The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 238: Thousand Autumn Banquet

Li Linfu looked at Li Heng, who was fighting him to the death, with a calm, even a little cold, expression.

If it were in the past, Li Linfu would have taken the food without hesitation and thanked Li Heng profusely.

But now, the situation has changed. He cannot defeat Li Heng, and he also wants to let the officials and envoys from various countries present know who is the second in command of the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, Li Linfu did not accept Li Heng's gift, nor did he pay any attention to Li Heng. Instead, he turned to Li Longji and said, "I thank the Holy Saint for his grace, but... I have been ill recently. Can the Holy Saint allow me to ascend the east before eating?"

The so-called Dengdong means going to the toilet.

When Li Linfu said this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. After all, this was embarrassing Li Heng in public.

Li Longji's expression changed slightly. He understood what Li Linfu meant. As long as he made a choice today, all the officials in the Tang Dynasty would know clearly who to be close to and who to be distant from.

Li Longji hesitated, and Wang Zhongsi stood up and said, "The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. The Right Prime Minister is behaving like this, showing no respect for the monarch or his subjects!"

Li Shizhi followed up by saying, "At such a solemn moment, the right prime minister's words are a bit vulgar."

Others wanted to speak, but Li Longji raised his hand to interrupt them and said to Li Linfu, "Right Prime Minister, go away."

"Thank you, Saint." Li Linfu stepped back.

Gao Lishi saw this and said, "The banquet has not officially started yet. If any of you ministers are still going to the east, please leave and come back quickly."

Gao Lishi's words did not really express his concern for whether other people needed to go to the toilet, but he turned Li Linfu's targeting of Li Heng into "it's human nature that people have three urgent needs."

Upon hearing this, all the officials, some of whom were in urgent need of help, and some of whom were not, left in a scattered manner.

Only Li Heng still maintained the plate posture.

Ayis, the envoy of Bukhara, thought for a moment, changed her seat, and sat down next to Li Ying.

Li Ying said, "According to etiquette, you shouldn't sit here."

"I don't care." Aqisi stood up, bowed to Li Longji, and said, "Your Majesty, may I sit next to His Royal Highness the Prince of Shou?"

Li Longji smiled upon hearing this and said, "Your request is a bit rude, but considering your deep feelings for Shiba Lang, I will grant it."

"Thank you, Saint." Aqisi sat down happily.

On the surface, Aqisi's move was to get close to Li Heng and express her attachment to him, but secretly, she was also taking this opportunity to hint to everyone that Li Longji favored Li Heng, competing with Li Linfu for favor in disguise, and at the same time suppressing Li Heng.

Li Ying understood Aqisi's thoughts and whispered, "With your wisdom, if you stay in Bactria, your brother will definitely not be able to defeat you."

Aqisi replied in a low voice: "Your Highness is too upright and will not retaliate if he is wronged. I just want to vent your anger for you."

When Aqisi said that Li Heng would not retaliate, she meant that Li Heng would ignore the attempts by Li Heng and Li Linfu to trip him up.

Although Aqisi was smart, she was also straightforward, so she took the opportunity to take revenge for Li Heng.

As the two were talking, Li Linfu came back from Dengdong.

When Li Longji saw Li Linfu coming back, he said, "You have worked hard for the country, you should take good care of your health."

"I am deeply grateful for the saint's care." Li Linfu pretended to be very touched. He glanced at the food on the table and his eyes fell on the biluo in front of Li Heng. He said, "I have been with the saint for a long time and have taken the saint as my role model all my life. However, I am stupid and have not learned even a fraction of the saint's wisdom, but I have learned the saint's eating habits. The saint likes to eat biluo, and I also like this food."

Biro is a kind of pancake with large fillings.
After Li Linfu had tricked Li Heng, he flattered Li Longji and wanted to trick Li Heng. Aqisi listened and couldn't help but complained in a low voice: "Why is he so troubled when he's just having a meal!"

Li Heng laughed softly and said, "Do you know about the Hongmen Banquet?"

"I've heard of it." Aqisi nodded.

Li Ying said: "The level of this banquet is no less than the Hongmen Banquet."

Li Longji in the hall did not answer Li Linfu. Seeing Li Heng and Aqisi whispering, he asked, "What are you whispering about?"

"Replying to Father." Li Heng stood up and picked up a piece of biro. "My son and Aqisi are discussing the filling of biro. Venison is the best."

As Li Heng spoke, he walked to the large table in the middle, cut a piece of venison, put it in the biro, and presented it to Li Linfu with both hands, saying, "Right Prime Minister, please taste it."

Li Linfu was very satisfied with Li Heng's attitude. He smiled and took the biluo.

Li Ying continued, "Biluo is round, just like the sky. Deer meat also has a story. Zhao Gao of the Qin State raised a giant deer, which was extremely precious..."

Li Linfu had been planning to start eating, but when he heard what Li Heng said, he realized something was wrong and put down the biluo that was about to reach his mouth.

Li Ying continued, "One day, Zhao Gao's deer suddenly disappeared. Fearing that he had lost his precious bird, he deliberately lied and said that the deer had escaped. This caused a sensation throughout the country, and people from all countries rushed to tell each other and searched for it everywhere. Sima Qian used this allusion in the "Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Huaiyin Marquis", calling it: 'When Qin lost its deer, the whole world chased it.'"

Li Linfu's heart trembled, and the biluo he was holding began to tremble uncontrollably, and he turned to face Li Longji.

Li Longji pondered in silence and looked at Li Heng.

Li Heng pretended to be terrified and knelt down, saying, "My son has spoken out of turn. Please punish me, father."

Li Longji then stood up, walked down the hall with a smile, and said: "What a good example of Qin losing its deer, and the whole world chasing it. You are right, today, I will share the deer of the Tang Dynasty with you."

As soon as Li Longji said this, everyone knelt down in unison.

"What are you doing?" Li Longji looked puzzled. "What I mean is that it is difficult for me alone to shepherd the deer of the Tang Dynasty into a prosperous era. Everyone present here has made contributions and should enjoy the fruits of this prosperity."

As Li Longji spoke, he helped Li Linfu up, and the others followed suit.

Li Linfu was totally afraid to eat this piece of paper, and quickly presented it, saying: "The Tang Dynasty needs the protection of the saint. If the saint doesn't need it, how dare I act rashly?"

Li Longji looked at Li Linfu and did not respond.

Seeing this, An Lushan stepped forward and said, "I am a rough man and do not understand these things. I only know that according to my custom, I should first honor my mother."

After An Lushan finished speaking, he took the biluo from Li Linfu and presented it to Jiang Caiping.

Li Longji laughed and said, "Yes, Lushan is a filial child!"

With Li Longji's smile, the atmosphere in Hua'e Tower instantly relaxed. Everyone started discussing at once and then officially entered the banquet.

Only Li Heng took the Hu pancake that he had used to wipe his hands and ate it silently.

Li Longji glanced at Li Heng out of the corner of his eye, as if he had some feelings, but he did not express them. He changed the topic and said, "My ministers have submitted a petition to me, requesting that I change the Qianqiu Festival to Tianchang Festival. I will follow the will of the people and approve this matter. As we change the name today, I would like to ask... Censor Wang to write a poem to celebrate."

It was a great honor to be ordered to compose an opening poem and record this moment that would go down in history. Wang Wei was surprised and delighted, and quickly stood up to accept the order.

(End of this chapter)