Within the cell.
Li Shimin personally poured a glass of wine for Hou Junji.
"The guilty minister will come by himself, the guilty minister will come by himself..."
"How dare you bother Your Majesty to pour the wine yourself..."
Hou Junji waved his hands repeatedly, and the heavy locks on his hands twitched.
"It doesn't matter, I'll just pour you some wine, so what?"
Li Shimin pulled his hand away, pointed at the jailer and said,
"Remove the shackles!"
"I don't want him to sit around drinking and reminiscing with me!"
"According to the order." The jailer naturally obeyed the order and stepped forward to remove Hou Junji's handcuffs and shackles.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Hou Junji loosened his wrist and showed a smile, "People say that after carrying a weight, it will be much easier if the weight is removed. This is how people in the martial arts practice Qinggong. Now it seems to be true."
When Li Shimin saw this, he felt quite uncomfortable.
This collection of Hou Jun is about enjoying happiness in the midst of suffering!
To be honest, if he was full of resentment and looked like he didn't want to talk to him, Li Er would feel better.
But Hou Junji is now so uncomplaining... but it makes Li Er feel a little more guilty.
"It's hard on you."
Li Shimin sighed softly and ordered again,
"In this prison from now on, Hou Junji will no longer have to wear shackles!"
"I can't run away anymore. Why do I have to bear such a heavy burden for nothing?"
"I obey the order," the jailer said obediently.
Fang Xuanling was also silent and stood at the edge of the cell, like a transparent person.
"Your Majesty, this is the case for all prisoners on death row. There is no need to make exceptions for the sake of criminals."
Hou Junji shook his head and said,
"The guilty minister has long been used to it..."
Li Shimin looked determined when he heard this.
"no!"
He said decisively,
"How can you be compared with other death row prisoners? Although you have made mistakes, but..."
"You can make an exception anyway!"
"Come on, have a drink!"
Ding!
The two wine glasses collided together, making a crisp sound.
Hou Junji took the wine glass with both hands and drank the wine in one gulp.
"ha--"
Li Shimin also finished his drink, then filled another glass of wine for Hou Jun, and said,
"Junji, let's have another drink!"
"I haven't come to see you in the past two years. It's not that I have forgotten you, but... alas!"
Li Er drank another glass of wine and became a little tipsy, and his mood suddenly rose.
"The guilty minister knows, the guilty minister knows that His Majesty is always thinking of the guilty minister."
Hou Junji bowed his hands and said,
"Otherwise, this humble life of being a guilty minister would have been gone long ago. How could it be left to this day?"
"The sinner is grateful to His Majesty for your kindness, and I shed tears of gratitude!"
After saying that, he knelt on the ground again and kowtowed to Li Shimin.
"Oh, why are you kowtowing all the time? Get up..."
Li Shimin hurriedly pulled him up and sighed,
"You have meritorious service. No matter what happens, I must save your life, otherwise I will not be at peace..."
"I think back in those days, you also made great military exploits under my command, and finally helped me ascend the throne. You played a big role!"
"I feel so sad when I think of all the past..."
suck.
Li Er, who had never been a good drinker, drank another glass of wine. At this moment, he was not tipsy, but already a little tipsy.
"A good man does not mention his courage, a good man does not mention his courage..."
Hou Junji held the wine glass and lowered his head, shaking his head and laughing,
"All the things in the past... the sinner can no longer remember..."
When Li Shimin heard this, his heart became more and more sad.
"No, you have to remember! Even if you don't remember, I will remember!"
He held Hou Junji's shoulders and said seriously,
"In the final analysis, it was me who failed to take care of you, which resulted in bad consequences...but I am by no means a mean and ungrateful king!"
"Although you are guilty, you also have merit!"
"Jun Ji, do you have any wishes? You must have wishes, right? Just say it! As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you do it!"
Now that he was getting drunk, Li Er didn't care about anything else, and went straight to Hou Junji to make sure he had a meal!
"This... sinner doesn't have any other wishes."
Li Shimin was very excited, but Hou Junji was relatively calm. He looked at Li Shimin and said softly,
"If you have any wishes, please ask your majesty to have the prison sores on the criminal's legs cured."
"This way, the guilty minister will not have to suffer from sores and will feel much more relaxed."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows.
"What is this? This is what it should be!"
He said,
"I was also negligent. Even a prisoner should look like a human being, not a ghost!"
"Someone will come to cure you of this sore soon... Also, from now on, I will set up a prison doctor to diagnose and treat the prisoners every ten days."
"This prison sore will no longer exist!"
