The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

The main offices of the Three Departments and Six Ministries were all located within the Imperial City, just a stone's throw from the Imperial Palace.

Many officials were on their way to the palace as ordered by imperial decree.

Changsun Dan deliberately let his limbs slump and even his head droop, so that anyone who didn't know better would think that the two imperial guards were dragging a corpse.

Immediately, many officials began whispering among themselves, all thinking that His Majesty was truly ruthless this time. The person was already in such a state; why would he still summon them to whip the corpse?

Changsun Dan had memories of the palace in his mind, but it was never as satisfying as seeing it with his own eyes, so he would occasionally sneak up and look left and right.

The eunuch delivering the decree shook his head, thinking to himself, "This guy's really good at pretending."

Changsun Wuji's face was ashen, and he exuded an aura of anger, but showed no sign of heartache or worry.

Cheng Yaojin, known for his bluntness, snorted:

"I, Lao Cheng, always say that few scholars have a conscience. Even if their children are good for nothing, they're already dead. Why would they put on a stern face for the ghosts?"

Wei Zheng happened to be following behind Cheng Yaojin. He already looked down on Cheng Yaojin, a rough man, and upon hearing this, he immediately retorted:

"Duke Lu is mistaken. This man disregards imperial authority, ignores the law, and disrupts the social order. He is an unforgivable villain. Lord Changsun has a strong sense of righteousness and does not let personal feelings cloud his conscience. He is the greatest conscience."

Cheng Yaojin glared at him and spat. When it comes to witty banter, not to mention himself, even His Majesty is no match for Wei Zheng.

But a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, so he flicked his sleeves and strode away angrily.

Changsun Dan also overheard the conversation between the two, and countless memories of being whipped by Changsun Wuji and even his elder brother Changsun Chong flashed through his mind.

Ha! Does incompetence mean you deserve to die?!

Does being unable to study mean even the bond between father and son is gone?!

Officials from all walks of life arrived one after another. Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were already seated in the Zichen Hall of Taiji Palace. The white cloth sent by Li Chunfeng was also placed on the dragon table in front of Li Shimin.

The meeting was held in the Zichen Hall. Since it was not a discussion of national policy, it was not as formal as a regular court session. Officials were provided with cushions and a food table, and some dried fruit and tea were laid out.

However, the atmosphere was unusually cold.

Because they had been dragged along the way, Changsun Dan was the last one to be brought in.

The imperial guards dragged Changsun Dan into the main hall and suddenly let go of him.

Before Changsun Dan could react, he fell face down heavily onto the cold, metallic ground.

Suddenly, he saw stars, his nose stung, and a stream of hot blood gushed from his nostrils, smearing his face with blood that flowed down his cheeks to the ground, leaving a bright red stain.

The scene was heartbreaking, and all the officials were deeply moved. After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old child. Even if he had committed a heinous crime, killing him would have been enough. But he was probably barely clinging to life and had been tortured for twenty-seven days.

Wu Yuanqing was also startled, his face turned pale, and his heart was in turmoil. Although Changsun Wuji seemed not to care about Changsun Dan's life or death, this matter had hurt his pride, and this grudge was probably now formed.

But compared to Changsun Wuji, he was more afraid of his fourth sister, who at least cared about his reputation and followed the rules.

But once Fourth Sister gains power, she might not even be interested in finding a reason to take revenge on me.

Li Shimin's heart pounded. He secretly glanced at Guanyinbi. He had strictly ordered the Dali Temple to keep a close watch on her and not to mistreat her. Now that she had been treated like this, he was afraid he would not be able to explain himself.

He glared at Dou Dan again and said, "I married Princess Xiangyang to you and made you the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Is this how you betray me?"

Dou Dan was also confused. Liu Tiezhu and Xu Daniu reported to him every day that the kid could eat and sleep well and was happy every day. How could he have turned out like this after only half a day?

Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but rise slightly. In front of the court officials, she had to at least respect the emperor's dignity, so she slowly sat down again. However, her eyes reddened and tears welled up. Overwhelmed with emotion, she breathed rapidly and coughed lightly, covering her mouth.

