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

Chapter 347 His name was Li Er, and he was just an ignorant stable boy.
"Shut up!"

The crisp sound of reining in the horse broke the tranquility of spring. The scarred man at the head of the group suddenly tightened the reins, and the black horse beneath him reared up, its front hooves kicking up a cloud of dust, and came to a steady stop in front of Li Shimin's carriage.

He gripped the gleaming handle of his sword in his right hand, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the carriage before finally settling on Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji. He even deliberately tapped the scabbard with his fingers, making a soft clanging sound.

The other bandits also rode up on horseback and surrounded the carriage, their hooves treading on the forsythia flowers on the official road, forming a semi-circle.

They all had fierce expressions, and the curved swords at their waists were half-drawn, clearly ready to fight at any moment.

"But were you just passing through?"

The scarred man shouted, his tone full of mockery. His gaze swept over Changsun Wuji's protective stance, and a sarcastic smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Changsun Wuji immediately stepped aside to block Li Shimin, his right hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his left hand slightly raised, and he cupped his hands to the scarred man, saying, "We are scholars traveling to Huazhou for further studies. We are just passing through this place. We don't know what your intentions are in blocking our way, brave man?"

He deliberately lowered his voice and tried to keep his tone as calm as possible, not wanting to reveal his identity, but also wanting to keep the bandits at bay.

After all, His Majesty is still inside the carriage, and there would inevitably be risks if a fight broke out.

"Ha, that's exactly what I've been waiting for, you study abroad types!"

The scarred man chuckled and spurred his horse closer to the carriage, the horse's hooves almost touching the wheels.

"This road was built by our ancestors. Have you ever heard of toll fees? If you want to pass, you have to pay. Look at your poor, stingy appearance..."

His gaze fell on Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji's coarse cloth clothing.

He glanced around, then at the plain-looking carriage, his disdain undisguised.

In his view, these scholars were poorly dressed and their carriages were dilapidated, so he figured they couldn't make much money out of them, and he was already getting impatient.

"Although this carriage is dilapidated, Yeye finds it pleasing to the eye, so let's consider it a toll."

The scarred man suddenly changed his tone, becoming threatening. He deliberately brandished his sword, the blade making a soft "whoosh" sound as it sliced ​​through the air.

"If you want to go to Huazhou, you can walk there. If you don't want to walk, you can return to Chang'an by the same route. Anyway, this route is up to Grandpa."

On the carriage frame, Li Shimin's hands, hanging by his sides, slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

He had originally wanted to find out more about these bandits, but upon hearing the absurd claim that their ancestors had paved the way, his face darkened considerably.

Changsun Wuji could clearly feel the emperor's anger behind him, and a thin layer of sweat had already seeped out from his back.

He felt quite helpless.

They had only been away from Chang'an for a day when they coincidentally encountered robbers who were trying to rob them on the road. Judging from their demeanor, they were clearly repeat offenders, which showed that the security in the area had long been a mere formality.

He was about to say a few more words to stall for time when he saw the scarred man's gaze fall on Li Shimin.

"What? You dare glare at me like that!"

Seeing Li Shimin's angry expression, the scarred man was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he became interested.

He had been robbing people for many years, and those he encountered were either begging for mercy on their knees or panicked. This was the first time someone had dared to show a fierce look in front of him, which made him feel both excited and annoyed.

He immediately raised his sword, the tip pointing directly at Li Shimin's chest, his tone fierce: "What, you want to fight with the Emperor? You two are not worthy!"

"Insolence!" Changsun Wuji's expression changed drastically. He drew his sword with his right hand and was about to step forward to stop him.

But just then, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly rang out.

"Whoosh!"

The sharp, piercing sound of the arrow cutting through the spring air was particularly jarring.

Before anyone could react, the arrow shot like a meteor, accurately striking the scarred man's right hand that was holding the knife.

With a muffled "thud," the sound of the arrow piercing flesh was clearly audible, and blood gushed out instantly from the shaft, staining the burly man's sleeves and saddle red.

