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墨書 Inktalez
Inside the Prince's East Palace Hall of Grace, Yang Guang furrowed his brows as he listened to the discussions around him. The harsh punishment of death for a mere coin had yet to be resolved, and now the Emperor had issued a new decree.
The Border Grain Collector stated that anyone who hoarded more than a dou would face death, and if their family had no official status, they would be punished even more severely. Those who heard of such actions but did not report them would be sentenced to death as well.
It was not just the policies that were troubling; the Emperor's suspicions had led him to send people with silver coins pretending to seek official positions, actively bribing officials at all levels. Anyone daring enough to accept these bribes would find themselves executed the very next day.
Everyone in the court felt uneasy. After the morning assembly, they refused to meet with outsiders. If anyone pulled out silver or treasures, they would pounce on them like they were enemies, tearing and clawing as if in a life-or-death struggle.
No one understood what had happened to the once wise Sovereign, while many of the court's hardliners had likely been demoted and sent away from the capital to protect the Crown Prince. Those remaining could only watch in silence as the Emperor wielded his slender Imperial Staff and displayed his imposing physique.
No one believed their own bodies could withstand more than those colleagues who had been executed in the past.
Thus, even though they all suffered under these conditions, none dared to advise the Emperor directly. They could only reluctantly praise him for using strict measures to bring order to this chaotic era, which had led to the so-called Golden Age of Kaihuang.
Everyone cared for their own fortunes; ministers might turn a blind eye, but Yang Guang could not accept this. He had worked tirelessly to inherit this prosperous realm and achieve a Great Undertaking, not to take over a pile of ruins.
However, neither Yang Guang nor Yang Su held particularly stable positions. The deposed Crown Prince was still alive, and Gao Shan was also still around. As long as the Emperor held power, with a single command, everything could change in an instant.
Just as Shu Wang dared not rebel, Yang Guang also did not have that strength or courage at this moment. No one could defy the Emperor's will; they could only find ways to persuade him.
Ultimately, it came down to relying on the Empress. Yuwen Shu and Yang Su tacitly recommended Li Jian Cheng for this task, ensuring that they would share in any credit while placing any failure solely on Li Jian Cheng's shoulders.
Li Jian Cheng was well aware of his role as a pawn. Given his family's weak position, he naturally expected to be assigned dirty work. However, without contributions or hardships endured, how could one rise? Nothing came without effort.
Fortunately, Yang Guang was still capable of shouldering responsibilities. He expressed his dissatisfaction by reprimanding Yang Su and Yuwen Shu a few times before instructing Li Jian Cheng to accompany him to pay respects to the Empress.
On their way, Li Jian Cheng remarked to the visibly troubled Yang Guang, "The Duke of Yue and the Duke of Bao have achieved much today; it is understandable that they wish to preserve their strength and are reluctant to advise His Majesty during court meetings."
Yang Guang could certainly discern that Li Jian Cheng was subtly criticizing those two men. Yet he couldn't help but agree internally; he gathered ministers not merely to ease his burdens but rather so they could share in the responsibilities rather than simply being ornamental figures.
Li Jian Cheng knew that his words had been heard, and he also understood that Yang Guang could not leave Yang Suyuwenshu at the moment, so he chose not to say more, considering it a small sting left behind.
Soon, the two arrived at the Queen's palace. After the maid announced their arrival, they entered. When Li Jian Cheng saw the Queen, he was taken aback; in just a few months, Dugu Qialo seemed to have aged more than ten years.
The dignified and imposing Queen now appeared as an ordinary old woman. Although incense was burning in the hall, a scent of decay lingered in the air.
It wasn't just Li Jian Cheng who was shocked; Yang Guang was equally stunned, forgetting to bow as he stared blankly at his mother. The Queen had not summoned anyone for a long time. Aside from a brief visit when he was named Crown Prince, it had been ages since he had seen her privately.
“Cough, cough.” Dugu Qialo lightly touched her face and said, “Mother is aging too quickly; my son might not even recognize me.”
Yang Guang disregarded etiquette and rushed forward, tears streaming down his face as he grasped the Queen's hand and cried out, “What… what has happened? Mother, how could this be? Is there someone who dares to insult you? It must be that the palace servants are not taking care of you properly; I will have those wretched servants killed!”
Li Jian Cheng could not bear to look any longer. He knelt on the ground and cried out a few times before lowering his head.
Dugu Qialo wiped away her son's tears and said, “No one dares to neglect me; it's just that I haven't been eating or sleeping well lately and have no energy.”
Yang Guang guessed at her distress but could only comfort her, saying, “I will come to accompany you whenever I can. At other times, let the Xiao family bring Zhao'er and Xiao Er to keep you company.”
Dugu Qialo smiled faintly as she glanced at Li Jian Cheng in the distance and said, “You came here because of the Emperor's harsh policies, didn't you?”
Yang Guang shook his head and replied, “You need not worry about this, Mother. I am already the Crown Prince; I will handle this matter myself.”
His words carried a sense of responsibility that Yang Yong could not express. Dugu Qialo felt reassured that she had not chosen the wrong successor for the Sui Dynasty.
She shook her head and said, “You cannot persuade him. Your father has lived a simple and rigid life; now that he is old, his temperament has changed drastically. It may worsen in the future. I only hope he does not squander his lifetime of achievements and waste the efforts of many of us.”
“Go now and invite your father over.”
Li Jian Cheng followed Yang Guang out and then took his leave. Matters of the royal family were not about merit or toil; witnessing or hearing something ultimately brought more harm than good.
Yang Guang had no intention of dealing with him, casually nodding to let him leave. Li Jian Cheng felt as if he had escaped a calamity; all he could think about now was changing his position. With Yang Jian's increasingly extreme temperament, the risks of being in the Thousand Cattle Guard were too great.
The next day, the emperor took the initiative to abolish those harsh policies. Although the entire court of Civil and Military felt a sense of relief, they also realized that such frequent changes in policy were not a good sign.
To everyone's surprise, the emperor suddenly returned to normal. One by one, his decrees and measures became fair and stable, just like in previous years, gradually bringing stability to both the court and the people.
Later on, Li Jian Cheng requested to resign from his position in the Thousand Cattle Guard due to illness. Yang Jian, who had never wanted to see him anyway, readily agreed.
Although he no longer held an official position, he was fortunate enough to have a title as a fifth-rank Sanjun Shilang, which allowed him to receive a salary of one hundred fifty stones from the court, so it wasn't entirely without benefit.
In less than a year of ups and downs in his career, Li Jian Cheng had changed significantly from before. No one treated him like a mere junior anymore; instead, he was regarded as the young master of the Li Family.
Though he still lagged behind the court's rising star Yang Xuangan, no one would dare compare him to figures like Yang Jishan anymore. He always had a place at banquets in the Eastern Palace.
Li Jian Cheng resumed his old habits of lavishly hosting guests. Gradually, many peers and relatives from families such as the Li Family, Dou Family, Xiao Family, Dugu Family, and Yuan Family gathered around him. They spent their days indulging in food and drink, enjoying poetry and painting, taming horses, and hunting beasts—life was full of joy.
If it were after the Tang Dynasty, Li Jian Cheng wouldn't dare claim to be a great poet. However, before that era, he felt quite embarrassed if he couldn't write poetry. With both civil and military skills and no lack of money, the reputation that Yang Su had built up was slowly being upheld by Li Jian Cheng.
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