Chapter 154: Intriguing Rewards, Sorghum Gains New Weight (Part Two)

"What is so intriguing about it?" Li Wei asked curiously.

"All participating officials, and even the bailiffs and guards, received rewards this time, except for two people: the first is Vice Minister Di, and the second is Steward Zhou."

That meant Di Renjie and Zhou Xing. Yet these two were the greatest contributors to solving the case. Leaving Di Renjie aside, without Zhou Xing—and the chests he brought from Luoyang—it might have been impossible to extract a confession that very night. Without that, arrests the next day would have been extremely difficult, and at the very least, the chancellors would not have thrown their full weight behind the effort. Without Zhou Xing, the Grand Court of Revision would not have obtained so many useful confessions so quickly, nor could they have directly issued the order to arrest Xu Jingzong's entire household.

Yet these two alone received no reward...

Li Wei had not even considered whether Zhou Xing should be rewarded; his mind was entirely on Di Renjie. Among the ministers around him, Di Renjie was the one they learned the most from, followed by Wei Yuanzhong. As for Zhu Jingze's remonstrances, Li Wei simply ignored them. Therefore, he had also learned to view matters from multiple perspectives—considering both the front and the back of an issue.

The art of imperial manipulation still seemed a distant horizon, but the craft of political strategy was beginning to take root within him. At the very least, he was no less capable than a county-level clerk. If he were to accumulate the resources at his disposal and analyze the reasoning behind events, he could even match a prefect.

Why was there no reward? Clearly, his father was displeased, using this as a warning to the ministers as to who truly ruled the realm: "It is I who call the shots. Do not try to curry favor with my son, for it will do you no good."

Yet things should not be judged merely by their surface appearance. Doing this might actually hold hidden benefits.

Di Renjie had achieved a massive breakthrough in this case, and his momentum was at its peak—even the prison wardens under his command were spoken of in wondrous terms, let alone Di himself. In truth, during his month or so in Luoyang, Di Renjie had cleared nearly a thousand cases, some of them exceedingly complex. This was a genuine miracle, yet the common people failed to notice it, fixing their eyes solely on this single high-profile case. When one's own momentum was too strong, parents would feel uneasy; when a subordinate's momentum was too strong, the ministers would feel threatened. Pressing him down a little might not necessarily be a bad thing.

It seemed this father of his was not so inept at employing men. Though Di Renjie was not being utilized at the moment, he had truly entered the Emperor's field of vision. Sooner or fewer, he would be heavily relied upon, and perhaps this brief suppression would make his eventual promotion even swifter.

"This orphan understands," Li Wei said in a light, casual tone.

Bi'er felt a sense of injustice and said, "It is unfair to Vice Minister Di."

Zhu Jingze's education was far too rigid, yet it provided little actual help. Only this Di Renjie had been of the greatest assistance to the Crown Prince. But look at the outcome: Zhu Jingze was promoted to Palace Assistant of the Seventh Rank, while Di Renjie received nothing at all.

Li Wei stroked her small hand and said, "Bi'er, you are mistaken. He has nothing now, but he will in the future. You will see—it will not be long before Vice Minister Di is swiftly promoted. Gold will always shine eventually."

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With the case concluded, Di Renjie was set to return to Luoyang. However, Jiang Ke was about to leave Luoyang for Liangzhou.

August had arrived, and Bi'er and Shangguan Wan'er were writing a letter together, addressing Liu Qun and Jiang Luo in Chang'an. One would write a line, and the other would write the next. Consequently, the letter turned out quite messy, though the meaning was clearly expressed. They inquired about several things: how the sorghum outside the walls of Chang'an was doing, and how Big and Small Black were getting along.

As autumn deepened day by day, Big and Small Black, along with a flock of smaller birds, were preparing to fly south. Yet they worried, just as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had said, that they might have been fed too well and grown too plump to fly—a source of great anxiety.

Bi'er stroked Shangguan Wan'er's little head and said, "Wan'er, your handwriting will soon surpass mine."

"Sister Bi'er, no matter how much I write, I can never catch up to you." The little girl was very clever, tailoring her words to whoever she spoke with. She knew Bi'er's position in Li Wei's heart and saw how deeply Bi'er cherished her.

Seeing this scene, Li Wei merely smiled. If things continued to develop like this for another two years, it was entirely possible that Bi'er might let this little lolita be sold off and even help count the money for her. Yet Li Wei did not mind. Without cleverness, how could one become a talented woman? She was simply too young; otherwise, when she grew up, she might well be able to strategize for him within the inner palace.

Stepping over curiously, he took a look at the letter. Due to a lack of physical strength, the strokes were slightly weaker than Bi'er's, but the difference was minimal. Strictly speaking in terms of aesthetic appeal, it faintly surpassed Bi'er's handwriting, and the phrasing and composition were already superior to hers.

