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

Chapter 395 I'm not dead yet! And you dare to give me a temple name?
Inside the Liangyi Hall, the meeting had just ended, and Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others had just bowed and left when the sound of a palace attendant reporting came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the magistrate of Gaoyang County requests an audience."

Li Shimin frowned slightly and looked out the window.

The setting sun had sunk below the eaves of the palace walls, and the sky was gradually darkening.

He turned to Gao Yue beside him and asked, "Is it almost time to lock the gate? What else does he have to do at this hour?"

The autumn harvest in Wenjiazhuang has just ended. Normally, Wen He should stay in the village to celebrate the harvest with the villagers. Why is he in such a hurry to return to Chang'an and even go to the palace to request an audience?
"Your Majesty, there is still one hour before the palace gates are locked."

Gao Yue bowed in reply, while secretly observing the emperor's expression out of the corner of her eye.

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, summon him in. Also, have the Imperial Kitchen bring two bowls of lotus seed soup. He must be exhausted after a long day in the fields. A little lotus seed soup will help him cool down."

"Here!"

Gao Yue bowed in agreement and left the hall, secretly clicking her tongue in her heart.

Just now, several important ministers, including Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, discussed matters for more than an hour, and His Majesty only had tea served.

Now that Wen He has arrived, His Majesty not only immediately granted him an audience, but also specially ordered the preparation of lotus seed soup. Even His Highness the Crown Prince, who stood in the hall for a long time today, did not see His Majesty showing such concern.

The weight that the son of Gaoyang County holds in His Majesty's heart is truly extraordinary.

Could it be that this scion of Gaoyang County really has another identity?

As he thought of this, he suddenly shook his head.

This idea is too dangerous; I dare not think about it again.

While sending someone to the Imperial Kitchen to deliver the imperial decree, Gao Yue personally went to Xuanwu Gate to summon Wen He to the palace.

At this moment, outside Xuanwu Gate, Wen He was sitting opposite Zhang Shigui, the Right Guard General.

A simple tea table was set up under the eaves. Zhang Shigui was personally boiling water. Seeing the water steaming, he smiled and opened the tea canister that Wen He had just brought: "Gaoyang County Magistrate, that flying object outside Chang'an City, that was what you made, wasn't it? I saw it on the city wall back then, and it really startled me!"

Wen He took the teacup from Zhang Shigui, her fingertips touching the warm porcelain, and replied with a smile.

"That's called a hot air balloon. If General Zhang would like to go up and take a look, you can come to Wanhu Residence outside Chang'an City to find me, and I will have someone arrange it for you."

"Really?"

Zhang Shigui's eyes lit up instantly, but then he chuckled dryly and shook his head.

"No, I'd rather not. It would be presumptuous."

He had heard before that only the retired emperor had ever ridden in this hot air balloon, and he was just a general of the Right Guard. If he were to go and ride it rashly, it would probably cause controversy.

Upon hearing this, Wen He put down her teacup and said earnestly.

"If General Zhang is truly interested, then say it's for military testing. This hot air balloon was originally intended for military reconnaissance. As a military officer, General Zhang, you can check its safety for the military. His Majesty might even praise you for your loyalty and bravery."

Zhang Shigui's hand suddenly stopped, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. He was about to ask, "Is that really so?"

The sound of hurried footsteps of eunuchs could be heard not far away.

The eunuch ran while looking around, shouting loudly, "May I ask if the Prince of Gaoyang is here? His Majesty summons you to the Liangyi Hall for a meeting immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Wen He stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Shigui: "General Zhang, His Majesty has summoned me, so I will go to the palace first. We can discuss the hot air balloon matter another day."

Zhang Shigui also quickly stood up, nodding with a smile: "County magistrate, go quickly, don't keep His Majesty waiting."

He watched Wen He turn and step into the palace gate with the eunuch, his fingertips still holding the celadon cup that had just been used to brew tea, the residual warmth on the cup wall seemingly still carrying the novelty brought by Wen He.

Only after Wen He's figure completely disappeared around the corner of the palace wall did Zhang Shigui slowly withdraw his gaze, look up at the gradually darkening sky, and mutter to himself, "Flying Apsaras... Could this Gaoyang County resident really be some kind of divine being reincarnated?"

He stood there stunned for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
Wen He, who was regarded as a "reincarnation of a god", was currently following the eunuch through the layers of palace corridors.

As night deepened, the palace lanterns on both sides of the palace road were already lit, and the dim yellow light shone through the paper covers onto the bluestone slabs, casting long shadows of the two people.

