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

Chapter 286 What I give you is what truly belongs to you.
Wen He quickly returned Xue Wanche's greeting, her gaze following his figure toward the sunshade.

In the morning light, Xue Wanche's tall and straight figure stood out among the crowd of officials in crimson robes.

He had just returned from the battlefield in Hebei, and the frost marks on his armor had not yet faded.

"I had heard that Xue Wanche had gone to Hebei, but I didn't expect him to come back now."

Li Daozong stroked his short beard, twirling the newly sprouted stubble between his fingertips, and said in a low voice with a hint of amusement in his tone.

A barely perceptible hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes, which were usually filled with a smile.

Xue Wanche was the most capable fighter among Li Jiancheng's former subordinates.

During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, this man led the Eastern Palace Guards in a fierce attack on Xuanwu Gate, almost changing the course of the battle.

If it weren't for Wen He, that little butterfly, Lü Shiheng, Jing Junhong, and the others would all have died at his hands.

His return at this time is of great significance.

Wen He's heart stirred slightly. Watching Xue Wanche's retreating figure as he walked into the pavilion, she murmured, "Is it also for me? It can't be that bad."

The lineup in the pavilion was already impressive enough.

Even if all the members of the five clans and seven noble families came out in full force, they might not be able to get away with it. There was really no need for Xue Wanche to make a special trip back.

"He's not doing this for you."

Li Daozong chuckled softly and looked up into the depths of the palace walls.

"It must be for the sake of the Yuanhui. After all, he is a member of the Jiancheng faction and holds military power in Hebei. His return now is to tell the world that His Majesty is the one who is the people's hope."

Wen He suddenly realized.

Li Shimin invited Xue Wanche back to participate in the Yuanhui (New Year's Assembly) to demonstrate that his rule was secure by appealing to the loyalty of this former subordinate.

After the Yuanhui era, the Tang Dynasty changed its era name to Zhenguan, which marked the beginning of the era belonging to Li Shimin.

But that will happen in half a month.

Presumably, the palace should have already begun preparations by now.

The thought of having to enter the palace again during the New Year celebrations made Wen He feel a little annoyed.

That kind of occasion is really meaningless.

How about we find a reason to take a hundred riders to patrol outside the city?
Rather than sitting in the Taiji Hall listening to everyone praising Li Er and eating cold food all day, it's better to go home and have hot pot.

"Why are you dazed?"

Li Daozong tugged at him and poked his arm with his fingertip.

Wen He came to her senses and was already outside the pergola.

Looking at the group of powerful figures sitting or standing inside, he took a deep breath, quickly bowed, and began reciting their titles and official ranks as if reciting a tongue twister: "This humble official greets the Duke of Dai, the Duke of Cao, the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Su, the Duke of Wu, the Duke of Jiang... greets Minister Wen, Minister Yan... greets the General of the Left Guard, the General of the Right Guard..."

Just reciting these names took almost the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

He read until his mouth was dry and his back ached, but no one shouted "No need for formalities".

Those old foxes either held their teacups and pretended not to see, or stroked their beards thoughtfully, each maintaining an air of superiority, yet they were remarkably in sync.

Wen He muttered to herself, 'These old bastards are deliberately messing with me.'

However, it's also terrifying to think that these people are either dukes or ministers, and even the lowest-ranking ones are generals.

Wait, I almost forgot about Changsun Wuji.

This guy is only a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs right now, a fourth-rank official.

In the original history, at this time, Changsun Wuji went to the Ministry of Personnel, and after the reign title was changed, he became the Minister of Personnel.

Then he rose rapidly through the ranks.

For now, I'll just sit quietly in my position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for a few more years.

I wonder if he would feel aggrieved if he knew the original history. But even so, Changsun Wuji's status among this group is not low.

After all, he is now the emperor's brother-in-law and also Li Er's confidant.

Unlike Xu Jingzong, who could only stand outside, behaving obediently like a child.

Looking at Xu Jingzong outside the shed, this fourth-rank official was as obedient as a schoolchild, not daring to even breathe loudly.

It's not that he can't get in, it's that he's not qualified to come forward and pay his respects.

When Wen He came in just now, she caught him secretly glancing this way, his eyes full of envy and unease.

Seeing his frustrated expression, Wen He felt somewhat understanding.

He was a high-ranking official who governed a region outside, but here he was so humble that he didn't even have the right to speak.

"Jiaying, don't be so polite."

Li Jing spoke first, walking over and patting Wen He on the shoulder.

"Although we have come here today for you, we are also taking this opportunity to report on our work, so you need not worry about it."

His words defused the situation. The others hadn't spoken up to stop him earlier, simply out of consideration for the occasion; now that Li Jing had taken the lead, they readily agreed.

Cheng Zhijie slapped his thigh and laughed: "That's right! Young man Wen, come and sit down. I just won two strings of cash from Yuchi Heizi and was wondering where to spend it. Perfect timing, I'll treat you to some wine!"

Wen He quickly thanked her, her back still a little sore when she straightened up.

He cupped his hands and said, "I am truly flattered by your concern. It is nothing but a small matter, yet it has troubled you all..."

