Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

Dou Fengjie's voice echoed unhurriedly within the Taiji Hall: "How about we check if the Censor has any livestock or valuables that have escaped from elsewhere?"

"For example, the Qiaoke horse, the Qilian horse, the Qinghai horse... and let's forget about the last one, the Censor-in-Chief isn't worth that much."

The latter part of his statement was highly insulting, yet Li Xusheng was speechless.

Having become an official, Li Xusheng gained some minor power. In addition, as a censor, he had the right to report matters based on hearsay. He accepted the tributes from Tuyuhun without any psychological burden and without even trying to hide it.

He never dreamed that the official who investigated others would one day be investigated himself.

If it were merely a bribe, that would be one thing; at worst, the person would be demoted and removed from the capital.

But once it was labeled as a "foreign land," the tiny hole instantly became a bottomless pit.

Prince Li Tai of Yue raised his tablet and said, "Your Majesty, I, Li Tai, am willing to go and check on Your Majesty's behalf to see if there are any prohibited items in Li Xusheng's residence."

Crown Prince Li Chengqian's gaze darkened: "The Prince of Yue's proper duty is to be the Grand General of Yangzhou. Isn't this overstepping his bounds?"

Li Tai smiled憨厚ly: "What I did was not for the position of Grand General of Yangzhou, but simply so that my son could share my father's burdens."

"If Your Highness feels it is inappropriate, then I will not go."

Dou Fengjie secretly applauded in his heart. Li Tai's words were truly brilliant, making Li Chengqian seem a little petty in comparison.

At the same time, Li Tai's words were laced with barbs, demonstrating his status as a prince.

"Good! My son has grown up! I hereby order Li Hai'an, the Eagle Strike General of the Eagle Yang Prefecture of Kuangdao, to lead a regiment of soldiers to accompany him on his mission."

In Li Shimin's eyes, there was a mixture of doting affection and an indescribable expression.

As for Zhang Yung-gu, who stood up for himself, Li Shimin didn't mention him at all, and didn't even give him a glance.

This Dali official probably needs to be moved to a more abstract position. If he stays in the Dali Temple any longer, who knows how many criminals will escape punishment under the "Martial Virtue Law".

Benevolence and virtue were not something he, a mere Dali official, possessed!

Li Tai gladly accepted the order, while Li Chengqian's eyes darkened, and his fist clenched tightly beneath his sleeves.

They still favor Qingque, saving his face, even at the cost of offending me!

Since he has been appointed as the Grand Commander of Yangzhou, why not let him go to Yangzhou to take up his post?

Allowing Li Tai to use the troops of Kuangdao Yingyang Prefecture crossed the line for a mere prince.

The prince's legally mandated military force consists of 333 personal guards and 667 tents, totaling 1,000 soldiers.

Therefore, in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin only used 800 veteran soldiers at the beginning!

"Your Majesty, I impeach the King of Yue for exceeding the prescribed limits in his spending."

Li Chengqian spoke in a chilling tone.

An uproar erupted in the imperial court.

The Crown Prince has openly fallen out with the Prince of Yue, whom His Majesty dotes on, and is now bringing it up in public!

This means that the Xuanwu Sect's teachings will be inherited and carried forward.

Li Shimin's stance was indeed biased. Li Tai's expenses had long surpassed those of other princes and were comparable to those of the crown prince, revealing his true intentions long ago.

What's even more bizarre is that the officials in charge of the Eastern Palace appointed by Li Shimin, such as Zhang Xuansu, Yu Zhining, and Kong Yingda, faithfully fulfilled their duty of suppressing the Eastern Palace.

Only Li Gang, the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, is truly sincere to Li Chengqian. Unfortunately, Li Gang has been ill for a long time and it is estimated that he will not live past this year.

"What the Crown Prince says makes sense; it was my oversight."

Thus, the "Edict on No Restrictions on the Crown Prince's Use of Treasury Goods" was freshly issued, leaving Li Chengqian speechless.

Didn't you complain that the King of Yue used too much?

I will increase the Crown Prince's allowance!

Dou Fengjie, watching the play, sneered inwardly. Li Chengqian was truly all alone; he didn't even have anyone to speak up for him.

