiao Cong. It was indeed fitting to call his daughter a princess.
Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say that the Li Family was climbing too high; since Chen Baxian established his nation, the Xiao Family had only regained power in Jiangling under Guanlong's protection. Their state was small and weak. Later on, in the seventh year of Kaihuang, Xiao Cong accepted an imperial edict from the Emperor of Sui to serve in government. Thus, with the Liang Kingdom abolished thereafter, marrying into them wasn't considered taboo.
Nonetheless, it must be noted that the Lanling Xiao Family had once been a prominent clan—renowned alongside the Langya Wang Clan and Chen Jun Xie Clan as well as the Chen Jun Yuan family for their distinguished lineage and outstanding descendants.
"I never heard that Duke of Ju had another daughter," remarked one member of the Dou Family.
The Dou Family shot him a glance: "What girl reaches marriageable age without being known by outsiders? Besides, Consort Jin mentioned that her daughter enjoys solitude and rarely goes out."
Li Jian Cheng looked at his mother and grandmother who were filled with joy and said, "We haven't even seen her appearance or character yet; why are you so biased already?"
The Dugu Clan replied, "Haven't you met Duke of Ju? His wife Cai is also known for her virtuous character and stunning beauty. One can assume their daughter will possess similar qualities."
Li Jian Cheng had nothing to say. If anyone in the Court could rival the handsome Prince Jin, it would be the Duke of Ju, a truly charming figure.
The Dou Family laughed and said, "The princess remarked that the young lady's looks are quite similar to hers."
At this point, Li Jian Cheng genuinely had no objections.
The two families began formal interactions, but since neither party was of marriageable age yet, they were not in a hurry for the six rites. However, those in the Capital City who were well-informed had already heard the news.
...
With the Crown Prince deposed and the Emperor nearing his sixties, establishing a successor had become an urgent matter. The Civil and Military Nobles were writing petitions, and undoubtedly, Prince Jin's name was at the forefront.
However, given Prince Jin's significant involvement in the Crown Prince's downfall, some officials felt that since the Crown Prince had been removed for being unworthy, the other princes—who were all born of the Empress—could also claim the Eastern Palace.
Initially, it seemed that there were only two factions in the Court: one supporting the Crown Prince and the other supporting Prince Jin. But after the Crown Prince's fall, officials began to rally behind Shu Wang and Han Wang. Even Yang Jun, who had been stripped of all his positions and was left with only the title of Qin Wang, found supporters.
Clearly, these individuals were waiting for a chance to benefit from the conflict between two parties. They did not know what they had said to the Emperor; those who had originally decided to support Prince Jin now hesitated.
Within Jin Wangfu, the Civil and Military officials wore serious expressions. The duck that was almost in their grasp had flown away; naturally, their spirits were low when they could not taste victory.
Meanwhile, Yang Guang remained calm and composed. He comforted everyone by saying, "Gentlemen, as Sunzi said, do not rejoice at favorable circumstances nor despair at unfavorable ones. In times of danger, remain unafraid; those who can maintain a serene demeanor amidst turmoil can be appointed as generals."
"This is merely a small setback. You are all exceptional individuals and will surely assist me in overcoming this challenge. How can we allow ourselves to be disheartened?"
Li Jian Cheng had to admit that at this moment, Yang Guang was quite charismatic; he possessed an ability to inspire loyalty that made people willing to go through fire for him.
Under Yang Guang's leadership, plans regarding the other princes began to take shape.
Li Jian Cheng decided he would contribute some effort. In his view, Prince Jin's rise was inevitable; with his Civil and Military officials fully assembled, victory seemed almost guaranteed. The other princes each had their own shortcomings that could be exploited.
This was also a process of earning merit and sharing rewards. However, he did not want to draw too much attention to himself, so he signaled for his father to take on the task of completely eliminating Qin Wang Yang Jun's ambitions for succession.
This left some officials with insufficient positions feeling resentful. Such great achievements belonged to the Duke of Yue and the Duke of Bao. They dared not approach to share in the spoils, leaving only the almost free Qin Wang for them to sip from, which was unexpectedly snatched away by the Li Family.
But grievances aside, they could not afford to offend the Duke of Tang, and they still needed to drink from the cup, even a few drops were better than none. They all eagerly gathered around Li Yan, flattering him and offering their assistance.
While it was hard to see any other talents in Li Yan, his ability to make everyone happy was indeed impressive. He assigned tasks to both useful and useless people alike and promised to report their contributions and hard work in detail to Prince Jin.
With no way to directly eliminate the problem, they had no choice but to resort to coercion, bribery, and framing.
However, dealing with Qin Wang Yang Jun was somewhat tricky. It wasn't that he was particularly strong; rather, his elder brother had already dug his own grave. In his fief's royal palace, he adorned the walls with fragrant powders, decorated the golden steps with jade, and surrounded himself with bright mirrors and precious pearls—an extravagant display of beauty.
Not only did he indulge in luxury, but he also had a fondness for women. He specially built the Water Palace in his fief, where he gathered guests daily and spent his days indulging in revelry with dozens of Maiko. When his fierce wife found out, she poisoned him out of rage, nearly leading to his death.
After the poisoning incident revealed everything, the Queen was furious. Consort Qin was ordered to take her own life, while Qin Wang lost the favor of both the Emperor and Empress due to his indulgence in luxury and women.
Thus, recommending Qin Wang for the position of Crown Prince was merely a way to stir up trouble. However, Yang Guang not only sought to ascend to the position of Crown Prince; he aimed to strengthen his power in preparation for future ascension to the throne, intending to firmly discipline his several younger brothers.
A few days later, Li Jian Cheng finished consulting with his father and entered the palace to seek an audience with His Majesty while also pleading for Qin Wang's case.
…………
He barely made it into the second round of recommendations.
Comment 0 Comment Count