The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 351

Upon hearing the words "honest official," Dongfang Tingyun's eyelashes twitched slightly, but she clearly couldn't speak yet. Xu Tian then made his move.

Xu Tian didn't bother talking to him, because when he turned around and saw Jili, he felt like throwing up.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Xu Tian impressed Jili Khan, who then suppressed his admiration and said loudly, "He's just a spoiled brat, a scion of a noble family! Can scions of noble families in the Tang Dynasty lead troops into battle now?"

"My lord Chen told me that your aristocratic scions are only good at corruption and bribery, and they even ostracize and envy outstanding people like Lord Chen. We welcome all who come; as long as they sincerely pledge allegiance, we give them a place to grow and make their own way. Since your Tang Dynasty cannot offer this to the Turks, we certainly won't wrong Lord Chen."

"Khan Jili, you need not speak for me. I have an irreconcilable hatred for this Xu. He takes advantage of his noble family background to prey on the people, embezzle and accept bribes, and force me to collect silver from all sides to line his own pockets."

If I do not comply with his demands, he will beat and scold me, and may even report me to the Emperor.

Magistrate Chen, his face flushed with fervor, declared, "I have received the Emperor's great favor and will serve him with my life. I would never stoop to the level of you scoundrels!"

"Since you hate me so much, why didn't you tell me to my face instead of betraying your country and joining the Western Turks?"

Xu Tian's words directly implied that Magistrate Chen was a corrupt official.

But Magistrate Chen immediately sneered and said, "Although the Turks are a different race, they are willing to establish friendly relations with the Tang Dynasty and are our friendly nation! When did I become a traitor?"

On the contrary, you, this national scoundrel, have disrupted our internal affairs and deserve to be punished by everyone.

I have heard that you have detained General Huwei of the Anxi Protectorate and General Niuben of the Northern Protectorate.

They've replaced you with their own people! The Emperor has shown you great favor and even bestowed upon you the title of a prince of a different surname, which shows the Emperor's boundless grace and high expectations for you.

I never imagined you harbored such wolfish ambitions, plotting a rebellion! Even at the cost of my life, I will come to the Turks to borrow troops, purge the court of corrupt officials, and pacify the internal affairs of my Pamir region.

Qin Xian glanced at Master Dongfang, and unable to hold back any longer, he immediately shouted.

"You embezzled the 10,000 taels of silver used to build the Hongwen Academy. The banknotes are still in the Prince's hands."

You are so selfless; it's utterly despicable!

As the two armies clashed, the Western Turkic Khan, Jili, suddenly brandished his ghost-headed sword and laughed loudly, prompting the Turkic soldiers to simultaneously utter provocative shouts and curses.

Magistrate Chen looked at Qin Xian's expression, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "So what if I did embezzle and accept bribes? Who can prove that what I'm saying is true or false?"

Qin Xian pointed at Magistrate Chen and said, "Well, you corrupt official, how dare you slander the Grand Tutor."

At this moment, Jili discovered that the young man sitting in the carriage, who was now the Prince Rui, personally appointed by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was able to remain calm and composed amidst the chaos of the army, his emotions completely unaffected. Jili admired him even more.

Jili then gave a wink, and Magistrate Chen immediately said, "I am not lying, and I can testify. Since the day he took office, he has been trying to control the internal affairs and military power of the Congling region and to sideline me as the county magistrate."

Moreover, he was ordered by the emperor to build the Hongwen Academy in the Pamir Mountains, but he used inferior materials. The emperor spent two million taels of silver, but it all went into his own pocket.

Now that he has the beauty in his hands and the emperor trusts him implicitly, he has finally revealed his true colors.

He not only embezzled, but also took away the money that the official had raised to build the Hongwen Academy.

Now he wanted to find a scapegoat so that the Emperor would spare him from punishment, so he roared that he wanted to kill me to silence me.

Hearing this, the steward was so angry that his eyebrows shot up. He said, "Master, this Magistrate Chen is clearly trying to defame you and frame you."

Even this old servant knows what kind of person he is.