My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

"You should know that deceiving the emperor is a crime punishable by death."

But if Su Wan could resolve such a serious crime with just a few words, wouldn't that be terrible?

and,

"Your idea looks good, but it actually has a problem," Fang Xuanling analyzed.

At this moment, Li Tai walked up to Fang Yi'ai, helped him up from the ground, and then dusted the dust off him: "A head loss is just a small scar, why are you crying like that?"

"King of Yue, I—".

"You don't need to explain anymore. Don't worry, we will ensure your safety."

Fang Yi'ai wiped away his tears and stood respectfully behind Fang Xuanling.

Li Tai looked at Fang Xuanling and asked, "Your Excellency, what's wrong with this idea?"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said, "Your intentions are good, and I can understand them."

but,

Before making a decision, we need to consider who the other party is.

The other party is Ashina She'er.

Ashina She'er was originally a prince of the Turks. When he was just over ten years old, he was already the bravest warrior in the army.

Although he was a Turk

However, he was utterly loyal to Li Chengqian; such a person...

Even if Fang Yi'ai were to join his army, would he be able to control him?

Isn't it Ashina She'er who has the final say?

Fang Yi'ai has no ability to begin with, so what can you expect him to do?

More trouble than they're worth.

Fang Yi'ai, who was listening nearby, blushed and paled in turns, thinking to himself, "Father, how could you say such a thing to me in front of the King of Yue?"

If you speak of me like this, will the King of Yue still promote me to a higher official position in the future?

However, he dared not talk back.

Fang Xuanling said to Li Tai, "Have you forgotten who Ashina She'er married? It was Princess Hengyang, your aunt."

Your aunt is also a person with a very strong temper.

Your aunt is in the army.

When Fang Yi'ai got there, his words carried no weight.

Besides, your trick is too clumsy.

Who doesn't know that Ashina She'er is Li Chengqian's man?

What you're doing is clearly aimed at Li Chenggan.

Su Wan naturally objected.

Not only that,

Su Wan will probably have to reveal Fang Yi'ai's poisoning to your father, the Emperor, and send him to the Dali Temple prison.

"It's better to go to the Dali Temple and confess than to be arrested by someone else."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai thought to himself, "Father, you are truly heartless."

Am I someone you picked up from a garbage dump, or not your biological child?

Why are you pushing me into this fire pit?

in fact,

Fang Yi'ai was mistaken.

In truth, Fang Xuanling was a very wise man, and he was no less so than Zhang Liang.

Fang Xuanling played a crucial role in Li Shimin's conquest of the empire, offering numerous strategies and plans, many of which were adopted by Li Shimin, and his plans were almost flawless.

For this reason, after Li Shimin became emperor, he appointed Fang Xuanling as Grand Secretary.

High position and high weight.

Fang Xuanling was good in every way, but he differed from Zhang Liang in one way: he was not as magnanimous as Zhang Liang and did not covet fame and fortune.

At the beginning,

After helping Liu Bang seize power, Zhang Liang retired from public life.

but,

Fang Xuanling was unwilling to relinquish the power in his hands and always wanted to firmly grasp it.

Power often makes people lose themselves, and once you have power, it is hard to let go of it.

Fang Xuanling was thinking that he not only wanted to occupy the center of power for life, but also hoped that his descendants could inherit his official positions and titles and enjoy high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

In this respect, Fang Xuanling is somewhat similar to Huo Guang.

That is why Fang Xuanling supported Li Tai in his bid for the position of crown prince.

He realized that Li Chenggan was not on his side, and that if Li Chenggan successfully inherited the throne, he would not only be unable to become the chief minister, but would also likely face imprisonment.

Fang Xuanling understood that although he had made some contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty,

But what does that mean?

A new emperor, a new court.

Does this mean that Shang Yang had no merit back then?

Without Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin state would still be impoverished and weak.

How could they possibly unify the six kingdoms later?

Shang Yang made invaluable contributions to the Qin state; without him, there would have been no powerful Qin state later on.

but,

When Duke Xiao of Qin died,

Ying Si succeeded to the throne and became King Huiwen of Qin.

He immediately targeted Shang Yang for retribution.

Shang Yang failed to escape and was eventually torn apart by chariots.

