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

Chapter 274 I fear I will never see Your Majesty again.

"Let my son go!"

Zheng Yuanzhu's eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly snatched the sword from the guard beside him.

The blade traced a cold arc in the morning light. He shoved aside the guards blocking his way and staggered toward Wen He, the tip of his blade pointing directly at the figure in black.

"Protect the young master!" Zhao Qin shouted angrily, not caring that the other party was a third-rank general.

The hundred cavalrymen stepped forward in unison, their armor clashing with a series of crisp sounds, instantly forming a human wall in front of Wen He, their blades only inches away from Zheng Yuanzhu's horizontal sword.

"Zhao Qin, how dare you!" A mere fourth-rank military officer dared to stop him.

"General, you are the Left Martial General, not the Left Guard."

Zhao Qin was clearly telling Zheng Yuanzhu that he was not his subordinate, so Zheng had no right to control him.

Moreover, he also had an imperial decree to carry out.

Although Wen He got involved this time, it might not be a bad opportunity for him.

"General Zuo Wuhou, do you really intend to rebel?" Wen He leaned out from behind the human wall, her eyes as cold as knives, her voice suddenly rising, making Zheng Yuanzhu's eardrums buzz.

"You scoundrel! Stop twisting the truth!" Zheng Yuanzhu's chest heaved violently, his roar so loud it hurt people's eardrums, and his hand holding the knife trembled with rage.

"Even if my son has made a mistake, it is not your place to set up a court!"

"General, wait!"

The old man from the Cui family of Boling stepped forward quickly and gripped Zheng Yuanzhu's wrist tightly with his withered hand.

He caught a glimpse of his grandson, who was bound behind the hundred riders, looking disheveled but unharmed. A great weight was lifted from his heart, and his tone became much calmer.

"Your son has only been captured. That brat Wen He probably wouldn't dare to make any rash moves. Let's stick to the plan and not lose our composure."

The old man had now calmed down from his panic, and even a hint of barely perceptible smugness flashed in his eyes.

Although things went wrong today, it was still within our calculations.

Wen He's trespassing into the Zheng family mansion and killing the guards is an undeniable crime.

"Yes! We're going to see His Majesty!" The old man suddenly turned to Wen He, slamming his cane heavily on the ground.

"I refuse to believe that His Majesty would continue to favor such an arrogant brat!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see Wen He being escorted to the imperial court.

As long as Wenhe's guilt can be established, everything from distribution rights to paper mills will become bargaining chips for His Majesty to atone for his sins.

Even though Li Shimin favored this young man, could he really afford to make an enemy of all the noble families in the world for the sake of a mere brat?
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuanzhu's knuckles turned white as he gripped the knife hilt, and sweat seeped through his fingers, soaking the hilt.

He looked at Jung Yunho, who was being held captive by a hundred riders, and his desperate cries pierced his heart like needles, but he still managed to suppress his murderous intent.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the entrance of the market street.

"Stop! Stop!"

Two swift horses shattered the morning mist, the crisp sound of horseshoes striking the bluestone slabs as dense as drumbeats.

Gao Yue's hands, gripping the reins tightly, were rubbed red, and Huang Chun's robe was lifted by the wind, revealing his sweat-dampened undergarment.

The two practically tumbled off their horses, staggering a few steps before regaining their balance upon landing.

When their gaze fell upon the corpses in front of the Zheng family mansion, the two of them gasped in shock.

In the morning light, corpses lay scattered inside and outside the threshold, dark red bloodstains soaked through the bluestone slabs, and even the stone lions' paws were stained black.

Gao Yue's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, while Huang Chun subconsciously pressed the hilt of his sword at his waist until he saw the black figure in the Imperial Guard's ranks, at which point his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.

"High-ranking official?"

Zheng Yuanzhu's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened abruptly. He recognized the bright yellow eunuch's robe with python patterns, and his heart skipped a beat.

That brat actually sent someone into the palace long ago!
Before Gao Yue could even straighten her disheveled robes, her shrill voice suddenly rose: "His Majesty has summoned General Zheng Yuanzhu, the Left Martial Marquis, his son Zheng Yunhao, and Wen He, the Viscount of Gaoyang County, to come to the Liangyi Hall for an audience immediately!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the armed guards, his voice icy: "Everyone, lay down your weapons immediately, or you will be punished for treason!"

As Li Shimin's personal eunuch, his words carried the weight of an imperial decree.

The hundred cavalrymen were the first to sheath their swords, the clanging of their armor echoing in unison.

The Imperial Guards followed closely behind, the crisp sound of blades being sheathed echoing throughout the ranks.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Gao Yue's eyes.

Although these people obeyed Wen He's orders, they always put the emperor's orders first, making them far superior to the guards who only cared about their masters' moods.

The aristocratic guards exchanged bewildered glances, their hands still gripping their knives, their eyes frequently darting towards Zheng Yuanzhu and the old man from the Cui family.

"Put everything down!"

Zheng Yuanzhu roared and threw his sword to the ground.

Amidst the dull thud of the blade striking the stone slab, his hand, pointing at Wen He, was still trembling.

"I will go before His Majesty now and enumerate your crimes in detail!"

Wen He scoffed lightly, too lazy to argue with him. Huang Chun had already brought over a warhorse and bowed to help him onto the saddle.

After settling into his seat, the young man calmly ordered, "The hundred riders will continue to surround the mansion and escort all those involved to the Dali Temple."

