In the Imperial City, the setting sun sets in the west, and the afterglow shines on the glazed tiles of the palace, shining with a golden glow, casting a golden brilliance on this magnificent palace.
In the Tai Chi Hall, His Majesty Li Er was sitting high, his brows slightly furrowed, obviously thinking about something.
At this time, His Majesty Li Er was a little confused and a little unwilling.
He single-handedly created this powerful empire and created unprecedented civil and military skills.
I just wanted to use the reformed imperial examination to deal with the aristocratic family, but something like this happened. Is it going to end in vain?
Two days have passed since the investigation of Xu Zhang’s case!
There was still no news about Qin Huaidao and Di Renjie, which made Li Er secretly worried.
If the murderer of Xu Zhang's case cannot be found, do we really have to give in to the family?
Faced with the family's calculations, His Majesty Li Er was afraid that Qin Huaidao and others would not be able to find evidence.
After all, Qin Huaidao's methods are still a bit too young.
Involuntarily, Yang Fan's figure appeared in His Majesty Li Er's mind again.
If Yang Fan is really put in charge of this case, will it be a different scene?
For a while, His Majesty Li Er began to worry about gains and losses.
Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps outside the hall.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The voice of Baiqi leader Li Junxian sounded.
His Majesty Li Er withdrew his thoughts, sat down solemnly, and asked: "But there is news about Xu Zhang's case?"
"Exactly."
"Oh, tell me in detail." His Majesty Li Er became a little more interested and asked happily.
Li Junxian coughed lightly and smiled awkwardly: "Your Majesty, I don't know the reason. I just received news from Qin Huaidao, saying that the case involves a wide range of things, and the British father-in-law will come to present it to Your Majesty in person.
Report."
His Majesty Li Er was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion: "I remember that the British public was not responsible for this case. How could he be involved in it? Is there something hidden?"
Li Junxian replied with a wry smile: "The British Prime Minister is waiting outside the palace. The general also asked about the situation of the case, but the British Prime Minister said that he could only inform him after seeing His Majesty."
Hearing this, His Majesty Li Er couldn't help but feel a little strange.
Li Junxian, as his eyeliner, represents himself outside. It is incredible that Li Ji is so cautious.
However, Li Er quickly hired someone to recruit Li Ji.
Before Li Ji could speak, His Majesty Li Er asked impatiently: "Gongmao is entering the palace at this time, but what's the important matter?"
Li Ji did not answer immediately, but looked at the chambermaids, maids and Li Junxian standing aside.
Li Er immediately knew that this matter was not a trivial matter, and waved his hands to the chamberlain and maid with a gloomy face, but let Li Junxian stay.
Li Ji didn't say anything else, and quickly walked to the door and closed the palace door. Then he carefully took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to His Majesty Li Er.
Seeing how cautious Li Ji was, His Majesty Li Er took the memorial without saying a word and read it carefully, word for word.
As the reading progressed, His Majesty Li Er's entire handsome face became distorted, and the muscles in his cheeks bulged. You can almost imagine the anger in his heart!
Seeing His Majesty Li Er's terrifying appearance, Li Junxian really regretted staying in the palace. He had not seen the emperor so angry for many years.
He calmly took a few steps back, as if he was afraid that Li Er's anger would be vented on him.
Li Ji, who had been mentally prepared for a long time, felt a little nervous when he saw His Majesty Li Er's appearance.
When Li Er was framed by Prince Li Jiancheng and even suppressed at every turn, he had never seen His Majesty the Emperor so angry.
As a veteran official, Li Ji certainly knew that this was not a good time to give advice, so he lowered his head and counted the ants on the ground.
Of course, if there really are ants in this Tai Chi Hall!
Just listen to a "bang" sound.
The table in front of him was kicked away by His Majesty Li Er, and the paper, pen, ink and inkstone on the table rolled and flew far away, falling to the ground and scattered all over the place.
Li Junxian was frightened by this sudden change and immediately knelt down, not daring to raise his head. His burly body was trembling, for fear of harming Chi Yu.
