Chapter 6: If you can kill, then kill

  Li Shimin took over the "clothes" handed over by Du He, and saw that the inside of the clothes were densely packed with small characters and various patterns, and couldn't help but look at them.

  Li Shimin's face turned serious in just a few seconds.

  Since being pointed out by Du Hu in a tavern and having been lectured, Li Shimin also began to pay attention to some special techniques.

  Especially the iron smelting method and the forging technology of weapons and armor were under strict control.

  It is said that one cannot discuss the governance of a position if they do not hold it, and even Du Ruhui, the current prime minister and Du He's father, would not be able to obtain these secrets. The fact that this thing has appeared in Du He's hands shows that the severity of the matter is extraordinary!

  "Where did you get this from?!" Li Shimin said with an unusually serious tone. If these things really fell into the hands of foreigners, the foreigner who got them would possess smelting technology equal to that of the Tang Dynasty, and possess divine weapons and sharp instruments equal to those of the Tang Dynasty.

  "I got it from a fat guy, when I was on my way to the imperial palace, I passed by the city inn and saw a fat-headed big-eared guy sneaking out with a large package. I thought it was strange and suspected he was a thief, so I followed him. Who would have thought that I followed him all the way to the Hibiscus Garden, where I stumbled upon an illicit transaction, and the thing being traded was this very garment."

  Li Shimin also knew that Du He's words were not true. From the Cai State Duke's mansion to the imperial palace, it was not necessary to pass through the post house at all. However, he didn't bother with these details and just pointed as if to say: "The big fat man you mentioned, is he the one with a pair of drooping shoulders and large ears, with a big mole on his right cheek?"

  Du He pretended to be shocked and exclaimed: "Uncle Li, aren't you a god, able to predict the future?"

  "You little scamp, stop showing off in front of me! Your tricks won't fool me. Quickly, tell me what you did to him?" Li Shimin said with a hint of awareness of Du He's intention, laughing and scolding at the same time.

  Du He smiled and said "heh heh", but didn't expect to deceive Li Shimin. After all, this matter was too coincidental, if it wasn't intentional, how could he easily get such ironclad evidence?

  "He didn't do anything to him, it's just that the little nephew was afraid of not being able to beat him, so he secretly gave him a heavy blow on the forehead. It's all because that fat guy was too fat, and the little nephew couldn't move him, so he dragged him along, his face seemed to be scratched, and his body also suffered a bit of injury. In order not to let him shout loudly, the little nephew stuffed his mouth with stinky socks again, and in case he would run away, he hung him up again."

  Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Haha, you little guy is really cunning. The other party is the Grand Minister of Tubo, equivalent to the Prime Minister of my Great Tang Dynasty, and you let him be treated like this. However..."

  Li Shimin looked at Du He with a hint of approval and said loudly, "However, I like it. This scoundrel appears to be making peace with me on the surface, but secretly buys my Great Tang's military secrets, with ulterior motives, and has no intention of allying with me. It's just that his identity is special, and I really can't punish him. You've done something that really vented my anger."

  "Go and bring that Tubo ambassador to me, the one who leaked our Great Tang's secrets. Do you know him? Tell me, I will not forgive him!" Li Shimin's tiger eyes gleamed with a fierce light, his murderous intent lurking beneath.

  Du He told Li Shimin about the apprentice who leaked the secret, then returned to the Cai Guogong Mansion, took a look at Lu Dongzan who was still struggling on the tree, and had someone take him down.

  Lucky Dongzi let out a worried "Woo" and looked at him with pleading eyes.

  "Hmph!" Du He sneered: "Don't pretend to be pitiful, go tell the Emperor about whatever it is!"

  Lu Dong's expression changed drastically, his eyes full of terror. With his IQ, after hearing this, it wasn't hard to guess that the affair had already been exposed!

  Duhula grasped the reins of Lu Dongzan's horse and directly mounted it, dragging him away.

