Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 103: Let him also go to the pigsty and pick up pig manure for half a month!

"Shuzi!"

Li Shimin slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his eyes glaring like those of an angry Vajra in a temple.

Xu Jingzong was so frightened that his legs went weak and he quickly lowered his head even further.

He was extremely surprised. He never expected that this Wen County boy would be so bold as to refuse His Highness the Crown Prince to his face!

In this great Tang Dynasty, Wen County Magistrate is truly unique.

"Your Highness, I am only ten years old. I do not want to die young!"

Wen He's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resolute.

For a moment, the Lizheng Hall fell into a deathly silence.

Huang Chun was bent over, seemingly afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Wen He has gone completely mad.

How dare you say such things to His Highness?
Does he really think His Highness won't kill him?

"You brat, do you think I'm heartless and ungrateful?" Li Shimin kicked the overturned table off the imperial steps.

He winced in pain, but with a feigned nonchalance, he pointed at Wen He and said, "You don't want to be an official, but I'll make you be one anyway. And I'll make sure you live a long and healthy life, and die peacefully in your sleep!"

"Huang Chun, remember my words today. From now on, Wen He shall not be punished unless he is suspected of treason. Even if he is suspected of treason, he shall not be tortured or imprisoned without irrefutable evidence. Go to the Secretariat this afternoon to file a report. If anyone objects, let him come to me!"

Li Shimin was truly angry.

He never expected that Wen He would use such a reason to reject him.

They even said he was only ten years old and didn't want to die young!
Does this mean he is intolerant of others?
Does this mean that I will kill him in the future because I fear he will become too powerful?
This brat is absolutely outrageous!
Then I will show you, the people of later generations, what a benevolent ruler truly is!
"You're going to report to the Hundred Riders tomorrow. I don't want to see you again today. Get out!" He was so angry that he even started referring to himself as "I." Seeing that Wen He didn't move, he picked up the brush washer on the ground and threw it at her.

Wen He was still in a daze.

He never expected that Li Shimin would publicly ask Huang Chun to remember this matter.

He is still Li Shimin's personal eunuch, and he needs to report today's events to the Imperial Diarist.

Recording daily activities is the way of our ancestors.

Even Li Shimin himself had to admit it.

Not to mention, Li Shimin also said he would file the decree with the Secretariat, so once the imperial edict was issued, it became an undeniable fact.

"Snapped!"

The porcelain shattered on the pillar behind Wen He, and he felt as if he had woken from a dream.

He looked at Li Shimin, opened his mouth as if to say something, when suddenly someone tugged at his sleeve.

He turned his head and saw Xu Jingzong bowing to Li Shimin: "Your subject takes his leave."

Then he pulled Wen He, who was still in a daze, and walked outside.

"Why is Wenxianzi acting like this?" After leaving Lizheng Hall, Xu Jingzong felt as if he had been caught in a downpour.

He shook his head in annoyance. If he hadn't known that Li Shimin's attitude just now clearly indicated that he didn't want to argue with Wen He, he wouldn't have dared to step forward and drag this young punk out.

"I just want to live a peaceful life," Wen Heqiang said with a smile.

Xu Jingzong stared at Wen He's height, which only reached his waist, and was stunned for a long time before he sighed.

"I also want to live a peaceful life, but we are all powerless to change our circumstances."

“Your Highness, please don’t be so stubborn. He is not an intolerant person.”

He was also afraid that Wen He might really anger Li Shimin, which would affect his future.

Wen He was appointed to lead the Hundred Cavalry, which, to put it nicely, was to be "in charge of the military command," but His Highness the Crown Prince just said that the matter of the Hundred Cavalry was to be decided by the two of them.

That is, Wen He and he have equal rights.

Who exactly is this young man that His Highness the Crown Prince would treat him so well?

How terrifying!

I'm jealous!
"Thank you very much, Lord Xu." Wen He chuckled dryly twice and gave Xu Jingzong a polite bow.

