The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

"Sir, last month, the King of Jin withdrew all the elite troops from Hedong to escort the Longquan treasure. These elite soldiers are still in Luoyang. It seems that the young emperor does not intend to return them." A burly man with a beard stared at him with eyes as big as copper bells and said aggressively.

"Yes, these elite soldiers are our hard work. Without them, Hedong's strength would be reduced by at least half. If other vassal states invade at this time, what can we do to resist?"

"Sir Li, you are the adopted son of the King of Jin, so you must give us an explanation."

People in the hall kept making a fuss and expressing their dissatisfaction with Li Siyuan.

Just as water drips through a stone, it takes time to accomplish something. These people's emotions did not arise suddenly, but have been accumulating for a long time and only suddenly erupted under the deliberate guidance of someone with ulterior motives.

More than a year ago, they followed Li Siyuan in a rebellion and stabbed Li Cunxu in the back. They thought they would soon leave Hedong and enjoy a comfortable life in the prosperous Central Plains.

But I didn't expect that the wait would be so long.

They had long been dissatisfied with Li Siyuan's submissiveness in the court, and his servility to a young boy. In their view, the tens of thousands of troops in Hedong were enough to support Li Siyuan in changing the world, but now he got nothing.

These people cannot be said to be stupid. It is just that their status is not at the same level as Li Siyuan. They do not understand the situation in the world and they may not even know that there is a man in this world who has lived for more than three hundred years.

Seeing the excitement below, Li Congke's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and then he put on a serious face, "I understand what you all mean. But Hedong is my adoptive father's fiefdom, and I, as a governor, have no say in the court. My adoptive father insists on this, and I, as his adopted son, can only obey."

"I will just pretend I didn't hear what you said today. Don't spread it when you go back, and don't let the people below know about it. If my foster father finds out, you will all be in trouble."

However, just after he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from outside the hall, "Ke'er, you have improved!"

Suddenly, Li Congke was so scared that he fell off the chair, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "Godfather, why are you back!"

Chapter 262 Ji Ruxue has entered the palace!

The King of Jin is coming?

The generals present were trembling in their hearts, with their hair standing on end, as if they were being stared at by a ferocious beast. How could Li Siyuan's prestige accumulated over the years dissipate so easily?

Li Congke had just knelt on the ground when a heavy pair of footsteps entered the hall.

I saw a middle-aged man in a dragon robe walking in from outside. His square facial features were expressionless, his brows were cold, and he looked intimidating without even getting angry.

It was not until he walked to Li Congke's seat and sat down that the generals woke up from their dream.

The bearded man who had just spoken knelt on one knee, very respectfully, "I pay my respects to His Majesty the Prince of Jin!"

The others immediately reacted upon seeing this and knelt down in unison, "This humble general pays respect to His Majesty the Prince of Jin!"

Li Siyuan ignored them and focused his attention on Li Congke. "Ke'er, how did you know that your father would return to Taiyuan today? And you gathered so many people to wait for me?"

Li Congke was so frightened after hearing this that he almost lost his soul. He was usually calm and composed, but his mind was in a state of panic. Sweat continued to seep out of his forehead, and he stammered, "My son, I really didn't know that my foster father would come back today. If I had known this earlier, I would have gone out of the city fifty miles to meet him."

"Oh? You mean, your father should have informed you in advance?" Li Siyuan's slightly feminine voice sounded again, striking Li Congke's heart.

Li Congke kowtowed several times, his forehead hitting the floor with a dull sound, "I dare not, I dare not, please punish me for my disrespect."

The sound of kowtows echoed in the hall, and also struck deeply in the hearts of the generals present. After all, Li Siyuan was still Li Siyuan, and Hedong was still his Hedong. No one could replace his position.

For a moment, everyone lowered their heads even more tightly, for fear of being spotted by Li Siyuan.

However, Li Siyuan did not seem to be willing to let Li Congke off, and said lightly, "Oh? Just a rude act?"

"Being disrespectful to my adoptive father is a minor matter, but delaying important matters in Hedong is a major matter. While my father is still on the way, you should gather all the generals to discuss the matter. If I continue to stay in Luoyang, won't you gather people to rebel?"

The loud shout was like a heavy hammer hitting Li Congke's heart, and it made the generals present terrified.

