Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 180 Li Er: I trust you to do the work
"Accident?"

Li Shimin glanced at the report presented to him with an expressionless face.

The three top leaders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of Justice were trembling in the study of the Lizheng Hall.

Under the emperor's edict, the three brothers suspended all their current affairs and concentrated their efforts on attacking the enemy.

The unfortunate accident that occurred in Neiyuan on the night of the Dragon Boat Festival was thoroughly investigated inside and out.

In order to get to the bottom of this matter, His Majesty even gave the green light for the first time, allowing investigators from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to enter the inner courtyard through the Xuanwu Gate to the north of the Taiji Palace to search.

By changing direction in this way, you don't have to go from south to north through the sleeping area where the concubines in the harem are located.

It not only facilitates investigation of the case, but also avoids embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, after several days of effort to give his subordinates unprecedented special treatment, he only got such an investigation result.

Accident? !
We don't need a bunch of you bureaucrats who just sit there and do nothing. If we just ask any palace maid or eunuch at the scene, they will know that it was an accident!

The question is, what is behind this incident?
What is the inside story? What is the conspiracy? What is the method of creating the accident? What is the mastermind behind the operation?

You don't want to tell me that you didn't find out anything!
"You may be the proud ones who stand out in the imperial examination."

Li Shimin sat on the dragon bed and said in a low voice:
"Or they may be talents who entered the government of the previous dynasty and have been in the political arena for many years.

"Your salaries are not small, and the people support you with their taxes. And my expectations of you are also very high."

The implication is that your work has failed my expectations. Are you just eating for free? Taking a generous salary without doing any work?

The eunuchs in the Ministry of Internal Affairs looked as pale as death.

Anyway, he has to bear the blame for "leadership responsibility" and just lie down and let the ridicule continue.

Sun Fujia, the Minister of Dali Temple, and Liu Dequan, the Minister of Justice, glanced at each other quietly.

They could only understand His Majesty's anger and his urgent need to find a murderer to vent his anger.

It’s like when the government summons a prisoner for interrogation and he suddenly dies, and the coroner says he died of an acute illness.

The victims’ families will definitely not accept it. They will definitely make trouble and there will definitely be conspiracy theories.

Generally speaking, clever officials will "actively understand the leader's intentions" at this time and follow the leader's instructions.

If the leader wants to find a murderer to vent his anger on, then find him a scapegoat.

But during the Zhenguan period, although ministers formed factions and engaged in political struggles, they were generally principled.

After a heated discussion, Lao Sun and Lao Liu decided to tell the truth.

“Your Majesty, we have carefully inspected the scene, questioned witnesses, and checked the accounts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Works.

"It has been confirmed that the ominous incident that occurred on the Dragon Boat Festival was indeed an accident..."

They especially asked about a certain Jiedushi.

Because His Royal Highness Li Ming was also at the scene at the time, he was the calmest and most composed person, and personally participated in directing the rescue and follow-up work.

The most troublesome thing about investigating cases in the palace is that none of the witnesses can be offended.

Do you still want to summon any imperial concubine in the deep palace to the Dali Temple to answer questions?

His Highness Li Ming cooperated most with the investigation, so his testimony received the highest attention.

The result was that Li Ming's opinion was fully adopted and became the result of careful investigation and comprehensive analysis by the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice.

This is reasonable, based on facts and based on law, and must strictly abide by basic laws such as the Zhenguan Law.

It is definitely not because the officials of these two departments have been conquered by Li Ming since the Li Xiaogong case, and now they have been filled with the Fourteen Traitors and have become like Li Ming.

"No need to argue with me, I just need an answer." Li Shimin tapped the table impatiently.

Sun Fujia and Liu Dequan still insisted on their own opinions. They spread their hands and said that this was the situation and no matter what the specific situation was, whether Your Majesty believed it or not, they believed it anyway.

"Tsk, alright, back off."

Li Shimin dismissed the two stubborn officials and the old eunuch who looked as pale as death.

Although he was willing to accept advice, he would not punish his ministers just because they contradicted him.

