Tang Chen: Starting from the Xuanwu Gate Incident

Chapter 9 Registrar of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices

Changing the crown prince was a momentous event for the court, but for the people of Chang'an, it was just a few more topics of conversation. For Shen Ce, it meant he only slept for two hours in two days.

When the great Emperor Taizong of Tang finally obtained the power to control all the troops in the land, he was able to relax and no longer had to treat his superiors like donkeys, because his superiors had acquired even more donkeys.

Now that the chief culprits in the Crown Prince's and Prince Qi's mansions have been eliminated, the rest have either scattered and fled or surrendered. Xue Wanche has fled alone into the deep mountains. It is said that he was invited twice but was not invited. In a fit of rage, Li Er sent a former servant of the Eastern Palace to him. This should be the last time he invited him.

Shen Ce, who had just returned from his duty at the Eastern Palace, couldn't care less about those matters and fell into a deep sleep in the duty room, only recovering five hours later.

Two days ago, in the battle outside Xuanwu Gate, two hundred soldiers of the Prince of Qin's mansion were killed and no fewer than three hundred were wounded, which can be described as extremely tragic.

The burial of the soldiers was originally a major event, but due to the urgency of the situation, the yamen runners of Chang'an and Wannian counties did not have the time to do so. They had no choice but to pile them up and burn them to the ground.

As for the ashes?

They were all brothers-in-arms, so there was no need to distinguish between them. The officers carefully filled the small wooden boxes, closed the lids, wrote yellow slips of paper on them, and wrote the names of the fallen soldiers one by one according to the list of casualties. Their work was done, and the soldiers probably wouldn't mind.

As for the wounded, they were even easier to deal with. The army's medical officers were always the kind who would cut off a hand if it hurt and a head if it hurt. Even with the addition of the medical officers from the Imperial Medical Bureau, it was no use. There were too many wounded, so they had to set up some tents in the training ground to serve as medicine sheds.

Shen Ce lifted the curtain, stepped over several sickbeds, and walked to Lü Bajin's side, gesturing for him not to get up.

He lifted his left leg, which was immobilized by a wooden board, ignoring the stench emanating from his head, and frowned, saying, "Which quack doctor set your bones? It's clearly set crookedly."

Upon hearing this, Ba Jin immediately became anxious. He was still hoping to stay in the army for a few more years while he was still young, so he hurriedly said, "Squad leader, could you please ask the doctor to come and take another look? This leg must be saved."

Shen Ce nodded and comforted him, "There have been many injured people these past two days. In a few days, I will take you to the city to see a doctor again, so that you don't end up with a disability."

Lu Bajin slapped his right leg hard and grinned, "I'm lucky, I just got trampled by a horse, it's nothing serious."

"Nonsense, your legs are bent like this, I'll break them and reattach them later."

Lu Bajin rolled his eyes and didn't say a word. Shen Ce, seeing this, knew better and whispered something in his ear, which made him beam with joy. He patted his chest and shouted that his leg should have been broken long ago.

Before they even left the barracks, a soldier rushed in to report: "Squad leader, an official in a green robe says there is the Prince of Qin... no, the Crown Prince's Commander."

The men in the barracks exchanged glances, their joy overflowing. They had heard that during the palace coup, the captain had been tasked with intercepting and killing the messenger, and had also killed the former crown prince's spy who was close to the emperor. Apart from the generals, he was ranked first in military merit.

The rewards arrived after only two days. The soldiers didn't care much about their own rewards; they were happy with more money. But it was different when their superiors were promoted. If their brothers, who had gone through thick and thin together, were to lend a helping hand in the future, it would be a great blessing. So they all craned their necks, searching for the source of the sound.

There was no bronze mirror, so Shen Ce made do with the basin of water, tidied his appearance, washed his hands, placed the loose silver in a convenient spot, and then hurriedly went out to wait at the entrance of the training ground.

The visitor was not a eunuch, but a court attendant from the Right Spring Palace of the Eastern Palace. He vaguely remembered that the person's surname was Guo.

Guo Sheren looked pleased, but was not arrogant. He carried the vermilion lacquered box and led two minor officials straight over.

Before Shen Ce could exchange pleasantries, Guo Sheren spoke first: "Captain Shen, please listen to my instructions first. I still have several places to go to preach."

"The Crown Prince's decree, Shen Ce kneels to receive it."

"You, Shen Ce, are of keen intellect and diligent in handling affairs. As an official of the Crown Prince's household, your duties are not insignificant, and the investigation and verification of the Crown Prince's household require your comprehensive and experienced abilities. Now, you are promoted to the position of Registrar of the Crown Prince's Household (a seventh-rank official), responsible for investigating and verifying errors, overseeing the affairs of the household, and maintaining order in the palace. You are specially granted a residence in the capital for your comfort; one hundred strings of cash, three hundred bushels of grain, twenty bolts of silk, and one hundred bundles of firewood are provided as a sign of your generous treatment. You are also granted five days' leave to rest and recuperate. Upon your return to your post, you shall be diligent and respectful in your duties and not fail in your responsibilities. This is hereby promulgated."

Shen Ce, kneeling on the ground, was quite overwhelmed by the obscure and difficult-to-understand text. He only smiled when he heard the words "Chief Clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices". When he heard "hundreds of thousands of coins and a mansion", his mouth stretched almost to his ears.

Why was I, a military officer, assigned to the post of registrar? This is like being forced into a corner; I need to find out the reason later.

"I thank you for your grace." Shen Ce raised both hands to receive the Crown Prince's order.

Normally, someone in such a crucial position would be expected to thank their superior after receiving the order, but these past few days the higher-ups have been busy with official duties, so this procedure has been waived.

