Chapter 66: Heavenly Might (IV)

In fact, Crown Prince Li Hen had indeed had a difficult time these past few days. The censors at the Imperial Censorate repeatedly brought up the conflict between his eldest son, Prince Guangping Li Yu, and a Tibetan prince, seemingly convinced that the Tibetan prince’s death was due to Prince Guangping’s eagerness to prove himself. This left Li Hen in a difficult position—he, as crown prince, needed to show kindness and fairness, avoiding the use of personal funds for public matters. So he gave Li Yu a stern lecture to make a proper example. On the other hand, as a father, how could he not be angry and indignant seeing his eldest son framed unjustly? Yet he couldn’t show his anger either. Such days were truly unbearable.
“Your Highness, put on more clothes; it’s cold by the window.”
Yu Chaoen draped a light garment over Li Hen’s shoulders, speaking in a gentle voice.
“Mm.”
Li Hen tightened his clothes and smiled faintly. Fortunately, his father was fully on his side in this matter. No matter how Li Linfu, that old scoundrel, tried to manipulate his subordinates to frame Li Yu, his father always dismissed the accusations as lacking evidence. Thinking of this, Li Hen’s chilled heart gradually warmed a bit.
“Chaoen, go call Li Yu for me!”
Li Hen waved his hand and sighed deeply. There were some things he needed to discuss clearly with his son; otherwise, given his temperament, he would sooner or later cause trouble for himself!
“As you command!”
Yu Chaoen nodded and left to carry out the order.
In the courtyard hall behind Li Linfu’s residence in Pingkang Fang, a Tibetan man dressed in fur-lined clothes was sitting there. This Tibetan man had deep-set eyes, a dark complexion, a high nose bridge, a long face, and his hair tied in a bun that curved upward at his forehead. Most frighteningly, he had a long, light-red scar running from beneath his eyelid down to his jaw—under the light of the oil lamp, it seemed to move as if it were alive.
He was savoring a pot of fine tea slowly. He wasn’t in a hurry; he knew Li Xiu would definitely come to see him. The conditions he had proposed were too generous for Li Xiu to refuse.
Sure enough, by the time he had finished the second pot of tea, Li Xiu, the head of the Honglu Temple, came out with a smile on his face.
“Master Wuji, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Atonement, atonement!”
The Tibetan Buddhist monk, called Wuji, nodded slightly in response.
Having spent much time in official circles, Li Xiu was experienced in judging people. Seeing that Wuji wasn’t in a hurry, he must have enough to discuss and wanted to boost his own status.
Gently scraping the tea leaves aside, Li Xiu said with a smile, “I wonder what brings Master Wuji to my residence this time?”
Wuji gave a strange smile and clasped his hands together. “I’m here to do business with the eldest prince. I wonder if he’s interested?”
“Oh? Please go ahead and explain.”
Li Xiu waved his hand.

“I, from Tubo, admire the culture of the Great Tang. Since Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, agriculture and craftsmanship have developed there. Yet your country is rather stingy when it comes to iron smelting, which is hard to believe.” (Note 1)
Li Xiu was about to speak in defense when Wu Jie waved his hand to stop him.
“However, there’s always a way out. We’ve made contact with a nobleman from the Great Tang, and since then we’ve obtained dozens of skilled craftsmen in iron smelting, so we no longer need to worry about this issue.”
Hearing this, Li Xiu’s eyes lit up. Years of experience in the political arena had honed his keen sense of perception, and he could already detect a strong hint of goodwill in Wu Jie’s tone.
“I wonder who this nobleman is?”
Li Xiu adjusted his clothes and asked tentatively.
“Hahaha, Young Master Li is really good at joking. Since it’s a partnership, sincerity is of course necessary. If I can’t even keep the other party’s name a secret, how can we cooperate in the future?”
Wu Jie stared intently at Li Xiu, his eyes gleaming.
“Alas, I’m afraid the master might still be deceived. You must have heard about the assassination attempt on the prince of your country, right? As far as I know, this incident is likely related to Prince Guangping.”
Li Xiu passed the ball back, speaking softly.
“Then it depends on whether the Prime Minister is sincere?”
Wu Jie didn’t want to continue this formal dialogue with Li Xiu and decided to be direct.
“I wonder what sincerity the master means?”
Li Xiu bowed his hands, feigning ignorance.
“I can help you get evidence of the crown prince’s affair with Tubo. In return, you help me kill a few people!”
Wu Jie gritted his teeth and revealed the final truth.
“Master, you must be joking!”
Li Xiu immediately stood up and took a few steps away.
“This task is easy for the Prime Minister, but what I offer is something he’s dreamed of having, right?”
Wu Jie pressed forward, leaving no room for Li Xiu to retreat.
“Let me think! This is a serious matter. I need to discuss it with my father first.”
Li Xiu was genuinely tempted. What Master Wu Jie offered was enough to overthrow the crown prince in one go. With his father holding great power in the court, they could still tolerate Little Li Hen. But if his father’s power was reduced in the future, it would be even harder to overthrow the crown prince. Once the charge of colluding with an enemy country was laid, even if the emperor intended to protect Li Hen, the crown prince would be dismissed. Yet, this had to be done flawlessly. If it failed, the crime of framing the heir apparent was no trivial matter.

