Chapter 47 Li Shiji, an absolute loyal subject

Wen He pressed his lips together and remained silent.

He certainly could not say that he had learned all of this from historical texts. If he were to admit that, Li Shiji would undoubtedly have Li Jing throw him out immediately, even if he was an honored guest of Li Shimin.

However, Wen He quickly came up with an excuse.

"This is what His Highness the Prince of Qin said. He mentioned that the terrain of Lingzhou is rugged and unfavorable for the rapid movement of large cavalry forces, which is why he deduced that Jiali would attack Shuozhou instead."

Upon learning that this was Li Shimin's assessment, Li Shiji's expression softened considerably. His Highness the Prince of Qin’s judgment in military matters was scarcely inferior to their own. Back at the Battle of Hulao, he had struck terror into the hearts of the enemy and thrown the imperial court into turmoil. It was said that on that very night, the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng had rushed into the palace under the cover of darkness and remained there until dawn broke.

"What His Highness says is indeed reasonable, but Lingzhou must also be guarded against. Brother Yaoshi, why don't you let me..."

Li Shiji wanted to recommend himself. Like Li Jing, he had previously declined to join Li Shimin in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Now that the dust had settled—tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest—Li Shimin would undoubtedly become the crown prince and then force the reigning emperor to abdicate. He needed to plot a path forward for himself. Otherwise, given the formidable talents gathered at the Prince of Qin's Manor, would there be any place left for him in the future?

Before he could finish, however, Li Jing interrupted him.

"I have already recommended Li Xiaogong to go to Lingzhou."

"Why!" Li Shiji asked with evident dissatisfaction. It was not that he doubted Li Xiaogong's capabilities, but rather that, given their relationship, Li Jing should have recommended him instead.

Li Jing let out a long sigh; he understood what was on Li Shiji's mind.

"Before I set out on this campaign, I will recommend you to His Highness as the Grand Administrator of Youzhou, so that you may coordinate with Jinzhou and Lingzhou. Li Xiaogong is a member of the imperial clan; both his seniority and his merits surpass yours. With him guarding Lingzhou, His Highness and the Emperor can rest easy."

Li Shiji froze. He had not expected Li Jing to say so much to him. These words sounded overly formal, resembling an official report from a subordinate to his superior rather than a conversation between friends.

Li Shiji instantly realized that these words were not meant for him alone, but for Wen He as well. Li Jing intended for Wen He to convey this underlying message.

Wen He, who had been lowering his head in hesitation over whether to drink the tea broth, traced a finger around the rim of the bowl and promptly decided against trying this culinary nightmare.

"What the Duke of Yongkang says is entirely correct. No doubt His Highness thinks the exact same way," Wen He said, raising his gaze to look at the two men with a smile.

Li Jing had not brought this matter up in the main hall earlier; he must have intended to speak with Li Shiji in private. And Li Shimin had likely anticipated that when Li Jing recommended Li Xiaogong to guard Lingzhou, he would follow up by recommending Li Shiji for Youzhou. Even if Wen He had told him that the invading force would break into Chang'an through Jinzhou, Li Shimin still had to guard against Lingzhou. Allowing two men who had chosen neutrality during the Xuanwu Gate Incident to garrison crucial strategic locations was something that even if he agreed to, officials like Fang Xuanling would surely oppose.

That was why he had sent Wen He here. First, to act as Li Jing's messenger; second, and perhaps most importantly, to give Wen He an opportunity to interact with Li Shiji.

Wen He suddenly felt a slight headache coming on. These people playing the game of political maneuvering were all so circuitous, yet they could grasp each other's intentions in an instant. For a rookie like him, it took a long time to puzzle things out.

*Ah, I am truly not cut out to be an official,* he thought. *In the future, I'd better honestly remain a minor landowner and just serve as a consultant for Li Er.*

Now that he had obtained the information, Wen He had no desire to play an unwelcome role any longer. Presently, Li Jing and Li Shiji would surely have private matters to discuss, so he decided to take his leave.

True to expectation, upon learning that he wished to leave, Li Jing offered a few polite words of retention before seeing him to the door. He originally intended to arrange an escort to take Wen He back to the Prince of Qin's Manor, but as soon as they reached the entrance, they spotted the Black Armor Guards waiting to pick him up.

Li Shiji and Li Jing stood at the threshold, watching as Wen He departed. Not until the carriage had completely vanished from sight did Li Shiji finally voice the question on his mind.

