Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 598 Heart knot
There is a Cuju field behind the Qingsi Hall, but it has been abandoned for a long time.

Xue Bai has hardly played football here since he took over the Daming Palace, but he sometimes comes here to race horses.

Because the venue was large enough to accommodate assassins, the palace servants could leave him alone without worry, which made him feel that this huge palace was the only place that belonged to him.

That day, when Yan Zhenqing came over, Xue Bai was struggling to move a huge rock under the shade of a tree.

"What is your majesty doing?"

"Move a stool."

Yan Zhenqing couldn't help laughing and said, "There are plenty of comfortable stools in the palace. Why did Your Majesty have to move a stone that hurts people?"

Xue Bai couldn't answer for a moment, but he didn't stop what he was doing. When he finally moved the huge rock to the side of the tree trunk, he was already sweating profusely.

He took a breath and sat down on the stone before answering, "Because I just want to sit here."

"Your Majesty, just give the order and someone will naturally move it."

"I don't want too many people to come." Xue Bai asked, "Have you ever kept a cat?"

"No."

“No matter how close a cat is to you, it still needs a place that belongs only to it. Perhaps, it is the same for people.”

"The whole world belongs to your Majesty."

"It's just a saying that gives the monarch power." Xue Bai said, "I can only lie down on this few feet of space. There are people walking around everywhere in the palace. Whether it's sleeping or taking a bath, it's quieter here."

Yan Zhenqing shook his head, disapproving of Xue Bai's strange hobby, and talked about business, saying: "The news from Lingwu has come back."

Xue Bai did not stay in Xuanzheng Hall today, but came here alone. He seemed to be unconcerned about this matter, but his expression became serious when he heard this.

"Did Pugu Huai'en rebel?" he asked.

Perhaps because Yan Zhenqing did not observe the proper respect of a minister in this situation, he did not answer immediately, but asked back: "Your Majesty, are you not very sure that Pugu Huai'en dare not rebel?"

"Nothing is certain." Xue Bai said, "No one can predict the outcome before something happens."

He has always been very firm. To put it bluntly, he just knows that the Tang court's practice of condoning the vassal states was wrong, but he actually doesn't know whether what he did was right or wrong.

"Your Majesty, don't you want to guess?"

"Just be frank, father-in-law." Xue Bai said, "I am against all odds in this matter. If I am wrong, I am ready to bear the consequences."

"He didn't rebel." Yan Zhenqing took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it forward, saying, "This is Guo Ziyi's memorial. Pu Gu Huai'en and his son have handed over their military power and returned to the capital in compliance with the imperial order."

Xue Bai took it and read it. Guo Ziyi's writing was very concise. He did not mention Pu Gu Huai'en's little trick at all, but only talked about the result.

It was also mentioned that Pugu Huai'en suffered from a back carbuncle, which delayed government affairs and caused misunderstandings about him in the court. In fact, he was loyal.

The matter ended in such a dull way that many emotions seemed to have quickly subsided, and the voices of those endless arguments gradually became smaller and smaller until they were gradually inaudible. No one won or lost, as if there had not been much of a stir in the beginning.

It was just that the court summoned Pugu Huai'en back to the court, and Pugu Huai'en accepted the order.

"Then let Guo Ziyi lead the Shuofang Army to attack Hexi." Xue Bai said.

"The Political Affairs Hall has already drafted an edict."

"it is good."

Yan Zhenqing did not leave, and continued: "Pugu Huai'en will arrive in Chang'an soon. Li Xiazhou seems to have a way to cure his carbuncle on his back."

Xue Bai shook his head and said, "It can't be cured."

"Your Majesty, no matter how far Pugu Huai'en has gone, on the surface he has not rebelled, but has returned to the capital in compliance with the imperial order. He can serve as a role model for the vassal states."

"I know, judging by the results."

"If Your Majesty can send someone to cure his back carbuncle, the governors of various places will also appreciate Your Majesty's virtue and know that coming to the capital is a good thing rather than a bad thing."

Xue Bai listened, still shook his head, and said calmly: "It can't be cured."

Yan Zhenqing said: "Pugu Huai'en is narrow-minded. If Your Majesty can show magnanimity and be kind to him..."

