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

Chapter 244 Carrying the Copper Coins You Embezzled

Early the next morning.

Li Shimin had Wen He dragged out of bed, and then took him and the four little ones for a run around Gejiazhuang.

On the way back, I happened to run into Ge Dabing, who looked haggard.

He brought a large group of people and waited here specifically for them.

"I have met Mr. Li."

He knew that Li Shimin did not want to reveal his identity, so he did not dare to address him as "Your Majesty," but he performed the greeting with utmost respect.

"Who is this person?"

Li Shimin did not recognize him and asked Wen He beside him.

“The local village head is called Ge Dabing,” the latter replied.

"Oh, is that the one who bullied you with the steward from Prince Qi's mansion?"

It's unclear whether Li Shimin did it intentionally or unintentionally.

Anyway, Ge Dabing was so frightened that his legs went weak and he immediately knelt down.

The farmers he brought with them were all taken aback.

Having seen Ge Dabing bully and lord it over the villagers, I had never seen him so humble.

He even knelt down.

"I was blind back then, please forgive me, sir."

Ge Dabing didn't sleep all night last night.

Knowing that these distinguished guests liked to eat the wheat produced on the estate, he immediately gathered people to pack the wheat and send it over.

However, all of these are lands under his own name.

Now, Wen He owns more than half of the land and tenants in Gejiazhuang, and he no longer dares to act as he did before.

Previously, 80% of the land in Gejiazhuang belonged to Prince Qi, Li Yuanji. He obtained the position of village head because his cousin was the steward of Prince Qi's mansion.

But when Li Yuanji "rebelled," he dared not utter a single word about it, fearing it would implicate him.

"What are you doing? Get up."

Li Shimin frowned and shouted.

Ge Dabing quickly stood up, bowed his head, and respectfully stepped forward: "Reporting to you, sir, this is my family's harvest this year. Thanks to Wen County magistrate, we have more than two bushels more this year. I have specially prepared this for you to taste."

After he finished speaking, he raised his head and smiled obsequiously.

However, this flattery was not directed at Li Shimin, but at Wen He.

He knew that no matter how much he tried to please His Majesty the Emperor, it would be useless; Wen He's words could decide his life or death.

Give them the money at market price.

Li Shimin simply said one sentence, then ignored Ge Dabing and left.

"Wenxianzi".

Upon seeing this, Ge Dabing quickly came to Wen He's side.

"These grains of wheat are a sincere gift from a humble person, and this money..."

"Young Master Li has already offered you the money, why don't you want it?" Wen He asked, glancing at him indifferently.

"Yes, yes, I dare not refuse."

Ge Dabing broke out in a cold sweat, his body trembling involuntarily.

If he doesn't take the money, he might end up in jail tomorrow.

“The things that happened before, sir, were all misunderstandings. I promise that I will take good care of your farm from now on. I hope that you will not hold my mistakes against me.”

Ge Dabing stiffened up and revealed a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Wen He looked at him with disdain, didn't reply, and walked away.

He didn't remember this at all.

If you hold a grudge and are petty about everything, what's the difference between you and that cunning old fox Changsun Wuji?

"County boy."

Seeing him leave, Ge Dabing was startled and wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by his bodyguard Zhang Wenxiao.

"How can you be so shameless? The young master means that the past will not be pursued. If you continue to cause trouble, you will be sent to jail."

Zhang Wenxiao gave a cold shout, and Ge Dabing froze on the spot, not daring to take a step forward.

After watching Li Shimin and the others leave, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Village head, who are these people?"

"Was that Wen He just now? Why did you call him 'County Boy'?"

Several of his henchmen surrounded him upon seeing this.

Ge Dabing immediately flew into a rage and slapped several of his men.

"Shut up, all of you. Do you even have a place to talk here?"

His clothes were already soaked with cold sweat from fright.

Recalling Wen He's indifference just now, Ge Dabing felt extremely fortunate.

"Aren't you going to retaliate?"

As they walked, Li Shimin turned around and asked a question.

The four little ones accompanying her couldn't help but cast their gazes at Wen He.

“Sir, if it were me, I would have made sure he stayed in jail for a few days.” Li Tai grunted twice.

Wen He rolled her eyes at him speechlessly.

"It's not that bad, he's just a nobody."

Wen He didn't want to dwell on it; he didn't want to waste too much energy on such matters.

“Sir, this is repaying evil with kindness.” Li Chengqian nodded.

But before he could finish speaking, Wen He glared at him and said, "Stop learning this nonsense. If you repay evil with kindness, how will you repay kindness? His future will be difficult, and I don't need to lift a finger."

If Li Shimin hadn't been there, Wen He would have definitely given him a flick on the forehead.

