Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 322

Chapter 322 Lin Clan’s Son Calls Young Slave
After hunting, Li Shimin decisively sneaked into the harem and asked the Hundred Cavalry to hand over their prey to the Imperial Cuisine Supervisor for dinner. He also sent someone to send a message to Qin Mubai, telling him to come to Penglai Hall for dinner before returning.

Qin Mubai was amused to see Li Shimin hiding his identity. It is not easy to be a ruler, but it is even harder to be a good emperor Even though Li Shimin was an emperor, he was still afraid that some officials would talk nonsense. Just like this hunting, it was regarded by some officials as an eagle running dog, fresh clothes, and furious horses, not doing their proper job. Li Ke Tian Lie had been impeached too much, and Li Shimin had been criticized by Wei Zheng several times for this matter, and even scolded by pointing at his nose. Once, Li Shimin got a fond kite eagle in his hand to play, and Wei Zheng came to play. What Li Shimin was most afraid of was Wei Zheng’s nagging, and he immediately panicked and hid the kite eagle in his arms. Wei Zheng clearly had a bad look in his eyes, but this time, he looked at her kindly, and just like an aunt, he talked about a small matter endlessly. As a result, the kite eagle was suffocated to death in Li Shimin’s arms.

At that time, Qin Mubai was the Hundred Cavalry Envoy. Although he had not seen it with his own eyes, he was very clear about it.

From this point of view, Li Shimin, the emperor, was still a bit of a loser. But perhaps it was precisely because of these losers that they had accomplished a great deed and achieved the glorious age of chastity.

Ignoring his identity as an emperor, Qin Mubai had always felt that Li Shimin was actually a rather “interesting” man. He has talent, taste, breadth of mind, a sense of humor, as well as feelings and a sense of justice. Admittedly, his shortcomings and deeds were as clear as his strengths. However, there was no absolute sage in this world. There were both strengths and weaknesses. On the contrary, people felt that Li Shimin, the emperor who had been circulating in history, was actually a real man with flesh and blood.

When Qin Mubai arrived at Penglai Palace, he saw two bright figures waiting for him at the entrance of the palace. It was none other than King Jin, Li Zhi, and Princess Jin Yang, Li Mingda. Hearing that Qin Mubai was coming to share dinner, the two little princes were excited and actually went out to welcome him at the entrance of the hall.

Qin Mubai quickly walked forward to greet Li Zhi and was shocked to see him. This time around, Li Zhi was obviously already a half-grown kid. There was also a layer of fluff on his mouth, and his voice had changed a bit. He was like a duck, and his body had grown taller and fatter.

Li Mingda was seven or eight years old, and he had grown up a lot. His smile was innocent and brilliant, just like a small white lotus blooming in a clear pond, spotless. She grinned, revealing a pair of little tiger teeth that Li Clan’s daughters used to have. She wore a pair of beautiful flowers on her forehead. She wore a bright red brocade jacket. Her thick makeup made her stumble a little heavily, but there was also a cute liveliness, just like a fairy driving maiden walking out of a New Year picture.

“The students pay their respects to the teacher.” Li Zhi had obviously grown up and bowed to Qin Mubai in salute. Qin Mubai had taught Li Zhi and Li Mingda pipa skills at the behest of Li Shimin since a long time ago, and Li Zhi regarded Qin Mubai as his master.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to be too polite.” Qin Mubai returned the greeting. A childish and excited voice sounded in his ears–

“Village Chief, hug me!” Li Mingda smiled and extended his arms to Qin Mubai, standing on tiptoe.

Qin Mubai laughed heartily and bent down to pick Li Mingda up. Li Mingda hugged Qin Mubai’s neck and kissed him on the face. He wiped his mouth and giggled, “Village Chief’s beard stabbed!”

“Haha!” Qin Mubai and Li Zhi laughed out loud.

Although Li Zhi’s talent was mediocre and even somewhat blunt, he was still very precocious in the palace. He flipped through the years and was fourteen years old. Many men of this age in the Tang Dynasty had already married and started a family. Therefore, Li Zhi paid great attention to his appearance and etiquette and no longer addressed Qin Mubai as “Village Chief”. He showed the bearing and cultivation that a prince should have.

