Chapter 147: Making a Fuss Again

On October the sixth of the first year of Qianfeng, the Emperor abruptly issued an imperial edict to hunt in the east at Luoyang, leaving Crown Prince Li Hong behind to supervise the nation, and commanding the Prince of Lu, Li Xian, and the Prince of Zhou, Li Xian, to remain in the capital to assist with state affairs. On October the seventh, accompanied by a retinue of court officials and his young sons Li Xulun, Princess Taiping Li Lingyue, and others, he hurriedly departed from the capital. The panic-stricken manner of their departure was almost comparable to fleeing from a catastrophe. Consequently, the "legend of the cat disaster," which had previously circulated only within the palace, swept through the entire capital. Everyone who heard of it was struck with awe, and the imperial court and the public were thrown into great turmoil.

Needless to say, there was only one word to describe it—thrilling! And it was not just an ordinary thrill; Li Xian, who rarely drank alcohol, was so exhilarated that he got dead drunk. Although he was given a thorough scolding by Yanhong because of this, Li Xian still felt as blissful as eating ice cream in the scorching dog days of summer, rejoicing to himself for several days. It was just a pity that Li Xian's good mood could not be maintained for long before trouble arrived uninvited. Wang Bo, the overly flamboyant reader-in-waiting of the Prince of Lu's Manor, had stirred up trouble again. For no good reason, he went and wrote a "Rhapsody on the Cats," which resulted in someone submitting a memorial to the Crown Prince accusing him. The Crown Prince, who had been fretting over finding no leverage to suppress Li Xian, was naturally overjoyed to make a big fuss over the matter. Thus, a tempest in the imperial court was once again on the verge of erupting.

Li Xian was naturally well-acquainted with Wang Bo. The man indeed possessed talent, but he was arrogant and conceited, and calling him a wild scholar was no exaggeration at all. In Li Xian's view, such a person was simply not material for a general or a prime minister; at best, he was merely an outstanding poet, while his political wisdom was basically zero. To say nothing else, back when Liu Xiangdao was impeached, Wang Bo had disregarded the Prince of Lu's dissuasion and stubbornly rallied a group of poet friends to voice grievances for Liu Xiangdao. As a result, he was impeached for the crime of "reckless speech." Had Li Xian not exerted all his strength to protect him, this fellow would have been stripped of his official post long ago. This time, it was even more ridiculous—he actually went and wrote a "Rhapsody on the Cats," openly and sarcriptically mocking Empress Wu. Wasn't this courting disaster? He didn't even stop to consider whether Empress Wu was someone a petty official without even the qualification to attend court audiences could mock. Court death was simply not done in this manner. However, coming back to the point, Li Xian did not care at all about Wang Bo's life or death. Whether this fellow lived or died was of no consequence to Li Xian. If it were possible, Li Xian would definitely not want to get involved, but unfortunately, this matter was precisely one from which Li Xian could not stay aloof, simply because Li Xian had sent someone to invite him.

"Sixth Brother, your younger brother has arrived late and kept you waiting for a long time."

As soon as Li Xian stepped into the study of the Prince of Lu's Manor, his eyes fell upon Li Xian, who was sitting straight behind the desk with a dark expression, obviously furious. He couldn't help but feel secretly amused inwardly, though he didn't let it show on his face. Instead, he smiled, walked forward, offered a greeting, and sat down casually opposite the desk.

"Seventh Brother, you sure are carefree. Your elder brother is about to be squeezed to death by others. Hmph, that blockhead repeatedly hits a brick wall in front of Empress Mother, yet he always puts on airs in front of you and me, his brothers. How vexing!" Li Xian cast a dissatisfied glance at Li Xian and cursed with suppressed anger.

Ha, if your elder lordship weren't coveting someone else's crown prince throne, how could so many troubles arise? Well, the elder brother shouldn't mock the younger brother, they were just crows of the same feather. Li Xian inwardly sneered at Li Xian, but his expression remained very calm. With a light laugh, he said, "Is Sixth Brother troubled by the matter concerning Reader-in-waiting Wang?"

