Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 618 Return
Before his death, Li Kui apparently lost his mind. He threatened Xue Bai by calling out the Li family, who had lived in Zhengzhou for generations, and inadvertently betrayed his own family.

But Xue Bai's decision to kill him was not a foolproof one after careful consideration.

In the current situation, everything Xue Bai cares about, including his children, is still in Dongdu, in the hands of hundreds of officials. He is just patrolling with a small number of guards, without soldiers and food. Once the fight is desperate, he will indeed lose everything.

He looked calm, but he was actually under great pressure.

And until now, he has not found out the mastermind behind the scenes.

Such a big plan should have been planned by a master, and Xue Bai would rather have a concrete opponent.

This opponent must be someone with a high enough official position, great enough influence, and great enough intelligence, but he couldn't lock on anyone no matter how hard he tried.

Of course there are people who have the ability to do this, such as Yan Zhenqing and Guo Ziyi.

Xue Bai was always unwilling to believe that they were the masterminds. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he admitted that this trust was purely out of his understanding of them, and he trusted their character and historical achievements.

In fact, many things have changed and no longer follow their original trajectory.

He would have to see it with his own eyes to know the truth.

Li Kui's blood had not yet dried when Xue Bai called Diao Bing over and said, "I have to go back to the Eastern Capital."

This was a matter of course, and even Diao Bing had known it for a long time, so he immediately responded loudly.

"I swear to escort your majesty back to the capital at the cost of my life!"

"No, you lead the team behind, I will go back first."

"Your Majesty, are you going back alone?" Diao Bing asked in surprise, "How can that be possible?! Li Kui has already said that his people are going to rebel in Zhengzhou."

"That is why I have to bypass Zhengzhou quickly. If I take you with me, I will not be able to hide my tracks."

Xue Bai thought about it and decided that it would not work relying solely on the number of troops led by Diao Bing. Although they were not many in number, they would need a large amount of baggage, vehicles, and equipment. They would definitely be stopped in Zhengzhou. Fighting such a small battle would waste time even if they won.

It would be better for him to continue advancing eastward, rush back to Luoyang, issue an order to the whole world, and contact his trusted generals as soon as possible.

This is giving up the small for the big. According to this logic, no matter how worried Diao Bing is, Xue Bai is very determined.

He wiped off the blood that splattered on his body and set out that same day.

This area was where he fought against the An Lushan rebels. He was very familiar with the terrain, so he traveled alone without having to worry about anything. He ran all the way and arrived at an inn in Bianzhou at night to stay the night.

When the servant of the post station heard the sound of horse hooves, he ran out early and greeted and waved at the roadside.

"Sir, would you like a place to stay?"

"live."

Although Xue Bai was extremely anxious, he knew that he had to rest well before he could do anything, so he did not rush on the road at night. He dismounted, gave the reins to the servant, and told him to feed the horse with hay.

"Okay, sir, don't worry." The servant took a horse card, cut it into two, hung one piece on the horse rope, and handed the other piece to Xue Bai, "Please come in."

When Xue Bai entered the posthouse, he saw two officials arguing in the lobby.

The wings of official post stations in the Tang Dynasty were divided into different levels. Sometimes, if someone lived in a superior wing, if he met an official with a higher rank, he had to give up the wing.

Today, there was only one upper room left in the inn. Coincidentally, the two people who came were of the same rank and position, one was the Sishui County Lieutenant and the other was the Yuanwu County Lieutenant. Neither of them was willing to give up the upper room to the other, so they quarreled endlessly.

"How about this, two young masters, you two can live together in this upper room?"

"Absolutely not! If he had been nice to me at the beginning, it might have been possible. But now that I know he is such a domineering person, I will never live in the same room with him!"

The person who spoke was the county lieutenant of Yuanwu. He looked to be in his sixties, with both his hair and beard already white, and he looked dusty from the travel.

He was proud of his age, so he glanced at the other person and said, "Since you and I have the same official position, let's compare our ages. Whoever is older gets to live in the house."

"Ah."

The Yuanwu County Lieutenant ignored the other party's contempt, raised his head and stroked his beard, and said: "I was born in the third year of Jinglong, Emperor Zhongzong. What about you?"

The Sishui County Lieutenant looked no more than 30 years old, so he could not be older than him. He sneered again and said, "You've only become a county lieutenant after living for more than 50 years. Are you still proud of that?"

