Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 427 Li Er: To pacify external enemies, one must first pacify internal enemies [Seeking monthly votes]

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

As soon as Li Shimin's entourage arrived outside Chang'an, Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang, and others, along with their ministers and nobles, stepped forward to greet him and bowed respectfully.

Li Shimin smiled faintly and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. Today, let us witness this grand event together."

He didn't discuss the war in Liaodong, nor did he inquire about the chaos in Chang'an, as if nothing had happened, and directly focused everyone's attention on the matter of the 'return of the death row inmate'.

Fang Xuanling and the others naturally understood, and someone immediately chimed in with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise! You have established this extraordinary covenant that will last for a thousand years. Even if we are the witnesses, we will still be remembered in history."

"Hahaha!"

Li Shimin threw his head back and laughed, as if all the gloom had been swept away.

After he finished laughing, he turned to Sun Fujia of the Dali Temple and asked, "Minister Sun, when will those 390 death row inmates return?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned to look at Sun Fujia.

"Your Majesty, they will begin to return around noon." Sun Fujia stepped forward unhurriedly and bowed, saying, "This was arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince. The sun is shining brightly, enough to illuminate the bright future of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Uh,"

Li Shimin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then he forced a laugh and said, "Well said! With the Crown Prince and with me, the Tang Dynasty naturally has a bright future!"

After speaking, he turned to Fang Xuanling and the others, and said with a smile, "Xuanling, tell all my ministers to wait in the temporary tent, and arrange for someone to prepare some things to cool them down and satisfy their hunger. Also, notify the medical school to send a few doctors and nurses over, just in case!"

"promise!"

Fang Xuanling acknowledged and immediately turned and left.

Li Shimin then turned his attention to Wei Zheng, Liu Ji, Chu Suiliang, and Dai Zhou, but in the end he only called over Chu Suiliang: "Grand Counselor, come here."

"Yes!"

Chu Suiliang glanced at Liu Ji, who was eager to try but also looked disappointed, and carefully stepped over the crowd to Li Shimin's side.

Li Shimin looked at him, then at Changsun Wuji, sighed, and waved his hand, saying, "Wuji, you come along too!"

"Yes!"

Changsun Wuji responded and then followed Chu Suiliang and Li Shimin to the side.

Meanwhile, Yun Duan, accompanied by his Hundred Cavalry Guards, isolated a space of about 100 meters.

Li Shimin stopped first, followed by Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji.

Li Shimin looked at Chu Suiliang with a complicated expression and said in a deep voice, "When I asked you to investigate the Crown Prince, what was the result?"

In fact, he had already learned the truth through Chu Suiliang and the others' confessions, but he still wanted to hear Chu Suiliang's account in person.

But then Chu Suiliang said carefully, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince was preparing to search the Prince of Shu’s residence that day. We were unaware of the Prince of Shu’s actions, so we summoned the Crown Prince to the Three Departments. The Crown Prince was very cooperative and did not resist us.”

"It seems the Crown Prince had a plan all along. And his plan didn't require his involvement. In fact, his entry into the Three Departments' prison was part of that opportunity."

"So, he's been plotting against Li Ke all along?" Li Shimin said, narrowing his eyes.

"This subject is not aware of the matter."

Chu Suiliang shook his head and said, "I only know that the night the Crown Prince was imprisoned in the Three Departments, the whole of Chang'an was in chaos, with shouts of killing and collisions all around."

"Meanwhile, the Crown Prince sat in the Three Departments Prison, playing the pipa and singing, displaying a remarkable strategic acumen!"

"He can play the pipa?"

Li Shimin asked with some surprise.

Changsun Wuji, standing to the side, twitched at the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself, "That's not the problem, Your Majesty."

However, since Li Shimin asked, Chu Suiliang naturally had to answer.

But then Chu Suiliang nodded heavily and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince plays the pipa very well, and sings very well. His singing is full of murderous intent. I was terrified when I heard it, and I still feel cold on my back when I think about it."

"What pipa piece? What song?"

"According to His Highness the Crown Prince, it seems to be called 'Ambush from Ten Sides' or 'Seven Killings Poem'!"

