The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

In the center of the imperial road in front of Chengtian Gate stands a towering platform several meters high. The platform base is made of white jade, with steps leading up to it. The top of the platform is surrounded by a high railing painted in vermilion, and the ground is covered with a crimson carpet with circular patterns.

At the very center of the platform was a gilded rosewood throne with dragons and phoenixes, where Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun sat side by side. On either side of the throne were tables, with the Crown Prince at the head and the officials following him in order.

The twelve dragon flags stand tall, their golden dragon shadows swirling and fluttering incessantly.

Empress Zhangsun held Sizi in her arms, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She thought to herself that Dan'er was still nowhere to be seen, and she would probably be scolded by Erlang soon.

Li Shimin, unaware that Changsun Dan was missing, turned to the Empress with a smile and asked, seeing the worry on her face:

"Guanyinbi felt that the various performances on stage were not very original."

The Empress wore a light purple embroidered jacket with gold thread today, which made her face look even paler. She smiled and said, "Dan'er was a little late for some reason. I was just worried that Erlang was unhappy."

Li Shimin glanced at the officials and saw that there was indeed an empty seat. His expression immediately turned displeased. At this moment, another scream and commotion came from below the stage.

On the stage, the black-armored guards drew their swords, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Wang Youde stepped forward with his whisk and took a look. By this time, it was already dark, and countless lanterns were lit, making the entire city of Chang'an shine brightly, a scene of prosperity and jubilation.

The wrestlers and acrobats below the stage screamed and scrambled to the side. It turned out that someone had been riding a horse and had been captured by the Imperial Guards. Several long halberds were seen piercing the horse's belly, and the horse crashed to the ground with a groan, its blood staining the ground red.

A thin, young boy was pinned to the ground by the Imperial Guards, with several long swords wrapped around his neck.

Wang Youde slowly returned to Li Shimin's side, speaking in a high-pitched voice:

"Your Majesty, some young lad appeared out of nowhere and charged at the emperor on horseback. He has been captured by the Imperial Guards."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, slammed the wine cup heavily onto the dragon table, and instantly exuded a murderous aura. He let out a cold laugh:

"How dare you! I'd like to see who dares to ride a horse in front of me. Guards, bring me their head!"

During the Wude era, Crown Prince Jiancheng repeatedly attempted to poison, ambush, and assassinate Li Shimin, forcing him to resort to the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Now that his power base is secure, Li Shimin will not tolerate such an event.

The two guards quickly went downstairs upon receiving the order.

Empress Zhangsun was greatly alarmed, especially since Wang Youde had said it was just a young boy, which made her even more suspicious that it was Dan'er. She quickly gave Li Chengqian a wink, and then hurriedly tugged at Li Shimin's dragon-embroidered sleeve, her words becoming somewhat incoherent:

"Second...Second Brother, please calm down. We must spare someone's life...just in case...just in case..."

Li Chengqian also hurriedly knelt down and stammered:

"Father...Father Emperor...Please calm your anger, please allow me...I will go down and see..."

At this moment, all the ministers also gathered around the railing and looked down, but the distance was still too far to see clearly. Fang Xuanling glanced at it a few times, then hurriedly knelt on the ground:

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This horse... seems... seems to be the rebellious son's chestnut-colored horse... Please allow me to investigate thoroughly before Your Majesty takes any action..."

Li Shimin calmed down and considered the possibility of his ministers' sons being involved. The Imperial Guards only obeyed his orders, and if he were to kill Fang Xiang's son in a muddle, Fang Xiang, at his age, might not be able to bear the consequences, which would be no less than losing an arm of his own. He quickly said to Li Chengqian:

"Go and bring the person up."

Li Chengqian felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He staggered to his feet and stumbled down the high platform.

Seeing that Fang Xiang was kneeling, Li Tai quickly stood up and bowed as well.

"Your Majesty, with your great rule and martial prowess, no one dares to deliberately disturb Your Majesty's presence. However, there are a few wild horses in my household that are often out of control. I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger."

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Tai with emotion.

Li Shimin looked at his good eldest son, Qingzhi, and realized that he still needed him to handle problems. With just a word that the horse was out of control, not only did the Prime Minister Fang accept the favor, but Li Shimin was also able to put aside his own pride.