He folded his arms and said, "It is meaningless to compare who has wasted their years. It is better to compare who has the strongest backer. My mentor is Mr. Yan Fuchuan!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Bai couldn't help but glance at the other person.

Nowadays, there are many high-ranking officials in the Yan family, and people pay attention to taboos, so they often refer to them by the places where they hold office. This Yan Fuchuan refers to Yan Zhenqing's cousin Yan Yunzang.

Yan Yunzang was first appointed as the magistrate of Yanchang, and was well-known for his integrity. After Li Cong succeeded to the throne, he appointed him as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Rites, and presided over the imperial examinations for a period of time. After Xue Bai ascended the throne, he appointed him as the military officer of Feizhou, and during his tenure, he prosecuted many criminals, which frightened the powerful.

In Xue Bai's impression, Yan Yunzang was a model of integrity, uprightness, and impartiality. He did not expect that he would have a disciple with a domineering personality.

At this time, when the Yuanwu County Lieutenant heard that the other party had a powerful relative like the Yan family as a backer, his face immediately changed and he dared not fight with him anymore.

"In that case, then I'll let you have the upper room, or you and I can live together, since we're both away on business..."

"Ah."

The Sishui County Lieutenant sneered again, ignored the hint of a step in the Yuanwu County Lieutenant's words, and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.

County Magistrate Yuanwu was left there, feeling very awkward, and asked the inn servant for another room.

"Shaofu, it's really unfortunate today. The people brought by Chengjigong have filled up all the side rooms. Although his troops have no rank, they are still third-rank officials in the prime minister's office."

"Ok."

County Lieutenant Yuanwu didn't say much and nodded helplessly.

He was old and understood all the principles. He knew that Duke Chengji referred to the patriarch of the Guzang branch of the Longxi Li family, who was given the title Duke of Chengji County. This local tyrant had great power and was not easy to offend.

"Then where will I live?"

"A big bunk bed, is that okay, Shaofu?"

"..."

Xue Bai lay down on the big bunk bed, closed his eyes, and soon fell into a half-asleep and half-wakeful state.

His face was still covered with the cloth used to keep out the dust when riding a horse, with only his eyebrows and eyes exposed and covered with mud. He had not changed his clothes and looked like an ordinary man who was in a hurry and was shabby and dirty. He was inconspicuous among the other people on the bunk bed.

"Please squeeze in. This bed is really hard."

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a voice beside him. It was the white-haired Yuanwu County Lieutenant who lay down next to him, mumbling to himself.

"You are the only one who is a little cleaner among all the muddy people. Where are you going, little brother?"

"Dongdu." Xue Bai replied.

"What a coincidence, I am one too." The Yuanwu County Lieutenant said, and then sat up again, tidying his beard, and said solemnly: "I am the Yuanwu County Lieutenant, Liu Jie."

After saying this, he maintained his cross-legged sitting posture for a long time without moving, as if waiting for Xue Bai to pay his respects.

Xue Bai was still lying there, saying nonchalantly, "So it was Young Master Liu who came to my face. I'm so sorry, so sorry."

Liu Jie was a little disappointed that he was not valued and sought after. But on the official road from Luoyang to Bianzhou, there were many dignitaries like cattle and horses, and there was nothing for him, a small official, to gain by mixing in among them, so he had to lie down in dismay, but he was still talking, chatting with Xue Bai in a familiar manner.

"Alas, Yan's disciple is domineering. You saw it just now, right? Why is he so arrogant? When an official like him comes to the local area, how can he not bully the people?"

"What would happen if Young Master Liu offended that Yan Clan disciple just now?"

"If you offend such a powerful official, you will naturally end up in a miserable situation."

Liu Jie looked smooth and tactful, but he dared to discuss the prime minister of the dynasty with strangers in front of so many people, which showed that he was also a man who could not control his words.

This man is still stuck in his position as an official when he is in his fifties or sixties. Besides being unlucky, I'm afraid he has bigger problems of his own.

Xue Bai asked, "I heard that the Yan family has a clean and strict family tradition, is respectful and prudent, and is a model for the world. Does their reputation among their disciples have a bad reputation?"

"No matter how good the family tradition is, the position is high and powerful." Liu Jiecai lay down, and soon turned over and sat up, patting his thigh and sighing: "Just think about it, she is the queen, the prime minister, and has the merit of following the emperor. How many people must have gathered around her? At this point, what is the use of family tradition?"

