Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 76 Changsun Wuji enters the palace
In early spring in February, there is abundant rain.

The drizzle hit the eaves of Dali Prison.

Di Renjie and Xue Rengui stood side by side under the eaves, one of them looked up at the dark sky, while the other lowered his head, thinking about his own things.

Xue Rengui suddenly raised his head and asked, "Di Shaoqing, I still don't understand. How can you be sure that Du Chong can make Cui Wenhan speak?"

Di Renjie said, "I'm only 80% sure, but if Du Chong can't do it, then no one can."

"Do they have a special relationship?"

Di Renjie said, "Yes. Cui Wenhan married Du Chong's sister, but that's not the main reason."

"Oh?"

Di Renjie said, "People like Cui Wenhan are most aware of the terrifying power of local powerful families like the Jingzhao Wei and Jingzhao Du families. He would rather offend Zhangsun Wuji than offend them."

Xue Rengui nodded.

Cui Wenhan leaking the test questions was enough to illustrate this point.

At this moment, a Qianniu guard came out and whispered to Xue Rengui, "General, Cui Wenhan has spoken. He has already written down his confession and signed it."

Xue Rengui's eyes flashed, and he looked at Di Renjie, and both of them showed joy in their eyes.

Not long after, Du Chong walked out of Dali Prison with a gloomy face, with Cui Wenhan's confession in his hands.

"Mr. Di, I have helped you get what you want." Du Chong said with a cold face.

Di Renjie took it and looked at it, and found that Cui Wenhan had confessed everything.

For example: Zhangsun Wuji called him over to revise the notice, while Lai Ji threatened him with his family to keep his mouth shut.

Even the jailer who helped Du Chong convey the message, asking him to push the Gao Youdao incident onto Bai Xiaojie, was explained clearly.

Du Chong said solemnly, "Is this enough to prove my innocence now?"

Di Renjie said, "Okay, I believe the iron needle incident has nothing to do with County Lord Du. But you still can't escape responsibility for Gao Youdao's affairs!"

Du Chong said coldly: "Then just throw me into Dali Prison."

Di Renjie said, "This case will be reheard on another day. You can go home and wait."

Du Chong strode out of the Dali Temple without saying a word. A servant came over to hold an umbrella for him, but he kicked him away.

Dark clouds hung low, cold winds were blowing, and the rain was getting heavier and heavier.

Han Ai took a carriage to the Duke of Zhao's mansion. As soon as he entered the lobby, he saw that Lai Ji and Chang Sun Chong both had very ugly faces, one with pale complexion and the other as pale as paper.

"What's the matter?" He had a bad feeling in his heart.

Chang Sun Chong said nothing.

Lai Ji looked at him and after a long while, he said, "Cui Wenhan... confessed..." His voice was full of bitterness.

Han Ai was shocked and asked, "How is this possible? Is this information reliable?"

Lai Ji said, "General Xin Mao sent someone to deliver it. He said Du Chong went to the Dali prison and brought out a confession. Di Renjie has already brought the confession to the palace."

Han Ai was furious and cursed, "Du Chong, this idiot, is he crazy? How dare he come to attack us?"

Lai Ji remained silent. It was not difficult to understand why they used Du Chong and Du Chong turned against them in anger.

But he didn't expect that Di Renjie, a young man in his twenties, was so terrifying. He took advantage of the situation and used Du Chong to make Cui Wenhan speak.

"Sir-in-law, does the commander know about this?" Han Ai asked.

Changsun Chong shook his head. He didn't dare to tell Changsun Wuji.

Han Ai said, "At this point, we can only tell the Grand Marshal. You and I alone cannot handle the current situation."

At this moment, a servant from the Duke's Mansion rushed in and shouted to Changsun, "My dear, this is bad! Ah Lang has entered the palace!"

The wind blows the clouds and the rain is heavy.

Inside the imperial city, on Chengtianmen Street, officials who were working with umbrellas stopped and looked at the street in horror.

I saw an elderly official walking slowly in the rain, his whole body soaked like a drowned rat.

Who would have thought that the man was the number one person in the dynasty, the Grand Marshal Changsun Wuji.

Some senior officials hurriedly pulled away the dazed young officials.

In an instant, Chengtianmen Street became quiet and there was not a single person in sight.

