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

Chapter 358 I hereby swear that I will make you suffer eternal damnation.
That night, the prison of the Dali Temple in Chang'an was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of rats scurrying across the haystacks.

The dim light of lanterns shone through the iron bars on both sides of the corridor, casting dappled shadows on the damp ground, while the footsteps of the patrolling jailers echoed slowly.

"yawn."

The jailer rubbed his bloodshot eyes, picked up his lantern, and walked to a solitary cell in the corner. He tapped the iron bars with his wooden cane, his voice drowsy and dismissive: "Newcomer, the Minister will personally interrogate you tomorrow. Don't cause any trouble tonight, go to sleep early!"

Having said that, he didn't wait for a response from inside the cell, and continued walking forward with heavy steps. The glow of the lantern gradually faded away, leaving only darkness inside the cell.

Lu Gui, huddled on the straw pile, froze upon hearing the jailer's words. He stared at the direction of the cell door, his heart pounding wildly.

"Go to bed early?"

This doesn't sound like a casual reminder at all; it sounds more like a deliberate signal being sent.

"Could it be someone sent by my uncles to tell me not to say anything during my trial tomorrow?"

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Lu Gui abruptly stood up, moved closer to the iron railing, and stared intently at the empty corridor, his eyes filled with anticipation and unease.

He was still pondering the jailer's words when a cool breeze suddenly blew in from outside the cell, carrying the chill of the night dew, and crept straight into his collar.

Lu Gui subconsciously squinted, and when he opened his eyes again, his pupils suddenly contracted.

A dark figure had appeared outside the iron fence, its form concealed by a dark cloak, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed coldly in the shadows, staring intently at him.

“Lu Gui, your cousin Lu Ziye and cousin Lu Hong have specially sent me to see you off on your journey.”

The shadowy figure's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood. As he spoke, he slowly pulled a short crossbow from under his cloak. The cold glint of the crossbow bolt flashed in the dim light, and it was steadily aimed at Lu Gui's chest.

"Send me on my way?"

Lu Gui's mind went blank, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly.

He couldn't believe that his clan not only didn't intend to save him, but instead planned to kill him to silence him!
His survival instinct kicked in, and he screamed instantly: "Help! Assassin! Murder!"

A sharp scream shattered the prison's silence, and the next second, torches on both sides of the corridor were suddenly lit simultaneously.

With a "whoosh," the entire area outside the cell was as bright as day.

Two figures clad in black armor darted out from the shadows of the corridor, their long swords gleaming with a chilling light, and pounced straight at the dark figure.

"You thief, don't run! I am Fan Biao, the Hundred-Rider, and today I will take your dog's life!"

One of them shouted loudly, his voice shaking the corridor slightly, as his long sword whistled through the air and slashed towards the shadowy figure's shoulder.

The figure in black was clearly caught off guard by the ambush. His expression changed drastically, and he hastily dodged the blade, exclaiming in surprise, "It's a hundred riders! I didn't expect... His Majesty was prepared! I've fallen into their trap!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around and ran towards the other end of the corridor, his steps unsteady but his speed extremely fast.

"Where do you think you're going! Waaaaaah!"

"You scoundrel, take this!"

Fan Biao was not about to let them go. He chased after them relentlessly with his long sword, and another man with a hundred cavalrymen followed closely behind. The sound of their footsteps and the clash of their weapons filled the corridor in an instant, and they soon disappeared around the corner.

Inside the cell, Lu Gui gripped the cold iron bars tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Looking at the empty corridor and listening to the fading sounds of fighting, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the haystack with a thud, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, cold sweat instantly soaking through his thin prison clothes.

"Uncle...brother...are you really going to kill me..."

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with despair and disbelief. The assassin's words still echoed in his ears.

The four words "sending you on your way" were like poisoned needles, piercing his heart with pain.

