Chapter 5356 Shameless Threat

Li Bi stepped into the yamen and saw more than ten people lined up on the left and right, exuding a menacing aura. He immediately frowned and his face turned serious. When he saw Fang Jun sitting in the main seat with an imposing air, he paused for a moment, forced a smile, and walked forward.

"But I wonder when Erlang will return to the capital? If I knew in advance, I could prepare a feast and have a good drink. Everyone says that Erlang has a great capacity for alcohol, but I don't believe it!"

The other party came with great enthusiasm and a menacing manner, so it was not advisable to provoke them. Although they were very dissatisfied with the move to occupy the government office, they could only endure it for the time being.

Fang Jun put down his teacup, stared at Li Bi for a while, then smiled and said, "Since you are in the government office, please address me by my official title."

Li Bi's forced smile vanished instantly, his anger rising and his face burning with embarrassment. He met Fang Jun's gaze without backing down.

He was publicly humiliated and lost all face!
However, he was quite good at controlling his temper. Although he was annoyed, he was flexible and nodded, then sat down to the side.

This idiot's entry into the Weiwei Temple's office was quite rude, almost like a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest, but who could blame him when he was Fang Jun's?
However, before he could sit down, Fang Jun lightly patted the table beside him twice and said indifferently, "Why don't you sit down? I don't have time for pleasantries. Quickly bring the person here so I can take him away. I still need to go to the palace to see His Majesty."

Li Bi ignored him and sat down.

Then, as if realizing what Fang Jun had said, he looked up and asked in surprise, "Bring someone? I wonder who the Grand Commandant wants to bring?"

Fang Jun looked at him and slowly said, "Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, Qu Tuquan."

Li Bi shook his head and said, "You can't take these three people with you."

Fang Jun was not surprised: "I would like to hear the details."

The information he received indicated that although the detention of Li Siwen and the other two was ordered by His Majesty and carried out by Dugu Lan, Li Bi also played a significant role in it. In addition, Li Jingye suddenly replaced Li Junxian as the commander of the "Hundred Cavalry Division," and Li Ji was quite low-key and indifferent during this period. This was enough to show that Li Ji had deviated from the agreement he had made with him and completely sided with the imperial power.

Li Bi said, "These three people have been investigated by the Imperial Guard and found to have committed embezzlement and dereliction of duty to varying degrees. Before they are thoroughly investigated and convicted, no one is allowed to meet with them to prevent them from colluding, let alone taking them away."

Fang Jun had foreseen this, so he asked, "The three have been detained by the Imperial Guard for several months. Even the biggest problems should have been investigated by now. Since the Imperial Guard has determined that they are guilty, then quickly determine their punishment."

Li Bi shook his head and said, "The case is complicated and will require some time for careful investigation."

Fang Jun couldn't help but laugh: "If the Imperial Guard fails to investigate thoroughly in a day, will these three have to stay at the Imperial Guard for another day?"

Li Bi nodded: "That's the principle."

Fang Jun turned slightly to look at him and said, "Li Bi..."

"Ok?"

Li Bi was slightly surprised, not expecting the other party to call him by his name directly.

Fang Jun's eyes were sharp as he said, word by word, "Don't push your luck."

Li Bi's face suddenly flushed red with anger, and he said indignantly, "Fang Jun, don't push your luck! This is the Weiwei Temple office, and I am the Vice Minister of the Weiwei Temple, a fourth-rank official of the court. How can I allow you to humiliate me?"

Wow!

More than ten guards stepped forward in unison, their armor clanging and their imposing presence glaring fiercely at Li Bi.

Outside the gate, a large number of officials from the Imperial Guard were making a noisy commotion. Seeing this scene, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves, sharing a common hatred for the enemy.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Guard was subjected to such humiliation in his own office, and everyone from top to bottom felt the same way.

Fang Jun dismissed this, ordering his personal guards to disperse the officials watching outside the gate, closing the door, and then pointing a finger at Li Bi, calmly saying, "Today, either these three will be released without charge, or they will be convicted and imprisoned. There is no third possibility. If you dare to say another word, I will have my guards strip you naked, tie you up, and parade you through the streets of the capital, so that all the officials of the central government of the Tang Dynasty can see what kind of face someone like you, who abuses power for personal gain, disregards the law, and violates discipline, truly has!"

Li Bi's face turned as red as blood, his hair stood on end in fury, and his eyes were bloodshot: "How dare you?!"

Fang Jun laughed and said, "Do you think I dare?"

Li Bi: "..."

His anger did not cloud his judgment. He was certainly unsure whether this idiot would actually dare to do it, but he dared not gamble.

Because if Fang Jun is capable of such actions, regardless of whether Li Bi is acting on the Emperor's orders or taking the blame for the Emperor, he will lose all dignity, have no face to remain in officialdom, and may even implicate the entire Li family, making them a laughingstock.

Regardless of what punishment His Majesty imposes on Fang Jun afterward, Li Bi will be completely cut off from his official career.

Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, some even took their own lives in an attempt to find relief...

Back then, this idiot dared to drag Changsun Chong by one leg and parade through the streets. What's so surprising about him stripping Li Bi naked and parading him through the streets today?
Changsun Chong was the Emperor’s most favored son-in-law, and his father, Changsun Wuji, was at the height of his power at the time!

