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

Chapter 251 Your humble servant awaits the arrival of Duke Su and his men.

Why are you being so mysterious?
Why would Li Er specifically ask him to determine the sentence?

Wen He frowned, deep in thought.

Could it be that Li Er sent him to the Dali Temple just for this person?

"Who is it?" Wen He asked.

"Lu Shiheng, Vice Minister of War".

Dai Zhou spread out the dossier.

Hearing this name, Wen He was filled with mixed emotions.

In the original history, this person died a dramatic death.

He was posthumously awarded the rank of Grand General, equivalent to that of a prime minister.

In today's timeline, Li Shimin did not have him stationed at Xuanwu Gate.

He survived and became the Vice Minister of War.

It should be noted that, apart from Changsun Wuji and Wen He, all members of the Qin Prince's faction who have entered the court and become officials now have the title "Inspector" added before their official titles.

Lü Shiheng was a proper Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a fourth-rank official.

This shows how much Li Shimin valued him.

Unexpectedly, he embezzled so much money in such a short time after arriving at the Ministry of War.

Seeing the troubled expressions on Dai Zhou and Liu Dewei's faces, Wen He guessed what was going on.

They must have consulted Li Shimin beforehand, but the emperor certainly didn't say anything.

Finally, they pushed him out.

"After all, this is a meritorious official who came from the prince's residence and has rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor. My suggestion is that His Majesty should resign from his post."

Liu Dewei stroked his beard, his brows furrowed.

Dai Zhou nodded in agreement, and then both of them looked at Wen He.

What the two of them just said was only meant for Wen He to hear.

As for the outcome, that depends on his decision.

Feeling the intense gazes of the two, Wen He smiled bitterly in resignation.

As he had just realized, those two old foxes clearly didn't want to offend the Qin Prince's faction.

Wen He came from the Prince of Qin's mansion, so if he made the decision, people would only assume it was the emperor's will.

They wouldn't bother the two of them anymore.

"Isn't dismissing him from office a bit too lenient?" Wen He said.

"what?"

Liu Dewei and Dai Zhou were both somewhat surprised.

Both Lü Shiheng and Lü Shiheng were terrified when Lü Shiheng was dismissed from his post.

To everyone's surprise, Wen He said it was too light.

“Ahem, Wen County Magistrate, this Lü Shiheng has a close relationship with the Duke of Su, the Duke of Yi, and the Duke of Jiang. We should be more cautious.”

Liu Dewei kindly offered a reminder.

Leaving aside Jing Junhong and Qin Qiong, Cheng Zhijie, that reckless fellow, would probably cause a huge scene at the Dali Temple if he knew about this.

Upon hearing this, Wen He bowed to Liu Dewei and said, "I will personally go to see His Majesty about this matter. You two gentlemen can rest assured that it will not implicate the Dali Temple."

"Hey, what are you talking about? The Dali Temple upholds justice and is not afraid of powerful figures. I am not someone who has many concerns. I am just worried about County Magistrate Wen."

Liu Dewei's words were perfectly watertight.

First, he stated his position, and then he put Wen He's safety first.

He truly deserves to be called a veteran minister who has lived from the Sui Dynasty to the present day.

"Thank you very much, Minister Liu. In that case, I will take my leave of Lü Shiheng and go to the palace now."

Lü Shiheng is a hot potato.

The longer it's left, the more likely it is to cause problems.

Especially those generals who had risked their lives alongside him.

I wonder if they will come forward at this time to plead for him.

If Li Shimin were to be swayed by past grievances and let Lü Shiheng go, then what would be the point of investigating this corruption case?

Wen He's worries were not unfounded; Li Er was not without a criminal record.

In the original history, when Hou Junji rebelled, Li Shimin was reluctant to sentence him to death.

What about Lü Shiheng?

This is the person who sacrificed himself for Li Shimin in history.

Upon hearing Wen He's announcement of her intention to enter the palace, Liu Dewei and Dai Zhou beamed with joy.

"I am truly grateful to County Magistrate Wen."

"No, no, I wouldn't dare. May I borrow Lü Shiheng's files?" Although Wen He knew how much money Lü Shiheng had embezzled, she didn't know where that money had been spent.

The Dali Temple should have investigated these matters long ago.

Dai Zhou did not refuse and personally handed the dossier to Wen He.

"Thank you for your help, Magistrate Wen."

"Then I shall take my leave."

Wen He bowed and turned to leave.

Watching him leave, Liu Dewei and Dai Zhou both visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, it's a bit unfair of us to act like this," Dai Zhou said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

They've really schemed against the younger generation.

Liu Dewei was also somewhat helpless and laughed, "It is indeed a bit unfair, but how can the two of us possibly handle the generals of the Sixteen Guards? After all, Wen Jiaying comes from the Prince of Qin's mansion and will be the future prince consort. Moreover, she has a close relationship with Cheng Zhijie and others."

“However, you and I can make up for it. He acted swiftly and decisively this time. I think this young man should not be appointed as a principal in the Ministry of Justice. Why not invite him to the Court of Judicial Review? I happen to have a vacancy for a registrar.”

The two old men suddenly looked at each other, and the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up.

They both saw a hint of scheming in each other's eyes.

However, they knew things wouldn't go so smoothly.

For Wen He to come to the Dali Temple, His Majesty's approval is required.

Just as Liu Dewei and Dai Zhou were plotting how to recruit Wen He to the Dali Temple.

Wen He had already entered the palace by this time.

"That brat is here?"

Knowing that Wen He had gone to the Dali Temple today, Li Shimin knew that he would definitely come looking for him.

Thinking of Lü Shiheng's matter, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel a headache.

In the past few days, several generals from the Sixteen Guards have jointly submitted a memorial.

Those who didn't sign the petition were worried about breaking taboos; if all the generals of the Sixteen Guards submitted their petitions, it would be considered a coup.

Although these people did not submit any memorials or speak up for Lü Shiheng, Li Shimin was well aware of their intentions.

“The magistrate of Gaoyang County is waiting outside the palace,” Gao Yue replied.

"Let that brat get in here."

Li Shimin frowned and put down his pen.

Before long, Wen He appeared inside the Lizheng Hall.

"I see your Majesty."

"no."

Li Shimin raised his eyes and looked at Wen He, who was standing properly, and rubbed his temples in worry.

"You came here for Lü Shiheng."

"Your Majesty, you know." Wen He raised her eyes and grinned.

"I have said that you are permitted to act as you see fit; you may make your own decisions," Li Shimin said coldly.

Wen He pursed her lips and said, "Your Majesty, you forgot, you said before that it was below the fifth rank, not the fourth rank."

“He has already been dismissed from his post and is now just a commoner. What can’t you do to him?” Li Shimin snorted and stared at Wen He.

Upon hearing this, Wen He knew that Li Er was trying to shift the blame.

He immediately sighed.

"Then Your Majesty, please prepare a good physician for me. When the Duke of Su and his men come to attack and beat me so badly that I am bedridden, there will be someone to treat my injuries."

"You're such a jerk!"

Li Shimin picked up the brush washer from the table.

Gao Yue, who was standing to the side, widened his eyes in surprise, but soon breathed a sigh of relief.

Because that brush washer was made of ceramic, it wasn't valuable.

As the brush washer fell, Wen He immediately dodged it, glancing at the shattered porcelain with a sneer.

Is Li Er poor?

They actually used such cheap products.

"Bring me another brush washer, and I'll let you hide!"

"What!"

Wen He was stunned upon hearing this.

"If I don't run now, when will I?" He didn't even bother to bow and turned to run.

Unexpectedly, he bumped into a palace eunuch who came in.