Li Ji still looked like an old god, without even frowning, as if what happened just now had nothing to do with him.
"I'm so angry! The prince is too incompetent. Do you really want to force me to dethrone him as prince?"
"And that Chang Sun Chong, I didn't expect that he is usually so gentle and elegant, but he is so insidious and cunning. Do you think that with his father protecting me, I won't dare to chop off his head?"
"This is simply unreasonable! Two grown men are living with a music boy from Taichang Temple. They are completely shameless. How can they have the shame to live in this world?"
His Majesty Li Er was so furious that he could hardly control himself and his words were somewhat incoherent!
The veins on his forehead were like squirming earthworms, and his face was as ferocious as a beast that chose people to devour.
The handsome face and amiable temperament of the past have long been forgotten.
No matter it was Li Junxian, who was deeply trusted, or Li Ji, who was in a high position, no one dared to talk to him at this moment.
When the emperor is angry, the ground will be covered with fire. This is no joke.
This anger can only be calmed down by His Majesty Li Er himself. If he interrupts rashly, he is simply seeking death.
How can ministers like them get involved in royal affairs?
His Majesty Li Er vented for a while, and then sat down on the dragon chair in a dejected manner. He breathed heavily for a long time, and then slowly calmed down.
After staring at Li Ji for a long time, His Majesty Li Er asked coldly: "Gong Mao, is what is written in the memorial true? Do you think someone is deliberately trying to flatter my emperor?"
Li Ji sorted out his thoughts, slowly raised his head, and said softly: "Your Majesty, this incident just happened to happen, and the memorial to Yue Yue was also entrusted by Marquis Zhongyi and Qin Huaidao..."
"Whether the testimony is true or not, Wei Chen can only say that he saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, and it was also interrogated by Baiqi himself."
"As for whether the prince has been framed by others, I am old and my brain is a little dull, so I can't tell right from wrong. So I reported the truth to His Majesty and let the Holy One make a decision."
If Yang Fan knew that Li Ji sold him out as soon as he opened his mouth, I wonder if he would agree to Li Ji's condition.
However, His Majesty Li Er cannot control so much.
Looking at Li Ji, who was very knowledgeable about current affairs, His Majesty Li Er's mood did not improve. He rubbed his throbbing temples and had a headache.
If you want to cover up the scandal between the Changsun family and the royal family, then the punishment for this matter can only be limited.
But Li Chengqian actually leaked the imperial examination questions to a music boy, which was completely intolerable to His Majesty Li Er.
After all, the imperial examination was Li Er's most powerful means to deal with the aristocratic family, but now it was defeated from within. How could he not be angry?
Now the deposed prince's thoughts became clearer.
What's more, now that Xu Zhang's case has evidence proving that it was the family's plan, His Majesty Li Er still wants to use this as a blackmail to make these aristocratic families surrender under his feet.
But now Li Er is a little hesitant!
If you want to use this evidence to deal with the aristocratic family, Prince Li Chengqian will inevitably be involved.
It is undeniable that His Majesty Li Er is one of the few emperors who is relatively affectionate.
If you want to use this evidence to deal with the aristocratic family, it may have very good results.
Once the radish is pulled out bring out the mud!
It may bring the affairs and grudges between Chang Sun Chong and Prince Li Chengqian to the surface.
In this way, not only will the royal family lose face, but it may also push the eldest grandson's family to the opposite side.
Although Changsun Wuji is just a minister, who dares to underestimate the network of relationships he has built in the court over the years?
If Changsun Wuji was really pushed to join the aristocratic family, would it be too late for him, Li Er, to regret it?
Moreover, if this matter were made public, it would be equivalent to destroying Li Chengqian's son, and His Majesty Li Er couldn't bear it.
Suddenly, His Majesty Li Er was in a dilemma.
Looking at the hesitant emperor, Li Ji of course guessed what he was thinking and quickly said: "Your Majesty, this confession comes from a man who is greedy for life and afraid of death. I think the authenticity needs to be considered."
