Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 196

Chapter 196 Challenge Fate
A good night’s sleep, sound and sweet. When he was about to wake up in the early morning, he felt an itch in his nose. With a thought, Shuang’er must have come to cause trouble again.

Thus, Qin Mubai deliberately pretended to be asleep and even scratched his nose as if he was about to turn around. As expected, a giggle came from the bedside. At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed the hand in front of his face, scaring the man into shouting, “Isn’t that terrifying?”

“You want to scare people to death, you!”

Sure enough, it was Shuang’er who was complaining angrily!

“You little girl, you’re naughty again.” Qin Mubai yawned loudly, “Can’t you let me sleep in?”

“Hehe, do you want to try Sister Yao’er’s Little Heavenly Crisp?” Shuang’er smiled and said, “Didn’t you promise us yesterday that you would teach us how to play the piano every morning? Why, did you forget?”

“Alright, I’ll get up!” Qin Mubai chuckled. She got up and put on her clothes. She just washed up and went to the backyard with Shuang’er.

Sure enough, Yao’er had already prepared a sumptuous and delicate breakfast. The group of little girls had already sat down and waited for Qin Mubai to come to eat breakfast.

Looking at these dazzling and delicious breakfasts, Qin Mubai secretly sighed, “Yao’er really has a heart with seven orifices. Although her eyes are blind, they are smarter and cleverer than people with bright eyes!” How many ordinary women could do such an exquisite breakfast?

A circle of people gathered around to eat breakfast. There were many people, and eating seemed to be exceptionally sweet. Yao’er’s craftsmanship wasn’t bad, so Qin Mubai could be considered to have eaten a lot.

“If this goes on, I’ll get fat soon.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Right, let’s go to King Wu’s Mansion together today!”

She thought that Shuang’er and Yao’er would readily agree, but unexpectedly, the two women’s reactions were somewhat unexpectedly cold. Shuang’er shook her head, “Brother, you go, I won’t go.”

“If Shuang’er doesn’t go, I will naturally go as well. I’d better stay here and take care of them.” Yao’er said.

“What’s the matter?” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but be a little surprised, “Didn’t you have a good time yesterday? You even agreed to go to King Wu’s Mansion today.”

“Nothing” Shuang’er smiled bitterly and got up. “You guys rest, I’ll go pack the dishes.”

After Shuang’er left, Qin Mubai asked Yao’er, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Third Brother … I don’t know if I should say it.” Yao’er said, “When you were still asleep this morning, Duke Yi came.”

“En, what is he doing here?” Qin Mubai asked.

“Probably … I came here specifically to find Shuang’er.” Yao’er said, “As for what I said, I’m not sure. After Duke Yi left, Shuang’er was stunned for a long time. She just shook her head and asked.”

“I understand” Qin Mubai nodded and thought to herself, “Perhaps my father came to teach Shuang’er a lesson. Tell her not to follow me and not to get too close to Li Ke … Dad, I still object to Shuang’er being with Li Ke!”

Qin Mubai shook his head and said, “Forget about her. I’ll teach you how to play the zither later. It’s nice for you to stay at home and roast on a cold day.”

“Aren’t you in a hurry to go to King Wu’s Mansion?”

“Don’t worry, King Wu will definitely send someone to urge us. It won’t be too late to go then.”

Later, the three of them came together to study the ancient piano. Qin Mubai taught them how to play for a while. She did not mention Shuang’er’s troubles anymore. She finally let go of her troubles and smiled happily again.

An hour later, Yin Yang drove the carriage to pick them up. Qin Mubai said to him that he was the only one going. Yin Yang did not dare to ask any further, but said that King Wu would probably be a little disappointed.

Li Ke was already waiting for him when he arrived at Prince Wu’s Mansion. It could be seen that he was in a good mood today and had already prepared a banquet for Qin Mubai and the others. Seeing him walk in alone, he looked behind him.

“Stop looking. I’m the only one.” Qin Mubai said.

“Yao’er and the others didn’t come?” Li Ke asked, “I’m still going to ask her for poker skills!”

“She accompanied those young girls and wanted to teach them how to read and write. How could she get away?” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “You’re so addicted to playing mahjong. Do you want me to go to the Emperor and sue you?”

Li Ke was obviously a little disappointed. He immediately used a dry smile to cover up his embarrassment, “Haha, that’s fine. This mahjong is too much and boring. Let’s talk about business today!”

