The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 407: Wedding (V)

Taiyuan.

In the Gaya Temple, a carriage was ready. Huijue walked slowly into the palace holding a Zen staff, bowing with one hand, and said, "Three hundred years ago, donor Yuan sent this ominous stone to the Buddhist sect to convert people, as a good omen for the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and also as the so-called dragon vein of the Tang Dynasty. Now, three hundred years have passed, the dragon vein is still there, but the Tang Dynasty is no longer there."

He walked to the cushion and stopped, then put down his Zen stick, clasped his hands together and said, "Donor Yuan does not seek comfort, and is indifferent to life and death, but he has always been obsessed with the rise and fall of dynasties and the gains and losses of people's hearts. In the end, isn't it just obsession?"

Yuan Tiangang walked behind with his hands behind his back. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the Buddha statue behind Huijue, but he seemed to be looking at nothing. He remained silent for a long time.

Huijue did not urge him, as if he had never thought that Yuan Tiangang would respond to him. He just looked at Kuijia behind Yuan Tiangang, who walked quickly into the room holding a letter and leaned down towards Yuan Tiangang's back.

"Commander..."

"Read it."

"Respectfully addressing the great commander, I, Shi Yao, bow my head in fear and respect. I have several important matters to attend to, and I hope you will take note of them:

First, Your Highness has shown his noble character in recent years. In the past, his words and deeds were like unpolished jade, but now I secretly see that his eyes are full of stars, and he is no longer as frivolous as before. Before he fled to Taiyuan, Your Highness had already known the truth behind the scenes, although he used falsehood to cover it up. However, according to my humble investigation, Your Highness's behavior has the sign of concealment. Li Huan, who took Your Highness to wander around the rivers and lakes that year, seems to have many intentions.

Furthermore, the place where Zhang Zifan was imprisoned has been found out, and it is located between the Anle Pavilion and the other gardens. Your Highness has a brotherly relationship with him, so he must be rescued. In addition, the King of Chu, Ma Yin, was hunting in the wild a few days ago, and it happened that the Crown Prince of Chu, Ma Xiyue, was ill at home. The King of Chu then ordered his second son, Ma Xisheng, to lead 300 elite cavalrymen to accompany him and station at the foot of the mountain to guard the ceremonial guard. I have obeyed the order of the commander-in-chief, and the prophecy of "the green bird will hold the red dragon seal" has spread throughout the court and the people of Chu. The Crown Prince Ma Xiyue must have been panicked.

The most worrying thing is that Xiao Yan has been conferred the title of King of Qin, and he is building a ancestral temple today, and he is still worshipping the wooden tablets of the ancestors of the Xiao family. He also married the Queen of Qi as the King of Qin’s wife. There is a rumor among the people that “the phoenix sings on Mount Qi, and the dragon hides in the Wei River”, and many Qinchuan nobles have come to attach themselves to him, which is beyond my power to stop…”

After Kuijia finished reading it meticulously, he waited for a moment, and seeing that Yuan Tiangang had no other expression, he quietly retreated.

Yuan Tiangang tapped his fingers lightly behind his back and remained silent for a long time.

Shi Yao's letter was very clever. The most crucial thing was given the least attention and was placed at the end. Although the first two things were also important, they seemed a little insignificant compared to the last thing. Shi Yao must have known that if this matter was really reported to Yuan Tiangang, the Marshal would not be in a very good mood.

Huijue asked, "Donor Yuan, do you want to see the old site again?"

Yuan Tiangang laughed hoarsely: "Why not watch?"

Huijue nodded without saying much. He first put his palms together in front of his abdomen, and then slapped the air in front of the Buddha statue. A stone slab on the ground appeared as if someone had pressed it down, revealing a cave entrance. There were clear stone steps underneath, and it seemed that no one had entered for a long time. The steps were covered with heavy dust.

Yuan Tiangang took out a candlestick, put one hand behind his back, and walked down the stairs with the dim light of the fire.

Huijue sat cross-legged, clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

Below the stone steps is a very deserted circular room with no carvings on the four sides except for two stone doors in the front.

