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

Chapter 59 A Hypocritical Pretense of Morals

The next day.

As expected, Empress Wu summoned him again.

The place where he was summoned this time was still the Lizheng Hall, which meant that this summons was not a formal one, but rather a family matter of the imperial family.

Led by a young eunuch, Li Xian arrived at the Lizheng Hall.

Li Xian wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that his mother...

His majesty was even greater.

It was as if it were a rising sun, full of vigor, ready to spread its brilliance across the land of the Tang Dynasty.
This is unbelievable for a woman who is approaching sixty.

It was as if her life had just begun.

Li Xian inevitably thought of his father, the emperor.

The Emperor's health was like the opposite of the Empress's, one like the rising sun and the other like the setting sun.

The Tang Dynasty today seems to have two suns in the sky.

"Your humble servant respectfully wishes Your Majesty the Empress good health, peace and prosperity, and that you may forever enjoy divine favor and boundless blessings!" Li Xian composed himself and bowed in reverence.

"Did Mingyun have a conflict with Youji yesterday?"

Empress Wu directly stated the purpose of this audience with Li Xian.

"My son..."

Just as Li Xian was about to speak, Empress Wu continued, "Wu Youji is a commoner, and offending the imperial family is a grave taboo. Your mother has already punished him with twenty strokes of the cane. Considering that he is your cousin, I will decide to let this matter go and not hold it against him. What do you say?"

Li Xian hurriedly prostrated himself: "By the grace of Your Majesty the Empress!"

Empress Wu gave a soft "hmm" and continued, "The Emperor is seriously ill, and many affairs of the court are weighing on my shoulders. I really don't have the energy to judge who is right and who is wrong in this matter. Since Mingyun is satisfied with this handling, it is excellent."

Li Xian did not understand Empress Wu's meaning, and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty the Empress is wise and discerning, and your handling of the matter is fair. Your subject is deeply grateful!"

"However," Empress Wu said, her tone shifting to a more admonitory tone, "Mingyun, you must always remember your identity. You are a prince of the Tang Dynasty, a descendant of the imperial family. Every word and action you take is related to the national dignity."

“Mingyun was immoral yesterday.”

Li Xian's heart tightened.

Back when he was still the crown prince, those two words were the ones he feared most.

Making loud noises is immoral, walking in a hurry is immoral, indulging in pleasure is immoral... even missing the time of sleeping and waking up by a single moment is immoral.

Trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

But today, when he heard that word, he suddenly felt relieved.

What is virtue?
Li Xian recalled Liu Jianjun's dissolute behavior and thought that virtue was utter bullshit!
They dress with a dignified air, yet their faces are full of smirks and laughter.

Liu Jianjun is that kind of person.

Li Xian's tone inevitably carried a hint of resentment, but he still respectfully replied, "Your subject accepts your instruction!"

For some reason, Li Xian found that after he said those words, his mother's tone seemed to soften a bit. She beckoned and said, "Mingyun, come and sit beside your mother."

Li Xian was puzzled, but he obediently stepped forward, knelt down, and lowered his head.

"Your mother knows you are resentful, but Wu Youji is your cousin and also my nephew. The imperial family has always been cold-hearted, and Mingyun's kind and affectionate nature is rare..." Empress Wu paused, as if she had something difficult to say, "You frequent brothels, and it will not be good if this gets out."

Li Xian pursed his lips, but in reality, he was filled with a huge question mark.

How did I somehow manage to escape another ordeal?
Thinking of this, he recalled Liu Jianjun's saying, "A fool can defeat a master," and his resentment grew even stronger.

But Empress Wu then asked, "I heard that you went to see Di Renjie today?"

Upon hearing Empress Wu's words, Li Xian's heart skipped a beat.

Liu Jianjun was right; Empress Wu had begun to pay attention to those she had come into contact with. Remembering Liu Jianjun's instructions, he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty... I have long heard that during Di Renjie's tenure as Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he resolved countless unsolved cases within a year, involving 17,000 people, and not a single one was wrongly accused..."

"So, you want him to help you investigate the treason case?" Empress Wu interrupted.

Li Xian pursed his lips and remained silent.

"What if it's found out?" Empress Wu asked.

"Seek justice!"

"Yes, Your Majesty will take this matter to heart. The two prime ministers who investigated the treason case in the past, Pei Yan and Xue Yuanchao, as well as the censor-in-chief Gao Zhizhou, are all wise men of our Great Tang. Your Majesty will start with these three."

Li Xian remained silent, but Empress Wu continued, "Yesterday, there was also a dark-faced youth who beat up Wu Youji with you. I heard that he is the newly appointed chief secretary of your household?"

Li Xian's heart tightened again.

As expected, the Empress Dowager noticed Liu Jianjun.

Li Xian hurriedly replied, "That man's name is Liu Jianjun. I met him in Bazhou. He was the one who presented me with the auspicious omen in the past. I thought he was talented in poetry, so I kept him in my residence!"

"Yes, I have long heard of this man's poems, but he is dissolute and spends his days in brothels, which ultimately tarnishes the reputation of our imperial family. I urge you not to associate with him." Empress Wu's words sounded like she was admonishing Li Xian to stay away from petty people. She continued, "I will make the decision on this matter. I will bestow upon him a thousand taels of gold and send him back to Bazhou. What do you think?"

Li Xian was stunned.

This batch... Liu Jianjun didn't teach you, did he?

Almost instinctively, Li Xian argued, "Mother...no!"

"Ok?"

Empress Wu's casually uttered word sent Li Xian's heart leaping into his throat.

He is now in a state of confusion and doesn't know what to do.

Should we agree to Empress Wu's suggestion and send Liu Jianjun back to Bazhou?
This is absolutely not okay.

Liu Jianjun is practically his only support right now. Without him, Li Xian has no doubt that he would be swallowed up by the intricate power vortex of Chang'an once again.

But I disagree...

What reason should we use?
Putting aside whether the reasons he fabricated would convince his mother, even if she did, would she pay more attention to Liu Jianjun?
Liu Jianjun had instructed him to hide him!
If I act too aggressively, will my mother realize how important Liu Jianjun is?
The entire Risjeongden suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Li Xian felt Empress Wu's scrutinizing gaze lingering on him, as if she wanted to see right through his internal organs.

Just as Li Xian was drenched in sweat, Empress Wu suddenly spoke, her tone somewhat strange: "I heard that you and Liu Jianjun were sleeping and eating together on the way to deliver auspicious omens?"

Li Xian was taken aback, then nodded blankly.

"Is he currently residing in your residence?"

Li Xian nodded blankly again.

"You two are inseparable?"

Li Xian thought about it and realized that although Liu Jianjun always went out to visit brothels, he was almost always with him except when he was visiting brothels, so he nodded again.

Empress Wu suddenly sighed: "Now that I know, as a descendant of the imperial family, it is a beautiful thing to repay kindness. This matter... should not be publicized everywhere."

Li Xian glanced at Empress Wu again, looking bewildered.

"Alright, you can go back now. Your health is deteriorating day by day. Don't cause any trouble these days. Don't repeat what happened yesterday."

Although Li Xian didn't know why Empress Wu had suddenly skipped over Liu Jianjun's matter, he felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly prostrated himself.

"Your humble servant respectfully bids farewell to Your Majesty the Empress, and humbly wishes you boundless blessings and peace."

……

(End of this chapter)