At this point, wouldn't the greatest countermeasure be to demand that all the princes' expenses be increased so that they are on par with Li Taiping?

He can't seem to grasp the key points, no wonder he got dragged down by Li Tai.

His rebellious nature and exclusive favoritism towards Yue Tong Cheng Xin is probably related to his environment, where he has very few people he can trust.

Li Xusheng, his face ashen, had nowhere to go. Two strong men stood on either side of him, easily restraining him.

"Your Majesty, your subject, along with the Yingyang Prefecture of Kuangdao, visited the residence of the Supervising Censor Li Xusheng. We interviewed the neighborhood head and three neighbors, broke down the door, and found jewels with Tuyuhun characteristics and a Qilian horse."

Li Tai can't distinguish horse breeds, but Li Hai'an and the others can.

An ordinary horse wanders around Chang'an for about four to twenty strings of cash.

With Li Xusheng's salary, he could basically afford it if he gritted his teeth, but where could he get Qilian horses from Tuyuhun?

In an instant, the guards on either side struck, removing Li Xusheng's xiezhi crown, stripping him of his court robes, and dragging him out of the palace gate.

Grand Censor Xiao Yu sighed deeply: "The Censorate has produced such a scoundrel; I cannot escape the blame."

"But what I don't understand is why the steward is so certain that he has a problem?"

Forget about miracles. The Xiao family of the Southern Liang Dynasty were devout Buddhists, so much so that they lost their kingdom. They naturally knew whether miracles existed or not.

Dou Fengjie chuckled: "Duke of Song, that's not hard to guess. At this time of shared hatred against a common enemy, it's impossible for someone to jump out and advocate for the enemy state without some ulterior motive."

"Besides wild bears, snow leopards, and wolves, the most notable product of Tuyuhun is its horses."

"The Qinghai horse produced on Longju Island in the West Sea is not worthy of a mere censor. Only the Qiaoke horse and the Qilian horse are suitable to bribe him."

The use of surveillance and miniature drones for filming was something that couldn't be publicized.

In the past, those who had problems were simply ignored by the ruler and his ministers.

Every dynasty and every era has its share of the sordid practice of condoning and abetting evil.

If you really think about it, it would be easy to catch ten officials in the imperial court who were colluding with foreign countries.

Looking up at Li Shimin, Dou Fengjie finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, I, Dou Fengjie, the head of the Court of State Ceremonial, have a heartfelt suggestion that I urge you to consider."

"Please send an urgent edict to the prefectures of Longyou, ordering them to strictly guard the borders and prevent the Tuyuhun from taking advantage of the great hunt to plunder."

"With this matter settled, I shall take my leave."

Whether Li Shimin listens or not is up to him; in any case, Dou Fengjie has already said what he wanted to say.

While large-scale raids could frighten small and medium-sized foreign states, they were not a major concern for Tuyuhun, a state second only to the Turks in size.

Moreover, in the eyes of Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun, plundering the Tang Dynasty, apologizing, plundering again, and apologizing again had already become a mature operating method.

No matter how loudly the Tang Dynasty shouts, they can't chase him all the way to Hanku Mountain, can they?

Taking advantage of the large-scale raid, Longyou may be less vigilant, and Tuyuhun may launch another attack to seize the spoils. This is highly likely.

With a smile like that of Moro, Dou Fengjie returned to the capital, strolled into the Sifangguan, kicked open the door of the Tuyuhun delegation's room, picked up the exhausted Murong Xiaojun, and slapped him four times across the face.

Looking at the other person's symmetrically swollen face, Dou Fengjie punched Murong Xiaojun in the stomach with satisfaction and then flung him to the ground.

"Trying to bribe the censor to impeach me? On the day of the grand investigation, be careful not to step into the water."

Dou Fengjie threatened with a smile.

Murong Xiaojun's eyes were filled with despair.

Who will take care of this Moro?

He forgot that over the years, Tuyuhun had taken advantage of the fact that the Turks were diverting the Tang Dynasty's attention to raid and plunder, and most of the ministers hated Tuyuhun to the core.

Dou Fengjie's unbridled and flamboyant behavior may not have been entirely unintentional; they were simply indulging him.