  In the past, he often saw some spoiled sons on TV, galloping horses in the streets and dragging ordinary people to play. Today, he also came to taste it, but he played more high-profile, not dragging innocent civilians, but the great minister of Tubo!

  "Hey! Fatty, keep up!" Du He cracked his whip and drove the horse, pulling Lu Dongzan towards the imperial palace.

  This was a disaster for Ludong Zan. Du He's speed wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow either. Ludong Zan had already been suspended for almost an hour, his hands and feet were numb, and he was exhausted. At first, he could barely keep up, but later on, he couldn't hold on anymore. He took one step forward, but was pulled two steps back, and with a slight carelessness, he fell to the ground and was dragged for over ten feet.

  Du He would then slow down at this time, giving him time to climb up and continue.

  Ludongzan was born into a noble family of Tubo, and since childhood, he had been pampered. He had never experienced such hardships before. The pain was unbearable, and he wished to die.

  Li Shimin was interrogating the captured scholar in the Zhengzhi Hall.

  The apprentice knelt on the ground, already with a dead face, and confessed everything in front of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

  Li Shimin's face sank, seeing Lu Dongzan covered in mud and dust all over his body, with various cuts and scratches that couldn't be counted, and his face was ruined, just like a lump of rotten earth spread on the ground.

  He found Lu Dongzan to have a mind to frame Du He, but he didn't expect that he would be so ruthless. He gave Du He a sideways glance, secretly blaming him for going too far. After all, Lu Dongzan was the prime minister of a country!

  Du He intentionally revealed a wronged expression, but in his heart he was secretly laughing: Whoever dares to bully my wife will not be let off easily! Thinking this way, he was pondering how to find trouble for Zhangsun Wuji, the mastermind behind all this.

  Du He has never been a master who can be bullied, and Zhangsun Wuji has wronged him. If he doesn't regain his composure, it will be like a fishbone stuck in his throat, more unbearable than anything else.

  Li Shimin also showed extremely high acting skills at this time, looking at Lu Dongzan with a shocked face and shouting: "Prime Minister, how is it you?"

  He had Lobsang Dondrup bound and also removed the sock from his mouth.

  That smelly thing as soon as it left his mouth, Lu Dongzan immediately vomited.

  Lu Dongzan immediately wailed and begged for forgiveness, saying: "The Heavenly Khan is wise and sacred. My Tubo country is currently in a state of turmoil, with strong enemies like the Xiongnu and Yutian outside. Our country has just been established, our military strength is not robust, and our population is small, making it truly difficult to contend with them. Your humble subject knows that the Heavenly Khan's army is powerful and sharp, so I have risen up with greedy intentions, hoping for the Heavenly Khan's sympathy."

  This Ludong Zan is indeed a formidable figure, decisive and resolute.

  At this moment, the evidence is conclusive. If he denies it in every way, he will certainly incur Li Shimin's great anger and bring about unforeseeable consequences.

  Lu Dongzhan was frank at this moment, and said out his reasons for buying the smelting technology of Datang. He explained that he did not do so to be an enemy of Datang, but rather to protect himself, and hoped that Li Shimin could understand his difficulties and spare them.

  In this crisis, Ludong Zan was able to come up with such a plan, which shows that he is indeed a capable person.

  "This matter, I will consider it myself! Guo Hong, take Da Xiang to find the imperial physician for treatment of his wound, clean it up and entertain him well, do not neglect!" The implication being that he would be placed under house arrest.

  "As for him..." He gave the apprentice a sideways glance and said, "Hand him over to the Supreme Court, let them deal with him severely!" This sentence "deal with him severely" was equivalent to a death sentence.

  After the two men left, Li Shimin asked: "Xianzhong, what should be done with this Lu Dongzan?"

  Du He replied without hesitation: "If you can kill, then kill; if not, you will be under house arrest for the rest of your life and never be allowed to return to Tubo! Uncle Li, haven't you seen that this Lu Dongzan's talent is no less than that of Fang Du in our court?"

  Li Shimin nodded silently!