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

Chapter 424 A Glorious Presence on the Surface, But a Loyal Minister in Reality

Once he left the capital, Xu Jingzong could no longer contain his anxiety.

Wen He's departure from the Hundred Riders was like a boulder thrown into his heart, stirring up his restlessness.

Xu Jingzong was walking too fast. As soon as he stepped onto the carriage's footboard, he stumbled and fell with a cry of "Ouch!" His elbow hit the carriage shaft hard, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Lang Jun!"

The servants rushed forward to help him, but he pushed them away.

"It doesn't matter!"

Xu Jingzong rubbed his aching elbow, not bothering to brush the dust off his official robes, and climbed into the carriage to give loud orders.

Zhang Wenxiao, who was accompanying him, walked over quickly.

"What happened to Military Advisor Xu?"

Xu Jingzong glanced at him and said urgently, "A catastrophe! Don't ask. Just go back to the Hundred Cavalry and someone will tell you."

Having said that, he lowered the curtain and urged the coachman on.

"Quickly! Go to the Marquis of Gaoyang County! The sooner the better!"

The coachman dared not delay, cracked his whip and gave a light shout, and the carriage sped off toward the Wen residence.

Zhang Wenxiao was left there in a daze.

So what exactly happened?
He hurriedly returned to the Hundred Riders, and only then did he learn from Chen Dahai that Wen He had been transferred away from the Hundred Riders.

This moment was like a bolt from the blue.

He now understood why Military Advisor Xu had been in such a hurry earlier.

Without the young master, is the Hundred Riders still the Hundred Riders?!
at the same time.

In the carriage on its way to Gaoyang County, Xu Jingzong was restless.

While in the palace, he was filled with shock and dared not ask Li Shimin about the reason for Wen He's transfer.

After all, the emperor's thoughts are unpredictable, and if one were to offend him, he might even be expelled from the Hundred Riders.

But the more I speculated, the more uneasy I felt.

The Hundred Riders can be said to have been built by Wen He.

The initial hundred-plus riders were all Wen He's confidants.

Not to mention, there are people like Dugu Chen.

Moreover, every single thing the Hundred Riders did before was earth-shattering.

Without someone as fearless as Wen He, no one else could have kept order.

Now that Wen He has left the crucial position of Hundred Riders, it's as if the heart of the Hundred Riders has been taken away.

How will he conduct himself in the future?

In less than half an incense stick's time, the carriage stopped in front of the Wen residence.

Before the driver could even set up the footboard, Xu Jingzong hurriedly jumped off the carriage, nearly tripping and falling again.

When the servant A Dong, who was guarding the door, saw that it was a court official visiting, he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"I was unaware of your arrival, my lord! I will go and inform my young master immediately!"

He turned and walked inside.

"No need!"

Xu Jingzong grabbed A Dong's arm, his tone urgent.

"Go in by yourself!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already pushed Ah Dong aside and rushed straight into the mansion.

Adong was pushed so hard that he stumbled and was stunned for a long time before he reacted and quickly chased after him to stop him.

"Master Xu! This is unacceptable! It is improper for you to barge in like this!"

"What time is it, why are you still talking about manners!"

Without turning his head, Xu Jingzong quickened his pace, passing through the crabapple trees in the front yard and heading straight for the study in the backyard.

His mind was filled with questions about why Wen He had been transferred from the Hundred Cavalry and whether the two could work together again in the future; he didn't care about official etiquette or decorum at all.

"Where is Jiaying? Take me to see him quickly!"

As Xu Jingzong walked, he asked loudly.

A-Dong was sweating profusely and followed behind him, trying to persuade him.

“Lord Xu, my young master is indeed having a lesson in the study. The princes are all inside. It would be inappropriate for you to enter so abruptly…”

Xu Jingzong didn't listen at all, and only stopped abruptly when he reached the corridor outside the study.

From inside the study came Wen He's voice explaining, along with the responses of several young boys, clearly in the tone of princes.

Xu Jingzong then belatedly realized that Wen He was still the princes' teacher, and at this time he was probably teaching Li Tai and the others.

If I were to barge in like this and disturb the princes' studies, it might be reported to His Majesty by the princes in the future.

