The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 152: Old People from the East Palace
A young scholar walked over quickly. As soon as he pushed the door open, a boot hit him in the face. Then he heard the other person curse, "Asshole."

When the scholar saw that the person who threw the boots was Yuchi Baolin, he did not dare to retort.

At this moment, there were many people with hangovers in the tavern, such as Yuchi Baolin and other powerful children, who had all woken up.

"My lords, we were beaten by Xu Jingzong."

Gao Zhenxing, Gao Luxing's younger brother, yawned and said, "This Xu Jingzong is really domineering."

The person next to him sat up from the table and said, "This Xu Jingzong is a disciple of the crown prince. The entire Jingzhao Prefecture is a disciple of the crown prince. How can he not be domineering?"

After that, someone said, "That's great. Wasn't your brother Gao Luxing also beaten so hard that he couldn't get off the ground?"

Gao Zhenxing suddenly felt a toothache. He said with a troubled look, "This Xu Jingzong is quite skilled, Baolin? Why don't you go meet him?"

As they were talking, they heard someone walking outside the house.

Li Tai took Li Chongyi and Fang Yizheng to the outside of the tavern, saw the people inside the tavern, just took a quick look, and then left with them.

The people in the tavern were silent for a moment, and they all bowed to His Royal Highness the King of Wei.

Li Tai didn't want to hang out with these incompetent children of the rich and powerful, so he got in a carriage and took the two of them to the Museum of Literature.

The carriage stopped in front of the Literature Museum, where a notice for recruiting bachelor's students was posted.

Li Tai led the two of them into a room and said, "It's quieter here."

Li Chongyi looked around and said, "What a pity, the only wine shop where you can drink grape wine has been booked by those people."

Fang Xuanling's eldest son, Fang Yizhi, said: "They have nothing to do except drinking and joking."

Li Tai opened the window to let in some light, looked out the window and breathed in the fresh air, "Brother Chongyi, have you been close to the emperor recently?"

"My father is close to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Fang Yi stood by the door and asked, "Your Highness, King Wei, what is the purpose of your visit to us two?"

Li Tai withdrew his gaze from the window, turned around and sat down, "Nothing much, I just felt like doing something for my brother."

Fang Yizhi stopped leaning lazily against the door and suddenly stood up straight.

Li Chongyi looked around. He had not been close to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei before. At most, they were just acquaintances, not to mention Fang Yizheng.

Everyone knows that Fang Xiang's family has strict rules and he rarely goes out.

Both of them were seven or eight years older than the King of Wei.

Li Tai thought for a moment and said, "The workshops in the counties of Guanzhong are not only owned by Du He's family. The royal family is managed by the Prince of Hejian, and the dignitaries in the court still need the approval of Prime Minister Fang."

Fang Yizheng and Li Chongyi looked at each other with serious expressions.

After promising to give instructions to their family, the two men left.

Li Tai was left sitting alone in the room. After a short silence, Wang Gui finally walked into the room with a smile on his face.

Li Tai bowed and said, "Teacher, I have already given you the instructions."

Wang Gui nodded in satisfaction and said, "Does Your Highness the Prince of Wei still feel confused and lost?"

Li Tai whispered, "It's indeed much better now."

"Your Highness the Prince of Wei, please remember that when you are poor, you should take care of yourself."

"Qingque, remember this." Li Tai bowed again and said, "Teacher wants to tell Qingque that if you help your brother now, even if it is unnecessary, you can gain inner peace. As grandpa said, your brother will help Qingque in the same way in the future. So if Qingque does something for your brother now, you will feel at ease when facing him in the future."

Wang Gui smiled and said, "That's good."

The King of Wei is still a child worth teaching and guiding so that he does not go astray.

But then he thought that he was already old, and wondered how long he could continue to teach the King of Wei. He only hoped that the King of Wei in the future would remember his teacher's words.

"What is the teacher thinking?"

Wang Gui came back to his senses and said, "I miss Mount Zhongnan."

Li Tai wanted to say something but stopped himself and could only sigh.

The long-awaited sunshine appeared in Guanzhong, the ice and snow began to melt, and people were looking forward to the arrival of spring thunder.

In quiet Chang'an, the morning court session is approaching.

There was still one day before this year's grand court meeting. Li Chengqian woke up early and had breakfast.

Xiaofu came quickly and reported: "Your Highness, the Queen is here."

Li Chengqian finished the porridge in his bowl, hurriedly handed the bowl and chopsticks to her, stood up and straightened his clothes, and found that he was only wearing a single piece of clothing.

When I looked up, I saw that my mother had already walked into the East Palace with her people.

Empress Changsun looked around the Eastern Palace and nodded with satisfaction, "It's still as clean and tidy as before."

