Chapter 112 Fox's Sorrow This is indeed a trick I couldn't come up with even after racking my brains...
Li Shimin raised his head and forced a bitter smile.
"Li Hun was executed. All thirty-two men in his family perished." The letter fell to the floor. "Father warned us to be careful..."
These past few days have been incredibly thrilling and exciting.
I thought Lady Chen would make false accusations first, but so far there's been no news of her doing anything malicious; I thought helping Zhang Liang escape corvée labor was already unconventional enough, but I also ended up stitching up the wounds of a wanted criminal who stole from Hanjia Granary; I thought meeting a chivalrous person like Duan Zhixuan was already a stroke of luck, but I was also fortunate enough to encounter Han Shi'e, whom neither Yang Guang nor Yuwen Shu could capture; I thought burying the legendary escape artist was strange enough, but then I got involved with the Li Hun family, whose entire clan was wiped out.
They were so tired.
Li Shimin was completely detached from his thoughts, as if his soul had suddenly left his body, and as if he had forgotten the existence of Changsun Qingjing.
She felt that every line of text above was unfamiliar and cold.
"How exactly did Pei Yun turn these street gossips into a dead case?" Changsun Qingjing also felt that the emperor's actions had crossed the bottom line of the tacit understanding between the emperor and his ministers.
“It has nothing to do with him. Although he is a treacherous minister, he cannot bear the responsibility of framing court officials for treason…” Li Shimin’s mind was not on this case.
"Don't talk nonsense, that's too ominous." Changsun Qingjing nudged Li Shimin. "During the Lantern Festival, didn't Father and His Majesty, who are cousins, have a very pleasant conversation? Even if Yuwen Shu could share his burdens, he couldn't be in two places at once. Didn't His Majesty encourage you to be loyal to the country?"
“Let’s get through this together.” Changsun Qingjing put away the letter and placed his hand on Li Shimin’s knee. “I can barely be considered half an helper, at least I’m still smart enough.”
Hearing Changsun Qingjing's warm and intimate self-deprecation, Li Shimin couldn't help but let out a frank and reliable laugh: "You are more than half an assistant; you are practically our family's female Zhuge Liang. If Father were to guard Jinyang Palace, I would definitely take you with me to Hedong."
It was as if the soul that had been detached from his body had returned. Li Shimin began to ponder the emperor's next plan, his father's next response, and his own next move.
"What a pity for Lady Yuwen. Even if she had escaped this calamity as the emperor's niece, Yang Guang might not have spared her..." Changsun Qingjing sighed.
What do you mean?
"Princess Leping, the only link between Lady Yuwen and the Emperor, has passed away. As the daughter of Emperor Xuan of Zhou, her father's throne was seized by her maternal uncle; as the wife of Li Min, a pillar of the state, her husband, who had rendered meritorious service to the country, was executed due to prophecy. Everything she relied on and depended on is gone. Given Yang Guang's nature, he will surely suspect that she harbors double the hatred. He will definitely not let her go!"
Li Shimin also sighed and said, "Then, according to you, what can she do?"
"Wait a minute, even my father and uncle don't know about the palace secrets of this old Meng You, who doesn't look like a ruler at all. Where did you hear this from?"
"At Anye's place."
"who?"
"At Changsun Anye's place."
"What did you say?"
"Survival is the priority right now. We've reached a temporary settlement."
Li Shimin was now dumbfounded.
"Don't look at me like that. It was just before the Lantern Festival... I took a few retainers and strong women to ambush him and his mistress..." Changsun Qingjing's eyes darted away. "This was not a fair thing to do, and I strictly ordered the servants who went with me not to tell you."
"That day..." Li Shimin was momentarily at a loss for words, whether to ask "Where did you find out that Changsun Anye had a mistress?" or "What do you mean by reconciliation?" or "How could you come up with such a terrible idea?"
"For a nobleman of some standing with a wife and concubines to do something like this, his wife and father-in-law would naturally not forgive him, right?"
Li Shimin covered his eyes and laughed, "This is indeed a trick I couldn't come up with even if I racked my brains."
How well do they know each other?
"He assured me that he knew everything that was happening in Ziwei City. To prove his ability, he told me that the emperor and empress had argued about the princess's title. The empress, who was usually gentle, tried her best to dissuade the emperor from using 'Hanoi County' as the title."
"What's so strange about that? I heard from my mother that the emperor sent all his illegitimate children away from the Prince of Jin's residence to please Empress Wenxian. The princess that Yuwen Xiao married is not Empress Xiao's daughter. Although it's somewhat undignified, she is still the emperor's daughter. Hanoi County is not as wealthy as Nanyang County. Illegitimate daughters are not as good as legitimate daughters. The emperor's arrangement doesn't seem too wrong, so why is the empress obstructing it?"
"Have you forgotten the title Empress Wenxian's father held during the Zhou Dynasty?"
Therefore, it's clear that the princess's unrestrained behavior in the Ziwei Palace was indeed backed by the emperor. Yang Guang may not have loved this illegitimate daughter that much, but indulging her evil deeds was nothing more than compensation for his past helpless pretense, and the title of "Honei Commandery" was also the most vicious curse upon his mother.
Li Shimin pulled his chaotic thoughts away from the grudges and feuds within the royal family, recalling the key point of their conversation: "You only mentioned inquiring about the Emperor's recent likes and dislikes from Anye, and wouldn't allow me to ask in detail. I had no idea you were willing to reconcile with him! Your reconciliation with Anye is for my sake? For the sake of our Li family?"
“Guanyinbi, I…” Li Shimin’s love and respect were stuck in his throat, and he didn’t know how to express them. He couldn’t imagine how much disgust and childhood fear Changsun Qingjing had suppressed, and how much courage she had to manipulate and threaten a half-brother who was older than her and had more experience and cunning than her. And it all stemmed from his distrust of Changsun Qingjing’s straightforward personality.
"No need to thank me, just remember to repay the favor."
"good."
“An Ye has certainly not dared not to do his best to gather information these past two months. I’m even afraid that he’s being too attentive to me and sending my mother spices and jewelry might make her mistakenly think he’s gone mad. If we go to Hedong, it’ll be hard to say…” Changsun Qingjing laughed. “The emperor is about to tour Hedong, and he may not need this drinking bastard. Let’s use him for now.”
"I'll listen to you." Li Shimin also revealed his plan in detail. "Once we get to Hedong, I will try my best to befriend the eunuchs of Jinyang Palace and find out the emperor's every move. I will not act rashly. I will not put you and Father in danger."
"I doubt you'd dare," Changsun Qingjing said, covering her mouth with a laugh.
"Besides, I still need to repay a favor by stealing the Jade Dragon for you!"
"Alright! A real man keeps his word!"
The candlelight danced merrily, wax dripping and outlining the shadow of a dragon's tail...
Author's Note: The half-siblings have temporarily reconciled. A glimpse into the ruthless political machine of A-Jing.
This foreshadows Uncle Shunde's escape from military service. An Ye suggests that Uncle Shunde go to Jinyang to find A Jing...
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