Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

How pitiful was Wei Zheng, who was threatened by Li Er with his wife, children, and elderly parents.

No matter how angry Li Chengqian was that the other party had instigated his officials to make him, the crown prince, wear the yellow robe.

Now, faced with this old man crying his eyes out, his eyes full of sorrow and pitifulness, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to order someone to teach him a lesson.

However, Li Chengqian's cold approach was clearly anticipated by Emperor Li Er.

It was exactly one week after Wei Zheng arrived in Taiyuan.

On this day, while having breakfast at a popular breakfast shop in Taiyuan Prefecture, he was thinking to himself that even a breakfast shop owner in Taiyuan Prefecture earned more than him, a Grand Counselor.

A figure slowly sat down opposite him.

As he looked up in confusion, a waist tag was pushed in front of him.

"Lord Wei, the Hundred Cavalry Commandery has been ordered by His Majesty to convey a message to you."

Wei Zheng's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his hand, which was still holding a soup spoon, began to tremble, causing the white tofu in the spoon to quiver.

"Your cousin, Wei Mingshuo, who previously served as a county clerk in Hedong Circuit, has now been promoted... to magistrate of a small mountain county in Jiannan Circuit. His Majesty has also ordered him to suppress bandits in the surrounding area... He is quite favored by His Majesty!"

Wei Zheng: "..."

The man from the Hundred Cavalry Division had a half-smile on his face.

While ordering breakfast from the shopkeeper, he also took out a copy of the "Datang Xinbao" newspaper he had just bought from his pocket.

He chuckled softly, “His Majesty, mindful of his departure from his hometown to serve as an official in Jiannan Circuit, specially granted him double the salary from the imperial treasury. Lord Wei, you have no idea how overjoyed your cousin was when he received the decree!”

Wei Zheng: "..."

"Lord Wei, what are you still doing sitting here? Shall I order you another bowl?"

"Your Highness! Your Highness!!! I beg you, please go back and ascend the throne!"

"This old servant will serve you like an ox or a horse to repay your kindness!!!"

Shougong Hall.

Early in the morning, Li Chengqian had just finished his morning exercise with his younger siblings and had breakfast. He then came to the Shougong Hall to prepare for his official duties for the day.

Wei Zheng's mournful cries, like those of a pig being slaughtered, made the veins on his forehead throb.

"What is that old scoundrel Wei Zheng up to now? Did his parents die so early in the morning?!"

Li Gang and Yu Shinan exchanged a glance.

He sighed and shook his head.

When Wei Zheng, with tears streaming down his face, reappeared before him, Li Chengqian, whose good mood had been ruined early in the morning, was not going to give him a pleasant look.

"What is it now? What is it now?! Didn't I already order people to prepare a house for you in Taiyuan? You..."

"Your Highness, His Majesty just sent someone from the Hundred Cavalry Division to deliver a message to me: one of my cousins ​​has been exiled to Jiannan Circuit! Waaah!"

Wei Zheng cried out in a mixture of anxiety and shame.

Suddenly.

Inside the Shougong Hall, Li Gang and Yu Shinan, who had just been sipping their first cups of tea, suddenly trembled and looked up in astonishment at Wei Zheng kneeling on the ground.

Li Chengqian never expected this either.

This time, Li Shimin acted so decisively that Wei Zheng only arrived in Taiyuan Prefecture seven or eight days later.

We received news from Chang'an so quickly.

That can only mean that... no sooner had he set off from Chang'an than his cousin received an imperial decree to exile him to Jiannan Circuit.

"Holy crap... They're really going to exile them directly to Jiannan Circuit?!"

Although it wasn't yet the malaria-ridden Lingnan region, Jiannan wasn't much better off at this time.

The saying "The road to Shu is difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven" is no exaggeration.

Li Gang put down his teacup, his expression grave.

“That shouldn’t be the case. Even if His Majesty wants to make things difficult for your Wei family, it wouldn’t be right to exile them without any charges. Even if His Majesty is determined to do so, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui wouldn’t stand idly by… And now, the Crown Prince hasn’t received any letters from them impeaching His Majesty.”

Wei Zheng then sobbed and wiped away his tears, clearly recounting the details of the incident.

Hearing his father's method of "promotion and raise, doubling his salary" this time.

Even Li Chengqian couldn't help but curse inwardly how despicable it was.

