Chapter 6 Banquet
The so-called "Thousand Oxen" comes from "Zhuangzi·The Art of Preserving Life". Thousands of oxen have been butchered, but the blade of the knife looks as if it has just been sharpened.

After killing thousands of cows, the blade was still as sharp as new, so the emperor's sword for self-defense was called the Thousand Oxen Sword.

But of course it was impossible for the emperor to carry a sword every day, and there was no need for it, so the position of Qianniu Beishen came into being, with a total of twelve people, all of whom must be brave and handsome young men of distinguished family backgrounds.

Their duties were simple, which was to take turns holding the emperor's sword and following him as a guard.

It's glorious and respectable, but it means he has no real power and no one to serve him. He is just a living decoration of the emperor, used to highlight his majesty.

Li Jiancheng did not even need to think about it. If he was really content to be a Qianniu Guard, his future career would be extremely smooth. From following the emperor with a royal sword, to guarding the palace with a sword when he was older, to leading troops to guard the city gates, as long as he did not inherit the title, the starting point of the sixth rank would most likely be the end point.

Fortunately, he did not expect to be promoted with this, and while the Queen was in a good mood and still had some kindness towards him, he chatted with her for a while about family matters.

When the time was almost up, Li Jiancheng acted as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Dugu Jialuo asked him a few questions but he got no answer. She felt a little dissatisfied. Why was this kid so unhappy when he spoke?

Finally, the emperor arrived. Li Jiancheng breathed a sigh of relief, followed the empress to welcome him, and bowed according to the rules.

After Yang Jian sat down, Dugu Qieluo told the emperor about Li Jiancheng. It was just a matter of adding a Qianniu Guard as a standby. The emperor naturally agreed without hesitation. He also encouraged Li Jiancheng and rewarded him with a horse presented by the Eastern Turks.

Li Jiancheng took his leave after receiving the reward. The female official still escorted him. When he was near the palace gate, Li Jiancheng whispered, "There have been rumors about your majesty and a palace maid outside the palace in recent days. I wonder if there are such rumors inside the palace. If not, then forget it. If so, as the confidant of the queen, should the palace attendant pretend to be deaf and dumb?"

The female official seemed to have not heard anything, and Li Jiancheng continued, "I will follow your majesty and guard him from tomorrow on. I will definitely investigate this matter and report it to your majesty!"

After she finished speaking, she strode out of the palace, leaving the female official standing there with a frown on her face. Of course, these female officials who were prominent in the palace knew about this matter, but who dared to tell the empress?
Everyone wants to be a bird that brings good news, but everyone hates a bird that brings bad news. No one likes a person who brings bad news, even if that person is well-intentioned or loyal.

When people have bad emotions, they tend to transfer their bad emotions to individuals who are lower in rank or weaker than themselves. Li Jiancheng also needs to gain the trust of the queen and not be the one to take her anger out on him.

After leaving the palace, Li Jiancheng looked back and knew that this layer of window paper would be broken soon. After he revealed the truth, the female official would definitely not dare to lag behind him, otherwise it would not be reporting bad news and being rejected, but being disloyal by not reporting it.

It is totally unacceptable that a young man who had just entered the palace as a guard could have gotten to know such news, but the female officials who represented the queen and managed the harem knew nothing about it.

If they are rejected, at most they will be transferred out of Yong'an Palace, but if they are unfaithful, they will only end up dead. They will figure out the pros and cons and the gains and losses.

Zhao Da, who came over, asked in confusion: "Da Lang seems to be smiling?"

"Oh, by the grace of Her Majesty the Queen, I am allowed to serve as a guard of the Thousand Bulls."

Zhao Da was overjoyed when he heard this: "This is really a great event!"

His life and property, including those of his children and grandchildren, all depend on the Li family. There is nothing better than his own son having a good future. "Yes, it's a great event." Li Jiancheng jumped on his horse and said, "Let's go back home first."

Zhao Da responded, and three family guards came over from a distance, escorting their husband back home. They walked south from Hanguang Gate, passed Taipingfang and arrived at the Duke of Tang's Mansion, which was located in Tongyifang and occupied about a quarter of the area.

Each block in Chang'an was large, surrounded by shady trees and two-meter-thick and three-meter-high loess walls. When you reached the southwest of Tongyi Block, you could see a wooden door with two pillars and a lintel in the middle of the wall, with the words "Li Mansion" written on it.

The chief steward had already led people to wait. After the greeting, he escorted Li Jiancheng into the earthen wall and wooden door. A few dozen steps away, he saw a magnificent mansion with flying eaves, multi-story buildings, white walls, red doors and a large black plaque with the words "Tang Guogong Mansion" written on it.

On the left side of the main gate stands the gatehouse, where the guard lives when on duty at night. Next to it is a stable, which is convenient for guests to rest their horses before entering the mansion. In front of the main gate stands eight pairs of halberd racks, which consist of upper and lower beams and three pillars. There are holes drilled on the beams, and sixteen halberds are inserted. The halberd heads have double blades, and the necks of the halberds are decorated with colorful banners with tiger head patterns, which rustle in the wind.

A dozen or so strong servants wearing black fuku, round-collared, straight-fronted, narrow-sleeved shirts, and narrow straight long swords on their waists were guarding the gate of the mansion, announcing that this Duke's Mansion was built on military honors.

The first thing you see when you enter the mansion is the main hall, which is surrounded by lush trees, corridors and pavilions, a black-tiled roof, vermilion pillars, and a brick base.

There is nothing much to say about the other houses in the front yard. They are all built within one another and have similar styles.

There were no guests to see, so Li Jiancheng walked straight around the main hall and entered the back house. In front of him was another hall, where his mother received female guests.

The first floor is like the main hall in the front yard, but slightly smaller. However, it has a second floor. The second floor is like a pavilion with no walls on all sides, and is covered with bamboo roller curtains and screens. It is a good place to enjoy the cool breeze, drink tea and appreciate the scenery in the summer.

There is a lake next to it with a pavilion in the middle of the lake. As far as the eye can see, there are pavilions, towers, flowers and fish competing for food.

Li Jiancheng's residence was not far away. It was also an independent courtyard with rockery, strange rocks and green bamboo. It was served by dozens of fixed servants and strong women.

After taking a comfortable bath and changing clothes, seeing that it was still early, he ordered people to send letters to the Yuan, Dou, Dugu and Yang families. He would invite several brothers to drink in Canxia Tower tonight. These families were all related to the Li family and they often played together when they were young. Some of their legitimate sons served as Qianniu Guards in the palace.

The Qianniu Guards must not be over 20 years old and must be the sons of officials of the third rank or above, or even the sons of dukes or marquises. Only such young sons from wealthy families who have enjoyed the emperor's grace for generations would not be so foolish as to try to stab the emperor.

Li Jiancheng sent someone to Canxia Tower to order the best banquet, and then went to Queping Hall to practice archery for a while. This hall was called Yanwu Hall when the former Duke Tang was still alive, but it was renamed after Lord Li Yuan was selected, which shows how proud he was.

After all, the Qianniu Guards are just decorations. As long as His Majesty the Emperor does not plan to leave the harem, he will send them back to the palace and leave a few guards at the Yongxiang Palace Gate as a token of his respect.

Around 3 p.m., each family had replied to the letter and would keep the appointment on time. Li Jiancheng changed into a high-collared, wide-brimmed straight gown, a red belt around his waist, and black leather Liuhe boots before leaving the house.

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(End of this chapter)