After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

The court officials looked quite strange when they heard this.

Ask Zhang You to confront him face to face? What's the point of confronting him? Everyone knows that this person is usually uneducated and unskilled. He relies on his sister, the Imperial Concubine, and he is the son of a duke to act recklessly in Chang'an City. As a result, he hit a tough bone this time.

"Your Majesty! Concubine Zhang and Zhang You are kneeling outside Chengtian Gate to apologize." The voice of the Jinwu Guard came from the door.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Wei looked towards the door and said with a smile, "Since this kid has come in person, let him come over and explain everything to me."

Carrying a thorn stick to ask for forgiveness? Pei Jiaoran tilted his head and a smile appeared on his face. This was the real self-torture tactic.

"I just told Prince Zhang yesterday. If you really think that I beat him, you can report me to the Shangshudu Province or the Censorate." Pei Jiaoran blinked, then curled his lips, "Could it be that the prince has already obtained evidence that I beat him?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Emperor of Wei's expression suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Stroking his beard, the Emperor of Wei said, "This matter is not serious enough to be reported to the Censorate."

Soon, Zhang You, with his upper body naked and a whip on his back, was escorted into the hall by two Jinwu guards and knelt in the middle.

He looked up at Zhang You, who was trembling and blushing. Pei Jiaoran gently stroked the tablet with his thumb.

"Zhang You, why are you dressed like this?" The Emperor of Wei asked in a cold tone.

"I am guilty! Yesterday, after drinking, I went to a restaurant in Chongyifang with my friends and accidentally had a conflict with Li Buque. I was drunk and confused, not knowing my place, and I took my drinking buddies to beat Li Buque in a dark alley to vent my anger. Please punish me, Your Majesty." Zhang You said loudly, touching the ground with his head.

"Being drunk is not a good excuse." Pei Jiaoran curled his lips sarcastically, "How come the prince relied on his status to beat up an official of the imperial court after drinking? Will he be able to ride his horse on the imperial street without restraint tomorrow?"

Zhang You heard this and shook his head like a drum. "No. I would never dare to do that. I was really drunk this time. If your majesty wants to punish me, I will have no complaints."

Pei Jiaoran looked at Zhang You, who was terrified, with disgust in her eyes. She didn't have to hold Zhang You hostage, but this was an opportunity to break the wings of the King of Wu. Even if these wings were vulnerable, they couldn't be allowed to exist.

With a glance, he saw Jia Gonglu looking up at him with a half-smile. Pei Jiaoran had already realized whose idea it was to use this self-torture trick.

Concubine Zhang was born in the Anding Zhang family. Although they were not as powerful as the four families of Cui, Lu, Zheng and Wang, their influence in Liangzhou should not be underestimated. They could guarantee the eldest son of the Zhang family. In the future, the Zhang family and those related to them would fully assist the King of Wu to fight against the Crown Prince.

Pei Jiaoran collected his thoughts and smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, I remember that there is a saying in "The Book of Changes: Xici II": 'A small punishment and a big warning is a blessing for a villain.' Since Prince Zhang knows his mistakes and can correct them, if I continue to be relentless, wouldn't it seem that I am killing Prince Zhang because of the Crown Prince to weaken the wings of the King of Wu? This matter is entirely my idea, and has nothing to do with the Crown Prince, let alone the party struggle. I think why not give Prince Zhang a slight punishment."

"Mr. Pei, His Majesty never said that you were targeting Prince Zhang because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Yuwen Jie said.

Hearing this, Pei Jiaoran raised his eyes and said, "I don't know whether your majesty thinks that I did this for the prince. But I'm afraid that some people in the court think that I did this for the prince."

"Your Majesty, I think what Prime Minister Pei said makes sense." Cen Xi looked at Jia Gonglu and said in a deep voice, "Zhang You violated the law and beat up an official appointed by the court. Even Your Majesty treats censors with courtesy, so how can you allow a commoner to beat up a censor at will? If he is not punished, I am afraid that there will be a case of assassinating an official in the future."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal." Su Jinghui took over the conversation, looked at Li Jing and said, "Li Buque has made great contributions this time, how can we allow others to treat him like this."

"Father," the prince suddenly spoke, "this wine can make things happen, but it can also make things go wrong. There are many people in history books who made mistakes due to drinking, or became hated for eternity. During the Han Dynasty, alcohol was banned, but drunk people behaved inappropriately and without scruples, affecting the governance of the court. For the sake of local stability, alcohol was banned. The people of Wei live and work in peace and contentment, so there is naturally no need to ban alcohol. But Zhang You's drunken injury should not be tolerated because of his status. I believe the King of Wu is willing to kill his own relatives for the sake of justice to set an example."

The Emperor of Wei looked over with some surprise.

When the Emperor of Wei heard these words, and considering that the matter involved the King of Wu, there was another interpretation.

After a brief pause, the Emperor of Wei looked at Jia Gonglu and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Jia?"

Pei Jiaoran raised his eyebrows and looked at Jia Gonglu. This old fox relied on caution and knowing the emperor's mind to sit in his current position. The family was in decline and there was no aristocratic family to rely on, so the only one he could rely on was the Emperor of Wei. He turned over, but still did not provide any substantial promotion for the family. He spared no effort to plan for the Emperor of Wei to raise the imperial power. Knowing that the prince would not accept him, he still chose the King of Wu who had no support. As a lone minister and the leader of a poor family, his power can still continue.

Jia Gonglu thought for a long time before he spoke: "Your Majesty, Zhang You came here to ask for forgiveness. The ancients said that knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue. Now that Prince Zhang has already known his mistakes, you should forgive him when you can. Why do you have to force him and even blame Zhang You's behavior on the King of Wu? Prime Minister Pei, don't you think that Zhang You's drunken beating of Li Buque was instructed by the King of Wu?"

"Mr. Jia, what we are discussing today is the incident in which Zhang You beat Li Buque after drinking. Why do you deliberately involve the King of Wu in this matter? Do you have to characterize this incident as a party dispute?" Pei Jiaoran said in a cold voice.

Now, the relationship between the crown prince and the king of Wu seems to be calm on the surface, but in fact, there are undercurrents. One incident after another has put the king of Wu on the verge of collapse.

The Emperor of Wei took a deep breath and looked at Zhang You, who was kneeling on the ground, with disgust. He then looked at the bewildered King of Wu. Not only was his child young, but his mother's family was useless. He was like a maggot attached to his bones, which was disgusting. Even if he was loyal, he was unbearable.

"What kind of party struggles are there? Why are there so many? They are all my subjects." The Emperor of Wei raised his head and pointed at the Crown Prince and the King of Wu, smiling and saying, "You are my sons, don't ruin the relationship because of Zhang You. Zhang You is uneducated and injured people after drinking, and he treated the law as if it was nothing wrong. According to the law, he will be imprisoned for one year, and you are not allowed to plead for him."

Zhang You was unwilling to give up at this moment, and raised his head to look at Pei Jiaoran, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Pei is the prime minister, but he beats the common people for no reason. Is the Wei law made for such high officials?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the King of Wu slapped Zhang You hard, "Absurd! Why would Prime Minister Pei hit you for no reason? Stop talking nonsense here. Jinwu Guards, what are you still standing there for? Why don't you drag him away quickly?"

The Jinwu Guard took the order, covered Zhang You's mouth and dragged him away.

The Emperor of Wei, sitting on the throne, closed his eyes and waved his hands tiredly, signaling his ministers to continue their memorials.

After about an hour, the court was dismissed, leaving only Pei Jiaoran behind.