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

Just as Wei Zheng was about to continue attacking Fang Yi'ai, he caught a glimpse of Changsun Chong trying to slip away out of the corner of his eye.

"Changsun Chong! You stand right there."

Wei Zheng's shout startled Changsun Chong, causing him to tremble and scatter a stack of letters he had hidden in his arms onto the ground.

Wei Zheng walked over and picked up a letter, which read "To Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel".

Wei Zheng frowned and picked up all the remaining letters.

Seeing that Wei Zheng was ignoring him, Fang Yi'ai shouted to the soldiers beside him:

"Someone, bring a basin of water. This old bastard's faking it."

Before long, a soldier came running over carrying a basin of water.

"Get out of the way, I'll do it."

Fang Yi'ai dodged the wooden basin and splashed it on Zhao Deyan's face.

Zhao Deyan gasped and slowly woke up.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Fang Yi'ai's big face smiling in front of him.

"Awake? If you hadn't woken up, I was about to put your virgin urine on you."

At this moment, Wei Zheng was trembling all over as he read the letter.

"Excellent! What a fine Prefect of Pingzhou! I have truly broadened my horizons today."

When Zhao Deyan saw what Wei Zheng was holding, he was completely dumbfounded.

"It's over...it's all over..."

The letter records the relief grain that Pingzhou has embezzled over the past few years, and 70% of the people's ill-gotten gains have been secretly transported to Chang'an.

Officials in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, and even the Court of Judicial Review all received bribes from Pingzhou.

What alarmed Wei Zheng even more was that the Five Surnames and Seven Clans actually accounted for the largest share among them.

Pingzhou had long since become an ATM for the high-ranking officials and nobles of Chang'an.

When Wei Zheng turned to the last letter, he suddenly looked up at Changsun Chong, who was looking down.

Changsun Chong was trembling all over and didn't dare to look at Wei Zheng at all.

Why?

Because the first name on the paper in Wei Zheng's hand was that of his own father, Changsun Wuji, the Duke of Qi.

It's written very clearly above:

"In the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Zhenguan era, the Duke of Qi's mansion was presented with 50,000 strings of charcoal, twenty pairs of top-quality old ginseng from Liaodong, and ten stunningly beautiful maids from Goguryeo..."

Changsun Chong felt as if his soul had flown away when he saw the letter.

Has my dad gone mad?

How can they accept any kind of money?

If this were to come to light, not only would he be unable to retain his title of Duke, but even if the entire Changsun family wasn't executed, they would be exiled to Lingnan to eat lychees.

Wei Zheng suppressed his anger and shouted:

"Where is the Hundred Cavalry Commandery?"

Several elite cavalrymen immediately rushed into the courtyard.

"Go and get the sealing wax. Seal all these letters and account books for me."

Tomorrow morning, I will personally escort Zhao Deyan back to Chang'an and present him to His Majesty.

"I refuse to believe that these demons and monsters can cover up the entire bright and clear sky of the Tang Dynasty."

When Changsun Chong heard that Wei Zheng was going to submit a memorial, he was so frightened that he almost lost control of his bladder on the spot.

Taking advantage of Wei Zheng's brief moment of knowing only the Hundred Cavalry Commandery, he hurriedly ran back to the army's encampment.

Central command tent.

Li Chengqian was chatting idly with Li Jing.

A loud shout came from outside.

"Your Highness! Help!"

Just as Li Chengqian and Li Jing looked up, they saw Changsun Chong rush in from outside, run straight to Li Chengqian's side, and hug his leg.

"Cousin! Your Highness! You must save my father!"

Changsun Chong cried so bitterly.

Li Chengqian kicked his legs in disdain, but couldn't move them.

"Let go. If you wipe your snot on my clothes again, I'll have you thrown out right now."

Changsun Chong quickly released his grip and said:

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened. That bastard Zhao Deyan has written down the names of all the officials in Chang'an who collect bribes."

My dad... my dad's name is first in the list.

Li Jing glanced at Changsun Chong with surprise.

Changsun Wuji was even involved?

This old fox doesn't seem like the type to be so careless.

This case is getting interesting.

Li Chengqian, however, was not surprised at all, and looked at Changsun Chong with a cold smile:

"Ranked first? How much did they collect?"

"All together, it amounts to 500,000 strings of cash... plus ginseng and women."

Changsun Chong stammered,

"Your Highness, Wei Zheng has already sealed the items and said they will be escorted back to Chang'an tomorrow."

If we send it back, our Changsun family will be finished.

Go and talk to Wei Zheng, and ask him to tear out those pages about my father.