Of course, talent was talent, but even Shangguan Wan'er could not replace Bi'er's place in Li Wei's heart. Neither Di Xuan nor Di Hao could do so, even though the softness of their bosoms and the pristine, maidenly fragrance of their milk still lingered delightfully in Li Wei's memory.

Suddenly, a eunuch entered to report, "Left Chancellor Jiang requests an audience with Your Highness."

"Let him enter." Second-guessing himself, he realized Jiang Ke was, after all, a chancellor and could not be treated with arrogance, so he went out to greet him personally.

Having seated Jiang Ke, the chancellor said, "Young Lady Jiang, Shangguan Wan'er, I have brought some rouge to present to you both."

"Chancellor Jiang, this is truly too much to accept," Li Wei said.

"Your Highness, I am old. As I head to Liangzhou this time, I do not know if I will ever return. Presenting a gift to Your Highness is something I perhaps dare not offer. However, these two young maidens in the palace come from humble origins yet possess pure hearts, and I rather fond of them. Passing through the Eastern Market, the thought suddenly struck me, so I picked up some cosmetics along the way."

Of course, the so-called "along the way" was merely a polite fiction; when a chancellor bestowed gifts upon the Crown Prince's trusted maids, they were naturally no ordinary items. To put it bluntly, could it truly have been a casual whim? In truth, Jiang Ke was advanced in age and harboring anxieties; this was his way of leaving behind a bridge of goodwill. After all, he still had children who would eventually enter officialdom through his legacy, and if Li Wei ascended the throne, offering them a measure of care and protection would still be possible.

Li Wei said, "Why don't you thank Chancellor Jiang?"

The two young maidens immediately bowed in gratitude. Shangguan Wan'er opened the box of rouge, took a sniff, and said happily, "It smells so good."

"Since it smells so good, why aren't you going to brew tea for Chancellor Jiang immediately?"

"Yes."

"Such well-behaved young lasses," Jiang Ke remarked with a word of praise. The Crown Prince immediately letting them accept the gift was equivalent to showing him respect, without a moment of hesitation. Jiang Ke felt quite pleased in his heart. Of course, Li Wei also had to accept. Having climbed to the position of Left Chancellor, Jiang Ke commanded a vast network of connections at court; even if he could not be won over for support, he must not be turned into an opponent. Besides, while his governance capabilities might be somewhat lacking, Li Wei had known and interacted with him ever since Chang'an, and their relations were not hostile.

There were many intricate political maneuvers involved, and now Li Wei finally understood some of them. At the very least, he no longer needed to consult Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong on every single matter.

Taking a sip of tea, Li Wei asked, "What official business brings the Left Chancellor here today?"

It was impossible that he had come solely to deliver rouge and build personal favors.

"I am about to depart for Liangzhou, and I wish to seek your counsel once more: does Your Highness have any other brilliant strategies?"

What brilliant strategies could Li Wei possibly have? Perhaps Jiang Ke was vastly inferior to his ancestor Jiang Wei, but when it came to military knowledge, he was still far above Li Wei. This very question betrayed Jiang Ke's lack of confidence; ever since the imperial appointment in Chang'an, Li Wei had faintly sensed the deep anxiety resting in Jiang Ke's heart.

Even Xue Rengui had been defeated; could Jiang Ke succeed? Therefore, he had sought out Li Wei, hoping against hope that a dead horse could be made to run again.

Li Wei pondered for a moment and said, "When Left Chancellor Jiang goes to Liangzhou, the person you must guard against above all else is Ashina Qinzhi—no, Lon Qinling. This man cannot be met with brute force."

"Lon" represented the royal lineage of Tubo, though Qinling's original surname was actually Gar. For Jiang Ke to feel timid before the battle even began meant that if a real fight broke out, he would suffer a disastrous defeat. Li Wei mused inwardly that among all the generals at court, only three could withstand him to some degree: Liu Rengui was one, Pei Xingjian was another, and Xue Rengui was the third. Though defeated, Xue Rengui had at least reflected upon his mistakes. Moreover, just as Qin used Meng Mishi in the past, there was a precedent. It was simply that the Tang Dynasty had never suffered such a major defeat before, and they lacked the courage to employ Xue Rengui again, carrying the somewhat petulant air of a loser who could not afford another loss.

Anyone else sent in his place would lose. As long as they encountered Lon Qinling, not only would they lose, but they would not even achieve the pyrrhic victory Xue Rengui had managed, which had cost the Tubo forces tens of thousands of lives. In short, it would be a crushing and utter defeat.

