Chapter 11: The Two Kings Make Trouble in the Capital (Part 2)

  "Qiao Xuan's actions are the same as treason, his crime deserves to be punished with the extermination of his entire family. Cui Xuanzhe, you are an imperial censor, yet you know the law and break it, your crime is increased by one degree, you should be destroyed along with three generations of your family! Come, take this barbarian down!" As soon as he saw Cui Xuanzhe not speaking for half a day, Li Xianke, who had been waiting to establish his authority in the imperial court through this matter, gained confidence. He coldly laughed and waved his hand, loudly shouting an order. The group of guards from the Wangfu barracks behind him responded with a loud "Yes!" and stepped forward, ready to take action.

  "Hold on!" Although Hou Shanye was very dissatisfied with Cui Xuanzhe, he had intended to let him suffer a bit, but he didn't dare to watch as he was taken down by the guards of the Lu Wang Fu. After all, he himself was also involved in this case, and if he couldn't clear his own name beforehand, once things got out of hand, he would also be in trouble. Seeing that the guards were about to take action, Hou Shanye suddenly became anxious, hastily rushed forward, shouted loudly, and led a group of Da Li Si temple officers to block Cui Xuanzhe's path.

  "Hmph, Lord Hou, as the Chief Justice, should be well-versed in imperial laws and decrees. Yet, you're now colluding with traitor Cui, seeking to disrupt the imperial court? Hmm?" Li Xian had intended to take down both Cui and Hou at once, but facing so many officials in the imperial prison, he didn't dare act rashly. He coldly waved his hand, signaling his guards to retreat, gritted his teeth, and asked in a chilly tone.

  "Your Highness, I dare not be rude or lawless. The case has already been tried and sentenced by the three courts, and the imperial edict has been issued. This decree has long been announced to the world, and a copy is stored in our temple. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can investigate it yourself. Cui Gong is the supervisor of the institution, and he conveyed the imperial order here. I have no right to arbitrarily take over, and executing the imperial edict is my duty. I hope Your Highness will understand!" Hou Shan Ye, who had been immersed in law for half his life, was not afraid of Li Xian's threatening words after handling many cases. He just didn't want to clash with the two princes on the spot, so he politely bowed and saluted.

  "Ah? So it seems that Cui Xuan was the one who forged the imperial edict! How dare he!" Before Li Xian could respond, Li Xian, who was standing beside him, had already spoken up and shifted all the blame onto Cui Xuan.

  "Seventh brother..." Li Xian had been somewhat dissatisfied with Li Xian's sudden interruption earlier, and now seeing Li Xian let Hou Shanye off so lightly, his discontent could no longer be contained. He furrowed his brow, his face cold, and was about to show off the prestige of an elder brother.

  Alas, Old Six, you really are a one-track-minded guy. Heaven knows where your usual cleverness has gone. Is it true that you're clever on the surface but stupid at heart? You're just like a political rookie! Seeing Li Xian about to blow his top, Li Xian was filled with helplessness - no mistake, before coming to the prison, the two brothers had discussed taking down Cui and Hou together, making a big fuss out of it. But now that Hou Shan Ye has made it clear he wants to stay out of it, is there any need to take him down as well? As long as they can rescue Shangguan Yi from certain death, the two brothers' respective plans can be achieved. Besides, if they really win this round, how hard would it be to deal with Hou Shan Ye, a mere fifth-grade official, later on? Is there any need to take action now?

  "Sixth brother, it seems that Lord Hou has been deceived by Cui Ze's treachery. Although there are minor flaws, the situation can be excused. Cui Ze is just a low-ranking official of the eighth grade, yet he dares to commit such a heinous and unrighteous act. His heart is deceitful and should be reported to the Emperor for thorough investigation. We cannot tolerate this evil treachery!" Li Xian's heart was not satisfied with Li Xian's reversal of right and wrong, but he couldn't afford to quarrel with Li Xian at this moment. Seeing Li Xian's displeased expression, he hastily bowed and apologized.

  "Hmm, what the Seventh Brother said is right. Come on, capture Cui's thief! I will now enter the palace to pay respects!" Li Xian was not a fool, and upon hearing Li Xian say this, he immediately came to his senses, hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand and gave the order to seize him again.

  Li Xian's words came out, and Hou Shan Ye immediately let out a sigh of relief. He no longer stepped forward to stop the Wangfu guards from taking people away. A group of Wangfu guards swarmed up, easily pinning Cui Xuan Zhe to the ground, binding him up. Cui Xuan Zhe was so anxious that he shouted wildly: "I am an official appointed by the imperial court, you are not allowed to be rude! Let go of this official, quickly let go of this official!"

  Choi Hyeon-cheol was just a minor government official, struggling with all his might, but how could he resist the strong and powerful palace guards? In just a few moves, he was tied up like a rice ball. No matter how loudly he shouted, no one dared to come forward to help him at this critical moment. Before he could even struggle a few times, the impatient palace guards stuffed his mouth with rags and carried him away to the imperial prison.

  "Shangguan Fu has been taken down, Shangguan Daren please take care of yourself." Taking advantage of the chaos when a group of guards captured Cui Xuan's philosophy, Li Xian quietly made his way through the crowd and walked to Shangguan Yi, who was being protected by his own guards, and whispered a sentence.

  "Oh?" Shangguan Yi originally thought he was doomed to die, but didn't expect the two princes to make such a big scene in the court. He was still bewildered when he heard Li Xian say this, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Just as he wanted to ask more questions, he saw Li Xian turn around and walk back to Li Xuan's side without looking back. With doubts remaining, hope surged uncontrollably in his heart.

