Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 249 Is someone in your family involved too?
"What are you doing, Physician Wei? Get up quickly."

Wen He feigned surprise but made no move to help him up.

The last glimmer of hope in Wei Tai's heart vanished after Dou Jing came out.

He was aware of what the Hundred Cavalry were doing at the Ministry of War.

Wen He thought that with Changsun Wuji around, he wouldn't dare to investigate the Ministry of Civil Affairs. But who knew that His Majesty would issue an edict making Dou Jing the Minister of Civil Affairs?

Forty percent of the Ministry of War's personnel were captured by the Hundred Cavalry, and even his dealings with Lü Shiheng were uncovered.

He didn't believe that if Wen He had accessed the Ministry of Civil Affairs' accounts, he wouldn't have been able to uncover his misdeeds.

"His Majesty said that if they voluntarily surrender, they will be forgiven for their past transgressions..."

“But His Majesty said that before the Hundred Cavalry intervened in the investigation, past offenses would be overlooked.” Wen He walked up to him.

He was about the same height as Wei Tai, who was kneeling down.

The latter's eyes widened instantly, and his hands involuntarily clenched.

"Jiaying!" Xu Jingzong suddenly appeared beside Wen He, staring at Wei Tai: "What do you want to do!"

Seeing Wei Tai clench his hands, he thought he was going to hurt Wen He.

However, Wei Tai wasn't that foolish at this point.

“However,” Wen He suddenly changed the subject, smiling, “if you can expose your accomplices, I can suggest that His Majesty reduce your sentence by one degree.”

Wei Tai was taken aback. He looked at Wen He and couldn't help but think of something.

"You don't mean for me to report Changsun..."

"Snapped!"

Wen He raised her hand and slapped Wei Tai across the face.

Everyone was shocked, staring in disbelief at the small, red palm on Wei Tai's face.

Even Wei Tai was stunned, staring at Wen He: "You, you hit me?"

"Don't try anything funny. If Changsun Wuji is innocent, I'll accuse you of false accusation. No one has been killed in this case yet. Do you want to be the first?"

Whether Wei Tai wanted to drag Sun Wuji into this mess or deliberately framed Wen He and slandered him, it doesn't matter.

Wen He would never let him succeed.

His relationship with Changsun Wuji was indeed bad, but there was no need to resort to such means to frame him.

Wei Tai was utterly astonished.

He didn't actually have that intention at all.

He genuinely misunderstood that Wen He wanted him to frame Changsun Wuji.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't that, and I was slapped for no reason.

Before long, the news reached the palace.

Changsun Wuji happened to be there as well.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin burst into laughter: "Fuji, you underestimated this brat before. I told you long ago that you can rest assured that he will not use this as an excuse to do anything to you."

"Besides, there's no irreconcilable grudge between you and him. How about this, I'll make the decision: let your second son serve as the Chief Clerk of the Hundred Cavalry."

Changsun Wuji was greatly surprised.

Although Changsun Huan had told him before that he wanted to join the Hundred Cavalry, he was reprimanded.

Those hundred riders belong to His Majesty; no force is allowed to taint them.

Besides, there's that brat Wen He around. If Changsun Huan were to join the Hundred Cavalry, what future would he have?

I never expected that His Majesty would bring this up now.

"Your Majesty, Erlang..."

“Fuji, some things are better left to our own people to do. I trust Erlang. If he likes the military in the future, I will arrange for him to join the Ministry of War.”

Li Shimin abruptly interrupted Changsun Wuji.

These words struck a chord with the latter.

"Yes, my family and His Majesty are related. If Erlang could enter the Ministry of War in the future, that would be quite good."

"Your Majesty has issued a decree, how could I dare to disobey? It's just that Erlang is rather unruly, and Your Majesty needs to discipline him more."

Changsun Wuji laughed heartily.

The depression he felt before because the Minister of Civil Affairs had been taken away has lessened considerably.

Li Shimin gave a beating, then offered a sweet treat.

He was particularly adept at using this method.

Unfortunately, for some reason, it wasn't very effective against that brat Wen He.

This young man got promoted and given a higher position, but he hasn't come to the palace to express his gratitude for several days.

It's really abominable!

Li Shimin grew angrier the more he thought about it.

He planned to teach Wen He a lesson when he entered the palace after the Ministry of Civil Affairs' investigation was completed in a few days.

However, after the matter with the Ministry of Civil Affairs was settled.

Xu Jingzong and Huang Chun were the ones who entered the palace again.

"Where is Wen He? Where is that brat? Why doesn't he go to the palace? Can't he go to the palace and then go back to sleep?!"

Everyone in the Liangyi Hall stared in astonishment at the angry Li Shimin.

Shouldn't His Majesty be focusing on the Ministry of Civil Affairs right now?

Dou Jing, the newly appointed Minister of Civil Affairs, was also somewhat unhappy.