"Brother Yaoshi, who on earth is this Wen He? He is nothing more than a wet-and-behind-the-ears youth, yet his words and actions are so remarkably mature."

"You wish to know?" Li Jing stroked his fine beard and asked with a smile.

Nodding, Li Shiji smiled. "Naturally."

"I, too, wish to know who he is, that he could accurately predict Li Yi's rebellion and the movements of the Turks two months in advance. His Highness claims this intelligence was passed down to him by Wen He's parents, but how could a mere child deduce such things from it?"

From beginning to end, Li Jing had never truly believed Li Shimin's explanation. Yet he had no choice but to believe it, simply because it came from the Prince of Qin.

"Could he be someone endowed by the heavens?" Li Shiji asked in astonishment.

Hearing this, Li Jing glanced at him and let out a hearty laugh. "No wonder Cheng Zhijie said you used to be a stubborn old Daoist. There is no such thing as someone endowed by the heavens in this world; all those so-called favored ones are already dead."

Li Mi was one, and Wang Shuchong was another. However, he kept these thoughts between himself and Li Shiji—after all, wasn't the current sovereign also a "favored one"?

***

The carriage carrying Wen He did not return to the Prince of Qin's Manor; instead, it traveled along Zhuque Avenue and headed back into the imperial palace.

When Chang He of Xuanwu Gate saw him once more, he could not help but start in surprise. It was the first time he had ever witnessed someone who was not a high-ranking official being summoned into the palace twice in a single day. This young master Wen had a boundless future ahead of him.

Yet Wen He did not share that sentiment.

The moment he spotted the detachment of Black Armor Guards outside Li Jing's residence, he knew instantly that Li Shimin had come looking for him. It was entirely possible that the moment Li Shiji set foot in Li Jing's home, someone had already reported the news back to the palace.

Upon arriving at the Liangyi Palace, there was no one inside except for Li Shimin. Even figures like Zhangsun Wuji were absent.

As Wen He walked in, a young palace attendant brought him a bowl of plain water and some pastries, then bowed and retreated.

"This prince knows you are not accustomed to drinking tea broth. You must have grown thirsty talking so much at Li Yaoshi's place, so I had honey water prepared for you. Drink that first while this prince finishes reviewing these memorials."

Li Shimin did not look up, continuing to write something at his desk with a brush.

Hearing this, Wen He gave a faint "Oh" and picked up the honey water, taking a few large gulps. To his surprise, it was even iced.

After finishing the honey water, he set the bowl down.

Only then did Li Shimin put down his brush, stand up, and walk over to his side.

"Tell me about Li Shiji," Li Shimin said as he sat down beside him.

Wen He, however, fell silent, prompting a suspicious look from the prince.

"Is the honey water not enough?"

"Uh, no. Yesterday, when we were discussing Xue Wanche, you didn't want to hear it when Li Shiji was brought up, did you?"

It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned that, but hearing it made Li Shimin feel like slamming the nearby bowl onto his head.

"This prince simply didn't want to hear... about this prince's own end."

Wen He's mouth twitched a few times before he finally let out a helpless sigh.

"Which emperor in ancient or modern times hasn't wanted immortality? However, if you, venerable sir, refrain from consuming alchemical pills in the future, you will definitely live longer than history records."

Li Shimin frowned and glanced briefly at a brocade box on the desk nearby, though he quickly averted his gaze. Even so, the movement was caught by Wen He.

"No way, Your Highness, are you already starting to take them? I recall historical records stating you only began taking them in the twenty-second year of Zhenguan." Wen He looked startled.

With an unnatural expression, Li Shimin glared at him.

"These are alchemical pills from the Western Regions; this prince intended to present them to His Imperial Father... Let us not speak of this matter. Tell me about Li Shiji first."

Though he did not know why taking alchemical pills would shorten his lifespan, Wen He could not possibly be lying to him. That meant there was a high probability the gift he intended for his father was poison.

Seeing the somewhat awkward look on the prince's face, Wen He gave a couple of light coughs and hastily went along with his words. "Li Shiji? An absolute loyal subject. End of story."

As his voice trailed off, he blinked innocently at Li Shimin, his face the picture of pure innocence.

Infuriated, Li Shimin puffed out his beard and glared in exasperation, casually reaching out to grab the bowl on the table.