Chapter 5377 Revenge

Chapter 5377 Revenge
The military is a place with countless unspoken rules, and it's not easy to find fault with someone. Simply saying "it was the fault of the predecessor" is not enough to get away with it.

If you discover problems during your tenure, you must take responsibility.

What happens to the former officials is none of your business...

Cao Huaishun waved his hand: "Make way, let Doctor Du come over."

"...Here you go!"

The soldiers of the Left Guard glared angrily at Du Zhijing, but dared not disobey the military order, and reluctantly made way for him.

Having spent years in the military, they were acutely aware of the current situation. Everyone knew that the Ministry of War was acting on Fang Jun's orders to retaliate. However, the Imperial Guard, acting on imperial orders, discovered that Li Siwen, Qu Tuquan, Cheng Chubi, and others still had some principles; their aim was merely to transfer these individuals to facilitate the placement of people to control the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace. But who knew if Fang Jun would have any principles when it came to revenge!
If Cao Huaishun is arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to torture to extract a confession, and ultimately presented with "conclusive evidence" and a "confession," then things will be terrible...

Cao Huaishun was also uncertain, especially since he had "defected" from Fang Jun's side. If Fang Jun was extremely angry and insisted on "cleaning up the house," it would be easy for him to enter the Ministry of War prison, but it would be extremely difficult for him to get out.

Not to mention that his own father was powerless to save him, even His Majesty's imperial decree might not be of any use...

But resisting detention and interrogation is absolutely unacceptable. They might be waiting for him to do that, and then they'll pin a whole bunch of charges on him that he can't wash off.

Du Zhijing stepped forward, his attitude gentle and even smiling: "Some people have already gone to the Left Guard Commander's Office to seal the account books, and the General's Chief Clerk has also been taken to the Ministry of War for review. I hope General Cao will forgive any abruptness."

Cao Huaishun nodded: "As long as the procedure is correct, cooperating with the review is only right and proper."

"Then please?"

"please!"

……

Inside the Lizheng Palace, Empress Su was having breakfast with the Crown Prince. She was somewhat dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's picky eating and admonished him, "Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world—these are the principles for a great man to establish himself in the world. The so-called 'cultivating oneself' is not only about improving one's character and mastering principles, but also about ensuring a good physique. Without a strong body, how can one talk about anything else? The Crown Prince is currently at the age of physical development. If he wants to become a man of integrity in the future, such picky eating is not right."

"All right……"

Crown Prince Li Xiang was gentle, shy, and obedient. He dared not refute the words and could only agree with a droopy head. However, his eyes darted around and he looked up to ask, "Is the Grand Commandant a man of integrity and uprightness?"

Empress Su was surprised by the Crown Prince's question. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Judging from the illustrious achievements of the Grand Commandant, he certainly deserves it. Just the feats of 'sealing the wolf's lair and inscribing the Yanran Mountain' are rare indeed. Not to mention that he single-handedly created the navy, which dominated the seven seas and was invincible in the world."

Li Xiang's eyes shone brightly: "But I see that the Grand Commandant is tall and slightly thin, so he must be a picky eater!"

"what?"

Empress Su chuckled, her beautiful face blossoming: "How did the Crown Prince conclude that the Grand Commandant was 'thin and frail'? He only appears thin; in reality, he is exceptionally gifted and possesses immense strength."

Li Xiang pressed further, "How did Mother know that the Grand Commandant possessed extraordinary talent?"

Empress Su, lost in thought, blushed and quickly explained, "Has the Crown Prince not heard of his reputation as 'the bravest in the three armies'? In terms of bravery alone, no one in the million-strong army of the Tang Dynasty can surpass him. If this is not considered a gifted talent, then what is?"

"Master is indeed amazing!"

Li Xiang was amazed. He had suffered from indigestion and weakness since childhood, and lacked physical fitness. He had always envied those who were strong and powerful. Now that he heard that his master was such a peerless warrior, he was full of praise and admiration.

Just as Empress Su was about to speak, she suddenly heard a commotion outside. Her brows furrowed, and she called the eunuch at the door to her, ordering, "Go out and see what's going on. If His Highness is disturbed, I will not let him off lightly!"

"Here!"

The eunuch quickly turned around and strode out to find out what was going on.

He returned shortly after and reported that the Ministry of War's men had gone straight into Chongjiao Gate and taken away Cao Huaishun, the Left Guard Commander who had been on duty the previous night, for questioning...

Empress Su's eyebrows relaxed instantly, and even the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.

That guy said he'd retaliate last night, and he took action first thing this morning. He really is vindictive...

Li Xiang was very clever. After listening to the eunuch's words and seeing his mother's bright smile, he understood something. He leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "General Li, General Qu Tu, and General Cheng are all very loyal to me, but they were all investigated and transferred last time. Now that Master is back, is he going to help me get revenge?"

Empress Su touched Li Xiang's hair and said with a smile, "You are the Crown Prince, you shouldn't say such things. Although they have different political views now, they will all be your subjects in the future."

Li Xiang nodded, but seemed to understand only partially.

Empress Su held him in her arms and sighed softly.