The sword clattered to the ground, and the scarred man shuddered in pain, screaming, "Ah, my hand!"

He clutched his bleeding wound, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his eyes filled with terror as he looked around, all traces of his earlier arrogance gone.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of urgent shouts of killing erupted from the woods on both sides of the road.

Suddenly, a group of men dressed in black short-sleeved shirts and carrying swords at their waists rushed out. They were swift and sharp-eyed, clearly well-trained, and quickly surrounded the remaining bandits.

"No, there's an ambush!"

One of the bandits cried out in alarm, his face turning deathly pale. He hurriedly turned his horse around and tried to escape.

But as soon as they pulled on the reins, they were blocked by the men in short clothes. Amidst the flashing of knives, they were forced to retreat repeatedly.

On the carriage, Li Shimin looked down at the chaos before him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Leave one alive, kill the rest."

He was already furious because the bandits were blocking his way, and when he saw someone take the initiative to deal with them, he took the opportunity to issue the order to deal with them.

These habitual offenders have committed numerous evils; keeping them alive will only bring harm to the people.

However, among the short-armored men charging into battle, the leader deliberately turned his head and glanced at Li Shimin, his eyes filled with doubt and scrutiny, as if trying to determine his identity.

However, he didn't ask any further questions. He simply waved his hand at his men and said coldly, "Do as this gentleman says. Leave him alive!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the men in short clothes immediately took action.

Amidst the flashing blades, several bandits quickly fell to the ground in pools of blood, leaving only the scarred man with a severed hand still struggling.

Seeing the situation was turning against him, he slapped his horse's back, turned around, and galloped into the woods, muttering threats as he did so: "You think you can catch me? You'll be waiting a hundred years..."

But before he could finish speaking, a muffled "bang" was heard.

It turned out that Wen He had already ridden his little black horse around to the front of him, holding a tree branch as thick as a bowl that had been broken off from the roadside. Taking advantage of the scarred man's inattention, she smashed it hard on the horse's leg.

Startled and in pain, the black horse reared up, throwing the scarred man to the ground, where he crashed heavily onto the grass covered with forsythia.

The men in short clothes immediately stepped forward and hurriedly tied up the scarred man.

The young man in the lead walked up to Wen He, cupped his hands and smiled, "This young man is quite skilled. That move was fast and accurate. I admire you."

Wen He put away the branch, patted the little black horse's neck, and smiled, "It was nothing, we can't let him run away."

On the other side, Li Shimin wanted to reprimand the men in short clothes for acting without permission, but just as he was about to speak, Changsun Wuji suddenly grabbed his sleeve and said in a low voice, "These people are neither the Hundred Cavalry nor the Xuanjia Guards!"

Li Shimin opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.

However, he could tell that these people were lying in ambush here, probably waiting for this group of bandits.

And they've been here for a long time.

This is evident from the dew on their bodies.

"No wonder there were birds that dared not land in the sky above this forest just now."

Li Shimin couldn't help but laugh at himself.

He felt that he might have been living a comfortable life for too long, and he couldn't even see this small flaw.

Meanwhile, in a grove of trees not far from the official road, a group disguised as a merchant caravan was quietly observing the situation.

Chen Dahai stared in astonishment at the scarred man who had been kidnapped and the group of unfamiliar men in short clothes, then turned to look at the two men beside him.

"Captain Chu, Captain Zhang, given the current situation, should we still go in?" Chen Dahai pointed behind him, where more than a dozen Xuanjia Guard soldiers had already removed the caravan's disguise, gripping their swords and ready to charge at any moment.

They were originally following and protecting Li Shimin in secret. When they saw the bandits blocking their way, they wanted to take action, but they did not expect another group of people to suddenly appear.

Commander Chu's facial muscles twitched slightly, clearly not expecting such an unexpected turn of events.

He turned to look at Zhang Wenxiao, his tone tinged with uncertainty: "Captain Zhang, these people are of unknown origin. What if they harm His Majesty..."

