Naturally, Liu Zhengli would not let Li Hong off easily. It had been several days since this happened, and His Majesty had not asked a single question about it.
But the more this happened, the more uncertain he felt. Who knew if His Majesty was very angry about this matter at this moment, just waiting for him to crash into him?
"Your Highness, please don't embarrass me. You have always been favored by His Majesty. If you were to report this matter, perhaps His Majesty's anger would be lessened..."
"Don't come at me, I'm warning you, don't try to hit on me, my butt just stopped hurting, do you want to kill me?"
"Then you can't just stand by and watch me being punished by His Majesty, Your Highness." Liu Zhengli pleaded pitifully.
"No, this is your duty as a minister. If all the officials in the Tang Dynasty are like you, afraid of being scolded by His Majesty, then how can there be officials in the Tang Dynasty who are not afraid of taking responsibility? Zhengli, your idea is not advisable. If everyone is like you, wouldn't it mess up the government? Can my Li family still sit firmly on the throne? Grandpa Huang was famous for his wisdom and bravery, and his character was also domineering and strong. But look at Wei Zheng, who tied his head to his belt every day to attend court. You can't have this awareness! I am so disappointed. Think about it carefully. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
"..." Liu Zhengli was so embarrassed by the long speech that he looked at the little figure who was walking faster and faster and was about to run. He realized that he had been fooled. What was going on? If he wanted to shirk responsibility, he didn't need to bring up the late emperor.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I have something to report."
"Get away and don't follow me, Liu Zhengli. I'm warning you, if you make me angry I will bite you." Li Hong was caught by Liu Zhengli after running a few steps. He turned his head and threatened.
...
...
Li Zhi leaned on the railing and watched the two men blaming each other. He sneered and went back with Yang Wu and the crossbow.
Along the way, he was thinking that maybe he could lower the price of the crossbow that the bastard sold to him because of the incident at Ci'en Temple.
Thinking of this, Li Zhi suddenly stopped and said to Yang Wu after a moment's consideration: "I will inform Liu Zhengli later that the Crown Prince needs to report to me about the matter of Ci'en Temple. If he dares to report to me privately, I will report to the Dali Temple myself. Don't let Li Hong know that this was my instruction, understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."
At the door of the household department below the Taiji Hall, Li Hong and Liu Zhengli were sitting on the steps, one looking impatient, the other looking sad. The two were silent as if they were fighting a bull, neither of them willing to give in.
"Tell me the truth, did you learn this trick from that old man Dai Zhide? Or did he teach you?" Li Hong asked seriously, and at the same time looked at the door of the Ministry of Rites guiltily, making sure that Dai Zhide didn't hear it.
"No, absolutely not. I simply cannot face your majesty's might. Otherwise, I would not have asked to see you, Your Highness."
"I really laughed. Are you asking for a meeting? You are clearly a dog-skin plaster that sticks to me and won't go away." Li Hong snorted impatiently.
"Anyway, it's up to you. If you don't agree, I'll follow you wherever you go. There's no one at home, so it's okay for me to go to the East Palace."
"Liu Zhengli...you...you, is my father so scary?" Li Hong asked dejectedly.
"Your Majesty is not to be feared, Your Highness the Crown Prince. But this matter is tricky. This Ci'en Temple is a crime of deceiving the emperor. Everyone in Chang'an knows that Your Majesty and the Queen went to Ci'en Temple some time ago, and then Ci'en Temple was brought to justice. This... will damage Your Majesty's reputation if it gets out." Liu Zhengli half-squatted and half-sitting, with his butt half resting on the steps, twisted his body and spoke with a sad face.
"That's true. The Ci'en Temple deceived the emperor, and my father is angry. Prosecute the Ci'en Temple? My father will still be angry! The good fate between the emperor and Buddha has been turned into a criminal case. If the court and the people of the world get to know about this, my father will beat me to a pulp." Li Hong was helpless. He scratched his head and couldn't come up with a good idea for a while.
But when he saw the officials from the Ministry of Personnel bowing to him and Liu Zhengli who were sitting on the steps, an idea suddenly flashed upon him.
"Don't I have an uncle working in the Zongzheng Temple? Isn't Wu Yuanqing the Shaoqing of the Zongzheng Temple? Let him go. Yes, let him go and report to my father. This way we won't have to be afraid." Li Hong really admired himself. He could think of this plan to shift the blame to Jiangdong. He was so smart.
"Your Highness, you may be disappointed. Wu Yuanqing was exiled to Lingnan as a governor a few days ago. Look, he left the day before yesterday."
"No... When did the Ministry of Personnel become so efficient?" Li Hong was stunned. This was too fast.
Little did he know that this matter was urged by his mother behind the scenes. Naturally, the efficiency of the Ministry of Personnel was greatly increased, and the matter was properly resolved within two days.
