Ma Zhou quickly snapped out of his brief daze. He was born into a humble family and unlike those nobles who sought pleasure, he didn’t have those kinds of frivolous thoughts.
He had heard that Dai Ting had been operating in Goguryeo for half a year and had also made some arrangements in Silla. Once again, Ma Zhou marveled at Li Yuanying’s incredible luck. How could someone as young as him, a mere eunuch, secretly make arrangements in Goguryeo?
Though Goguryeo was just a small country, many people in the court didn’t take it seriously. However, Emperor Li had the intention of personally conquering Goguryeo! A personal conquest by Emperor Li wasn’t a small matter. It was something that could shake the entire Tang Dynasty!
From Ma Zhou’s perspective, he also thought that it was best to avoid war if possible. It wasn’t to deny the generals their chance to earn glory, but for the peace of the people. The two choices presented to Goguryeo in the imperial decree were to give them a chance to breathe, or to crush them completely.淵蓋蘇文 wasn’t someone who would easily submit, and Ma Zhou wasn’t sure if he would choose to resist to the bitter end.
Ma Zhou only considered this for a moment before informing Dai Ting of the content of the imperial decree. The idea was from Li Yuanying, and the two choices presented by the court were already known to Dai Ting from Li Yuanying’s letter. Once he confirmed that the court hadn’t made any major changes to the entire plan, he was relieved. He calmly asked Ma Zhou for his opinion: “If Goguryeo is going to have an internal rebellion, do you think it should start after the envoy’s departure, or before?”
Ma Zhou was stunned by Dai Ting’s question.
It sounded like he was being asked, “Do you want porridge or noodles today?”
Dai Ting had only been in Goguryeo for about a year, sending the Silla princess back to her country. What had he done in all that time? With his striking appearance, how was it that no one in Goguryeo had noticed him?
Because of Dai Ting’s calm demeanor, Ma Zhou didn’t even consider questioning him. He thought about it for a while and stated that he hoped the rebellion would start after they left. If it were only Ma Zhou, he might have chosen to add fuel to the fire, forcing Goguryeo to admit guilt. However, this time the envoy was Li Tai, the Emperor’s own son, and he couldn’t allow Li Tai to be in any danger.
Dai Ting understood and silently left Ma Zhou’s lodging.
He was a bit regretful that he couldn’t take advantage of the situation to cause Li Tai some trouble.
Back when Li Tai had spread rumors about Li Yuanying conspiring with the Crown Prince, a time when Li Yuanying was most isolated, Dai Ting was far away in Tubo, oblivious to his predicament.
After learning about the events surrounding Li Tai’s enfeoffment, Dai Ting had been filled with self-reproach, feeling that he hadn’t fulfilled his duty as a loyal servant.
If he hadn’t been so focused on venturing out, he would have surely discovered the truth in the beginning! After all, his freedom was linked to their young master! It was their greatest fault to allow their young master to suffer.
Even though Li Yuanying never asked for anything specific, Dai Ting remembered it all clearly. He would definitely take a bite out of those who dared to bully Li Yuanying if given the chance. Even if they hadn’t succeeded, they couldn’t be easily forgiven!
Their young master, however, had the softest heart and always wanted everyone to be well.
Li Tai was sipping Goguryeo’s unique ginseng wine. He had heard that it could prolong life, so he decided to try it. If he liked it, he would bring some back to present to his father. Their father-son relationship was now strained, and they couldn’t enjoy the same closeness as before, holding hands and chatting every day. But his father was still his father, and he sincerely prayed for his father’s long life, hoping to ease his brother’s future difficulties once he ascended the throne.
Some things were only valued after they were lost.
Li Tai had drunk two cups and felt his body warming up. He ordered his servants to open the window for some air. As soon as the window opened, he saw a dazzling figure passing by outside.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, the figure paused and turned their head towards him.
Li Tai’s warmth instantly turned to ice, as if he had been targeted by a venomous snake. But when he looked again, the figure was gone, as if it had never been there.
His heart pounded in his chest, but he wouldn’t tell anyone that he had been chilled to the bone by a single glance. As the esteemed Prince of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Li’s son, he wasn’t afraid of the traitor who had murdered his own king in Goguryeo. How could he be afraid of some unknown figure? By their age, they couldn’t have reached the age of twenty yet!
Li Tai took two gulps to calm his nerves, replaying the look in his mind. For some reason, it seemed familiar. When he had dinner with Ma Zhou, he learned from him that Dai Ting had been there.
Li Tai remembered.
This Dai Ting was Li Yuanying’s lapdog!
With Dai Ting’s appearance, he shouldn’t have gone unnoticed, but he had the ability to make himself invisible. Even though he had been by Li Yuanying’s side every step of the way, no one had paid him much attention. Until Li Yuanying sent him to lead a team to Gaochang!
