Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 519 Kindness
Li Zhi appreciated the dance of the Tibetan king and was very satisfied. He arranged for Xu Jingzong to put Mangsong Mangtsen under house arrest.

In fact, the Khans and kings of other countries who were captured alive would receive good treatment in the imperial court, with fixed salaries and no restrictions on their freedom.

But Mangsong Mangzan's situation is special and obviously not included in the list.

Apart from the disgust that had made Tubo sick over the years, Li Zhi felt refreshed after a long time. He returned to the backyard and planned to be affectionate with Empress Wu.

Empress Wu was very perceptive. When she was helping Li Zhi undress, she noticed that he was in a particularly good mood, so she couldn't help but ask him a tentative question.

Li Zhi said casually: "Good news came from Qinghai. Minister Chen has made a plan to destroy Tubo for our dynasty and incorporate the snowy plateau into our territory. The territory of our Great Tang is far greater than that of the previous dynasty."

Li Zhi did not tell Empress Wu the details, not because he did not trust her, but because there was no need.

Empress Wu did not dare to ask more questions. She knew that her husband was a very suspicious person. He would tell you what you should know even if you didn't ask. If you asked him more questions out of curiosity about things he didn't want to say, he would be disgusted.

After getting to know her husband better over the years, Empress Wu got to know her husband even better.

Empress Wu served Li Zhi with a forced smile.

Li Zhi was sensitive and asked, "Is there anything troubling the Queen?"

Empress Wu smiled and said, "No, I am happy for Your Majesty. It is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty to have such great talents as Li Yinggong and Chen Shangshu to expand the territory for the court."

Li Zhi did not say anything, but just looked at Empress Wu quietly.

Empress Wu burst into tears and said, "I am worried about the health of the prince."

Li Zhi's joy turned into worry...

Li Zhi had always been worried about his health. As a result, over the years, although he still experienced dizziness from time to time and even intermittent blurred vision, he had thought more than once that he might not live long. But he endured it, and after so many years, it had become a habit. He would have attacks from time to time, and he couldn't get used to it if they didn't happen.

On the contrary, Li Hong, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty whom he entrusted with future affairs and the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty, has recently suffered a sharp deterioration in health and often suffers from shortness of breath.

Li Zhi knew that his eldest son was weak and sickly, just like himself in the past. He just didn't expect that he was so young and already had symptoms of shortness of breath. In his condition, could he really be entrusted to future generations?

Li Zhi did not have high expectations for Li Hong, nor did he need to have any expectations.

As the monarch of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi knew very well that the Tang Dynasty had almost reached its peak after the development of him and his father.

The war in the Western Regions is over. For the next ten years, it is not advisable to start a war. We need to calm down and recuperate.

Li Hong's kindness and filial piety were exactly what the Tang Dynasty needed at that time...

Li Zhi had thought about the future. Once the matter in the Western Regions was settled, he would find an opportunity to demote Chen Qingsi to the south of the Yangtze River, give him the title of Duke, and add the position of local governor, so that he could have free time and enjoy himself.

As for Li Hong, under his control, there was no prime minister with real prestige in the court, and there was no situation where the prime minister's power suppressed the military power. With the support of Empress Wu, if he really died one day, Li Hong would be able to take over the government quickly. He ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety, which was conducive to restoring people's livelihood and stabilizing the territory.

There are small and short-sighted bandits, but they can be easily eliminated with the power and might of the Tang Dynasty and rising star generals such as Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui and Cheng Wuting.

If he really encounters a difficult problem, Chen Qingsi from Jiangnan will provide him with a backup.

But now Li Hong's situation is worse than his. Li Zhi is even worried that his son Li Hong may die before him.

Wouldn't all the plans be wiped out?

"Queen, please don't worry too much. The imperial physician said that the prince just caught a cold and will recover after a good rest."

Li Zhi comforted him casually, but the idea of ​​deposing him came to his mind again.

Compared to Li Hong's honesty, he really likes Li Xian's cleverness more. He thinks that if Li Xian's potential is cultivated, he will definitely surpass Li Hong in the future...

However, this thought only appeared in his mind and he immediately suppressed it.

Li Xian is certainly more alert, but he is still young, and the cost of retraining him is too high. At least half of the princelings must be purged. The war is ongoing, and the government cannot be in chaos.

Empress Wu nodded silently, as if accepting Li Zhi's comfort, but she felt a little disappointed in her heart.

Li Zhi was in no mood at this time. He felt his headache was showing signs of recurring, so he slept with Empress Wu.

Dali Temple, Temple Chief, General Office.

Zhang Jianzhi, Di Renjie, Xu Yougong and Su Wuming gathered together.

