Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

A man like Fang Xuanling, who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Tang Dynasty, had extraordinary favors. Many officials were scrambling to make Fang Xuanling owe them favors.

Perhaps if he said a good word in front of Li Shimin, he could get an official promoted to an important position, or even save a person's life.

Even though Du He is now the Minister of Works, the favor owed to Fang Xuanling can still be of great use to him.

Du He also stood up and said, "Uncle Fang, you are too polite."

"My nephew's father and you are called Fangmou Duduan, so you should be of the same blood, so this little favor is nothing."

When Fang Xuanling heard Du He mention Fang Mou and Du Duan, he nodded with a look of reminiscence on his face.

His old partner Du Ruhui is not only intelligent but also insightful, and is a talented person who can assist the king.

It’s a pity that God is jealous of talented people. Du Ruhui died of illness at the age of 46.

After finishing the business, Fang Xuanling had no intention of staying here any longer, so he pointed to a large box under his feet and said.

"Nephew Du, this small gift is just a token of my gratitude to you."

"You don't have to refuse. I will feel at ease only if you accept this thank you gift."

After saying this, Fang Xuanling saluted towards Du He with his fists clasped, then strode out of the hall.

Du He saw that Fang Xuanling's actions were quick and decisive, and did not give him any chance to refuse, so he did not refuse any more, but sent Fang Xuanling out the door.

After watching Fang Xuanling's carriage leave, Du He returned to the lobby and opened the box.

"Ouch!"

“Such a big deal!”

Du He looked at the golden light in the box, his face full of surprise.

After a careful count, I found that this big box was filled with 200 taels of gold, which was equivalent to 2000 strings of copper coins!

Du He's hand slid across the gold ingots, murmuring in a low voice.

"The hush money Fang Xuanling gave was quite a bit!"

Although there were many people who could replace Fang Xuanling in doing him a favor, he was indeed the most suitable person.

Because he and Fang Yiai had conflicts, and they would often go to Baihua Tower to listen to music.

Only when the conflict broke out between him and Fang Yiai would not cause Li Tai's dissatisfaction and suspicion, and Fang Yiai would be able to completely extricate himself from it.

Du He sighed, then arranged for his servants to carry the large box into the warehouse for storage.

At present, the gold of the Tang Dynasty is not circulated in the market town, but is generally traded among officials and gentry, so it can be kept as a family heirloom.

Night falls.

When Du He and Li Yi were lying on the bed chatting about their late night life, Li Yi couldn't help but ask curiously.

"My husband, what does Duke Liang want to see you about today?"

"He actually gave you so much gold. What he wants must be something big, right?"

On weekdays, only other people gave money to Fang Xuanling, but Fang Xuanling never gave money to other people. Today's scene also refreshed Li Yi's perception of Fang Xuanling.

Du He smiled and said, "Duke Liang felt that Fang Yiai had gone astray, so he asked me to help get him back on track. This is only a small favor."

"Ah."

Li Yi nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.

She now knew the general situation and knew that her husband had not done anything bad, which was enough for her.

...

The next day.

noon.

Du He, who slept until he woke up naturally, put on his precious fox fur coat and took a carriage to Pei Xingjian's mansion.

Not long after, the carriage drove quickly into Yongningfang, which was also located in Wannian County.

"Master, we are here."

After hearing what Master Feng said, Du He walked out of the carriage.

Before he could look up, several voices came quickly from the front of the carriage.

“Meetings, Mr. Du!”

Du He looked up and saw Pei Xingjian, a woman in her forties, and two young men in their twenties bowing respectfully.

The woman who looked somewhat like Pei Xingjian was obviously Pei Xingjian's mother.

And those two young men with extraordinary appearances were the clansmen that Pei Xingjian wanted to introduce to him.

Seeing that they looked nervous, Du He stood on the shaft of the cart and spoke to them in a gentle voice.

"No need to be polite."

"Shou Yue and I are good friends, and today is also a private gathering, so please be casual."

After Du He got off the carriage, he came to Pei Xingjian's mother and bowed slightly to her.

"Meet Mother Pei."

Although Pei Xingjian's mother grew up in a wealthy family and was the concubine of Pei Renji, the Grand Secretary of the State and Minister of Rites, she was no different from an ordinary peasant woman at this moment.

After all, her family was implicated and exterminated during the war, and her husband died early, so she had no one to rely on.

Her only support now is her only son Pei Xingjian.

Mother Pei said in a panic: "Du Shangshu, you are a great nobleman in our family, you are embarrassing me!"

She had heard about Du He's deeds from her son when she came to Chang'an.

Don't be fooled by the young age of the man in front of you. He comes from a super large family like Jingzhao Du. Not only is he the Minister of Works, but he is also the son-in-law of the legitimate princess.

Normally, she would never have the chance to meet such an important figure.

After exchanging pleasantries, Pei Xingjian pointed to the gate of the mansion and said.

"Mr. Du, it's windy and snowy outside. Please come into my humble abode for a cup of warm wine."

Pei Xingjian's mother also said quickly: "Yes, let's go in quickly, I will make mutton soup for you."

Du He smiled and nodded. After giving instructions to the guards, he quickly walked into the lobby of the mansion accompanied by Pei Xingjian and others.

Looking at the lobby with many green plants and paintings and calligraphy, Du He praised.

“The layout is really nice, elegant and warm.”

This lobby was the most shabby lobby Du He had ever seen since he was a child, but this small lobby gave him a different feeling.

Mother Pei smiled and said, "Mr. Du, this is how it is for our small family. Please don't think it's shabby."

"I'm going to make some mutton soup for you guys now. You guys just sit down and chat for a while."

Ever since her husband was killed, her originally wealthy family suddenly became extremely poor, and she had to do all the housework by herself.

Although Shouyue said he would hire two maids to serve her when he came to Chang'an, Pei's mother was still reluctant to spend the money.

After Pei's mother left the lobby, Pei Xingjian introduced her to Du He with a smile.

"Du Shangshu, let me introduce two members of the tribe to you."

Pei Xingjian then pointed to an older, elegant man with uneven eyebrows and introduced him.

"This is Pei Yan, courtesy name Zilong. He is from the Xima Pei family and passed the imperial examination with the title of Mingjing."

Pei Xingjian pointed to another tall and sturdy young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes and introduced him.

"This man is called Pei Judao. He is from the Eastern Branch of the Hedong Pei Clan. His father, Pei Xizai, once served as the Minister of War."

Then Pei Xingjian introduced the advantages and strengths of these two people to Du He in detail.