Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 198 Give Me a Plan to Avoid Involving Father Emperor

The cold glint was pressed against his neck, but Du Caigan showed no fear whatsoever.

He looked at the people in front of him and sneered.

"Your Majesty, why do you have to do this? Why do you have to do this!"

He believed that Li Yuan had betrayed him, which was why he was so angry at his son's lack of self-discipline.

Huang Chun didn't explain to him, but kicked him in the knee and took him down.

He then looked up at Li Desheng, who was taken aback and quickly shook his head, saying, "I know nothing, I know nothing."

"Take them all with us!" Huang Chun sheathed his sword and shouted coldly. Two hundred riders stepped forward behind him.

Upon seeing this, Li Desheng exclaimed in surprise, "My son, my son Li Yifu, is a student of Wenxianzi."

Huang Chun ignored him, ordered his men to gag him, and took him away.

After everyone had left, he asked those around him.

"Does the young master have other students?"

He knew that Wen He had taken several princes as students, but he didn't expect there to be outsiders among them.

The rider beside him recalled for a moment, then nodded and said, "It seems there really was one. He came with the young master before. His name was Li Yifu."

"Is that one of our own?" Huang Chun nodded slightly and said to his subordinate, "Then arrange a comfortable place for him. Send someone to Gao Yangzi's residence to summon that..."

"Li Yifu."

"Oh, right, Li Yifu has sent a hundred cavalry to lead the men."

Judging from Li Desheng's appearance just now, he knew that Li was not a man with guts.

Such people are opportunistic, but even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to rebel.

But since the person was there, he had no choice but to arrest him.

Not long after, Li Yifu, who was picking pig manure with Li You, learned the news and was so shocked that he turned pale.

He rushed to the Hundred Riders and brought his father out.

When Li Desheng came out of the Hundred Cavalry Prison, he looked more than ten years older, and his legs trembled uncontrollably as he walked.

"It's so brutal."

After leaving the Hundred Riders and traveling quite a distance, Li Desheng spoke in a trembling voice, his voice trembling with a hint of tears.

"Father, how could you be so foolish as to try to curry favor with those people of dubious origin? If it weren't for the sake of the master, do you think you could have left the Hundred Riders so easily?"

Li Yifu complained irritably.

It's also thanks to Wen He that he is still the chief inspector of the Hundred Riders.

Otherwise, he was afraid he would never see his father again.

"Du Caigan is highly regarded by the Emperor. I am now over forty years old and only hope to take a small step forward."

Li Desheng sighed deeply, also feeling fortunate for his good fortune.

"You are already a fourth-rank official."

"But that's just a prefectural governor."

Li Desheng's biggest regret was that he could not come to Chang'an to serve as an official.

Now it is the Tang Dynasty, and the power of a prefectural governor is nowhere near that of the Former Han Dynasty.

He was indeed already a fourth-rank official, but he didn't have a single noble title.

This means that if Li Yifu were to retire or die one day, he wouldn't even be able to obtain a hereditary title.

Li Yifu knew what his father was thinking, and he chuckled and said, "Father, have you forgotten who my teacher is now?"

“Father didn’t forget. He just wanted to leave you with more support. He never expected that you would actually go to purgatory.”

He still shudders at the memory of what he had witnessed at the Hundred Riders.

The methods used by those hundred riders to interrogate people were extremely cruel.

Especially Huang Chun, who seemed harmless, but unexpectedly turned out to be such a cruel official.

Du Caigan was so tortured that he even shouted, "Kill me!"

"Don't think about it anymore, you should go back to the post station as soon as possible. You've been in Chang'an for quite some time now, it's time to go back to Weizhou."

Li Yifu also sensed that something was amiss in the prevailing atmosphere in Chang'an.

The last time the Ministry of Civil Affairs was greedy, the Hundred Cavalry made many people in Chang'an City feel extremely uneasy.

But that's not the worst part.

He still remembered the cavalry officer named Xu Jingzong, who had suddenly disappeared for a long time.

He had just seen Xu Jingzong among the hundred riders. The man was noticeably darker and had a lot of skin peeling off his face.

This is clearly a trip to the North.

Surprisingly, there was not a single word about this matter in Chang'an.

He began following his father when he was eight years old, experiencing the ups and downs of officialdom.

So he understood a truth very early on.

What is unknown to others is the most terrifying.

"Have you arrested Li Yifu's father?"

Inside the Da'an Palace, Wen He, upon learning of this, was somewhat amused and exasperated.

He never expected that Li Desheng would actually contact Du Caigan.

Or rather, the latter deliberately sought to get close to the governors of various regions.

If that's the case, then this matter involves quite a few people.

However, given Li Desheng's precedent, those who had only met Du Caigan a few times should only be arrested and questioned by the Hundred Cavalry before being released.

Huang Chun and Xu Jingzong are both intelligent people; they wouldn't be foolish enough to do something as foolish as erring on the side of killing the innocent rather than letting the guilty go free.