When Changsun Wuji arrived at Chengtian Gate and was about to pass through the gate, Changsun Chong chased him from behind, held an umbrella over his head, and shouted, "Father, what are you doing? Come back with me!"

Changsun Wuji didn't even look at him and continued walking.

The gate guards, upon seeing this strange sight, turned their heads away after checking the fish token, not daring to take another look.

After passing through the city gate, Chang Sun Chong saw that there was no one around and hurriedly said, "Father, even if Cui Wenhan had spoken, the situation wouldn't have deteriorated to this point. Why did you do this?"

Zhang Sun Wuji finally stopped and shook his head, saying, "Why can't you see the situation clearly?"

Chang Sun Chong said, "Cui Wenhan leaked the exam questions, but he was only executed. We only instructed him to modify the list. With your familiarity with the Yonghui Code..."

Changsun Wuji interrupted, "Chong'er, go back. Submit a petition tomorrow and request to be posted as a provincial governor."

Changsun Chong gritted his teeth and stood in front of Changsun Wuji.

"Father, I don't understand why you suddenly became so weak?"

Zhang Sun Wuji stared at him for a long moment, then slowly said, "Do you still remember how Li Ke died in the fourth year of Yonghui?"

Chang Sun Chong was startled. He glanced around and whispered, "Didn't you use the Fang Yiai case to bring him down?"

Changsun Wuji said: "That's not right."

Chang Sun Chong was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Is it because you caught Fang Yiai's attention and tricked him into falsely accusing Li Ke?"

Changsun Wuji still shook his head.

Chang Sun Chong said, "Then my son can't figure it out."

Chang Sun Wuji said coldly, "It's very simple. I have murderous intentions towards him, and now I have an excuse to kill him."

Chang Sun Chong was stunned and asked, "Why are you saying this suddenly?"

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "Your desire to kill Cui Wenhan to silence him has already made the Saint want to kill me. Now that Cui Wenhan has spoken, the Saint has an excuse to kill me."

Chang Sun Chong's face changed as he said, "We just asked Cui Wenhan to change the list based on this one crime..."

Changsun Wuji said coldly: "Is Li Ke plotting a rebellion?" Changsun Chong trembled all over.

Li Ke was killed even though he was innocent. If the emperor wanted to kill someone, he didn't need to rely on the law at all. He could just use Cui Wenhan's case to easily pin the blame on Zhangsun Wuji.

Chang Sun Chong refused to give up and asked, "How do you know that the Saint has murderous intentions towards you?"

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed and said, "Because the sage gave Di Renjie the right to act at his own convenience, Di Renjie is the knife he used to kill me!"

Chang Sun Chong was stunned for a long time, and finally knelt on the ground, crying, "Father, I have harmed you."

Changsun Wuji said calmly: "Remember what I said just now? When you return, immediately request to be transferred to a new post."

"What about you?"

Changsun Wuji did not answer and continued walking towards the palace.

The move he was about to make now was a desperate one. He was not sure, so there was no need for him to speak.

Changsun Wuji did not go to Ganlu Palace, but turned into Zuo Yanming Gate, went all the way to the East Palace, Lizheng Palace, knelt outside the hall, and let the wind and rain blow against him.

When the news reached Ganlu Palace, Li Zhi was reading Cui Wenhan's confession submitted by Di Renjie.

This confession is sufficient to prove that it was Zhangsun Wuji who manipulated the imperial examination.

When Li Zhi was thinking about how to deal with Changsun Wuji, Wang Fusheng brought him the news.

"You said he was kneeling outside the Lizheng Palace?" Li Zhi asked in surprise.

Wang Fusheng said: "To everyone, he didn't have an umbrella and was soaked to the skin."

Li Zhi was slightly moved. He stood up and said to Di Renjie, "Mr. Di, please wait for me here for a while." He left Ganlu Hall and headed towards Lizheng Hall.

As he approached the Eastern Palace, Li Zhi's memories of the Eastern Palace slowly surfaced in his mind.

When Emperor Gaozong of Tang was still the crown prince, Zhangsun Wuji often came to Lizheng Hall to visit him and taught him how to be the crown prince.

Changsun Wuji’s teachings were very simple, just two words: “loyalty and filial piety”.

Be loyal to the king, be filial to your father, don't think about anything else, don't take the initiative to interact with any ministers, and don't do anything other than what Emperor Taizong of Tang tells you to do.

It was thanks to his teachings that Li Zhi became more and more stable in his position as crown prince and eventually succeeded to the throne.

