Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 430 The Powerful and the Common People

In the bright sunshine of mid-August, the summer air already carried a hint of early autumn's desolation. Fallen leaves drifted in the wind, rippling on the water's surface.

Li Zhi turned his gaze away from the water and sat back down in his chair.

After finishing his daily official duties, he would stare at the lake for a while, and the complicated thoughts arising from the affairs of various places would gradually return to calm.

"Fusheng, do you think Xue Rengui and the others have all arrived at their respective battle locations?" Li Zhi leaned back in his chair and picked up a tangerine to eat.

Wang Fusheng said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, judging from the time, the Imperial Guards should have arrived in Yingzhou. That is to say, General Li, General Xue, and the others should have already arrived in Yingzhou."

Li Zhi nodded, signaling him to continue.

Wang Fusheng continued, "General Gao Kan's journey to Laizhou should be even faster, and he must have already made preparations. Only General Yuchi and General Cheng will have to travel to the Xiongjin Governor's Office, which will probably take longer."

Li Zhi said, "Yes, the sea route depends on the weather. The two old generals are quite old, so it probably won't arrive so quickly."

"Your Majesty, there is something I don't quite understand," Wang Fusheng asked cautiously, observing Li Zhi's expression.

Li Zhi glanced at him and smiled, "You want to ask me why I sent two old generals to the Xiongjin Governor's Office?"

Wang Fusheng said, "Yes."

Li Zhi said slowly, "The two old generals are getting on in years. The terrain is flatter when we march from Xiongjin Governor's Office, so we will have to travel less."

Wang Fusheng said, "That's how it is." He was still puzzled. Qibi Heli was also an old general. Why did the emperor send him to the northern army? Was it because he was a barbarian general that the emperor didn't care about his life or death?

He naturally did not understand that Li Zhi sent Qibi Heli to the Northern Four Routes because the war to destroy Goguryeo was one of Qibi Heli's glorious achievements.

To minimize historical inaccuracies, Li Zhi ordered the attack to proceed from the north, hoping for a smoother campaign.

Li Zhi suddenly asked, "Fu Sheng, what do you think of the results of my training of the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince?"

Wang Fusheng hurriedly said, "I think the effect is very good. The three young princes have not only learned about the hardships of the people, but their brotherly affection for each other has also been greatly strengthened!"

Li Zhi nodded and said, "That's right, the effect is indeed better than expected. This proves that they are not bad students, but are just influenced by their environment."

Wang Fusheng said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right."

Li Zhi said, "From this incident, I have also realized that in educating our children, we must dare to let go and let them undergo more trials so that they can become great people."

Wang Fusheng knew Li Zhi's thoughts best. Startled, he said, "Your Majesty, you don't intend to send the three young princes to the front lines, do you?"

Li Zhi laughed and said, "You know me best. However, I won't send them to the battlefield, otherwise they'll only hold the generals back. I plan to send them to Laizhou to help Zhong'er and be in charge of logistics. What do you think?"

Wang Fusheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have no objection."

He hesitated because, in his memory, Li Yong and the other two had never had a good relationship with Li Zhong.

But on second thought, this opportunity might help improve the relationship between the princes.

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Very well, go and issue an imperial decree summoning the three of them to the palace for an audience."

Wang Fusheng suggested, "Your Majesty, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Why don't we wait until after the festival before letting them go?"

Li Zhi suddenly realized, "Is tomorrow the Mid-Autumn Festival? Hmm, that's good. Tomorrow evening, send someone to bring them to the palace so the family can have a meal together."

Wang Fusheng agreed.

The following day, the Mid-Autumn Festival, officials were given a day off, and the streets of Chang'an were even more lively than usual. People celebrated the festival with each other and discussed the war in Liaodong.

The news that the Tang Dynasty was going to attack Goguryeo had already spread throughout the city.

Restaurants and teahouses have always been the best places to discuss current affairs, and most of the guests who frequent Mojiaxuan are from wealthy families.

These people's opinions are often based on certain considerations, and their discussions often seem quite serious.

Li Yong had always been interested in military affairs, and while he was at home, he would always send people to inquire about them. Now, hearing the guests discussing military matters, it suited his mind perfectly.

Sometimes, he would stand and eavesdrop for quite a while while serving tea to the guests, until Li Xiao came over to remind him.

The guests were discussing nothing more than the Eighth Route Army commanders who were leading the expedition and speculating on who would be the first to capture Pyongyang.

Some older people tend to favor veteran generals, such as Li Ji, Yuchi Gong, and Cheng Zhijie.

Most of the younger people shared Li Yong's opinion, believing that Xue Rengui would be the first to capture Pyongyang.

These two opinions are the mainstream.

In addition, some non-Han people believed that Qibi Heli was the strongest force in the Eighth Route Army, while some scions of aristocratic families favored Zheng Rentai, and merchants from Liangzhou supported Jiang Ke.

In short, there were all sorts of opinions.

