Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 408 Your Majesty, I Must Impeach Pei Xingjian!
On the last day of June, the weather in Chang'an was exceptionally hot.

After Shangguan Yi finished his work at the yamen, he ordered his men to move a large and comfortable couch to the backyard. He held a baby girl in one arm and a book in the other, and was engrossed in reading it.

The baby girl was his newborn granddaughter, who was not even a year old.

However, the little guy seemed very interested in the book, staring at it with wide eyes in Shangguan Yi's hands.

Shangguan Yi glanced at it, smiled slightly, and moved the book slightly, causing the little girl's gaze to follow it.

Shangguan Yi was delighted and kissed her chubby cheek, then smiled and asked, "Does Wan'er also like reading?"

His stiff beard made the little girl very uncomfortable, and she immediately started crying loudly.

Shangguan Yi didn't try to coax her; instead, she read the contents of the book aloud.

"The ancients were cautious about things like melon fields and plum trees, and excessive talk is a dangerous thing, like trying to prevent a river from overflowing."

After hearing this, the baby girl seemed to have her attention diverted and immediately stopped crying.

Shangguan Yi then recited: "Scholars help each other to form a wall, and people help each other to form a king."

The little girl moved her head again, staring blankly at the book in Shangguan Yi's hand.

Shangguan Yi nodded, thinking to himself, "This baby is so good at reading. She can be raised as a boy and made to study the Four Books and Five Classics. She may achieve great things in the future."

Just then, a servant came running over, calling out from afar, "My lord! My lord!"

Shangguan Yi asked with displeasure, "What's the matter that you're so alarmed?"

The servant said, "Young Master Xie from the Secretariat has arrived. He says he has something to report."

Xie Langjun's real name was Xie Gongyi. He was a principal clerk in the Secretariat and a student of Shangguan Yi.

Shangguan Yi knew that something had happened in the court, so he immediately handed Shangguan Wan'er over to a wet nurse and headed towards the study.

Upon entering the study, he saw a young man pacing back and forth anxiously. Seeing Shangguan Yi enter, the young man quickly bowed and said, "Teacher, an urgent report has arrived from Tingzhou." He handed over a piece of paper.

Shangguan Yi took it and saw that it was a handwritten memorial. After reading it, his expression changed drastically.

The governor of Tingzhou reported that the Turks had launched a surprise attack on the Mu Kingdom, captured its capital, and caused great shock in the Western Regions, with everyone feeling in danger.

Shangguan Yi said angrily, "It's all because Pei Xingjian raised a tiger that has caused trouble. I will definitely impeach him to His Majesty at the court meeting tomorrow!"

At almost the same time, the top officials of the three provinces and six ministries in Chang'an also learned of the news that the Mu Kingdom had been conquered, and they were all shocked.

A gentle evening breeze, the chirping of cicadas, the rising and setting of the sun and moon—it's the first day of July.

Early in the morning, the officials gathered outside Chengtian Gate, discussing the destruction of the Mu Kingdom.

The Mu Kingdom was one of the nine vassal states of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. It was only 500 li away from Chang'an City and was the closest of the nine kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty.

After the fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate, the territory actually controlled by the Tang Dynasty extended westward to Suyab.

The area between Suyab and Mu was the settlement of the five tribes of the Western Turkic Nushibi, who had been defeated by the Tang Dynasty.

Over the years, the Turks have recuperated and their strength has recovered to some extent.

For nomadic peoples of the grasslands, raiding was commonplace. Naturally, they dared not raid the Tang Dynasty again. So they turned their attention to the west and frequently raided the Mu, Cao, and Shi kingdoms that were close to them.

Since it was only a small-scale raid, the three countries did not report the matter to the Tang Dynasty immediately, but instead went to Kang State first.

Kang State was the eldest of the nine Zhao states, possessing the largest territory and the strongest military force.

Unfortunately, Kangguo suffered a turmoil due to the machinations of the Arabs. Although it was restored with the help of the Tang Dynasty, it was severely weakened and could not afford to offend the Turks.