"Mr. Liu is saying that the Yan family is a powerful official?"

"Hey, I didn't say that." Although Liu Jie denied it, his expression clearly meant that.

Xue Bai asked: "These are all generalities. Do you have any specific examples?"

"Of course there are. So many people died..."

Liu Jie spoke quickly and responded without hesitation.

Then he realized that this was a large dormitory in the post house, with many people talking, and he had just introduced himself, so how could he dare to talk about the person in power.

He glanced guiltily at the people on the big bunk bed, and seeing that they were all country folk, all sleeping soundly, he patted his chest in fear.

"Go to sleep. Why should I talk to a commoner like you about this?"

This old lieutenant, when he wanted to chat, he woke up Xue Bai without caring that Xue Bai was about to fall asleep. When talking about the topic that Xue Bai was interested in, he insisted on going to bed. He was also a tactless person.

Although Liu Jie thought the bed was too hard, he fell asleep soon and began snoring unpleasantly like a sawing sound.

Xue Bai became a little more sober and lay there with a lot on his mind.

He realized today that what he saw during his incognito visit a while ago might not be the whole truth, because he did bring some people with him and his whereabouts could be roughly tracked.

But what is the truth? Even if you see it with your own eyes and hear it with your own ears, it is not easy to tell whether a person is good or bad.

What he saw and heard today seemed to have shaken his trust in Yan Zhenqing.

Gradually, Xue Bai fell asleep, immersed in the various sweat smells and the intermittent snoring sounds.

When I woke up again, Liu Jie was no longer beside me.

Xue Bai had breakfast alone and prepared to set off. The servant of the inn diligently led his horse.

However, when Xue Bai saw the horse led out by the servant, his brows couldn't help but frown slightly.

"That's not my horse," he said.

This time he rode a Dayuan horse, which was brown all over except for a small section of snow-white hair on its four hooves. It was named "Taxue" and was a tribute from Feng Changqing after the recovery of the Hexi Corridor. It was not only fast, but also had great endurance.

But at this time, the servant of the inn brought another horse. Although it also had brown hair, there was a tuft of mixed color on its forehead, and it was far from having the majestic temperament of the horse treading on the snow. Even from a distance, Xue Bai could recognize the difference at a glance.

But the boy said, "How could it not be? Look, the numbers on the horse cards are exactly the same."

"But this is not my horse." Xue Bai said, "Bring my horse here."

"That's obviously true." The boy was very sure and said, "I was the one who met you at the door last night. You handed me this horse and I tied it there. I'll lead it to you this morning. It's been him from beginning to end."

Xue Bai stared at his expression and saw that he had no doubt at all from beginning to end. His certainty was abnormal, so he ignored him and strode towards the stable himself.

"You!"

The servant was annoyed and blocked him with his horse, saying, "What are you trying to do? You don't want your own horse, so you want to steal someone else's?!"

When he shouted, many people around looked over.

"This is an official post station! The horses we keep and send are all branded. There is no mistake. This is not a place for you to cheat!"

Xue Bai still ignored him and pushed him away with his hand. When he rushed to the stable, he heard a neighing sound in the front.

He immediately shouted, "Tread on the snow!" Soon, the sound of horse hooves was heard, followed by someone shouting.

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

The sound of horse hooves was still ringing, and then a figure turned around the house and jumped into Xue Bai's sight. It was Taxue.

This Dayuan horse was very smart. Upon hearing its master's voice, it immediately turned around and ran towards him.

But there was a person sitting on its back, trying hard to pull the reins.

"Shut up!"

"Shiro, what's wrong?" Soon, several more riders came and shouted to the man riding on the snow.

"This beast is disobedient."

"Ha, Juro, you claim to be an excellent horseman..."

Taxue wanted to run towards Xue Bai, but the reins were holding its mouth tightly. It struggled hard several times, spinning on the spot and kicking with its hind legs, trying to throw the person off its back.

If it were an ordinary person, he would have fallen to the ground long ago, but that man was a very good rider and he kept holding the horse tightly with his legs, so he couldn't get rid of it no matter what he did.

He shouted and cursed several times, his voice as loud as thunder. Seeing that the horse was still not obedient, he pulled the reins and hit the horse's neck, trying to subdue the steed.

"Hey!"

Xue Bai became furious upon seeing this, and reached out for a crossbow hanging on his body, intending to shoot the horse thief.

