The King of Chu that Yang Guang and Yuwen Shu were talking about was named Yang Su.
Yang Su has a strong presence in various literary works of later generations, but this presence... well, is a bit green.
In the Tang Dynasty note novel "Benshi Shi" written by Meng Qi, Yang Su's concubine Princess Lechang missed her ex-husband Xu Deyan, so Yang Su allowed Princess Lechang to reunite with her ex-husband, "reuniting the broken mirror."
In the Tang Dynasty note novel "Stories of Sui and Tang Dynasties" written by Liu Yu, Yang Su's favorite concubine fell in love with Li Baitong and even had an affair with him in Yang Su's house. Yang Su caught them red-handed, but Yang Su thought Li Baitong was a talented young man, so he gave his favorite concubine to Li Baitong to "help them achieve their goal."
In the legendary novel "The Story of the Curly-Bearded Man" written by Du Guangting in the late Tang Dynasty, Yang Su's singing girl Hongfu eloped with Li Jing again. Yang Su was still happy to help Hongfu and Li get together, and there was another "Hongfu's night escape".
These three stories, which are well-known to later generations, except for "Broken Mirror Reunited", which according to research has no record in official history but has the possibility of existence, "Creating a Beautiful Woman" and "Hong Fu's Night Escape" are completely fictional.
Li Baiyao was born in the Boling Li family. He inherited the title of Duke of Anping County at the age of 28. He was the attendant of Crown Prince Yang Yong. After Yang Guang ascended the throne, he was excluded and demoted. Li Jing was born in the Danyang branch of the Longxi Li family, one of the "Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats". He was not a commoner scholar as described in "The Story of the Curly-Bearded Guest". Both of them were children of aristocratic families.
Not to mention that they were of noble birth and proud character, and would never do anything like eloping. Moreover, if they liked someone, they could just casually mention it to Yang Su, and Yang Su would gladly give her a beauty.
Although I don't know why Tang people were so keen on adding cheating to Yang Su's head when writing novels, the fact that they always wanted to steal the beauties in Yang Su's family and then let Yang Su be the nobleman who brought official positions and money to the protagonists shows how powerful Yang Su was in the Sui Dynasty.
Yang Su made many military achievements under Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, and had already held a high position of power during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. Not only was he granted the title of Duke of Yue, but all his sons were also granted titles by Emperor Wen of Sui because of his contributions.
He also helped Yang Guang win the throne and easily helped Yang Guang quell the rebellion of Yang Liang, the Prince of Han. Yang Guang rewarded him generously.
Yang Su's power reached its peak in the first year of Daye.
However, after reaching its peak, the speed of its decline was beyond Yang Su's expectations.
When Yang Su helped Yang Guang to secure the throne, in Yang Guang's mind, Yang Su became a factor that affected the stability of his throne.
Even though Yang Su did nothing wrong, he took the initiative to pass on his weaknesses to Yang Guang, sought wealth and concubines, and even did such weird things as demolishing the house in the morning and building the house at night, which aroused everyone's contempt. Yang Guang was still afraid of him.
In the second year of Daye, the Grand Historian reported to Yang Guang that "there would be a great funeral in his territory."
People at that time believed in prophecies and divinations. The Grand Historian was not a professional historian, but an official "astrologer." "Fenye" is an astrological term passed down from the pre-Qin period, which divides the stars in the sky into twelve star regions, corresponding to the territories on the ground, in order to predict good and bad fortune.
The name of the Sui Dynasty was taken from "Sui State", which belonged to the same "Yi-Zhen" division as the Chu State. Emperor Wen of Sui and Yang Guang believed this, so there was no King of Chu or Duke of Chu in the Sui Dynasty.
After listening to Sima Qian's memorial, Yang Guang quickly changed Yang Su to the first Duke of Chu in the Sui Dynasty.
Yang Su immediately understood the emperor's intention.
Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty once led his ministers to weep for his uncle's death. Yang Guang's move was similar to Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, telling Yang Su that if he chose to die now, he could still leave dignity for himself and his family.
