In early June, Li Jiancheng was appointed Crown Prince and granted residence in the Eastern Palace, with Zheng Shi as Crown Princess. Li Shimin was enfeoffed as Prince of Qin, and Li Yuanji as Prince of Qi, each granted their own mansions.
The remaining people were rewarded according to their merits. Among them, the person who received the highest honors was Peiji, who had provided the most assistance when Li Yuan raised his army. He was appointed Right Vice-President and Minister of State Affairs. When attending court, he could sit alongside Li Yuan, and after court, he could freely enter and exit Taiji Palace, including Li Yuan’s sleeping chambers. It could be said that Peiji had absolutely reached the pinnacle of ministerial rank.
Liu Hongji was appointed Right General of the Brave Guards and granted an iron certificate with cinnabar writing, allowing him to be pardoned from one death sentence.
In comparison, Liu Wenjing, who was equally a founding minister, appeared much less favored, being merely appointed as Counselor-in-chief to work alongside learned scholars in the court to revise the “Sui Kaihuang Legal Code” for use as general law.
Such disparity naturally made Liu Wenjing dissatisfied, and he had several times spoken against Peiji before Li Shimin and even Li Yuan. Li Yuan dismissed this with a smile, while Li Shimin offered comfort from the side, telling him not to take it too much to heart.
On June 3rd, Li Yuanji went to the Eastern Palace to congratulate Li Jiancheng on being appointed Crown Prince, but unexpectedly found Li Shimin there as well.
Seeing him enter, Li Jiancheng smiled and beckoned, “Just speaking of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives! Come, come, come—today we three brothers won’t return until we’re drunk.”
Before long, palace servants brought wine and food. Li Jiancheng personally poured wine for both of them and raised his cup, saying, “Come, let us three brothers drink this cup together.”
After draining their cups in one gulp, Li Shimin smiled and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy. Congratulations, elder brother.”
Li Yuanji refilled everyone’s wine and said, “Second brother is wrong—now you should change how you address him and call him Crown Prince.”
Before Li Shimin could speak, Li Jiancheng said, “Change what? Just because I’ve become Crown Prince doesn’t mean I’m not still your elder brother, does it? It should be the same as before—whoever dares to change how they address me, I’ll definitely get angry with them.”
Li Yuanji smiled and said, “Since it’s like that, we’ll listen to elder brother. Come, second brother, let’s toast elder brother again!”
After everyone had drunk, Li Shimin took a brocade box from Chuyun’s hands and said, “This is a gift I’m giving to elder brother. See if you like it, elder brother.”
“Second brother is so thoughtful.” Li Jiancheng said while receiving the brocade box. When he opened it, inside was a sword wrapped in a scabbard made from python skin, with a pattern resembling an eye on the sword’s hilt.
Li Yuanji picked up some meat with his chopsticks and said unclearly while chewing, “We came here to congratulate elder brother on being appointed Crown Prince, yet you casually find a sword as a congratulatory gift—that seems rather inappropriate.”
“The gift may be light, but the sentiment is heavy. Even if it were just a swan feather, as long as it’s from Shimin, I would treasure it.”
Li Shimin paid no attention to Li Yuanji’s words and only said, “Elder brother, draw the sword and see.”
“Very well.” Saying this, Li Jiancheng took the sword from the brocade box and gently drew it with one hand gripping the hilt.
“Clang!” In this sound like a dragon’s roar, a cold light struck their faces, actually making Li Jiancheng, who had fought his way out of thousands of troops, feel the absurd sensation of not daring to look directly at it.
After adapting to that cold light, Li Jiancheng exerted slight force with his arm and completely drew the sword from its scabbard. The cold light was even more intense than before, like a pool of cold spring water that made everyone in the room feel chilled all over on this midsummer day.
Anyone could see that this sword was no ordinary weapon. Li Jiancheng casually plucked a hair and let it fall onto the blade—silently, the hair had already broken into two pieces. The next moment, he turned his wrist and struck the sword toward a chair behind him. After the sword passed, the chair remained intact until he sheathed the sword, only then did the chair split in half, with the cut perfectly smooth and even, without the slightest roughness.
It could cut hair and slice through iron like mud—this was absolutely a rare and excellent sword.
Li Yuanji no longer had his previous dismissive attitude and asked in surprise, “Second brother, what sword is this? Where did you get it?”
“This sword is called Zhanlu!” Upon hearing this, Li Yuanji suddenly stood up from his chair and stared intently at Li Shimin, “You’re saying this is the Zhanlu sword? The Zhanlu sword forged by Ou Zhizi?”
Li Shimin smiled and said, “Exactly.”
Li Jiancheng was also full of amazement, “Wasn’t this sword said to have been lost long ago? How did you obtain it?”
“It’s quite a coincidence, actually. These past few days I’d been thinking about what to give elder brother. Once, when I went out on business, I saw a young man selling a sword on the street, saying it was passed down from his ancestors and asking for a hundred strings of cash. Everyone thought he was crazy—how could a mere sword be worth so much money? Chuyun was curious and went over to ask about it, and I discovered that this sword was actually the Zhanlu sword forged by Ou Zhizi during the Spring and Autumn period. This sword isn’t just worth a hundred strings—it would be worth even a thousand or ten thousand strings, so I immediately bought it.”
Li Jiancheng fondly stroked the Zhanlu sword, “To think that the Zhanlu sword, lost for many years, would reappear in the world—it’s truly precious.” As he spoke, he actually handed the sword back to Li Shimin, “Such a precious gift—elder brother dare not accept it. You keep it for yourself.”
Li Shimin hastily said, “Since I’ve given it to elder brother, how could there be any reason to take it back? Moreover, elder brother is more suited to wield this Zhanlu sword than I am, so please be sure to accept it.”
Li Yuanji said from the side, “Perhaps the Zhanlu sword sensed elder brother, which is why it appeared in the world. And since it’s second brother’s heartfelt intention, elder brother, you should keep it.”
Li Jiancheng actually couldn’t bear to part with this peerless sword either, and with both of them persuading him, he said, “Very well then, I’ll accept it undeservedly. Shimin, thank you.”
After sitting down again, Li Yuanji shook his head and said, “I thought my gift would be the most special, but now it seems I’ll lose to second brother.”
Li Jiancheng asked curiously, “Oh, what’s your gift?”
Li Yuanji clapped his hands, and immediately the sound of strings and woodwinds came from outside. Then two dancers dressed in red gauze robes with half-exposed fragrant shoulders twisted their snow-white bellies and entered amid the tinkling of ornaments. After they finished dancing, Li Yuanji said, “These are the foreign dancing girls I carefully selected—they’re all exactly fifteen years old. Does elder brother like them?”
Li Jiancheng smiled and shook his head, “Your gift is indeed special. Good, I’ll accept them.”
Li Shimin frowned slightly but said nothing. The three then continued drinking cup after cup, occasionally talking about past events, having a wonderful time until it grew dark. Li Yuanji was the first to collapse, and Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng were both in a drunken haze.
After ordering someone to escort Li Shimin back to the Qin Prince’s mansion, Li Jiancheng took the cold towel handed to him by a palace servant and wiped his face, clearing his head somewhat. After receiving sobering tea, he saw Li Yuanji still slumped over the table and said, “Bring a cup for Prince Qi as well, then prepare a carriage to send Prince Qi back.”