Insufficient balance

  The case of Feng Yuanjun's death, Xue Chongxun was indeed entangled in all sorts of troubles, but they were all minor troubles. He couldn't possibly be put to death for killing a single Feng Yuanjun. With so many Taiping Princesses in the imperial court, can't they even handle this small matter? Whether it's about national law or morality, they always have something to say, and they're all well-read scholars of classical literature. Who has reason on their side is not the key; who has more power is what matters. The principle remains the same throughout history. Perhaps in a different era, there wouldn't even be someone like Li Shouyi, because Confucian righteousness had already become an outdated dregs.

  "Life, I desire it; righteousness, I also desire it. These two I cannot have together...". Xue Chongxun began to read this passage from Mencius again. This child had been reading these words for a long time, the meaning was simple yet profound, and had long been deeply ingrained in his heart. But every time he read it, he had different feelings.

  He has the soul of a modern person, which brings him not only benefits but also a soul without faith, making his soul seem somewhat hollow. As for the knowledge in his memory, can he make guns, cannons and aircraft carriers? Not to mention in ancient times, even in modern times, can he make them by himself? Can a mixture of gunpowder be used as military gunpowder? Besides, the Tang Dynasty already used gunpowder for military purposes.

  ……

  The case of the crime was not a big deal, what really made Xue Chongxun unable to let go was the struggle between Taiping Princess and Li Longji. It is also unknown whether his mother can make up her mind and agree with his views. In Xue Chongxun's view, trying every means to kill Li Longji was the only way out.

  Xue Chongxun's own wings were not yet fully developed and it would take more than a year or two for him to grow in power, the only person who truly had the ability to deal with Crown Prince Li Longji was Princess Taiping. Therefore, his mother's decision was crucial.

  This feeling is just like punching a sandbag filled with cotton, it's all energy but nowhere to use.

  This morning, he went to the Daming Palace to attend the bi-daily court meeting. After paying homage to the emperor, he returned without even visiting the Taichang Temple. That government office was not a place of importance during these extraordinary times, and Xue Chongxun had no mood to care about what was going on inside. In the morning after returning, he stayed alone in his room, either reading or sitting in deep thought.

  He thought and thought, organizing his thoughts several times, but there was only one way, no other way... How could the problem of the empress dowager be successfully eliminated by the crown prince? The question for Xue Chongxun was how to make the empress dowager determined to take a desperate gamble.

  Outside the door, some birds chirped non-stop. The rain of the past few days had stopped, and now the sun was shining brightly, it was truly a scene of "birds singing and flowers fragrant". Xue Chongxun looked at the sunlight outside the door, and suddenly came up with an idea to go out for a walk to clear his mind. He put down the book in his hand, changed into boots, shirt and hat, went out and called someone to tell Pang Er to prepare the horse carriage.

  He took a few attendants and drove out of the gate, Pang Er asked: "Where is Lang Jun going?"

  Xue Chongxun thought for a moment, and suddenly remembered the songstress he met at Daqin Temple that day. Her name... It was a drizzly day with misty rain, Meng Xiaoyu. So he said: "Shuiyunjian."

  Pang Er responded with a single word, and didn't say much more. It was clear that going to the Shuiyun Pavilion was for pleasure-seeking. Scholars and officials entering such places wasn't unusual; after all, the government used national finances to support many courtesans. Of course, when they wanted a change of flavor, everyone would often go to civilian brothels, and foreign women in Huji wine houses were also very popular.

  The horse carriage went west along North Street, passed a gate and then came to a big street extending south-north. The further north it went, the more bustling it became because the northern end of North Street was the entrance to Anyi Fang. Once out of the entrance, one could see Dongshi Market. Dongshi Market was filled with merchants and goods from all over the country and even the world, with an uncountable amount of transactions every day. As a result, the closer it got to the market, the denser the population became, and the more business opportunities were hidden.

  The streets of Chang'an City are truly bustling, with all sorts of new and interesting things to see, even camels, just short of elephants. People dressed in strange attire and with unusual appearances are not uncommon, actually there are tens of thousands of foreigners in Chang'an City, including foreign envoys, merchants, and people who come to study the classics and institutions... The founder of Islam, Muhammad, said that knowledge, even if it is as far away as China, should be sought after.

  The Tang Empire, when the whole world was struggling in the dark ages of civilization at the beginning of the 8th century, was a beacon of civilization, the center of the world, and the golden kingdom that all humanity yearned for. Since Taizong, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty were also known as Tian Kehan, commanding numerous peripheral countries, and if the emperor of the Great Tang wanted to conquer injustice, the armies of all countries within the Tian Kehan alliance system had to follow the call to arms. The influence of the Beiting Duhu Fu extended far beyond the Caspian Sea, even reaching Eastern Rome; many foreign kings wore official titles conferred by the Tang emperor on their heads. Confucius said "Under the sky, nothing is not the king's land", and the Tang Dynasty realized this ideal to the greatest extent possible.

  In the An Yi Fang, a brothel called Shui Yun Jian was located near the East Market, a place of great prosperity. When Xue Chongxun arrived at the entrance of Shui Yun Jian, he saw that a stage had been set up in front of the door and a performance of "The Participating General" was being held. Many passersby, regardless of age or sex, stopped to watch in front of the brothel, crowding together in excitement.

