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

Wang Gui, holding up the "Great Tang Code" aloft, pointed at Li Gang's nose and continued:

The second volume of the Great Tang Code clearly stipulates: Anyone who fakes their death and conceals it without reporting it shall be guilty of treason! Anyone who harbors such a person shall be punished one degree more severely!

As the heir apparent, His Highness the Crown Prince openly protected the Duke of Yi, who had faked his death, and paraded him around the Baekje front.

"Grand Tutor, you are a man of great learning; do you intend to tell the entire court that the laws of the Tang Dynasty are nothing but a piece of waste paper?"

How could he possibly let go of such a good opportunity to criticize Li Gang?

Last time, he was thoroughly humiliated by Li Gang's harsh criticism.

If he doesn't take revenge this time, he won't be Wang Gui.

Li Gang pointed at Wang Gui, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

He can't possibly say that the crown prince is greater than the emperor, can he?

Seeing that Li Gang couldn't utter a single word, Kong Yingda had no choice but to step in himself.

"Nonsense! The Crown Prince did it for the sake of the Tang Dynasty."

"Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje have all been destroyed; this is a feat accomplished for all ages. Stop trying to intimidate me with the law, you old fool."

Wang Gui completely ignored Kong Yingda's unreasonable arguments.

"Merit is merit, and fault is fault! If winning a battle means we can trample the laws of the Tang Dynasty underfoot, then wouldn't all generals with large armies become arrogant and disregard even His Majesty?"

Kong Yingda glanced at the dragon throne and noticed that Li Shimin's face was ashen and his body was trembling.

Yuchi Jingde wanted to go up and say a few words of criticism, but Li Ji held him back tightly.

Didn't you see that Kong Yingda and Li Gang were both criticized to death?

You, with your dark complexion, wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder.

Seeing that Li Gang and Kong Yingda remained silent, Cui Mingan knelt down facing Li Shimin and said:

"Your Majesty, I implore you to uphold the dignity of the Tang Dynasty's laws! Severely punish the Crown Prince as a warning to others!"

Changsun Wuji also added insult to injury, saying:

"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince commands an army of 100,000 fierce warriors and is secretly recruiting military generals. This trend must not be allowed to continue."

If we don't lock it up and bring it back to the capital immediately, something terrible might happen!

"We second that request! We beseech Your Majesty to immediately issue an edict to arrest the Crown Prince and bring him back to the capital for trial."

Half of the court was forced to kneel down again.

Li Shimin's heart was burning with rage.

He was furious that Li Chengqian had helped Qin Qiong fake his death without warning.

But he hated these powerful officials even more, who were determined to destroy the crown prince by seizing any opportunity to do so.

As for Li Chengqian's rebellion?

Li Shimin never even considered this.

Who in the Tang Dynasty could raise an army to rebel against Li Shimin?

However, Wang Gui's words crossed Li Shimin's bottom line.

Imperial power cannot tolerate the slightest provocation.

Even if that person is his own son.

Li Shimin slowly raised his right hand.

When Changsun Wuji saw this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

It became.

Once the imperial edict is issued, Li Chengqian will be completely finished.

"It is said that Li Junxian is the commander of the Hundred Cavalry Division."

Li Junxian strode in from outside the hall:

"Your subject is here!"

"Draft an imperial edict. Order you to lead the elite troops of the Hundred Cavalry Division to Liaodong immediately and bring back the Crown Prince..."

Before Li Shimin could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a shout from outside.

"Your Majesty the Empress has arrived!!!"

The entire court looked in shock at the gate of the Taiji Hall.

Empress Zhangsun entered, dressed in her grand court robes and wearing a nine-dragon, four-phoenix crown, her face frosty.

She was followed by dozens of imperial guards.

The entire Taiji Hall was stunned by the scene.

Interference in politics by the imperial harem? That's a major taboo.

Moreover, he led the Imperial Guards to force his way into the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin stared at Empress Zhangsun, completely stunned.

Changsun Wuji got up from the ground, pointed at Changsun Wugou, and shouted:

"Your Majesty! What are you doing? The inner palace is forbidden from interfering in politics; this is an ironclad rule. You have led the Imperial Guards to force your way into the Taiji Hall. What is your punishment?"

Empress Zhangsun turned her head and looked at her own brother as if he were a dead man.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you use ancestral precepts to suppress me?"

"I'm standing right here today interfering in politics, what are you going to do about it? Dare to utter another word, and I'll have your dog's head chopped off right now."

Changsun Wuji was choked and his face turned ashen.

He had never seen his sister so ruthless.

Empress Zhangsun turned around and looked up at Li Shimin.

"What is Your Majesty trying to do? Are you sending people to arrest Gao Ming?"

Gao Ming endured hardship in the icy and snowy lands of Liaodong, risking his life to help the Tang Dynasty conquer Goguryeo, destroy Silla, and pacify Baekje.

He expanded the territory of the Tang Dynasty and fought bloody battles. How could Your Majesty listen to the slander of these traitors and destroy your own Great Wall?

Li Shimin said with a grim expression:

"Guanyinbi, you are too presumptuous. Today's matter concerns state affairs."

The Crown Prince's cover-up of Qin Qiong's feigned death is an act of deceiving the Emperor! This concerns the very foundation of the state, and I cannot let it go unpunished. You may leave this place.

"National policy? A matter concerning the national system?"

Empress Zhangsun sneered and pointed at Wang Gui and Cui Mingan, who were kneeling on the ground.

"My son is risking his life on the front lines to conquer new territories for the Tang Dynasty, and you lot are cutting off his supplies and plotting against him. Now you want to accuse him of deceiving the emperor and crush him. Is this what you call governing the country?"

Empress Zhangsun stared intently at Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, if Gao Ming is guilty, it is for killing enemies for the country. He earned his military power with his life."

"You want to take him? Fine! You'll have to step over my dead body first."

The emperor and empress were locked in a stalemate, separated by the imperial steps.

Li Shimin looked at Empress Zhangsun with a headache.

He couldn't possibly kick her out in front of the entire court, but if he didn't issue this imperial edict, where would the authority of the emperor be?

Wang Gui then gritted his teeth and spoke again:

"Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager loves her son dearly, and we understand."

But the laws of the Tang Dynasty are merciless. If the Crown Prince is not punished today, where will the Tang Dynasty's empire and its people stand?

"Well said!"

An aged yet powerful voice came from outside the hall.

Li Yuan walked in from outside the palace.

He was followed by a dozen or so elderly men with gray hair.

Walking behind Li Yuan was Pei Ji.

These former officials were all powerful ministers who dominated the early Tang Dynasty.

The murderous aura emanating from them, as if they had rolled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, instantly crushed the spines of all the noble officials in the hall.

Li Shimin was so startled that he stood up abruptly from his dragon throne.

Changsun Wuji and the others dared not utter a sound.

Why is this giant Buddha statue here too?

Li Yuan walked to the center of the hall, slowly raised his finger, pointed at Li Shimin's nose, and said:

"Erlang, you've really gotten better."

"I heard you want to harm my eldest grandson?"

Li Shimin opened his mouth: "Father, Gao Ming has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor..."

"Shut up."

Li Yuan interrupted him directly.

Li Yuan then looked around at the aristocratic officials, and finally looked at Li Shimin.

"My eldest grandson is fighting for the Li family outside, while you bunch of good-for-nothings are scheming against him at home."

"Now you still want to issue an order to arrest him?"

Li Yuan said in a chilling tone,

"Give it a try!"