Chapter 232
On the evening of the following day, a bustling scene unfolded outside the gates of the Eastern Palace. Prince Li Chengqian was hosting a grand feast for his guests. Despite his designation as the Crown Prince by Emperor Li Er since ascending to the throne, his involvement in state affairs had only recently begun.
Before this, Li Chengqian had been under the tutelage of prominent teachers arranged by Li Er. Thus, despite residing in the Eastern Palace for a long time, he had few close companions besides the officers assigned. His tutors were stern, and their daily meetings lacked closeness.
In the imperial court, the only person Li Chengqian felt close to was Marquis Hou Junji, mainly because Li Chengqian's Crown Princess was Hou Junji's daughter. He even addressed Hou Junji as his father-in-law.
Only with Li Chengqian's increasing involvement in state affairs did he start interacting with more courtiers, gradually forming a small circle of followers. Recently, the allegiance of the Five Clans and Seven Hopes had further boosted his confidence, making him feel that he had gathered a strong core group of supporters.
Today, Li Chengqian gathered this group, hosting a lavish feast to help them interact and realize their shared interests. In many ways, navigating court politics was similar to managing neighborhood relations. The primary advantage of forming alliances was mutually benefitting from each other's resources. As the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian stood to gain the most from these partnerships.
As the banquet began, cups were raised, and the air filled with music and dance, creating a lively atmosphere. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Chengqian dismissed the serving girls and attendants, closing the doors to start the discussions.
“The dry lightning strike last night caused significant damage to Chongren District. Quite an unusual event,” the Chancellor of the Crown Prince's Residence initiated the conversation.
“What's so unusual about it?” Hou Junji chuckled coldly. “I heard that Princess Changle's residence was hit the hardest. Su Li, known for his misdeeds, may have provoked divine punishment, a warning from the heavens…”
“This time, he got lucky and escaped disaster, but if he continues his reckless behavior, he's bound to face annihilation,” Hou Junji's words resonated through the hall, silencing everyone.
All present exchanged glances, too apprehensive to speak. Su Li's infamous reputation was well known among those in the Crown Prince's faction, who were aware of Li Chengqian's discontent with him. However, meddling in a divine clash was beyond their capabilities.
Seeing their fear, a hint of disdain flashed across Hou Junji's cold smile. He had always held himself in high regard, and his close relationship with Li Chengqian was mainly because Li Chengqian was his son-in-law. People tend to forget. It had been four years since the Tubo War, and Hou Junji had long forgotten about Su Li's courageous deeds on the plateau.
Moreover, his resentment towards Su Li had only grown since their return from the Tubo campaign. During that campaign, every general who had followed Su Li into battle, apart from Hou Junji, had played a role in subduing nations. Su Li had been granted the unique title of a foreign prince in the Great Tang due to those achievements, while Hou Junji…
While others were in the Western Regions, accomplishing great feats, he was stationed in the Tubo highlands, enduring the snow. In name, he was a commanding general, but in reality, he had been left behind by the generals who had participated in that campaign.
When the officers sent by Li Er arrived to take over Tubo, Hou Junji returned to Changan feeling disappointed. Despite his hard work during the campaign, while others were getting rewards and praise, he received only a few words of approval from Li Er and some money. This was hard for him to accept, especially considering his personality.
He began to view Su Li as his lifelong rival, swearing never to be on good terms with him. Over the years, as Su Li's reputation grew, Hou Junji's jealousy and hatred grew. What bothered him most was that Su Li never acknowledged his existence, which infuriated him.
Recently, when he heard that Su Li had resigned from his official position and returned to a martial path, he was excited, thinking that a rift had developed between Li Er and Su Li. However, Li Chengqian's news contradicted this. He learned that Su Li's resignation was not forced but a gentle suggestion from Li Er.
This infuriated Hou Junji, making him question if he was inferior to this young upstart. When Li Chengqian gathered his courtiers, Hou Junji came with his grievances, hoping to find allies who felt the same way. To his surprise, no one dared to speak against Su Li, angered him further.
He turned to Wang Zhao and mentioned that nearly twenty members of his Taiyuan Wang clan had been killed by Su Li in a month. The Taiyuan Wang clan had been loyal to the previous emperor but was now treated as insignificant by Su Li. Wang Zhao sighed and explained that they had no choice but to endure silently.
Hou Junji, not satisfied, remarked that Su Li might be following the path of Cao Mengde, implying his dissatisfaction with Li Er. This statement shocked everyone, and all eyes turned to Li Chengqian to see his reaction. Li Chengqian remained composed and warned Hou Junji to choose his words carefully.
He expressed his awareness of Su Li's influence on Li Er but also hinted at his discontent with his father's decisions. The courtiers understood this subtle message and started criticizing Su Li, sensing the atmosphere shift.