Xu Jingzong wasn’t executed immediately but was escorted to Chang’an so nothing has ended yet.

He started serving the Emperor when he was still a prince in Qin Palace and worked together with Wei Zheng for Li Mi back then and so they were considered as old acquaintances. His son married Yuchi Jingde’s granddaughter so the two parties were somewhat related by marriage.

Xu Jingzong asked people to deliver letters to his acquaintances, begging for help. He did not expect the Emperor to send the ministers from Household Affairs and Justice on a joint mission to handle this case.

At this point, Xu Jingzong isn’t asking for much. He just hopes not to be executed. If he is lucky enough to meet a period of amnesty or if many persuades the Emperor on his case, he might still have a chance to survive.

Wei Zheng thinks that Xu Jingzong was foolish.

His ability to curry favour for the powerful would have been appreciated by the Yin family if Li Yuanying hadn’t discovered it. But for him to use the same trick on Li Yuanying was foolish!

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The boy lacks nothing and will always have whatever he wants. His elder brother is the most powerful person in Tang and the people he mixes with are all important nobles. He doesn’t lack money and is not old enough to be lustful over beautiful women. Although he loves eating and is playful, he gets everything with just one word so there is no need for people to flatter him with favours.

Based on Wei Zheng’s judgment, children of this age wants recognition. Li Yuanying obviously wanted to do big things to impress others. If you flatter him with food and fun, he might even look down on you!

The Emperor is the most amazing. Wei Zheng felt that Li Er must have clearly figured out Li Yuanying’s psychology state and deliberately sent him out to stir up trouble! Now the families of the 24 Heroes will have to disclose someof their hidden assets. Now that Xu Jingzong who served as one of the 18 scholars in Qin Palace is sent to prison, Li Yuanying has successfully offended both nobles and scholars.

Wei Zheng felt that if things continues, Li Yuanying will become a lonely minister just like him. Thinking deeper, is this why His Majesty proposed marriage between Li Yuanying and his granddaughter?

The more Wei Zheng thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt heavy in his heart. However, he is in great health now and couldn’t take sick leave. He could only continue finding faults and pick on the thorns he could find!

Wei Zheng was so filled with emotions that he took every opportunity to scold the Emperor. Li Er felt that the little old man is crazy and privately complained to Zhangsun Wuji: “What do you think happened to Wei Zheng recently? Why is he so angry?” Besides just slandering the Emperor, Wei Zheng also picked on the ministry of household affairs and the justice department, saying that the charges did not match to Xu Jingzong and many crimes were committed before Xu Jingzong move to Hu County.

Li Er is a little suspicious that Wei Zheng had lived too long that he has become foolish. Xu Jingzong spread rumors about his grandson-in-law, condone and even instigate his subordinates to murder people and yet he still speak up for him?!

Li Er was puzzled but Zhangsun Wuji was not. He thought to himself that the Emperor doesn’t know the gossip spreading outside. If he did, he would understand fully. Now the whole community is accusing both brothers of working together to deceive people. After defrauding aristocratic families you target civil servants, the most cunning person in the world. And your younger brother is a walking time bomb that you have deliberately released! Wei Zheng must have thought so too, feeling that you were pushing his grandson-in-law into a pit of fire!

Who can understand the suffering of fire better than those who have stayed in the fire pit for more than ten years?

Just look at Wei Zheng. He is greatly rewarded but do not dare to live in a good house or buy a good quilt, for fear that he would be criticized by others for not being upright and strong. Which other family lives like his?

Zhangsun Wuji’s family also had to disclose an appropriate amount of hidden land and manpower but he was the uncle of the Emperor and his son is married to a princess. Giving up some assets wouldn’t hurt him so he was not too dissatisfied with Li Yuanying.

He is thinking about whether to tell His Majesty about the gossip outside so that he would have some clue.  The emissary returned from Hu County bringing a letter from Li Yuanying.

As soon as His Majesty heard this, he put an end to the topic of “What happened to Old Wei” and asked for Li Yuanying’s letter.

Li Yuanying wrote this letter very sincerely, praising Li Er in every sentence and to the heavens and the earth. He kept saying that he likes the Emperor the most. Li Yuanying seems really happy!

Li Er was in a good mood after reading the letter. Hu County was right under his nose and Li Yuanying couldn’t create that much trouble no matter how much he tried. Let him do it!

Li Er is quite confident in Li Yuanying’s ability. His Sunflower Garden is now running well. At least most people in Chang’an have included Sunflower Garden as an option when they choose a place for spring and autumn outings – maybe he can bring something new to Hu County.

When Zhangsun Wuji saw that His Majesty was delighted, so he ask what was written in the letter.

Adhering to the basic principle of “I cannot be the only one to knows when my brother praises me,” His Majesty graciously showed Li Yuanying’s letter to him.

Zhangsun Wuji quickly regretted it.

He wished he could go blind! It’s great to be blind, so you don’t have to look at Li Yuanying’s string of flattery! Do you two brothers usually write letters like this?!

His Majesty not only read such useless nonsense but is happy. Zhangsun Wuji felt that he should let Wei Zheng take a look at this letter and to take care of his prospective grandson-in-law. I’m afraid that guy won’t be a lonely minister, he’ll be more like a sycophant! Who else have ever written such a letter to the King of a country? Even brothers from ordinary families would not be so disgusting and explicit!

