Chapter 38

The night was deep, and snowflakes were still floating in the sky, but this did not dampen the lively atmosphere at Prince Qin's mansion. The servants were busy, bringing steaming hot food to the banquet hall, while Li Er was also not idle, welcoming the soon-to-arrive generals from the Heavenly Strategy Mansion at the entrance with Changsun.

Li Er was now dressed in a dark robe, with a cloak of the same color behind him. Alongside him was Changsun, dressed in a snow-white robe, the two contrasting beautifully in black and white.

Li Kuan was in the hall, watching the old butler, who was Changsun's trusted assistant, directing the maids and servants to carry various foods. He was so tempted by the rich aroma that his mouth was watering, even though he hadn't tasted anything yet. It wasn't that Li Kuan was unambitious; it was just that he hadn't had much good food recently. As the second prince of Prince Qin's mansion, his meals were even worse than those of commoners in later times. It could only be said that Changsun was too frugal. If it weren't for Li Kuan occasionally sneaking into the kitchen to eat and exchanging for some supplements, his health would probably be no better than his predecessor's.

Li Lizhi, seeing her second brother wiping his mouth from time to time, was a bit puzzled: "Second Brother, do you have something dirty on your mouth? You keep wiping it, but I don't see anything!" The little girl even stretched out her small hand to touch Li Kuan's mouth.

"Second Brother, why are you drooling! How embarrassing!" The little girl, seeing the moisture on her hand, quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it, while teasing Li Kuan, making his face turn red.

Li Lizhi's words made a group of little kids waiting on the side look at Li Kuan. Li Kuan wished he could find a quilt to die with, but he could only glare at the little girl: "You little brat, don't talk nonsense."

Although he said this, he still unconsciously hid in a corner, taking the little girl with him to settle accounts. Soon, laughter from the little girl echoed from the corner.

At the entrance of Prince Qin's mansion, the first to arrive was undoubtedly Changsun Wujie. As the brother of the Qin Wang's wife, he naturally took the lead. Getting off the carriage, he saw Li Er and Changsun waiting at the entrance and hurried forward: "Your Highness, Your Ladyship!" Changsun Wujie bowed. This was in private, and given their special relationship, Changsun Wujie didn't follow formalities.

"Wujie has arrived! Please come in quickly!" Li Er laughed, leading Changsun Wujie to the main hall, inviting him to sit down and signaling Changsun to stay and accompany him before returning to the entrance to wait for others.

The next to arrive were Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Li Shiji, all from the Wagang Fort. They rode their horses, and from a distance, Cheng Yaojin's voice could be heard: "I bet the first to arrive is definitely Changsun the Fox; that guy runs faster than anyone!"

Li Er, hearing this, couldn't help but smile. This simpleton was always like this. If Changsun Wujie were still here, they would surely argue. In the end, Cheng Yaojin would probably act like a bully, rolling up his sleeves to challenge Changsun Wujie, a scholar, to a strength contest. This had happened more than once, but the guy never learned.

"Zhijie, don't talk nonsense. Changsun is the brother of the Lady, and he came early to visit his sister. What's wrong with that? Besides, if we hadn't held you back, you would have run over here as soon as the court session ended, wouldn't you?" Qin Qiong scolded his brother, but with a smile. Over the years, the brothers from Wagang Fort were down to just a few. Most of the brothers who used to feast and drink together had died in battle, some even at the hands of their own comrades. Qin Qiong was very mindful of this.

"Second Brother Qin, you know me. In battle, I'm not the strongest, but in drinking and eating, I'm the best. Don't believe me? Let's have a contest later!" Cheng Yaojin's voice was like a trumpet, shouting to challenge Qin Qiong to a drinking contest.

As the three were just one straight street away from Prince Qin's mansion, the others also appeared on the street. Seeing the three in front, they felt a bit不服劲儿 (unwilling to be outdone): Why should these three always occupy the position behind Changsun Wujie just because they are more numerous and powerful? Our group isn't small either, and although we can't be as close as they are, we are also comrades who have fought together on the battlefield. This time, we absolutely can't let them go ahead.

The group exchanged glances, and a tall, dark man spurred his horse forward, galloping straight ahead. The crisp and urgent hoofbeats startled the three in front.

"Black Coal Wei, what are you doing?" Cheng Yaojin turned around and saw Wei Chi Gong galloping, looking like he meant business. His eyes widened, his brows furrowed, and he shouted.

