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Stepping out of the Dou Family residence, Li Jian Cheng walked into the study in the front yard. A middle-aged steward was waiting for him; he was the second steward of Duke Tang's Residence. With no master currently in the estate, he had to come to the Villa every few days to report.
Previously, the lady of the house managed the household affairs, but she had recently become unable to be seen and needed to rest. Thus, these trivial matters had to be reported to the Young Master.
Li Jian Cheng invited him to take a seat. The steward, an old hand in the household, politely declined and remained standing as he recounted the various matters of the estate over the past few days. He also handed over a list of items that needed to be purchased in the coming days to the Lord; this would require some funds from the public treasury.
The major expense was for purchasing fabric and clothing. With the New Year approaching, there were two or three hundred servants in the Villa who would need new winter clothes, along with some provisions for the holiday.
After reviewing the list, Li Jian Cheng nodded in agreement. He wasn't very familiar with market prices, as someone of his status rarely needed to buy things personally. However, he remembered the amount reported last year during the New Year, which was only a few coins short.
Now it was the Kaihuang Era; the country was peaceful, with a significant increase in population and ample storage, leading to minimal fluctuations in prices.
Once the trivial matters were settled, the steward lowered his voice to share information that Li Jian Cheng had specifically asked him to investigate: "Yesterday, news came from the palace that Your Majesty favored a palace maid."
After saying this, the steward couldn't help but add, "I heard this from the third steward of Duke of Qi's Residence. It should be reliable, but it feels unbelievable. The Emperor and Empress have been affectionate for many years; how could His Majesty still..."
Finally seizing an opportunity that had been long awaited, Li Jian Cheng asked, "Prince Jin will soon return to Chang'an as well, right?"
The steward replied, "His Majesty summoned Prince Jin and Han Wang back to the capital last month; if we count the days, it should be soon."
After briefly arranging matters at the Villa, Li Jian Cheng personally went to pay his respects to his grandmother, the Empress. He mounted his horse and set off towards the capital under the protection of more than ten Guardians.
Currently, the capital of Sui Dynasty was called Chang'an. It had been established seventeen years ago during Kaihuang's second year and was located not far from old Chang'an City. Thus, everyone still habitually referred to it as Chang'an.
In front of Anhua City Gate, groups of citizens carrying bundles lined up in rows alongside merchants with large and small carts. Among them were also many Barbarians and merchants from western regions.
They were all orderly waiting for city guards to inspect them. Naturally, Li Jian Cheng did not need such formalities; he didn't even require his Guardians to greet anyone. Upon seeing Li Jian Cheng's figure, the leading city officer had already instructed his subordinates to clear a path.
Li Jian Cheng cupped his hands in greeting before mounting his horse, while the other Guardians dismounted and led their horses behind him. One Guardian, bearing a scar on his face, handed his horse to a companion at his side and stepped forward to take hold of his Lord's horse.
"Young Master, shall we return to the manor first?"
"Let the others head back. Zhao Bo will accompany me to the palace; I need to pay my respects to Her Highness."
"Understood." Zhao Da turned back to give orders. "Everyone, disperse."
The Guardians following behind responded in unison. These individuals were the second, third, and even fourth generations of Guardians from the Li Family. Their fathers and grandfathers had fought valiantly alongside the old Duke or the former Duke of Tang for the glory of the Li Family.
Thus, they had been able to focus solely on martial training and archery from a young age.
If one were to ask what the greatest feeling upon entering Chang'an was, it would be the spaciousness of the roads. The path Li Jian Cheng was currently traversing, while not as wide as the 150-meter Vermilion Bird Gate Street, still measured about 50 to 60 meters across.
There were many people coming and going; occasionally, there were carriages carrying dignitaries, as well as groups of noble youths leading their servants, riding out for hunting expeditions. Upon seeing Li Jian Cheng, they excitedly approached to greet him and invited him to join them.
However, Li Jian Cheng politely declined their invitations by mentioning he had matters to attend to with his grandmother, suggesting they arrange another time together.
Upon reaching Hanguang Gate of the imperial city, Li Jian Cheng dismounted. His status was sufficient for riding within the city; however, riding or entering by carriage into the imperial palace was a different matter altogether.
The imperial city housed ancestral temples and military-political institutions. The main buildings included the Grand Ancestral Temple, Grand Sacrificial Altar, along with various provincial offices and military wards. The Grand Ancestral Temple and Grand Sacrificial Altar were located in the southeast and southwest respectively, adhering to traditional layouts.
The palace was not a place ordinary citizens could enter; its scrutiny was far stricter than that at city gates. To gain entry required official status or an invitation. This brings us to mention Li Jian Cheng's father, Lord Li Yan, who was known for two notable traits.
One was his character—headstrong yet sincere, generous and accommodating towards all ranks of people. He was known for being carefree and cheerful, winning over both nobles and commoners alike.
The other was his exceptional archery skills. Years ago, when the Divine Martial Duke and Princess of Xiangyang sought suitors for their beloved daughter, they commanded that two peacocks be painted on a screen placed several dozen paces away. They provided two arrows to each young man of military merit who came forward; only those who could hit an eye on each peacock would qualify as a suitable match for the Dou Family's daughter.
The Dou Family was renowned both inside and outside the palace for their beauty and intelligence from a young age. Countless top nobles were eager to have their sons marry a virtuous wife from the Dou Family, nearly trampling the threshold of their residence.
The Divine Martial Duke had no choice but to resort to this tactic; otherwise, choosing a family could offend many of his old friends.
The outcome was predictable. After seven or eight young men failed in their attempts, Li Yan made his appearance, skillfully shooting two arrows that struck the peacock's eyes. With this feat, he won the heart of the beautiful maiden, becoming the talk of the town for being chosen from among many suitors.
With a noble background, good character, and impressive skills, Li Yan was undoubtedly well-liked wherever he went. During his time in the capital, he made many good friends both inside and outside the palace. Today, one of those friends, Li Jian Cheng, was on duty at the palace gate, allowing him to enter without any hassle.
Li Jian Cheng expressed his gratitude politely. Since his friend held an official position, he didn't say much more but instructed Zhao Da to send two jars of fine wine from the cellar back to the residence after they returned.
Once inside the palace city, he encountered officials dressed in robes. Occasionally, he would meet a few who recognized him; he would stop immediately to greet them, appearing quite well-mannered.
Those officials enjoyed playing the role of elders. When colleagues came to inquire about him, they would loudly introduce Li Jian Cheng's identity. Especially when they learned he was delivering a letter from the Empress, they couldn't help but praise him even more but dared not delay him further.
Exchanging greetings along the way consumed half an hour. Li Jian Cheng gained a new understanding of his father's connections. When he arrived at Yong'an Gate before the imperial city and wanted to ask someone to inform the Empress of his visit, he found that she had already sent someone to greet him.
This also indicated how well the Queen managed affairs within the palace. Li Jian Cheng thanked the lady-in-waiting who came to welcome him and then followed her with his head bowed. He felt somewhat anxious; although there was no real loss if things didn't go as planned, for over a decade afterward, he would only be able to linger around low-ranking official positions.
After all, unless there were special circumstances, the court generally wouldn't allow a son’s rank to surpass that of his father or even come too close.
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