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

Chapter 154 Liu Rengui's Difficulties
Xue Zhongzhang bowed apologetically to the two men: "Your Highness, Chief Secretary, it was I who overslept yesterday..."

"It's alright, it's alright!"

As Liu Jianjun placed the bowl of ginseng soup on the ground, he chuckled and put his arm around him, saying, "It hasn't been long, you haven't even finished the ginseng soup yet! Have you had breakfast?"

"No..." Xue Zhongzhang seemed a little unaccustomed to Liu Jianjun's enthusiasm.

"Alright, we haven't eaten yet. We'll buy a couple of steamed buns on the way back to tide us over. Now let's go find Old Liu." Then he turned to Li Xian, "Let's go, Xianzi!"

……

The three of them talked as they walked toward the main gate of the Prince's Mansion.

Liu Jianjun said he would just eat two steamed buns, but the gatekeeper of the Prince's Mansion had already prepared a carriage, with several plates of delicate pastries and a pot of refreshing hot tea thoughtfully placed on a small table inside.

Judging from his expression, Li Xian guessed that he himself had forgotten about these arrangements.

Liu Jianjun showed no sign of anything amiss. He took a sip of tea and said to Xue Zhongzhang, "Old Xue, when you see Old Liu later, just say you're my distant cousin. Your hometown... well, you can make it up. Your family suffered a disaster, and you came to Chang'an to seek refuge with me for a better life."

"Old Liu is in charge of household registration documents, so he should be able to resolve this."

At this point, Liu Jianjun remembered something and said, "Oh right, you still have the surname Xue. I was thinking of changing your given name, but I'll keep the surname for you. None of my distant relatives are very educated, so how about you be called Xue Da?"

Xue Zhongzhang's expression showed a rare hint of gratitude. Suddenly, he knelt down in the cramped carriage and cried out, "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Pei and Chief Secretary Liu, for taking me in!"

Xue Zhongzhang… should now be called Xue Da. His kneeling immediately silenced the carriage.

Li Xian remained silent.

Pei Yan was accused of treason by Empress Wu, and all the male relatives of his three clans were executed. It is no exaggeration to say that Xue Zhongzhang was the only male heir left in the Xue family.

Preserving his surname, though seemingly insignificant, was the greatest dignity and solace Liu Jianjun could offer Xue Zhongzhang, who had lost his family and identity.

Liu Jianjun was the first to react, bending down to help Xue Da up: "Hey, hey, Lao Xue! What are you doing? From now on, we're all on the same side, brothers who eat from the same pot! Get up, get up!"

Li Xian also spoke up at the opportune moment: "Zhong... Xue Da, I promise that when the time is right, I will clear your Xue family's name, restore your rightful name, and bring glory to your family!"

Xue Da's Adam's apple bobbed, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute once more, his thousand words condensed into just two: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

……

The carriage soon arrived at Liu Rengui's residence.

Upon seeing that it was a carriage from the Prince of Pei's residence, the gatekeeper respectfully led the three inside without announcing their arrival, and they went directly to Liu Rengui's study.

Before Liu Rengui could even get up to greet him, Liu Jianjun grinned and trotted over, pulling Liu Rengui back down to sit. He said with a smirk, "Old Liu! Forget the formalities! I'm here today to ask you for a favor!"

Liu Rengui was pinned down and had no choice but to shake his head helplessly. However, there was no anger in his eyes, but rather a hint of indulgence towards the younger generation's mischief.

His gaze swept over Li Xian, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and finally landed on Xue Da behind Li Xian, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Liu Jianjun quickly replied, "Let me introduce you to a distant relative of mine! Xue Da! He's from Bingzhou. His family suffered a disaster and he has no way to survive, so he came to me for help. Old Liu, please be kind and help him get a household registration, otherwise he'll have no way to move an inch in Chang'an!"

Liu Rengui ignored Liu Jianjun and spoke directly: "Nephew Zhongzhang."

Liu Jianjun's expression froze for a moment, then he said, "So you two know each other?"

Liu Rengui then glared at Liu Jianjun, saying, "You rascal, do you really think I'm blind?" Liu Jianjun plopped down next to him and said, "Alright, it'll be easier if we know each other. Xue Zhongzhang, Pei Yan's nephew, he contributed a lot to the Yangzhou rebellion, and he's one of ours now. Aren't you in charge of the Ministry of Revenue..."

Before Liu Jianjun could finish speaking, Liu Rengui interrupted him: "Why should I help him?"

Liu Jianjun was taken aback.

Liu Rengui continued, "What I protect is the Li Tang dynasty, while he, under the banner of Prince Pei, has caused the deaths of 100,000 innocent people, all of whom are subjects of my Li Tang dynasty!"

Hearing this, Li Xian began to understand Liu Rengui's stance.

Although Liu Rengui was willing to help him, it was because he was a member of the Li family, and he was helping the Li Tang dynasty, or rather... a descendant of Emperor Taizong, whom he had served in the past.

As for Xue Zhongzhang, no matter how you look at it, he was still a traitor.

The traitor who caused the deaths of 100,000 people.

"Old Liu, that's not fair of you! Besides, the Yangzhou rebellion was instigated by Xu Jingye, what does it have to do with Old Xue..."

"Enough!" Liu Rengui interrupted again, his tone extremely stern: "Jianjun! Do you think this country, this nation, these lives, are just a game to be played and forgotten?! If so, I will pretend you were never here today!"

These words were extremely harsh, and even Liu Jianjun awkwardly withdrew his hand, no longer grinning.

The situation became tense.

To Li Xian's surprise, Liu Rengui, the one who was least likely to cause problems, actually ran into trouble.

Although Liu Rengui showed some leniency, he only mentioned that he would pretend he had never been there today, and did not say that he would implicate Xue Zhongzhang.

but.

If Xue Zhongzhang doesn't have a legitimate identity to help him, what's the point of not exposing him?

To be a suicide bomber? Or a spy?

Li Xian felt that what he needed right now was a general who could command troops in battle, not a soldier who was willing to die for his cause.

Thinking of this, Li Xian stepped forward and bowed deeply to Liu Rengui.

Liu Rengui frowned upon seeing this, but softened his tone slightly: "Your Highness, what do you mean by this? Are you perhaps going to plead for this traitor?"

Li Xian straightened up, his gaze clear and firm: "Lord Liu, you are right to scold me."

"Regardless of the cause of the Yangzhou Rebellion, it caused immense suffering and displacement of the people, and its sins are undeniable. Xue Da... Zhongzhang himself must have been tormented day and night."

"I am not trying to excuse his past crimes, nor am I asking Lord Liu to disregard the law."

"Oh?" Liu Rengui raised an eyebrow at Li Xian, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Li Xian paused for a moment, then his voice became even more forceful: "But, Lord Liu, look at the present! Who is truly shaking the foundations of the Li Tang dynasty, treating the country and its people as mere playthings, and disregarding the proper order between ruler and subject?"
"It is the one who sits in the Luoyang Imperial Palace, gradually eroding the Li Tang imperial family and attempting to change the world!"
"Compared to her, Zhongzhang's past mistakes were indeed grave, but his heart, whether driven by blind loyalty or personal vendetta, was not necessarily entirely motivated by a desire to bring chaos to the world. Now, he has come to his senses, deeply aware of his sins, and is willing to dedicate his remaining life to serving me, truly to do his part in preserving this precarious Li Tang dynasty!"

Li Xian looked intently at Liu Rengui and bowed deeply again: "Lord Liu, in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken!"

……

(End of this chapter)