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

Chapter 359 Opening the Central Gate Wide to Welcome the Crown Prince

The punishment of twenty lashes finally ended.

When Xun Jue was taken down from the rack by two servants, his clothes on the back were already soaked in blood, his skin and flesh were turned inside out, and his original skin color was no longer visible.

Sweat and blood clung to his body, forming sticky stains. His face was deathly pale, and his lips were cracked and blistered. If a servant hadn't stepped forward to support his arm, he would have collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

He was half-dragged and half-carried to the main hall of the Cui family.

Inside the main hall, Cui Yushu sat at the head of the table, talking in hushed tones with a handsome young man dressed in brocade robes.

Upon seeing Xun Jue enter, the two stopped talking at the same time, their gazes turning to him simultaneously, one solemn and the other scrutinizing.

"Last time you underestimated Wen He and ruined my plans. This time you acted rashly again, alerting the enemy!"

Cui Yushu spoke first, her face stern and her tone full of reprimand.

"I am punishing you today not only to give an explanation to the clan, but also to teach you a lesson so that you will never act so rashly again in the future! Do not resent me; this time it was truly your fault for not handling things properly, and you cannot blame anyone else."

Xun Jue hung his head, his lower lip bitten white by his teeth, but he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.

He knew that any attempt to explain himself at this moment would be futile.

But his heart was filled with doubt and resentment.

His original plan was to bribe the prison guards, give Lu Gui a slow-acting poison, and then forge a confession of suicide out of fear of punishment, shifting the blame to the remnants of the former Sui dynasty.

How could an assassin suddenly appear to try to kill Lu Gui?

This wasn't his arrangement at all!
"Father, perhaps Zizhang is not to blame for this."

The young man beside him suddenly put down his teacup, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable weight.

"That assassin might have been sent by the Lu family. Lu Ziye might have wanted to kill him to cover his tracks in order to protect himself, but he didn't expect His Majesty to be prepared. Instead, he made things worse."

This young man was Cui Wei, the grandson of Cui Yushu, and the most valued member of the Cui family of Qinghe in this generation.

As he spoke, his gaze swept lightly over Xun Jue. Although his tone was protective, it carried a condescending attitude, as if he were treating a subordinate who had made a mistake, rather than a member of the same aristocratic family.

Xun Jue lowered his head, his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

He hated Cui Wei's arrogance, but he hated his own current situation of being dependent on others and at their mercy.

If the Xun family of Yingchuan hadn't been so weak, why would he have come to the Cui family of Qinghe, subservient to them and enduring such humiliation?

"That's enough, let's leave it at that for now, there's no point in pursuing it any further."

Cui Yushu waved his hand, his tone softening slightly, and turned to Cui Wei, instructing, "Zitai, the final cleanup is your responsibility—make sure to destroy all correspondence with the Lu family before Wen He and His Majesty return from Zheng County."

"My grandson understands."

Cui Wei bowed in agreement, his eyes full of confidence.

In his view, as long as the matter was handled properly, even if His Majesty had any doubts, he would not be able to produce conclusive evidence to convict Cui.

Before Cui Yushu could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the main hall. A servant stumbled in, his face pale, forgetting even basic manners: "Reporting to Your Highness! Someone from the palace... has come! They say His Majesty summons you to the palace immediately for a meeting!"

"His Majesty?!"

Cui Yushu and Cui Wei stood up at the same time, their faces full of shock, and asked in unison, "Isn't His Majesty in Zheng County? Why has he suddenly returned to Chang'an and summoned me to the palace?"

They had just received news a few days ago that His Majesty was going to stay in Zheng County for some time, so why did he return to Chang'an without any warning?

Just as the two were in a panic, Xun Jue, who was being held aside, suddenly chuckled softly. His laughter was hoarse, but it carried an almost insane understanding.

He finally understood.

The assassin was neither sent by the Lu family nor was it an accident outside of his plan. From beginning to end, it was all a scheme set up by His Majesty!

From the moment Lu Gui was brought to the Dali Temple, to the assassination attempt, and then to Lu Gui's attempt to implicate Lu Ziye and others during the interrogation, everything was under His Majesty's control!

His Majesty returned to Chang'an long ago, but deliberately concealed the news in order to lower their guard!