"He's really got money now. My father is becoming more and more generous in his actions! Humph!" Li Chengqian frowned and paced back and forth in the Shougong Hall.

Trouble!

He looked at Wei Zheng, who was hesitant and stammering.

If his prediction is correct, Wei Zheng estimates that at this time, another member of his family is about to suffer misfortune.

Li Shimin, that old idiot, really had a knack for scheming.

Moral blackmail! Or should we just use Wei Zheng, a loyal and capable minister of the Tang Dynasty, to blackmail him?

.......

Chang'an, Wei Zheng's residence.

When Li Shimin stepped down from the carriage with a smug look on his face, everyone in the Wei family mansion, whether it was Wei Zheng's wife or the Wei family relatives who had been "captured" to Chang'an and were staying there, was present.

Everyone was on high alert, eager to welcome the emperor.

"Hahaha, it's nothing, nothing at all, no need to be so nervous. I've come today to see Wei Zheng's relatives and brothers. I've heard quite a bit about you all... You're all talented, truly talented, hahaha!"

If anyone had heard His Majesty the Emperor's praise half a month ago, when they were in their place of office...

They'd probably be so happy they'd faint.

The Emperor's high reputation for Jian made it all worthwhile for them to die in office.

But now... just thinking about that fellow clansman who was forcibly taken away by the Hundred Cavalry a few days ago, loaded onto a carriage, and sent to Jiannan Road to take up a post to suppress bandits.

The entire Wei family was trembling with fear.

Led by Wei Zheng's wife, Li Shimin was welcomed into the reception room and served fine tea.

"Madam Wei, have you been settling in well at this residence these past few days? Ah, it's all because of that stubborn old fellow Wei Zheng. I offered him a house several times, but he refused each time. Now, thankfully, he has finally accepted..."

Li Shimin sipped his tea, while Lady Wei could only nervously and awkwardly flatter and smile.

Her husband's attitude wasn't one of acceptance, but rather one of having no choice but to accept.

Just like the current "wealth and status" of the Wei family relatives, if things go wrong, it could really be a matter of life and death.

It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and now the Wei family has been fortunate enough to be blessed with this.

"Hehe, on behalf of my master, I thank Your Majesty for the reward..."

Li Shimin nodded, showing no shame whatsoever for bullying the weak or for a monarch deceiving his subjects. He looked around and then suddenly spoke.

"Why is that boy Shuyu nowhere to be seen? I heard yesterday that he failed his studies at the Imperial Academy again. Lady Wei, Wei Zheng is away sharing my burdens, and as his wife, you must take care of things at home. The education of children is of utmost importance..."

He suddenly waved his hand, and He Ding, the personal eunuch behind him who was holding a tray, placed the tray on the table.

Li Shimin's face revealed a smile that was clearly malicious.

"These were all purchased by me from Taiyuan Prefecture. They were compiled by the teachers of the Imperial University and the First Official School in Taiyuan Prefecture and personally named 'Three Years of Official School and Five Years of University' by my Crown Prince. The knowledge they cover is so good that even the teachers of the Imperial Academy say it is excellent."

"From today onwards, let Shuyu complete one assignment each day. If he passes, he can rest. If he fails... he will need to collect the wrong answers, correct them, and understand the underlying principles..."

Madam Wei and the Wei family members who heard these words at the entrance of the reception room, especially some of the boys and girls who were about the same age as Wei Shuyu, all changed their expressions.

Li Shimin suddenly thought of something.

"Since the other younger members of the Wei family are also here, that's perfect... He Ding, after you go back, arrange for all of them to enter the Imperial Academy, and tell the instructors there... make sure they teach me diligently!"

He Ding pursed his lips and respectfully agreed.

Li Shimin, with a cheerful smile, once again intimidated these relatives of the Wei family. Finally, after a cup of tea, he rose to take his leave.

"Lady Wei, Wei Zheng is away on state affairs and will likely not return for some time. Until then, if you need anything, you can tell me directly, and I... will grant it without hesitation!"

Li Shimin, with a villainous sneer, rode back to the palace in his carriage.

However, as the Wei family watched the carriage leisurely depart, they all went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, I beg you, please write a letter to my elder brother. He must make him bring the Crown Prince back as soon as possible, otherwise, our lives will be in danger!"

"Waaaaah, Auntie, I don't want to go to the Imperial Academy. My cousin Shuyu got scolded yesterday, and his hands are all swollen. Waaaaah, Auntie..."