Because apart from the Department of Finance, none of the other three departments of the Ministry of Civil Affairs were involved.

Wei Tai did indeed make a report, but he reported two doctors from the Ministry of Works, who have now been imprisoned by the Hundred Cavalry.

There were also some people he had bribed, whose cavalry had not yet moved.

Because they don't move around much.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has a lot of accounts, and the magistrate of Gaoyang County is still very young." Xu Jingzong chuckled dryly twice.

Just a few days ago, His Majesty the Emperor reprimanded them for not taking good care of Wen He, causing him trouble.

This time, the two of them stayed by Wen He's side, afraid of tiring him out, and forced him to sleep for three hours every day.

"Enough, enough. How is the Ministry of Revenue doing?" Li Shimin waved his hand, no longer mentioning Wen He's matter.

The news that came from the Ministry of Revenue these past few days has been some consolation for Li Shimin.

After all, there had been an investigation before, and a new batch of officials had been replaced, so the number of people arrested by the Hundred Cavalry was not as many as that of the Ministry of War.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Civil Affairs' accounts have been thoroughly investigated. The amount of military pay embezzled by Wei Tai and others is the same as before. In addition, there is another 200,000 strings of cash that Wei Tai and others bribed nobles with. The names are all listed here. Please review them, Your Majesty."

Huang Chun took out a note.

The names in this letter are quite significant.

Li Shimin frowned and asked Gao Yue to bring up the memorial.

When he opened the letter, the first line of names he saw made his brows furrow even deeper.

"This actually involves five members of the royal family!"

"Snapped!"

Li Shimin slammed his palm heavily onto the table.

Moreover, Li Xiaochang's name was even on it.

what is this?
This is aiding the enemy in a rebellion!

"The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court are hereby appointed."

Not long after, Li Shentong arrived together with an old man.

After the two exchanged greetings, Li Shimin got straight to the point.

Matters concerning the imperial clan were handled by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, while matters concerning officials were handled by the Court of Judicial Review.

The mission of the Hundred Riders is now complete.

Xu Jingzong and Huang Chun both breathed a sigh of relief.

The arrests and investigations are nothing compared to the pressure of the verdict.

"The worst that can happen is exile."

Inside the garden of Wenhe Mansion.

Li Chengqian, Li Ke, Li Tai, and Li You sat around on the stone steps to the side.

Li Yifu was brewing tea.

Li Daozong was sitting to the side.

Why does it seem like his house has been contracted out to someone surnamed Li?
"My cousins ​​have been taken to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Their families have all gone to Uncle Wang to plead for them, hoping that they could be dismissed from their posts as punishment, but they are still in Chang'an."

After saying this, Li Daozong picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.

Wen He closed her eyes, enjoying the autumn breeze and the sunshine, without saying a word.

"Uncle Wang, if those people are only dismissed from their posts and left in Chang'an, they can still live the same way as before. In the future, those people can find another reason to be reinstated!"

Li Chengqian was somewhat indignant.

Knowing that Wen He was investigating the embezzlement, he specially requested permission to leave the palace, hoping to get some details from Wen He.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Your Highness, we are all family after all.” “The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people.” Li Chengqian retorted, his neck stiff.

Li Daozong was speechless.

Can he say it's wrong?

"You didn't come here today to ask me for help, did you? Is someone in your family involved too?" Wen He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Li Daozong.

The latter pursed his lips helplessly: "You know perfectly well what I'm asking. Weren't those people all found out by you?"

Wen He was right; he did come today to plead for his cousins.

But now, seeing Wen He's meaning, he understood.

This definitely doesn't make sense.

He decided to stop talking about it to avoid any rift between him and Wen He.

"But this time the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Civil Affairs are in even worse shape. Aren't you afraid that those people will hate you?"

Li Daozong was somewhat worried.

The people arrested this time are not from just one faction.

From the old retainers of the Qin Prince's Mansion to the aristocratic families, the Guanzhong region, the southern gentry, and the people of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, everyone was involved.

Although it wouldn't amount to murder, the loss of so many people will surely make Wen He resentful.

Wen He smiled nonchalantly, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip.

"Let them hate me if they want. As long as His Majesty doesn't give in, I have nothing to worry about. Besides, His Majesty has gained a lot of prestige from this incident."

“Those soldiers whose pay has been embezzled will be even more willing to serve His Majesty in the future. And with soldiers, will His Majesty be afraid of them?”

This was a reply to Li Daozong, and also meant for Li Chengqian.

Those in power without military authority are like rootless duckweed.

Li Daozong also deeply agreed with this.

He didn't stay long at Wen He's house and left soon after.

He then went to Li Shentong to convey Wen He's message.

Li Shentong was not surprised by this.

“He is His Majesty’s man, and he has already risen to such a high position at such a young age. If he befriends court officials and members of the imperial family, isn’t His Majesty worried that he will become the next Yang Jian?”

