The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 93 Li Longji's Anger

At dusk, Li Longji was walking slowly in Xingqing Palace, while Concubine Wu Huifei was sitting in the Chenxiang Pavilion behind him playing the piano.

Under the setting sun, Li Longji's eyes swept across Hua'e Tower and the Dragon Pond in front of him, and he couldn't help but think of the happy times he had with his brothers.

At that time, when Wu Zetian was in power, the Xingqing Palace was still called Longqingfang. The five brothers lived in Longqingfang with their father Li Dan. At that time, their brotherly relationship was very deep.

After that, he became emperor and changed Longqingfang into Xingqing Palace. His brothers still lived in Xingqing Palace. He also insisted on doing the following to his brothers: "Being loyal to your brothers, even though there were slanderous words among them, you still loved them as before."

Therefore, people at that time also called Xingqing Palace "the House of the Five Kings".

Now, he built the Ten Princes' Residences and the Hundred Grandsons' Courtyard in Yongxingfang and Xingningfang, giving his princes and grandchildren the most luxurious life.

He felt that his original intention in doing so was to make his princes and grandchildren as friendly as they were when they were brothers.

However, now everyone in the world just thinks that he is imprisoning the princes and grandchildren.

He did not deny that he had such thoughts, but why did no one say anything good for him?

Li Longji sighed softly.

This sigh was not only because he felt that others did not understand him, but also because he was expressing his emotion about what he was going to do next.

Not far away, the sound of two people's footsteps was heard.

Gao Lishi led Xin Yunjing over, then quietly retreated.

Xin Yunjing bowed to Li Longji and said, "I pay my respects to the Saint."

Li Longji asked Xin Yunjing to stand up, stared at Xin Yunjing, and asked, "Did Shibalang not behave abnormally during these two years outside?"

"Your Majesty, no." Xin Yunjing shook his head firmly under Li Longji's gaze.

Li Longji was confident that few people would lie to his face, so he nodded and said, "You said that Shiba Lang was modifying farm tools before returning to Chang'an?"

"Yes." Xin Yunjing replied, "His Royal Highness Prince Shou also wants to plow the land himself to demonstrate the benefits of his modified farm tools."

"Have you seen the farm tools modified by Shibalang?" Li Longji said.

"Seen."

"easy to use?"

"It's easy to use and saves more effort than the long curved plow we have now."

"Okay."

Li Longji smiled slightly.

The reason why Li Longji asked so many detailed questions was not because he cared about the farm tools modified by Li Heng, but because he wanted to make sure that Li Heng had indeed put a lot of thought into these matters.

A person's energy is limited. When a person spends his limited energy on these civil matters, how much energy will he have left for other things?

Li Longji pondered for a moment and then asked, "How is the relationship between Shibalang and Princess Shou?"

"This..." Xin Yunjing didn't like to pay attention to other people's love lives, but as a watcher, this was also his duty. He sighed in his heart, paused, and said: "In my opinion, His Royal Highness Prince Shou and Princess Shou are deeply in love."

"Okay." Li Longji smiled again.

But this time, there was something strange in that smile.

Because of their deep love, it means that Li Heng's rear is a solid foundation. If Li Heng is right under his nose, this will not affect anything. However, Li Heng will be far away in the border for a long time in the future, which is not very beneficial for him to control everything.

"What about that woman Zhang Mujin?" Li Longji asked.

Xin Yunjing was startled again when he heard this. He didn't know why Li Longji suddenly asked this insignificant person. After a pause, he replied, "She is very beautiful and has a good character."

"Okay." Li Longji nodded, "You go down first."

"Yes." Xin Yunjing stepped back, and after a while, Gao Lishi came over.

Li Longji waited for Gao Lishi to approach and asked, "Lishi, what do you think of Zhou Ziliang's impeachment of Niu Xianke and Li Shizhi?"

Gao Lishi thought for a moment and said, "General Niu was born a frontier general. He has no family background or connections. He has not made any mistakes over the years. As for his ability, it is acceptable."

"So," Li Longji looked at Gao Lishi, "you also think Zhou Ziliang's impeachment is a false accusation?"

"This..." Gao Lishi was stunned for a moment and was about to speak when Li Longji interrupted him.

Li Longji continued, "This bunch of remonstrators always make a big deal out of every little thing. Now that there is nothing to do, they are trying to find something to embarrass me!"

Niu Xianke was strongly recommended by Zhou Ziliang's boss Li Shizhi and promoted by Li Longji. Now Zhou Ziliang not only impeached Niu Xianke, but also impeached his boss Li Shizhi for deliberately recommending useless people. Li Longji felt that Zhou Ziliang was just making a veiled attack.

Thinking of this, Li Longji's voice became a little louder.

"None of these ministers of remonstrance has the spirit of Wei Zheng back then! They tell me every day that the people are more important than the emperor, but they themselves are only concerned about their own petty gains."

Wu Huifei, who was not far away, heard that Li Longji's voice was too loud and stopped playing the piano. But when Li Longji heard the piano stop, he waved from afar, signaling Wu Huifei to continue, and Wu Huifei obeyed his order.

Seeing Li Longji getting angry, Gao Lishi hurriedly said, "The sage does not need to argue with these Confucian scholars. You should be careful about the dragon's body."

Li Longji did not reply to Gao Lishi, but said: "Tomorrow at the dance party, you will present Zhou Ziliang's impeachment memorial."

Gao Lishi saw Li Longji's appearance and knew that Li Longji was going to stir up trouble, so he asked tentatively, "Will this spoil the saint's interest?"

"No one can spoil my fun." Li Longji's tone and expression were full of confidence. He paused and asked, "Is there any news from Doctor Zhang?"

Gao Lishi said: "Some officials in the court and people from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's side will still gather at Doctor Zhang's residence in the name of seeing a doctor."

Li Longji asked, "Didn't his daughter go back today?"

Gao Lishi said: "The father and daughter talked for a while, and they seemed very sad. I don't know what they talked about."

Li Longji thought for a while after hearing this, and then asked, "Where is Li Linfu?"

Gao Lishi glanced at Concubine Wu Huifei who was not far away, and whispered, "I have been meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Sheng frequently recently."

Prince Sheng was another son of Consort Wu Huifei and Li Ying's younger brother, Li Qi.

Li Longji smiled when he heard this and said, "Prime Minister Li is very loyal to his original intention."

……

……

……

The residence of Prince Shou Li Ying.

Li Heng returned to his residence in Chang'an.

Although he was away for the past two years, his mansion was still cleaned by servants. In addition, his reputation in the past two years was greater than before, so his old mansion was not only not dilapidated, but even more magnificent than before.

Li Ying and Yang Yuhuan settled down in the old mansion. Li Ying's brothers all came to visit them. They had dinner together and the other brothers left. Only Li Ying's elder sister Princess Xianyi, his younger sister Princess Taihua, and Li Ying's younger brother Prince Sheng Li Qi stayed.

Princess Xianyi's husband, Yang Hui, was also present.

Princess Xianyi recounted the past, telling how Li Ying fell in love with Yang Yuhuan at first sight at her wedding, and how he asked her to make an appointment with Yang Yuhuan.

Li Ying and Yang Yuhuan just laughed when they heard it.

Li Qi didn't like to hear these nagging things, so he pulled Li Heng aside and said with a worried look on his face, "Brother, I have met with Prime Minister Li quite a lot recently, and Prime Minister Li seems to want to help me become the crown prince."

Li Heng glanced at Li Qi's expression and said with a smile, "Isn't this a good thing? Why do you look unhappy?"

(End of this chapter)