A-Dong, who was following behind, couldn't brake in time and crashed into Xu Jingzong's back.

With a dull thud, the pain made him see stars, and his nose felt numb and sore.

"Master Xu! Why did you suddenly stop!"

Ah Dong rubbed his nose and said with a hint of resentment, even his usual respect had diminished.

This Military Advisor Xu is too unreasonable. Not only did he force his way into the mansion, but he also caused him to run into the culprit.

Xu Jingzong was also somewhat embarrassed. He coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment, straightened his slightly disheveled official robe, and put on a more dignified appearance.

“Ahem, well… since Jiaying is giving a lecture, then I won’t disturb her. Go and inform her that Xu Jingzong has come to visit and I have important matters to discuss with him. Tell him to come to the front hall to see me after he finishes his lecture.”

Adong rubbed his nose and reluctantly replied, "Yes."

He turned and walked towards the study.

He secretly grumbled to himself.

It would have been so much better if you had been so understanding from the beginning. You insisted on forcing your way in, and now I've been bruised and battered.

Despite his complaints, he still tiptoed to the study door and knocked.

At this moment, Wen He was standing in front of the bookshelf in the study, holding a hand-drawn map in her hand.

He explained the customs and culture of the Eastern Roman Empire to the four children, Li Tai, Li You, Li Yin, and Qibi Heli.

Qibi Heli was dressed in a blue robe typical of young men from the Tang Dynasty, yet he still habitually straightened his back, sitting like a young knight waiting for orders on the grasslands. His bright black eyes were fixed on the map, and he would occasionally ask questions in a low voice in Mandarin with a grassland accent.

“Look here,” Wen He said, pointing to the Mediterranean region on the map.

"This is the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. Its capital, Constantinople, has high and sturdy walls that are easy to defend and difficult to attack. They are skilled at building magnificent buildings, such as the Hagia Sophia, whose dome soars into the clouds and is made with exquisite craftsmanship. Moreover, their legal system is very complete, and the Justinian Code is its masterpiece."

Li Tai's eyes lit up as he listened, and he leaned closer to the map, gesturing with his fingers on it.

"Sir, how strong is the army of the Eastern Roman Empire? How does it compare to the Turks? If the Tang Dynasty were to launch a future expedition to Europe, would it be able to subdue them?"

This kid's mind is full of thoughts of conquering new territories; even when Wen He is explaining culture and law, he can still steer the conversation towards military matters.

Li You rolled his eyes and said without any politeness.

"Li Si, can't you have any ambition? The teacher is talking about culture and law, and all you know is fighting and killing!"

"Besides, the Eastern Roman Empire is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the Tang Dynasty. Even if we wanted to fight, do you know how to get there? We'd be better off studying mathematics, building steam engines as soon as possible, and constructing large ships to cross the ocean. That's much better than anything else!"

"What do you know!"

Li Tai retorted, unconvinced.

"What good are large ships if you don't have a powerful army? They'll just get robbed by barbarians! Only a strong military can deter all sides!"

"That's nonsense!"

Li You also got anxious and was about to argue with Li Tai, but Wen He glared at him and shut him up.

"Shut up, all of you!" Wen He banged on the table.

"Let me finish! Although the Eastern Roman Empire's fighting strength was not as brave as the Turkic cavalry, it was good at defending cities and formations, and its heavy infantry phalanx was extremely powerful. Moreover, their navigation technology was advanced, and they were the dominant force in the Mediterranean."

"At least in the short term, if the Tang Dynasty wants to interact with them, it should focus on trade rather than war. After all, they are separated by oceans, and the cost of war is too high and not worth the effort."

Unless there is a major breakthrough in navigation technology, the Tang Dynasty will not be able to establish a long-term and stable supply line at sea.

Otherwise, with current navigation technology, let alone conquering, even reaching the destination would be very difficult.

If they were to travel by land, the battle lines would be stretched too long, which would drag the Tang Dynasty into a quagmire of war.

Qibi Heli, who had been silently looking at the map, suddenly spoke, his words carrying a hint of the straightforwardness characteristic of grassland people.