For Li Shimin, the most important thing now is to stabilize the court and prevent these things from having any impact on the Tang Dynasty.

"You brat, what are you daydreaming about? Is the meat cooked yet?!"

Wen He was deep in thought when Li Yuan's impatient reprimand came from behind her.

That old man insisted on having roast beef for dinner, and wouldn't let the cook do it, insisting that Wen He do it instead.

However, it must be said that Li Yuan, that old man, certainly knew how to enjoy life.

The spices used are all top-quality; just smelling them is enough to make your mouth water.

Wen He had secretly eaten a few pieces earlier, and wanted to let Li Yuan try them first.

"This little brat must have stolen some food. How can it take so long to grill meat?" Li Daozong looked up at Wen He, but before he could even glance at her, Li Yuan slapped him on the head.

"Just focus on your chess game. You were quite clever when you were young, so how come you're so clumsy at learning chess?"

Li Yuan glared at him irritably, then picked up a chess piece and checkmated him.

Li Daozong looked helpless and said, "Your Majesty, how about we play Liubo? This game is too difficult."

"I'm already tired of that thing."

Li Yuan snorted, turned around, and looked outside the palace walls.

"It's a pity that I'm too old to ride a horse and hunt anymore. In the past, at this time of year, Erlang would always win the deer hunt in the Forbidden Garden."

His eyes looked somewhat forlorn.

However, Li Daozong did not dare to respond to him and instead lowered his head to fiddle with the chess pieces.

"It's placed incorrectly!"

Li Yuan didn't hold back and smacked him on the head again.

Now approaching thirty, he was treated like a child in front of Li Yuan.

"All right."

At this moment, Wen He came over with a plate of beef and placed it on the table between the two of them. He glanced down at the chess pieces that Li Daozong had set up and then helped him put them back in the correct positions.

"Little one, don't you have any fun games? This chess game is too boring. Do you have any games that three people can play?"

Li Daozong wanted to bring Wen He into the picture as well.

That way he wouldn't keep getting beaten by Li Yuan.

Wen He chuckled and was about to refuse when she saw Li Yuan cast a meaningful glance at her.

"Find something fun, and I'll give you a gold leaf."

Wen He's gloomy expression suddenly turned fervent.

If there are gold leaves, why not take them?

"Yes, of course we have. There are three of us, so why don't we play... bandit fighting?"

The name "Dou Dizhu" is definitely not allowed.

I might as well change the name.

"How do you play?" Li Yuan asked curiously.

He had been playing chess for quite some time and was indeed getting a little tired of it.

Since Wen He is here now, let's let this brat come up with some fun ideas.

Since the gold leaf is gone, I'll go ask Erlang for it.

"Let's make something first." Since there was no cardboard, Wen He used wooden signs instead.

Li Yuan happened to have craftsmen who specialized in making leaf-shaped cards, so making a wooden version of playing cards wouldn't be difficult.

Before long, Wen He, Li Yuan, and Li Daozong were gathered around a plate of roast beef, playing cards—no, I mean, playing against bandits.

Wen He grew tired of these tedious and long days by the second day.

He wanted to slap himself for taking on this responsibility.

Fortunately, on the third day, Li Shimin sent someone to pick him up early in the morning.

"His Majesty said that the magistrate of Gaoyang County has wasted three days in Da'an Palace, and it is time for him to go to the palace to practice martial arts today."

It was Gao Yue who came; the other eunuchs beside Li Shimin dared not come here.

Li Yuan snorted in dissatisfaction and casually tossed the wooden plaque in his hand onto the table.

"I'm done playing, it's no fun at all. Go find a dancer, I want to drink!"

He acts like a child, using this to express his dissatisfaction.

He glared at Wen He and waved his hand impatiently: "Get out, get out, I get annoyed just looking at you."

"Then this humble subject will take his leave."

Wen He smiled and let out a long sigh of relief.

'Finally, we're liberated!'

However, as soon as he left Da'an Palace, Gao Yue invited him to mount a horse.

"No, His Majesty really wants me to learn martial arts?"

He thought Li Shimin felt that he had been staying in Da'an Palace for too long, since he needed to keep an eye on papermaking and tea making outside.

That's why I asked Gao Yue to help me get rid of this burden.

I never expected that they would actually take me to the palace.

“What are you saying, Wen County County Boy? If it weren’t for His Majesty’s summons, this servant would not dare to falsely convey his orders.”

Gao Yue's smile was forced and insincere.

Wen He was speechless upon hearing this.

When he arrived at the palace, Li Chengqian, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You were all there.

Li Shimin, dressed in a light blue short-sleeved outfit and holding a wooden sword, was demonstrating swordsmanship to them.

They stopped when they saw Wen He arrive.

"Wei Chen has met your Majesty."

Wen He stepped forward and bowed. Li Shimin walked to the side, picked up a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp before letting him stand up.

