Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Eastern Plains, a fertile land unknown for countless years, warm and gentle, is the realm of the stag. Throughout history, many have fought for it. The grand capital of Chang'an stands majestically, receiving tributes from all nations, a testament to the unparalleled prosperity and wealth of the Tang Dynasty.
As they traveled eastward, the weather grew increasingly warm. Many soldiers, upon seeing their homeland, were filled with joy, and their horses trotted lightly. They camped twenty miles outside the capital to organize their troops, dressed in fine garments and riding spirited horses, adopting a proud demeanor of triumph as they thundered toward Chang'an.
Li Jing was already accustomed to such scenes; his heart remained calm, and his face showed no joy. He only worried that upon returning to the capital, the heavens might be turned upside down by these rebellious ministers. His lifetime of fame could be tarnished at an old age by being dragged into chaos, leaving no room for happiness.
However, the soldiers felt as if they were returning home in glory, eagerly awaiting the cheers of the people lining the streets to witness how valiant and heroic the sons of Tang were. They imagined a scene filled with drums and gongs, lanterns and decorations, with empty streets bustling with citizens celebrating.
Yet when they reached the ten-mile long pavilion, there was not a single sign of people. In the distance, they saw a troop of soldiers clad in black armor wielding silver spears—these were the guards of the palace gates!
Upon seeing Li Jing's troops approaching from afar, dozens of riders came forward to greet them at the pavilion. The leader was young and charming, exuding an imperial aura; he was none other than the current Third Prince, Prince Li Zhi!
Though Li Jing was older now, his heroic spirit had not diminished. He did not ride in a delicate sedan chair but sat upright on horseback as he had in his youth. Upon seeing Li Zhi come to greet him, he reined in his troops and dismounted steadily. Li Zhi, understanding etiquette well, hurriedly stepped forward to assist Old General.
The Li Tang family was well-educated and treated many founding ministers with respect. The younger generation showed deference to these meritorious figures; someone as esteemed as Li Jing certainly deserved Li Zhi's courtesy.
Li Zhi naturally offered congratulations to boost morale among the troops but wore a face filled with hidden worries. He hesitated to speak directly until after their formal greetings were over; then he lowered his voice and asked urgently, “Wei Gong, is my unfortunate sister truly in the army?”
Qibi Helix, also a loyal old minister, had long since conveyed information through his own channels to Chang'an but had received no response for quite some time. It was unclear how Li Zhi had obtained this news.
Li Jing initially intended to send Li Mingda directly into the palace. However, despite being an old minister, he could not bypass palace restrictions. Since Li Zhi shared both parents with Jinyang and had a close relationship since childhood, it would be ideal if Li Zhi could assist in bringing Li Mingda before the Sage.
Considering this, Li Jing lowered his voice again and said, “Your Highness must keep this quiet; let me take you to meet her.”
Meanwhile, Li Mingda and Li Wushuang, hidden inside their sedan chair, gazed at the surrounding trees and felt an increasing longing for home. Despite having faced numerous challenges along their journey that greatly strengthened their bodies and spirits, they could not help but cry.
As the army came to a halt, Li Wushuang, being perceptive, looked through the window and recognized her brother from the Li Family. She quickly pulled Li Mingda over to see him. Upon seeing her elder brother, tears streamed down like rain from her eyes.
Xu Zhen and Caesar, along with a group of Brothers, guarded the carriage. Seeing Li Mingda in such a state, they felt deeply moved, recalling how this girl had endured hardships along the way, suffering through countless trials and tribulations, which made them feel a sense of pity.
Li Zhi received guidance from Li Jing and hurried towards the carriage, tears already welling in his eyes before he even reached it. Li Mingda rushed out of the carriage, and the siblings embraced each other in tears, creating a scene that touched the heavens.
They had little time for words. Li Zhi conferred with Wei Gong Li Jing about arranging for the guards at the gates to escort them back to the palace to meet the emperor.