"Hmph, that fellow is merely making a mountain out of a molehill. This is aimed at me! A petty villain, I will never let the matter rest!" Li Xian rolled his eyes with annoyance, slammed his hand heavily on the desk, and swore an oath.

"How does Sixth Brother plan to proceed?"

Li Xian had long since made up his mind, but he did not rush to declare his stance. Instead, he asked unhurriedly.

"How to proceed? Hmph, does this lonely prince fear him? Isn't it just a court lawsuit? We'll fight it! At worst, we'll make a scene before His Imperial Majesty and see who comes out ahead. This lonely prince simply doesn't believe that you and I, joining forces, could lose to that fellow!" It would have been fine if Li Xian hadn't asked, but at this question, Li Xian instantly erupted, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Tsk, this fellow's chronic ailment of lacking composure has flared up again. A lawsuit? It sounds easy enough, but once you really get into it, you're just asking for trouble! Hearing Li Xian speak thus, Li Xian truly disagreed in his heart. He half wanted to ignore the matter, yet he feared that Li Xian's rash temperament would flare up and truly blow the affair out of proportion. Thus, he had to patiently advise him: "Sixth Brother, do not be hasty. Listen to my words: this matter probably has hidden complications. If it truly escalates, it will likely be unfavorable to our grand scheme as brothers."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

Li Xian was obviously greatly dissatisfied with Li Xian's persuasion. He frowned and hurriedly pursued the question.

"Sixth Brother, please forgive your younger brother for speaking bluntly. Regardless of how Empress Mother conducts herself, she is, after all, the Empress of the current dynasty. How can she tolerate others making wanton sarcastic remarks? Reader-in-waiting Wang's action is truly eccentric to the extreme, and not something a subject ought to do. If this matter blows up, how will the people of the world view Sixth Brother? Furthermore, with His Imperial Majesty away in Luoyang, this is precisely the prime opportunity for Sixth Brother to fully display his talents in state affairs. How can we delay the grand cause of imperial examination reform because of such a trivial matter? That is something your younger brother dares not approve of. I ask Sixth Brother to think carefully." Li Xian shook his head slightly and offered earnest, well-intentioned advice.

"Hmph, do you expect me to just sit by and watch that fellow slap my face? This matter is not over!" Li Xian was naturally intelligent and knew that what Li Xian said made sense, but he could no way swallow the bitter resentment in his heart. Thus, he stiffened his neck and cried out.

"Sixth Brother, please see clearly. In my view, although Reader-in-waiting Wang possesses minor talent, his sharp edge is truly too excessive. It is truly inappropriate to keep him by Sixth Brother's side for long. Otherwise, troubles are bound to arise endlessly. Taking this opportunity to send him away might not be a bad thing. Hopefully, after experiencing this setback, this person can make some progress. Moreover, he is still young; if Sixth Brother wishes to employ him in the future, you can simply recall him when the opportunity arises. There is truly no need to create a rift with Crown Prince Brother at this moment. Besides, once Reader-in-waiting Wang leaves, it may seem that Crown Prince Brother has the upper hand, but in reality, that is not the case. You must know that there are many discerning people in the world, and the reputation of envying the wise and capable does not sound pleasant at all." Li Xian possessed a very strong ability to read facial expressions. Just by looking at Li Xian's expression, he had already guessed where Li Xian's thoughts lay. Naturally, his heart felt somewhat at ease, but for the sake of caution, he continued to advise him gracefully in detail.

"Hmm." Li Xian was actually already dissatisfied with Wang Bo's constant creation of trouble. However, firstly, he was unwilling to have his face stripped, and secondly, he worried that if he did not stand up for Wang Bo, it might chill the hearts of his subordinates. That was why he had burst into anger and insisted on arguing the rights and wrongs with the Crown Prince. At this moment, having been repeatedly advised by Li Xian several times, the anger in his heart had dissipated quite a bit, but for a moment he still couldn't put down his pride. Thus, he let out a sullen grunt, which was considered his response to Li Xian's persuasion.

