Tibet.

Chapter 1303 A eloquent tongue
Leng Yue returned to the elegant room. He no longer had the appetite to drink. He stood at the window, watching a dozen cavalrymen escorting a carriage away.

He was filled with worries. Li Chenghua's last sentence was very straightforward. Abolition was a knife. All the dignitaries who opposed the abolition law would be chopped down by this knife. Any force that endangered the regent's accession to the throne would be ruthlessly eradicated. The regent was going to take action. He was giving Prince Ning his last chance.

Thinking of this, he clasped his fists to his friends and said, "Your Highness Prince Ning has something to ask me, everyone, I'm sorry!"

"Brother Lengxian, it's rare for you to come out, why are you leaving just like that?"

"There's nothing I can do about it. Next time I'll host a banquet and make amends for everyone!"

"Then we have a deal, no cheating!"

"A word is settled!"

After dealing with a group of friends, Leng Yue hurried downstairs and left.

He called a carriage and rushed all the way to Prince Ning's mansion, fearing that he would be a little slow. Prince Ning was persuaded by Li Xian and others and pressed his handprint in a daze.

He soon arrived at Prince Ning's mansion. Fortunately, there was no carriage parked in front of the mansion gate. He entered the mansion gate and happened to meet the housekeeper Qiao Xingzhong. He hurriedly asked, "Are there any guests tonight?"

"Two members of the royal family have come. They are unfamiliar faces. I have never seen them before. As for the others, it seems that Minister Li will come."

Leng Yue was shocked. Li Xian was coming! He asked anxiously, "Has he been here?"

"He hasn't come yet. The prince asked me to wait at the door!"

"Is the prince in the outer study?"

Qiao Xingzhong nodded, and Leng Yue hurried to the outer study. When guests were coming, the prince would usually go to the outer study in advance to wait.

Leng Yue hurried to the outer study. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw that the study door was open and Prince Li Lin was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

Li Lin also heard the footsteps. He turned around and saw his staff member Leng Yue. He smiled and said, "I thought you would be back at midnight! Why are you back now?"

"Your Highness, I was at the Anguo Restaurant and was called over by the head of the Internal Guard, Li Chenghua."

Li Lin was shocked, "They actually knew you were in the restaurant!"

"Your Highness, the inner guards are watching our every move! They even found out about my past thirty years ago, but that's not important. What's important is that Li Chenghua met with me alone, and she asked me to pass on the regent's warning to Your Highness!"

Li Lin's face changed drastically, and he asked nervously, "What did the Regent say?"

"The regent said that the royal family and clan members are already standing on the edge of a cliff. If they take one more step forward, they will be crushed to pieces. He hopes that the prince can enjoy his old age in peace."

"Is he threatening me?"

"Your Highness, this is not a threat. I suspect the Regent is about to take action. He is giving you one last chance. If you still refuse to change your mind, don't blame him for not warning you!"

Li Lin said after a while: "But his decree to abolish slavery is too extreme. I have more than 8,000 slaves. He squandered all my property with just one decree. How can I accept this?"

Leng Yue was a little anxious. Why couldn't the prince see through it?
“Your Highness, the abolition order was issued before the regent ascended the throne. It was actually a knife, testing all the nobles. Opposing the abolition order was opposing his ascension to the throne. He would not hesitate to wield the knife to eradicate them. Now the nobles of Guanlong and the gentry of Guanzhong are all launching the abolition of slavery. The Dugu family has nearly 20,000 slaves, and they will all be turned into civilians. Don’t they feel heartbroken?

But they knew that if they went against the Regent, they would die. They knew clearly which was more important, life or slaves!"

Li Lin walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and suddenly asked Leng Yue: "Do you support abolition of slavery?"

Leng Yue nodded, "I firmly support it!"

"Why would you support it?" Li Lin was a little surprised.

Leng Yue sighed and said, "If the prince falls, I, as his aide, will also be implicated and will not be able to escape death, but I absolutely do not want my wife and two daughters to become official slaves. They will be sold to the music hall! Prince, how can I not support the abolition of slavery?"

Li Lin stared at Leng Yue for a long while, then he smiled bitterly and said, "The problem is that I have already promised Li Xian, what should I do?"

"Is your Majesty's promise verbal or in writing?"

"I only reluctantly promised him yesterday that he would come tonight and bring me a statement against abolition for my signature."

"Your Highness, you can't sign it. If you sign it, you will surely die, including me. Once Li Ye takes action, he will definitely wipe out the roots!"

Li Lin sighed and said, "I am so confused. Li Xian himself has no slaves. He is so hard against abolition of slavery. It is obvious that he is using the abolition of slavery to oppose the regent's accession to the throne. I didn't even think of this."

"My Lord, that's what happened!"

Li Lin became worried, "Then what should I do?"

At this time, the butler Qiao Xingzhong said at the gate: "Your Majesty, Minister Li is here!"

Li Lin's face suddenly changed, and Leng Yue reacted very quickly, "Your Highness, please go out the back door. I will deal with him. I will say that Your Highness is not feeling well."

