The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 235: Same Punishment, Different Fate

Li Heng was also very surprised when he heard Li Longji's arrangement.

He only expected that Li Longji would use him to balance Li Heng and Li Linfu, but he didn't expect that Li Longji would secretly set a trap for him.

His understanding of Li Longji deepened.

However, even though he took the blame, Li Heng did not show any dissatisfaction. Instead, he bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, father."

Li Longji smiled knowingly and said, "The rest of the people involved will be dealt with by the Right Prime Minister and the officials of the three departments."

"Yes." Li Linfu accepted the order.

"By the way, I heard that Shibalang has composed a new music and dance and is preparing to present it at the Qianqiu Festival?" Li Longji changed the subject.

Li Ying said, "My father, the music and dance troupe has settled down in Chang'an."

Li Longji said: "Send the music and dance troupe to the Liyuan first, and let the officials arrange for them to perform at the Qianqiu Festival. By the way, there is also the matter of changing the Qianqiu Festival to Tianchang Festival. Many officials have petitioned me, and I have decided to follow the will of the people."

All the officials said in unison: "The saint is wise."

Li Longji stood up, glanced at the officials, and left with satisfaction.

Li Longji left the Purple Palace and went straight out of Xingqing Palace with Gao Lishi.

Outside the Xingqing Palace, the guards of the Longwu Army had already prepared their horses, and the streets from the Xingqing Palace to the Liyuan were already quiet.

Gao Lishi helped Li Longji onto the horse and said, "The sage has a strong body. Even at the age of 18, he can still control a fierce horse and draw a carved bow."

Li Longji pulled up the reins and said as he walked: "I was born in the bloody storm, and I am half a emperor on horseback. If I can't tame the fierce horse, wouldn't I become the same as Liu Yilong? I can't maintain the prosperous era, and I am also laughed at by Tuoba Tao."

Liu Yilong was the emperor of Liu Song in the Southern Dynasties. He initiated the Yuanjia Reign. Unfortunately, he failed in three northern expeditions. Not only did he fail to recover his homeland, he was also forced to drink water from the Yangtze River by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Tao, who wrote to him to mock him for never leaving Jiankang after becoming emperor and having no idea how big the world was.

Gao Lishi flattered him, "The saint was wise and brave, possessing both civil and military skills. He founded the prosperous Tang Dynasty and is comparable to Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang. How can he be compared to Liu Yilong?"

"Hahaha..." Li Longji laughed heartily. After a moment's laughter, he asked, "Have you found out the reason for Li Lin's defeat?"

Gao Lishi said, "Your Majesty, Yang Zhao has explained everything."

"Very good." Li Longji nodded, "This Yang Zhao seems to be the cousin of Shibalang's wife, right?"

"That's right." Gao Lishi replied, "But Yang Zhao had previously asked His Royal Highness the Prince of Shou to help him find a job, but His Royal Highness the Prince of Shou refused, so he and His Royal Highness the Prince of Shou are not on good terms."

"Hmm." Li Longji responded and fell into deep thought. After thinking for a long time, he seemed to have an idea.

But he was not in a hurry to ask, and instead asked about another matter, "Have you found out who Xu Hezi replied to?"

Gao Lishi said: "I have found out, it is..."

"You don't need to tell me who I am." Li Longji interrupted Gao Lishi, "You know what to do."

"Yes." Gao Lishi accepted the order.

The two talked all the way to the Pear Garden.

After entering the Pear Garden, Li Longji first listened to Xu Hezi singing comfortably. After listening to a few songs, Li Longji asked the accompaniment to go down first and said to Xu Hezi: "Such a singing voice is worth a thousand gold. I will reward you with a thousand gold."

Xu Hezi said respectfully: "Thank you, Saint."

"You don't have to thank me, just don't blame me." Li Longji glanced at Xu Hezi, "You performed for the people in the West Market before, and the people surrounded you. Considering your talent, a thousand gold is too little."

Li Longji's words implied the issue of Xu Hezi's income.

Xu Hezi is famous, but she doesn't earn much. Her income mainly comes from two sources.

One was her salary in the palace music school, and the other was the reward from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Her salary was limited, and Li Longji's rewards were not frequent.

Moreover, as a singer, the clothes she wore were luxurious and varied, and cost a lot of money.

After all this trip, she had almost no money left.

But she could earn more.

For example, the singer in Pingkangfang.

Although these singers are not as famous as Xu Hezi, they are packaged and managed by professionals, and dignitaries come to support them. The value of some singers is so high that just a glance at them can fetch hundreds of taels of silver.

Xu Hezi could have been like these singers, but she was a court singer. She had to maintain her status and abide by the palace rules. She could not perform for money. Especially after she became the concubine of Li Longji, the dignitaries did not dare to invite her to perform easily.

But not making money is only secondary. What is more important is that Li Longji has a delicate relationship with her.

