Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 205 You're a man of your word, I won't bet with you.

Outside the Honglu Temple.

Several Japanese people were sitting in a tea stall nearby, anxiously looking towards the other side of the street.

They were not an official mission, so they were not even qualified to enter the Court of State Ceremonial to wait.

"Ono-kun, these Tang people are far too arrogant. His Majesty intended to befriend them, yet they treat us like this. The old emperor was much better!"

A middle-aged Japanese man standing next to Little Wild Horse had resentment in his eyes.

The emperor he was referring to was Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty.

The little wild horse turned and glanced at him, warning, "This is the Tang Dynasty. Watch your words. Don't think that the people of the Tang Dynasty can't understand our language!"

"Besides, what's so good about Yang Guang? The envoy he sent to Japan was so arrogant that he actually demanded that our Emperor kneel and pay his respects to him. That was truly humiliating!"

Although Yang Guang was indeed very generous in welcoming envoys, his arrogance was also fully revealed.

The envoy he sent to Japan was extremely arrogant, even saying that the Japanese emperor was merely a king of a vassal state of the Sui Dynasty.

They do not acknowledge their Emperor's affairs.

"Lord Pei is a good person. He even taught us how to use chopsticks, and the Emperor especially liked the small table he brought."

The middle-aged Japanese man felt a sense of nostalgia.

But he didn't notice that the muscles on the little wild girl's face twitched a few times.

He told many Japanese who came to the Tang Dynasty that after returning to Japan, they should never tell anyone that the Zhiju was a cushion that the Tang people used to put under their buttocks.

Because their emperor used that thing as a dining table.

"That's not important. What's important is the Tang artisans. For some reason, they haven't let us get close to those Tang workshops lately."

The wild horse snorted; he hadn't come to the Tang Dynasty for chopsticks or a dining table.

What he wanted were the armor and weapons of the Tang Dynasty.

"Now that His Majesty the Emperor is seriously ill, Minister Soga wants to enthrone Prince Tamura as Crown Prince. At that time, those fools actually wanted to enthrone Prince Yamashiro Ōe, that incompetent and immoral wastrel. If he becomes the next Emperor, he will surely push Japan into the abyss!"

The Ono family and the Soga family have always been closely connected.

The first envoy sent to Sui China was Ono no Imoko, the grandfather of Ono no Umako.

The person who recommended him was none other than the minister Soga no Umako.

To express his gratitude to Soga no Umako, when Ono no Umako was born, his grandfather made a special trip to see her and asked her to name him.

Therefore, Onoko held the Soga family in the highest esteem, believing that the current minister, Soga Emishi, was the best candidate to revitalize the country.

That's why he endured humiliation in the Tang Dynasty, hoping to gain more benefits from it.

"The ministers want to establish Prince Tamura's authority. He wants to destroy the Tsushima clan and then seize the opportunity to covet Baekje and Silla. As long as he can occupy a piece of land on the mainland, then Prince Tamura will be the rightful next emperor."

Among the Japanese present, there were either members of the Soga clan or allies of the Soga clan.

Everyone knows perfectly well that if Prince Tamura becomes the next emperor, then the Soga family will become the true rulers of Japan.

How could they not be excited?

"Well, but will that Gaoyang County magistrate agree?" someone worried.

If they still can't see Wen He's hostility towards them by now, then they are really too stupid.

"Don't worry about that. There is no one in this world who is not greedy. We were too impetuous last time. Giving gifts in public was my mistake."

Little Wild Horse frowned.

He was so excited when he saw the fireworks that he completely forgot what occasion he was in.

Therefore, in his view, Wen He's refusal at the time was nothing more than a performance in front of the Tang Emperor.

"Also remember one more thing: in the future, in the Tang Dynasty, do not call Her Majesty the Emperor the Emperor; just call her the Queen."

Little Wild Horse said helplessly.

However, this matter is unlikely to be reported back to Japan anyway.

When they return to Japan, it will be up to them to decide what to say.

The Japanese man beside him nodded.

"Although we are unwilling, we are willing to endure it for the future of Japan!"

Their eyes revealed their resentment.

This is what the little wild horse wanted.

Within Japan, many people were actually afraid of the Tang Dynasty and were unwilling to cross the sea.

Therefore, Soga no Emishi deliberately spread the good things about the Tang Dynasty, while secretly declaring his hatred for the Tang Dynasty.

Only in this way could the Japanese people take up their swords in the face of the colossal Tang Dynasty.

