Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 203 The Saint’s Secret Instructions
There is a guesthouse in the second courtyard of the Dali Temple.

Plaintiffs and defendants with special identities usually reside here temporarily.

General Xin Mao was waiting for Di Renjie in a guest house at this moment.

"I am Di Renjie, your humble servant. Nice to meet you, Prime Minister Xin." Di Renjie bowed.

Xin Mao gave a wink to Genji Cheng, who left the room and closed the door.

General Xin Mao smiled and said, "Sir Di, we are colleagues. There is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."

After Di Renjie sat down, he suddenly said, "I don't know why, but when I saw Prime Minister Xin, I remembered something from the past."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

Di Renjie said slowly, "When Your Majesty asked me to investigate the imperial examination case, I arrested Cui Wenhan. Prime Minister Xin also invited me into his house and gave me some guidance. I still remember it vividly."

Xin Mao's eyes flashed.

Di Renjie obviously saw through his intention, which was to say, it was useless for you to persuade me last time, so why bother to persuade me again this time?
"Now that Shaoqing Di has mentioned this, I'm reminded of the time you interrogated Cui Wenhan under the imperial order, which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Jingzhao Du family. Thinking about it now, I still feel a bit scared."

General Xin Mao’s meaning was very clear. You were able to deal with the Du family last time because you had the imperial decree in your hand.

This time you are facing the Xiao family. Without the imperial order, you may not be able to win. By then, your fate as Di Renjie may be even worse than that of the Du family.

Di Renjie said slowly, "Prime Minister Xin, you advised me last time, and this time I have a few words to advise you as well."

Xin Maojiang was slightly surprised and asked, "What?"

Di Renjie said, "The key to being an official is to fulfill your duties conscientiously. You are a man of intelligence, but you are too cautious and only care about protecting yourself. Have you ever fulfilled your duties as an official? The sages of today are eager to make progress and are pragmatic and hate empty talk. How would they view your actions?"

Xin Maojiang was silent for a long time, then sighed, "You and I have different positions and perspectives. Well, Di Shaoqing, take care of yourself."

Push open the door and walk away.

Di Renjie stood up and left the house. He was about to meet Li Yuanfang, but unexpectedly, when he was walking in the corridor, someone invited him over.

This time it was Ren Yaxiang.

Needless to say, it was another lobbyist hired by the Xiao family.

Di Renjie felt a surge of injustice.

Xiao's methods are indeed powerful. He has invited both the former and current temple ministers, but he refuses to compromise with them.

Di Renjie walked to Ren Yaxiang's office with a serious expression, crossed his arms, and said, "Ren Siqing, you're looking for me?"

Ren Yaxiang looked at Di Renjie's expression and could no longer utter the words of persuasion he had intended. He sighed and said, "Shaoqing Di, take a look at what's on the table for yourself."

There were two official documents on the table, both of which were common complaints, but the people accused in the complaints were all related to Di Renjie.

One accusation was against Di Renjie's seventh uncle, who took advantage of the growing power of the Di family to forcibly purchase an estate in Bingzhou at a low price.

Another accusation was against Di Renjie's father-in-law, who secretly bought 300 acres of land without telling the government. Although the other party did it voluntarily, it was still considered land annexation if it was traced back!
Di Renjie stood there in a daze.

This must be the work of the Xiao family, and it is very likely to be true, because the two people accused are likely to have done such a thing.

Ren Yaxiang sighed, "Huaiying, everyone has weaknesses. You and the Xiao family don't have any deep hatred, so why fight to the death?"

Di Renjie took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Minister Ren, since this matter has been reported to the Dali Temple, please handle it impartially."

"Huaiying, you..." Ren Yaxiang was stunned.

Di Renjie said slowly, "Minister Ren, you should also know that indulgence towards relatives will often only harm them. I will not protect them out of both emotion and reason."

Ren Yaxiang sighed, "Why are you doing this?"

Di Renjie said sternly: "I am only here to uphold the justice of the Tang Dynasty. Goodbye." He turned and strode away.

