The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 41 Returning with great victory
Li Xiaogong slurped the noodles and watched Li Chengqian put a few dry leaves into an empty bowl. He stared at him without moving and said, "Your Majesty, it's not easy. You must be very sleepy after not sleeping all night. Wei Zheng scolded the emperor for playing cards all night. If this continues, the government will be neglected sooner or later."

Li Chengqian poured boiling water into the bowl and nodded in agreement.

"I don't know how many palace maids and eunuchs will be driven out of the palace today."

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and said, "Uncle, don't mention this kind of thing in the East Palace in the future."

Li Xiaogong couldn't help being curious, so he put down his bowl and chopsticks and asked, "What is this?"

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Tea."

"tea?"

"Hmm." Li Chengqian brewed another cup and placed it in front of him, saying, "This is the tea sent from Jiangnan Dongdao. It can be drunk after being roasted. When you feel sleepy, a sip can refresh you."

Li Xiaogong just picked up the tea bowl.

Li Chengqian added: "You can have a bowl of it after dinner, but don't drink it at night. It will wake you up and make it difficult to fall asleep."

Li Xiaogong took a sip of tea, then looked at his nephew in surprise, then took another sip of tea with a look of understanding.

It was a little bitter when he took a sip. Li Xiaogong smacked his lips, put down the tea bowl, and said, "It doesn't taste good."

“Once you get used to the taste, it’s fine.”

Li Xiaogong suddenly felt a little uneasy and whispered, "You just said that His Majesty couldn't sleep, didn't you know?"

"Uncle, I don't know why father drank so much, but it probably has nothing to do with tea."

"Right, right, right..." Li Xiaogong looked around and said, "No matter how much Wei Zheng scolds, he will not come to the East Palace to scold."

It was October in Guanzhong and autumn had arrived. All counties were busy storing food, and the sky was filled with rain, which was worrying.

During the autumn rainy season in western China, the rain is intermittent, sometimes heavy and sometimes light, which is a good time to store water.

The troops that went on the western expedition against Tuyuhun also returned this month.

Most of the generals returned, but Hou Junji and Duan Zhixuan stayed in Tuyuhun as they still had some finishing touches to do.

The army dispersed when it entered the pass.

Now walking on the official road are a group of generals, and there is a troop of one thousand men following them.

Li Jing was wearing armor and walking in the front.

Li Daozon and Niu Jinda rode their horses and followed beside him, keeping silent.

Li Daoyan first glanced at Tuyuhun Fuyun Khan in the prisoner car behind him, then looked at Li Daozong in front of him and asked, "Did you know from the beginning that Fuyun would run to Wuhai?"

Niu Jinda said: "This young man feels bad because you stole the first place. He has asked many times along the way."

Seeing that Li Dao Zong did not reply, Niu Jinda rode his horse closer and asked again: "I have also read this Essentials of the Art of War, how come you saw the important road to Wuhai before me?"

Li Jing rode his horse in front, still silent. The cool autumn rain blew by, and the general who commanded the entire army was still like a mountain sitting on his horse.

Li Daozon pulled the reins and squeezed the horse's belly to make it go faster, his expression full of distress.

When the army was almost at Jingyang, they saw a man wearing a bamboo hat, leading a horse standing on the side of the road.

When the troops got closer, the man in the bamboo hat raised his head and said, "All the soldiers have returned with a great victory! Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Jing stopped his horse and looked at the man on the side of the road, and said slowly: "What is the Prince of Hejian waiting for here?"

Li Xiaogong smiled and raised his chin to signal Li Daozong.

Seeing this, Li Dao Zong hurriedly clasped his fists towards Li Jing and said, "General, I will say a few words to him."

They were all generals who fought together in the past, and there is still some friendship between them.

However, facing Li Jing's stern look, Li Xiaogong was still a little scared.

Li Jing nodded in silence and continued to lead the team forward.

Li Daozon looked around and dismounted.

After Li Jing walked away, Li Xiaogong leaned against a tree and let out a sigh of relief. He calmed down and said, "After so many years, Li Jing's face has become more and more scary."

Li Dao Zong sighed: "In the past, the general was still a man who could chat and laugh with us."

Li Xiaogong put a date in his mouth and chewed it while saying, "Being in such a position, the free and easy person he used to be has changed now."

"Well, this time when we return to Chang'an, General Li Jing will most likely stay indoors again."

"From the Daye era to now, the contributions are too great. It's not easy for Li Jing to carry on until now."

The two brothers stood by the official road and commented on Li Jing. Looking at the troops in the distance, they sighed in unison.

Looking at the present, Li Xiaogong patted his brother's shoulder, and patted the armor on his chest with his big hand, saying: "I heard that you made the first contribution this time and captured Fuyun Khan alive?"

Li Dao Zong nodded, "Yes."

"It must be hard to take the first place alone. So many generals went to the battle, but you got the first place."

