Chapter 64 Besieged by the Ministers
"Enough!"
Li Shimin scolded, "Zhijie, watch your words and actions. You are a general and a duke, yet you still hold a grudge against a child."
In this instance, Li Shimin supports Wei Zheng!
Because Wei Zheng and his son's arguments were well-founded, Li Shimin, as the emperor, had to be fair and impartial.
"Your Majesty, they have gone too far and insulted my innocence!" Cheng Yaojin replied, feeling aggrieved.
"Insulting your innocence?"
Wei Zheng suddenly straightened up.
He walked up to Cheng Yaojin and began to spit as he spoke…
"Was it fake that you made a move in the Taiji Hall?"
"Is it true that you beat my son in front of His Majesty?"
Is it true that someone abuses their seniority to beat up a junior?
"How can you be so shameless, bullying the weak and taking advantage of your age?"
"If Qin Shi Huang had your shamelessness as a reference when he built the city walls, we wouldn't be in this situation where we still have to make repairs now!"
Ta-da.
Even the fierce Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but take two steps back under Wei Zheng's angry outburst.
"You...you..."
After stammering for a long time, Cheng Yaojin was unable to utter a single word.
"Zhijie, that's enough!"
Li Shimin angrily rebuked, "You are in the wrong here."
The implication is that you shouldn't argue with Wei Zheng; you won't win.
"promise."
Seeing that Li Shimin had spoken, Cheng Yaojin had no choice but to admit defeat. After returning the greeting, he snorted coldly and turned his head to the side.
Throughout the entire Tang Dynasty, there were almost no people who could make Cheng Yaojin suffer a defeat.
He was well-liked, his wife came from a prominent family, he himself belonged to a military clan, and Li Shimin even supported him.
But Wei Zheng and his son's move completely humiliated him.
They didn't even have a chance to throw a tantrum or act shamelessly.
"Shuyu, I know you have a good relationship with Shenji. Since you are willing to risk going against Zhijie to stand up for him, I will give Shenji a chance!"
Li Shimin did not punish Cheng Yaojin, and after speaking, he looked at Cui Shenji and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"
"even……"
Choi Shin-ki was terrified and didn't know what to say.
Wei Shuyu knew this guy very well.
He's a bit dim-witted, but he has a bizarre cowardly mechanism.
For example……
"Will you talk or not?" Wei Shuyu shouted.
Choi Shin-ki stammered and couldn't speak.
Swish...
Wei Shuyu raised his hand, as if to tap him on the head.
Choi Shin-ki suddenly realized: "Your Majesty, I was only doing this to protect Princess Qinghou. The situation was urgent, and I grabbed her to escape quickly!"
Everyone was stunned...
Didn't Cheng Yaojin just do the same thing?
Why do you stutter when Cheng Yaojin hits you, but become fearless when Wei Shuyu raises his hand?
Little did they know that Wei Shuyu was of the same generation, but their mindsets were completely different.
Choi Shin-ki will not be afraid when he sees Wei Shu-yu.
What he feared most was that Wei Shuyu would beat him up!
Choi Shin-ki had a phobia of Cheng Yaojin and was already panicked; it didn't really matter whether he beat him up or not.
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's expression changed drastically.
He didn't pay much attention when Wei Shuyu first made his conjecture.
Because Li Jing did not refute it.
But Choi Shin-ki's initiative to speak out this time indicates that it is indeed true.
Choi Shin-ki cannot bear the crime of deceiving the emperor!
"Qinghe, is what Shenji said true?"
Li Shimin looked at Li Jing with a cold expression.
They no longer called him by his nickname, but instead addressed him by his official title.
"Father..."
Li Jing was at a loss for what to do.
She looked to Li Lizhi for help.
"Don't look at Chang Le, I'm asking you a question!" Li Shimin questioned again.
Wow……
Li Jing could no longer bear it and burst into tears.
This time, I truly cried.
"Father, Jingjing is probably frightened," Li Lizhi quickly pleaded on his behalf.
Li Shimin slammed his hand on the dragon table and reprimanded her sternly: "Even if Qinghe was frightened, as her sister, can't you explain for her?"
"Father...Father, I was so engrossed in watching that I forgot," Li Lizhi murmured, her head bowed.
Engrossed in watching?
Choi Shin-ki below stared wide-eyed.
Are you treating me like a monkey?
"Do you know that your silence has caused discord among the court officials, and almost led me to wrongly accuse the son of a loyal minister!"
