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As she spoke, Li Xiuning burst in with great energy, insisting that Li Jian Cheng recount everything from the beginning. Naturally, Li Jian Cheng was more lenient with his younger sister and repeated the earlier events.
However, A'Zhu and Great Virtue, who were getting into the story, felt somewhat displeased at being interrupted by Li Xiuning. Faced with their sister's iron fist, they could only grimace and endure; otherwise, she would truly give them a beating.
Once he finished, the two younger ones marveled at Yang Su's impressive demeanor, while Li Yan and the Dou Family subtly noted Yang Su's situation, realizing that soon there would be another wave of turmoil in the court.
Li Yan spoke up, "What should we do with the goods we just brought in?"
Dou Family frowned and replied, "Our family is not like the Yang Family; we should still submit them. And you, don't just talk about Jian Cheng; those horses should also be presented to His Majesty."
In a moment of anxiety, Dou Family began to cough. Li Xiuning stepped forward to pat her back. "Mother, don't rush. Take your time."
Only then did Li Jian Cheng realize that his father had gotten along quite well during his trip north with Turkic Qimin Khan. When they parted ways, out of a moment of camaraderie, Khan had gifted several prized horses from various tribes to Li Yan.
Qimin Khan was the newly ascended Eastern Turkic Khagan, and his first tribute from the tribes was naturally given with great care. Those horses were among the best on the grasslands.
Since returning, Dou Family had been urging him to present them to the emperor. However, Li Yan had always cherished his divine steeds and precious bows. He personally fed and groomed those horses every day and felt reluctant to part with them, let alone give them away to someone else. Thus, he had delayed until now.
Li Jian Cheng nodded. "In a few days, it will be the Empress's birthday. I will take this opportunity to present most of what we've acquired."
Li Yan could only agree. "I will keep one horse; the rest will be offered to His Majesty."
Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "If you do that, His Majesty will surely think you kept the best for yourself. The consequences would be even worse than not offering anything at all; it's better to present them all."
Seeing Li Yan hesitate and unwilling to part with the horses, Dou Family turned away in frustration. Normally very generous, it was puzzling how he could forget such taboos at a critical moment.
Li Jian Cheng chose not to persuade him further; if one did not firmly make an impression on His Majesty, how could they truly understand his nature and learn to navigate carefully in this court?
Li Yan's thoughts were not difficult to guess; he believed himself to be a dragon's minister and had familial ties with the emperor. The emperor ruled over all under heaven and would not concern himself with such trivial matters.
Soon enough, he would realize that just because the emperor ruled over all did not mean he was generous or magnanimous.
Fortunately, Li Jian Cheng also wanted to suppress the momentum of the Li Family; it was too early for them to rise now—stability was key.
The next day, Li Jian Cheng first visited Duke of Ju's Residence. It was no longer as it once was; the entrance was bustling with activity. As relatives of His Majesty's wife, members of Lanling Xiao Clan were now entrusted with significant responsibilities and enjoyed considerable prestige.
However, as the future son-in-law, Li Jian Cheng was smoothly admitted and directly met Xiao Cong without the need to wait. After exchanging greetings, they sat down to drink two bowls of tea and discussed the matter of the Suppression of Rebellion.
In the end, he explained that some goods were not suitable for public display and asked the Xiao Family to present them on his behalf during the Queen's birthday celebration. Naturally, Xiao Cong had no reason to refuse such a small favor. After expressing his gratitude, Li Jian Cheng left a list of gifts and took his leave.
Once outside the Xiao Residence, he went to visit old friends and relatives, including his newly acquired brother-in-law, Lord Feng Shaoshi of the Chang Le Feng Clan, who was the illegitimate son of Duke of Pingyuan, Feng Hun.
He was a cultured and refined gentleman, and Li Yan had immediately taken a liking to him at the banquet as a potential husband for her sister.
...
"Han Wang's rebellion is an unforgivable crime that must be punished to warn all subjects of the realm."
"Your Majesty acts in accordance with heaven and responds to the people's will as State Protector. The 300,000 rebellious troops are formidable, yet Your Majesty has subdued them with just a gesture."
"Han Wang should be sentenced to death!"
During the court assembly, all ministers demanded the death penalty for Han Wang, believing this was what His Majesty desired most.
However, unexpectedly, the emperor said: "I have seldom had brothers; my heart cannot bear to speak of such punishment. I wish to show leniency and forgive him for one death."
The court fell silent for a moment. How strange it was for such words to come from his mouth!
Moreover, if Han Wang did not deserve death, then what about the deposed crown prince and those other Crown Princes? Wouldn't that be too unjust?
In matters concerning Han Wang, how could righteous men like Dou Lu Yu, who refused to join the rebels and were executed instead, not feel even more wronged?
But the emperor had made up his mind; he merely decreed that Yang Liang would lose his title and be demoted to commoner status, confined within Chang'an City.
The emperor did not punish the main instigator but instead stirred discussions among the ministers. Yet later on, he intended to issue an edict to investigate the officials and soldiers from nineteen provinces who had followed Han Wang in rebellion.
The ministers urged him against this course of action. The emperor had just ascended to the throne and had not yet granted amnesty to the world or shown kindness across the land; starting a great purge would surely not bode well.
This finally angered Yang Guang. He threatened the civil and military officials: "I do not take kindly to counsel. If those of high standing attempt to advise me for their own gain, I will find it intolerable. As for those of lowly status, even if I grant them leniency, they will ultimately have no place in my court. You should all be aware of this!"
I have always detested the advice of others. If you are already in a high position and still seek to gain fame through counsel, I will not tolerate it. If you are of lowly status, I might endure it a couple of times, but I will not allow you to live long.
These words successfully intimidated the court officials, and no one dared to utter another word. Yang Guang looked on with satisfaction, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He needed no reminders; he was the smartest person in the world.
Thus, Yang Guang cast an unhappy glance at Yang Su at the front, noticing that many were looking at Yang Su's back, seemingly hoping he would act as Chancellor and advise him.
How could the emperor be constrained by his subjects? Yang Guang despised people like Gao Shan. Even when he was still a prince, he wondered why his father could tolerate such ministers.
Later, he understood that it was because his father was not adept at governance and had to rely on Gao Shan. But he did not need such reliance; those who sought to divide his power would be punished!
After the court session ended, the emperor's decree was carried out. Later, the Ministry of Justice investigated and found that among the officials from nineteen provinces, including Han Wang's subordinates and their servants and friends, there were over two hundred thousand households affected by forced relocation.
In such circumstances, the atmosphere of reward and recognition lost its original vibrancy. Of course, the lower-ranking soldiers were unaffected; they continued to express gratitude for the emperor's imperial favor, as all vacant military positions had been filled by them.
Yang Su himself could no longer receive rewards. His older sons were in the same situation. Now the emperor could only grant titles to his son Wan Shi and Ren Xing, while his nephew Zi Xuan was promoted to a position equivalent to that of a third-ranking official. They were bestowed with fifty thousand bolts of fabric and one thousand rolls of fine silk, while Yang Liang received twenty concubines.
Li Jian Cheng was promoted to the Crown Prince's Imperial Guard with an additional title of Grand General, Li Jing was promoted within Chang'an Commandery to an equivalent general position, and Shen Guang received recognition for his achievements as an interior general.
The Crown Prince's Imperial Guard was a fourth-rank official position; even as a regular appointment, it could lead to becoming a prefect of a province. Although it would only be for a lower-grade province overseeing four or five counties, this was still the position Li Jian Cheng hoped to achieve when he entered the palace to meet Dugu Qialo.
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