Before long, they arrived outside the Liangyi Hall. Gao Yue was already waiting inside the hall. Upon seeing him arrive, she quickly stepped forward, cupped her hands, and greeted him.

“You, sir of Gaoyang County, have had a long journey. His Majesty has been waiting for you in the palace for a long time. Please follow me inside.”

Wen He nodded in agreement and followed Gao Yue as she gently pushed open the palace door.

Hearing the noise, Li Shimin put down his pen.

He looked up at Wen He, his gaze sweeping over his robes which were stained with a little mud, and his tone carried a hint of casual reproach.

"You spent the whole day working in the fields at Wenjiazhuang. Instead of resting properly in the village, why are you rushing back to Chang'an in such a hurry?"

As he spoke, Li Shimin stood up from his throne and slowly walked down the steps, his bright yellow casual robes swaying gently with each step.

Wen He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject Wen He greets Your Majesty."

After performing the salutations, he did not state his purpose directly. Instead, he glanced around at the palace servants standing in the hall, then took two steps closer, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. I humbly request Your Majesty to dismiss those around you and allow me to report this privately."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned.

Lately, when they speak, they rarely dismiss those around them anymore.

Could it be that he has detected some signs of rebellion this time?

Li Shimin's mind raced, and his gaze fell on Gao Yue beside him. He gave her a casual instruction.

"Have someone bring the prepared lotus seed soup. Everyone else, retreat to a hundred paces outside the hall. No one is to approach without my decree."

"Here!"

Gao Yue didn't dare hesitate for a moment and quickly turned around to make arrangements.

First, he quickly walked outside the hall and asked someone to fetch the lotus seed soup that had been prepared in advance from the Imperial Kitchen. Then, he gestured to the palace servants and guards inside the hall to leave one by one.

After everyone had retreated outside the hall, Gao Yue personally stepped forward and gently closed the heavy hall door. Only then did she lead the eunuchs to wait in the corridor a hundred paces away, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Before long, palace servants brought in two gilded porcelain bowls filled with warm lotus seed soup.

The palace maid gently placed the bowl on the table in the hall, bowed, and then hurriedly withdrew.

Only Li Shimin and Wen He remained in the hall. The flickering candlelight cast their shadows on the walls, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

"Tell me, what happened?"

Li Shimin walked to the table, put his hands behind his back, and asked with a serious expression.

The fact that Wen He rushed into the palace in such a hurry and even requested that everyone else be dismissed must mean something significant.

Wen He's gaze was first drawn to the lotus seed soup on the table.

He rode his horse back to Chang'an from Wenjiazhuang, galloping all the way without even having time to drink water.

Just now, while talking to Zhang Shigui at Xuanwu Gate, the tea that had just been brewed hadn't even cooled down when he was summoned to the palace by an eunuch. At this moment, his throat was already parched and tight.

Smelling the sweet aroma of lotus seed soup, he subconsciously licked his lips, his gaze involuntarily lingering on the porcelain bowl.

Li Shimin saw his little tricks and waved his hand impatiently, signaling him to sit down.

"Don't look at it, it's for you, drink it first."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wen He immediately smiled and, without any hesitation, pulled over a nearby seatmate to sit down, picked up a porcelain bowl, and took a big gulp.

The warm sweet soup slid down my throat, instantly relieving my dry mouth and throat, and even dispelling some of the fatigue from the journey.

He sighed contentedly, then put down the bowl, wiped the soup stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and caught his breath.

Li Shimin also picked up another bowl and slowly scooped up lotus seeds with a spoon to eat. He waited until Wen He had completely calmed down before speaking again.

"Now you can tell me, right? What is it that's worth you coming to the palace at this hour?"

"Your Majesty, this concerns Liaodong."

Wen He's smile faded, and her expression became serious.

He pulled a neatly folded roll of parchment from his wide sleeve.

It was the letter written by Zheng Yuanzhu, delivered by that dark-skinned man, that was presented to Li Shimin with both hands.

"Zheng Yuanzhu sent word from Liaodong that the entire Liaodong Peninsula is now in complete chaos."

Li Shimin frowned slightly, took the parchment from Wen He's hand, and unfolded it to examine it closely.

The letter was written on coarse hemp paper, and the handwriting was somewhat messy, clearly indicating that it was written in a hurry.

Wen He then slowly spoke from the side.