"Little things?"

Yuchi Gong glared at him, strode forward, and slapped him hard on the shoulder with his fan-like hand, almost making him stumble. "Those demons and monsters who want to harm our soldiers, who want to harm the people His Majesty values, are dreaming. You did the right thing this time, it suits my taste!"

Wen He winced in pain, but could only force a smile and reply, "You flatter me, Duke of Wu."

He rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped, and muttered to himself, 'That guy's strength is incredible; I think he almost broke my bones.'

Cheng Zhijie, watching from the side, shook his head. He beckoned to Wen He with his large, fan-like hand, his voice laced with a roguish tone: "Come here, come here, stay away from this charcoal briquette. He's got a lot of strength; don't break your skinny arms and legs." "Cheng Yaojin, you son of a bitch! What do you mean by that?!"

Yuchi Gong immediately bristled, his dark face turning bright red, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward and argue.

"What are you pretending for? You're just a roughneck, and you never know how to control yourself when you're dancing. How dare you criticize me!"

"Hey, that was martial arts training on the battlefield, you're just bullying a junior for no reason, how can you compare them? Look at him, he's as skinny as a chick, do you think he can withstand one of your blows?"

Cheng Zhijie instinctively hid behind Wen He, even though he was speaking up for Wen He.

But the more Wen He listened, the more she felt that something was off about what he was saying.

What does it mean to be as skinny as a chick?

The people in the pavilion couldn't help but chuckle.

As for Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong's posture as if they were about to fight, they were already used to it.

These two are like natural enemies; they're always on the verge of conflict whenever they meet.

The guards outside the pavilion were already used to it, each keeping their eyes down and pretending not to hear the bickering between the two dukes.

After all, we see this kind of scene seven or eight times a month.

The people inside the pavilion also turned their heads away.

Although Li Jing had a high reputation in the army, he was not from the Prince of Qin's mansion, so he usually just watched indifferently when such things happened.

Li Shiji didn't have a good relationship with either of them, so he didn't say anything.

As for the others, they dared not stop them.

Didn't you see Duan Zhixuan take a few steps back from behind Cheng Zhijie and dodge him?

If these two roughnecks were to start fighting, it wouldn't be a fun situation to watch.

"Stop making a scene."

A soft voice rang out, not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong, who were rolling up their sleeves and preparing to "argue," suddenly stopped, as if they had been paused. They then awkwardly lowered their arms, chuckled dryly, and scratched their heads.

Qin Qiong looked at the two of them, shook his head helplessly, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face.

When he turned to Wen He, his expression had returned to its usual solemnity, and the atmosphere around him calmed down: "Lord Wen, His Majesty sent us here today to show certain people the attitude of the army."

He paused, his voice becoming more serious: "Whether it's the previous case of embezzlement of military pay or this case of withholding winter clothing, there will be no leniency for anything that touches the foundation of the military."

Qin Qiong's face was a little pale, indicating that his condition was getting worse, but his eyes still showed a bit of determination when he looked at Wen He.

This valiant general was unwilling to accept defeat.

Wen He couldn't help but shake his head. He would have to send the Hundred Riders to look for Sun Simiao in the future.

With this Medicine King around, perhaps Qin Qiong's life could be extended.

But now is not the time to think about that.

Qin Qiong's words just now made Wen He understand the deeper meaning behind Li Shimin's summons of these people today.

He didn't simply get military bigwigs to back him up.

He used this incident to get Li Jing, Qin Qiong, and others to speak out for the army.

Tell everyone who covets military power and tries to get their hands on military supplies one thing.

The military is his bottom line, his Achilles' heel; anyone who crosses it will die.

The fate of Zheng and his son is clear proof of this.

Whether you belong to one of the Five Families and Seven Noble Families or the Guanzhong Clan.

What I give you is yours; what I don't give you, no one can covet!

Having figured this out, Wen He subconsciously glanced at Changsun Wuji.

The emperor's brother-in-law was standing on the other side of the pergola.

No wonder he came to support me today.

In this matter, Changsun Wuji and Wen He share the same interests.

Moreover, he also had to stand on Li Shimin's side.

Seemingly noticing Wen He's gaze, Changsun Wuji turned his head, nodded indifferently at him, his lips barely curved, his eyes filled with coldness.

Wen He couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Has this old schemer changed his ways?

Little did he know that Changsun Wuji was plotting something else entirely.

During this period, because of Wen He, his relationship with Li Shimin had become noticeably colder, and his several attempts to offer advice were dismissed lightly.

Although he was still extremely dissatisfied with Wen He, even resentful, he still had to put on a good show.

At the very least, he couldn't let His Majesty think that he had become estranged from the military because of personal grudges. Coming here today was the biggest concession he could make.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a clear, resonant bronze bell rang out from the direction of Taiji Palace.

The noise in the pavilion instantly subsided.

Everyone stood up at the same time, straightening their round-necked robes.

"Let's go, it's time for court," Li Jing said in a deep voice.

But for some reason, Wen He felt as if he were saying, "It's time to go to war."

(End of this chapter)