No wonder he suffered a crushing defeat this time without even seeing Wen He.

Cui Yushu had obviously thought of these things as well.

His eyes widened suddenly, he couldn't catch his breath, and everything went black before his eyes; he fainted.

"Big father!"

Cui Wei was shocked and hurriedly went to call someone to fetch a doctor.

Xun Jue knelt there, his smile particularly desolate.

……

A few days later, in the front courtyard of the Prince's residence in Gaoyang County, Chang'an, the spring sunshine shone on the bluestone slabs, warming them and making one feel sleepy.

Little Wenrou sat on the stone steps under the corridor, one hand supporting her chin, gazing longingly in the direction of the mansion gate, her other little hand unconsciously counting her fingers, muttering to herself.

"One day, two days... it's been so many days, why hasn't my brother come back yet?"

A freshly picked crabapple blossom was tucked into her hair, and there was some mud on her skirt, indicating that she had been waiting here since early morning.

Ever since Wen He went to Zheng County, the food in the manor seems to have lost its flavor. Even her favorite candied fruit was only eaten twice before she put it down.

"gentle."

A gentle voice came from behind, and Li Ke walked over with a plate of delicate osmanthus cakes, placing the plate on the stone steps in front of her.

"The master wrote yesterday, saying he will be able to return to Chang'an in the next few days. Today is the Spring Equinox, the weather is just right. Shall I take you to Qujiang Pool to see the new willows? There must be a lot of fun there."

She gently looked up at him, blinked her big, watery eyes, and said with a hint of grievance in her voice, "But today is my brother's birthday."

As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes reddened, and large tears welled up in her eyes.

“In previous years, my brother would eat New Year’s noodles with me on my birthday.”

Li Ke was stunned for a moment, and almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

Today is actually my husband's birthday!

Seeing the little girl on the verge of tears, he felt a pang of guilt and quickly sat down beside her, but he didn't know how to comfort her.

Wenrou wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then turned her head to stare at the gate of the mansion, her little face full of loneliness: "With my brother not at home, nothing tastes good, and Qujiang Pond is not fun either."

Li Ke remained silent, pushed the osmanthus cake towards her, and sat down beside her.

Looking at his gentle yet lonely profile, he felt a pang of pity.

Just then, Wenrou suddenly turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, her voice full of anticipation: "Ake, why don't we go find my brother? Will you take me to Zheng County? We'll give my brother a surprise!"

Li Ke was startled by her sudden suggestion. Perhaps because they were too close, his cheeks flushed instantly. He hurriedly stood up, subconsciously creating distance between himself and Wenrou, and stammered.

"This...this is not good...the master has important business in Zheng County, and if we go there rashly, we will disturb him..."

Seeing this, Wenrou pouted, gave a soft snort, turned her head away and ignored him, her little face full of dissatisfaction.

Li Ke stood to the side, watching her lonely figure, feeling helpless and even more frustrated.

He wanted to fulfill Wenrou's wish, but he was also afraid of delaying Wenhe's important business. Just as he was struggling with this dilemma, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the mansion gate. Adong ran in panting and shouted, "Young lady, the young master is back! The young master is already at the gate!"

"Brother is back?"

Wenrou suddenly raised her head, and the loneliness on her face vanished instantly, her eyes shining like the stars in the sky.

She immediately jumped up from the stone steps, not even bothering to brush the mud off her skirt, and ran towards the gate of the mansion, not even noticing that she had lost a shoe.

At the same time, outside the mansion gate, Qi San was deftly moving stirrups and helping Wen He down from his horse.

Wen He, dressed in a blue robe, looked travel-worn, yet her relaxed demeanor was undeniable.

Upon entering the city, Li Chengqian was taken away by people from the palace. He made a special excuse to go home first.

He knew that his little girl must have been very worried about him while he was away from home these past few days.

"Brother!"

A clear shout rang out, and as soon as Wen He steadied herself, she felt a small figure rush into her arms.

He quickly reached out and caught her. Looking down, he saw Wenrou, dressed in a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). The little girl was hugging his waist, burying her face in his clothes, and her voice was trembling with tears: "Brother, you're finally back! I missed you so much!"

Wen He gently patted her back, his voice full of tenderness: "I'm sorry to have kept Wenrou waiting. Isn't your brother back now?" He noticed that she was missing a shoe, so he quickly bent down and picked her up.

