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

Chapter 330 You, Wen Jiaying, how dare you pull such a stunt on this old man!

"Jiaying, you actually came to the yamen today?"

Outside the Ministry of War, Duan Zhixuan had just finished his official business and stepped out of the room when he caught sight of Wen He. He was so shocked that his eyes widened like saucers, and he almost dropped the dossier in his hand.

His scarlet official robe was brand new and crisp, clearly a new one.

"You got promoted?" Wen He glanced at his robes and immediately understood.

It seems that after Lü Shiheng was dismissed, Duan Zhixuan filled the vacancy of Vice Minister of War.

This matter was quite unexpected, as no one had mentioned it before.

Duan Zhixuan's face showed a hint of smugness at having gained an advantage. He stroked his beard and said, "It's something that will happen after New Year's Day. After all, the position of Vice Minister of War can't be left vacant. His Majesty thinks I'm quite diligent, so he's letting me fill in for a few days."

These words sounded humble, but the smile in his eyes was unmistakable.

If Wen He hadn't exposed the Ministry of War's secrets last time and wiped out all those corrupt officials, he would still only hold the title of Twelfth Guard General, and when there are no battles to fight, he could only stay at home drinking alone.

"Speaking of which, I should thank you."

Duan Zhixuan patted Wen He on the shoulder, his tone slightly teasing.

"After we leave the yamen, Jiaying, you choose the place: Qingfeng Tower or Wangchun Tower. I'll treat you."

This guy was clearly making fun of him about what happened at Qingfeng Tower last time.

Wen He chuckled coldly twice, deliberately raising his voice: "Duke Fan, the lesson of the past is still fresh in our minds. That former Vice Minister of War is probably still eating sand on his way to exile. You'd better watch out, and don't let me see you in the prison of the Hundred Cavalry one day."

"Bah bah bah!"

Duan Zhixuan quickly spat twice and said, sticking his neck out.

"Who is our old Duan? Loyal to the emperor and patriotic, incorruptible! How can he be compared to those filthy scoundrels?"

"Then why are you still thinking about Qingfeng Tower?" Wen He raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Hehe, just kidding, just kidding."

Duan Zhixuan waved his hand awkwardly, about to say something more, when he suddenly turned around and caught a glimpse of the boy standing next to Wen He out of the corner of his eye. His expression changed abruptly.

That figure, those features, it's clearly the Crown Prince!
"Holy crap!" He was so scared he almost jumped up, his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt down on the spot.

What is His Highness the Crown Prince doing here?!
"Your subject bows..." Duan Zhixuan was about to bow when Wen He grabbed him.

"Duke Fan, the Crown Prince is traveling incognito, so please don't make a fuss."

Wen He lowered her voice.

He didn't want others to know that Li Chengqian was always following him, otherwise a group of people would definitely come up to him to ask how he was doing, which would not only disturb his peace but also easily cause trouble.

Seeing that Duan Zhixuan had composed himself, Li Chengqian nodded kindly to him.

Duan Zhixuan understood, bowed slightly, covered his face with his sleeve, and gave an inconspicuous salute in his direction, the movement was standard yet discreet.

"Duke Dai inquires, has Wen Jiaying arrived?"

Not far away, a middle-aged man in a blue official robe walked out of the Ministry of War's office, his voice booming. This man was Li Jing's subordinate, having served in the Ministry of War for many years, and was known for his strict and meticulous nature.

"Here you are." Wen He raised her hand in response, and Duan Zhixuan, who was in front of her, tactfully moved aside.

The middle-aged man bowed respectfully from a distance and said, "The Duke of Dai invites you."

Wen He replied, "I understand."

He turned to Li Yifu and said, "You wait here."

He then winked at Duan Zhixuan, signaling him to look after him, before lifting the carriage curtain and saying to Li Chengqian inside, "Let's go, I'll take you to see the Duke of Dai."

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up, and he quickly followed Wen He out of the carriage, walking step by step toward Li Jing's official residence.

Upon entering the government office, one sees Li Jing with his head down, reviewing documents, with a thick stack of files piled on his desk.

Without even raising his head, his voice was somewhat somber: "So you've finally decided to come to the Ministry of War? Since you took over the position of chief clerk, how many times have you come here, aside from the time you overturned the government office?"

Wen He touched her nose, not daring to talk back.

Li Jing put down his pen, tapped his fingertips on the table, and said in a more serious tone: "After the spring, the northern border defenses will need to be reorganized. You are familiar with the improvement of military equipment, so this training will be entrusted to you."

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

Wen He quickly waved his hand.

"The Duke of Dai is joking. I am still young and have no experience in leading troops. How can I shoulder such an important task? Besides, the duties of the Hundred Cavalry Command are already quite complicated..."

Li Jing and Li Shimin are exactly the same.

We have to give him something to do.

The Tang Dynasty was full of talented people; with so many people around, why insist on clinging to just one of them?
"Insolence!" Li Jing suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with anger. He was about to reprimand him for shirking responsibility when his gaze suddenly fell on the boy behind Wen He.

The young man was dressed in ordinary clothes, yet he possessed an extraordinary air about him, and his features bore a striking resemblance to His Majesty.

Who else could it be but Crown Prince Li Chengqian?
Li Jing was startled and stood up abruptly. The jade belt at his waist bumped against the corner of the table with a soft sound, but he didn't even notice. He quickly rolled up his sleeves and was about to kneel down: "Your subject Li Jing greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Duke of Dai, please rise!"

