The first meeting with Li Shiming was unexpectedly smooth. After coming out, his mood suddenly brightened.
He knew very well what kind of existence he was. If he was the current emperor, he would not be as jealous as Li Shiming. He would not hide his words.
If he was the emperor, he would have smashed the cup as a signal without saying a word, and the axemen would have attacked, directly taking his dog life in the main hall!
He was in a good mood, and his footsteps were much lighter than before. His smile was like a spring breeze, seeping into one's heart.
This time, they did not go to the apricot garden. Instead, they came to a large square in front of the Imperial Banquet Palace. The sun was setting in the west, and lanterns were lit around them. The square was covered in brocade clothes, and laughter could be heard from time to time.
Kong Yan looked up and found that the men were on the right and the women were on the left. The officials were in front, and the family members were behind.
According to the procedure of the birthday banquet, it was time to congratulate the guests. After that, it would be time to present the gifts and start the banquet. There would also be singing and dancing performances during the banquet. Some scholars would even take the opportunity to recite poems to celebrate the birthday…
Kong Yan's position was still with the group of second-generation heirs. Tonight, he was also classified as a member of the noble family.
"Are you alright?" When he saw Kong Yan again, he was shocked.
Zhangsun Chong and the others had all been sent to the Imperial Physician Workshop. It was said that a certain person's lower body might have been crippled by a kick.
Qin Huaiyu, Du He, Yuchi Baolin, and the other nobles who had a brief conversation with Kong Yan also cast curious glances at him.
Kong Yan was standing at the back. At this moment, what affected his position was Kong Yingda's official position. Obviously, compared to Cheng Yaojin and the other founding ministers, a small Chancellor was still not enough.
"His Majesty is a good person." Kong Yan explained with a smile.
Everyone fell silent. There was no way to refute this.
"He beat up a member of the Zhangsun Clan, but His Majesty didn't punish him?”Cheng Chumo muttered. The Zhangsun family had great power in Chang 'an. Zhangsun Wuji was not the only one. Zhangsun Shunde, Zhangsun Anye, Zhangsun Cao, and even Gao Shilian were part of the Zhangsun family.
Because of Empress Zhangsun, Li Shimin was very fond of the Zhangsun family. Naturally, this was also because of Zhangsun Wuji's own talent.
Cheng Chumo had been warned by his father, Cheng Yaojin, not to provoke the Zhangsun Clan and not to participate in the fight for the throne.
Kong Yan looked at the front, where there was a newly built high platform. There were two empty seats on the high platform, and he guessed that they should be Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.
He stood on his tiptoes and looked ahead. Kong Yan vaguely saw Kong Yingda, who was smiling, talking and laughing with the officials beside him.
"How much longer?" Kong Yan muttered. The surroundings were indeed lively, but it was obvious that he did not have much in common with these second-generation heirs.
It was like a king tier big shot mixed in with a group of stubborn bronze.
"About the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”A tender voice sounded behind him.
Kong Yan looked back and lowered his head.
The one who spoke was a teenager about ten years old. He was dressed in a white Confucian robe and held a book in his hand.
"Greetings, Young Master Kong." The young man performed a scholarly etiquette.
Kong Yan reached out and rubbed his head. He looked around and found that this child might be the youngest. He couldn't help but ask curiously,"Which family are you from?"
The young man frowned and pushed Kong Yan's hand away. He said in a muffled voice,""My father is the County Duke of Wulian, Li Junxian."
"Li Junxian?" Kong Yan raised his eyebrows and smiled."How old are you? Can I drink?"
"My father has not returned from his business trip, how can there be no one to attend the Empress 'birthday banquet?”The young man pursed his lips and said,"As far as I know, Young Master Kong went out to do business alone when he was eight years old.”
"What's your name?" Kong Yan asked with a smile.”
The young man's eyes lit up as he cupped his hands and said,"I am Li Yixie."
Kong Yan didn't have much of an impression of the young man, but that didn't stop him from having a first impression of the young man.
"Does your father have a nickname called Wu Niangzi?”Kong Yan pulled Li Yixie to his side, tilted his head and asked in a low voice.
As far as Kong Yan knew, Li Junxian would be suspected by Li Shimin because of his nickname and eventually be killed!
Li Yixie frowned, wondering why this Young Master Kong would ask such a question. He thought for a while and shook his head,"I don't know."
Kong Yan wanted to ask more questions, but he saw Li Yixie pointing at a person in the middle of the aisle with an excited expression."That's my father."”
Kong Yan raised his eyebrows and saw a strong man in silver armor walking forward as if he had been summoned.
"Didn't you say that he was out on business?”Kong Yan asked casually.
Li Yixie watched as his father disappeared into the corner in front of him before he retracted his gaze."He must have just returned. He didn't even have time to take off his armor."”
In
the Imperial Feast Palace, Li Junxian fell to one knee.
"How is it?" Li Shi Min put down the memorial and asked.
"There are three hundred and seventy-six people on the list. Except for those who were specifically ordered by His Majesty, the rest were all executed.”Li Junxian respectfully said.
Li Shi Min's expression was gloomy as he said,"Continue to investigate. There must be more than one on the list. In addition, I also want to know who Kong Yan's secret guards are in Chang 'an!”
"Yes."