The Xuanjia Guards were responsible for the emperor's safety, and seeing an unknown force intervening, they couldn't help but feel anxious.

Without hesitation, Zhang Wenxiao lowered his voice and reminded, "Captain Chu, let's not reveal our identities yet. Let's go in and take a look. If those people are not to our advantage, then kill them."

After pondering for a moment, Commandant Chu felt that Zhang Wenxiao's words made sense.

He took a deep breath, hurriedly waved his hand, and signaled to the Xuanjia Guard soldiers behind him: "Put away your weapons, continue the disguise, everyone quickly and stealthily approach!"

The soldiers quickly put away their spears, changed back into the caravan's clothes, and quickened their pace toward Li Shimin.

The people in the carriage kept their eyes fixed on the movements on the official road, and under their sleeves, they all concealed crossbows that were already cocked.

At the edge of the woods, Changsun Chong and Changsun Huan, who were accompanying the group, almost simultaneously stood on tiptoe and looked towards the official road.

The spring mist had not yet completely dissipated, and they did not have the instruments that allowed Chu Xiaowei and Zhang Wenxiao to see into the distance.

Therefore, he could only barely make out the blurry figures and outlines of carriages in the distance, and could not tell at all whether it was his father, Changsun Wuji.

One of the brothers was specially assigned by Changsun Wuji, and the other was specially brought by Wen He.

The former was because Changsun Wuji wanted him to show more face in front of Li Shimin.

The latter was brought by Wen He to allow Changsun Chong to have less exposure.

Seeing that there seemed to be no unusual activity in the distance, the two brothers secretly breathed a sigh of relief. When they looked away, they happened to see the other looking into the distance as well.

The air froze instantly. The two brothers exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously let out a heavy "humph" at each other.

They abruptly turned their heads, one looking towards the woods to the left, the other staring at the grass at their feet, their faces full of disdain as if to say, "I don't want to associate with you."
On the other side of the official road, the young man in short clothes, who was the leader, kicked the scarred giant Hu Da to the ground, then stepped forward and stomped hard on his back, his tone full of anger: "Hu Da, you've finally fallen into Ye Ye's hands! For the past half month, your group has been robbing people on the road, injuring no less than a dozen traveling scholars, daring to ignore even the government's notices, almost causing Ye Ye to be dismissed from his post!" "Official?"

Upon hearing those two words, Changsun Wuji, who had been on edge, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quietly withdrew his hand from the horizontal sword at his waist.

If it's someone from the government, they're much safer than someone from some unknown force.

On the carriage, Li Shimin leaned forward slightly and asked calmly, "Are you government officials?"

Upon hearing this, the young man bent down and kicked Hu Da before glancing at Li Shimin with disdain: "What's all the noise about! Are you an official or a thief? We risked our lives to save you just now, and instead of thanking us, you dare to talk to us like that? Where's your sense of propriety?"

In his eyes, Li Shimin was dressed in a faded coarse cloth jacket with dust on the cuffs, looking exactly like a coachman. Such a person had no right to question him, an official.

"My apologies, my apologies."

Just as the atmosphere became awkward, a burst of hearty laughter rang out.

Wen He jumped off the little black horse, walked quickly to the young man, and handed him a bulging purse with a perfectly timed smile on her face.

"Sir, please don't take it to heart. His name is Li Er. He's just an ignorant stable boy who's never seen the world. Please don't take it to heart."

Upon hearing the word "coach," Li Shimin, sitting on the carriage, couldn't help but twitch his cheek muscles slightly, and his hands, resting on his knees, quietly clenched.

This identity was one that Wen He insisted he wear before leaving Chang'an.

At the time, Changsun Wuji strongly objected, saying that it was undignified for the emperor to dress as a groom, but Wen He argued vehemently: "Your Majesty's heroic demeanor would attract attention if you dressed as a merchant or scholar. It would be better to dress as an inconspicuous groom to truly conceal your identity."

He actually thought Wen He's words made sense at the time and nodded in agreement. Now, however, he's being treated like an ordinary stable boy, and even his words are being looked down upon.

