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

Chapter 225 Wen He: I've Become a Member of a Noble Family?

Not long ago.

As soon as Wen Dalin entered, he ran into the three little ones.

Li Tai was feeding pigs in the backyard. He hadn't even taken a bath before being forced to change into a set of brocade robes, and he looked gloomy at the moment.

The three little ones rarely appeared in public, and Wen Dalin, who had only recently returned to Chang'an, did not recognize them.

Looking at the four boys of similar age in front of him, he smiled somewhat blankly and asked, "Which young master is the scion of Wen County?"

Wen He, who was about to teach Li Tai a lesson, was stunned for a moment before realizing that someone had actually come in.

He turned and looked the old man in front of him up and down, straightened his robes, and stepped forward with a smile to greet him: "Junior Wen He, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Wen Dalin, courtesy name Yanbo." He smiled kindly and returned the greeting to Wen He.

The latter was stunned.

Someone surnamed Wen?
There aren't many famous people with the surname Wen in history. The one that Wen He remembers most vividly is the one from more than a thousand years later.

However, Wen Dalin's name was recorded in the historical books he had read in his previous life.

He was born into the Wen clan of Taiyuan, but not from Guanzhong.

Its origins can be traced back to the Zhou royal family, whose ancestors were of the Ji surname.

The reason Wen He remembered him was because he was hailed by later generations as one of the three outstanding figures of the Wen family during the early Tang Dynasty, along with Wen Daya and Wen Dayou.

Later historical records may have made a mistake: Wen Dalin's given name and courtesy name were the opposite of the two mentioned earlier.

He became Wen Yanbo, courtesy name Dalin.

He was gentle and refined, and his courtesy name was Yan Hong.

Wen Dayou is the same.

The Wen family was a noble family and would never make such a mistake, so it is very likely that the historical records are incorrect.

However, there was another reason why Wen He remembered him: in the eighth year of Wude, Wen Yanbo was appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Bingzhou Road Army and accompanied the General Zhang Jin to fight against the enemy.

In August, the Tang army was defeated at Taigu, and Wen Yanbo was captured by the Turks.

Knowing that he was a close advisor to the emperor, Jieli Khan pressed him for details about the strength of the Tang Dynasty's military.

Wen Yanbo remained steadfast and refused to reveal his true identity, and was thus exiled to the harsh and cold land of Yinshan.

He could be considered the Tang Dynasty version of Su Wu.

In the original history, he should have been released after the Treaty of Wei River.

Without the Wei River Alliance in this era, how did he return?
Is Jieli really so willing?

"Greetings, Lord Wen." Wen He suppressed his doubts and bowed to Wen Yanbo.

He felt a little strange about this form of address.

Well, at least it's not a plague.

"No, no, I've come today for two reasons. First, about the matter of the white paper and tea, and second, to thank the county magistrate. If it weren't for the county magistrate's strong advocacy against the Turks, which led to Jieli's great defeat, I wouldn't have been able to return from Yinshan so easily."

As he was speaking, Wen Yanbo was about to bow again, but Wen He quickly stopped him.

"It's just a coincidence, Lord Wen, there's no need for that."

He quickly stepped forward and offered a helping hand.

“The county magistrate is benevolent, but those old stubborn men outside are shameless. They actually dare to make things difficult for you, a junior. They are all shameless scoundrels. I will go out and reprimand them for you.”

Wen Yanbo was a straightforward person; otherwise, he wouldn't have pointed at Jieli's nose and called him a "barbarian who has entered the country" after he was captured.

Enraged, Jieli was about to chop him up on the spot.

As for why it wasn't cut, only the person involved knows.

Seeing that Wen Yanbo was about to leave, Wen He quickly stopped him and said with a smile, "Don't be in a hurry, Mr. Wen. I have a way to make them come in obediently on their own."

"Ok?"

Wen Yanbo was puzzled.

Thinking that Wen He was going to send someone out to threaten them, they didn't expect him to point at the three teenagers behind him.

"His Majesty's three princes are all here. As subjects, how dare those outside not come in to pay their respects?"

Even the most prominent families have a sense of shame.

If this gets out, aren't they afraid that people will point fingers at them and accuse them of disrespecting the monarch?

Never underestimate the princes. Although they are not as valuable as the crown prince, who is a half-king, they are still of royal blood.

Moreover, this is still within the city of Chang'an.

"The three princes?"

Wen Yanbo was taken aback before realizing Wen He's other identity.

Thinking of this, he quickly walked past Wen He, lifted his robe, and stepped forward to respectfully bow to the three little ones.

"Your subject, Wen Dalin, the Acting Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has met with the King of Wei, the King of Han, and the King of Chu."

This sudden turn of events startled Li You.

This was the first time he had ever been so close to a foreign official.

In contrast, Li Tai and Li Ke had long been used to it.