Li Chengqian first took Xiao Sizi from his mother's arms and asked, "How come you have time to come to the East Palace today?"

"Come see you."

Soon, Li Lizhi and Dongyang also walked to the front hall. The two sisters bowed and said, "Mother."

Li Lizhi said: "Chinu is probably still asleep."

Li Shen brushed his teeth and said, "Brother, go and call my brother right now."

Empress Changsun walked into the front hall and saw the scratches on the wall, each of which had a label on it.

Li Lizhi explained: "I made the mark this year to measure the height of my younger brothers and sisters."

Empress Changsun took a roll of coarse cloth from the hand of a palace maid beside her, took out a long and thin knife, and looked at Li Chengqian who was talking to Xiao Sizi.

This child always makes Sizi laugh.

"Cheng Qian, come here."

Li Chengqian responded and walked closer, "Mother, little Sizi's eyes are really big."

Empress Changsun smiled and said, "You also had big eyes when you were a child."

"What a pity! I have forgotten what I looked like when I was a child."

Looking at this tall son, she whispered, "Sit down. It's been a long time since I cut your hair."

Li Lizhi took little Sizi down from her brother's arms again.

The little sister was in her elder sister's arms again, still with a smile on her face. Little Sizi was the happiest child in the palace.

Empress Changsun picked up a knife and began to trim her son's hair.

The hall was so quiet that one could even hear the sound of the knife blade rubbing against skin.

"There will be a grand court meeting tomorrow. Look at your hair, it's so thick. You should be dressed neatly and have a clean face when facing the court officials." As the queen spoke, she held the knife steadily as she trimmed away strands of hair.

Li Chengqian said: "I haven't taken care of it for some time."

"Alas..." Empress Changsun sighed deeply and said, "Your father is busy, and you are busy too."

"It's a good thing that the whole Eastern Palace has Li Zhi to take care of the younger brothers and sisters."

Li Zhi was led here by Dongyang. He yawned and said, "Mother."

"Well, after I trim your brother's hair, I'll trim yours."

"Thank you, mother."

After trimming her hair and beard, she combed her hair again and put a crown on her son's head. Empress Changsun whispered, "Old Master Wen Yanbo and Yan Qinli are back."

"Wen Yanbo, Yan Qinli?" Empress Changsun trimmed her daughter's long hair and said, "Back then, your uncle was the Minister of Personnel, and Wen Yanbo was the Minister of the Central Secretariat. That was during the Wude period. After the defeat in the battle of Taigu, he was taken away by the Turks. Jie Li threatened him to surrender, but the old man would rather die than surrender, and later ended up in Yinshan."

"It was not until your father ascended the throne and met Jie Li at the Wei River that Mr. Wen returned to the court. He has been governing Shuofang for many years and has only returned to the court now."

"You go meet this old gentleman. He is now in Ganlu Palace with your father."

"Well, I'll go right away."

Li Chengqian packed his clothes, put on his coat, and hurried out of the East Palace.

After walking out of the East Palace, Li Chengqian slowed down his pace with his hands in his pockets and asked Sister Ning'er, "Sister Ning'er, do you know this old man?"

Ning Er shook her head, recalled a little, and said: "When I was working in the Qin Palace, I heard that this old gentleman was the husband of the former Crown Prince of the East Palace."

Li Chengqian roughly understood that during the Wude period, Li Jiancheng was still in power. Mr. Wen was a man of the then Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. He then went to Taigu and fought a battle with the Turks and was defeated. After being captured, he would rather die than surrender and ended up in Yinshan.

After that, the Xuanwu Gate Incident happened, and after the Weishui Alliance, Jie Li returned the old gentleman.

Only later did I find out that the emperor had been replaced.

The old man had to accept this reality and continue to be loyal to Li Tang.

Li Chengqian walked in the sunshine and sighed, "The Tang Dynasty has been established for less than 20 years, but there are countless past events."

Wude had lasted for nine years, and Zhenguan had just begun its ninth year.

Ning'er followed the prince silently.

The eunuchs in front of Ganlu Palace took the initiative to make way for the prince when they saw him.

This means that one can enter the palace directly without reporting to the emperor. Li Chengqian strode into the palace. No matter how the eunuch closest to his father was replaced, this old eunuch always served his father.

Inside the hall, a white-haired old man was sitting on a chair, telling a story.

There was a middle-aged man in his thirties next to the old man. I guess this unfamiliar person was Yan Qinli.

The old gentleman was recounting his experiences in Shuofang.

Li Chengqian sat silently in the corner, watching the scene in front of him. When he asked about the strategy for the Turks, he heard Yu Zhining talk about the method of governing the Turks.

At that time, the more radical Wei Zheng and the more moderate Wen Yanbo argued for a long time.