"Tonight is the Empress 'birthday banquet. Most of the palace guards have been dispatched to the Furong Garden. The harem is empty. Send two teams to secretly monitor Consort Chao and Zheng Guanyin!"”
Consort Yang was the former King of Qi Li Yuanji's consort, while Zheng Guanyin was the former Crown Prince Li Jiancheng's Crown Princess.
Now, one of them was trapped in the harem, while the other was living alone in the Changle Sect.
The hidden Crown Prince's remaining power among the people had never launched a large-scale rebellion, mostly because these two people had always been under Li Shi Min's control.
"Yes." "Yes," Li Junxian replied. After some thought, he worriedly said,"Lotus Garden once belonged to Nest King Li Yuanji. Will there be any fish that slip through the net at this banquet?"”
"What are you worried about?" Li Shi Min smiled faintly,"Assassinate me? Do they dare?!
"Your Majesty is wise."
Li Junxian bowed again and left.
"Your Majesty, the time has come." Not long after Li Junxian had left, Wang De respectfully walked in.
Li Shi Min stood up and stretched his waist. He looked down at his slightly bulging belly and sighed.
In just two years, his body was already out of shape, and his little belly had already come out.
"Sitting and dealing with memorials all day, I won't become like Green Sparrow in the future, right?”Li Shimin was worried about his figure. In the past, when he was still leading the army, his figure was first-class. Now that he was the emperor, he rarely rode and shot arrows. Most of the time, he sat in front of the table and dealt with official affairs. As time passed, his stomach grew.
"Find an opportunity to go on a safari.”
Li Shi Min thought as he walked out of the hall.
"Your Majesty, meet up with the Empress first. Then, the officials will send their congratulations, and then the families of the officials…" Wang De smiled and introduced the following process to Li Shimin.
"When are you going to send the congratulatory gift?" Li Shi Min asked.
"Erm…After everyone congratulates the Empress, the Crown Prince will bring the princes and princesses to present their gifts first, followed by the ministers…
"”Li Shi Min was curious.
A strange expression appeared on Wang De's face as he shook his head and said,""As for what it is, the people below do not know. It is said that the gift he gave was very big and heavy. It could only be carried by more than twenty guards.”
"It can't be silver, right?" Li Shiming raised his eyebrows and asked.”
Wang De chuckled and said,"I don't think so, but those wealthy merchants seem to have prepared a lot of silver. They seem to be determined to get some of the items that His Majesty is going to auction."”
Li Shi Min snorted and said,"They are afraid that if they pay too little, zhen will make things difficult for them!”
Wang De smiled without saying a word. Although the invited wealthy merchants felt extremely honored when Kong Yan casually donated five million taels of silver, they also felt extremely pressured.
After all, not everyone could fork out five million taels of silver in one go.
"What did the Crown Prince give you?" Li Shimin asked the last question when he met the Empress.
"It's a secret," Wang De shook his head and said,"We all want to give the Empress a surprise."”
"Your Majesty." Empress Zhangsun bowed with a smile on her face.
Li Shiming reached out and grabbed Empress Zhangsun's hand, asking with a smile,""Are you satisfied with tonight's birthday banquet?"
Empress Zhangsun nodded and hesitated for a moment before saying,""Isn't it a little too luxurious?"
"It's only once a year," Li Shiming chuckled.”
Empress Zhangsun blinked and said,""I feel like I'm letting down the disaster victims in Guanzhong. Why don't we donate all the congratulatory gifts we received this time to the disaster victims and exchange them for food?”
"Let's go, it's almost time." Li Shimin nodded.”
............
P.S. Explain the cause of Li Junxian's death.
In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Li Junxian followed Duan Zhixuan to attack Tuyuhun. He captured more than 20,000 cattle and sheep from the Tuyuhun army at Dapo, Xuanshui Town, south of Qinghai.
At that time, Venus appeared many times during the day. Historians divined that it was a sign of the Empress ascending to the throne. It is also widely circulated among the people that there is a saying in the Secret Record: "Three generations after the Tang Dynasty, the female protagonist, King Wu, replaced the Li family and ruled the world.”Li Shi Min hated this.
Then in the twenty-second year of Zhenguan, the court invited all the military officers to drink and ask them to tell their names. Li Junxian's nickname was "Fifth Lady." Li Shimin was startled, but he concealed a smile."Since you are a woman, why are you so strong and brave?”
Li Junxian's official position (General of the Left Military Guard), title (Duke of Wulian County), and subordinate county (Wu 'an County) all had the word "Wu" or "Five Lady."
Li Shimin was very suspicious of this, so he removed his position as the imperial guard.
Later, Li Junxian became the governor of Huazhou. The locals of Huazhou advocated the cultivation of fasting techniques. There was a commoner named Yuan Daoxin who claimed to be able to eat without eating and was proficient in Buddhism. Li Junxian greatly admired and trusted him, and often whispered to him. The censor took the opportunity to impeach Li Junxian for colluding with demons. On the 13th of June, Li Junxian was convicted and beheaded, his entire family confiscated. (Let me add another insult. It's quite easy for an emperor to kill someone. A wise king will also have his own dark thoughts.)）
Many years later, in order to prove that he had the mandate of heaven, Wu Zetian issued an edict to restore Li Junxian's official position and bury him in the Deyi Li of Wu 'an County. (Supreme Beauty was probably adapted based on this matter)
...
After he was done explaining, he asked for some flowers and evaluation votes.
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