Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 693 is puzzling.
When news of the first Great Wei Expo reached all parties, everyone's expression was somewhat strange, because regardless of whether they were friend or foe, everyone received an invitation.

The invitation was extremely exquisite. The cover was made using the cloisonné enamel technique, not for any other reason than to show off the skill. Inside, the invitation was written in different languages, and there was a background made of hollowed-out paper sculpture. Whether it was the Mingyue Bridge or the willow catkins of the Qinhuai River, the level of detail was astonishing.

Li Shimin looked at his sister with the invitation in his hand and asked, "Sister, what do you think brother-in-law is up to?"

"Who is your brother-in-law?" The Li Tang Empress frowned as she looked at Li Shimin.

"Dugu Bean Sprout! It must be Dugu Bean Sprout!"

"Call him Prince."

"Prince Bean Sprout," Li Shimin said with a chuckle, "Why did this bean sprout suddenly come up with this thing out of nowhere, and even offer an invitation? Invite whom? You? Should I, the Emperor of the Great Tang, go to him?"

To be honest, not only Li Shimin, but even San Niang herself felt a little curious at this moment. She dared not agree to this matter directly. In the past, she would have gone and gone. In this vast world, who could possibly harm her? Besides, although the two countries were enemies, she was not worried about any danger to herself in Wei.

But things are different now. She has become the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, an emperor who controls both military and political affairs. Although her younger brother is ambitious, he is still willing to expand the territory under her command. If she were to be placed under house arrest at this time, things would be terrible.

"Sister, why don't I go in your place? It just so happens that I haven't been there in a while."

"Actually, going is feasible. Since they have invited us with a formal letter of invitation, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Yes, of course you won't have any problems. Don't you see who holds all the power there? If you ask me, Sister, you should just whisper in your ear and get Great Wei to annex it."

"You're going to die! You little brat!"

The Imperial Study was empty. Prince Li Shimin of Shu was being chased around by his elder sister, the Emperor, just like when he was a child.

"His Highness the King of Qin requests an audience!"

A voice called from outside, and the two immediately stopped their playful fight. Third Sister cleared her throat and said, "Summon him."

A short while later, Li Jiancheng arrived. He was completely different from the spirited man he had been a few years ago. Now, nearing fifty, he looked somewhat aged. He entered the study, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty."

"Brother, you've come at the perfect time. Come and give me your advice."

Third Sister summoned Li Jiancheng to come forward. Li Jiancheng glanced at Li Shimin with a hint of sympathy. At this moment, Li Shimin laughed and said, "Brother, it's not worth it. My sword strike to you was blocked by Sister. This grudge is over. From now on, you will still be my elder brother. We are brothers for life, and it's not easy."

Li Jiancheng paused, his slightly hunched body twitching, and a not-so-pleasant smile appeared on his face.

He then approached the Third Madam, looked at the invitation, and frowned slightly: "Third...Your Majesty, this matter should be fine. Although Tian Wei is an enemy of our Great Tang, it is ultimately..."

“It’s the legitimate empire, then.” Li Shimin flicked his sleeve. “There are only the three of us brothers here. Elder brother, just say it directly. Do you think elder sister would blame you?”

Li Jiancheng's face showed an embarrassed expression. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Since it is an invitation from Tian Wei in the name of a state letter, there should be no problem. However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. This trip..."

"Brother, if I were to go, I would like you and Erfeng to jointly oversee the country." Third Sister looked at Erfeng: "What do you think, Erfeng?"

"Of course I can. I'll do whatever my older sister tells me to do."

“I…” Li Jiancheng lowered his eyelids: “I wouldn’t dare.”

"Brother, you weren't like this before. You would do whatever I asked. If you ask me, even though you didn't become emperor, at least the meat stayed in the pot. And I didn't become emperor either, so it's not you or me. This is probably the best outcome. Now that Her Majesty asks you to do something, you're making excuses. What's wrong? Are you still holding a grudge?"

"Erfeng!" Third Sister shouted sternly, "Don't talk nonsense."

Li Jiancheng did not respond to Erfeng, but simply bowed his head and replied, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

"We've become too distant after all, but it's understandable." Li Shimin sighed. "I'm too lazy to waste words with you. I'm going to pay my respects to my old man."

"Come back!" Third Sister called out to him again: "Grandpa hasn't been feeling well these past few days. Are you going to upset him as soon as you get back? You good-for-nothing."

“Oh dear…” Li Shimin sat down on the steps in a huff: “Sister, I’ll go with you. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Chengqian. He almost doesn’t recognize me as his father anymore. Why don’t we just let our elder brother oversee the country himself? He was originally the Crown Prince who oversees the country, so he has more experience than either of us.”

At this moment, Li Jiancheng's face turned green. He stood aside, meek and submissive, not daring to utter a sound, for fear of being led astray by that wicked Li Shimin.

"It's not entirely impossible. What do you think, brother?"

"This... may be inappropriate, after all, I am a person with a criminal record."