Then he asked casually, "How is the Emperor Emeritus?"

"He's in good health and has a great appetite, but he's a bit short-tempered, though that's understandable."

Wen He chuckled, which earned him a glare from Li Shimin.

Only Wen He would dare to say such a thing.

Li Shimin glanced down at the wooden knife in his hand, then suddenly looked at Wen He with a smile instead of anger.

"Jiaying has been practicing martial arts for several days now. Since you have some free time today, why don't I test how much you've learned?"

"Your Majesty, there's no need. This humble subject is dull-witted and lacks skill."

He swore that Li Shimin would definitely find an excuse to beat him up.

"Enough with the nonsense. I said let's try it, so let's try it. What are you four waiting for? Put protective gear on your masters."

Li Shimin shouted, and the four little ones who had been standing there in a daze immediately rushed forward.

"Wow, this is for real!"

Wen He was taken aback, but he wasn't about to stand there and let the four little ones get away with it.

Just as Li Chengqian reached him, he grabbed his arm and subdued him with a single grappling move.

"Oh?"

This scene surprised Li Shimin slightly.

Then Li Tai launched a sneak attack from the right.

This rascal has wanted to make a move against Wen He for a long time, but he didn't dare because of Li Shimin.

Today I can finally settle my personal score.

However, as soon as he got close, Wen He suddenly raised her leg and kicked at him.

However, the kick missed its mark. Seeing him make the move, Li Tai was so frightened that he took a step back, but his legs gave way and he fell down.

"You think my combat skills were learned in vain?"

Seeing that the first two had failed, Li Ke and Li You, who were left behind, immediately stopped.

"Sir, sir, it hurts! It hurts!"

Li Chengqian, who had been captured by Wen He, begged for mercy in pain, which finally made Wen He release him.

"Your Majesty, stop joking. How could they possibly be a match for me?" Wen He raised an eyebrow smugly.

Li Shimin nodded with a smile.

"Indeed, my sons are no match for you, but what about me?"

"Damn it, this can't be done, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you're showing no martial virtue!"

"Snapped!"

What do you do if you travel back in time to the Tang Dynasty and your opponent turns out to be Li Shimin?
Wen He felt there were only two choices.

One is to run as fast as possible.

If you can't outrun them, then good luck to you.

"Ah! Sneak attack!"

"Snapped!"

When the wooden knife in Wen He's hand was easily knocked away, Li Shimin put his knife to his neck.

The former immediately stood up straight, while the latter chuckled softly and stared at him with deep eyes.

"Li Xiaochang was killed by bandits on the road. Who will be next?"

"Um, Your Majesty, the rest are all here."

While the two of them were fighting, the four little ones only dared to watch from afar.

So we couldn't hear what they were saying.

Li Shimin did not speak, but squinted at Wen He.

The latter swallowed hard, pondered for a moment, and suddenly thought: "There's another one, but he doesn't count as treason, he can only be called a defector, Li Youliang, the Prince of Changle in Liangzhou."

"He secretly raised assassins and colluded with the Turks. Eventually, he was reported, and you sent Yuwen Shiji to investigate. He was so frightened that he ran to the Turks, but he was caught on the way, brought back, and executed."

Wen He thought that Li Shimin harbored resentment towards the imperial clan because of Li Yuan and Li Xiaochang.

However, the stability of the Tang Dynasty was inseparable from these members of the imperial family.

Li Shimin also had to rely on them to maintain a balance in the court.

That's why he advised, "Your Majesty, the other members of the imperial clan are quite good."

"For example, Li Daozong?"

Li Shimin countered with a question.

"He's not good at all, he's just a bastard." Wen He said with a face full of resentment when Li Daozong was mentioned.

As a result, Li Shimin sheathed his sword and slapped him on the head: "That is my brother, you brat, don't talk nonsense."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Wen He casually replied without taking it seriously.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

'Luckily, I reacted quickly. Li Er won't think I'm deliberately trying to befriend the imperial family, right? Should I stay away from Li Daozong from now on?'

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Li Shimin say, "Chengfan is a man of true character. It's fine for you to befriend him. If there were more people like him in the imperial clan, I wouldn't have to worry about anything."

“A few days ago, when I planned to reduce the fiefdoms of the imperial family, they barked at me like vicious dogs, and some even burst into tears on the spot, as if I were more cruel and cold-blooded than my father!”

Li Shimin spoke of these things with a face full of anger.

Wen He then understood why he had asked her earlier if anyone would rebel in the future.

He wanted to kill a few members of the royal family to suppress their current arrogance.

Unfortunately, there was no reasonable excuse.

However, we can't just falsely accuse someone.

He wasn't the head of the Eastern Depot or the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

As he was thinking, Li Shimin suddenly looked down at him and said.

"I intend to make the matter between Li Yuan and Li Xiaochang public, but the latter's matter involves the Emperor Emeritus. You need to come up with a plan for me to prevent Father from getting involved."

(End of this chapter)