Chapter One Hundred: Cutting the Flesh

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Li Lizhi was confused: "Brother Zhi, we've punished the corrupt official—you should be happy, so why do you look like you've had a piece of your own flesh cut off?"

"Haha..." Luo Tong chuckled. "The Princess is right—His Highness has indeed had a piece of his flesh cut off!"

Several million coins from the Cloud Sea Pavilion could have been pocketed, yet slipped through his fingers.

Thinking about it, it truly was a painful loss!

Luo Tong consoled him: "Your Highness need not regret it. As the saying goes, fortune hides within misfortune, and misfortune lurks within fortune. Perhaps turning over those few hundred thousand coins might bring an unexpected reward instead?"

"What reward?"

"Consider this, Your Highness... such a major case, cracked by Your Highness—could the Emperor possibly be displeased? And if the Emperor is pleased, could he possibly not reward Your Highness?"

"Alas!"

What reward could possibly match six million coins?

That was nearly half a year's revenue for the entire Great Tang!

Li Zhi had almost given up hope: "Forget it, forget it... Consider it my good deed for the day! Luo Tong, return to the capital, explain the situation to the Emperor, and while you're at it, see what becomes of Su Dingfang. That will also serve as a reckoning for General Luo!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Luo Tong had intended exactly that.

Yet he worried for Li Zhi's safety.

"I have the Golden Blade Guards to protect me—no need to worry!"

"I'm returning to the palace as well, to see the fate of that great corrupt official, hehe..." said Li Lizhi.

Heavens above!

You're finally leaving!

Li Zhi wanted to shout aloud, to vent his elation!

...

The Cloud Sea Pavilion affair had thoroughly purged Hongnong County.

Ensuring that during Li Zhi's governance, there would be no lingering troubles.

From that perspective, even without obtaining those six million coins, the benefits still outweighed the losses.

On one particular day,

Luo Tong returned to the palace.

He was summoned for an urgent audience.

The six ministers, headed by Zhangsun Wuji, along with Su Dingfang, Duke of Xing, were all present in the Imperial Study.

Before the assembled civil and military officials,

Li Shimin asked with a stern expression: "Luo Tong, I have already learned of what happened at the Cloud Sea Pavilion. All six ministers are present today. If you have solid evidence, produce it. If not, you had best keep your mouth shut—otherwise, not even I can protect you!"

"Your Majesty... regarding the Cloud Sea Pavilion affair, your servant has nothing more to say. You should question the subordinate officials of Hongnang Prefecture—they all witnessed everything that happened with their own eyes! In addition, there is physical evidence!"

Luo Tong had come prepared.

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He ordered the Imperial Guards to bring in the chests full of coins.

Twenty chests in all.

Every single chest was packed with Kaiyuan Tongbao coins.

"Your Majesty... your servant is wronged!" Su Dingfang threw himself to the ground. "Please, Your Majesty, do not listen to the one-sided words of a petty man. Your servant is loyal to the state and has rendered repeated meritorious service. How could I possibly covet military pay? I will never admit to this crime, even in death!"

"Hmph!"

Luo Tong glared at him with burning fury.

Were it not for the constraints of the occasion, he would have drawn his sword and thrust it into Su Dingfang to avenge his father's death.

"Luo Tong!" Li Shimin gestured for him to calm down. He rose, walked over to Su Dingfang, and helped him up: "Duke of Xing, because of the Cloud Sea Pavilion affair, the entire court is in an uproar. I must get to the bottom of it. If you are truly wronged, this will clear your name—isn't that for the best?"

"Yes!"

Su Dingfang knew full well,

He could hardly extricate himself from this.

Yet there was no way to stop it.

Twenty sealed chests were arranged neatly in the center of the Imperial Study. Imperial Guards stepped forward to open them, drawing the ministers near to look.

Clatter, clatter...

Kaiyuan Tongbao coins spilled out,

Clashing against one another, producing crystalline, bell-like sounds.

