Chapter 72: The State (4)

Filial piety comes first among all virtues!
Looking at this thin young man before him, Li Kuo felt a pang of sorrow. His situation was too similar to the boy’s—seeing him reminded Li Kuo of himself a few years ago.
“Young man, I think your tea is quite good. How about this: I’ll buy all of it. But you’re too young; it’s better for you to wait until you grow up before joining the army. I’m stationed in Shule—you can come to see me anytime.”
With that, Li Kuo nodded at Dou Qing, who understood immediately. He took out a pouch from the wooden table, pulled out two strings of coins, and handed them to the boy.
“General, you don’t need this much—really not!”
Erwa hurriedly pushed the coins back, exclaiming in shock.
“Take it. Use it to treat your grandfather. Spend the rest on good food so you can strengthen your body before joining the army!”
Li Kuo smiled and helped Erwa out of a difficult situation. How could he bear to let such a young child, with a grandfather to take care of, sell himself into the army?
“Oh.”
Erwa was stunned by Li Kuo’s words and replied softly.
“Hurry up and thank the general for his kindness!”
Erzhuzi kicked Erwa in the backside, scolding him with a laugh.
“Thank you, General, for your great kindness! Thank you so much!”
Erwa knelt down and bowed. The young man had done him a great favor—these thirty strings of coins could save his life.
“Get up quickly!”
Li Kuo didn’t like this way of showing gratitude. He stepped forward and helped him up.
“In the future, don’t always think of selling yourself. There’s no obstacle in this world that can’t be overcome!”
Patting the boy’s thin shoulders, Li Kuo encouraged him gently.
“Mm.”
Erwa nodded and asked, “May I know your name, General?”
Although he needed to rush home to take care of his sick grandfather, he felt he owed a debt of gratitude. Once his grandfather recovered, he would join the general’s army and serve him loyally!
“My surname is Li. My given name is Kuo.”
The young man replied without hesitation, looking at Erwa as if he were his own brother.
“General Li, I, Erwa, will surely repay your kindness in my lifetime!”
Erwa clasped his fists in front of Li Kuo, his face filled with determination…
Chen Xilié sat upright in a wicker chair, savoring the fragrant tea after his meal.
These past few days, he had been suffering from severe headaches. Li Linfu’s sudden illness forced the emperor to appoint him as the acting right chancellor of the Tang Dynasty. But this didn’t bring him any joy at all. On the contrary, he sensed strong hostility from Yang Zhao. That guy couldn’t wait any longer!

If it were only Yang Zhao’s hostility, Chen Xilié wouldn’t care. The problem was that he could sense the emperor subtly supporting Yang Zhao, hoping he would replace Li Linfu in his position. Him? With a scoff, Chen Xilié helplessly shook his head. It was better to protect oneself—after all, he had already remained unremarkable under Li Linfu for over a decade. Did he have to pretend to be a good-natured person under Yang Zhao for another ten years?

“Father, I’m back.”

As he was lost in thought, the voice of his eldest son, Chen Rui, came from outside.

“Rui, come here to your father.”

Chen Rui stepped beside Chen Xilié and stood at attention, saying respectfully, “Father, I went to Qiyue Tower to look for Zi Lin. To my surprise, he was indeed there. I never expected that after leaving the city, he would make friends with two handsome young men. I brought them back on my own initiative; perhaps we can use them.”

The Zi Lin he referred to was Luo Zilin, the only son of Marquis Luo Fangqiong of Yanshan County. His ancestors had been granted the title of founding duke for helping the Taizu rise in rebellion against the Sui dynasty. Following the principle of declining titles, by his father’s generation, they had become county marquises. If he didn’t enter official service, the highest title he could receive would be that of a county earl with a fief of seven hundred households. (Note 1) However, it seemed Luo Zilin had no intention of entering official service and instead came to Chen Xilié’s residence as a guest. Since the old prime minister and Marquis Luo were old friends, the prime minister naturally took good care of this younger man, which led to Luo Zilin’s habit of making many friends.

A few days ago, Luo Zilin happened to learn that the old prime minister was looking for guards. While wandering in brothels, taverns, and tea houses, he paid slight attention to the matter. Unexpectedly, while drinking and listening to music, he met two old acquaintances. After talking, both agreed to come to the prime minister’s residence to try out.

Chen Xilié paused mid-sip, puzzled. “Handsome young men? Rui, the situation is very unfavorable for our Chen family right now. We must be extremely cautious. How could you bring strangers into the residence? If they are spies sent by someone with ulterior motives, wouldn’t our Chen family be in trouble? Ah, you fool.”