Li Dao Zong smiled bitterly and said, "Brother, you are right. They have been plotting against us all along the way. I plan to close the door and not see any guests after I return to Chang'an."

Li Xiaogong smiled cheerfully and said, "It's good that you come back with your hands and feet intact. You don't have to close the door to visitors. It's a pity that you will be gossiped about."

Li Daozon lowered his head and felt a little ashamed.

"So many generals went to the battlefield together, and in the end, you took the credit. There's nothing much to say about judging each general's abilities when they were out on the battlefield. Just curse at him a few times. We can still be old brothers who can sit together and drink together in the future." Li Xiaogong spoke in a low voice, comforting his cousin, and took out a piece of soap from his arms and threw it to him.

Li Dao Zong reached out to take it and asked hesitantly, "Soap?"

Li Xiaogong picked up the water bag hanging on his waist and asked, "Have a drink?"

Li Dao Zong replied: "We will drink after we return to Chang'an City and take off our armor."

This was all expected. Li Xiaogong smiled and said, "Back then, I was traveling with heroes all over the country in the Central Plains, and you were just a general following His Majesty. After so many years, you are still so stupid."

"My younger brother has been dull since childhood. I shouldn't have told the Crown Prince about the marching strategy for the Western Expedition to Tuyuhun. I am sorry to have made you laugh. However, the military law is strict and I still cannot drink."

Li Xiaogong patted his armor heavily again with a reproachful look.

Li Daozon was knocked back two steps by the force.

"You don't have to drink the wine, but don't refuse the soap."

"Brother, remember that this soap is a valuable item, and only available as a reward from His Majesty and the Queen."

Li Xiaogong sat with his back against a tree, his hands in his pockets, by the official road. He looked at the passers-by on the road with his big copper-bell eyes and whispered, "Look at the words printed on the soap."

Hearing this, Li Daozon turned over the soap in his hand and saw the words "Jingyang" printed on the soap, in regular script.

"This is soap made in Jingyang. You can buy it in Chang'an. The one in your hand is mint-flavored. It costs fifty coins."

Li Daozong took the soap into his arms, then clasped his fists to express his gratitude, then got on his horse again, and hurried to catch up with the army and head towards Chang'an. When the people walked away, Xu Jingzong came out from behind and asked, "Is the Prince of Hejian satisfied with this soap?"

Glancing at the other party, Li Xiaogong said slowly: "When can you print Red Mansions with the paper made in Jingyang?"

Xu Jingzong bowed and said, "You are joking. The Red Mansion is a banned book in the eyes of the scholars. Even if it is not the Red Mansion, how dare we use the paper from Jingyang to print books."

"Don't you just keep the paper in Jingyang and don't sell it or use it?"

"The East Palace has its own arrangements."

Xu Jingzong spoke in a very formal manner, and there was a lot of perfunctory meaning in his words. Li Xiaogong said again: "It's not a manifesto to fight against the enemy, what are you afraid of?"

Xu Jingzong continued to bow without saying anything.

Li Xiaogong frowned, looked at the rain in the sky with annoyance, and walked towards Chang'an City.

The autumn rain had gotten heavier, and it still hurt when the rain hit his face. Xu Jingzong walked into the county government office of Jingyang County.

Shangguan Yi was wearing a blue shirt and was helping to review documents. When he saw someone coming back, he was about to speak when he saw Xu Jingzong with a dark face.

There were not many people in the county government of Jingyang County. Apart from Xu Jingzong, Shangguan Yi could only count them on one hand. Including two gatekeepers who were not usually here, and an old woman who was cleaning, there were only five people in total.

After sitting for a while, Xu Jingzong slammed the table in anger and said, "Is it necessary for an old dog like you, Li Xiaogong, to test my loyalty to the Eastern Palace?"

With an angry shout, Shangguan Yi was so frightened that the pen in his hand shook. Now, the document he had just approved was splashed out in a long line.

Shangguan Yi could only sigh and re-copy it before giving his reply.

Xu Jingzong said angrily again: "This is too much!"

Shangguan Yi simply put down his pen and said calmly, "Xu County Magistrate, I am reviewing the documents for you."

Xu Jingzong gnashed his teeth, feeling that his character had been greatly insulted, and asked again: "Do you think the paper in the workshop can be used to print books at will?"

Shangguan Yi replied hesitantly: "Most likely... it's not possible."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up at the leaking roof. Jingyang was still very poor, and the roof of the county government office was leaking like this but had never been repaired.

Shangguan Yi had no choice but to move his desk. It didn't matter if it leaked, as long as the documents weren't wet.

"Damn it, Xu wants to live a few more years. Do you really think that I am an ignorant bastard?"

Xu Jingzong was very capable in doing his job for the Eastern Palace. Under his arrangement, Jingyang was also undergoing changes in accordance with the instructions of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The karez was built, and water could be released after the autumn rains were over, and could be used for irrigation next year.

