Chapter 688

He discovered that the Great Qin ships didn't use catapults to launch giant stones.

Thank goodness, thank goodness.

He avoided the greatest crisis since the founding of Great Tang!

If the Great Qin warships had launched a volley like they did in Jicheng.

I'm afraid the important officials of Great Tang, along with him, the Emperor, would have been wiped out in one pot!

The sudden retreat of the monarch and subjects made the common people on the riverbank run around in panic.

No one died at the hands of the Qin people.

But because of the stampede, over a dozen people died.

Li Er felt very unlucky!

A perfectly good triumphal ceremony was ruined by these two shouts from Qin Mu!

"Return to the court!"

Li Er returned to the imperial palace in a rage.

Along the way, he was thinking about a profound question.

What exactly did Qin Mu come to Jin Ling for?

To frame Zhangsun Wuji?

To kidnap the noble families' daughters?

These things didn't seem worth the Great Qin Huang personally taking the risk to make a trip.

Behind this, there must be another big conspiracy!

The hundred officials went to court.

Zhangsun Wuji entered the hall to report.

"Emperor, this subject did not fail the mission. This time, while serving as an envoy to Ryukyu, I happened to encounter the group of pirates who committed crimes in Taizhou."

"This subject has already captured them all and brought them to justice!"

Two short sentences, but the amount of information was huge!

The civil and military officials still didn't know who committed the Taizhou murder case until now.

Zhangsun Wuji opened his mouth and said it was pirates, which was hard to convince people.

"Lord Zhangsun, how do you know that it was these pirates who committed the crimes?"

For this question, Zhangsun Wuji had long been prepared.

He took an official seal of the county government from his bosom.

"After I wiped out the pirates, I searched their ship and found the Taizhou official seal. The stolen goods are all here; the iron case is like a mountain!"

In the great hall, the officials were discussing heatedly.

Basically, they all believed Zhangsun Wuji's rhetoric.

But this matter itself made it hard for the officials to accept.

"Emperor, the pirates are rampant and dare to attack the coastal county government office and kill the county magistrate! Behind this matter, could there be secret support from Great Qin?"

"Yes, Emperor, if it weren't for Great Qin's support, how could mere pirates have the guts?"

"This subject requests the Emperor to issue a decree to thoroughly investigate this matter! It would be best to find evidence of Great Qin's involvement!"

Li Er was somewhat speechless.

This matter was actually Great Tang secretly supporting the pirates. As a result, it didn't go well, and they lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet.

If they really sent someone to investigate thoroughly, they might shake out Great Tang's own secret funding.

That would become a joke for other countries!

"I think this is just a group of pure pirates. If it were Great Qin, they wouldn't need to do this at all; they would just send warships to attack the coastal county cities directly."

The officials in the hall didn't know what to say; why did the Emperor boost others' morale and extinguish his own prestige?

In the court, he publicly declared that Great Qin's warships were powerful!

"Emperor, Great Qin was founded in Tibet and gradually moved east, conquering half the world. They simply didn't have time to develop a navy; how could their water power be better than Great Tang's?" There were still people who didn't know the situation.

This was no wonder.

When Li Er followed them to the Three Hans, he saw with his own eyes that the Great Qin navy's combat power was fierce.

But after returning, he didn't tell the officials.

This led the civil and military officials in the court to think that Great Qin's water combat power wouldn't be very strong. At most, it was just a little stronger than pirates.

Li Er simply didn't know what to say.

Praising the Great Qin navy for being powerful wouldn't work.

Denigrating the Great Qin navy's combat power certainly wouldn't work either.

He had to look at Fang Xuanling, hinting with his eyes for him to stand out and resolve the siege for him.

Fang Xuanling understood.

"Great Qin indeed didn't have the conditions to develop a navy before. But now, the strength of the Great Qin navy is enough to crush the world's navies!"

"This is a fact, no need to doubt it!"

The officials had a discussion.

The whole hall was filled with noisy sounds.

Li Er didn't want to get entangled in this meaningless matter.

He spoke.

"Pirates attacked the coastal county government office, a heinous crime! Three days later, on the riverbank north of the city, build a high platform and execute them publicly! Let the common people know that the national prestige of Great Tang cannot be offended!"

Li Er's words were resonant and powerful, and they had some momentum.

At such a time, no one would jump out to question him without opening their eyes.

Since the Emperor said so, then the matter must be like this.

Li Tai suddenly stood out and requested.

"Father, this son is also happy that Great Tang is revitalizing its national prestige. This son requests to personally behead these pirates to vent Father's anger!"

Li Er felt very gratified.

He finally had a son who was starting to be sensible.

If a prince personally performed the execution at such a high-standard public execution, the effect would be doubly good!

There was no reason to refuse this request.

"Qingque, I am very happy that you can be like this. I grant it; three days later, you will perform the execution yourself!"

"Thank you, Father!"

The reason Li Tai suddenly made this request at this time.

Was because he still remembered what that Daoist had said to him.

He said he had a bloody disaster and had to kill someone to resolve it with the aura of blood.

Although now he knew that Daoist was actually impersonated by the Great Qin Huang.

But Li Tai didn't doubt his words at all.

The matter of the pirates was settled just like that.

"Wuji captured the pirates and performed meritorious service for the country. Those rumors accusing him of colluding with pirates—this matter is over; no one is allowed to mention it again in the future."

Li Er thought for a while and decided to prove Zhangsun Wuji's innocence.

"Thank you, Emperor, for your trust! This subject will surely serve Great Tang until my heart stops beating!"

Zhangsun Wuji looked triumphant and tearfully grateful.

The monarch and subjects sang in harmony, temporarily clearing Zhangsun Wuji of suspicion.

After the court was dismissed.

It collapsed without being attacked!

Li Tai got together with Zhangsun Wuji under the pretext of interrogating the pirates.

"Uncle, did you send a Daoist to pass a message to me?"

"No!"

Zhangsun Wuji was confused and couldn't figure it out.

When he returned, Qin Mu was no longer dressed as a Daoist. From beginning to end, Zhangsun Wuji didn't know where the Daoist came from.

"Tai'er, did a Daoist impersonate my name to pass a message to you? What did he say?"

Li Tai let out a long sigh.