"I don't want to go either, waaaaah, I want to go home, Daddy, I want to go home..."

The faint sound of children crying behind him made Emperor Taizong's smile grow even wider.

Suddenly, he gave an order to He Ding, who was driving the carriage in front of him.

"After you return, write a letter to Wei Zheng for me, telling him... everything is fine at home. As long as he can persuade the Crown Prince to return to Chang'an, I can wait, wait for him for a month, two months, even a year, two years..."

"Even if he doesn't want to come back, I won't blame him!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant obeys..."

At this moment, He Ding even felt a little sorry for Wei Zheng, who was usually not easy to get along with.

And just as Li Chengqian had guessed.

Only five or six days after the last message from the Hundred Cavalry Division, a thick box, said to be full of letters from Wei's relatives, was delivered to Wei Zheng by the Hundred Cavalry Division.

Upon opening the lid, a rough but clearly defined sketch comes into view.

It was likely painted by an artist whom Li Shimin brought back to Chang'an from the Imperial Academy. As for the content, it depicts Wei Shuyu and a group of younger members of the Wei clan, with their hands outstretched, receiving instruction from the instructors of the Imperial Academy...

The facial features might be a little lacking, but the hands, swollen like pig's trotters from being beaten, are exceptionally clear.

Li Chengqian: "...Hiss..."

This thuggish fighting style left him genuinely at a loss for how to respond.

It seems that the Emperor is truly beyond appeasement...

"Your Highness...you...you should come back with me. I promise that if you ascend the throne, I will never utter a single word of impeachment, no matter what you do..."

If Wei Zheng had even a tenth or a hundredth of the selfishness and ruthlessness of Fang Xiaoru of the Ming Dynasty in later generations...

Li Shimin's move was destined to be completely ineffective.

However, nowadays...

"Master Li, what should we do?" Li Chengqian asked his teacher helplessly.

Li Gang pondered for a long time, frowning as he thought, but could not come up with an answer.

Li Chengqian had no choice but to turn his head to the other side: "Master Yu, what do you think..."

Yu Shinan: "Hey!"

Even Kong Yingda, who was summoned here, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"Your Majesty's methods of coercion are too unreasonable and shameless... Your Highness, it seems you really will have to return to Chang'an this time."

"Go back to Chang'an?! Whoever wants to go can go! I'm not going back!"

Li Chengqian refused without hesitation.

Seeing that Wei Zheng was about to make a scene again, he quickly interrupted him with a shout.

"If you cry again! If you cry again, I will have the Embroidered Uniform Guard send you back to Chang'an, so that you can go to Jiannan Circuit to be promoted along with your relatives!"

Wei Zheng was also quite old.

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, she burst into tears.

"Your Highness, if you truly are unwilling... then I will not press you any further. If the sovereign commands death, the subject has no choice but to die! Thunder and rain are both acts of imperial favor; perhaps this is the fate of my Wei family!"

He trembled and solemnly bowed to Li Chengqian.

"Your Majesty, I will return to Chang'an immediately... and be exiled to Jiannan Circuit with my relatives!"

With that, he got up and headed towards the Shougong Hall.

suddenly.

"and many more!"

Wei Zheng turned his head hopefully: "Your Highness, are you willing...?"

With a strange smile, Li Chengqian suddenly picked up a set of teacups that Yu Shinan usually loved most from the table and handed them to Wei Zheng.

"Smash this thing!"

Wei Zheng was puzzled and didn't understand, but seeing Li Chengqian's glare, he finally slapped him.

Under Yu Shinan's astonished and heartbroken gaze, he smashed the teacup to pieces in an instant.

"Your Highness, you..."

He wanted to say something, but the next moment, he saw Li Chengqian point at the pillar of the Shougong Hall again.

"Go, bang your head against that pillar... Just do as I say!"

Wei Zheng hesitated for a moment, then finally stepped forward obediently, banging his head against the pillar in a rather comical manner.

He turned around, looking puzzled and pitiful, as if he wanted to ask a question.

next moment.

"boom!"

"Wei Zheng! How dare you! Do you think you can force me to abdicate by smashing cups and banging on pillars?! Do you think Li Shimin can exile your Wei clan members, but I, Li Chengqian, dare not?!"

Li Chengqian's furious roar suddenly came from the Shougong Hall.

"Men! Tie up this audacious scoundrel, Wei Zheng!"

"Exile to Baikal County!"