Chapter 210 Hidden dangers
Is Dugu Huai'en a fool? This is obviously beyond doubt. Li Jiancheng was also quite surprised when he heard the news.

It was no surprise that Dugu Huai'en dared to accept bribes and shield corrupt officials in the counties. He had known about this for a long time. After all, there were only those people in the court who had the courage and ability to do so.

He did not order punishment but was just waiting for solid evidence to prove his guilt before executing him. After all, he had only heard the news from secret reports, and the witnesses and evidence were still on the way.

As an emperor, one should kill people in an upright manner.

But he really didn't expect that a guy like Dugu Huai'en, after contacting a few equally insignificant people, would actually dare to plan to escape from the pass to contact those county governors to rebel.

How dare they do that when they failed to contact any of the sixteen generals who actually held military power in the imperial court?

If rebellion were so easy, why would I have painstakingly planned it for nearly twenty years?

"Your Majesty, would you like me to capture them so as not to tarnish your reputation and that of the Emperor?"

Li Jiancheng waved his hand and said, "No need, let them continue. I also want to see how many fools there are in the court. I can save some salary."

Jingzhao Yin Xin'an County Duke Xiao Yu took the order and resigned. The more Li Jiancheng thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed to him. However, he also knew that such fools who overestimated their own capabilities would always emerge.

In the following period of time, Dugu Huai'en continued to recruit frustrated people in Guanlong with his theories. Li Jiancheng also received several secret reports, but he suppressed them and did not deal with them.

Perhaps because he had encountered too many setbacks, Dugu Huai'en finally realized that his reputation was not enough, and he had to raise the banner first. As long as he finally had the military power in his hands, it would only take a thought to depose, enthrone, and abdicate.

Isn’t this how the world works? He has seen through it.

The retired emperor has lived in the deep palace for a long time and cannot be contacted. The Prince of Jin has always been frail and sickly and has no military power. It would be better if the Prince of Qin or the Prince of Qi could be persuaded.

The King of Qin has 100,000 elite soldiers at his disposal and is currently sweeping away the bandits in Henan. The King of Qi is stationed in Bingzhou, and although he does not have any of the world's elite soldiers at his disposal, he at least has 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers at his disposal.

Of course, it doesn’t matter whether they agree or not. He has already decided to use their names. If there is a real opportunity, he believes they will be tempted.

Dugu Huai'en sent secret letters to the two kings of Qin and Qi respectively, saying that he would go south to gather troops, depose the emperor and re-enthronize the retired emperor as the ruler, and after the retired emperor lives a long life, he will enthronize you as the successor to the throne.

After writing the letter, Dugu Huai'en found an opportunity to lead his trusted confidants to escape from Chang'an. With the help of servants who had been arranged long ago, he rode his horse southward. Whenever he passed through a county, he would send a forged edict to the county officials, saying that this was an order from the retired emperor and that the two kings of Qin and Qi would also respond.

The prefects and county magistrates who received the forged edict were all puzzled. They had already established their high positions, and this obviously did not seem like the will of the retired emperor. Even if it was really the will of the retired emperor, so what? It could not be greater than the imperial decree.

So on the one hand he sent people to report to Chang'an, and on the other hand he sent out pursuit troops to try to capture the traitor and bring him back to the emperor.

But they were soon stopped by Wang Xiong who followed them and allowed them to go south smoothly.

Dugu Huai'en, who was originally a little frightened, became even more confident when he saw that the counties had not even sent out pursuing troops.

…………

Li Jiancheng asked Li Wei, "Has there still been no memorial from Jinyang?"

On the imperial desk was a memorial from Li Shimin that he had sent in an urgent mission over a distance of six hundred miles, asking what had happened and whether he needed to return to the court immediately. At the end was a letter from Dugu Huai'en.

"Your Majesty, no. I have just ordered someone to check." Li Jiancheng's eyes were a little cold. No matter what, the answer Li Yuanji gave on this matter was obviously unsatisfactory.

Of course, there were people who knew the truth but did not report it and wanted to make fun of him. Li Yuanji was not the only one who wanted to make fun of him. Just from Dugu Huai'en, it was clear how many people in the court had malicious intentions.

After Li Jiancheng gained control of the situation, he pushed forward the great cause of unifying the country at the fastest speed, which at least saved the country from five or six years of separatist wars.

The benefit is that the people will suffer less from war and famine, and people's livelihood and national strength can be restored as soon as possible.

But the disadvantages are also obvious. He made too many compromises, and there were almost no confidants of his above the third rank in the court, most of whom were nobles of the previous dynasty.

Even the most important military power, he gritted his teeth and gave it to Li Mi, Xue Ju, Wang Shichong, Du Fuwei and other surrendered ministers in order to prevent them from rebelling because of the power.

Behind the smooth unification were the patched-up cracks, which was one of the important reasons why Li Jiancheng tried his best to avoid foreign wars.

Because the current Tang Dynasty is not strong, it still needs enough blood to stick together as a whole.

If Li Jiancheng does not use the blood of the people, then the only blood that can be used is from the bodies of the nobles and gentry.

At the court meeting the next day, evidence of Dugu Huai'en's guilt was finally presented. The emperor was furious and ordered the pursuit of Dugu Huai'en and the confiscation of all property in his family.

It was not just the entire family, but the children of several other branches of the Dugu family were also implicated. Those who had frequent contacts with Dugu Huai'en were dismissed from their posts, and some were even interrogated and imprisoned.

This concerns the inheritance of Dugu family's wealth. They could not accept the fact that a generation was cut off like this. In order to preserve their wealth, they sought help from the house of Li clan members.

Several older elders of the Li family went to the palace to meet the emperor and plead for mercy on behalf of the Dugu family. It was up to His Majesty to kill Dugu Huai'en, but the Dugu family was, after all, a relative of the family and the family of His Majesty's grandmother, so it was better to show mercy.

Once there was a first move, there would be a second one. Even Dou took the initiative to ask the Empress Dowager for help, and soon the Empress Dowager invited the Emperor to come over.

Li Jiancheng bowed to his mother. Dou's health had not been good since she gave birth to Li Yuanji. After so many years of care, her health was just maintained.

The emperor walked forward, took the medicine cup from the female official, and sat down beside the couch. He first took a sip himself before offering it to his mother.

"My son, just now..."

"Mother, take the medicine first. Only after you finish it will your son listen."

Dou sighed, "I've been drinking it for so many years, but there's no improvement. My son has been seeking medical advice all these years in vain."

"But I have nothing to be unwilling about." Dou smiled and said, "I sighed that I was not a man and could not avenge my uncle's family, but I have fulfilled your wish. After I go to the underworld, I will have the face to see my uncle."

Li Jiancheng did not say anything. Dou had no choice but to drink up the medicinal soup that tasted almost the same as she had been drinking for more than ten years. Li Jiancheng then ordered someone to bring some fruit snacks soaked in honey to the Empress Dowager to relieve her bitterness.

Dou took hold of her beloved eldest son and said, "You have always been a person with your own ideas. Mother won't say much, but your uncle rarely speaks to me, so I have to convey my meaning anyway."

...............

(End of this chapter)