Chapter 50: The Later Lord
The others looked at Li Jiancheng with admiration. They had thought about this before, but no one dared to say it out loud.

Yu Wenzhi suddenly slammed the table and stood up: "Li Jiancheng, you are so bold, what is your status, how can you..."

"Jiancheng, please continue." Yang Guang could not help but interrupt Yu Wenzhi. If he continued to speak, how could he continue with this matter?

Li Jiancheng didn't even look at Yu Wenzhi, and the same went for the others. They all thought that someone had just farted. Yu Wenzhi shut up and sat down in dismay.

"Uncle, those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters. Concubine Chen is favored, but the Chen family is like Ru Ping. They may not be without the intention of relying on Your Highness. As long as Your Highness shows a little kindness, Concubine Chen will definitely return the favor."

Yang Guang said to Yang Yue, "It's not your place to talk to Concubine Chen. As for Jiancheng, you should go to the Changcheng County Mansion."

"promise."

At this time, the prince's eunuch Xiao Jing hurried over to report: "Just now, the Minister of Punishment Liu Shu and the Imperial Secretary Yuan Ke spoke well of Gao Zuo and the deposed prince in front of Your Majesty, and Your Majesty did not get angry and rebuke them as before."

This was another important political signal. There was another silence in the hall. Li Jiancheng looked at Yang Guang, whose face was ashen, and guessed that he was probably cursing Yang Jian for a quick death.

Yang Guang quickly adjusted his attitude: "You two go now, you can use the treasury of the Eastern Palace as you like. You must persuade Chen. If she is unmoved, use the lives of her brother Chen Shubao and his entire family to persuade her."

Li Jiancheng and Yang Yue agreed, and then went straight to the treasury. Yang Yue took the golden snake and golden camel as well as silk brocade from Jiangnan, while Li Jiancheng had people move away the aged fine wine that Yang Yong had stored in the cellar.

Then they went their separate ways. Yang Yue was a eunuch, so he wasn't afraid of rumors when he met the empress. As for Li Jiancheng, in the past few months, almost every family with a little reputation had visited him, not even the Changcheng County Mansion.

Although it was a bit abrupt, Chen Shubao was not a particularly particular person, and he was drunk, so he happily opened the door of his mansion and welcomed Li Jiancheng in.

Chen Shubao has a good appearance. He is nearly fifty years old but still has fair skin and tender complexion. He is just a little fatter and there is a little melancholy between his brows, but he is obviously very satisfied with his current comfortable life.

"I have been waiting for Mr. Li for a long time, why did he come to my house just now?"

Chen Shubao rushed over drunk. He was not seeking anything else but Li Jiancheng's poetic talent. The bold, unrestrained, fresh and elegant meaning was what he had been pursuing all his life.

Li Jiancheng supported him and said with a smile: "How can I come and drink poetry and sing with Mr. Chen if I haven't found good wine yet?"

"Haha, my dear, you know me, my dear, please come in, I have ordered people to make your poem into a song and dance, please watch it."

I am Emperor Taizong, Li Bai and Du Fu will not blame me!

There was a banquet going on in the Chen residence, and most of the guests were scholars and writers. When they saw Li Jiancheng coming, they all came out to greet him. As the saying goes, there is no best in literature, but the competition was also among people of the same class. Li Langjun was famous for more than just his poems.

After singing, he raised his cup to invite the bright moon, then he raised his wine to ask the blue sky, "When the clouds dance, I think of clothes and flowers, I think of my face; when I start singing, I drink wildly and spend my days singing in vain. Chen Shubao twisted his waist and drank wildly to the poetry and music.

Finally, when he was exhausted and out of breath, he ordered people to sing his Jade Tree and Flowing Light Shining on the Back Garden. Only then did he look dazed and sad.

Two jars of the fine wine that Li Jiancheng brought were drunk. When dusk approached, a group of scholars said goodbye one after another, but Li Jiancheng did not leave, and Chen Shubao insisted on staying with him.