In the end, a more gentle approach was chosen to resettle the Turks.

To this day, Wei Zheng still feels resentful about this matter.

After Wen Yanbo finished speaking, he handed a book with both hands, which meant he had completed his work with the emperor. He sat on a chair, stroked his beard, and observed the prince.

Li Chengqian smiled politely and lowered his head slightly.

Yan Qinli began to tell about his experience in presiding over military affairs in Yongzhou.

Yan Qinli came from the Langya lineage. According to historical records, after Yan Qinli, there was a great calligrapher named Yan Zhenqing.

Li Shimin listened to the two talking about the events of the past few years and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Wen, this is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace."

Li Chengqian said, "Chengqian has met the old gentleman and Mr. Yan."

Wen Yanbo simply returned the greeting and turned to His Majesty, saying, "This old minister has one more thing to say."

Li Chengqian stood there with his hands clasped in a bow. The old gentleman just glanced at me.

I was thinking, how could I, a prince who is famous in Chang'an and praised by the court and the people for my wisdom, be ignored by the old gentleman?

Sitting down slowly, Li Chengqian stroked the stubble on his chin and listened carefully to the old gentleman's words.

Wen Yanbo asked in an old voice, "When I came here, I looked at the government warehouses in the counties of Guanzhong. Now the warehouses are full and the military offices in various places have been restructured. Your Majesty! When will you march east?"

Speaking of the Eastern Expedition, Li Chengqian thought that the Liaodong area has always been a headache for the Central Plains dynasty.

Just recently, after Yang Guang launched the Eastern Expedition, the Sui Dynasty collapsed.

Now that the Tang Dynasty is about to launch a massive eastward expedition, there will definitely be a large group of people standing up to oppose it.

Hearing this, Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief, as if it was a very difficult question.

Wen Yanbo whispered, "Well, I am old and can't help Your Majesty for many years."

"Don't say that, old sir." Li Shimin said sternly, "Since the Han Dynasty, the four counties of Liaodong have been the Central Plains. I will take them back one day."

As if he had heard the emperor's big words, Wen Yanbo's eyes were filled with disappointment and powerlessness. He stood up with the help of his cane and said, "I am old now, so I will go back first. I will take my leave."

Yan Qinli also bowed and said, "I will take you back, old gentleman."

The two men came from afar to Chang'an to report, and just left like that.

Silence returned to the Ganlu Hall. The father and son remained silent. A eunuch moved his feet slightly and accidentally stepped on a walnut shell.

"Crack!"

At this moment, the sound of walnut shells cracking was very harsh in the Ganlu Hall.

The careless eunuch froze in place, not daring to move.

Neither the father nor the son was in a good mood at the moment.

Speaking of the Eastern Expedition, it has always been a difficult issue. Li Shimin was very distressed about it. Mr. Wen has mentioned this matter more than once or twice since he ascended the throne.

I didn't expect that when I came back from Shuofang this time, the old matter would be brought up again.

Li Chengqian changed his sitting position from time to time, still thinking about being ignored.

"Cough cough." The emperor's cough broke the silence.

Li Chengqian also returned a sitting posture.

"Did your mother trim your hair?"

Li Chengqian also came back to his senses and said, "Yes, I just repaired it."

"Did your mother ask you to come?"

"Yes." Li Chengqian held his temple with one hand, tilted his head and frowned, "It is probably because my mother felt that my father could not handle this old man, so she asked me to come here."

"Your mother is always thoughtful."

"I have never heard anyone mention the Eastern Expedition before."

Li Shimin took the tea brought by the old eunuch beside him and whispered, "It's not that I haven't said it before, but many of the former Sui officials have left. Since I ascended the throne, these old officials have been unwilling to give up and have repeatedly talked about the Eastern Expedition. Among them, most of them are old officials headed by Wen Yanbo. How easy is it to go on an Eastern Expedition?"

Li Chengqian agreed, "Yes, there are rumors outside that the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace wants to sweep across the Western Regions. How easy is that?"

It is rare for a father and son to have common troubles.

But after all, as an emperor, which emperor would not want to sweep across the Western Regions, expand the frontiers and recover lost territories?

After all these years, the Tang Dynasty finally killed Tuyuhun and Turks so hard that they dared not to cause trouble again, and the four counties in Hexi were finally rebuilt.

"I heard Xu Jingzong got into a fight again?"

"I heard about it."

"Xu Jingzong has many enemies now. Do you need me to arrange a few people to look after him?"

"Alright, thank you, Father."

The son did not refuse. Li Shimin chuckled and said, "You should take better care of your own wings."

Li Chengqian said, "Father, you are joking. The Eastern Palace is weak and I am lucky enough to be able to take care of those brothers and sisters."

(End of this chapter)