Xue Bai raised his hand, stopped the following words, and said: "No matter what the result is on the surface, the court has its own attitude."

This matter has nothing to do with whether he is generous to Pugu Huai'en or not. If he can really cure Pugu Huai'en's carbuncle, it will be fine, but if he kills him, what will happen? The vassal states will say that the court summoned him to Chang'an and killed him.

Now is not the time for the court to win over the hearts of the people, but the time to enforce discipline.

~~
Before leaving Daming Palace, Yan Zhenqing asked to see the queen again.

Although they are father and daughter, when he met Yan Yan, because it was in the palace, there were more formalities than when he met Xue Bai, and they even had to go through some formalities.

Yan Yan refused to accept her grandfather's gift, and directly asked the palace servant to bring Li Zuo forward, and said with a smile: "I know that my grandfather actually wanted to see this child, so I brought him to you."

"Zuo'er has met Aweng."

The two-year-old child was learning to salutation in a baby voice, and Yan Zhenqing felt distressed watching him, but he stroked his long beard and taught the little crown prince with a serious look.

Yong'er was now also named a talent, and she still followed Yan Yan, watching from the side and felt sorry for Li Zuo. On the other hand, Yan Yan was able to sit still, watching with a smile for a while, and then let Yong'er take Li Zuo away.

The strange thing was that although Yan Zhenqing was the most severe to Li Zuo, Li Zuo was the closest to him, hugging his legs and refusing to go down, crying loudly. It was only after Yan Yan scolded him with a stern face that the child was silenced and went down obediently.

Only then could the father and daughter exchange a few words.

Yan Yan smiled and said, "Look at Grandpa, he has a stern face all day long, acting like a king and a subject, it seems like he doesn't treat him as his grandson."

"He was the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty." Yan Zhenqing said with some worry, "You guys are still too indulgent to him. I have recently found a few gentlemen for the East Palace."

Yan Yan just smiled and agreed, but didn't tell Xue Bai that he didn't think so.

She didn't know what Xue Bai was thinking, but he didn't try hard to train a crown prince now. He always had an attitude of "let the child grow up healthy and happy". Once he even said, "Who can predict what will happen a hundred years later?"

Sometimes she privately guessed that perhaps it was because Xue Bai had been surnamed Xue for more than 20 years, but gave his child the surname Li, so he felt a little uncomfortable.

She even laughed at him for being too twisted, but he just smiled and said, "It doesn't matter what his last name is. I just don't want him to be controlled by others for the rest of his life."

Yan Yan could probably understand what Xue Bai meant, which was that Li Longji gave the name "Li Zuo" not out of kindness, but to use this child to ensure the continuation of the Li Tang dynasty.

But she felt that since she had given her son an empire, she should just make use of it.

At that time, she retorted to Xue Bai, "If this little thing is willing to be controlled, then why do you have to go against him? I think you are the one who wants to control him."

This was very reasonable. After that, Xue Bai never disagreed with Yan Yan in educating his son. He allowed her and Yan Zhenqing to teach Li Zuo various things since he was a child.

That day, the father and daughter discussed Li Zuo's academic plan. Yan Zhenqing hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Is there anything worrying you lately, sage?"

"It's nothing but a matter of the Northwest."

"What else?" Yan Zhenqing asked again.

Yan Yan smiled and said, "Other than that, there is nothing else to worry about."

Yan Zhenqing said: "Today I saw the saint sitting alone on the Cuju field."

"Grandpa, you're overthinking it. He just feels that state affairs are too heavy, so he took a break from his busy schedule and went to take a breath."

"That's good."

After meeting Yan Zhenqing, Yan Yan thought about it and seemed to have understood something.

~~
When she met Xue Bai that night, Yan Yan sent everyone away, lit some refreshing incense, and waited for the couple to get on the bed. She said casually, "Grandpa said today that you were worried."

"Because I moved a big rock next to the Cuju field?"

"Why move a stone?"

"Sit in the cool, look at the clouds, and feel the breeze."

Yan Yan smiled and said, "You didn't want to sit in the Shangxin Pavilion beside the Taiye Lake, but insisted on moving a stone yourself. No wonder you are criticized."