"Sir, were the wars between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia fought over pastures and cattle, like the various tribes on the grasslands fighting over water and pasture?"

"Will they, like Jieli, force neighboring tribes to become their allies?"

Compared to Li Tai's research in military affairs, Li You's research in science and technology.

He was more accustomed to understanding war from the survival logic of the grassland tribes, and his words were full of a young man's intuitive understanding of conquest.

Wen He nodded approvingly, then looked specifically at Qibi Heli.

"He Li asked a good question. Although it's not entirely correct, it hits the nail on the head. What they're fighting for isn't pastures, but trade routes and cities."

“Those places can be traded for silk, tea and ironware, which are more valuable than pastures.”

"Moreover, they do try to win over surrounding forces, but not in the way Jieli did, by forcing them. Instead, they offer benefits to form alliances, just like His Majesty wanted the Qibi tribe to fight alongside the Tang Dynasty."

"In this respect, the Tang Dynasty treated the Qibi tribe in the same way. It did not force you to fight, but provided you with a place to live and food to eat. Then we fought together against a common enemy. After the battle, there were rewards. This is where the Tang Dynasty was better than Jieli."

He specifically used the situation of the Qibi tribe as an example, hoping that Qibi Heli could better understand.

While we're at it, let's give this kid a little brainwashing.

Li Yin, who was standing to the side, seemed to understand but not quite. He had just finished learning how to stand in a horse stance today, and his whole body was sore. At that moment, he was lying on the table, secretly drawing little figures of cavalry fighting on the draft paper with his finger.

Upon hearing Wen He mention fighting the Turks, he immediately raised his head and stiffened his neck.

"How could we possibly defeat the Turks and get our help from your Qibi tribe? Our Tang cavalry is invincible; we have no need for your assistance!"

Qibi Heli frowned, and the stubbornness of a grassland boy surged up.

"The Tang cavalry is formidable, but you don't know the roads on the grasslands as well as I do! I can find Jieli's camp with my eyes closed!"

"boast!"

Li Yin slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"You won the last duel by luck. If you're so capable, let's have another match. I'm sure I can beat you!"

"Let's compete!" Qibi Heli didn't hesitate, clenching his fists.

Wen He quickly pressed the two down: "Sit down! If you make any more noise, you'll be punished by copying 'The Art of War' ten times!"

Although the two reluctantly sat down, they still glared at each other, their feet secretly straining under the table.

These two are just like two fighting cocks.

Li Yin was still somewhat unconvinced.

Wen He smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Once you've mastered martial arts and military strategy, opportunities will naturally arise, but right now, the most important thing is to build a solid foundation."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than A-Dong's voice came from outside the door. "Young master, Military Advisor Xu has come to visit, saying he has important matters to discuss with you."

Wen He was somewhat surprised. Xu Jingzong?

Wasn't he in Hebei Province? Why did he suddenly return to Chang'an and come looking for me in such a hurry?

He put down the map in his hand and spoke to the four boys.

"I'm going to see Military Advisor Xu. You guys do your math problems here. I left five problems on the table. You can rest after you finish them. Li Tai and Li You, you two stop arguing. Li Yin and He Li, you two are not allowed to fight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Tai pouted and said...

"Sir, you're being biased! It's clearly Mr. Li You who's arguing with me!"

Li You immediately retorted, "You were the one who snatched my pen and ink first! Last time you even filled my math draft paper with war diagrams!"

Wen He sighed helplessly.

These four lads can't stay still for a moment.

"Shut up, all of you! If you make another sound, you're all going to stand outside as punishment!"

"Yes, sir!"

The four boys responded in unison, but as soon as Wen He's footsteps disappeared, the study erupted in chaos.

Li Tai stretched and slumped down: "Finally, you're gone. The teacher's talk about the Eastern Roman Empire gave me a headache. It would have been better if you had talked about practical military strategy."

Li You immediately rolled his eyes: "With your limited knowledge of military strategy, you can't even recite the first three chapters of 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, and you still have the nerve to talk about it?"

"I disdain rote memorization!"

Li Tai sat up straight.