Just as they were talking.

Behind the earthen stove behind the teapot, an unassuming man was quietly recording their conversation.

Why are there so many punctuation marks?

On the carriage to the Court of State Ceremonial, Wen He frowned as she read the message from the Hundred Riders.

The 100 riders who came to deliver the message said awkwardly, "The person who was eavesdropping didn't speak Japanese very well, and those Japanese people spoke too fast, so he didn't remember it clearly."

Wen He sighed helplessly and said, "Let him set up a stall near the Japanese residence and talk to them every day. If he is still like this after two months, transfer him to the first team."

The 100-man squad was the visible force, responsible for arrests and interrogations, doing all the hard labor.

The second team is responsible for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and espionage.

The riders outside silently mourned for their colleague before bidding farewell to Wen He.

"The internal situation of Japan is so complicated. Why is their minister named Ezo?"

Li Daozong couldn't help but chuckle as he read the message.

The names of these Japanese people are all hilarious.

“They didn’t even have a written language before the Han Dynasty, so this is not surprising.”

Wen He snatched the intelligence from Li Daozong's hand.

He glanced at it and couldn't help but sneer.

"As expected, Japan has long had its eye on Baekje and Silla, but it has not made a move because of Goguryeo. But this time they seem to have something to rely on."

Wen He found it a bit strange.

Compared to the Tang Dynasty, Japan's biggest concern now is Goguryeo.

After all, that is the strongest force in Liaodong right now, and also the closest to Japan.

"What's there to think about? They must have some connection with Goguryeo. The Baekje envoy came to the Honglu Temple before and said that Goguryeo troops were making unusual movements on the border."

Li Daozong said dismissively.

Wen He turned to look at him in surprise: "Have you reported this matter to His Majesty?"

Seeing his nervous look, Li Daozong couldn't help but laugh and said, "Little kid, you don't know this, do you? Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje were three kingdoms that were mutually supporting each other, and none of them could do anything to the others."

“In particular, Silla is the most fickle. Every year, envoys from Baekje and Silla have to come to the Honglu Temple because of Goguryeo’s military deployment.”

Before Yi Do-jong took office, Silla had already sought help once.

However, he was rejected by Tang Jian, who was then the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.

Now that King Dojong has only recently taken office, Baekje has come again.

Moreover, the Japanese have now set their sights on Silla and Baekje.

Wen He had a feeling that things weren't so simple.

"If the Japanese and Goguryeo attack from both sides, could Silla and Baekje possibly withstand it?"

Wen He asked.

Li Daozong, who had seemed indifferent just a moment ago, was taken aback upon hearing this.

He did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment. "If the strength of the Japanese army is similar to that of Baekje or Silla, then these two countries will not be able to withstand it. However, even so, it is of no importance to the Tang Dynasty."

After pondering deeply, Li Daozong chuckled softly.

Wen He remained silent, feeling it was necessary for the Hundred Riders to deliver this intelligence to Li Shimin.

Li Daozong was, after all, a talented general, not a brilliant commander.

He may be good at large battles, but he can't see the big picture.

If Li Jing or Li Shiji were sitting next to him at that moment.

The two of them must have realized that if the peninsula were unified by Goguryeo, or divided with Japan, it would be a disaster.

This poses a significant threat to the Tang Dynasty.

In particular, when the Tang Dynasty wants to attack Goguryeo in the future, it will definitely become more difficult because of this.

However, it would be useless to talk to Li Daozong about this.

Seeing his nonchalant expression, Wen He reluctantly put the intelligence away.

"Little brat, what's with that expression? Do you think I'm wrong?" Li Daozong asked, somewhat indignant at his look.

Wen He chuckled twice, and seeing that they were almost at the Court of State Ceremonies, she ignored him.

Li Daozong, however, was unconvinced: "Even if you tell His Majesty about this, I believe he will keep quiet about it. Do you believe me? Let's make a bet."

“A bet? You still haven’t given me the little pony you owed me in Huizhou last time. You’re a man of your word, I’m not betting with you.”

If Wen He hadn't brought it up, Li Daozong would have almost forgotten about it.

Thinking about it now, I can't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"Hehe, there's been so much going on lately, I almost forgot. After we deal with the Japanese, I'll take you to my house to choose something."

"Really?"

“Of course it’s true, but do you want to make a bet about what just happened?” Li Daozong raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly.

If she weren't so confident, Wen He would really have to think it over.

