Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 373 Li Shi's Visit
The atmosphere in Chang'an was not as tense and solemn as it had been the day before, but security forces had still been significantly strengthened.

Especially in the neighborhood between Zhuquemen Hengjie and Xingqing Palace, the Jinwuwei Street Envoy and the Yulin Flying Cavalry shuttled back and forth constantly, thoroughly investigating any suspicious persons. This made the pedestrians on the road very nervous, and they all hurried along without daring to linger.

Zhang Dai and his entourage accompanied the king without being questioned. By the time they returned to the Prince of Qi's residence in Anxingfang, it was already late. Li Xia and Dou E took their leave first, while Zhang Dai followed the Prince of Hedong into the residence.

Although, in terms of timing, the Princess of Yunyang started to fly into a rage the day before yesterday after they parted ways and went home, Zhang Dai was not sure if the princess was angered by him. At least when they parted, the princess still appeared calm and composed.

He certainly wouldn't admit to the King of Hedong that he was suspected, but he was quite nervous when he accompanied him to the palace. After entering, he found that the atmosphere at the palace was quite different from usual. The courtyard was quieter and cleaner than before, and the servants inside and outside the palace all had serious expressions and did not smile.

"Where have the flowering trees I had transplanted to the front yard gone? Those trees are all about to bud, and once they bloom, they will be beautiful and lovely!"

When the King of Hedong returned home, he noticed something was wrong and pointed to several pits in the front garden, shouting angrily.

"Yes, yes, it is the county princess. The county princess instructed that one must be mindful of the smallest details in one's daily life and self-cultivation. While the vibrant and alluring flowers may be pleasing to the eye for a moment, prolonged viewing will surely disturb one's mind. Pine, cypress, and bamboo are better for soothing the spirit..."

A servant quickly stepped forward and explained in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong couldn't help but glare. He glanced at the back of the house, then stopped shouting and said to Zhang Dai with a regretful expression, "This place was planted with various famous plants such as roses and peonies that I specially sent people to Longyou and Yangzhou to find. The cost was countless, and the effort was painstaking. I had planned to invite my friends to come and admire the flowers after they were in full bloom, and to compose poems to commemorate them. I never expected that they would all be dug up overnight!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. At that time, flower horticulture and transportation logistics were not as developed as they would be in later generations. A single famous flower could easily cost hundreds or even thousands of strings of cash. If you added the costs of searching, transporting, and cultivating it, a scene of abundant flowers would probably require thousands or even tens of thousands of strings of cash to achieve.

For some unknown reason, the Princess of Yunyang threw a tantrum and dug up and discarded all the famous flowers in the garden, which shows her arrogant side!

He originally had an extremely good impression of the county princess. She was exceptionally beautiful, had an ethereal and otherworldly temperament, was composed and reasonable, and did things in an orderly manner. She was simply an ideal type that was rare in the world.

But now it seems that his understanding was not comprehensive. If the two were to fall in love and be destined to stay together for life, Zhang Dai would certainly be willing to tolerate some minor flaws in the other's personality, since no one is perfect. However, he did not have the vast wealth and power of the Prince of Qi, and he was afraid he could not tolerate them for long.

While he was inwardly agonizing, the Prince of Hedong chuckled foolishly beside him: "Luckily, luckily, there's still one peony left from Shangyang Palace! Haha, of the thousands of flowers in Shangyang Palace, this Huangfei peony is the most exquisite! Zhang Dai, you've probably never seen the most beautiful Huangfei peony in Shangyang Palace, have you? When it's in full bloom in late spring, come to my house to admire it, and perhaps you can even compose a famous poem about it that will be passed down for generations!"

This guy is quite magnanimous. When he saw that there was only one peony tree left in the flower bed, he couldn't help but clap and laugh. He completely forgot about the flowers he had lost earlier. He can truly be described as a rich guy with a big heart.

As they were talking, the Prince of Hedong invited Zhang Dai to the guest hall.

Normally, Zhang Dai would have found an excuse to visit the Princess of Yunyang in the back hall, but today he felt a little guilty and unsure whether he should stay as a guest. Despite his hesitation, he silently followed the Prince of Hedong into the main hall and sat down.

"Go into the hall and ask your wife if she wants to see Zhang Dai, who is visiting the house."

The Prince of Hedong was unaware of Zhang Dai's guilty conscience and even thought that having someone there would embolden him and allow him to test whether the girl's anger had subsided.

However, a servant from the Prince's residence said, "The County Princess left home this morning and has not returned yet."

"out?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong visibly relaxed. He then instructed his servants to go to the back of the house to prepare some polo protective gear, while he himself kept Zhang Dai in the hall for a chat.

Just then, a gatekeeper came to report: "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Duke of Ying have come to visit and have been invited to wait in the front hall."

Upon hearing that the Prince of Hedong had a visitor, Zhang Dai immediately stood up and said, "Since Your Majesty has a guest, I shall take my leave now and await Your Majesty's instructions another day."

“No need, and you don’t need to rush off. It’s getting late, and A-Yu will probably be back soon. My relationship with the Duke of Ying is lukewarm, and I don’t know why he’s visiting, so there’s no need for me to entertain him.” The King of Hedong, however, was unwilling to let Zhang Dai go. He raised his hand to keep him there while saying to his servant, “Go and invite the Duke of Ying in. He won’t stay long if he sees that I have a guest in the hall.”

The Minister of the Imperial Clan was an official in charge of matters concerning the imperial clan, and was usually held by a respected elder from the royal family. Duke Li Qiu of Ying was the grandson of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and the son of Prince Xu Li Sujie, making him a cousin of the current emperor, only one step further than Prince Bin Li Shouli.

