Chapter 100: Clean up the court!

From the moment Li Shimin announced that Sun Simiao would enter the palace, Wang Yi felt that something was going to happen.

And Cui Mingan behind him was even further away from him.

Cui Mingan was now feeling lucky in his heart that he did not speak too much for Wang Yi just now, otherwise he would be in big trouble later.

After Sun Simiao entered the hall, he first bowed to Li Shimin.

"I am Sun Simiao, a poor Taoist priest. I have met the saint."

"No need to be so polite, sir." Li Shimin nodded to Sun Simiao.

Then he looked at his ministers and said in a deep voice, "My beloved daughters Princess Changle and Princess Jinyang are suffering from qi diseases, I'm sure you all know about this. The other day, the Crown Prince invited Master Sun to come to the capital to treat the two princesses."

"However, at the beginning, Master Sun was also helpless against the Qi disease. In desperation, the prince had to send people to Jiangnan to buy medical books in the hope of a glimmer of hope."

"Later, the prince made inquiries and finally heard that there was an ancient prescription for treating qi diseases in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, and then he sent people to Jiangnan."

Having said that, Li Shimin looked at Wang Yi.

No matter what he said or how much he quarreled, Lao Li did not bring hatred to Sun Simiao after all.

After all, Lao Sun is just a Taoist priest, there is no need to let him take the blame.

"It was the Crown Prince who told me about this matter. Crown Prince, is this the case?" Li Shimin turned to Li Chengqian again.

Li Chengqian bowed and said, "It is true. The East Palace guards Hegan Chengji and Zhang Sizheng are waiting outside the palace now."

"Announce." Li Shimin said.

Soon, Hegan Chengji and Zhang Sizheng were brought into the hall.

"Your servant Hegan Chengji (Zhang Sizheng) has met the saint and the prince."

The two of them saluted first.

Since he was an official of the Eastern Palace, he had to pay his respects to the Crown Prince after meeting Emperor Li Shimin.

After all, the prince is also the king in legal terms, and the supreme ruler of the two of them.

"The prince ordered you to go to Jiangnan to find medical books. Is this true?" Li Shimin asked.

Hegan Chengji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is indeed true."

"Tell me in detail." Li Shimin said without comment.

Hegan Chengji was not afraid because Li Xiang had already given them a vaccination before they came.

In any case, Li Shimin would not punish them.

Putting aside other things, at least he managed to rescue his two beloved daughters. Li Shimin was not the kind of person who would abandon his beloved daughters.

In fact, Li Xiang had already thought it through. Even if Old Li suddenly had a brainwave and wanted to punish these two people, he had a way to exonerate them.

If Aunt Jinyang alone is not enough, don’t we still have Aunt Changle? If that doesn’t work, we can call on Aunt Xincheng and Aunt Chengyang.

The four legitimate daughters are begging for mercy together. I don’t believe that you, Old Li, will not give in!
After organizing his words a bit, Hegan Chengji said, "Your Majesty, this matter started when I and Zhang Sizheng went to Jiangnan."

"After some inquiries, I heard that Zhou of Yixing had a copy of Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases in his collection, so I took people to his house and offered to buy it for a large sum of money, or to ask for a copy."

"We first revealed our identities, but were unexpectedly scolded and driven out by the old man Zhou. We then said that it was for the princess's illness, but the old man was unmoved and instead ordered the servants to drive us out."

When Hegan Chengji said this, he lowered his head and a light flashed in his eyes.

"First, I was furious, and second, I was also worried about the princess's condition, so in a rage, I ordered my brothers to tie up the entire Zhou family, and then ask for the location of the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, and then buy it at the cost price of ten strings of coins."

"Every word I said is true. We did not harm the people of the Yixing Zhou family. We just tied them up and did not kill anyone..."

Hearing this, Cui Mingan closed his eyes in despair.

Oh my goodness, Wang Yi...

Now it's no use. He said he was a guard of the Eastern Palace and bought the book to save the princess, but what did your brother-in-law do? Not only did he not sell it, he also kicked him out? !
Such important information, why didn't you tell me earlier!

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought that the prince had asked the guards of the Eastern Palace to go to Jiangnan to rob for some "aphrodisiac recipe", but after all this time, it turned out to be for the purpose of healing his two sisters?

This is understandable. No, not only is it understandable, but in ancient society, "filial piety and brotherly love" have always been the most respected political correctness.

And Li Chengqian's desire to save his two sisters is the greatest political correctness!

The ministers raised their heads again and took a look at this different prince.

