bastard seizes tang

Chapter 659 The Prince Returns to Beijing
Li Tai would not have imagined that what he originally used to show his brotherly love, to please his father would become the most critical step in strangling his way to the heir.

Li Tai left the palace, still thinking about good things in his heart, but he didn't know that in Li Shimin's heart at this time, he and the crown prince were completely out of luck, not only because his talent, meritorious service, and reputation were not as good as Li Ke's, but What's more important is his attitude towards his brothers and Li Shimin's desire to preserve his sons behind him.

On that day, although the voice of the court was suppressed, the matter was far from over. The whole city of Chang'an was suffocating, as if something was brewing, waiting for Prince Li Ke to return to the capital.

And finally, just two days later, Prince Li Ke came back. After Li Ke returned to Chang'an, he never even went back to the East Palace. The first thing he did was to visit Li Shimin in the palace.

"Ke'er has traveled thousands of miles to Liangzhou. It's been hard work." In the Lizheng Hall, Li Ke sat down beside Li Shimin, and Li Shimin said to Li Ke.

Li Ke replied: "Father was joking. Although my son went to the northwest to run errands, he didn't have to face those officials in the court. It was very worry-free. During these days when my son was not in Chang'an, it was the emperor who really bothered."

"Hahaha"

Li Ke's words caught his ears, and Li Shimin couldn't help laughing. Li Shimin said to Li Ke with a smile: "You are telling the truth. You know that there are officials in the DPRK impeaching you."

Li Ke went to Liangzhou to open eyes to Su Dingfang, and then Guanlong officials impeached Li Ke. This was embarrassing Li Ke, but it was not embarrassing Li Shimin. Li Shimin didn't mean to blame Li Ke too much.

Li Ke said: "My son heard about it just after he entered the border of Guanzhong. There was a lot of commotion about this matter. It seems that there is a lot of jumping and running around the Guanlongmen clan."

In fact, it's not just the Guanlongmen faction who are behind this matter, Li Tai is also the same, but Li Ke took care of Li Shimin's face-to-face and never mentioned this matter.

Li Shimin said: "It's not surprising that this incident has caused such a big commotion. It is a big taboo to open the Wuwei warehouse without authorization. Although you are a prince, it is too reckless to do so."

Li Ke looked at Li Shimin and said: "I have not opened the Wuwei warehouse. The so-called opening of the Wuwei warehouse is just an illusion made by the minister. I have not moved a single grain of the Wuwei warehouse, and it is still in the warehouse. Now The Wuwei Warehouse Office and the Governor of Liangzhou can all prove it.”

Li Shimin was surprised by Li Ke's words, and Li Shimin asked in puzzlement: "Since you haven't used the Wuwei warehouse, where did the food you put in come from?"

Li Ke replied: "It's the treasury of the Governor's Department of Liangzhou, and the summer grain that Liangzhou should have handed over to Chang'an this year. At that time, there was a shortage of grain, and this batch of summer grain was withheld by my ministers to relieve Liangzhou's urgent need. Now that the crisis is over, I have ordered Xie Shufang, governor of Liangzhou, to buy another grain with the proceeds from the grain sale, and send it to Chang'an after collecting [-] shi, but it may take a few days at night."

Li Ke will not lie about these matters, the matter is over, as long as Li Shimin wants to investigate, he will be able to find out, so Li Ke's words cannot be false, and as for Li Ke's withholding of Liangzhou's summer grain and delaying the payment, it is even more important. It's nothing, people's food shortage, don't say it's delayed, even if it's avoided.

"So you did it on purpose?" Li Shimin asked Li Ke.

Li Ke replied: "Yes, this grain shortage is not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster. It is the result of the Guanlongmen faction controlling the grain market. However, the summer grain stored in the prefecture's warehouse and about to be escorted to Beijing is really limited. The Wuwei Warehouse pretended to have plenty of grain and sold it at a high price, the Guanlongmen faction would not release grain to the people."

