Chapter 102 My stupid brother...

The power of the Shandong gentry was expelled from Chang'an in one fell swoop, leaving only two or three small cats, which still caused quite a stir among the court officials.

For a moment, everyone was impressed by the emperor's methods.

This noble family seemed to be very powerful, but under the suppression of imperial power, they were unable to fight back.

The emperor expelled all the Shandong gentry without bloodshed, and even made it impossible for people all over the world to find fault with him.

After all, he is the Khan of Heaven!
More and more people who were intimidated by the momentum created by the gentry began to wake up.

Compared with the imperial power, the gentry are like toothless tigers. They look scary, but they only look scary.

After all, the real power lies in the hands of the emperor.

More and more people are beginning to break the filter of the gentry in their hearts and choose to lean towards imperial power.

However, there were still some people who still had hope for the gentry and were still muttering in their hearts.

How could this noble family just swallow their anger? I wonder how they will fight back against the emperor later.

Now, there will be something interesting to watch...

After court dismissal, Li Daozon was having dinner with his two sons in the Prince of Jiangxia's mansion.

"Brother..." Li Jingren hesitated to speak.

He wanted to eat a piece of pork chop, but he couldn't reach it.

Li Jingheng glanced at him, his eyes full of disgust, as if thinking, "This is a stupid brother."

"Who is your brother? Isn't your brother the Prince of Hengshan County?"

Then he said in a sarcastic tone, "Tsk, look at how capable you are. It's fine if you recognize someone younger than you as your brother, but this brother is actually a generation younger than you. Aren't you afraid of bringing disgrace to my Jiangxia Palace!"

"I don't allow you to talk about my brother like that!" Li Jingren's face turned red.

"Boss!" Li Daozon scolded.

"Father is so partial. He only allows Jingren to do it and doesn't allow me to say anything?" Li Jingheng glanced at Li Jingren and curled his lips in disgust.

"Based on Li Xiang's ability and his favor in front of the saint, Jingren recognizes him as his elder brother, and as a father, I have no objection." Li Daozong stroked his beard and explained to Li Jingheng: "You just returned to the capital, so of course you don't know what happened in Chang'an recently. Do you know how the King of Han died? How did Hou Junji fall?"

"This...is this all related to Li Xiang?" Li Jingheng shuddered.

He couldn't help but tremble. Hou Junji was a famous figure. After all, he was a great general and had made outstanding military achievements. How could he be overthrown just like that by Li Xiang?

"What else?" Li Dao Zong gave him a look that asked him to pick up his clothes. "Do you still look down on Li Xiang because he is young?"

"This..." Li Jingheng didn't know how to answer.

Li Jingren immediately changed his indignant expression to an expression of pride.

That look clearly said, "Look, look how powerful my brother is!"

Li Daozong added: "At the court meeting today, the emperor used thunderous means to expel all the Shandong nobles from Chang'an. Do you know that Li Xiang played an indispensable role in this?"

"This... is actually due to your brother's contribution?" Li Jingren immediately complimented him, looking at Li Jingheng smugly while speaking.

Li Dao Zong wiped his mouth and said with a smile: "Whether it is from the layout or from other aspects, there is the shadow of Li Xiang. What's more, the Crown Prince and the King of Wei can work together, and the one who has contributed the most is none other than Li Xiang!"

Li Jingheng was immediately shocked. He had heard about the extent of the relationship between the Crown Prince and the King of Wei. Now tell me, how could Li Xiang make them put aside their past grudges and work together?

He asked hesitantly, "But... Aye, is it so simple that the nobles were completely expelled by the saints?"

"Aristocratic families? Ha." Li Dao Zong curled his lips, "Aristocratic families only have some influence. The real power is still in the hands of the royal family."

There is one thing Li Daozon didn't say, which is that the gentry only have prestige but no military power; the royal family has both the great cause of prestige and military power as a supplement. What can your aristocratic family use to fight against the imperial power?
If the current saint did not want the world, which has been in tatters since the end of the Sui Dynasty, to fall into chaos again, he would have dealt with these Shandong gentry with thundering means long ago.

Hearing Li Daozon's words, Li Jingheng nodded thoughtfully, while Li Jingren was also thinking about how he should contribute to his brother's career.

……

In the Lizheng Hall, Li Xiang had just picked up a piece of sweet and sour carp for himself when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Okay, Ye Ye, enjoy the food quietly without even telling me to come!"

A crisp voice came from behind him. Li Xiang looked back, but saw no one.

After a while, a bright-looking woman was seen walking in from outside.

"Look, here comes our rogue."

