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

"You little brat, how dare you threaten me?"

Li Shimin's eyes turned somewhat dangerous.

"Your subject dares not."

Li Chengqian said with a sincere expression,

"Your Majesty, I only want to make a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?"

"Father, please help me suppress the matter of Wangjiazhuang. Just announce to the outside world that the Hundred Cavalry Division wiped out a group of roaming Turkic bandits and recovered some of the stolen money."

In exchange, I will never divulge this confession. Also...

Li Chengqian pointed to the several boxes of gold bars on the ground.

"I will give Father Emperor twenty percent of the money here to replenish the imperial treasury. What do you think?"

Li Shimin was stunned.

He looked at the gold bars on the ground, then at the confession in Li Chengqian's hand, frantically weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

The Wang family lost at least tens of thousands of strings of cash.

Even if I only take 20%, it will temporarily relieve the internal treasury's urgent needs.

Moreover, it can also protect Changsun Wuji.

The main problem is that there's nothing he can do even if he doesn't agree; Empress Zhangsun's eyes are already warning him.

"Thirty percent."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and began to bargain.

"make a deal."

Li Chengqian agreed without hesitation.

When Li Shimin saw that Li Chengqian agreed so readily, he suddenly felt like he had been tricked.

But the words had already been spoken, and it was too late for him to take them back.

"Send the money to the Ganlu Palace for me."

Li Shimin glared at Li Chengqian with annoyance, then turned and left the Lizheng Hall.

Watching Li Shimin's departing figure and seeing his frustrated expression, Li Chengqian felt a sense of satisfaction.

He screwed over his father, robbed a powerful family, and still made money.

This is a winning streak.

"Gao Ming, are you really planning to give your father thirty percent of the money?"

Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Chengqian with a puzzled expression and asked.

Li Chengqian chuckled:

"Don't worry, Mother. I've already hidden the big part of it. This is just a drop in the ocean."

Empress Zhangsun shook her head helplessly and tapped Li Chengqian's forehead with her finger:

"You're getting bolder and bolder, you even dare to scheme against your own father."

"Isn't that all thanks to Mother's excellent upbringing?"

......

Ganlu Temple.

Li Shimin felt a pang of sadness as he looked at the boxes the eunuchs were carrying in.

The emperor himself, a dignified ruler of the Tang Dynasty, had to rely on money stolen by his son to fill the imperial treasury.

What kind of situation is this?

"Wang De".

Li Shimin rubbed his temples and spoke.

"This old servant is here."

"Go and deliver the imperial decree. Tell them that the Hundred Cavalry Division wiped out a group of Turkic bandits thirty miles outside the city. They recovered some of the stolen money, and Wang Gui is to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to claim it."

"Yes. Then... what about the rest of the money?"

Wang De asked cautiously.

"The remaining money? What remaining money? Can't the bandits just squander it?"

Li Shimin glared at Wang De.

"Tell Wang Gui that if he dares to cause trouble in the court again, I will punish him for failing to manage his household properly."

Wang De quickly withdrew.

Li Shimin looked at the boxes of gold bars and felt increasingly aggrieved.

That little rascal Li Chengqian has completely changed lately.

He was ruthless and cunning, and even his father kept getting the short end of the stick.

"No, we can't just let it go like this."

This kid now has soldiers and money at his disposal, and he has Li Yuan and Guanyinbi standing behind him; he's practically strutting around with his tail between his legs.

We need to find someone to properly treat him.

Li Gang is a good-for-nothing; we can't count on him.

She hasn't shown her face since she was carried away after fainting from anger that day.

Changsun Wuji had something on that brat, so he dared not do anything.

Who else can we turn to?

Li Shimin's gaze inadvertently swept over several memorials on his desk.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on a folded paper that had been handed to him from Shandong.

The letter was handed to me by the great Confucian scholar Kong Yingda, who said he was going to the capital to compile the "Correct Meanings of the Five Classics".

Li Shimin's eyes lit up.

Kong Yingda was a 32nd-generation descendant of Confucius, a great Confucian scholar of his time, and a man of upright character who valued propriety and law above all else.

He dared to defy even the retired Emperor Li Yuan back then, let alone a crown prince.

Brilliant! You're so eloquent, aren't you? You can make Li Gang so angry he vomits blood.

I want to see if you can still stir up trouble when facing the descendants of Confucius.

"Guards, draft the imperial edict."

