Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5324 Wanting to impose a crime
Dugu Lan waited anxiously for Li Bi's interrogation results, feeling extremely uneasy as he sat in the duty room.

Just as the yamen was about to close for the day, Li Bi hurried over...

"Reporting to the Minister of the Court, the three men have remained silent and refused to admit guilt regarding the excessive loss of military equipment. I believe that the armory of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace and the relevant officials should be detained and interrogated to see if the mismatched military equipment was hidden in the armory or flowed outside the army."

Dugu Lan rubbed his temples; he had a headache.

"The Crown Prince's Palace is the foundation of the nation, and the Six Guards of the Crown Prince's Palace are the direct protection force of the Crown Prince. How can they be easily detained and thoroughly investigated? If this is done, the court will be in chaos! This matter shall end here. The three generals shall be imprisoned for the time being. I will go to the palace to consult His Majesty's decision before making a final decision."

It's one thing to find an excuse to detain the three so that His Majesty can make targeted arrangements, but you also want to convict them?
Do you really think that idiot Fang Er wouldn't dare to attack your Duke of England's mansion?

Even if you're not afraid, I am!

Li Bi disagreed, saying, "The state has its own laws and regulations. Since the three men have indeed violated the law and military discipline, they should be punished. Why turn a blind eye and show favoritism?"

Since they are already on opposite sides and have completely broken off relations, the three should be firmly suppressed, rather than being symbolically detained and left to wait for a possible comeback in the future.

If you don't kill the snake, it will cause trouble later.

Dugu Lan was very resolute: "Young Master, don't say any more. Let's do it this way. If you are not satisfied, after I retire, you can take up the position of Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and then you can do as you please."

I haven't even stepped down yet, and you're already trying to boss me around?

Don't say you're Li Ji's brother, or even if you're Li Ji's father, it won't work!

Do you really think I'm made of clay?

Li Bi remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "This humble official will obey the orders of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

So why haven't you retired yet, you old codger?
At his age, he clings to his post, occupying the position without doing anything; it's really annoying...

Dugu Lan stood up, ignoring Li Bi standing in front of him, grabbed a raincoat and put it on, walked out of the duty room, called his servants to hitch up the carriage, and rode straight to Chengtian Gate.

……

In the imperial study room.

Li Chengqian personally poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Dugu Lan, his smile gentle: "The weather is damp and cold, Uncle, drink more hot tea to dispel the cold."

Dugu Lan's hands trembled with excitement as he repeatedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

With this title of "Grand Uncle," it's all worth it.

Dugu Lan's grandfather was Dugu Xin. Dugu Xin's fourth daughter married Li Bing, the Duke of Tang. His son, Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, was Li Chengqian's grandfather... Therefore, Dugu Lan was Li Yuan's cousin. Emperor Taizong had to call him uncle, and Li Chengqian called him grand-uncle, which was in line with their generation.

But this address of "Grand Uncle" was one that the third generation of the empire had never uttered...

After taking a sip of hot tea, Dugu Lan, being a former official of the Sui Dynasty and a successor of three Tang emperors, gradually calmed down.

He calmly said, “Your Majesty, I am aware that today, while reviewing past accounts in the yamen, I discovered a discrepancy between the number of military equipment received by the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace and the accounts reconciled. Therefore, I summoned Generals Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, and Qu Tuquan to the Imperial Guard for interrogation. However, the three remained silent and were resistant. I was at a loss for what to do, so I came to the palace to humbly request Your Majesty’s decision.”

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, somewhat troubled: "These three are all my trusted lieutenants. If it weren't for these meritorious officials who fought to the death to protect me and fight the rebels, I don't know where I would be right now! If the difference in the amount of military equipment is not significant, then I will give them a slight reprimand and not do it again."

Dugu Lan said with a righteous expression, "Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and this old minister admires you greatly. However, the country has its own laws and the army has its own rules and regulations. Merits and demerits are separate; how can they be offset against each other? As the three of you, as generals of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, you have the responsibility to maintain the Eastern Palace and protect the Crown Prince. If the weapons were to leak out and cause future trouble, it would be a disaster for the country!"

"But after all, they are my meritorious officials, how can I bear to blame them?"

"As the ruler, Your Majesty should consider both public and private matters and be fair in rewarding and punishing."

"Even so, we must not lightly accuse them of a crime. The Imperial Guard should carefully investigate and verify the facts. We must find out the whereabouts of every bow and every knife. We should spare no effort to ensure that my meritorious officials are not wronged. If the number of weapons is indeed significantly different, then we can proceed with the investigation."

Dugu Lan understood immediately. Since it required "careful verification and discernment" and "exerting considerable effort," it meant that the matter would take a long time and could not be easily closed.

Of course, the deeper meaning is that it's enough to delay the inevitable, but the three people shouldn't actually be held responsible...

His old face was filled with emotion: "Your Majesty is kind-hearted and magnanimous, truly a blessing to his subjects!"

Li Chengqian lamented, "I have always hoped that the emperor and his ministers would get along well and create a beautiful story together, and that I would share wealth and honor with my meritorious officials! But alas, people's hearts are not what they used to be, and their desires are insatiable. There are always people who betray my trust and my high regard, but I cannot bring myself to cleanse them of their excesses. What can I do?"

His expression, words, and mindset were all consistent with his previous "kind and benevolent" demeanor.

Behind the curtain, the court attendant recorded the conversations between the emperor and his ministers, which would later be compiled into the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Activities" for posterity to read and admire.

