Chapter 385 The Situation Is Not Good
The Imperial Study.
Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, processing memorials.
Wei Zheng, as always, knelt in the position of attendant.
Unlike before...
He no longer needs to handle government affairs.
"Is Shuyu still outside Xuanwu Gate?"
After a long while, Li Shimin put down the memorial and turned to ask Wang De.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Wang De replied respectfully.
"Xuan Cheng!"
Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng and said, "Look what you've done."
"Why did you hide it from me?"
"Now you've not only harmed yourself, but also Shuyu!"
Wei Zheng stood up expressionlessly.
He bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I foresaw this day when I decided to protect Shuyi."
"Don't you regret it?" Li Shimin scolded.
Wei Zheng was taken aback.
His eyes flickered slightly, then returned to their resolute expression.
Coincidentally, Li Shimin captured this scene...
"You hesitated."
Li Shimin said, "I never thought you'd have a moment of regret!"
"Return to Your Majesty..."
Wei Zheng bowed and said, "I am not regretting it for myself, but for Shuyu."
"I never imagined he would be so outstanding."
"His contributions to the people far surpass those of yours!"
"But now I have been implicated because of you, Your Majesty, I implore you..."
"Let Shuyu go."
"He can make even greater contributions to the Tang Dynasty!"
Bang.
Li Shimin slammed his hand on the table.
"You bastard!"
"How do you expect me to release him?"
"You are his biological father, so if I kill you, I will be his father's murderer..."
Li Shimin's roar echoed throughout the Taiji Hall.
All the eunuchs and palace maids lowered their heads, not daring to make the slightest sound.
However, Wei Zheng looked up at Li Shimin...
"Your Majesty, this matter is actually quite easy to resolve."
Wei Zheng said earnestly, "It would be good if you didn't kill me."
Grass!
Li Shimin picked up the memorial and slammed it down on Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng did not dodge.
He let the memorials rain down on him.
Then he picked it up again and presented it respectfully...
"His Majesty."
"Memorials record important national affairs reported to you by your subjects. If they are damaged, it may have unpredictable consequences."
"Your Majesty, I hope..."
It looked like Wei Zheng was about to launch into another long tirade against him.
Li Shimin immediately interrupted with a stern shout...
"Shut up!"
"Do you think you're in a position to advise me?"
Wei Zheng's mouth twitched, but he ultimately chose to keep it closed.
Li Shimin took a few deep breaths, panting heavily.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked at Wei Zheng again...
Li Shimin changed the subject: "If you want me to spare you, that's fine too..."
Wei Zheng raised his head.
Just when he thought things were looking up, Li Shimin poured cold water on his hopes.
"As long as you kill the Prince of Julu (Li Chengyi) with your own hands."
"I will not only spare you, but I will also allow you to continue serving as a Chamberlain!"
Wei Zheng's expression suddenly darkened.
He lowered his head, unwilling to reply.
"What? You don't want to?"
Li Shimin continued to persuade him, "Don't forget, you not only have Shuyu, but also the newborn Shuyu..."
"Can you really bear to let your youngest son grow up in that barren land of Lingnan?"
Li Shimin was very adept at controlling people's hearts.
He enjoyed high official rank and generous salary, but at the same time, he died and his son suffered.
For people who are not really related to you, a normal person would choose a high-ranking official position with generous salary.
But unfortunately... he was Wei Zheng!
“As a member of the Wei family, this is his fate!” Wei Zheng replied firmly.
"You bastard."
Li Shimin was so angry that he cursed loudly.
Wei Zheng was like a donkey, stubborn to the extreme!
"Your Majesty, please be mindful of your demeanor."
Wei Zheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a country, repeatedly using foul language is unbecoming of a monarch..."
"Shut up!"
Li Shimin roared, "I just said that your current status is no longer suitable for advising me!"
"..."
Wei Zheng was taken aback.
Occupational hazard, there's nothing I can do about it.