Not long after he was renamed Duke of Chu, Yang Su fell ill.
While Yang Guang sent famous doctors to treat Yang Su, he secretly inquired about Yang Su's condition and his reaction to the matter.
After hearing the news that Yuwen Shu had found out, Yang Guang felt a little angry towards Yang Su, but Yang Su still obediently walked on the path that Yang Guang had arranged for him, so Yang Guang generously forgave Yang Su.
As long as Yang Su died, he could still treat Yang Su's family well.
Yang Guang said to Yuwen Shu: "If Yang Su doesn't die, I will definitely exterminate his clan!"
Yuwen Shu said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Yang Su will not dare to die."
Yang Guang snorted coldly: "I hope he can understand the situation."
In Daxing City, Li Shimin and Li Xuanba also learned about this event that would cause a sensation in the court and the country.
At this time, Gao Jiong was holding a scroll and knocking on Li Shimin's head.
Li Shimin was very smart, but after having Xiao Ma, he could never concentrate on his studies. Gao Jiong saw signs of "rushing" the test this time.
Although Li Shimin had completed his studies and had a good grasp of the knowledge, at this time the teacher not only looked at the results but also the process.
Attitude is crucial.
Li Shimin had a bad attitude towards studying and he deserved to be hit on the head.
When Gao Jiong left Daxing, he felt that the atmosphere between the emperor and Yang Su was a little strange, so he left someone to observe Yang Su's movements.
When the servant came to deliver the letter, he glanced at Li Shimin and Li Xuanba.
Gao Jiong asked, "But what about the Duke of Yue?"
The servant clasped his fists and said, "Yes."
Gao Jiong said: "There is nothing about the Duke of Yue that cannot be known by outsiders, just speak directly."
The servant considered his words in his mind and said briefly: "Your Majesty changes the title of Duke of Yue to Duke of Chu, with a fief of 2,500 households."
Gao Ying nodded and said, "I understand. Let's go down."
After the servant left, Li Shimin, who had just been hit on the head but acted as if nothing had happened, asked curiously, "Teacher, who is the Duke of Yue?"
Li Xuanba was speechless: "Brother, you don't even know the Duke of Yue, Yang Su?"
Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, "I know what you mean by Yang Gong. I also know that changing the Duke of Yue to the Duke of Chu is a great reward!"
Li Xuanba muttered, "It should have been like this."
The highest titles of king and duke were both "country names" during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the power of each country was so strong that the status of king and duke was divided into different levels.
For example, the "Tang" in "Duke of Tang" was an unknown small country in the Spring and Autumn Period, and its status was lower than that of the "Yue" in "Duke of Yue" one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.
The highest title was naturally "Qin, Jin, Chu, Qi, Wei, Yan, Zhao, and Han", and "Qin, Jin, and Chu" were unique among them. So Yang Su's title change from Duke of Yue to Duke of Chu should have been a "promotion".
Although Gao Jiong was old, he had very good hearing. Even though Li Xuanba muttered very quietly, he still heard it.
"Li Sanlang, why is it 'originally'?" Gao Jiong asked.
His conclusion was the same as Li Shimin's, so after hearing the news conveyed by the servant, he no longer cared about it. He thought that the strange atmosphere between the emperor and Yang Su that he had noticed before was an illusion, and the relationship between the monarch and his minister was still very close.
However, when Gao Jiong was teaching Li Xuanba, he had witnessed Li Xuanba's extraordinary political acumen, so he wanted to hear his disciple's opinion.
Li Xuanba thought about it and said, "When my second brother and I accompanied the emperor back to Luoyang, the Grand Historian reported to His Majesty that 'there is a great mourning atmosphere in the land.'"
Li Shimin scratched his head; "Is this true? Hmm... um? I remember it now! It really happened! At that time, Xuan, you sighed! I remember it very clearly!"
Gao Jiong muttered to himself: "Divide the field...divide the field..."
