Chapter 105 Returning
As Zhai Rang followed Li Jiancheng on the road, he became more and more frightened. Li Jiancheng was so rampant that he secretly released a few old friends and was arrested and beheaded.

And Li Langjun led the death row prisoner out openly and walked through the streets and alleys, without anyone even looking at him.

Zhai Rang only felt that the figure in front of him was like the sacred Taiyue Mountain. Finally, he arrived at a luxurious restaurant. Zhai Rang finally took off his prisoner uniform and put on casual clothes.

But he was still a little confused. He had finally gotten out, so why didn't they send him out of the city quickly?
Li Jiancheng saw Zhai Rang's puzzled expression and said with a smile, "How can I not welcome Brother Zhai?"

After going upstairs, he saw all the guests standing up to greet him. Zhai Rang was stunned because he saw his boss's immediate boss among them, with a fawning look on his face.

No one cared about his appearance or identity, they only cared that he was the guest of honor at the banquet hosted by Mr. Li today. Zhai Rang finally experienced the powerful and wealthy life he had longed for for half his life.

Fine wine, delicious food, dancing girls from the Hu family, even if he was crying because of excitement, there were people around him praising him as a real man of great character. Beautiful women came uninvited, wiped his tears with their white hands, and looked at him with tenderness in their beautiful eyes.

After all the great sorrows and joys, all the ups and downs were empty. Zhai Rang no longer knew what to do. After Li Jiancheng sent away the guests, he still leaned on the table in a daze.

Li Jiancheng did not urge him, but walked to one side, sat down and gently played the piano, and the sound of mountains and flowing water poured out.

Zhai Rang gently pushed aside the table and lay on his back on the couch. He waited until the song ended before speaking: "Today I know how noble a relative is. I hate being born into a poor family. I hate knowing the law but breaking it and ending my career as an official."

Li Jiancheng ignored him and continued, "The place I have chosen for you is located on the southeast bank of the Yellow River, facing the Baima Ferry of the Yellow River to the north, facing the Tongji Canal to the south, and only a hundred miles away from the Yongji Canal across the Yellow River to the west."

A strategic location, anyone with a little knowledge would be able to figure it out. Zhai Rang stood up and walked to Li Jiancheng and knelt down: "My dear, I'm afraid the court will definitely deploy troops to control a place like this."

Li Jiancheng played the gongshang music gently: "That is where the Yellow River flooded, with undulating earthen hills, dense trees, crisscrossing ditches and rivers, flocks of water birds, and reeds everywhere. But there is a high hill in the middle that can be occupied and defended."

"I am willing to go."

"I will send someone to take care of your mother, wife and children. If you are able to gain a firm foothold in the future, I will send someone to pick you up."

Zhai Rang said firmly: "Please take them to the jurisdiction and take care of them. I will reunite with them in the future."

"Do you know what I want to do?"

"I don't know, but I am willing to go through fire and water!" Zhai Rang looked back with longing and said, "I just hope that I can still have the glory I have today in the future."

"Go."

Li Jin led Zhai Rang down, but not out of the city immediately, but to a bedroom, where there was the beauty who had just wiped his tears and the charming Hu Ji who he had looked at for the longest time.

.........

The emperor ordered the excavation of the Jiangnan River from Jingkou to Yuhang, which was more than 800 miles long and more than 100 feet wide, so that dragon boats could pass through it. He also set up post stations and temporary resting places along the coast, intending to tour the east to Kuaiji.

However, due to the huge cost of entertaining foreign envoys in Luoyang, the treasury was empty and could not afford to prepare for the eastern expedition to Goguryeo. The emperor issued an edict "ordering the rich people in the country to buy military horses, each horse can cost up to 100,000 coins, and to review the weapons and military equipment, making sure they are up to date. If there are any bad ones, the envoys will be executed immediately."

At this time, Ashina Duoji, the successor of the Eastern Turkic Khan, came to the court, and the emperor ordered Yang Xuangan, the Minister of Rites, to receive him. Yang Xuangan had heard that Li Jiancheng was familiar with the new Khan, so he brought him along, hoping to establish a good relationship with the new Khan.

Everyone was waiting outside the city to welcome them, and soon they saw Shibi Khan, who was leading thousands of elite Turkic soldiers to protect him, and Princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty. After Qimin's death, Shibi married his stepmother according to the old Turkic custom. Of course, the two were about the same age.

Ashina Duoji was very arrogant now, but no one said anything. After all, he could recruit hundreds of thousands of troops at any time, and he didn't have to fear anyone except the Emperor of Sui.

After all, he was young and full of vigor, and the emperor and his ministers of the Sui Dynasty had long expected that he would not be as humble as his father Qimin. However, the court could not go to war against both the Dong Turks and Goguryeo at the same time, so it could only appease him.

Shibi Khan was arrogant towards Yang Xuangan and did not respond to his friendly embrace at all, but he was kind to Li Jiancheng and always looked for opportunities to talk to him, while Li Jiancheng deliberately kept his distance.

If he secretly released a few insignificant prisoners, the emperor would not bother to argue with him when he found out. At most, he would make him drink three cups of wine and be beaten a few times. But if he got too close to the Turkic Khan, that would be a big deal.

Shibi Khan paid his respects to the emperor according to the rules. The emperor rewarded him with many gold and silver objects and silk, but he was obviously not particularly satisfied with Shibi Khan's attitude.

After all, with Qimin Khan who could lie on the ground and weed for the emperor, the young and ambitious Shibi Khan was naturally not liked by the emperor, so he did not give him a banquet immediately, but only asked Empress Xiao to invite the princess into the palace to talk.

Then he suddenly ordered Li Jiancheng to return to Zhuo County to make preparations, as the emperor would go on a tour of the palace after the New Year.

Li Jiancheng certainly had no reason to refuse, so he left Beijing after making some preparations, without saying goodbye to anyone.

A few days after Li Jiancheng left, Shibi Khan suddenly found a letter on his bed. It was unsigned, but the letter told him in detail about the emperor's character and the things he should prepare for. The emperor would definitely find ways to weaken and divide his power.

After reading it, Shibi Khan laughed and felt that he had a very good friend.

.........

On the way back to Zhuo County, Li Jiancheng did not deliberately take a detour. Instead, he stopped wherever he went and sent his servants to collect information. Although the expedition to Goguryeo had not yet begun, the people of the world had indeed reached their limit of patience.

Those who wanted to rebel no longer concealed their intentions. Some of Li Jiancheng's old friends even brought people to the party, intending to rebel in either a covert or explicit way, hoping that Li Jiancheng could help them.

They even promised that if they could really achieve great things, they would be respected as emperors, and they only wanted wealth and honor. Li Jiancheng ordered his men to capture them without hesitation, cut off their heads, and ordered his servants to send them to His Majesty.

This really scared away a group of ambitious people who wanted to use Li Jiancheng's name to gather people for rebellion.

When he returned to Zhuo County, the emperor's commendation edict arrived, promoting him to the rank of Jinzi Guanglu Dafu and appointing him as the general manager of Linshuo Palace.

This undoubtedly made the officials of Zhuo County more convinced. Li Jiancheng naturally took back the military and political power of Zhuo County and made some adjustments to let them know that although he had been away for several months, he was very clear about everything that happened in Zhuo County.

...............

(End of this chapter)