Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 178 Your Majesty, are you perhaps going to follow in the footsteps of Liu Ziye?

"I am Lu Cheng'an, Inspector General of the Ministry of War. Greetings."

He dismounted and came to Wen He.

Upon hearing his name, Wen He paused for a moment, then remembered who he was.

"This humble official greets the Duke of Fanyang."

"No, no, you are too kind, Magistrate Wen."

Lu Cheng'an did not presume to be arrogant and returned the greeting to Wen He.

Wen He couldn't remember much about his resume, as there wasn't much description of him in historical records.

However, there was one thing that Wen He remembered very clearly.

He was born into the Lu clan of Fanyang, a descendant of Lu Zhi of the Three Kingdoms period. His ancestor was Lu Zhi's fourth son and was known as the Northern Ancestor of the Lu clan.

With such a family background, he should have had a smooth career.

Unfortunately, he encountered Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang.

In order to suppress the influence of Shandong gentry in the court who supported Li Zhi, Lu Cheng'an was made a target.

From the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, which was just one step away from the position of Prime Minister, he was demoted again and again, and finally became the mere Prefect of Hongzhou.

He only gradually returned to the central government after Changsun Wuji's death.

"I heard that Wenxianzi was able to create the Divine Arm Crossbow and improve gunpowder when he was still a child. I still often reminisce about the beauty of the fireworks when the emperor ascended the throne."

Lu Cheng'an didn't notice the strange look in Wen He's eyes and praised her with a smile.

Wen He was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected the Lu family to be so amiable.

He thought they were all like Dugu Chen, unruly and rebellious.

"I dare not, I dare not. Minister Lu comes from a family that values both farming and scholarship. He previously explained the history of household registration to Your Majesty, which was truly admirable."

Lu Cheng'an was originally in the Ministry of Revenue. Later, he talked to Li Shimin about the household registration and population changes of past dynasties, which greatly surprised Li Shimin.

He was then sent to the Ministry of War to serve as Acting Vice Minister of War.

Lu Chengan was taken aback upon hearing this.

He and His Majesty the Emperor were the only ones present at the time, so how did Wen Xiaolang find out about this?
He was shocked, but remained calm and said with a smile, "You flatter me, Magistrate Wen."

After exchanging pleasantries, Wen He instructed Wen Zhong to take good care of Wen Rou before boarding the carriage and setting off.

"Sir, why did Father suddenly order us to leave the city?"

With no outsiders in the carriage, Li Chengqian asked softly.

Wen He chuckled and said, "It's all because of you."

He felt somewhat resentful; he was truly just accompanying the crown prince in his studies.

"stop!"

Just as they arrived at the entrance of Yonglefang, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

Then came the sound of horses neighing, followed by a curse.

"I am but a minor official, why are you hundred cavalrymen targeting me? I know nothing!"

Upon hearing the words "hundred riders," Wen He frowned and immediately went outside.

Not far away, several riders dressed as cavalrymen were surrounding a minor official in blue robes.

The minor official held a wooden stick in his hand, watching the people warily.

"What happened?"

With the exit blocked, Lu Cheng'an questioned him unhappily.

The hundred riders glanced at him, took out their waist tokens, and replied coldly, "A hundred riders on duty!"

"A hundred riders?"

Lu Cheng'an couldn't help but frown.

He had heard before that His Majesty had set up a hundred cavalrymen at Wude Gate before ascending the throne.

But apart from the time when Li Yi was arrested, the Hundred Riders were almost never deployed.

Therefore, outsiders believed that the hundred riders were only there to protect the Eastern Palace.

I've never heard of a hundred riders having the right to apprehend criminals.

"Why wasn't the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review making the arrest? Who gave you orders to commit violence in the street!"

Lu Cheng'an thought this was bullying, and coupled with the unfriendly tone of the hundred riders towards him, he felt even more dissatisfied.

"It's Your Majesty."

The 100 riders did not answer; the voice came from behind Lu Cheng'an.

When he saw Wen He, he realized that Wen He was the chief inspector of the hundred cavalry.

"Greetings, young master!"

When the riders saw Wen He, they quickly bowed.

