Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5251 The Devil is One Foot Tall

It was said that "every family has its own affairs," and that what happened to the Cheng family was none of anyone else's business. However, Princess Qinghe was also uneasy when she said this, after all, Cheng Chuliang's behavior was tantamount to cutting himself off from the ranks of imperial consorts, and giving most imperial consorts a stab in the back...

Princess Qinghe felt guilty, but Princess Gaoyang felt even more guilty.

After all, this terrible idea was given to Li You by his own husband...

He then poured tea for Princess Qinghe and held her hand to comfort her, saying, "That's true, but we can't blame the sisters for their dissatisfaction. After all, 300,000 strings of cash from each family is no small amount."

Princess Qinghe rolled her eyes and said with dissatisfaction, "Just give as much as you can afford. Can't we live our own lives? But you have neither the ability nor the face, so you actually thought of colluding with one side to be impartial... In the end, you made a mess of things and had to bleed money out of your own pocket. You deserve it."

Such matters should be handled within one's means. Even if the amount contributed is less than that of the other princes, and some people might make sarcastic remarks, what does it matter? If you've done your best, who can do anything to you?

They had to secretly plot and try to outsmart each other, only to be caught off guard by Li You's brilliant strategy, leaving them in a difficult situation. Adding to this, their own husband was greedy, and with their combined efforts and a backstabbing, they suffered heavy losses…

Princess Gaoyang was slightly embarrassed, after all, it was her husband's mess, so she asked in a low voice, "Do you have enough cash? If not, you can borrow some from me."

Princess Qinghe whispered, "Of course it's not enough, but the young master and Li You have discussed it. The gifts sent to each family are just for show, and the boxes are empty. This way, we won't have to return them in the future. But the sisters are probably going to have a headache this time. There aren't many families that can come up with so much cash at once."

Princess Gaoyang nodded, acknowledging that her sisters had indeed faced difficulties this time.

That scoundrel Li You actually dared to target his sisters for money; that's really outrageous...

Princess Qinghe sipped her tea and asked curiously, "How much did your family contribute?"

"Second Prince said that he will not give them to you for the time being, but will give them to you when the princes go to sea to take up their fiefs. After all, it would be inappropriate to give too much or too little."

"That's true, your partner... is definitely different from ours."

Princess Qinghe nodded in understanding.

Given Fang Junzhi's status and position, he has long surpassed the ranks of ordinary imperial sons-in-law. In addition, his wealth is comparable to that of the entire nation, so giving him any amount would indeed be inappropriate. Giving him too much would be beyond the reach of others and would inevitably arouse jealousy and resentment. Giving him too little would lead to gossip and controversy.

Even if they didn't give him a single penny, none of the princes dared to ask Fang Jun for it.

After all, once they set sail and reach their fiefdoms, there will be many places where they can rely on the navy. Offending Fang Jun would be no laughing matter. Even a scoundrel like Li You can tell what's more important...

……

Fang Jun spent some time reading in the study. He was reading "Baopuzi" by Ge Hong, a famous Daoist scholar from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The book is divided into two parts: the inner part, which focuses on alchemy, health preservation, and the art of immortality. It is based on Confucianism, advocates the equal importance of morality and punishment, promotes education, and criticizes social ills.

One internal and one external, it interprets the theoretical framework of the Taoists in the Eastern Jin Dynasty: "cultivating the elixir internally and helping the common people externally." Reading the whole text, one can see the grand and indomitable spirit of "my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven" hidden between the lines, which is vigorous and full of vitality.

In contrast, those Buddhist monks who hide in temples, ringing bells and chanting sutras, lending money and buying land, claiming to be pure of heart and cultivating for the next life, are like withered bones and rotting flesh in a tomb, living a lifeless and stagnant existence, just waiting to die...

As evening approached, Fang Jun wondered if Princess Gaoyang would invite Princess Qinghe to stay for dinner. Just then, a eunuch followed a servant into the study and mentioned that His Majesty had summoned him.

Fang Jun was suspicious. Could it be that His Majesty had discovered that he had given Li You advice and was about to punish him?

However, he dared not delay, so he changed into his official robes and turban, and rode in a carriage straight to Chengtian Gate.

Following the eunuch into the Taiji Palace and arriving at the Imperial Study, they were astonished to find the room brightly lit, with almost all of Emperor Taizong's sons-in-law in the capital present...

After paying his respects to His Majesty, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the group of imperial sons-in-law and said with a smile, "Oh, we've never been so well-groomed even during the New Year celebrations. Very good."

The princes-in-law, who were returning the greetings, immediately froze, and the atmosphere became awkward.

When Your Majesty was still the Crown Prince, Emperor Taizong repeatedly considered changing the heir apparent, causing the prince consorts to fall into different camps, some supporting the Prince of Wei, others siding with the Prince of Jin, with very few truly supporting Your Majesty. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, some of the prince consorts were involved in the two successive coups. Although Your Majesty did not punish them, they all knew the truth, and awkwardness was inevitable when they met. Therefore, most of the prince consorts would ask for leave for various reasons during festivals and birthday celebrations.

It's quite ironic that they've all gathered together now because of the matter of "presenting travel expenses" to the princes...

Li Chengqian waved his hand, displeased, and said, "Why are you saying such strange things? We've been waiting for you, so please take a seat."

Wang De stepped forward and placed a cushion on the empty chair to Li Chengqian's left...

Fang Jun thanked him and then took his seat.