The Crown Prince grew up in the deep palace. Although he was tossed about in the turmoil of the succession crisis, he never saw the wickedness of people's hearts and always retained the innocence in his heart.

She naturally understood Fang Jun's long-held goal and His Majesty's initial intention to counter him. If the Crown Prince ultimately retained his position, it would mean Fang Jun had won a great victory, and the imperial power would have withered to an unprecedented degree. Even if the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would have no chance to defy fate.

But if His Majesty wins now, the most direct result will be the removal of the Crown Prince and the establishment of a new heir. What does the supreme imperial power have to do with them, mother and son?

*****
Under the escort of the yamen runners, Cao Huaishun arrived at the main gate of the Ministry of War. He happened to run into Ashina Funian and Su Haizheng, who had also entered the Eastern Palace Six Guards with him. The three of them looked at each other, smiled bitterly, and shook their heads.

Although the Crown Prince's retaliation was expected, its speed and severity still deeply shocked them.

After all, while it was a few generals who were subjected to retaliation, the real target was His Majesty…

Upon entering the Ministry of War, the three were imprisoned separately. The clerks of the Ministry of War carefully checked the account books and quickly found a number of errors. When questioned, the three neither argued nor admitted anything, and all remained silent.

He knew in his heart that his current situation was no different from that of Li Siwen, Qu Tuquan, and Cheng Chubi back then, and whether or not he admitted to the crime was not important.

All he wanted was an excuse.

Soon, the Ministry of War compiled all the charges and transferred the relevant materials to the Censorate. The normal procedure was for the Censorate to verify the charges and then initiate an impeachment, followed by either a guilty plea and conviction, or a trial by the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review.

At the same time, a report from Zhenguan Academy was also sent to the Censorate...

Around noon, snowflakes began to fall again from the gloomy sky. The cypress trees transplanted into the courtyard remained upright and lush green even in the cold winter snow.

Liu Xiangdao sat on the chair behind the desk in the duty room, took a sip of hot tea, and looked out the window at the green cypress trees in the courtyard. He was not in a good mood.

Across from him, Censor-in-Chief Sun Chuyue carefully read through a large stack of documents transferred by the Ministry of War, then pinched his brow and said, "I have finished reading them. Many of the charges against Li, Cheng, and Qu Tu are extremely similar to those against Li and Cheng, and are virtually identical. If there are any, they are all old malpractices and unspoken rules in the military that cannot be brought to the forefront. But if there are no charges, the evidence is real and not fabricated, making it almost impossible for them to escape punishment."

Liu Xiangdao withdrew his gaze, looking quite helpless: "These three are also muddle-headed. They know perfectly well why Li, Cheng, and Qu Tu were investigated and transferred, so why do they still make the same mistakes after taking office?"

Sun Chuyue smiled wryly, “That’s unfair to them. They’ve only just taken office and haven’t fully taken control yet. Some unspoken rules are still in effect… For example, the money allocated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs every winter for purchasing coal is calculated by the Ministry based on market prices and usage. But in reality, every government office and military prefecture has its own long-term merchants who offer slightly lower prices than the market price. The savings are then either shared privately by officials and generals or included in their food allowances. Normally, no one cares about this, but Li, Cheng, and Qu Tu were investigated for it before… Although Cao Huaishun and others didn’t share in this money, they enjoyed the food allowances it provided, so they can’t be considered innocent.”

Since it is "stolen money," it is equivalent to a crime no matter how it is benefited. Although they will not be convicted for it, as long as someone insists on it and it involves the defense and safety of the Crown Prince's Palace, Cao Huaishun and the other two must be transferred.

That was all the Ministry of War aimed for.

Liu Xiangdao shook his head. Although the information had been sent to the Censorate, it was His Majesty and the Secretariat who were actually going to compete with the Ministry of War, which had little to do with him.

Sun Chuyue understood this principle, so he put the other documents aside and placed a document that seemed rather thin in comparison in front of Liu Xiangdao: "Relatively speaking, this is the troublesome thing."

Liu Xiangdao knew what it was, and his face immediately fell with worry: "In your opinion, is there a problem with this accusation document?"

Sun Chuyue hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly: "It's hard to tell if there's a problem... But even if there is, the problem lies within Zhenguan Academy. Do you think Li Jingxuan, with his control over the academy, could possibly find out the problem?"

Liu Xiangdao shook his head: "Of course he can't find out. The academy is Fang Jun's territory, and everyone in it is his man. Li Jingxuan has only been there for a few days. He doesn't have that ability."

Sun Chuyue said with a wry smile, "So that means there's no problem."

Liu Xiangdao sighed: "If there's no problem, then there's a big problem."

As Your Majesty had planned, Liu Ji was about to retire, and Xu Jingzong, who had gained considerable influence through land surveying and overseas negotiations, was about to rise to power. In particular, Xu Jingzong's "defection" from Fang Jun to Your Majesty's camp not only allowed Your Majesty to completely control the civil service group, but also led to a complete shift in the political climate of the court.

But now, this letter accusing Xu Jingzong of corruption, embezzlement, and favoritism during his tenure at the academy could very well drag him down from his rising position...

(End of this chapter)