"Warfare relies on strategy, not rote memorization! Last time I discussed ambush tactics with my husband, you couldn't get a word in edgewise!"

"That's because I can't be bothered with you!"

Li You picked up the math problems.

"Instead of bragging, you should be thinking about how to solve this problem. Oh, I forgot, you have no idea!"

The two argued back and forth, while Li Yin on the other side was not idle either, raising an eyebrow at Qibi Heli.

"Look at your furrowed brow, do you not know how to do it? You should have said so earlier, I could have given you some pointers, but you'd have to become my apprentice first!"

Qibi Heli snorted coldly.

"The warriors of the grasslands never ask for help! I'll be able to solve this problem sooner or later!"

Seeing that Li Tai was speechless after being rebuked, Li You raised his chin triumphantly, turned to look at the two who were arguing, and deliberately raised his voice.

"Some people can't even do math problems, yet they dare to be other people's teachers? They don't even know their own limitations!"

Li Tai immediately seized the opportunity to back down.

"Exactly! Li Yin has only been learning for a few days, and he still has the nerve to instruct He Li? He Li, ignore him, I'll teach you, but let's make it clear first, after you learn it you have to demonstrate the grassland horse archery techniques to me!"

"Who needs you to teach me!"

Qibi Heli turned his head away, but secretly glanced at the math problem, his eyes showing a hint of hesitation.

Seeing this, Li Yin immediately stepped forward: "I'll teach you! I'm a better teacher than him! Last time, the teacher praised me for my progress in mathematics, unlike some people who can only recite military strategies but don't know how to use them!"

"You bullshit!"

Li Tai became anxious.

"Li Yin, you're asking for it!"

"Hey, you guys hurry up and hit him. When the master comes back, I definitely won't tell on him."

Li You immediately smiled slyly, but his expression clearly indicated that he would definitely complain when the master returned.

"Alright, alright!"

Li Tai waved his hand impatiently.

"Stop arguing, let's divide the work! Wulang, you teach Heli to recognize numbers, I'll do the middle two questions, and Liulang, do the last one. When we're done, we'll check each other's work, and whoever makes a mistake has to treat everyone to osmanthus cake!"

"Why should I make the last dish? The hardest one is the last one!"

Li Yin was unhappy.

Qibi Heli immediately replied.

"I'll switch with you! I'll make the last one, and you teach me the first two!"

"Will you do it?"

Li Yin looked at him suspiciously. Qibi Heli puffed out his chest: "Warriors of the grasslands are not afraid of difficulties! We can always think about it a little longer!"

Li Tai made the decision.

"It's settled then! Anyone who slacks off will be made to lose even more miserably in the next duel!"

"Who is afraid of whom!"

Li You glared at him, but still picked up the math problem and pointed to the numbers on it, explaining to Qi Bi He Li.

"Look carefully, this is 'one,' and this is 'two'..."

Not to be outdone, Li Yin picked up his pen and began to ponder the first question, muttering to himself.

"Don't think I'm scared just because the questions have changed. I'll definitely finish faster than you!"

Although the four of them still occasionally teased each other, they all settled down to do the problems.

When Li You was teaching Qi Bi He Li to recognize numbers, he always complained that he was learning too slowly.

"How can you not even tell the difference between 'five' and 'six'? 12345, it's so simple, and you still can't remember it!"

Qibi was unwilling to accept this.

"You didn't teach it clearly! I've also been to school; one is one, why is this one vertical!"

While working on his problems, Li Tai couldn't help but interject, "Li You, you're not a good teacher, let me take over!"

"Don't worry about it!"

Li You immediately refused. Li Yin was working on the problem when he suddenly got stuck. He secretly glanced at Qibi Heli and saw that he was also frowning. He immediately became smug.

"Cough cough!"

Just then, a cough came from outside the door.

The four of them turned around at almost the same time.

They saw Wen He smiling at them from outside the door.

The four were so frightened that they quickly sat back down and pretended to be doing their homework.

Wen He stood outside the door, listening to the sudden silence inside, and shook her head helplessly.

I must say, this trick works quite well. No wonder later generations of homeroom teachers loved to use it to quell noisy students.