Li Jing naturally agreed, but Li Mingda was more cautious and privately clarified important matters with her brother, as she did not fully trust these gate guards.
Li Zhi understood that his sister had suffered immensely and was genuinely pleased to see her growth. However, he also became alert; although they were under the emperor's feet, there were eight hundred gate guards—neither too many nor too few. It wasn't fear of others daring to rob them that concerned him, but rather the possibility of hidden traitors among them. If anything happened to Li Mingda, it would be unforgivable.
Li Mingda knew her brother well; he had always been compliant with her since childhood. At this moment, she proposed a bold yet sensible plan: to have Xu Zhen's six hundred troops escort her into Chang'an.
This situation could go either way. Although Xu Zhen and her people were considered low-ranking soldiers and had gained some reputation in court, they were ultimately not high-profile. Moreover, even if they entered Chang'an, having six hundred foreign troops might attract criticism.
However, Li Mingda insisted on her decision. Li Zhi had no choice but to agree. She glanced back at Xu Zhen with gratitude in her eyes. Although she often called Xu Zhen a big liar and a charlatan, throughout this journey, without Xu Zhen, there would be no Li Mingda.
The soldiers initially thought Xu Zhen was infatuated with women and had let go of Murong Xiao's five thousand men for the sake of a few wives. Now seeing this young man standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Jing and witnessing how he treated Xu Zhen's young girl, even the dullest among them could sense something unusual about her; this girl from Xu Zhen's household might be quite extraordinary.
When Xu Zhen's six hundred troops reformed their ranks and set out to protect Li Mingda's carriage, everyone could only feel envy.
The guards accompanying them looked coldly at Xu Zhen's camp; however, these six hundred Brothers were loyal Death Warriors who had experienced life-and-death battles and exuded an aura of menace that even ghosts would fear. The gate guards dared not confront them further and could only clear the way ahead.
Li Zhi rode alongside the carriage while Xu Zhen and Caesar accompanied it on either side. Zhou Cang and fourteen other Red Armor Brothers, along with Yin Zong, Gao He Shu, Xue Dayi, Qin Guang, and Xie Anting—heroes all—looked fierce as dragons or tigers. Their subordinates wore stern expressions filled with hostility; who would dare approach?
After traveling five miles, another thousand Imperial Guards came to greet them. Yet Li Mingda stubbornly insisted that Xu Zhen ’s group should not leave even an inch behind. Li Zhi complied with her wishes and ordered the Imperial Guards to escort them closely. The procession was grand but did not see common folk or officials welcoming them until they reached outside Chang'an City when they found the citizens gathered silently with cold faces awaiting their arrival.
Xu Zhen felt uneasy and was on guard. After all, Li Mingda had been abducted in Chang'an City, so she could not afford to be careless this time.
As she cautiously approached Mingde Gate, the Imperial Guard came to receive her. They proceeded along Zhuque Avenue to Vermilion Bird Gate, where they were met by the Qian Niu Guard, who were equally resplendent in their armor. In front of the Vermilion Bird Gate, an old general stood like a lion in its twilight, gazing intently; it was Right Marshal General Wei Chi Jing De!
At that time, Wei Chi Jing De was already sixty years old. Although he was not as old as Li Jing, he had retired from his official position and claimed illness to stay at home. There were many rumors circulating that he was obsessed with the path of Elixir. Nevertheless, he still attended court every five days, and whenever there were significant matters that the Sage could not resolve, he would be consulted for his opinion.
The presence of such a revered figure indicated that the reception for Jinyang was not merely a personal action by Prince Li Zhi, but rather a plan orchestrated by His Majesty himself!
Upon reaching the Vermilion Bird Gate, entering further would lead into the Inner Imperial City. The foreign troops were halted by Wei Chi Gong, leaving only Xu Zhen and a few attendants, including Caesar. Li Mingda entered the already prepared Golden Tent soft palanquin, following Li Zhi and Wei Chi Gong inside. Upon arriving at Chengtian Gate, which led to the Tai Chi Palace, even Caesar was not allowed entry, leaving only Xu Zhen, Li Zhi, and Li Wushuang, along with Wei Chi Gong.