Changsun Dan's move served two purposes: first, to show weakness, and second, to buy himself some time to think about his next course of action.

But at this point, it's not good to pretend too much.

Changsun Dan supported himself with both hands on the ground, slowly raised his upper body, and sat down heavily on the ground. He looked at Li Shimin with a somewhat blank expression, his tone still sounding somewhat lifeless:

"This sinner greets Your Majesty."

Changsun Dan was thin and pale, but now his face was covered in blood. Coupled with his tone, he looked ghostly, so it was hard to see any flaws in his demeanor.

Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was still alive.

Changsun Dan looked at Empress Changsun again, and suddenly remembered that it was the tenth year of Zhenguan, the year Empress Changsun passed away.

Empress Zhangsun was thin, and her face was already pale with illness. At this moment, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and a pained expression.

Various memories of Empress Zhangsun resurfaced in Changsun Dan's mind. When she was a child, every time her mother took her to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress, she would always hold her as her aunt, lead her by the hand, and put all sorts of delicious snacks into her mouth.

She always had a slight smile on her face, but today was the first time I had ever seen her with such a sorrowful and pained expression.

Looking back on my later life, after finishing the college entrance examination, my parents divorced, and I went to university. My aunt took care of me most of the time... until I suddenly passed away from an illness a few years ago.

Empress Zhangsun seemed to have been touched in the softest part of her heart, and tears welled up uncontrollably. Completely disregarding etiquette, she crawled forward on her knees and hugged Empress Zhangsun's legs.

"Auntie, Auntie, how did you become so thin?"

Changsun Dan raised his head, his face covered in blood, but he didn't care. His voice trembled, revealing his true feelings, and his face was full of grief.

Even if Crown Prince Li Chengqian were to express such emotions in public, Li Shimin would certainly rebuke him loudly. But Changsun Dan was different; he himself was already facing life and death.

But all he showed was his sadness over his aunt's illness.

Li Shimin's expression softened. If Changsun Dan could explain the origin of the white cloth admonition, even if those censors refused to let him go, he would find a way to spare his life.

In Guanyinbi's final days, how could we bear to see her suffer?

Empress Zhangsun was already in tears. Her sons had all established their own offices at a young age, and under Li Shimin's strict control, they were neither good at nor dared to express their emotions in this way.

The few princesses she gave birth to later, the youngest of whom was only two years old, were all cared for by the other concubines as her health deteriorated.

On the contrary, his nephew, who was ignorant of etiquette and had no sense of gain or loss, was close to him since childhood, purely out of heartfelt dependence and blood ties.

In this rigidly structured and coldly indifferent imperial palace, only he was able to awaken his deep maternal love.

Empress Zhangsun, tears streaming down her face, forced a smile, ignoring the bloodstains on his face, and gently stroked Zhangsun Dan's cheek:

"Auntie is alright, Dan'er is not afraid, Auntie is here."

Her voice was as soft as willow catkins swaying in a gentle breeze.

When she raised her head, she swept her gaze across the assembled officials with an unprecedentedly cold look.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

The Empress has always been a model of benevolence and virtue.

There are rumors that the Empress dotes on Changsun Liulang. I thought it was just because of his birth mother, but now it seems that she is just like any other mother who dotes on her child!

Wu Yuanqing was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and his legs trembled uncontrollably.

The censor has already readjusted his subsequent remarks in his mind.

Upon seeing this, the historian did not hesitate to pick up his pen:

On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, the case of Changsun Dan's debauchery with the imperial concubines was publicly tried. The emperor and empress were present. The empress, deeply devoted to her child, changed her expression and made up her mind. Her involvement in politics was unprecedented. The emperor simply watched and remained unmoved.

Li Chunfeng had regained his composure, adopting a detached and aloof expression as he sipped his tea and calmly observed everything.

Li Shimin stood up, his expression calm and composed.

"My esteemed ministers, the matter we are to discuss today is a piece of advice from the Grand Astrologer, who requests that I pardon Changsun Dan's death sentence."