Li Chengqian said "Oh," but he didn't understand what Wen He meant.

Only Li Shimin shook his head with a wry smile.

A mere village head is hardly worth the trouble of Wen He, a native of Gaoyang County.

If the local officials knew that this man had bullied Wen He, they would naturally help him take action.

At the very least, Ge Dabing's position as village head is likely to be lost.

Sure enough, after Li Shimin set off...

The county of Wannian then sent a minor official.

“Ge Dabing, your position as village head is being handed over to someone else from today onwards.”

"Here."

Ge Dabing sighed helplessly.

He had expected this long ago.

But being able to save my life is already a good thing.

……

"Your Majesty, I'm taking Xiaorou home."

Once inside Chang'an, Wen He wanted to slip away.

He originally intended to leave secretly, but Li Shimin allowed him to ride on the same horse.

Therefore, he had no choice but to ask Li Shimin for instructions.

"Yesterday I told you to work with the Assistant Minister to investigate this matter in conjunction with the Court of Judicial Review. What are you doing at home?"

Li Shimin looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

Wen He was taken aback: "Didn't you say a hundred riders?"

"So what is your current position?"

"Minister of Works, His Majesty Minister Yan must have something to discuss with me."

"anything else?"

"Minister of War, speaking of which, I haven't reported to the Ministry of War yet, Your Majesty..."

"anything else!"

"Your Majesty, you promised that I would only be responsible for training the 100 cavalry, and that you would let Old Xu... Military Advisor Xu go instead."

The embezzlement of military funds is now clear; the next steps are interrogation and arrest, neither of which Wen He is good at.

"Xu Jingzong said your interrogation skills are good, and he recommends you to be the lead in this matter," Li Shimin replied leisurely.

"What? Old Xu is really dishonest."

Wen He gritted her teeth.

Li Er meant that he absolutely had to get involved.

"Sanlang, Qingque, and Wulang, you escort Xiaorou back to the manor," Li Shimin said to the carriage behind the stage, not giving Wen He a chance to refuse.

Li Tai and Li You were overjoyed to hear this.

There's no class today.

Li Ke glanced at Wenrou, noticing her pouting lips, and whispered reassuringly, "I'll take you to the East Market later."

"Really?"

"Mmm." "You're so kind."

The carriage was separated from the outside world, and Wen He didn't know what was happening inside. She was still worried that Xiao Rou might feel lonely because she wasn't there.

Li Shimin rode his horse toward the imperial city.

Earlier, before dawn, Gao Yue had already returned to the capital.

The decree of Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) was conveyed, and the Chengtian Gate was opened.

Today was not originally a day when court meetings were not required, but almost all officials of the fifth rank and above were present in and around Chang'an.

Outside Chengtian Gate, there were rows of horse-drawn carriages loaded with wooden crates.

The officials stood there solemnly.

The surrounding residents were all herded into the various markets early on.

When Li Shimin arrived, he saw a scene that resembled military training.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your presence and wish you good health."

The assembled officials bowed deeply.

Li Shimin, who was on horseback, gently pushed Wen He.

The latter rolled his eyes speechlessly, then cleared his throat and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

This Li Er actually treated me like a eunuch.

So angry!

Hearing the childish voice, the courtiers looked up in surprise.

When they saw Wen He riding on the same horse as Li Shimin, they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

"His Majesty!"

Wei Zheng immediately stood up solemnly.

“Your Majesty, since ancient times there has been a distinction between ruler and subject. Your Majesty’s actions are not out of concern for the magistrate of Gaoyang County.”

For the emperor and his ministers to ride the same horse and receive the same courtiers' greetings at the same time, wouldn't that be a reversal of the natural order?
Wen He hadn't felt it before, but now that she realized it, she felt her hair stand on end.

Is Li Er trying to harm me on purpose?
"Well, Wei Qing is right. In that case, let's punish Gaoyang County's magistrate with a month's salary," Li Shimin said awkwardly.

He was preoccupied with the matter of military pay and forgot about this incident.

"However, this was also my oversight. The money will be deducted from my private treasury."

'hehe! ’

Wen He felt resentful.

That Li Er is shameless!

You were the one who asked me to ride the same horse with you.

At this moment, Gao Yue hurriedly came over and carried Wen He off the horse.

Upon seeing this, Wei Zheng returned to his place in the class.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

As Li Shimin walked forward, the sound of his horse's hooves seemed to overlap with the rhythm of their heartbeats.

How many boxes are there here?

Looking at the boxes placed outside Chengtian Gate, and those still on the carriages, not yet unloaded.

Li Shimin dismounted, summoned Gao Yue to his side, and asked.

