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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 102: Concubine
He had conflicts with King Qi, but he was not in a hurry to act or speak. The Emperor was not easily deceived, especially when it came to matters involving King Qi; it was best not to intervene actively.
King Qi was not faring well either. First, he had taken the beautiful woman originally meant for the Emperor from Princess Le Ping, and then he sent people to forcibly demand the Western Region Steed. Meanwhile, the Emperor was busy flaunting the wealth of the Celestial Empire.
His son was out there robbing and engaging in banditry, which was quite embarrassing and naturally displeased Yang Guang.
Seeing that King Qi's men had captured the leading monk and returned, the city guards collected the bodies. It would not do to let foreign envoys witness such bloody events on this joyous occasion.
The next day, news spread that the Emperor had issued an edict for all counties to hunt down the Maitreya Cult. In the vicinity of Eastern Capital alone, over a thousand households were punished for their connections to the Maitreya Cult. The Emperor also rewarded King Qi, and once again, traffic flowed like water in front of Qi Wang Mansion.
Li Jian Cheng entered the palace to prepare for his farewell to the Emperor: “Although Your Majesty has graciously allowed me to stay longer in Eastern Capital, I bear heavy responsibilities regarding Zhuojun and Chidao Palace, which are crucial for the campaign against Goguryeo. I cannot afford a single day of negligence, so I have come to request Your Majesty's permission.”
Yang Guang waved his hand: “I have received news. You arranged everything well before your departure. Zhuojun is stable, and Chidao Palace has made some progress. As for the campaign against Goryeo, we still need some time to prepare; there is no need to rush.”
“By the way, did you see that group of bandits last night?”
“In response to Your Majesty, I happened to be near Founding Gate last night when I saw that group of bandits dressed in white robes and hats, carrying incense and flowers. As Your Majesty knows, I have always respected Monastic Daoism due to your teachings, so I stopped to wait for them to enter the city before paying my respects.
However, I did not expect them to suddenly cause chaos. Fortunately, Prince Qi arrived just in time with the royal guards and cut them down at the city gate; otherwise, if they had entered and caused a disturbance, it would have been troublesome for the foreign envoys.”
The entire city was filled with revelry while King Qi happened to appear at the city gate where the bandits were causing trouble with nearly a hundred royal guards. Li Jian Cheng subtly conveyed his meaning.
Yang Guang frowned after hearing this: “In your opinion, if Prince Qi had not arrived, how much chaos could that group have caused?”
Li Jian Cheng pondered for a moment: “In my humble opinion, it would not have been too great. I did not see any other bandits responding within the city; there were only a few dozen of them. Although fierce, their skills were ordinary and they had no bows or crossbows.
I was also prepared to lead my household servants forward to engage them; as long as we could delay for a moment, the city guards would arrive.”
Yang Guang indeed regarded Li Jian Cheng as a confidant. At just twenty years old, Li Jian Cheng had already served under him for a full decade, having grown up under Yang Guang's watchful eye.
Thus, he did not hide his thoughts and spoke frankly, "Do these bandits have any connections to King Qi?"
"I dare not say," came the reply.
...
"Your Highness, you should not be receiving guests at this time."
Liu Jianzhi looked gaunt; in just two or three years, the handsome man who had been compared to Changsun Sheng had become a shadow of his former self due to the strain from King Qi.
Having faced setbacks, King Qi was somewhat receptive to advice. He instructed his steward, "Close the doors and refuse visitors. Just say that I am unwell."
Then, with some confusion, he added, "Did I not do a good deed? I intended to go hunting outside the city but unexpectedly encountered those White-Clad Bandits. Even my father has issued an edict rewarding me."
Liu Jianzhi dismissed the others and said, "Your Highness, Prince Qi, tell me honestly—are you truly not connected to these bandits? Is this not a scheme of yours to regain Holy Heart's favor?"
King Qi slammed his hand on the table in anger. "Who is spreading such slander against me?"
