Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After returning to the residence, Li Jian Cheng instructed his servants to properly settle the Turkic slaves and asked Zhao Da to keep a close watch on them. If necessary, a show of force could be made to deter others.
After meeting with his younger siblings and distributing some gifts—eagle feathers, wolf fangs, and deer skins—he noted that the Scout Cavalry had plenty of these items. Li Jian Cheng had received two full carts of goods, allowing his family to choose first, with the remainder set aside for the children of other families as a gesture of goodwill.
He then spoke with his parents in the main hall, explaining the need to address his enmity with He Ruobi and the importance of fostering good relations with the Changsun Family.
Li Yan did not pay much attention to He Ruobi. Although he had once been prominent, he was now old and had a nature that alienated everyone, so no one would stand up for him.
On the other hand, building a relationship with Changsun Sheng was a fortunate development. Whether in the Sui Dynasty or among the Turkic people, Changsun Sheng had extensive connections. Unfortunately, this was based solely on his own merits and could not be considered a legacy of the Changsun Family.
However, the Dou Family had already decided to send an invitation tomorrow to meet Changsun Sheng's wife, Gao Clan. While there had been little interaction between the Bohai Gao Clan and the Li and Dou Families, they were closely related to the Dugu Family and would have plenty to discuss.
Li Jian Cheng suggested, “We might as well bring A'Zhu along; General Changsun is quite eager to establish a marriage alliance with our family.”
Li Yan pondered, “That would indeed be a good thing, but I recall that Changsun Sheng has only three legitimate daughters. The youngest is still five or six years older than Er Lang. Is he really considering marrying off a concubine’s daughter to my legitimate son? That simply won't do.”
The Dou Family remarked, “Gao Clan just returned to the capital recently. We haven't heard anything specific, but perhaps she is pregnant; otherwise, she wouldn’t have mentioned such things. I will know more after meeting her tomorrow.”
“Moreover, she is still young and could certainly bear more children. If they truly wish to form an alliance, it must be through one of Changsun Family's legitimate daughters.”
At that moment, Shiwansui was still trying to reassure his subordinates, saying, “I will do my utmost to present your contributions to His Majesty; everything will be resolved.”
He desperately sought an audience with the emperor, but Yang Jian was unwilling to see him. Yuwen Shu took advantage of this opportunity to persuade him to visit the deposed crown prince instead. Shiwansui was not foolish and declined the suggestion; however, sometimes it mattered little whether he went or not.
When the emperor inquired whether Shiwansui could remain compliant, Yang Su frowned and said, “I’ve heard that Shiwansui went to see the deposed crown prince in hopes of having him advocate for the soldiers.”
Yang Jian's anger flared as he ordered Shiwansui brought before him. After pacing in agitation for a moment, he commanded: “Yuan Min, Tang Lingze, Crown Prince's House Order Zou Wenteng, Zuo Wei Shuai Sima Xiahou Fu, Culinary Supervisor Yuan Yan, Former Deputy Minister of Personnel Xiao Zibao, and He Song are all to be executed by decapitation. Their wives and children shall be sent into official custody.”
"General Cheqi Yan Pi, Duke of Dongjun Cui Junzhuo, Cavalry Officer Shen Fubao, and Yingzhou Sorcerer Zhang Qiu Taiyi are granted a special pardon from death, each to receive one hundred strokes of the rod. Their families, including wives and children, as well as their properties and estates, are to be confiscated by the Official Government."
Yang Su did not expect such an unexpected joy; the deposed Crown Prince was thoroughly stripped of his power, and all his supporters had been captured.
Yang Su hurried to carry out the decree, fearing that the emperor might change his mind.
When Shiwansui was dragged in, he thought it was about the war with the Turkic tribes and shouted, "The soldiers have made contributions but are suppressed by the court!"
Seeing this, Sui Wendi said no more; he coldly ordered his guards to execute Shiwansui. Faced with the sovereign father's decree, the once invincible general who could tear apart tigers and leopards with his bare hands could only wait for death.
Shiwansui fell to the ground, bloodied and wide-eyed, his bulging veins slowly fading away. He was dead.
Along with him were a group of officials and generals loyal to both the court and the deposed Crown Prince.
Upon learning this, the deposed Crown Prince climbed a tree and shouted towards the palace, wanting to meet the emperor. Yang Su feared that the Eunuchs and Palace Maids would inform the emperor about this disturbance, so he proactively reported it.
However, they merely explained Yang Yong's actions of climbing the tree and shouting as a sign that "the deposed Crown Prince has lost his mind, possessed by demons, unable to reclaim his soul, hence his mad behavior."
After hearing this, Yang Jian lost any desire to see Yang Yong.
...
In the autumn of the twentieth year of Kaihuang, Li Jian Cheng was out riding with his father Li Yan, uncle Changsun Sheng, and future father-in-law Xiao Cong. They were chatting leisurely outside the city when shouts and whistles echoed nearby. Dozens of riders were galloping through the sparse forested hills, driving wild beasts into a panic.
Behind them were servants leading a dozen hunting dogs—narrow-headed with long noses and slender necks that curved gracefully. Changsun Sheng held a white falcon on his left arm; its dark eyes and long feathers made it capable of catching large birds like herons and wild ducks.
The dozens of riders were just a small part of the hunting party; hundreds more were further away driving game toward them. Each team listened for commands as they beat drums and gongs to herd the animals until they had concentrated a large number of panicked beasts into a small area.
The four men had agreed on a good omen and rode off into the woods with bows drawn. This was a specially chosen hunting ground; although there were trees, they were sparse enough not to obstruct their view while adding some excitement to their hunt.
Li Jian Cheng was considered quite skilled in horseback archery among his peers, but he paled in comparison to the three others. Li Yan had been selected for his prowess, while Changsun Sheng had achieved the remarkable feat of hitting two targets with a single arrow.
In his younger days, Xiao Cong had once commanded someone to lie on the ground holding up a target while he shot from horseback, hitting it ten times in a row without missing. The person holding the target had shown no fear at all, which spoke volumes about Xiao Cong's precision.
Li Jian Cheng seemed to exist merely to serve as a baseline for the three seniors; otherwise, they were all renowned figures, and being slightly less skilled would not have been so bad. However, being at the bottom of the rankings was hardly flattering.
Trailing behind the three, Li Jian Cheng found himself with almost no opportunity to shoot. Whenever a small animal darted by, he would immediately find three trembling arrows sticking out of him.
Fortunately, they soon split up to pursue their own paths; otherwise, it would have been difficult to determine who had hit their prey first.
The hunt truly was an exhilarating game. Galloping through the woods, arrows flying and dogs chasing down their quarry created an overwhelming sense of conquering nature.
Hares, deer, wild ducks, badgers, flower lynxes, tigers, and lean wolves—under the large-scale hunt, there was little distinction among them. Li Jian Cheng was accompanied by his household servants armed with armor and long spears to ensure his safety, allowing him to draw his bow with ease.
After his arms grew sore and he could no longer pull back the bowstring, and once his horse began to tire, they returned. With rewards at stake, someone was always counting the game; they had their own method of evaluation.
As expected, Li Jian Cheng found himself at the bottom of the results. Next came the eldest Changsun Sheng; even a great hero could not withstand the passage of time. Following him was Xiao Cong, still in his prime but now indulging in drink, causing his aim to falter from its former steadiness.
In a stroke of fortune, Li Yan claimed the top prize, winning Xiao Cong's newly acquired leopard and receiving a servant trained to care for it. Meanwhile, Changsun Sheng lost a well-trained falcon, and Li Jian Cheng lost a Turkic steed.
Comment 0 Comment Count