At this time, Li Congke probably accepted his fate and didn't even bother to explain. He said in a deep voice, "I know my crime. Please punish me, foster father!"

"Very good, this is what a good adopted son should be like. We must abide by the rules in everything. In Hedong, I, Li Siyuan, am the rule! Anyone who violates this rule will be punished!"

"Even if you are my adopted son, this is no exception!"

After saying this, his gaze swept over everyone's heads like a knife, as if it would fall at the next moment.

"Come here, pass on my order. Li Congke has offended the king and made rude remarks. Effective immediately, he will be stripped of his post as governor of Hedong and will stay at home and await further orders!"

After he finished speaking, his personal soldiers came in and dragged Li Congke away. Li Congke did not resist and let them take him away without saying a word.

After Li Congke was taken away, Li Siyuan's eyes kept lingering on the generals in the hall, "You guys eat my food and smash my pot. If I don't come back today, are you going to rebel?"

"Without me, Li Siyuan, would you be able to live such a good life today? Humph, you should kneel here and reflect on yourself. Since you want soldiers, then don't care about any of your soldiers! I, Li Siyuan, don't need ungrateful people like you!"

After saying that, Li Siyuan snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and left. After he left, the personal soldiers guarding outside also left.

At this moment, the house was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop on the ground.

After a long while, someone complained, "King Jin is too much. As soon as he came back, he took away our military power. He really doesn't take us old brothers seriously."

"Shut up, how can we judge the King of Jin!" The bearded man who had just spoken turned around and shouted, "No soldiers, no soldiers. Let's end this matter today. Don't say anything more!"

However, after he finished speaking, a thought emerged in everyone's mind: Is this matter really over?

Li Siyuan, are you really going to let them go so easily?

These questions linger in their minds and cannot be forgotten for a long time.

……

Outside Luoyang City.

A long convoy was moving forward on the official road. There were elite soldiers and guards wearing masks. Passers-by did not dare to look at them for a second.

Yuan Tiangang sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery on both sides of the official road outside, with a long-lost emotion in his eyes. Now was the busy farming season.

There are fertile fields on the flat plains. Farmers are waving stone sickles and harvesting rice. They are either wearing thin clothes or shirtless, working hard.

The golden rice sways in the breeze like waves.

“It turns out that he has done so much.”

The Heluo Plain is rich in resources. Although it cannot compare with the abundant land of Sichuan and Shu, it is also one of the few developed places in the north. Once upon a time, he had seen such a scene.

But at that time, he was busy planning national affairs and ignored all these. How long had it been since Luoyang had seen such a peaceful scene?

Due to war, famine, and disaster, the Eastern Capital of the Tang Dynasty, once a place where all nations came to pay tribute, has almost become a hell on earth.

Now, he finally saw some prosperous scenes again, and everything was no longer so lifeless.

……

Qianqiu Palace.

Yuan Tiangang knelt on one knee and saluted, "Your Majesty, I, Yuan Tiangang, pay my respects to you!"

"Stand up." Looking at the dark figure in front of him, Su Ming's eyes showed a bit of complexity. "You have worked hard on the journey."

"I dare not complain about serving Your Majesty." At this time, Yuan Tiangang strictly abided by the duties of a minister, behaved well, did not overstep the mark, and even looked a little old-fashioned and stiff.

In front of an emperor who is stronger than himself, Yuan Tiangang naturally would not be as domineering as usual. His dominance is engraved in his bones, but now it is not directed towards the emperor, but towards the enemies of the Tang Dynasty.

"Meng Po has turned back into Shi Yao, and Jing Xin Mo has been transferred to the Jinyiwei. Yuan Tiangang, do you have any objections?"

"It is their blessing to be valued by Your Majesty. I have no objection." Yuan Tiangang said respectfully.

"I have handed over the affairs of Hedong to Li Siyuan. The Bad People do not need to intervene. They just need to pass on the information on time. In addition, I want to set up an imperial school for military commanders and officers. You should have a collection of military strategies of many famous generals and commanders, which will be of great use to me."

"Holding a military academy?"

Yuan Tiangang's pupils shrank, surprised by this idea. He pondered for a moment and nodded, "Tomorrow, I will have someone deliver these military strategies. They are rare treasures, and there are also dragon-slaying techniques. Your Majesty must be cautious."

