Chapter 14 Ling Jing
After Li Yuanji finished speaking, Li Sixing was stunned. What Li Yuanji did today had exceeded his understanding of Li Yuanji.
In Li Sixing's impression, Li Yuanji should be a cruel, inhumane and greedy person.
But today, Li Yuanji not only spared Xue Bao's family, but was also willing to pay money to treat the families of the soldiers who had died in the battle in his mansion.
Li Sixing couldn't understand for a moment.
When Li Yuanji saw Li Sixing's reaction, he realized that his performance today was a bit too much and the impact on Li Sixing was quite big.
Immediately, Li Yuanji asked: "Is the task I gave you difficult to complete?"
Li Sixing came back to his senses and immediately said, "No, it's not difficult."
"Then why don't you speak?"
Li Yuanji asked even though he knew the answer.
Li Sixing said evasively: "I am thinking about how to complete the task assigned by Your Highness."
I believe your lies!
Li Yuanji complained in his heart. In order to avoid causing a greater shock to Li Sixing, he did not talk to Li Sixing for long. He waved his hand and said, "Go and do it quickly."
Li Sixing hurriedly stood up, bowed, and left the main hall of Wude Hall.
When Li Sixing walked to the entrance of the main hall of Wude Hall, he happened to meet Xie Shufang.
Uncle Xie bowed to Li Sixing, and Li Sixing nodded in return.
Xie Shufang entered the main hall of Wude Hall and knelt on one knee in front of Li Ji, "I pay my respects to Your Highness."
Li Yuanji waved his hand, "No need to be polite, how are you doing with the things I asked you to do?"
Xie Shufang bowed and said, "All the female officials and subordinates who have made mistakes in the palace have been sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the subordinates in the palace are not under their jurisdiction, so they are preparing to hand them over to the Dali Temple."
Li Yuanji looked surprised. "They dare to hand over the people working in the palace to the Dali Temple?"
It is true that if an official in the prince's mansion made a mistake, he would be under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple, but that also has to be divided into inside and outside the palace.
The officials of the Prince's Mansion in the palace knew too many secrets of the palace, and the Dali Temple did not dare to ask for them, nor did it dare to interfere.
Xie Shufang hesitated and said, "I guess the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs are just talking and will not transfer them to the Dali Temple."
Li Yuanji nodded and said, "It should be..."
If the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs really handed over the officials from the Prince's Mansion who had done things in the palace to the Dali Temple, and any scandal in the palace was spread, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not be able to escape punishment.
“Since the person has been handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we will not be in charge of him anymore.
How is the person I asked you to investigate going?"
Li Yuanji asked.
Xie Shufang hesitated and said, "We did find out, but why did Your Highness investigate them?"
Xie Shufang had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't dare to say it out loud because it would violate Li Yuan's taboo.
Li Yuanji glared at Xie Shufang and said unhappily, "Why should I investigate them? Do I need to explain to you?"
Xie Shufang said hurriedly: “I dare not, I am just worried that if Your Highness gets close to them, he will be punished by the Saint.
Your Highness also knows that ever since Liu Heita rebelled in Hebei, the Saint has been wary of them. "
Li Yuanji stared at Xie Shufang and said straight to the point: "Then I'm telling you now, I not only want to get close to them, but also recruit them. What are you going to do?"
Xie Shufang's face changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Your Highness wants to recruit them?"
Li Yuanji nodded without hesitation. This was what he thought and was prepared to do so.
Xie Shufang said anxiously: "Your Highness, they are Dou Jiande's old subordinates. Those who are rebelling in Hebei now are also Dou Jiande's old subordinates. No one can guarantee whether there is any connection between them.
You are inviting trouble by recruiting them.
If anything goes wrong among them, you will be held responsible.”
Li Yuanji stared at Xie Shufang and asked, "Then tell me, besides them, who else is willing to work for me today?"
There were numerous outstanding people who left their names in history in the early Tang Dynasty, but almost all of them were divided up by Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng. Almost no one was willing to join the Prince of Qi's Palace or be employed by Li Yuanji.
Given the bad reputation of Prince Qi's Palace, anyone with a bit of strategy in their mind would avoid it.
If Li Yuanji wanted to expand the Qi Palace and recruit talents, he had to take an unconventional approach.
Xie Shufang had no idea what Li Yuanji was thinking. He knelt on the ground and shouted loudly, "Your Highness, I am willing to serve you! I am willing to die for you!"
Li Yuanji looked at Xie Shufang and felt very moved. He could tell that Xie Shufang was not just saying nice things to fool him, and he also knew that Xie Shufang was loyal to him.
But Xie Shufang alone could not protect him, nor could he protect the Prince of Qi's Palace.
Li Yuanji dismissed the maidservant and assigned the guards and maidservants at the door to stay far away. Then he squatted down in front of Xie Shufang and stared into his eyes, "Do you think I am willing to risk being punished by my father to get close to Dou Jiande's old subordinates?
There's nothing I can do about it.
I know you are faithful.
But you alone cannot deal with the Tiance Mansion, Xiuwen Hall, the Eastern Palace, or the entire court."
Xie Shufang was stunned and his eyes widened in horror.
"Your Highness...Your Highness wants..."
"Snapped!"
Seeing that Xie Shufang had misunderstood and thought that he was going to fight for the dragon, Li Yuanji reached out and patted Xie Shufang on the shoulder, interrupting what Xie Shufang was saying.