Fang Xuanling worried that if Li Chenggan inherited the throne in the future, he might follow in the footsteps of Shang Yang.

Since we've already chosen to support Li Tai, we have to stick to it to the end.

This is a one-way street, so we must continue down it without looking back.

Fang Xuanling sighed and said to Fang Yi'ai, "You must know that the current emperor is a wise and benevolent ruler."

Dai Zhou of the Dali Temple was also incorruptible; he was a man who showed no favoritism to his family.

obviously,

After discovering that Fang Yi'ai had entered the Dali Temple prison, Su Wan poisoned the two thieves to death.

If you want to escape, you can't.

therefore,

Your best course of action is to go to the Dali Temple and confess your crimes.

"His Majesty might spare your life out of consideration for Princess Gaoyang."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai wore a bitter expression and stared at Li Tai.

Li Tai originally planned to hide Fang Yi'ai.

However, he realized that Fang Xuanling's words made sense; there was no way to escape.

Fang Xuanling continued, "If the Emperor cannot forgive you, you will die alone, so as not to implicate the rest of our Fang family."

"If you try to escape, the Emperor will be furious, and our entire Fang family will suffer the consequences."

Seeing that his father had made a decision and there was no way to change it, Fang Yi'ai said, "Alright, Prince Yue, Father, I will go to the Dali Temple to confess my crimes. If I don't come back, you must take good care of Princess Gaoyang."

Li Tai said, "Don't worry about that. Princess Gaoyang is my sister, how could I not take care of her?"

Fang Xuanling waved his hand: "Go ahead, it's better to go sooner rather than later."

If we go too late, it might be too late.

When Fang Yi'ai saw that his father was chasing him away again, he hardened his heart, turned around and went out, heading straight for the Dali Temple.

……

Zichen Palace.

Li Shimin sat behind his desk reviewing memorials, while Wei Zheng stood by with his hands at his sides.

When Li Shimin heard that Empress Zhangsun had woken up, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that Sun Simiao was indeed extraordinary, and that the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital were no match for him.

However, Sun Simiao had a rather eccentric temperament; he absolutely refused to serve as an official in the court.

People who want to become officials will try every means to squeeze into the officialdom.

Sun Simiao was truly an eccentric.

However, this is not surprising, as truly capable people often have some eccentricities.

This time,

Su Wan also played a significant role in bringing Empress Zhangsun back to life.

If Su Wan hadn't found the Snow Lingzhi at Liujia Mountain...

Even with Sun Simiao's great abilities, there was nothing he could do.

Li Shimin put down the memorial in his hand and looked up at Wei Zheng.

He noticed that Wei Zheng looked radiant and more energetic than ever, and thought to himself that the old Taoist priest had been in good spirits lately, and it seemed that he had learned how to maintain his health.

"My dear minister, I've noticed you've become increasingly radiant lately. Do you have some special secret?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I have no special tricks, but I do have a few habits."

"Oh, tell me about it."

"Your humble servant is not fond of wine, lust, staying up late, or getting angry."

"Oh, I see!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt uneasy, thinking to himself, "These are the things I can't live without almost every day."

"Anything else?"

"I used to be a Taoist priest. I ate very light meals and only ate until I was half full."

In addition, I enjoy taking walks in the suburbs of Chang'an in my spare time.

Li Shimin nodded slightly: "These are all very good habits of yours."

Wei Zheng laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I am no match for you."

Your Majesty is about twenty years older than me.

As they say, time waits for no one.

Your Majesty is in your thirties, the prime of your life.

"Your humble servant is nearing the end of his life, and if I don't take care of myself, I fear I will become increasingly frail."

Li Shimin laughed and said, "If we simply calculate by age, I am indeed a little younger than you."

However, people's lifespans vary; Qin Shi Huang lived to 50, while Liu Bang lived to over 60.

King Zhaoxiang of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han, however, lived to be over 70 years old.

Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue, lived to be over 100 years old.

so,

It's not necessarily true that older people will die first.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely walk ahead of you."

How do you know?

"Your Majesty is the Emperor, how could the Emperor possibly die?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin laughed heartily: "Everyone must die eventually. Qin Shi Huang was afraid of people talking about the word 'death,' so he didn't appoint a crown prince, because appointing a crown prince would mean his own death."