She was Li Longji's semi-private property. She was neither high enough to be Li Longji's concubine, nor low enough to be his concubine because Li Longji would not allow it.

Therefore, she hated and feared Li Longji.

Xu Hezi bowed her head and replied, "It is my daughter's blessing to be favored by the saint. How dare I blame the saint?"

What Li Longji loved most was Xu Hezi's shyness of lowering her head. Outside, Xu Hezi was a fairy admired by thousands of people, but to him, Xu Hezi was just a geisha for his entertainment.

Li Longji stood up, walked to Xu Hezi, lifted Xu Hezi's face with his hands, and said, "I like your voice very much."

After saying that, he kissed Xu Hezi's lips.

Gao Lishi wisely led the others out of the hall. After a while, they heard the sound of a cup falling to the ground, followed by the shaking of tables and chairs, the moaning of women, and the low roar of men...

Gao Lishi outside the door secretly sighed: "The saint is really as vigorous as a dragon and a tiger!"

……

On the other side, outside Xingqing Palace.

Li Heng and Li Linfu walked side by side.

Li Linfu said, "As far as I know, Your Highness was assassinated when he first left Chang'an. Although there is no direct evidence pointing to anyone, with Your Highness's talent and knowledge, you should be able to guess who was behind it. Under such circumstances, Your Highness should not retaliate, but why did you try to stop me?"

When Li Heng just left Chang'an, it was 736 AD. Now it is 745 AD, and nine years have passed. Li Heng did not expect that Li Linfu not only remembered such a long-ago event, but also knew the details.

Li Heng was stunned for a moment, and said, "I have never been willing to assume the worst of others. Things that are uncertain cannot be counted."

Li Linfu smiled when he heard this.

If someone else said this, Li Linfu might think he was childish, but when Li Heng said it, Li Linfu just thought Li Heng was smart.

This kind of cleverness does not mean that Li Linfu is sure whether Li Heng is hypocritical or not. Just like Liu Bei, you can say that he uses benevolence and righteousness to win people's hearts, but you cannot say that he is hypocritical, because what Liu Bei did is indeed in line with what he has always advocated.

No matter what a person thinks in his heart, as long as his actions and words are consistent and he is consistent, how can outsiders judge him as fake?

Li Linfu said: "How can you repay kindness with evil? What do you want, Your Highness?" This was the first time someone asked Li Heng this question so bluntly.

Li Heng pondered for a while and said, "The Right Prime Minister asked me what I wanted. Actually, I don't know, but in life, one should always want something. I was originally a carefree prince. I was sick and went out for a trip, but somehow I became a military governor. So I think this is God's arrangement and my father's favor. In this case, I should do my part, report to my father to ensure the safety of the border, govern the people and treat them well, and dedicate my head to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty."

After hearing this, Li Linfu remained silent.

Li Linfu recalled the past and thought that he seemed to have had such an idea at the beginning. He had rectified the administration of officials, reformed the economy, revised the Tang laws, and worked hard on government affairs. However, he did not know when these gradually became unimportant to him, and power became his only pursuit.

He would do anything for power.

However, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

After all, he and Li Heng have different ideas and cannot work together.

In silence, the two walked to the intersection and said goodbye to each other.

Li Heng chose to walk back, while Li Linfu took a sedan chair.

After Li Linfu returned, he seized the opportunity and quickly issued a verdict on the Wei Jian case according to Li Longji's order.

Wei Jian was ambitious in seeking an official position, so he was charged with the crime of "unbridled advancement" and demoted from Minister of Punishments to Governor of Jinyun County. Dozens of people were implicated and the Wei family was wiped out.

Wang Nande was dismissed from his posts as the military commander of Longyou and deputy governor on the charge of "sowing discord between the emperor and his ministers", and was demoted to the position of governor of Bochuan County, and his property was confiscated.

As for the caning of Liu Ji and Du Youlin, Li Linfu arranged for the execution to be carried out today, because tomorrow is the Qianqiu Festival and Li Longji might grant amnesty to the whole country.

Li Linfu didn't want these two people to walk out of the prison alive after being beaten by him.

On the other side, Li Heng was halfway there when he met Wang Wei, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

After Wang Wei was invited to go to the south, he stayed there until Zhang Jiuling passed away, then returned to Chang'an to take up his post, now as Imperial Censor.

Wang Wei immediately stepped forward and saluted Li Heng, saying, "I have known that Your Highness has returned to Chang'an and have long wanted to see you, but the law is strict and I dare not visit you easily. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."

Li Longji was averse to the royal family members interacting with outsiders, and once issued an imperial decree: "The royal family, relatives of the emperor, and the emperor's wife are not allowed to interact with each other unless they are close relatives; and those who are good at fortune-telling are not allowed to enter or leave the houses of officials."

Wei Jian and Wang Nande had violated this ban before.