Moreover, during their discussions, they would recount the glorious deeds of various generals, which greatly broadened Li Yong's horizons.

That afternoon, he stood near the stairwell, holding a plate and a rag slung over his shoulder, listening to people talking.

From this angle, it's not easy for anyone to notice that he's slacking off.

As a result, it took almost half an hour to listen.

Fortunately, after the training course ended, there weren't as many customers. Li Xiao knew he was slacking off, but he didn't say anything to him and took over some of his work.

Seeing that it was almost time to finish work, Li Lian ran out of the kitchen, and the two of them went to find Li Yong to remind him that he had finished his work for the day and could go out for a meal.

Li Yong was listening intently to a group of guests recounting a heroic deed of Yuchi Gong, and he was so captivated that he said, "You go ahead, I'll come find you later."

Li Lian laughed and said, "Third brother, there's a play at Bodhi Temple tonight, it's about to start, aren't you going to watch it?"

They didn't like watching plays before.

After working in the restaurant for a few months, I couldn't find any entertainment. Seeing that the people on the street liked to go to the temple to watch free variety shows, I went to see them a few times as well.

After a while, I also developed a liking for watching plays.

Li Yong struggled with his thoughts for a while, thinking that he could listen to Yuchi Gong's story another day, but if he missed today's performance, he would never see it again. So he went back to the backyard to tidy up and went out onto the street with the two of them.

They've become quite extravagant with their money lately; they deliberately circled four neighborhoods to buy food in Zhaoguo Neighborhood in the south.

There is a flatbread stall on Zhaoguofang South Street, where a flatbread costs only two coins.

Moreover, the stall owner was an honest man. Every time the three brothers bought six cakes, he would charge them two coins less, only ten coins.

The three of them then used the two coins they had saved to buy a bowl of herbal tea at the cold water shop diagonally across the street.

That means each person only needs to spend four yuan to eat their fill!

Li Lian's lips were as sweet as honey; as she drank her tea, she kept praising the shopkeeper's tea as delicious, sweet, and thirst-quenching.

The shopkeeper was pleased by his praise and grabbed a handful of dates to give to him.

So the three of them ate dates as they made their way to Bodhi Temple, chatting and laughing leisurely, completely forgetting that they were being punished.

Arriving at the gate of Bodhi Temple, the area was bustling with activity; there were quite a few people like them who had come to watch the play for free.

The theater was set up on an open space to the west of the temple, with a small wooden stage erected, and the area around it was already crowded with people watching the performance.

Only on the north side of the wooden platform was a shed erected, inside which was the "Feiyu Troupe" performing for everyone for free today.

Li Yong looked around and said, "My goodness, why are there so many people today?"

Li Lian glanced at him and said, "Third brother, have you forgotten? Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Li Yong was stunned upon hearing this. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Gaozong would hold a banquet to celebrate the festival with his ministers, and they would all attend. In addition, they would also attend a banquet for the imperial clan in the evening.

These days, banquets should still be held as usual, but unfortunately they can no longer attend.

Li Xiao glanced at him and said, "Sanlang, there's no need to be sad. Isn't it good that we brothers can celebrate the festival together?"

Li Yong nodded vigorously and said with a smile, "Let's go see what shows we can watch today."

The three of them squeezed through the crowd.

Li Yong, worried that his two brothers would be pushed aside, walked at the front, holding one of them with each hand. He was strong and could easily push others aside.

Just as they squeezed to a spot near the wooden platform, they suddenly saw a group of people approaching from a distance, who appeared to be servants of a wealthy mansion.

Li Yong heard someone next to him sigh, "It's over, we won't be able to enjoy the show today."

Li Lian hurriedly asked the man, "Why?"

The man sighed, "Those thugs must have come looking for the Flying Feather Troupe, wanting them to perform for a nobleman. Of course, the Flying Feather Troupe can't perform for us!"

Li Lian frowned and asked, "Will the Flying Feather Class definitely go?"

The man glanced at him and said, "Of course we'll go. The Flying Feather Troupe is performing here for free, what's their goal? Isn't it to gain some fame and catch the eye of those powerful and wealthy people? Now that they've finally made a name for themselves, and some important people are inviting them, how could they not want to go?"

After hearing this, the three brothers exchanged glances, realizing for the first time the difference between ordinary people and the powerful, and felt a deep sense of unease.

Li Lian muttered, "Forget it, let's go back."

Li Xiao didn't move. He frowned as he watched the group of powerful servants slowly approaching and said, "Why do these people look so familiar?"

Li Yong hurriedly reminded him, "Perhaps you know their owner, Second Brother. Be careful not to be recognized."

Li Xiao laughed and said, "We've been putting on makeup every day, and now it's dark, so you won't recognize us."

The throng of slaves parted like a fast-moving speedboat, making way for them.

Before long, they arrived at the wooden shed to the north and negotiated with the leader of the Flying Feather Clan.

Just as Li Yong and his friends were about to leave, they suddenly heard someone shout, "Look, they're arguing!"