"Oh." Li Shimin did not comment, but looked at Sun Simiao and asked knowingly: "Master, did you get the recipe for treating qi disease from this book?"

"Sir, that is indeed the case." Sun Simiao nodded and said, "Zhongjing's Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases not only records how to treat qi diseases, but also contains good prescriptions for many diseases that doctors in the past were helpless to treat..."

When these words were spoken, the ministers were in an uproar.

Such an excellent medical book, has it been hidden by your Wang family since who knows when?

This thing isn't some literary work like the Book of Documents. Firstly, it can't be eaten, and secondly, it's of little use.

"Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases" is a medical book! If the prescriptions in it were made public, how many lives could be saved!

Old Sun has a lot of opinions about these people, which is one of the reasons why he stood up to testify.

Cheng Yaojin wanted to stand up and tease the Wang family, but when he looked up and saw Li Shimin's expression, he immediately decided to shut up.

"Yeah……"

Li Shimin's eyes flashed, but those who knew him knew that he was on the verge of a rage.

"In the tenth year of Zhenguan, the Empress was seriously ill. I invited doctors from all over the country to come to the capital to treat the Empress. However, all the doctors were helpless against respiratory diseases. I could only watch helplessly as the Empress, who loved me so much, passed away, leaving me and my children behind..."

"I originally thought that Qi disease was an incurable disease, and that the Queen's death was God's will... But today someone told me that this Qi disease was actually cured in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases written by Zhang Zhongjing during the Later Han Dynasty?!"

At this point, Li Shimin looked at Wang Yi and shouted angrily, "Wang Yi! Tell me! What is your intention in hiding this book?"

Wang Yi knelt on the ground with a plop, and said in a pale face, "I...I really don't know!"

"Hey, that's what you said just now. That medical book is your family heirloom."

Cheng Yaojin suddenly made a finishing move, and his precise sword technique directly killed the enemy.

He looked at the ministers in the hall and said, "Everyone has just heard what Minister Wang said. That medical book is their family heirloom."

"Yes, I heard it too." Li Shiji stroked his beard and looked at Wang Yi with unfriendly eyes.

Damn it, did I let you talk about me just now?

Originally, Li Shiji had no intention of getting involved in this mess, but who made Wang Yi use his "incompetence" as an excuse?
As we all know, what men hate most is being told that they are not good enough.

Wang Yi immediately explained, "The medical book was originally kept by the concubine. My family is a family of poetry and literature, and we are not interested in medical books, so it was given as a dowry to the concubine..."

In order to distance himself from her, Wang Yi no longer calls her "sister" but simply "concubine".

"Perhaps the concubine knew that the Zhou family of Yixing was a family of doctors, so she gave the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases as a dowry. This happened during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Sui Dynasty, and has nothing to do with me!" "Really? Nothing to do with me?"

Li Shimin sneered.

"Since there is no connection, why do you still want to help him? You actually openly attacked the prince in the court?!"

Although it was not enough to completely eradicate the Wang family of Taiyuan, it was still possible to inflict a heavy blow on the entire Shandong gentry group.

After all, Lao Li is a reasonable emperor. He cannot punish people without teaching them, as that would be tyranny.

His policy is to have a legitimate reason and proceed step by step.

"Your Majesty, I have committed the sin of negligence. I beg the Saint to forgive me!"

Wang Yi knelt on the ground with his head down, like a defeated rooster.

At the same time, he was secretly glad in his heart that since the emperor said "help him out", it means that he has already determined the nature of the matter and does not intend to pursue the Taiyuan Wang family.

As for the concubine and Zhou from Yixing?
Ha, I wish him a long life.

"Xu Chonglin, Wang Di, Cui Jianye..."

Li Shimin did not announce the result of Wang Yi's handling, but first named more than 20 people in a row, all of whom were from the Shandong gentry who had just attacked Li Chengqian.

After hesitating for a moment, he sent them to remote states and counties to serve as soldiers or even lower-level officials.

The limited power that the Shandong gentry had accumulated in the Chang'an court over more than 20 years was almost completely eradicated in Lao Li's wholesale exile.

The faces of those whose names were called were dejected. They knew that leaving Chang'an this time would mean the complete end of their political career.

If you want to go back to Chang'an, you can only wait until the dynasty changes - but how easy is that?
After years of ups and downs in the officialdom, all the years of struggle were in vain if you stood on the wrong side.

Wang Yi sat down on the ground, staring blankly ahead.

"After talking about them, it's the turn of the Yixing Zhou family."

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Wang Yi.

"Yixing Zhou family hid the medical books, causing patients all over the world to die without cause..."