However, Xu Jingzong was a man with a bad temper and was also good at taking advantage of opportunities.

Shangguan Yi doesn't want to become Xu Jingzong, but now he is a disciple of Du He's family. As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he may not even know that I exist.

Even with the recommendation of Duke Ying Wu Shigui and Yang Gongren, he is still just a direct scholar of the Hongwenguan.

In fact, this is understandable. Duke Ying was a person valued by Emperor Li Yuan of the Wude Dynasty, and now more and more people are following the Heavenly Khan Li Shimin.

On the contrary, people like Duke Ying appear to be dim in front of people like Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, or Yuchi Gong.

Not to mention that Wu Shigui’s ancestors all started out as businessmen.

Xu Jingzong had just finished his temper when he saw Shangguan Yi standing up and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Shangguan Yi put the documents into his bag and said lazily, "I'm going to the Ministry of Personnel to submit the documents, and I'm going to Chang'an to visit Duke Ying. I heard he arrived yesterday."

Leaving Xu Jingzong still staring at the leaking roof in a daze, Shangguan Yi hurriedly walked into the rain.

In Chang'an, Li Chengqian and Li Ke stood on the top of the city wall. Everywhere they looked, they saw the residents of Chang'an standing on both sides of Suzaku Street, welcoming the victorious General Li Jing.

If the Tang army fails to destroy one or two countries, it would seem that the cost of the expedition is not worth it.

Ning'er stood behind His Highness, holding a homemade bamboo umbrella, blocking the rain and preventing the annoying autumn rain from falling on His Highness.

Li Ke pointed to a prisoner car in the team and said, "That's Fuyun Khan!"

Not only Fuyun Khan, but all the treasures obtained by the Tang Dynasty in this battle against Tuyuhun were loaded into carriages.

This great victory brought countless cattle and sheep to the Tang Dynasty, and the Hexi Corridor was almost unable to accommodate them.

Not only that, the Tang Dynasty also took back the Qilian Mountains and the western end of the Hexi Corridor, a strategic location.

Li Chengqian looked at General Li Jing who was walking in the front. According to historical records, this was the general's last battle for the Tang Dynasty.

Li Ke whispered, "The military report said that Li Daoyan and Duan Zhixuan killed their way from the source of the Chishui River to the Dafei River. There were corpses everywhere along the way. They almost killed all the Tuyuhun people."

"Do you long to lead troops into battle?"

"Your Majesty, you don't know, but I dream about it."

Li Chengqian put his hand on the wet bricks of the city wall and said slowly: "Fighting is the most difficult and tiring thing."

Li Ke said in a clear voice: "How can I be afraid of hardship and fatigue? My brother is joking."

This child's ambitions were as pure as ever. Li Chengqian sighed in the autumn rain, walked down the city wall, and then told Ning'er beside him: "Sister Ning'er, the salted duck eggs in the East Palace should be ready to eat."

Ning Er smiled and said, "We have to celebrate the big victory tonight."

"I wanted to eat tea eggs." Li Chengqian said sadly, holding his hands in his pockets, "But there is not much tea left. I have to save some to drink and save it for next spring."

The army returned victorious, which greatly boosted the morale of the Tang Dynasty, and they couldn't help but feel more energetic and spirited.

Let’s celebrate simply. The salted duck eggs in the Eastern Palace have been kept for some time. If we don’t eat them now, when will we keep them?
In the Taiji Hall, all the ministers were inside the hall, and a group of victorious generals from the Western Expedition were standing outside the hall, preparing to enter the hall one by one.

When he walked into Chengtian Gate, Li Chengqian glanced at the Taiji Hall.

Ning Er whispered, "The official reward will have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"Well, the emperor must be very happy now."

"This great victory has shocked the Western Regions. May the Tang Dynasty be victorious." Ning'er bowed slightly, holding the umbrella high in her hand.

Even into the night, the rain showed no sign of stopping. Li Chengqian stood at the window of the East Palace Tower, from where he could see that the Taiji Hall was still brightly lit in the rain.

Li Chengqian ordered: "Each person should have a salted duck egg for dinner, and they must finish the egg."

Li Lizhi had just finished sorting out a pile of articles and nodded, "I'll tell my brothers and sisters right away."

Late at night, Ning'er went to Lizheng Hall and came back with a piece of news.

"Your Highness, the Queen said that His Majesty ordered people to repair the Lishan Palace in preparation for this year's autumn hunt."

Li Chengqian used a wooden clip to raise the wick of the oil lamp to make the flame brighter.

The flickering firelight shone on the prince's stern face. "The army has returned victoriously, and your father, who is in high spirits, wants to go hunting in autumn? He will probably stay in Mount Li until the middle of winter. As the prince, I will stay in Chang'an and supervise the government, right?"

(End of this chapter)