My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 90 I Miss Qingque

The impact of the Qi Wang rebellion case was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing waves that would take a long time to calm down.

After all, in this rebellion, there were a large number of officials and nobles who followed Yin Hongzhi.

You know, treason has been a heinous crime since ancient times, how could it be a trivial matter?
However, Li Shimin had many considerations in his mind when facing this matter.

On the one hand, the reputation of the Li family was of vital importance. If this matter was publicized and became out of control, it would definitely bring disgrace to the royal family.

This would not only affect his prestige as an emperor, but would also leave a disgraceful mark in history books, which would in turn affect his political achievements, which he has always attached great importance to.

Li Shimin knew very well that during his reign, the prosperity and stability of the Tang Dynasty and the fairness and strictness of the laws were important manifestations of his political achievements.

Now, the emergence of this case of treason has undoubtedly cast a shadow on this political achievement.

It is worth mentioning that in the Tang Dynasty, only dozens of prisoners were sentenced to death each year.

At first glance, this phenomenon seems to indicate that the moral standards of the Tang Dynasty were extremely high, even far exceeding those of later generations. But in fact, the situation is not that simple.

At present, both the Dali Temple and local judicial institutions are extremely cautious when facing cases that may involve the death penalty.

Every case like this will go through a first trial, a second trial, and even repeated retrials after the trial.

In order to avoid the death penalty, the judges racked their brains, constantly looking for loopholes in the vast legal provisions, trying every possible way to find ways for the prisoners to escape the death penalty.

In this era, sentencing to death is by no means something that can add to one's achievements. On the contrary, it has become a stain that may bring negative effects.

Therefore, in this massive case of treason, the number of people who would actually be sentenced to death, including Yin Hongzhi, would definitely not exceed fifty.

Among these fifty people, more than forty of them were likely to have no strong background or backing. Those who followed the King of Qi to participate in the rebellion were undoubtedly the main targets of the scapegoat.

In this political storm, due to the lack of adequate shelter, they could only helplessly bear the most severe punishment.

Those who have connections and connections may be able to escape the storm through various means, or only receive relatively light punishment.

"Who taught you to be so rebellious?"

When Li Chengqian saw the verdicts sent to the Eastern Palace by Sun Fujia, which were almost all demotions and salary cuts, he simply threw them to the ground.

"Your Highness, this is all based on the Zhenguan Law. Every item above has a law to follow and a law to consult."

"It was not my own decision, but the decision was made by the officials of the Dali Temple."

Sun Fujia's face was calm. He had known long ago that coming to deliver the verdict today would definitely not be a good thing.

This is how the prince wants to attack himself.

Otherwise, the person who came to send him off would be Su Tan, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple.

"What a joke! The crime of treason carries the penalty of death for all participants, but you can't even be exiled?"

"Come, explain to me clearly what the Zhenguan Code says."

"Otherwise, I will investigate whether you are an accomplice and secretly participated in the rebellion."

Li Chengqian sneered and said that if this happened in later dynasties, treason would result in the execution of all nine generations of the clan. Not to mention people, even the earthworms in the yard would be chopped in half and the yolks in eggs would be shaken apart.

The laws of the Tang Dynasty were lenient. Those who plotted rebellion were sentenced to death, and those implicated were exiled thousands of miles away and their property was confiscated.

As for the confiscation of property, Li Chengqian was hoping to make a small fortune.

"According to the Zhenguan Law, the first person to be beheaded should be the King of Qi."

Sun Fujia was still very strong-willed. People in the court and the public said that he had the style of Wei Zheng, a minister of remonstrance.

It was he who proposed to Li Yuan to establish the official position of "remonstrant minister".

Li Chengqian said, "Yes, that's right, but the King of Qi was pardoned by His Majesty. Why don't you go find His Majesty and ask him to pardon all these people?"

Sun Fujia was a little angry: "Your Highness is making far-fetched arguments. If that's the case, then I'm sorry that my ability is limited and I can't handle this case."

Sun Fujia is not young anymore. He has been over fifty years old since the Sui Dynasty.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Okay, since Sun Siqing wants to retire, I will grant your wish. From now on, you don't have to go to the Dali Temple. Go home and enjoy your old age."

Sun Fujia's face changed slightly. He didn't expect the prince to be so tough. But he was not someone who would back down easily, so he straightened his spine and said, "Your Highness, I have been upright all my life, just to uphold the justice of the law."

"If Your Highness insists on doing so, I have nothing to say. But I believe that Your Majesty will be able to see through everything and bring justice to this case."

Li Chengqian snorted coldly and said, "Do you think I will be afraid if you use my father to pressure me?"

