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墨書 Inktalez
In the past, the Predecessor Emperor once spoke to many, saying, "In the previous life, the Son of Heaven was drowned in favoritism, leading to disputes between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, resulting in the dethronement or even the downfall of nations. I have no consorts by my side, and my five sons share the same mother; they can be called true brothers. How could I have such worries?"
Now, both Yang Yong and Yang Jun have passed away, while Yang Xiu and Yang Liang have been demoted to commoners and confined in the capital. They are indeed true brothers, without worries.
However, there is one issue: without the Royal Family's princes stationed in various regions, the Yang Family's control over the realm has weakened, especially in Shandong and Jiangnan.
The Emperor believes he is blessed in every way, but for the sake of pleasing the Dugu Clan, he has only two sons, which is a significant shortcoming.
Crown Prince Yang Zhao can only remain obediently in the Eastern Palace as the foundation of the nation, while having another Yang Liang is simply insufficient.
Thus, the Emperor immediately decided to tour Luoyang, bringing along the Queen and Crown Prince while leaving King Qi to guard the capital.
Chang'an is too far northwest; he wants to personally assess whether Luoyang has potential as a deterrent against threats from the east and south.
Whenever there is instability anywhere, establishing a capital nearby for suppression is always the best method. In two or three generations, they can be transformed into loyal subjects.
Just like when the Zhou Dynasty was established, they gathered the remnants of Yin Shang in Luoyi and made it their capital. They became subjects under the Son of Heaven and enjoyed prosperity; who would still reminisce about the previous dynasty?
...
Li Yan and Li Jian Cheng did not accompany him. Due to opposing factions within the Court, the Li Family dared not get involved this time and thus returned home to Wugong Mansion for a temporary stay.
Li Jian Cheng rarely had a chance to relax. Leading his younger siblings to enjoy rural pleasures one day after hunting rabbits, he saw Li Yan conversing with a Daoist dressed in traditional attire.
After they greeted each other, Li Yan introduced him: "This is Qingyue Daozhang. He once read my fortune years ago with great accuracy. It’s rare to meet again, so I invited him to read your fortunes."
Li Jian Cheng and his siblings were neither surprised nor resistant; it was quite common. Whenever one stepped outside their residence into Nanshi, it was likely that ten Monastic Daoists would approach them for fortune-telling, often with grandiose claims.
Generally, noble youths of similar ages would undergo this process. Most readings were positive and uplifting; families would listen happily. If their children achieved anything notable as they grew up, it could be celebrated as a fine tale.
Li Jian Cheng's childhood name Bishamon came from such an occasion when a venerable monk from Songshan predicted that he would one day wield a wise umbrella to protect sentient beings.
Thus, Qingyue Daozhang merely praised Li Jian Cheng as per usual before turning his attention to A'Zhu and Great Virtue. After observing them for some time, he finally said to Li Yan: "You are a noble person; your children are also of noble stature."
He pointed at A'Zhu, who was holding a small bow in one hand and a rabbit by its ears in the other: "Noble Second Young Master possesses talents akin to dragons and phoenixes—truly exceptional! Judging by his appearance, after reaching maturity, he will surely benefit countless lives and bring peace to society. Such talent is indeed rare."
Li Yan nodded with delight, saying, "My Er Lang is exceptionally wise; the Daoist priest truly has a gift for divination."
Li Jian Cheng looked down and could not see any signs of the Dragon and Phoenix countenance on the child's face.
Noticing Li Jian Cheng's confusion, the Daoist priest smiled and explained that the Dragon and Phoenix countenance refers to a jade-like complexion and a graceful, beautiful appearance.
The heavenly mark refers to a smooth area at the center of the forehead where the skull sutures are flat, forming a round imprint resembling the midday sun.
Li Yan then urged, "Please take a look at my Sanlang."
Qingfeng Daozhang glanced at him twice and said, "This esteemed child has already been examined by Venerable Monks; I cannot say much more."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan felt even more convinced, so they discussed the heavenly mark for quite some time. With a clap of his hands, he decided that A'Zhu's name would be Shimin—Li Shimin!
Freshly minted, Li Shimin was evidently quite arrogant. He turned to Li Jian Cheng and declared, "Next time, I shall be the General of the Northern Expedition, and you shall be the Turkic Khagan."
Li Jian Cheng gave Li Shimin a slap that restored clarity to his eyes, which even shimmered with tears as he ran off to complain to the Dou Family.
Li Yan led Qingfeng to meet Silang while Li Jian Cheng brushed off a few younger ones and rode his horse to a secluded spot at the Villa known as Field Manor, where a guest had been waiting for him for quite some time.
After handing his horse over to a Turkic slave, Li Jian Cheng asked him a few questions in Turkic Language. Satisfied with the answers, he entered Field Manor, where most of the people were his confidants.
There were servants who had grown up with him, slaves brought back from battles against the Turkic tribes, and righteous men he had helped over the years—no more than two or three hundred in total.
Of course, Li Jian Cheng had seven or eight such Field Manors during the Sui Dynasty; this was already his limit. He could not afford to support more people; they needed more than just enough food to survive.
He greeted everyone he encountered. In the innermost room, a young man was boiling water while a middle-aged scholar was reading. If Han Wang Yang Liang were present, he would surely recognize this man as Wang Yi, his strategist in rebellion.
Li Jian Cheng had someone bring Wang Yi over; naturally, he knew him. However, Wang Yi was still unaware of everything. Noticing Li Jian Cheng's extraordinary demeanor and sensing the deep respect from those around him, he put down his book and stood up.
"I must first thank you, Lord, for saving my life."
Li Jian Cheng smiled and replied, "You are too polite. It is indeed a pity that such great talent has yet to be displayed before it is lost."
"I dare not speak of great talents. In my youth, I was a wandering hero, and at twenty, I knew nothing of books. My elder brother scolded me in anger, which prompted me to start studying diligently. I immersed myself in learning, and although I received praise from my contemporaries, looking back now, it seems nothing more than a joke."
"Do you believe that the defeat of Han Wang is your responsibility?"
Wang Yi hesitated for a moment and replied, "I consider my strategic skills not inferior to Yang Su's, and my judgment of the situation at that time was not wrong. If Han Wang had followed my advice and not divided his forces, but instead concentrated all efforts on advancing into Guanzhong, there was indeed a chance to besiege the Capital City."
Li Jian Cheng nodded in agreement. "It was indeed unexpected that Han Wang would rise up so quickly. The troops that the court could mobilize at that time were inferior to Han Wang's forces, and Jinyang was simply too close to Chang'an."
"Only, you misjudged the person; Yang Liang is far from being a ruler's talent."
Wang Yi shook his head with a smile. "I actually have higher hopes for Shu Wang Yang Xiu. Unfortunately, he was confined in the Capital City early on. Aside from Han Wang, where else do we have other options? No matter how incompetent Han Wang may be, he still commands three hundred thousand troops."
"My lord," Wang said, "you speak without reservation. May I ask who you are and why you would take the risk to save me?"
Li Jian Cheng answered honestly, "I am Li Jian Cheng."
"I have heard of your esteemed name, Li Langjun, and I greatly admire your poetry and writings. I have always wanted to meet you but have never had the chance." Wang Yi expressed his surprise. "But I never expected you would go out of your way to rescue me."
"There is no special reason," Li Jian Cheng replied. "It just so happens that I was responsible for the pursuit, and coincidentally, a few years ago, I read the Great Meaning of the Five Classics written by you. I felt a sense of regret for your talent and ordered my confidant to bring you back while substituting another corpse."
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