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

The night was deep.

Inside the study of the Cui family of Qinghe, the heads of the five clans and seven prominent families all looked increasingly grim.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Cui Mingan had no choice but to speak first.

"The imperial examination system has been changed. How are we supposed to control it in the future? Li Chengqian is trying to cut off our entire future."

Lu Chengqing, the head of the Lu family, sighed and said:

"The Emperor Emeritus himself issued the decree; what can we do now? We can't exactly go and bang our heads against the pillars in the Taiji Hall, can we?"

Wang Gui roared, his face ashen:

"What's the use of banging your head against a pillar? That old bastard Lu Deming has already vomited blood and fainted. The things Li Chengqian came up with have completely intimidated the entire court."

After looking around, Cui Mingan concluded fiercely:

"We can't keep passively taking hits like this. Li Chengqian is pushing us to the brink of death, so let's fight him to the death."

"How do you spell it?"

Lu Chengqing asked in confusion.

Cui Mingan gritted his teeth and said:

"Let's support a prince to challenge Li Chengqian. If we can bring Li Chengqian down, the world will still belong to our aristocratic family."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wang Gui tentatively asked:

"King Li Tai of Yue? Didn't His Majesty just grant him a fief of ten thousand households and allow him to establish a literary academy?"

"fart!"

Cui Mingan began to curse loudly.

"That idiot Li Tai was ensnared by Li Chengqian with some lousy trading company and a few meals of roasted mutton."

He's spending his days feasting and drinking in the Yue King's mansion, telling everyone he's a good-for-nothing, utterly hopeless. Expecting anything from him? We might as well just slit our own throats.

Lu Chengqing frowned:

"What about Prince Li Zhi of Jin? He was born of Empress Zhangsun, so his claim to the throne is legitimate."

"A little brat! He's not even fully grown yet."

Cui Mingan interrupted him without hesitation.

"Li Chengqian is a ruthless man. If Li Zhi were to face him, he would definitely not survive more than three days."

Silence fell over the study.

After a long pause, Wang Gui cautiously uttered a name.

"Li Ke, the King of Shu?"

Cui Minqian's eyes lit up:

"Yes! It's Li Ke."

Lu Chengqing hurriedly stood up and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:

"Are you all crazy? Li Ke has the blood of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty flowing through his veins. Which of the civil and military officials, or any member of the imperial family, dares to let him ascend the throne?"

His Majesty would absolutely never pass the throne to a prince with blood from the previous dynasty.

Furthermore, Empress Zhangsun and the Emperor Emeritus would never allow another prince to ascend the throne.

To everyone's surprise, Cui Mingan sneered after hearing this:

"Li Yuan? Empress Zhangsun? Do you still consider them obstacles?"

"Back then at Xuanwu Gate, was His Majesty's claim to the throne legitimate?"

Upon hearing this, the study immediately fell silent.

The heads of the families all looked at Cui Mingan with expressions of horror.

"If we don't prepare in advance, do you think Li Shimin will still give us time?"

If it comes to that point...

At worst, we can help the King of Shu go through Xuanwu Gate again.

"I refuse to believe that with such a generous reward, there could be no one in this world who doesn't love money."

Lu Chengqing frowned and said:

"But what about Empress Zhangsun and Li Yuan...?"

Cui Mingan waved his hand to interrupt:

"Don't worry about these two obstacles, leave them to me."

However, the Wang family also needs to contribute.

Wang Gui looked at Cui Mingan with a puzzled expression.

Cui Mingan leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

Wang Gui's expression gradually changed from blank to somewhat sinister.

......

Two days later.

Li Shimin was sitting in the Ganlu Hall reviewing memorials.

Li Junxian suddenly rushed in with a secret letter in his hand.

"Your Majesty! An urgent secret letter from 800 li east of the river."

Wang De quickly went over, took the secret letter, and handed it to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin removed the sealing wax, pulled out the letter, and quickly glanced at it.

next second.

"Bang!"

Li Shimin grabbed a teacup from the imperial desk and smashed it on the ground.

"A bunch of bastards. They're absolutely insane."

Li Junxian and Wang De were so frightened that they didn't dare to say a word.