Li Shimin suddenly exclaimed: "Oh! Aren't Chu and Sui in the same region?"
Gao Ying loosened his hand unconsciously and the book fell.
Before the book fell to the ground, Li Shimin jumped out reflexively and caught the book.
"Here, teacher!" Li Shimin was very proud.
Gao Ying: "…"
Li Xuanba: "…"
The atmosphere at the scene was originally quite solemn, but now it is no longer solemn.
Gao Jiong took the book expressionlessly and knocked Li Shimin on the head again.
Li Shimin held his head in confusion: "Teacher, why did you hit me again?"
Gao Ying said, "Nothing, it just happened."
Li Shimin snorted angrily twice, then climbed back onto the couch and continued sitting.
Li Xuanba patted his second brother's head.
Li Shimin: "…What are you doing?"
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "See if the hardness of Second Brother's skull has evolved."
Li Shimin raised his fist threateningly at Li Xuanba. If you laugh at your brother, be careful or I'll hit you on the head too.
Li Xuanba saw that his second brother was about to take action, so he quickly changed the subject: "Teacher, should we interrupt the class today?"
Gao Jiong shook his head and said, "Let's continue the class. I'll change the class today and teach you about Emperor Wen of Han."
Gao Ying continued his lecture.
When he talked about Emperor Wen of Han mourning for his uncle who was still alive, Li Shimin muttered: "It's similar to what Your Majesty is doing now. But isn't Yang Gong a favorite of Your Majesty?"
Li Xuanba reminded: "Second brother, just listen carefully in class. The affairs of the court are far away from us, why think so much?"
Gao Jiong said, "It's not far from you. Li Erlang, what else do you think of?"
Li Shimin frowned and thought hard for a while, then said, "Could it be that Lord Yang is also a powerful official, trying to cover up everything in the court?"
Li Xuanba shook his head: "No. Yang Gong is very cautious."
Li Shimin asked, "Is it because Mr. Yang has too good a reputation and is too famous?"
Li Xuanba continued to shake his head: "No. Since the current emperor ascended the throne, Yang Gong has been promoting his reputation of being greedy and lustful, and people at the time all despised him."
Li Shimin frowned even more tightly: "Is this his nature or is it self-pollution? No matter what it is, Yang Gong is not a threat to Your Majesty. Although Yang Gong is a very powerful general, he has not only entered the court, but is also old. Moreover, Yang Gong is loyal to Your Majesty... I don't understand, oh, I don't understand."
Gao Ying clenched the book in his hand, his face still calm: "Li Sanlang, what do you think?"
Li Xuanba looked at Gao Jiong's expression for a while, struggled in his heart, and lowered his head to look at the table: "This matter is not about whether Yang Gong is a threat to Your Majesty, but what Your Majesty thinks in his heart. It is probably because Yang Gong's contribution is too great, so great that Your Majesty is uncomfortable just looking at it. Your Majesty is like this to the meritorious officials who supported him to the throne, I don't know how you will treat those who originally had a grudge against him."
When Li Xuanba was halfway through his words, Gao Jiong's expression changed drastically: "Sanlang, be careful with your words!"
Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then rushed forward and covered his brother's mouth.
But Li Xuanba still said exactly what he wanted to say.
He looked up quietly and looked directly into Gao Ying's eyes.
Gao Jiong and Li Xuanba looked at each other.
He had already noticed it. Li Xuanba had a pair of calm eyes that were not consistent with a seven-year-old child.
Although he had seen many quiet children, there was a difference between being "quiet", "quiet" and "calm". The former was just "quiet", while the latter was more about being "calm".
Without experiencing many things, one should not have a pair of "calm" eyes.
A wise man like Gao Jiong would not fail to hear what Li Xuanba meant. Moreover, Li Xuanba's words were not euphemistic at all.
He also remembered that when the crown prince advised him and Yuwen Bi to take a step back, he seemed to have vaguely mentioned what Li Xuanba and Li Shimin had heard from His Majesty.