At that time, Li Tai was eager to vie for the position of Crown Prince and needed both talents and resources. So he had carefully investigated Li Yuanying’s decision to send someone to join Hou Junji and make a fortune – he even knew better than Li Yuanying himself how many valuable treasures Dai Ting had brought back!
Later, when Dai Ting helped Li Yuanying sell tea in Tubo, Li Tai counted the tea tax collected by the court and calculated how much Li Yuanying had earned, making him green with envy.
How could Li Yuanying just send his eunuch out and make so much wealth!
What’s more, this Dai Ting was completely devoted to Li Yuanying. No matter how many things he accomplished or how many merits he earned, he would always return to Chang’an and respectfully serve by Li Yuanying’s side, becoming his most loyal dog!
When Li Tai learned of the various activities Dai Ting had been involved in in Goguryeo, his face went numb. He didn’t envy Li Yuanying for having such a talented person at his disposal. Honestly, he didn’t envy him at all!
Damn it, why didn’t such a talent fall into his hands, but instead ended up with Li Yuanying?!
After venting his frustration at the unfairness of fate, Li Tai decided to take a stroll around the Goguryeo capital and see if there was anything he could bring back to Emperor Li. No matter how much he hated Li Yuanying, if he dared to make any moves against him, Li Yuanying’s mad dog would likely rush forward and bite him to death!
Goguryeo was so far from Chang’an, and he didn’t want to die in this weak little country!
The Tang envoy’s forceful stance frightened King Goguryeo and made the Goguryeo officials nervous. Many of them went to see 淵蓋蘇文, pleading with him to agree to appease the Tang Dynasty and admit their mistakes. Otherwise, Goguryeo wouldn’t be able to withstand the Tang army.
淵蓋蘇文 had seized the throne after killing the king, and his life had been filled with arrogance. He had never been questioned like this before.
The Tang Dynasty was indeed powerful, but Chang’an was far away, and the border troops stationed near Liaodong were not particularly strong. Therefore, 淵蓋蘇文 wasn’t really worried that the Tang Dynasty would actually attack. Even if they did, he could just pretend to surrender.
The Tang Dynasty had vast land but few people. He didn’t believe they could relocate people to Goguryeo and settle there. So 淵蓋蘇文 was confident, letting the Tang army attack if they wished. If they wanted to surrender, he would surrender, and after the war, everything would be back to normal!
Unfortunately, few people could see this truth and were overwhelmed by the Tang Dynasty’s unusual harshness.
淵蓋蘇文 thought of Li Tai’s arrogant demeanor and felt a surge of anger. This Tang prince was only privileged because of his birth. If he had been born in Goguryeo, he wouldn’t even be qualified to carry his shoes!
However, there were signs of unrest in the country recently. He had executed several groups of rebels who called for “restoration” but this hadn’t deterred them. Instead, it had sparked the anger of many. If he didn’t get rid of the arrogant Tang envoy quickly, he wouldn’t know what kind of chaos might break out!
If someone were to act recklessly and attack Li Tai, everything would be finished. Li Tai was the son of Emperor Li and Empress Changsun!
淵蓋蘇文 made his decision.
The next day, 淵蓋蘇文 had someone draft an imperial decree, expressing in earnest terms that Goguryeo recognized its mistakes. They would immediately issue orders to withdraw from Silla’s cities and would never commit the same offense again.
After reading the decree, Li Tai picked at it, demanding that 淵蓋蘇文 add a clause about the consequences if they offended the Tang Dynasty again.
When 淵蓋蘇文 asked someone to add it, Li Tai said that 淵蓋蘇文’s surname clashed with his grandfather’s name, so he should simply change his surname. Otherwise, it would be best if the decree didn’t include the name 淵蓋蘇文! It was just a decree, so why didn’t it just have King Goguryeo’s signature? Why did 淵蓋蘇文 need to add his own name?
Ma Zhou had to admit that Li Tai’s arrogance, while annoying and disrespectful in normal circumstances, was quite effective against their enemies. It made people feel incredibly satisfied!
Li Tai vented his anger on 淵蓋蘇文, ignoring his mood completely. He took the revised decree from Goguryeo, slapped his thigh, and left the Goguryeo capital. He didn’t care how full 淵蓋蘇文’s resentment was. He wouldn’t be returning to this godforsaken place! Who cares if you hate it or not? Bah!
…
As soon as Li Tai left the Goguryeo border, Goguryeo fell into chaos. It wasn’t clear who had spread the draft decree 淵蓋蘇文 had made, but someone was also secretly spreading word of 淵蓋蘇文’s groveling and selling out his country in front of the Tang envoy.
It wasn’t just spreading by word of mouth, either. Who knows who drew the pictures! The pictures showed their mighty Mo-ri-ji with a servile expression, offering the decree with both hands to the Tang envoy!
These pictures were silently plastered in the streets and alleys!
No matter how many rumors were spread, they couldn’t compare to the impact of seeing these images.