  Li Xian kept a straight face as he watched the guards take away Cui Huanzhe, until Li Xian turned back to him and gave him a signal with his eyes. Only then did his expression slightly relax, and he looked at Hou Shanye who was pale with fear: "Lord Hou, since Cui's edict wanted to kill Lord Shangguan, there must be some hidden reason behind it. Now that the plot has been exposed, we should investigate thoroughly. It's not safe for Lord Shangguan to stay here any longer. I'm about to enter the palace to see my father, if it's convenient for you, Lord Hou, why don't you bring Lord Shangguan along with me?"

  "Ah, this, this..." Hou Shanye was taken aback by Li Xian's words - as a member of the Hou party, he knew perfectly well why Cui Xuan came and under whose orders. He hadn't dared to confront him earlier not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid. He knew that these two princes were breaking the imperial rules by intervening in politics, and they must have come prepared. If he clashed with them head-on and got killed on the spot, it would be a pointless death. That's why he hadn't bothered to reason with Cui Xuan about his life or death. Moreover, Hou Shanye had great confidence in Wu Zetian's abilities and wasn't worried that these two princes could stir up much trouble in court. In his view, as long as he could avoid getting entangled in this case, he would be safe. He didn't want to get involved in this case at all. When Li Xian suddenly invited him to go with him to see the emperor, Hou Shanye's heart sank, and he stuttered, unable to speak.

  "Your Excellency Hou, Officer Shang is the key to this case. It's not enough to just see the emperor to distinguish right from wrong. However, at present, Officer Shang is a prisoner awaiting sentencing in prison. Neither I nor my brother can take matters into our own hands. Only Your Excellency can ensure Officer Shang's safety. I have always known that you are a loyal and honest official in the imperial court, dedicated to your duties. In this matter of great importance, shouldn't you be willing to help?

  Li Xianren may be young, but his thinking is meticulous. He didn't give Hou Shan Ye any time to think of a counter-strategy, throwing one high hat after another, forcing Hou Shan Ye into a corner with no room for maneuver."

  "This... Ah, since both Your Highnesses have placed your trust in me, I shall accept the order and carry it out." Hou Shan Ye was cornered by Li Xian's words and had no way to retreat. Moreover, he didn't dare hand over Shangguan Yi, a major offender, to the two princes. With no other choice, he nodded his head in agreement.

  "Good, Lord Hou is indeed a man of great vision and integrity. This matter is now settled. I, the young king, will personally report to my father, the emperor, and sing your praises!" Li Xian was overjoyed to see Hou Shanyi yield, and he clapped his hands in delight, saying a few words of comfort before waving his hand and issuing a loud order: "Guards, escort Lord Shang safely, and follow me into the palace to pay respects. Also, send word to all the officials of the various departments that we will convene an emergency meeting at the Taiji Hall to discuss this important case!"

  "Yes!" Li Xian gave the order, and the guards did not dare to slack off. They all bowed their heads in response, and immediately, several guards stepped forward to take over the custody of Shangguan Yi from the guards of the Zhou Wangfu. Meanwhile, more than a dozen guards rushed out of the imperial prison, dispersing on horseback to gallop towards the locations of various prime ministers' residences. The imperial court in the capital was thus thrown into turmoil, and countless ominous clouds gathered. A stormy wave of power struggle unfolded...

  Emperor Gaozong had been weak and sickly since childhood, and even as an adult, he didn't have much improvement. Although he was only thirty-six years old this year, his body was not in good shape, and he also suffered from dizziness. From time to time, he would get headaches and fever, and often felt dizzy and sleepy. In the past two days, due to the matter of the great amnesty, he had many disputes with Xu Jingzong, which made him even more spiritually exhausted. Today happened to be a day off for Emperor Xuan, and Li Zhi rarely stole some leisure time. After passing noon, he hastily finished his meal and dismissed all the attendants, planning to take a nap in the Wude Hall to recharge his energy and prepare for another round of debate with Xu Jingzong on the matter of the great amnesty in the afternoon. However, as soon as he lay down, he heard faint footsteps coming from outside the warm pavilion, which immediately made him feel annoyed and irritated. He opened his eyes angrily and saw a small official peeking out from the entrance of the warm pavilion, which suddenly made him furious.

  "Your humble servant Zhang Deke has an important matter to report to Your Majesty." The little eunuch Ben Zheng poked his head out, and upon seeing Emperor Gaozong approaching, he became somewhat flustered, hastily ran forward, knelt down on the ground, knocked his head against the floor, and nervously reported.

  Li Zhi's eyes weren't very good, and although his eyes were wide open just now, he hadn't actually seen clearly who the newcomer was. At this moment, when he heard the little eunuch announce himself, he couldn't help but be taken aback, and then suddenly remembered that this little eunuch was one of the attendants who had been promoted a few days ago. He didn't rush to lose his temper, but just hummed coldly, with dissatisfaction in his tone.

  "Your Majesty, I have just received the news that Supervising Secretary Cui Xuanche has forged an imperial edict to behead the entire family of Duke Shang, young and old. The two princes, Lu Wang and Zhou Wang, have already rushed to the prison to stop it. The situation is urgent, so I dare not delay even for a moment. Please make a wise decision." As soon as Li Zhi heard this, he let out a cold hum, and Zhang Deke was so frightened that he didn't even dare raise his head. His small body trembled with tension as he hastily reported the matter to him.

  "What?! How is this possible, you...you dare to deceive me!" Li Zhi was so startled by the news that he forgot his anger and jumped out of bed, pointing at Zhang Deke and scolding him with a trembling body. His words were filled with anxiety, worry, tension, and a hint of hidden expectation...