He sought immortality through elixirs and immortality, spending so much money that he practically emptied the entire Qin Dynasty, yet in the end, he still couldn't escape death.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

After listening to Li Shimin's words, Wei Zheng felt that Li Shimin was a very enlightened emperor. It was truly rare for a person to be able to take life and death lightly.

Especially those in high positions.

"Therefore, I established a crown prince early on. If Qin Shi Huang had made Fusu the crown prince earlier, how could the Qin Dynasty have perished after only two generations?"

"Your Majesty is right. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the country, the foundation of the nation. He must be established, nor should he be moved lightly."

Li Shimin nodded: "There's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

Wei Zheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."

Ashina She'er led tens of thousands of cavalry to garrison on the border of Gaochang, guarding against the Western Regions kingdoms such as Yanqi, Tuyuhun, and Xueyantuo.

So,

Li Tai suggested sending Fang Yi'ai to Ashina She'er's army as a military supervisor. Do you think this is appropriate?

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng shook his head: "This humble subject believes that this matter is inappropriate."

"Oh, why?"

Fang Yi'ai once fought alongside Li Tai in the Western Regions.

However, Fang Yi'ai's performance in the army was not good.

They even deserted.

later,

His Majesty dismissed Li Tai from his post and replaced him with the Crown Prince, which finally curbed this trend.

Ashina She'er was a fierce and ruthless general; could he possibly listen to Fang Yi'ai?

Besides, Fang Yi'ai was Princess Gaoyang's husband.

Ashina She'er was also the husband of Princess Hengyang.

Princess Hengyang was also an elder, so with this relationship,

Sending Fang Yi'ai to be a military supervisor would be completely useless and would actually have the opposite effect.

"What you said seems to make some sense."

"Why did Your Majesty do this? Is it because you don't trust the Crown Prince, or because you don't trust Ashina She'er?"

"Uh—." Li Shimin choked.

Wei Zheng shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is sometimes big and sometimes small."

Your Majesty must not harbor any suspicion towards the Crown Prince. The closest relationship in the world is that between father and son.

If Emperor Wu of Han had not suspected Liu Ju, how could he have forced Liu Ju into rebellion?

History is a mirror.

Your Majesty must learn a lesson from this.

Does Liu Ju intend to rebel?

Wasn't it because of the villain Jiang Chong who sowed discord between Emperor Wu of Han and his son Liu Ju?

Jiang Chong appeared virtuous but was actually a complete scoundrel.

"Why do you say that?" Li Shimin asked in return.

"To evaluate a person, we should look at what they do, not what they say."

At the beginning,

When Jiang Chong was in the State of Zhao, he had a very good relationship with Liu Dan, the crown prince of Zhao.

At that time, Jiang Chong's real name was Jiang Qi, and he married his younger sister to Liu Dan.

Jiang Qi thus became a guest of Liu Pengzu, the King of Zhao.

The crown prince of Zhao committed some illegal acts, engaging in illicit relations with his sister and his parents' palace maids, which Jiang Chong learned of.

Liu Dan felt a vague unease, worried that one day Jiang Qi would report what he had done to the King of Zhao.

then,

He then sent his officers and soldiers to kill Jiang Qi's father and brothers, and then came to arrest Jiang Qi.

However, Jiang Qi was very alert.

He had received prior warning and escaped from the State of Zhao.

He arrived in Chang'an.

Then, he reported the illegal activities of the Crown Prince of Zhao to Emperor Wu of Han.

As a result, Jiang Chong won the case.

This matter needs to be considered at a specific point in time.

If Jiang Chong had already exposed the crown prince of Zhao before Liu Dan killed his family, then it would prove that Jiang Chong was a true gentleman.

He was devoted to public service.

however,

Jiang Chong already possessed that information, but he did not expose Liu Dan.

Instead, he waited until the crown prince of Zhao harmed his family before revealing the matter to Emperor Wu of Han.

What's this called?

This is called settling a personal score under the guise of public office.

This is the work of a petty person.

Your Majesty, please consider, isn't this the truth?

Li Shimin was well-versed in classics and history, and of course he was familiar with this period of history.