At Wen He's prompting, the two of them quickly stepped forward and offered a helping hand to Wen Yanbo.

"You are too kind, Lord Wen."

Wenzhong said, “Have someone go out and announce that the three princes are here. If they don’t come to pay their respects, they shouldn’t set foot in my house again.”

After Wen He finished speaking, he immediately had someone invite Wen Yanbo into the main hall.

The latter refused, saying with a smile, "Those old scoundrels are always making things difficult for people. I'm here to support the three princes and you, the county magistrate."

Wen He was somewhat taken aback.

He always felt that Wen Yanbo's words were insincere, that he didn't seem to be there to support him, but rather to watch the show.

Sure enough, not long after the servant went out, he saw a large crowd of people outside.

Led by the elders of the Cui and Lu families whom Wen He had previously met outside the Lizheng Hall, a group of people filed in.

"Your Highnesses, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

The crowd immediately found the person in question and went forward to pay their respects.

The sudden appearance of so many people took the three little ones by surprise.

They were suddenly summoned here, without even understanding what was going on.

They all turned to look at Wen He.

Wen He gave them a look, signaling them to calm down.

Seeing this, the three little ones had no choice but to stand there quietly.

Those members of noble families hadn't even caught their breath before they bowed.

The older folks were fine; they only needed to perform a standard greeting.

Those who are young and still uneducated must bow deeply in reverence.

"Ahem, His Highness says there's no need for formalities."

"call."

Those aristocratic families and those from Guanzhong finally breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and smiled broadly.

The old man from the Cui family spoke first, explaining, "I am old and my pace is a bit slow. I apologize for neglecting the three princes. If I had known that His Majesty had sent the three princes here today, I would have been faster."

They left in such a hurry for two reasons: first, they were afraid that people would spread rumors that they were disrespecting the royal family; second, they believed that Li Ke and his group were here at Li Shimin's behest.

However, many people also have doubts.

Why did His Majesty the Emperor send these three instead of the Crown Prince?

Before they could think it over, Wen He said, "It is an honor for me that Master Cui and Master Lu have come here in person, despite their advanced age."

Wen He smiled kindly at everyone.

The gentry and the Guanzhong region, along with those gentry members, were laughing and joking when Wen He suddenly changed the subject.

"I wonder if the others also have difficulty walking. If so, why don't we go back and rest today? Anyway, there's no rush with the paper. As for the white paper and tea, I can sell them myself first."

"Ahem, those two have difficulty walking, but I am quite healthy. Just now, because they wouldn't get off the carriage, I thought something had happened."

The elderly man from the Wang family of Taiyuan coughed lightly, immediately distancing himself from the matter.

“That’s right.” The old man on the other side followed up, “These aristocratic people are troublesome. They insist on etiquette. I have never cared about such things. If it weren’t for them, how could we have been so disrespectful to the three princes today?”

"Yang Jingyou!" Elder Cui roared, pointing at the former.

The former sneered, "I am here. I am the Minister of Ceremonies and the Duke of Ande. I do not know your official position or title. How dare you address me directly?"

Yang Jingyou?
Wen He, who was watching the show, was taken aback by what she heard, then gave Li Ke, who was also watching the drama unfold, a meaningful look. Li Ke looked bewildered and winked at Wen He.

Little did the former know that this man was his future father-in-law.

Yang Jingyou, whose given name was Yang Shidao, was the representative of the Hongnong Yang family in Chang'an. In terms of relationship, the three little ones should call him uncle.

This man was a notorious hothead in history.

When he later took charge of the Ministry of Personnel, although he suppressed powerful officials and relatives to avoid suspicion, most of the officials he appointed were mediocre, which drew ridicule from many people.

Li Shimin's evaluation of him was not high. He said that Yang Shidao was of pure and good character and had no faults, but he was actually timid and inexperienced, and could not be of any help in times of emergency.

According to Baiqi's records, after his brother Yang Gongren was dismissed from his post as prime minister by Li Shimin because of the young concubine Yang, he left Chang'an.

Now the Yang family of Hongnong follows his lead.

His position as Minister of Ceremonies was at least a third-rank official post, which was much higher than the commoner status of the Cui and Lu families.

Since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, from Li Yuan to Li Shimin, there has been a tendency to suppress the aristocratic families, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The old man from the Cui family was a high-ranking figure in the former Sui Dynasty, but he was, after all, an official of the previous dynasty.

Yang Shidao's use of force to intimidate others angered the old man of the Lu family, causing his face to flush red.

"you you you you!"

He kept saying "you" over and over, but couldn't finish the sentence.

“Lord Yang, my grandfather is old. If you wish to compete for an official position, I can ask my father to intervene.” A middle-aged man walked up from behind.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yang Shidao snorted and ignored him.

"Yixuan, step back. How dare you interrupt when your elders are speaking!" The old man from the Cui family snorted, but his expression showed no sign of reproach.

