Chapter Ninety-Six: Li Ji Returns to the Capital

By imperial decree: Li Ji, Duke of England, has mismanaged his household. His title of Duke of England is hereby stripped and reduced to Duke of Changzi County. His stipend is suspended for three years as a warning to others. Furthermore, Li Ji is ordered to report to the capital at once and without delay. So decreed!

Taiyuan Prefecture, Hebei Circuit, the marching encampment.

Li Ji accepted the imperial decree in bafflement and asked the eunuch attendant, "Please, enlighten me."

With evident helplessness, the eunuch recounted what had taken place in Chang'an. As Li Ji listened, his face grew darker and darker.

What angered him was not only Lady Wang's arrogance, but even more Li Kong's attitude. He could not understand why Li Kong would do such a thing.

Though he had not spent much time with this eldest son, he understood Li Kong well enough. That son had always been his pride, and in recent years especially, he had lightened his burdens considerably. He had even thought that in a few more years, Li Kong might earn himself a noble title through his own achievements, and then he could pass the title of Duke of England to Li Siwen. In that way, the family might remain more balanced and avoid any serious trouble.

But this time, Li Kong had clearly dragged his old father into the scheme as well. Or rather, when Li Kong did those things, he had not considered at all that Li Ji was his own father.

Suddenly, Li Ji jolted awake and hurriedly said, "Thank you for the trouble. I shall return to the capital at once!"

Li Ji moved swiftly, as one would expect of a man from the army. After taking his leave of the messenger, he set off for Chang'an with two personal guards. As for the affairs of Hebei Circuit, he believed Li Shimin would surely make arrangements later.

At the same time, at the residence of the Duke of England.

In the side courtyard, Li Kong was cooking hot pot and drinking wine, while Cui Zhu stood nearby, serving him with utmost care. Opposite him, Li Yue'e stood there in fury. Her face had gone slightly pale from anger.

"Speak. Did you even take my words to heart? And now look what has happened: your father's noble rank has been stripped by two whole levels. Are you pleased now? Satisfied now?"

Li Kong had more or less foreseen this already. He set down his cup with a wry smile and said, "Mother, you still do not understand. But you do not need to understand. You only need to know that everything I have done is so that you and my father can live a better life."

"I do not understand any of this, but this time I am truly angry. Kong'er, I know you have grown up, but your mother is only a simple woman. I only want a peaceful life. How am I supposed to face your father after what you have done?" Li Yue'e broke into tears.

Seeing her tears fall like rain, Li Kong's heart trembled. He quickly rose and walked to her side.

"I'm sorry. I was not thoughtful enough this time. But I do not regret it, because if I had not done this, you and Father would never be able to live in peace. Some things you may think about more simply, Mother, but I must make full preparations for the future. And... and I did it so His Majesty could be at ease as well."

He smiled and said, "Do not worry. With Father's abilities, regaining those two ranks is only a matter of time. As for three years of stipend, do you really think our family still needs to live on that?"

While Li Kong was comforting Li Yue'e here, in the Taiji Palace on the other side, Li Shimin had no mind for tender words with Empress Changsun. His thoughts were entirely occupied by the great clans and noble houses.

Before ascending the throne, Li Shimin had already understood the danger posed by the hereditary aristocracy. The Taiyuan Li clan itself was one of those great lineages, and a powerful noble house could even possess the ability to overturn the realm.

Li Shimin believed that while he lived, those clans would never dare make a move. But what about after his death?

Besides, the world had long since reached its verdict: there had never been a dynasty that lasted a thousand years, only aristocratic families that endured a thousand years. That alone showed how terrifying these great clans were. So from the moment he took the throne, he had begun dealing with them. He not only promoted men of humble birth with great vigor, but also steadily weakened the influence of the aristocratic houses in court.

Especially after Li Kong had supplied the imperial treasury with vast sums of money, the emperor had become even more free to act. Yet even so, Li Shimin had never moved rashly against the great clans. He had intended to proceed step by step.

This time, when he went to Li Ji's residence, his original purpose had merely been to smooth matters over. But what he had not expected was that a mere married woman from the Wang family would dare defy his decree.

Li Shimin was a proud man. He had always held Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han as his standard, aspiring to become the unrivaled sovereign of the ages. Lady Wang's conduct was tantamount to slapping him across the face. It did not hurt, but it was humiliating.

So Li Shimin was furious. But what should he do next?

He believed the great clans would never make any outrageous move over this matter, but they would certainly resist a little to preserve their dignity before the court.

Then the difficult question would be left to Li Shimin himself: should he continue to stand firm, or should he yield?

If he stood firm, he might provoke resistance from all the noble houses, and the court itself could descend into turmoil. But if he yielded, would the decrees of the court still carry weight in the future? What would the world think of Great Tang's court? More importantly, what would the people of the world think of him, the emperor?

After thinking for a long time, Li Shimin never once considered yielding. Even without Li Kong, he would never compromise with the noble houses. It was the most basic pride of an emperor. More than that, he now possessed enough strength to stand his ground.

"Your Majesty, it is time to rest," Empress Changsun said softly after an unknown length of time, walking to Li Shimin's side.

Li Shimin gave a quiet acknowledgment and turned to look at the increasingly radiant Empress Changsun. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Guanyinbi, do you think what I have done this time is right or wrong?"

"What does it matter whether it is right or wrong? Why must Your Majesty think so much? The noble houses have held the realm in their grasp for centuries, and sooner or later they will threaten Great Tang. Conflict was bound to come eventually. Your Majesty has merely brought that conflict forward by many years. Besides, have you not always wished to leave no hidden peril for the sovereigns of later generations?"

"Yes. I will never leave any threat for my descendants, and the noble houses are the greatest danger in the world," Li Shimin said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Empress Changsun smiled and leaned lightly into his arms.

"Still, the power of those noble houses must not be underestimated. If you are going to strike, then you must be fully prepared."

"I know. Since that brat started this whole matter, let him take care of it," Li Shimin said indifferently. He did not trust anyone else with such a task. Only Li Kong was truly suitable.

On the one hand, Li Kong had the talent to match it; whether in cunning and strategy or in command and battle, there was nothing to question. Most importantly, Li Kong's temperament was very much like his own: decisive in killing and cutting away, never dragging things out once a choice had been made.

The matter of the noble houses had to be handled cleanly and swiftly. Yet if that were done, Li Kong would inevitably become a thorn in the eyes of every scholar in the realm. But would Li Shimin care? Would Li Kong care?