He nodded: "You're right."

"Jiang Chong is very good at packaging himself and is also very cunning."

When he went to see Emperor Wu of Han, he specially prepared a set of clothes as thin as a cicada's wing for himself.

Jiang Chong was handsome, and with the addition of his clothing, he appeared dignified.

Emperor Wu of Han exclaimed with great admiration, "The states of Yan and Zhao are home to many extraordinary talents!"

Jiang Chong was audacious and reckless.

It is said that when he was in charge of the imperial road, Princess Guantao once passed through that road, and he impounded her carriage.

When Emperor Wu of Han learned of this, he not only did not criticize him, but instead praised him highly.

In this way,

Jiang Chong became even more arrogant.

till the end,

He no longer respected even the Crown Prince Liu Ju, and a rift developed between them.

Jiang Chong thought to himself, one day in the future, after Emperor Wu of Han has passed away, if Liu Ju were to become emperor...

Wouldn't I die a terrible death?

Therefore,

He constantly spoke ill of Liu Ju in front of Emperor Wu of Han.

As Emperor Wu of Han entered his later years, he gradually became somewhat senile.

Emperor Wu of Han gradually distanced himself from Liu Ju, making it increasingly difficult for the crown prince to even see the emperor.

Even Empress Wei Zifu rarely got to see Emperor Wu of Han.

Conflicts and grievances that have accumulated over time will eventually erupt.

Ultimately, the witchcraft scandal occurred.

Liu Ju was forced to rebel. Lacking an army, he organized some of his household retainers to fight against the imperial forces.

What if Liu Ju really wanted to rebel?

How could he not have his own army?

By the time Emperor Wu of Han realized what was happening, it was too late.

Crown Prince Liu Ju and Empress Wei Zifu are both dead.

Emperor Wu of Han built the Terrace of Longing for His Son.

But are those useful?

Can Liu Ju come back to life?

At present, Li Chenggan is recruiting troops in Gaochang, partly to prevent the Western Regions from causing trouble and to play a certain deterrent role.

on the other hand,

Perhaps Li Chengqian's insecurity stemmed from a desire to protect himself.

Does Your Majesty intend to repeat the mistakes of Emperor Wu of Han?

Wei Zheng's words were sharp and incisive, leaving no room for tact. Li Shimin, in particular, found them somewhat grating.

However, regardless of the circumstances, Li Shimin was a wise and benevolent ruler.

He fully understood what Wei Zheng was saying.

As Li Shimin and Wei Zheng were discussing whether to send a military supervisor to Ashina She'er's army, a clear voice suddenly came from outside: "Your Majesty, Fang Yi'ai cannot go."

Li Shimin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Su Wan gracefully walking in from outside.

Su Wan knelt on the ground: "Wan'er greets Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin nodded slightly: "Get up quickly!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Su Wan stood up, she bowed to Wei Zheng again.

Wei Zheng reciprocated with courtesy.

Li Shimin looked at Su Wan and asked, "Wan'er, what did you mean when you said Fang Yi'ai couldn't go to Ashina She'er's army?"

"Your Majesty, Fang Yi'ai has already gone to the Dali Temple to confess his crimes," Su Wan said calmly.

"What crime did he commit?" Li Shimin was surprised.

"A few days ago, didn't the Imperial Guard patrol arrest two thieves? Those two men look very much like Chengxin and Wei Lingfu."

later,

The two thieves were sent to the Dali Temple prison.

That night,

Didn't I go to visit Dali Temple in prison?

Just then, a masked man came out of the prison.

At that time, I felt that person looked like Fang Yi'ai.

Sure enough, Fang Yi'ai was incredibly audacious; he actually sneaked into the Dali Temple's prison and poisoned the two thieves to death.

"Oh, is that so?"

Li Shimin was also taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to himself how audacious Fang Yihao was, and what kind of place the Dali Temple prison was.

He entered the Dali Temple's prison as if it were empty.

Dai Zhou is inextricably linked to this matter.

Li Shimin was furious when he thought of this.

He shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"

At this moment, a guard entered from outside, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders!"

"Go and summon Dai Zhou to me!"

"promise!"

The guard agreed and turned to leave.

Not long,

Dai Zhou has arrived.