"Ambush from Ten Sides? Seven Killings Poem?"

Li Shimin frowned deeply and couldn't help but turn to look at Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji was also quite surprised, and then couldn't help but ask, "Your song and poem seem to suggest that the Crown Prince's situation at the time was not very good!"

"Well, that's right!"

Chu Suiliang nodded and said, "The Crown Prince was blocked outside the city by the Prince of Liang and the city's defense forces before he even entered. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's show of force, he probably wouldn't have been able to even get in!"

"Where did Li Yin get his military power?" Li Shimin asked coldly.

"this…."

Chu Suiliang hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "It was given by Lord Fang and Lord Li. At that time, the Shu Prince's Mansion found a group of quack doctors to slander the Academy of Medical Sciences, which aroused the anger of the people of Chang'an and created a critical situation. At that time, the Liang Prince, with the Shu Prince's instruction, used the excuse of righteousness, the urgency of the situation and the need to maintain stability to coerce Lord Fang and Lord Li, and that's how he obtained the power to defend the city."

"Humph!"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, clearly unconvinced by this explanation: "I think they're just watching the tigers fight from the sidelines! Nobody wants to get involved!"

"However, this matter is not entirely their fault. It was mainly due to the fact that the King of Shu at the time had the advantage of 'righteousness' and 'popular support,' as well as Your Majesty..."

"What? I didn't issue an order for him to interfere in Chang'an's affairs!"

Li Shimin immediately interrupted Chu Suiliang, his face suddenly showing anger.

But Changsun Wuji, standing to the side, interjected, "Has Your Majesty forgotten that you appointed the Prince of Shu to oversee the nation's finances? Is that something a mere prince like him can manage? Doesn't this tell everyone that you trust him more than the Crown Prince?"

"you!"

Li Shimin was momentarily speechless, then let out an indignant snort and asked the question he most wanted to ask: "Did Chai Zhewei and Yuchi Huan really collude with the garrison commander to harm the people of Chang'an?"

"Yes! Absolutely true! And the evidence is irrefutable!"

Chu Suiliang stated with certainty: "On the night the Crown Prince entered the Three Departments Prison, they colluded with the Prince of Shu's assassins, guards, and those sorcerers to spread a highly poisonous 'enhanced Qingwen Powder' in Chang'an, intending to coerce all the people of Chang'an into launching an attack on the Crown Prince!"

"Fortunately, the Crown Prince had made preparations in advance, otherwise they would have succeeded!"

"Were the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Liang really killed by the Crown Prince?"

"This"

“Speak your mind! Do you dare to deceive the emperor?” Li Shimin’s face darkened.

Chu Suiliang immediately bowed and said, "Your subject dares not!"

"If you're afraid, just tell me! What exactly happened?!"

Li Shimin seemed a little impatient.

But Chu Suiliang said in a complicated tone, "To be honest, I don't know either. Some people say that the guard was impersonating the crown prince and kidnapped the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Shu, and that some people even saw it with their own eyes. Others say that the crown prince killed the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Shu, and that the so-called impersonation was just to confuse the public."

"As for which statement is true, I have not seen it with my own eyes, so I cannot comment."

"In your opinion, which statement do you think is more credible?" Li Shimin asked, squinting his eyes.

Chu Suiliang said with a bitter expression, "I really don't know which one is more credible, but I think the Crown Prince has no reason to kill the two princes. They have already committed an unforgivable crime, so why bother?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin subconsciously exchanged a glance with Changsun Wuji, then sighed: "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. That rebellious son isn't that cold-blooded yet."

"clang--!"

The moment Li Shimin finished speaking, the gong at noon suddenly rang out.

At this moment, the crowd outside the Vermilion Bird Gate had piled up like a living wall.

The shoes of the people in the front row were trampled black, while those in the back row stood on tiptoe to look towards Luoyang Road. Even the Imperial Guards on duty on the city wall couldn't help but peek out.

"Look! Isn't that the Dali Temple? Why do they look so unwell?!"

Someone in the crowd nudged their companion.

