In fact, Li Qinzai really didn't want to leave Chang'an. His mother-in-law was pregnant and needed company, and he was a salty person who didn't seek advancement. It was more comfortable to be a well-clothed and well-fed homebody than to run around outside when he had nothing to do.
However, he never expected that his father-in-law would stab him in the back without mercy.
I don’t know what he was thinking. Is it revenge for cheating him out of money back then?
"Tell me, father-in-law, what do you think? There are not many father-in-laws in this world who specialize in cheating their sons-in-law. I must interview you about your journey." Li Qinzai said neither sad nor happy.
Prince Teng walked calmly towards the carriage outside the palace gate. As he walked, he said, "Just do my father-in-law a favor, don't you like it?"
"What does it have to do with you that more than a dozen states and counties in the south of the Yangtze River don't grow sweet potatoes? This matter has nothing to do with your duties. The emperor doesn't blame you. What are you doing?" Li Qinzai said dissatisfied.
Prince Teng walked forward in silence for a long time, and then said calmly: "Jingchu, do you know how many years I have been waiting for an opportunity to share the burden of doing things for the emperor?"
Li Qinzai was stunned.
Prince Teng didn't expect him to answer, so he said calmly: "I have been waiting for forty years."
"Since I can remember, I have lived in the Daming Palace in Chang'an. It is said to be a palace, but it is actually a prison, a prison where my father is under house arrest."
Li Qinzai was silent. He knew about this past incident. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Yuan was placed under house arrest in the Daming Palace by Li Shimin.
At that time, the construction of the Daming Palace was not completed at all. In many places, only foundations were laid. Only a few palaces were built. Li Yuan spent the last few years of his life in those palaces.
King Teng was also born during that period. From his birth until Li Yuan's death, King Teng had the status of a prince, but he was not allowed to leave the palace like a prisoner.
Prince Teng said slowly: "When I was young, I told my father that I wanted to play in the palace. My father smiled bitterly and said to me, wait a few years, and when my father dies, you will be free. Not now. , Even though our father is still alive, we can’t leave the palace.”
"Later, my father passed away. I was less than ten years old at that time. I didn't understand the ways of the world and the separation between life and death."
"In the thirteenth year of Zhenguan, I was conferred the title of Prince of Teng by my brother, the late Emperor Taizong, and was granted a royal salary in Teng County, Shandong Province. The palace servants around me told me with great joy that I could leave the palace and be free from now on."
"I was sent to Teng County in a daze by officials and palace servants. There were royal palaces and eunuchs there. All the way eastward, there were guards of honor from the vassal kings. The ostentation was extravagant, and everyone was cheering for me."
"When I entered the palace, I suddenly realized that the huge palace was cold and lonely. I was like a child who was completely abandoned by my relatives. From then on, no one cared about me and no one interacted with me. The emperor's spies were all in the palace, and my every word and deed was recorded every month. Organize it into a book and report to Chang'an on Pegasus."
"That's when I discovered that I was not free. I was still a prisoner, just in a different place."
King Teng looked at Li Qinzai and mocked himself: "I actually have no ambitions, but it seems that two generations of emperors didn't believe it. I never interfered in government affairs, and I rarely interacted with local officials. I deliberately lived a life of a hermit and interacted with literati." Even if we hang out together all day long, even if we are despised and despised by the emperor, I don't care."
"But... after all, I can't spend my whole life like a waste. As I get older, I can't stand the contemptuous looks of others. That kind of look at others like waste hurts my heart. Although I am the noble king of the vassal, but I live without any dignity."
"I don't have to be a vassal king, but I can at least be an upright person. Like ordinary people, I can marry a wife and have children, serve the country as an official, and leave a good reputation after my death. I won't let future generations feel embarrassed when they mention me. It's so simple. Desire, is it too much?”
Sighing, Prince Teng patted Li Qinzai on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for your recommendation in front of the emperor. The emperor finally looked at me and gave me an errand."
"But my ability is limited. Something went wrong with this job, but I can't solve it. Jingchu, how about helping me once? I want to continue doing this job, and I don't want the emperor to be disappointed in me."
Li Qinzai was quite moved by his words.
Thinking back to when I first met Li Sujie, the two princesses of Yiyang in Xuancheng, and Prince Teng...
It turns out that being born in an emperor's family is so depressing, and that kind of life that feels suffocating all the time cannot be filled by any amount of fine clothes and fine food.
Li Qinzai looked at Prince Teng and suddenly smiled: "We are destined in this life. You and I are already Weng's son-in-law. I am happy to help you with this favor."
Prince Teng showed a grateful smile and whispered: "Thank you, my dear son-in-law."
Then King Teng asked again: "What are you and I going to do when we arrive in Jiangnan?"
Li Qinzai said with a smile: "Kill one to serve as a warning to others, and give both kindness and power, that's all."
Prince Teng hesitated for a moment and said: "The famous families in the south of the Yangtze River are powerful. If our methods are too drastic, we may force them to rebel..."
Li Qinzai shook his head: "Don't worry, father-in-law. People who are really determined to rebel are usually forced to have no way out. I will not make such a mistake."
Prince Teng smiled in relief and said, "Okay, I believe you. I will assist you along the way and obey your orders."
Li Qinzai suddenly asked: "My father-in-law, in all these years of knowing you, I have forgotten to ask, how many brothers-in-law and brothers-in-law I have?"
Prince Teng was stunned for a moment, and then he looked wary: "What do you want to do? It's not enough to blackmail me, but you also want to blackmail my children?"
"This is too sentimental and has no family affection at all," Li Qinzai said sadly: "My son-in-law just wants to know how many relatives he has. If a baby is born in Jinxiang in the future, the baby should also know how many biological uncles he has. rely on."
Prince Teng looked at him for a while, the suspicion on his face still remained, but he still said: "Since I was young, I have given birth to more than ten children, seven of whom have been granted the title of Duke or County Duke."
Li Qinzai was surprised and said: "I have given birth to so many children. I can't believe that my father-in-law is so debauched and unscrupulous. It's amazing to my father-in-law!"
King Teng said angrily: "Are you talking human language? Marrying wives, taking concubines, and procreating children and grandchildren, how can you say that you are debauched? You have married four or five wives, how are you worse than me?"
After saying this, Prince Teng looked at him in confusion and said, "Why do you suddenly ask me how many people are responsible for giving birth to children? What's the conspiracy?"
"My father-in-law just guessed it right. My son-in-law actually wants to blackmail my brother-in-law and my brother-in-law. When Jinxiang gives birth to a baby, I will send them invitations. How can each family be embarrassed to meet people if they have less than 10,000 yuan each?"
Prince Teng had a look of despair on his face and said miserably: "It's true... My poor daughter has married such a dehumanizing beast!"
…………
Back at the Duke's Mansion, the news that Li Qinzai was about to go south according to the order also spread to the mansion.
The whole mansion exploded. Cui Jie, Jin Dayan and other mothers-in-law found him one after another. In addition to being reluctant to leave her husband and leaving Beijing, it was more incomprehensible.
The wives were all very aware of Li Qinzai's temperament. He would never stand if he could sit, and never sit if he could lie down. How could such a lazy and unmotivated person travel so far to the south of the Yangtze River on official business?
Until King Teng came out with a dazed expression to smooth things over, saying that his son-in-law had to accept this job just to help his father-in-law. Although Cui Jie was reluctant to give up, she couldn't say anything else.
(End of chapter)
