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

Chapter 71 Liu Jianjun's Strange Points of Laughter
Liu Jianjun ultimately did not allow Wang Bo to write the poem.

Because Wang Bo stared at him from head to toe for a long time, and even circled him once, he began to recite: "At the end of the Hongdao era, I returned north from Jiaozhi and re-entered the old Furong Garden. I saw the Chief Clerk Liu Jianjun standing before the steps. He was less than six feet tall, and his face was as black as iron..."

Liu Jianjun interrupted when he heard this.

"No, no, stop reading."

Then, looking annoyed, he muttered, "So you're a realist? Zou Ji was over eight feet tall and handsome, but you start by saying I'm less than six feet tall with an iron face. What are future generations going to think of me?"

Looking at the bewildered Wang Bo, Li Xian finally couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "Mr. Liu, Zi'an, Liu Jianjun is a free spirit. You two will get used to it."

At this moment, Wang Bo and Liu Nayan also bowed to Li Xian and addressed him as "Your Highness Prince Pei".

Li Xian suddenly realized that after Liu Jianjun's commotion, it seemed easier for him to speak to the two of them.

Liu Jianjun is indeed a man of great wisdom.

He ushered the two into the palace.

Liu Nayan clasped his hands and spoke first: "Your Highness Prince Pei, the Empress Dowager's edict summoning this old minister and Zian back to the capital is the same one. This old minister thought there might be some meaning behind it, so he went south to Jiaozhi with the envoy from Chang'an, and then returned to the capital with Zian."

Li Xian suddenly realized.

No wonder these two were able to return at the same time. Li Xian had originally thought that Liu Nayan, who lived nearby, should have arrived at the Prince's residence long ago.

Wang Bo gratefully bowed to Liu Nayan, saying, "I am deeply grateful to Elder Mr. Liu for bringing such good news from so far away!"

He then looked at Li Xian and bowed again, saying, "Your subject Bo..."

"Hey?"

Liu Jianjun suddenly widened his eyes and interrupted.

Wang Bo turned his head with a puzzled look, and Li Xian also turned his head to look at Liu Jianjun with a puzzled look.

"No, no... I just realized your name is Wang Bo, please continue." Liu Jianjun shook his head awkwardly.

Although Wang Bo was puzzled, he had clearly grown accustomed to Liu Jianjun's eccentric personality after the commotion in front of the Wang Mansion, so he nodded and bowed to Li Xian, saying, "Your subject Bo..."

"Pfft..."

Liu Jianjun suddenly laughed again, his face flushed red, as if he was holding back something funny.

"He's so strange," Li Xian said, looking at Liu Jianjun with annoyance. "What's wrong with you?"

"No...no, it just suddenly hit my funny bone..." Liu Jianjun said, then punched his thigh hard to stop laughing. He said to Wang Bo, "Um...you continue, sorry, I have a low threshold for laughter..."

Although Wang Bo did not understand what Liu Jianjun was laughing about, he thought for a moment and continued, "Your subject... has no special experience. Since Your Highness was demoted, I have been living a life of debauchery in Jiaozhi, passing my days in a daze. Suddenly I heard that Your Highness had been restored to the title of Prince of Pei, so I followed Mr. Liu back to Chang'an."

Li Xian nodded, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

Zian was once a bright and promising young man, but now, he bears the marks of time. The sharpness of his youth is gone, replaced by maturity and composure.

At this moment, Liu Jianjun spoke up: "Old Liu, Bozi... never mind, let's just call you Wang Bo. You two have just arrived at the Wang Mansion, and you must be tired from the long journey. Xianzi has specially prepared a private room and a banquet for you to welcome you. Why don't you two come down with us to take a bath and get your feet massaged?"

Liu Nayan and Wang Bo exchanged glances, but considering that Liu Jianjun was the chief secretary of the Prince's mansion, they still looked to Li Xian for instructions.