To be honest, Li Zhi was the one with the least temper among Li Shimin’s children that Qin Mubai had come into contact with. Crown Prince Li Chengqian, excellent outside and inside Li, dissolute behavior uninhibited; King Wei, Li Tai, had a smiling tiger, but his talent was truly outstanding. King Wu Li Ke had great ambitions to hide his talent and martial arts, and was affectionate, righteous, and concealed his talents. There was no need to mention King Qi, Li You, and Princess Gaoyang. These people all had one thing in common, high profile, extraordinary.

Li Zhi was different. Regardless of whether it was Qin Mubai or an ordinary eunuch or palace maid in the palace, he treated Qin Mubai with the same gentleness and courtesy. Without the slightest bit of arrogance and superiority of a prince, he was simply a big boy in the family.

Perhaps this was related to the fact that he had lost his mother and was raised in the hands of the eunuchs’ palace maids since he was young. His personality was rather vague, and he was also a little weak. But on the other hand, he was the most benevolent of Li Shimin’s children that Qin Mubai had ever seen.

Li Mingda and Qin Mubai were hugging her in their arms, and they were fantasizing, “If only I could give birth to such a baby girl!”

China has a tradition of favoring sons over daughters, but Qin Mubai always felt that daughters were more considerate than sons when it came to filial piety. Not to mention far away, her own Shuang’er was the heart of her parents. No one in the family didn’t like her and treated her like a baby bump.

The two little princes welcomed Qin Mubai. They were obviously very happy and smiled from the bottom of their hearts. Li Mingda leaned against Qin Mubai’s body, occasionally fiddling with his thick and short green stubble or his golden crown. Li Zhi asked him excitedly about Lanzhou’s local appearance and the scenery at the border.

After ten sentences of conversation, Qin Mubai felt that Li Zhi had really changed. That stupid, childish slave boy from the past was indeed half a man now. He was interested in politics and frontiers, and was interested in the army and weapons and horses, so he was excited to hear the story of the march to war.

The aura of masculine hormones was evident in his half-ripe bones.

Walking to the inner palace, Li Shimin had just changed into a loose and casual set of clothes and was making tea in the Fate Palace. Qin Mubai put down Li Mingda and bowed. Li Shimin smiled and said, “There’s no need to be formal. It’s just a family feast-come, son, let father hug you!”

“Royal Father” Li Mingda trotted into Li Shimin’s embrace and giggled, his face flushed red and unadorned.

“Aiyo, my son has grown fat again. I can’t even carry him!” Li Shimin laughed heartily and kissed Li Mingda’s face several times. Her beard scratched her until she giggled.

“Mm, that’s good. In the future, I have to practice more Taichi Fist with your ninth brother to strengthen my body!” Li Shimin pinched Li Mingda’s little face and said affectionately, “In the past year or two, my health has improved a lot. I have rarely taken medicine!”

“Yes, Father Emperor.” Li Zhi said, “Huang’er has practiced Taijiquan for two years and feels much stronger. If Father Emperor has time, he might as well practice it as well. Huang’er heard that Yiguo Justly cultivated Taijiquan to recover his sickly body. Now, he can gallop back to the battlefield!”

“Haha, good!” Li Shimin nodded with interest and laughed heartily. He turned to Qin Mubai and said, “Mubai, thank you so much.”

“Why should His Majesty thank you for what you have done?” Qin Mubai smiled and cupped his hands. “Actually, being in a good mood is the best medicine. Most of my father’s illness comes from the heart. Rheumatic bone disease is just a small head.”

“That’s right.” Li Shimin nodded in agreement. He put down Li Mingda’s hand and roasted it on the stove. He rubbed his hands and said, “The way of health preservation is from the inside out. Medicinal Stones and Needles can only be used as supplements. The Taichi Fist you created is really good. I will practice it when I have time. Not only to strengthen my body, but also to calm my mood and cultivate.”

Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh. Sorry, old comrade Zhang Sanfeng, I didn’t mean to …

The four of them sat around the stove and waited for the Imperial Cuisine Supervisor to take care of their prey before delivering dinner. Not long after, someone came from the palace. It was actually Princess Gaoyang and her daughter!

This was the first time that Imperial Concubine Yin De and Princess Gaoyang had appeared together in Penglai Palace.

Imperial Concubine Yin De was still so graceful and noble that no one dared to look directly at her. Her frosty white hair added a mysterious and different elegance. When Qin Mubai saw Princess Gaoyang walking beside her, he discovered that she was simply a young version of Consort Yin De. This was the first time he discovered that she was so similar to her mother!