"When the palace servants saw me sitting by the Taiye Lake, they ran off secretly to prepare fruits and vegetables in case I ordered them to do so. If I told them not to prepare any, they would get anxious, worrying that the fruits and vegetables they had prepared last time were not sweet. It would be better for me to sit here and enjoy myself."

"But being an emperor like this is what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes." Xue Bai also smiled and said, "I am greedy and want everything. I want the power of the emperor, but I also want to be free whenever I want."

"I know." Yan Yan said, "I'm just wondering why Grandpa would ask such a small question. He never cared about these little things in the past."

After hearing this, Xue Bai knew that Yan Zhenqing had noticed some of his emotions.

But it doesn’t matter, he has already figured it out, and he can just talk to Yan Yan directly.

"My father-in-law is worried that I will get stuck in a rut like Pugu Huai'en."

"Ok?"

"It's just like the case of Pugu Huai'en. As the court stabilized, his military power would be taken away sooner or later, and he would be allowed to live out his old age in Beijing. He waited until this moment and thought it was too unfair to give up his military power. It was too late to sort things out with the court. People should look forward. It's meaningless to always dwell on the right and wrong of the past." Xue Bai said, "It's the same for me."

"How is it the same?"

"Now that the country is gradually stabilizing, state affairs are on the right track... My father-in-law hopes that I will look forward and not dwell on the past. Those right and wrongs are no longer meaningful." Xue Bai said: "Since I have the assistance of him and many good ministers and famous generals, governing the Tang Dynasty well is better than anything else."

These words were vague and didn't address specific issues, so Yan Yan certainly didn't understand them, but she still grasped part of them.

She thought for a moment, gave an example, and said, "It's like our child is named 'Li Zuo', and you don't like this name because it was given by Emperor Xuanzong."

"Yes." Xue Bai said, "But it doesn't matter anymore."

He paused for a moment before saying, "It really doesn't matter. Be it a surname or a given name, it's just a minor detail, just like the fruits in the hands of the palace maids. They can only deliver them if I ask them to. There's nothing to be uncomfortable about. Once you figure it out, everything will be clear."

Yan Yan asked, "Are you thinking about these things while you are on the Cuju field?"

"Well, this is what I wanted. There's nothing to worry about."

Xue Bai patted Yan Yan on the back and skipped over this strange topic.

Finally, he muttered something to himself.

"In fact, I know that my father-in-law has been working hard."

For a long, long time afterwards, Xue Bai did not go to the deserted Cuju field again.

He does not need to sit on the prickly stone, as he has his own dragon throne which symbolizes supreme power; nor does he need a space that belongs to him alone, as the emperor is rich as the world.

He gradually blurred what he said in front of Li Longji at that time. At that time, he said that one day he would let the world know that he was not Li Qian. Now thinking back, it seems that he did it deliberately to anger Li Longji.

Maybe he was sincere at that time, but now Xue Bai seems to have begun to forget it.

The reason is that there are many good ministers like Yan Zhenqing in the court, and most of them are loyal to the Li Tang Dynasty. As the situation stabilizes, Xue Bai does not want to let them down. ~~
Pugu Huai'en returned to Chang'an and lived in his mansion in Chengmingfang.

To his surprise, the court did not hold him accountable, but kept emphasizing that he had honestly returned to the capital in accordance with the imperial edict, and then continued to reward him.

He had a carbuncle on his back, which became worse due to his anger. In addition, he lost too much blood due to a broken finger, and his body weakened rapidly. He could only lie on the couch all day.

Pugu Yan found many people to serve him, and they provided him with the best food, clothing and other necessities. However, Chang'an was prosperous and there were many social engagements in the officialdom. Since he came to the capital, Pugu Yan was away from home most of the time.

Occasionally, when Pugu Huai'en saw his son, he couldn't wait to start scolding him.

"You are addicted to alcohol and sex all day long, what can you do?!"

"What great things do I want to achieve? It's all because of my father's mistake. Now I have no choice but to repair my personal connections."

"Enough!" Pugu Huai'en cursed, "Connections? Don't you know that those officials were instructed to lead you to live a life of peace and prosperity so that the local governors can see it..."