Li Zhi was considerate; noticing that Xu Zhen carried a Carved Bow and wore a long knife, he had someone seal the bow and took out a six-foot ornate sword case to safely store the long knife for her. However, it seemed he remembered something else and left the sword case with her.
Due to her special status and close ties to the royal family, Li Wushuang was not bound by palace restrictions. Displeased with the demeanor of Xu Zhen, she excused herself from Wei Chi Jing De and left.
The attending eunuchs quickly led Wei Chi Jing De and Xu Zhen to a side hall, where numerous maids flitted about like fish, providing attentive service. However, being straightforward, Wei Chi Jing De disliked constraints and waved his hand for them to leave so as not to disturb their conversation.
Once everyone had exited, the old man fixed his gaze on Xu Zhen.
This elder, who would be regarded as a guardian deity over a thousand years later, appeared vigorous at this moment but seemed somewhat hollow inside. Having studied the text of the Saint Teasvid, which although lacking in Central Plains alchemical knowledge contained secret formulas from the Western Regions for medicine—primarily seeking longevity—was likely well-known worldwide.
Thus, observing the elder's physique and sensing his aura, it became clear to her that indeed, this Wei Chi Jing De had been affected by elixirs; while he appeared robust on the surface, his foundation had already begun to be gradually hollowed out.
In light of this, the rumors were not unfounded; this extraordinary general had ultimately strayed onto a misguided path.
Feeling anxious under his scrutiny, Xu Zhen could only smile awkwardly: “Duke, why do you look at me like that? Young people are thin-skinned and cannot withstand such scrutiny...”
Wei Chi Jing De finally came to his senses, turned his face away, and after a moment as if he had made a great decision, turned back to look directly at Xu Zhen and asked, "I have heard that Xu Langjun is favored by Hu Tian and has become a Zoroastrian Messenger. Is this true?"
Xu Zhen's heart tightened at once. At this time, the Tang Dynasty had not yet begun to promote Buddhism on a large scale, and Daoism was the leading religion in the world, showing little recognition of other religions. If Xu Zhen's previous position was akin to that of a local police officer, then Wei Chi Jing De was a figure of ministerial rank in the Ministry of Public Security. How could she dare to respond when such an important person inquired about Zoroastrianism?
"It is merely a case of rumors spreading within the military. I am inexperienced and lack ambition; how could I possibly be involved in such matters..."
Seeing Xu Zhen sweating profusely, Wei Chi Jing De also realized the gravity of the situation and quickly lowered his voice, saying, "Young friend Xu need not worry. I have long admired Zoroastrianism and would never harbor any discrimination or misunderstandings. You can rest assured. I only wish to ask if there are any spiritual remedies or prescriptions passed down within Zoroastrianism?"
Upon hearing this old man's question, Xu Zhen finally relaxed. This further confirmed her belief in the rumors about Wei Chi Jing De's scattered mind. Although there were indeed some prescriptions in the Zoroastrian Secret Texts, they could be significant or trivial at this time, and Xu Zhen did not dare to agree outright. She merely responded perfunctorily. Wei Chi Jing De understood the nuances and did not press further but had already included Xu Zhen on his list for seeking remedies.
Meanwhile, while they were waiting, Li Jing had already entered the city. However, the situation was not as imagined; they did not receive a thunderous welcome but were instead met with insults from the citizens, who even threw refuse at the triumphant army!
"Traitor!"
"Dog thief colluding with the enemy!"
Despite being harshly criticized, Li Jing maintained a calm demeanor but had already understood something. It seemed that Hou Junji, who had returned to court earlier than him, had begun spreading rumors everywhere; it appeared that action was imminent!
Comment 0 Comment Count