The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 80 Attending a Banquet

Li Ye had decided to have a meeting with Li Keyong, but he didn’t want Li Yan, who was interested in the position of Heir Prince, to follow. Li Ye was worried that if he had a conflict with Li Keyong, Li Yan would not stand by. Even if Li Yan could control his temper, it would be harmful to the overall situation if Li Ye made a feud with Li Keyong so that Li Keyong held a grudge against Li Yan.

Li Guochang, whose real name was Zhuxie Chixin, was a native of Shatuo. When the imperial court suppressed the Rebellion of Pang Xun, he and Li Keyong had made great contributions, so he was granted the surname Li by the emperor. Therefore, he had changed his name. After the suppression, Li Guochang was appointed as Zhenwu Commissioner and Li Keyong was appointed as Yunzhong General.

Because of the great victory against the grassland tribes in the early stage of the Tang Empire and the policy of conciliation to the grassland tribes, many of them surrendered to the imperial court and they were placed in the front line of the Great Wall by the imperial court. Tangut tribes, Shatuo tribes, some of the Uighur tribes, and other tribes had played an important role in the early external wars, the later border defense wars and the settlement of various internal rebellions, including the An-Shi Disturbances.

Leave that aside. When Li Ye had heard the news from Li Yan that today Wu Hongshan was going to hold a banquet in his Manor to entertain Li Keyong and the other people, he immediately left the Prince An’s Manor on horseback and was ready to join in the fun.

“Your Highness, according to Prince Pu, today’s banquet held by Emperor’s son-in-law Wu is not a simple banquet, but a lot of Chang’an officials are invited. Would it be improper for us to go without an invitation?”

Shangguan Qingcheng followed Li Ye on horseback on the street. Only two of them went to attend the banquet; Li Ye even did not take the Ceremonial Guard of the Grand Prince.

“Are you afraid that we can’t get in?” Li Ye said with a smile, “Although His Majesty has agreed to the marriage of Duchess of Li and Li Keyong, the imperial court has not officially granted the marriage yet. We have limited time to discredit Li Keyong and let His Majesty withdraw his order before the official announcement, so we have no room for indecision.”

Shangguan Qingcheng nodded and she instinctively felt that this trip to the Emperor’s son-in-law’s Manor would be extremely dangerous. Just like in Niushou Mountain, she was the only person along with Li Ye. She had a feeling of honor and great responsibility as she thought of that. She was ready to “fight a bloody battle”.

“Since we returned from Niushou Mountain, Duchess of Li hasn’t ever come to find you. I’ve heard that she had been grounded by Emperor’s son-in-law Wu for the last few months. She is pitiful.” Shangguan Qingcheng sighed with emotion as she thought of the past.

Li Ye was about to say something. Suddenly, he noticed that someone was rushing towards his horse.

He could have dodged, but he chose not to react when he had judged the strength of the other side and the Spiritual Qi required if he dodged. The strength of the other side was not enough for him to fear and if he dodged too rapidly, it was possible to expose his real cultivation.

A big strong man in splendid clothes rushed out of the wine store by the roadside and knocked against Li Ye’s horse, causing the white horse to scream. Li Ye pulled the reins to steady his horse and looked at the man leaning on the white horse. He was drunk, flushed and reeked of alcohol. He was groaning and saying something that he couldn’t understand.

When Li Ye saw his face, it turned out that he was not a person from the Central Plains.

A group of people rushed out of the wine store quickly to support the drunk man. All of them were from other races and dressed in splendid clothes. The men followed were dressed in Confucian robes. They were all from the Central Plains.

“Fuck, the threshold is so high that I almost fell. If I fell, I would ruin your fucking store!” The drunk man pushed away the crowd and turned to curse the wine store. He changed into the official language and spoke fluently.

He adjusted his clothes and looked up. He saw Li Ye looking at him. With his eyes wide open, he said, “You little bastard! Look at who? If you look at me again, I’ll dig your eyes!”

He was really arrogant.

Li Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly and his mouth twitched into a half-smile.

He recognized this man who was Li Keyong’s younger brother, Li Kerang. In his last life, Li Keyong had participated in the settlement of Huang Chao Uprising and had achieved military exploits, so he was appointed as General of the Jinwu Guards. Li Ye had met him several times.

Shangguan Qingcheng was unhappy. She pointed her riding crop to Li Kerang’s face and rebuked him angrily, “Where do you come from? How dare you be so arrogant, since you hit my master’s horse?”

Li Kerang had a rough face and looked very mature, but he was actually in his early twenties. He felt angry about Shangguan Qingcheng’s rebuke and his expression became ferocious. “No one dare talk to me like that or point a riding crop to me. You court death!”

While saying this, he grabbed Shangguan Qingcheng’s riding crop and pulled it back hard in order to drag Shangguan Qingcheng down from her horse. However, Shangguan Qingcheng did not move at all.

“You’re a practitioner of Qi techniques? Is everyone in Chang’an City able to cultivate? But since you have offended me, I won’t let you go so easily!” Li Kerang mobilized his Spiritual Qi as he shouted.

The people behind him used to be domineering in the vassal state. They were unwilling to stand by as they saw both sides were on a collision course. They surrounded Li Ye and Shangguan Qingcheng and wanted to drag them down from their horse. They clamored, “Get down!” “How dare you offend Childe Li. Kneel down and make amends!”