The three kingdoms had no choice but to bring plenty of gold, silver, jewels, and gifts to the Anxi Protectorate to find Pei Xingjian.

To everyone's surprise, every time he went to seek justice, Pei Xingjian would give him a perfunctory response, ignore him, and even refuse to accept the gifts.

Later, they learned that a formidable figure named Ashina Zhefu had emerged from the Nushibi tribe.

This man was of Turkic royal lineage and served as the chief of the Geshuque tribe. He was skilled in horsemanship and archery, and once shot two birds with one arrow. He was respected by the chiefs of the other four tribes.

If the Tang Dynasty hadn't forbade it, he would have been proclaimed Khan by the Turks long ago.

Ashina Zhefu was not only highly respected among the Turks, but he was also very good at interpersonal relationships. He was extremely respectful to the Tang Dynasty and changed his surname to Li and his name to Li Zhefu.

The land of the Western Turks was now divided by the Tang Dynasty into the Mengchi Protectorate, which governed eleven prefectures and was under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate. The governor was Pei Xingjian.

Unlike the Nine Sogdian States, the Western Turks were only divided into prefectures and counties after they suffered a defeat in battle, and were required to pay a certain amount of cattle and sheep to the Tang Dynasty every year as taxes.

They also need to provide 5,000 soldiers to serve in the Anxi Protectorate.

Li Zhefu never compromised on this, ensuring that not a single cattle or sheep was missing each year, and that not a single soldier was lacking.

Moreover, he frequently visited the Anxi Protectorate to drink and hunt with Pei Xingjian. It is said that the two admired each other and had an excellent personal relationship.

After learning of the relationship between Pei Xingjian and Li Zhefu, the Three Kingdoms had no choice but to send envoys to Chang'an at the end of the year to make their moves.

These envoys, laden with gold and silver, visited high-ranking Tang officials throughout Chang'an, complaining about the matter and hoping they could speak to the Khan to restrain the Turks.

At that time, some officials took the money and submitted memorials to the emperor, but unfortunately, their memorials were never heard from again.

Pei Xingjian was trusted by the emperor and held a high position in the Tang Dynasty court. Those who accepted bribes were all mid-level officials who dared not offend him too much. Seeing that their reports were useless, they dared not investigate further.

The high-ranking officials of the two provinces, six ministries, and nine ministers were unwilling to create a rift with Pei Xingjian over such a trivial matter, so the matter was dropped.

However, as time went on, these high-ranking officials in the court still harbored resentment towards Pei Xingjian's behavior, but they simply suppressed it by force.

Shangguan Yi was one of them.

Now that this has happened, his dissatisfaction immediately erupted, and he decided to take advantage of the new and full moon days today to tell the emperor everything.

Xu Xiaode could tell from his expression that he was dissatisfied with the affairs of Mu State, and immediately asked, "Brother Shangguan, are you planning to submit a memorial to the Emperor later to impeach Pei Xingjian?"

Shangguan Yi said in a deep voice, "If we do not impeach him now, the Turks will become a major threat. Since I also serve as the Imperial Censor, I must impeach him!"

Xu Xiaode lowered his voice and said, "Brother Shangguan, I have a feeling that something is not right about this. You'd better not act rashly."

Shangguan Yi frowned and asked, "Something's not right?"

Xu Xiaode said, "You should also know my son, Xu Qidan. Before he was transferred back to Chang'an, he served in Anxi. According to his observation, Pei Xingjian is by no means an incompetent person."

Shangguan Yi said in a deep voice, "I know his abilities, but capable people are often arrogant and self-righteous, and are more likely to make big mistakes!"

Xu Xiaode then said, "You should have heard of Cui Zhibian, right?"

Shangguan Yi raised his eyebrows and said, "He is the Deputy Protector-General of Anxi. I have naturally heard of him. It is said that he governed Tingzhou with great kindness, which is why His Majesty promoted him."