But the unhappiness in my heart is real.

Li Shimin picked up the report documents presented by the two people, made a "chu" sound, and gently threw them to the corner of the table.

The emperor is not a bureaucrat. He has too many things to consider comprehensively. He has neither the energy nor the need to delve into the details of every matter.

What he wants to grasp is the general trend and direction.

For example, this case of murder caused by a collapsed lampstand.

If you follow the bureaucrats' line of thought and read their report word by word.

That would be falling into the trap set by the old hands, and they would really think that this case was just an accident.

Damn it, since this time last year, there was the Li Xiaogong case, the Jiucheng Palace case, the Liaodong frame-up, and then to the Li Ming assassination case.

Small actions against the royal family are endless, occurring once a quarter on average, almost becoming a seasonal show.

Moreover, the targets covered are very comprehensive, from the emperor himself, the legitimate prince, the illegitimate prince to the royal family, everyone has a share, without any bias.

And just a few days ago on the Dragon Boat Festival, a concubine died tragically in front of him and the royal family.

Then these bureaucrats told me that this was an accident?

What? Is that thing on my shoulder just a decorative lump of flesh?

"A bunch of idiots!"

Li Shimin still couldn't hold back. He muttered to himself, picked up the investigation report that had been thrown into the corner, and glanced through it.

The content is relatively objective. The lampstand has been in disrepair for many years. Although it is painted on the outside and looks solid, the inside is almost hollowed out by insects.

Coupled with the continuous rain, the lampstand was already very unstable and could collapse at any time. It could not support the weight of an adult at all.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs carefully inspected the ruins of the lampstand and compared them with the drawings and account books of the Manufacturing Bureau of the Ministry of Industry.

All the nails, wooden boards and other parts were intact, and apart from being eaten by insects, there were no signs of human damage.

If we have to share the blame, the palace maids and eunuchs who were in charge of repairs and maintenance bear some responsibility.

But they are neither professional carpenters nor do they have X-ray vision, so it is impossible to let them bear heavy responsibilities.

At most, you will be fined a few months' salary and put in solitary confinement for a few days.

Besides, this little Karami is not worthy of being blamed and is obviously not the "real murderer" that Your Majesty wants to find.

To be on the safe side, investigators also checked several nearby lampstands.

The results showed that these buildings all had varying degrees of insect infestation.

"The lighthouse that was damaged was closest to the lake, so the moisture rose up and caused the worst insect infestation... what?"

That sounds quite plausible.

If it weren't for so many previous cases, Li Shimin would almost have been convinced. This was just an accident.

“Accidents, accidents, how can there be so many accidents?
“We’ve been fighting for more than a decade, but there haven’t been as many accidents as in this year!

“In the case of Lee Hyo-gong, they also said it was an accident.

"Until Li Ming discovered the trick..."

When Li Ming was mentioned, the corners of Li Shimin's mouth curled up, and he inexplicably felt a sense of security that "everything is stable".

Yes, apart from that group of incompetent and pedantic bureaucrats, I have a secret weapon!

As long as you leave the matter to Li Ming, it will be done well!

Li Shimin could no longer sit still, so he stood up and summoned the eunuch:

"Ask the Liaodong Jiedushi to come over and report back."

…………

"Grandpa." Li Ming walked into Li Shimin's study with a serious face.

After the Dragon Boat Festival incident, he has been staying in the palace very well these days.

This is the moment I've been waiting for.

Li Shimin was standing with his hands behind his back, looking up at the map on the wall, leaving a cool back view to his son.

"You're here? Are my mother and aunts all right?"

"Fortunately, everyone has recovered, but we can't help but feel a little sad." Li Ming replied in a heavy tone.

"Everyone thinks it was an accident."

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned around, looked directly into Li Ming's eyes and said word by word:
"I don't think so."

Li Ming's heart suddenly hung in the air.

I'm going, can't it be...

"Starting from the Jiucheng Palace Incident, this series of events are obviously connected, and the target is the royal family of our Tang Dynasty!"