Gao Jiong asked, "Sanlang, are you trying to say that His Majesty wants to kill me as well?"
Li Shimin looked at his brother, then at his teacher, and covered Li Xuanba's mouth even tighter.
"How is that possible! Teacher, don't let your imagination run wild. The current emperor is wise, brave, open-minded and tolerant. Teacher is also a great sage in the world. His Majesty will definitely treat you well!" Li Shimin spoke quickly and said a string of words in a row.
Li Xuanba tried to pull his brother's hand away from his mouth, but not only did he fail, Li Shimin even added another hand.
Li Xuanba: [Let go! You're covering my nose, I'm suffocating! ]
"Ah!" Li Shimin quickly let go of his hand.
Li Xuanba gasped.
Li Xuanba died at the age of seven after being smothered to death by his second brother Li Shimin.
Second brother, have you ever wanted to kill your brother since you were seven years old?
"Okay, teacher won't ask any more questions." Gao Jiong hurriedly helped Li Xuanba calm down and glared at Li Shimin, "Be careful!"
Li Shimin pursed his lips: "Xuan should be more careful."
Gao Jiong knocked Li Xuanba on the head and said, "Yeah, you should be more careful too."
Li Shimin stopped pouting and grinned, "Hahaha, Ah Xuan, you got hit on the head too. Has your head become harder?"
Li Xuanba: "…" Second brother is such a stingy guy, he is going to fight for even a little bit of argument.
He said, "I will be more careful in the future."
Li Shimin interrupted: "Teacher, Ah Xuan once told me that in the future, it means that it may not be certain in the future."
Li Xuanba: "Brother, are you deliberately picking a fight with me?"
Li Shimin spread his hands and said, "Teacher, look at Xuan, he is angry out of shame!"
Li Xuanba's fist hardened.
Gao Jiong turned around and knocked Li Shimin on the head, telling him to shut up: "Shut up. I don't think we can continue this class."
After saying that, Gao Ying began to assign homework.
He assigned three times the homework, and even Li Xuanba's face turned pale.
The teacher must have punished them on purpose!
The two children walked away hand in hand, dejected, not in the mood to quarrel.
Although they were said to be holding hands, in fact it was Li Shimin who strode forward every time, dragging Li Xuanba, who walked very slowly, forward.
Gao Jiong stroked his beard and muttered, "Li Erlang is so strong, could it be that he trained himself by dragging Li Sanlang along since he was a child?"
He muttered, shook his head and laughed.
Seeing this pair of lively twins, he could no longer feel depressed.
Gao Jiong sat in deep thought for a long time, then drove to find Yuwen Bi.
He needs to find someone to share this bad mood with.
Although Yuwenbi did not stand on the side of the former crown prince, he did not support the current emperor, and was dissatisfied with his emperor's policies many times. If the emperor is narrow-minded, Yuwenbi will definitely be hated.
What's more, if Yuwen Bi were to be on good terms with me, he would definitely be implicated by me.
Gao Jiong thought about the expression that Yuwen Bi might have and smiled bitterly.
…
When Li Shimin and Li Xuanba went to Yuwenbi's house for lessons, although Yuwenbi did not say anything, he assigned three times the homework to the two children.
After listening to the two children's complaints about the increase in homework, Yu Shinan also assigned them three times the homework.
"Mr. Gao and Mr. Yuwen must think that you should triple your study schedule," Yu Shinan said righteously.
Li Shimin held his head and shook it: "Teacher, are you serious?"
Li Xuanba lowered his head and covered his face with his hands, muttering: "Too much homework, too much..."
Yu Shinan couldn't help laughing.
It's really fun to watch the two kids worry, but homework is a must.
However, some time later, the three teachers of Li Shimin and Li Xuanba gave them a short vacation. The homework was due after the vacation.
With this calculation, the amount of homework they have is about the same as usual.
Li Shimin: "Ah Xuan, I feel like the teacher has fooled me."
Li Xuanba nodded.