"In his letter, Zheng Yuanzhu said that two months ago, Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje joined forces to fight a battle against Japan at sea, but suffered a great defeat. Hundreds of warships were lost, and countless soldiers were killed or wounded. A month ago, Baekje suddenly turned against them and joined forces with Japan to launch a surprise attack on Silla's coastal towns. It seems that they want to take advantage of Silla's weakness and annex its coastal areas."

"But despite their meticulous planning, they did not anticipate that Goguryeo and Silla had already secretly made contact. Go Geon-mu and King Kim Baek-jeong of Silla reached a private agreement to join forces to destroy Baekje first. What's even more interesting is that Japan was not idle either. They secretly sent envoys to Goguryeo, wanting to join forces with Go Geon-mu and divide up Baekje's territory after destroying Silla."

Wen He paused here, her tone tinged with sarcasm.

"As a result, Yeon Gaesomun found out about this and directly made public the secret letter from Japan. The Silla people immediately went up in an uproar, cursing Baekje and Japan for being shameless. But Japan denied it, and Baekje felt that Goguryeo was sowing discord. They turned around and said that Go Geonmu and Yeon Gaesomun were slandering them. Now, there are small battles every three days and big battles every five days on the entire peninsula. There is fighting everywhere."

"However, Zheng Yuanzhu estimated that Silla would not last long. They had been beaten by Wa and Baekje, and their national strength had been almost completely exhausted. Moreover, he said that envoys from Silla and Goguryeo were already on their way to Chang'an. I think they are coming to ask our Great Tang for help, either for food or for soldiers."

As Li Shimin read the contents of the letter and listened to Wen He's account, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

After Wen He finished speaking, he put down the letter, his tone tinged with worry: "The Japanese navy is really that strong? Even if the three countries of the peninsula joined forces, they were no match for them?"

In Li Shimin's vision, although Japan was located overseas, it was one of the targets that the Tang Dynasty would conquer in the future. Now that he heard that Japan's naval strength was so strong, he couldn't help but be a little wary.

The enemy is too powerful, which is not a good thing for the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, this is not a fair comparison."

Wen He quickly explained.

"Goguryeo was indeed not weak, but most of its territory was on land, and it was good at land warfare. It didn't have many ships. Silla and Baekje had small territories and populations, so their naval strength was weak. Their warships were smaller than those of Japan. When the three countries joined forces, they looked like they had a lot of people, but their warships were of different types and their soldiers were not uniformly trained. To put it bluntly, their naval battle with Japan was just a small skirmish, so it's not surprising that they lost."

Fearing that Li Shimin was still worried, he added.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the naval strength of Japan is no match for our Great Tang. In the original history, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Japan sent troops to aid Baekje and fought a naval battle with our Great Tang at the mouth of the Baekgang River."

"At that time, our Great Tang only sent more than 10,000 men and a little over 100 warships, but the result was that more than 1,000 Japanese warships were either sunk or burned, and more than 40,000 soldiers were either killed or captured, leaving no one alive! The general in charge was named Liu Rengui, and because of this battle, he finally gained the attention of Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) when he was over sixty years old, and later became the prime minister of the Great Tang... Um, Your Majesty, why are you looking at me like that?"

Wen He was talking animatedly when he looked up and saw Li Shimin staring at him with a strange look in his eyes.

As he was wondering, he saw Li Shimin raise his hand and tap him on the head. The force was not great, but it carried a clear reproach.

"What Li Zhi? He is the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Even if a woman were to usurp the throne of our Tang Dynasty because of his indulgence, he is still the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. How can you call him by his name?"

Wen He rubbed her head, which had been hit, and said aggrievedly, "But he won't exist anymore, will he..."

After all, with him around, Li Zhi might not have been born. He had only said half of this when he saw Li Shimin raise his hand again, clearly about to tap him.

Wen He quickly changed his address, backing away as he pleaded for forgiveness: "Alright, alright, I was wrong! I should address you as Emperor Gaozong, Your Majesty Emperor Gaozong of Tang, shall I?"

Seeing that Li Shimin had lowered his hand, Wen He couldn't help but be mischievous again, deliberately dragging out her words with a smile.

"Then, so, Your Majesty, Emperor Taizong..."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin flew into a rage and reached out to grab him: "I'm not dead yet! How dare you give me a temple name?"

"You were the one who said we should address the Emperor with the honorific title, so I was just practicing beforehand!"

While laughing and making excuses, Wen He suddenly stood up and ran out of the hall.

