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

Chapter 284 Greed knows no bounds (Seeking monthly votes)
"Ten thousand strings of cash? You must be joking, Wen County Magistrate!"

Cui Anye's brows furrowed suddenly, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, almost embedding themselves into the lines of his palms.

Wen He actually dared to make such an outrageous demand.

Ten thousand strings of cash would be enough to settle down in a three-courtyard mansion with side courtyards in Chang'an.

Wang Renyou's lips twitched incessantly.

The Wang family of Taiyuan had been operating in Jinyang for a century, with shops and estates all over Shanxi. They were certainly not short of money, but no one is a fool to be manipulated.

He had just glanced at the confession; every word was a fabricated charge. Knowing his son as he did, he wouldn't dare do it even if he had ten lives.

Wen He actually demanded 10,000 strings of cash as ransom, which was no different from highway robbery.
If Wen He knew what he was thinking at that moment, she would definitely tell him: "Robbery is not as quick a way to make money as this."

"If you do not give it to me, then I will act in accordance with the laws of the Tang Dynasty."

Wen He sat on the table, gently lifted her robe, and crossed her legs.

He looked at the two people in front of him, a slight smile playing on his lips, but no hint of a smile in his eyes. His fingertips tapped lightly on his knees, making a soft, rhythmic sound, as if he were counting down their remaining patience.

He sneered inwardly.

When you people from the five surnames and seven clans were plotting against the Zheng family at their residence, how could you have imagined that things would turn out this way?
The message sent back by the Hundred Cavalry's insider clearly stated that, apart from the Li families of Longxi and Zhaojun who left early that day, the other five families stayed for quite a long time.

Although there is no concrete evidence, they have clearly tacitly approved of the operation against Wen He, so why pretend to be innocent now?

"you dare!"

Wang Renyou slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups on it to tremble slightly.

His eyes were wide open like an angry Vajra, his finger pointing at Wen He was trembling, and his back teeth were grinding together, as if he was about to pounce on her and tear the smiling face in front of him to shreds at any moment.

"What, you dare to lay a hand on me?"

Wen He sneered, raised her eyes to meet his gaze, and her eyes suddenly turned sharp, like a dagger tempered with ice.

Historical records state that Wang Renyou was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the Zhenguan era, but now he is just a commoner. Yet he dares to shout at court officials in the main hall of the Dali Temple.
Wen He snorted, turned her gaze to Cui Anye, and deliberately took out the confession from her sleeve, slowly unfolding it in front of the two of them.

“Cui Ming is one of the masterminds, Young Master Cui must not make a mistake.”

He tapped his fingertip lightly on the confession, and Jung Yunho's bright red fingerprint, like a drop of congealed blood, gleamed coldly in the morning light: "By the way, I will be entering the palace soon. If this confession is presented to His Majesty, and he marks it with the cinnabar pen on the dragon's desk, then even a god would be powerless to save it."

The boy's voice was light and airy, yet it struck Cui Anye's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Your son's life can't be worth less than ten thousand strings of cash, can it?"

Cui Anye gritted his teeth, his jawline taut like a bowstring about to break, and the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He practically gritted his teeth, squeezing out a reluctant sentence: "Fine, ten thousand strings of cash, I'll pay. When will you release my son?"

"No, as the saying goes, you pay in cash and deliver the goods at the same time."

Wen He shrugged, her tone as casual as if she were chatting about everyday things.

"Once the money is in your account, the jailer will lead you to the side door, so you won't run into each other at the main entrance and ruin the harmony."

"I'll go back and make the preparations right away!"

Before Wen He could reply, Cui Anye turned around abruptly, flicked his sleeves, and walked out.

Seeing him leave, Wen He yawned deeply, leaned back lazily in her chair, and rubbed her temples, her knuckles making a slight cracking sound.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on his face, revealing a hint of youthful weariness, yet a sharp glint lurked in his eyes.

"With Jung Yunho and Young Master Wang, I can finally give an account to His Majesty."

He spoke slowly, then suddenly seemed to realize something and looked at Wang Renyou, who was still standing there, with feigned surprise.

"Hey, why haven't you left yet, Young Master Wang? If there's nothing else, please leave. I'm tired and want to rest."

Wang Renyou stared at Wen He, his gaze as deep and cold as a pool, churning with anger and resentment.

He hesitated for a long time, his fingertips digging white into his sleeves, his voice tinged with coldness: "This time, the Wang family admits defeat. We hope that in the future, the Wen County magistrate will..."

“Young Master Wang, the initiative is now in my hands, so let’s stop with those useless threats.”