Li Yong turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in his forties negotiating with the group of tyrants. Judging from the menacing expressions of the tyrants, it seemed that a real dispute had broken out.

Li Yong asked, "What's going on? Does the Flying Feather Troupe not want to perform for them?"

Li Lian frowned and said, "I don't know. Let's squeeze through and listen."

By this time, quite a few people had already moved closer to the wooden shed.

Li Yong, with his two brothers, squeezed through with difficulty, just in time to hear a shrewish cry from a powerful servant.

"Fine, you've got guts! You dare to refuse the Zhou family's invitation? If your Flying Feather Troupe can still hold its ground in Chang'an City within three days, I, Liao, will kneel on the ground and kowtow to your Master Xu! Let's go!"

Seeing that Hao Nu had actually left with his men, the crowd cheered loudly, thinking that the Fei Yu Troupe had refused the nobleman in order to put on a show for everyone.

Unexpectedly, their joy was short-lived. Several monks came over and spoke to the Feiyu Troupe members, who then informed everyone that the performance could not be held today.

Everyone guessed that it must have been those powerful servants who pressured the temple that caused these monks to come and drive away Fei Yu's group, and they all cursed the bald monk for being unrighteous.

In any case, the performance couldn't be staged, and everyone dispersed.

Li Yong sighed, "What a disappointment. We won't be able to see this show after all."

Li Lian said, "Let's go back. It's free anyway, so we won't lose out."

Li Xiao frowned but remained silent.

Li Lian glanced at him and asked, "Second brother, what's wrong?"

Li Xiao said in a deep voice, "I remember who those people's owner is."

"Who?" they both asked.

Li Xiaodao: "Zhou Boyu."

Li Lian asked, "Is he the son of Aunt Linchuan?"

Li Xiao nodded.

Li Yong's heart stirred, recalling that every time he went to see Li Xiao in the past, he was always accompanied by several followers, one of whom was Zhou Boyu.

Li Lian, unaware of these things, asked again, "Second brother, how do you know the people around Zhou Boyu?"

Li Xiao raised his hand and said, "We'll talk about that later. This Flying Feather Class has offended Zhou Boyu and may face retaliation."

Li Yong had also inquired about Zhou Boyu's situation and knew that this man was extremely arrogant and vindictive in Chang'an City because his mother was Princess Linchuan.

Not to mention Zhou Boyu, Li Xiao in the past wasn't much better. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hanging out with Zhou Boyu.

Li Xiao obviously thought about his past actions, and a look of shame appeared on his face. He said, "Sanlang, Silang, I want to help the Feiyu Class."

Li Lian didn't understand his feelings and quickly said, "If you help them, Zhou Boyu might recognize you!"

Li Yong said, "Second brother, tell fourth brother about your situation and Zhou Boyu's situation."

Li Xiao glanced at him, saw him nod at him, took a deep breath, and recounted all the misdeeds he had committed in the past.

“Back then, whenever I saw a good chicken, Zhou Boyu and Wei Yue would bring it to me the next day. Later, I heard from others that they used some underhanded methods to get those chickens. They also bullied others and acted tyrannically. Not only did I not stop them, I even protected them…”

At this point, Li Xiaoyi lowered his head.

After hearing this, Li Lian sighed and said, "No wonder Father punished us by making us work here."

Li Xiao said in a low voice, "I've dragged you all down with me. I was truly bewitched at the time. When Sanlang came to persuade me, I spoke coldly to him."

Li Yong touched his nose, turned his head to the side, and said, "That's all in the past. It's good that you've come to your senses now."

After hearing Li Xiao's words, Li Lian felt a chill of fear. He felt that if he continued to be decadent for a few more years, he might end up like Li Xiao.

"Second brother, if you want to help them, then help them. I support you."

Li Yong quickly added, "I support you too, but we need to think of a way to avoid our father finding out!"

Li Lian smiled slightly and said in a low voice, "Actually, there's no need to worry. Even if Father finds out, he won't blame us."

Li Xiao and Li Yong both looked at him, puzzled, and asked, "Why?"

Li Lian lowered his voice even further and said, "Think about it, what a huge mistake it was that my second brother made when he came back to the mansion to get the chicken that day, yet Father just glossed over it. Why is that?"

Li Yong said, "Father was happy because my second brother killed his Flying General!"

Li Lian laughed and said, "That's right. Although my second brother made a mistake, killing the Flying General shows his remorse. Father was happy and let him off lightly."

"Now that my second brother wants to help the Flying Feather Class, it's to make up for his past mistakes. Father will definitely be pleased and won't blame him!"

Li Yong laughed and said, "That's right, you, fourth brother, understand your father's thoughts better."

After listening to his two younger brothers' analysis, Li Xiao's last bit of hesitation disappeared, and he hurriedly said, "Then let's hurry up and follow the Flying Feather Class..."

Looking up, they discovered that while they were talking, the members of the Flying Feather Class had already packed their things and left the Bodhi Temple.

(End of this chapter)