He turned and walked towards the front hall, but in his heart he was making plans.

Old Xu had just returned to Chang'an when he rushed over in a great hurry; it was definitely not just for pleasantries.

Has something happened in Hebei Province?
But the Hundred Cavalry Second Squad had been keeping an eye on that side; if anything had happened, they should have sent word back by now.

Inside the front hall, Xu Jingzong was pacing back and forth.

Seeing Wen He push the door open and come in, he rushed over as if he had grasped a lifeline, grabbing Wen He's arm tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Jiaying! You've finally arrived! I have a question for you: why were you transferred from the Hundred Cavalry? What exactly does His Majesty mean by this? Does this mean that the duties of the Hundred Cavalry will be handed over to someone else from now on?"

A barrage of questions came out like a machine gun, his eyes were almost overflowing with urgency, and even his voice trembled slightly.

Wen He's arm ached from his grip, but she laughed and struggled, pulling him towards the chair.

"Old Xu, sit down and have some tea to soothe your throat. It's not like the sky is falling when I leave the Hundred Riders. Why are you so anxious?"

He personally poured Xu Jingzong a cup of hot tea and pushed it in front of him.

Xu Jingzong had no interest in drinking tea; the tea rippled in his cup. He suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"What do you mean it's not a sky-falling event! This is a matter of utmost importance!"

He spun around in place, his face full of anxiety.

"I only felt secure with you in charge of the Hundred Cavalry before. Now that you're gone, are we supposed to rely on that burly brute Su Dingfang?"

"He only knows how to ride horses and fight, how would he understand the intricacies of court politics! Or is he that eunuch Huang Chun?"

"He only cares about His Majesty's expression; he has no regard for the bigger picture! In the future, when the Hundred Cavalry encounters trouble, who will offer me advice and strategies?"

He suddenly felt as if Wen He's departure from the Hundred Riders was like having his brain removed.

Seeing his impatient expression, Wen He picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said slowly.

"Old Xu, don't jump up in anger. Can't you see? His Majesty wants to give you an important position, which is why he specifically asked me to leave the Hundred Cavalry."

Xu Jingzong suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if he had been frozen in place.

He stared blankly at Wen He, his hand unconsciously touching the goatee on his chin, his fingertips stroking it without his conscious thought.

Inside the hall, only the rustling sound of the autumn wind sweeping through the sycamore leaves outside the window remained.

He hesitated for a full half-incense stick's time before tentatively speaking, his voice even a little softer.

"Jiaying, do you mean His Majesty wants to grant me full command of the Hundred Cavalry?"

"Besides you, who else in the court is more suitable than you?"

Wen He put down her teacup, her tone becoming more serious.

"But Lao Xu, I have to throw some cold water on you and wake you up. This position of commander of a hundred cavalry may look prestigious, but in reality, it's like being a lonely minister, just like Chao Cuo and Zhu Fu Yan."

"They were all loyal ministers, trusted by the emperor in life, but with no way out after death."

Wen He looked into Xu Jingzong's eyes and said, word by word.

"You need to think this through. Taking this position means you have to completely side with His Majesty. It could mean offending powerful families, alienating your colleagues, or even..."

Wen He didn't finish his sentence, but Xu Jingzong understood what he meant.

If he becomes useless one day, His Majesty may very well discard him like a worn-out shoe.

He appreciated Xu Jingzong to some extent, since the latter had never plotted against him behind his back, so he didn't want to see him act impulsively and fall into an abyss of no return.

Wen He couldn't say exactly how high Li Shimin's expectations were for the Hundred Cavalry, but by removing himself as a check and balance, he was clearly giving Xu Jingzong more power.

Xu Jingzong must carefully consider the implications of this.

The impatience on Xu Jingzong's face gradually faded, replaced by a deep solemnity.

He slowly sat down, his fingers gripping the teacup tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Wen He's words were like heavy hammer blows, striking his heart again and again.

He had considered the risks of being a loyal subject, but...

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his head. The hesitation in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only determination.

"Jiaying, I'm thirty-six this year."

Wen He's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood what he meant.

At thirty-six, he is no longer considered young in officialdom.

(End of this chapter)