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Although they still had homework to do, the two of them went out to play during the holiday and bought some gifts for the three teachers to thank them for their careful teaching.
It was easy to choose gifts for Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi. Yu Shinan was in mourning, and the two children spent a long time choosing but none of them were suitable.
Moreover, Yu Shinan lived with his elder brother Yu Shiji, so they had to choose a gift for Yu Shiji. Double gifts, double the trouble.
Yu Shinan and Yang Guang's favorite Yu Shiji were brothers. Although Yu Shinan was adopted by his childless uncle when he was young, the two were legally cousins. Yu Shiji's mother passed away a few months ago. When Yu Shinan returned from accompanying the emperor and learned about this, he immediately asked the emperor for a period of mourning.
When Li Xuanba and Li Shimin visited Yu Shinan, they met Yu Shiji.
Yu Shiji and Yu Shinan had similar talents, but very different personalities.
Yu Shinan was upright in character and lived a simple life. After returning to the court after mourning, he kept switching between the seventh-rank and sixth-rank officials.
When Yu Shiji found out that Yang Guang did not like others' advice, he flattered him to please him. Later, he became one of Yang Guang's most trusted "Seven Nobles of the Cao Selection Department" and his life gradually became extravagant.
Li Shimin kept chattering in Li Xuanba's ear about how close the relationship between the teacher and the elder brother was, and that he and Xuan would also be so close when they grew up.
Li Xuanba: [Don't curse us. ]
Li Shimin was puzzled: "What curse?"
Li Xuanba: [They have different personalities and pursuits, and will go their separate ways in the future. Although they live in the same place, they are almost like strangers.]
Li Shimin covered his ears: "Brother."
Li Xuanba: "Hmm?"
Li Shimin said: "Brother doesn't want to listen."
Li Xuanba was puzzled: "What?"
Li Shimin said with a bitter face: "A good day has been ruined by you."
Li Xuanba: "…"
He said, "You said it first."
Li Shimin covered his ears and said, "Shut up, shut up. I didn't ask you to say that. Why don't you just agree with me? I don't want to hear it! It won't happen like this."
Li Xuanba: "…"
Li Xuanba: "Why should I say it?"
Li Shimin said: "Then I will draw on your favorite book!"
Li Xuanba's eyes widened: "Brother! You're asking for a fight!"
Li Shimin said: "What did you say before? Flirt first and then be a bitch!"
Li Xuanba took a deep breath. What is this? Is it a Harry Potter meme? Potter! Don't use my spells on me!
"What's wrong with you guys?" Seeing that her two younger brothers had suddenly "fallen behind", Li Sanniang came over with her hands on her hips and said, "This is the last time I'm going out to play at home, no quarreling allowed!"
Li Shimin and Li Xuanba glared at each other, snorted, and said in unison in a muffled voice: "Okay."
Li Sanniang laughed. It was funny how they were so in sync even when they were throwing tantrums.
"Sanniang, Erlang, Sanlang, I finally found you!" A panting voice sounded from behind them.
Li Xuanba looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yang Zhao walking towards him, panting, his silk clothes soaked with sweat.
Li Xuanba looked at the carriage not far away. It should be the carriage used by the crown prince for his incognito visit.
It's only a few steps away.
"I went to the Duke of Tang's mansion today to find Erlang and Sanlang. I wanted to tell you that the land you wanted has been transferred." Yang Zhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I heard you were out playing, so I came to find you and take a look at the land. Are you going?"
Li Sanniang laughed heartily and said, "My cousin has invited me, so how can I not go? Erlang, Sanlang, you have your own land now, are you happy?"
Li Shimin said: "It belongs to Sanlang, it has nothing to do with me."
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "Yes, it has nothing to do with my second brother."
Li Shimin turned and glared at Li Xuanba: "You are so stingy! You clearly said before that I would get half!"
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "Didn't you say that it has nothing to do with you?"
"Okay, we just agreed not to quarrel!" Li Sanniang raised her fist and hit her two younger brothers on the top of their heads.