"Why are you running so fast? You even lost your shoes."

She gently wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her face against his cheek, tears still falling, but the corners of her mouth had already turned up: "I want to see you soon, brother! Brother, today is your birthday, shall we eat New Year's noodles together?"

Today is actually my birthday?

Wen He herself doesn't remember.

In his past life, he didn't know his birth date, so he never celebrated his birthday. When he was a child, his orphanage treated Children's Day as his birthday.

Wenrou was the first one to remember his birthday.

"Okay, it's all up to you."

Wen He nodded with a smile, and when she looked up, she saw Li Ke standing under the corridor, whose expression was rather strange.

His gaze was as if Wen He had stolen something from him.

Or is it jealousy?

Wen He shook her head, realizing she was definitely overthinking things.

What does a prince have to be jealous of?

"Greetings, sir." Li Ke bowed respectfully to Wen He with a cold face.

The gentleness I felt when I was with Wenrou just now is completely gone.

"Why are you so cold? Are you not happy that I'm back?" Wen He softened her tone and asked Li Ke with a smile.

Li Ke forced a smile: "Happy, very happy."

"Brother, it's time to eat the New Year's noodles."

Wenrou, standing beside Wenhe, gently tugged at Wenhe's sleeve a few times.

"it is good."

Wen He smiled and gently rubbed Wenrou's head, her fingertips tracing the top of her soft hair, her eyes overflowing with laughter.

He turned to Qi San and instructed him, "Go find Steward Zhou and tell the kitchen to make New Year's noodles for lunch today, and add extra meat to everyone's bowl, especially the craftsmen in the back garden workshop. No one should be left out. Let everyone share in the joy and have a good time."

The so-called "Sui Sui Mian" is actually the longevity noodles of later generations. Unlike the flat soup noodles of today, Sui Sui Mian was closer to the long noodles of later times. However, it simply carries the same meaning: peace and safety year after year.

Upon receiving the order, Qi San immediately replied, "Don't worry, young master, I'll take care of it right away!"

Her steps quickened as she turned, as if she too were infected by the joy of her birthday.

When the news reached Zhou Fu's ears, the newly arrived steward froze on the spot, and the account book in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

He hurriedly picked up the account book, his fingertips trembling, and ran all the way from the front yard. He bowed to Wen He, his voice full of guilt and fear: "This old servant deserves to die! I never dared to ask about the young master's birthday, and I was completely unprepared for such an important day. It is a serious dereliction of duty!"

In the strict Tang Dynasty, it was a servant's duty to remember his master's birthday, especially since Wen He treated him like family. Zhou Fu felt his face burning and lowered his head even further.

"Manager Zhou, get up quickly."

Wen He quickly stepped forward to help him up, speaking gently.

"I've never been one for formalities. My birthday is just an ordinary day. If Xiaorou hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it myself. Having a bowl of noodles together is the best way to celebrate my birthday."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than two familiar footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Li Tai and Li You walked side by side, both with obvious surprise on their faces.

Seeing their expressions, Wen He guessed what they were thinking and laughed, "Alright, why are you being so coy? It's just a birthday, I just didn't say anything before."

Li Tai and Li You both felt a little embarrassed.

They lived in the mansion and even forgot their teacher's birthday. In this era, "disrespecting one's teachers" was enough to ruin a person's future.

However, the two little ones didn't care about that; they just felt guilty that they didn't know their master's birthday.

So when the news reached Li Shimin...

He immediately reprimanded Li Chengqian and then ordered him to leave the palace with a cartload of gifts.

"What? Today is the little one's birthday?"

The news quickly reached Li Daozong, who immediately prepared to leave the Court of State Ceremonial.

“Prince Rencheng, an envoy will be visiting soon, you cannot leave.”

"Does the king really need to personally receive envoys from a mere small country? What use are you then?"

Li Daozong didn't care about anything else at the moment. What could possibly be more important than a little child's birthday?

"Go quickly to my horse farm and bring three foals from the Western Regions to accompany me to the little boy's residence."

"This little brat, he didn't even invite me to his birthday celebration! I'll give him a good scolding later!"

Li Daozong stormed off.

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were left standing there in disarray.