He had originally held onto a sliver of hope that his clan could find a way to rescue him, even if it was just to spare him from torture. But now it seemed that he was nothing more than a pawn used by the Lu clan to plug their own holes.

Once he dies, there will be no way to verify the matter in Zheng County, and the Lu family can exonerate themselves completely!

"Thank goodness... thank goodness His Majesty was prepared... thank goodness there were a hundred cavalrymen..."

Lu Gui gasped for breath, a glimmer of hope for survival gradually igniting in his eyes.

He heard it clearly: the assassin said, "His Majesty was prepared."

Clearly, His Majesty had anticipated that the Lu family would come to silence them!

Since His Majesty was able to set up an ambush, does that mean that as long as I confess the truth and tell him everything that Lu Shi did, His Majesty will spare my life?
Once the thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it anymore.

Lu Gui struggled to get up from the haystack, walked to the cell door, stared intently at the direction of the corridor, and had only one thought in his mind.

Tomorrow's interrogation is to begin; they must confess everything! Even if it means mutual destruction, we must not let the Lu family get away with this!

"Who taught this assassin to say those words? And those hundred riders chasing after him... Sigh, never mind, judging from Lu Gui's expression, he must believe them."

In a temporary prison cell not far away, Li Shimin rubbed his forehead and shook his head helplessly.

In order to make Lu Gui see the true colors of the Lu family of Fanyang, he specially had the 100 cavalrymen perform this silencing act.

But the assassin's shouts of "Your Majesty is wise and valiant, and the magistrate of Gaoyang is as wise as Zhuge Liang" were so deliberate that they almost made him...

Cough cough, I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Xu Jingzong, who was standing to the side, chuckled twice and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, what Chen Dahai said earlier actually makes sense. Setting up this plan to lure Lu Gui into a trap and make him completely give up his thoughts on the clan is indeed a wise and heroic move."

"Although the magistrate of Gaoyang County is not in Chang'an, he anticipated that the Lu family would take action and wrote to you in advance to discuss countermeasures. He deserves the reputation of being as wise as Zhuge Liang."

Huang Chun, on the other side, immediately nodded in agreement, his tone very firm: "Xu Canjun is right! Although some details of this play are a bit too straightforward, the effect is remarkable. Lu Gui must have already believed it, and when he is tried tomorrow, he will definitely reveal all the evidence against Lu!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin turned and glanced at Xu Jingzong and Huang Chun respectively, his eyes filled with a hint of helplessness.

Why did he feel that there was something wrong with the atmosphere of the Hundred Riders?
Huang Chun was one thing, but Xu Jingzong was a bit too glib.

Just then, a shout came from outside the cell: "Hey! Fan Biao! You really want to chop me? Put away your knife! That's Captain Chen!"

Immediately afterwards, footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Then, the "assassin" Chen Dahai removed the black cloth from his face, revealing a smiling face.

Fan Biao, carrying a long sword, followed behind with a sheepish look on his face. Another rider was holding his arm, clearly having stopped him in time.

"How could that be! How could the enemy team actually attack them?"

Fan Biao quickly explained, scratching his head, his tone full of embarrassment.

Fan Biao scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Hey, I got too into character and forgot you're one of us. But your line 'His Majesty was prepared' was really convincing. Didn't you see Lu Gui's face? He was almost paralyzed with fear!"

"That's right! My acting skills are truly inherited from our young master!"

Chen Dahai patted his chest and said proudly.

He was a veteran of the Hundred Cavalry Second Squad, so he still had some acting skills.

Fan Biao and another cavalryman echoed each other, the three of them chatting and laughing as they walked along the corridor toward the temporary prison where Li Shimin was, completely unaware that not far ahead, Li Shimin was looking at them with a "complex" gaze.

The clumsy fighting moves and deliberately shouted lines just now would have been immediately recognized by Lu Gui if he hadn't been terrified out of his wits.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

Upon entering the cell, Chen Dahai and Fan Biao immediately suppressed their smiles, bowed respectfully, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Fan Biao, in particular, was still trembling slightly in his legs.

