Li Li Chengqian died, he died from assassination.

As a former crown prince with his wings cut off, Li Chengqian, who was sent to Qianzhou, had little influence on the government, but he was assassinated.

This incident made Li Shimin extremely angry, and Li Zhen was specially ordered to investigate the cause of Li Chengqian's death.

Li Ji expressed deep doubts about this, and it stands to reason that this kind of thing should be investigated by the well-informed Cheng family father and son. Moreover, Cheng Zhijie once took refuge in Li Chengqian, and he was familiar with the former prince's team, which was extremely beneficial to the investigation.

Let Li Zhen, who has been serving in the household department, investigate the cause of Li Chengqian's death, which is a bit of a donkey's lips and a horse's mouth.

Princess Li Yirou of Pingyang Zhao saw something strange from this appointment.

The household department has been providing Li Shimin with reports on the tax and population in various places, and these reports are submitted to the emperor through Li Zhen.

According to Li Zhi's investigation, there is a big discrepancy with the report of the household department, and Li Zhen is responsible for the matter. But Li Zhen has no experience as an official in the state and county, so he is the easiest to be deceived and used.

Li Yirou believes that Li Shimin's appointment is intended to move him away from the center of the impending storm to protect Li Zhen.

Soon, the development of events proved that Princess Pingyang Zhao's judgment was right.

Since Chang Dexuan, a native of Xiangzhou, accused Zhang Liang, the secretary of the Criminal Department, of plotting rebellion, a storm broke out in the court. The emperor appointed Cheng Zhijie, the general of Zuotunwei, to preside over the case, with the assistance of Zhongshu Ling, the prince's right concubine, and the official Shangshu Ma Zhou.

The case involved more than 100 officials from the six ministries and more than 1,800 officials from Henan, Hedong, Jinzhong, Qingji, and other places.

Seventeen of the ministers were beheaded along with Zhang Liang, and eleven of them were household officials. Twenty-one ministers were dismissed, and the rest wrote to defend themselves.

More than 200 local officials were beheaded, more than 300 were dismissed and exiled, and 40 million yuan of officials' family property was confiscated. For a moment, the people of the DPRK and China were panicked.

Yu Feng gave birth to a son in the East Palace, named Li Zhong, and the crown princess Zhang was raised by her biological mother.

Li Zhi was puzzled by this, and it stands to reason that the eldest son born in the concubine should be raised by his wife and become a formal member of the family. If you are raised by your birth mother, it is difficult to have a place in the family tree.

If the main wife chooses not to raise the eldest son born to the concubine, she can be considered a jealous woman, which is hindered to the reputation of the crown princess.

Zhang Wenyi was dismissive of this, and she said to Li Zhizhen: "Confucianism pays attention to benevolence, righteousness, morality, and human nature. Don't you know the nature of mother and child? It is immoral to deprive a mother of her parenting rights! And as a wife, she has to raise the son of her rival, do you think I will raise this child well? It is normal for a child to be raised crookedly in such a situation. But the problem is that this child is the eldest son of the crown prince and is very likely to become the successor leader of the country. Do you think such a child is up to the task? ”

Looking at the stunned Li Zhi, Zhang Wenyi said in surprise again: "You men say that they are talking about monogamy, but ten or eight little wives are not too few, and we women have to be broad-minded." Do you know that women are born with careful eyes, you men are broad-minded and love everywhere, why do you have to throw the responsibility of the Qi family to us women? Know it or not, this is selfishness. If you want to do justice and turn it upside down, if a woman has seventeen or eight husbands, are you men willing? ”

Zhang Wenyi's words made Li Zhi speechless, and his always tame little wife suddenly went crazy. Not only was this a big surprise to Li Zhi, but her words were not entirely unreasonable.

Seeing that Li Zhi was very angry but couldn't get angry, Zhang Wenyi changed her tone and said gently: "Your Highness, what the concubine said is not a momentary anger, this kind of thing can be said by the concubine and let it rot in the stomach." But if I don't say it, it really doesn't exist? Something that obviously exists, but pretends not to see it, is this what people often say about covering their ears and stealing the bell? ”

Li Zhi gradually regained his composure, he looked at Zhang Wenyi and said, "Concubine Ai's words are very pertinent, and she has been taught." ”

Zhang Wenyi sighed and said with a wry smile: "It is said that trouble comes from the mouth, and it is really better not to say these words." ”

Li Zhi frowned and said, "How do you say this?" ”

Zhang Wenyi shook her head and said helplessly: "Don't you think that there has been less time when you call my wife recently, and there is more time to call concubine and say lonely?" It's all self-inflicted, and it has nothing to do with others. ”

After speaking, Zhang Wenyi sat on the bed with a lost face, and tears flowed down her white jade cheeks unconsciously.

Li Zhi was originally angry, but when he saw Zhang Wenyi's delicate appearance, he was extremely distressed. hurriedly walked over and sat down next to Zhang Wenyi.

Seeing Li Zhi sitting beside him, Zhang Wenyi naturally leaned his head on his shoulder, and Li Zhi naturally stretched out his hand to wrap up Zhang Wenyi's shoulder.