Li Heng smiled and said, "Mr. Mojie, you are too polite. As a subject, I must obey the law. Where are you going, Mr. Mojie?"

Wang Wei said: "Tomorrow is the Qianqiu Festival. The emperor ordered me to go to Ying Wine Shop to prepare wine and to see if there is enough ice. Since your majesty has presented the method of making ice, people in Chang'an are used to drinking with ice. Tomorrow is the Qianqiu Festival, so we will naturally drink a lot."

Li Ying was well aware of Chang'an's drinking culture. Liu Yuxi once wrote a poem: "When the flowers in Chang'an bloom, the scenery is frivolous, everyone buys wine, and everywhere can hear music."

However, Li Heng did not care about the drinking, but said: "The wine-making department is under the jurisdiction of the Guanglu Temple. Father did not ask the Guanglu Temple to prepare, but asked Mr. Mojie to go. Mr. Mojie should understand the true meaning of this."

Wang Wei was stunned.

Wang Wei was the Assistant Censor, who took orders from the Chief Censor. When an official committed a crime, the Assistant Censor would usually report directly to the emperor.

However, Wang Wei was excluded from both the Wei Jian case and the Du Youlin case, and had no involvement in the cases from beginning to end.

Wang Wei thought that this was purely because Li Longji tacitly approved Li Linfu to suppress him and sent him to do some insignificant things. He was very unhappy about this, but now after hearing what Li Heng said, he seemed to have a change of heart.

Wang Wei said respectfully, "Please give me some advice, Your Highness."

Li Ying smiled and said, "Mr. Mo Jie, do you think the Qianqiu Festival is more important, or is the case more important?"

"Of course it's a case..." Wang Wei's tone was firm at first, but he suddenly thought that since Li Ying had asked, it must not be that simple, so his tone became less certain and he said, "Maybe it's the Qianqiu Festival?"

Li Heng said: "It depends on the person. For Mr. Mojie, the Qianqiu Festival is more important than the case. The case is not easy to change, but the Qianqiu Festival is indeed a great opportunity for Mr. Mojie to perform."

Wang Wei asked, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Li Ying said: "Father has decided to change the Qianqiu Festival to Tianchang Festival. There will definitely be some ceremonies at that time."

Wang Wei suddenly realized what was going on and bowed, saying, "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."

"You're welcome, Mr. Mo Jie." Li Heng smiled slightly, "I have something else to do. We'll say goodbye today and see you again tomorrow at the Qianqiu Festival."

Wang Wei felt quite regretful when he heard this. Due to Li Longji's decree, he did not dare to take the initiative to visit Li Heng, but since he ran into him on the road, it was not against the order, so he wanted to take this opportunity to chat with Li Heng more.

Wang Wei couldn't help but ask, "The case has been concluded, is there anything else that matters to you, Your Highness?"

Li Ying sighed and said, "This is just the beginning."

Wang Wei was startled again, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Your Highness is kind-hearted. For the sake of justice, he is not afraid to become an enemy of the Right Prime Minister. I admire you."

Li Ying said, "Just do your best."

"In that case, I will not bother you any further." Wang Wei bowed to Li Ying and left.

Li Heng returned to his mansion, called Du Erniang and Zhang Guangsheng, and went to the Dali Temple Prison together.

When they arrived at the prison, the document approving the punishment of Liu Ji and Du Youlin by Li Linfu had just been delivered.

Ji Wen, who was in charge of the execution, was very surprised to see Li Ying. He bravely said, "Your Highness, the case is over. You are a noble person, and it is not appropriate for you to come to this filthy place."

Ji Wen's words implied that Li Heng was interfering too much.

Li Ying said, "Mrs. Du came to visit her grandfather. I was bored, so I followed her to visit."

Ji Wen just mustered up the courage to hint to Li Heng not to interfere, with the sole purpose of beating Liu Ji and Du Youlin to death with a stick. If Li Heng was watching, it would be difficult for him to do it behind the scenes.

But Li Heng's words blocked him.

Ji Wen had no choice but to say, "Your Highness is really good to Du Erniang."

Li Heng smiled and said, "Father is merciful and has pardoned the death penalty for Liu Ji and Du Youlin. He has sentenced them to caning. Will the execution take place today?"

Ji Wen said: "Your Highness, that's right."

Li Ying said, "That's great. Since I saw it, I can just take a look."

"Your Highness is in a good mood." Ji Wen replied with a fake smile, and then asked: "The two will be punished at the same time, Your Highness, who do you want to see?"

Li Heng turned and looked at Du Erniang.

Du Erniang didn't want to see her father suffer, but now, only by watching her father could she avoid death, so she gritted her teeth and said, "Your Highness, please come and see my grandfather."

"Okay." Li Heng nodded.

The canings started at the same time. Du Youlin was able to save his life because of Li Heng. As for Liu Ji, no one paid any attention to him, and he "could not endure" the caning and died.

(End of this chapter)