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

Chapter 213 This matter seems to be getting more and more complicated.
"Wen He, how dare you!"

Changsun Wuji was furious. He pointed at Wen He, trembling with rage.

"I've gone too far, what are you going to do about it!"

At worst, we'll just have to fall out with Changsun Wuji; it's not a big deal.

"you!"

Changsun Wuji pointed at him, but remained silent.

He really couldn't do anything to Wen He.

"Jiaying, calm down, calm down. What Minister Changsun said just now was just an unintentional slip of the tongue, isn't it, Minister Changsun?"

Yan Lide felt as if he were caught in the middle.

Although he was more inclined to side with Wen He, he was also dissatisfied with Changsun Wuji's attitude earlier.

Unfortunately, this matter was arranged by His Majesty, and before the bidding process even began, the two people in charge had already fallen into such a mess.

He's now focused solely on getting this done.

So he could only act as a peacemaker, trying to give them both a way out.

He winked at Changsun Wuji.

The latter frowned, then calmed down and apologized to Wen He indifferently: "I misspoke. This matter is of great importance. Please don't make a fuss."

Upon hearing this, Wen He sneered, too lazy to pay him any attention, and turned to leave.

"Jiaying, where are you going?" Yan Lide asked immediately upon seeing this.

He was worried that Wen He would act impulsively and abandon the project.

Although he wrote this down in detail, Wen He still needs to oversee how to actually implement it.

He didn't know what Changsun Wuji was thinking; wouldn't it have been better to be more amiable?

He insisted on arguing with Wen He.

Little did he know that ever since Wen He told Li Shimin that he would take revenge on Fang Xuanling in the future, he felt an inexplicable anger every time he saw the former.

In addition, Li Shimin had previously betrothed Li Lizhi to Wen He, which intensified the resentment.

“Vice Minister Changsun, please be gentle. This matter is of great importance. Do not cause any unexpected trouble.”

Yan Lide tried to persuade him earnestly, but seeing that Changsun Wuji remained unmoved, he could only say softly, "Vice Minister Changsun, don't forget that although His Majesty has already approved of you for the position of Minister of Civil Affairs, there are still some people in the court who are dissatisfied. If they use this matter as an excuse, I'm afraid His Majesty will have no choice but to change his mind."

Changsun Wuji was initially dismissive, but upon hearing Yan Lide's words, he was taken aback.

The reason he was so confident before was because Wen He had said that he would rise to a high position and gain the emperor's deep trust in him.

That's why he thought Li Shimin wouldn't suspect him.

But that doesn't mean others will tolerate him.

Moreover, the emperor needs Wen He now, and if the relationship with him is strained, the emperor may really develop a grudge against him.

"Never mind, there's plenty of time in the future."

Changsun Wuji narrowed his eyes slightly.

He felt that Yan Lide's reminder made sense.

"Thank you for reminding me, Minister Yan. I was wrong." Changsun Wuji bowed to Yan Lide.

The latter quickly said he dared not.

When Wen He returned after changing her clothes, she was startled to find that Changsun Wuji seemed to be acting strangely.

He actually took the initiative to come and apologize.

"Jiaying, your uncle lost his composure just now, please don't take it to heart."

Changsun Wuji suddenly seemed like a completely different person.

If Wen He hadn't known that this was completely out of character for him, he probably would have genuinely believed that he was sincerely apologizing.

Everyone says Li Yifu is a smiling tiger, but how could Changsun Wuji not be the same?

The only difference between him and Li Yifu was that he had backbone.

He could face his failures with equanimity and then die a noble death.

"Uncle, what are you saying? It's all my fault, I was just joking. How could I, as a junior, take it to heart?"

Wen He smiled with exceptional kindness.

“Well, Uncle was wrong, that’s fine. Here’s what we’ll do: once this matter is over, Uncle will host a banquet at Wangchun Tower and invite Jiaying for a chat.”

Changsun Wuji smiled kindly, as if he and Wen He had never had any conflict before.

Wen He smiled and agreed, "Uncle, you are too kind to me. I should invite you."

"No, no, no, please."

"Let me invite you."

"No, it must be me who pays."

"Uncle, you're too kind."

"Jiaying absolutely cannot refuse."

Yan Lide was dumbfounded as he watched the two, one big and one small, going back and forth.

Why does he not quite understand?
What he just said was purely to scare Changsun Wuji.

Yesterday, his younger brother Yan Liben came to his house. When he mentioned this matter, his brother told him these words.

Yan Liben was worried that Yan Lide would not be able to control Changsun Wuji. If he made a contribution, that would be fine, but if he made a mistake, his foolish older brother would likely be dragged out to take the blame.

That's why he specifically mentioned what Yan Lide had said to Changsun Wuji earlier, just to scare him.