"Summon Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, and Gao Shilian to the palace immediately. Right now."

Half an hour later.

Several high-ranking officials of the imperial court appeared in the Ganlu Hall, their attire disheveled.

"Your Majesty, this urgent summons in the dead of night—has something happened at the border?"

Fang Xuanling asked, panting.

Li Shimin pointed to the secret letter on the ground and said:

"Look for yourselves. Look at the mess these local officials have made."

Fang Xuanling picked up the secret letter and read it with Wei Zheng.

The more they looked, the paler their faces became.

It was written very clearly in the letter.

Local officials in Hedong Circuit colluded with local gentry to levy exorbitant taxes under the guise of the imperial court's autumn tax collection.

In addition to the regular taxes, there were additional taxes for suppressing bandits, repairing rivers, and even for giving birth.

Ordinary people couldn't afford to pay even if they sold their children.

Even more frightening is that a large number of refugees have appeared in Hedong Road, and some have even started to vandalize government offices and loot granaries. The signs of an uprising can no longer be suppressed.

"This...this is simply a case of officials forcing the people to rebel."

Wei Zheng was so angry that he shouted loudly.

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said:

"Every year I issue decrees to reduce taxes and corvée labor, but they treat my decrees like toilet paper."

Hedong is the stronghold of the Wang family of Taiyuan, and these officials are all protégés and former subordinates of powerful families. They are plotting to rebel against me.

Wang Gui, how do you explain this?

Normally, Wang Gui would have been kneeling and begging for mercy by now.

To everyone's surprise, Wang Gui simply cupped his hands and said:

"Your Majesty, although Hedong is the Wang family's stronghold, the Wang family has moved to Chang'an in recent years and no longer has much control over Hedong."

The most urgent task is to immediately dispatch an imperial envoy to Hedong to open the granaries, distribute grain, and appease the displaced people. At the same time, a thorough investigation of corrupt officials must be conducted to quell public anger.

"Who should we send?"

Li Shimin retorted sharply.

"The Hedong Circuit is deeply entrenched; the governors, deputy governors, and county magistrates are all in cahoots."

Ordinary imperial envoys who went there either got dragged into the mess or died without even knowing how.

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he stared fiercely at Wang Gui.

He wanted to see what this old scoundrel was up to today.

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng were also caught in a dilemma.

The Wang family of Taiyuan had been operating in Hedong for over a hundred years; the waters there were very deep.

Sending a civil official wouldn't be enough to control the situation.

Sending a military officer who doesn't know how to check accounts or investigate cases would make him easy to fool.

Just when everyone was at a loss.

Wang Gui stepped forward:

"Your Majesty, I recommend someone who will surely quell the chaos in Hedong."

"Who?"

Li Shimin stared at Wang Gui and asked.

Wang Gui looked at Li Shimin without the slightest fear and said:

"Crown Prince Li Chengqian."

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng looked at Wang Gui in shock.

This old scoundrel actually let the crown prince into the game?

Does he want the Wang family of Taiyuan to be eradicated completely?

Ignoring the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, Wang Gui continued:

"The root of the chaos in Hedong lies with the powerful families. However, ordinary imperial envoys dare not touch these families."

But His Highness the Crown Prince dares.

This matter should have been handled by the Wang family, but in recent years the Wang family has lost control over Hedong.

Even if the Wang family were willing to send someone, they probably wouldn't be able to accomplish anything in the end.

This old minister is extremely ashamed.

After listening, Li Shimin looked at Wang Gui with an uncertain expression.

He was certain that the old man was up to no good by jumping out now.

But even Li Shimin couldn't figure out what the problem was.

If it is said that Lady Wang wanted to kill Li Chengqian in Hedong Province.

Even if you beat Li Shimin to death, he wouldn't believe it.

Because Wang didn't have the guts.

As long as I'm alive, anyone who dares to openly harm Li Chengqian is courting death.

But Wang Gui's suggestion really moved Li Shimin.

Anyone who goes to Hadong Province will ultimately just be wasting their time.

Only Li Chengqian can go and completely eradicate the Wang family in Hedong Road.