"What's wrong with that?"

Pugu Yan actually asked back, then stepped forward and said, "Grandpa, what's wrong with us returning to Chang'an and living a simpler life? No more fighting and killing, no more suffering from the wind and sand. I also heard that the doctors in Chang'an are very skilled and may be able to cure your carbuncle."

Pugu Huai'en kept shaking his head.

He was unwilling to give in, and finally said, "The newspapers said that I returned to Beijing as soon as I received the imperial edict, and they called me 'respectful and submissive', is that right?"

"Yes, Grandpa."

"Then where is my backbone? If it weren't for you, my rebellious son, I would be able to challenge the imperial court. Don't others know how courageous and strong I am?"

Pugu Yan was surprised and asked, "Why should we let others know? Then they can impeach us."

Pugu Huai'en closed his eyes in frustration, unable to express his resentment to his son.

What he wanted to emphasize repeatedly was that the court treated him unfairly.

First, he had assisted Li Heng, so he did not get the importance he deserved from Li Tang; second, he sent his daughter to marry the Uighurs out of loyalty, but was accused of having ulterior motives; third, he wanted Pugu Yan to inherit the position of Jiedushi in order to compensate for the many people of his Pugu clan who died in the war.

His resistance was to declare these things, not for the title of Duke of Ningguo, nor for his current life of comfort and waiting for death.

As a result, once he returned to Chang'an, no one listened to him talk about his grievances anymore.

Everyone praised him for being respectful and submissive, and placed him on a soft couch surrounded by flowers, leaving him to die.

The next day, Pugu Huai'en ordered someone to find a scholar.

"Meet Duke Ningguo."

"I heard that you are one of the best writers in Wannian County, and your articles have been published in newspapers many times."

"Yes."

Pugu Huai'en said: "Please help me write a confession of guilt, and I will submit it to the court."

"There should be no shortage of staff in the Ningguo Mansion, so why do they need students to write it?"

Pugu Huai'en frowned and said, "Because my staff refused to help me write it."

After that, he directly stated the attitude he wanted to express.

Before this incident, he had once accused Li Heng of several major crimes, such as being too loyal to the country, making great contributions to Li Heng, and killing his own son for Li Heng... In short, it was all sarcasm.

He has such a bad temper and now he's at it again.

He first talked about the three grievances he had suffered, and then continued, "Therefore, I was unable to think clearly for a while, and almost raised the army of Shuofang to fight against the court. I almost turned against the court and raised my sword to fight against Guo Ziyi. If it were not for my mother's persuasion and my consideration of the overall situation, I would have almost made a big mistake. I beg the saint to punish me."

"Mr. Pugu, why are you doing this?!"

"If I ask you to write, then you should write." Pugu Huai'en said with a straight face, "You must write with brilliant literary talent and full of righteous indignation."

"But what use is this memorial other than getting yourself punished and implicating the students?"

Pu Gu Huai En said: "If I don't speak it out, I will feel suffocated in my heart."

"How about I give you a brief introduction? To be honest with you, Master Pugu, I am good at some health-preserving methods."

"Shut up! Write it to me or I'll kill you!"

"Yes Yes Yes……"

Soon, the writer started writing a memorial. After reading it, Pugu Huai'en was quite pleased and praised it repeatedly. He asked the writer to copy it, stamped it with his seal himself, sealed it, and had it delivered to the palace.

He also took a large sum of money and asked the other party to publish the document in a newspaper in Chang'an.

No matter what others think, he wants to let the world know that he had the courage to resist the court and why he resisted.

Pugu Huai'en lay on the couch all night without falling asleep.

That night, he knew that his descendants were living a life of debauchery, and that no official in Chang'an city paid attention to him as much as before.

When he was in Shuofang, he was a beast that could snatch people for food and a tyrant that could stir up turmoil in the Tang Dynasty. But now? In the eyes of the officials in Chang'an, he has become a waste and is no longer worthy of attention.

It doesn't matter, they will soon take him seriously and denounce him again, causing a huge storm.

He might be punished or even executed, but he would rather be covered in wounds in the struggle than wait for death here alone.

Finally, daybreak came and it was afternoon again.

