That evening, the Eastern Palace received a special imperial decree to hold a banquet for all the officials.
You should know that this has always been the emperor's patent. Even if you become the prince, you cannot casually summon a group of ministers to your house for a drink. This is a very taboo thing. Your father is still sitting on the throne, and now you have frequent contacts with these people below. Do you think the prince's power is not big enough?
Therefore, many people who became princes did not dare to interact frequently with ministers, but this time it was different. This was a special decree issued by the emperor. However, these people could not let go after they came. Most of them drank a bowl of water and then hurriedly left.
Li Xiang and Li Chengqian also understood what was going on. Although the emperor had issued an imperial decree, there might be someone watching here secretly. If they had a good relationship with the Eastern Palace, they would probably have to report it to the emperor tomorrow. As long as you don't reach that position, no matter how stable your position is, you are just a prince.
"Come on, cheers..."
However, most of those who left were civil officials. These military generals did not have too many concerns. They planned to drink to their heart's content in the East Palace. After all, this was the highest-grade wine of the Tang Dynasty. They could not drink it every day according to their income, but now Li Xiang supplied it in unlimited quantities. If they did not return with a belly full of wine, most of the generals felt that they would be at a loss.
Among them, Li Xiang's father-in-law Cheng Yaojin is the most exciting. This guy has been drinking big bowls of wine from the beginning to now. Not only does he compete with the people at his table, but he also competes with other generals next to him. It seems like this is his home court. However, this is what he should do, because he has a good son-in-law.
Cheng Luan and Cheng Ying also saw their father's scene and wanted to go over to persuade him, but they also knew Cheng Yaojin's temper. If they went over to persuade him at this time, Cheng Yaojin would probably be unhappy. Fortunately, Li Xiang was a man who knew how to coax his father-in-law. He went over and drank three bowls of soup with Cheng Yaojin, and the matter was over.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for my son's matter."
Among all the dukes, Qin Qiong can be said to be an exception. After being conferred the title of duke in Chang'an, Qin Qiong has been staying at home. One reason is because of poor health, and the other is that he is afraid of being suspected, so he did not come out to various banquets. But this time, he came to the East Palace for the sake of his son and raised his glass very sincerely.
"General, what are you talking about? When I first went to the battlefield, you were the one who scouted for me. If it weren't for your support, how could I be where I am now?"
What Li Xiang said was true. When he had just traveled through time, he immediately encountered the Tuyuhun incident. Moreover, Li Xiang was a pro-war faction at that time. If that war could not be won, it would mean that Li Xiang had said goodbye to the royal power. Therefore, that war was very important.
"Your Highness still remembers what happened back then, which really makes me ashamed. I didn't give Your Highness much support back then. I just let Your Highness give full play to his abilities. Your Highness doesn't need to worry about it in the future."
When talking about this, Qin Qiong felt his face getting hot. Li Xiang did not mobilize other troops at that time. He only brought his own troops. It was purely Li Xiang's luck that he could achieve such a victory. So when Li Xiang expressed his gratitude, Qin Shubao felt a little ashamed.
"That being said, if the general hadn't allowed me to lead the troops into the grasslands, none of this would be possible today. Huaiyu is doing well in the south, but I may not be able to return to Chang'an for the time being."
Li Xiang knew that the Qin family had few descendants. If Qin Huaiyu stayed away all the time, it would be difficult to continue the family line. General Qin was also injured and it was impossible for him to have other sons. Currently, he only had two sons. The eldest had run away to the south, and the second had not grown up yet.
"A good man has ambitions to travel far and wide. If he is just tied to Chang'an, he will be a useless person waiting to die in the future. I, Qin Shubao's son, cannot live like this. Your Highness, use him as much as you can. If he dares to complain, I will break his legs."
Qin Shubao said very casually that now everyone knows that the only way to have a future is to follow Li Xiang. If his son were to come back now, he would definitely be sent back by others, and he would probably not be wanted by any government office in the future.
Li Xiang and Qin Shubao drank a few more bowls of wine. Seeing that Cheng Yaojin could not drink any more and could hardly stand, Li Xiang called Xiao Xia Zi over and pulled Cheng Yaojin out from both sides.
After seeing this scene from a distance, Cheng Luan was really grateful in her heart. You know, her husband is the third most important person in the Tang Dynasty, and also the most beloved person by the people of the Tang Dynasty. In such an occasion, he can still support her father and respect her father as always. This is not an ordinary meaning.
But this scene was so glaring in the eyes of Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning thought of her father. Although he was still the king of Nanzhao, it had spread throughout the aristocratic circles in the capital that the king of Nanzhao was just a puppet and would do whatever he was told to do.
"Sister, don't worry about your father. My husband has made arrangements. He's too busy right now. When he's done, he'll explain it to you."
After seeing Princess Yongning's ugly face, Cheng Luan immediately came over and held the girl's cold hand. The girl has grown up during this period of time. When she was in Nanzhao, she had no idea what was going on here. She was just a growing girl, and now she is much more mature than before.
If it were at an ordinary son-in-law's house, Cheng Yaojin would have fallen asleep here after drinking like this, but this is the imperial palace, and no one except some people with the surname Li can be here. Even Li Xiang and Li Chengqian can only stay in the East Palace. If they want to enter the inner palace, they must have Li Shimin's badge.
So no matter how drunk Cheng Yaojin got, he had to be sent back to his home. Li Xiang had someone send him back in his own carriage, which was also giving Cheng Yaojin enough face. Many people around were envious. Unfortunately, we didn't think of this step at the beginning, and there was no suitable girl in the family. This allowed Cheng Yaojin to take the lead. Both daughters were married to Li Xiang, and the queen and concubine were reserved...