Seeing Li Shimin's gloomy face, he had a bad feeling and quickly knelt on the ground: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin was still angry, but didn't wake him: "Was it you who put Fang Yi'ai in the Dali Temple prison?"

"No!"

Upon hearing this, Dai Zhou knew that the matter was quite serious.

"You didn't put it in there?"

"As the Vice Minister of Dali, how could you not know that someone had poisoned you in the Dali Temple's prison? What kind of person are you, the Vice Minister of Dali?" Li Shimin was furious.

After all, Li Shimin was an emperor who rose from the ashes, and his power still lingered. When he got angry, all the civil and military officials were terrified.

"Your Majesty, to be honest, I was drunk that night and know nothing."

Later, I heard that someone had been imprisoned in the Dali Temple.

However, this humble servant did not know that he was Fang Yi'ai.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, then suddenly stopped and pointed at Dai Zhou: "If just anyone can enter the Dali Temple's prison, then what is the point of our Dali Temple's existence?"

Your dereliction of duty is unforgivable.

"Execute you and all the guards on duty in the Dali Temple prison that night!"

at this time,

Veins bulged on Li Shimin's forehead, and his eyes turned bloodshot; he was about to unleash a massacre!

Su Wan had never seen Li Shimin so angry.

at this time,

Two guards entered and, without a word, removed the official hats and seals from the guards' bodies, placing them on the desk.

The two guards pushed Dai Zhou out.

Upon seeing this, Wei Zheng quickly called out, "Wait!"

The two guards stopped again, turned back to look at Li Shimin, and awaited his final decree.

Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng and asked, "My dear minister, what else do you have to say?"

Judging from Li Shimin's tone, Wei Zheng could already sense that Li Shimin was very impatient.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Dai Zhou must not be killed!"

Furthermore, those on duty at the Dali Temple that night must not be killed!

Why?

"A life was lost at the Dali Temple, don't they bear any responsibility?" Li Shimin retorted.

"That night, Dai Zhou drank a few too many glasses of wine and got so drunk that he was unconscious. He is indeed guilty!"

There's not much to say about this, but the crime doesn't warrant death.

He did not intentionally let people in to poison the two thieves.

Dai Zhou made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty.

He was originally an official of the Sui Dynasty, holding the rank of Attendant Gentleman.

Later, he became a high-ranking official under Wang Shichong.

Dai Zhou was of great help to His Majesty in attacking Wang Shichong.

Without Dai Zhou, would His Majesty have been able to capture Hulao Pass that time? Probably not!

In addition, it was Fang Yi'ai who was imprisoned in Dali Temple.

Would those jailers dare to block his way?

Therefore, the actions of those prison guards are understandable.

Fang Yi'ai had a dual identity; he was both the son of Grand Secretary Fang Xuanling and...

"And it's Your Majesty's beloved son-in-law, who dares to do anything to him?"

Normally, Li Shimin would have given face if Wei Zheng pleaded for him, but not this time.

Li Shimin was truly anxious: "I will first kill Dai Zhou and those prison guards, then kill Fang Yi'ai. That brat has gone too far; he's utterly lawless!"

When Dai Zhou saw that Wei Zheng's pleas for mercy were in vain, he thought to himself that he was going to lose his life today.

Su Wan stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Wan'er has something to say!"

For some reason, Li Shimin was very satisfied with this daughter-in-law.

Every time I see Su Wan, I feel great.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Although Dai Zhou made mistakes, he was a rare good official."

I heard that Emperor Wen of Han had a Chief Justice named Zhang Shizhi.

That person enforced the law impartially and without favoritism.

It is said that once, Emperor Wen of Han was riding a horse when someone suddenly jumped out, startling the horse.

The horse galloped wildly as if it had gone mad, almost throwing Emperor Wen of Han off its back. Fortunately, he escaped unharmed.

Emperor Wen of Han then handed this person over to Zhang Shizhi for trial.

Zhang Shizhi was fined.

When Emperor Wen of Han learned of this, he was furious. He said, "Is my life so worthless? This person committed such a grave offense, and you don't sentence him to death but instead impose a fine. Is that appropriate?"

Zhang Shizhi explained: "According to the laws of our Han Dynasty, the offense this person committed is punishable by a fine."