“There’s nothing wrong with it.” Third Sister waved her hand. “We’re family after all.” Li Jiancheng’s mouth moved, then he smiled and fell silent. He was no longer the Crown Prince who had been the regent, but the King of Qin who had to keep a low profile. Although he held the title of king, he had nothing left.

His trusted subordinates were either arrested or killed by Li Shimin, and he himself was placed under house arrest in Weiyang Palace. He spent his days drinking and playing chess with his father, Li Yuan, and had long since lost his ambition.

Now that he has been put in charge of the country again, he is unsure whether this is a sign of trust or a test, but he knows in his heart that he will probably find it difficult to stir up any more trouble.

"Big brother, please, just say something. Let us go out and have some fun. I'm begging you."

Li Jiancheng remained standing with his hands at his sides: "I hope Your Majesty and the Prince of Shu will be careful on your journey, after all, Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance and cannot tolerate the slightest mishap."

He spoke half sincerely and half out of worry, because if something happened to Third Sister, he would not live to see the New Year this year. Li Shimin would kill him, because Li Shimin had failed to deliver that sword strike back then, and it was like a thorn hanging over Second Sister's heart.

"Alright, that's enough from you, elder brother. Sister, I'll go and tell the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue to make preparations. We absolutely cannot lose face for our Great Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin left like a happy little dog, leaving only Li Jiancheng and San Niang in the room. San Niang looked at Li Jiancheng's profile and said, "Brother, I'll bring you some crispy candy when I come back this time. I remember you really like the crispy candy from Jinling."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Third Sister sighed: "Then eldest brother should go and take care of Father. I'll go later."

Meanwhile, Emperor Liu Bili of the Northern Han Dynasty also held a similar invitation. He happily flipped through it without the slightest hesitation, simply waving his hand and saying, "Prepare all the best things for me! We can't let my brother look down on us! Hurry, hurry, you only have less than a month to prepare. Remember, it has to be the best!"

Besides the emperors, various warlords also received this treatment. Whether it was Wang Shichong, Li Mi, or other major warlords, even Liu Heita, who had just started an uprising in Shandong, received a copy.

However, their standards were lower, and the invitations weren't as elaborate, but they were still impressive, after all, they represented the prestige of the Great Wei.

"General, do you think this might be a trap set by the Great Wei to catch us like turtles in a jar?"

"Who's the turtle? Who the hell is the turtle?!" Liu Heita smacked the little brat next to him on the head: "If you can't speak properly, then shut up. You vulgar people should go and read more books. I paid for your tutors, and you've driven eight of them away in just two months!"

"General...we brothers are all men who risk their lives on the battlefield, what's the use of learning that?"

"Look at the commander of the Great Wei, isn't he a refined and cultured scholar? He deals with you like you're dogs. What's the use of brute force alone?"

"The commander-in-chief is talking about... that Xia Lin, right?"

“Call him Xia Shuai. You better remember this. Unless you have the ability to defeat him, a defeated opponent has no right to call him by his name.”

"General... the invitation has arrived. Will you accept it or not?"

Liu Heita sat there pondering for a moment, then slapped his thigh: "Go! I'm not afraid of getting scratched. Not going would make me look spineless."

"But Commander..."

"No need for further words. If something happens to me, just say I was blind."

After Liu Heita finished speaking, he stood by the window with his hands behind his back and took a deep breath: "A gentleman has his own way of being a gentleman, and a great nation also has its own spirit. I don't believe that Tian Wei can do what only the Sima family could do. By the way, make sure to get me all the local specialties. Don't let me lose face in front of all the heroes of the world."

In an instant, leaders from all over the country, from Guanzhong to the Western Regions, from Jianghan to Bashu, from Huai River to the Northeast, all sprang into action. But this time, it was not a battle for supremacy, but an invitation to the capital of the Great Wei to attend a grand gathering.

The only thing that can be predicted at the moment is how exciting it will be: the leaders of the Eastern and Western Turks meeting again, the Tang Dynasty versus Wang Shichong, Goguryeo versus the Shiwei...

Just thinking about what would happen then makes Xia Lin unconsciously laugh out loud.

At that very moment, the punishment for thoroughly investigating the Xia faction finally came down. Everything was just as Xia Lin had planned. He was stripped of his official position and marquisate, as well as his military power. The new army was transferred to the imperial court and became Emperor Jingtai's personal army.

He became a commoner almost instantly, as if he had returned to the time when he first came here from Luoyang more than ten years ago.

"Should I take the imperial examination?" Xia Lin said, stroking his chin. "As you all know, not having any official rank is the biggest pain of my life."

"Are you out of your mind!" Emperor Jingtai turned his head and cursed, "Do you insist on competing against your disciples and grand-disciples?"

"I'm not that old yet, I can give it a try."

"Then you'll have to wait until after the harvest ceremony! Right now, you'd better stay here and make arrangements. All the heroes in the world will be here. If anything goes wrong, my reputation will be ruined."

(End of this chapter)