This was the second time he had seen His Majesty up close. The first time was at Qujiang Pool, when he was still an insignificant constable. Now, although he had joined the Hundred Cavalry, he still couldn't hide his nervousness and excitement in the face of the Emperor's majesty.

Li Shimin waved his hand and said gently, "Get up, no need for formalities."

His gaze swept over the three men, finally settling on Fan Biao. After scrutinizing him for a moment, he suddenly smiled and said, "I remember you. You're the 'Bad Commander' who helped Wen He investigate the case at Qujiang Pool, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Biao was overjoyed and quickly bowed again, his voice filled with excitement: "Your Majesty is the wisest! Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I am Fan Biao, the former leader of the Bad Guys! By Your Majesty's grace, I have now joined the Hundred Cavalry and follow Your Majesty's side!"

He emphasized the words "following His Majesty's side," his eyes filled with gratitude.

From a lowly, unranked constable to being incorporated into the Hundred Cavalry, this was already an immense favor; to have one's name remembered by His Majesty was an even greater honor.

"Now that you have joined the Hundred Riders, you are my personal guards. From now on, you no longer need to refer to yourself as a lowly person, but as your subject."

Li Shimin smiled and nodded, his impression of Fan Biao was quite good.

He knew that Fan Biao had put in a lot of effort in Xun Jue's matter.

Therefore, Li Shimin agreed to Wen He's offer to let him join the Hundred Cavalry.
Although this person came from a humble background, he was clever and sensible, and acted with discretion. Now that he has joined the Hundred Riders, it can be said that he has made the best use of his talents.

He turned to look at Huang Chun beside him, his tone decisive: "Huang Chun is a good man. He is smooth-talking, quick-witted, and knows how to adapt to changing circumstances. The Hundred Cavalry Ninth Squad is short of a squad leader, so let him fill the position."

Upon hearing the words "team leader," Fan Biao froze on the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Just a few days ago, he was feeling quite pleased with himself for being able to join the Hundred Cavalry. He never imagined that just by staging a "capture the assassin" scene, he could be directly promoted to captain!
You should know that although the commander of the Hundred Cavalry is only a ninth-rank official, he commands more than ten cavalrymen and is the backbone of the Emperor's personal guard. Many people would fight tooth and nail for this position, yet he obtained it so easily!
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace! I will do my utmost to serve you and never betray your trust!"

After realizing what was happening, Fan Biao immediately knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with excitement, and kowtowed repeatedly to Li Shimin. His forehead hit the ground with a thud, but he felt no pain whatsoever. "He is indeed a clever one."

Li Shimin laughed.

Huang Chun, who was standing to the side, said, "The Hundred Cavalry and Nine Teams are short of a team leader. I think Fan Biao is just right."

He glanced at Fan Biao secretly, and couldn't help but admire him.

Fan Biao is incredibly lucky. Not only did he leap from the position of Bad Commander to the Hundred Cavalry, but he also received personal promotion from His Majesty. In the future, he will likely be the envy of many in the Hundred Cavalry.

Chen Dahai, standing to the side, also smiled and congratulated Fan Biao: "Brother Fan, congratulations! You're the team leader now, so please take good care of me!"

Although he was somewhat envious, he was mostly happy for Fan Biao.

After all, they are all brothers of the Hundred Riders. If one of them is promoted, it is a good thing for the entire Hundred Riders.

Li Shimin looked at Fan Biao's excited expression and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He promoted Fan Biao not only because Fan Biao was clever and capable, but more importantly, because Fan Biao came from a humble background and had no aristocratic connections, so he would only be loyal to him.

Now that the aristocratic families are becoming restless, he needs more of his own people like them to solidify the power around him.

"Get up," Li Shimin gestured for Fan Biao to rise. "In the future, when you are in the Hundred Cavalry, you must prioritize military discipline and not be negligent. Today's events can be considered a test for you. You did well, so go to the Ninth Squad."

