Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 27 Li Xian, a commoner, pays homage to the Sage
Li Xian nodded affirmatively: "Of course..."

Liu Jianjun then asked, "Then, do you have any dispatch documents for that batch of weapons and armor that you secretly hid in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace?"

Li Xian's expression changed, and he lowered his voice: "We'll talk about this later."

……

Although Li Xian did not need to go through the identity verification process to meet the emperor, he still needed to send out news of his arrival in the capital first, and wait for the emperor's summons before he could meet the emperor.

Therefore, Li Xian also needed to rest at the post station in Chang'an first.

After pulling Liu Jianjun to the post station and locking the door, Li Xian nervously said after confirming that there were no eavesdroppers on the other side of the wall, "Don't say those things outside!"

"Okay, now tell me." Liu Jianjun nodded, then asked suspiciously, "Was it really you who secretly kept those weapons and armor?"

After all, Li Xian's current behavior is too abnormal, like someone who has a guilty conscience.

Li Xian thought for a moment and said bitterly, "Actually, this matter is a bit troublesome. I have to start from the very beginning. Back when I was still the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace had guards. Do you understand that?"

"Hmm." Liu Jianjun nodded. "It wouldn't be proper for a prince like him to go out without some bodyguards."

Li Xian glared at Liu Jianjun; he was already used to Liu Jianjun's nonsensical ramblings.

"The Eastern Palace Guards are called the Ten Guards of the Eastern Palace. They were established in imitation of the Sixteen Guards of the Imperial Guards. The weapons and armor that were found during the search actually belonged to my Eastern Palace Guards. To be precise, they belonged to the Left Inner Guard of the Crown Prince, and were also my personal guards."

“Normally, the deployment of these people’s weapons and armor requires a dispatch document issued by the Armory Office, but that time, it was classified as hoarding because the Armory Office did not have the corresponding dispatch document.”

Liu Jianjun was taken aback and exclaimed, "I thought those weapons and armor were hidden by someone to frame you. So you really did hide them yourself? I didn't realize, Xianzi, you actually have some courage to rebel?"

Li Xian glared at Liu Jianjun and said bitterly, "Otherwise, I would say that the evidence of the rebellion back then is irrefutable!"

"But in reality...weapons and armor are bulky and extremely troublesome to transport back and forth, so each department usually omits the borrowing process...in layman's terms, it means borrowing without returning, only signing borrowing and return documents in the process, without any actual handover of weapons and armor."

"The Armory Administration is used to this kind of thing and has always turned a blind eye to it."

"But the problem is that my Left Inner Commander at the time even skipped this procedure!"

Liu Jianjun frowned and said, "He's too lazy to even sign the temporary transfer documents?"

Li Xian shook his head and said, "I don't know the specifics either. Anyway, the Armory Department couldn't find the loan documents for those weapons and armor at the time, and my Crown Prince's Left Inner Commander also admitted that he hadn't signed any loan documents."

Liu Jianjun pressed further, "What about the Crown Prince's Left Inner Commander?"

"died."

"Dead again?"

"Yes, he committed such a serious crime, of course he would be executed."

Liu Jianjun seemed to have encountered a problem, frowning and thinking for a while before asking, "Didn't that person leave any other clues? What's his surname and given name? What are his physical characteristics? Does he have any relatives or family members...?"

Li Xian shook his head with a wry smile again: "That man's name is Shangguan Mazi..."

"Wait a minute, Shangguan... Pockmarked?"

"Hmm, his surname is Shangguan, and his given name is Mazi. It's because of this strange name that I have a deep impression of him. Although he is handsome, he has no wife or relatives..."

At this point, Liu Jianjun became interested: "Handsome appearance?"

"Hmm...he has the looks of Pan An."

"Tsk tsk, another one who's become an adjective. How does that compare to me?" Liu Jianjun leaned closer, looking curious.

Li Xian was somewhat exasperated by Liu Jianjun's unconventional thinking, but still smiled and said, "You have the appearance of Zou Ji."

"Well, she's not even as pretty as Xu Kunmei from the north of the city," Liu Jianjun sighed.

"Xu Kun?"

"No, go on. Shangguan Mazi died, and then what?"

"Then... I don't know the specifics, but there are rumors that this Shangguan Mazi is Shangguan Tingzhi's illegitimate son..." "And who is Shangguan Tingzhi?"

“Uh… Shangguan Tingzhi is the eldest son of Shangguan Yi, the former Grand Secretary…” Li Xian thought for a moment and figured that Liu Jianjun probably hadn’t heard of Shangguan Yi either, so he said, “This Shangguan Yi was appointed Grand Secretary in the second year of the Longshuo era.”

This time, Liu Jianjun had a look of sudden realization and said, "So, this Shangguan Mazi is also the illegitimate grandson of a prime minister! Doesn't he have any family members who can provide clues? A prime minister's family can't all be dead, can they?"

Li Xian shook his head: "The Shangguan family fell into decline in the first year of Linde. All the male members of the family were executed, and only Shangguan Mazi escaped because he was an illegitimate child."

"Among those around his age, only his younger sister remains, who is only nineteen years old..."

Liu Jianjun sighed: "Well, they're all really dead. The only woman left is almost certainly not going to know anything."

Li Xian also fell silent, unsure how to resolve the situation.

But at this moment, Liu Jianjun stood up, clapped his hands and said, "Alright, I understand the basic situation. Although it has become a little more complicated, it's not a big problem!"

"Not a big problem?" Li Xian was taken aback.

“Since there’s no way to verify the truth, if the other side can make things up, then we can make things up too! Remember that…” Liu Jianjun leaned closer.

……

Another day later.

Li Xian is still a little dizzy.

He felt that Liu Jianjun's idea was too far-fetched.

Can you just make this up?
But for now, he has no choice but to trust Liu Jianjun.

The Emperor happened to be free today and had already ordered an audience with him. Li Xian originally wanted to call Liu Jianjun, but as expected, he was unwilling to meet the Emperor and had already disappeared early this morning.

Li Xian could only go alone.

Chang'an was a city Li Xian knew all too well. He followed the route in his memory toward Danfeng Gate, feeling sentimental about everything he saw along the way. When he arrived at the gate, a eunuch stopped him.

After handing over the letter of homage and the border pass, the young eunuch bowed and then walked into the gate.

Li Xian waited calmly, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

A short while later, the eunuch returned, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "The Emperor summons you in the Western Inner Garden. Please come with me."

Although his words were respectful, he no longer addressed her as "Your Highness," a far cry from his former obsequiousness.

Li Xian composed himself, thanked the eunuch, and followed him inside.

Everything in the imperial city was extremely familiar to Li Xian, but at this moment, Li Xian felt out of place. It was probably what was called "near home, yet feeling apprehensive." The thought of seeing his father, the emperor, soon filled Li Xian with inexplicable nervousness.

But for some reason, Liu Jianjun's cynical smile appeared in Li Xian's mind.

With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Xian didn't know how long he had been walking, but in reality, as long as he was in the imperial city, it was impossible for him to get lost.

This is the place where he was born and raised.

Finally, the young eunuch Li Xian led them to the entrance of the West Inner Garden and respectfully said, "The Sage is inside."

Li Xian forced himself to calm down and walked inside.

At a glance, she saw the old figure sitting in the pavilion. He was weaker than before and even needed her mother's support to sit up straight, but his gaze was still as loving as ever.

As for the Empress Dowager, she still looks the same.

A myriad of emotions surged within Li Xian, but in the end, only one sentence came to his lips: "Li Xian, a commoner, pays his respects to the Sage!"

……

(End of this chapter)