Seeing that Li Xian did not react, the two men rose, bowed, and took their leave: "In that case, we will follow Chief Clerk Liu's advice." ...

After Liu Nayan and Wang Bo left, Li Xian glared at Liu Jianjun with annoyance and asked, "Why did you send them away?"

"Tsk tsk, you've become noticeably smarter." Liu Jianjun chuckled, and before Li Xian could get angry, he added, "You didn't manage to get rid of the other two, you only managed to get rid of Liu Neyan."

Almost as soon as Liu Jianjun finished speaking, Wang Bo returned to the room with a puzzled look on his face. He led his maid to bow to Liu Jianjun and then gracefully withdrew.

"Your Highness Prince Pei, Chief Secretary Liu?" Wang Bo bowed, looking puzzled.

Liu Jianjun walked straight up to him, put his arm around his shoulder, and led him inside.

Lowering his voice and speaking sincerely, he said, "Um... Mr. Koyasu, my behavior just now was out of necessity. I'm sure you've also noticed that things aren't peaceful in the capital right now, have you?"

Wang Bo glanced at Li Xian with a look of astonishment, only to find that Li Xian was indifferent and unmoved. Suddenly, as if he had figured something out, he looked enlightened and bowed to Liu Jianjun, saying, "Liu Changshi, you are so righteous!"

"I wouldn't call it righteousness. I'm just a country bumpkin who doesn't know much about etiquette. I've even heard that it's impolite to call someone by their given name in Chang'an, but we don't have that rule where I'm from."

Li Xian could tell that Liu Jianjun's use of Wang Bo's full name before Xiu Mi was impolite.

He seemed to value Wang Bo highly.

Wang Bo hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting and repeatedly said, "I dare not," then asked curiously, "Isn't Chief Secretary Liu from Chang'an?"

"Let's not talk about that, time is of the essence." Liu Jianjun waved his hand, leaned closer to Wang Bo, and asked solemnly, "During Mr. Zi'an's return journey, did Liu Neyan try to win you over or befriend you?"

Wang Bo looked surprised: "So... that's why Chief Secretary Liu summoned me back in private?"

Li Xian thought to himself, "Wang Bo is indeed a wise man. He realized in an instant that Liu Jianjun does not trust Liu Neyan."

"That's right. The edicts recalling you two were actually separate. The edict recalling Liu Neyan was issued by the Empress Dowager, while the edict recalling you was issued by Prince Pei after he pleaded with the Empress Dowager."

Liu Jianjun thought for a moment, then said, "To make a long story short, the treason case from back then is questionable. His Highness Prince Pei was framed and is still in danger. We trust you, but we don't trust Liu Neyan, understand?"

Wang Bo stood up straight and solemnly cupped his hands towards Li Xian and Liu Jianjun: "Bo will certainly live up to Your Highness's and Chief Secretary Liu's trust!"

“Answer my previous question,” Liu Jianjun urged.

Wang Bo frowned and pondered for a while before replying, "If we're talking about being on good terms, that's inevitable, but I think it's within the normal range. Mr. Liu and I were summoned to the Prince's residence at the same time, and we'll definitely be colleagues in the future. This kind of friendship doesn't even qualify as trying to win someone over."

“It’s so much easier to talk to smart people!” Liu Jianjun exclaimed. “But that doesn’t mean that I and the Prince of Pei can completely trust Liu Nayan. Perhaps he’s just lying low for now.”

"Therefore, at the banquet later, I will give Mr. Zian some instructions. Everything is for the sake of His Highness Prince Pei's safety. I hope Mr. Zian will understand."

Wang Bo solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Bo will certainly do his utmost!"

Liu Jianjun nodded in satisfaction, teasingly saying, "In that case, Mr. Zian, you should go and enjoy a hot spring bath first. If you still look so travel-worn at the banquet, Liu Neyan will become suspicious."

After Wang Bo left again, Li Xian asked curiously, "Liu Jianjun, is Zi'an trustworthy?"

……

(End of this chapter)