He said helplessly: "Zhong'er will be handed over to Yu Liangdi to raise." ”

Zhang Wenyi shook her head and said, "Husband, since the first night I married you, I said that from now on you are my heaven and my everything." It was and still is. I admit that I am cautious and do not want to raise Zhong'er. But I'm really scared, I'm afraid that I can't stand raising my child crookedly. The child is so young, how can we teach him, how will he grow up, in case he is raised badly, is it really good to be like Prince Chengqian in the future? ”

Li Zhi didn't expect Zhang Wenyi to say such a thing, since he was a child, he and his eldest brother were the most close. It can be said that Li Chengqian half-inherited his father's position, and at least half of the time in Li Zhi's growth process was brought up by Li Chengqian.

But the royal family was so cruel that his brother died. He knew how Li Chengqian died, and he even knew the name of the murderer. But what can be done?

The situation is such that no one can escape or avoid it, and it is a tragedy to be born in the royal family. From this point, Li Zhi can see that Zhang Wenyi is single-minded about himself.

He hugged her tightly and kissed Zhang Wenyi's cheek lightly. said softly: "Jiu'er, I shouldn't blame you. It's my husband's fault, can you forgive me? ”

Zhang Wenyi turned around and reached out to wrap her arms around Li Zhi's neck, crying: "Do you know? I have no other relatives here, only you, and I don't blame you for whatever you do. I just want to be your little wife and little woman, and live a peaceful life under your protection. Is such a request excessive? ”

Zhang Wenyi's crying reminded Li Zhi a lot. His experience with Zhang Wenyi is a pain that has always been hidden, and in turn, he hates those greedy families and his father even more.

During this time, he could also see that Li Shimin had never thought of passing on the throne to him, and all Li Shimin had to do was to let himself be his help.

In a manor outside the Great Wall of Chang'an, Wang Jingbo was entangled with Yang Shi, the wife of Yingguo Gong Wushi Tong, for a long time before he lay down panting.

The Yang family, who gradually calmed down, looked at the man next to the pillow with silky eyes, and said coquettishly: "Good man, the concubine is really going to be killed by you!" ”

Wang Jingbo's hand was still restlessly roaming on her, and he laughed: "I haven't seen you for so many years, but you don't look old at all, and you are still the little elf I knew back then." ”

Yang smiled: "You don't mess around, the children have given birth to three for you, where is the same as before." ”

Wang Jingbo stretched out his hand and gently pinched Yang's body, and said with a smile: "But I still feel the same as twenty years ago." ”

Yang knocked off the hand that was making a mistake on his body and said: "You are always suspicious, thinking that the three children may not be yours, don't think I don't know about this matter." ”

Wang Jingbo was embarrassed for a moment, smiled and said, "How is this possible, I believe in you wholeheartedly." ”

Yang laughed out loud, but the mockery in it was very strong. She said: "You arranged for Rou'er to enter the palace, why did you arrange for her to go to His Majesty?" If you think she is biological, why don't you arrange it directly for the prince? And Shun'er, why do you have to marry her to that tuberculosis ghost? ”

After a pause, Yang shed tears: "That year, the matter was revealed, you patted your ass and fled, leaving me alone to top the tank for you." The clan will sink me in a pool and immerse me in a pig cage, and I will grit my teeth for you. If it weren't for the emperor's random mandarin duck score, I would have turned into a blank of dirt a long time ago. You have no conscience and still suspect the three children, when I married the samurai, the dead ghost was injured on the battlefield and no longer had the ability, and his beard was usually pasted on. ”

Wang Jingbo was taken aback, thinking back to the funeral of Wu Shi Tong, it seemed that this was indeed the case. At that time, he just thought that the beard of the samurai was a little strange, and the hair of a person who was less than sixty years old was still gray, but the beard looked pure white.

It turns out that the problem is here, and I have never thought of it before.

It's just that regardless of whether the three daughters of the Yang family are his own or Wu Shitong's, Wang Jingbo didn't dispose of them at will. He had used these three women to the extreme.

Wu Shun's marriage to the Helan family immediately received the support of the Helan family, which made Wu Rou's reputation rise in the circle of Gyeonggi nobles, and was finally accepted into the palace by the emperor.

At that time, it was because the crown prince Li Chengqian already had a concubine, and the Taiyuan Wang family had already taken the first step to target Li Zhi, and Wu Rou's entry into the palace was just a last resort.

Wang Jingbo comforted the Yang family and said, "Look at what you said just now, I never believed you." Wu Shi Tong is the old man of the Emperor, and His Majesty only uses him to appease other old ministers. Otherwise, what would I do with so much effort to arrange for three children? With the appearance of Shun'er, Rou'er, and Miao'er, which one doesn't have the appearance of a mother? But the martial arts family doesn't have much foundation, if they are all in the harem, without the help of their mother's family, I'm afraid that none of them can climb out. ”

Listening to Wang Jingbo's words, Yang was silent. She can't see the cruelty of the harem, but the family's backhouse is not inferior to Gong Dou, and the Yang family still has a deep understanding of this.

Whether it is a harem or a backhouse, the final winner is definitely the person who has a strong support from his mother's family. Although the Helan family is very low-key in the court, if anyone dares to underestimate this pillar of the Guanlong aristocracy, sooner or later they will regret their stupidity.