"Here!"

……

"Fan Biao's luck is really extraordinary."

In a room on the second floor of the Lin Family Inn in Zheng County, sunlight streamed through the window and onto the table. Wen He unfolded the secret letter that had just been delivered by express courier from Chang'an. After scanning a few lines, he couldn't help but click his tongue twice, his tone tinged with emotion.

Zhang Wenxiao, standing to the side, said with a somewhat dismissive tone, "Young master, isn't he all thanks to you? If you hadn't recommended him to join the Hundred Cavalry at Qujiang Pool, how could a mere constable have had the chance to catch His Majesty's eye, let alone become a squad leader?"

In his view, Fan Biao was just lucky; in terms of seniority and ability, there were many cavalrymen who were better than Fan Biao.

Wen He glanced at him, put down the letter in her hand, and deliberately raised an eyebrow to tease, "What? Judging from your tone, are you jealous?"

Zhang Wenxiao was taken aback upon hearing this, then quickly waved his hand, forcing a dry laugh: "Young master is joking! How could I be jealous? Brother Fan Biao's promotion is due to his own hard work. In the future, I will definitely get along well with him and work together to protect His Majesty and the young master."

"No need."

Wen He spoke calmly, her tone carrying an undeniable weight.

"From now on, you will be the commander of the Hundred Cavalry Brigade. Except for the Second Team, which will still be under my direct command, the First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Teams will all be under your command. Your official rank will be one level higher than his."

"Brigade...Brigade Commander?"

Zhang Wenxiao froze on the spot, his eyes wide open, his face full of astonishment.

The commander of the Hundred Cavalry Brigade is in charge of four teams, a position second only to the captain. He was just a squad leader in one team before. How did he suddenly rise to the top and become a brigade commander?

The surprise came so suddenly that he didn't react for a moment, and his mind was buzzing.

After a long while, Zhang Wenxiao finally processed the news. He immediately knelt on one knee, bowed deeply to Wen He, and said with barely suppressed excitement, "I thank you for your guidance, young master! I will serve you with all my heart and soul and never betray your trust!"

"It was the Crown Prince who recommended him; it has nothing to do with me."

Wen He raised her hand, gesturing for him to stand up, her tone remaining calm.

"The Crown Prince thinks you are steady and reliable, and you have been trained with me for a long time and are familiar with the operation of the Hundred Cavalry. So he recommended you to His Majesty. If you want to thank someone, thank His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhang Wenxiao was extremely astute and instantly understood Wen He's meaning.

The Hundred Cavalry belong to His Majesty, so naturally he cannot personally recommend them.

That's why the credit was given to the Crown Prince, so that he would remember the Crown Prince's kindness and be even more loyal to him in the future.

He quickly adjusted his tone and solemnly said, "Yes! I understand! From now on, I will be loyal to His Highness the Crown Prince and to the young master, and I will never have any other thoughts!"

Wen He nodded, stopped talking about it, and turned to look out the window.

"Alright, there's no need to say more about this."

Wen He withdrew her gaze from the window, tapped the secret letter on the table lightly with her fingertips, and instructed Zhang Wenxiao in a deep voice: "Go and have someone prepare carriages and horses, and send someone to the academy to bring the Crown Prince back. The dust has settled in Chang'an, and we should set off back now."

"gone back?"

Zhang Wenxiao was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked, his tone full of urgency.

"Has His Majesty already completely subdued the Lu family of Fanyang?"

In his view, with Lu Gui's confession and Lu Ziye's arrest, His Majesty would surely seize the opportunity to completely eradicate the Lu clan, just as he had dealt with other rebellious forces in the past.

"Take down the Lu family?"

Upon hearing this, Wen He's lips curled into a sneer, her eyes filled with a knowing coldness.