"This case should be severely punished according to the law. If you give such a light sentence, who will fear the law in the future? Who will take the court seriously?"

Sun Fujia was silent for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, this old minister is not giving a light sentence. This case involves many people. If we kill people on a large scale, it may cause unrest in the government and the people will be in panic."

"And your majesty also intends to be lenient in sentencing me to show the demeanor of a benevolent monarch."

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Mercy? Humph, mercy is for those who are loyal to the emperor and love the country, not for those who are plotting rebellion. Since they dare to rebel, they should think about the consequences."

The reason why Sun Fujia was targeted was because his father-in-law Su Tan sent someone to pass on the message.

Last night, Sun Fujia went into the prison alone to see Yin Hongzhi, but it is unknown what they talked about.

It was obvious that Sun Fujia was working for other people, otherwise he would not have been unaware of the need to avoid suspicion.

Li Chengqian could also guess that they were roughly those people who were against him.

"Alright, review the verdict. If necessary, exile him. If necessary, confiscate his property."

"The crime of treason is that Yin Hongzhi instigated and induced the King of Qi. The King of Qi is young, so he can be exempted from punishment."

"Afterwards, the King of Qi will naturally be demoted to a commoner. You don't need to worry about it."

"If you send me a judgment like this again, don't blame me for directly holding you accountable."

Sun Fujia was one of the Nine Ministers. Li Chengqian did not have the power to dismiss him directly. This matter had to be reported to His Majesty. He was just trying to scare him before.

Of course, if they were ruthless and locked him up in the East Palace jail, most people would just stare blankly, report to the emperor, and then curse the prince.

Sun Fujia bowed and said, "I, your Highness, will enforce the law impartially. Please rest assured."

After saying that, Sun Fujia turned and left.

After seeing Sun Fujia leave, the eunuch Wen Zhong said, "Your Highness, I heard that Di Zhixun has some clues. The murder of Helan Chushi was done by Cui Shi of Qinghe."

"This Sun Fujia is not a member of the King of Wei's party and has little contact with the King of Wei. Now that he is protecting him, he must have been instructed by the Cui family of Qinghe."

Li Chengqian knew that this was because Wen Zhong did not want the Eastern Palace to make too many enemies. After all, Sun Fujia was one of the Nine Ministers and held a high position of power in Chang'an City.

He had made great contributions to Li Shimin in his early years, so even if Li Chengqian wanted to remove him from power, Li Shimin would protect him.

"Let him be. If the treason case is just covered up like this, it will be disastrous."

In history, the case of Prince Qi's rebellion was really covered up in this way. Except for Yin Hongzhi, many officials and nobles in the court were only lightly punished and that was the end of it.

But now it’s Li Chengqian, so it naturally can’t be that simple.

"By the way, what's the situation with Wei Zheng and the others now?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, Wei Zheng and Chu Suiliang are now leading the charge, together with those civil servants who have been disturbed, and have also won over a number of censors and remonstrators. They are collectively preparing to denounce Your Highness at the morning court in two days." Li Chengqian smiled and asked, "What crime are they going to charge me with?"

Wen Zhong bowed his head slightly and said, "They said that Your Highness lacked benevolence and virtue, and was disrespectful to important officials in the court, such as Wei Zheng and Chu Suiliang."

"Your Highness ordered bad people to insult the courtiers and splash gold juice at their door. Such behavior is too insulting and contrary to the royal style."

Li Chengqian snorted coldly: "There is no evidence at all, and they are trying to pin the blame on me."

"Gentlemen are harmonious but different, while villains are the same but not harmonious. Wei Zheng, Chu Suiliang and others were stubborn in some matters and failed to take the overall situation into consideration. I am just giving them a little warning, hoping that they can reflect on their mistakes and make better plans for the Tang Dynasty."

"Don't these civil servants always talk about Confucian classics?"

"Haven't you heard Lao Tzu say, 'Repay grievances with virtue, big or small?' You don't even care about the famous sayings of the saints. What kind of book are you reading?"

"Okay, we can spread the news about the bamboo paper. Don't they like to take the initiative? Let's see how they fight this time."

The best way to cover up a hot spot is to create a bigger hot spot.

Li Chengqian had naturally been prepared for this matter.

"Your Highness is wise."

"The person who spread the news has been arranged, and he is just waiting for the order to act."

The eunuch Wen Zhong flattered the emperor appropriately.

"Okay, let's get started."

Following Li Chengqian's order, the next day.

The news that the Eastern Palace had successfully made bamboo paper and would open up the bamboo paper craft spread quickly to every corner of Chang'an City like a spring breeze.

For a time, the whole of Chang'an was in an uproar. From the common people to the nobles, everyone was discussing this shocking news.

