Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 199 The Masses Launch a Crackdown on Lai Junchen

Liu Jianjun explained: "What we are worried about are nothing more than the three points I just mentioned."

"First, confidentiality or security; second, whether it can succeed and whether it can be accomplished in one battle; third, the credit afterward."

Liu Jianjun was looking at Wu Chengsi as he said this.

Wu Chengsi stared at him without saying a word.

Liu Jianjun continued, "Actually, there is a very good solution to all three of these issues. Not only are you happy with it, but His Highness Prince Pei is also happy with it."

"Please speak," Wu Chengsi said.

"Let's recruit another person."

Neither Li Xian nor Wu Chengsi expected Liu Jianjun to suddenly bring this up.

Wu Chengsi, in particular, stared at Liu Jianjun for a long time, trying to discern his intentions from Liu Jianjun's eyes.

But clearly, that's unlikely.

He asked, "Who?"

“Princess Taiping!” Liu Jianjun’s words were startling. “Furthermore, we will hand over the initiative to Princess Taiping. Whenever she decides when to launch the operation, we will launch the operation.”

"In this way, neither side knows when the operation will begin, which greatly enhances the secrecy."

"As for the success rate and the credit afterward, that's even easier to say. Princess Taiping spearheaded this operation, so she will naturally take the lion's share of the credit. Moreover, given her favor with His Majesty, the success rate of accomplishing this task will be greatly increased!"

Liu Jianjun gave a brief explanation, then stared intently at Wu Chengsi: "As long as we can bring Princess Taiping in, our Prince Pei will follow!"

Wu Chengsi looked at Li Xian.

Li Xian nodded subconsciously.

Wu Chengsi remained silent, a thoughtful expression on his face, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

Li Xian tried to think about this matter from Wu Chengsi's perspective.

Wu Chengsi was certainly unaware that he and Taiping had already formed an alliance, so from his perspective, he had just won over another member of the Li Tang imperial family to his side.

Moreover, Taiping's identity is rather ambiguous.

Although she was a member of the Li Tang imperial family, she was still a woman. Although her previous marriage to Wu Youji was unsuccessful and she could not be considered a member of the Wu family, and she was not close to Wu Chengsi, her former husband Xue family was also a family that had a feud with Lai Junchen.

After all, Lai Junchen had also contributed significantly to the rebellion of the imperial clan.

Therefore, Taiping is theoretically on the same side as everyone else, and from this perspective, Li Xian thinks that Wu Chengsi is quite likely to agree.

Li Xian then tried to think about the matter from Liu Jianjun's perspective.

He clearly took advantage of Wu Chengsi's lack of knowledge about the alliance between Taiping and himself, ostensibly handing over all the initiative to Taiping, but in reality...

Isn't this just transferring money from one hand to the other?

Given how favored Princess Taiping is, even if things end up in the worst possible situation and the matter fails, the Empress Wu will not make a big deal out of it.

Liu Jianjun is a really cunning and shrewd guy.

Sure enough, before Li Xian could think for long, Wu Chengsi spoke up.

"Liu Changshi's suggestion is... quite ingenious, but... would Taiping be willing to get involved?"

Liu Jianjun shrugged, then broke off another segment of orange and popped it into his mouth.

"How will we know if we don't try? Besides, who knows whose name Lai Junchen, that mad dog, will hit next with his stone? Getting rid of him will benefit everyone. Although Princess Taiping does not directly intervene in the court, as the princess, she also has a responsibility to maintain the peace of the palace and remove the treacherous officials around His Majesty."

Wu Chengsi remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded heavily: "Very well! We will do as Chief Secretary Liu says. I will personally visit Taiping, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and do my best to persuade her to take charge of the overall situation."

Li Xian thought that it would be safer for him to contact Taiping himself, but seeing that Liu Jianjun didn't speak, he didn't speak either, and changed his words to: "If Taiping agrees, I will not refuse."

"So good!"

A smile finally appeared on Wu Chengsi's face. Although it was unknown how much scheming was hidden behind that smile, at least the two sides had reached a temporary agreement on their goals.

Li Xian could tell that Lai Junchen had hit him where it hurt, which made him feel some pressure.

He briefly discussed contact information and follow-up steps with Li Xian and Liu Jianjun, then got up to say goodbye and left in a hurry, clearly eager to make arrangements, especially to persuade Princess Taiping.

After seeing Wu Chengsi off, only Li Xian and Liu Jianjun remained in the study.