Li Shimin's voice was low and full of anger, like a lion protecting his territory, he growled:

"Do those barbarians think that they can force the Tang Dynasty to stop its expansion through such despicable and shameless actions?"

Huh?
Li Ming was stunned, and ten thousand details flashed through his mind. He immediately followed Li Shimin's thoughts and said:
"Grandpa is wise! I think Xueyantuo is a major suspect in the crime!"

On the night of the incident, His Majesty the Emperor suspected that the Xueyantuo were behind it.

When I first entered the study, His Majesty the Emperor was staring at the map of the Xueyantuo Khanate again.

As the most loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty, how could the Jiedushi not follow his leader's footsteps and put the blame on the Tiele barbarians!

The army of the underdog will surely win, with layer after layer of buffs stacked up, the heavenly army will surely be unstoppable and flatten the northern grasslands in one fell swoop!
"Good! My son is indeed insightful!"

Li Shimin was very satisfied with this answer and immediately issued an oral order:

"You will take the lead in investigating this case, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Justice will cooperate with you."

Sure enough, only Li Ming could correctly understand his intentions!
Since it has already happened, let's not worry about it and just throw the dirty water on the enemy's head.

If Xueyantuo is guilty, everyone will be happy.

If it is finally discovered that the suspect is someone else, then we will burn the not guilty verdict on Zhenzhu Khan.

Politics is like this, you have to be good at taking advantage of others' mistakes.

In other words, in order to achieve political goals, one needs to constantly discover and create excuses.

You must have a legitimate reason, but you must also do whatever it takes to achieve your goal.

It is obvious that both Li Ming and his father are masters of this art.

"My son...accept the decree."

Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief, and even used more polite words:
"I will definitely prove Xueyantuo's crimes."

It's great to let the mouse check the cat.

Li Shimin waved his hand to stop his son's extreme loyalty to the emperor:

"That's not necessary, everything should be based on facts.

"It's Xueyantuo's fault... the blame will definitely fall on them."

He glanced at the map behind him again and continued:
"But this case is not just political manipulation, the case itself concerns the safety of the court, which is also very serious.

"If Xueyantuo's guilt is proven, then they must have an accomplice in the palace. You must also find out the accomplice and bring him to justice!"

Of course Li Ming agreed:
"Ok, no problem!"

Whoever dares to oppose me in the court will be an accomplice! ... Li Ming almost laughed like a treacherous minister.

Li Shimin then sighed with relief and patted Li Ming's shoulder affectionately: "I am at ease with you doing the job."

The corners of Li Ming's mouth almost formed an exaggerated arc.

No, hold it in, don’t laugh…

The plan goes through!
Wu Meiniang, Wang Shi, and all the troublesome people disappeared.

This idiot Li Er has handed the leadership of this case to me again!
Plus Fang Xuanling, who’s in charge of investigating the assassination case, is also my man!
From now on, those beasts in human form in the court will completely obey my orders no matter what!
At this rate, it is only a matter of time before he dominates the court!
I will become the leader of the New Tang Dynasty!
"Grandpa..." Li Ming struggled to control his laughter, causing his voice to tremble.

Li Shimin thought the child had lost two concubines at the same time. He was so sad that he almost cried, but he had to pretend to be strong. He couldn't help but touch his little head with heartache and asked kindly:

"what happened?"

"Grandpa...can I attend Aunt Wu's funeral?" Li Ming's face was full of sadness.

When a fifth-rank talent dies, it is generally inconvenient for the prince to attend the funeral.

Li Shimin felt even more distressed and said gently:

"Sure. Do you want to send your aunt, who has taken care of you since you were a child, off for the last time?"

Li Ming nodded.

By the way, let’s confirm whether she is dead or not… Li Ming added in his mind.

…………

Wu Meiniang's biological father, Wu Shigui, was just a businessman. In the star-studded harem, he was just a small-time figure with no background.

Therefore, Wu Meiniang's funeral was kept simple.

Once the coffin is filled and the nails are driven in, it is final.

The body will be kept in Ganye Temple for three days before being buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum.