Wen He straightened her robes and stood up.

“You should understand that if it weren’t for Minister Liu, neither of you would have been able to enter the Dali Temple today.”

He ignored Wang Renyou's anger and chuckled lightly.

"I advise you to go back and get the money as soon as possible. The sooner you pay, the less your son will suffer. The riders are all rough men, clumsy and clumsy. If he gets hurt, don't blame me for not warning him."

Wang Renyou clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand throbbing, wishing he could punch the young brat in front of him in the face.

But he knew in his heart that Wen He dared to act in this way because the emperor must be backing him up.

If he were to make a move now, not only would he not be able to save his son, but he himself would likely be implicated.

He snorted heavily, flicked his sleeves, and turned to leave.

Watching him leave, Wen He finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"What a maddening job! I put in so much effort, only to get this little bit of money, and it's not even my own. Damn it."

Wen He scratched his head, suddenly feeling a little upset.

No, once this money is delivered to Li Er, he'll have to ask for some benefits.

We can't just help him with this thankless task for nothing.

"I'm so tired. I'm just a ten-year-old child. I'm so stressed every day. I'll not grow tall."

Wen He grumbled and couldn't help but yawn.

He stayed up too late writing about the Three Kingdoms last night, and if he hadn't been thinking about what he had to do today, he would have slept until the afternoon.

"Gaoyang County?"

Someone suddenly called his name from outside the door, and Wen He, who was about to take a nap on the table, immediately perked up.

When he turned around, he saw Liu Dewei walking in with a smile on his face.

"Greetings, Minister Liu." Wen He stood up and bowed to him.

"Thank you for your courtesy." Liu Dewei went up to him and returned the greeting.

"Today we have occupied the main hall of the Dali Temple, leaving Minister Liu with nowhere to work. Please forgive us."

Wen He thought he had come to reclaim his territory, and thankfully she hadn't fallen asleep there.

Alright, I'll go to Hundred Riders for a nap later.

If it weren't for the fear that Li Shimin might want to see him again at any time, Wen He would have wanted to go home. Sleeping is nothing compared to lying in bed.

Upon hearing this, Liu Dewei quickly waved his hand and said, "How can you say that? Although it was the Dali Temple that worked together with the Hundred Cavalry to successfully investigate the case, it was all thanks to the county magistrate and the Hundred Cavalry. I am grateful enough, how could I blame them?"

"However, what does the magistrate think should be done with Zheng Yuanzhu?"

Liu Dewei suddenly changed the subject, staring intently at Wen He.

Wen He was stunned for a moment.

As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he shouldn't need to concern himself with such matters.

"Minister Liu, Zheng Yuanzhu is a third-rank general in the court. The matter of interrogation is the responsibility of the Court of Judicial Review. How dare I interfere?"

The laws of the Tang Dynasty were quite good in this respect.

High-ranking officials, even close confidants of the emperor like the Hundred Cavalry, could not be arrested or questioned without authorization.

Even if one wanted to collect evidence, one had to obtain the emperor's permission, rather than making a decision on one's own.

So Wen He wasn't being modest, nor was he unwilling to take on responsibilities; he simply didn't want to violate any taboos in officialdom.

“You’ve taken this too seriously, sir. Since we’re cooperating on this case, I naturally have to come and discuss it with you,” Liu Dewei said with a smile. Wen He found this strange.

But soon, he understood what Liu Dewei meant.

Liu Dewei was unsure how Zheng Yuanzhu would be sentenced or what crime he would be convicted of.

After all, this matter involves too many things.

His purpose in coming here was probably not to really discuss Zheng Yuanzhu's crimes with me.

They probably want to ask Li Er through me.

But Liu Dewei was unwilling to offend the five prominent families and seven influential figures because of this matter.

His close relationship with the Wang family of Taiyuan likely stemmed from this reason.

Having figured this out, Wen He smiled knowingly and said, "Minister Liu, I am young and ignorant, and I am afraid I cannot help you with this matter. I suddenly remembered that I still have to interrogate the prisoners, so I will take my leave now."

Although Liu Dewei is a good person, he is a bit too smooth.

No wonder that when he later encountered Li You's rebellion, he suddenly gave up halfway through the task.

Although he said he was going home to mourn his mother...

But the other side is plotting a rebellion.

That excuse is a bit far-fetched; at least you should have handed over military power to the people around you.

Seeing Wen He about to leave, Liu Dewei was stunned for a moment, and immediately reached out to stop him.

Ke Wenhe slid away, dodging his outstretched hand, and slipped past him.

"This Wenxian boy..." Liu Dewei sighed helplessly.