Chen Rui realized that his good intentions had nearly brought disaster to the family. Full of remorse, he knelt down and cried, “I’m foolish. I almost ruined my father’s plans. Please punish me, Father.”

Chen Xilié let out a long sigh, stood up, and helped his eldest son to his feet. “When a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will surely break it. Now that our Chen family has drawn the Emperor’s suspicion, we must act cautiously. Remember, the world is like a chessboard—one careless move can lead to total loss. As the eldest son of the Chen family, you must think more carefully about everything. Eventually, this family estate will fall to you after I pass away. How can I be at ease seeing you act like this?”
Chen Rui agreed readily, no longer daring to defy him in the slightest.
Chen Xilié patted his eldest son’s arm and said earnestly, “Since things have come to this, there’s no need for you to blame yourself too much. What does it matter if I deal with those two later? But as the eldest son, you must consider everything from the perspective of the family.”
Seeing Chen Rui’s respectful attitude, Chen Xilié nodded in satisfaction. He was quite pleased with his eldest son. In terms of appearance and demeanor, he was excellent. Though he lacked a bit of the boldness expected of a young man, he should be a good successor to the family.
“Rui, go and call them in. I really want to see how outstanding Zi Lin’s friends are.”
Outside the main hall, everyone wondered why Chen Rui hadn’t come out yet. Just then, they heard his laughter. “Come in, you two. Our father really wants to meet talented young people like you. Zi Lin, come in too. Father has something to ask you.”
As Chen Rui entered the main hall, he saw Chen Xilié sitting at the head of the table. Ying Wuhei and Ying Wuqiu bowed respectfully to Chen Xilié as younger generations should. Only then did the old prime minister relax his solemn expression and say kindly, “Indeed, you both have impressive appearances and noble demeanor. Zi Lin really has good taste. One day, I must send a letter to Marquis of Yanshan to arrange Zi Lin’s marriage to Rong Er as soon as possible, so as not to let such a fine son-in-law slip away.”
These joking words eased the overly serious atmosphere in the hall. Luo Zilin, however, turned red in the face and said softly, “Uncle! What are you saying?”
Chen Xilié laughed heartily. “Why, still calling me uncle? It’s time to change that.”
For a moment, the head of the Chen family seemed to be back in the vibrant days twenty years ago when he dominated the court.
After calming himself down slightly, Chen Xilié said solemnly, “Since you two are Zi Lin’s friends, you are also guests of my Chen household. Why not stay here first? If you’re interested in working in the prime minister’s office, I can do you a favor.”
Hearing this, Ying Wuhei replied, “We are deeply grateful for the prime minister’s kindness. How could our two brothers dare to refuse? But as country folks, we’re rather crude and might spoil the prime minister’s sons.”

Chen Xili waved his hand and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve been worried about their constant mischief. With you guys around, who knows—maybe they’ll change their ways.”
Ying Wuqiu was about to retort when Yan Chengxu pulled him back, forcing him to give up in frustration.
Just as things seemed calm, a young servant stumbled into the hall, knelt beside the eldest son, Chen Rui, and cried out to Chen Xili, “It’s bad, sir! The second young master injured the guards and fled the mansion with Miss Wanrong.”
Hearing this, Chen Xili’s face turned dark with anger. He shouted, “That wretched brat! Does he really want to drive me mad?”
Chen Rui quickly stepped forward to support Chen Xili, who was about to fall, and persuaded him, “Father, please don’t get angry. My younger brother is still young and can’t bear loneliness. He’ll improve after a few more years of training.”
Chen Xili sighed deeply. “Our Chen family will eventually be ruined by this troublemaker. It’s all because your mother doted on him too much since he was young, fostering his willful nature.”
Seeing Chen Xili discussing family matters, Ying Wuhei felt it was better not to interfere and bowed, saying, “Prime Minister, my brother and I are tired and would like to rest in the side rooms. We hope you’ll allow it.”
Chen Xili waved his hand lightly. “It’s alright, my apologies for the inconvenience. Zilin, take these two young masters to the side rooms to rest.”
Luo Zilin replied softly and led the way. The Ying brothers also left without lingering.
Once the three of them were far away, Chen Xili put aside his worried expression and said solemnly, “Rui, come with me to the Buddha hall in the back yard.”
After walking about fifty steps, the father and son arrived at a Buddha hall. By turning a qilin-shaped mechanism, a stone door slowly opened, and they stepped inside.
“Rui, the situation is dire. Our spies reported that that man has already taken action. Thankfully, the secret letter sent to the palace was intercepted by my informants.”
At this point, Chen Xili handed a piece of paper to Chen Rui. After reading it for a moment, Chen Rui’s face turned pale, and he said tremblingly, “Father, they intend to kill us!”