As soon as he walked out of the temple, he saw Li Yuanfang running towards him.

"Shaoqing Di, this is bad. Xiao Shu has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice."

Di Renjie's face changed and he asked, "Why would the Ministry of Justice transfer prisoners from the Dali Temple?"

Li Yuanfang said in a deep voice, "They have an official letter from the Ministry of Personnel, approved by the Prime Minister himself. I can't stop them."

Di Renjie was stunned and asked, "Is it Prime Minister Xin who approved it?"

Li Yuanfang shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Prime Minister Yu criticized it."

Yu Zhining served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and also as the Prince's Tutor. His weight in the court was second only to Li Ji.

The authority of his handwritten comments is far greater than that of General Xin Mao.

"Di Shaoqing, what should we do now?" Li Yuanfang asked.

Di Renjie was silent for a long time, then slowly asked, "Does the official letter have the signature of the Secretariat?"

"Have."

"Is it from Prime Minister Yan?"

"No, it's a document from a Zhongshu Sheren."

"Does anyone leave their name as the Secretary of the Central Secretariat?"

"No, there's just a name next to the Secretariat seal."

Di Renjie's eyes flickered, and he said, "Then the legal effect of this official letter is not complete. Let's go and get the person back."

Li Yuanfang reached out to stop him, his eyes stern as he slowly said, "Di Shaoqing, that's Yu Zhining's handwritten seal. Do you really want to challenge him?"

Di Renjie raised his chin and asked, "Brother Yuan Fang, are you scared?"

Li Yuanfang laughed out loud and said, "Okay, then I will sacrifice my life to accompany you."

The two men immediately prepared to call a group of yamen runners to give chase, but the runners found various excuses and refused to go with them.

Fortunately, there were several yamen runners who had followed Di Renjie to solve cases and were willing to obey his orders.

In the end, Di Renjie took Li Yuanfang and five yamen runners and chased after them on horseback.

The Dali Temple is located in Yinningfang, Chang'an County, quite a distance from the imperial city.

It would be easier to catch up if a few people rode fast horses.

He hurried along Shunyimen Street between Liquanfang and Jinchengfang, and when he arrived at the crossroads, he finally caught up with Xiao Shu, who was being escorted by officials from the Ministry of Justice.

What surprised Di Renjie even more was that someone had stopped the escort team of the Ministry of Justice officials in advance.

The two sides are facing each other on the street.

Di Renjie looked from afar and saw that the person blocking the way of the Ministry of Justice officials was Li Yifu, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat.

The escorting official from the Ministry of Justice was just a small official, and he did not dare to challenge Li Yifu at all, so he could only bring in Yu Zhining.

The prince's guest in Li Yi's mansion was also of the third rank, no less than Yu Zhining, not to mention that Yu Zhining was not here at all.

"Mr. Jiang, why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? If you have anything to say, just let Yu Zhining come to me directly. Why do you have to get involved?" Li Yifu said lightly.

The official from the Ministry of Justice thought so too, and when he saw Di Renjie chasing after him, he bowed to Li Yifu and left with his men.

"Hey, don't go!" Xiao Shu, who was chained, shouted.

Li Yifu glanced at him coldly and asked, "Why, is Mr. Xiao familiar with these officials from the Ministry of Justice?"

Xiao Shu swallowed and dared not say anything.

Di Renjie dismounted, walked over quickly, and bowed to Li Yifu, saying, "Thank you, Minister Li."

Li Yifu raised his hand and said, "Di Shaoqing, can you please spare me a moment?"

Di Renjie also had something to ask him, so he followed him to an empty tree on the corner of the street.

Li Yifu smiled and said, "Di Shaoqing, did you encounter much resistance when investigating Xiao Shu?"

"To be honest with Minister Li, I have indeed encountered great obstacles." Di Renjie replied.

Li Yifu smiled and said, "I called you here to tell you that you can go ahead and investigate without any worries. There are people who will support you."

