noveltune Chapter 5470 Inflexible and Unyielding
Chapter 5470 Inflexible and Unyielding
Chapter 5470 Inflexible and Unyielding
The power struggles within the palace are no less brutal than those in the imperial court. In the imperial court, sometimes it is possible to fight without breaking apart, to compromise and leave room for maneuver and retreat. But in the palace, it is a close-quarters battle, a direct confrontation where the struggle results in death or injury.
But the struggle is everywhere and nowhere to hide.
After dismissing the female official, Empress Su sat alone in a side hall. Outside the window, snow fell heavily and a cold wind blew. She picked up a steaming teacup and took a sip of hot tea. Her dignified and beautiful face was calm and serene, but a sense of unease lingered in her heart.
They resented Li Chengqian for not cherishing the bond between husband and wife and for disregarding the affection between father and son, and they complained that Fang Jun was not in charge in Chang'an but instead running around aimlessly.
Since that man wasn't in Chang'an, she felt that everyone was coveting the position of crown prince and secretly plotting to harm her and her child...
What angered her most was that even though she had promised to submit to him, he still went his own way, running around as if he didn't care at all about taking a kiss from her, the empress.
She was known for her dignified and virtuous character, beauty and intelligence when she was young. Matchmakers who wanted to marry her practically wore down the Su family’s doorstep. Later, she married into the royal family. Even Empress Wende praised her for her “good looks”. With the added advantage of her status as empress, could it be that that guy really had no desire for her at all?
In particular, everyone knows that guy has a penchant for "good princesses." It's one thing for Gaoyang, Changle, and Jinyang, but am I not even as good as Baling?
Empress Su gently placed the teacup on the coffee table, pursed her lips, and let out a soft hum.
His thoughts had shifted from worrying about the position of Crown Prince and being wary of Consort Shen and her son to doubting his own charm... This was simply outrageous!
*****
The British Duchy's residence, its back garden.
In the desolate winter, with flowers and trees withered, a thick felt blanket was laid out in a pavilion in a corner of the garden. Li Ji, dressed in a round-necked casual robe and wearing a turban, sat in the pavilion, putting plates of thinly sliced mutton, fresh green chives, cabbage, mushrooms and other vegetables into a brass hot pot. The charcoal fire at the bottom of the hot pot was burning brightly and the soup was boiling.
Li Jingye strode over, and the maids outside the pavilion quickly stepped forward to help him brush the snow off his head and body before he entered the pavilion.
"grandfather!"
Li Ji didn't look up, but said calmly, "Sit down and eat, it's just right."
"Here."
Li Jingye sat opposite him, picked up his chopsticks, scooped out mutton and vegetables from the boiling soup, put them into a dipping sauce made of sesame paste and chive blossoms, and put them into his mouth.
"Sigh... Xiang!"
The tender lamb and crisp vegetables, coated in a rich dipping sauce, provide immense satisfaction to the taste buds.
Li Ji also picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, and the grandfather and grandson ate heartily. Li Jingye then picked up the wine pot next to him, poured wine, and toasted his grandfather.
Lamb, vegetables, fine wine... Snowflakes danced outside the pavilion, and the world was utterly still.
After finishing several large plates of mutton and drinking half a jar of wine, Li Ji finally put down his chopsticks and picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
He waved for the maid to remove the hot pot, plates, and wine jars, brewed a pot of strong tea and placed it on the stone table, then dismissed the maid.
Li Jingye straightened up, let out a burp, patted his belly, and then poured tea: "Although I have never thought much of Fang Jun, I have great respect for his level of enjoyment of life."
Brass hot pot, greenhouse vegetables... all were created by Fang Jun. They may seem unremarkable, but no one had ever been able to combine them into the best winter enjoyment.
Li Ji smiled, took a sip of tea to cleanse his palate, and asked, "Why do you look down on Fang Jun? In terms of merit, power, status, and achievements in both literature and martial arts, he is almost unmatched in this world. It's simply outrageous."
Li Jingye also took a sip of tea and said proudly, "A true man stands between heaven and earth. Merit and achievements are secondary. Loyalty to the emperor and serving the country are the foundation of one's character. Even if one achieves extraordinary success, one who cannot serve the emperor with loyalty is nothing more than a traitor and a villain. I am ashamed to associate with him."
Li Ji snorted: "Traitorous minister? When Fang Jun ruined his family and property, thwarted the mutiny, and helped Your Majesty ascend the throne, you weren't even a captain."
Li Jingye disagreed: "Fang Jun was indeed loyal to His Majesty back then, but what about now? He spares no effort to restrict imperial power for the so-called national interests. Has he ever had the slightest respect for the emperor? The only reason he is still a subject today is because the country is stable and the state is rock solid. If there is any turmoil, he will surely become a traitor to the country!"
He had long harbored resentment towards Fang Jun.
They talk about "national interests above all else" all day long, but where do they put His Majesty?
Isn't it true that the ruler is the state, and the state is the ruler?
The affairs of the monarch are the affairs of the state, and the interests of the monarch are the interests of the state.
Deliberately separating the monarch from the state is surely an act of treachery, disloyalty, and injustice.
Li Ji looked at his innocent and generous eldest grandson and couldn't help but sigh.
Although he had tried to persuade you many times to no avail, he still held onto a sliver of hope: "Although you are not young, you have been stuck at the bottom of the military and have not been able to get involved in the struggles and compromises at the top, so you cannot see through the essence of things... Everything in the world is like a double-edged sword, not simply black and white."
