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

The Eastern Palace, a secret chamber.

Li Chengqian sat there, listening to the intelligence delivered by his secret guards, and almost choked with laughter.

"Hahaha! Uncle's luck is unbelievable. His own son overheard his plot to rebel?"

And his aunt even came with a feather duster and ransacked his old house?

Du Ruhui held a cup of hot tea and slowly blew on it to cool it down.

Qin Qiong sat to the side, wiping the horizontal sword in his hand with a coarse cloth.

After Li Chengqian had finished laughing, Qin Qiong frowned and said:

"Your Highness, Changsun Wuji is still up to his old tricks. He actually wants to join forces with the five clans and seven noble families to depose the heir apparent."

Should I send a few men to the Changsun residence tonight to loosen up his muscles?

Qin Qiong made a throat-slitting gesture.

He had always disliked Changsun Wuji, but if it weren't for the fact that the Empress was his own sister...

What makes him think he's on equal footing with us? Or even of higher status?

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said:

"Uncle Qin, fighting and killing is no fun. Since Uncle wants to play, let's play a big game with him."

Du Ruhui put down his teacup and said with a smile:

"Your Highness is absolutely right. The powerful clans have suffered such a great loss this time, they certainly won't let it go."

Their alliance with the Duke of Qi's mansion, seemingly a crisis, is actually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Li Chengqian asked with great interest, "Prime Minister Du, please elaborate."

Du Ruhui slowly said:

"The powerful families have deep roots in the court, and His Majesty has always wanted to take action against them, but he has been struggling to find a pretext."

Once they launch an attack in the imperial court, they will inevitably expose more of their true intentions.

Your Highness could easily turn the tables and let them be smug for a few days. When they think they have victory firmly in their grasp, then deliver a decisive blow.

Great minds think alike.

Li Chengqian snapped his fingers.

"I want them to climb to the top, and then kick them down."

Not only will my uncle lose face, but the entire aristocratic family will also suffer greatly. This is what is meant by "an eye for an eye."

Qin Qiong asked anxiously:

"So we're just going to wait and see? What if they really cause trouble in court and His Majesty can't withstand the pressure? His Highness could be deposed."

"Uncle Qin, even if Father Emperor can't hold on, Mother Empress will definitely be able to."

Li Chengqian spread his hands confidently.

"Besides, who said we're just going to sit here and wait?"

Du Ruhui added with a smile:

"General Qin, since the aristocratic families are plotting to depose the heir apparent, they will definitely hold frequent meetings in the next few days."

With all the important figures focused on the imperial court, their clandestine operations were left unguarded.

Qin Qiong glanced at Du Ruhui, then at Li Chengqian, and his face twitched.

"Your Highness, you're not thinking of... borrowing money again, are you?"

Li Chengqian said righteously:

"Uncle Qin, how can you call this a loan? I'm just keeping it safe for them."

"Look, these noble families have hidden so much money outside the city. What a pity if it gets robbed by Turkic bandits! I'm acting on behalf of Heaven, taking from the people and using it for the people."

Qin Qiong sighed:

"Your Highness, isn't your addiction to borrowing money a bit too strong? Last time, the Cui, Wang, Lu, and Zheng families combined borrowed at least a million strings of cash."

"Don't we have enough money for now?"

"Who would complain about having too much money? Besides, Grandfather still needs money to build the Da'an Palace."

Li Chengqian smiled and turned to look at Du Ruhui.

"Prime Minister Du, which family should we target this time?"

Du Ruhui took out a sheepskin map from his sleeve, spread it on the table, and pointed to a spot with his fingertip.

"Your Highness, please take a look. The Cui family owns a manor called Qingfeng Garden, located thirty miles south of Chang'an City."

On the surface, it was a place for scholars and literati to compose poems and exchange verses, but in reality, it was the largest treasury and granary of the Cui family in Chang'an.

According to the Shadow Guard's investigation, nearly half of the taxes collected by the Cui family in Jiangnan this year were secretly transported here.

Li Chengqian's mouth watered as he listened.

"The biggest stronghold? Good heavens, just how much money is the Cui family hiding here? This is it."

Qin Qiong said with some worry:

"Your Highness, since Qingfeng Garden is the largest stronghold, its security must be very tight."