Li Shimin put down his bowl and chopsticks with a look of disgust, but the smile on his lips betrayed him.

Soon, the woman came closer, greeted everyone one by one, and then squeezed in between Li Xiang and Li Mingda as if she had discovered a new continent.

Old Li smiled and asked Wang De to add a set of bowls and chopsticks, and asked, "How come Shu'er has the time to visit Ye in the palace today?"

"Yeah - I came to visit Sizi, and visiting Yeye was just a side trip." Li Su hugged Li Mingda's arm, looked at the food on the table, and said with a smile: "It seems that I came at the right time."

"Isn't it the right time? We have just started eating." Li Tai said with a smile.

Since Li Shu's mother died soon after she was born, she was raised by Empress Changsun. Therefore, neither Li Chengqian, Li Tai, nor Li Zhi treated her with any distance.

"Xiang'er, why don't you come and meet your aunt Gao Yang?" Old Li introduced them: "Shu'er, this is your eldest nephew Li Xiang."

"I met my aunt."

Just as Li Xiang was about to stand up, Li Shu pulled him back onto the stool.

"Ye Ye is going to make things difficult for the child again. Xiang'er, don't pay attention to your grandfather. Why are you so polite!" Li Shu raised his willow-shaped eyebrows and held Li Xiang down without saying a word, preventing him from standing up to greet him.

Li Shimin's doting on Li Su was evident in his tone: "You better be careful. If you get involved with this scoundrel in our family, you will be in big trouble."

Li Xiang looked at his aunt Gao Yang. There were many examples before, and he did not dare to judge a person based on unofficial history and anecdotes.

As we all know, the New Book of Tang was compiled during the Bian Dynasty.

The Bian Dynasty treated the Tang Dynasty like a big fat pig treats a beautiful woman, and its malice was simply overflowing from the books.

The Song Dynasty was the biggest Tang hater in the world. In fact, to put it bluntly, it was like an ugly pig evaluating a peacock. He knew that he could never become a peacock, so he could only be hysterical and do his best to slander it.

The so-called affair between Princess Gaoyang and Bian Ji is not found in the Old Book of Tang and Tang Huiyao, two historical records compiled during the Five Dynasties. It first appeared in the New Book of Tang edited by Ouyang Xiu more than a hundred years later.

In fact, the online argument that "Tang princesses are not suitable for marriage" is too biased.

If that were the case, Chuan Tang would not have had to cuckold Chang Sun Chong.

Since Li Shu came over, there has been more laughter and joy at the dinner table.

This aunt is very versatile and has a high emotional intelligence. To be honest, Li Xiang doesn't dislike her.

"The elephant is growing now, so he needs to eat more meat."

Li Shu kept serving food to Li Xiang. Seeing this, Li Mingda also added more food to Li Xiang's bowl.

Before long, the bowl in front of Li Xiang was piled to the brim. This heavy love...

Li Xiang raised his head and looked at Li Shimin, who was gritting his teeth, with an innocent face. He scratched his head and asked, "Why don't you eat vegetables, aren't you hungry?"

Li Shimin was almost choked by this question.

Good boy, you are just making your grandfather angry, right?

Li Tai sat aside and didn't think much of it. He just thought that Li Shu was taking care of his nephew. After all, Fang Yiai had always been close to him.

However, he could not have imagined that Li Shu was thinking in his mind how to get Fang Yiai to have more contact with Li Xiang.

Isn't this a kind of minotaur?

After all, Li Xiang couldn't bear to keep Lao Li angry, so he picked up a few more dishes for Lao Li. Then he saw Grandpa raised his beard and touched his head with a hum.

After taking two bites of the food, Li Shimin suddenly remembered that he was so busy dealing with the Shandong gentry that he forgot to deal with Yu Zhining.

He held the bowl in his hand and asked casually, "Shu'er, last time Yeye heard Sizi talking about it. Did you hear your mother-in-law say that Yu Zhining's son was going to marry the daughter of Zheng from Xingyang?"

This was just a casual question. Even if he had doubts, he would never suspect Li Mingda.

But Li Mingda just made up the story and had no chance to collude with Li Shu in his testimony.

Li Shu looked down at the frightened Li Xiang, and felt Li Mingda quietly tugging at the corner of his clothes, and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

Look, isn't this opportunity here?

She exclaimed, "Oh!" and said with a smile, "It is true, but I heard my mother-in-law talking about it when I passed by the main hall."

"Humph, I forgot about Yu Zhining at the court meeting just now." Li Shimin put down his bowl and chopsticks and said in an unhappy tone: "This kind of traitorous villain doesn't need to stay in the East Palace, lest he corrupts Gao Ming!"

