The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Chaos reigned inside the Taiji Hall, and Li Shimin seemed to still be hesitating.

Wei Zheng suddenly stopped struggling, turned around and shouted, "Mr. Chen, say something, Mr. Chen!"

Chen Huai'an: ?

Li Shimin, as if grasping at a lifeline, was overjoyed: "Yes, Huai'an, what do you think we should do about this?"

"What should I do?"

In an instant, all the eyes of the court officials were focused on Chen Huai'an, who was quietly watching the show.

Chen Huai'an's smile froze on his face.

Chen Huai'an looked at Wei Zheng in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing.

Damn Wei Zheng, what have you done to me?

"Who is this...?" Xiao Yu feigned ignorance.

Chen Huai'an was furious at this moment and immediately retorted: "What the hell?"

Xiao Yu: ?

He didn't understand Chen Huai'an's words at first, but after realizing what he meant, he flew into a rage: "Are you insulting me?"

"So what if I insulted you?" Chen Huai'an said bluntly. "Shouldn't you have insulted me?"

"And what nonsense about keeping family scandals private, let alone the imperial court."

"Don't you want to listen to what you're saying? Is this how a Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel should speak?"

Even a child understands one principle: if you make a mistake, you have to admit it, and if you get punished, you have to stand up straight.

"Listen to what you're saying again. What do you mean by 'why we have to make it so that everyone knows'?"

"If you do something wrong, shouldn't you admit it and correct it?"

"Excellent!" Wei Zheng's eyes lit up. "Mr. Chen is right."

Good job, Mom.

Chen Huai'an completely ignored Wei Zheng.

I treated you like a close friend despite our age difference, but you keep messing with me.

Xiao Yu suppressed his anger: "What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? What do you know? This is the imperial court, a place to discuss important national affairs."

"Do you think this is just dealing with household chores?"

"Every decision made here, every decree issued, has a significant impact and far-reaching consequences."

"How can we judge it using common sense?"

"Do you know the enormous impact it will have if Pei Ji's crimes were made public? How will the people view the imperial court?"

"Fuck you!" Chen Huai'an retorted angrily. "Look at you, always talking about the court and the common people, saying the consequences are unbearable and that the people have lost trust in the court."

"You say I'm just a young kid who doesn't understand? Well, you do understand? You understand best!"

"Since you understand so much, why don't you know a principle that even a three-year-old understands?"

Xiao Yu: "You..."

"What are you saying? Shut up!" Chen Huai'an snapped, then turned to Li Shimin and bowed. "Your Highness, this is not a simple case of embezzlement."

"It's a matter of great importance concerning the image of the imperial court in the eyes of the people!"

"Oh?" Li Shimin reached out his hand. "My dear minister, what do you mean by that?"

Facing the gazes of civil and military officials, Chen Huai'an showed no fear: "It seems feasible to handle this discreetly, minimizing the impact of the matter so that only we officials would know about it."

"In reality, they are treating the people of the world like fools."

"Do you think they didn't know the grain was mixed with chaff? Do you think this is the first time the people have encountered something like this? Do you think the people are fools who don't know there are corrupt officials at the top?"

"The common people understand everything; they are not blind or deaf!"

"But it's precisely because of officials like Pei Ji that they're silenced, with nowhere to speak!"

"But they always remember!"

"Remember these things!"

Chen Huai'an coldly replied, "Have you forgotten what the sages said?"

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!"

"If you're going to cover this up today, will you continue to do so in similar situations in the future? Will you continue to treat the people like fools?"

"Is this how you highly educated, high-ranking, and powerful officials behave?"

"When did my Great Tang Dynasty lose even the courage to admit its mistakes?"

His resounding words silenced the entire court. Everyone stared at the young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, speechless.

Xiao Yu, Feng Deyi, and the others were speechless for a moment.

Li Shimin feigned difficulty: "So, Minister Chen, do you mean I should behead the Duke of Wei in public?"

Chen Huai'an replied firmly, "Yes, Your Highness, that is exactly what I mean."

"Concealing this matter will not allow the people to maintain their trust in us; on the contrary, it will cause their trust in us to continue to decline."

"Only by frankly admitting our mistakes, acknowledging the existence of corrupt officials in the government, and then dealing with them seriously, can we make the people see all of this."

"Seeing how His Highness handled the situation, and seeing that we're actually getting things done!"

"Only in this way can the people's trust in the imperial court be established, instead of relying on the idea that 'family scandals should not be aired in public'!"

Li Shimin seemed to hesitate: "But Pei Ji is ultimately like a brother to my father. If I punish Pei Ji in the most severe way... how can I explain this to my father?"

"That's precisely why it needs to be dealt with so seriously!" Chen Huai'an knew exactly what Li Shimin was thinking, and immediately added the final step for him.

"Your Highness, consider this: precisely because Pei Ji and His Majesty are like brothers, wouldn't it be better to deal with him seriously and let the people see the results?"

"What will the people say when they see this? Won't they think that His Majesty is a wise and just ruler who punishes even those who are as close as brothers according to the law if they make a mistake? He is truly a sage ruler!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu and his group of senior officials sighed softly and fell silent.

Having said all that, there's no need for further argument.

They have already lost.

After Chen Huai'an said those words, Li Yuan had no choice but to accept the greater good, even if he didn't want to.

Didn't you see the historians over there with their eyes gleaming and their pens never stopping?

Besides, although Li Yuan is currently neglecting state affairs, he is still paying attention to them, especially to the Pei Ji corruption case that has been going on for so long.

Sure enough, not long after, a eunuch entered carrying the imperial edict.

"Imperial edict has arrived!"

All the civil and military officials immediately knelt down. Li Shimin's lips curled up, and he also knelt down: "Your subject receives the decree."

"Pei Ji once served the emperor in Taiyuan and made contributions to the country. I remember our past friendship and promoted him to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, enfeoffed him as Duke of Wei, and entrusted him with important responsibilities, hoping that he would assist the court and benefit the people. Who would have thought that this scoundrel would appear respectful on the outside but be treacherous on the inside, become arrogant because of the emperor's favor, and indulge in his own ways because of the emperor's grace. His crimes are numerous and too many to count."

"Such a heinous villain, if not severely punished, how can we appease the people? How can we comfort the common folk? How can we uphold the law? How can we deter others from following suit?"

"Pei Ji shall be stripped of all his official titles and ranks, his family property confiscated, and his family members exiled to Lingnan, never to return to the capital."

"Pei Ji himself... is scheduled to be taken to the West Market at 3:45 noon on the 18th of this month and beheaded in public as a punishment!"

"A proclamation was issued, both domestically and internationally, so that everyone may know."

"So be it!"

After reading the imperial edict, the eunuch closed it and respectfully presented it to Li Shimin with both hands: "Your Highness, His Majesty has said that this matter is entirely entrusted to Your Highness. You only need to add the imperial seal to the edict."

Li Shimin accepted the decree with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Your subject accepts the decree and thanks Your Majesty."

"..."