Perhaps Princess Gaoyang, who had experienced human affairs, had truly grown up and started to emit a feminine aura from her bones.

“Come, sit down.” Li Shimin did not say too much, but the smile on his face was quite gentle. He greeted Concubine Yin De and her daughter and sat down, saying, “Today is a family banquet. This banquet is not ordinary. I personally made it.”

Imperial Concubine Yin De smiled, “Has His Majesty gone hunting again?”

“Yi, you are just boring. You can explain yourself with just a single word.” Li Shimin patted his knee in anger, “Why should I let Ling’er and Shenzi guess first?”

“Heh …” Li Zhi blurted out in disdain. “Father, you’ve already told me a few times how powerful you are in archery. When you entered the palace, you were wearing a martial artist’s uniform. Don’t you know that you went hunting today?”

“Haha!” The whole room burst into laughter.

Li Shimin instantly felt embarrassed and deliberately pointed his face at Li Zhi and shouted, “You are the only one who speaks too much!”

Li Zhi’s expression froze as he grinned, as if he had made a big mistake.

“Childish slave, you stupid brat, why are you so stupid?” Li Shimin shook his head and smiled bitterly, “If you are half as clever as Sister Gaoyang, I should be at ease.”

“Oh” Li Zhi nodded his head in confusion and looked at Princess Gaoyang blankly, not knowing what he was thinking.

Qin Mubai’s heart lit up as he thought to himself, “Li Shimin’s careless words just now seemed to have broken through a thread of heavenly secrets.” “Don’t worry”? Why was he worried about Li Zhi? What was the reason why he left Li Zhi, who was fourteen years old, in the harem? …

Qin Mubai naturally thought of Eldest Sun Wuji. This uncle of the current dynasty, the number one official of the Zhenguan Temple, was also the only official, and Qin Mubai did not have much contact with him. Previously, because of the conflict between him and Changsun Huan, he had once or twice come into contact with him. At that time, Changsun Wuji gave Qin Mubai the impression that this person was very kind, elegant, cultured, and knowledgeable. But at the same time, it was also very shrewd, as if it was unfathomable. With Qin Mubai’s eyesight and experience at that time, he could only see a layer of his outer garment.

But in history, wasn’t he the one who helped Li Zhi ascend the throne? When Li Shimin died, he was entrusted to him, so he became a first-class official in the dynasty of Li Zhi.

Although there were different evaluations of him in history, none of them denied that Eldest Sun Wuji was a person with a strong desire for power. Moreover, he had indeed done such a thing as “invading the government and the public and shaking the lord”, and was finally dealt with by Gao Zong, Li Zhi, and Empress Wu Zhao.

Right now, it was the most intense time to fight for the throne. The first minister of the current dynasty, Changsun Wuji, did not seem to show any signs of showing his face. He did not clearly stand on the Crown Prince’s side, nor did he stand on the Wei King’s side. Like Li Zhi, the two of them were born to Empress Changsun and were his nephews. However, it was an open fact that the Crown Prince’s immorality had displeased the Emperor. Now, other than Fang Xuanling, who had been entrusted by the Empress’ last words to protect him to the death, “smart people” like Eldest Sun Wuji had already retreated from him. As for King Wei, this prince of the Long Wen Shan Technique had never been pleasing to his uncle. The two of them were inconspicuous to each other. This was almost known to everyone. Li Tai liked to recruit some “official second generation” or young officials and scholars to be his Dang Yu, so he didn’t have much of a crush on the characters of his father’s generation. As for Eldest Sun Wuji, he seemed to be neither cold nor hot towards his “disrespectful” nephew.

As a result, a strange situation appeared in the court. The Crown Prince and King Wei were fighting for connections, but they seemed to have only paid attention to minor characters and ignored the current number one figure, Eldest Sun Wuji.

It was a destructive cold humor.

Thinking back and forth, Qin Mubai concluded that the one who took the initiative to ask King Jin Li to leave the palace earlier must be Eldest Sun Wuji. Hearing Li Shimin’s words just now, he didn’t seem to be at ease about Li Zhi leaving the palace. The reason for that was precisely because of Eldest Sun Wuji.