There are two lines of official script engraved on both sides of the stone gate. On the left is "The way of heaven moves without accumulation, so all things come into being; the way of the emperor moves without accumulation, so the world is under his control." On the right is "When the king is a hegemon, the country is stable; when the king is not a hegemon, the country is unstable."

Yuan Tiangang stood there and watched for a while, then a vague white-haired phantom floated out from his side. The latter walked over, twisting the end of his hair, gently wiping the writing on the stone door, nodding and shaking his head: "Hui Jue is right, it's not just you who has an obsession, it seems that I have an obsession too. Brother Yuan, Brother Yuan, at this point, you have already failed miserably, don't hold on to this obsession, okay?"

"Hui Jue's observation of this commander is like looking at moss on a stone. He only sees the mottled obsessions, but does not hear the thoughts beneath the moss."

Yuan Tiangang held the candlestick and said calmly, "Three hundred years ago, you and I saw the flow of heaven through fallen leaves. We have been preparing for hundreds of years. Were we just to build a city for the Li family? The dragon vein is just a jade stone made from Li Yuanji's head when Emperor Taizong cut it off. It is a dead thing, but I sent him to the Buddhist sect to listen to the sutras. I can use this stone to cultivate the scales and claws of Li's descendant three hundred years later. When he swims out of the temple with this jade stone in the future, he will be able to carry the luck of the people and soar into the sky."

"Do you believe what I said, Brother Yuan?" Li Chunfeng shook his head and laughed, "With such a strong momentum, what can Li Xingyun do to fight against it?"

He picked up a half-fallen leaf with his hand, and saw the veins of mountains and rivers between the leaf veins. Li Chunfeng looked at the veins between the fallen leaves, squinting his eyes and laughing: "The so-called prosperous times, during the Zhenguan period, there were also hungry children sharing locusts, and during the Kaiyuan prosperous times, the Hu merchants also carried the Kunlun slave seal in their arms... The Marshal said that he had been preparing for a hundred years, but what could he change in the end? You bet everything on Li Xingyun, and now in the situation, can he survive from death?"

"If the Marshal really had the ability to change the world, he wouldn't have turned three hundred years into amber, leaving only the past and no future!"

Li Chunfeng paused, then suddenly chuckled, his laughter seemed to shake off the dust on the beams like snow: "Brother Yuan, Brother Yuan, what you see may not be the best. How was Zhenguan? How was Kaiyuan? They are all in the past. Why can't what you see be surpassed by future generations? What you insist on has no meaning at all! Just like the so-called dragon vein of the Tang Dynasty, what kind of dragon vein can a piece of jade be!?"

Yuan Tiangang did not refute a word from beginning to end. It seemed that he now liked long periods of silence more and more.

After a long while, he finally replied in a hoarse voice: "Without destruction, there is no construction..."

Li Chunfeng had originally stretched out his hand and looked at him expectantly. Hearing this, he was so angry that he almost laughed. He was about to curse a few words to vent his anger, but he suddenly froze and frowned, "Brother Yuan, what do you mean?"

Yuan Tiangang did not answer, but inexplicably recited a hexagram: "The fire wolf rises, the wind blows down the mountain, the wind blows through the valley, and the rescuer is not my people."

Li Chunfeng naturally remembered this hexagram clearly, but at this time he just tapped his chin and looked thoughtful. When he looked up again, he saw that the stone slab at the entrance of the cave had been sealed again, and the sound of a carriage startled the copper bells on the eaves.

Outside the palace, Huijue clasped his hands together as he looked at the departing carriage and said, "Amitabha..."

------

In Tongwenguan, Li Sizhao, who had slightly thin cheeks and a horse-like face, walked in. His movements were very agile like a warrior, but when he stretched out his hand to invite Li Cunren behind him, he also had a somewhat elegant taste.

"I have nothing to show for my return to Taiyuan, so how can I deserve the invitation from my father who started the rebellion..." Li Sizhao said with a smile, "Let's just say that Thirteenth Sister can just send someone to inform us, why do we need to invite us with such fanfare?"

