Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

"Get up, everyone."

Empress Zhangsun spoke calmly.

"The ground is cold, don't let your old bones get cold."

Changsun An felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and shakily pushed himself up from the ground.

He was about to express his gratitude when Empress Zhangsun walked past him and headed into the ancestral hall.

A group of elders quickly helped each other and followed behind.

In the main hall of the ancestral hall, Empress Zhangsun sat directly in the main seat.

She straightened the sleeves of her grand court robes and said with a smile:

"Why are you all standing? This is our own home, don't be so polite. Please have a seat."

Qiuyue immediately directed the eunuchs and palace maids to bring over a brocade stool.

But how could Changsun An and the others dare to actually sit down?

They only dared to sit with their butts touching the edge of the stool.

"Uncle, how was the harvest on the estate this year?"

Empress Changsun picked up her teacup, glanced at Chang Su'an, and asked.

Changsun An quickly stammered in reply:

"Your Majesty, thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings, this year has been blessed with favorable weather and a decent harvest."

"That's good."

Empress Zhangsun took a sip of tea.

"I was worried about war in Liaodong; our rice bins are empty. I heard someone sold grain at a high price in the city a few days ago and made quite a profit?"

Changsun An broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

Everyone in the family knows that a few days ago, Changsun Huan took advantage of the food shortage in Liaodong to raise grain prices in Chang'an to make a fortune.

Although everyone knows it was Changsun Wuji's doing, who dares to say it?

"And how are the children in the clan doing in their studies?"

Empress Zhangsun put down her teacup and continued to ask,

"Don't be like those spoiled brats who spend their days loitering in Pingkangfang or causing trouble at Qujiangchi."

If word gets out, people will think that our Changsun family has poor discipline.

These words made the elders present feel extremely uneasy.

The Changsun family was known throughout Chang'an for its many纨绔 (spoiled brats).

Changsun Chong was known outside the city as the number one playboy in Chang'an.

Just as everyone was at a loss for words, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Changsun Wuji came running in from outside, panting heavily.

As soon as he entered, he looked up and saw his younger sister sitting in the main seat, dressed in a grand court robe with a crown of nine dragons and four phoenixes.

Changsun Wuji's heart skipped a beat.

"Your Majesty! I am guilty, I am late."

Changsun Wuji already knew why Changsun Wugou had come today, and he explained breathlessly,

"Your Majesty, please hear my explanation. Today's events in court were a misunderstanding. I..."

Empress Zhangsun didn't give him a chance to finish speaking.

She casually picked up the teacup on the table and flipped her wrist.

"Snapped!"

The teacup shattered on the ground in front of Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji stared blankly at Changsun Wugou.

The clan elders below were so frightened that they dared not utter a sound.

"Misunderstand?"

Empress Zhangsun slowly stood up.

"You colluded with over thirty aristocratic officials to prepare over thirty memorials, forcing His Majesty to depose Gao Ming in the Taiji Hall. And now you're telling me it's a misunderstanding?"

Changsun Wuji hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, please understand! I was acting for the sake of the Tang Dynasty. The Crown Prince has been slaughtering surrendered soldiers and massacring entire cities in Liaodong; his cruelty and tyranny are appalling. If..."

"Shut up!"

Empress Zhangsun shouted angrily, interrupting him once again.

"Do you really think I know nothing about the inner palace? Do you really think I'm just a decoration?"

Changsun Wugou pointed at Changsun Wuji's nose and began to recount his great achievements.

"For the past two years, you've been running to the Yue Prince's residence every few days, bringing either calligraphy and paintings or rare books. You even praised Qingque in front of him, saying he has the potential to be an emperor. What are you up to?"

"You just want to incite them to fight each other so you can play both sides and benefit from the situation."

"A few days ago, the Cui family of Qinghe mixed sand into the rations of their 100,000-strong army. As Gao Ming's uncle, you not only didn't investigate, but you also went along with it, hoping that Gao Ming would starve to death in Liaodong."

And then there's Zhao Deyan from Pingzhou. He embezzled disaster relief grain, exploited the people, and Changsun Wuji took the lion's share of the money sent to Chang'an. The secret letters that Wei Zheng confiscated are now laid out on the imperial desk in the Ganlu Hall.

"You're certainly living a prestigious life as the emperor's brother-in-law."