He felt he had brought trouble upon himself. If he had known Zheng Yuanzhu would be so troublesome, he shouldn't have agreed to the Hundred Riders' request to imprison him in the Dali Temple.

It should be delivered directly to His Majesty the Emperor.

On the other side, Wen He left the main hall of the Dali Temple and went straight to the Dali Temple prison.

After the interrogation concluded yesterday, Jung Yunho and the others were detained separately and no longer subjected to torture.

"You can let Cui Ming go now, and someone will come to take you away soon as well as Cui An and Wang Shi's." Wen He gestured to the Hundred Riders to remove the shackles from their bodies.

Upon hearing this, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

However, there were some other members of the aristocratic families in the prison.

"Sir, we're waiting! We're innocent too!" they shouted hurriedly.

Wen He impatiently made an ear-picking motion.

"Shut up, anyone who wants to go out."

“I have a confession here, which details the crimes of Zheng Yuanzhu and his son. You are all involved parties. If you are willing to testify, sign it here, and I will consider it as you making amends for your crimes and release you.”

Wen He took out a confession from his sleeve.

Those in the prison who did not belong to the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families shouted at him without hesitation.

"Yes, yes, I'm willing!"

They couldn't wait to leave this awful place.

As for Jung Yunho and his son Jung Won-soo, what does that have to do with them?

They were just there to join in the fun at the Zheng family's place. In the past, these people from the five surnames and seven prominent families had always been arrogant and disdainful of others in front of them.

Don't blame them for kicking you when you're down.

In the other cell, Jung Yunho listened to the cries of those around him and clenched his fists in despair.

With his hair disheveled, he had long lost the refined elegance he possessed when he first met Wen He.

He sat there cross-legged, lost in thought, without uttering a word.

He knew that no matter how much he shouted, it wouldn't change anything.

Wen He had the Hundred Riders take the confessions to those people to sign, and he went alone into the prison where Zheng Yunhao was being held.

"Don't worry, I promised you I wouldn't let you die. Once this matter is settled, you and your father can leave Chang'an."

This is not Wen He's kindness or repaying evil with good.

Rather, he knew that Li Shimin wouldn't kill Zheng Yunhao and Zheng Yuanzhu over such a trivial matter.

This can be considered a favor that Li Shimin did for the five prominent families and seven powerful clans.

But Jung Yunho can forget about ever entering the officialdom again.

Upon hearing this, Jung Yunho looked up at Wen He, his eyes bloodshot.

He gritted his teeth and stared at Wen He for a long time.

This action made the hundred riders outside the prison nervous, and they all placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Jung Yunho suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“I have lost. I consider myself one of the best among my peers, but I never expected to lose to a mere child. From now on, I fear the aristocratic families will no longer tolerate me.”

"Let me give you a piece of advice: 'A person's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.'" Wen He left these words behind before turning and departing.

Watching his retreating figure, Jung Yunho suddenly burst into laughter: "The Bashe eats the elephant! The Bashe eats the elephant!"

The story of the Bashe snake eating an elephant comes from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," and it has the same meaning as what Wen He just mentioned.

Seeing his increasingly frantic state, Wen He coldly shook her head.

"All riders, retreat."

The next step was left to the Dali Temple.

The money sent by the three families of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families will be collected by the people of the Dali Temple.

"It's a pity that no one from the Lu family of Fanyang was there this time."

Wen He shook her head with a chuckle, but the results this time were undeniably brilliant.

Before long, the 100 riders assembled and followed Wen He back to the 100 Riders Division.

He had just arrived at the Hundred Cavalry Commandery with his men, and before he even entered, he saw a familiar figure not far away, smiling at him.

Seeing that familiar face, Wen He suddenly felt an urge to turn around and run away.

“Wen County Boy, no need to run. It wasn’t His Majesty who summoned you.” Gao Yue guessed his thoughts from his subtle movements.

"Hehe, high-ranking official, huh? I didn't see you earlier. What brings you here?" Wen He chuckled dryly as he stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting.

Gao Yue chuckled and shook her head. After returning his greeting, she said, "His Majesty sent me to collect some things. Also, His Majesty instructed me to tell the County Magistrate that you should not get involved in Zheng Yuanzhu's matter. You should leave it entirely to the Dali Temple."

"Okay okay."

Wen He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he was afraid that Li Er would ask him to take over the matter again.

"Also, His Majesty has decreed that you remember to attend the court meeting in two days. You can no longer make excuses not to go."

Gao Yue gave a serious reminder.

Wen He was stunned.

I don't want to get up that early!

(End of this chapter)