Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 5 Other People's Dads

At this moment, Jiang Jiao had also received the news and was just as panicked as Li Longji, because he knew very well that Li Longji did have the idea of ​​deposing the emperor and establishing Wu Zetian, and that he was the one who leaked the news.

So Wang Xi's accusation threw him into a panic. Before he could even think of a way to deal with it, he learned that Li Longji had summoned him, which made him even more terrified.

As the saying goes, "A guilty conscience needs no accuser!"

Fortunately, it seems that Wu Chongwen was the one who told him about this. Jiang Jiao didn't know if the Wu family had heard about it. Anyway, he didn't tell the Wu family. So he suppressed his panic and went to the palace.

Although Li Longji did not believe that this matter was related to Jiang Jiao at the time, he did not know whether Jiang Jiao had mentioned it to others. When he saw Jiang Jiao, he still had a gloomy face and made a bluff.

This is something only Heaven, Earth, you, and I know. How did the news leak out? You should explain yourself.

When Jiang Jiao informed Li Qiao, he did not expect the court to react so strongly. Even if the two children said some rebellious things during their argument, it was impossible for it to attract the attention of all the officials. Moreover, the ministers submitted their reports directly without verifying the facts, which was against common sense.

Now that things have blown up so much, Jiang Jiao naturally denies it vehemently. Moreover, he is no pushover either, subtly hinting to Li Longji, "Did you tell Consort Wu?" In the end, it seems that it was Wu Chongwen who said it.

Although Li Longji did not make any promises to Consort Wu, she must have been aware of his intention to depose her. If Consort Wu hadn't whispered in his ear, how could he have suddenly thought of deposing her?

He wasn't sure whether the Wu family knew about it or not.

He was more inclined to believe Gao Lishi's account, since everyone knew that he currently favored Consort Wu. It was quite possible that Wu Chongwen had quarreled with Wang Xiaoque and, in a moment of anger, uttered these rebellious words.

Regardless, Li Longji was also feeling guilty. At this moment, Jiang Jiao turned the tables and made a perfectly timed accusation. Li Longji quickly said that he had no suspicions about her, and then hurriedly told Jiang Jiao not to leak the information, otherwise, you know the consequences.

That's why he sought out Jiang Jiao.

Jiang Jiao deeply sensed the killing intent and quickly promised that she would not reveal a single word.

In fact, historically, Jiang Jiao was targeted by Prime Minister Zhang Jiazhen because of this incident, and was convicted of leaking forbidden words. He was then demoted to the capital and eventually died on the way.

But now, Wang Xi's interruption has actually helped Jiang Jiao cover up his crimes and shift the blame onto the Wu family.

For Li Longji, given the current situation, attributing it to "children's innocent remarks" is the best solution.

Major issues to minor ones out.

His reforms must not be delayed.

Meanwhile, Gao Lishi, carrying the emperor's edict, went to reprimand the ministers. Though it was called a reprimand, it was actually an attempt to appease them. Gao Lishi was not yet so arrogant as to dare to challenge the prime minister or the censor.

The tone was quite mild; in short, it was telling the ministers that the emperor hadn't deposed Wang Liwu; it was just that the two children were bickering and deliberately saying things to annoy each other.

Tong Yan Wuji.

The emperor was very unhappy that the emperor had been so easily swayed by two children, as the combined ages of the two of them could have taken them back to the Qin Dynasty.

He then reasoned with the emperor, explaining that the emperor's primary focus now was on reform and change, and that he had no time to depose the emperor and establish a new ruler. He also told them not to slack off, as finance and administration were the most important tasks at present.

Since the emperor clearly stated that he had no intention of deposing the emperor and establishing Wu, many ministers immediately admitted their mistakes and apologized to the emperor.

Of course, those censors would not admit their mistake; that was their duty.

But no matter what, this storm, like a summer tempest, came suddenly and went quickly.

On the other hand, none of the ministers during the Kaiyuan era were mediocre; they were all pillars of the state. Moreover, they had survived three coups—the Shenlong, Tanglong, and Xiantian coups—and were as shrewd as monkeys. How could they possibly be swayed by two children?

In reality, they only dared to use this as an excuse to make their point to the emperor: it was absolutely impossible for him to depose the king and install Wu.

If the Wang and Wu families were truly fighting each other, they probably wouldn't dare to be so bold. At least, not so many people would have submitted memorials, and they would definitely have planned their actions carefully.

He knew perfectly well what had become of Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang.

But the majority of those opposed were definitely the ones who seized power from the Wu family. Li Longji was handsome and powerful, so he was naturally not afraid, but they were certainly afraid.

On the contrary, Empress Wang fought alongside them, and they were more supportive of her. The real problem was that Empress Wang had no children, which was a major weakness; otherwise, their support would have been even stronger and more unwavering.

When Jiang Jiao returned home, she was restless and secretly went to the Prince's Mansion. She grabbed Wang Shouyi and Li Qiao and asked, "What exactly happened? Did you tell Que'er about that?"

The two immediately denied it.

Wang Shouyi retorted, "How could I tell Que'er about such an important matter?"

Jiang Jiao asked, "Did you tell anyone else?"

"Not yet," Wang Shouyi said.

"Really? You're not lying to me?"

"Really do not have."

Wang Shouyi then pointed at Li Qiao and said, "Kaishan just told me that Que'er and Wu Chongwen started fighting not long after, and we haven't had time to come up with a solution yet."

"That's good! That's good!"