By this time, the courtiers were seated, and palace maids, carrying the "Immortal's Wine," poured wine for each of them. Li Shimin raised his cup and laughed heartily:

"Qingzhi is right. This is the Immortal's Intoxication brewed by Wannian County. This wine is especially strong. I only have eight jars of it. I usually can't bear to drink it. Today, I will drink it with you, my beloved ministers."

Changsun Wuji's face darkened, and he put the wine cup he had brought to his lips back down on the table.

Cheng Yaojin tilted his head back, downed the drink in one gulp, let out a burp, and laughed heartily, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"Your Majesty, this kind of strong liquor is really potent! It's amazing that Changsun Liulang has such skill. If Your Majesty would be willing to lend him to this old minister for ten or fifteen days, this old minister will definitely send Your Majesty another eighty jars."

The palace maid had just filled his cup when he drank it all in one gulp, and sighed:

"It's a pity that those two old devils, Li Ji and Jingde, are in the frontier, and Shubao's health is too poor to drink alcohol. Furthermore, the apothecary (Li Jing) is a cowardly henpecked husband. Your Majesty, this old minister offers you a toast."

Zheng Renji and Li Boyi exchanged a glance. The good wines on the market in Chang'an were basically produced and sold by their two families, with each family accounting for about half of the sales. Now that they had tasted this Immortal's Intoxication, they realized the difference. If this Immortal's Intoxication were to be launched on the market, their own winery would have no way to survive.

Li Jing blushed. "You old fool, you're a drunkard yourself, why are you criticizing me?"

The courtiers burst into laughter.

Yan Shigu took a sip, closed his eyes for a long while, and then his face lit up with great joy:

"Good lad, he's even managed to brew this into a divine wine. I'll have to come and ask for a few jars another day."

Li Shimin felt a pang of emotion upon hearing Cheng Yaojin's words. His brothers, who had followed him, were now all old. Realizing that this wine was unique to him, he laughed heartily and said:

"This wine was given to Guanyinbi by that young man Dan. Even I have to give face to the Empress if I want to drink it."

At this moment, the emperor and his ministers were in harmony, chatting and laughing, seemingly having forgotten about the matter of the imperial carriage.

Empress Zhangsun remained restless, her eyes fixed on the entrance to the high platform. Sizi sat in her lap, obediently grabbing some dried fruit to eat.

At this moment, Li Chengqian came up panting. Seeing his mother staring at him anxiously, he quickly nodded in acknowledgment.

Empress Zhangsun finally breathed a sigh of relief, but her face immediately fell with worry again. If it were a child from the Fang family, he wouldn't have been punished so much.

Fang Xuanling stood up excitedly: "May I ask, Your Highness, is he my rebellious son?"

Li Chengqian shook his head, about to report to Li Shimin, when two guards escorted the disheveled Changsun Dan to the viewing platform. His hair was messy, his clothes were covered in dust, and there was a clear footprint on his face. After being extremely frightened, he was now staring blankly with his mouth open, looking completely bewildered.

The officials were speechless. This kid had escaped death by sheer luck last time, so why had he gotten himself into such trouble this time?

Changsun Wuji's face turned ashen, his hands clenched into fists, veins bulging—this rebellious son! But in front of the Emperor and Empress, he ultimately remained silent, suppressing his overwhelming rage.

Upon seeing that it was Changsun Dan, Li Shimin instantly flew into a rage. This brat was late enough, but he dared to ride his horse recklessly through the streets on the Lantern Festival, even daring to offend the imperial carriage! Did he have no respect for him as emperor? He snorted coldly and slammed his fist on the table.

"Drag him away and give him thirty lashes first."

Empress Zhangsun's heart sank. She opened her mouth to plead for him, but before she could speak, she couldn't help coughing repeatedly, her fingers clenched into a fist, and her body trembled violently.

The little girl, who had a candied fruit in her mouth, was startled by Li Shimin's slap and shout. She burst into tears and turned to hide in Empress Zhangsun's arms.

Remembering his mother's instructions, Li Chengqian quickly knelt on the ground, just as he was about to plead for mercy, when Fang Xuanling, Cheng Yaojin, and Yan Shigu stood up at the same time.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This old minister begs Your Majesty to forgive the Prince of Wannian County."

Li Shimin doted on Sizi. When he saw her crying, he wanted to turn around and comfort her, but Sizi's little face was flushed red, her little neck was stretched out, and she was making indistinct sounds in her throat.

The candied fruit is stuck in her throat! Si Zi can't breathe.

"Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

Li Shimin's forehead veins bulged, and he shouted anxiously.