Chapter 46: The Choice Between an Ambitious Young Master and a Cunning Female Strategist...
“Building a hut is not out of the question.” Changsun Qingjing picked up the newly copied Buddhist scripture, blew on it to help the ink dry faster, and then gently rolled it up.
"Since you are so determined, after Mother's burial, shall I accompany you in your humble abode during the day to remember Mother, and return to the mansion at night to copy Buddhist scriptures to avoid suspicion?" Changsun Qingjing's tone was calm and earnest, with a hint of naivety.
The debate that Li Shimin had imagined did not occur. Changsun Qingjing neither advised him to take care of his health nor urged him to prioritize the overall situation and go to Luoyang with him. Instead, he decided to silently support Li Shimin's obsessive plan by accompanying him and copying scriptures. This greatly surprised Li Shimin, who had just mustered his energy to prepare for a verbal battle.
He sensed the regret in her voice, yet he still tried to understand her grief over the loss of her mother and her filial piety.
He shouldn't have felt joy, but he also felt that his mother wouldn't blame him for this feeling.
"Is there a better way to remember my deceased mother?" Li Shimin asked tentatively, his tone revealing a hint of barely perceptible timidity.
He recalled the hallucinations in his nightmares, his mother's willful scolding in those hallucinations, and the fragile green branches that forcibly left him on the cliff face... He suddenly felt he should listen to the girl's views on the future.
“From what I can see, I truly cannot find a better way to mourn than building a hut and dwelling in mourning before the grave.” Changsun Qingjing approached the lampstand, picked up a pair of scissors, and cut off a section of the wick. The flickering flame and candle wax subsided. The dim light outlined the elegant silhouette of the young girl bent over her desk copying scriptures.
"I just overheard my father's private conversation with the Duke of Chen..." The figure on the curtain trembled slightly.
"Then..." Li Shimin was speechless for a moment in the face of this sudden candor.
Changsun Qingjing put down his pen and ink, walked slowly to the bedside, propped his left cheek up with one hand, and calmly asked, "Their secret conversation is related to you and the safety of the entire household. Aren't you curious?"
“Go ahead and tell me, I’m listening…” Li Shimin said awkwardly, not minding pondering the secret between his father and uncle.
Changsun Qingjing recalled every detail of his family receiving the imperial decree, pondered for a moment, and continued, "What I remember before were merely polite greetings from His Majesty. Of course, some nobles couldn't even get a chance to exchange pleasantries with His Majesty. The Duke lost his wife, and both the Emperor and Empress comforted him; to outsiders, this was a great honor..."
"So what price does His Majesty the Emperor require from the Li family to exchange for this honor?" Li Shimin suppressed the urge to sneer.
"Beneath His Majesty's majestic exterior probably dwells a willful fifteen-year-old boy." Changsun Qingjing suddenly recalled a short comment made by Changsun Wuji. She found it apt and amusing, and couldn't help but blurt it out, "He feels that all the subjects of the world should be grateful for his benevolence and repay him with their life's blessings."
"I didn't realize you were so eloquent! I'm not intimidated by His Majesty's wildly imaginative ideas. Tell me, what kind of loyalty does my father need to earn the Lord's favor and trust?"
"His Majesty's edict also said that he not only missed Duke Tang, but also missed Duke Tang's beloved son... and hoped to meet Duke Tang and his son in Luoyang."
"What if there's no one else available, and we have to appoint Father with some skepticism?" Changsun Qingjing asked slyly. "What if the position of Right Valiant Guard General is both an honor and a test? If we pass the test, perhaps the road ahead will be smooth, but if we fail, our whole family will be doomed?"
"That's chilling. What exactly did you overhear my father and uncle saying?" Li Shizhen asked suspiciously.
Changsun Qingjing slowly recounted, "My father and uncle are also hesitant and worried about His Majesty's fickle nature. However, my uncle said that he did indeed privately inquire with Consort Yuwen about His Majesty's deeper intentions..."
"Which Yuwen consort?" Li Shimin couldn't help but interject.
“Yuwen Shiji, the second son of the Duke of Xu and the consort of Princess Nanyang… Aren’t you quite familiar with him? Why are you saying such strange things?” Changsun Qingjing was somewhat surprised by her husband’s strange questioning. She couldn’t help but lean closer to Li Shimin, “You don’t look well.”
Li Shimin deliberately avoided Changsun Qingjing's finger that was reaching for his forehead, his eyes flickering: "Since it was him who said it, it must be from the bottom of his heart."
"Do you have another acquaintance, the Imperial Son-in-Law Yuwen?" Changsun Qingjing asked curiously.
"We're not close, just a bit of a squabble..." Li Shimin didn't know how to explain to Changsun Qingjing how he had come to associate with a bunch of pigs and dogs.
Changsun Qingjing felt that his words were quite sincere. Although she had lost her father at a young age and was cautious in her words and actions, she still retained some of her adoptive father's elegant and unrestrained demeanor. Therefore, she chose to believe Li Shimin's "difficulties" and did not care much about her position in Li Shimin's heart.
"Alright, then let me ask you this: you've never mentioned these things before, is it because you lost the game? Tell me!"
"Now that you've won, don't interrupt. Let me finish. You can tell me about those messy things later," Changsun Qingjing commanded urgently, straightening his back and lightly tapping the edge of the couch with his fingers.
"Alright, I'll listen to you." Li Shimin got up and knelt on the couch, patting his knees to indicate that he was ready to listen attentively.
Changsun Qingjing looked up at Li Shimin, his lips slightly parted, as if he wanted to say something but stopped, revealing a puzzled expression.
Li Shimin realized that his condescending posture was inappropriate, so he awkwardly left the bed and knelt directly in front of Qingjing, bowing to look her in the eye. He no longer imagined how he would throw her down and capture her if she were an impudent young man; he simply straightened his disheveled mourning clothes. Feeling that this humble posture would no longer displease Qingjing, he gently tugged at her sleeve and said, "Continue speaking; I'm listening attentively."
Li Shimin was speechless for a moment. He wanted to say something in his own defense, but remembering that Changsun Qingjing disliked him for always interrupting him, he remained silent.
Thinking of his young wife who had stayed by his side without eating or drinking, and whose mental and physical strength were exhausted, he really had no reason to tease this girl who had never abandoned him.
Fortunately, it was just a normal grumble. Changsun Qingjing's eyes sparkled mischievously, playful and cunning. His flushed cheeks slowly calmed down.
"I guess even His Majesty himself doesn't believe he has such a virtuous minister, so he has no choice but to settle for second best and test Father's loyalty by repeating the story of Father detaining a prince by His Majesty's side when he was pacifying Longyou, and then making further arrangements..." This thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl seriously analyzed the strange and obsessive mentality of the nearly fifty-year-old emperor.
Changsun Qingjing nodded, his mind also filled with confusion and bewilderment.
“I know that at this moment, you want to spend more time with your mother; and the whole household does need someone capable of standing on their own to serve as a pawn for His Majesty. Your father and uncle cannot bear to disappoint your sincere and filial heart. Between you and your elder brother, one a beloved son and the other a crown prince, who should go to Luoyang and who should observe mourning for your mother? They are at a loss and in a great dilemma!”
"Guanyinbi, what do you think? Which one do you want me to choose?"
The earnest way the two children were analyzing their predicament didn't resemble lovers or a couple; rather, it was more like a lord and his most trusted advisor.
The author's note: My mother has just passed away, so it's not the right time to talk about love.
Let's talk about how to fool Yang Guang!
Qingjing, what's our next step?
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