Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 242 He is a brother of the same mother (Part )

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Zhang Liang, dressed in a blue prison uniform, walked into the hall step by step, then kowtowed heavily to the ground: "Your Majesty, I, the guilty minister Zhang Liang, pay my respects to you."

Li Shimin sat on the imperial couch and looked at Zhang Liang for a long time before he slowly said, "Duke Xun, you disappoint me."

The emperor's simple words made Zhang Liang burst into tears and cried bitterly, "Your Majesty, I am wrong. I am guilty. Your Majesty, please kill me!"

Zhang Liang burst into tears uncontrollably in the hall, and the other ministers in the hall couldn't help but slightly turn sideways.

Many of them came from the end of the Sui Dynasty and experienced countless wars together, even the Battle of Xuanwu Gate.

It had been seventeen years since the Zhenguan period, and no one had expected that so many old ministers would get into trouble.

First it was Liu Lancheng, then Hou Junji, and now it's Zhang Liang's turn.

"Okay, stop crying." Li Shimin snorted coldly, and Zhang Liang slowly stopped talking.

Looking at Zhang Liang kneeling on the ground, Li Shimin said coldly: "Smuggling military equipment, smuggling tea and silk, and trafficking people... You said that if you were only trafficking women from Goguryeo and Silla to the Tang Dynasty without me discovering, then I could pretend I didn't know. But you actually dared to traffic women from the Tang Dynasty to Goguryeo... Zhang Liang, you deserve to die!"

"Yes!" Zhang Liang immediately kowtowed deeply, banging his head against the ground and saying, "I am guilty, I deserve to die."

The ministers looked at Zhang Liang with some disgust.

The Tang Dynasty woman that Zhang Liang sold to Goguryeo was not an ordinary person. She was the daughter of a criminal official and a criminal woman.

This is something that all the ministers and officials cannot tolerate.

Not to mention that one day in the future they may unfortunately become criminals and they will be in trouble. Even now, many of the fathers and grandfathers of those criminal women who were resold by Zhang Liang were actually their former colleagues, or even their good friends, fellow clansmen, and teachers.

Whenever they think of such things, they can't help but grit their teeth.

"And there are three hundred more adopted sons!" Li Shimin leaned forward slightly, frowning, and shouted angrily, "All three hundred adopted sons are stationed throughout Chang'an. What? Are you trying to imitate Hou Jing?"

Hou Jing followed Erzhu Rong during the Northern Wei Dynasty and later followed Gao Huan. After Gao Huan's death, he rebelled against the Northern Qi and defected to the Southern Liang Dynasty. Feared by Emperor Wu of Liang, he raised an army in rebellion, besieged Jiankang, and starved Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, to death. He then established Xiao Zhengde, Xiao Gang, and Xiao Dong as the heirs, and proclaimed himself the Great General of the Universe. He even proclaimed himself emperor, calling himself the Great Han.

When the emperor mentioned Hou Jing, all the ministers' faces darkened.
Hou Jing had five hundred cavalrymen around him, all of whom were his adopted sons, so he was able to travel freely between the north and the south. Later, it was because these adopted sons either died or rebelled that he was defeated by Chen Baxian.

"Your Majesty, I absolutely do not have such an idea." Zhang Liang kowtowed vigorously with a look of panic.

Li Shimin looked at Zhang Liang and said calmly, "If you didn't have these thoughts, how could you be threatened by Qingque?"

The emperor finally implicated Li Tai.

Zhang Liang was slightly stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Li Shimin raised his head, sighed softly, looked outside the Zhenguan Hall, and said lightly: "The Qianniu Guards found a secret plan in the Prince of Wei's mansion. The Prince of Wei said that not only you, but also Hou Junji, have some dark thoughts in their hearts.

Qingque is not stupid, he sees you through, and he is prepared, for both you and Hou Junji."

Zhang Liang's eyes were filled with confusion. Li Tai was just a clever fool. What could he do?

"He plans to kill you two after everything is done. Once you're dead, you'll be the ones to start the mutiny, and he'll be the one to put it down." Li Shimin sneered softly and said, "Qingque is no good, and neither are you two. Qingque is planning this because he senses that you two are planning to kill him and establish your own power... You're imitating what happened in Taiyuan!"

The ministers in the hall were all shocked. It was the first time they heard about this. Then, they couldn't help but look at Zhang Liang.

This guy really has the idea of ​​treason.

Zhang Liang was stunned. He quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I absolutely do not have such thoughts."

"Three thousand crossbows, ready to be deployed at any moment! Ha!" Li Shimin snorted coldly. He looked up and said, "Someone come!"

Two heavily armored Qianniu Guards strode in from outside the hall, then stood beside Zhang Liang and bowed silently to the emperor.

"Take him out of Youye Gate and behead him." Li Shimin waved his hand with a cold expression.

The sudden change caught the ministers and Zhang Liang off guard. Two Qianniu guards had already grabbed Zhang Liang, one on the left and one on the right, and were walking towards the outside of the Zhenguan Hall.

Zhang Liang finally reacted and shouted, "Your Majesty, I did not do that. I am wronged!"

"Outwardly honest, yet treacherous within. He believed in evil words and relied on the evil prophecy of the bow's length. He raised a righteous child, but his evil deeds became known. His treacherous nature is clearly demonstrated here." Li Shimin looked at Zhang Liang, who had already reached the palace gate, and said in a cold voice, "Do I need to say more about the matter between Cheng Gongying and Gongsun Chang?"

