The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 77 Your Highness, you are wrong again.

It was late at night, in the duty room of Li Junxian, the Left Guard General.

A man dressed in ordinary hemp clothing stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, his voice kept very low.

“General, Old Wang, who sells sesame cakes at the east alley entrance of Yongxingfang, said that around midnight that night, when he was packing up his stall, he glimpsed three men in black gathering for a moment under the locust tree outside the fang wall. They were lean and quick, unlike ordinary people.”

Li Junxian tapped his knuckles on the table.

"Can you see her face clearly?"

"It was dark, but not yet. But Old Wang said that one of them had a slight limp in his left leg and his shoulders were a little heavy when he moved. The other two were quite respectful to him, as if he were the leader."

“Slightly lame…” Li Junxian’s eyes narrowed.

"Where is the image the painter copied?"

The man took out a roll of coarse paper from his bosom and presented it to the man.

The faces on the paper were blurry, but the outlines of the figures were similar to those described by eyewitnesses.

"Pass down the order: all sentries at each gate should keep watch for anyone with a disability in their left leg. Remember, this is a covert operation; do not alert the Jingzhao Prefecture or the Jinwu Guard."

Li Junxian's voice was icy.

"Yes."

After the man left, Li Junxian stared at the blurry, limping figure on the map, his mind racing.

A slight limp?

Is this a veiled criticism of the crown prince's lameness?
It seems that the sinister intentions of the person behind this cannot be explained by common sense.

.

The next day, morning.

Censor-in-Chief Cui Renshi stepped forward, holding an ivory tablet, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

"Your Majesty, the death of Censor Liu Shi in the street is an unprecedented shock in our dynasty. Officials who heard rumors about the case have been murdered. If the culprit is not apprehended quickly, I fear that officials will lose heart and the channels of communication will be blocked. I implore Your Majesty to urge the relevant authorities to solve the case within a specified time to restore peace to the court and the people."

Following closely behind, several more censors stepped forward to second the motion.

The atmosphere in the hall was tense, and no one dared to make a sound.

Li Shimin sat high on the imperial couch, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below the steps. After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate have been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation. I remember the ten-day deadline."

His tone was calm, fully displaying the domineering aura of an emperor.

"I will say it again: in this case, we will speak based on the evidence. If there is solid evidence, we will present it directly to the judicial authorities; if not, those who make unfounded speculations and confuse the public will be punished for slandering the government."

All the ministers bowed their heads and held their breath.

The emperor's gaze lingered for a moment on the faces of several hesitant censors, who ultimately swallowed their words.

After the court session, the side hall of the Liangyi Hall.

Li Shimin removed his court robes, leaving only his everyday robes, and gestured for Zhang Liang, the Minister of Justice who was bowing and waiting, to rise.

"There are no outsiders here. So, tell me, how far have you gotten in the investigation?"

Zhang Liang dared not be negligent and gave a clear and organized reply.

"Your Majesty, before his death, Liu Shi last met with several merchants. After questioning them, we learned that he was still investigating the details of the Crown Prince's purchase of Western Region treasures and his dealings with foreign merchants, and it seems that he had clues that had not been reported. However, his whereabouts after leaving Pingkang Ward that night are a mystery. At present... there is no direct evidence pointing to the Crown Prince's involvement in the case."

"What's been happening at the Crown Prince's Palace lately?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince remains indoors, and everything is proceeding as usual. According to the investigators, no officials under the Crown Prince have had any private contact with Liu Shi's family, nor have there been any unusual transfers."

Li Shimin remained silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade belt.

"What's your view on this case? Was it a cover-up, or a frame-up?"

Zhang Liang took a deep breath; he had to answer this crucial question carefully. He then gave his assessment.

"In my opinion, both are possible. If it was to silence him, it means that Liu Shi's investigation was indeed true and touched on a crucial point. If it was to frame him, then the murderer intended to use Your Majesty and the court's power to drag the Crown Prince into the mire in one fell swoop."