Especially for those students who are eager for knowledge but are discouraged by the high price of books, this is undoubtedly a ray of light that illuminates their path to study.

In the Tang Dynasty, paper has always been expensive. A roll of ordinary hemp paper costs hundreds of coins, and those high-quality papers are even more expensive, sometimes even thousands of coins.

For an ordinary family, the cost of buying paper for a roll of book is almost equivalent to their living expenses for several months.

In order to copy books, many poor students had to live frugally, look for cheap paper everywhere, or borrow other people's books to copy.

The civil officials who were originally prepared to denounce Li Chengqian also fell silent at this time. They had to admit that the prince's move brought great benefits to the Tang Dynasty.

Not only that, there were also famous officials who submitted memorials to the sage.

“Paper is a tool for carrying texts and conveying ideas.”

"Now the prince has made bamboo paper, which is a great achievement. Once bamboo paper is produced, the price will drop sharply, and students will have the hope to get books, and knowledge can be spread widely. This is beneficial to the foundation of the country, and can promote culture, cultivate talents, and strengthen the country. The prince's move can be said to be far-sighted and thoughtful."

The person who submitted the memorial was Gunalut, the most learned Confucian scholar and Confucianist of the day. He was called the "Nine Classics Treasury" by Chu Suiliang, and was a Counselor and Academician of the Hongwen Academy.

His affirmation undoubtedly had a great impact on the literary circle. Many people's absurd impression of the prince changed, and even many poor students cheered for the prince.

After all, the emergence of bamboo paper and the distribution of classics were of great benefit to the students from poor families.

With Gunalut's lead, other great scholars also submitted memorials to commend the crown prince.

For example, famous scholars such as Yan Shigu and Lu Deming, as well as many civil officials.

It seemed that in just one night, the prince's reputation spread throughout the entire Chang'an city and became known to everyone.

Wei Zheng’s residence in Chang’an city.

In the courtyard, Wei Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, his brows tightly furrowed, pacing back and forth, feeling very upset.

The fact that the prince invented bamboo paper was like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, which immediately caused waves and disrupted their preparations of several days.

The benefits of bamboo paper are obvious and are of great benefit to the country and the people.

The emergence of bamboo paper can revitalize culture, cultivate talents, and enhance national strength. This is a great achievement that cannot be easily denied.

But the problem is, how can he swallow this? Over the years, even His Majesty has defeated him in arguments, and now the prince is going to force the golden juice into his mouth.

You also have to cover his mouth to prevent him from spitting out.

However, if we force the blame, it will inevitably lead to many adverse consequences.

At this time, Chu Suiliang hurried over.

When he saw Wei Zheng, he bowed and said, "Brother Wei, now that the prince has invented bamboo paper, it has been praised by many great scholars. What should we do?"

Wei Zheng was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

After a long time, he said, "Let's observe for now. Although the prince has made contributions to the creation of bamboo paper, his previous mistakes cannot be ignored."

"Wait until the right time to make a decision. We cannot forget the prince's mistakes just because of a temporary benefit."

Chu Suiliang nodded. Although this was a bit hurtful, he felt that there was no better way at this time.

He said, "This is the only way. The prince is now famous. If we take any action, I am afraid it will cause the anger of the people."

"Although the bamboo paper incident has caused many people to change their views on the prince, we can't just stop there."

Wei Zheng sighed, his anger still lingering in his heart: "We should be cautious in this matter and not act rashly. Let's observe the prince's subsequent actions and then make plans."

In Tai Chi Palace.

Li Shimin looked through the memorials submitted in the past two days, and between the lines, there were words of praise for the prince.

And all of these people who submitted memorials had good reputations.

Li Shimin was naturally proud of the prince's behavior.

As the price of books drops, more outstanding students will inevitably emerge in the Tang Dynasty, and it will also have a strong impact on the monopoly of knowledge by aristocratic families.

However, the prince's influence was so great that Li Shimin was a little worried.

Previously, Qingque was good at literature and the prince was good at martial arts, and there was a balance between their competition.

But in this way, the balance will be broken.

The prince has a huge influence in both civil and military affairs. Qingque's Comprehensive Geography is far from that, not to mention that the prince is still editing Tiangong Kaiwu.

This also involves the reserve of talents. Originally, the Eastern Palace had a weak foundation, but now that it has become famous, many talented people will inevitably come to work for it.

In addition, the treason case led to the demotion of many officials, and it seemed that the heaven, earth and people were all leaning towards the prince.

This is not a good thing for Li Shimin.

Moreover, he will certainly reward the prince during the morning court tomorrow.

After thinking for a long time, Li Shimin ordered: "I miss Qingque. Let him enter the palace tomorrow and listen to the government affairs."

(End of this chapter)