Tang Chen: Starting from the Xuanwu Gate Incident

Chapter 38 Let Li 2 Marry Two More Wives

The cicadas chirped noisily in the height of summer, one after another without stopping, until Shen Ce was summoned into Yuwen Shiji's official residence, at which point the noise subsided somewhat.

Yuwen Shiji brewed the tea that Shen Ce had given him, smacking his lips and making a smacking sound.

Shen Ce shifted the brocade quilt under his knees, thinking that he had been called here today probably to explain matters concerning his mission. His mind was filled with thoughts.

"The Crown Prince has reviewed the travel list and said it's feasible," Yuwen Shiji casually patted the memorial Shen Ce had submitted yesterday, and asked curiously, "Why is it Wen Wuyin again?"

Shen Ce, who was kneeling, spread his hands and said helplessly, "I am new to officialdom and do not know any other officials except my colleagues in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. I just think that Wen Wuyin, as an imperial censor, can monitor the actions of the troops. Moreover, his status is high enough that he can also receive the care of the garrison commander of Luoyang. Why not?"

"So you can slack off then?"

Shen Ce, whose little scheme had been exposed, remained unfazed and said calmly, "This humble official is devoted to the public good and has absolutely no such intention."

Yuwen Shiji waved his hand helplessly, letting the matter drop, and then asked, "What are your thoughts on this trip to Shandong?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ce's eyes lit up. This meant he was about to reveal his secrets. He quickly began to mentally prepare his speech, and after gathering his thoughts, he finally spoke:

"In my opinion, the first priority is to appease the former officials of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. These people are now in high positions, and if they change their minds, Hebei will be in danger of three rebellions against the Tang Dynasty."

Shen Ce glanced at Yuwen Shiji's expression, and seeing that he was expressionless and did not intend to interrupt, he composed himself and continued:

"The second matter is to use both kindness and force to deal with the major clans in Shandong. These clans are highly respected in the area and own a lot of land. If they raise their arms, the resulting unrest will not be small."

"Finally, we will deal with the registered residents of Shandong."

Yuwen Shiji, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and looked at Shen Ce with slight surprise. He said in a deep voice, "I thought that you, the registrar who speaks up for the people, would put the people first."

Shen Ce actually wanted to say the same thing, but this was the Tang Dynasty, and the court cared least about the people of the land.

The common people are like leeks; once cut down, give them some soil and fertilizer, and they will naturally grow back wildly in time. There's no need to worry about them. What the court is most concerned about are still high-ranking officials and powerful families.

Seeing that Shen Ce had a thorough understanding of the key points of this trip, Yuwen Shiji did not delve into the matter further but instead asked, "What is your opinion on the situation in Hebei?"

Shen Ce clenched his teeth and remained silent for a long while before saying, slowly and deliberately, "Dou Jiande should have died of illness..."

Yuwen Shiji stood up abruptly, pointed at Shen Ce angrily, and said, "Are you trying to say that the Sage shouldn't have cut off Dou Jiande's head?"

"No, no, no," Shen Ce shook his head repeatedly, hurriedly explaining, "These words were spoken by you, Yuwen Zhanshi, not by this humble official. I am too lowly to bear such words."

Yuwen Shiji flicked his sleeves and sat down at the table: "Continue. I'd like to hear what insightful opinions you, Registrar Shen, have to offer."

Shen Ce also stood up, hurriedly saying he didn't deserve such praise; his urge to confide had been aroused, and he was about to speak his mind.

Shen Ce sat down at the table, mimicking Dou Jiande's actions: "Dou Jiande implemented benevolent policies in Hebei, allowing the people to rest and recuperate. The people of Hebei Province were able to enjoy such good policies during the war-torn years, and they all remember his kindness."

"Once the Crown Prince captures Dou Jiande alive and sends him to Chang'an, he should be treated with respect and honor. It won't cost much money."

"Even if we want to kill him, we can find another excuse in a year or two to let him die of illness or fall off a horse."

"In this way, Dou Jiande will be revered by the people of Hebei and will no longer have any thoughts of avenging him. Otherwise, why would Liu Heita be able to instigate two rebellions in Hebei in a short period of time?"

Yuwen Shiji listened to Shen Ce's words with a look of utter astonishment, scrutinizing him from head to toe, circling him several times, and asked in disbelief, "Where did you get this knowledge? Does the Crown Prince teach such things in the military camp?"

Shen Ce then realized that he had said too much, and that such remarks were not something a person from a military background could possibly know.

Damn the Tang Dynasty, it didn't even have an academy like the Jixia Academy, a platform for discussing the Hundred Schools of Thought...

Seeing Yuwen Shiji's gaze grow increasingly sharp, Shen Ce immediately said, "When I was fighting in Hebei, I met an old man with a white beard. We talked for a long time, and those words I just spoke were what he told me."

"really?"

"really."

Yuwen Shiji snorted and threatened, "Give me a way to resolve the crisis in Hebei Province, and I will not doubt your words just now; otherwise..."

A high-ranking official of the third rank actually acted like a rogue in front of him. Shen Ce rubbed his hands and paced back and forth in the hall. In fact, he had already thought it through, but he had to act a little foolish, otherwise some people would be unhappy.

He turned abruptly, a thoughtful expression on his face, and whispered, "How about we advise the Crown Prince to marry two women surnamed Gao from Shandong as his concubines?"

Yuwen Shiji was sipping tea, waiting for Shen Ce to offer a solution, when he suddenly heard Shen Ce's words. Tea gushed from his mouth, and without even wiping the tea leaves from his lips, he pointed a trembling hand at Shen Ce:

"You bastard!"

Before Shen Ce could reply, as if he had figured something out, he frowned and muttered to himself, "There's some truth to that."

He hurriedly put down his teacup, grabbed Shen Ce, and demanded, spitting as he spoke, "Speak! Why did you do this?"

Shen Ce let him hold him, and said lazily, "Li Jiancheng is dead, and the Zheng family of Xingyang has lost a crown prince's principal wife. What's wrong with us giving them two concubines to appease them?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Shiji put Shen Ce down, paced around the room with his hands behind his back, and after making up his mind, said that he would wait for news here before hurriedly leaving the room.

Shen Ce peeked through the crack in the door and saw that they had gone to find Li Er.

Such a wicked trick requires his trusted advisors to advise him; if he were to go himself, he fears he would incur the wrath of Empress Zhangsun, and there are indeed few people she could resent.

.........

Outside Yiqiu Palace, Anan, bored out of his mind, was counting sparrows on the eaves. Usually, he would count them about twenty times before the Crown Prince would go to rest, and he would be off duty. As for the work of serving in the middle of the night, that was naturally done by the junior eunuchs, and it was not his turn.

Since Yuwen Shiji entered when he counted to the nineteenth time, it has now been the twenty-third time, and he still hasn't come out.

To be honest, the soundproofing in the main hall wasn't very good. If he wanted to listen, he could have had the guards move further away and stand close to the door himself, and he could have heard something.

Today, he really wanted to know what Yuwen Zhanshi was saying that had delayed his departure, so he took a step closer to the palace gate.

"To marry two more beautiful concubines?"

"Haha, this can be considered a matter of state?"

Would Guanyinbi agree?

"This is a matter of state; how can the Crown Princess interfere?"

"That makes sense."

Li Er then left the palace with Yuwen Shiji, turned to look at Anan beside him, and whispered, "Go to Lizheng Palace."

Anan felt a chill run down her spine. When did Yuwen Zhan Shi become the Crown Prince's matchmaker?