Guo Sheren quickly helped Shen Ce up, his face beaming with smiles: "Shen Zhanshi, from now on we will be colleagues. The residence bestowed by the Crown Prince is in Yanshoufang, not far from the West Market and the Imperial City. It is a proper three-courtyard house, which will be quite convenient if you are promoted to a high-ranking official position in the future."

Shen Ce laughed and joked with him, inadvertently slipping some loose silver coins into Guo Sheren's sleeve.

Guo Sheren's expression remained unchanged. He raised his arm, immediately recognizing the amount of silver—definitely no less than ten strings of cash. The house, which would normally take over ten days to prepare, was now on his lips when his tone shifted: "There have been many affairs at the manor lately. Shen Zhubu's reward will take another three days to prepare. I'll move it to your manor then, how about that?"

"I'll leave everything to Mr. Guo."

They escorted them again and again until they left the barracks.

Standing at the door, Shen Ce looked around to make sure no one was watching before asking, "Lord Guo, why have you assigned such a task to a certain military officer?"

Guo Sheren winked and whispered, "Yesterday, General Cheng debated with the scholars in the main hall of the Eastern Palace and won it for you. If you want to know the specific reasons, you'll have to ask General Cheng in person."

Unable to get a reason from him, Shen Ce stopped trying to keep him. After seeing Guo Sheren off, Shen Ce also lost interest in staying. As the saying goes, "Wealth and honor without returning home is like wearing brocade at night." He remembered that his elderly mother was still alive at home. He was the eldest son in the family, with a younger brother and sister behind him.

Firewood and millet were hard to come by, but money came first. It was still the people on their own who were reliable. They gave him loose change and took out twenty strings of cash to give to the four fallen soldiers in the team who had children. This was enough to buy a calf. With the King of Qin's reward, they could raise their children to adulthood if they were frugal.

As for the other soldiers, Shen Ce would never dare to reward them. He would give money, grain, and merits to the fallen soldiers. Others would say that he was considerate of his subordinates. But what about the ordinary soldiers?

After finishing the affairs of the team, he rode out of the mansion on a fast horse.

Although he was in someone else's body, the joyful laughter at home was still fresh in his memory, and his heart was quite moved. As an orphan in his previous life, he had never experienced the warmth of family.

Originally, Du Ruhui was serving in Chang'an and had the opportunity to go home on his days off. However, after Du Ruhui was humiliated in the street by a servant of Consort Yin's family, who broke his little finger, and Consort Yin falsely accused him, Li Yuan questioned Li Er in court about his lax management of his subordinates. Li Er then ordered that all soldiers in the Prince's Palace were not allowed to go home to avoid causing trouble.

It's been over a year now.

Shen Ce was riding high on his success, conquering all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day. In just a few days, he went from being a mere military man to a proper official.

He caught the eye of Emperor Taizong and was able to take charge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had achieved great success.

Having secured leave today, I rode swiftly into the West Market in blue robes. The East Market is for high-ranking officials and nobles; with my meager possessions, I can't buy many trinkets.

The food in the army is nothing more than communal meals, a hodgepodge of all sorts of things mixed together. As for the taste, don't even think about it. It's good enough if you can fill your stomach. He's been feeling really stifled these past few days and is missing his Shaanxi-style meal.

As soon as I turned into the alley of West Market, the narrow street was already packed with people who loved Japanese and Korean culture and flocked to Guanzhong. The density of them was comparable to the entrance of a supermarket discount section in later generations.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Stop pushing! Are you in a hurry to be reincarnated? My shoes are gone!" Instantly, a chorus of greetings to parents rose and fell around him. Hearing the familiar local accent, Shen Ce couldn't help but sigh that this was what the world should be like.

Before long, as the drums sounded, the crowd stopped cursing.

Shen Ce rode his horse leisurely behind the crowd. When he arrived at the gate, he was stopped by the gatekeeper of the West Market Bureau. He was dressed in ordinary clothes and was not allowed to ride a horse into the West Market. Only after he took out the talisman from his pocket did the gatekeeper let him pass while cursing.

He had his eye on a black lacquered carriage with all the curtains covering it, but after asking around, he learned that a minor official like himself, of the seventh rank, could only have half a curtain covering it. If one's rank was even lower, one wouldn't even be qualified to ride in a carriage.

The waiter's attitude was impeccable, but Shen Ce really wanted to give the grinning waiter a good whack. Of course, he only thought about it; the strict laws of the Tang Dynasty forbade his thoughts unless he became a noble.

Hitching into the carriage, Shen Ce kept walking without stopping. He couldn't resist the rich aroma of wheat. The freshly baked pancakes were golden brown on both sides. While they were still hot, a layer of honey was brushed on them, and the sweetness just penetrated them. Shen Ce held the sugar pancakes, scratching his ears and cheeks because they were hot, but he still didn't want to let go.

The chestnut cake looks good. I'll take a few pieces home for my little sister to try.

The meat pilaf (hand-grabbed rice) smells strongly of mutton, just like the smell on a Hu person.

And then there's iced yogurt, which is the best way to cool down in the summer. I ate five bowls in a row before leaving satisfied.

Finally, he lingered for a long time in front of a tavern with Hu women, looking at the thin, almost transparent clothes in front of him. What was the difference between this and being naked?

If the sun hadn't already begun to set, Shen Ce might have observed for much longer.

Shen Ce carefully packed the food into his bundle, carried it on his back, and rode westward out of the courtyard. The official road was smooth all the way. After passing Lingao Post Station and crossing the Wei River Bridge, he could see the city of Xianyang in less than two hours.

His home was in a village not far from the city walls.