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

Chapter 262 Gaoyang County's Zishi is the Number One Scourge of the Tang Dynasty
The moment the words "Xuanwu Gate" appeared, the Liangyi Hall fell into a deathly silence.

The Qin Prince's faction suddenly turned to look at Li Shimin, while the others lowered their heads and looked at the insteps of their feet.

Li Shimin flew into a rage, stood up abruptly, and questioned him sternly.

"How many men did that brat bring with him?!"

"Just him alone, oh, and a dozen or so Xuanjia Guards."

"Who did that brat hit?"

Standing to the side, Fang Xuanling quietly tugged at Du Ruhui's sleeve and whispered, "This is probably going to be trouble. Wen He is really unwilling to suffer any loss."

Outside Xuanwu Gate, the impeached censor slumped to the ground, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Pointing at Wen He, whose eyes gleamed with malice, his voice trembled: "I...I am a censor of the imperial court! How dare you lay a hand on a censor!"

His face burned with pain, and the dull ache spread throughout his body along his nerves, making him both angry and afraid.

Just a short while before the incense stick was lit, Wen He, who was teaching Li Chengqian in the Eastern Palace, was talking about "scientific development and productivity".

Suddenly, a eunuch rushed in, interrupting the class. Upon hearing that someone in the Taiji Hall had impeached her, Wen He was first taken aback, then a mocking smile appeared on her lips.

After calming Li Chengqian down, he followed the eunuch toward the Liangyi Hall.

Yesterday, Jung Yunho came to my house to threaten me, and today someone is impeaching me.

They really couldn't wait any longer.

Who would have thought that at a bend in the road, they would run into the imperial censors who were leaving court.

They walked together in twos and threes, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Wen He to hear clearly.

"That scourge of Gaoyang County is truly the greatest scourge of the Tang Dynasty! This mere child dares to bewitch the emperor; he will surely become a great traitor in the future!"

A slightly overweight censor spoke with spittle flying from his lips, his face full of disdain. "In my opinion, he's probably following in the footsteps of Yang Jian."

Another, older censor took over the conversation, his tone resolute, as if Wen He's rebellion was a foregone conclusion.

The censors were outraged, and they all spoke at once, belittling Wen He to the point of being worthless, almost to the point of saying that Wen He was going to rebel the next day.

Hearing these hurtful words, Wen He slowly stopped in her tracks as she walked toward the Liangyi Hall, and the composure in her eyes was gradually replaced by coldness.

He immediately changed direction and followed the group out of the palace at a distance.

Inside the Daxing Palace, it was under the emperor's nose, making it inconvenient to take action. But once outside the palace gates, it was a different story.

As soon as she stepped out of Xuanwu Gate, Wen He dashed out like an arrow, kicking the slightly overweight censor in the lead.

The others gasped and turned around, only to find that the person in question had followed them all the way. Their expressions of shock were hard to hide.

Just then, the Xuanjia Guards who were waiting outside the door thought Wen He was being surrounded, so they immediately drew their swords to protect him. The black armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the cold light on the blades sent chills down one's spine.

"Make a move?" Wen He dusted off his sleeve, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Didn't you just say I was the number one scourge of the Tang Dynasty? If I am a scourge, what's wrong with making a move?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority, clearly reaching the ears of every censor.

He took half a step forward, and the censors were so frightened that they all shrank back, as if Wen He were some kind of monstrous flood.

“The city of Chang’an is full of纨绔 (sons of rich and powerful families), and there are countless idlers, yet you turn a blind eye to them.”

Why do you keep targeting me all the time? Is it because I'm too honest that you think I'm easy to bully?

Wen He's gaze swept over the group of censors, her eyes sharp as knives, causing them all to lower their heads, not daring to meet her eyes. "This is Xuanwu Gate! You...you dare commit violence here? Where are the Imperial Guards! Imperial Guards, save me!"

The censor, who had been kicked to the ground, struggled to his feet, shouting hoarsely, but the heavy city gate behind him remained unmoved, and he couldn't even see a shadow of the guards. His voice echoed outside the empty city gate, sounding particularly jarring.

On the city wall, Zhang Shigui held a teacup and gently swirled it, the foam in the tea soup turning. "Compared to Wen Jiaying's bitter tea, I still prefer this strong tea. If you add a few slices of mutton, it's simply heavenly."

He smacked his lips, glancing at Li Junxian beside him out of the corner of his eye. He appeared relaxed, but in reality, he was keeping a close eye on the movements below the city.

Li Junxian chuckled twice, glancing uneasily down the city wall: "General, our duty is to guard Xuanwu Gate. If His Majesty finds out that Wen He has made a move here, he will likely be punished."

His hands gripped the sword at his waist tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

What does what happens outside have to do with you and me?

Zhang Shigui slammed his teacup heavily onto the city bricks, the dull thud of the celadon striking the bricks carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Although Wen He is young, he is not unreasonable. His behavior today must be because those censors have offended him. Besides, we all know how much His Majesty values ​​Wen He, so we should just turn a blind eye."

Li Junxian was taken aback, then chuckled and nodded, turning away from the arrow slit as if he hadn't seen anything.

The imperial censor outside Xuanwu Gate gazed at the deathly silent city gate, his heart sinking deeper and deeper, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

He scrambled to his feet, staggered back a few steps, and threatened, his voice trembling with fear, "Wen He! If you commit any more violence, I will impeach you before His Majesty and ruin your reputation!"

"Someone made their move a long time ago."

Wen He sneered and suddenly shot out like an arrow.

Having practiced martial arts with Li Shimin for some time, his skills were far superior to what they used to be, making him more than capable of dealing with an old censor who was weak and powerless.

His movements were as fast as lightning, and he rushed to the censor in an instant.

The imperial censor who was nearby wanted to step forward to help, but was stopped by the Xuanjia Guards with their swords drawn.

Amidst the crisp clang of armor clashing, a muffled groan of "Ouch!" was heard as Wen He's fist struck the censor squarely in the face.

Before the other man could fall to the ground, he had already flipped over and straddled him, raining punches down on the censor's body. He even deliberately targeted the fleshy parts, causing excruciating pain but not serious injury.

"Stop hitting me! Please stop! I was wrong, I'll never do it again!"

The censor was screaming in pain, tears and snot streaming down his face, completely unlike his arrogant demeanor in the court just moments before.

"Colleagues, save me! Quick, save me!"

He called out to the censors around him for help, but they all backed away, afraid of being implicated.

The censor's wails echoed down Zhuque Street, attracting a growing crowd. But the officials and commoners watching all crossed their arms and watched the spectacle, none of them willing to step forward.

A vendor selling candied hawthorns handed some to a child and said to the person next to him, "This censor deserves it. He always takes advantage of his position as an official who speaks out against wrongdoing. Today he's finally met his match."

The people around him nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Wenxianzi has made many contributions to the Tang Dynasty at a young age, yet they slander him like this. Anyone would find it unbearable."

Deep within the crowd, the servant sent by Zheng to gather information, upon seeing this scene, turned pale with fright and quickly turned away.

And just then.

A loud shout came from the direction of Xuanwu Gate: "Stop! Stop it now!"

Wen He grabbed the censor's collar and looked up.

Not far away, Gao Yue was seen rushing over with her people.

(End of this chapter)