"Knowing that the Queen was ill but not reporting it, he will be charged with treason!"

"Three tribes of Yi!"

There are two theories about the so-called three tribes of the Yi people.

The first theory is that parents, brothers, and wife are the three clans; others say that the father's family, mother's family, and wife's family are the three clans.

Three clans of the Zhou family of Yixing were exterminated, including the concubine branch of the Wang family of Taiyuan.

Of course, it did not involve Wang Yi’s own family, but it was enough for them to bear.

As for the punishment of killing nine clans... generally speaking, it is very rare. At least it was not often used in the Han and Tang dynasties. At most, three clans would be exterminated.

None of the ministers present had any intention of coming forward to persuade the emperor to revoke his order, and some even cheered secretly in their hearts.

Nowadays, everyone has a headache or fever. If it is a so-called terminal illness, if we can find a suitable prescription in "Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases", then we don't have to die, right?
Even for the sake of their own lives, no one intended to speak out.

Let them die, Zhou of Yixing, and the concubine of Wang who hid the medical books for hundreds of years. Their deaths will not be enough to appease the public anger!
"As for Wang Yi and Cui Mingan."

Li Shimin looked at the two of them and said lightly, "Demote Wang Yi to the position of Sima of Shanzhou, and Cui Mingan to the position of Sima of Youzhou."

Cui Mingan sighed, ultimately he couldn't escape this disaster.

But after all, as long as I am alive, there will always be a chance for me to make a comeback.

"Your servant Cui Mingan, thank you!"

Cui Mingan bowed to Li Shimin, then walked aside with his head held high.

The ministers looked at each other, all of them were shocked.

What followed was a deep admiration for Li Shimin.

The emperor's method was so clever that he used this incident to make a fuss, occupying the moral high ground and the reputation of righteousness, and expelling the power of Shandong gentry from the court in one fell swoop.

Even people all over the world would applaud and no one would criticize the emperor for it. Instead, some people would complain about the Shandong gentry.

The emperor is also doing this for the people of the world, but what about you nobles? You hide medical books and treasure them very much, but you turn a blind eye to the suffering of so many people in the world from illness for no reason.

Bah! You still call yourself a family of etiquette!
In fact, this is the brilliance of Li Shimin's methods. How to deal with the aristocratic families without leaving a bad reputation is a very important knowledge.

It is certainly very satisfying to learn from Huang Chao or the King of the Great West to kill, kill, kill, kill, but it is not what a qualified politician does.

After dealing with the guilty, those who have made contributions should also be rewarded.

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "The Crown Prince has made great contributions, and I will reward him with ten thousand strings of cash and one thousand pieces of silk."

Li Chengqian immediately bowed and thanked: "Thank you for the reward, Saint."

"Hegan Chengji and Zhang Sizheng have made great contributions in finding medical books and are appointed as Qianniu of the Eastern Palace." Old Li announced again.

The two generals, Heng and Ha, immediately knelt down and expressed their gratitude with great respect: "Your Majesty, I am Hegan Chengji (Zhang Sizheng). Thank you for your grace!"

"Let's adjourn the court!" Li Shimin looked at Hegan Chengji meaningfully, but did not speak.

He had also heard about Hegan Chengji's past misdeeds.

But since this person had been running around and had contributed a lot, Li Shimin decided to turn a blind eye and let the past go.

Lao Li is a man who clearly distinguishes between rewards and punishments, and he is extremely tolerant, especially towards those who have made contributions.

After the court meeting ended, Old Li returned to the Lizheng Hall leisurely.

He didn't even call for a sedan chair, but walked lightly, with the wind in his step.

As the saying goes, one feels refreshed when good things happen. How could he not be happy when he could drive most of the Shandong gentry out of Chang'an so easily and casually?
Being broad-minded is one thing, but being narrow-minded is also one thing.

Old Li still remembers the revenge that the clan had forged back then.

Listing Cui Mingan of the Boling Cui family as the first class is not just about listing him as the first class. The political metaphor contained in it made Li Shimin very uncomfortable.

What? You, the Shandong nobles, think you are superior to others and even look down on me, the royal family of Li?

This is no longer an ordinary reactionary act, we must strike hard!

However, when they reached Qianhua Gate, they heard laughter coming from within the palace walls.

When he walked over to take a look, he happened to see something stretched out from the legs of Green Ivy and Forsythia, and his eldest grandson was jumping and playing some games with his daughter.

It looked...very elastic, and Lao Li immediately thought of the tendons used to make bows and arrows...

good boy!
Playing in the palace is so frivolous!
Old Li became famous immediately.

(End of this chapter)