Pugu Yan, still hungover, strode over with an official document in his hand.

"Grandma!"

Pugu Huai'en raised his head, knowing that his son would be furious and ask him why he did this.

"Grandpa." Pugu Yan said excitedly, "The court promoted me. What did Grandpa think? He actually submitted a petition to the court to reduce the financial power and appointment and dismissal power of the local governors..."

"What did you say?"

Pugu Yan could not wait to put his promotion documents in front of Pugu Huai'en, and said with a smile: "In this way, the Pugu clan will no longer have to worry about being liquidated by the court!"

"Where is my memorial?" Pugu Huai'en was shocked and angry, and asked, "Where is my memorial?!"

The next day, he saw his memorial, which was actually published in the Tang Dynasty Gazette, and it was exactly the same as what Pugu Yan said.

"This is not my memorial!"

Pugu Huai'en was furious and tore the newspaper into pieces, threatening to find the villain who wrote the documents for him.

But no matter how angry he got, his family and staff felt that the current result was the best.

At first, he heard a lot of comfort, telling him that such a life was comfortable and safe, which many people could not even ask for. It was said that medical technology was developing rapidly and his back carbuncle might be cured.

Gradually, fewer and fewer people came to see him, and his back carbuncle was not cured. He lay there and gradually developed bedsores.

Such gorgeous and soft silk can actually cause bedsores.

Sometimes there would be news from the northwest.

"The soldiers have recaptured Liangzhou! Lord Guo personally led the army and defeated the Tubo army, beheading countless people. The Shuofang army made the greatest contribution!"

The days of lying at home waiting to die seemed extremely long, but in the intervals between pieces of news it seemed as if nothing had happened.

"Duke Ningguo, victory news! The Shuofang Army has captured Ganzhou, and has received news from the Anxi Army. They will join forces to attack Suzhou."

"..."

"Duke Ningguo, do you remember General Cao Lingzhong? He has made great contributions this time. I hope you can write a letter to encourage him."

Pugu Huai'en raised his head and asked, "Why does he want me to encourage him?"

"General Cao said that he was entertained by Duke Ningguo on his way back and he will never forget it. Now that we are about to connect to Anxi, he will report it to Duke Ningguo as soon as possible."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Puguo Huai'en felt increasingly unwilling. If the Tang Dynasty had not treated him unfairly, he should have been the one to lead the expedition in Hexi.

……

It’s Double Ninth Festival time.

Pugu Huai'en has recently realized that his time is running out. He has no attachment to life, but he is very regretful that he chose to surrender for the sake of his weak son.

Quite unexpectedly, someone came to visit him.

I closed my eyes in a daze and vaguely saw a thin figure in front of me, it turned out to be a woman.

"you are?"

"The third daughter of the late King Zhong."

"Are you...Princess Hezheng?"

"Yes, Pugu Gong was kind to my father and brother, so I came to visit him."

Pugu Huai'en smiled bitterly and said, "My lord, aren't you afraid of being implicated by me?"

"My father and brother have become traitors. Lord Pugu should be dissatisfied with me for bringing trouble to the Pugu clan."

"The princess is late." Pugu Huai'en sighed and murmured, "If she had come three or five years earlier, the situation might have been salvaged."

Li Yuetu shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter. The Tang Dynasty is getting better and better, and that's enough. I just came to see Pu Gu Gong off and pass on a message to my brother."

"Please speak, my lord."

"My brother once said before he died that he regretted blaming Pu Gu Gong wrongly. It was Li Tang who let Pu Gu Gong down."

After hearing this, Pugu Huai'en suddenly raised his head, looked at Li Yuetu's haggard face, smiled with relief, and said, "I am very happy that the princess can come to see me off for the last time."

In the end, only Li Yuetu understood his grievances of not being able to appeal.

But Li Yuetu no longer represents Li Tang.

The next day, Wang Nandai escorted the Tibetan captives to the capital to present them as captives. Pugu Yan was eager to take his grandfather to see the grand scene.

After hearing this, Pugu Huai'en felt a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat, and the four words "respectful, respectful, humble and obedient" appeared in his mind again.

"puff……"

(End of this chapter)