Jiang Ke had no idea that Li Wei held him in such low esteem in his thoughts. He murmured thoughtfully, "Indeed, previously our Great Tang grew careless."

"Chancellor Jiang, to mend the fold after the sheep have bolted is never too late. Furthermore, the court has suffered such great calamities and disasters this time that the vitality of the state is severely wounded. We can no longer afford to wage war, and I believe Tubo is likewise recuperating. I have no grand stratagems; I simply believe that practicing non-action in Liangzhou is the best course."

"Your Highness's view is truly marvelous." It struck right at what was in Jiang Ke's heart.

Yet it was not quite as simple as absolute non-action. For Jiang Ke to go to Liangzhou and avoid fighting was best; another defeat in battle would deal an even graver blow to the vitality of the Tang Dynasty. It was far better to mind one's own business and maintain stability. Li Wei added, "Of course, this is not true idleness. Grain is scarce, and even if it were not, transporting it from Guanzhong or even Jiangnan to the various prefectures in Liang and Shan would incur immense logistical costs. It would be far better to establish military agricultural colonies. There are many fertile lands in the border regions. With grain, the borderlands can become self-sufficient, saving the court a vast amount of expenditures. Perhaps in the future, when the opportunity arises, grain and provisions will not need to follow the main army all the way from Guanzhong, but will instead be sourced directly from the borderlands themselves—a massive savings for the imperial treasury."

"Your Highness's words are once again truly exceptional."

Having finished speaking, Jiang Ke prepared to take his leave. Since they were not going to fight, why ask for strategies?

Yet as they reached the palace doors, Li Wei added, "When Chancellor Jiang arrives in Liangzhou, you might take a slightly detour and stop by to consult General Liu. He has campaigned and fought for many years with virtually no defeats; he is the only one truly capable of offering you genuine assistance. Confucius said, 'When three walk together, I am sure to find my teachers.' With your two military talents combined, you will surely hash out a far more perfect plan."

Asking himself would not yield much help; asking Liu Rengui was the logical course of action. Jiang Ke nodded. He was not entirely unteachable, nor was he excessively proud or arrogant. Yet watching his retreating figure, Li Wei muttered inwardly, "May the Tubo simply not start a war again."

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With Jiang Ke's departure, the undercurrents of court intrigue and infighting grew even stronger.

The death of Xu Jingzong was far more than just a simple execution; the court was quietly reshuffling its deck. Yet the shuffle was conducted with such subtlety that even Li Wei failed to notice it. With Jiang Ke's reassignment, the position of Left Chancellor opened up once more.

While the officials scrambled for power, Li Wei's small family of three was also busy. Li Wei's busines was relatively simple—he continued to tinker with that stretch of marshland. Li Zhi was slightly busier, preparing for the great rain-supplication ritual of the Dayu sacrifice. However, because of the Xu Jingzong case, the atmosphere was thick with ill omen, and the ritual was delayed time and again.

At times, Li Wei found it rather comical. August had arrived; although the rainfall was not torrential, showers fell intermittently across various regions. Was there truly any need to proceed with a rain-supplication ritual?

Wu Zetian was equally busy, carving out power that she had wrested from her son. Li Wei harbored deep wariness toward her, yet this period was undoubtedly the most agonizing time of her life. Over the years, partly for her husband and largely for herself, she had executed many people. Several of the Guanzhong aristocratic clans, as well as certain members of the imperial clan, held deep grievances against her. Her sole reliance was her husband, yet her husband's mind remained unreadable. While Li Wei felt aggrieved, Wu Zetian felt even more so, compounded by the harsh rumors circulating among the common people.

Therefore, the "grand righteousness" sent by Li Wei was something Wu Zetian still regarded with great caution.

Moreover, over the years, Wu Zetian had indeed performed admirably. She had nothing to reproach herself for regarding her husband, serving him with unremitting diligence, and as for the state, she had poured her heart and soul into assisting Li Zhi with government affairs. Even her personal lifestyle was exceptionally frugal.

While Li Wei felt a chill of respect for Li Shoucheng's steadfast loyalty, the inner palace was not populated by Li Shoucheng alone; many others sympathized with and supported Wu Zetian, harboring a sense of injustice on her behalf.

In terms of grievances—at least on the surface—the truly wronged person was not Li Wei, but Wu Zetian. Li Wei at least had a faction of people assisting him, but with Xu Jingzong dead and his associated ministers demoted, Wu Zetian had to rely entirely on her own wits.

Yet the Dayu ritual could be delayed no longer. The Crown Prince's capping ceremony was approaching, and the Crown Princess had yet to be finalized; delaying any further would turn the whole affair into a laughingstock. But just as the Eastern Capital was preparing for the great ritual, a certain event finally erupted into the open...