"what happened?!"

Suddenly, a shout was heard, and another person turned around and rode over.

Xue Bai recognized this man. He was Li Qiyun, who had passed the imperial examination with him that year. He was now an important official in the court and was appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Li Qiyun was born into the Zhaojun Li family. As he was a direct descendant, he had a high status in the clan. He was also from Zanhuang County, so after he came to power, he was called Duke Zanhuang by people of the time. But no one knew how he ended up here, with the children of the Longxi Li family.

Xue Bai couldn't help but wonder, if Li Qijun recognized him, would he bow down to him or take the opportunity to kill him.

He was quite curious about this, so he stood there motionless, but wrapped a cloth around his face so as not to worry about the secret being revealed at the first moment.

Even if something unexpected happened, he boasted that he had good skills and could kill people, seize horses, and escape quickly.

"What's going on?!" Li Qiyun asked again.

"My horse." Xue Bai lowered his voice and pointed at Taxue.

Li Qiyun then said to the horse thief, "Loosen the reins and get off."

As soon as the reins were loosened, Taxue ran back to Xue Bai. The horse thief did dismount, but held on to the reins and refused to let go. He pulled the horse back a few steps and emphasized it to Li Qijun with a look of grievance.

"Lord Zan, this is my horse."

"Mine." Xue Bai said.

"Lord Zan, this masked man is relying on his horsemanship and horse-calling skills to try to steal my Red Dragon Horse."

As he was talking, the servant arrived with another brown horse and said, "Yes, I can prove that the masked man rode this horse last night. He must have seen that Li Langjun's horse was so majestic and wanted to replace it with his own."

"Is that so?" Li Qijun asked Xue Bai.

"No." Xue Bai replied in a deep voice.

"You are such a thief, you are so bold and shameless!" Master Li, who stole the horse, was angered by Xue Bai and showed an extremely angry look, "This Red Dragon Horse was exchanged by my grandfather for a house in the Eastern Capital with a merchant from the Western Regions. Do you want to rob it?"

The servant also echoed, "Let's not talk about anything else. Li Langjun's horse is obviously a divine horse, and it is worth a lot of money. How can a poor guy like you who sleeps on a large bunk bed ride such a good horse? Look at what you are wearing. Can you raise such a divine horse?"

This made a lot of sense. Xue Bai had nothing to say and just waited for Li Qijun's reaction.

Seeing that the masked man in front of him could not refute the servant, Li Qiyun waved his hand and signaled Li Shilang to lead the horse and go first. Then, staring at Xue Bai, he said, "Take off the scarf."

At this moment, Xue Bai realized that he was still far from being able to change this feudal era.

Even though he repeatedly demanded strict law enforcement throughout the country, at the official post stations set up by the court, a descendant of an aristocratic family could take anything an ordinary person had if he took a fancy to it.

What made him most angry in the whole incident was the servant's words "This is a government post" which he said as if it was a matter of course.

From beginning to end, their expressions did not show the slightest bit of shame, and every word they said could not be more true. Because in their eyes, the civilians in front of them were nothing and not worth their shame.

Since Xue Bai was traveling alone, and was walking in the capital area which was not far from Dongdu, there were so many dangers, let alone ordinary people?

"I now suspect that you are a thief. Take off the scarf!" Li Qiyun raised his voice and shouted again.

So Xue Bai grabbed his crossbow, ready to kill and escape.

"Lord Li Zan."

At this time, someone came over. It was the Sishui County Lieutenant who had competed with Liu Jie for the superior chamber last night.

"I am Wu Wenhan, the commander of Sishui, and I greet Lord Li Zanhuang."

Wu Wenhan was a domineering person. When facing Li Qijun, he greeted her with his mouth, but his expression showed that he didn't care.

As he spoke, he handed the badge and certificate that proved his identity to Li Qiyun for review, then pointed at Xue Bai, and then pointed at Taxue who was being led by Li Shilang, and said, "This good horse from Dayuan is indeed the mount of this traveler."

"is it?"

Wu Wenhan was rude to Li Qijun, and Li Qijun responded in a very cold manner. After all, he was a high-ranking official and he had to maintain the proper airs.

"Yes." Wu Wenhan was sure.

"how do you know?"

"I was in the hall when he arrived last night. I heard the sound of horse hooves and went back to take a look. I was deeply impressed by this horse."