If His Majesty had ordered his execution at the time, then killing him would have been the end of it.

but,

Now that His Majesty has handed that person over to me, the laws of the Han Dynasty must be followed.

When Emperor Wen of Han heard this, he thought that Zhang Shizhi's judgment was relatively fair, so he agreed with Zhang Shizhi's judgment.

In Wan'er's opinion, Dai Zhou and Zhang Shizhi were comparable; he was a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty and a pillar of the court.

Is it not a great pity that Your Majesty would execute him for a single mistake?

Besides, he made so many contributions back then. If Your Majesty does this, won't you discourage the civil and military officials?

Besides, the mastermind behind this wasn't Dai Zhou, but Fang Yi'ai.

Dai Zhou got drunk, and Fang Yi'ai took advantage of his inattention to sneak into the Dali Temple prison.

When the jailers saw Fang Yi'ai arrive, Fang Yi'ai simply said that he had come to deliver food. Could they tell him not to go in?

The coroner, Zhang, had already investigated the poison in the wine. It came from the Western Regions; it was a specially made poison, colorless and odorless, completely undetectable to ordinary people.

Upon hearing Su Wan's words, Li Shimin's expression changed slightly.

He waved his hand, and the two guards released Dai Zhou and went out.

Dai Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself, "That was close!"

If it weren't for the Crown Princess being here, I would have lost my head today.

Li Shimin also found it strange and asked, "Where did we get poison from the Western Regions?"

Su Wan placed her hands in front of her abdomen and paced back and forth in the hall: "I'm afraid only Fang Yi'ai knows about this."

Li Shimin asked, "Where is Fang Yi's beloved?"

Dai Zhou replied, "He has already been imprisoned in the Dali Temple jail."

"Does he think that by doing this, I will spare his life?" Li Shimin paused, then said to Dai Zhou, "Go and summon Fang Yi'ai to me personally. I want to question him in person."

Upon hearing this, Dai Zhou grinned and said, "My official hat and seal have already been removed, how am I supposed to proceed?"

At this moment, Su Wan handed Dai Zhou his official hat and seal, saying, "Lord Dai, the Emperor just played a joke on you to test your courage and whether you can face death without fear."

It seems you really are someone who isn't afraid of death.

You are a loyal subject of our Great Tang Dynasty, how could His Majesty bear to kill you?

"Quickly put on your official hat and seal, and hurry up and bring Fang Yi'ai over."

That's often how things are; they can be big or small depending on how you look at them.

Originally, Dai Zhou was supposed to be beheaded, but after Su Wan's intervention, not only was he spared, but he was also reinstated.

Dai Zhou wasn't stupid; he understood the situation and was extremely grateful.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, neatly put on his official hat and seal, and strode out with his head held high.

Su Wan watched Dai Zhou's departing figure and let out a long sigh of relief.

She turned to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, you are truly a wise and virtuous ruler!"

To be honest, Li Shimin regretted it as soon as he said he wanted to kill Dai Zhou.

but,

He is the ruler of a country; how can he easily go back on his word?

He needs someone to give him a way out before he'll back down.

Just then, Su Wan handed him a ladder, and he came down.

After all, where can you find an honest official like Dai Zhou?

Those were pillars of the Tang Dynasty, how could he bear to kill them?

Li Shimin's expression softened slightly: "Wan'er, officials like Dai Zhou need to be reprimanded, otherwise, will they still respect me in the future?"

"Your Majesty is the Heavenly Khan; who in the world is not afraid of him?"

"Haha...really?" Li Shimin put his hands behind his back and showed a long-lost smile.

Wei Zheng watched from the side and thought to himself, "Well, that's only because of Su Wan. She managed to revive Dai Zhou and his jailers and amuse the emperor with just a few words. Who else could do that?"

If any official threatened Li Shimin with death or contradicted him, the consequences would likely be severe.

Not long after, Fang Yi'ai followed Dai Zhou in, brought in by two prison guards.

Dressed in prison garb, with disheveled hair, he knelt on the ground, saying, "Greetings, Father Emperor!"

Because he was Princess Gaoyang's husband, he was also called that.

Li Shimin frowned, wondering how Fang Yi'ai could have become so disheveled after only a few days.