"En." Li Shimin nodded upon hearing the words, and responded.

Li Ke's approach is really bold, but it is indeed the best way at that pass. It not only preserves the military rations in the Wuwei warehouse, but also allows the people to have food to eat, which can be said to be appropriate.

Li Shimin paused, and said with a smile: "In this way, what those Guanlongmen Clans impeached from the beginning to the end is nothing more than a false charge, and it is a joke."

Since Li Ke only withheld the summer grain and never misappropriated the Wuwei granary, it was not a crime, it was just an expedient measure, and the impeachment of Li Ke by the officials of the DPRK and China became nonsense.

Li Ke said: "Although today's incident is unfortunate, at least we have seen the faces of some officials in the court clearly, and it is not for nothing."

Listening to Li Ke's words, Li Shimin couldn't help but have a trace of bitterness in his eyes. In fact, the officials who impeached the East Palace this time showed their true colors not only those officials in charge of the Long family, but also Wei Wang Li Tai, but Li Shimin was unwilling to agree with these things. What Li Ke said.

Li Shimin said: "Then you should write to explain this matter earlier, so that you can argue for your father, so that the people in the court will not impeach you."

Li Ke said: "At that time, it was inconvenient for others to know about this matter. After all, it is not yet the time for the autumn grain to enter the warehouse. If it is known by then, I am worried that there will be troubles in Liangzhou."

"That's right, what you said is reasonable, this matter should not be rushed for a while." Li Shimin responded when he heard the words.

Immediately afterwards, Li Shimin said to Li Ke: "Since Ke'er never released the military rations in Wuwei warehouse privately, the officials from the Guanlongmen Clan who impeached Ke'er today are acting in vain."

Before Li Ke returned to Beijing, Li Ke himself never heard any news from Chang'an that he had opened Wuwei warehouse. Many officials in the court just heard the news, so they gathered a crowd to impeach Li Ke for opening Wuwei warehouse privately and releasing military rations without permission. And use this to seek personal gain, what's more, impeach Li Ke to win people's hearts by using the food distribution, and deliberately conspire against him.

If Li Ke really had something to do, then their impeachment of Li Ke would be justified. Li Ke's ministers are talking about the East Palace indiscriminately, which is a serious crime.

Although the officials of the Tang Dynasty are seldom convicted by their words, and Li Shimin's courtiers are also very generous, but those who shout the most fiercely and dance the most will not escape punishment. Even if they are not dismissed, it is inevitable to find opportunities to be relegated up.

Li Kedao: "The aristocratic family caused chaos, made Liangzhou short of food first, and then colluded with the courtiers, falsely arguing that the East Palace will be behind. If this matter is handled well, it will also hurt the Liangzhou aristocratic family. My son thinks that the father and the emperor can do it here. It is time to send important officials of the court to Liangzhou to thoroughly investigate and deal with this matter, at least it will make the Liangzhou family fear the power of the court and restrain themselves more."

Li Shimin thought for a while and asked, "Then do you have a favorite candidate?"

Now that Li Ke said so, he naturally thought about it a long time ago. Li Ke replied: "The prince Zuo concubine Yu Zhining is very good. He is a subject of the Eastern Palace, but he is also a child of Guanlong. He will not be too serious if he goes. Excessively intensifying the conflict can also show that the emperor attaches great importance to this matter."

Right now when Li Shimin is suppressing the Guanlongmen Clan, tit for tat, if we send Wei Zheng, an upright official who comes from a Shandong family, to go there at this time, it may cause the entire Guanlongmen Clan to backlash and create a big mess. Zhi Ning appeared to be much gentler, but at the same time, because of his status as an official of the East Palace, it was enough to make others fearful.

Li Shimin responded immediately: "Okay, according to what you said, I will send Yu Zhining to Liangzhou to thoroughly investigate this matter."

(End of this chapter)