Wen He nodded to them and asked, "What happened? Why were all the riders mobilized, and why didn't anyone tell me?"

He was the chief clerk of the Hundred Cavalry, and if the Hundred Cavalry were to take action, Xu Jingzong would definitely come to inform him.

"this."

The hundred riders looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wen He frowned. They actually thought of hiding it from her?

Xu Jingzong dared not issue such an order, nor did Huang Chun have the guts.

Then there's only one person left.

"Fine, I won't ask anymore."

Wen He waved his hand.

Li Shimin didn't want him to get involved in this matter, and he couldn't be bothered to care anymore.

"promise!"

Several hundred horsemen bowed and turned their gaze to the minor official.

The minor official only had a wooden stick in his hand, and with his thin frame, he was no match for the beating of several hundred riders.

In just a few breaths, the hundred riders captured him.

"Let me go! I only handled those things; they only gave me 100 strings of cash. I don't know anything about it, sob sob sob!"

The minor official struggled and shouted, but was immediately silenced by a hundred riders.

The two men escorted him onto the prison cart, and the rest of the men bowed to Wen He before leaving.

"Do the hundred riders have the right to arrest?"

After everyone had left, Lu Cheng'an asked Wen He in confusion.

He felt something was off about this matter, so he was somewhat uneasy.

Wen He smiled and looked at him: "It's only temporary. I don't know anything about this matter. It's all up to the Sage to handle."

He gave a noncommittal smile.

Lu Cheng'an then realized that he was not telling the truth.

What surprised him even more was that Wen He, at such a young age, was so meticulous in her actions and words.

He wouldn't be surprised at all if it were those scions of aristocratic families.

Those people learned how to conduct themselves and interact with others from a young age under the influence of their elders.

But he already knew Wen He's true identity; she was just a child from a farming family outside Chang'an.

They actually have such abilities.

'It seems I underestimated him. Given the sage's high regard for him, it's worth trying to get closer to him.'

Despite their inherent arrogance, these aristocratic families also know how to form cliques and factions.

They also knew they had to pave the way for their descendants.

Moreover, Wen He is so young, and he has the emperor behind him. "I see. Your Majesty must have a deeper meaning. I was impolite just now." Lu Cheng'an was afraid that his reprimand of the Hundred Cavalrymen earlier might have caused Wen He to harbor resentment.

Since he apologized so proactively, Wen He naturally wouldn't hold it against him.

You can't hit someone who's smiling, and besides, Lu Cheng'an's actions just now made Wen He feel more favorably toward him.

This is a person with a strong sense of justice.

"Minister Lu is too kind. Those hundred riders are quite unruly, and I was worried they might offend you."

"What are you talking about? This is all official business. Don't talk about being offensive."

Lu Cheng'an smiled, his words implying that he didn't take what had just happened to heart.

It also implies a desire to befriend Wen He.

Wen He understood, smiled at him, and changed the subject: "It's getting late, let's leave the city first."

"That's fine."

He watched Wen He board the carriage before ordering the procession to continue.

Before long, their entourage left Chang'an.

Wen He thought what he had just witnessed was just a minor incident, but little did he know that the Ministry of Civil Affairs was about to descend into chaos.

"You hundred cavalrymen are lawless and dare to come to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to arrest people!"

Pei Ju, who had rushed over, stood at the entrance of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, berating the Hundred Cavalrymen with a fierce and angry expression.

At eighty years old, he is still in good spirits.

His appearance put Xu Jingzong in a rather awkward position.

He had planned to have the Hundred Cavalry act swiftly and apprehend all the suspected officials before Pei Ju received the news.

Who knew this old man would arrive so quickly?

"Lord Pei."

Xu Jingzong had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to pay his respects.

Upon seeing him, Pei Ju flew into a rage: "You brat, what do you intend to do? Are you trying to dismantle the Ministry of Civil Affairs, or do you want to take my life!"

"Please calm down, Lord Pei. I was merely following His Majesty's orders."

Xu Jingzong wore a bitter expression. At Pei Ju's age, even His Majesty the Emperor had to show him respect, let alone him.

"What did they do wrong?"