After much consideration, Li Xiu decided to cooperate with Wu Jie. He needed to prove himself to his father desperately—by bringing down the crown prince, he could show his determination and solidify his position in the Li family. This deal was a sure win! As for Wu Jie’s mention of killing a few people, he saw no need to involve his father at all. With his own connections and abilities, it would be extremely easy to silence those people quietly.

“Alright, master, tell me—who are the people you want killed?”

“It’s simple. They’re some low-ranking military officers under Geshu Han. The leader among them is a Han man named Li Kuo. They’ve learned things they shouldn’t, so they must die!”

“Li Kuo?”

Li Xiu was surprised that the person the Tibetan monk wanted killed was Li Kuo, and he immediately hesitated.

“What? Are you afraid?”

Wu Jie stepped forward and pressed him.

“No, there’s nothing to fear. Just a few low-ranking officers. Killing them is as easy as crushing a few ants!” Li Xiu stepped back under pressure and hurriedly explained.

“We need to plan this carefully. That kid has some strange luck and has become quite powerful lately. Maybe we should lure him out of Chang’an before taking action.”

“I don’t care what method you use—they must die. Only death can keep secrets safe.”

Wu Jie’s tone was cold as he turned and headed outside.

Before leaving, he paused and said coldly, “I only hope the prime minister will cooperate sincerely. Those who collude with our country can be either the crown prince or the prime minister. If we’re friends, we Tibetans will treat you fairly. But if anyone betrays us, they’ll surely face divine punishment—even without us intervening!”

“Hmph! Daring to threaten me.”

After Wu Jie left the estate, Li Xiu snorted disdainfully and smashed his teacup to pieces.

At the Jia family’s residence in Xuanyang Fang, Yang Zhao strode toward the side room. He was clearly in high spirits lately, as his earlier attempts to test Li Kuo had yielded good results. Although the young man hadn’t explicitly expressed his willingness to serve him, he had indeed grown closer to the Yang family. Yang Zhao was skilled at recognizing talent. In his eyes, Li Kuo would surely become someone important in the future. By showing him a little kindness now, he would receive far greater returns when Li Kuo succeeded. He was a political merchant who always sought to maximize his profits!

The second reason for his joy was that Jia Chang had taken the initiative to invite him to his residence for a chat. Jia Chang was a favorite of the emperor, and building a relationship with him would be highly beneficial for his career.

Just now, having a drink with Jia Chang was truly delightful! Ever since leaving Jiannan Province, I hadn’t had such a pleasant time—everything had to be pretentious, everything a performance!
Yang Zhao pushed the door open; the room was exquisitely decorated. Behind an intricately carved screen lay a set of tables and chairs made of ash wood. The decorative stools added a touch of ruggedness to this compact room.
Just as he was about to take off his clothes and rest for a while, there was suddenly a knock at the door.
Calling out “Come in,” he saw the carved red door open, and two young women dressed in sheer gauze robes stepped in slowly. The lead woman bowed and said, “Lord Yang, our master has asked us sisters to assist Young Master Fu with his bath. The scented bathwater is ready. Would you like to undress and bathe now?”
The word “assist” clearly had a double meaning. Seeing how they were dressed, Yang Zhao guessed that Jia Chang wanted these two women to serve him in bed.
After taking them in briefly, he noticed that the two women had extremely graceful and beautiful figures. Beneath their sheer gauze robes, their smooth bodies were fully exposed, making Yang Zhao feel heated. He nodded lightly and said, “Stay and serve me.”
Then he turned and headed toward the inner room.
Note 1: During the Tang Dynasty, skills such as carpentry and farming were not prohibited. However, smuggling iron and horses was strictly forbidden. Those who dared to engage in such activities without backing would likely meet a tragic end.