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

Chapter 137 Liu Jianjun's Worries about Taiping

Taiping was taken away by Xue Shao.

Li Xian watched their departing figures. Taiping was holding Xue Shao's arm, their relationship intimate, but she would occasionally nudge Xue Shao with her shoulder, as if she was still complaining that he had disturbed her leisurely enjoyment.

Xue Shao was merely obsequious, yet he indulged and tolerated everything about Taiping.

Liu Jianjun leaned over and nudged Li Xian with his shoulder, saying, "These people weren't here to see you, the prince, at all, were they?"

Li Xian was taken aback and turned around to look around.

He discovered that the soldiers who had been searching for him had already left with Taiping, leaving only a eunuch standing obsequiously beside him. Li Xian looked over, and the eunuch immediately smiled obsequiously: "Your Highness, are you planning to return?"

Li Xian's good mood vanished instantly, and he snapped, "Go, bring over my and my chief secretary's horses!"

When the eunuch brought the horse over, Li Xian jumped onto it and gave Liu Jianjun a look. Liu Jianjun immediately understood and followed suit, mounting the horse as well.

Then the two of them dashed off towards the State Guest House.

A sharp, anxious voice came from behind: "Your Highness Prince Pei! Your Highness Prince Pei!"

Li Xian ignored him and simply tightened the reins even more.

"drive!"

……

The city of Luoyang was under curfew, and the sound of galloping hooves was particularly noticeable on the quiet streets, attracting the attention of the patrolling Imperial Guards.

Li Xian ignored them, instead lashing his whip across the face of one of the leading generals, and angrily shouted, "Are you all blind?! Go find your general if you have a problem!"

Then, amidst Liu Jianjun's admiring gaze, he strode away.

It's just a matter of breaking the curfew. Whether it's the curfew in Chang'an or Luoyang, it's only for lawbreakers.

And Li Xian himself is the law.

Jinghong returned to the State Guest House without a doubt.

Several eunuchs bowed and greeted him, but Li Xian simply told them to get lost, and they withdrew.

Only after returning to the bedroom, where Liu Jianjun followed him in, did Li Xian relax his stern expression, smile at Liu Jianjun, and ask, "Can you handle this?"

"That's great!"

Liu Jianjun walked over, giving a thumbs up. "What kind of playboy goes to brothels and listens to folk songs? You should work with these soldiers!"

Li Xian smiled but did not respond; this was merely the tip of the iceberg of his past absurdities.

"Why are you so concerned about Xue Shao?" Li Xian asked the question that had been troubling him.

"He is Taiping's husband."

“That’s not the only reason,” Li Xian shook his head.

He could tell that Liu Jianjun's attitude towards Taiping seemed to be one of goodwill, but also a kind of...pity?

Or some other complex emotion.

"Wow, I didn't realize that you've not only come to your senses, but you've also become smarter?" Liu Jianjun exclaimed exaggeratedly, but before Li Xian could get angry, he said seriously, "Taiping's life has been too smooth."

Li Xian was puzzled.

Do you know Guangyi's personality?

Li Xian nodded blankly, wondering what this had to do with Guangyi.

“Guangyi’s personality is quite similar to Taiping’s. Didn’t you think Guangyi wasn’t always this introverted?” Liu Jianjun asked again. Li Xian nodded and said matter-of-factly, “Of course. Guangyi was very outgoing when he was young, but he became much more introverted after getting involved in my treason case…”

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Jianjun interrupted him: "It's not that you've become introverted, it's that you've turned into a villain."

Li Xian was puzzled.

He seemed to have heard Liu Jianjun use the word "darkening" before, but he couldn't remember.

Liu Jianjun paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully: "How should I put it, wasn't Guangyi particularly favored before? Whatever he wanted, you and your sister-in-law would give him it?"

Li Xian nodded: "Of course, I was the crown prince back then, and Guangyi was the youngest son, so he was naturally favored."

Liu Jianjun nodded and said, "That's the problem. Think about it, what happens when someone has had everything they want since childhood and their life has been smooth sailing, but suddenly they encounter an insurmountable setback?"

This time, before Li Xian could answer, Liu Jianjun explained, "He can turn evil. Why am I using the word 'turn evil' with you..."

Li Xian probed, "Is it that one's heart is turning to the dark side?"

"A cultured person!"

Liu Jianjun gave a thumbs-up in affirmation, and then continued, "That's just how Guangyi is. I'm going to tell you something you probably won't believe. When he was digging the ground, he dug up an earthworm. Do you know what he did?"

Li Xian was puzzled.

Liu Jianjun said, "He fixed the earthworm with a wooden splinter, and then used a knife to cut it into pieces, piece by piece, into minced meat."

Li Xian's pupils suddenly contracted.

Although crushing an earthworm was nothing to Li Xian, and although he recited Buddhist scriptures, he was not so compassionate as to sweep the floor for fear of harming an ant.

But when Liu Jianjun said that Guangyi used a knife to cut an earthworm into pieces, Li Xian still felt a chill.

"Guangyi is still young. He hasn't realized how much power he wields, so he only killed an earthworm. Imagine what he would do when he grows up and realizes that his father is a prince of the empire and his grandmother is the empress dowager of the empire?"

Liu Jianjun's words pierced Li Xian's heart like a needle.

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat, then he remembered Taiping and hurriedly asked, "Then you mean... Taiping?"

"It's the same. You said before that Taiping enjoys even more favor than Guangyi. Just think, what could she do if she turned evil?"

Li Xian felt another chill run down his spine, but after thinking for a moment, he hesitated and said, "It shouldn't be that bad, right? What kind of setback could Taiping possibly encounter?"

"Her relationship with Xue Shao is too good... Oh well, I hope it's as you think."

Liu Jianjun sighed and walked outside.

Li Xian asked instinctively, "Where are you going?"

“Go back to sleep! Wan’er is coming over tomorrow, I need to think of a way. She has a good relationship with Taiping, I’ll see if there’s a breakthrough…” Liu Jianjun paused here, then said, “And there’s that old man Di Renjie. Although he’s been sent to Ningzhou as governor now, his role is far more significant than just the position of governor.”

Li Xian asked in surprise, "Di Renjie has been transferred to Ningzhou?"

He thought that Di Renjie had come to Luoyang with his mother.

"So what do you plan to do... Ningzhou is a thousand miles away from here, we can't possibly go all the way there, can we?"

Li Xian remembered that Liu Jianjun valued Di Renjie highly.

"So these are things I need to think about. I need to go to sleep. Tomorrow, take me to see how a top-tier playboy like you enjoys life, and maybe I can relax my mind a bit."

Liu Jianjun waved goodbye and left Li Xian's bedroom.

Looking at Liu Jianjun's retreating figure, Li Xian suddenly wondered: Wasn't Shangguan Wan'er coming over tomorrow? Where else does he want to go off to be so absurd?
……

(End of this chapter)