Xu Xiaode said, "According to my son, Cui Zhibian is a person who cannot tolerate any wrongdoing, and he once impeached Pei Xingjian. The two do not have a good relationship."

"But in all these years, Cui Zhibian has never reported Pei Xingjian for this matter. Don't you find that strange?"

Shangguan Yi snorted and said, "Perhaps he was also bribed by the Turks, who knows?" Xu Xiaode glanced around and whispered, "I'll tell you something else, but don't tell anyone else."

Shangguan Yi nodded.

Xu Xiaode said in a low voice, "His Majesty once sent Gao Youdao to the Anxi Protectorate to secretly investigate the situation in Anxi. Not long after Gao Youdao returned, Pei Xingjian secretly returned to Chang'an and left after only a few days."

Shangguan Yi was startled. He knew that Pei Xingjian had secretly returned to Chang'an once, but he didn't know why.

Based on Gao Youdao's situation, it is not difficult to deduce that Gao Youdao had already informed the emperor of Pei Xingjian's situation, and the emperor had issued an edict summoning Pei Xingjian back to the capital to explain the matter.

But now that the emperor knows about this, how could Pei Xingjian still dare to tolerate the Turks and raise a tiger to cause trouble?
Is there really some secret behind this?
Furthermore, if the emperor wanted to summon Pei Xingjian, why did he send him back to Chang'an secretly? Did the emperor not want too many people to know about this?
Shangguan Yi took a deep breath, and her mind instantly became much clearer.

Since taking charge of Anxi, Pei Xingjian has built Suyab City, assisted Su Dingfang in defeating the Tibetans, and secretly devised a clever plan to help Kangguo restore its kingdom without lifting a finger.

Such a person should not do something as foolish as raising a tiger to cause trouble. He has the emperor's trust, so it is impossible for him to raise an enemy to enhance his own power.

Seeing that he was silent, Xu Xiaode smiled and asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Shangguan Yi nodded: "I've thought it through."

Xu Xiaode laughed and said, "So, are you still going to impeach Pei Xingjian later?"

Shangguan Yi said, "Of course we should impeach him!"

Xu Xiaode was taken aback and said, "You still want to impeach me?"

Shangguan Yi glanced at him and said, "Brother Xu, even if His Majesty and Pei Xingjian are plotting something, have they informed me of the situation?"

Xu Xiaode shook his head.

Shangguan Yi slowly said, "As the Imperial Censor, even if I impeach Pei Xingjian without knowing the truth, His Majesty will not blame me. On the contrary, if I ignore it, I will be guilty of dereliction of duty and occupying a position without doing my job!"

Xu Xiaode sighed and said, "That makes sense. Fine, I won't try to persuade you anymore, but you should be careful later."

Meanwhile, Li Yifu approached Zhang Jianzhi and asked, "Jianzhi, have you heard about the events in Mu Kingdom?"

Zhang Jianzhi nodded: "I've heard about it."

Li Yifu said, "If the Turks recover their strength, they will become a hidden danger. Pei Shouyue did not handle this matter well; after all, he is still too young."

Zhang Jianzhi remained silent.

Li Yifu then said, "I plan to submit a memorial to the emperor later, recommending someone to go to Anxi to guard the region and replace Pei Shouyue. What do you think?"

Zhang Jianzhi remained silent, lost in thought.

Li Yifu hurriedly asked, "Don't you think this is inappropriate?"

Zhang Jianzhi remained silent.

Seeing that he seemed to be in a daze, Li Yifu waved his hand and said, "Jianzhi?"

Zhang Jianzhi then came to his senses and asked, "Lord Li, what's wrong?"

Li Yifu frowned and said, "I'm talking to you, what are you thinking about?"

Zhang Jianzhi hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm thinking about how to increase the national treasury revenue to make up for the military expenditure."

Li Yifu: "..."

Zhang Jianzhi was far too honest. When the emperor asked them to come up with a solution, he was clearly just trying to get rid of them and tell them to stop dwelling on the matter.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Jianzhi actually started to consider it carefully.