"Ouch!" times two.
Yang Zhao smiled and said, "Yes, no quarreling. Come on, I'll take you to see the land. Sanlang, the land you want is poor, but it belongs to many families, so it's not easy to get it together. Now can you tell me what you want to do? I don't believe you took a piece of land that can't grow food just because you are modest and cautious."
Background board Chai Shao: "What what?"
Yang Zhao smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with you, don't ask."
"Oh." Chai Shao was helpless. "You are cousins, and I am just an outsider, right? Am I not also your cousin's husband...Ah!"
Li Shimin and Li Xuanba punched at the same time, hitting Chai Shao in the abdomen.
Chai Shao bent over, holding his stomach.
Yang Zhao couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Li Sanniang glared at Chai Shao angrily, but couldn't help laughing.
Li Shimin: "My sister hasn't married you yet! Shut up! Don't tarnish my sister's innocence!"
Li Xuanba: "Shut up."
Yang Zhao: "Hahahaha, Erlang Sanlang is right."
Li Sanniang: "Humph!"
Chai Shao smiled bitterly and begged for mercy.
"Okay, stop arguing." Yang Zhao repeated his question again, "Sanlang, what do you want to do with that barren land? It must be something very interesting."
Li Xuanba smiled bitterly in his heart.
Li Xuanba: [Brother, the prince is too perceptive. ]
Li Shimin tapped his thigh with his fingers as a nod.
Li Xuanba: [Who said the prince has a soft character? Is this called a soft character? Is being soft even though you have a soft side? ]
Li Shimin shook his fingers left and right.
Li Xuanba: [Okay, you can't say that you are hiding a needle in a cotton ball. ]
"Sanlang?" Yang Zhao urged with a smile, "Cousin has done so much, you won't keep it a secret from him, right? Even if you keep it a secret from me now, won't I know it later? I just want to satisfy my curiosity in advance."
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "I am not hiding it from my cousin, I just haven't figured out how to say it."
Yang Zhao said: "Then you take your time to think about it?"
Li Xuanba pretended to be in deep thought for a while, and said, "I want to make a bathing product better than bath beans on that land, called soap."
Yang Zhao was puzzled: "What soap?"
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "The fragrance is fragrant, and the soap is soapy."
The land chosen by Li Xuanba was located in the original Chang'an City.
After Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty established Chang'an as the capital, the original Chang'an served as the capital for hundreds of years. The groundwater was severely salinized and was completely undrinkable, so Daxing City was newly built on the southern slope of Longshouyuan in the southeast.
The original Chang'an City was dilapidated due to land salinization and turned into a sparsely populated village.
But because the nobles originally lived in the old Chang'an City, the land near Chang'an City was in the hands of the nobles. Although these severely salinized lands were useless after they moved, it took Yang Zhao a lot of effort to buy them all.
Li Xuanba chose the land of the old Chang'an City for two reasons: first, no one wanted the land and he would not cause jealousy if he took it; second, the land could be used to produce alkali soil, which could be filtered to make solidified soap.
Moreover, although it is difficult to get a good harvest of rice, wheat and millet in this area, only soybeans can be grown. Soybeans are very good oil crops, which can be used to extract oil to make soap base.
Although soybean oil contains a lot of linoleic acid, which will cause the soap to gradually become soft and oily after three months, isn't that better?
People who can afford his soap, do they want to use a bar of soap for four or five months? That would be too shameful for the nobility.
"Just bath beans?" Yang Zhao was unwilling to believe that this was all Li Xuanba pursued.
Li Xuan said domineeringly: "It's soap, not bath beans."
Yang Zhao shook his head. "Is there a difference? The bath beans used in the palace are a mixture of dozens of flower petals, spices, and medicinal herbs ground into powder. Can you make better bath beans than this? The bath beans of the nobles are made by themselves, and they will not buy them from others. Do you still want to sell them to ordinary people?"
Li Xuanba said: "My cousin will know when the time comes. It's hard to explain it now just by talking."