Sun Fujia stood before the officials, clutching his court tablet, his brow furrowed. He whispered to Ma Zhou beside him, "Yesterday, the Embroidered Uniform Guard reported that three people were missing. Ma Erbao has even cut off all communication with Bingzhou. The Crown Prince is likely to lose this gamble!"

"We're not welcoming the Crown Prince right now, so what are you worried about?"

Cen Wenben said with a hint of amusement, "His Majesty intended to use this welcoming ceremony to dispel everyone's suspicions about the Liaodong War, but unexpectedly, he shot himself in the foot." "But His Highness the Crown Prince also doesn't want this matter to be ruined..." Liu Rengui couldn't help but interject.

Ma Zhou remained silent, his gaze fixed on the end of Luoyang Road, his fingertips leaving marks in his sleeves.

The discussions among the people became even more varied.

The man in the coarse cloth jacket spat on the ground: "I told you these death row inmates are wolves that can't be tamed! Two years ago, His Majesty released them home, and so many people cursed him behind his back as a 'tyrant.' It's good that they've run away now, saving us from wasting food!"

"You know nothing!"

The old woman selling tea next to him immediately glared at him: "Two years ago, before he left, Grandpa Zhang repaired my shoes and said he would definitely come back in the spring to admit his sins. He didn't come back last year because of the plague, but I believe he wouldn't lie to me!"

Suddenly, someone pointed into the distance and screamed, "They're here! It's a prison van procession!"

Then, a group of people led by a bailiff from the Dali Temple arrived. The prisoners, dressed in neat rows of gray-blue prison uniforms, were followed by Dai Zhou on horseback, who was flipping through the roster in his hand.

"Li Ergou, here!"

"Grandma Wang, here!"

One by one, the red circles on the roster were crossed out, until finally, Sun Fujia's voice suddenly stopped—

"Ma Erbao! Where is Ma Erbao?"

The line of death row inmates fell silent instantly.

Wang Laoshi, the old soldier who had been in the same cell as Ma Erbao two years ago, moved forward slightly, his chapped lips moving slightly: "Sir, Ma Erbao... he said he was going back to Bingzhou to pick up his blind mother, could it be..."

"No way! They definitely ran away!"

The man in the crowd shouted again, and this time quite a few people echoed him.

"Exactly! Can you really trust what a death row inmate says?"

"Your Majesty shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then; now the court has lost face!"

Among the officials, Dai Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, couldn't help but step forward: "Your Majesty, it is already 1:15 PM, and Ma Erbao has not returned. As agreed, we should issue an arrest warrant immediately to uphold the law!"

Li Shimin slowly walked over, expressionlessly stroking the tassel of his sword without saying a word.

He turned to look at the death row inmate named Zhang Agong.

He pulled a crumpled pancake from his pocket and handed it to the sallow-faced, emaciated boy beside him.

That was Chen Erlang, who had been imprisoned two years ago for stealing cattle, and was now looking towards Luoyang with red eyes.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the sound of hooves rolled in from afar. A skinny horse galloped in like a madman. The rider was covered in mud, blood seeping through the tattered cloth on his left arm, and he was clutching a cloth bag tightly in his arms.

As soon as the horse reached the city wall, the man fell off and crawled forward. His cloth bag fell to the ground, and a wooden hairpin engraved with the character "孝" (filial piety) rolled out from it.

"Ma Erbao—!"

Sun Fujia cried out in disbelief.

Ma Erbao knelt on the ground, his forehead covered in blood from kowtowing: "Your Majesty! I...I'm late! My mother passed away five days ago. I buried her and rushed back, but I was robbed on the way, which delayed me..."

boom!
The crowd erupted in chaos.

"Robbed on the road? That's probably a lie!"

"Is that hairpin in his pocket really his mother's?"

"It's past noon! According to the rules, this counts as an escape!"

Chu Suiliang quickly bowed: "Your Majesty! Although this boy has his reasons, his return date has passed. If he is pardoned, it may be difficult to convince the people!"

Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement: "The law is as solid as a mountain; it cannot be violated lightly!"

Before Li Shimin could speak, the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly rang out from the line of death row prisoners.

All 389 people turned around in unison and stood in front of Ma Erbao.

