Chapter 29: Preparation

Li Shen and his entourage arrived at the Eastern Palace, but Li Chengqian had not yet returned. Li Shen proceeded directly to find the Crown Princess, Lady Su. While others might have avoided such a meeting to steer clear of suspicion, Li Shen was different; he was only an eight-year-old boy, the same age as Li Zhi, and both were Li Chengqian’s younger brothers. No imperial censor could find fault with a young brother visiting his sister-in-law.

Li Shen bowed to Lady Su, saying, "Greetings, sister-in-law."

"Ah, Tenth Brother is here," Lady Su replied, returning the gesture. "Your eldest brother has wanted to go to the palace many times to thank you for saving Mother, but he has been far too busy. He mentioned that he would like to invite you to the Eastern Palace for a meal in a few days."

"Sister-in-law, please tell Eldest Brother not to be so formal. We are brothers; there is no need to worry about such things. I have come today to ask a favor of him," Li Shen said directly.

"Oh? What is it?" Lady Su asked.

"Please trouble yourself to tell Eldest Brother to intercede with Du He on my behalf. Tell him I have purchased Wang Hongfu’s residence and that Wang Hongfu is now under my protection. Ask Du He to show mercy and leave Wang Hongfu and his family alone." Li Shen explained the entire situation, detailing how Wang Hongfu had offended the Du family, how Du He had retaliated, and his attempt to coerce Wang Hongfu into selling his home at a pittance.

Lady Su was infuriated upon hearing this. "How outrageous! This is lawless. Do not worry, Tenth Brother, I will speak to your eldest brother about this. Du He is far too reckless. If this gets out, people will think he is abusing your brother's influence."

"Very well, sister-in-law. I must take my leave now. It is getting late, and I must return to the palace, or Father may not allow me to leave again," Li Shen said.

"Very well. Rest assured, your eldest brother will handle this. As a Prince of the First Rank, you need not fear someone without a title," Lady Su reassured him. Li Shen then left the Eastern Palace and returned to the palace.

***

That evening, when Li Chengqian returned, Lady Su helped him change and wash before mentioning, "Prince Ji came today."

"Prince Ji? Ah, you mean Tenth Brother. What did he come for?" Li Chengqian was still unaccustomed to his brother’s new title.

Lady Su recounted Li Shen’s request. Li Chengqian’s expression soured immediately; Du He was one of his own men. If the imperial censors discovered this, they would surely impeach him. In the past year, Prince of Wei, Li Tai, had gained the support of many prominent noble officials.

Li Chengqian had been impeached frequently over the last six months, even for trivial matters, and he was already at his wit's end. That Du He would cause him such trouble now only added to his fury. He ordered a servant to summon Du He.

When Du He arrived, Li Chengqian did not mince words. "The residence at the East Market has been purchased by Prince Ji, and Wang Hongfu is now his man. Let this matter rest. You should be grateful that Tenth Brother came to me first. He is someone who can now speak directly to His Majesty. If he had taken this to the Emperor, you know the consequences. Let it be, and do not harass them again. I am warning you, Tenth Brother is not to be trifled with. Despite being only eight, he dared to bribe the Emperor. I wouldn't even dream of such a thing, yet he did it, and succeeded. Do not provoke him. You are dismissed."

Du He was initially resentful, but his jaw dropped at the revelation. To bribe the Emperor and succeed? It was unprecedented. As he left, his eyes smoldered with lingering frustration.

***

At the residence of the Duke of Zhao, Li Lizhi sat in the front hall with Zhangsun Wuji and Zhangsun Chong. Zhangsun Wuji had heard of Prince Ji’s visit and came to inquire about the purpose of the meeting. He did not expect Li Lizhi to report to him—she was a Princess and Li Shen was a Prince—so he came to ask himself.

Li Lizhi did not hide anything. "Tenth Brother came to propose a partnership in the liquor business. I have agreed to invest, though I will hold a silent stake and take ten percent of the profits without handling the operations."

"Why did he come to you? Shouldn't he have approached the Emperor or me?" Zhangsun Chong asked.

Li Lizhi glanced at him. She was already dissatisfied with Zhangsun Chong’s lack of ambition and his tendency to spend his days carousing with other reckless noble heirs in Chang'an. "He is my brother," she said coldly.

"And what of it?" Zhangsun Chong asked, failing to grasp her meaning.

Zhangsun Wuji, however, understood perfectly. He scolded, "Chong'er, hold your tongue! That is Prince Ji, a Prince of the First Rank."

"Even so, he should be partnering with you, Father," Zhangsun Chong insisted, still unhappy.

He felt that if Li Lizhi profited, people would continue to gossip that he was a "kept man" relying solely on the Princess of Changle. His own social standing relied on the respect others showed her, which wounded his pride.

Li Lizhi looked at him as if he were a fool. Zhangsun Wuji, frustrated by his son's lack of insight, sighed, "Can you not focus on political affairs instead of wallowing with those wastrels? Prince Ji is the Emperor’s own son. I am a Duke and a high official; can we just 'partner' like that? Even an eight-year-old understands this, yet you do not. Do you wish to be the death of me?"

"But Lizhi is my wife, your daughter-in-law! Isn't that still a partnership with the House of Zhao?" Zhangsun Chong asked stubbornly.

Zhangsun Wuji was so angry he could barely breathe. "You fool! As Lizhi said, he is her brother! When a sister does business with her brother, the Emperor is pleased. Enough! From tomorrow, you are forbidden from leaving the house after court, or you will face the family discipline."

He then turned to Li Lizhi, his tone softening. "Lizhi, please help discipline Chong'er. Do not give him any more money so he stops wasting his time."

***

After returning to the palace, Li Shen went to the Textile Bureau. During the production of penicillin, they had already constructed distillation equipment for alcohol, so the bureau had little difficulty in building a larger version.

Li Shen ordered them to finish within two days and strictly forbade them from speaking of it. If asked, they were to say it was equipment for refining penicillin. He warned them that he would not be lenient if word leaked out. As an incentive, he promised to arrange for them to continue working and to provide them with fertile land once they left the palace. Li Shen was no saint; he was a modern man who valued wealth.

The next day, Li Shen sent Shi Tou with a hundred strings of cash to find Wang Hongfu, after first collecting the five hundred strings of investment from Li Lizhi. He gave Shi Tou clear instructions—written down, for fear he might forget—to give the money to Wang Hongfu, help him relocate, prepare the equipment, and purchase grain and distiller's grains.

As for workers, Li Shen intended to recruit from his own fiefdom. It was safer to use his own people. Those in his fief were registered in his household records; if they fled, they would be stripped of their status and unable to enter any city. To Li Shen, using his own serfs was the safest choice.