Perhaps Li Shimin was trying to protect Li Zhi from this storm, or perhaps he didn’t want Li Zhi to leave his palm after leaving the palace and be toyed with by Eldest Sun Wuji, thus affecting the Li Shimin, the structure of the Imperial Court, and the future trend of the Great Tang Dynasty. Because Li Zhi was also a direct descendant. Even though he was young, he still had the capital to participate in the battle. An important reason was his bloodline.

At this moment, Li Shimin’s thoughts must be complicated. First of all, Changsun Wuji was his uncle’s brother. He had worked hard for many years and had always been loyal to him. He was also very capable. He was most trustworthy and worthy of great use. Secondly, no king would be willing to make a big deal out of the court, and the dynasty’s direction depended on his subjects, not on himself. The influence of Changsun Wuji was growing stronger and stronger, and it was unquestionable that the balance of power would fall to whichever side he stood in the fight for the first wife.

Qin Mubai guessed that with Li Shimin’s shrewdness and long-term vision, coupled with his usual pragmatic style, he should be very clear about the fact that choosing a successor was just a piece of paper. Great Confucianism and Little Confucianism liked to fight over such matters in their spare time, but how useful could this be for a dynasty and a famous clan? What truly played a decisive role in the future of the Chu and the dynasty depended on who was standing behind the prince and which factions were standing behind him. This was the decisive factor for Li Shimin to decide whether the dynasty would remain stable and whether the Li Clan’s imperial business would continue to prosper, not the dozens of kilograms of blood flowing out of his veins.

If Li Zhi were to leave the palace, Li Shimin would have no choice but to raise his spirits to 120 thousand points. Could it be that the childish slave would not be able to escape from being dragged into the struggle for the first wife’s possession? Eldest Sun Wuji, what is your intention?

…

Qin Mubai thought a lot, but he didn’t know if his imagination had any basis or was true. These things might have been buried deep in Li Shimin’s heart, and he would never tell anyone about them. Only occasionally, he accidentally revealed a scaly claw, which attracted speculation and thought.

In short, the current Zhenguan Dynasty was not as peaceful and peaceful as it had imagined. The struggle for the throne was getting fiercer and fiercer. It was simply like planting a time bomb on this dynasty. The detonation of the bomb was sooner or later, and the lethality of the bomb would be greater than Li Shimin’s method of dealing with this matter.

Li Shimin was indeed miserable and distressed. He was now a bomb disposal worker, facing countless leads, he didn’t know which one to cut. A slight mishap could be a devastating catastrophe. His decades of hard work could be ruined. In the prime of chastity, it was very likely that it would be Yun Hua.

…

After a meal, Qin Mubai did not feel at ease. She kept thinking about these things in her mind. After returning from Lanzhou, he felt that the aura of Chang’an had changed a little. There was also a hint of fear in the court. He thought that this might also be the reason why Li Shimin gave him half a year off to take Princess Gaoyang and her family on a trip. He didn’t want them to stay in Chang’an and get involved in these disturbances. However, the truth didn’t seem to be as smooth as Li Shimin had expected. Almost as soon as Qin Mubai landed in Chang’an, the Crown Prince and King Wei sent invitations to him.

Evidently, both of them were trying their best to figure out what to do. Even a dog-tailed grass wouldn’t let them off as long as they could borrow their strength. It could be seen how fierce the competition was.

The cuisine of the Imperial Cuisine Supervisor was naturally impeccable, and the game he personally brought over from the mountains also had a different flavor. After dinner, Qin Mubai accompanied Li Shimin, Imperial Concubine Yin De, and the others, bringing Princess Gaoyang, childish slaves, and imperial concubines to play Cuju in the backyard for a while, enjoying it quite a bit.

It could be seen that Li Shimin had not been as relaxed and happy as he was today.

Only when night fell did Qin Mubai get “let go” and was caught by Princess Gaoyang not letting go. Qin Mubai complained to himself and thought to himself, “My two poor brothers were bailed on by me, and now they can’t even scold me together!”

Thus, he hurriedly went to Hongwen Library. The doorman said that Qin Bin had left a message, saying that the palace gate was about to close. He and his eldest brother went to the Qin Manor first and waited for Qin Mubai to return for a dinner party.

Qin Mubai was so anxious to burn his butt that he hurriedly ran home. Princess Gaoyang didn’t want to let go, so she followed out of the palace and threatened, “You can’t dump me anymore. Go and secretly enjoy yourself!”–Haha, I just had a banquet in the palace, and went to your house for another banquet. I’m going to get fat soon! “