This stretch of land was all restricted to the royal family, and as the guards became increasingly strict, Wu Meiniang's family members were unable to attend and see her off for the last time.

Therefore, apart from the little boy Li Ming, only the concubines and the imperial concubines attended the funeral to see off this former colleague.

Because His Majesty was busy with government affairs, he only showed up briefly and then went back to work.

Although the funeral was simple, it was in accordance with royal standards.

In fact, it is not "simple" at all. The various sacrificial ceremonies are very complicated and the process is lengthy.

However, due to the customs of the Tang Dynasty, there was no "farewell to the body" session.

Li Ming felt a little regretful that he couldn't witness the tragic death of his old rival again, and felt that the trip was in vain.

"I don't think she will get up from her coffin. This isn't a fantasy novel.

"Very good, although I have angered my brother, weakened the family, offended the landlords, exploited the barbarians, and made myself a bunch of mortal enemies.

"But at least I have passed the test of Wu Meiniang."

After the funeral, Li Ming returned home with peace of mind.

In the next few days, the court was once again swept by the evil spirit of factionalism and extermination.

Sun Fujia and Liu Dequan, marginal figures of the Fourteen Traitors' Party, seemed to have suddenly found a backbone. They kept jumping up and down and cooperating with the treacherous minister Fang Xuanling and others.

Under the perverse actions of the treacherous party, the turmoil in the court caused by the four sons' struggle for the throne was further... alleviated.

As the power structure was consolidating at an accelerated pace, strength was further concentrated in the Liaodong Jiedushi.

The situation of the struggle for the throne is gradually stabilizing.

…………

Wu Meiniang felt like she was having a nightmare.

In her dream, her hands and feet were tied, her eyes, ears, mouth and nose were covered, and she was thrown into an airtight box.

No matter how she struggled or tried to scream, she could not move an inch or utter a single word.

Just when her body was becoming lighter and lighter, as if it was about to break away from her earthly body.

A faint Buddhist sound rang in my ears, as if it was coming through the wall.

After an unknown amount of time, I suddenly saw a light.

A pair of slender hands stretched out from the dazzling light.

The owner of the hand was obscured by the strong light and his face could not be seen clearly.

The hands stretched out in front of her and bit her right arm tightly, which was icy cold.

A piercing pain came over her, causing Wu Meiniang to break out in cold sweat. She wanted to scream but couldn't.

Let go, let go...

The hand did not stop at all, but instead pulled upwards with force.

He also dragged up Wu Meiniang's body and pulled her out of the small box.

"Ahhhh!!!"

Wu Meiniang let out a shrill scream and sat up in sweat.

"Shh~"

A familiar voice whispered softly in her ear.

Wu Meiniang could still feel the sharp pain coming from the base of her right arm, as if the nightmare had been brought into reality.

But she forced herself to calm down and looked around in confusion.

For some reason, the back of her head felt very dizzy and her vision was extremely narrow, as if the left half of her face was completely covered by a cloth.

At this moment, she was deep in a strange, simple, yet noble bedroom. The decorations of carved dragons and phoenixes and the golden dragon quilt indicated that this was still the palace.

In front of her stood two people who looked relieved.

One was a middle-aged man with some gray hair but a straight back.

The other one was the opposite of the middle-aged man. She was a gorgeous and beautiful woman dressed in men's clothing, so beautiful that she felt ashamed of herself, but she looked listless...

No, not a beauty in men's clothing, "she" is a man.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince..." Wu Meiniang murmured subconsciously, her throat so dry and hoarse that even she could not recognize herself.

"It's okay, it's okay, just lie down and rest first."

Crown Prince Li Chengqian was so excited that he was shaking all over. He bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man:

"Thank you very much, Dr. Ge, for your great help. It saved my life. I am so grateful!"

"I dare not, it is not worth mentioning. It is just a small favor." Sun Simiao hurriedly returned the greeting and said:

"If I can bring a dying person back to life, I can be considered to be able to keep up with that kid."

The original Sun Simiao is already dead.

The current Dr. Sun’s surname is Ge, and his given name is Ge Hong.