Seeing this, Li Shimin grabbed an empty porcelain bowl from the table and threw it at him. However, Wen He was agile and the bowl crashed against the door frame with a "bang" and shattered into pieces, but it didn't touch a hair on Wen He's head.

Seeing this, Li Shimin also became interested. He simply rolled up the sleeves of his dragon robe, leaped up, and chased after Wen He.

He chased, and Wen He ran away.

"You brat, you dare to run away!" Li Shimin shouted, pointing at Wen He.

"I'm not stupid. If you want to hit me, I can't just run away!" Wen He immediately sped up.

"Fine, let's see where you run now!"

"Help! His Majesty is bullying a child!"

"I'm going to bully you today!"

A commotion erupted inside the hall.

Standing outside the door, Gao Yue looked up at the night sky and sighed helplessly.

I didn't hear anything.

Wen He was no match for Li Shimin, who had practiced martial arts for many years. After circling the main hall, he was still caught by Li Shimin and then received several hard kicks on his buttocks.

"Ouch!"

Wen He grimaced in pain, clutching her bottom as she squatted on the ground, looking aggrieved.

"Just kidding, was it really necessary to kick so hard?"

Looking at his appearance, Li Shimin's anger had long since dissipated, and he felt much better. He snorted and reached out to help Wen He up.

"Stop joking with me! Let's get down to business. Since Liu Rengui is capable of winning battles, why was he only given an important position when he was over sixty? I can't possibly not use such a talented person."

When it came to serious matters, Wen He rubbed her buttocks, which were in so much pain that she couldn't sit down anymore, so she simply stood up and spoke.

"Your Majesty, Liu Rengui lost both his parents at a young age. His family was poor and he had no social standing. In his early years, he could only rely on self-study. It wasn't until the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, when you went hunting in Tongzhou, that he risked his life to write a letter to you, advising you not to delay the farming season because of the hunting. That's when he caught your attention."

"Later, you thought he had courage and gave him the position of magistrate of Xin'an County. Later, you transferred him to Chang'an to serve as a censor, responsible for supervising all officials."

"But not long after, he offended Li..."

Wen He paused abruptly, realizing something was wrong.

Liu Rengui was framed by Li Yifu for offending him and was demoted to the position of governor of Qingzhou. Later, he was even sent to supervise the transport of grain and almost executed for delaying the construction.

If Li Shimin were to find out about this, given his personality, he would definitely keep an eye on Li Yifu, and Li Yifu would likely have little chance of advancement in the future.

"Li what?"

When Li Shimin saw him suddenly stop, his expression immediately turned cold.

"Did he offend a member of the royal family?"

The character "Li" reminded Li Shimin of the imperial clan and his sons.

But then I thought about it again. Wen He has always been fearless, and even members of the imperial family could not make him wary. He would never be so hesitant as he is now.

He stared at Wen He, his tone urging, "Who exactly did you offend? Tell me the truth."

Wen He knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he could only honestly say, "He offended Li Yifu."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned even more deeply. He thought carefully for a moment before vaguely recalling the words: "The student you took in? I remember his father was Li Desheng, the governor of Weizhou, right?"

"Yes."

Wen He nodded, chuckled twice, and quickly added.

"However, Your Majesty, although Li Yifu is a notorious traitor in history, skilled in flattery and forming cliques for personal gain, he is indeed capable, with excellent writing skills and a quick mind. If he can be used well in the future, he can also serve Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."

"At least in the original history, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian used him very well, putting him in charge of revising laws and regulations, and even helping Wu Zetian ascend to the position of empress."

As Wen He spoke, she secretly observed Li Shimin's expression, trying to gauge his reaction.

Li Shimin simply gave a faint "hmm," his face showing no obvious emotion—neither anger nor surprise.

Seeing this, Wen He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that Li Shimin's reaction was not due to indifference, but rather the clear-headedness of an emperor.

What emperor only employs virtuous ministers?

While wise ministers can speak frankly and offer advice, they are often too rigid and inflexible.

While treacherous officials like Li Yifu have flaws, they are capable and know how to understand the emperor's thoughts. If used properly, they can not only help the emperor handle the dirty work that virtuous officials are unwilling to do, but also balance the power in the court.

What emperors want is never perfect, virtuous ministers, but rather capable and loyal ministers.

Even if a minister has many flaws, as long as he can be used for one's own purposes, he is a good minister.

Li Yifu was like this, and so was Lai Junchen.

Moreover, such a minister could be killed by the emperor at any time if he wished.