This involves military expenditures of millions of dollars; there's no easy way to come up with a solution.

“Jianzhi, you don’t need to rack your brains over this matter. I think His Majesty already has a solution. Let’s just wait and see,” he advised.

Zhang Jianzhi nodded.

Li Yifu slowly said, "Right now, we should consider the situation in the Western Regions. This matter is of great importance. Pei Shouyue is too young, and I am still worried about him. I would like to recommend Li Jingxuan to serve as the Protector-General of Anxi. With Liu Rengui as a precedent, His Majesty may well agree. Li Jingxuan is a thoughtful and meticulous man, and should be able to shoulder this great responsibility!"

Zhang Jianzhi fell silent again.

"Jianzhi?"

Zhang Jianzhi exclaimed "Ah!" and asked, "Lord Li, what did you just say?"

Li Yifu: "..."

A moment later, the drums sounded, and Shangguan Yi arrived at the palace gate and shouted, "Enter the court!"

The officials, in order, passed through the palace gates and arrived at the west corridor. After arranging their ranks and announcing their names, they entered the main hall.

After the court officials had taken their positions, Li Zhi quickly entered the main hall, sat down on the dragon throne, and announced the start of the court session.

Shangguan Yi immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Li Zhi had also heard about the matter of the Mu Kingdom last night, and knew that the ministers would definitely attack Pei Xingjian at today's court meeting.

As the Imperial Censor, it was perfectly normal for Shangguan Yi to be the first to step forward; it would be strange if he had no reaction at all.

"Speak," Li Zhi waved his hand.

Shangguan Yi said, "An urgent report came from Anxi last night, and His Majesty should know about it. The five tribes of the Western Turks acted without orders and attacked our vassal states. This is a serious crime and must not be tolerated!"

"Your Majesty, I request that you summon Li Zhefu to Chang'an to interrogate him about his crimes. In addition, Pei Xingjian, the Protector-General of Anxi, also bears responsibility and should be ordered to come to Chang'an as well to be questioned about this matter."

Civil officials such as Yan Liben, Lu Chengqing, Xin Maojiang, and Li Yifu, as well as military generals such as Yuchi Gong, Cheng Zhijie, and Gao Kan, stepped forward to express their seconding of the motion.

Among the military officers, Xue Rengui and Li Ji did not second the motion. Li Ji claimed to be ill and did not come, while Xue Rengui sat motionless on the mat.

Of the civil officials, only Di Renjie, Zhang Jianzhi, Hao Chujun, and Xu Xiaode remained unmoved.

Li Zhi was prepared and remained calm upon seeing the situation. He said to Hao Chujun, "Minister Hao, tell the others about the situation."

Hao Chujun acknowledged, turned slightly to face the crowd, and slowly said, "Last night at midnight, Protector Pei sent someone with the latest news: the Western Turks have withdrawn their troops and apologized to the Anxi Protectorate."

Shangguan Yi frowned and said, "Apologize?"

Hao Chujun said, "Yes, Li Zhefu explained to Protector Pei that the Turks and the Mu Kingdom were only at odds over water resources."

"The water source is called the Wu River. Its upper reaches are in the Mu Kingdom, and its lower reaches are in the Western Turkic Asijie tribe. The Mu Kingdom cut off the water from the upper reaches and diverted another canal, causing the Turks to suffer from water shortages. That's why the Turks went to the Mu Kingdom to argue their case."

"The two sides negotiated on the upper reaches of the Wu River, but failed to reach an agreement and fought. The Mu Kingdom's 5,000 troops were defeated by several hundred Turkic cavalry."

"Those hundreds of cavalrymen were in a bloodthirsty frenzy. They chased the enemy all the way to the capital of Mu, but found that the city was poorly defended. So they stormed into the city, looted it, and then left."

"When the King of Mu heard that the Turks had entered the city, he hastily fled the palace and was unaware of the true situation. The claim that the capital of Mu was captured by the Turks is completely unfounded!"

(End of this chapter)