Li Shimin sat behind his desk, looked down at him, and asked, "Let me ask you, did you kill those two thieves in the Dali Temple prison who looked like Chengxin and Wei Lingfu?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai's heart pounded, and he felt extremely uneasy.

He thought to himself that it would have been better if he had run away earlier, but now he had walked right into a trap. He didn't know if his father had told him to do this right or wrong.

Since we're already here, there's not much more to say.

He knew that fear was useless at this point, so he steeled himself and went all out: "Reporting to Father Emperor, it is true, I poisoned those two thieves!"

"How dare you! Who gave you permission to do this? Who ordered you to do this? Confess now!"

Actually, Li Tai made him do this.

Because Li Tai wanted to kill him to silence him.

However, before Fang Yi'ai arrived, his father had instructed him that under no circumstances should he implicate Li Tai.

Even with a knife to your throat, you cannot utter a single word about the King of Yue.

Upon realizing this, Fang Yi'ai said, "No one instructed me to do this; I did it on my own."

Li Shimin stared intently at Fang Yi'ai, closely observing his expression: "Did you decide to do this yourself?"

"Yes!" Fang Yi'ai replied without hesitation.

"Why did you do this? Don't you know that murder is a capital offense?"

Fang Yi'ai crawled forward two steps on his knees: "Father, of course I know that murder is punishable by death."

but,

I hate thieves the most.

They robbed, murdered, and committed arson, doing all sorts of evil deeds, causing immense suffering to the people of Chang'an.

Therefore,

I will avenge the people of Chang'an and kill them both!

"nonsense!

The two thieves have been imprisoned in the Dali Temple jail.

Wouldn't the Dali Temple conduct interrogations?

What business is it of yours?

Even if they are thieves, you have no right to kill them.

"Tell me quickly, who gave you the support to do this?"

In fact, Li Shimin had already guessed it in his heart, thinking that it was most likely Li Tai who had asked Fang Yi'ai to do this.

but,

In such situations,

Li Shimin still hoped that Fang Yi'ai could withstand the pressure and not expose Li Tai.

Because, what if Fang Yi'ai implicated Li Tai? How would Li Shimin deal with that?

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, that would mean beheading.

However, Li Tai was Li Shimin's beloved son. Would he be willing to do such a thing?

It is often said that even a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner.

If the rules are not followed,

It would be difficult to explain, as it would be contrary to etiquette and law.

Su Wan watched from the side and noticed that Li Shimin's eyes seemed to be spitting fire, while Fang Yi'ai was covered in sweat, his hair completely soaked and dripping down his cheeks.

His hands trembled incessantly, and his thumbs dug into the flesh of his index fingers.

"I'll ask you one more time, who ordered you to do this? Tell me the truth now!"

"No one supported me; I really wanted to do it myself." Fang Yi'ai said this with great effort.

"You are truly a lawless and unruly person!" Li Shimin appeared angry, but inwardly he was quite satisfied, thinking to himself, "You've got guts, you're a real man."

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, he stopped, fixed his gaze on Dai Zhou, and asked, "What crime should Fang Yi'ai be charged with for secretly poisoning prisoners?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Zhou thought to himself, "Aren't you just setting a difficult problem for me?"

Is that even a question?

"According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, entering the prison of the Dali Temple without permission and murdering a prisoner is a capital offense."

According to the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty, he should be beheaded!

When Fang Yi'ai heard Dai Zhou utter the word "execute," he immediately collapsed to the ground, thinking, "Dai Zhou, what grudge do I have against you? Why are you kicking me when I'm down? You're trying to kill me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's face darkened: "In that case, drag Fang Yi'ai out and execute him!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai thought to himself, "Li Shimin is even more ruthless; he doesn't care about family ties at all!"

I am Fang Xuanling's son and Princess Gaoyang's husband. How can you just kill me like that?

At this moment, the two jailers lifted Fang Yi'ai off the ground and pushed him out.

Seeing this, Wei Zheng coughed and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I believe this is not advisable."

Li Shimin turned around, looking at him directly: "What do you want to say?"

"Your humble servant believes that Fang Yi'ai's crime does not warrant death."

"What do you mean?"

