Chapter 42: Expelled from the city, facing the wall and thinking about the past (Part 2)
At the second watch, the long street is silent, and the cold moon is like a hook.
There is a curfew in Chang'an City, and the city that is bustling during the day looks particularly gloomy and desolate at this time. Red or white paper lanterns are hung outside the gates of every city. The lights are dim and the north wind blows, and the lanterns sway under the eaves.
Except for the pairs of Jinwu guards who patrolled the night, there were only watchmen who occasionally passed by carrying small lanterns and banging broken gongs or clappers. Their shrinking shadows appeared for a while and then disappeared into the darkness; the slow and listless gongs The sound of bangs also gradually faded away in the sound of wind.
Under the white jade railing in front of the Tai Chi Hall, several lanterns emitted a faint halo, and a group of young people in brocade clothes knelt in a row.
The usually arrogant and unruly dudes were all shivering in the biting cold wind. Their usual flamboyant expressions were gone. They were droopy with runny noses and sneezing, and their little faces were covered with powder. Still white...
This is not over yet. Behind them is a group of strong guards with black helmets and white tassels. They all carry leather whips in their hands. If any of the hands or feet are paralyzed due to blood vessels being blocked due to maintaining the same posture for a long time, they can't help but move a little. , a whip was struck hard on the back, which made these domineering dandies shudder, but they did not dare to say a harsh word and could only endure it with a frown.
King Li Tai of Wei was treated better. He was wearing a black bearskin cloak given to him by the palace servant, which wrapped his fat body tightly. He held a small brass hand stove in his hand, and the warmth of the hand stove dispersed the heat. Biting cold.
He did not kneel, but stood there, moving his hands and feet from time to time, and no guards would whip him.
Even so, King Li Tai of Wei felt his face was heating up in the cold wind.
Shameful...
Think of him, King Li Tai of Wei, who always presented himself as an intelligent and virtuous person. The whole court praised him as "graceful and magnanimous, with the appearance of a master, and the appearance of a dragon and a tiger in his actions." But now, he is being raped along with these naughty kids. punish Station, the ministers who were coming and going all cast joking glances, and many of them even suppressed their smiles. It is conceivable that in just one night, the news here will spread throughout Chang'an, and it will be cited as a gossip after dinner by boring people. Talk.
Li Tai was extremely depressed. Not only was he angry at Fang Jun, who was not stingy with his efforts, but he was also slightly complaining about His Majesty Li Er.
No matter how big of a deal it is, it can be done with a few curses. If it really can’t be done, it’s no big deal to just shut the door and give it a few beatings. Why should it be such a big deal? Isn’t this an obvious attempt to skin someone…
The heart is dissatisfied, and the face naturally becomes more and more gloomy.
Chai Lingwu watched clearly from the side, gritted his teeth and said bitterly: "It is all the fault of Fang Er that we are so embarrassed. Don't worry, Your Highness, I will never spare him!"
Li Tai glanced at him speechlessly. He didn't say anything, but his eyes clearly said: Who can you not forgive? He was knocked down after just one meeting, which means he is very talkative...
The look in his eyes was full of contempt, which made Chai Lingwu blush with shame, and he completely hated Fang Jun in his heart.
Several ministers hurriedly walked in from outside Chengtian Gate. When they passed by these dandies, they entered the brightly lit Tai Chi Hall without even looking at them.
There was a commotion among the dandy group.
Li Siwen hunched his shoulders and said with a grimace: "It's over, my father is here..."
Fang Jun was also speechless: "My father is here too."
Chai Lingwu spat on the ground angrily, but his father didn't come because he was already dead... It was his eldest brother, Chai Zhewei, who inherited the title of Duke of Qiao, who came. His eldest brother, however, has a rigorous and old-fashioned temperament. He usually looks down on Chai Lingwu's frivolous temperament of not doing his job properly. He will scold him endlessly if he catches something wrong. He will just scold him. He will often beat people directly after being scolded. Got it...
Therefore, Chai Lingwu was extremely frightened of this eldest brother.
The other dandies also lamented one after another, with sad expressions on their faces. I am afraid that things will not go well today. Not to mention how your Majesty will deal with it, a family meal will be inevitable after returning home.
Regardless of the camp, everyone at this moment unanimously expressed their extreme dissatisfaction with His Majesty Li Er - it is disgusting to go to your parents if you make any mistakes...
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The Tai Chi Hall was brightly lit, and tall tall butter wax trees were filled with bronze lantern trees, and the flames were blazing. There is a bronze cauldron in the four corners of the hall. The incense charcoal inside is burning brightly. The faint fragrance mixed with hot air comes out from the gaps in the animal pattern cauldron cover, driving away the slightest chill and making it as warm as spring.