  On the wooden stage, there were two people. One of them wore a hood and green clothes, called "Canjun". This person was stupid and silly, with a foolish expression on his face. The other one wore white robes, had a grey hairdo, and was quick-witted and eloquent, laughing and scolding "Canjun" very lively. The man in white robes also held a "kōu guā", a kind of hammer wrapped in cloth, used to hit people's heads, making a loud noise but not hurting. From time to time, he would use the kōu guā to hit Canjun's head, and Canjun, who was hit, stood there foolishly, neither crying nor angry, with an embarrassed expression on his face, which made everyone laugh again.

  Xue Chongxun couldn't help but smile when he saw the military play, thinking of Pang Er and Jixiang, two servants in his mansion, who were always laughing and joking around just like the characters in the play.

  People are always influenced by their environment, and the pleasant atmosphere made Xue Chongxun a bit more cheerful. Turning back to see Fang Yuzheng with a stiff face beside him, Xue Chongxun casually cracked a joke: "What kind of woman do you like?"

  Fang Yuzhong let out an "ah?" and lifted his head to see Xue Chongxun staring at him. After snapping back to reality, his face suddenly turned red, and he stuttered, unable to say anything coherent. On the other hand, Jixiang, with her quick wit, jumped in and said: "Lang Jun, I like women with more flesh, too skinny is not good."

  "Haha……" The guards and attendants all burst out laughing immediately.

  This lucky guy is being flattered by the crowd, and found his existence in being laughed at. His voice became even louder: "More meat, more water, more vigor, hehehe!"

  Xue Chongxun was also amused and in a good mood, so he said: "Those who want to play should go in and choose for themselves. Ask the madam to settle the bill later and I'll calculate it together with you."

  Several people immediately ran in excitedly, but seeing Fang Yuzhong standing still, Xue Chongxun laughed and said: "What's wrong with men? Don't miss the opportunity to slap your thighs later."

  "Fang Yu Zhong lowered his head and said: 'Lang Jun's safety is the most important, I'd better give up.'"

  "I'm a big man, I'm just in front of the government office, there's nothing to worry about, if you want to go, hurry up." Xue Chongxun said.

  Xiang Yu Zhong didn't go, Xue Chongxun also didn't force him. On the other hand, he half-jokingly said: "Your time in the Xue manor is only a few years less than Pang Er's. Pang Er has already married a wife, I shouldn't treat you unfairly either. You think carefully first, what kind of woman do you like? I'll make the decision for you."

  "Ah... I'll think about it first."

  At this time, Xue Chongxun thought wickedly: This man won't still be a virgin, will he?

  As soon as they entered the building, the procurer with a fish-tail mole came to greet them. Xue Chongxun asked casually, "What should I call you?"

  "Hey, is this your first time here? If you think I'm worthy, just call me Sister Du. Sister Du waved the silk handkerchief in her hand with exaggerated movements and said expressively, "A young man who doesn't indulge in romance is wasting his youth, so you should seize the romantic moments while you can."

  Xue Chongxun was wearing ordinary clothes, and ordinary people didn't recognize him, which saved a lot of trouble. He slowly clasped his fists and said: "Du sister... is there someone here who sings tunes, named Meng Xiaoyu?"

  "Ha! Look at the young master's dignified appearance and extraordinary demeanor. It seems that Meng Xiaoyu is indeed a popular figure in our building, and she only sings for people with refined taste, not just anyone."

  Xue Chongxun smiled and said: "Then would she be willing to sing for me?"

  "Will you or won't you? Tsk tsk, this gentleman is quite the catch, she's more than willing..."

  Xue Chongxun said: "I suddenly want to listen to 'Chang Xiang Si' today, let Meng Xiaoyu come out and play a song for me."

  The procuress's face changed color and she said with difficulty: "This... there is someone in the small rain house, unless you let Yu Xingnu serve? Yu Xingnu sings teaching building songs best."

  Xue Chongxun felt slightly disappointed, but he didn't think it was appropriate to use his identity to pressure people in a place like this. After thinking for a moment, he said: "If I don't have to wait too long, I'll just drink some tea and wait; if she's not free today, then I'll pay the deposit first and book an appointment for another day."

  The procuress, upon hearing this, became very friendly and her face changed color. Just then, a woman's voice upstairs let out a loud shriek, followed by cries of "Mother, it's terrible! Murder! Ah!"

  The people in the hall suddenly burst into a commotion, with many seated guests standing up and stretching their necks to look upstairs. Most of them were eager to see what was happening. The madam's face immediately fell, and she said to Xue Chongxun, "I'll go take a look at what happened first. You wait for a moment, excuse me."

  The surroundings became noisy with discussions, and Fang Yuzhong also raised his vigilance to twelve points, coldly observing every person who approached.

  Just then, Xue Chongxun suddenly heard the panicked woman upstairs mention "...Meng sister..." something, but he didn't quite catch the whole sentence. However, he did hear the three words "Meng sister", and his heart couldn't help but think: Could it be Meng Xiaoyu?

  Xian'er was running upstairs, and Xue Chongxun also hurriedly followed her.