"Your Majesty, these coins are all genuine, and their number is no less than six million!" said Tang Jian, the Minister of Revenue.

"Can you determine where this batch of money came from?" Li Shimin asked.

"Not at this time!"

Because Kaiyuan Tongbao bore no serial numbers or marks, its origin could not be established.

Luo Tong clasped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, besides these coins, there are also several hundred letters, all written in the Duke of Xing's own hand. In them, he states clearly that the money came from the military pay distributed each year."

"Present them!"

"As you command!"

Luo Tong waved toward the rear, and two guards carried in another chest.

"Your servant also has witnesses!"

The officials of Hongnong County were waiting outside the Imperial Study for the imperial summons. With Li Shimin's permission, they filed in one after another to testify.

"If Your Majesty still doubts and suspects these are forgeries, then issue a decree... interrogate Su Zhi, the proprietor of the Cloud Sea Pavilion, and Su Huailin, the Prefect of Hongnang. Both of them know the inside story!"

...

This chain of operations was watertight.

It directly confirmed Su Dingfang's embezzlement of military pay.

Li Shimin, his face dark, looked at Su Dingfang: "What more do you have to say?"

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"Your servant, your servant..." Faced with irrefutable evidence, Su Dingfang no longer had the face to protest his innocence.

He prostrated himself in homage,

Awaiting his sentence.

"You had best have nothing to say! Since your surrender, you have fought many campaigns and won complete victories each time. I held you in considerable esteem, entrusting you with command of fifty thousand border troops! How could I have imagined that you would be so audacious as to conceal the true casualty figures of your soldiers, year after year, embezzling military pay! Speak—what punishment do you deserve?!"

Li Shimin's words rang out with authority.

Su Dingfang felt utterly ashamed!

"Your Majesty, since the evidence is conclusive, there is no need for further trial. Please issue the decree and impose upon Su Dingfang the punishment he deserves!" Wei Zheng, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward.

"We beseech Your Majesty to decree..." The assembled ministers were all indignant.

That mere Su Dingfang had embezzled over six million coins.

While they, as the six ministers, held lofty positions and great power, yet how little was their annual salary? In comparison, Su Dingfang had it far too easy.

Li Shimin, worthy of his reputation as a wise and sagely sovereign, knew that Su Dingfang had rendered merits, and that he himself should not be the one to pass the sentence, lest later generations have cause for criticism. He promptly passed the responsibility to Wei Zheng.

"This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice!"

"Minister Wei, you shall handle the investigation! Establish the facts of the case, and mete out punishment according to the law!" said Li Shimin.

"Your servant obeys the decree!"

The so-called investigation and establishing the facts were merely formalities, meant to display Li Shimin's benevolence. Given the present circumstances, the truth was plain as day—even Su Dingfang himself had confessed. Once handed over to the Ministry of Justice, he could be punished according to the law immediately! And what punishment? For embezzling six million in military pay, at the very least, execution by beheading on the spot!

Li Shimin had not only displayed his benevolence and upheld the authority of the law, but more importantly, he had avenged Luo Tong's family. In the future, when he once again sent Luo Tong to lead troops, it would be only natural and proper.

...

...

Just as the capital was buzzing with commotion over Su Dingfang's punishment, Li Zhi in Hongnong County had begun his own undertaking.

"Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host, you have completed a side quest. The Naughty Child System rewards you with five thousand jin of hybrid rice, now stored in the cellar behind the county government office!"

The system's notification arrived quietly.

Li Zhi hurried back to the office to check.

In the cellar that stored sweet potatoes, there were now an additional five thousand jin of hybrid rice seeds.

"Lou Yi, Lou Yi..."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Li Zhi pointed at the grain in the cellar: "Move all this grain outside, to a place with plenty of sunlight. It's too damp here—it will easily rot!"

"Yes!"

Lou Yi summoned men to move the rice seeds.