Li Qiyun asked, "Can you see clearly at night?"

Wu Wenhan said: "There was a lantern in front of the posthouse, which illuminated its four legs. I thought at the time that such a divine horse was ridden by an ordinary traveler, but there are many people in the world who like good horses but not clothes, so it is not surprising."

Finally, he added one more sentence.

"There are many children of noble families who behave in a reserved manner in Heluo."

Li Qiyun asked: "Is what you said true?"

"If this were not the truth, how would I dare to offend Li Shilang?" Wu Wenhan spoke politely, but his expression was sarcastic and arrogant.

Li Qiyun then looked at Li Shilang and asked, "You say."

"This county lieutenant is in league with this thief."

"Shilang, think it over before you speak." Wu Wenhan said, "As a disciple of Master Yan, I will never give false testimony for a horse."

Li Shilang's expression changed then. He stole a glance at Li Qiyun and saw that Li Qiyun was glaring at him. He couldn't help but feel very scared.

He had no choice but to yell at the inn boy: "What's going on?!"

"I... it's all my fault. I hung the wrong horse brand."

The servant at the post station slapped himself immediately.

"Idiot." Li Shilang cursed, dropped the reins in his hand, and took the brown horse from the servant.

"Red Dragon Horse?" Wu Wenhan said with a smile.

Li Shilang did not answer, but jumped on his horse and followed behind Li Qiyun's horse.

Li Qijun glanced at Wu Wenhan indifferently, without looking at Xue Bai again, and walked away in a moment.

"Farewell, Lord Zan."

Wu Wenhan said this with a smile, without even looking at Xue Bai, and left after saying this.

"You're a fool too, riding such a nice horse out."

~~
That day, Xue Bai came out of the posthouse and saw Liu Jie waiting in front of him with a horse.

"You are not ordinary, right?" Liu Jie asked.

"Mr. Liu, I am just an ordinary citizen."

"I know. Children of aristocratic families don't want to make it public." Liu Jie said with a smile, "You and I are both going to the Eastern Capital. How about traveling together?"

Xue Bai wanted to refuse, but when he thought about what happened this morning, he nodded.

The two men then walked together, riding their horses for a distance from time to time, and when they walked slowly they rode side by side and talked.

"You are not lucky to be able to escape today." Liu Jie said, "The Sishui officer surnamed Wu is a man who likes to curry favor with the rich and powerful. He saw that you were born into an extraordinary family and wanted to make friends with you."

"I see."

Later in the conversation, Xue Bai took advantage of Liu Jie's excitement and asked, "Liu Shaofu said that the Yan family is a powerful official, but what do they do to be so domineering?"

"It's more than just being domineering." Liu Jie said, "It's simply extremely vicious."

"how do I say this?"

"You don't know how many lives he has lost over the years in order to protect his reputation."

"That one?" Xue Bai asked, "Are you referring to the current Prime Minister Yan Gong?"

Liu Jie nodded mysteriously, he was a little afraid to say anything, and stopped talking. But he was not a tight-lipped person after all, and that afternoon, when Xue Bai naturally brought up the topic again, he started talking about it without noticing.

"Alas, these things are actually well known. I killed one of them."

"In the hands of Mr. Liu?"

"Yes, a scholar can do anything. He wrote a story about an official named Zheng Kai who took a fugitive as his disciple and son-in-law, and helped him become emperor. After that, he plotted to support his grandson... Tsk tsk, many details in the book are consistent with Mr. Yan, and they can all be used as evidence if you check them out."

Xue Bai was not interested in the story and asked, "How is the scholar?"

Liu Jie raised his hand and made a gesture of cutting his neck, saying, "There is no other way. The imperial court sent an imperial censor to take his life."

"The Imperial Censor?"

"Yes, I have been a county lieutenant for my whole life and have seen a lot. The methods used by the current prime minister to kill dissidents are no less than those used by Li Linfu in his time. You will know when you arrive in the Eastern Capital. There are complaints everywhere."

Xue Bai asked, "Has Young Master Liu been to the Eastern Capital in recent years?"

"No, but I have heard of it."

"..."

They chatted like this along the way, and two days later, they bypassed Zhengzhou and arrived outside Luoyang City.

On the other side of Luoshui, the Eastern Capital was in sight, but passers-by were talking about it, saying that the Prime Minister would bring the Crown Prince back to Chang'an soon...

(End of this chapter)