Can Li Bi compare to Changsun Chong back then?
Li Bi was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder: "A dignified Grand Commandant, a high-ranking official in the military and the state, renowned throughout the land and famous both at home and abroad... how could he use such despicable means to threaten court officials? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world? You just asked me if I had any shame, now I have to ask you, where is your shame?!"

Fang Jun chuckled and said, "Everyone here is one of my men. Unless Li Shaoqing is stubbornly unrepentant, who would know that I said such a thing?"

Li Bi shouted angrily, "Shameless!"

If he remains "stubborn and unrepentant," Fang Jun will strip him naked and parade him through the streets. At that point, no matter how the world views Fang Jun, Li Bi will be finished. If he "repents and turns back from his wrong path," Fang Jun will not do anything to him, and no one will know about his threatening words.

That's absolutely shameless!

Li Bi stood up, kicked the door open, glanced around at the group of officials hiding far away in the courtyard, gritted his teeth and said, "Release them!"

Then he strode away, flicking his sleeves.

……

The Imperial Guard was responsible for overseeing the military, and therefore had its own prison. However, most of the crimes investigated by the Imperial Guard were related to military officers, so even though it was a prison, the environment and facilities were different from ordinary prisons.

Fang Jun entered the prison under the guidance of officials from the Imperial Guard. The place was clean and tidy, no different from his home, except that his freedom was restricted.

Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, and Qu Tuquan were each brought out of their cells, and when they saw Fang Jun, they all let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Li Siwen felt conflicted and uneasy. He wanted to say something but hesitated, and finally could only sigh deeply.

He was used by his family as a "discarded pawn" to curry favor with the imperial power...

Fang Jun watched as the three men signed and sealed the case documents, then smiled and patted them on the shoulder, saying gently, "Don't overthink it. You're just caught in the crossfire of a political infighting. Go home and get some rest. We'll get together again in a few days."

Cheng Chubi and Qu Tuquan both nodded, but Li Siwen looked slightly bewildered: "Where do I have a home?"

Clearly, being betrayed by his family filled him with both anger and panic. Was that still his home? Especially being detained and monitored by his uncle, he felt utterly lost.

Fang Jun smiled and comforted him, "When you get home, your uncle will surely have prepared a banquet to welcome you back."

"Ok?"

Li Siwen looked at Fang Jun blankly, puzzled.

His uncle had previously imprisoned him, almost ruining his future, yet afterwards he was still able to host a banquet to welcome him back.

Fang Jun didn't explain further: "You'll know when you get home. This matter ends here."

Then he said to Cheng Chubi and Qu Tuquan, "I have just returned to the capital from Huating Town and will go to the palace to see His Majesty immediately. You may both go home."

The four parted ways outside the gate of the Imperial Guard Temple.

Fang Jun, accompanied by his personal guards, rode straight to Chengtian Gate to enter the palace for an audience.

*****
Li Bi stormed out of the Imperial Guard Temple, rode out of the capital, and galloped all the way back home. After entering the gate, he threw the reins to his attendant, asked the steward of the house, and learned that his elder brother was home. He then went straight to the inner courtyard and into his study.

Li Ji was sitting in a chair drinking tea and reading when he saw Li Bi burst in. He wasn't offended, put down his book, poured a cup of tea for Li Bi, and asked, "What happened?"

Li Bi finished his cup of tea, then let out a long sigh and stroked his beard: "Fang Jun just went to the Imperial Guard Temple, insisting on taking those three people with him."

Li Ji raised an eyebrow: "You're just going to let him take the person away?"

Li Bi laughed and said, "Of course I refused and strongly refused... but under pressure, I couldn't refuse."

Li Ji nodded: "That's for the best. This matter will finally come to an end."

"Who says it's not..."

Li Bi sighed, then his face suddenly turned grim: "Brother, do you know how that scoundrel Fang Er has put pressure on me?"

Li Ji glanced at him and laughed, "Is he going to beat you up? That guy has always been lawless. Even now that he is the Grand Commandant and an important official, he still hasn't changed his playboy nature."

"Hey!"

Li Bi was furious: "If it were just a beating, that would be fine, but that bastard actually wants to strip me naked and parade me through the streets of the capital!"

Then he gave a bitter laugh: "Not to mention that we were already waiting for him to come and take the person away, even if that weren't the case, I would have no choice but to release the person! If he really stripped me naked and paraded me through the streets, would I even be able to live? This guy is truly too outrageous!"

Li Ji was also taken aback. Was that something the Grand Commandant of the current dynasty could say or do?
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "That fellow probably understands the attitude of the Imperial Guard, so he used such words to deliberately disgust you and vent his frustration. Don't take it to heart."

Just as Li Bi was about to speak, a servant entered to announce that the second young master, Li Siwen, had returned to the mansion…

Li Bi slapped his forehead, stood up and said, "I'll go to the door to greet him and have the kitchen prepare a feast. I'll personally pour wine for my nephew to apologize later... This kid probably holds a grudge against me. I'll have to coax him properly, otherwise I won't be able to handle his stubborn temper."

Li Ji sighed, got up, put on his turban, and walked out of the study with his hands behind his back.

“I’ll go with you to greet them. In the end, it’s Erlang who has been dragged down by the family. As his father, I’ve let him down.”

Li Bi sighed, “I’m afraid this kid won’t understand and will throw a tantrum.”

Li Ji said calmly, "If he really can't figure it out, then that's all he is. It's better to send him to the frontier to hone his skills as soon as possible, so that he won't say or do the wrong thing in the capital and end up in a bad situation."