Li Cunren always wears a mask, so it is difficult to see her expression clearly. One can only hear her tone of being neither humble nor arrogant, and being meticulous: "The situation in the world has changed today. The Crown Prince and Sixth Brother are all in other towns. Father-in-law is hosting a banquet to discuss the evolution of the situation with the eldest and third brothers, and to talk about the father-son relationship... Third Brother hasn't had a drink with Father-in-law for many years."

Li Sizhao had a somewhat ashamed look on his horse face, and said, "The Longquan treasure is real or fake. It seems to be nothing when there is no clue. When I find some clues, it seems that everything is related to it. I feel overwhelmed by this matter, and I really neglected my foster father."

"It's okay." Li Cunren said with a hint of meaning, "It's not too late."

"Of course it is, of course it is." Li Sizhao laughed. As they were still some distance away from Li Siyuan's courtyard, he took the initiative to find a topic to talk about: "I heard that Xiao Yan of the Liang Dynasty has been conferred the title of King of Qin?"

Speaking of this person, Li Cunren looked a little solemn, and said seriously: "It is this person, and this month he will marry the Queen of Huanyinfang and form an alliance with Qi Country. It can be said that he has obtained Qi without any effort, which is amazing."

Li Sizhao nodded thoughtfully.

The two soon walked into Li Siyuan's bedroom. The latter was now able to get out of bed, but his face was still a little pale, although Li Siyuan was indeed a pale-faced scholar. After hearing the purpose of Li Cunren's visit, Li Siyuan did not show any unusual behavior, but just smiled and said, "It is a great favor for my foster father to hold a banquet, how can I not prepare gifts? Thirteenth sister, please wait for a moment, I will go get something for you."

Li Cunren nodded and bowed, saying, "Brother, please do as you please."

So Li Siyuan waved to Li Sizhao and said, "Third brother, follow me."

Li Sizhao nodded and smiled at Li Cunren, then followed Li Siyuan into a study. After entering the room, Li Siyuan first carefully closed the door, and then his expression changed instantly.

Sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. He kept repeating the words "Hongmen Banquet" and dragged Li Sizhao inside.

Li Sizhao was still a little confused and asked curiously, "Brother, why are you doing this?"

Li Siyuan wiped the sweat off his face, dragged out a secret compartment in the hidden corner of the desk, found a brocade bag inside, took out a piece of paper from it, carefully scanned the words on it, and his expression relaxed a little.

He said, "Third brother, no matter what, when you see your foster father later, no matter how he tries to test you, you must honestly admit what happened over the years, and don't worry about me."

Li Sizhao's face looked a little ugly, and he couldn't help but lower his voice and asked solemnly: "Brother, what happened?"

"It's a bit abrupt for our foster father to suddenly call you back. Given his temperament, how could he possibly invite us to a banquet for no reason?"

Li Siyuan said, "Perhaps the fact that I have secretly let you accumulate strength outside these years has been discovered, and your father is not confident in you, so today's Hongmen Banquet is held to test our loyalty. You must admit it honestly at that time, so you can survive this disaster. What I asked you to do is a small matter. If your father wanted to kill me, there would be no need to hold this Hongmen Banquet. Besides, I have always been suspected by your father, so it doesn't matter if I am accused of some crimes. If I can get rid of you, it will be a blessing in disguise. No matter what, I must protect you."

Seeing his sincerity, Li Sizhao was instantly moved. He held Li Siyuan's arm and said with emotion: "Brother...how can I..."

"Alas, I should have thought of this day earlier and shouldn't have let you take risks all these years." Li Siyuan just felt regretful and said, "I am ashamed of dragging you into this and causing suspicion from my adoptive father..."

"Brother, how can I blame you?" Li Sizhao was a little angry and said in a low voice: "The old man has no ability to judge people. If he hadn't been determined to suppress Tongwenguan, why would you have to find a way to leave yourself a way out? Don't worry, brother, I will be loyal to you alone!"