But with the fertile land of Liaodong in mind, Wen He knew that Li Shimin would have to go and destroy Goguryeo no matter what.

It's important to know that Goguryeo's territory today is not just the peninsula, but also includes a large area north of the Yalu River.

It contains abundant coal and iron ore.

Hundreds of years ago, that place should have been Han territory, but Goguryeo took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains and forcibly seized it.

It's time to take it back.

"Let's fight, but what's the bet?" Wen He smiled kindly.

Seeing that he agreed, Li Daozong was overjoyed, thinking that he had fallen for his trap, and said with a smile, "If I win, I would like to participate in your tea-frying business."

It turns out this reckless fellow had his eye on tea frying.

No wonder, Li Shimin only opened it up to the Guanzhong region and the aristocratic families.

Although the royal family received the news, they could only watch helplessly.

The Guanlong Li clan had long since separated from the imperial clan, so naturally Li Daozong and his group were not allowed to participate in this business.

“Sure, but what if you lose?” Wen He chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Li Daozong.

The latter was stunned for a moment, because he felt he wouldn't lose, so he hadn't thought about what to give Wen He at all.

However, since it's a bet, we naturally have to place our bets first.

"You may ask for anything that I possess."

"You owe me a favor, how about it?" Wen He held up one finger.

Li Daozong was taken aback, not expecting that Wen He only wanted one favor from him.

He pondered for a moment and then laughed, “A favor from a prince is not cheap, but as long as you, little boy, don’t make me do anything outrageous, I can agree.”

"If you're the one who's going to do something so outrageous, then it's settled."

"It's a word."

Li Daozong didn't think he would lose.

In his view, even if His Majesty were to launch a campaign against Goguryeo, it wouldn't be now.

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty's current target is the Turks in the north. Even if Silla and Baekje ask for help, His Majesty will most likely appease them and then ignore them.

It is absolutely impossible to start a major conflict.

If Wen He knew what he was thinking at that moment, she would definitely say he was too naive.

However, it's not bad to gain a favor from Li Daozong as a result.

At least it can save your life in critical moments.

Li Shimin trusted him immensely, even delegating authority over the army.

Otherwise, Changsun Wuji would not have been so wary of him, and would not have gone so far as to exile him by using Fang Yi'ai's rebellion as a pretext.

At a time when both of them harbored their own secrets.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Honglu Temple.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yema and the others at the tea stall quickly straightened their robes and came over to greet them.

They went to great lengths to make this meeting happen.

They spent a lot of money to have the robes custom-made.

Japan is not poor, or rather, it is very wealthy, possessing a large amount of silver.

Unfortunately, in the Tang Dynasty, transactions could only be conducted using copper coins; most people did not accept gold or silver.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, officials who were not of high rank were prohibited from using gold and silver utensils.

Ordinary people collect it, but they can't spend it.

Not to mention the merchants who had the lowest social status.

"Your humble servant, Xiao Yema Zi, respectfully welcomes Prince Rencheng, the Viscount of Gaoyang County."

The Japanese bowed very low, their heads almost touching the ground when they did so.

Inside the carriage, Li Daozong glanced at Wen He, as if asking for his opinion.

Wen He chuckled and raised his hand, making a fist.

This means to just beat them up and that's it.

Upon seeing this, Li Daozong quickly shook his head.

He is now the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, not a general who goes to war on horseback. If he resorts to violence, an imperial censor will impeach him tomorrow.

He wasn't like Wen He, who could act recklessly just because he was young.

Helpless, Li Daozong straightened his robes in the carriage, cleared his throat, and stepped out.

"Your Excellency may dispense with the formalities."

At this moment, the coachman went to fetch a stool. The young horse, who had just gotten up, saw this and hurriedly fawned over him, taking the stool and placing it at Li Daozong's feet with a beaming smile.

This humble demeanor pleased Li Daozong greatly, and he nodded in satisfaction, his gaze towards the little wild horse becoming much more amiable.

Noticing the kind look, the little wild horse was immediately excited and bowed again: "I am grateful for Your Majesty's help today. I have prepared some small gifts and will personally visit you another day."

Visiting someone and giving gifts was a common practice in the Tang Dynasty and was not considered bribery.

Li Daozong naturally felt it would be impolite to refuse.

Just then, a sneer came from inside the carriage.

"I'm afraid it's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's up to no good."

Little Wild Horse and the other Japanese looked closely and saw Wen He walking out of the carriage, looking at them with a mocking expression.

(End of this chapter)