When Li Zhi thought about this, he couldn't help but sigh that if it weren't for Zhangsun Wuji, Emperor Gaozong of Tang might not have been able to become emperor smoothly.

While he was thinking, Lizheng Palace came into view, and Changsun Wuji was indeed kneeling outside the palace.

Li Zhi hesitated for a moment, then walked over, squatted down to help him, and said, "Uncle Yuan, what are you doing? Get up quickly."

Changsun Wuji was so strong that Li Zhi couldn't even lift him up.

"Does Your Majesty still remember what I said to Your Majesty when you first ascended the throne?" He said with his head down.

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "You said that if we want to govern the country well, we must open up channels for communication and never let the people's opinions be kept from reaching the top."

Zhangsun Wuji looked up at him and said, "Your Majesty, if you still remember this, I have nothing to worry about. I have interfered with the imperial examinations and, according to the law, I deserve death. I have come to confess my crime and ask Your Majesty to grant me the death penalty!"

Li Zhi was stunned and didn't speak for a while.

Changsun Wuji said slowly, "As the compiler of the Yonghui Code, I knew the law but broke it, which is a more serious crime. However, before I die, I have a few parting words that I would like to tell Your Majesty alone."

Li Zhi was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "No one is allowed within a hundred steps."

Wang Fusheng accepted the promise, handed an umbrella to Li Zhi, and waved his hand for everyone to leave.

Only Xiaoji clenched his fists and stared at Changsun Wuji. Wang Fusheng stepped forward, pressed his shoulders, and gave him a sharp look, and Xiaoji retreated.

Li Zhi said, "If you have anything to say, you can speak now."

Changsun Wuji said slowly, "Your Majesty should know about the matter of King Wu. This matter was secretly orchestrated by this old minister to get rid of King Wu."

Li Zhi was shocked. He didn't expect that Changsun Wuji would admit this matter. Did he really want to die?
Zhang Sun Wuji added, "What your Majesty doesn't know is that Li Tai of Puyang also died because of this old minister."

Li Zhi's face changed and he said, "You... killed him?"

"No, how could I kill my own nephew?" Changsun Wuji shook his head and sighed, "When Your Majesty banished Chu Suiliang from Chang'an, Li Tai kept writing to me, asking me to support him as emperor."

Li Zhi's heart beat faster.

Yes, Li Tai died during the period when Chu Suiliang was demoted.

Zhangsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "Later, this old minister wrote a letter with extremely harsh words, which completely dispelled Li Tai's ambition for the throne. He was a proud and arrogant man, and he died of depression."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed, and he remained silent.

Changsun Wuji continued, "There is something that Your Majesty finds strange."

Li Zhi asked, "What's the matter?"

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "Why do I have a good relationship with the King of Han and his men, but not with the late emperor's sons?"

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "I do have some doubts sometimes."

Changsun Wuji said slowly, "This old minister has intentionally distanced himself from the other princes in order to prevent them from developing any undue desire for the throne."

"As for the King of Han and his men, they are not descendants of the late emperor and have no qualifications to inherit the throne. This old minister has nothing to worry about."

Li Zhi took a deep breath and nodded.

Changsun Wuji continued, "Your Majesty, I oppose Wu's empresshood. While I do have some selfish motives, I also do so for the sake of the Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty has witnessed her abilities and methods. Your Majesty is in poor health. Aren't you worried about the emergence of another Lü Zhi?"

Li Zhi thought to himself, "She's not another Lü Zhi." He said slowly, "Don't worry, I know what to do."

Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "Your Majesty knows what's going on. I have nothing to worry about. This is all I have to say. I have explained everything I should and shouldn't say. Your Majesty may now sentence me to death."

Close your eyes.

Li Zhi stared at him for a long time, then slowly said, "Uncle Yuan, do you still remember the history book I sent you last time?"

Changsun Wuji suddenly opened his eyes, looked up and stared at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi said: "I still say the same thing, I hope to see your book as soon as possible."

A gleam flashed in Changsun Wuji's eyes. After a moment's silence, he said decisively, "Tomorrow I will submit my resignation, close my door and refuse visitors. I will concentrate on writing at home. When the book is finished, I will invite Your Majesty to review it."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Then I will look forward to it."

　Finished the fourth update, went to take a shower~

　　
　
(End of this chapter)