Su Wuming said: "The person who killed Li Chongde has been captured. After interrogation, he confessed that he was bribed. The person who bribed him was Li Zhongyi, the old steward of Li Yifu. According to investigation, after Li Chongde's death, this person applied to the Chang'an County Government Office to go to Nanzhong to guard and offer sacrifices for Li Yifu..."

As soon as Su Wuming said this, Zhang Jianzhi and Di Renjie's faces changed color one after another.

Xu Yougong was slightly stunned at first, but he quickly reacted and said, "Is it because Li Chongde removed Li Yifu from the family tree and killed him in anger?"

Xu Yougong only thought of this reason because he didn't know that Li Yifu was alive.

After all, this matter was unbelievable, and Zhang Jianzhi and Di Renjie didn't know how to explain it. At least for now they didn't have enough reason or evidence to suspect Li Yifu.

Zhang Jianzhi and Di Renjie knew for sure that Li Yifu was not dead, and wanted to use this method to catch Li Yifu.

Because of Li Chongde's death, Li Yifu could not be avoided.

However, he didn't expect that the devil would be one step ahead of him, and Li Yifu actually jumped out directly.

Now, with just one move, the case is closed.

There is no doubt that Li Zhongyi will commit suicide in front of Li Yi's coffin.

This way, everything makes sense.

Li Zhongyi was a loyal servant who had followed Li Yifu for many years. He could not bear to see Li Chongde humiliating his master, so he hired a killer to kill him and then committed suicide to cover up the crime.

The incident started with Li Yifu and ended with Li Yifu. Li Yifu died and the matter ended there.

Sure enough, Su Wuming then introduced Li Zhongyi's background. Li Zhongyi had no children, and it was Li Yifu who took him in and gave him everything...

Su Wuming said: "From all appearances, it is indeed the case. I have sent people to Nanzhong to arrest Li Zhongyi."

"Appearance?" Xu Yougong said with a smile, "Brother Wuming also thinks this case can't be solved?"

"It's not over yet!" Su Wuming said, "Everything seems to be a natural outcome, but there is still one question that has not been answered. The reason why Li Chongde, a dignified minister, died at home inexplicably was because he fainted and went home to recuperate. I don't think it was an accident that the killer acted at that time."

Xu Yougong said, "There is something else going on in this case. The Li Yi Mansion has been in ruins for many years. Even if Li Zhongyi has saved up some money and has the financial resources to hire assassins, he has no ability to find out the whereabouts of Li Chongde, the Minister of Justice. Not to mention that Li Chongde is still in a coma, making it easier for assassins to act. In my opinion, we have found the point in all this. Someone wants to close the case, so they exposed part of the truth in advance to cover up the rest."

Su Wuming said: "It seems that we have to start with the Ministry of Industry."

Xu Yougong shook his head and said, "We can't get around the Ministry of Industry." In fact, the Ministry of Industry has always been their main focus, but because the war has begun, the Ministry of Industry is fully cooperating with the front line to produce various equipment.

It was inconvenient for them to start the investigation. Although Chen Qingsi obtained permission, he only conducted the investigation without affecting the Ministry of Industry's procedures.

They are not allowed to delay logistics and combat readiness for the sake of Li Chongde.

In order to facilitate operations, the Ministry of Works took the lead in setting up arsenals in Shanzhou, Liangzhou and Xizhou to build and repair equipment for the front line.

Some of the officials had scattered, and they had no way to investigate. They had no choice but to take a long detour, capture the thief first, find out the answer, and then investigate the details, but they still could not get around the Ministry of Works.

Di Renjie listened to the two's analysis, thought for a moment and said, "You have made a contribution. You will leave tomorrow to explore Xizhou. Go and get some information from Wan Guojun. He is the most suspicious."

Xu Yougong accepted the order immediately.

Zhang Jianzhi also signaled Su Wuming to leave.

Left before Xu Yougong and Su Wuming.

Di Renjie said: "The other party must be stalling for time. They have other plans."

Zhang Jianzhi asked, "You asked Xu Yougong to go to Xizhou. Are you pretending to fall into a trap?"

Di Renjie nodded slightly and said, "We can't let him lead us by the nose. If we keep investigating Li Chongde's affairs, we will fall into misunderstandings. They must have a purpose for this action. We have to think ahead of them, not follow them to get a result."

Zhang Jianzhi patted his thigh and said with a smile: "Huaiying's words hit the nail on the head. To be honest, I am not as meticulous as you three. I don't have extraordinary means to solve cases through torture. I can't help much in investigating the case. With you three here, I am too lazy to get involved. Let's think about it. What is the purpose of Li Yifu's efforts? Is it revenge, or something else?"

Zhang Jianzhi called "Li Yifu" by his name, and he trusted Chen Qingsi's judgment very much.

Di Renjie was also certain that the person behind the scenes was Li Yifu with a high probability, but he was more concerned with evidence and referred to him as "he" until there was clear evidence.