"I understand. Don't worry, I will bring up the matter of the military commanders' academy at the appropriate time, and it will not delay the important affairs of the country."

Suddenly, Yuan Tiangang bowed again, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Go ahead."

"Ji Ruxue has entered the palace!"

Chapter 263 Your Majesty, please respect yourself!

Hearing this, Su Ming was stunned and stared at Yuan Tiangang with wide eyes, as if to say, do I look like that kind of person?

Although Yuan Tiangang lowered his head, he could still feel Su Ming's surprised gaze. Ji Ruxue was pregnant with Li Xingyun's child, and had Li Tang's bloodline. Even if Su Ming was not around, he would not let her wander around outside.

What's more, if Ji Ruxue was not pregnant, Yuan Tiangang would not let her go, but would let her be buried with Li Xingyun and continue to be husband and wife in the underground.

Now, he is Su Ming's subject, so naturally he has to consider the emperor. How to deal with Ji Ruxue should be decided by the emperor. This is the Li family's family affair.

Moreover, the Li Tang royal family first had the legacy of Emperor Taizong, and then Emperor Xuanzong carried it forward. Over the hundreds of years, many bad things happened, but they were not recorded in history books.

With the precedent set by his ancestors, no matter what Su Ming did, Yuan Tiangang would not find it strange at all, but rather took it for granted.

In this era, the emperor was not yet checked and balanced by civil officials and literati, nor was he required to be a saint.

As long as personal moral corruption does not affect the government, the problem will not be as serious as in later generations. It will not be taken out of proportion by court officials, allowing the power of civil servants to grow. They really dare to take it too far, even to the point of being arrogant.

Seeing that Yuan Tiangang didn't say anything, Su Ming just said lightly, "I know."

The two of them tacitly put the matter aside and said no more.

Then, Su Ming asked again, "Yuan Tiangang, I am very curious, how many undercover agents like Shi Jingtang are there among the Bad People? The court needs such talents to serve. With the Longquan treasure, the court is not short of money for the time being, but without people, no matter how much money there is, it will be useless!"

Yuan Tiangang thought for a moment and replied in a deep voice, "The Bad People have been passed down for a hundred years, from father to son, from son to grandson, and from generation to generation. The number of candidates involved is too large. If Your Majesty wishes, I will go back and check the files, summarize the number of candidates, and then present them to you for your review."

"Okay, this matter is of great importance. The court is in need of talents right now. The talents selected through the imperial examinations are not yet qualified to take on important tasks. The only people I can trust are you, the Unruly People."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. The Bad People have been silent for many years, waiting for this day. It is an honor for us to serve the country."

In this world, nothing is taken for granted, nothing is honored. These people have been silent for decades just for a vague dream that does not exist.

Su Ming admired the silent contributions of these people. However, their names would not appear in history books, and their deeds would probably only be recorded in a few words.

Su Ming did not speak, but nodded, motioning him to leave. "Okay, you must be tired after the long journey. Go down and rest first."

Yuan Tiangang seemed to notice that Su Ming was in a bad mood. He didn't say anything more. He bowed and turned to leave.

……

Harem.

"Are you Ji Ruxue?" In the room, Yelu Zhiwu stared at the pregnant woman in front of him and asked in a condescending manner.

"Your Majesty, I am Ji Ruxue." A hint of nervousness appeared on Ji Ruxue's fair face.

Yelu Zhiwu looked around her and commented, "She's pretty and has a good figure. She's fertile." She knew Ji Ruxue's identity and also knew whose baby she was carrying.

But they did not take them seriously. On the grassland, it was normal for a brother to inherit his property, wife and children after his death. Even the same was true when the father died.

As for whether the child in her belly is her biological one, that is not important. In later generations, Genghis Khan even accepted the fact that his wife was abducted and gave birth to a child. What’s more, for the people of the grassland today, this is a tradition.

Feeling that Yelu Zhiwu had no ill will towards her, Ji Ruxue mustered up the courage to ask, "Empress, when can I see His Majesty?"

Yelu Zhiwu thought for a moment and said, "If His Majesty wants to see you, he will come to see you. I don't know either. You should stay here for a while and give birth to the child."

Ji Ruxue showed disappointment on her face. She lowered her eyes respectfully and said nothing more.