Zhangsun Wuji saw that His Majesty was satisfied with the letter. After thinking, he decided to tell him about the rumors. After all, he will find out sooner or later.

Hearing that people were saying that the Emperor is Li Yuanying as a spear, his face became slightly gloomy and half the joy he had was gone. However, after thinking, he laughed again: “If Yuanying knew that I am using him as a spear, he would happily ask me who to stab and he would wish that I had used him more times.”

“His Royal Highness Prince Teng is still young and has a simple mind.” (Zhangsun Wuji)

What he actually meant is that when Li Yuanying gets older, he will have deeper thoughts.

Li Er didn’t say anything but ask for pen and paper to write his reply that was to be sent to Hu County immediately. After that, the Emperor changes the topic and discussed other affairs with Zhangsun Wuji.

Over at Hu County, Li Yuanying was jumping 3 feet high in excitement and started assigning tasks to his fiends. Because everyone in the county government office was being detained for questioning, the whole office was empty.

Li Yuanying himself acted as the county magistrate while Wei Shu and the others choose a position from posts like chief registrar, lieutenant, secretary and assistant. Since they are starting from scratch, they can now select talents from within the county to fill up the positions below.

Li Yuanying was obviously a nepotist. Since he is now the acting county magistrate, he happily told his friends to pick a position they wanted. In his words, only if you like your job you’ll be happy and energetic doing it!

Di Renjie is the only male besides Li Yuanying so he picked the position of  lieutenant without hesitation. Yuanying felt regretful about this and said: “I heard that last time Sister Pingyang recruited troops here in Hu County and raise an army! If Chengyang serve as lieutenant, maybe she can raise a troop of female soldiers!”

Princess Pingyang is the younger sister of the Emperor. When there was chaos in the late Sui Dynasty, she persuaded Chai Shao, her husband to follow her father and brother to raise an army and that he didn’t have to worry about her as she had plans. Her plan was to return to Hu County, sell off her lands and recruit heroes to support her father and brother halfway!

When Princess Pingyang was buried, the late Emperor ignored objections and buried his beloved daughter in a burial ceremony fit for a military general.

It can be said that Princess Pingyang is an incredible heroine!

Di Renjie quickly looked around, making sure that there was no one else in the room. He said angrily: “Don’t spew nonsense. Tang is doing well and the people live in peace and contentment. How can you compare it with the late Sui Dynasty? What recruit troops? If you want to die, others do not want to follow you!”

Li Yuanying curled his lips: “Brother is not a fool. He knows I don’t mean that.”

But there is only one Princess Pingyang. Chengyang is very different from the late heroine. Wu Mei may have more suitable in personality but not status. In the end, the position of lieutenant went to Di Renjie.

Wu Mei is older and chose to be the county magistrate assistant. She was second in command and needed to coordinate all parties.  Wei Shu is chief registrar and is mainly to stay by Li Yuanying’s side to discuss county affairs and provide assistance. Chengyang choose to be the secretary and will be recording and organizing documents. Jin Shengman was in charge of allocating manpower to various departments.

Everyone has selected their positions and discussed the manpower and hiring requirements for the people under them. They wrote recruitment notices for their own department.

Yuanying was not idle either. He walked to the county school and found a group of volunteers who would share around what jobs the government is trying to recruit talents for.

The students had long heard that Li Yuanying wants to build a library in Hu County and were grateful. Even if they fail to pass the exam, maybe their children or grandchildren can study to their heart’s content in the future. As each generation progresses, there will always opportunity to climb higher!

So when they heard that Prince Teng was coming to school for an inspection, everyone was excited and hoped that he would arrive early.

The officials in charge of the county school were all suspects in Wu Zhiyuan’s case so they were all detained. There was no one to lead and so the students waited calmly and did not dare to do anything beyond the rules.

Their opportunity to be able to study is hard to come by. Therefore they cannot be passionate youths who lobbies for this and that!

Li Yuanying saw the students paying their respect to him like obedient quails but they were in high spirits and their occasional glances were secretly lively. Yuanying raised his hand and told the students about his purpose. We should not be pretentious but try to connect with the people and do our best to convey government orders in plain language.

Yuanying also shared his insights: We will never finish reading books but what matters is how we convert the messages and knowledge in the books as your own. To be a person of great use you will have to be close to the common people. Think about what they want and worry about the same things they worry about. That way you won’t spend your whole life just shaking your head reciting lines from scriptures!

He also cited Confucius as an example. He was not born all knowing, the sage spent his whole life traveling and that helped him understand many truths. Nowadays, everyone just sits home studying. When will Tang produce another great person him?

Although the students have never wanted to be the second Confucius, after Li Yuanying’s encouragement, they all excitedly expressed their willingness to be volunteers!

After bragging, Yuanying returned to the county government office in high spirits. Wu Mei came over to inform that His Majesty had deliver another message and his men was waiting in the side room.

Notes from the author:

His Majesty Li Er: Yes, flatter me like this, keep doing it!

Little Prince: Stop bragging, stop bragging, it’s tiring!

Zhangsun Wuji: No eye see!

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