In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

If someone is pulling the strings, then he and Li Ke are already bound together in this matter; if one suffers, the other suffers; if one prospers, the other prospers!

"fart!"

Li Yuanchang roared, his voice like thunder, finally erupting after holding back for so long.

Cheng Yaojin realized something was wrong.

Li Ke, finding no one behind him, quickly looked up.

Li Yuanchang's powerful aura was overwhelming to the more than twenty ministers opposite him.

"Now that you've brought your pledge of allegiance, since you gentlemen are so certain, are you willing to guarantee with your lives that this blood oath is genuine?"

"You!" The remonstrating officials opposite were furious.

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'? I've been saying all along that this matter needs to be investigated. It's not too late to make a decision after the investigation is complete. What's wrong with that?"

"What could the King of Wu have done if we waited a few days?"

"But you've all been opposing it, demanding a result. Are you acting for the public good or for your own private interests?"

Li Yuanchang shouted in a low voice, rebuking him without any mercy.

He won't listen to reason; he's really taking advantage of us.

The ministers were immediately humiliated and blushed: "You!"

"We are all devoted to Your Majesty; how could we have any selfish motives?"

"I would like to ask the King of Han a question in return: are you acting for the public good or for personal gain?"

"You dare to cover up the truth even when implicated in treason!"

These words caused a huge stir.

To say that Li Yuanchang was all-powerful in front of Li Shimin was, in itself, a frame-up and a veiled attack on his moral character.

"Gentlemen, that's enough!"

At this moment, Changsun Wuji finally came out.

As the first person to pass through the Zhenguan era, his influence was second only to Li Shimin. Whenever he spoke, the civil officials would immediately fall silent.

Immediately afterwards, Changsun Wuji cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, both sides have their own reasons for their arguments."

"The case of treason has far-reaching implications and is extremely harmful; it must not be handled hastily."

"And since the King of Wu is a prince, he cannot be wronged. The authenticity of this blood oath should indeed be verified."

When this was said, many people nodded in agreement; what he said made sense.

But the next second, Changsun Wuji changed the subject.

"But I believe there is still a huge question surrounding this case."

Li Yuanchang frowned.

"What's suspicious?"

Changsun Wuji glanced at Li Yuanchang, his expression calm: "Your Majesty, regarding the case of the Prince of Qi's rebellion, a large amount of money and grain has been discovered in Qizhou, far exceeding what the Prince of Qi and Yin Hongzhi have obtained over the years."

"According to investigations, the King of Qi has always lived a life of extravagance and waste, even to the point of being quite lavish. He only eats the belly of fish and the leg of sheep. Moreover, His Majesty once ordered that the King of Qi's fief be reduced. Where did he get so much money and grain?"

"This shows that the King of Qi must have supporters."

Upon hearing this, the court was in an uproar, with much discussion taking place.

Li Yuanchang's expression changed, and he brought up the matter again.

Others may not know where the money and provisions come from, but he does.

"As is well known, when the Prince of Qi returned to Chang'an to report on his duties, he served in Anzhou, which was the prefecture with the most grain in the Tang Dynasty, producing wheat, soybeans, millet, sorghum, radishes, and countless other crops."

"If you want to prove the King of Wu's innocence, just go and investigate."

As soon as Changsun Wuji finished speaking...

Li Shimin and many other ministers looked over, their eyes filled with scrutiny.

Li Ke panicked on the spot.

"Father, Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with me!"

"There are many places in the Tang Dynasty that produce abundant grain; you can't conclude that I am a supporter of the Prince of Qi based on that alone, can you?"

Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this is indeed impossible."

"But this old minister believes that sending someone to Anzhou to investigate the granary administration should reveal the truth."

"Only a few can produce so much grain."

Li Shimin's eyes flickered, and he felt that this made sense, so he immediately wanted to send someone.

At the critical moment, Li Yuanchang stepped forward again.

"Wait a minute!"

His eyes were sharp and wary.

Changsun Wuji's words seemed to be reasonable and analytical, but in reality, he was constantly guiding the investigation.

The King of Wu has been away from Anzhou for a long time, and he has long since stopped taking charge of affairs there. In such a long time, who would know if he wanted to make some false accounts or do some tricks?

If an investigation reveals that a batch of grain was missing from the granary, wouldn't that confirm the case?

Once his conviction is confirmed, Li Yuanchang will immediately be impeached for dereliction of duty.

Li Yuanchang knew perfectly well that this matter had absolutely nothing to do with Li Ke.

Historically, Li Ke was killed by Changsun Wuji. Even a fool could have foreseen that today's events would be a political purge.

He got dragged into it too.

"Although this case is being investigated by the Dali Temple, only I went to Qizhou to arrest people. Now, a blood oath has appeared out of nowhere, and so many people have been implicated. Does that mean I am protecting the King of Wu?"

"Your Highness, we did not mean that," Changsun Wuji said.

Having come this far, Li Yuanchang no longer cared who the other party was.

"What does that mean?"

"The blood oath is right here. There are plenty of great calligraphers in the court. Why not verify its authenticity and instead go all the way to Anzhou to investigate?"

"The King of Wu has been away from Anzhou for almost half a year."

"That batch of embezzled funds was also handled by me. So, are you implying that both I and the King of Wu were involved in the treason?"

Changsun Wuji frowned, his face full of doubt: "Your Highness, you said you wanted to investigate, so why are you stopping us now?"

"When did we say that the King of Han was involved?"

"Everyone knows that His Highness the Prince of Han is a great hero in suppressing the rebellion."

Gradually, the impeachment proceedings turned into a war of words between Li Yuanchang and Changsun Wuji.

Li Yuanchang sneered.

"Is that so?"

"Changsun Wuji, if you have something to say, just come at me. Why bother dragging so many ministers along in a roundabout way to deal with the King of Wu?"

"It's just a difference in political views between us, why are you making such a big fuss?"

"Your eating manners are really unsightly!"

He spoke very harshly, almost tearing off the mask of their past relationship, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to restrain the other party.

boom!

The imperial court was in an uproar; everyone was terrified and turned pale, yet remained silent as if trembling with fear.

Even Cheng Yaojin and his ilk were startled; they wouldn't dare to curse Changsun Wuji like that in court.

Li Ke swallowed hard, his heart filled with emotion.

As expected, Changsun Wuji's abyss-like face immediately darkened.

"King Han, watch your words and actions!"

"What nonsense! You want to frame me? Do you think I'd talk to you nicely? Stop pretending. Let them come out first, and then you can make the final judgment. Do you think I can't see through you?" Li Yuanchang started cursing.

"you!"

Changsun Wuji rarely showed anger, but his anger was different from the cannibalistic look in a general's eyes. Instead, it was a restrained and subtle anger, a kind of oppressive feeling that felt like a thorn in his back.

The atmosphere was extremely awkward, and the ministers dared not speak.

At the crucial moment, Li Shimin spoke up.

"presumptuous!"

"King of Han, apologize to Wuji immediately! Your reckless behavior will not be tolerated in the imperial court!"

Li Yuanchang was not an impulsive person, but he knew that if he backed down even a step today, the other side would advance unimpeded, first killing Li Ke, and then affecting him.