Just one sentence can define Yu Zhining's character.

Li Chengqian was immediately overjoyed. He was so happy! His biggest worry had been solved. What else was there to be unhappy about?

As for Li Tai? Ha...

As long as my son is here, Qingque will not pose a threat!

Li Xiang looked at Li Su with gratitude, but found that the other party gave him a meaningful look in return.

Li Xiang, who had been dealing with some shrewd people recently, understood very well how big a favor he owed Li Su.

What should be repaid must be repaid, and Li Xiang didn't mind returning a favor to Li Su.

After dinner, he stayed in Lizheng Hall for a while. After the three brothers left, Li Shu also prepared to leave.

I have visited her before, but she is a married woman after all, so it would not be appropriate for her to stay in Lizheng Hall any longer.

"Xiang'er, please see your aunt off for me." Li Shimin waved his hand. He was a little full after eating in the evening, so he didn't want to move for the time being.

"Okay, old man." Li Xiang stood up obediently and walked out of the Lizheng Hall with Li Shu.

Li Shu reached out and took Li Xiang's little hand, and the two walked out together.

When they arrived at Qianhua Gate, Li Xiang suddenly said, "Thank you, aunt."

"Oh, are you just saying thank you?" Li Su lowered his head, a devilish look on his face, and reached out to pull Li Xiang's face.

It feels so good. If I don’t do it now, I won’t be able to do it if I become the crown prince and then the emperor in the future, Li Shu thought to himself.

"If my aunt has any request, my nephew will certainly respond!" Li Xiang patted his chest and said to Li Shu while looking up at him.

Li Su nodded with satisfaction. She was quite tall, perhaps due to genetic reasons. According to Li Xiang's visual estimation, she was at least 1.7 meters tall.

Li Shu looked at him with a smile and said, "Then I will remember this. When you become successful in the future, don't forget what I said today."

Li Xiang understood the elegant meaning of the music by listening to it, so of course he knew what Li Su meant.

It seems that he wants to get closer to Donggong.

As for Fang Yiai and Li Tai's closeness, Li Xiang didn't care about it at all.

In the Fang family, at least in the small family of Li Shu and Fang Yiai, the one who makes the decisions must be Princess Gaoyang.

Whether it is the records in historical books or Lao Li's daily behavior, he had an extraordinary fondness for Fang Yiai.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that he is the most favored son-in-law among all the sons-in-law. Even Chang Sun Chong cannot compare to him.

Maybe... simple-minded single-celled organisms are just what people like?
From this, Li Xiang could probably understand why Princess Gaoyang was suddenly accused of treason after Li Zhi came to power.

I’m afraid the water in it is…unimaginably deep.

Li Xiang planned to get to know his aunt better and not jump to conclusions easily.

If she can be won over, she must do so, after all, her father-in-law is Fang Xuanling.

If she was really as described in the New Book of Tang, why would Fang Xuanling and Lao Li let her be the middleman, running back and forth to pass messages when Fang Xuanling was seriously ill at the end of the Zhenguan period?

Another reason is that she has a good relationship with King Wu Li Ke.

Li Xiang also planned to get to know his third uncle well, after all, he would need him in his future plans.

"Stay, elephant."

When passing through Qianhua Gate, Li Shu let go of his hand.

"Well, goodbye, aunt."

Li Xiang said obediently.

"Yeah." Li Shu responded and turned to get on the carriage.

Li Shu didn't know much about his nephew.

What I did today was just to do a favor.

After watching Li Shu leave, Li Xiang also turned around and planned to go back to Lizheng Hall to stay for a while before leaving.

The autumn hunting season is coming soon, and he plans to teach Fubao how to make some braised food to eat during the hunt.

It should be noted that autumn hunting is not exclusive to the Qing Dynasty. There are records of hunting as early as the Shang Dynasty. In the Zhou Dynasty, there was a saying that "spring hunting is called shou, summer hunting is called miao, autumn hunting is called xian, and winter hunting is called shu".

What's more, for Li Xiang, autumn hunting itself is not the point, and going out for a picnic is even less the point. The point is the social interaction during autumn hunting.

Considering that there is Cheng Yaojin, a man who doesn't care much about worldly opinions, and Yuchi Gong, who has always been similar to him, Li Xiang decided to let Fubao make more braised food.

However, when he returned to Lizheng Hall, Li Xiang happened to see Li Shimin jumping rubber rope with Li Mingda.

Li Xiang took a deep breath, turned around and left.

I absolutely cannot destroy the tall and manly image of Tian Khan in my mind!
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(End of this chapter)