……

"The Duke of Su presents a pair of Hetian jade ruyi scepters as a birthday gift to the scion of Gaoyang County, wishing him peace, health, and lasting blessings!"

"The Duke of Yi presents a gift to the magistrate of Gaoyang County for his birthday: a box of century-old ginseng and two bolts of Shu brocade, wishing him joy and happiness year after year!"

"The Duke of Dai presents a birthday gift to the scion of Gaoyang County: three scrolls of calligraphy and painting by renowned artists, wishing him joy and happiness year after year!"

"The Duke of Qi presented a birthday gift to the Viscount of Gaoyang County..."

Adong stood at the gate of the mansion, holding a list of gifts in his hands, reading it aloud in a clear voice. After reading the name of each nobleman and his gift, servants carried exquisite gift boxes into the mansion, quickly filling the corner of the front yard to the brim.

Wen He stood under the eaves, stunned by what she heard. She raised her hand to rub her forehead, her face full of helplessness.

Isn't it said that news traveled slowly in ancient times?
In just one noon, it seems that all the nobles in Chang'an know about it?

Actually, the first to send a congratulatory gift was Duke Ying, Wu Shiyue, who lived across the street.

He heard early in the morning that Wen He had returned to the mansion, and by chance learned from the servants that today was Wen He's birthday. He immediately had a gift prepared and personally visited the mansion with his daughter, Wu Erniang.

"It is the birthday of the magistrate of Gaoyang County today. I was completely unaware of it beforehand. I am truly sorry!"

Wu Shiyue walked into the front yard and saw Wen He coming to greet him. He quickly cupped his hands and smiled, his tone full of warmth.

The nobles who sent gifts but did not visit him earlier did so for two reasons: firstly, they had not received an invitation from Wen He, and secondly, they knew that he had just returned to Chang'an and that his residence had not yet hosted a banquet. They did not want to disturb him rashly and would wait until Wen He hosted a banquet in the future to send their gifts.

But Wu Shiyue didn't care about these formalities and came directly with his daughter.

Wen He looked at the still steaming noodles on the table and felt a little embarrassed.

They came all the way to celebrate my birthday, but I haven't even prepared a decent meal. I can't just offer them a bowl of noodles, can I?
Wu Shiyue was shrewd enough to see his embarrassment at a glance, and immediately smiled and smoothed things over: "Prince, there's no need to worry. This 'Year After Year Noodles' has a good meaning, wishing you peace and longevity every year. Today is your birthday, so you should eat this. I came here today to share in your joy, and it's already a blessing to be able to eat a bowl of 'Year After Year Noodles'."

Upon hearing this, Wen He quickly followed up, saying, "It's good that Duke Ying doesn't mind! In that case, why don't you have a bowl too? The kitchen is still cooking it, it's still hot."

"Good! Very good!"

Samurai Ho responded loudly.

"I haven't had lunch yet, and I'm starving!"

At this moment, Wu Erniang, who was standing behind Wu Shiyue, stepped forward, holding a small brocade box in both hands. She gave Wen He a slight curtsy and said in a clear, bell-like voice, "Wu Erniang congratulates the county magistrate on his birthday. This is a small gift, and I hope the county magistrate will accept it with a smile."

Wen He accepted the brocade box and thanked her with a smile, "Thank you very much, Second Aunt, you're so kind."

He opened it and found a handkerchief embroidered by hand. Several elegant orchids were embroidered on the corners of the handkerchief, with fine stitches, showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.

Wen He looked up at Wu Erniang and saw a hint of shyness in her eyes, so she smiled and invited, "Why don't you have a bowl of noodles with me? They're freshly cooked and warming."

Wu Erniang looked up at him, her cheeks slightly flushed, and softly hummed in agreement.

Still as indifferent as ever.

Wen He invited the two of them into the house.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

Then Ah Dong rushed in.

"Young master, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

"So what if they come...?"

When Wen He heard that Li Chengqian was coming, she thought it was nothing out of the ordinary.

That kid has been here before.

But he was quickly stunned.

A Dong came in to deliver the message, which means that Li Chengqian's visit today was not in disguise, but rather under the guise of the Crown Prince.

Needless to say, this must have been Li Er's instruction.

Helpless, Wen He could only order, "Open the main gate wide and welcome the Crown Prince."

(End of this chapter)