"Although Fang Yi'ai sneaked into the Dali Temple prison and poisoned it,

They poisoned the two thieves to death, but...

Those two people were also problematic; they were utterly wicked and had committed countless evil deeds, deserving of execution.

A Buddhist saying goes: Killing evil people is an act of kindness.

"Fang Yi'ai eliminating two scourges ahead of time is a good thing for our Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin was still furious: "That won't do."

Although the two thieves were guilty of a capital offense

but,

It wasn't Fang Yi'ai's turn to kill; the Dali Temple would naturally make the judgment and carry out the death penalty, to be executed in the autumn.

Su Wan bowed again: "Your Majesty, Fang Yi'ai is indeed guilty."

However, I heard that something happened during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, called Ti Ying saving her father.

then,

There was a man named Chunyu Yi who was denounced and convicted. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, he was to be subjected to corporal punishment.

Chunyu Yi was escorted to Chang'an for trial.

Chunyu Yi had five daughters but no sons.

When the youngest daughter, Tiying, heard that her father was to be tried, she resolved to rush to Chang'an to save him.

After Tiying arrived in Chang'an, she wrote to Emperor Wen of Han, saying, "When my father served as an official in Qi, he was extremely honest and just, and the people praised him highly."

However, for some unknown reason, he has now been sentenced to corporal punishment.

I am heartbroken that the dead cannot be brought back to life; their bodies, mutilated by torture, cannot regenerate.

I am willing to become a servant in the government to redeem my father and enable him to reform himself.

Emperor Wen of Han was deeply moved after reading Ti Ying's memorial and statement.

Therefore, an imperial edict was issued to abolish many forms of corporal punishment, such as cutting off noses, chopping off hands, and chopping off feet.

The fact that Fang Yi'ai was able to voluntarily go to the Dali Temple to confess his crimes shows that he has already repented.

Moreover, he has just married Princess Gaoyang. Are you going to watch Princess Gaoyang remain a widow?

In addition, objectively speaking,

Some time ago,

When Fang Yi'ai was in the army, he fought bravely and made many contributions on the battlefield.

Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to be merciful and spare him.

Originally, Fang Yi'ai thought that last time he tricked Su Gui into going to the restaurant and got him drunk,

Then, they removed the token from Su Gui's body and had someone use that token to steal the Tibetan tribute from the Bureau of Clothing and Apparel, almost causing Su Wan and her brother Su Gui to be punished.

Su Wan would definitely hate me to the bone, but I never expected Su Wan to say so many good things about me.

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and he prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

Li Shimin nodded slightly upon hearing this: "For the sake of everyone, the death penalty can be waived, but he cannot escape punishment. Drag him out and give him forty heavy lashes, each one drawing blood!"

Upon hearing Li Shimin's decree, the two jailers immediately dragged Fang Yi'ai out, pulled down his trousers, and beat him while pinning him to the ground.

They beat Fang Yi'ai until his skin was torn and his flesh was ripped open, and he was screaming and howling like a banshee!

Seeing that Li Shimin had already made concessions, the crowd could no longer plead for him.

After the fight was over, Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Carry him away and find the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat his injuries."

Fang Yi'ai's buttocks were beaten until they were bloody and mangled, covered in bruises. He thought to himself that his father's prediction was right; his life was saved.

However, his manhood was probably destroyed as well, but it wasn't really useful anyway.

Back then, if I had wanted to run away, the world was vast, but there was nowhere for me to go.

Although I suffered some physical pain this time,

However, there shouldn't be anything else going on, and I can take this opportunity to go to the south of the city to recuperate, where I can spend all my time with Qiu Tianjiao.

After dealing with this matter, Li Shimin gradually calmed down.

His gaze fell on Su Wan, and he asked, "Why didn't Li Chengqian come back with you?"

Su Wan then recounted her journey to the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom.

Everyone who heard this sighed in dismay.

Wei Zheng said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of what I said? The Crown Prince is in great danger there; someone wants to frame him."

Someone impersonated the crown prince to assassinate King Shuming. This matter, whether big or small, is not so simple.

"Once King Shuming wakes up, won't he settle accounts with the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing Wei Zheng's words, Li Shimin's expression also became somewhat worried, after all, father and son are of one mind.