"Until recently I heard a piece of news that the prince was weak and exhausted at such a young age, and it was difficult for him to take on such a heavy responsibility. This news made me wonder, if the prince was really to be deposed, who would benefit the most?"

When Di Renjie heard this, his pupils contracted sharply. He really had not thought of this.

It also has to do with political stance...

Chen Qingsi expressed his political stance to the two of them. He was against the harem's interference in politics and stood in opposition to Empress Wu.

The same is true for Zhang Jianzhi, who is Chen Qingsi's student...

But Di Renjie had his own political stance, and he tended to oppose the harem's interference in politics. However, he was not so disgusted with Empress Wu, and did not regard her as an opponent, nor did he think about Empress Wu herself.

Now, after Zhang Jianzhi's reminder, Di Renjie also realized that something was wrong.

East Palace!

Wu Minzhi, holding a food box in his hand, walked quickly towards the prince's bedroom.

Li Hong was half leaning on the bed reading a book. When he saw Wu Minzhi push the door open, he smiled and said, "Brother, you're here. Please sit down."

Wu Minzhi had some worry in his eyes, but with a smile on his face, he said, "Look, what did my brother bring you?"

He placed the lunch box on the table and took out a large bowl of food.

Li Hong smelled the smell, his eyes lit up, and he smiled and said, "Boiled eel slices, brother still understands me."

Li Hong loves eating fish, including fish sashimi, pickled fish, fish sauce, fish soup, steamed fish, and fried fish, especially eel.

"Brother knows that you have no appetite recently, so I went to Sinong Temple to ask for fresh eels and ordered my servants to make them. Come and try them..."

Wu Minzhi quickly served Li Hong rice, handed him the chopsticks and watched expectantly.

Li Hong smiled, picked up an eel, took a light bite, and was suddenly stunned.

Wu Minzhi was surprised and asked, "What's wrong? Does it taste bad? Or are you feeling unwell?"

Li Hong smiled again and said, "No, I haven't eaten it for a while. It tastes so good. I'll savor it slowly."

Wu Minzhi smiled contentedly and said, "There are plenty. No one will snatch them from you."

Wu Minzhi supervised Li Hong and watched him finish half a bowl of rice before leaving with satisfaction.

After Wu Minzhi left, Li Hong's face changed and he suddenly vomited, spitting out most of the food he had eaten.

He lay weakly, calling his personal eunuch, and said, "Go to the Sinong Temple and find the Taicang Office Secretary of the Inner Palace, and tell him that today's eels are not fresh and have a strange smell. Tell him to destroy them, and don't let my father, the emperor, the queen, or the concubines in the palace eat them by mistake. Tell him that this will not happen again, and to be more strict in the future."

The eunuch hurriedly asked, "If it's not fresh, why is the prince eating it so happily?"

Li Hong shook his head and said, "My brother is an impatient person. If he knew that my feelings for this eel were ruined, he would be furious. Not only would he lose his job, but I would also be known as a tyrant. My brother is not a bad person, he just acts too impulsively. Don't let him know."

The eunuch's eyes turned red and he nodded, "Okay!"

Li Hong added: "Don't make it difficult for the Minister of Taicang. Everyone makes mistakes. I make mistakes too. Just be careful next time."

The eunuch took the order and left.

The eunuch was named Wen Ruyan and had been following Li Hong for eight years. Influenced by Li Hong, he was also a kind palace servant. He did not flatter the prince just because he accompanied him. When encountering this incident, he could not help but get angry and went to the office of the director of the inner palace garden angrily.

The office of the Director General of the Inner Palace Garden was under the jurisdiction of the Sinong Temple, and was in charge of the inner palace pavilions, gardens, ponds, poultry, fish, and fruit trees. The food and finances of the Eastern Palace were all under the responsibility of the Director General of the Inner Palace Garden.

The Inner Palace Garden has one supervisor, one deputy supervisor, and two assistants.

The Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor were mainly responsible for the food expenses of the Emperor and Empress, while the Two Chancellors were responsible for the Crown Prince and concubines respectively.

Wen Ruyan scolded the Taicang Office Secretary who was in charge of the Eastern Palace in front of the Chief Supervisor and the Deputy Supervisor.

The Taicang Office Secretary was scolded so harshly that he was so frightened that he started shaking.

Wen Ruyan's eyes flashed with pity when he saw this, so he softened his tone and said, "What's your name?"

The Minister of Taicang said tremblingly: "Cui, Cui Zhu..."

Wen Ruyan said, "You should thank the prince for his kindness. If it were someone else, you would lose your job, not to mention your life. The prince knows that it is not easy for you to be an official, so he specifically asked me not to make things difficult for you. If there is a next time, I will never let you off easily."

Cui Zhu was so shocked when he heard this that he stood there for a long while and even forgot to thank the emperor.

(End of this chapter)