Unexpectedly, after he said those words, both Changsun Wuji and Wen He became somewhat strange.

Are these the same two people who were just on the verge of exchanging blows?
"You are the junior, so it should be your uncle who invites you."

"No, no, no, it is precisely because I am the junior that I should be the one to invite you."

Seeing that they were still exchanging pleasantries, Yan Lide felt that it was about time, so he stepped forward to interrupt and said, "Vice Minister Changsun, Jiaying, you two stop arguing. I will come and invite you later."

"In that case, Brother Lide has gone to great lengths."

"Then thank you very much, Minister Yan."

Wen He and Changsun Wuji turned around and smiled at him.

Yan Lide was stunned. Looking at the two people in front of him with their smiling faces, he suddenly felt as if he had been deceived.

"Alright, alright, let's go into the palace first."

Fortunately, they arrived early, and although there was a minor incident, they still made it in time for the morning court session.

Wen He, who had not attended court for a long time, naturally attracted a lot of attention.

"Little one, what brings you here? I heard the Japanese silver has arrived?" Li Daozong had secretly slipped behind Wen He without anyone noticing.

His sudden words almost scared Wen He's heart out.

"Li Chengfan, do you know that scaring people can be deadly?" Wen He glared at him, annoyed.

The latter couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and put his hand on Wen He's shoulder: "Isn't it because you've been going about your business lately? I finally found you today. Last time I gave you a signal to go to the Court of State Ceremonial to find me after you left the palace, why didn't you go?"

"Your look told me to come find you?" Wen He asked, taken aback.

He completely failed to grasp Li Daozong's meaning at the time.

"Of course, after receiving so much money that day, I wanted to invite you to Wangchun Tower. Recently, a new batch of Western Region women have arrived there. They are graceful and sway like willows in the wind. There is also a singer whose voice is as melodious as a nightingale."

As Li Daozong spoke, he began to savor the memory.

Wen He then realized what kind of place Wangchun Tower was.

He originally thought it was some kind of restaurant, but he didn't expect it to be a "disreputable place".

That's not right either, since in the Tang Dynasty, such brothels were legal businesses.

"I'll send someone to find you this evening, how about it?" He raised an eyebrow at Wen He. The latter chuckled twice and removed his hand from her shoulder.

"So, what do you want from me?"

He didn't believe Li Daozong would offer such favors for no reason.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong appeared heartbroken and said, "Jiaying, you've misunderstood your brother. Do we brothers need any reason to seek pleasure together?"

"If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."

"Hey, wait a minute, cough, actually it's like this, His Majesty summoned members of the royal family to ask if anyone wanted to fund the development of ships for seafaring, and I knew then that they must be eyeing Japan's silver, hehe."

Li Daozong chuckled twice, deliberately lowering his voice so as not to be overheard by others.

Wen He knew that he must have something to say to her.

I never expected it would be because of going to sea.

What he didn't expect was that Li Shimin would send someone to eavesdrop on his lessons to Li Chengqian, and then immediately use that information against the imperial clan.

He had previously discussed future overseas ventures with Li Chengqian.

The latter asked him, "The national treasury is empty, and the court has no extra money or manpower to build large ships. What should we do?"
Wen He then told him.

"In the future, the Tang Dynasty will support many members of the imperial family, as well as sons of meritorious officials and members of aristocratic families. These families have a lot of money and people, so it would be better to send them all out to make good use of their resources."

However, Wen He thought this was too idealistic at the time.

A bunch of useless people, they can't even get out of the house, let alone go to sea.

Unexpectedly, Li Shimin actually summoned the members of the imperial clan.

"So you want to go to sea?"

Wen He looked at him and couldn't help but frown.

Li Daozong, instead of enjoying his comfortable position as Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, actually wanted to go to sea.

"Don't blame me for not warning you, going out to sea at this time is extremely dangerous, especially since the ships of the Great Tang Dynasty can't withstand any huge waves and strong winds."

The Tang Dynasty still uses flat-bottomed boats, which are naturally fine for navigating rivers and lakes, and can even sail near the sea.

However, if one goes to the open sea, there is always the danger of being destroyed.

Every time the Japanese sent people to the Tang Dynasty, they would destroy at least 10-20% of the ships.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have felt so bad about the silver that Little Wild Girl sent me before.

Li Daozong smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t want to go to sea, but my uncles and brothers are itching to go. They’re all jealous of the silver in their mansions.”

"Moreover, His Majesty said that a Maritime Trade Office will be built in Hangzhou in the future. Half of the annual maritime tax revenue from the Maritime Trade Office will belong to the imperial family. Anyone who contributes will receive a share, while those who do not contribute can only watch helplessly."

Wen He was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "Does His Majesty intend to cancel the future stipends of the imperial clan?"