The Confucians following them were supposed to be officials who received and accompanied them. At this time, they hurriedly came up to dissuade them. But they couldn’t succeed, so they yelled at Li Ye. “Why don’t you get off your horse?! Do you know who you’ve offended? Make amends quickly, or you’ll suffer for it!”

Li Ye just became an official and he used to live in the Manor and rarely went out. In addition, he wasn’t famous so most of the officials in Chang’an City couldn’t recognize him.

Shangguan Qingcheng was fighting with Li Kerang and her white face gradually reddened. Although Li Kerang was young, he was a master of Level 2 Qi-refining, so it was difficult for her to defend.

Li Ye looked at the people around him, smiled and said, “When can people be so rude and unbridled in Capital Chang’an? Today I shall see who can dismount me!”

“You are so arrogant!” Li Kerang was furious as he listened to Li Ye’s words. He acted more recklessly now that he had already drunk too much. He loosened the riding crop and punched towards Li Ye’s horse in order to knock over Li Ye and his horse!

Li Ye snorted.

Li Kerang’s body trembled and his fist froze in the halfway. His fist was only half a foot from the white horse, but he could not go any further. Moreover, he felt a tremendous force pressing on his shoulders like a mountain. The great pressure overwhelmed him, which made his face pale and his breath heavy.

Li Kerang in Level 2 of Qi-refining was defeated, not to mention the others. After all, a practitioner of Qi techniques wasn’t an ordinary person. Among these people who had the highest cultivation were the same as Li Kerang. At this moment, they froze in place as if they had been transfixed, unable to move even a finger. Those with low cultivation directly vomited blood and fell to the ground!

Li Ye’s cultivation had reached Level 5 of Qi-refining. At this time, he had crushed everyone and he didn’t need to fully expose his own cultivation. He looked at Li Kerang. “As a subject of the imperial court, you ran amok in Chang’an and had no respect for the capital. You really know nothing of death and danger. Kneel down, now!”

“I kneel down...” Li Kerang was about to break out a swear word. Before he could finish his words, the pressure on him suddenly doubled, and he felt like being hit by someone with a big hammer. He could no longer bear and spit out a mouthful of blood. His knees weakened and he knelt down beside the white horse!

Many onlookers had gathered around. They all exulted as they saw this scene.

“Here is the place at the foot of the emperor and not a place that you savages could act so rudely. You’re really looking for death!”

“These savages from the north really regard themselves as great men, but they don’t know that there are many masters in Chang’an City!”

“Where does this Childe come from? He’s so handsome and powerful!”

The shopkeeper of the wine store standing at the door was bullied by Li Kerang just now, so he was very happy when he saw Li Kerang was beaten. He spat at Li Kerang and said, “You’re so rude. I’ve already known that you will have a disaster today!”

Li Kerang felt embarrassed and angry as he heard this. He vomited blood again.

“Go away!” Li Ye retrieved his cultivation power and snorted.

“You wait for me. I’m going to to get someone!” Li Kerang felt so humiliated that his face and neck reddened. After saying that, he ran away hurriedly with his frightened attendant, ignoring the blood on his mouth.

Of course, Li Ye wasn’t going to wait here, because he needed to go to Emperor’s son-in-law’s Manor for a banquet. Besides, even if Li Kerang really wanted to find someone, he would only be Li Keyong who was in Emperor’s son-in-law’s Manor right now.

Li Ye did not take this episode seriously. He arrived at Emperor’s son-in-law’s Manor at 3:45 PM. The door of the Manor was open and there were no carriages in front of the door already. The banquet must have begun. Li Ye and Shangguan Qingcheng both dismounted and handed the horse reins to the servants.

The steward, who was welcoming guests in front of the door, recognized Li Ye. When Li Xian was alive, he had a good relationship with Wu Hongshan and the two families often got together. But at this time, the steward had no joy at all. His expression changed slightly and he felt embarrassed as he saw Li Ye.

“Your Highness Prince An... why would you come here?” The steward hurried to salute him and felt embarrassed.

Li Ye and Wu You had grown up together. When they were kids, Li Xian and Wu Hongshan both wanted them to get married when the two kids had grown up. Everyone in the Imperial Clan knew about Wu You’s feelings for Li Ye, which was the most embarrassing part.

Li Ye did not feel embarrassed at all. He smiled and said, “I can’t come? Has Emperor’s son-in-law Wu ordered you to prevent me from entering the Emperor’s son-in-law’s Manor?”

“Of course not, please come in.” The steward had nothing else to say and he could only welcome Li Ye to come in. He couldn’t leave the Grand Prince at the door of the Manor, could he?

Li Ye walked into the door with Shangguan Qingcheng. They walked around the walls into the Manor. In fact, he was very familiar with the Manor and didn’t need the steward to guide the way. But for this moment, it was better to have someone lead him in order to show that he was being welcomed in, not breaking in.

The banquet was held in a grand and spacious hall. There were more than twenty tables in the hall and it wasn’t crowded. Officials were seated behind the tables. All of them were officials on Wei Baoheng’s side and Wu Hongshan’s relatives and friends.

They looked surprised as they saw Li Ye appear outside the hall.

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