Standing to the side, Changsun Wuji's lips tightened in stifling anger, inwardly grumbling, "Your Majesty, if you had listened to me back then, you wouldn't be in this predicament!"

But he only dared to think these words in his heart. On the surface, he still had to maintain the appearance of a "follower," bowing his head and pretending to tidy up the carriage, not daring to show the slightest abnormality.

"He was a groom, but a very important groom!"

Just then, Li Chengqian suddenly poked his head out of the carriage, his small face full of seriousness, and shouted loudly at the young man.

"He needs to catch the train to take us on our study tour; we can't do without him!"

Upon hearing his son's words, Li Shimin felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his earlier slight displeasure vanished.

It's his own child who cares about him and knows how to maintain his dignity as a "coach".

He reached out and patted Li Chengqian's head, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

The young man was taken aback by Li Chengqian's serious expression, then laughed and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, I won't hold it against you. This Hu Da is a notorious bandit leader in the area. We've been chasing him for half a month, and we've finally caught him today. We need to take him back to the county office to report to the authorities as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he pointed to his men behind him.

"Tie him up tightly, don't let him escape!"

Seeing that the young constable was somewhat swayed, Wen He quickly stepped forward, a smile plastered on his face, and said sincerely, "Sir, you have worked hard to rid the people of this scourge and have been tracking down the robbers for days. We are on our way to Zheng County for our studies, and we happen to be traveling the same route as you. May we follow behind you? This outskirts is remote, and if we encounter any more petty thieves like those we just encountered, your presence will be a great help."

Upon hearing this, the young constable paused, clearly hesitant.

They were escorting a serious criminal and didn't want to bring outsiders along, but before he could refuse, Wen He had already handed him another bulging purse, her fingertips lightly touching his wrist, her eyes carrying a hint of "sensible" smile.

The young man subconsciously took the purse. It felt heavy in his hand, and after squeezing it, he knew it contained copper coins. The smile on his lips softened involuntarily, and his earlier hesitation vanished instantly.

"What a coincidence! We are the 'Bad People' of Zheng County. We are here on the orders of the county magistrate to arrest Hu Da. Since we are on the same road, you may follow us. But you must stay close and not delay our journey."

Wen He understood.

They really are bad guys.

In the early Tang Dynasty, there were no dedicated police agencies. Local security was maintained by "bad men," who were mostly strong men familiar with the local situation. Although they were somewhat rough, they were flexible and capable, making them the most suitable for dealing with local bandits like Hu Da.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you all for your help!"

Wen He quickly clasped his hands in thanks, adopting an extremely humble posture, which not only gave the other party ample face but also made things smoother for the subsequent travelers.

Because of the two purses he had received earlier, the young rogue looked at him with a bit more kindness and couldn't help but ask, "You're so young, yet you know better than those pedantic scholars. You said you've come here to study, but are you perhaps going to the countryside of Zheng County to teach the children of farmers?"

"The officer is right!"

Wen He responded in the same direction, pointing towards the carriage.

"The person sitting in that carriage just now is my young master. Don't let his young age fool you, he's only nine years old, but he already knows over a thousand characters. The reason we went to Zheng County this time is to give the children of farmers an early education, to teach them to recognize some characters and understand some principles."

Upon hearing this, the young ruffian scoffed, his tone full of disbelief: "I bet he's just here to kill time. A nine-year-old child, not even fully grown yet, how can he teach others to read? It's amazing that you people could come up with such a thing. Is he using this study tour as a pretext to actually come here for sightseeing?"

Wen He's smile froze for a moment, and she secretly grumbled to herself.

That's exactly what I wanted! So what?!

However, he couldn't show it on his face. He could only cough awkwardly and laugh dryly as he agreed, "What the officer says is true. Children don't really have much experience. This is just for them to learn from each other."

The young rogue snorted and stopped dwelling on the matter. He then pointed at Hu Da, who was firmly tied to his horse by his men, and said in a more serious tone, "But you guys are lucky. About half a month ago, Hu Da suddenly gathered a group of people and blocked the road on the official road from Chang'an to Zheng County, specifically targeting you students traveling abroad."

