Chapter 47: Don't Be Afraid to Spend Money

"Great King!"

"Sister Ru!"

Outside Take Pingcheng, they gazed at each other, tears streaming down both faces.

"It's been many days. How has Your Majesty grown so thin?"

"I was framed by treacherous men. This time I go in disgrace to Luoyang, and my future is uncertain."

"When the Great King's spirit is spent, how can this humble concubine go on living!"

Du Gu Ru's eyes reddened. She took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed away her tears.

Yuan Shen, seeing this, was filled with tender pity.

"Sister Ru, once we part this time, who knows when we shall meet again. You should find a satisfactory husband and marry soon!"

"No, this humble concubine will wait for the Great King's return!"

"Sister Ru!"

"Great King!"

……

Upon the walls of Take Pingcheng, Li Shuang watched this scene and could not help muttering inwardly:

That damned green-tea bitch—her acting could win an Oscar!

Behind him stood Yang Kan and Gao Ang.

"In these chaotic times, martial valor is the foundation of one's standing. You must take this as a warning—never grow attached to women, like the Prince of Guangyang, making yourselves a laughingstock!"

Li Shuang's words truly struck a chord in the hearts of Yang Kan and Gao Ang.

How could women ever be as fun as martial training?

"Lord, rest assured. We temper our bodies daily and study the martial arts with care. The troops under our command do the same."

"That's good!"

The Inspector's Residence!

Li Chong was playing chess. Hearing footsteps, he knew without looking up that it was his son Li Shen Gui.

"Yuan Shen has left?"

"He has. Your son saw him off in person. At parting, the woman who nearly became the Princess Consort of Guangyang came to see him off. The people here in the northern border all say this woman is a beauty who brings disaster, but I don't think so. The steadfastness of her heart is truly moving!"

Li Chong could not help laughing out loud at Li Shen Gui's words.

"You really are…"

"Father, what have I done now?"

Li Shen Gui pressed on, and Li Chong said helplessly:

"—About to become just like Yuan Shen."

The Prince of Guangyang was a man of long-standing reputation. Li Shen Gui, hearing this, thought Li Chong was praising him, and felt a little thrill of excitement.

"Thank you, General, for the praise!"

"I… your mother… forget it!"

Li Chong realized that no matter how he cursed, it always ended up cursing himself.

Li Chong had thought Li Shen Gui was about to leave, but after Li Shen Gui made a few moves on the chessboard, there was still no movement beside him.

He raised his head and saw Li Shen Gui was dressed differently from usual, wearing a suit of armor.

Li Chong frowned.

"What is this?"

Li Shen Gui gave a sheepish grin, with a touch of self-satisfaction.

"The other day, when Father spoke those words to me, I went back and thought them over, and gained some insight."

Li Chong grew interested and asked:

"And what insight did you gain?"

"I was thinking that I, as Pingbei General, may not be useless either. I too can achieve merit and build a career. One day, when we have crushed Han Baling and destroyed Yu Jiulu Anarui, and returned to Luoyang, between the palace steps the Son of Heaven will bestow rewards, and my name shall be recorded for posterity!"

The more Li Chong listened, the longer his face grew. After Li Shen Gui finished speaking in high spirits, Li Chong was silent for a long while.

Finally, he said:

"My son, you are different from the others. You need not trouble yourself with such things."

Faced with his old father's earnest guidance, Li Shen Gui was quite unconvinced.

"Father must not look down on me. I too have read military treatises since childhood. Where am I inferior to that bandit?"

Looking at this inexplicably self-assured son, Li Chong sighed helplessly and spoke the truth.

"Your old father, in this lifetime, has been greedy… ah, no, I mean, through hard struggle, earned enough for you to spend for several lifetimes. Take the money—go play, go spend it, go keep women, squander it to your heart's content, even visit brothels. Wouldn't it be better to do something proper!"

"Hmph!"

Li Shen Gui was unwilling.