"As for the rumors about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Sun Chong, the Minister of Rites, I think they are just deliberately fabricated by Wang Dachui. The purpose is of course to disrupt Baiqi's vision of handling the case and evade his own guilt."
"Since Wang Dachui is the mastermind of Xu Zhang's death, the death penalty should be imposed as soon as possible after reviewing the evidence."
"As for the Taichang Temple music boy, taking advantage of the opportunity to get close to the prince to steal the imperial examination questions, the greatest evil..."
Having said this, the next step is to see what His Majesty the Emperor wants!
If you continue to trust the prince, then the matter will naturally end here, and all the evidence will be destroyed, allowing Wang Dachui and Cheng Xin to take the blame.
If he is extremely disappointed with the prince, then the emperor will definitely let the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple take over, give an upright trial, and then depose the prince.
After all, Baiqi is just the emperor's personal intelligence organization, so naturally it cannot continue to pursue the case.
Otherwise, once this example is started, Baiqi will definitely become an existence outside the Tang Dynasty system, which is not a good thing.
His Majesty Li Er looked at the memorial in front of him, his brows were furrowed, he was filled with depression, and his expression was changing uncertainly.
Finally, he sighed slightly, obviously agreeing with Li Ji's words.
These words completely removed Prince Li Chengqian and Changsun Chong from this matter.
It can be said that it has protected the face of the royal family and given His Majesty Li Er a step forward.
With the steps in hand, Li Er naturally followed the trend and said righteously: "Imperial examination candidate Wang Dachui and Taichang Temple Le Tong Zhongxin deliberately disrupted the order of the imperial examination for their own selfish desires. Their intentions are punishable and their crimes are unpardonable. Now, the special
Li Junxian will lead his men to arrest and bring him to justice. If he dares to resist, he will be shot without mercy!"
As soon as these words came out, Wang Dachui and Le Tong were immediately sentenced to death.
Li Junxian knew that the purpose of His Majesty Li Er's words was obviously to kill people and silence them.
Regardless of whether the other party resisted during the capture process, the final result would be that he would be killed if he resisted, and Wang Dachui would no longer have a reason to live.
Now that His Majesty Li Er has spoken, no one dares to continue the investigation. This involves the royal family's face. Who dares to make a mistake?
If something even more dirty is discovered by accident, not only will the royal family lose face, but the people investigating the case will also not end well.
There is no guarantee that the furious His Majesty Li Er will not chop them all down to save the face of the royal family.
Therefore, Li Ji and Li Junxian could only pretend to be deaf and dumb in response to His Majesty Li Er's blatant flattery.
Everyone has selfish motives!
Even the wise and mighty His Majesty Li Er is like this.
There was a sudden silence in the hall, and finally His Majesty Li Er asked: "What has the prince been doing recently?"
Li Ji was slightly stunned, why did he run to the prince?
However, at this time, Li Jiyao was leading the crown prince's left guard, and his relationship with the crown prince was quite close.
After hearing this, Li Ji quickly replied: "After the prince came back from Tubo, except for going to Taichang Temple from time to time, he rarely played around every day. He either studied hard at Chongxian Hall or studied and handled government affairs in the East Palace."
His Majesty Li Er slightly nodded his head, feeling a little relieved.
He was extremely confused about Li Chengqian.
If such a scandal had occurred, if His Majesty Li Er had followed his past temper, Li Chengqian would have been dethroned as crown prince long ago.
But now it is very helpless to maintain it like this.
As the supreme emperor of the Tang Empire, the mighty Tian Khan could only act like thousands of fathers in the world when facing his own son, and could not bear to destroy him.
After all, as his eldest son, His Majesty Li Er has spent a lot of effort and energy...
When Li Chengqian was six years old, His Majesty Li Er asked the famous Confucian master Lu Deming to teach him;
At the age of eleven, His Majesty Li Er began to consciously cultivate his ability to handle government affairs;
When he was sixteen years old, the prince liked to pretend to be a barbarian, and His Majesty Li Er also took great pains to lead him back to the right path.