Although Pei Ju is the Minister of Civil Affairs, he is too old to handle government affairs every day.

All matters concerning the Ministry of Revenue were entrusted to the two vice ministers.

"Han Zhongliang!"

He didn't let Xu Jingzong speak, but instead turned his gaze to a middle-aged man standing not far away.

His name is Han Zhongliang. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be the next Minister of Civil Affairs after Pei Ju steps down.

Pei Ju was so certain because it was Pei Ju who recommended Li Shimin.

Despite his advanced age and vigorous appearance, he knows in his heart that his body is too heavy to recover from, and he might never wake up again one day.

"Lord Pei."

When Han Zhongliang heard him calling him, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come out.

"What on earth happened?!"

“Lord Pei, this matter is indeed the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ fault.” Han Zhongliang knew very well that this was his mistake.

Even if he didn't get involved in this matter, he could still be held accountable for negligence.

Forget about being promoted to Minister, he might not even be able to keep his position as Vice Minister.

"Very well, if neither of you will speak, then this old man will go see His Majesty!"

Pei Ju snorted and turned to leave. Han Zhongliang saw this and quickly went to help him up.

He was a veteran official, and he had also helped Li Shimin during the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Therefore, when he requested an audience with the emperor, Li Shimin had no choice but to meet him.

Upon meeting, Pei Ju immediately spoke of the matter of the Hundred Riders.

"Your Majesty, are you perhaps planning to follow in the footsteps of Liu Ziye?"

His words were tantamount to questioning Li Shimin whether he intended to use the Hundred Cavalry as a weapon to slaughter his subjects.

Li Shimin neither agreed nor disagreed, and gave him the previous document.

Pei Ju glanced at it, his eyes trembled, and his hands shook as he dropped the note on the ground.

He stood up shakily.

"This matter was presumptuous of your old minister and offended Your Majesty."

“This is not Pei Qing’s fault, and I do not blame him,” Li Shimin sighed.

Pei Ju looked at him, sighed, and bowed to Li Shimin.

"This old minister is already in his eighties, and his eyesight is failing. He can no longer share Your Majesty's burdens with the affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so this old minister requests to resign."

"Pei Qing, why did you have to go to such lengths?"

Li Shimin feigned surprise and tried to persuade him to stay, but Pei Ju spoke first.

"The Ministry of Civil Affairs is related to the livelihood of the people of the Tang Dynasty. The position of Minister is of paramount importance. I hope Your Majesty will think it over carefully."

Pei Ju knew it was time for him to leave.

Li Shimin's sudden dispatch of a hundred cavalry to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, ostensibly to arrest officials, was also a warning to him.

He is old and no longer has the strength, so it is time for him to step down and make way for a more capable person.

"I will remember this." Looking at Pei Ju, Li Shimin was still somewhat reluctant to part with him.

This old man, in the eyes of outsiders, seemed to be neutral.

But after he ascended the throne, he helped him a lot.

Without Pei Ju, Li Shimin would not have been able to easily control the defeated soldiers of the Eastern Palace. If they had been allowed to enter Chang'an, it would have caused a great upheaval.

Then came the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Thanks to Pei Ju, Li Shimin was able to gather the military supplies and provisions for the Battle of Huizhou in such a short time.

But he had to do it.

Pei Ju understood as well.

"Then this old minister shall take his leave." Without any hesitation, he bowed and turned to leave gracefully.

Li Shimin nodded solemnly and watched Pei Ju leave until his figure disappeared from sight.

Once he came to his senses, Li Shimin sent a message to the Secretariat, instructing them to prepare an imperial edict bestowing upon Pei Ju a posthumous title, allowing him to retire in his old age.

However, this matter is far from over.

at dusk.

Xu Jingzong entered the palace with a solemn expression, holding a confession in his hand, the contents of which sent chills down his spine.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin did not rush to see him.

After a while, he was summoned in.

"Is there any result?" Li Shimin asked, looking down as he was dealing with matters.

"His Majesty."

Xu Jingzong's trembling voice immediately made Li Shimin frown.

He suddenly had a bad feeling.

When he looked up, he saw Xu Jingzong's solemn expression, and his heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Say!"