“I’m happy to accompany you.”

The two of them sat down and chatted with each other over some refreshments.

Li Ke said, “According to the Great Tang system, a prince can raise up to 400 personal soldiers when he opens his mansion. If he is placed outside the military town or appointed as the governor, he can raise 800 private soldiers. Now that I have been appointed to the position of secretary, I can recruit 500 to 600 soldiers in the mansion if I compromise. You have also stayed in my mansion before, so you know the situation here.”

Qin Mubai nodded, “If I remember correctly, at the beginning of the year, the manor claimed to have four brigades, but in reality, there were less than three hundred of them. They were each led by three captains. Not only were there a shortage of soldiers, but there were also very few generals.”

“Yes!” Li Ke said, “Right now, only Yuwen Hongtai and Yin Yang are available to me. The two of them are appointed as captains, but they don’t even have the main and deputy military officers.” “That’s what I think. Once the heavy snow stops, I will ask His Majesty to allow me to issue a martial conscription list and recruit the disciples of the Chang’an official clan, recruit those who volunteer and have the courage, enrich the QinBing army, and promote some generals.”

“Soldiers are easy. All QinBing recruits are recruits. As long as you are willing to pay, someone will come.” Qin Mubai said, “As the saying goes, a thousand troops is easy to obtain but hard to obtain. With all due respect, Yin Yang is cautious and meticulous, but he can be a deputy general. Yuwen Hongtai is incomparably brave and careless, but he can be a vanguard. Right now, there is only a single general in the palace.”

“That’s right!” Li Ke said, “Previously, I hoped that you would stay by my side to help me. Unfortunately, this small pond in my palace will not be able to support a rare Kun Peng like you. However, it’s good. It has been proved that I made the right decision to let you leave back then. Look at how good you are now! You have helped me even more!”

“Haha, Your Highness is a broad-minded person. I have always admired him.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “After speaking for a long time, I know that you are thinking about Xue Rengui, right?”

“Yes!” Li Ke said, “That day at your house, I saw him compete with Old General Cheng Zhijie with my own eyes.” How proficient is his martial arts? Needless to say, I like his bearing and self-control very much. There were not many righteous men like him who were capable and modest, who had both retribution and ambition. Talent, rare talent! I missed you, I don’t want to miss Xue Rengui anymore! ”

Qin Mubai nodded and smiled, “Your Highness is really thirsty for talent now. Tell me, how do you plan to recruit Xue Rengui?”

“Fair and just, let Xue Rengui come to my side in such a way!” Li Ke said, “Xue Rengui is lofty and respectful, refusing to accept your kindness. Then let him compete for the position of the Regal Army of the Inner Palace with his own strength!”

The Dianjun of the Tent Manor was the highest-ranking military officer of the Prince’s Manor. From the fifth rank, he commanded all the troops of the Prince’s Manor and directly obeyed the orders of the Prince. Strictly speaking, this type of military officer did not belong to the organization of the Great Tang Military Department. He was only the commander of the Prince’s private army, and was, to put it bluntly, the commander of a personal garrison. However, this official rank was approved by the Great Tang. He enjoyed the same treatment as other rank five generals and could be transferred to other armies on a level-to-level basis. Back then, Qin Mubai had been transferred from a captain in the inner tent of King Wu’s Mansion to Baiji.

“That’s feasible.” Qin Mubai nodded and said, “But what is a fair and just law?”

“I plan to follow His Majesty’s practice of choosing the Hundred Cavalry and set up a martial arts arena in the palace grounds to compete in equestrian, archery, saber, spear, and fortune-telling skills. At the same time, I also plan to set up a written examination to examine military strategy and current affairs. However, in this way, an authoritative person will be required to appraise it. Therefore, I would like to invite a few people to preside over the martial arts lecture.”

“Who are you inviting?” Qin Mubai asked.

Li Ke smiled faintly, “Of course, this one is your father, Qin Shubao. No one has more authority than him, the Great Tang War God. I will personally invite him, but I have to trouble you too. Let’s go to Lord Linzun to find out first.”

Qin Mubai knitted his eyebrows and thought for a moment before nodding, “I’ll go try. Father is in a good mood lately, and he’s going to come out of the mountain again soon. I’m sure he won’t mind showing his face to help you out in public.”