Upon seeing this, Li Chengqian quickly stepped forward and helped Li Jing up. "I came incognito, and the gentleman did not inform me in advance. Duke Dai, there is no need for such formalities."

Li Jing finally steadied himself, looked at the young crown prince in front of him, and then at Wen He, who was smiling and looking calm beside him. He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. He raised his hand and pointed at him: "You, Wen Jiaying, actually pulled this on me."

"The Duke of Dai didn't even give me a chance to speak."

Wen He grinned, her tone tinged with innocence.

"You started lecturing right away, how could I possibly get a word in edgewise?"

He didn't intend to do this at first.

But Li Jing put on airs of an elder as soon as he entered the door, not even giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Li Jing shook his head helplessly, then turned to Li Chengqian and said respectfully, "Please take a seat, Your Highness."

Although the crown prince was young, he was still a figurehead, and Li Jing naturally dared not be presumptuous in front of him.

This sudden formality made Li Chengqian somewhat reserved.

He stood there, helplessly casting a pleading look at Wen He, only to find the latter staring intently at the map on the table, looking completely unperturbed, as if she hadn't noticed his predicament at all.

Li Chengqian had no choice but to bite the bullet and bow to Li Jing, saying, "Duke Dai, you are joking. You are a founding father, a veteran of countless battles, and you have made outstanding contributions to the pacification of the four directions for our Great Tang. You are a pillar of the country. In terms of merit and seniority, you should be the one to take the seat of honor."

Although he was young, he spoke these words clearly and logically, and his tone was full of sincere respect.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness flatters me. I have merely fulfilled my duty as a military general and dare not accept such praise as 'a pillar of the nation'."

He stepped aside to give up the main seat.

"Your Highness is the sovereign, and your subject is the subject. There is a proper order of rank. Your Highness, please."

Li Chengqian wanted to decline again, but Wen He turned her head and winked at him, indicating that he didn't need to be so formal.

Li Chengqian understood, and then, accompanied by Li Jing, sat down on a chair to the side.

After Li Jing sat down again, his gaze lingered on Li Chengqian for a moment. Seeing that the young crown prince, though slightly uneasy, sat upright with clear eyes, he couldn't help but nod in approval.

In just six months, His Highness the Crown Prince has indeed become more composed.

I never expected that Wen Jiaying, at such a young age, would have such skills.

He cleared his throat and steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Regarding the training of the imperial guards, this is His Majesty's decree, and we cannot refuse. I know you are unwilling to do it personally, so how about we compromise and send some capable men from your Hundred Cavalry Division to assist in the training?"

Wen He smiled helplessly: "Alright, since the Duke of Dai has said so, then this humble official will naturally comply."

Seeing that he agreed, Li Jing nodded in satisfaction, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes relaxed a little.

He thought about it again and found it strange, so he couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, you must have come to the Ministry of War today for something else, right?"

Li Jing knew Wen He's personality all too well. This kid was always lazy and would never come to the Ministry of War to report for duty unless there was something important to do.

Wen He didn't hide anything. His expression turned serious, and he nodded earnestly: "There is indeed something. Does the Duke of Dai still remember the list of candidates for expansion that the Ministry of War gave to the Hundred Cavalry Commandery?"

"Yes, I remember." Li Jing nodded and smiled.

"What, are those three thousand men not enough? The Hundred Cavalry has only expanded by one thousand this time, choosing one out of three, which should be more than enough."

Wen He shook his head, his tone turning somber: "It's indeed not enough. After the list reached the Hundred Cavalry Division, we conducted another thorough investigation and found that there were significant problems. Among the people selected by the Ministry of War, many had falsified their place of origin, had vague resumes, and even a few had criminal records in their localities. They simply couldn't withstand close scrutiny."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Jing's hand, which was stroking his beard, suddenly stopped, his fingertips hovering in mid-air, and the smile on his face faded.

Although Li Chengqian didn't understand the intricacies, he sensed the sudden increase in tension and sat up straight, barely daring to breathe.

After a moment of silence, Li Jing suddenly laughed, though the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Thank you for the reminder, Jia Ying. I understand now. I will personally investigate this matter and then report to His Majesty."

Wen He did not directly report the matter to the emperor, but instead informed Li Jing first. This dignified gesture warmed Li Jing's heart.

In any case, the list was selected by the Ministry of War, and if there was a mistake, he, as the Minister of War, could not escape responsibility.

Wen He's actions served both as a warning and as leaving room for maneuver.

"It's good that the Duke of Dai knows what's going on." Wen He didn't say anything more, leaving it at that.

"The Hundred Cavalry Division still has detailed verification records, which can be retrieved at any time if needed."

“Alright.” Li Jing nodded, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

After a long while, he finally spoke, "I will have Duan Zhixuan personally select the men the Hundred Cavalry are short of, and Su Dingfang will go with him. This time, let the two of them go directly to the border army camp to select them, and make sure they choose men with clean backgrounds and excellent skills."

"So good."

Wen He nodded in agreement. Although this method would require more effort, it would ensure the safety of the candidates to the greatest extent possible, preventing any unscrupulous individuals from infiltrating the pool.

"Now that we've finished discussing the important matters, we can't just leave His Highness the Crown Prince standing there, can we?"

Li Jing changed the subject, looking at Wen He with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"You, the Crown Prince's tutor, must have another purpose in inviting His Highness to see me today, right?"

After he finished speaking, he deliberately glanced in Li Chengqian's direction.

(End of this chapter)