“A few days ago, two scholars were killed by them, and their bodies were dumped in the woods. It was only discovered by a hunter that they found them. If you hadn’t met someone today, you would probably have been killed by him as well.”

"Specifically targeting and killing students traveling abroad?"

Wen He feigned surprise, frowning as if she were genuinely frightened, before casually asking a question.

"Sir, this is strange. Most of the students traveling for study don't have much money. Why would it be more profitable to intercept and kill these people than to intercept and kill a caravan? Could there be some other grudge between them?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a caravan slowly turned off the side road. It was Zhang Wenxiao and Chen Dahai leading the Xuanjia Guards and the Hundred Riders in disguise.

The caravan's wagons were piled high with goods, and a few people carrying shoulder poles walked casually by the roadside, but they couldn't help but glance in this direction out of the corner of their eyes.

Zhang Wenxiao and Chen Dahai's expressions were very stiff. They forced themselves not to meet Wen He's gaze and quickened their pace, afraid that the bad guys would see through their act.

The Commandant Chu turned his head away, not daring to look at His Majesty's simple appearance.

Fortunately, the young thug was preoccupied with Hu Da's case and didn't notice the passing caravan. He simply waved his hand dismissively upon hearing this.

"Who knows! I also find it strange, which is why the county magistrate was in such a hurry to arrest him. Once he is brought back to Zheng County and interrogated thoroughly, we will surely find out the reason. Perhaps these scholars have offended someone, and someone has hired Hu Da to take revenge."

Wen He smiled and nodded, then asked, "Sir, you are a skilled member of the Zheng County Bad People. May I ask your name? If you ever encounter any difficulties in Zheng County, I can come and bother you."

The young outlaw felt flattered by these words, patted his chest, and said loudly, "My name is Zhang Daguang. I manage a group of brothers in the Zheng County Outlaws. If you ever encounter trouble in Zheng County, whether it's losing something or being bullied, you can go to the Outlaws' quarters next to the county government office and find me. Just mention my name, and I guarantee I'll take care of it for you!"

He touched the purse just now and roughly counted it; there were at least a dozen coins inside.

That's enough for these brothers to drink for several days.

"So you're the Bad Guy Commander! My apologies for not recognizing you sooner."

Wen He quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhang Daguang was amused and reached out to rub Wen He's head: "How come you're so mature, little one? Are you some kind of mountain monster? You talk like a greasy person."

This means Wen He is like a seasoned veteran.

Li Shimin, who was right behind the two, immediately burst into laughter.

"The officer is right, his name is Wen Da, and he's a greasy guy."

Li Shimin finally got a chance to tease him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daguang glanced at Wen He. To be mocked so freely by a coachman, it seemed this little kid wasn't someone of importance.

However, he is a sensible person.

Soon.

They then arrived in Zheng County.

On the way, Wen He kept trying to get close to Zhang Daguang and got a lot of information out of him.

Zheng County has 15 townships and more than 80 villages.

The Huazhou region to which it belongs is only part of Zhongzhou, so Zheng County's status is not high. It can only be considered a medium-sized county because it is located in Guanzhong.

As for the county magistrate, Wen He already knew about him before he came.

This person's surname is Cui, and he comes from the Cui clan of Qinghe.

However, Wen He and his group did not come for this county magistrate.

Firstly, they wanted to find a place closer to Chang'an, and secondly, an important figure had recently arrived in the area.

After Zhang Daguang and his men entered the city, they took Hu Da to the county government office.

Before leaving, he specifically pointed out the way to the inn to Wen He and the others.

“Let’s settle down here first, and then take the young master to the county government to report tomorrow, shall we?” Wen He stepped forward and asked Li Shimin.

The latter glanced at him indifferently and said, "I'm just a stable boy, why are you asking me this?"

Wen He remained silent.

Li Er is actually acting like a child.

(End of this chapter)