The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 222: Joy and Sorrow
Li Longji happily placed the memorial on the dragon table and said, "Shiba Lang is thoughtful. We will discuss this matter later. Today I want to hold a happy event for you."

After that, he turned to Aqisi and said, "I have received the memorial from Bukhara. You came to the capital specially. Do you have anything to report?"

"Yes." Aqisi hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying bluntly: "I came here to ask for a marriage."

Li Longji smiled slightly, looked at Concubine Wu Hui who was teasing Li Ling, and said, "What do you think, Concubine Hui?"

Concubine Wu Hui looked at Aqisi and said with a smile: "She has a straightforward personality and a distinctive appearance."

"That's right." Li Longji nodded, turned to Aqisi and said, "I approve it. I will grant you and Shibalang a marriage. Bukhara has always been loyal. I will grant your family the surname Dou and change Bukhara to Ningyuan."

Aqisi was overjoyed when she heard this and hurriedly thanked him.

Li Longji said: "You have been exhausted from the journey, go back and rest first."

"Yes." Li Heng and Aqisi obeyed the order and retreated with Li Ling.

Li Longji looked at Li Ying's back with a meaningful look.

Li Longji was unwilling to let Li Heng leave the capital before, but now, he cannot let Li Heng stay in the capital.

Throughout history, when a vassal king became powerful, the probability of a successful rebellion was very small, but the probability of a successful coup d'état in Beijing was relatively high.

He had just given Li Heng such a good treatment, not only because of Li Heng's hard work and great contributions, but also to appease Li Heng, so that Li Heng could stay in the remote northwest with peace of mind, work hard for the Tang Dynasty, and not have the idea of ​​staying in Chang'an.

As for the marriage with Bukhara, Li Longji also thought about marrying Aqisi to someone else.

But Bukhara was in a very important location. If he did so, it would be tantamount to hurting Li Heng and Bukhara at the same time, which would be detrimental to the situation in the Western Regions.

Compared with the situation in the Western Regions, this balance seems insignificant.

Moreover, as an emperor who was confident and conceited, Li Longji felt that he had a hundred ways to check and balance Li Heng, and there was no need to use this method that would do more harm than good.

Therefore, he not only agreed to the marriage between Li Heng and Aqisi, but also changed the name of Bactria to Ningyuan and gave Aqisi's family the surname Dou.

Dou is the surname of Li Longji's biological mother. The meaning behind giving this surname to Aqisi's family is obvious.

Li Longji was deep in thought, and Gao Lishi beside him said, "Your Majesty, when I was delivering the oral instructions just now, I met His Royal Highness Prince Yong."

"Prince Yong?" Li Longji came back to his senses. "Have Xianyu Zhongtong and Yang Zhao arrived?"

"We're here." Gao Lishi replied.

Li Longji said: "When Nanzhao wrote a letter to ask for peace, it also filed a complaint against Prince Yong. Do you think this matter should be investigated in detail?"

Gao Lishi pondered for a moment and said, "If there really is something that deceives the emperor, we must investigate it, but..."

Li Longji said, "Don't hesitate."

"Yes." Gao Lishi replied quickly, "The war has been lost. If we investigate it at this time, it will undermine the dignity of the court."

Most people would not dare to say what Gao Lishi said.

Because what he said has two meanings.

The first is that the incident has already happened, and the investigation is only being carried out now, which shows that the court is incompetent.

The second layer was to show weakness to Nanzhao. Although the Tang Dynasty lost the battle, it could not lose its momentum. Even if it was wrong, it had to grit its teeth and hold on.

Li Longji understood Gao Lishi's meaning and asked, "Do you mean to investigate secretly?"

"Yes." Gao Lishi nodded. "First, we need to figure things out secretly. Then, the saint will make the final decision on how to deal with it."

"That makes sense. I'll do as you say." Li Longji agreed and ordered, "This matter is under your full authority."

"Yes." Gao Lishi obeyed the order. ...

Li Linfu's residence.

At this time, Li Linfu was holding a petition in his hand. The petition was written by a man named Liu Ji, and the defendant was his father-in-law Du Youlin.

Du Youlin had two daughters. The eldest daughter married Liu Ji and the second daughter married Li Heng.

Du Youlin was a scholar, while Liu Ji was a rude and rude person by nature. The two of them always disliked each other and often quarreled.

But Du Youlin was his elder, and with the added bonus of the literati's street cursing, Liu Ji could be criticized at any time.

As time went on, Liu Ji could no longer bear it, so he wrote a petition, accusing Du Youlin of "claiming to be a prophet, colluding with the East Palace, and criticizing the emperor."

Seeing Li Linfu holding the petition for a long time without saying anything, Ji Wen could not help but ask, "Right Prime Minister, this is a great opportunity, why don't you look happy?"

Li Linfu sighed, "Under normal circumstances, this would indeed be a great opportunity, but now that Prince Shou has just returned, I am worried that Prince Shou will intervene."

Ji Wen said, "The Prince of Shou and the Crown Prince are not on good terms with each other, so he shouldn't speak for the Crown Prince, right?"

"No." Li Linfu shook his head. "Prince Shou is a stubborn person. Let's not talk about the past. When he arrived in Beiting, he started several major cases. We have to find a way to stop him from interfering."

"This is difficult to do." Ji Wen sighed, "The Saint is very fond of Prince Shou now. If Prince Shou really wants to intervene, the Saint will most likely allow it."

"What did you say?" Li Linfu stood up and his worry turned into joy.

Ji Wen said: "I am talking about the saint..."

"No." Li Linfu interrupted Ji Wen, "I will drink from the golden cup with you, and I will not spare you with a sword. The more the saint loves the prince, the more the prince should restrain himself."

At this time, the housekeeper came in and said, "Ah Lang, Yang Zhao wants to see you."

"Yang Zhao? Isn't he following Li Lin?" Li Linfu was a little surprised. He paused and said, "Let him wait in the side hall first. I want to see what he has to say."

"Yes." The butler stepped out.

Li Linfu brewed a pot of tea in the Yuetang and drank it slowly. After half an hour had passed, he went to the side hall to meet Yang Guozhong.

When Yang Guozhong saw Li Linfu, he immediately bowed and said, "I have admired the Right Prime Minister for a long time. Today I finally have the opportunity to meet him. It is really a blessing in my life."

Li Linfu looked at Yang Guozhong and smiled, "I am busy with official duties and cannot meet you in time. Please don't be offended."

"How dare I?" Yang Guozhong was very enthusiastic. "It's worth waiting any longer to see the Right Prime Minister."

Li Linfu smiled but said nothing. After inviting Yang Guozhong to take a seat, he slowly asked, "Has Yang visited His Royal Highness the Prince of Shou?"

"Not yet." Yang Guozhong shook his head, paused, and said, "To be honest with you, Right Prime Minister, I asked His Royal Highness Prince Shou to find a job for me before, but His Royal Highness Prince Shou did not agree."

Yang Guozhong told her such a private matter right when they met. It is self-evident what he was trying to express.

Li Linfu seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou has always promoted people based on their talents. He may not have known the talent of Yang Canjun at that time."

Yang Guozhong smiled awkwardly and changed the subject, "I brought some specialties from Jiannan to present to the Right Prime Minister. I hope you will accept them."

Li Linfu took a look at the three large boxes that Yang Guozhong brought and asked, "Is this really a specialty of Jiannan?"

Yang Guozhong said: "How dare I deceive the Right Prime Minister?"

"You can try the real specialty." Li Linfu did not refuse.

However, Li Linfu did not refuse, not because he really thought that Yang Guozhong brought local specialties, but because he knew what was inside.

(End of this chapter)