"Since you say the people are important..."
"So, between Shuyu and him, who would you choose?"
Li Shimin seemed to have discovered some secret and began to ask questions at length...
"Shuyu is able to speak up for the people and represent them!"
“The Prince of Julu is merely an outsider.”
"You abandoned the people for an outsider."
"Doesn't this contradict your principles?"
Wei Zheng was stunned.
This is indeed an unsolvable problem.
Seeing Wei Zheng rendered speechless by his words, Li Shimin felt that he had finally gotten his revenge.
snort.
Li Shimin gave a haughty snort.
Do you really think I won't scold people?
I was just being lenient with you before!
"Xuancheng, even if you kill the Prince of Julu, we will still be ruler and subject!" Li Shimin continued to entice him.
"His Majesty."
Wei Zheng bowed to Li Shimin and said, "What you said is true, so I regret my actions..."
"But I thought about it again later."
"It's better to face it than to regret it..."
"As long as His Majesty pardons the Prince of Julu, everything will be fine!"
However, these words provoked Li Shimin's fury.
"Wei Zheng!"
Li Shimin said with a dark face, "Don't you know that keeping him around is sowing the seeds of disaster for the Tang Dynasty?"
"If this is exploited by those with ulterior motives, the Tang Dynasty will face turmoil!"
Wei Zheng was speechless.
Just as he was about to say a few more words in his defense, Li Shimin didn't give him the chance...
"Guards, take Wei Zheng away!"
at the same time.
Cheng Mansion.
Upon learning the news, Qin Qiong immediately went to find Cheng Yaojin.
"Zhijie, what do you think of Xuancheng's matter?" Qin Qiong asked solemnly.
"Uncle, you mustn't act impulsively in this matter."
Cheng Yaojin quickly dissuaded him, saying, "In the past, if only you and I were full, the whole family wouldn't go hungry."
"Now look at how many people your Duke Yi's mansion has, and how many people my Cheng mansion has?"
"Treason is a serious crime."
"What will happen to them if we get implicated?"
this……
Cheng Yaojin's words truly resonated with Qin Qiong.
But I still can't bring myself to do nothing.
"Isn't there any way?" Qin Qiong asked unwillingly.
"No!"
Cheng Yaojin shook his head: "In the past, when Wei Zheng was in the right, it was fine for us to stand up for him."
"But this time, no one can protect him!"
"The only thing we can do is wait for His Majesty to calm down and preserve the Wei family's bloodline."
well.
Qin Qiong sighed.
In the end, he sat down again, feeling helpless.
Imperial College (Guozijian)
Kong Yingda, Yu Shinan, and other old scholars sat in the pavilion sipping tea...
"Chongyuan, what do you think of Xuancheng's matter?" Yu Shinan asked, putting down his teacup.
"Willing but powerless."
Kong Yingda sighed.
He wanted to save them, but as a descendant of the Confucius family, he was destined not to step forward.
"What about the Shandong gentry?" Yu Shinan asked.
"Xuancheng is at fault in this matter."
Kong Yingda shook his head: "As the saying goes, there can be no two suns in the sky, no two kings on the land, no two rulers in the country, and no two respected figures in the family."
"Wei Zheng has committed a grave taboo this time."
"Even the Confucian school could not help."
well.
Yu Shinan sighed.
"Since the Confucianists are unwilling to step forward, it seems I'll have no choice but to risk my old bones."
Yu Shinan stood up.
What are you going to do?
Kong Yingda also stood up and said, "Xuancheng is in the wrong in this matter, and there's no way to save him."
"Back then, Xuancheng stood up for Dengshan, so I should naturally return the favor." Yu Shinan's face showed a resolute expression.
Why would you do this?
Kong Yingda sighed, "How can you alone change His Majesty's mind? This is a futile effort."
Yu Shinan simply smiled at this...
How do you know it's a waste of time if you don't even try?
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