As if knowing what Li Xian would be wondering, Liu Jianjun explained, "He came to us, so he owes us a favor. Let him go to Taiping himself, and he will owe Taiping another favor. Why not?"
"Moreover, given Taiping's cunning nature, if Wu Chengsi were to casually mention that Prince Pei has also agreed to join the group when he tries to persuade her, she would instantly understand that Wu Chengsi is a sucker that you sent over to extort money from her, and she would definitely be determined to fleece him. She would be a fool not to take advantage of such a bargain."

"Will Wu Chengsi mention your name when he goes? Of course he will. He's probably hoping to get more people to bring down Lai Junchen right now."

Li Xian finally understood.

Liu Jianjun is too wicked.

……

For the next few days, Luoyang was peaceful and quiet.

Lai Junchen became a groom again and things calmed down for a while. Wu Chengsi was busy trying to win over Taiping, but it is said that the progress was not very smooth and it was once in a stalemate.

Of course, the reason for the latter was that Liu Jianjun instructed Taiping to keep Wu Chengsi hanging for the time being.

As for the reason, Li Xian didn't ask; Liu Jianjun must have his reasons.

But then, another event occurred that caused a sensation throughout the country.

Another person has become prime minister.

Di Renjie, formerly the Inspector General of Jiangnan Circuit.

Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, concurrently serving as Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat.

Liu Jianjun said that all of this was expected. Di Renjie was pragmatic and capable. In addition, at this time, the position of prime minister in the court was in jeopardy due to Li Zhaode's dispatch to a foreign country and Su Liangsi's unstable foundation. Moreover, it was necessary to balance the power of all parties. Wu Zetian did need a capable minister who was both capable and prestigious, and who was not yet deeply involved in the current struggle for the succession.

Di Renjie's appointment as prime minister was a natural progression.

Inside the Prince of Pei's residence, Li Xian was naturally delighted.

Di Renjie's appointment as prime minister meant that they had gained another crucial fulcrum in the central government.

Currently, Li Xian knows that Di Renjie and Su Liangsi are the prime ministers who belong to his side. Although Li Zhaode does not know the specifics, it seems that he is also on his side.

The three prime ministers supported it.

This is something Li Xian wouldn't have dared to imagine when he was still the crown prince.

But right now, he is just a prince with the empty title of Governor of Yongzhou.

Li Xian felt that meeting Liu Jianjun in Bazhou was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him in his life.

……

After Di Renjie became prime minister, his life remained relatively peaceful. He was well-versed in the principle of concealing his talents, and as prime minister, he only discussed official business and did not get involved in factional struggles. He was polite to everyone and appeared to be a "pure minister".

Even when Li Xian met him in public, he could only receive the standard but distant etiquette of a prime minister, as if the tacit understanding of Chang'an in the past had never existed. However, the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.

The more low-key Di Renjie was, the more suspicious he became in the eyes of some people.

Lai Junchen, that mad dog with a keen sense of smell, had indeed set his sights on Di Renjie, the newly appointed prime minister. Di Renjie's promotion had already made him uneasy, and with Wu Chengsi seemingly expressing his dissatisfaction with him, Lai Junchen felt that his chance to shine had come again.

To some extent, Li Xian thought Lai Junchen was quite capable; the three prime ministers he had offended were all intricately connected to him.

On this day, during a routine search of the home of an official who had been convicted of a minor offense, Lai Junchen's ruthless officials "unexpectedly" discovered several "secret letters." Although the letters contained no explicit treasonous words, they were full of complaints about the current political situation. More importantly, the letters mentioned the name "Di Gong" at the end. Although not explicitly stated, Lai Junchen interpreted it as irrefutable evidence of secret communication with Prime Minister Di Renjie and slander against the government.

Once the "evidence" was "confirmed," Lai Junchen immediately became energetic, fabricated charges overnight, wrote a memorial, and rushed to the palace to meet the emperor at the crack of dawn.

It must be said that Lai Junchen was indeed deeply trusted by Wu Zetian.

As soon as he filed a complaint, Wu Zetian immediately ordered that Di Renjie, the newly appointed prime minister, be imprisoned.

……

News of Di Renjie's arrest and imprisonment quickly spread throughout Luoyang, and the Prince of Pei's residence naturally received the news as well.

Even the Prince of Pei's residence knew more details than others.

The night before the news spread throughout Luoyang, a young man in a cloak, looking hurried, knocked on the gate of the Prince of Pei's mansion.