The Prince of Hedong claimed that he had no dealings or friendship with the Duke of Ying, but because of his official position, he could not refuse to see him and still had to make an excuse to meet him. So he and Zhang Dai went to the central courtyard to greet him.

Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe was led in by a servant of the Prince's mansion. He was none other than Li Qiu, the Duke of Ying. Behind Li Qiu, however, was another middle-aged man carrying a long box, walking briskly. He looked like Li Qiu's attendant, but when Zhang Dai looked closer, he realized that it was actually Li Linfu.

Li Linfu was clearly surprised that Zhang Dai was actually heading home from Hedong. He froze on the spot for a moment, and only after being left more than ten feet behind by Li Qiu walking ahead did he hurriedly catch up.

"I have come to pay my respects without prior notice, and I apologize for disturbing Your Majesty's peaceful residence!"

When Li Qiu and Li Linfu arrived before the King of Hedong, they bowed deeply to him.

The Prince of Hedong stepped forward and took Li Qiu's arm, saying with a smile, "The elders of the Ying Gong clan are keen to mentor younger generations. Today, they have come here to offer their guidance, and I, the Prince, will certainly welcome them with open arms!"

He was not a high-ranking official, and Li Linfu had been detached from political affairs for years. He assumed that this ordinary-looking man was just Li Qiu's attendant and did not inquire further. He then introduced Zhang Dai to Li Qiu: "This is Zhang Yan's worthy grandson, the top scholar in the provincial examination of the Dingmao year, and the best scholar in the imperial examination. He is now serving in two provinces, Zhang Dai and Zhang Zongzhi, and he serves in the same court as Lord Ying. You two must know each other, right?"

"Your humble servant Zhang Dai greets Lord Ying."

Following the introduction by the King of Hedong, Zhang Dai stepped forward and bowed.

Li Qiu's response was rather lukewarm; he merely nodded slightly and then added, "It turns out that Zhang Xielu was also a guest at the Prince's residence. The Prince's demeanor is exceptionally refined, and following his example will benefit one's mind and body."

The man's cold attitude didn't surprise Zhang Dai. Besides the others introduced by the Prince of Hedong, he was also the nephew of Consort Wu Hui.

Li Qiu's father, Prince Xu, Li Sujie, was the son of Consort Xiao. Both mother and son were killed by Empress Wu Zetian. As her descendant, Li Qiu is one of the most vigilant and wary members of the Li Tang imperial family of the time, and naturally has little goodwill towards Zhang Dai.

"Your humble servant Li Linfu pays his respects to the King of Hedong! Your Majesty is handsome and dignified, truly deserving of the family's reputation as a jade tree! The spring sun is dreary, making one feel listless, but upon seeing Your Majesty's heroic figure, I feel refreshed and clear-headed, as if I have drunk sweet rain!"

Putting aside the animosity between Zhang Dai and Li Qiu, Li Linfu suddenly stepped forward, bowed deeply before the King of Hedong, and said respectfully.

His humble and enthusiastic attitude made Li Qiu, who was traveling with him, blush slightly. He then chuckled and introduced Li Shi to the Prince of Hedong: "This Li Shi is also a shrewd and capable member of the clan. He is a cousin of General Li and has long admired Your Majesty's reputation. He asked me to introduce him to the court."

The Prince of Hedong had always been interested in sensual pleasures and had little knowledge of current affairs or the entanglement between Zhang Dai and Li Linfu. Seeing that Li Linfu was so respectful and spoke so pleasantly, he said with a smile, "Since we are both relatives, Li Shi, there is no need for such formalities! My family has this gate, and people are not restricted from coming and going. You can come directly to visit. Why bother traveling all the way to Ying Gong?"

"Your Majesty is noble and approachable, and treats scholars with respect, deeply embodying the spirit of Emperor Huiwen, which is truly admirable! I have no reputation to boast of, and I am ashamed to be disturbed as an unknown person, so I have taken the liberty of asking the Duke of Ying for an audience. Today, having received your esteemed guidance, I realize how shallow my knowledge was in the past. In the future, I will certainly be brave enough to climb the steps to seek an audience, and I hope Your Majesty will not disapprove."

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu was overjoyed. He bowed deeply again and raised the long box high with both hands, saying, "I have come here without permission, but I have nothing to offer. My late uncle, Jinglong, once served as a guard in the palace and painted 'The Cockfighting in the Golden Palace,' based on what he saw and heard. This matter involves forbidden areas and has not been shown to the public. It has been kept in secret at home. Now I present it to Your Majesty to enhance your enjoyment. I hope Your Majesty will accept it with pleasure!"

"Since it was actually painted by General Li himself, I must take a good look at it and appreciate it!"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong was immediately moved. He quickly had someone carefully take the long box containing the painting scroll and invited the two men to come into the hall. He then said to Zhang Dai with a smile, "If I hadn't kept you here, how could Zhang Dai have had the honor of seeing General Li's painting in person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai simply smiled and nodded, but his gaze couldn't help but linger on Li Linfu's face. He wondered what this fellow was up to by offering such generous gifts at the Prince of Qi's residence.
Could it be that this guy is also imitating his actions, having found out that he has a large amount of money dealings with the Qi Wang family, so he also plans to befriend the He Dong Wang to cut off his own funding chain?
Whatever Li Linfu's intentions were, since he had happened to run into him, he naturally wanted to take a look. So Zhang Dai wasn't in a hurry to leave, and simply followed behind the Prince of Hedong as they slowly walked back into the hall.

(End of this chapter)