Li Shimin was absolutely furious.
"Wang De!" Li Shimin shouted sternly, "Bring Chang Le and Qing He back to Lizheng Palace and let Guanyinbi discipline them properly!"
After Wang De led the two princesses away, Li Shimin finally turned his gaze to Cui Shenji...
It quickly passed over and landed on Cui Yixuan.
“Minister Cui, this time Qinghe was ignorant and misunderstood Shenji.”
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t say that. It’s my child who is foolish and can’t even explain himself,” Cui Yixuan quickly bowed.
Choi Shin-ki pouted, looking slightly uncomfortable.
They're both from the same father, but look at Old Wei, the difference is so huge.
Li Shimin nodded.
He offered a few more words of reassurance, then turned his gaze to Wei Shuyu…
"Shuyu, you spoke up for justice this time and prevented a misunderstanding. In principle, I should reward you. However, you took the two princesses away from Chang'an without authorization, which almost caused a tragedy. Your merits and demerits cancel each other out, so I..."
Li Shimin had no intention of escalating the matter and began to wrap things up.
But after he pardoned Wei Shuyu, Changsun Wuji stood up and began to refute him...
"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate."
Changsun Wuji stepped forward and bowed to Li Shimin.
"What are the auxiliary machine's opinions?"
Li Shimin smiled and didn't think much of it.
“Taking the princess away from Chang’an without permission should be punished with caning.”
"Putting the princess in danger is a capital offense!"
"Wei Shuyu merely cleared up a misunderstanding; there is absolutely no possibility that his merits and demerits can be offset."
"Your humble servant dares to ask you all, if Wei Shuyu had not taken the princess away from Chang'an, how could this misunderstanding have occurred?"
"Your Majesty, I implore you to severely punish Wei Shuyu!"
Changsun Wuji's sharp words drew meaningful glances from the assembled officials...
This matter is neither a big deal nor a small one.
Moreover, His Majesty had already pardoned Wei Shuyu, yet Changsun Wuji still insisted on overturning it...
This is rather intriguing.
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that proposal!"
Unlike Wei Zheng, who was all alone, Changsun Wuji's words were immediately echoed by a group of ministers.
Although it's not a court assembly today, such a major event as the princess's attack has drawn most of the ministers.
"Changsun Wuji, His Majesty has already pardoned Shuyu. Do you dare to disobey the imperial decree?"
Wei Zheng got anxious and quickly jumped out to refute him.
Changsun Wuji sneered, staring straight ahead without even glancing at Wei Zheng.
"I know I'm upset that Shuyu hit your son, but that's all in the past. Is this the kind of thing a high-ranking official should do, being so vindictive?"
Wei Zheng continued his incessant rebuttal.
"I'm just stating the facts."
Changsun Wuji finally turned around and faced Wei Zheng: "Wei Zheng, everyone says you are incorruptible. What? Your son has committed a crime, and you're going to show favoritism?"
Wei Zheng's face turned deathly pale.
According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, taking a princess out of the palace without permission could be a serious or minor offense.
It mainly depends on how the royal family decides.
Wei Shuyu caused the princess to be in danger, which warrants a severe sentence.
"Your Majesty, I also believe that Wei Shuyu's merits and demerits cannot be offset together."
Cheng Yaojin also stepped forward to refute...
He glanced at Wei Zheng and his son.
It's just impeachment, anyone can do that.
“Father, I believe that what my uncle said makes sense.”
Li Chengqian also chimed in.
Although Changsun Wuji did not explicitly state his opinion during the struggle for the throne, he was clearly inclined towards him.
Moreover, he remembered how the Wei family father and son had repeatedly ruined his plans.
"Father, I agree with my uncle's statement!"
Li Tai, not to be outdone, also began to speak out.
He had not forgotten what happened at Cuiyun Residence.
"I second that proposal."
"I second that proposal."
With these three individuals making their joint statement, a large number of officials began to second their opinion.
The situation has reversed.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Shuyu was surrounded and attacked by the court officials!
"you……"
Wei Zheng was so angry that he swayed.
"father."
Wei Shuyu quickly helped him up.
"The big pot isn't greasy; it's the one the princess remembers to look for!"
While everyone was impeaching Wei Shuyu, Cui Shenji stepped forward.
He looked timidly at the civil and military officials.
With a stiff neck, he stepped forward and bowed to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, the Grand Master may have failed in his duty, but he risked his life to save the Princess..."
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