Of course, this name is fake.

In addition to his identity, Sun Simiao also falsified his age.

He put on a fake beard and hair and disguised himself as a middle-aged man.

Anyway, he has a strong physique and most people can't see anything unusual.

It is easy for young people to act old, but it is not easy for old people to act young.

So, his disguise was flawless.

No one would doubt that this successful middle-aged doctor Ge Hong was actually an octogenarian in disguise.

Old Sun went to such great lengths to hide himself, yet still had to go into the palace to treat patients, and he had his reasons for that.

Although he said that he never wanted to have any entanglement with the royal family again.

But when the prince really used all his connections and searched for various miracle doctors, he heard of the name of "Ge Hong".

Following the instructions, he found Lao Sun's hometown in Huayuan County, Yongzhou, in the capital region, and asked the local officials to find the cave where he was in seclusion refining medicine, and beg him to save his beloved concubine's life.

What can Old Sun do?
Are you really going to refuse with such shame?

The common people are human beings, and the princes and nobles are also human beings.

You can't just stand by and watch someone die, can you?

In line with the spirit of "my surname is Sun anyway, so I am a grandson", Sun Simiao disguised himself and entered the Eastern Palace.

He used all his life's knowledge and worked 007 for many days in a row, and finally saved the prince's "beloved concubine".

"'That kid'?" Li Chengqian was stunned.

"Oh, forgive me for my presumption. I am talking about your brother, His Highness Li Ming." Sun Simiao smiled helplessly:

“That little… His Highness Li Ming has saved dying people twice, one of whom was His Majesty and the other was a princess. This has caused a sensation in the medical and alchemy circles.

“To be honest, your favorite concubine was seriously injured, and I wanted to give up several times.

"But every time I think of His Highness Li Ming's heroic deeds, I feel angry again. If he can do it, why can't I?
"Fortunately, I have finally achieved success. Now I am also a doctor of the Underworld Soul Chaser. This is all thanks to the encouragement of His Highness Li Ming, haha!"

Sun Simiao stroked his half-white goatee with a great sense of accomplishment.

Then I have to thank him... Li Chengqian thanked him again:

"Doctor Ge, please don't underestimate yourself. This is all thanks to you. I will definitely reward you handsomely."

"No need, just a normal consultation will be enough."

Sun Simiao neither asked the name of the prince's "beloved concubine" nor asked how she had been so badly injured.

Following the principle of "the less you know, the happier you live", he pretended to be polite, then happily took the money and slipped away.

Looking at Old Sun's strong back, Li Chengqian couldn't help but murmur:

"Isn't that miracle doctor in disguise? He's only in his twenties or thirties, right?"

He gathered his thoughts, feeling a mixture of joy and heaviness in his heart, and turned his head.

Wu Meiniang was sitting on the bed, untying the bandage on her face, her expression blank:
"Your Highness, why can't I feel my right hand?"

Li Chengqian didn't answer and sighed.

"And... my left eye, what happened to my left eye?
"Why...can't I see it?"

Wu Meiniang's voice became higher and higher, and in the end it was almost a roar.

Li Chengqian dragged his sick leg to the bedside and held her in his arms:
"You are still weak, take a rest and have some sleep first, we can talk about it tomorrow.

"Your current identity is very...special. In any case, don't let others find you."

Wu Meiniang suppressed her complicated emotions and questions and nodded obediently.

Li Chengqian sighed again and forced a smile:
"Go to sleep. I still need to meet with foreign officials."

Having said that, he limped out of the secret room deep in the East Palace courtyard.

Wu Meiniang watched Li Chengqian's frail figure disappear from her sight, and immediately turned over. Using her still-moving left hand, she struggled to retrieve a bronze mirror that had fallen in the corner.

Looking in the mirror, the right sleeve of my body was empty, and my right arm had been completely removed, with only a bandage wrapped around the base.

The left eye socket was also empty; the eyeball was gone, leaving only a dark red hole.

(The protagonist will make up the matter in the next chapter and completely kill Wu Zetian - author's note)

(End of this chapter)