Wang Laoshi shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty! Ma Erbao didn't escape! Everyone in the prison knows about his mother's illness!"

"If he wanted to run away, why did he bring my hairpin back with him?"

Old Master Zhang also stepped forward, trembling: "We are willing to vouch for him! If he is a fraud, we will all be guilty!"

The people were stunned, and the officials were dumbfounded.

The old woman selling tea suddenly burst into tears: "I knew Grandpa Zhang wouldn't lie! Young Master Ma is just being filial!"

The man who had just shouted "ran away" turned bright red and shrank back.

Li Shimin finally walked over, step by step ascending the high platform. The sound of his footsteps on the blue bricks made one's heart race with every step.

He bent down to pick up the wooden hairpin, his fingertips tracing the character for "filial piety," and suddenly smiled at Ma Erbao: "Your mother's hairpin is beautifully carved."

After saying that, he turned to Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji and said, "The law is dead, but people are alive. He kept his filial piety to his mother and his promise to me. He was a little late, so it can't be considered an escape."

Upon hearing this, Sun Fujia immediately stood up and loudly announced, "All three hundred and ninety death row inmates are present! Their return date has not yet passed—!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a deafening roar: "Your Majesty is wise!"

The old woman selling tea shoved freshly brewed hot tea into the hands of the death row inmate, and the man in coarse cloth, scratching his head, squeezed in: "Brother Ma, I'm sorry, I was just making things up!"

Among the officials, Changsun Wuji breathed a sigh of relief, while Fang Xuanling shook his head with a smile.

Chu Suiliang also bowed and said, "Your Majesty governs the world with trustworthiness, which I cannot match."

Li Shimin raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He walked to the prison cart and personally unlocked the first pair of shackles: "As agreed, you should have returned last year. And I should have kept my promise last year as well."

"Unfortunately, last year was a turbulent year for our Great Tang Dynasty."

"but."

Then, he changed the subject and added, "Good things often come with difficulties. You have arrived as promised this year. I am very pleased and happy. Therefore, I will fulfill my promise to you and grant you pardon upon your return."

After finishing his speech, he looked around at his ministers and continued, "Today, they have not only returned, but they have also shown me that the 'trust' of my Great Tang Dynasty is not in the law, but in their hearts and in the eyes of the people."

Swish-!
Suddenly, sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the shackles that had been removed.

Holding the wooden hairpin, Ma Erbao kowtowed three times towards Bingzhou, then turned to Li Shimin and said, "Your subject is willing to go to the Western Regions to join the army and guard the border for the Great Tang!"

"We, your humble servants, are willing to defend the Tang Dynasty!"

Three hundred and ninety people shouted in unison, their voices making the bronze bells on the Drum Tower ring.

The people cheered, and some raised banners that read "Zhenguan's Faith in the World".

Looking at the scene before him, Chu Suiliang suddenly understood.

In this gamble, what His Majesty and the Crown Prince won was not the return of the condemned prisoners, but the submission of the entire court and the trust of the people.

On Chang'an Street, the scent of wheat wafted in the wind. The newly pardoned death row inmates received farm tools from the government. Some were led away by their relatives, while others followed the conscription officer to the military camp.

The man in coarse cloth caught up with Ma Sanbao and stuffed a steamed bun into his hand: "Brother, eat this on the road! When we get to the Western Regions, kill a few more barbarians for us!"

On the high platform, Li Shimin looked at all this and smiled at his ministers, saying, "Look, this is the Zhenguan era I wanted!"

"Ministers dare to remonstrate, common people dare to speak out, and death row inmates dare to keep their promises. Everyone believes that this country is worth protecting."

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"May the Tang Dynasty last ten thousand years!"

The ministers all spoke in unison, their voices echoing like a thunderclap.

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction, then glanced discreetly in the direction of Tuyuhun and murmured, "That rebellious son must also want to protect this Tang Dynasty, right?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt a sense of relief and clarity.

Regardless, let's clean up the outside first.

"Guards! Convey my decree! Order the Crown Prince's troops to proceed to Liaodong immediately without removing their armor and to complete the tasks I have not yet finished!"

(End of this chapter)