Even if there were rumors that the crown prince's position was unstable, they would immediately appoint Fang Xuanling, Kong Yingda and others as the crown prince and grand master to defeat the public's expectations.
His Majesty Li Er, who knows people's hearts well and is well aware of the world's general situation, cannot figure it out.
Why did the son who was so smart, benevolent and filial at the beginning turn into the absurd, arrogant and lewd person he is now?
Could it be that my training has been in the wrong direction?
After thinking about it, Li Er said: "It's not enough to study and deal with political affairs all day long. You need to learn more about the ways of saints to correct yourself. I have passed on my decree and ordered the prince to study the Book of Rites in the East Palace and not to leave the palace for three months."
"
Hearing this, Li Ji felt that he was becoming increasingly unclear about His Majesty Li Er's thoughts!
Just now, he had an attitude of "I am very angry and the consequences will be very serious", but now he is so protective of Li Chengqian, which makes people a little confused.
His Majesty Li Er seems to have confined Li Chengqian in the East Palace, but is it not a decision made to protect Li Chengqian?
In any case, Li Ji finally understood what His Majesty Li Er meant, and the matter was settled.
From a side perspective, it also meant to warn Li Ji.
…
Baiqi was very efficient. As soon as he came out of Tai Chi Hall, Li Junxian led several groups of troops to Taichang Temple.
Taichang Temple, as the institution in charge of temple rituals and music, is the highest administrative organ in charge of rituals and music.
The music boy of Taichang Temple is pleased with his status, and his status is equivalent to that of a singer, but he is loved by the prince Li Chengqian.
Therefore, he often went in and out of the East Palace and was picked up and dropped off by the prince every time. The relationship between him and the prince was naturally self-evident.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was not a shameful thing for wealthy people to like masculine styles.
If Li Chengqian is just a good man, His Majesty Li Er won't care too much and won't bother to take care of it. After all, it won't be spread in the East Palace.
But now, as the crown prince of the country, the prince neglected the beautiful concubines in the East Palace and refused to favor him. Instead, he was jealous of Changsun Chong over a music boy, which made Li Er angry.
What's more, the status of the prince is different from that of ordinary people. After all, he is the one who wants to inherit the throne. Every word and deed may affect the image of the royal family.
Of course His Majesty Li Er couldn't bear it. He was reluctant to deal with the prince, and he didn't want to turn against the eldest son's family.
Although Li Chengqian's actions this time made His Majesty Li Er very angry, it has not yet reached the point where the prince must be deposed.
His Majesty Li Er is a very decisive character.
As King of Qin, he realized that as his military exploits became more and more prominent, the generals in the army became more and more inclined to him, and Prince Li Jiancheng became more and more suspicious of him.
Once Li Jiancheng ascends the throne, what he will most likely face is a glass of poisonous wine or three feet of white silk.
Therefore, Li Er immediately launched a resistance, even though he had the reputation of killing his brother and his brother, he brazenly launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
He forced Li Yuan to make himself the crown prince. Soon after, he once again forced his father to abdicate in favor of someone worthy of his throne, and he ascended the throne himself.
The decisive killing finally gave him the last laugh.
But now he is afraid!
Depose the prince?
At least Li Er hasn’t thought about it now!
Because of the bad consequences of doing so, His Majesty Li Er had to hesitate.
His own throne came through a coup. If the next emperor is still not the heir apparent, he will succeed him.
Then, it is likely that an impression will be deeply ingrained among his descendants.
Let the younger generations think that the throne can be fought for.
If everyone has this kind of thinking, who will remain contentedly and watch others become emperors?
It is unbelievable that every subsequent change of imperial power in the Tang Dynasty will be accompanied by intrigues and bloodshed.
Once such a tradition is formed, it will easily shake the foundation of the country, which is definitely not what His Majesty Li Er wants to see.
Therefore, the only choice is to end the matter here and let Rong Xin take the blame.