The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 385 The Greatest Petition in the World

Normally, if Li Si had just given him that charming smile, Longkodo would have been completely mesmerized, his bones practically melting.

But today was different. His heart felt as cold as if it were filled with ice, so cold that he was shivering!

He couldn't even look into Li Si's alluring eyes anymore—

Normally, her eyes look charming and full of water, but today they seem like two bottomless pits that are about to kill you.

This was unprecedented, and even Longkodo himself found it unbelievable.

He wasn't surprised at all when the Lü family came to give him gifts.

Who in the capital doesn't know that Lord Long is ruthless in accepting gifts and only does things according to his mood?

But their demands almost made him spit out his hot tea:

"Trial according to the law!"

The Lü family actually demanded that the trial be conducted "according to the law"?
How could the Lü family possibly demand that the trial be conducted "according to the law"?
If judged according to the law, Lü Baizhou and the men who committed the act would definitely be sentenced to death!

This isn't pleading for mercy, it's practically begging for death! And it's so urgent that there's not even time to drink the final cup of wine before someone's execution.

Longkodo had already made up his mind that this case would be handled with one principle: strictly in accordance with the law!

Unless Emperor Qianxi personally says so, no amount of pleading will work.

But now, he was completely dumbfounded.

What exactly is going on here? Are the requirements for giving gifts really that simple?

"Besides this hairpin, what else did the Lü family give us?" Longkodo grabbed Li Si's hand and asked impatiently, looking as if he wanted to devour her.

Normally, if Longkodo were this "enthusiastic," Li Si would undoubtedly throw him a few flirtatious glances and say a few coquettish words.
"Sir, please be gentle! You're hurting her!"

But today, looking at Longkodo's murderous face, she felt a little uneasy.

He could only stammer and honestly tell Longkodo, "There's still ten thousand taels of silver, all in Yuqing Bank dollars."

"Plus a village in Haidian."

"More than a thousand acres of land."

Longkodo's heart skipped a beat.

This estate must be worth at least ten thousand taels of silver, which adds up to twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver.

He wouldn't be surprised at all if Tian Wenjing's family sent money demanding "severe punishment according to the law"—

That's revenge!
What's the Lü family up to? Do they think they have too many people in their family and want to use the imperial court to help clean house?

They were just hoping that Lü Baizhou and his men would set off sooner so they could save some food.

This is even more incomprehensible than a face-changing act on a theatrical stage!

"Seal these things away first!"

Longkodo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I'll go write a report."

Li Si rarely saw him so serious, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Master, is this matter very troublesome?"

"It's more than just trouble,"

Longkodo's face was grim. "On one side is the Crown Prince, and on the other side is a whole bunch of people."

"At this critical juncture, one wrong step and I'll be in deep trouble."

Emperor Qianxi was not unaware that Longkodo was embezzling money.

Not only did they know, but they also tacitly approved of it to some extent, even to the point of indulging and encouraging it.

After all, this was the "sky-high braid" that he personally tied for Longkodo!
A powerful minister with a pigtail is always easier to manipulate than a flawless saint.

If Longkodo ever disobeys, and if he dares to throw a tantrum, the emperor can easily drag him from heaven to hell.

He has plenty of ways to deal with such a greedy guy!
What Emperor Qianxi wanted was not a clean-living, upright Longkodo, but an obedient and loyal one.

Of course, it would be best to make some harmless little mistakes from time to time.

After the memorial was written, Longkodo sent someone to deliver it to the Hot Spring Palace overnight.

But that night, Longkodo tossed and turned in bed like a spinning top, unable to fall asleep.

The gift from the Lü family was so bizarre, it was like throwing a cannon into a pot of boiling oil—

Suddenly, with a loud bang, he was blasted to a crisp, completely destroyed.

The next morning, he hastily ate a few mouthfuls of food and rushed to the headquarters of the Infantry Commander.

Before he could even sit down properly, the clerk leaned over and said, "Sir, the yamen received a petition today. Please take a look."

Longkodo waved his hand impatiently:

"Didn't we already say that you can discuss and handle the trivial matters yourselves? You can't expect me to handle everything personally, big or small?"

"But this one is different,"

The clerk lowered his voice and reported mysteriously, "It was written by Tian Wenjing's family—pleading for leniency for the group that beat Lü Baizhou to death!"

Longkodo's head buzzed, as if he had been hit on the head with a club!

No wonder the Lü family sent gifts demanding a trial "according to the law"!
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, if the deceased's family is willing to forgive and accept compensation, the sentence can be reduced.

Now that the Tian family has taken the initiative to plead for leniency, they should be given a lighter sentence.

But what about the Crown Prince?
The crown prince was hoping to use these few heads to push forward his new policy of "officials and gentry paying taxes together".

If the sentence is lenient, will the Crown Prince be happy?
But if he were to be severely punished, the spittle of the civil officials would drown him.

Even if Emperor Qianxi trusted him, he couldn't withstand being impeached every day.

To save himself trouble, Emperor Qianxi might "move him to another place".

For example, being sent to manage the royal pig farm, staring blankly at a bunch of pigs—the thought alone was enough to make one despair. Longkodo unfolded the petition, and the more he read, the more he wanted to laugh—

The opening line describes Tian Wenjing as "frail and sickly," and he sneers: "They really went all out to force the Tian family to write like this."

