A few days later, Li Ke finally decided to open a court to try the water ghost case. The governor's office published the announcement, causing a sensation throughout the state. The streets and alleys exploded, and the people rushed to tell each other that the water ghost who had been causing trouble to Xiangzhou for decades was finally defeated in one fell swoop!
On the day of the trial, Li Ke forcefully invited Qin Mubai, a military attache, to come and sit in the hall for the trial. In order to show fairness, Li Ke allowed one hundred representatives of the gentry and common people to enter the court to observe the trial process. However, tens of thousands of other people surrounded the governor's mansion, decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and cheered loudly. As a last resort, thousands of royal soldiers were mobilized to maintain public order.
An hour before the court opened, Qin Mubai took Pang Fei and a group of hundred horse guards to the Governor's Mansion to discuss some details with Li Ke privately and prepare to go to court for the trial.
Li Ke, who was as attentive as his hair, thought of a question and said to Qin Mubai privately: "Mubai, don't Zhang Tong need to be tried together?"
Qin Mubai knew what he meant. Zhang Tong, who was previously one of the Hundred Riders, came to Xiangzhou with Qin Mubai, but was made a spy by the water ghost. If the trial is made public, Baiqi's reputation will be ruined. It is certain that it will have some impact on Qin Mubai, but the biggest trouble is that it will affect the reputation of the royal commander.
"You figure it out!" Qin Mubai just said.
"Hey..." Li Ke closed his eyes with a headache and gently hit his forehead with his fist. "Before, I dreamed of killing this group of people in one pot and killing them all. Now I have caught the leader and defeated them. Zhang Tong, I feel that it is more troublesome and troublesome than before. I will leave it to you."
"I understand your difficulties." Qin Mubai nodded and said, "There are too many people involved in the case. Not to mention others, Wei Xiaochen and Du Chengyuan, these two are the leading eunuchs in Xiangzhou. They have been able to call the shots for many years. . In Xiangzhou, it can be said that their disciples are everywhere, and their influence can affect the whole body! - Your Highness, I suggest that this time we might refer to the way His Majesty the Emperor handled the aftermath of the Jiangzhou case and attack. The leader will not be blamed. As the saying goes, there is some truth in the rule of law. If we really want to arrest all those involved in the case, I estimate that there will not be many officials left in the entire county under Xiangzhou. "
"Well, that's what I think too." Li Ke frowned and said with a serious expression, "There is no need to chop the whole snake into meat paste if you hit it seven inches. After wiping out the leader and defeating the core members, the water ghosts will It’s self-defeating. But now, this leader doesn’t seem to be easy to deal with.”
"What's wrong?" Qin Mubai asked alertly, "Is it possible that there is news from Chang'an?"
"As you expected." Li Ke took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly, and said with a hint of depression, "A secret envoy came from Chang'an last night. Who do you think sent it?"
"I can't guess, you better tell me!"
"King Wei." After Li Ke said these two words, he looked at Qin Mubai solemnly, "You didn't expect that, did you?"
"Indeed." Qin Mubai nodded, "What does this have to do with King Wei?"
"Originally, it was none of King Wei's business. However, if it was the prince's business, it would also be related to King Wei." Li Ke said.
What he said was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but Qin Mubai understood the meaning behind his words. The prince and the king of Wei were not on good terms, and they fought overtly and covertly for the heir apparent. Whenever the prince wants to support, the king of Wei will oppose it; and vice versa.
Chang'an Weidu, go five feet to the sky, this is not just a matter of words. Nowadays, there is a daughter from the Wei family in Chang'an who is accompanying the emperor in the palace. She is the famous Concubine Wei. Needless to say, the Du family has always been one of Li Shimin's right-hand men. Although Du Ruhui died young, this did not prevent the Du family in Chang'an from becoming one of the most famous families in the Tang Dynasty. There are countless famous officials in the clan. Du Ruhui's son Du He married Li Shimin's direct daughter, Princess Chengyang.
Don't underestimate a legitimate princess. In a sense, the status of Princess Chengyang is more noble than that of Li Ke. In the ranking at the royal family banquet, the ranking of this imperial sister was still above that of the third prince, Li Ke. Perhaps Du He, the Prince Consort, had little real power, was mediocre and incompetent, and had little political achievements. However, once the favor offensive was launched, Princess Chengyang still held considerable weight in Li Shimin's eyes.