"Cheng the Demon, others might fear you, but I don't. You simpleton, relying on Brother Qin Qiong's prestige, you've always been on top of me. This time, I won't let you get away with it!" Wei Chi Gong, with his loud voice and quick wit, spoke in a way that left Qin Qiong and the others no choice but to let Cheng Yaojin face the challenge alone.

"Do I fear you? You big black guy, I don't even care about you. Just wait and eat my dust!" Cheng Yaojin, seeing Wei Chi Gong not yet close, whipped his horse and galloped forward.

"You're cheating!" Wei Chi Gong was still several yards away, a distance not easily closed. Both their horses were of the best quality, and when they ran, they were evenly matched. Leading by a step didn't guarantee a win.

Wei Chi Gong had no choice but to pull back on his reins, watching the smug guy and deciding to get him drunk at the banquet. Thinking of this, he deliberately slowed down, waiting for the others to catch up and plan how to get this simpleton drunk.

Li Er, at the entrance of Prince Qin's mansion, knew these guys were not peaceful. It seemed that tonight's banquet would end with a show of bare-armed wrestling!

Soon, everyone arrived at the destination. After paying their respects to Li Er, they entered in a line led by Li Er.

Entering the hall, there was another round of formalities, not only to Changsun but also to the other ladies present, such as Lady Yang, Lady Yin, and Lady Wei. There were also several young princes, and the etiquette was extremely meticulous. Li Kuan, seeing these rough, refined, or heroic figures of the Zhenguan era paying their respects to him, felt very excited: That one is Qin Qiong, and that big black guy is Wei Chi Gong, both door gods! And Cheng the Demon, who is which one? Several of them look rough, probably Cheng Yaojin, Duan Zhiyuan, and Qu Tongsu. Which one is the famous Cheng the Demon?

Li Kuan thought this, but he still had to return the greetings, calling them uncles and bowing until his back ached. The Heavenly Strategy Mansion wasn't just a few people; there were dozens. The eighteen scholars of the Heavenly Strategy Mansion were just the civil officials, not including Changsun Wujie, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, who could lead troops. So, after a round, Li Kuan didn't remember many people but bowed a lot.

At Prince Qin's mansion, the banquet was in full swing, but the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince was very quiet. Li Jiancheng's face was dark: "This second brother is really showing off! You have so many brave generals and wise advisors, bullying me for having no one to use?" The Crown Prince's subordinates, both civil and military, were few and far between. Only Wei Zheng and the brothers Xue Wanren and Xue Wanche could match the group from the Heavenly Strategy Mansion. The rest were easily defeated. This had always troubled Li Jiancheng. If he had as many capable civil and military officials as Li Er, how could Li Er have grown so powerful? But there was no "if," so now Li Er almost controlled more than half of the country's military power, a situation that was hard to control.

Thinking of this, Li Jiancheng threw the teacup in his hand to the ground: It seems that the third brother's plan isn't impossible, but it must not threaten the Emperor's safety. This must be guaranteed. I should talk to the third brother again; it might just work.

Li Er didn't know that his actions had made the Crown Prince feel threatened and even take a risky move. Now, he was holding a glass of red wine, standing at the main seat in the hall. The guests and hosts all raised their first glass of wine, and under Li Er's lead, they raised it high, over their heads: "This first glass of wine is for our brothers who died on the battlefield. Their deaths brought us victory; they are our true heroes!"

Li Er, speaking with passion, was the first to pour the wine on the ground, and those behind him followed suit.

"The second glass of wine is for the Emperor, who led us to resist the tyrannical Sui and establish the Tang Dynasty! Gentlemen, please raise a glass to the Emperor!" Li Er filled his second glass, facing the direction of the palace, and drank the wine in one go.

"To the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" The crowd shouted in unison and drank the wine.

"The third glass is for our wives and children, who wait for us, worry about us, and manage our homes in our absence. So, gentlemen, raise a glass to them!" Li Er began to be emotional, looking at Changsun, who was standing quietly on the side. He turned, bowed to her, and raised his glass high.

This bow left everyone in the hall astonished, especially Changsun, whose heart was surging with emotion, her eyes blurring: This is the husband I chose, this is the hero in my heart! She covered her red lips with her hand, afraid she might cry out.

The ladies like Lady Yang, who were on the side, looked at the woman receiving this grand bow with envy, wishing they could take her place.

After drinking the third glass, Li Er stood up and filled another glass: "Gentlemen, thank you for your support. Now, please drink this glass to the fullest, to victory!"

"Drink to victory!" The crowd responded loudly, and the banquet officially began. Li Kuan, waiting for the chance to eat, sat at a table set up for the children and began to devour the food with the little fatty Li Tai.

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