Chapter 40: The Traitor Has Already Jumped Out on His Own

Li Jingxuan did two things upon returning to the capital. The first was to host a grand banquet in the Eastern Market with his friends and relatives, where anyone—from the students of the Imperial Academy to passing commoners—could receive a cup of wine from him.

That uninhibited demeanor of a renowned scholar, which remained untamed despite his advancing age, naturally radiated from him.

The second thing he did was to petition the imperial court for rewards on behalf of the more than one hundred elite Hexi cavalrymen who had escorted him back to the capital, ensuring that the court bestowed honors upon those soldiers.

It is said that before Wang Jian was ordered to lead the Qin army in the conquest of楚 (Chu), he repeatedly sent messengers to the King of Qin demanding various rewards, all to make the King of Qin completely trust him. Perhaps, in Li Jingxuan's view, his current actions were likewise carving out a succession of retreats for himself.

Wu An was also convinced that Li Jingxuan's actions must carry a deeper meaning. After all, setting aside his several military defeats in Hexi, Li Jingxuan had previously been able to comfortably secure the position of Chancellor in the court; with civil and military officials across the entire court serving as his friends and connections, his political acumen could not possibly be poor.

The imperial court—and the imperial court of the early Tang dynasty at that.

Political slaughter was steeped in the bloody stench drifting from the Xuanwu Gate, so people cared little about whose voice rang loudest in the court, knowing well that they always had one final method left to choose from.

Veteran ministers wept bitterly before the Zhaoling Mausoleum, while the younger ones would merely gather before the Xuanwu Gate, waiting to demand right and wrong in person.

Looking at the young man standing resoundingly in the imperial court, Li Jingxuan suddenly felt a sense of trance. He thought that if the person assassinated in Hexi had not been himself, he might also have felt that this reckless fellow was worthy of the valor of a Tang citizen, and was sufficiently interesting.

He might even have chosen to help him, mingling sympathy with his admiration.

Yet now, the one who had been assassinated was none other than himself. Therefore, in this imperial court, who on earth would offer sympathy to help this military brute?

He heard a familiar voice.

It was the Son of Heaven.

The Emperor looked at the young man, the expression in his eyes immediately recalling certain moments of the past to Li Jingxuan. Yet the Emperor would never easily lose his composure unless he needed others to see his stance.

"Soldiers shed their blood and died at the frontiers for every inch of the Great Tang's soil, and now someone uses their deaths to bargain with Us?"

The Emperor's eyes were reddened, his voice hoarse, every single word squeezed out from between his teeth.

"The people of the realm entrust their fathers, brothers, and sons to Us; thus, We are their father, brother, and father. If We were to believe the words of certain individuals, how could We face those soldiers who died, and how could We face the subjects left behind by Emperor Taizong Wen?"

When Wu An spoke, he was framing others, but when the Emperor spoke, the latter's words were absolute statements of fact.

Li Jingxuan's lips quivered. Not only him, but the entire court fell silent once more. The ministers stood like withered sprouts in a scorched field during the scorching heat, their heads drooping, utterly motionless.

Rebellion stirred in their hearts, yet they dared not act. For when the reigning Emperor had ascended the throne many years ago, he had proven with practical actions that he was not a monarch willing to widely open the avenues of speech.

The Duke of Zhao, Changsun Wuji, whom Emperor Taizong Wen had left behind to assist the Emperor—he was even the Emperor's own maternal uncle. Yet what had his ultimate fate been?

Each dynasty has its own sovereign, and each generation its own ministers.

And in this dynasty, a "Wei Zheng" could never live long.

When the Emperor spoke in such a manner, he was forcing the civil and military officials standing here to make a choice; he neither needed nor would tolerate anyone daring to remonstrate against his face.

Li Jingxuan fell silent for a moment, slowly removed his official cap, and knelt directly before the dragon desk.

"This subject is guilty."

His eyes were filled with bitterness.

Indeed, he should have remembered long ago that the reigning Emperor would show sympathy to no one, let alone harbor any lingering sentiment for the past.

If he suddenly displayed a certain attitude, it meant he desired far more.

......

"During today's morning assembly, what you said was excellent. We liked it very much."

The Emperor looked at the young man kneeling beneath the steps, a trace of undisguised appreciation welling up in his eyes.

