Zhu Wuyou propped up his upper body and raised his head tremblingly.
At this time, Zhu Wuyou's face was covered with dust and gravel. He looked very embarrassed and no longer had the arrogance he had before.
Zhu Wuyou stared at Li Junyan, "Your Highness, you assaulted an official of the imperial court at will. Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will find out and blame you?"
Li Junyan's tone was cold and nonchalant, "I had someone beat you up, what can you do to me?
Go to Chang'an to file a complaint?
But the governor was not allowed to leave the provincial capital without a plan.
Write a memorial?
This place is far away from Chang'an. It will take several days for the memorial to be delivered. Will the emperor still care?
For such a small matter, wouldn't Governor Zhu want to rush it to Chang'an over 800 miles?"
Before Zhu Wuyou could answer, Li Junyan started laughing, "Besides, you were disrespectful to me first, so it's only natural for me to let someone teach you a lesson. Do you think the emperor will blame me for you?
Or is it that Governor Zhu thinks that he is the prince's man and is more noble than me, and the emperor will definitely stand on your side?
But why do I feel that if the Emperor knew that you were the Crown Prince's man, not only extorting the people's wealth to give to the Crown Prince, but also crying poor to the Emperor and asking for money and food, would he directly arrest you and chop off your head? "
Zhu Wuyou, who was originally furious, changed his expression instantly after hearing Li Junyan's next words.
"Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense! I was appointed by the Emperor. When did I become the Crown Prince's servant?"
Li Junyan raised his eyebrows, "So you are not the prince's man! Did I misunderstand?
Then I will write a letter to the Crown Prince to express my apology. You are not his person, and I should not have written to blame him before."
Zhu Wuyou's face turned pale as paper. "Your Highness! Don't go too far!"
"What's wrong?" Li Junyan looked at Zhu Wuyou with cold eyes. "Could it be that you are neither the Crown Prince's nor the Emperor's, so you are King Jing's?"
Zhu Wuyou got up from the ground and dusted himself off. "Your Highness, I came here to take the criminals back with me. Please return them to me and stop making trouble."
Li Junyan's expression suddenly turned cold, "Criminals? My Tingzhou only has the people of Tingzhou, not the criminals you mentioned.
Zhu Wuyou, I will forgive your inappropriate words just now because you are the governor of a state. But if you continue to be unreasonable, don't blame me for being ruthless.
Zhu Wuyou's expression changed again and again. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Since the prince said these people are from Tingzhou, then why do they live outside? Sleep in tents?"
"Tingzhou has suffered a severe drought for three years. I have worked hard to cultivate crops and have led my people to work on them. They are afraid that their crops will be stolen or robbed, so they live outside to better protect the farmland. What's wrong with that?
Zhu Wuyou, you are the governor of Xizhou. Why don't you take care of your own affairs in Xizhou? Instead, you come to my Tingzhou to show off your power and pressure me. Do you think I am too easy to talk to?"
Feeling the murderous intent in Li Junyan's eyes, Zhu Wuyou was instantly startled and saluted, "Your humble servant dare not."
"Since you don't dare, go back to your Xizhou."
"Taxable—"
"Don't vassal kings need to pay taxes to the imperial court? As for what happened before? How would I know about it?
Tingzhou didn't have a governor before, and it seems that you, Governor Zhu, are in charge of it concurrently.
I am asking you now, where did Tingzhou’s taxes from the past three years go?
You have five days to sort out the taxes and account books and send them to me.
If it is not delivered by the due date, I will personally go to the Xizhou Governor's Mansion to ask for it.
When the time comes, it won’t be so easy to talk to you!”
Zhu Wuyou looked at Li Junyan in amazement. He never expected that things would turn out like this.
He failed to achieve either of his two purposes for coming to Tingzhou, and even ended up shooting himself in the foot.
The taxes of Tingzhou had already been sent to the prince. Where could he get these taxes and account books now?
The more Zhu Wuyou thought about it, the more worried he became, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The sweat mixed with the dust and soon stained his face.
"Your Highness, this humble official——"
"This prince doesn't want to hear you say so much." Li Junyan interrupted Zhu Wuyou, "If you don't come in five days, wait for this prince at the governor's mansion in Xizhou!"
"king--"
Zhu Wuyou was anxious and wanted to get closer to Li Junyan's horse.
But before he could take a step out, Xu San twisted his arm and forced him to kneel on the ground.
Xu San asked coldly, "You want to assassinate the prince? Assassinating the prince is a capital crime. You can be executed right here and now!"
At this moment, Zhu Wuyou's arms and knees were painful, but he didn't care about that at all.
Originally, I thought that Li Junyan was driven out of Chang'an and was poisoned, and came to Tingzhou, a place with nothing to eat or drink, and he must be in a very miserable state.
He originally wanted to humiliate Li Junyan, then report the matter to the prince and ask the prince to reward him.
Now it's all over!
How could he forget that no matter how poor Li Junyan was, he was still the biological son of the current emperor, and was even named Prince Chen, the highest position of prince.
Being so presumptuous in front of him, especially in Tingzhou, which is so far away from Chang'an and where the prince can't see or care about him at all, isn't this courting death?
Even if he was really killed, could the prince kill Li Junyan to avenge him?
This is impossible!
After realizing this, Zhu Wuyou broke out in a sweat, with beads of sweat the size of beans running down his cheeks.
"I dare not have any intention to harm Your Highness! Your Highness, please understand!"
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