From this, if the Weidu family in Chang'an started activities together to protect Du Chengyuan and Wei Haochen, Li Ke would definitely be under considerable pressure. Moreover, Du He had always been on good terms with the prince Li Chengqian, and he must have followed Li Chengqian's path and wanted to use him to put pressure on Li Ke or plead for mercy. It was even possible that Princess Chengyang also came forward and wanted to join forces with the prince to protect the Du Chengyuan, a younger brother of his husband's family.
"What did King Wei's envoy say?" Qin Mubai asked.
"The fourth child is always cunning and won't say anything to leave any room for words." Li Ke said, "He only sent someone to tell me that the prince was active in Chang'an and wanted to unite a group of ministers from the Weidu family and the My own party members then invited Concubine Wei to come forward to intercede with His Majesty the Emperor, begging him to pardon Wei Haochen and Du Chengyuan."
"What's the result?" Qin Mubai asked.
"There are no results." Li Ke frowned and said, "The fourth child is cunning here. If there were results, he would not come to report. While the prince and Concubine Wei were still active, he got there first. What do you think he wants to do?"
"You mean two things!" Qin Mubai sneered and said, "Firstly, he informed you, the third brother, of the news in advance. On the surface, it was for your own good, but then you will still have to bear his debt; secondly, he informed you, the third brother, in advance. Come on, he informed you in advance and deliberately made things difficult for you. If you retreat and give Weidu and Weidu a lighter punishment, that would be dereliction of duty and perverting the law. You will have a big handle in his hands; If you know that the prince and others are working hard to save people, but still take action in advance and face the difficulties and enforce the law impartially, you will undoubtedly be directly fighting against the prince, Wei Guifei and the Chang'an Weidu family. , The fisherman will benefit. This may be the result that King Wei wants most."
"You are right. But there is another meaning. That is his most sinister intention." Li Ke showed a trace of anger and gritted his teeth in hatred.
"What is it?" Qin Mubai asked.
"He is provoking." Li Ke gritted his teeth and said, "The Chang'an Weidu family has been an important arm of our Li family since my imperial grandfather started the army. There were many famous ministers and generals in the family, so during the Zhenguan Dynasty Only then could it be so glorious. Historically, even the emperor had looked up to the people of the Wei and Du families. The Wei family was a noble concubine, and Du Ruhui was one of the prime ministers that the emperor trusted and relied on most. For example, if the royal family was. A big tree, the wealthy family is the land where the big tree is rooted. Think about it, if I want to touch the Weidu family now, I am not removing the roots of my Li family or the foundation of my Tang Dynasty. Will it hurt my father’s heart? So, the fourth child is provoking me. He is here to report the news, but in fact he is just watching from the other side to enjoy the misfortune.”
"I understand what you mean." Qin Mubai nodded, "Perhaps, His Majesty the Emperor has already known about this matter, and the person who tipped off the news is most likely the King of Wei himself. He detected some of His Majesty's thoughts, and therefore deliberately To challenge you."
"Smart! I think so too." Li Ke nodded heavily and said, "From the provocation of the fourth child, we can imagine that after His Majesty the Father knew about this case, he was also quite embarrassed and had a headache. First, rule the country by law. It has always been my father's insistence that the old man personally pardon Wei Haochen and Du Chengyuan. The possibility is almost slim. Secondly, the Wei and Du family's nephews are about to be arrested and questioned by me because of their crimes. Killing him would most likely hurt the feelings of his father and the Weidu family. This was something he didn't want to see. The fourth child saw it and felt happy about it. If even my father is in trouble, how can I not be in trouble? So, no matter how I decide this case, I will offend everyone."
"Let's analyze it more clearly." Qin Mubai said, "If you enforce the law impartially and punish Wei Du and others, the people who will be offended are the Chang'an Wei Du family, Wei Guifei, the prince, Du He and others. If If you forgive them outside the law, then you have violated the law and offended the law of the Tang Dynasty. This is a crime you cannot afford."
Li Ke's eyes lit up: "Then you mean to judge according to the law?"
