Chapter 155: Retribution

Hengnong.

Li Zhi met with the newly returned Qin Huaiyu and Luo Tong.

The two men were travel-worn and weary.
Luo Tong was still nursing injuries and required quiet recuperation.

"Your Highness, we've escorted all these family members back. The major aristocratic families will certainly seek revenge," Qin Huaiyu said with a wicked grin.

He felt he had done a splendid job this time. There was a profound sense of vindication.

"Hengnong is as secure as an iron fortress. At most, they can send a few assassins. What else could they possibly do?" Li Zhi dismissed the concern lightly.

Could the major aristocratic families possibly muster an army to attack Hengnong just to rescue people?
By then, Li Shimin would have ample justification to lead troops and wipe these clans out completely.

At that moment, a messenger approached and reported respectfully, "Reporting to Your Highness, His Highness the Prince of Wei is coming to Hengnong under an imperial edict and is expected to arrive tomorrow."

Qin Huaiyu muttered, "Why is the Prince of Wei coming here?"

Hengnong was, after all, Li Zhi's territory. For Li Tai to come, especially under Li Shimin's decree, there must be a specific reason behind it.

"Is there any further news?" Li Zhi asked the messenger.

The messenger hesitated slightly before replying, "It seems to be related to the handling of the dependents of the major aristocratic families."

This caused Qin Huaiyu to grow nervous.

He tentatively asked, "Could the Emperor have other arrangements in mind?"

Li Zhi chuckled. "His Majesty already delegated the handling of the major aristocratic families entirely to me. His coming here is likely to learn from me. His Imperial Father probably feels he lacks competence."

"Given his age, achieving what he has so far is already quite commendable."

Qin Huaiyu flattered him, saying, "Compared to Your Highness, the Prince of Wei is still not worth mentioning."

No one around could deny these words.

"Then, Your Highness, how should we settle the people from the major aristocratic families? Should we throw them straight into prison, or find a place to confine them?"

Qin Huaiyu felt that going to such great lengths to escort these people back required further measures, lest future troubles arise.

Li Zhi was already walking away.

His voice drifted back: "Didn't we recently build some manors in Hengnong? House them in the manors first. Just station troops to guard them, and don't skimp on their food and clothing."

Since these people were stripped of their freedom of movement, providing for their basic necessities was sufficient.

Qin Huaiyu felt a trace of regret.
In his view, they should have been reduced to slaves—the men sent to the frontier army, and the women made into maids and servants. That would have been truly satisfying.

However, Li Zhi's vision clearly extended beyond merely punishing these prominent clans.
He wanted all of those major aristocratic families to submit to him utterly and wholeheartedly.

***

Outside the city.

Li Tai and his entourage arrived in Hengnong.

Outside the city walls, he could already sense that this place was different from anywhere else.

It was brimming with vitality.
Countless people moved about in the fields, the soldiers stood in impeccably neat formations, and some wielded weapons he had never seen before.
Caravan carriages shuttled back and forth, and pedestrians bustled through the streets.

If Hengnong were not slightly smaller as a county town, it could easily rival Chang'an.

"Is this really just a county town?" Li Tai wondered inwardly, feeling utterly bewildered.

"Your Highness, we already notified the Prince of Jin in advance, but he didn't come out of the city to welcome us. He told us to enter the city on our own."

Li Tai's attendant brought word from the city.

Angered, Li Tai clenched his fists and said, "This younger brother of mine holds no respect for his elder brother!"

Though reluctant and resentful, he still followed Li Zhi's instructions and entered the city by himself.

Once inside, the sights along the streets made him feel even more as though he were walking through Chang'an.

"In the future, I must transform my own fiefdom into a place like this," Li Tai thought, consumed by envy.

The surrounding area was bustling with merchants.
Some merchants even approached him directly, attempting to do business with Li Tai, presumably dazzled by the luxurious procession of carriages.

A merchant-like figure stepped up to Li Tai's carriage and peddled his wares: "We have the finest goods here, from grain to medicinal herbs. I wonder what Your Excellency might need?"

"Move aside! Move aside! This is the carriage of His Highness the Prince of Wei! Are you blind?"

The guards accompanying Li Tai immediately moved to block the pushy merchant.

Peering out through the lattice window of the carriage, Li Tai felt an even deeper sense of grievance.

"These merchants want to do business; shouldn't they be heading to Chang'an? Why come to a place like this?"

The carriage moved slowly forward until it finally reached the official post station.
Stepping down from the carriage, Li Tai was in a foul mood.
He resolved that upon meeting Li Zhi, he would thoroughly reprimand this younger brother.

***

That evening.

Li Zhi finally came to see Li Tai.

"Ninth Brother, how can you treat me like this? I am here bearing Imperial Father's edict to supervise you, yet you put me up in a post station to live alongside crude, unrefined country rustics?" Li Tai raged at Li Zhi in anger.

Li Zhi, however, remained completely unperturbed.

Having tended to his injuries and rested briefly, Luo Tong stood spiritedly behind Li Zhi, brimming with vigor.

"Why is Your Fourth Imperial Brother flying into such a rage?"

"You claim you've come to supervise me. Do you have Imperial Father's edict as proof?"

Li Zhi's question left Li Tai speechless.

Supervise?
It was fundamentally Li Shimin who had sent him here to learn from Li Zhi; he was simply stubbornly saving face.

"I, on the other hand, just received an imperial edict from Imperial Father instructing me to guide you more closely and teach you how to properly deal with the aristocratic families," Li Zhi said, producing the imperial decree Li Shimin had just dispatched and displaying it before Li Tai.

Seeing characters on the decree that he could not yet recognize, Li Tai instantly blushed with shame.

Compared to Li Zhi, he fell vastly short in both talent and capability.

Having his men put away the decree and store it back in a wooden box, Li Zhi continued, "Imperial Father also stated that during your half-month stay in Hengnong, you are not permitted to wander about aimlessly, and you must obey me in all things."

"If you feel unsatisfied, you may leave at any time, but you will have to explain it to Imperial Father yourself."

Li Tai gritted his teeth.
He was furious.
Had he not practically become a student to his own younger brother?

"Your Highness the Prince of Jin, an envoy from the major aristocratic families has arrived, claiming they have matters to discuss with you."

At that moment, a guard stepped inside to report.

Li Zhi immediately turned to leave.

Li Tai hurriedly chased after him for a few steps and said, "Didn't we agree I am here to learn from you? I want to go and see this matter as well."

Li Zhi glanced back at Li Tai.
Though young, he actually wanted to learn from him. Learn what?

"Let's go then." Li Zhi did not refuse.

Outside the post station, they met the representative sent by the major aristocratic families.

A middle-aged man named Zhang Yuanfang had served as an official in Chang'an during both the Sui and Tang dynasties and possessed an intimate knowledge of the capital's surrounding regions.
He was practically an expert on the capital.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Prince of Jin," Zhang Yuanfang hastily bowed to Li Zhi, completely unaware of the identity of the person standing behind him.

"What did they send you here to do? To discuss a ransom? This isn't a kidnapping. If they want to talk, let them come and talk in person," Li Zhi said bluntly.

His tone offered no respect to the aristocratic families whatsoever.

The Guanzhong aristocracy had never encountered a ruler as difficult to handle as Li Zhi.

"No. The various clans instructed me to convey a message to Your Highness the Prince of Jin: If Your Highness continues to disregard the greater good and commits acts that harm local gentry and scholars..."

"...then the next step might very well be total chaos across the realm."

Rather than coming to negotiate terms, they had actually come to issue threats.

Luo Tong, Qin Huaiyu, and the others instantly reached for the hilts of their swords.