Li Shimin shouted loudly,

"Summon Kong Yingda to the capital immediately. Grant him the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and put him in charge of the Eastern Palace's studies. I want him to teach the Crown Prince what it means to respect teachers and value the Way."

......

a few days later.

Taiji Hall.

Wang Gui has not attended court for many days; it is said that he is recuperating at home.

He was indeed recuperating, but he was ambushed by Li Junxian.

After Li Shimin gave the order, Wang Gui still dared to cause trouble at the entrance of Taiji Hall, which angered Li Shimin.

This gave Li Junxian an opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the representative of the Wang family.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, looking at Kong Yingda who had rushed down below, and he was in a very good mood.

Kong Yingda had just arrived in Chang'an yesterday, and today he was already scheduled to attend the morning court session.

Wang De stepped forward, unfolded the imperial edict, and read aloud:

"Disciple: Crown Prince Chengqian, the heir apparent... We have specially invited the great Confucian scholar Kong Yingda, bestowing upon him the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, to oversee the Eastern Palace's studies..."

As soon as the imperial edict was read, the hall erupted in uproar.

The civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince? What about Li Gang then?

Following the gaze of the crowd, Li Shimin looked at the line of civil officials.

Li Gang hadn't attended court for a long time, but today he surprisingly stood in the queue.

He had originally hoped to regain some face in court today, but instead he suffered a crushing defeat.

Li Gang walked out, trembling with anger.

"Your Majesty! This old minister is not convinced."

Li Shimin frowned and looked at Li Gang, asking, "Does the Grand Tutor have any objections?"

Li Gang pointed to Kong Yingda, who was standing to the side:

"As the Crown Prince's tutor, I have not achieved great merit, but I have been conscientious and diligent."

Your Majesty has suddenly appointed Kong Chongyuan as the head of the Eastern Palace's curriculum. Where does this leave this old minister?

Isn't this announcing to the world that this old minister is of limited talent and learning, inferior to Kong Yingda?

Li Gang became more and more agitated as he spoke. This concerned his reputation, and Li Shimin's actions were worse than killing him.

Just as Li Shimin was about to say a few words of comfort, he saw that Kong Yingda had already made a move.

Kong Yingda sized Li Gang up and down, then gave a soft snort:

"Li Wenji, have you no shame?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Taiji Hall looked at Kong Yingda in shock.

Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened even more, and he nudged Yuchi Jingde beside him, muttering:

"That old man Confucius has quite the temper; he started cursing right away?"

Li Gang was completely stunned: "You...you actually dare to insult me ​​in the imperial court?"

"Insulting you? I'm just giving you a wake-up call."

Kong Yingda pointed at Li Gang's nose and unleashed his full force.

"You say you're diligent and conscientious? You taught Yang Yong, the deposed crown prince of the former Sui Dynasty, right? And what was the result? He was beheaded."

"You were the one who taught Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, weren't you? And what was the result? Bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate."

Li Gang's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he clutched his chest, taking two steps back.

Kong Yingda gave him no chance to breathe, pressing him relentlessly:

"In teaching and nurturing people, the first priority is to cultivate virtue. Of the two princes you taught, one is arrogant and dissolute, and the other is a brother who reads the wall."

You have truly made outstanding contributions as the Crown Prince's tutor.

The Crown Prince is still young and it is the time to shape his character. Your Majesty has asked me to come out of seclusion for the sake of the Tang Dynasty.

Instead of reflecting on your own actions, you engage in petty squabbles and jealousy in court, questioning His Majesty's opinion of you.

Kong Yingda suddenly flicked his sleeve,

"If I were you, I would have found a secluded place, dug a hole, and buried myself long ago, so as not to remain in the world and mislead the younger generation."

The civil and military officials have certainly broadened their horizons today.

Kong Yingda truly deserves to be called a great Confucian scholar of his time; he can even curse without using any vulgar language.

Li Shimin felt incredibly satisfied looking at Li Gang, who was teetering on the brink of collapse after being scolded.

With Kong Yingda's fighting prowess, he's more than capable of dealing with that brat Li Chengqian.

Li Gang pointed at Kong Yingda and assessed the fighting strength of both sides.

He turned to look at Li Shimin, his eyes red-rimmed, and shouted:

"Your Majesty! This old minister has suffered such a humiliating disgrace. I have no face to remain in this court any longer."

Li Gang made a gesture as if he was about to remove his official hat.

Just then, a voice came from outside the hall.

"Grand Tutor, please wait."