"That's not entirely true." Qin Mubai shook his head, "There are some who deserve to be killed. You, like Zhao Chong, the leader, and the rebellious backbones and minions, must be killed with one blow, and the local people in Xiangzhou should be killed. Fairness and straightforwardness will establish your favor in Xiangzhou. But for people with sensitive status such as Du Chengyuan and Wei Xiaochen, you must be vague. You can deprive them of their official titles, but you cannot sentence them to five sentences now. Officials of grade 5 or above? According to law, crimes committed by officials of grade 5 or above must be handed over to the Yushitai in conjunction with Dali Temple for trial under the supervision of the Ministry of Punishment. So, you can throw these two hot-button cases to Chang'an. Those people! Who do you want to kill and who do you want to save? What does it have to do with you?”
Li Ke's eyes widened in surprise: "That's right! Why didn't I think of it? It's not a judgment, and it's not a judgment. Why don't I both judge and neither judge?... But, in this way, it would be against the father's will." The prince has always been fair and strict, and the prince has committed the same crime as the common people. Although he will not have any clear reason to reprimand and punish me, he will inevitably leave a mark in his heart! He is cunning and afraid of offending others."
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Your Highness, don't blame me for being blunt. Being considered cowardly is not a bad thing. Aren't you always too sharp? According to your usual habit, you don't care about anything. First, the cold-faced Hanshuang enforces the law impartially and kills all these people. In this way, he will gain a reputation of being honest, strict, smart and capable, but because of this, he will make enemies everywhere, which is really what you want. If you use a more satisfactory method to solve the problem, His Majesty will also think that you are smart and capable, and at the same time, you will be tactful and good at handling various complex relationships. Isn't this what His Majesty values the most in the King of Wei? ?”
Li Ke's eyes lit up, and his expression showed a bit of excitement. He understood the meaning of Qin Mubai's words. King Wei was somewhat sinister and vicious, but his tact and sophistication were perhaps what impressed Li Shimin the most. Because, when choosing a heir, ability is important, but character is also an important aspect. A strong and capable person, and a sinister and tactful person. The former is respected and famous, while the latter will be despised and disgusted by those who know him well, but he is more qualified to become a superior!
No one will ever explain this, because no one dares to say that the reason why the emperor is so successful is because he is so evil and powerful. But Li Shimin must have such an account in his heart!
When it comes to ability, Li Ke is by no means inferior to King Wei, and he is more pioneering and enterprising than King Wei. He is very similar to his father Li Shimin, and has the qualifications to become a great leader. In comparison, what he lacks may be some tact and sinisterness!
This is like the difference between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang!
"Then tell me, what should I do specifically?" Li Ke gritted his teeth, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and said, "Let's tell it straight! We haven't been working together for a day or two. What matter should I not obey your advice?"
"Then I'll say it." Qin Mubai nodded and said, "Today we are riding a tiger and it is difficult to get off. It is necessary to hold a public trial. There is no need to say anything in the court, because the evidence for catching the thief and seizing the stolen goods is conclusive, and directly state the facts of the case and announce the verdict. Zhao Chong and a group of large and small water ghosts were sentenced to death. As for Wei Xiaochen and Du Chengyuan, they were handed over to Chang'an Yushitai and Dali Temple for trial. The people didn't say much either. As for Duan Rongji, the owner of Zhengchang Lianghao, and Ouyang Jun, the owner of Yongye Salt Factory, they were related to Wei Haochen and Du Chengyuan, and they had great influence among the local gentry and wealthy businessmen. The court will judge you and throw them all together to Chang'an. As for whether they live or die in the future, it is none of your business. The person who escorts them must be Quan Wanji!"
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Li Ke gave an excited high-five, "Quan Wanji has always been upright and strict, and he has the demeanor of Wei Zheng. He dares to go against the dragon scales. I sent him to escort the prisoners to Beijing, which is undoubtedly to show my father. I originally wanted to impose a heavy sentence in accordance with the law, but under heavy pressure I had to make some compromises. In this way, the head of state was punished, and the local officials and people would applaud; the hot mountain basket was thrown away, no matter what. Neither the Weidu family nor the prince and concubine had anything to say to me; in the end, even my father would understand that I wanted a heavy sentence but had to make concessions, so he would not feel it either. I am cowardly and incompetent. I will only think that I am more sophisticated and smart. It is a great trick to achieve three goals with one stone!"