Yang Zhao blinked, and a cunning look appeared on his chubby face: "Want to make a bet?"
Li Xuanba immediately shook his head: "No, gambling is not good."
Yang Zhao didn't expect Li Xuanba to not respond at all, and was choked to the point of being speechless.
"Well, I order you as the crown prince. Come, Sanlang, make a bet with your cousin." Yang Zhao coughed dryly and said with a smile, "If you can really make bath beans that are better than those in the palace, I will make your bath beans a tribute to the emperor."
Li Shimin waved his hands up and down, interrupting without giving the prince any face: "But cousin, if Ah Xuan makes bath beans that are better than those in the palace, he will definitely present them to His Majesty, and let our bath beans become the imperial tribute. Your bet is not sincere at all."
Li Xuanba: "I don't want to bet."
Yang Zhao pinched his double chin and said, "That makes sense. Then...if Sanlang wins, I will allow Sanlang to enter and leave the palace library at any time?"
Li Xuanba: "That's possible! No, I don't gamble!"
Li Shimin shook his head: "Cousin, if Sanlang wants to go to the palace to study, isn't it just a matter of writing a letter to His Majesty? His Majesty will not stop the younger generation from going to the palace to borrow books."
Yang Zhao was troubled: "It seems so. Then Erlang, tell me, what do you want to bet on?"
Li Xuanba: "I already said I won't gamble anymore!"
Li Shimin said: "Of course it's a fine horse... Ouch!"
Li Xuanba grabbed his second brother's cheek fiercely, pulled it for a long time and then let go: "I said I don't gamble!"
Li Shimin rubbed the soft flesh of his cheek that bounced back: "Ah Xuan, how can you not obey the prince's order? If Ye Ye and mother knew about it, they would definitely beat you up."
Li Xuanba was speechless.
Yang Zhao coughed again and agreed, "Yes, this is the prince's order!"
Li Shimin rubbed his face and said, "It's agreed that I want a fine horse!"
Li Sanniang smiled and said, "Sister wants a set of jeweled head ornaments."
Chai Shao immediately said: "I'll take you there!"
The smile on Li Sanniang's face disappeared: "Shut up, I'm playing with my brother."
"Oh." Chai Shao said dejectedly.
Yang Zhao smiled and said, "Okay, fine horses and jewels. Ah Xuan, what else do you want? Of course, you will also be given the qualification to be a tribute to the emperor and the qualification to enter the library."
Li Xuanba sighed and said, "My grandmother, mother, and my sisters each received a set of jewelry, my father and my elder brothers each received a horse, and my two younger brothers each received a set of tribute writing brushes, inkstones, and paper. I..."
He thought for a moment and said, "I don't want anything."
Yang Zhao shook his head: "No, tell me what you want."
Li Shimin and Li Sanniang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, you must think of one."
Li Xuanba sighed again and said, "Alright. I will let my sister do this business in name. If it succeeds, I will bring mother in. If my cousin likes it, can we let the Crown Princess take part in it as well? It will be considered as an escort for us."
Yang Zhao smiled and said, "Isn't that a win for me? I persuaded the Queen Mother to protect you. It's my turn. If you can't do it, can you be my son You'er's study companion?"
Li Xuanba's back stiffened.
Yang You, the third son of the crown prince, was born last year. In the future, he would be supported by Li Yuan to ascend the throne, but was forced to abdicate and was finally said to have been poisoned to death by Li Yuan.
It doesn't matter.
The key point is that the crown prince already has two sons, and the eldest son Yang Tan is favored by Yang Guang. Given Yang Guang's personality, he would probably be more willing to pave the way for his favorite child and would not care about whether he is legitimate or illegitimate.
Li Xuanba said seriously: "Cousin, I don't want to be involved in the fight for the throne."
Yang Zhao sighed, "I know. This is the Crown Princess's request, I can't refuse. So you should work hard to make better bath beans. You are very confident, aren't you?"
Li Xuanba: "…" It's not easy to refuse.