Li Siyuan sighed and said, "Don't delay. Just remember this matter and don't let Thirteenth Sister get suspicious."

"Humph, sooner or later this woman will know who is the ruler of Jin!"

"Let's go, let's go." Li Siyuan hurriedly took some of his treasured toys, gave some to Li Sizhao, and then went out.

Li Cunren escorted the two men into the city and took them to the palace for a banquet. During the banquet, Li Siyuan and Li Sizhao chatted and laughed. It did not seem like they were going to attend the Hongmen Banquet, but rather to talk about the father-son friendship.

"Speaking of which, the King of Wei (Li Xingyun) is just two people, but he occupied an entire palace city, which made my adoptive father feel wronged."

After entering the Prince of Jin's mansion, Li Siyuan turned around and said to Li Cunren, "Tongwenguan has accumulated some wealth over the years. Thirteenth sister can talk to my adoptive father on my behalf. Tongwenguan can take out this wealth and build a palace for my adoptive father."

"Brother, I'm sure you will appreciate my kindness." Li Cunren said simply, "But given the current situation, I'm afraid I'm not in the mood to build a new palace."

Li Siyuan smiled and said, "Thirteenth sister is indeed thoughtful. I am humbled by your opinion."

The three of them soon arrived at the banquet hall. Li Keyong had not arrived yet, so Li Siyuan and Li Sizhao went in first to wait. Li Cunren actually also took his seat, but he sat on the side closest to the door.

"Why is Thirteenth Sister sitting so far away?" Li Sizhao was a little wary.

Li Siyuan waved his hand and smiled, saying, "I have never had a drink with my Thirteenth Sister before. Could it be that there is an unexpected surprise today?"

"It was an accident...and a surprise."

Hearing the laughter coming from outside, Li Cunren stood up and saluted first, and Li Siyuan and Li Sizhao also immediately stood up, bowed and clasped their fists. It turned out that Li Keyong was pushed in by a maid.

Seeing Li Keyong's particularly hearty smile, Li Siyuan also seemed to be genuinely happy, and clasped his fists and said, "I am so brave, can you let me know where my happiness comes from, father?"

Li Keyong waved away the maid behind him, and pushed his wheelchair to the top. He turned around and smiled faintly: "The Imperial Astronomical Observatory wrote to me yesterday, saying that there were guest stars in the Purple Palace at night, and Taibai passed through the sky. There should be a strong minister who will overthrow the master, and the throne will change. I heard that Dalang is well-read and should know some of the will of heaven. Can you help me solve this puzzle?"

Li Sizhao's face turned pale, and Li Siyuan, who seemed to have a thousand thoughts to deal with this situation, was even more confused and the smile froze on his face.

Li Keyong tapped the armrest of the wheelchair gently, looked at Li Sizhao first with a smile, then looked at Li Siyuan, with an expression of interest on his face.

Li Cunren just knelt at the door without saying a word.

The door was not closed, and the sunlight shone in from outside, making Li Siyuan feel cold all over. He laughed dryly: "I think this celestial phenomenon may just reflect the Liang Dynasty..."

"Only reflecting the Liang Dynasty?" Li Keyong stroked his beard and laughed.

"Adoptive father..." Li Sizhao said with a pale face, "Big brother has absolutely no ulterior motives. All these preparations are just for self-protection. The position of the Crown Prince is deeply rooted. How can Big brother threaten the Crown Prince, let alone bully you, my adoptive father?"

"He, of course, doesn't have this ability."

Li Keyong chuckled, "But if we add the bad commander, it's hard to say."

Li Siyuan and the other man were stunned at the same time.

------

On a high mountain, Yuan Tiangang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the crowd surging below the mountain and the soldiers rolling from west to east.

A clown-like actor was holding up a military token and screaming in front of the battle line: "The Crown Prince has ordered that the Tongwen Academy is plotting evil and has raised troops in Taiyuan to rebel. The safety of the King of Jin depends entirely on us. Following the Crown Prince's military order, the Western Route Army will enter Taiyuan to defend the King!"

(End of this chapter)