"Please ask Lord Xu to meet me outside the palace gate tomorrow, around noon."

Wen He breathed a sigh of relief and said.

Xu Jingzong was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Noon?" "Yes, if it's too early, I'll get up... I have to teach the three princes tomorrow morning." Wen He smiled and said with a smile.

Xu Jingzong was absolutely certain that Wen He had just said, "It's too early to get up."

'Oh well, what can I do? I'm just destined to be a busybody.'

"Thank you for your trouble, Magistrate Wen. I'll be going now." Xu Jingzong returned the greeting and turned to leave.

He no longer referred to himself as "this humble official" in front of Wen He, but instead used the term "someone".

Previously, Wen He held a noble title but no official position, which is why Xu Jingzong was so humble.

But now, as a member of the Hundred Cavalry Council, and Wen He as the acting Prefect, their positions have been reversed.

The fact that he could speak to Wen He on such an equal footing shows that Xu Jingzong has a long-term vision.

At least he wasn't as conceited and arrogant as Li Yifu.

"We'll inevitably have to deal with him in the future, so it's best to be on good terms with him." Wen He breathed a sigh of relief and glanced back at the gate of Lizheng Hall.

It was as if Li Shimin's roar was right next to my ears.

He couldn't help but feel a bit amused and exasperated, his feelings a complex mix.

He didn't know whether Li Shimin's expression just now was genuine or just an act.

These ancient people were so deep and thoughtful that he felt like he was walking on thin ice.

Wen He withdrew her gaze, turned around, and left the East Palace.

"That brat!"

"A country bumpkin!"

"I should give him twenty lashes and make him shovel pig manure in the pigsty for half a month!"

Upon returning to Yichun Palace, Li Shimin angrily smashed a teacup on the ground.

Empress Zhangsun glanced at the fragment, then brought over a bowl of tea.

The former was so angry that his back teeth were chattering. He picked up the teacup and was about to smash it when he found his wife looking at him with a smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Li Shimin asked angrily.

Empress Changsun smiled calmly and said, "I'm counting how many teacups Erlang will smash tonight, so I can have Wen Xiaolang come and make up for it another day."

"Hmph, that brat is incredibly stingy. Look at him, he hasn't given me a single piece of glass yet. Today, when I asked him to trade glass with the Huan Kingdom, he actually wanted ten strings of cash!"

Li Shimin slammed his teacup down on the table indignation, then suddenly laughed: "But this brat probably never expected that I was going to give him twenty strings of cash at first. If he finds out... yes, I have to let him know, so I can teach that brat a lesson!"

Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"You also think that brat will definitely be in a fit of impotent rage, right?" Li Shimin felt a sense of relief just thinking about Wen He shouting "I lost money!" in the mansion.

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhangsun smiled even more brightly: "I'm not laughing at Wen Xiaolang, but at you, Erlang, how can you act like a child?"

Li Shimin was taken aback, as if he had only just realized his lapse in composure.

However, he soon attributed all of this to Wen He's fault.

"That brat is too rude. He actually suspects me like this today. I had a heart-to-heart talk with him just a few days ago. What do you mean by saying that if I give him an official position, he will die young? Today I will give him a protective charm!"

Li Shimin's face had long since lost its anger.

Empress Zhangsun had already learned of this from him, and was greatly surprised when she first heard it.

After all, even her brother did not receive such an honor.

Li Shimin suddenly chuckled: "Does that brat really think I would be afraid of his status as a person from a later era? Given his temperament, I'm afraid Gao Ming will have to beg that brat to come out and help him in the future."

"He was clearly a person from the future, yet he was willing to take a risk for his unrelated sister. How could such a loyal and righteous person become someone like Sima Yi or Wang Mang in the future?"

Empress Zhangsun covered her mouth and laughed so hard she was shaking. She knew that Li Shimin would definitely not be willing to part with her.

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(End of this chapter)