The Turkic bandit guise we used last time probably won't work this time.

Those powerful families aren't fools; they won't fall for the same trick twice.

"Who said I was going to forcibly take it?"

Li Chengqian chuckled, and an even more wicked idea popped into his head.

"Aren't they plotting to depose the crown prince? I'll give them a big gift."

Li Chengqian leaned close to Qin Qiong's ear and whispered a few words.

Qin Qiong's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.

"Your Highness, this is such a wicked move... But let's just leave it at that. Consider him unlucky."

Outside Chang'an City.

A group of soldiers dressed in night clothes, led by a relative, lay in ambush outside Qingfeng Garden.

Qin Qiong lay prone in the grass, staring at the brightly lit village ahead, and made a hand gesture.

"Everyone, perk up! His Highness instructed us that this time we not only need to empty their treasury, but also prepare a surprise for the Duke of Qi."

"Third Sister, take some men to find out the location of the sentries. Fifth Sister, go to the backyard and find the entrance to the underground warehouse."

Just as Qin Qiong was about to take action, the gate of the manor suddenly opened.

A carriage drove out, the driver looked around, then cracked his whip, and the carriage quickly disappeared into the night.

Qin Qiong stared in the direction the carriage had gone, frowning as he muttered to himself:

"Who's in that carriage belonging to the Cui family in the middle of the night?"

He beckoned one of his men over.

"Take two brothers and follow them to check it out, but don't alert them."

The men took the order and left.

Half an hour later, the men who had gone with him came running back, panting.

"Boss, we've found out. The carriage entered through the back gate of the Duke of Qi's mansion."

Qin Qiong was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

"Good heavens, he just met with Wang Gui, and now he's hooked up with the Cui family again? That old fox Changsun Wuji is quick on his feet."

"Go back quickly and send the message back to the Crown Prince's Palace."

In the secret chamber of the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian sneered after receiving the news.

"Uncle, you think you're so clever, but you don't know that your every move has been under my nose for the past five years."

Since you all enjoy holding meetings in the middle of the night so much, I'll let you have yours.

Li Chengqian immediately ordered all members of the Shadow Guard to be mobilized, with Qingfeng Garden as their target.

This time he doesn't plan to pretend to be a Turk; he'll pretend to be a Hundred Cavalry Commander.

"Prime Minister Du, have the Shadow Guards change into the uniforms of the Hundred Cavalry Division and openly raid Qingfeng Garden. Say they are acting on His Majesty's secret orders to raid the rebels."

Du Ruhui was stunned by Li Chengqian's idea.

"Your Highness, impersonating the Hundred Cavalry Commandery? If His Majesty finds out, wouldn't that cause an uproar? He can tell at a glance that it was you who did it."

"What are you afraid of?"

Li Chengqian curled his lip indifferently.

"The Hundred Cavalry Division is the Emperor's private army. If the aristocratic families suffer losses, they will only blame the Emperor."

The emperor had unspeakable grievances, and the noble families had no way to vent their anger. This was a double-edged sword.

Du Ruhui laughed loudly after hearing this:

"Your Highness's plan is brilliant. If His Majesty knew that he had been framed again, he would probably be so angry that he wouldn't be able to sleep for several nights."

Half an hour later, in Qingfeng Garden.

Cui's steward was directing the servants to count a batch of gold and silver that had just arrived.

The front door was suddenly kicked open.

A squad of soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Hundred Cavalry rushed in.

The leader, holding up a token, shouted:

"The Hundred Cavalry are acting on imperial orders! Everyone, put your hands on your heads and kneel down. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy."

The butler, startled, hurriedly approached and asked:

"Sir, sir, what are you doing? This is a proper estate. It's inhabited by scholars."

Qin Qiong kicked the steward to the ground.

"A legitimate Zhuangzi? Someone reported you for possessing weapons and plotting a rebellion. Search it."

The Shadow Guards completely ignored the cries and screams of the villagers and skillfully headed straight for the underground vault.

In less than half an hour, all the money in Qingfeng Garden was taken away.

They even took the pure gold statue of the God of Wealth enshrined in the corner.

Before leaving, Qin Qiong, following Li Chengqian's instructions, wrote a line of large characters on the wall.

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. How dare you, you vile scoundrels, deceive the sovereign?"