"I have not yet set foot on the battlefield. How does Father know I do not have the makings of a fine general under heaven?"

Hearing these words, Li Chong clutched his chest, feeling somewhat stifled.

Li Shen Gui hurried forward to check on him, his face full of worry.

"Father, what's wrong? Shall I call for a physician?"

"Nothing's wrong. As long as you stop thinking about achieving merit and building a career, I'll recover after a moment!"

"This place Take Pingcheng—your old man is so bored here it's driving me crazy. No wonder Emperor Xiaowen wanted to move the capital back then."

Li Shen Gui sat with a group of his followers by the base of the wall, watching the passing crowds.

Take Pingcheng is different from Luoyang; the prohibitions on Hu Fu and the northern tongue are not so strict here.

Therefore, the clothing here varied greatly, and there were even people who had come from the Western Regions.

But in the end, constrained by its geographical location, this city was not as prosperous as Luoyang.

Therefore, the entertainment industry was not very developed.

At the very least, Li Shenji, who had seen the great world in Luoyang, and the group of meritorious sons following Li Shenji all thought so.

"Big brother, what are we doing here?"

"Guarding the city gate!"

"We're about to fight the Northern Frontier's Bei Lie Buruo—what a fine chance to win merit. Why would the General Who Conquers the North make you guard a city gate?"

"I thought the same! Just think, if we win merit here in the Northern Frontier, how much face we'll have when we go back! Those Yuan clan princesses and noble ladies from the great families won't even look at us normally—wouldn't they have to rush over to cozy up to us then!"

"Exactly!"

The more Li Shenji thought about it, the angrier he got, and he could not help complaining:

"My father struggled his whole life—what right does he have to strip me of my right to struggle?"

"Exactly!"

"Sworn brother, why are you here?"

Li Shenji, who had been making an impassioned speech, heard this, turned around, and saw Li Shuang standing behind him, grinning.

"It's you, kid!"

Li Shenji straightened his clothes and called for his little brothers to all stand up.

"I am acting on the orders of the General Who Conquers the North, guarding Take Pingcheng!"

"Sworn brother, you are so dutiful—your little brother truly admires you. Still, you must pay attention to balancing work and rest. Why not go stroll through the singing-and-dancing houses in Take Pingcheng?"

Li Shenji's face was solemn, and just as he was about to answer, he heard his little brothers behind him grumbling:

"They're all just common pretty faces—nothing interesting!"

Li Shuang smiled.

"Brother, have you heard of a place called 'Red Romance'?"

"Red Romance—what kind of ridiculous name is that!"

"I hear this singing-and-dancing house is the number one such house in the Northern Frontier, no worse than those in Luoyang."

Li Shenji looked at Li Shuang with a touch of pity.

"You kid, it's obvious you've never had anything good. When you go to Luoyang someday, your brother will take you to see the world. Could this place really have anything better than Luoyang?"

Morning.

Li Chong rose, washed up, and seeing the servants gathered around him, asked:

"Why haven't I seen that kid Li Shenji for days? Where has he gone now? He's not thinking about winning merit again, is he?"

The people around him did not dare speak, and Li Chong grew a bit irritated.

"What is it?"

"The Second Young Master took that group of noble sons from Luoyang to a singing-and-dancing house in Ma Yi City called Red Romance. I hear they feasted day after day, spent a huge amount of silver, couldn't pay the bill, and got held by the owners!"

Li Chong heard this, his eyes lit up, and joy spread across his face.

"Then hurry up and send money! Tell Qingzhun not to worry about the cost—he can play as long as he wants."

"Yes, sir!"

The steward had taken two steps when Li Chong called him back.

"Also, prepare some tonic medicines—ginseng, deer antler, wolfberry, that sort of thing—and send them to Qingzhun!"

"Yes, sir!"

Li Chong stroked his beard, comforted in his old heart, and sighed:

"With a son like mine, I have no worries!"