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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 210: Hidden Dangers
Was Dugu Huai'en a fool? This was undoubtedly the case. Li Jian Cheng was equally astonished upon hearing this news.
It was not surprising that Dugu Huai'en dared to accept bribes and protect the corrupt officials of the Prefecture; he had known about it for a long time. After all, those who had the audacity and capability to do such things were precisely those individuals.
The lack of orders for punishment was merely a wait for solid evidence before executing justice. His information had come from secret reports, and both witnesses and physical evidence were still on their way.
As an emperor, one must conduct executions with dignity.
However, he truly did not expect that someone like Dugu Huai'en would contact a few equally insignificant figures and dare to conspire to escape prison to rally the county Prefects for rebellion.
How could they have the audacity when not a single one of the Sixteen Guard Generals, who truly held military power, had been contacted?
If rebellion were so easy, why would I have spent nearly twenty years planning?
"Your Majesty, should I capture them to avoid tarnishing your reputation and that of the Retired Emperor?"
Li Jian Cheng waved his hand dismissively. "No need. Let them continue; I want to see how many fools are left in the Court. It will save me some salary."
Minister of Justice, Duke of Xin'an, Xiao Yu received his orders and took his leave. The more Li Jian Cheng thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed, but he also knew that such reckless fools would always emerge.
In the following days, Dugu Huai'en, relying on his theories, continued to recruit discontented figures from Guanlong. Li Jian Cheng received several secret reports but chose to suppress them without taking action.
Perhaps after facing numerous setbacks, Dugu Huai'en finally realized that his reputation was insufficient; he needed to raise a banner first. As long as he held military power in the end, the matter of succession could be decided in an instant.
Isn't this how power works? He had seen through it all.
The Retired Emperor had long resided in the depths of the palace, a figure unreachable. Prince Jin had always been frail and sickly, lacking any military power. If only he could persuade Qin Wang or King Qi, it would be even better.
Qin Wang commanded an elite force of one hundred thousand, currently sweeping away the bandits in Henan, while King Qi held his ground in Bingzhou. Although he lacked the finest troops, he still had around seventy to eighty thousand Provincial Troops at his disposal.
Of course, whether they agreed or not was irrelevant; he had already decided to act in their names. If the opportunity arose, he was confident they would be tempted.
Dugu Huai'en sent secret letters to both Qin Wang and King Qi, stating his intention to march south to gather troops, depose the emperor, and reinstate the Retired Emperor to power. Once the Retired Emperor reigned for a time, they would support one of them to inherit the Great Unity.
After finishing the letters, Dugu Huai'en seized an opportunity to lead his gathered confidants out of Chang'an. With the help of pre-arranged servants waiting for him, he spurred his horse southward. Along the way through various Prefectures, he issued edicts to the local officials, claiming they were orders from the Retired Emperor and that both Qin Wang and King Qi would respond.
The Prefects receiving these edicts were filled with confusion. The emperor had already been established; not only did this seem unlikely to be the Retired Emperor's will, but even if it were truly his command, it could never surpass a royal decree.
Thus, one side dispatched reports back to Chang'an while another sent out pursuers in an attempt to capture this rebel and bring him before the emperor.
However, they were soon blocked by Wang Yi, allowing Dugu Huai'en and his group to continue their journey southward without hindrance.
Initially filled with trepidation, Dugu Huai'en grew more confident upon seeing that none of the Prefectures had sent out pursuers.
…………
Li Jian Cheng turned to Li Wei and asked, “Is there still no report from Jinyang?”
On the imperial desk lay a letter urgently delivered from Li Shimin over six hundred miles away, inquiring about what had transpired and whether he needed to return to court immediately. It also included a letter from Dugu Huai'en.
“Your Majesty,” replied Li Wei, “there is none. I just sent someone to check on it.”
Li Jian Cheng's gaze was slightly cold; after all, the answer that Li Yuanji had provided was clearly unsatisfactory.
Of course, there were not just one or two people who were eager to see him make a fool of himself. Dugu Huai'en alone could tell how many in the Court harbored malicious intentions.
After seizing power, Li Jian Cheng swiftly advanced to accomplish the great feat of unifying the realm, at least sparing the people from five or six years of war and strife.
The benefit was that the common folk suffered less from military disasters and famine, allowing them to quickly restore their livelihoods and national strength.
However, the drawbacks were evident. He had made too many compromises; there were hardly any of his confidants among those ranked third or higher in the Court, most of whom were former nobles from the previous dynasty.
Even for the crucial military power, he had gritted his teeth and shared it with vassals like Li Mi, Xue Ju, Wang Shichong, and Du Fuwei to prevent them from harboring rebellious thoughts due to their positions.
Behind the smooth unification lay patched-up cracks, which was one of the key reasons why Li Jian Cheng sought to avoid external conflicts.
Because the current Tang Dynasty was not resilient; he still needed enough blood to bind it into a whole.
If Li Jian Cheng did not draw blood from the common people, then it could only come from the nobility and gentry.
The next day in court, evidence against Dugu Huai'en was finally presented. The emperor was furious and ordered a manhunt for Dugu Huai'en, along with a thorough investigation of his entire family.
Not just his family but also several branches of the Dugu Clan were implicated. Those who frequently interacted with Dugu Huai'en were dismissed from their posts, some even imprisoned for questioning.
This matter concerned the wealth and legacy of the Dugu Clan. Such a severance of a generation was something they could never accept. To preserve their fortune, they sought help from the Li Clan's residence.
Several elder statesmen from the Li Clan specially entered the palace to plead on behalf of the Dugu Family. They expressed that whether the Emperor wished to kill or punish Dugu Huai'en was entirely up to him, but since the Dugu Clan was related by marriage and part of the Emperor's grandmother's family, it would be best to show some mercy.
Once this plea was made, others followed suit; even the Dou Family took the initiative to appeal to the Empress Dowager. Soon, the Empress Dowager summoned the Emperor.
Li Jian Cheng bowed to his mother. The health of the Dou Family had been poor since giving birth to Li Yuanji, and despite years of care, it had only been maintained at best.
The Emperor approached and took the medicine bowl from the hand of a female official, sitting beside his mother. He first tasted a small sip himself before offering it to her.
"My son, just now..."
"Mother, drink your medicine first. Only after you've finished will I listen."
The Dou Family sighed, "After so many years of drinking this, there has been no improvement. It's a waste of my son's efforts in seeking doctors and remedies."
"But I have no regrets," the Dou Family smiled. "I once lamented that I was not a man and could not take revenge for my maternal family. Yet you have fulfilled my wish; when I reach the afterlife, I will have face to meet my uncle."
Li Jian Cheng remained silent. The Dou Family could only helplessly finish the bitter medicine that had tasted the same for over a decade. Afterward, he ordered someone to bring honeyed fruit treats to ease the Empress Dowager's discomfort.
The Dou Family held her beloved eldest son and said, "You have always been decisive. I won't say much more, but since your uncle rarely speaks to me, I must convey his intentions."
………
(End of Chapter)
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