Yang Jian himself rose to fame at a young age and made many friends.

Even during his period of seclusion, there were still people in the Northern Zhou court who spoke up for him.

The final result is self-evident.

……

Wen He rested at home for a few days.

The weather outside is getting colder and colder.

Light snow even fell in some parts of Guannei Road.

After having breakfast, Wen He went out to check in at the Hundred Riders event.

As soon as he entered the Hundred Riders' camp, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

“Young Master Changsun will be the Chief of the Hundred Cavalry in the future. Jiaying, you should have met him before.”

When Xu Jingzong introduced Wen He, he specifically gestured to her with his eyes.

He was worried that Wen He might suddenly lose his temper and attack Changsun Huan.

"Oh, I've met you before."

To Huang Chun and Xu Jingzong's surprise.

Wen He was surprisingly calm.

"Yes, I visited the residence of the Prince of Gaoyang before, so I met the Prince of Gaoyang once."

Changsun Huan, on the other hand, behaved very politely.

Wen He felt a headache coming on.

Although he had long anticipated that Li Shimin would send him a hundred cavalrymen, he did not expect them to arrive so quickly.

It was probably meant to appease them.

However, even if he comes to the Hundred Riders, the three leaders of the Hundred Riders will not become four.

The position of Chief of the Hundred Cavalry was an insignificant one.

Because Wen He was the previous clerk in office, the position of Hundred Cavalry Chief Clerk seemed to be of great importance.

But those were all rights granted by Li Shimin.

"Now that you've taken office, the miscellaneous tasks of the Hundred Cavalry will be your responsibility. As for the specifics, given my low rank, I'll leave it to Military Advisor Xu to discuss with you."

Wen He smiled faintly and glanced at Xu Jingzong.

The latter immediately understood his meaning: he did not want to have much involvement with the Changsun family.

"Ahem, of course, Councilor Wen, go ahead and do your training."

In front of outsiders, Lao Xu puts on the airs of a superior.

Wen He rolled her eyes at him, bowed, and withdrew.

Changsun Huan pretended not to notice that the two of them were acting and continued to wear a smiling face.

"Thank you for your help, Officer Xu."

"Why is the second son of the Changsun family here?"

On the training ground, Dugu Chen came specifically to find Wen He.

He had thought he would see Changsun Chong and Wen He when they had a conflict.

Unexpectedly, it was Changsun Huan who came, and he immediately became the chief secretary.

"Snapped!"

Wen He slapped him on the head.

"Go train. Have you finished the 100-step obstacle course yet?"

“I’m off today, my first time off! How about I invite you to Wangchun Tower?” Dugu Chen grinned.

Wen He raised her foot and kicked him in the buttocks.

"Get lost."

"If you don't want Wangchun Tower, there's also Jinxiu Tower. It's said that a new batch of songstresses from the Western Regions have arrived, and they look especially beautiful when they shake their hips."

"If you don't get out of here, I'm canceling your leave!"

"Hey, no, no, I'll go, I'll go, okay?"

Dugu Chen left smugly.

Wen He knew that this kid was definitely trying to provoke her on purpose.

It even shook its butt.

He's only ten years old!

What can I do there?
After finishing morning training and having lunch, Wen He returned to her office and wanted to take a nap.

But then, someone came looking for them from outside.

"Young master, the people from the Dali Temple have arrived."

Wen He, who had just been lying on the table, suddenly looked up at Zhang Wenxiao with a sullen expression.

"Why can't we just send them to find Lao Xu or Lao Huang?"

"Uh, Military Advisor Xu has gone out, and Supervisor Huang has entered the palace." Zhang Wenxiao said with some helplessness.

He knew Wen He had a bad temper when she woke up; if she didn't get enough sleep, she would be like a wildfire about to erupt.

"The fact that these two are absent at this particular time is definitely suspicious."

Wen He yawned and mumbled something.

As Zhang Wenxiao went outside, he indeed saw people from the Dali Temple waiting outside.

"Greetings, Wenxianzi. I am Fan An, the Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review."

The man who arrived was middle-aged, wearing a light green round-necked robe, and he looked quite energetic.

The Chief Clerk of the Court of Judicial Review was a low-ranking official of the seventh grade.

It is one level higher than Wenhe.

His polite self-reference was out of consideration for Wen He.

"Greetings, Registrar Fan. May I ask what brings you here, sir?" Wen He suppressed his frustration and forced a smile as he asked.

Fan An smiled and bowed.

"I dare not offer any guidance. It was Minister Liu who sent me to invite County Magistrate Wen to the Dali Temple to inquire about some matters."

Upon hearing this, Wen He narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at the person in front of her, asking, "Good news or bad news?"

"Uh, it's neither good nor bad." Fan An was taken aback; he hadn't expected Wen He to be so direct.

Upon hearing this, Wen He fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he nodded and said, "Very well, then I will go to the Dali Temple."

(End of this chapter)