Di Renjie's son, Di Guangyuan.

Upon seeing Li Xian, Di Guangyuan removed his cloak, knelt down with a thud, and wept before he could speak: "Your Highness! Please, Your Highness, save my father!"

With trembling hands, he presented a seemingly ordinary cotton robe, his voice choked with emotion. "My father was wrongfully imprisoned and suffered endless humiliation in prison... This is the blood letter he managed to send out! Lai Junchen forced him to confess to the fabricated charge of treason, and to save his life and wait for the light of day, my father had no choice but to feign compliance for the time being... Your Highness, now only you can save my father!"

Li Xian quickly helped Di Guangyuan up and took the heavy cotton robe from him.

He unfolded the strip of cloth hidden in the lining, written in blood, and looked at the familiar handwriting that described his grievances and Lai Junchen's framing tactics. He felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

"Guangyuan, rest assured, Mr. Huaiying is a pillar of the nation and a person I deeply respect. I will never stand idly by!" Li Xian assured him firmly, then looked at Liu Jianjun, "Liu Jianjun, what do you think we should do now? Should we immediately contact our people and submit a memorial impeaching Lai Junchen?"

Liu Jianjun carefully examined the blood-written letter, then shook his head and said to Di Guangyuan, "Young Master Di, take this blood-written letter now and go directly to the palace gate. Tell him that you have a major secret report about Prime Minister Di's rebellion that you need to present to His Majesty in person!"

Di Guangyuan was taken aback: "At this time... how could ordinary people possibly enter the palace gates and meet the Emperor? I came to ask Prince Pei for help because..."

Before Di Guangyuan could finish speaking, Liu Jianjun interrupted him: "Ordinary people are naturally not allowed, but informers are!"

Di Guangyuan instantly realized what was going on and asked, "Does Chief Clerk Liu want me... to inform on him?"

“Yes, Lai Junchen must have spies in the palace. If you go to other ministers in the guise of asking for help, the message is likely to be intercepted, and it may even cause your father more trouble. Only by informing on him can you see His Majesty the fastest and most directly!”

Liu Jianjun spoke quickly, then explained, “His Majesty is suspicious, but he always values ​​these kinds of ‘secret reports’ presented directly to the Emperor. You just need to tell His Majesty the whole story of how Prime Minister Di was tortured into confessing and how he tricked his way into sending the blood letter, and explain the injustice! This is the fastest, and possibly the only, way to save your father right now!”

Di Guangyuan was also a clever man, and he instantly understood Liu Jianjun's intention. He gritted his teeth and kowtowed heavily: "Guangyuan understands! Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Chief Secretary Liu, for your guidance! I will go now!"

……

Watching Di Guangyuan don his cloak again and disappear hastily into the night, Li Xian's heart remained heavy: "Will this... succeed? What if the Empress doesn't believe me..."

"Guangyuan is Di Renjie's own son, and his betrayal is extremely impactful. With this blood-written letter here, Di Renjie's reasons for confessing and then recanting are perfectly reasonable—if he doesn't seek to live, how can he clear his name?"

Liu Jianjun took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with calculation. "More importantly, the time is ripe! Lai Junchen has successfully made himself the target of everyone's hatred, and even his former 'ally' Wu Chengsi feels threatened because of the stone-throwing incident. Now, this wrongful conviction of Di Renjie is the last straw that breaks the camel's back!"

Li Xian was stunned.

Liu Jianjun took a sip of saliva, his eyes sharp, and explained, "I made Taiping what he wanted at this time."

Li Xian was taken aback: "You're waiting... for Mr. Huaiying to be imprisoned?"

"To be precise, it was when Junchen made a move against our people."

Liu Jianjun put down his teacup, a cold smile curving his lips. "Only when he truly infringes upon the interests of enough people, or even threatens the capable ministers that His Majesty deems 'useful,' will the time to retaliate against him truly be ripe. Di Renjie is a thorn in our side, and he is heavy enough."

He looked at Li Xian with a burning gaze: "Most importantly, we can use this incident to do Di Renjie a favor, so that we can hold onto him more firmly."

"Now that everything is going smoothly, it's time to get Taiping's approval. Immediately find a way to notify Taiping that it's time to close the net and get her to agree to Wu Chengsi's request to unite all those who have been threatened and persecuted by Lai Junchen to submit a memorial to the throne and bring down Lai Junchen!"

