Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

The next morning.

Li Chengqian left the Eastern Palace with only Xiao Shunzi and a few personal guards.

The carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Duke of Qi's mansion.

No, it can no longer be called the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

The imperial gold plaque above the entrance was removed by Tang Jian yesterday afternoon.

Now all that's left is a bare door frame, which looks particularly shabby.

On either side of the main gate, the Hundred Riders were guarding the entrance and exit.

When the captain leading the team saw Li Chengqian, he hurriedly came to greet him.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian said with a smile:

"No need for formalities. I heard that my uncle was unwell, so I brought some tonics to visit him. Your Commander Li didn't say we couldn't come in, did he?"

The captain shook his head and said:

"His Majesty merely ordered that Lord Changsun be placed under house arrest in his residence, and did not conduct any formal visits. Your Highness, please come in."

Thank you for your trouble.

With his hands behind his back, Cheng Li led Xiao Shunzi, who was carrying large and small bags, inside.

The entire mansion now exudes a desolate and decaying atmosphere.

Tang Jian's ransacking of the house was truly like plucking feathers from a passing goose.

The precious bonsai, Taihu stones, and even the few luminous pearls embedded in the corridor in the courtyard were all picked clean.

Li Chengqian shook his head as he walked to the backyard.

The servants in the huge mansion had all been dismissed.

We didn't encounter many people along the way.

When Li Chengqian pushed open the master bedroom door, Changsun Wuji was lying on the bed with his hair disheveled.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes were sunken, and he no longer possessed the imposing presence of his former position as the most powerful minister.

Hearing the door open, Changsun Wuji struggled to lift his head.

Upon recognizing Li Chengqian, Changsun Wuji's eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

He now wished he could pounce on his nephew and bite him to death.

"uncle!"

Li Chengqian sat down on the edge of the bed with a concerned expression.

"You look so unwell. It breaks my heart to see you like this."

Changsun Wuji stared intently at Li Chengqian, and after a long while, uttered a single word:

"roll......"

"Even though my uncle has become like this, he still has such a bad temper."

Li Chengqian wasn't angry at all. He turned around and waved towards the door.

"Little Shunzi, bring in what I've prepared."

Xiao Shunzi quickly picked up the things and placed them on the low table next to the bed.

Changsun Wuji glanced at it.

That one glance almost made him lose his last breath in anger.

On the low table sat a chipped, broken porcelain bowl, half-filled with yellowish, pickled vegetables.

There were also two dark, coarse grain cakes on the side.

"You...you..."

Changsun Wuji pointed at the bowl of pickled vegetables, his fingers trembling so much they were almost blurry.

"Uncle, please don't mind."

Li Chengqian picked up a piece of coarse grain cake and tapped it on the low table.

"This is the way of health preservation that I learned while marching in Liaodong."

Eating too much rich and fatty food can cloud one's judgment; simple meals are best for cultivating one's character.

Li Chengqian pushed the coarse grain cake towards Changsun Wuji:

"This is perfect for my uncle's current situation; it calms his mind, reduces desires, and promotes longevity."

Changsun Wuji rolled his eyes in anger.

"By the way, eating just this isn't enough."

Li Chengqian slapped his forehead.

"Xiao Shunzi, open those rare items I asked you to prepare yesterday and show them to my uncle."

Xiao Shunzi responded and walked in from outside carrying three items.

The first item was a dilapidated bamboo birdcage containing a wild pheasant whose feathers had almost all fallen out.

The pheasant lay listlessly in the cage, too weak even to call out.

"Uncle, this is called a fallen phoenix being worse than a chicken."

Li Chengqian pointed to the birdcage and explained in a serious tone,

"I specially sought this out to cheer you up."

From now on, you should stay home and raise chickens quietly. Don't even think about flying up there anymore; the wind is strong up there, and you might fall and die.

Changsun Wuji's hand, gripping the corner of the blanket, was bulging with veins.

The second item was a large bag of medicine dregs that smelled strange.