Di Renjie took a deep breath and said, "May I ask, who do you represent?" "What do you think?" Li Yifu said with a smile.

Di Renjie continued to ask: "Is it Your Majesty or Her Majesty the Queen?"

Li Yifu raised his eyebrows and said, "Is there any difference?"

Di Renjie said, "If you don't tell me, I won't dare to investigate further."

Li Yifu was silent for a long time, then turned his gaze and looked towards the east of the city.

Di Renjie felt anxious.

If it were the emperor, Li Yifu would definitely look towards the imperial city in the north of the city, but he was looking towards the east of the city. Wu Mansion was in the east of the city, so the person behind him was obviously Empress Wu.

When Shi Ming first came to report the Xiao family, Di Renjie suspected that there was someone behind it. It was not until this moment that he finally knew who that person was.

"Okay, Shaoqing Di, investigate the case well. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me." Li Yifu smiled and walked away.

As soon as he left, Li Yuanfang came over quickly.

"Shaoqing Di, what did Minister Li say to you?"

Di Renjie gave a bitter laugh and said, "Yuan Fang, this case is a huge vortex. If we continue investigating, I'm afraid both you and I will be trapped."

Li Yuanfang said proudly, "I don't care about that. His Majesty asked me to protect you. This is my only duty."

Di Renjie was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at him for a long time before smiling and saying, "Okay, Yuan Fang, let's go see the emperor!"

"I mentioned meeting the emperor earlier, but you disagreed, didn't you?"

"The situation has changed. Do you know who is behind Minister Li?"

Li Yuanfang thought for a moment, then said with a changed expression, "The one from the harem?"

Di Renjie nodded and said, "This not only involves the former dynasty, but also the harem. I can't care about the rules anymore. I must report this to the Saint!"

Li Yuanfang nodded.

Everyone knows that Empress Wu and Concubine Xiao are sworn enemies. Now the Empress wants to deal with the Xiao family, perhaps because the Saint wants to bring Concubine Xiao back to the palace.

The two men first took Xiao Shu back to the Dali Temple.

Di Renjie told Ren Yaxiang that Li Yifu had just stepped forward to stop the Ministry of Justice.

In this way, if the Ministry of Justice wants to arrest someone again, he believes that Prime Minister Ren Ya will not sit idly by.

After explaining other matters, he and Li Yuanfang entered the palace together and came to the Chengtian Gate to pass on the message.

Only the governors and deputies of the three provinces and the heads of the six ministries, nine departments and five bureaus could go directly to the Ganlu Palace to meet the emperor. Other officials had to pass through the Chengtian Gate.

The two waited outside Chengtian Gate for a long time, but what they got was bad news.

The emperor went to the hot spring palace, and this time was different from the previous times. It was said that he would stay for a few days and it was unknown when he would return.

"Mr. Di, it seems we are unlucky." Li Yuanfang looked at Di Renjie.

Di Renjie remained silent.

Without the emperor's support, he would not be able to investigate further against Zhining and Xin Maojiang.

Do I really need to borrow the Queen's power?
If it is exposed, not only will the court officials classify him as a member of the Queen's party, but the Emperor will probably also become suspicious of him.

"Brother Di, don't worry too much. Let's wait until His Majesty comes back." Li Yuanfang saw that he was uneasy and comforted him gently.

Di Renjie shook his head and said, "We can wait, but will the Xiao family wait? If we delay any longer, many variables will arise in this case."

"Then let's go to Ganquan Palace and report this to His Majesty."

"Your Majesty went to Ganquan Palace to recuperate, how could we disturb you?" Di Renjie shook his head.

What worried him even more was that the emperor deliberately went to Ganquan Palace to avoid this matter. If he went there, not only would he not be able to see the emperor, but it would also make the emperor unhappy.

Although he didn't know why the emperor did this, the coincidence was too great for him not to be suspicious.

"Then let's go find the prince?" Li Yuanfang suggested.