He took a sip of tea, glanced around, and met Li Chengqian's gaze. Seeing that Li Chengqian remained silent, he took the initiative to ask, "The gathering of all the imperial sons-in-law in the Imperial Study is unprecedented since His Majesty ascended the throne. Something extraordinary must have happened... but what is it?"

Li Chengqian, with droopy eyelids, picked up his teacup and drank tea.

The atmosphere became somewhat quiet for a moment.

Princess Nanping's husband, Wang Jingzhi, though the eldest, tilted his head slightly upward, gazing at the nanmu beams of the roof, as if trying to find a spider web on them...

Gao Xingli looked around helplessly and had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Second Master, you may not know this, but the reason we have come together is to ask His Majesty for help."

Fang Jun laughed and said, "Is he tired of being in the capital and wants to ask His Majesty for an official position so he can go out of the capital and contribute to the construction of the Tang Dynasty?"

Turning to look at the silent Li Chengqian, he said, “It is rare for the imperial sons-in-law to be so devoted to the country and so selfless. Your Majesty should grant their request. The Anxi army won a great victory in the Battle of Kesan City. Xue Rengui led his army on a long march, conquering thousands of miles, but the logistics and supplies were always inadequate. We need a mature, prudent, and distinguished person to be stationed in Kesan City to coordinate the logistics of the entire Anxi Protectorate. I think Minister Gao is more than capable of this task.”

Li Chengqian pretended to ponder for a moment, then looked at Gao Lixing: "If you truly wish to dedicate yourself to the country, then I will..."

Gao Xingli was nearly scared to death. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please understand! Although I am willing to devote myself to the construction of the empire and even sacrifice my life, I know that my abilities are limited and I cannot take charge on my own. If my incompetence affects General Xue's western expedition, I would be more than guilty if I were to die a thousand deaths!"

Why would he leave the prosperous and beautiful city of Chang'an, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a position with little to no power, to go to the Western Regions to suffer from wind and sand, and even work under the Anxi Protectorate? Only a fool would agree to that!
Fang Jun clicked his tongue, shook his head, and sighed, "Since you've come seeking an official position, wanting to serve the country and be loyal to His Majesty, then naturally you should go wherever the hardship is. His Majesty is willing to grant you this request, yet you still pick and choose, complaining about this and that. It's really going too far. If all officials in the empire were as selfish and unwilling to endure any hardship as you, I'm afraid the country would be in turmoil and the empire would be unstable..."

Gao Xingli glared angrily, wishing he could pounce on the bastard and bite him to death.

What virtue or ability do I, Gao Xing, possess to cause turmoil in the country and instability in the realm?
But at this point, it was not an easy time to argue with Fang Jun, so he could only kneel down and loudly apologize.

Li Chengqian was holding back with great difficulty. He coughed lightly and said, "What crime have I committed? If you don't want to go, then don't go. Get up quickly."

Gao Xingli stood up and returned to his seat, his face flushed and filled with resentment, without uttering a word.

Fang Jun glanced at him, then looked at Zhou Daowu: "Prince Consort Zhou committed a grave error during the previous eastern expedition and was punished by Emperor Taizong, who ordered him to return to the capital. However, much time has passed since then, so let's not dwell on those crimes. It's time for him to contribute to the country. But Sancheng is short of an important official position for logistics management. If you are interested..."

Li Chengqian couldn't help himself and raised his hand to wipe his face.

As the saying goes, evil people need evil people to punish them. This group of princes were indignant and crying in front of him, complaining as if he would be a heinous criminal if he didn't agree. They were making a huge fuss. But as soon as Fang Jun arrived, he immediately interrupted and suppressed their momentum.

Knowing he couldn't let Fang Jun cause trouble, Zhou Daowu quickly stood up, ignoring Fang Jun completely, and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "The princes are about to set sail for their fiefdoms, and as their brother-in-law, I should present them with a travel gift as a token of my appreciation. However, my household is in dire need of funds, and I really can't afford much money. But if I don't give anything, or give too little, I'm afraid it will hurt our kinship... I beg Your Majesty to raise some money from the imperial treasury to lend to me in this emergency. Once my household's finances improve, I will certainly repay you in full."

The other princes-in-law also spoke up, recounting how their families were struggling to make ends meet, how difficult their lives were, and how even the most prestigious imperial relatives were far inferior to the merchants in the East and West markets... Some were even filled with shame and tears streamed down their faces.

Fang Jun then realized why these people had gathered in the Imperial Study, and his eyes widened in surprise.

He had advised Li You and persuaded Cheng Chuliang to defect, which led to the princes' "gifts" reaching 300,000 strings of cash. He never expected that these people would actually come to His Majesty to borrow money to "gift" to the princes...

Who came up with this idea?
Talent!
It sounds nice to say that you borrow money from His Majesty's private treasury for emergencies and repay it in full when you have plenty of money, but when will you ever have plenty of money?
If the loan cannot be repaid in a long time, will His Majesty be able to come and demand it back?
He understood why Li Chengqian had summoned him; this money was absolutely not to be lent, otherwise it would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone and never to be returned.

However, as His Majesty's brother-in-law and the elder brother of all the princes' sons-in-law, and with the whole world knowing that the imperial treasury is abundant, it is really difficult for him to refuse the request to lend money—we have already borrowed money from all sides to give gifts to the princes, but His Majesty has countless coins and silks lying around in the imperial treasury and refuses to lend us money for emergencies...

If this gets out, it will certainly damage His Majesty's reputation for "benevolence" that he has always cultivated.

This was what Li Chengqian cared about most.