Chapter 53: Li Wenxuan: This is so thrilling, this is exactly what I wanted

"It is indeed Minister Cui!"

Zhang Xiaogui was not surprised to see Li Wenxuan's startled expression.

"He is one of the six Grand Secretaries of our Great Wu Nation. Crushing a lowly person like me is as easy as squashing an ant."

With a resigned expression, Zhang Xiaogui smiled bitterly, "Therefore, this humble servant does not wish for you, My Lord, to ruin your promising future for the sake of a mere nobody like me..."

However, hearing these words, Li Wenxuan burst into hearty laughter. The sudden movement pulled at his wounds, causing him to wince, and he had to grit his teeth to suppress his joy.

"No matter, no matter. Take the information you have gathered, compile and organize it into a dossier, and hand it over to me. Also, make sure to appease the witnesses you managed to find, and do not let my affairs leak out."

Zhang Xiaogui looked at Li Wenxuan in shock: "Lord Li, do you mean..."

"Do not presumptuously guess my intentions. Do as I tell you, and the court of Great Wu will eventually grant you justice."

"As for me..." Li Wenxuan smiled. "Someone wants me dead, so I changed my name. From now on, my name is Li Biao. But I believe that it won't be long before I can reclaim my true name."

With wide eyes and profound shock written all over his face, Zhang Xiaogui took three or four breaths to recover. Then, nodding vigorously like a pestle pounding garlic, he said, "My Lord, rest assured! I swear on my life that not a single detail of your affairs will be leaked!"

"Good," Li Wenxuan smiled. "I won't see you out."

"Yes!"

The surging excitement in Zhang Xiaogui's heart was like a rising tide. As he turned and stepped out, he hastily bowed in greeting to Madam Li, who was warming herself by the stove, before stepping out the door in high spirits and departing.

"I truly never expected Cui Yuanhai to have committed so many evils."

Princess Sirou walked to the bedside, holding a bowl of freshly brewed medicine, and fed it to Li Wenxuan.

Li Wenxuan drank it all with a furrowed brow. Just as the bitter taste made him want to retch, he suddenly felt a piece of candy popped into his mouth.

While he was still surprised, he heard Sirou say with a smile, "I asked the imp... the physician, and he said it is quite all right, one may suck on a piece of candy."

"Ah..." Li Wenxuan smiled and nodded, rolling the candy in his mouth as he chuckled, "Sirou, I truly never imagined His Majesty the Emperor would be such an interesting person."

"The Emperor is interesting?" Sirou raised an elegant eyebrow. "I certainly don't think so."

Li Wenxuan naively assumed that people in this world harbored a soul-deep fear toward the Supreme Ruler who held the power of life and death over all under heaven.

Yet, he could never have imagined that emperors could also be doting fathers to their daughters...

"Then what kind of person do you think the Emperor is?"

Sirou could not help but ask in return.

"The Emperor..." Li Wenxuan thought about it carefully. "He must be a great man."

"Great?"

Princess Sirou truly had no idea what her imperial father had in common with greatness.

Could her husband be someone who enjoyed flattering those in power?

"What makes you say that?"

"Look, sitting in the position of the Emperor, he has to tolerate many things. Take the Cui family, for instance; everyone knows these officials of the Cui clan are no good, yet the Emperor still tolerates them."

Princess Sirou asked quizzically, "Since the Emperor knows that the officials of the Cui faction are no good, why does he still appoint them to office? Doesn't that make him a muddle-headed ruler?"

Li Wenxuan was startled. Your boldness is truly greater than mine!

I at most curse the Emperor for being muddle-headed silently in my heart, but you just blurted it right out?

"That's not necessarily true. To the Emperor, the distinction between good and bad people is not that significant; what he wants are capable ministers."

"Capable ministers!" Princess Sirou exclaimed in surprise.

Li Wenxuan nodded. "Precisely, capable ministers. Among all the civil and military officials in the court, whether someone is a good person or a bad one does not matter. What matters is whether this person can solve difficult problems for the state and govern the country well for His Majesty."

"But how can a bad person govern a country well?"

Princess Sirou's heart suddenly stirred as she heard two familiar sets of footsteps approaching the door.

Her imperial father and her eldest brother—the current Crown Prince.

This was a kind of innate divine perception.

Li Wenxuan continued self-importantly, "The water of the Yellow River is muddy, yet it irrigates tens of millions of mu of fertile land along both banks and sustains countless lives; the water of the Yangtze River is clear, yet every year it causes floods and drowns countless people."