Li Shimin didn't need it, but that doesn't mean Li Chengqian wouldn't need it later.

Where does Liu Rengui currently hold a position?

Li Shimin stopped dwelling on Li Yifu's matter and changed the subject, continuing to inquire about Liu Rengui's recent situation.

Now that we know this person has great talent, how can we let him continue to be buried in obscurity?

Wen He's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately understood Li Shimin's thoughts, replying with a smile.

"Your Majesty, according to the current time, Liu Rengui should still be serving as the county magistrate of Chencang County."

He knew that, given Li Shimin's discerning eye for talent, the fact that he had inquired about Liu Rengui's post meant that he intended to transfer Liu Rengui to his side and give him an important position ahead of time.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin nodded slowly and pondered, "After you return today, write a memorial, using Gao Ming's name, to transfer him to Chang'an. In the future, when I want to develop maritime affairs, I will need someone like him."

In his view, Liu Rengui's ability to take on a critical mission at the age of over sixty and win the Battle of Baekgang demonstrates that he not only possesses military talent but also a calm and composed mind.

He is still young now. With a little training, even if he doesn't reach the heights of famous generals like Li Jing and Li Shiji in the future, he can at least stand shoulder to shoulder with Li Shentong and Li Daozong and become a pillar of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin thought about it more and more and felt it was feasible. He stroked his beard, his eyes full of determination.

Wen He hesitated for a moment, blinked, and said softly, "Um, isn't this inappropriate? Your Majesty, I actually prefer to be a lone minister and not form factions with other court officials. In the future, people will inevitably say that I am forming cliques, which will give them something to talk about."

He wasn't really afraid of forming a political party; he just felt there was no need to attract these controversies unnecessarily. It would be better to focus on inventions and improving people's lives in peace and quiet.

"Snapped!"

Li Shimin said nothing, but raised his hand and slapped him on the head with a force that was neither too light nor too heavy.

But his gaze clearly carried a hint of anger, as if to say, "Do I need you to worry about forming factions?"

Wen He shrank back after being slapped, and replied with a dry laugh, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!"

Li Shimin's expression softened slightly, and he spoke.

"You don't need to worry about the Liaodong matter; I will have Tang Jian handle it."

After saying that, he got up and walked to the bookshelf next to the imperial steps, took out an exquisite wooden box, and carefully put away the secret letter sent by Zheng Yuanzhu.

This letter concerns the situation in Liaodong and cannot be mishandled.

After putting away the secret letter, Li Shimin remembered something else and turned to Wen He to say it.

"Furthermore, since Zheng's daughter, Wu Niang, is being cared for in your household, you should take this opportunity to reward her with some money and valuables. This will be a fair reward for Zheng Yuanzhu and his son, Zheng Yunhao."

Upon hearing this, Wen He's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly asked, "Um, Your Majesty, can it be reimbursed?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Li Shimin frown. Although he did not understand what reimbursement meant, he guessed the general idea from Wen He's expectant eyes.

He was both angry and amused, and casually picked up the celadon brush washer from the table, as if to throw it at Wen He.

Seeing this, Wen He dared not linger any longer. He quickly bowed and said in a rapid voice, "This humble subject will take his leave! Your Majesty, please rest well! Good night, Your Majesty!"

After saying that, without waiting for Li Shimin's response, he turned around and ran out of the hall, his steps as fast as the wind.

Li Shimin watched his disheveled retreating figure, laughed and cursed, but ultimately did not throw the brush washer in his hand. Instead, he gently placed it on the table.

Soon after, Gao Yue, who had just entered from outside, immediately looked towards the Imperial Staircase.

Seeing that the brush was clean and intact, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He then directed the palace maids to tidy up.

He tiptoed to Li Shimin's side and asked in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late, shouldn't you rest?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin stood up and said, "Tomorrow, issue an edict ordering Tang Jian and Lu Kuan to come to the palace."

"Here."

Gao Yue bowed in response.

Li Shimin let out a long breath, looked outside and saw that it was getting late, and after a moment of contemplation, asked.

"Has the Empress rested?"

"Your Majesty, the steward of Wanchun Palace just came to inquire after Your Majesty on behalf of the Empress. He said that Consort Yang is not feeling well today and requested Your Majesty to visit her."

Gao Yue lowered her head and said softly.

"What is Guanyinbi doing?" Li Shimin deliberately put on a stern face, then said with feigned helplessness, "Never mind, then let's go see Consort Yang."

(End of this chapter)