"I am not interested in that position. If possible, I would like to take everyone in the mansion to travel and see the beautiful mountains and rivers of our Tang Dynasty.
But in my position, it is not up to me to decide whether to get out of this situation unscathed."
As Li Yuanji spoke, he sat down next to Xie Shufang. Ever since Pei Ji had schemed against him, he had actually had a lot of things to say.
But he didn't know who to tell.
He had talked it out with Xie Shufang today, and he didn't mind talking to Xie Shufang a little more.
"You know what? On the day my father confined me to my home, I decided to be an idle prince from now on, not caring about the right and wrong of the court or the public.
I decided that after the confinement period is over, I will take everyone in the mansion out to travel and enjoy the magnificent rivers and mountains of the Tang Dynasty.
But before I was released from house arrest, Yin Ashu came to my door, and my father summoned me to Liangyi Palace because of Yin Ashu's matter.
In the Liangyi Palace, I merely destroyed my father's plan to punish my second brother, but Pei Ji praised me for my courage and wisdom. He hinted to my father that I was qualified to take on the important task. "
Li Yuanji grinned at Xie Shufang, “In an ordinary family, if a son is brave and resourceful and can take on important responsibilities, it is definitely a happy thing.
But in our family, if our son is brave, resourceful and capable of taking on big responsibilities, that would be an absolute disaster.
Because our family has no shortage of sons who are brave, resourceful and capable of taking on big responsibilities.
You are a smart man, you should be able to feel that my second brother has been at the peak of his career since he defeated Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande at Hulao Pass.
He has many advisers and warriors under his command, and he can do almost anything he wants.
But he was the second legitimate son and a prince.
My eldest brother is the eldest son and the crown prince.
My eldest brother couldn't control him, and my father also felt threatened.
But my father was unwilling to suppress him personally.
What do you think my father would do?"
Li Yuanji's smile faded, and Xie Shufang became more and more shocked as he listened. He didn't know when, but sweat had already started to appear on his forehead.
Li Yuanji reached out his hand again, patted Xie Shufang on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "He will support me and help my eldest brother suppress my second brother."
Li Yuanji took his hand back, sighed and said, “I can refuse, but when Pei Ji praised me for my courage and wisdom, he said it in front of my second brother.
Do you think my second brother believes it?
After my eldest brother finds out, will he believe it or not?"
Xie Shufang swallowed hard and said with difficulty: "Whether they believe it or not, they will keep an eye on Your Highness, just in case..."
Li Yuanji nodded, "Yes, whether they believe it or not, they will stare at me intently.
If I move, there is still a glimmer of hope.
If I don't move, they will still stare at me. When they get tired of staring at me, they will join forces to kill me first, and then decide who is stronger.
More importantly, if I don’t move, my father will force me to move.”
Li Yuanji sighed, "So...Xie Shufang, I have no choice.
Not to mention Dou Jiande's former subordinates, even if they are Turks, I can recruit them as long as they are willing to serve me."
Xie Shufang swallowed hard twice and tried to calm himself down.
Xie Shufang was a smart man. Li Yuanji explained his situation in detail to Xie Shufang. How could Xie Shufang not understand?
It was because he understood that Uncle Xie realized how terrible the situation Li Yuanji was in.
"I understand your highness's difficulties. I will no longer dissuade you from recruiting Dou Jiande's former subordinates."
Xie Shufang said solemnly.
Although he was frightened by Li Yuanji's words, the fact that Li Yuanji was willing to say these words to him showed that Li Yuanji regarded him as his confidant.
Li Yuanji treated him with sincerity, and he could only repay him with sincerity.
Li Yuanji smiled and said, "I'm glad you understand. Where is what I want?"
Xie Shufang understood what Li Yuanji meant, and immediately took out a booklet from his arms and handed it to Li Yuanji.
Li Yuanji took the booklet and flipped through it carefully. Xie Shufang stood beside him and explained it to Li Yuanji.
When he saw the words "Ling Jing", Li Yuanji paused.
Xie Shufang immediately understood that Li Yuanji must have taken a fancy to this person, and explained to Li Yuanji in detail, "Ling Jing is a counselor under Dou Jiande, and he once served as the chief academician of the Imperial College under Dou Jiande.
In the Battle of Hulao Pass in July, Ling Jing offered advice to Dou Jiande, asking him to attack Huaizhou and Heyang, and to make a big show of attacking Fenzhou and Jinzhou, forcing His Royal Highness the King of Qin to withdraw his troops.
But Dou Jiande believed the slander of the villain and did not adopt it.
Afterwards, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin learned about this and said that if Dou Jiande had adopted Ling Jing's suggestion, he might have withdrawn his troops.
Although I don't know how much truth or falsehood His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin said, Ling Jing must be a talented person to be able to make His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin say this in public.
Ling Jing is now in the Lower Mujian, serving as the Supervisor, and is a ninth-rank official."
Li Yuanji thought about it and nodded.
There is indeed a record in history that describes Ling Jing's abilities, but it is the only record.
After Ling Jing surrendered to Li Tang, he never did anything else.
I don’t know whether it’s because he is not valued, or he has run out of ideas, or there are some other reasons.
Li Yuanji guessed that it was more likely that Ling Jing was unwilling to work for Li Tang.