"It's not that easy. At most, it's just a formality, like the Zheng family before, where they sacrificed a pawn to save the king."

He handed over the secret letter, his tone calm yet his words clear: "The letter from Chang'an didn't just mention Fan Biao's promotion. After Lu Gui experienced that night's 'assassination attempt,' he confessed everything the next day in the main hall of the Dali Temple."

"Not only did they implicate Lu Hong, but they also didn't spare Lu Ziye, the Lu family's manager in Chang'an. The Dali Temple immediately sent people to arrest Lu Ziye, and they also followed the clues to implicate several Lu family officials serving in the court."

Zhang Wenxiao quickly scanned the secret letter, his brows furrowing more and more as he read: "So, haven't they already captured the key figure? How can they still say it's just 'sacrificing a pawn to save the king'?"

"Keep looking down."

Wen He reminded her.

Zhang Wenxiao continued reading, his expression gradually changing.

The secret letter stated that after learning of Lu Ziye and Lu Hong's arrest, the Lu family of Fanyang convened a meeting of clan elders that same day. In the end, they expelled Lu Ziye's entire family and Lu Hong's family from the clan on the grounds that "Lu Ziye's branch of the family colluded with rebels and disgraced the family."

They even crossed their names off the family genealogy in public, declaring to the outside world that "such scoundrels have nothing to do with the Lu family of Fanyang," thus absolving themselves of any responsibility.

"This...this is too heartless!"

Zhang Wenxiao couldn't help but speak, his tone filled with shock.

"They're all from the same clan, and you just abandon them like that, without even a shred of affection?"

"mutual affection?"

Wen He sneered, leaned back in her chair, and looked at him with a hint of mockery.

"For the five surnames and seven clans, the so-called 'affection' has never been as important as the foundation and reputation of the family."

"Lu Ziye and Lu Hong have become a hot potato. Keeping them around will only give His Majesty leverage over the Lu family. By kicking them out, His Majesty can both sever ties and make His Majesty show leniency towards the Lu family because they took the initiative to deal with the scoundrels. This is a very clever plan."

He paused, recalling the last paragraph of the secret letter, and added a touch of mockery to his tone: "It is said that when Lu Ziye learned in prison that he had been expelled from the family and removed from the genealogy, he was so enraged that he lost his breath and was struck by a curse. Now he is paralyzed in prison and can't even speak."

Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"He only realized in the end that he was nothing more than a pawn used by the Lu family to plug their own holes. He had spent his whole life scheming for the family, and in the end, he ended up like this. It is truly pathetic."

Holding the secret letter, Zhang Wenxiao felt a mix of emotions.

Although he came from an ordinary family, he knew the weight of the word "clan." However, he found it hard to understand why the Lu family of Fanyang would abandon their clansmen without hesitation in order to protect themselves, and he felt heartbroken.

"So Your Majesty... are you just going to watch the Lu family get away with this?" Zhang Wenxiao couldn't help but ask.

Wen He shook his head, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Of course not. Although we failed to completely overthrow the Lu family this time, we did remove a few of their thorns in the court and let the world see the cold-heartedness of the aristocratic families."

"More importantly, Lu Gui's confession also revealed evidence of the Lu family's private dealings with other aristocratic families. Your Majesty can use this as an excuse to further divide the five surnames and seven noble families."

"So we're not in a hurry to act now, so that we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop later."

"but."

Wen He's gaze was heavy, as if she felt a little regretful: "It's indeed a bit strange that Xun Jue didn't get involved in this matter."

He thought that, considering they were all from prominent families, the Cui family should at least lend a helping hand.

Why is there absolutely no movement this time?
Wen He was unaware that at this moment, in the back garden of the Cui family mansion in Chang'an...

"Snapped!"

A crisp crack of a whip rang out, and Xun Jue was stripped naked, tied to a frame, his back covered in blood.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.

'Wen He, I swear here and now that I will make you suffer eternal damnation!'

(End of this chapter)