Jiang Jiao slumped into a chair and instructed Wang Shouyi and Li Qiao, "Remember, keep this to yourself. Don't let it get out." Wang Shouyi and Li Qiao exchanged a glance and nodded blankly. Li Qiao asked curiously, "Doctor Jiang, what exactly happened?"

Jiang Jiao said, "Not long ago, His Majesty summoned me to the palace to test me, to see if I had leaked this information."

Li Qiao hurriedly asked, "And what was Doctor Jiang's answer?"

"Of course I don't admit it. If I did, would I still be alive?"

"Does His Majesty believe it?"

"In my opinion, His Majesty should have no doubts."

Jiang Jiao shook her head and said, "However, His Majesty repeatedly instructed me not to spread this matter, otherwise I might lose my head. You all know how badly things are going on outside."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiao wiped his sweat and exclaimed, "That was a close call!"

Wang Shouyi also felt a chill run down his spine.

Li Qiao then said, "So, it was Que'er and Xiaoman who saved us?"

Jiang Jiao nodded repeatedly, still shaken. If this hadn't happened, they would definitely have been plotting how to stop Li Longji's idea, and Li Longji would have been fully aware of it. She added, "Through this incident, the Empress's position has actually become more secure. In short, it's a blessing in disguise!"

Previously, many people had suspicions about Li Longji's favoritism towards Consort Wu, but no one dared to speak out. Now, with this incident, the attitude of the outer court is so firm that everyone can see it. Moreover, Li Longji has also made a statement, giving a very clear signal. Regardless of whether he is sincere or not, it is clear that Empress Wang's position is still very secure.

This is especially important for the royal family and its supporters.

Li Qiao said with a hint of guilt, "If I had known this would happen, I really shouldn't have been so ruthless to that kid."

Wang Shouyi also seemed a little embarrassed.

Meanwhile, the culprit was being fed by his mother in the ancestral hall.

Biting into a chicken leg, gazing at the still-charming woman before him, he thought to himself, "It seems all those online novel authors are just fooling kids. What 'orphan class' from Qidian, where I transmigrated, both my parents are alive, my father is from a noble family with superb martial arts skills, and my mother is a princess who is also so beautiful and charming. No wonder she has such a pretty face; her genes are really too strong."

His mother was the daughter of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan, and the sister of Li Longji. In other words, Li Longji married Wang Shouyi's sister, and Wang Shouyi married Li Longji's sister. This double marriage shows how prominent the Wang family was at that time. However, the fate of the Wang family also shows how cruel the Li Tang royal family was.

"Others forget the pain once the wound heals, but you're different. Before the old wound has healed, you've added new trouble. When will you ever grow up?"

Princess Xue wiped her son's face with a handkerchief while gently admonishing him, her voice filled with disappointment.

Wang Xi, with a chicken leg in his mouth, said with a disdainful look, "It's all because that young Wu is too much of a bully."

Princess Xue put down her handkerchief and started combing Wang Xi's hair again, saying, "The more this happens, the more cautious you must be and the calmer you must be. A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. If you act impulsively like this, you will cause a great disaster sooner or later. At that time, your father and I will not only be unable to save you, but we may also be implicated by you."

Wang Xi was taken aback for no reason. What was originally a perfectly normal lesson had become strange to him because of the old memories that had flashed through his mind.

In Wang Xi's memory, the Xue princess was somewhat aloof and her parenting style was similar to Wang Shouyi's—neither spoiling nor strict, but rather a hands-off approach.

In Wang Xi's current view, the relationship between Princess Xue and Wang Shouyi was not exactly one of deep affection; it was merely a matter of mutual respect in the literal sense.

This was the first time Princess Xue had spoken these words to him.

Princess Xue saw Wang Xi staring at her blankly, as if she could see through her son's thoughts. She smiled slightly and said earnestly, "Que'er, you are growing up."

As he spoke, a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

If this were the Wang Xi of the past, he probably wouldn't have cared, but now Wang Xi is very clear that the current situation is very unfavorable for their Wang family.

For a long time before, Princess Xue did not reveal her true intentions, indicating that she maintained some distance from the royal family. Historically, she was not implicated in Empress Wang's affairs.

Wang Xi couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that none of the women who survived the era of Wu Zetian were kind-hearted!"

But now that he's here, he certainly doesn't want the Wang family to be destroyed. Suddenly, a thought struck him: "Mother, do you want me to grow up quickly so I can help Father?"

Princess Xue was taken aback. "Help Father?"

"Yup!"

Wang Xi said, "Mother, I'm not just talking nonsense. When I was at the Imperial Academy, many people laughed at Father for not knowing a single character and for not being ambitious. All he did all day was eat, drink, and have fun with his cronies, uncles, and elders. Look at Wu Chongwen's father, he's become the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, but our father is still just a Junior Supervisor of the Palace."

Princess Xue frowned slightly and said, "You are not allowed to talk about your father like that. Moreover, do you know that the Palace Attendant is in charge of the palace's medicinal cuisine, carriages, and crowns? Only people trusted by the Emperor can hold this position."

Wang Xi said, "But other people's fathers hold multiple positions, while our father only holds one position with real power. If Father knew how to work hard and make progress, wouldn't I be able to walk around the Imperial Academy with my head held high?"

Princess Xue scolded playfully, "I was talking to you, why did you bring up your father?"

Wang Xi chuckled and said, "I'm just being considerate of Mother's good intentions. Don't worry, Mother, in another seven or eight years, I'll be able to help Father."

Seven or eight years?
Princess Xue frowned deeply. Yes! Even if Que'er hadn't caused trouble, the situation wouldn't have improved. Actually, Que'er was right; the one who should have worked the hardest was her husband.

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(End of this chapter)