"A lawsuit certainly cannot be fought, but Reader-in-waiting Wang and Sixth Brother have, after all, been master and guest. It would be unreasonable not to submit a memorial to intercede for him. After all, we cannot let Reader-in-waiting Wang die a wrongful death here. If Sixth Brother does not mind, let your younger brother draft this memorial." As soon as Li Xian's sullen expression appeared, Li Xian already knew what he was worrying about. With a gentle smile, he spoke warmly.

"Very well, then I must trouble Seventh Brother."

Things having reached this point, Li Xian did not want to make any more fuss. Thus, he gave a noncommittal response.

"Sixth Brother, the memorial has been drafted. Please correct my flaws, Sixth Brother."

Li Xian was an old hand at writing official documents and naturally knew how to write a document absolving someone of guilt. Hearing that Li Xian had agreed to his proposal, he no longer spoke further. With a chuckle, he casually pulled over a blank memorial, picked up the wolf-hair brush left beside the desk, dipped it in ink on the inkstone, and began to write swiftly. Within a short moment, a soaring and eloquent essay of defense was freshly completed.

"Sixth Brother, the memorial has been drafted. Please correct my flaws, Sixth Brother."

Li Xian put down the brush, blew a few breaths on the memorial where the ink was not yet dry, and then pushed it in front of Li Xian, saying with a smiling expression.

"Let it be thus."

Li Xian glanced quickly through the memorial. Seeing that Li Xian's essay of defense contained only words to intercede for Wang Bo without any intention of absolving him of his crime, he naturally knew that Li Xian's mind was unalterable and could not be bothered to argue further. Thus, he grunted noncommittally, casually picked up the wolf-hair brush, and signed his name at the bottom of the memorial, thereby fully accepting Li Xian's suggestion.

"Sixth Brother is wise."

Seeing that Li Xian was no longer making a fuss over the matter, Li Xian was completely relieved and cheerfully offered high praise.

"Oh, you Seventh Brother, you're mocking your elder brother again." Li Xian was left between laughter and tears by Li Xian's words, and with a helpless, smiling rebuke, the matter was considered closed. Finally, his brows furrowed slightly, and shifting the topic, he asked, "Seventh Brother, from your perspective, what is going on with the cats in the palace? Could there really be such a thing as retribution? Why does your elder brother feel that this matter is largely man-made? Could it be that fellow playing tricks?"

"It's hard to say. You must know that man proposes, heaven disposes; right and wrong will eventually have an explanation in the future. Such matters are not for us to inquire into, so let's not mention them anymore. However, with this matter arising, His Imperial Majesty and Empress Mother may not return to the capital for a quite long time, so the matter of the imperial examinations must still be handled diligently."

The cat incident had been entirely orchestrated by Li Xian from beginning to end—both the cats entering the palace and the subsequent spreading of rumors originated from him. Yet this matter was truly not fit to be divulged to outsiders; even with Li Xian, he did not want him to know the intricacies. Therefore, he put on a profound and unfathomable expression and sighed.

"Man proposes, heaven disposes? True, it should be just so. In our actions, we need only seek a clear conscience; apart from that, there is no need to have too many misgivings. Seventh Brother's words are most profound, and your elder brother has received your instruction." Li Xian agreed with deep conviction, asked no more, and turned instead to discuss the state affairs of the imperial examination reform with Li Xian.

Phew, I've finally pacified this fellow! While listening to Li Xian's lofty discourse, Li Xian was distracted, pondering how to make good use of the upcoming peaceful period. Because Li Xian knew very well that the layout and effect of this period would ultimately determine the outcome of the future ultimate showdown. At this thought, his mood, which had just improved, grew heavy once again...