"No, the prince is young. Don't forget that Yu Zhining is the prince's tutor."

Li Yuanfang sighed, "This won't work, and that won't work either. I think we should stop investigating."

Just then, someone came from a side street and came up to the two of them. It was Lu Zhaolin, the proofreader of the Hongwenguan.

"Brother Di, can we talk to each other for a few words alone?" Lu Zhaolin's expression was different from usual.

Li Yuanfang and Di Renjie looked at each other and walked away.

Lu Zhaolin was still worried, so he pulled Di Renjie to the eaves of the Youwuwei Office and whispered, "Brother Di, are you investigating the Xiao family?"

Di Renjie felt a chill in his heart: "Brother Lu, you are not here to persuade me as well, are you?"

Lu Zhaolin sighed, "I don't know much about this matter, so how can I advise you? My uncle just asked me to convey a message to you."

"what?"

Lu Zhaolin said, "Brother Di, please put the overall situation first and stop investigating this matter."

"What's the big picture?"

Lu Zhaolin lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty proposed amending the land system a while ago, and the ministers had a hard time persuading Your Majesty to give up the idea. If this matter becomes a big deal and is related to land annexation, Your Majesty will probably bring it up again."

Di Renjie said sternly, "I don't understand the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. However, this case at the Dali Temple involves hundreds of lives, and I have a responsibility to give them justice!"

Lu Zhaolin said, "The country's land system concerns the livelihood of all people. Brother Di, please consider carefully which is more important." He turned and left.

Di Renjie sighed and slowly sat down on the stone steps, his mind full of complicated thoughts.

Seeing Lu Zhaolin walking away, Li Yuanfang slowly walked over. This time he didn't ask many questions, but just crossed his arms and quietly accompanied him.

Di Renjie tilted his head and said, "Yuan Fang, what do you think I should do?"

"Why are you asking me when you don't tell me anything?" Li Yuanfang said unhappily. After a pause, he added, "But don't forget why His Majesty asked me to follow you."

Di Renjie was stunned for a moment, put his hands on his knees, and slowly stood up.

"Yes, I am the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple appointed by His Majesty personally. I only need to remember my duties. Let's go back to the Dali Temple!"

After the two men returned to the Dali Temple, they headed straight for the Dali Prison. When they were walking in a corridor, they suddenly saw a man walking in front of them. It was King Wu Li Ji.

Di Renjie bowed and said, "Your Highness Di Renjie greets His Majesty the King of Wu."

Li Ji observed his expression and said with a smile, "Di Shaoqing doesn't look too well."

Di Renjie remained silent.

Although he decided to investigate thoroughly, the problems that stood in his way still existed, and the Queen was plotting behind the scenes. How could he not be worried?

Li Ji took out a brocade bag from his jade belt pouch and said with a smile, "Di Shaoqing, this is a peace amulet I asked for. I'm giving it to you. I wish you good luck."

He stuffed the brocade bag into Di Renjie's hand and left with brisk steps.

"This young King Wu is a nice guy, not at all arrogant." Li Yuanfang commented, looking at his back.

Di Renjie did not answer, but took out a brocade bag. There was a rolled-up piece of paper inside. When he unfolded it, he saw several lines of small words.

After reading it, there was a glimmer of light in Di Renjie's eyes.

This turned out to be a secret order from the saint, telling him to investigate the case with peace of mind and without any worries!

Di Renjie finally understood that the saint had been paying attention to this case since he first met the King of Wu.

It’s just that the sage didn’t want anyone to know, so he asked the little King of Wu to come forward and he hid in the Hot Spring Palace.

"Brother Di, why are you laughing? What is written on it... Hey, why did you burn it?" Li Yuanfang asked in surprise.

Di Renjie used a flint to light the paper in his hand, and then stepped on it into pieces. Since the saint did not want others to know about it, this piece of paper naturally could not be left behind.

"Yuan Fang, let's go, we can go and interrogate Xiao Shu." Di Renjie let out a long breath with a relaxed smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)