"You guessed it after all." Li Daozong smiled meaningfully.

Wen He was taken aback. Li Shimin was planning to use the voyage to simultaneously address the issue of the excessively high treatment of the imperial clan.

It was only because the little wild horse sent so much silver last time that the royal family saw the immediate benefits, which is why they gave it up so easily this time.

"Moreover, the first Director of the Maritime Trade Office was the uncle of the Prince of Huai'an."

Prince of Huai'an?
Li Shentong!
Looking at Li Daozong's smiling face, Wen He narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment before chuckling and asking, "So you came to see me today on the orders of the Prince of Huai'an, right?"

Li Shentong was a member of the imperial clan, and one of the few who supported Li Shimin.

Moreover, his achievements were among the best of all military generals in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yuan was able to enter Guanzhong smoothly because he and the extraordinary Princess Pingyang responded in Guanzhong.

Unfortunately, few people in later generations know about this, and many even attribute his achievements to Princess Pingyang.

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shentong followed Li Shimin and was almost never defeated.

They were defeated and captured, and their entire army was wiped out, until they encountered Dou Jiande.

Later, when he encountered Liu Heita, he barely escaped with his life.

These two defeats were a stain on his record, which led to his very awkward situation when Li Shimin rewarded his merits some time ago.

He was still indignant and argued with Li Shimin: "I raised an army in Guanzhong and was the first to respond to the righteous banner, while Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others only wrote and painted, yet their merits are above mine. I find it hard to accept this."

Li Shimin, however, showed him no respect and said in public, "Although you were the first to respond to the righteous cause and raise an army, it was also your own way of escaping disaster. When Dou Jiande invaded Shandong, your entire army was wiped out; when Liu Heita gathered his remaining troops again, you abandoned your soldiers and fled at the mere sight of him."

"Fang Xuanling and others devised strategies and won decisive victories, ensuring the stability of the Tang Dynasty. In terms of merit and reward, their contributions naturally surpassed those of their uncle."

“Uncle, you are a close relative of the royal family, and I have certainly spared no expense in rewarding you. However, I cannot follow personal feelings and bestow the same honors upon you as those of meritorious officials.”

Li Shentong was immediately filled with shame.

However, it was clear to everyone that Li Shimin was using this incident to suppress those members of the imperial clan who wanted to rise to prominence.

However, this only affected a portion of them. For example, Li Daozong was not implicated and quickly became the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.

This maritime trade decree was probably Li Shimin's way of compensating Li Shentong.

However, Wen He remembered that he passed away in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era.

"If I'm not mistaken, the one who invited me to Wangchun Tower today is also the Prince of Huai'an, isn't he?" Wen He looked at Li Daozong meaningfully.

The latter immediately said with displeasure, "You little brat, how can you judge a gentleman with such petty thoughts? I invited you to listen to music. As for Uncle Wang's matter, he will come to you personally in the future."

Wen He was taken aback, and quickly apologized with a smile: "I misunderstood you, but I'd better not go to Wangchun Tower for now."

He thought Li Daozong was there to pave the way for Li Shentong.

I never expected that the former would actually invite him to that kind of place.

Unfortunately, he is still young, and even if he sees someone stunningly beautiful, there is nothing he can do.

It's better not to go.

"But I do have a small question for you: can you really make a lot of money going out to sea?"

Li Daozong's eyes gleamed.

"Yes, but the risks are also very high. You can invest money, but never go to sea."

Going to sea now is too risky; if you encounter a storm, it's almost certain death.

Li Daozong chuckled: "Don't worry about that. I'm living a comfortable life in Chang'an. Why would I need to go out and brave the wind and rain?"

Seeing his expression, Wen He realized that her worries were somewhat unnecessary.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should go to the front. Their stares are too irritating to have you here."

With Li Daozong present, many people cast scrutinizing glances at him.

Wen He felt goosebumps all over her body.

The former said dismissively, "Ignore those people. I actually have something else to ask you."

"Why do you have so many things to do?" Wen He retorted impatiently.

Li Daozong rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's all because His Majesty deliberately leaked the news. He said that the canals inside the pass are being repaired and merchants are being recruited to do it. Oh, right, it's a bidding process. Apparently, there are profits to be made in it."

"You've already said that?"

Wen He was taken aback.

Yesterday, Changsun Wuji considered involving the aristocratic clans and the Guanzhong region.

Today, Li Shimin decided to have members of the imperial clan join.

He originally envisioned a simple standard, but now it has become a game of power among various forces.

This matter seems to be getting more and more complicated.

He was lost in thought when suddenly the sound of bells and drums came from outside.

This was a reminder to the officials that the Emperor's arrival was imminent.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong patted Wen He on the shoulder and said, "I'll be going now. I'll come find you after court."

(End of this chapter)