Li Lin had come to his senses. He nodded, turned around and walked quickly towards the inner hall, where there was a back door for him to leave.

After the prince's figure disappeared, Leng Yue hurried out to meet him, only to see Li Xian standing outside the gate with a scroll in his hand.

Li Xian thought that Prince Ning would come out to greet him, but unexpectedly it was his aide Mr. Leng Yue who came out. He was startled, "Sir, where is the prince?" Leng Yue stepped forward and saluted, "Your Excellency, the prince was waiting for you just now, and suddenly he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. I asked the maid to take the prince back to lie down first. Manager Qiao, you quickly go and get the imperial physician!"

Qiao Xingzhong was shocked and turned around and ran out without caring about Li Xian.

Li Xian frowned. How could it be such a coincidence?

"Did the prince hear any news or feel any stimulation?"

Leng Yue nodded and whispered, "Just now a maid came to report that someone saw the King of Hanzhong admiring the moon on the bridge, and then he disappeared. The King fell to the ground crying, his heart ached!"

Leng Yue's description was so vivid that Li Xian could not help but believe it. He asked in confusion, "What's going on? Is the King of Hanzhong appearing in spirit?"

Leng Yue sighed, "It was only when the prince burst into tears that I realized that today was the fifty-year-old birthday of the King of Hanzhong."

Li Xian was stunned. What should I do? I have to sign the contract tonight!

"Mr. Leng Yue, there is something very important tonight."

"I know that the prince was originally waiting for Minister Li, but he suddenly felt heartbroken and there was nothing he could do. How about this, I will sign on behalf of the prince and make a note next to it."

"no!"

Li Xian refused outright, "We need to put our fingerprints on it, and it must be done by the prince himself."

Leng Yue thought about it and said, "Or this way, Shangshu, give me the statement, and I'll see what happens tonight. If the prince is in better health, I'll have him sign it, and Shangshu Li will send someone to get it tomorrow morning!"

Li Xian was very smart. He could not let this statement out of his sight. He thought for a moment and said, "How about this! I have to go find someone else tonight. I will come back later. If the prince's condition improves, please sign it."

"That's fine too. Minister Li, please go first!"

Li Xian had no choice but to turn around and leave. When he reached the door, he met Qiao Xingzhong who was rushing in with the imperial physician.

Li Xian didn't delay any longer and got on the carriage and left.

Leng Yue returned to the mansion, pulled Qiao Xingzhong aside, and whispered, "The prince is fine, he just doesn't want to see Minister Li."

Qiao Xingzhong breathed a sigh of relief, "So that's it! I was scared to death, what about the imperial physician?"

"Give him a few taels of silver and send him away. Then close the door and tell the gatekeeper that Minister Li will be back soon. Tell him to tell Minister Li that the prince is not feeling well and will not see any guests."

"I understand, don't worry sir, I will arrange it!"

Qiao Xingzhong took the imperial physician out.

Leng Yue returned to the outer study and saw that Prince Li Lin had returned again.

Li Lin asked, "Has Li Xian left?"

Leng Yue nodded, "Just now I made up some stories to trick him away, please don't blame me, Your Majesty!"

Li Lin laughed, "It's okay! It's okay! You can say I'm dying, I don't care."

"I suggest that Your Highness go meet the Regent in the next two days and express your position to him. Tell him that you are old and will not get involved in any court disputes, and then express your support for abolition of slavery."

Li Lin nodded, "You are right, I am a little crazy. The loss of abolition is just a drop in the bucket for me, but I offended the Regent for such a worthless loss. It is too unwise."

"Your Majesty is wise. Abolition is the general trend. We should follow the trend. Moreover, abolishing slavery in advance can earn the gratitude of the slaves."

Li Lin sighed, "I will go to see His Royal Highness the Regent tomorrow!"

.........

Li Xian's carriage returned not long after. He suddenly remembered that he had gone to celebrate the 45th birthday of the Prince of Hanzhong five years ago. It was summer then! How could it be today?

He felt that he had been fooled by Leng Yue, and was extremely angry, so he hurried back.

Rushing back to the palace, he saw that the door of Prince Ning's palace was closed. Li Xian ordered the guards in the car, "Go knock on the door!"

The guard ran up the steps and knocked on the door. After a while, a small window opened at the side door. The doorman said a few words to the guard, who came back and said, "Sir, the doorman said that the prince is not feeling well and cannot see guests. Please come back another day!"

This is absolute nonsense. It is obvious that Li Lin has changed her mind again. He was actually tricked out of the house by Leng Yue. Even if Li Xian is extremely angry, there is nothing he can do. He can't just break down the door and rush in!
He had no choice but to take out the visiting card and hand it to the guards, "Tell them to tell the prince that I will come to visit again tomorrow at noon!"

Li Xian has a great advantage, which is his perseverance and he will never give up until he achieves his goal.

The guard ran back with the visiting card, said a few words, and the doorman took it.

Li Xian was really going to the next house now. He told the driver, "Let's go!"

The driver waved his whip, and the carriage started slowly, heading towards the street outside the town gate.

(End of this chapter)