Wen He stroked her chin, carefully examining the middle-aged man.

This person should be Cui Yixuan.

Another historical figure.

He was one of the leading figures in Li Zhi's later process of deposing Wang and establishing Wu, and also one of the officials in charge of the presiding judge Sun Wuji.

No wonder he brought up his father when facing Yang Shidao.

His father, Cui Gai, was the previous Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Seemingly noticing Wen He's gaze, Cui Yixuan was taken aback. When he went to check again, he found that the former was holding honey water and was not looking at him.

He thought it was just his imagination.

"Ahem, gentlemen, let's not forget what happened today. If we argue here, I'm afraid we'll only make a fool of ourselves in front of Magistrate Wen."

Cui Yixuan offered a reminder.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately straightened their posture.

The old man Cui turned to a smile and said with a friendly grin, "It was just a joke, please don't take offense, Mr. Wen."

"Who's joking with you? Only you aristocratic families have thick skin. If it weren't for His Majesty's permission, do you think you could have entered this gate today?"

Yang Shidao gave a cold laugh.

"That's right. I remember you guys humiliated Wenxianzi before, right? What a ridiculous thing to do, marrying off a concubine's daughter."

The old man from the Dugu clan also added fuel to the fire.

"What? Marrying a concubine's daughter? You scoundrel!"

Wen He was watching the show when she suddenly heard someone shout beside her.

He watched in astonishment as Wen Yanbo strode past him, pointing at the old man from the Cui family and cursing, "Are you trying to humiliate the Wen family of Taiyuan?"

"what?"

Wen He, who was watching the melon, was taken aback.

The aristocratic people present were also dumbfounded.

"Wen Yanbo, what did you say?"

"Is he one of your Wen family members?"

"This, this can't be possible."

The gentry looked incredulous.

Not to mention them, even Wen He was so frightened that she dropped her teacup.

'When did I become a member of the Wen family of Taiyuan?'

"Sir, so you're also from a noble family?" Li You asked naively.

Wen He raised her hand and slapped him on the head.

"Don't talk nonsense, stop claiming ancestors for me."

Li You immediately covered his head and shrank his neck.

"Ahem, it's getting late, let's get down to business."

Wen He quickly stood up and said.

He panicked at this moment, worried that the Wen family might actually come knocking on his door and demand that he be recognized as a member of their clan.

"Ah, right, right, business is more important."

Upon seeing this, the elderly man surnamed Lu quickly continued the conversation.

He was also afraid that Wen He might actually be from the Wen family of Taiyuan.

Although the Wen clan did not belong to the Guanzhong region and was a gentry family, they still maintained close ties with Guanzhong.

Wen Yanbo's son then married Li Yuan's daughter.

The Guanzhong region and the aristocratic families had been at odds since the Northern Wei Dynasty. During the division of the north and south, the two sides fought each other quite a bit.

What if Wen He is won over by the people of Guanlong?

Wouldn't they be at a disadvantage then?

"Business is important, haha, business is important."

The old man, surnamed Cui, immediately changed the subject.

"Please come inside, everyone. Everything you asked for is inside."

Without giving the Guanzhong and aristocratic people a chance to speak, Wen He gestured for them to enter the main hall and led them inside.

However, Wen Yanbo deliberately left a step behind, waiting to walk alongside Wen He.

“Jiaying, I address you as such because I am old. I had my family investigate your background. Your grandfather was indeed from a branch of the Wen family, but the family later fell on hard times and came to Chang'an. So…”

"Lord Wen, let's discuss this matter another day. It's getting late, let's talk about serious business first."

Before Wen Yanbo could finish speaking, Wen He immediately interrupted him.

Even if he really was born into the Wen family, what difference does it make? For him now, the aristocratic status not only cannot bring him protection, but will instead be a burden.

Seeing this, Wen Yanbo didn't take his rejection to heart.

What happened today will surely spread tomorrow. Whether Wen He acknowledges it or not, it's enough that outsiders know about it.

As for recognizing one's ancestors, that's just a ritual.

Wen Yanbo stroked his beard and followed Wen He into the main hall with a broad smile.

In the main hall.

Wenzhong had already made all the arrangements.

The white paper produced in the paper mill was displayed brightly in front of everyone.

There were also woodblock prints of the Three Character Classic and the Analects on the side.

In the center of the main hall, palace maids sent from the palace were boiling water, with fine tea leaves placed beside them.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Wen He walked towards the top seat.

The three little ones followed closely behind him.

He was the host, and today he was the main character. Although he was the youngest and of low status, no one dared to speak up at this time, saying that he was not worthy of the main position.

"Everyone, please take a seat."

Wen He smiled and gestured for everyone to proceed. Everyone then looked at the elderly men at the front.

After they sat down, he took his own seat.

Wen He lightly lifted her robe, sat down, and said calmly.

"let's start."

(End of this chapter)