The story gets even more interesting later, with claims that Lü Baizhou and others "did not act for personal gain, but only for the greater good of the court," and even suggesting that "if Tian Wenjing were alive, he would forgive them."

Finally, he delivered a few impassioned remarks:
"Serving the court faithfully above and speaking out for the common people below!"

"Master Hu, how much do you think this petition is worth?" Longkodo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Master Hu had followed him for many years and had long since developed a keen eye for detail.

He knew that this man was outwardly greedy but inwardly shrewd, so he answered honestly:

"Sir, I don't think you can make this without 100,000 taels of silver."

"Just to get someone to write such shameless words, it would cost at least five thousand taels; and to persuade the Tian family to sign and seal it, it would cost at least fifty or sixty thousand taels."

"In addition, it will cost another 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silver to maintain good relations with various parties. And this is just the apparent expense."

"I just don't know who paid for it."

Longkodo nodded and sighed:
"They're putting us on the hot seat! And they're roasting us slowly, as if they're afraid we won't be cooked through."

"Old Hu, what should I do?" Longkodo asked with a worried look on his face.

"Sir, didn't you previously decide to punish them severely according to the law?"

Master Hu said in a low voice, "We'll offend people either way, so we might as well stick to the original plan. At least we'll have a point."

Longkodo pondered for a moment, then called out, "Call Tong San here!"

Tong San was his trusted servant. He grew up in the Tong family and had developed exceptional speed and agility.

Upon hearing the summons, it rushed in like a gust of wind, its speed surpassing even that of a watchdog.

"Go back to the Duke's mansion as quickly as possible, take this thing to the old master and ask him what his opinion is."

"Remember, you must hand it over to the old master yourself!"

Tong San didn't say anything, took the things, and disappeared in a flash.

Master Hu was not at all surprised by Longkodo's actions.

Although Longkodo's relationship with his father was sometimes good and sometimes bad, the bond of blood could not be erased.

If such a serious matter were to occur, which could roast a person alive, his father, Tong Guowei, as the Grand Secretary, would not sit idly by and watch his son being roasted on a hot stove.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Tong San rushed back, panting heavily, as if he had just been chased by a pack of vicious dogs for three blocks.

"Why are you back so quickly?" Longkodo's face darkened. "You haven't even reached the Duke's mansion yet? Did you slack off on the way?"

If Tong San weren't one of his own, he would have given him a good beating long ago.

Things are so urgent, and you're still dawdling here!
"General, General," Tong San said, panting, "I met Tong Wu on the way. He was sent by the Duke to find you."

As Tong San spoke, he gave Master Hu a meaningful glance.

Knowing full well what was going on, Master Hu immediately and tactfully withdrew.

Although he was deeply trusted, he was ultimately an outsider.

To work for the Tong family, the most important thing is to have the eyes of an eagle, the legs of a rabbit, the ears of a deaf person, and the mouth of a mute person.

How can you survive if you don't have any self-awareness?
He didn't want to compete for favor with the servants of the Tong family. It was best not to know about the Tong family's private affairs, lest he be silenced one day and have to buy his own coffin.

He understands the saying, "You can't see into someone's heart."

After all these years, he's seen it all: what boss would truly be completely open with you?
Despite not being fully trusted, Hu Shiye remained devoted to Longkodo, which didn't anger him; instead, he was quite philosophical about it.

After all, an annual salary of one thousand taels of silver was enough for him to pretend to be deaf and dumb for the rest of his life.

Tong Wu bowed respectfully and said, "The Duke asked me to tell the Commander: one must not violate the laws of the country in one's actions."

"Why is my father suddenly saying this?" Longkodo asked, pulling him up.

"Doesn't he always say 'Haste makes waste'?"

“My lord, the Duke also received a petition when he went to court. He glanced at it and then asked me to deliver it to you.”

Tong Wu handed over a petition, the contents of which were exactly the same as Longkodo's.

"General, now all the scholars in the city are reading this, and some are even praising it as the 'greatest petition in the world'!"

"Even storytellers in teahouses and taverns are telling this joke!"

Longkodo's expression grew even more serious.

The matter has escalated to such a huge extent that it's impossible to suppress it.

He immediately ordered Tong San, "Prepare the sedan chair, we're going to Yuqing Palace!"

Meanwhile, Shen Ye in Yuqing Palace was sitting with his legs crossed, admiring the memorial in his hand.

This was given to him by someone from Nian Dongliang through Zhou Bao.

This petition was written with tears streaming down my face, every word dripping with sorrow. As he read it, he kept marveling at its beauty.
"With such talent, it's a waste that she's not a storyteller on a pedestrian bridge!"

Regardless of the methods the other party used to get the Tian family to write this, their purpose was very clear—

To save the lives of Lü Baizhou and others.

If the sentence is too lenient, the opposition to the "officials and gentry paying taxes together" will become even more rampant.

Implementing the new policy will be even more difficult.

“Zhang Ying, that old fox, this move of hers,” Shen Ye gently put down the petition, “is truly extraordinary, quite ruthless.”

　The second update for today is here! Please vote for me, everyone! (End-of-month request!)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)