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "I originally thought that by escaping to Xiangzhou, I would be able to escape the disputes in the court, but I didn't expect that it wouldn't work!"
"Thank you for having you." Li Ke grinned, took a long breath of relief, nodded gratefully, and said, "I have been thinking about these problems for several days, and I have never come up with a perfect solution. Means. My conversation with you today made me enlightened. Mu Bai, you are really my wise man and lucky star!"
"Haha!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "I am just a bystander, and I only remind His Highness occasionally. In fact, you have already thought about it in your heart, otherwise, how could you hit it off with me? Okay, it's almost time, it's time to go to court!"
"Let's go together! I really want to see what Zhao Chong's expression looks like when he kneels at the foot of the stairs and sees you in the hall! Haha!"
At this moment, Li Ke's laughter was particularly hearty.
The governor's office opened a court hearing on the case. Cao officials from various departments, subordinate county magistrates, local squires and people's representatives went into the hall to watch or listen. Outside the mansion, tens of thousands of people gathered, and the momentum was spectacular.
Li Ke came to the stage in his official uniform. After the officials' roars of authority, the sound of the alarm bell sounded - "Bring it to Zhao Chong!"
In full view of everyone, Zhao Chong was brought up wearing prison uniform, shackles and handcuffs. His expression was calm, without any panic or fear. He glanced coldly at everyone in the hall, and finally fixed his eyes on Qin Mubai.
"Don't kneel down yet!" the officer who was escorting the man shouted loudly, forcing him to kneel down.
Zhao Chong banged his knees onto the slate floor with a thud. The people listening to the sound felt their hearts tremble in pain, but Zhao Chong didn't blink an eyelid and kept staring at Qin Mubai.
"Whoever is kneeling in the hall, please tell me his name!" Li Ke said loudly.
Zhao Chong ignored him and kept staring at Qin Mubai, seemingly angry and resentful, but said nothing.
Everyone looked at it with suspicion in their hearts and thought: Where have they seen such a criminal? When he was tried in court, he was neither afraid nor silent, but he stared at an official who was observing the trial.
"Your Majesty, can I have a humble conversation with the prisoner before the trial starts?" Qin Mubai stood up and said.
"Correct." Li Ke said.
"Thank you Mr. Fu." Qin Mubai stood up, left his seat, and walked to Zhao Chong.
"Zhao Chong, do you have something to tell me?" Qin Mubai said.
"Yes." Zhao Chong raised his head, still staring at Qin Mubai as before.
"Then you say it. If you don't say it now, you will never have the chance again." Qin Mubai said with a smile on his face, as if chatting.
"I'm not willing to accept it." Zhao Chong gritted his teeth, and the veins on his forehead bulged a little. He opened his eyes wide and said word by word, "I haven't lied to you like this, it's impossible! There must be one of our traitors who betrayed me. Me, otherwise, you wouldn’t know that I am Lord Song Cao!”
Qin Mubai smiled: "You are the one who betrayed you. You are too smart, but your cleverness is mistaken for you. You think you are perfect, but being too perfect is a mistake in itself. Because there is no absolute in the world. Perfect. Your plan is so sophisticated that you almost deceived yourself. It’s a pity that a few small flaws betrayed you.”
"I don't believe it." Zhao Chong shook his head stubbornly, "From the beginning, you had no reason to doubt me. Don't you still want to alienate me and make me defect to you? Logically speaking, you should doubt Du Chengyuan!"
"Yes! At the beginning, you were the least suspicious. Because no matter how you look at it, you are just a little minion, an insignificant little minion who is submissive to Du Chengyuan and looks up to him. You did hide it very well, you You are smarter than I imagined, and I have already fallen into your trap." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "After I figured out that you were the Lord of Song Cao, I took advantage of your trap and thought of a clever plan to catch them all. Capture you in one fell swoop. In fact, until I finally successfully rescued the princess, Zheng Anshun and others, I was not completely sure whether my guess was correct or not, whether you were the real Lord of Song Cao. But the results confirmed my guess. I tracked you and successfully rescued the hostages.”