Liu Jianzhi shook his head. "Anyone would think so given the circumstances. Your Highness, it is Harsh Winter Month and Hidden Beasts are about; who would go hunting outside the city? And what a coincidence it is that you encountered bandits attacking Eastern Capital."
Yang Liang found himself at a loss for words and could only awkwardly admit, "I did not go hunting; I went out to see my Concubine. She just gave birth to a daughter for me."
Liu Jianzhi's expression darkened further. "You are being foolish. The princess has long passed away, and you have yet to take another wife. Even if she were still alive, as a prince, you should be seeking Consorts to expand the royal family. The Empress would only be pleased; why bother with a Concubine?"
Yang Liang slightly turned his face away. "That person's status is not quite appropriate, and she already has a husband."
Liu Jianzhi could no longer stand steady; he felt darkness closing in before his eyes. He wanted to point at King Qi, but constrained by the hierarchy of Ruler and Minister, he reached out to steady himself against the table. "Who... whose wife is it?"
Seeing that King Qi was unwilling to speak, Liu Jianzhi slammed his hand on the table, his previous carefree demeanor completely vanished. "If you won't say, I'll go plead guilty before His Majesty and then return home to end my life. At least I can protect my family."
King Qi, Yang Liang, understood that they were both in the same predicament. Noticing there were no others around, he admitted, "It's Former Consort Wei's sister."
"Is she Minister Yuan Mao's wife?"
"Yes."
...
The marriage between Capital Wei of Jingzhao and the Daibei Yuan Clan was a significant alliance, and it was surprising that King Qi dared to act against such a person. It was also remarkable that Yuan Mao had managed to endure this situation, considering there was only one adult prince under the Emperor's care.
After a long silence, Liu Jianzhi sighed deeply. "You should go and plead guilty to His Majesty. You must not mislead yourself; if His Majesty finds out on his own and reduces his favor towards you, how will you cope?"
However, King Qi, Yang Liang, clearly did not think this way. He couldn't even bear to imagine how his father would react upon learning of such matters, even though his father himself was not exactly upright.
But people tend to be lenient with themselves while strict with others.
Yang Liang whispered, "I have heard that the Wei Family has a phoenix fate; she must be the Queen."
While the two were debating, Li Jian Cheng had already been ordered to lead the palace guards to surround Qi Wang Mansion. The internal guards of the mansion resisted at first but quickly yielded upon realizing it was His Majesty's command.
Upon receiving the news, Yang Liang and Liu Jianzhi led a group of royal household members outside. Li Jian Cheng bowed and said, "His Majesty has commanded me to search the surrounding neighborhoods, and it just so happens that it's your mansion's turn. Please do not take offense or obstruct us."
Liu Jianzhi thought to himself how fortunate it was that His Highness had kept the Wei Family outside the city; otherwise, today's scandal would have been exposed.
"Presumptuous! I am King Qi of the Sui Dynasty. Without my father's explicit command, do you dare to search the royal residence?"
Liu Jianzhi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that there was still something he was unaware of?
Li Jian Cheng maintained his composure and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, I am merely carrying out orders. I have no intention of disrespecting you; it is truly a matter of necessity, so please forgive me."
Though he spoke humbly, he waved his hand, and the palace guards filed in. Li Jian Cheng added, "Under no circumstances should you offend the ladies!"
"Yes."
Liu Jianzhi glanced at the guilty-looking King Qi and stepped forward to pull Li Jian Cheng aside. "Jian Cheng, His Majesty has only one legitimate son, King Qi. You are still young and must consider your future.
I know there were some misunderstandings last time, but rest assured, King Qi is not someone who lacks tolerance."
Li Jian Cheng withdrew his hand and replied, "Lord Liu, this is not something we as subjects should concern ourselves with. From beginning to end, I have never intended to target Prince Qi; I am simply following orders."
……………
(End of Chapter)
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