"Tear it off?"

Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Chong as if he were an idiot.

"Do you think Wei Zheng is a fool, or do you think I am a fool?"

Once something falls into Wei Zheng's hands, even if my father tries to ask for it back, he'll get a scolding.

"Are you telling me to go looking for trouble?"

"What should we do then?"

Changsun Chong said anxiously,

"If we send this thing up there, our entire Changsun family will be slaughtered."

"What are you afraid of? Your father won't die, and the Changsun family won't be slaughtered."

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes.

"As long as my mother is still alive, your father will at most be stripped of his official position."

And Changsun Chong, is there still something you don't understand?

Changsun Chong raised his head and stared blankly at Li Chengqian.

"Your father, in collusion with powerful families in the court, forced me to lead the army into battle and even cut off my supplies. They were trying to kill me."

Li Chengqian patted Changsun Chong's face.

"When he cheated me, he never thought I was his nephew."

Now that he's walking right into the line of fire, you're coming to me to save him?

Do you really think of me as some kind of great philanthropist?

Changsun Chong then remembered the outrageous things his father had done in Chang'an.

Go ahead and do it!

it's good now.

Even the Changsun family's biggest backer is ignoring you.

"Besides, your father threw you into the army as a hostage, and he still dared to lay a hand on the grain."

That means they don't treat you like their own son at all. Why are you risking your life to save him?

If he had even the slightest bit of concern for you, would he have choked on your food?

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's words, Changsun Chong was even more dumbfounded.

But that's not right. I killed all of my father's illegitimate children.

Did I not kill them all?

Are there even more favored ones that have been hidden away?

"I'm making this clear today: I will not only not suppress this case, but I will also make it an ironclad case."

I intend to use Zhao Deyan's head to chop off the claws of the aristocratic families that have extended into the local areas, one by one.

If you still want to live, I advise you to give up your hopes of relying on your family.

This is your chance to make a name for yourself on the battlefield; that's the path you should take from now on.

Li Jing listened from the side and nodded to himself.

These are the words a prince should say.

Was this little rascal pretending before?

Changsun Chong nodded heavily:

"I see."

Just then, Wei Zheng walked in, his face full of anger.

"Your Highness! The case in Pingzhou has been verified. Zhao Deyan was found guilty of embezzlement and corruption, and his influence extends far and wide."

"Your Highness, I request that you allocate another five hundred elite cavalry. I will escort Zhao Deyan and this evidence back to Chang'an to meet Your Majesty first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Chengqian remained silent, but waved his hand to send Changsun Chong out.

When only the three of them remained in the tent, Li Chengqian slowly spoke:

"Duke Zheng, it seems you won't be able to return from Chang'an this time."

Wei Zheng's eyes widened:

"What does Your Highness mean by this? Does Your Highness intend to protect those corrupt officials?"

"cover?"

Li Chengqian scoffed and pointed at the wooden box in Wei Zheng's hand.

"Do you believe that the moment you leave Pingzhou City with Zhao Deyan, you will encounter a group of well-equipped mountain bandits?"

"Zhao Deyan will be dead without a doubt then, and whether you will survive will be a question."

Wei Zheng, with his neck stiff, shouted:

"I am not afraid of death. The Tang Dynasty has its own laws."

With the joint investigation by the three judicial authorities, the truth will surely be revealed.

"A joint trial by the three judicial departments?"

Li Chengqian continued, his face full of mockery.

"Duke of Zheng, how could you, a man of your wisdom, make such a foolish mistake in this matter?"

"How many people in the three departments—the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate—have clean hands?"

Wei Zheng was momentarily speechless, but still retorted:

"That can't be left like this. The criminal must be handed over to His Majesty for judgment."

"Hand it over to Father Emperor?"

Li Chengqian's face turned cold.

"Father is currently worried about the military expenses for the war against Goguryeo. If you hand this over, most of the ministers in the court will die. The Tang Dynasty's court will be paralyzed instantly."

How could the Emperor possibly decide the verdict? In the end, all that would happen was that a few scapegoats would be sent out to defend him, and Zhao Deyan would die suddenly in prison.

The real big shots are still living a life of luxury in Chang'an.

Wei Zheng's expression turned gloomy and uncertain because of Li Chengqian's words.

He was well aware of the dirty tricks and underhanded practices in officialdom.

But he was still somewhat unwilling.

"Then, in Your Highness's opinion, what should be done?"

Wei Zheng looked at Li Chengqian and asked.

Li Chengqian sneered:

"Since the world is destined to be either black or white, then I will be the blackest one."