The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 117: Prince Zhong has a brilliant plan and visits the Right Prime Minister's residence

Li Heng left the inn where Jiang Caiping was staying and did not go to find He Zhizhang. He just sent someone to tell He Zhizhang that he had something to do today and could not go, and then he returned home.

After returning to the mansion, Li Heng came to the piano that Jiang Caiping had just played, looked at it, and remained silent for a long time.

Although Li Heng had made up his mind, he felt very uncomfortable.

Jiang Caiping was promoted in order to reach the pinnacle of power and to have everything in the future, but this is a long-term plan and may not succeed.

But what he gave up was the happiness that was within his reach, something that was in front of him and could be touched.

How can this not be painful?
Jiang Caiping's innocent smile kept circling in his mind, striking his heart again and again.

But such pain is only temporary.

Soon, he turned his attention to the issue of how to send Jiang Caiping away.

He had been searching painstakingly for a woman who met the requirements in order to give her to Li Longji. Now that he had found her, the question was how to give her to her.

He couldn't send it too deliberately, otherwise Li Longji would doubt his intentions, but he couldn't send it secretly, otherwise Li Longji would not thank him. Moreover, once Li Longji found out that he had done it secretly, he would only be more suspicious of him.

This is only for Li Longji. He also has to give an explanation to Jiang Caiping, otherwise it will make Jiang Caiping hate him, which will be bad for him.

The best thing is that Jiang Caiping is "in Cao's camp but her heart is with Han" and can do things for him.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with you?"

Outside the door, a childish voice interrupted Li Heng's thoughts.
Li Heng heard the voice and turned to look.

Standing outside the door was Li Yu.

The twelve-year-old Li Yu was already handsome, holding a Confucian classic in his hands, and his clear eyes revealed intelligence.

Li Longji has always liked this grandson very much.

As Li Heng looked at his son, the plan in his mind gradually came to fruition.

Li Yu is the best bridge.

Li Heng was in deep thought and did not answer Li Yu. At this time, Concubine Wei came over.

"Yu'er, don't disturb your grandfather."

Concubine Wei took Li Yu's hand.

Li Yu was not Concubine Wei's biological son, but his biological mother, Wu, died early, so Concubine Wei raised him since he was a child, and the relationship between the two was like that of a real mother and son.

"Yeah." Li Yu nodded and prepared to leave with Concubine Wei.

"Yu'er." Li Heng stopped Li Yu and Concubine Wei who were about to leave, followed them and said, "Your birthday is in a few days. How about we invite Grandpa to have a feast with us?"

"Okay." Li Yu agreed happily.

Although Li Yu was only twelve years old, he already understood what it meant for Li Longji to celebrate his birthday.

Li Heng touched Li Yu's head.

Li Heng knew that Li Longji might not come to his own birthday, but he would most likely come to Li Yu's birthday as long as they asked.

"You guys go first."

Li Heng told Concubine Wei and Li Yu to leave, then turned around and stroked the zither that Jiang Caiping had played. He stayed there in a daze for most of the day, then resolutely went out to look for Li Linfu.

Concubine Wei, who was talking to Li Yu in the courtyard, looked at Li Heng as he left with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

……

……

……

Li Linfu's residence.

Li Heng sat upright, and Li Linfu personally brewed tea for Li Heng and brought it to him before sitting next to Li Heng.

Li Heng took a sip of tea, tasted it carefully, and said in surprise: "Is this... tea from Fuzhou?"

Fuzhou is Jiang Caiping's hometown.

Li Heng came here to ask Li Linfu to let Jiang Caiping's father work in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

But before Li Heng opened his mouth, Li Linfu served him tea from Jiang Caiping's hometown. "Your Highness Prince Zhong really knows the taste of tea," Li Linfu said with a smile.

Li Heng said: "I came to visit the Right Prime Minister today, and what I want to ask is also related to Fuzhou."

"Oh?" Li Linfu smiled and said, "Your Highness, please feel free to tell me what you want."

Li Heng said: "A Confucian doctor named Jiang Zhongsun came to Fuzhou and wanted to join the Imperial Medical Bureau. I have had contact with him before. He has superb medical skills. I wonder if he will have a chance this time."

Jiang Zhongsun is Jiang Caiping's father.

Li Linfu said: "Since you have excellent medical skills, there should be no problem."

Li Heng clasped his hands and said, "In that case, thank you, Right Prime Minister."

"It is my duty to select talents for the country. Your Highness Prince Zhong, you don't have to be polite." Li Linfu replied.

The ability gap between ordinary people is not that big, so generally speaking, using relationships to promote people with slightly lower abilities will not lead to any major mistakes.

Cheating cases like the one where the top scorer couldn't even write a simple poem are just a case. Most of the time, the difference in ability between making the list and failing is just one step away.

Of course, this does not mean that relying on connections is right, because this involves not only the ability of an individual to handle things after taking office, but also a kind of fairness, which is the hope of countless hardworking people.

After Li Linfu finished speaking, he paused for a moment and then said, "Your Highness, in the future, for matters like this, you can just send someone to give instructions, and you don't have to come in person."

Li Heng said: "I respect the Right Prime Minister, and I came here in person to learn from him."

Li Linfu knew that Li Heng was flattering him, but that was not what he cared about.

Li Linfu smiled and said, "Many things are like tea. If it's too strong, it's not good. If it's too weak, it's not good either. Only when it's neither strong nor weak, it's good tea."

"This……"

Li Heng was stunned for a moment, then slowly understood what Li Linfu meant.

Yes, Li Longji did want him to be close to Li Linfu in order to counter Li Ying, but they couldn't be too close, otherwise it would be considered forming a clique for personal gain.

If they left a stigma of forming a clique for personal gain in Li Longji's mind, Li Longji would most likely abandon him without hesitation and choose to support other people to fight against Li Ying.

Anyway, Li Longji has plenty of sons.

Li Heng understood the implication of Li Linfu's words, and admired Li Linfu's accurate grasp of Li Longji's thoughts, but at the same time, he became more and more resentful.

Because this means that in the minds of Li Longji and Li Linfu, he is just a chess piece against Li Ying, nothing more.

They did not treat him as a contender for the crown prince.

This resentment made him want to ascend to the throne even more.

But he didn't show it at all.

He suppressed his emotions and said to Li Linfu with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, Right Prime Minister."

Li Linfu smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness is very polite."

The two chatted for a while, and Li Linfu saw Li Heng off.

……

……

……

In the next few days, Li Heng met Jiang Caiping almost every day, and their relationship gradually heated up.

Until the day before Li Yu's birthday, Li Heng said to Jiang Caiping:
"Tomorrow, there will be a banquet at my house. Father will be there. I hope you can perform dances and songs at the banquet so that father can get to know you..."

Li Heng paused.

Jiang Caiping asked with a smile: "What's good?"

"So that I can present our affairs to my father."

Li Heng looked at Jiang Caiping with affectionate eyes.

"What could happen between us?" Jiang Caiping smiled sweetly.

Li Heng said: "I am sincere, are you willing?"

(End of this chapter)