"The people of the realm naturally ought to be loyal to the Great Tang, and loyal to Us."

And to them, loyalty itself was the greatest reward.

Only a selfish person would particularly delight in hearing such words, yet the Emperor appeared magnanimous as he spoke:

"We heard from the Empress that she has a very capable junior. We are already old; the Crown Prince and rising talents like yourself are the future of the Great Tang.

We are often ailing; you all should... encourage yourselves."

"Long live Your Majesty for eternity; this humble subject is filled with awe and trepidation."

The Emperor immediately corrected him:

"You are already a commandant of the fifth rank; when you see Us, you should naturally address yourself as a subject."

"This subject will remember it."

"Very well."

The hall returned to silence. Although Wu An could sense the man above observing him in a leisurely manner, his heart remained entirely calm. He even found himself wondering whether, after leaving this place, he should once again go and pledge his loyalty to his dear aunt.

In this era, there truly were many who would generously sacrifice their lives and die simply for a word of praise from the Emperor.

Yet Wu An remembered clearly where the sliver of power in his hands currently came from.

Furthermore, if Li Jingxuan was the chief culprit who had caused the deaths of his comrades, then tracing back to the root, who on earth had dispatched Li Jingxuan to Hexi while knowing full well that he lacked military expertise?

Seeing that the young man below truly remained calmly seated there, the Emperor finally spoke once more:

"Regarding this matter concerning Li Jingxuan, We shall provide an explanation."

Hearing these words, a few eunuchs nearby stirred imperceptibly, their hearts already filled with consternation.

As the Emperor, every word and action of his would be recorded—including these remarks he uttered today, which bore an overwhelmingly strong inclination.

"Heh... Wealthy families among the common folk slaughter pigs and sheep as the year draws to a close to celebrate the coming year."

The Emperor let out a light chuckle, speaking with a hint of self-mockery:

"Yet as the imperial court approaches the end of the year, three chancellors have fallen all at once. Can it truly be that We are too muddle-headed, having unwittingly raised three pigs right here in the court?"

"Your Majesty is not in the wrong."

Wu An raised his head, his voice gradually rising:

"It is Your Majesty who has been too merciful time and time again, causing them to forget their proper duties!"

"This subject Wu An lost his father at the age of four; my mother raised me until I was six before falling ill and dying. Before her parting breath, she told me that the sovereign is like one's father... In truth, all the common folk of the realm view the Son of Heaven as a father, just as I do—the sovereign is the father!

Fortunately, our present sovereign and father also views all the subjects of the realm as his own flesh and blood. It is only because sovereign and subjects, father and son, are in complete harmony that we have the flourishing prosperity of the Great Tang today!"

"Hoo..."

Hearing these words from Wu An, a trace of emotional stir finally appeared in the Emperor's eyes. He had never dreamed that a conversation he merely intended to wrap up today could yield such an unexpected pleasant surprise.

For such words to be recorded in the historians' notebooks—that was a genuine "meritorious achievement"!

"You... continue speaking."

Seeing that Wu An had stopped, the Emperor prompted him with delight.

"Tell Us, regarding the earlier case of Hao Chujun and Xue Zhen, besides those two, who else was stirring up trouble behind the scenes?"

Hao Chujun and Xue Zhen, two ministers running the state, had died in prison on the very same day, sending shockwaves throughout the court and the country. But after all, they were already dead.

Even a pig could clearly see by now that the Emperor's target was left with only one.

Yet Wu An remained kneeling there, falling silent for a moment before a vision flashed through his mind: the young man he had encountered outside the Hao estate when he first went to search it.

He had claimed his name was "Wang Bo".

He was accompanied by his younger sister.

Wang Bo was a former retainer from the private residence of the current Crown Prince, Li Xian.

That younger sister held the Daoist title of "Taiping".

And that young man had been lobbying on behalf of Hao Chujun, who was already imprisoned at the time.

It was precisely because of this young man's stance that many ministers in the court had stepped forward without hesitation amidst this storm, even taking the risk of aligning themselves before they had fully discerned the reigning Emperor's true intentions.

"Replying to Your Majesty,"

Wu An said in a deep voice:

"When this subject was searching the Hao estate, he was once reprimanded to his face by the Crown Prince."