He paused briefly.

"Regardless of the purpose, the fact that the murderer knew Liu Shi's whereabouts and even the progress of his investigation was beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person."

"You mean, someone in the court is manipulating things?"

Li Shimin's eyes sharpened.

"I dare not make a hasty judgment. But this case is by no means as simple as it appears on the surface. With Liu Shi dead, the clues to the Eastern Palace embezzlement case have been cut off, the court is in an uproar, and the Crown Prince's reputation has been damaged... There are probably more than one party that has benefited."

Li Shimin waved for him to leave.

"Continue the investigation. Find out exactly who Liu Shi has been in contact with and what he has investigated, and make it clear to me every single detail."

"The minister obeys the order."

After Zhang Liang left, Li Shimin stood alone by the palace window, gazing at the sky beyond the palace walls.

The unease in his heart gradually became clear—Liu Shi's death was by no means an isolated case.

Someone is making a move in his court, perhaps targeting Chengqian, perhaps the Crown Prince, or perhaps... his empire, Li Shimin's.

He recalled Li Chengqian's recent changes, his composed demeanor, and his sharp questioning.

Behind this progress, has it also become a threat in the eyes of others?

East Palace.

Only Li Chengqian and Li Yichen remained.

The eunuchs and palace maids had long been dismissed.

Li Chengqian leaned against the brocade cushion, his mind unsettled by the list of four people presented by the Ministry of Personnel.

His gaze fell on Li Yichen, who sat at the lower end of the table, remaining calm and composed throughout.

"Yichen," Li Chengqian began, his voice carrying a hint of weariness from the meeting, mixed with barely concealed anxiety.

"These four men are Cui Dunli, the Prefect of Dengzhou; Dou Jing, the Chief Clerk of the Governor's Office of Xiazhou; Wang Yu, the Prefect of Yuanzhou; and Li Suli, the Prefect of the Governor's Office of Qinzhou. What do you think...?"

Without waiting for Li Yichen's reply, as if eager to prove that he was not without insight, he immediately expressed his opinion, speaking rather quickly.

“I have considered this carefully. Of these four, Cui Dunli, a member of a collateral branch of the Cui family in Shandong, is indeed talented, but this man… I have heard that he has had dealings with people from the Qingque Mansion, and his intentions are unfathomable! I absolutely cannot employ this man!”

His tone was resolute, carrying an instinctive rejection and wariness towards the Wei King's camp.

“As for the other three…” Li Chengqian paused, his brows furrowing even more.

"Dou Jing, having served on the frontier for a long time, is familiar with military affairs and may be of use. Wang Yu, a member of the Wang clan of Taiyuan, is a distant relative of Wang Gui. I've heard he's quite capable, and his uncle seems to appreciate him highly... Li Suli, a distant relative of the imperial clan, is known for his integrity, but he's a bit too soft-hearted."

He concluded, his voice conveying a sense of helplessness.

"Aside from Cui Dunli, Dou Jing, Wang Yu, and Li Suli all seem to be worth trying to win over. However... Dou Jing is stubborn and may not be truly willing to submit to me. Wang Yu is close to his uncle, and his intentions are unclear. Li Suli is even more slippery, prioritizing self-preservation. As for Yichen, after much thought, I realize that truly winning over any one of them and turning them into allies of the Crown Prince is an impossible task!"

He looked up at Li Yichen, his eyes filled with an urgent desire to find a way out of the predicament.

"They have too many connections behind them: Guanzhong, Shandong, the imperial clan... In their eyes, my name as the Crown Prince is probably less important than their families and powerful backers! Do you have any way to get them to at least... work for me in this matter?"

Li Chengqian's eyes were filled with anticipation.

He learned to weigh options and make choices, but how to win over the people or forces he valued remained a challenge for him.

He longed to get a brilliant plan to break the deadlock from Li Yichen.

Li Yichen raised his eyes, looked calmly at Li Chengqian, and slowly shook his head.

"Your Highness, you are wrong again."

(End of this chapter)