“That’s good.” Li Ke said, “There are three other people, one of whom you have to invite for me.”

“Who?”

“Of course it’s father’s brother, Old General Cheng Zhijie!” Li Ke smiled and said, “He and Duke Yi are always called Thallium and Thallium. I invited Duke Yi, so how dare I not invite him? He is not only your teacher but also an old uncle. You must be the only one who can invite him.”

“That’s easy to say.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “As long as my father agrees, there will definitely be no problem with Uncle Cheng. I know what kind of person he is.”

“That’s good.” Li Ke rubbed his hands and said excitedly, “Another one is my royal uncle, the king of Jiangxia, who is idle at home. Now that he has taken off his official duties and is enjoying a peaceful life at home, I have to pick something for him to do. In terms of martial arts, my royal uncle is top-notch. If I can invite him to be a judge, I will definitely be able to convince the crowd.”

“That’s right. King Jiangxia is a very suitable candidate.” Qin Mubai nodded and acknowledged, “With your friendship with him, it doesn’t seem difficult to invite him.”

“Yes, I know that. There shouldn’t be a problem.” Li Ke knitted his brows and said, “This fourth one is unique. It’s a little difficult to invite, but I especially want to invite him over.”

“Who?”

“That’s Duke Yuchi Jingde!”

Qin Mubai was a little surprised and asked, “Why did His Highness suddenly think of inviting him? Did you have any friendship with him before?”

“No.” Li Ke shook his head, “In fact, Yuchi Jingde has no friendship with anyone.”

“What do you mean?” Qin Mubai asked curiously.

Li Ke smiled and said, “When Father Emperor calmed down the world in the early years, Yuchi Jingde had already surrendered, and there was a barrier between him and the officials of the former Qin Palace.” Relying on his loyalty and courage, he helped his father ascend to the throne and made great contributions. His father called him one of the four great contributors to the founding of the New Year. He was originally an old man with a hot temper, and since then, he had gained some pride in himself. Therefore, he often quarreled with Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Eldest Sun Wuji, and the others, and even openly made a fuss in the Imperial Court. “In addition, you should have heard that at a celebration banquet in the early New Year, he actually punched the King of Jiangxia and almost blinded one of his eyes?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of it.” Qin Mubai said, “At the banquet at that time, he was angry that someone was not as good as him but sat at the top of his banquet, so he argued with that person. The King of Jiangxia came out to dissuade him, but he fought with the King of Jiangxia again, and even punched him later. It can be seen that this person’s temper is really hot-tempered, and he is not very good at being human.”

“Yes!” Li Ke nodded and said, “But he is definitely a good fighter in the war. Ever since he surrendered to Father Emperor, he has been entrusted with important tasks. Now he often leads troops in the Jingbian area and holds military power in his hands.” Because of his personality, his relationship with most of the important officials in the court was not harmonious. If it weren’t for his father’s favor, he would have ended up in a bad situation long ago. Moreover, his relationship with the generals was not particularly good. He likes to brag about his martial arts skills. When your father was healthy, he often provoked him, and the two of them often fought each other. Later, when he gained power, your father, Cheng Zhijie, and the other old generals of the Qin Palace all lost power, Yuchi Jingde became complacent and often boasted in front of others about how he had defeated Qin, Cheng, and the others. These words will naturally worsen the relationship between Yuchi Jingde and your father. ”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “I’m not too clear about the grievances of the previous generation. I just feel that Yuchi Jingde is like a double-edged sword. There’s no doubt about his ability. His perverse personality and hot temper are also troublesome. Only people like His Majesty the Emperor can easily control him.”

“Haha, even Father Emperor calls him the Black-Faced Demon Monarch. If Yuchi Jingde were to have an ox temper, he would be a little scared.” Li Ke smiled and said, “The day before yesterday, I heard that Yuchi Jingde had returned to Chang’an to prepare for the New Year. Isn’t it just right to invite him over?”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Your Highness, since you know that my father, Uncle Cheng, and Yuchi Jingde are not compatible, I also have a grudge with his son, Yuchi Baoyun, why should I invite him?”