Li Jingye remained silent.
It wasn't that he heeded his grandfather's advice, but rather that he didn't want to argue with him.
He acknowledged that things in the world are not simply black and white, but believed that this was merely a compromise made for the sake of interests.
If human nature were purer, right would be right and wrong would be wrong; how could they be confused?
How can one do such hypocritical things for personal gain, and sell one's conscience in a sanctimonious manner?
If it's the right thing to do, then do it, without worrying about the future or the outcome.
Even if we are shattered to pieces, what then?
As you hear the news, you can die in the evening.
Li Ji had a splitting headache.
Why is this stubborn grandson so inflexible and unyielding?
He said in a deep voice, “Determining what should and shouldn’t be done should not be based on your own standards, but on weighing the pros and cons and considering the overall situation. If you do what you think is right, but it results in suffering for the common people, wouldn’t that be extremely foolish?”
Li Jingye remained silent.
Li Ji was somewhat worried. He stared at his grandson and said seriously, "If you don't even have this much understanding, then I will have to seriously consider your future. Should you ask His Majesty to let you resign from your official post and return home to study?"
Although he hoped that Li Jingye would be able to carry on the family name and uphold its honor in the future, he also did not want this fool to make a big mistake one day and implicate the entire family.
Li Jingye remained silent for a long time before asking, "Grandfather, our family has received imperial favor for generations. Shouldn't we strive to be loyal ministers and virtuous generals?"
Li Ji patiently guided him: "The problem is how you distinguish between loyalty and treachery. If you are truly loyal to the country, the nation, and the people, what does it matter if you die on the battlefield or destroy your family to help the country? Even if my grandfather is exhumed and whipped after his death, I would gladly accept it! But if you are blinded to the truth for the sake of some people's selfish interests, any sacrifice will be in vain."
Li Jingye said with a sigh, "Grandfather, rest assured, I understand. I will think carefully before doing anything and will never be deceived by others."
Li Ji nodded and gave up trying to persuade him.
He knew his grandson was too arrogant, but he never imagined he would be arrogant to this extent.
I suppose I need to find a suitable opportunity to ask His Majesty for permission to resign from my position as Commander of the "Hundred Cavalry Division".
……
Heavy snow fell in Liaodong, while the climate in Jiangnan remained mild.
Fang Jun handed over the affairs of the Songmo Governor's Office to Li Jinxing, and left Liuzhou City to board a ship at Ruluo Garrison and return to Huating Town.
As you turn from the Yangtze River into the Wusong River, you'll see a constant stream of boats coming and going on the water. White sails stand tall and oars are like clouds. Countless ships are transporting all kinds of goods from the East, South, and even the West to the port of Huating Town, where they are unloaded into the dock warehouses, waiting to be dispatched to Liaodong to support development after the spring of next year.
After landing, Fang Jun went straight to the main store of "Dongda Tang Trading Company".
Wu Meiniang had no idea when Fang Jun would return, so she was naturally overjoyed to see him so suddenly. She quickly put aside her work and started making arrangements to welcome Fang Jun back.
The bathtub in the back courtyard was filled with hot water. Wu Meiniang dismissed the maids and personally helped Fang Jun take off his clothes and soak in the bathtub. She used her fair hands to hold a loofah dipped in soapy water to scrub his back. Before she knew it, Fang Jun grabbed her fair wrist and pulled her into the bathtub, splashing water all over the floor.
Wu Meiniang exclaimed in surprise, glared at her husband with slight displeasure, and said reproachfully, "How can you do this in broad daylight?"
Although she was a concubine, she was bestowed by Emperor Taizong and married through proper channels, so etiquette had to be observed. Such acts of illicit sexual relations during the day were only suitable for concubines and maids.
However, seeing her husband looking at her expectantly, his eyes full of pleading though he didn't speak, her heart softened. She reached her hand down into the water and was immediately surprised, laughing, "We're an old married couple, why are you so... excited?"
Fang Jun sighed, embraced Wu Meiniang's slender waist, and placed her face down on his lap. He said pitifully, "I have been in Liaodong for several months and have not tasted meat for a long time. Seeing my wife's charming beauty and graceful manner, I really can't control myself. I hope my wife will forgive my impetuousness and relieve my longing."
Wu Meiniang's heart almost melted. She gently stroked her husband's thin and handsome face and said softly, "You are the head of the family. Why do you have to suffer like this? We will not restrict you in this matter."
Even though the Tang Dynasty was more open-minded and women's status had improved compared to the past, it was still difficult to break free from the tradition of male superiority and female inferiority.
Men like Fang Jun always had concubines accompanying them when they went out to satisfy their physical needs.
But Fang Jun preferred to suffer rather than indulge in casual relations with his concubines...
Fang Jun did not directly remove Wu Meiniang's clothes, but instead reached his hand inside her clothes and said with a smile, "How could I, as your husband, who has been able to marry all of you virtuous wives, possibly have eyes for those common beauties?"
Wu Meiniang straddled her husband's lap, letting a large hand roam freely. Her face flushed, she bit her cherry lips and said in a soft voice, "There is something in Liuzhou City that you cherish, my lord. With your abilities, you only need to put your heart into it, and I'm sure you can win my favor."
"hey-hey!"
Fang Jun understood her implication, and while simultaneously recounting the schemes and estrangement between Zhou Daowu and his wife...