Gao Yue bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, 2,100 boxes have been recorded. The rest, which were delivered not long ago, have not yet been counted in detail. In addition, many more carriages are being delivered."

"So many! I wonder how many copper coins this box can hold?"

Li Shimin's tone remained calm.

Many people present were already sweating profusely.

"The weather is pleasantly cool today. Are you all feeling hot, my lords?"

Li Shimin asked with a smile.

The sweating officials hurriedly wiped the sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves, saying, "It's not hot, it's not hot."

Li Shimin didn't even glance at them, but instead turned to look at the officials in the Ministry of Personnel.

"Young Master Xiao, is there a carriage from your Xiao family today?"

"Your Majesty, I have failed to properly discipline my subjects, and have raised a corrupt official. I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict to dismiss him from his post as a warning to others."

Xiao Yu spoke without hesitation, his face upright.

Looking at him, Li Shimin couldn't help but recall the strategy that Wen He had used when playing chess with the retired emperor.

It seems to be called "sacrificing a pawn to save the king."

They're exactly the same.

"Feng Qing family, is there one from your family?"

Li Shimin turned his gaze to Feng Deyi on the other side.

The latter followed Xiao Yu's example, but unlike Xiao Yu, he also wanted to protect his family's younger generation, saying only, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Li Shimin did not answer him, but continued calling out names.

From the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, to the Minister of Personnel, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, and the Left and Right Assistant Ministers, all were questioned.

Then came the Secretariat and the Chancellery.

Whether they were Li Yuan's old ministers or members of the Qin Prince's faction.

Even Changsun Wuji was not spared.

However, the Changsun family was a family that rose again after its decline. None of his sons had entered officialdom yet, and his nephews had long been exiled because of Changsun Anye.

So he could be said to be the most relaxed.

“Gentlemen, you must have had a long day yesterday. Gao Yue, have them serve tea.”

After asking around, Li Shimin smiled calmly.

After instructing Gao Yue, he beckoned Wen He to step forward: "Jia Ying, step forward. Fu Ji and Wei Qing, come out as well."

Of all the officials in the court, only these three were completely uninvolved.

Wen He had no idea what Li Shimin was thinking at that moment.

He asked Changsun Wuji calmly.

“Fuji, you are the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, you should know how many copper coins this box can hold, right?”

"Your Majesty, one box can hold approximately 250,000 coins, or roughly 250 strings of cash."

"Jiaying, you're good at math. How much money is there just from these two thousand-plus boxes?" Li Shimin asked again.

"525,000 strings of cash."

What kind of question is this?

He could calculate it off the top of his head even if Li Tailai asked him.

"Only 525,000 strings of cash, that's not much."

Indeed, not many; this is just the statistical data.

A large amount of money is still on its way.

Li Shimin smiled, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the assembled officials before him.

“I can give you one chance. Those who have any connection with Chai Zhao of the Jingzhao Military Command, come out now, carry the copper coins you have embezzled, and walk from here to the Left Treasury. I will let bygones be bygones.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was taken aback.

Even Wen He was surprised that Li Shimin could come up with such a method.

The Kaiyuan Tongbao coins used in the Tang Dynasty were each weighed 2 zhu and 4 lei, equivalent to 4.2 grams in later times.

One string of cash is equivalent to 4,200 grams, which is about eight catties.

These people were taking far more than a thousand or eight hundred strings of cash; each of them was carrying at least several thousand kilograms of weight.

Let alone moving it to the left warehouse, it would be difficult to even lift it up.

"Your Majesty, I deserve death! I humbly beg Your Majesty's forgiveness, and I am willing to atone for my sins!"

A middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a duke walked out in a panic.

When he appeared, Wen He was startled to see a chill creep into Li Shimin's eyes.

"Duke Huo, you have greatly disappointed me."

Li Shimin immediately clenched his fist behind his back.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong."

So this person is Chai Shao?
Wen He secretly sized him up.

This image is quite different from what he remembered.

Perhaps influenced by later TV dramas, Wen He believed that Chai Shao shouldn't be so cowardly.

Unexpectedly, he was the first to beg for mercy.

"How much did you take?"

"Ten, ten thousand strings of cash." Chai Shao hurriedly reported the number, and then quickly explained, "Your Majesty, I really didn't know. This is the military pay that Chai Zhao withheld. If I had known, I certainly wouldn't have taken a single penny."

100,000 strings of cash, which is equivalent to 800,000 catties.

Even a press can crush Chai Shao into minced meat.

"Men, bring 100,000 strings of cash!" Li Shimin suddenly shouted.

Chai Shao suddenly looked up, his face already pale with fright.

(End of this chapter)