"Therefore, my wife, you must understand that it is not necessarily true that the common people live well when good men hold office, nor that they suffer when bad men are officials."

Upon hearing these words, Princess Sirou was struck dumb with astonishment, seemingly forgetting entirely that her imperial father and Crown Prince brother had already arrived outside the door.

Outside, Emperor Wu glanced back at the equally dumbfounded Crown Prince Zhao Lie.

Feeling his imperial father's gaze, Zhao Lie's mouth twitched slightly as if he wanted to say something, but Emperor Wu stopped him with a look.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

A knock came at the door.

Sirou stood up to open it and asked feignedly, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Emperor Wu rolled his eyes speechlessly.

The Crown Prince emitted a silent, dry chuckle and remained quiet.

"Ah, the Superintendent has arrived!" Li Wenxuan's cheerful voice rang out from inside.

"Indeed."

Emperor Wu strode inside. Li Wenxuan's words from just moments ago had truly struck a chord in his heart.

Good people and bad people were merely how ordinary individuals categorized others.

As the Emperor, what he needed were people capable of governing the realm; classifying people as simply good or bad was not the way of an emperor.

The metaphors of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River resonated deeply with His Majesty's heart!

He truly had not misjudged this man; he was indeed a person of exceptional talent!

"This humble official cannot rise to welcome you... Oh? Superintendent, and this young brother is..."

Sitting in his chair, Sirou smiled inwardly. This is, of course, your eldest brother-in-law!

"This is the newly appointed Judicial Centurion, named Zhao Lie. From now on, you shall serve together under Thousand-Man Commander Lou."

"Oh! Greetings, Centurion Zhao!"

Li Wenxuan greeted him with a smile.

Princess Sirou, however, furrowed her delicate brows, wondering what bad scheme her imperial father was concocting now...

The Crown Prince nodded with an unnatural expression, "Centurion Li, I have heard of your heroic deeds. You are truly a model for our generation."

"Ah, what are you saying?" Li Wenxuan waved his hand. "Such matters are not worth mentioning. The credit goes to the Superintendent, whose lofty vision and masterful strategizing brought about this preliminary victory against the Cui family."

Emperor Wu turned and sat down, raising an eyebrow as he noticed that his dutiful daughter hadn't even brought in tea. A sense of loss inevitably welled up in his heart.

Could this girl be dissatisfied that the official rank I bestowed was too small?

Well, it was you who refused to make your identity public!

Since that is the case, I naturally cannot directly bestow a marriage and a high office; promotions must be granted step by step!

Nevertheless, he still glanced sideways at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince read a clear message in his imperial father's look: *See? This is how someone who knows how to talk speaks!*

"Then, in your view, what will His Majesty do next?"

Hearing this, Li Wenxuan was slightly taken aback. He had just been casually boasting about a "preliminary victory," and now the man was actually asking him for real?

"This... This humble official is of low rank and minor position. How could I presume to casually discuss matters of state?"

"There is no harm in speaking," Emperor Wu smiled. "This is just us behind closed doors within the Eastern Depot."

Another hidden meaning behind these words was—you must speak.

Li Wenxuan thought for a moment and said, "Judging by His Majesty's current actions, since the honors and imperial titles bestowed upon General Li Hu's wife were revoked today, tomorrow he will surely strip the three members of the Cui family of their official posts."

Hearing this, Emperor Wu and the Crown Prince exchanged glances.

What the hell...

That is precisely what I intend to do!

"Oh? Why not Grand General of the West Li Hu himself?"

Crown Prince Zhao Lie asked first, though the moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had been too impetuous.

His imperial father was maintaining a disguise; logically, his father in the guise of the Superintendent should be the one asking. Why was a mere centurion like him cutting in?

Sure enough, Emperor Wu immediately swept a reproachful gaze in his direction before looking back at Li Wenxuan with a smile.

"That wouldn't be right, would it? The origin of this entire affair was stirred up by Li Hu and his wife. Even if there is to be punishment, Li Hu and his wife should be dealt with first. Why would His Majesty suddenly skip Li Hu and deal with the three members of the Cui family first?"

"Heh, I am not saying this without basis. I have solid evidence!"

A flash of slyness crossed Li Wenxuan's eyes.

"What evidence?"

Crown Prince Zhao Lie widened his eyes at this point. Could someone in the imperial court have leaked secrets?

Emperor Wu nearly gave him a slap on the head!

Ungrateful son!

Everything you are saying is straight out of my own script!