Zhang Liang was stunned for a moment, his expression dejected, and then he was directly left behind.

At this moment, all the ministers in the palace completely understood that Zhang Liang had really thought about rebellion, and he had discussed it with others.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and said, "My Lords, the matter of Zhang Liang has been settled. As for the matter of the King of Wei, all the ministers should return to the Ministry of Personnel for discussion. When there is a result, please inform me."

“Yes!” Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, Yang Shidao, Cen Wenben, Liu Li, Yu Zhining, the seven prime ministers bowed at the same time.

"Let's adjourn the court." Li Shimin stood up and said, "I'm going to see that evil creature!"

"Your Majesty, we respectfully bid you farewell!" The ministers all bowed. By the time they stood up, the emperor had already left. Fang Xuanling bowed to Zhangsun Wuji in front of him and asked in a low voice, "Prince, what exactly does Your Majesty mean?"

"I don't know." Changsun Wuji glanced at Li Shimin's departing figure, then said softly, "We just need to follow the law and consider all possible mitigating factors. What remains is the King of Wei's decision."

"Yes!" Fang Xuanling bowed slowly.

Li Tai's rebellion was suppressed that night, and no one died at their hands.

So the impact of this incident is not that big.

After all, he was only the King of Wei and not the Crown Prince. With the three heads of Du Chuke, Zhang Liang and Hou Junji, Li Tai could survive, but how would he live? Would he be exiled as Your Majesty said, or imprisoned as the Crown Prince said?

All the ministers inadvertently ignored Li Zhi because he did not put forward any suggestions.

……

Coming out of the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian and Li Zhi walked side by side and headed towards the Tongming Hall in the west.

Princess Jinyang Li Sizi and Li Zhi lived together in Tongming Palace in Luoyang.

A river flows into the harem from the Jiuzhou Pond on the west side, and the water is clear and calm.

Li Chengqian and Li Zhi walked in front, with four eunuchs following quietly behind them.

Looking at the Tongming Palace not far ahead, Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhi and said with a smile: "Zhi Nu, I heard that you are getting married soon. How is it going? Whose daughter is the princess?"

Li Zhi was not surprised when he heard Li Chengqian ask this.

After all, Changsun Wuji had been exposed to so many people regarding his marriage, so it was normal for the news to reach the East Palace.

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "It hasn't been decided yet. My uncle is manipulating everything, and the final decision will be made by my father."

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded, then smiled and said, "No matter what, I have to ask your opinion in the end. However, as someone who has been through this, I do have something to remind you!"

"My emperor, please speak?" Li Zhi stopped and bowed, looking at Li Chengqian curiously.

"Age!" Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "Remember, when choosing a princess, she must be older. This way, future childbirth will be much smoother."

"Ah?" Li Zhi exclaimed in surprise, then quickly waved his hand and said, "Zhi Nu hasn't thought of that yet."

"Once the candidate is chosen, the marriage will take place within three months. It's too early to think about it now." Li Chengqian raised his head and said softly, "Let's not talk about others. Princess Wei was too young back then and gave birth too early. As a result, she didn't have her second son until ten years later."

Li Zhi's brows twitched involuntarily, and his expression immediately grew serious. He quickly bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness will remember this."

"Okay, let's go." Li Chengqian smiled and glanced at the eunuchs behind him.

In front of the Tongming Palace, Princess Jinyang, dressed in a pink kimono and looking bright, saw Li Chengqian and couldn't help but bow happily, saying, "Greetings, my royal brother."

Li Chengqian looked at Princess Jinyang and said with a smile, "Sizi, it's only been a few months since we last met, and you've grown a lot. Now, come into the palace."

"Here!"

In Tongming Palace, Li Chengqian looked at Princess Jinyang and said with a smile, "Zhi Nu is getting married soon, and it looks like Si Zi won't be far away either."

"Royal brother!" Princess Jinyang looked at Li Chengqian shyly, and then her expression became gloomy.

"Sizi, are you worried that Zhinu will be lonely in the palace after she leaves?" Li Chengqian saw through Princess Jinyang's thoughts at a glance.

"Yes!" Princess Jinyang nodded, then lowered her head.

"Sizi!" Li Zhi wanted to say something worriedly, but didn't know how to say it.

Once Li Zhi got married, he had to move out of the palace, and Princess Jinyang was the only one left in the palace.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "After Zhinu's wedding, I and Zhinu will petition together, asking you, Sizi, to come to the Eastern Palace more often. Your sister-in-law will have more time and can accompany you."

"Thank you, my royal brother." Princess Jinyang immediately relaxed and bowed.

Sitting down again, Princess Jinyang asked with some concern, "Royal brother, what will happen to Fourth Brother?"

"It shouldn't be a big deal." Li Chengqian pondered and said, "After all, the matter in Chang'an has been suppressed. As for if someone really wants to force something on Qingque, at worst, I can personally write a letter to the emperor, begging him to spare Qingque."

Li Chengqian sighed and said, "No matter what, he is still my brother from the same mother."

Li Zhi and Princess Jinyang nodded in unison.

The palace eunuchs on both sides stood calmly.

(End of this chapter)