"I underestimated the enemy too much." Zhao Chong laughed, his smile was bitter and desperate, he shook his head and sighed heavily, "When you beheaded Feng Daobao at the camp gate, I thought, Your attention has all shifted to Du Chengyuan. Later, I disappeared and was kidnapped together with Pang Fei. I was like this, but I didn’t expect that you would still focus on me. "
"Okay, I'm afraid I can't finish all the twists and turns in this in ten days." Qin Mubai said, "I won't waste everyone's time. I only want to ask you one question, you are a manure picker in Xiangyang City. , how can we command high officials like Wei Haochen and Du Chengyuan, as well as great gentry like Duan Rongji and Ouyang Jun?"
"Hmph!..." Zhao Chong sneered and said, "Flies never pay attention to seamless eggs. As long as people have a handle, they will be manipulated into puppets. There is only one difference between you and the person sitting in the hall. Is it too late? It’s true that I’m a turd picker, but as soon as I was born, I became the Lord of Song Cao, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Qin Mubai frowned slightly: "Does this mean that you have inherited your father's legacy?"
"That's right." Zhao Chong grinned nonchalantly and said, "Since the Sui Dynasty, my father and my ancestors have been roaming the waterways in Jianghan, Jingxiang and Jianghan. They are heroes in the green forest. Later, the world was in great trouble, and we couldn't We had to live our lives as before, so we had to find other ways to survive, including smuggling salt and selling grain and rice, but they were all small and insignificant, and we were increasingly hunted down by the government. Ghosts, they only make a living under the water. Who let you officials be so greedy that we can take advantage of it? As time goes by, we have become stronger and stronger. Wei Xiaochen and Du Chengyuan were not as high-minded as you when they first came here. He was so arrogant that he just wanted to cure the water ghost and then be quick. In the end, he became our claws and hawks? Haha, the official is just wearing a hat and having two mouths. Under coercion and inducement, he is worse than a bandit. Spineless!”
Zhao Chong spoke like a heroic hero who sacrificed his life with dignity, and everyone in the hall listened to every word. Many people blushed upon hearing this, but no one spoke up to refute.
"Everyone, I must have heard it very clearly, so there is no need for me to repeat it." Li Ke said in the hall, "The dignified officials of the Tang Dynasty have become the accomplices and accomplices of thieves. Breaking the law should be treated as a crime. This is a great shame. Colleagues, please reflect on yourselves after returning to the government. How should you behave as an official and as a person in the future? Zhao Chong, I hate your crimes, but I have to admire your ability and wit. If this wisdom is used in the right way, it will definitely have a bright future. It’s a pity that you chose to go against the will and the law.”
"There is no need to say these nice sarcastic words, Lord Governor of the Prefecture, His Highness King Wu." Zhao Chong smiled coldly and said indifferently, "From the time I was born, I had no choice. It's like you were cast into the imperial womb. You are destined to be a prince when you are born, and you have no choice. Do you think I don't want to live a good life? When the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of brothers are tied to you, there are some things that you just can't do. I know this day will come sooner or later, but this is my fate, so I am not surprised or scared at all, but I feel very relieved. Okay, no need to talk nonsense, let the trial begin and give it to me. What a pleasure!”
"Fate..." Everyone in the hall chewed on this word in their hearts.
Does everyone have a destiny destined by God from the moment they are born? Can't choose, can't change? Just like, Li Kesheng is smart and capable, but he is a concubine prince, and he is also burdened with the shadow of the former Sui royal family. Does this also determine his fate and ending
Qin Mubai thought of this, shook his head, and sighed: "Zhao Chong, if you are not a thief, I would be willing to make friends with you."
"Thanks to General Qin for his respect, let's live in the next life!" Zhao Chong smiled calmly and nodded.
Qin Mubai shook his head, walked back to his seat and sat down.
"Fate? Everyone has a fate! ... What will be the fate of me, Qin Mubai? Perhaps, the truth will come to light only on the day when the coffin is sealed. By then, I will definitely be like Zhao Chong, and I will not care about these things. Will you also have a feeling of relief and insight? This is how people are destined to be teased by fate for a lifetime. By the time they see it clearly, it is the end of their lives..."