He didn't trust the Ministry of Justice's prisons, but Liu Dewei, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was upright and incorruptible. He had dealt with him during the investigation the other day and found him trustworthy. Besides, these people were involved with noble titles, and according to the law, they should also be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for trial.

Of course, more importantly, the Hundred Cavalry still do not have their own prison. After this matter, I'm afraid I'll have to bring it up with His Majesty.

"you dare!"

Zheng Yuanzhu was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He knew better than anyone how many secrets were hidden in the mansion.

If the Dali Temple were to search the premises, it would likely cause an even bigger uproar.

But Wenhe didn't even look at him; she simply spurred her horse toward the imperial city.

The horse's hooves trampled over the bloodstains, splashing up tiny red droplets that traced a resolute arc in the morning light.

Jung Yunho's cries came from behind: "Father, save me!"

Zheng Yuanzhu turned around abruptly, watching his son being dragged away by a hundred riders. He gritted his teeth and turned to follow Gao Yue.

As the old man Cui gazed in the direction the three had gone, he suddenly whispered to the servant beside him, "Go, quickly inform the clan, prepare generous gifts, and contact the censors we know well. Today, we must ensure that Wen He is utterly destroyed." His face grew increasingly ferocious.

Blank paper and distribution rights.

If the Cui family of Boling could obtain half of it, then even the Cui family of Qinghe would be in a much better position in the future…

No, even the emperor has to give them some leeway.

No matter how smart Wen He is, he's still just a ten-year-old child.

Everything they've done is just a wedding dress for the Cui family!

Meanwhile, the Cui family of Boling contacted the imperial censor.

Inside the Liangyi Hall of Daxing Palace.

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere felt suffocating.

Almost everyone had a solemn expression.

Um, except for one person.

"Your Majesty, Zheng Yuanzhu colluded with the Turks to plot a rebellion and even ambushed a hundred cavalrymen. I was seriously injured. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me, or I will retire!"

Upon entering the Liangyi Hall, Zheng Yuanzhu hadn't even had a chance to bow.

Then I heard a terrible wail next to me.

He turned around abruptly and saw Wen He with tears streaming down her face, as if he were the one who had suffered a great injustice that day.

"injured?"

Li Shimin was furious, but upon hearing this, his expression immediately turned panicked.

Could it be that this brat charged into the enemy lines on his own?

He still remembered what Li Jing had told him after the Battle of Huizhou.

Wen He climbed the city wall alone several times, and during the subsequent pursuit, he even rode the same horse as Li Jing.

This brat doesn't cherish himself at all!
"What are you all standing there for? Go and fetch the imperial physician!"

He glared at Gao Yue.

Upon hearing this, the latter had no choice but to agree.

But inwardly he was filled with bitterness.

Wen He didn't look injured at all; his clothes weren't even torn.

Your Majesty is losing your composure because you're worried.

Li Shimin looked at Wen He and immediately said something to the eunuch.

"Someone come and offer a seat to the magistrate of Gaoyang County."

Zheng Yuanzhu trembled slightly upon seeing Li Er's attitude.

Your Majesty, your favoritism is far too blatant.

Before he could even react, Wen He burst into tears again: "Your Majesty, I am suffering! Zheng Yuanzhu is a scoundrel! He sent men to burn my wool, so that those ten thousand soldiers will not be able to spend the winter on the border."

"He even called me a lowly person, a peasant, he humiliated me, I am suffering!"

"Your Majesty, please do justice for me! If Your Majesty does not do justice for me, I fear that General Zuo Wuhou will kill me."

Shameless!

How can this brat be so shameless?

Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded.

Seeing Wen He crying so hard, one couldn't help but believe that what he said was true.

"Your Majesty, the magistrate of Gaoyang is slandering me. Clearly, he broke into my residence without permission and slaughtered my family. Your Majesty, I am the one who was wronged..."

Zheng Yuanzhu felt truly wronged. Although it was a setup, he still suffered considerable losses.

The compensation alone would amount to at least a thousand strings of cash.

But before he could finish speaking, Wen He beside him burst into tears, interrupting him.

"Your Majesty, more than a hundred men have gathered at the home of the Left Martial General. They are all armed with sharp weapons and are well-trained. If they were wearing armor, they would be elite troops. When I led a hundred cavalrymen in, we were surrounded and attacked. If it weren't for my brothers fighting desperately, I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen Your Majesty again."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere inside the Liangyi Hall immediately turned icy.

Well-trained and armed with sharp weapons!

Therefore, each mansion had guards, most of whom were former military experts.

But these are all things done behind the scenes; everyone knows it but doesn't say it aloud.

However, Wen He has now exposed it, right in front of His Majesty.

What will His Majesty think?
What is the purpose of the Zheng family arranging so many people in Chang'an?
Is he trying to emulate Yang Xuangan back in the day?
Li Shimin's expression grew increasingly cold, and his hands, resting on the table, clenched tightly together.

He had previously only disliked the aristocratic families and powerful clans, because they were almost always their spokespeople in the court.

Very few people are actually willing to do things for him.

That's why he tolerated these aristocratic families; if he removed them, who would work for him in the future?

Wen He's promise to make the common people literate may take more than a decade to arrive if we wait for a truly capable person to appear.

However, all this tolerance was based on the premise that the aristocratic families disbanded their private armies and truly engaged in farming and reading.

Now you dare to openly establish your own private army within Chang'an City.

You guys really want to rebel!

What Li Shimin feared most was that Zheng Yuanzhu was also the Left Martial General.

The more than 6,000 troops that Zuo Wuhou always kept on were stationed outside Chang'an City.

(End of this chapter)