……

Di Guangyuan, carrying a letter written in blood, knocked on the emperor's door under the pretext of "informing on someone," and was indeed quickly brought before Wu Zetian.

Almost at the same time that Di Guangyuan went to pay his respects, the carriages of Princess Taiping's residence and Prince Wei's residence also started moving.

Having received the signal that "it can be launched," Princess Taiping no longer held back. She personally entered the palace to meet Wu Zetian. As an imperial princess, she vehemently denounced Lai Junchen and his cronies for their disrespect for superiors, their rampage in Luoyang, and even their disturbance of the imperial clan. Her words were fierce and directly targeted her greatest threat.

Wu Chengsi saw this as a lifeline and joined forces with Wu Sansi, a group of Wu family members who were already fearful and dissatisfied with Lai Junchen, the generals of the Imperial Guard, and those officials who had been threatened by Lai Junchen with "stones thrown at their names." Their joint memorials flew into the palace like snowflakes.

In an instant, calls for severe punishment of Lai Junchen arose from the palace to the imperial court, creating an unprecedented momentum.

Wu Zetian gathered everyone together. She sat on the throne in the Zhenguan Hall, her face ashen.

Your Highness, a dark mass of people knelt on the ground. Among them were Di Guangyuan, who was pleading with tears in his eyes; Princess Taiping, whose phoenix eyes were filled with murderous intent; Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi, who appeared to be indignant but actually harbored their own thoughts; several ministers, led by Su Liangsi, who had solemn expressions and expressed their concern for the court; and even some low- and middle-ranking officials who were usually obsequious but now dared to agree.

Li Xian was naturally among them.

Di Guangyuan was the first to kowtow, weeping as he cried, “Your Majesty, please understand! My father could not bear the torture and, in order to preserve his remaining body so that he could see the light of day, had no choice but to temporarily confess to a false crime. However, treason is a heinous crime, intolerable to Heaven and Earth! My father’s loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon! This blood-written letter is proof of that! Lai Junchen fabricated charges and tortured him into confessing, intending to frame loyal officials and disrupt the court. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for my father! To do justice for all those who have been wronged in the world!”

Wu Zetian remained silent and gestured to her attendant to present the blood-written letter.

She unfolded the cloth, and the mottled bloodstains on it caught her eye. Her expression changed several times, but she didn't say a word.

At this moment, Princess Taiping's clear and indignant voice rang out again: "Lai Junchen indulges his wicked servants, who run rampant in the streets, disturb scholars, and despise the prime minister... Now he has even framed the prime minister, shaking the foundation of the country! If this villain is not eliminated, where is the dignity of the court? Where is Your Majesty's wisdom?"

The voices of Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi, and others also rang out, and their combined strength and momentum were not to be underestimated.

Ministers such as Su Liangsi were relatively restrained, but the charges against Lai Junchen listed in their joint memorial were clear and supported by solid evidence, far surpassing the previous scattered impeachments.

Finally, Wu Zetian slowly closed her eyes.

She needed ruthless officials to check the old court of the Li Tang dynasty, to suppress potential opposition, and to safeguard her hard-won throne. Lai Junchen was once the fastest and sharpest knife in her hand. But that knife has now gone out of control.

It no longer only slashed at her enemies, but also began to wound the arms she relied on, and even threatened the Wu clan members, provoking a collective backlash from the royal family, relatives, and court officials.

It is difficult to offend public anger.

More importantly, Lai Junchen's actions have begun to damage her reputation as emperor and the foundation of her rule.

The aftermath of An Jinzang's affair had not yet subsided when Di Renjie's blood-written letter arrived. If she continued to indulge Lai Junchen, how would the world view Wu Zetian?

Is he a tyrant who only listens to slander and persecutes loyal and virtuous people?
The image she cultivated at the beginning of her reign of power, one of "opening up channels for advice" and "appointing virtuous and capable officials," cannot be ruined by a mad dog.

Weighing the pros and cons and sacrificing a pawn to save the king doesn't seem to be a very difficult thing.

Liu Jianjun's plan was flawless. The time was ripe. The raging fire that had been burning Lai Junchen was finally ignited by Princess Taiping, fueled by Wu Chengsi and others, and fueled by the combined efforts of all those who had suffered or feared its power. In the end, Wu Zetian herself would break this poisonous blade that had already begun to turn against her!
But judging from her expression, Li Xian seemed to be still hesitating.

she……

What are you hesitating about?
……

(End of this chapter)