It is a world of difference from the ice and snow outside the palace.
Due to formal court meetings from time to time, two rows of desks were placed on both sides of the hall where the office staff usually stood. On the desks were placed wine bottles and several exquisite pastries.
His Majesty Li Er was sitting on the throne. He was not wearing court clothes, but an ordinary blue brocade robe. He scanned the ministers in front of him with a pair of tiger eyes, his face was as dark as water, and he was not angry or intimidating.
"How do you think today's matter should be handled?"
His Majesty the Emperor spoke calmly, but there was anger in his voice.
A group of princes, relatives, and meritorious deeds actually went to war with the pure land of Buddhism, causing a mess and chaos, how unbecoming it was! Although His Majesty Li Er is not too fond of Buddhism, it is a public place after all, and the impact of this incident will be very bad!
There was silence in the hall, and all the ministers were a little embarrassed.
They had already had dinner at the palace, had washed up, and went back to their rooms to discuss human relations with their wives, concubines, or maids. However, they were called into the palace one by one by His Majesty, and only then did they learn about the Qingyuan Temple.
It’s a bit embarrassing for your child to get into trouble and be criticized by the leader...
Everyone didn't know what to say.
After a moment of silence, Fang Xuanling had no choice but to stand up and play: "Your Majesty, the state has national laws and the family has family rules, so they must be punished according to the law."
He is a minister with the actual status of prime minister, the head of civil servants, so he can only stand up and express his attitude first.
As soon as he took the lead, everyone spoke out one after another, saying that they would handle the matter in accordance with the law without any complaints.
More than just no complaints?
These ministers really wanted to go into battle in person and beat their own bastards half to death. They would be embarrassed in front of the emperor and deserved to be beaten!
His Majesty Li Er just sneered.
Punished according to law?
Gathering a crowd to make trouble, fighting, and disturbing public order, if judged according to the "Tang Code", it would be a stick in front of the public, and being sent to the army.
If such a punishment is really given, there will be rumors that "the queen treats the hero harshly" will spread among the people.
His Majesty Li Er would not do such a stupid thing, so he kicked the ball back.
"Zhijie, at this time, you will work with LT County to deal with it. The spine cane should be used, and the army should be expelled."
Cheng Yaojin was taking a nap with his eyes closed. When he heard this, he was excited and shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, I have abdominal distension and dryness in the past few days, and my bowel movements are not smooth. I drank honey water by the can, but the result was too much. This is too unobstructed. I visit the latrine more than ten times a day... Oh, I'll come as soon as I say. Your Majesty, I'll go back and go to the latrine first..."
His Majesty Li Er's face turned dark. This old bastard... there was nothing he could do, so he had to wave his hands in disgust, and Cheng Yaojin walked out of the hall in a hurry, clutching his stomach.
Everyone was already accustomed to Cheng Yaojin's rogue temperament and didn't take it seriously, but they knew in their hearts that His Majesty was really angry, and they were all a little worried.
Seeing that His Majesty's face was getting more and more ugly, everyone knew that the tactic of shirking responsibility would not work. They looked at each other and decided that it was Li Ji who stood up.
Li Ji is forty-two years old this year. His face is fair and has a tinge of dust. His chin is a bit pointed and he looks thin. A famous general who is capable of riding and shooting, and can lead the charge into battle. But his sword-shaped eyebrows, high cheekbones, and broad forehead carry a calm and resolute look.
He stood up, bowed to His Majesty Li Er, and said: "Although this matter is not a major matter, it has wide implications and extremely bad influence. There will definitely be criticism in the public. But if it is punished severely, I am afraid it will damage the reputation of King Wei... Yichen In view of this, it is better to order each family to confine the person involved for several months. As time goes by, the impact will slowly dissipate..."
His Majesty Li Er sighed secretly, this Li Ji was really thoughtful and had already guessed his intentions.
He intends to punish them severely. If these bastards don't show some restraint, they will become lawless in the future.
But if the punishment is severe, it will inevitably damage the prestige of Wei King Li Tai.
His Majesty Li Er has high hopes for this son, and he is not willing to hurt his wings so easily.
After a moment of thought, His Majesty Li Er said: "That's the case, these bastards will be sent to their respective villages and fields outside the city, and they will not be allowed to return to the city within one month!"
My physical condition is very bad. This chapter was too hard to write and I am very dissatisfied... It is said that recommendations and collections can refresh your mind. I don’t know if this is true...
(End of chapter)