In addition, many folksongs started to spread quietly throughout the land, sung by children. They didn’t sing anything negative but rather sang about how peaceful and prosperous their lives had been in the past.
When people’s lives were hard, they couldn’t even have a little hope? In dire straits, people tend to romanticize the past. Many people, walking down the road and hearing the moving ballads, would stop and listen, tears streaming down their faces!
Yes, before 淵蓋蘇文 had launched his military campaigns, their lives had been so happy!
As the few words on the decree spread further and further, the Goguryeo people gradually came to believe that 淵蓋蘇文 was preparing to cede territory and pay tribute, using Goguryeo’s cities and people’s taxes to appease the Tang Dynasty.
Soon, many people had a whole new impression of 淵蓋蘇文—
A traitor!
淵蓋蘇文 was furious. He ordered people to search every house for suspicious individuals, executing a group of rebels as a warning.
He was a traitor?
He was a hero of Goguryeo!
He had expanded the territory of Goguryeo!
Those damned Tang people were so despicable!
Unforgivable!
If he had known, he would have killed that arrogant Tang prince right then and there and fought to the death against the Tang!
One step back, and he would have to keep retreating, making it difficult to ever advance again!
…
The end of the year had arrived, and Li Yuanying didn’t yet know of the changes in Goguryeo. He was wearing new clothes made for him by Liu Baolin, preparing to give a New Year’s speech to the people.
This was Li Yuanying’s first time celebrating New Year’s outside the palace. It was also his first time celebrating New Year’s as he pleased. He was bursting with excitement.
Ordinarily, the curfew would only be lifted on New Year’s Day and the Shangyuan Festival (Lantern Festival), but Li Yuanying thought, why limit the celebrations to just two days? Li Yuanying announced that the curfew would be lifted for the entire month of January. Unmarried men and women could meet not only on the Lantern Festival but throughout the entire month!
Li Yuanying had already ordered people to demolish part of the western wall, building a wide street leading from the Prince’s mansion to the lake. He also had people decorate the trees along the shore with lanterns, making the whole lake area bright as day.
The people of Tengzhou discovered for the first time how beautiful the lake to the west was and how stunning the scenery along the shore was! Those with business savvy, such as street vendors and performers, had already taken up good spots along the way, selling their wares and ensuring no visitor felt lonely.
This lively and beautiful place was perfect for young couples to meet!
The Tang Dynasty had an open culture, and ordinary people were allowed to meet each other before marriage. After all, marriage was a lifelong decision with little room for regret, so people understood. As long as they behaved themselves and didn’t cause any trouble, most families allowed them to get to know each other.
Where there was excitement, there was Li Yuanying. Though he found his time in Tengzhou too short and hadn’t yet fully remodeled the lake to his liking, he was still very satisfied with the many people who had come to join him. He was surrounded by his friends as he stood on a platform built by the water and delivered his New Year’s speech to the people. His voice carried far, and he basically said that the new year had arrived, and everyone should eat well, drink well, have fun, and strive to work harder in the new year, working together to make Tengzhou even better.
Li Yuanying’s speech was simple, without any literary flourish, yet the people listened intently, cheering for him from time to time. He had never been so enthusiastically received before and immediately puffed up with pride. He made promises to the people, saying that he would ensure they all had the most fragrant rice, the fattest meat, and the sweetest melons, and that everyone would be able to read and write!
Li Yuanying said loudly: “Even the most stupid person in all of Tengzhou should be able to write their own name and stand tall when they walk outside! When we leave Tengzhou, we should be able to proudly tell others that we are from Tengzhou; when we leave the Tang Dynasty, we should be able to proudly tell others that we are from the Tang Dynasty! Every person in the Tang Dynasty should speak the Tang language and recognize the Tang script!”
The people were stirred by his words.
They may never have the opportunity to leave their hometown, they may never become famous, but they were also people. They also wanted to be able to hold their heads high, as Li Yuanying had said, no matter where they went or who they met.
Even though the official language was hard to learn, and reading and writing were opportunities for the intelligent, they were willing to learn, no matter how difficult it was, because Prince Tang had said they should.
Who would be content with being unable to write their own name their whole lives?
No one would!
Wei Jiu stared intently at Li Yuanying standing before her. He may not have any extraordinary talent, he may not have any great ambitions, but he was always the most dazzling presence.
He always shone like a star.
From the first day they met, she knew he was someone like that.
The author has something to say:
Young Master: Today I washed people’s brains again!
Update!
Today I updated so early! A full four thousand words! So diligent!
I found something I didn’t notice! I’m about to fall off the leaderboard! Please give me some nutrient solution! Don’t let the young master fall! qaq
【告知书友，时代在变化，免费站点难以长存，手机app多书源站点切换看书大势所趋，站长给你推荐的这个换源APP，听书音色多、换源、找书都好使！】
+ 加入书签 +
Previous Chapter | TOC |