*****
Inside the Duke of Lu's mansion, there was a great commotion.

Madam Cui sat in the hall with red eyes, slamming her hand on the tea table. She glared at Cheng Yaojin and demanded, "Sanlang is usually well-behaved and honest. Now that the Imperial Guard has suddenly arrested someone, it is clear that they are trying to frame him. Yet you let that old scoundrel Dugu Lan cause trouble. Cheng Yaojin, what exactly are you trying to do?"

As a second wife, Cui was born into a prestigious family and was young and beautiful, so she was naturally very favored. She was domineering and had no say in the household. When she got angry, even Cheng Yaojin had to give way.

Cheng Chumo, who had just returned to Beijing, and Cheng Chuliang, who had come to inquire, sat to the side, remaining silent.

Cheng Yaojin was somewhat embarrassed. He knew that Cheng Chubi would not be in any serious trouble. Even if His Majesty transferred him, he would consider Fang Jun's reaction and give him a lucrative post, or even a promotion. But these things were better left unsaid, so how could he openly talk about them at home?

He could only persuade him, "Sanlang is my son. If something happens to him, how could I not care? The Imperial Guard is just following procedure to conduct an investigation. He will be released in a few days."

Do you take me for one of those ignorant, illiterate women?

Confused and incoherent, Cui said through tears, "The empire has a million-strong army, and countless weapons have been lost. Which army can accurately verify the numbers without any errors? How could the Imperial Guard arrest everyone? Why did they specifically target Sanlang?"

Cheng Yaojin was speechless.

With tears streaming down her face, Cui continued, "This is using Sanlang as an example; he's bound to suffer the consequences! You heartless wretch don't care whether Sanlang lives or dies. That's true, you have many sons. The title and property go to the eldest son, and the second son marries a princess. So you don't care about Sanlang's future or life. One more or one less won't make a difference."

The eldest and second sons were born to the late first wife, Madam Sun, while the third son, Cheng Chubi, was her biological son.

Cheng Chumo and Cheng Chuliang, who had been standing to the side with their heads bowed and not daring to breathe, were startled. They hadn't expected that even pretending to be dead wouldn't save them...

She quickly rose and knelt in the hall, respectfully saying, "Mother, why do you say that? We are brothers and blood relatives with Sanlang. We will never mistreat Sanlang in the future, and Sanlang will surely have a share in this family business!"

Although Cui was shrewish, she was also reasonable. Knowing that her words were too offensive and would hurt the two of them, she waved her hand and said, "You are good, brothers who are harmonious, close and respectful, but your father is a scoundrel."

Cheng Chumo and Cheng Chuliang hung their heads helplessly; they couldn't, and shouldn't, respond to these words.

Cheng Yaojin was also annoyed: "Are you ever going to stop? I said Sanlang is fine, and that's it! If he really is in trouble, I'll take the blame myself and bring him back to you safe and sound. What do women know? For the future glory of the family, let alone him, even if it requires my sacrifice, I'll be willing to go for it!"

Madam Cui was shocked: "It's really to the point of sacrifice? I don't care, you go and bring Sanlang back right now, or I'll immediately go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to file a lawsuit and divorce you!"

Cheng Yaojin: “…”

Realizing he had spoken out of turn, he turned and left with a sullen face.

Women are such a hassle; if you pamper them, they become arrogant and conceited, but if you neglect them for a while, they become obedient.

Cui was, after all, a lady from a respectable family. Her fierceness was not the same as her tantrums. When she saw Cheng Yaojin turn away in a huff, she sat down in a chair and choked up, weeping uncontrollably.

Cheng Chumo and Cheng Chuliang looked at each other, and the former said cautiously, "Mother, don't worry. I will write a letter and send it to Huating Town to explain the situation to the Grand Commandant. As long as he helps, Sanlang will definitely be alright."

Cheng Chuliang also said, "I will go back and discuss it with the princess, and ask her to go to the palace to plead with His Majesty. After all, Sanlang made great contributions in the two mutinies. His Majesty is benevolent, and I think he can forgive him even if he has committed any crimes."

Only then did Madam Cui stop crying, her eyes brimming with tears: "Then I'll have to trouble you. Your father is heartless and doesn't care whether Sanlang lives or dies. You must do your best to fulfill your brotherly duty. It's just a pity that although my Qinghe Cui family has been a distinguished family for generations, we don't even have a single person who can speak up for His Majesty now."

Since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, although the "Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families" have maintained their foundation and strength, Emperor Gaozu has continuously suppressed them in order to enhance the prestige of the Longxi Li clan. As a result, these families have become much less powerful in the court than in previous dynasties. Perhaps they can stabilize the court after a few decades of accumulating strength, but at present, very few of them can stand firm in the court.

There was indeed a Cui Dunli who was appointed as a high-ranking official in a remote region, but he was "Cui of Boling," which is quite different from "Cui of Qinghe"...

The two brothers hurriedly said, "Mother, please calm down. Father must have his reasons. Otherwise, how could he turn a blind eye to Sanlang? We brothers will do our best to run around and get Sanlang out."

Mrs. Cui was extremely grateful: "You are all good children. I spoke without thinking just now. Please forgive me."

“Mother, what are you saying? Over the years you have treated us brothers as your own children, and we are grateful to you. We would never dare to have the slightest resentment. Please rest assured, we will go back to take care of things now. Please wait for good news, Mother.”