These words caused an uproar throughout the ancestral hall.

The elders, including Changsun An, were terrified upon hearing this, and their gazes toward Changsun Wuji were filled with anger.

They knew absolutely nothing about the corruption case in Pingzhou.

They never expected that Changsun Wuji would secretly do such a reckless thing behind the back of the clan.

"You beast!"

Changsun An angrily pointed at Changsun Wuji and began to curse.

"Do you want to drag your entire clan down with you?"

Changsun Wuji panicked immediately.

He hadn't expected that Empress Zhangsun would know so much about the affairs of Pingzhou.

He quickly offered a pretext:

"Your Majesty! I took that money and did those things all for the sake of the Changsun family's prosperity for generations to come. The Crown Prince is eccentric and ruthless."

If he ascends the throne in the future, how will our Changsun family protect ourselves? I must make plans as soon as possible.

"Your future is not something you can pave by stepping on the corpses of my son."

Empress Changsun walked up to Changsun Wuji and roared,

"You think you have everything planned? You think you can manipulate everyone? You're wrong."

Empress Zhangsun sneered.

"Your performance in court today not only failed to bring Gao Ming down, but also revealed your ambition to His Majesty."

Empress Changsun turned to look at all the clan elders.

"I'm wearing this outfit today to tell you something."

"I was able to elevate the Changsun family to its current position, and I can make sure you all fall back down the same way you climbed up."

She looked at Changsun Wuji again and coldly uttered her last words.

"Brother, you'd better watch yourself. From now on, I will not care about your life or death, or the life or death of the Changsun family."

After saying that, Empress Zhangsun ignored everyone and left in a huff.

Qiuyue quickly followed and helped Changsun Wugou out of the hall.

Three thousand guards escorted Changsun Wugou away from the Changsun clan's territory.

Inside the main hall of the ancestral hall.

Changsun Wuji lowered his head, his face ashen.

He never expected that his sister would actually flip the table this time.

Changsun An walked shakily to Changsun Wuji and slapped him across the face.

"Changsun Wuji! Hand over the clan leader's seal today. Our Changsun family can no longer tolerate such a powerful figure as you."

Changsun Wuji covered his face, staring blankly at the departing clan elders.

Did I really make a mistake this time?

......

The Duke of Qi's Mansion.

Changsun Wuji almost fell when he got off the carriage.

The coachman quickly stepped forward and helped him up.

After he steadied himself, he looked at the gate of his own mansion and then froze.

In the past, the area in front of the Duke of Qi's mansion was always bustling with activity.

The carriages of officials queuing up to offer gifts and request an audience could stretch all the way to the street corner.

But now it's completely empty.

Keep in mind that when he left, there was still a long line of people waiting at the door.

Where are they?

Changsun Wuji pushed the driver aside and walked into the gate.

When Changsun Fu saw that Changsun Wuji had returned, he hurriedly came to greet him.

"Master, you're finally back."

"What's going on today? Why is there no one in front of the gate? Where is Minister Liu? Didn't he just send someone to say he was coming to our residence for tea and to discuss matters today?"

Changsun Wuji grabbed Changsun Fu by the collar and demanded an explanation.

Changsun Fu said, trembling:

"Master, the invitations have been returned, all of them. The officials who were supposed to come to the manor today have just sent someone to retrieve them."

"They took it back? Are they crazy?"

Changsun Wuji asked, his eyes wide.

"The steward of Minister Liu's residence said that the female dog in their backyard was having a difficult birth, and Minister Liu had to be there in person to supervise the delivery, so he couldn't leave."

Changsun Wuji was so angry he laughed.

A high-ranking official, a minister of the second rank, going to deliver a dog's puppies?

They've gone so far as to shamelessly make excuses.

"What about Vice Minister Zhang? What about Imperial Censor Wang?"

"Vice Minister Zhang sent someone to say that he ate something bad last night and is now so sick he can't get out of bed and didn't even go to the morning court. Censor Wang said that when he went out, he stepped out the door with his left foot first and twisted his ankle, and is now lying at home crying out in pain."

The butler's voice trailed off as he spoke.

"When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down! These opportunistic scoundrels!"

Changsun Wuji angrily cursed,

"I'm not dead yet. The Changsun family hasn't fallen yet."

"Prepare the carriage! We're going to Wang Gui's residence."