"Did you take the files with you?" Li Hong accepted his fate. It seemed that he couldn't get rid of this dog-skin plaster. This guy was clinging to him and wasn't going to let go.
"I brought it. It's right here. Please take a look." Liu Zhengli's eyes lit up and he immediately smiled happily, which made Li Hong want to kick him twice.
Li Hong reluctantly took the file, flipped through it randomly, and said, "Okay, don't worry about it. Leave it to me. I will report to my father after the court session tomorrow. You can go back now."
"Really? Thank you, Your Highness."
"Are you satisfied? Go away now. Seeing you smile so deviously, I want to change my mind."
"Yes, yes, I will take my leave now. Your Highness, I will trouble you with everything."
Looking at Liu Zhengli's relaxed and happy back, as if his steps were rhythmic, Li Hong couldn't help but hum: "Go and have fun with me alone, I'm lonely and looking for a companion, go and have fun with me alone, I refuse your supervision."
On the second day, Li Hong naturally waited a long time after all the ministers entered the Taiji Hall before he rushed into the Taiji Hall on a skateboard, as if his butt was on fire.
Li Zhi did not even raise his eyelids, still listening to the reports of his ministers, and did not show any expression of his arrival.
Li Hong, who sat down next to Dai Zhide, wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to listen attentively when Yang Wu's sharp voice rang out, "Adjourn the court..."
Inside the imperial study of Liangyi Hall, Li Zhi was flipping through a stack of files in his hand. Someone was standing below him. From the way he stood, he looked like he was ready to rush out at any moment.
Li Zhi looked at the file and glared at him, and he smiled at Li Zhi reluctantly. This happened again and again, once, twice, three times... As Li Zhi stopped looking at the file and his hand holding the file trembled more and more, someone thought to himself: If I don't run now, when will I run?
"You little bastard, is this the case you found out?" Li Zhi was furious. He swung his hand and threw a thick stack of files towards where Li Hong was standing as he was about to run away.
Suddenly, in the study of Liangyi Hall, the scattered files slowly fell in the room as if it was snowing. The files seemed to have come to life and covered the entire study.
The person involved had already run away. Li Zhi chased after him immediately, regardless of Yang Wu's stunned expression.
"Stop right there, you little bastard! Do you want to piss me off to death?"
"Father, this is all my son's actual investigation, there is absolutely no mistake, why are you so angry?"
"Bullshit! Explain to me... Stop the prince for me."
As soon as Li Hong jumped off the steps of Liangyi Hall on his skateboard, he was held in someone's arms and did not fall to the ground.
"Put me down now, my father is going to beat me up."
But no matter how Li Hong resisted, it was of no avail, because the Qianniu Guards only obeyed the orders of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Yang Wu hurried over with the files in his hands. He came behind Li Zhi, who was bending over and panting, and whispered, "Your Majesty, these files..."
"Give it to me. Take the little bastard and follow me to the Queen's Palace." Li Zhi angrily grabbed the file that had been sorted out in Yang Wu's hand and said.
"Yangwu, do you want to die? Just try and see if you dare to lift me up... You lifted my collar again... cough cough..."
Not far from the entrance of Wu Mei's palace, Li Zhi walked forward quickly with his hands behind his back and a dark face, looking as if someone owed him money. When the palace maids and eunuchs saw him along the way, they all saluted cautiously, and no one dared to speak loudly.
Behind him was Yang Wu: "What is Yang Wu holding...? What has Li Hong done wrong again?"
Wu Mei stood at the door to greet Li Zhi. When she saw Yang Wu carrying Li Hong, who was speaking vulgar language and shouting insults like a chicken, she was stunned. What happened to this little bastard?
Li Zhi waved to Wu Mei who saluted him at the door. As for the palace maids and eunuchs, he had no intention of paying attention to them. He walked in and sat down, humming to calm himself.
He casually threw the file in his hand into Wu Mei's arms: "Look for yourself, is this little bastard looking for death? If I don't punish him today, I am not worthy of being the emperor of the Tang Dynasty."
"What happened? Did you have a fight with Dai Zhide in the court? It's not the same thing as before..." Wu Mei took down several files that Li Zhi had thrown on her towering body in a daze and tried to comfort him.
"If it's because of this matter, I won't be angry. It's not the first day that the two of them have quarreled in the court. Just wait and see, you little bastard, just wait for me. Yangwu, put him down." Li Zhi looked at the little chicken angrily and said.
Wu Mei's face was full of confusion. She slowly sat down next to Li Zhi, took the tea handed to her by the palace maid, and placed it next to Li Zhi herself.
At this time, Li Zhi was afraid that no one could control him except Wu Mei. If the palace maid had put the teacup aside, she would have been caught and thrown out by Li Zhi.
Therefore, every time Li Zhi was so angry, Wu Mei would put tea next to him.
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