"A folk remedy prescribed by the Imperial Medical Academy, specifically for treating insanity."

Li Chengqian thoughtfully placed the packet of medicine residue by the bedside.

"I'm afraid my uncle might be traumatized and lose his mind. You should boil three large bowls of water every day to keep his mind sharp."

Changsun Wuji's face had turned from deathly pale to ashen.

The third item was a piece of moldy, rotten wood that had been carved into a blank memorial tablet.

"A treasure to ward off evil spirits and protect the home."

Li Chengqian placed the memorial tablet neatly beside Changsun Wuji's pillow.

"Uncle, reflect on it every day, how you squandered the Changsun family's century-old foundation."

This is hard work; you'll have to be careful.

"Li Chengqian!"

Changsun Wuji finally couldn't hold back any longer and roared.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

He had just propped himself up halfway when everything went black and he lay back down.

"Uncle, don't get agitated. Getting angry is bad for your health."

Li Chengqian pulled another thread-bound book from his sleeve.

"I know you're suffering, so I brought a copy of the Tao Te Ching to read a couple of passages to you to help ease your resentment."

Li Chengqian pretended to open the book and began to read aloud:

"No misfortune is greater than discontent, no fault is greater than greed. Therefore, contentment is true contentment."

After Li Chengqian finished reading a sentence, he paused and made a note:

"Uncle, listen to me, how well I'm saying this."

People shouldn't be too greedy.

You say you're the emperor's brother-in-law, with the prime minister in office, what more could you possibly want?

"They insist on making trouble for me, insisting on mixing sand into the military rations in Liaodong."

He turned the page and continued reading:

"A house full of gold and jade cannot be kept. Those who are rich and proud will bring disaster upon themselves."

"This sentence is practically tailor-made for you, Uncle."

Look at the gold and silver treasures in your cellar, did you manage to protect them? In the end, didn't they all end up in the national treasury? This is the consequence of being rich and arrogant.

Li Chengqian's every word was aimed at Changsun Wuji's Achilles' heel.

Changsun Wuji bit his lip hard, and a trickle of blood flowed down the corner of his mouth.

He no longer has the strength to curse; he can only passively endure this mental torture.

Just then, Changsun Chong stumbled in.

He was drunk by Cheng Chumo yesterday and slept straight through until now.

He was just woken up by Changsun An, who had stayed behind.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived, he rushed over in a panic without even properly dressing.

"Your Highness!"

Changsun Chong knelt directly in front of Li Chengqian.

"My father has fallen to such a state. I beg Your Highness to show mercy and leave the Changsun family with a last bit of dignity."

Li Chengqian casually tossed the Tao Te Ching onto the low table.

He stood up, looked at Changsun Chong kneeling on the ground, and then gave a cold glance at Changsun Wuji on the bed.

Then he leaned down and whispered in Changsun Wuji's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Uncle, you're a smart man. I'm here today to make you face reality."

The Changsun family is finished, and you, Changsun Wuji, are also ruined.

But don't worry, as long as you behave yourself and serve me dutifully from now on, I'll protect your old life.

This is the only condition I agreed to for Mother.

Li Chengqian pointed to the bowl of pickled vegetables on the low table.

"Without the Empress Dowager's instructions, this bowl of sour pickled vegetable pancakes would be your last meal before you, Changsun Wuji, are beheaded."

Changsun Wuji was startled.

He never expected that his sister would ultimately protect him.

Changsun Wuji closed his eyes, looking as if he had aged ten years.

All the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind vanished upon hearing Li Chengqian's words.

Li Chengqian walked over to Changsun Chong and patted him on the shoulder:

"Cousin, wash your face properly once you've sobered up. Come to the Eastern Palace to see me at 9 PM tonight."

After saying that, Li Chengqian laughed and left.

Changsun Chong watched Li Chengqian's departing figure, then turned to look at his silent father on the bed, and closed his eyes in anguish.

Sin! ! !