To be honest, after Chang Sun Chong came back, he didn't feel very comfortable. He was already a general commanding an army, and the deputy position in the Inspectorate was also a good job, but he was not willing to do it.
Everyone has his own ideal, and achieving the position of general in pursuit of his ideal is of course the best outcome. If he can conquer the south, he will be at the level of Cheng Yaojin in the future and will be well-known within the empire.
But you didn't expect that when you were preparing to accumulate merit, the emperor directly pulled you back with an imperial decree, without even a room for negotiation and without hearing any news beforehand. The reason was because your niece was pregnant with the emperor's seed.
For other families, such things are icing on the cake. After all, the Changsun family is already the first family. However, for the people within them, there is no benefit at all. They have to shrink in all aspects, which will cause suppression from the royal family.
Isn't this suppression coming now? Although Zhangsun Wuji has not been suppressed at all and is still responsible for the original matters, Zhangsun Chong is no longer the same. He must hand over the military power in his hands and quickly return to the capital to serve as a civil servant.
On the surface, the two brothers' coordination in civil and military affairs seemed to be an improvement compared to before, but the actual situation was only understood by them. Chang Sun Ze had no way of acting on his own and could only be responsible for conquering cities. If he were to manage a place, his ability was really limited.
Therefore, in the near future, the Changsun family is likely to decline. Of course, even if it declines, it is still a centipede that is still alive and well. It still has its own status in Chang'an City. Just because they have two children, Li Xiang, is no small matter. Who dares to underestimate them? Moreover, the help Changsun Wuji gave to Li Xiang in the early years is visible to the naked eye. Li Xiang is not an ungrateful person and will never let the Changsun family decline.
Because Changsun Wuji understood this point, there was nothing to worry about. Li Shimin could do whatever he wanted, and all of us in the Changsun family would obey. This made Li Shimin feel embarrassed to take the second step. After all, his brother-in-law Changsun Wuji also gave him a lot of help. If it weren't for Changsun Wuji's advice, many things, including the Xuanwu Gate Incident, would probably not have had this outcome.
This result should be the best now. The only bad thing is that Changsun Chong is a straightforward guy and may not be able to figure it out, so Li Xiang has to come over for a drink. According to the previous relationship, Changsun Chong would definitely report to Li Xiang after returning to the capital, but now such a long time has passed and Changsun Chong has not shown up, which shows that he is indeed uncomfortable.
At this moment, Chang Sun Chong was sitting in the sedan chair at the bar, and he had no energy at all. You know, he was riding a warhorse at the front line, and he could do whatever he wanted in a flash. But now that he has become a deputy of the Inspectorate, everything he does in the future represents the court, so he must be steady. Moreover, he is a civil servant now, so it is not impossible for him to ride a horse, but it seems too unconventional.
So under Changsun Wuji's persuasion, this guy had no choice but to start making sedan chairs. This thing could shake out its own string every day, and the speed was not fast, which really made Changsun Chong depressed.
"Master, the master has sent a message saying that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will dine at our house tonight. The master wants you to hurry back."
After hearing what his subordinates said, Chang Sun Chong had an unknown expression on his face. Li Xiang still chose to come and see him, which made Chang Sun Chong feel a little uncomfortable. He was obviously a minister and should have gone to see Li Xiang first, but now he felt unhappy and lived in such depression every day, and still needed others to comfort him.
This is only Li Xiang. Why would any other person in power care about the opinions of a subordinate like you? Besides, the arrangement for you is pretty good. If you're not satisfied, then just resign. There are plenty of places for you to stay, not to mention the deputy position in the Inspectorate. I don't know how many people want that position.
"Then tell the kitchen to prepare a few dishes according to His Highness's preferences. We don't need too many people tonight. Father and I will be enough."
Chang Sun Chong knew Li Xiang's character. He didn't like extravagance and even more so didn't like holding big banquets. The father and son could just have a drink with Li Xiang and the matter would be over. If too many people were invited, that would be a problem.
This is also what Li Xiang admires about Changsun Chong. If someone else was transferred back from the front line, he would definitely take this opportunity to hold a grand banquet to let the people of Chang'an City know that although I have returned from the front line, I am still the apple of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's eye. If you people have other ideas, don't blame me for being rude to you.
Of course, if Changsun Chong did this, Li Xiang would definitely give him face. The people in Chang'an City are all people who pursue fame and fortune. What they are best at is to put down the weak and praise the strong. Therefore, giving Changsun Chong this face is equivalent to giving face to his two wives.
When Li Xiang arrived at Changsun Mansion, there were not many people at the door. It was the same as before. Li Xiang brought Changsun Yunyi here at this time, and there was no big fuss.
"Uncle, there's a look of displeasure on your face. It's obvious that he's dissatisfied with Grandfather's arrangement. However, I can't do much for you in this matter. I can only bring two more jars of good wine. Let's have a few more drinks tonight."
Li Xiang came out of the sedan chair and without waiting for Chang Sun Chong to kneel down, he quickly helped the man up and pointed to several jars of fine wine at the back and said, these are the highest grade of treasures. Even the powerful people in Chang'an City have to queue up to buy them.
"Your Highness, what are you talking about? Since we work for the court, we must obey the court's orders. Without the emperor's grace, how could I, Chang Sun Chong, be where I am today? But there are some things that Your Highness said. We need to have a few more drinks tonight. If I can make Your Highness leave this table, it will be my fault."
When Chang Sun Chong saw Li Xiang, he suddenly felt that this kid Li Xiang had a natural appeal. He did not use the official title, but for the first time ever called him "cousin", a title he had not heard for a long time.
The group walked in happily, and the man in black also reported the news back to the palace...