Li Ke smiled mysteriously and said, “It was precisely because no one was willing to pay attention to him and avoid him that I thought of taking the initiative to approach him.” Now, it’s hard for me! Almost none of the officials of the Manchu Dynasty looked straight at me. They were either on the Crown Prince’s side or colluding with the King of Wei. To be honest, I don’t want to compete with the Crown Prince and King Wei. I also know that I don’t have the power and qualifications to do so. “But the tree wants to be quiet and the wind is not stopping. I am trying to protect myself. It is not too much for me to make a few more friends who can speak for me, is it?”

“Isn’t that too much?” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Yuchi Jingde is arrogant and domineering, and he doesn’t know how to be a human. Few people paid attention to him when he came to Chang’an, but His Highness took the initiative to condescend and invite him as a distinguished guest. Yuchi Jingde should be grateful to him.”

“It’s hard to say. Yuchi Jingde, the Black-Faced Demon Monarch, has different ideas from ordinary people. His actions are entirely based on his own preferences. Other than my Father Emperor, he doesn’t give face to anyone else in the world.” Li Ke smiled bitterly, “I can only give it a try!”

“Since that’s the case, we should start preparing separately!” Qin Mubai said, “The New Year is coming. The heavy snow will stop and start immediately. It’s best to get all the people together before the New Year, so that we can run into each other for a period of time!”

“I’ll leave Xue Rengui to you!” Li Ke said, “No matter what, you must persuade him to come to my palace to recruit!”

“Don’t worry, I have a way.” Qin Mubai smiled and nodded.

After chatting for a while, the two of them agreed to split up and prepare for each other immediately. Qin Mubai said goodbye and left.

After leaving the mansion, Qin Mubai strolled slowly through the snow-covered streets of the Li Fang. She thought to herself, “Looking at Li Ke’s posture, he looks like a ferocious beast that has been hibernating for a long time. Finally, he yawns and starts to dance.”

He was really similar to Li Shimin, and he also knew how to recognize, employ, and control people. From Li Ke’s painstaking search for talent, one could tell that Cheng Da’s ambition was definitely not small!

If he was truly at ease as a Prince of Peace, he would definitely not have such a move. To protect himself? … It really was only for self-preservation that Hua Tian Jiu’s idleness was the best way. He had been pretending for more than a year, but he was finally unable to continue pretending.

“Li Ke, he’s not in the pond at all! Looks like his father’s vision is still good. He has already determined that Li Ke is a talented and rewarding person, but his awkward status just happens to be inversely proportional to his ability.” As Qin Mubai walked, she thought to herself, “Ever since I came to the Great Tang, there seems to be an invisible hand that keeps arranging for me and Li Ke to get closer and closer.” Back then, I had left King Wu’s Mansion, but now I was tied up with him. Moreover, the emperor seemed to have tacitly accepted that Li Ke and I were on the same side. Not only that, even the Crown Prince, King Wei, and the others had probably come to the same conclusion. “Otherwise, why did the Crown Princess repeatedly ask me about my relationship with Li Ke when Wu Meiniang went to the East Palace as a guest?”

Thinking of this, Qin Mubai couldn’t help but smile, “What are you thinking so much about?” What a mediocre disturbance! The current Great Tang was no longer the Great Tang in history. Who could explain what would happen in the future? Will Li Ke die from grievances like he did in history?

No one could say!

Although the theories of “there is no egg under the nest” and “the city gate catches fire and catastrophes the fish in the pond” are reasonable, they are often used to scare away mediocre and cowardly people’s prophecies. Since I can snatch away the Emperor’s Wu Meiniang and make Princess Gaoyang give up on me, why can’t I change Li Ke’s fate?

After all, Li Ke treats me kindly as his confidant brother, and he is also my future uncle-in-law, Gaoyang’s favorite third brother! If I were implicated, I wouldn’t be able to disassociate myself from him at this moment!

“To change Li Ke’s fate is to control my own fate!”

“It’s challenging, I like it!”

Thinking of this, the corner of Qin Mubai’s mouth curled into a smile. He quickly walked a few places with his fists in excitement and headed straight for Wu Mei’s home.

If he wanted to persuade Xue Rengui, he still had to borrow the face of the “Wu Dongjia” and her sharp tongue!

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[This chapter will be updated during the day. Recently, I have been very busy, so I often update two chapters together, each chapter has more than five thousand words. I came back very late today, and it took me three hours to get out of this chapter. I can be considered as agreeing to everyone’s support for this book! Summon everyone’s red votes for support, thank you! ]