After everyone had left, Chen Shubao said, "Sir, what instructions do you have for me? Please speak frankly."

"I would like to ask Mr. Chen to help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Haha, how can a person like me be qualified to help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" After laughing, Chen Shubao slowly breathed, "I will send someone to persuade her, but she also resents me for not helping her escape from the palace for so many years, and she may not listen to me." Everyone is doing their best, but of course they cannot force a certain outcome.

Li Jiancheng said: "Mr. Chen will surely enjoy great wealth and honor. On behalf of the crown prince, I wish Gong'an a long and happy life."

Chen Shubao thanked him, then held Li Jiancheng, who was about to leave, and said, "I have done my best for you, sir. Please leave me some good words to pass the long night."

Li Jiancheng had no choice but to leave behind the question "When will the spring flowers and autumn moons of Emperor Li end?", and after listening to it, Chen Shubao staggered away, reciting the poem "Just like a river of spring water flowing eastward."

Nan Tang is also Tang, Yuer will not blame me!

.........

Concubine Chen still agreed to help. I don’t know whether it was for the sake of the Golden Snake and Golden Camel or for the sake of Chen Shubao, her close relative, but she agreed anyway.

The effect of the pillow talk was very significant. Yuan Ke, the Minister of the Imperial Household, was demoted and Liu Shu was also reprimanded.

But Yang Su's loss of power was irreversible. After a period of time, Liu Shu accumulated momentum and contacted Gao Zuo's students and friends who were demoted. Finally, he could no longer bear it and pointed his sword at Yang Guang.

Pei Su, the chief officer of Beizhou, reported to the emperor: "Gao Jiong was a man of outstanding talent and meritorious service, but he was hated by the people and was abandoned. I hope Your Majesty will remember his great achievements and forget his minor faults.

The deposed Crown Prince and the deposed King of Shu have been guilty of crimes long ago. I hope that Your Majesty will be kind as a monarch and a father, and take into account the righteousness of nature, and grant each of them a small state and observe their behavior. If they can change for the better, their power will be gradually improved. If they do not repent, it will not be too late to demote them.

Now the path to self-reform is forever cut off, and there is no trace of remorse or regret. Isn't this tragic? "

After Liu Shu's explanation, the emperor did not punish the person who pleaded for the crown prince, the king of Shu, as he had done before. Instead, he sighed and said, "Pei Su is concerned about my family affairs, which is also sincere."

Although he did not pardon Yang Yong, Yang Xiu and Gao Zuo as he had said, his gentle attitude gave many people hope and they submitted memorials in support.

The emperor's suspicion and fickleness in his later years were clearly revealed, making people hate him to death but unable to do anything about it.

Fortunately, Changsun Sheng found a chance for them to catch their breath. He reported: "I climbed the city tower at night and saw red gas in the north of the desert. It was over a hundred miles long and fell to the ground like raindrops. The military books say this is called spilling blood. A country that shows this sign will surely be destroyed. If you want to destroy the Turks, now is the time!"

While the emperor was still hesitating, Li Jiancheng, Yang Xuangan and others joined forces with their in-laws and old friends and finally made this happen. However, to lead the army to destroy the Turks, they could not do without the invincible commander-in-chief Yang Su, the Left Pushe, who had never been defeated.

This was something that Liu Shu and others could not do anything about. The only ones who had the qualifications and prestige were Gao Zuo and Yang Su. But how could the emperor dare to give the military power to Gao Zuo, whom he had deposed?

In this way, Yang Su regained his strength, and with this momentum, he severely suppressed Liu Shu and others. He took the opportunity to execute several people and banished more than a dozen people from the capital, causing them serious injuries.

But he also had to go to the battlefield immediately. This time, Li Jiancheng did not follow him. Instead, he asked Yang Guang for permission to help Yang Yue and others prepare food and wages for the army and many other matters.

The work was a bit complicated, but fortunately the Sui Dynasty's treasury was full and it was not too difficult. Li Jiancheng personally learned and became familiar with each item.

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

(End of this chapter)