Hearing these words, Fang Xuanling next to him felt his teeth sore.
The emperor's blood rushed to his head, and he treated the prisoners better than ordinary people!
I would like to ask ordinary people, can they still have enough to eat without having to work?
I would like to ask, do ordinary people have the opportunity to have a physical examination and receive treatment every ten days?
Is this bitch still a prisoner?
Life is simply more comfortable than that of a rich man!
Your Majesty, this is because Hou Junji alone has improved the treatment of the prisoners!
Of course this made Fang Xuanling feel uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could say.
After all, improving the treatment of prisoners also belongs to the category of 'benevolent governance', and it can be regarded as something advocated by governing the country. You can't say anything about the emperor.
After all, Zhenguan Dynasty focused on benevolence.
"This, Your Majesty..."
Hou Junji looked moved, with tears of excitement in his eyes.
"Needless to say, this is what it should be."
Li Shimin waved his hand and said,
"Go on, change your wish!"
"I will definitely satisfy you, don't worry!"
"Go ahead, you can ask for anything, as long as it's what you want!"
Hou Junji was slightly startled.
What he wants most is to be released from prison!
But this is impossible. Although His Majesty can make any request, he must be aware of the situation, otherwise the good impression he just condensed will be completely lost.
"...The guilty minister does have a merciless request."
Hou Junji hesitated for a moment and said in embarrassment,
"But it must be very difficult for His Majesty."
"So... it's better not to say anything."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows.
"You... want to get out of jail?" he asked.
"No, no..." Hou Junji shook his head repeatedly and said, "The criminal has absolutely no such evil thoughts. It is a lie to say that he does not want to be released from prison, but the criminal knows that he has sinned so deeply that it is impossible for him to get out. This kind of request will only make things difficult for Your Majesty."
Li Shimin nodded slightly.
He didn't speak, but he acquiesced.
Although I can agree to any conditions, getting out of prison is impossible.
Xu Fenglei will definitely make a big fuss when the time comes! This is that kid's bottom line, he can't move it.
If it doesn't work well, you still have to coax it... you may not be able to coax it well, and the gain outweighs the loss.
"Then tell me what your wish is."
Li Shimin raised his head and said,
"Except for that... I think I can do everything else."
When Hou Junji said this, Li Er became more determined to help him fulfill his wish!
If you can't help get out of prison, you must do something else!
"Your Majesty, I am... a little homesick."
Hou Junji took a sip of wine, his eyes dimmed.
He said softly:
"I miss my family... I don't know if they are still doing well. I am in jail, so their life must be very difficult."
"I was the one who dragged them down. I really want to say sorry to them face to face...but I don't have such a chance."
"well……"
Seeing that he was in a low mood, Li Shimin felt quite unhappy.
He patted Hou Junji on the shoulder and sighed:
"Missing home and missing my family...this is the most simple thought..."
"Your wish is a little too small."
Hou Junji shook his head and said:
"No, not small, not at all."
"This is the biggest desire deep in the sinner's heart, and he has been longing for it for two years."
"If Your Majesty allows the guilty subject to see his family, even for a short while... the guilty subject will die with no regrets!"
Speaking of excitement, he knelt down on the ground again, grabbing the ground with his head, and sticking his butt out!
This pout is enough to show how eager he is!
At this time, Changsun Wuji arrived with the imperial doctor.
"Your Majesty, Dr. Zhang is best at treating sores. I have already brought him here."
He cupped his hands towards Li Shimin and turned to Hou Junji.
Um?
This look... is quite unique.
"Junji, you get up first and treat the sores."
Li Shimin helped Hou Junji up and said in a deep voice,
"I promise you your wish and I will definitely let you and your family meet."
"No, it's not just as simple as meeting you once, I will give you more."
Hou Junji looked shocked.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
He stood up and bowed to Li Shimin again, and then with the help of Doctor Zhang, he lay back on the couch again.
"Zhang Su, you must cure Hou Junji's sores!"
Li Shimin ordered,
"If you are cured, I will reward you!"
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best." Doctor Zhang respectfully accepted the order, and then gently rolled up Hou Junji's trousers.
A huge and hideous scar came into view.
"Mr. Zhang, if you can't cure it, don't force it."
Hou Junji smiled warmly and said,
"It only hurts in the summer, other times it's fine."
Zhang Su checked it carefully and smiled slightly.
"This is a prison sore. It is mainly caused by environmental damage. In fact, it does not need to be treated at all. As long as it is moved to a dry and cool place, it will be cured naturally."
He stroked his beard and said,
"It's like frostbite on the hands of a fish seller. It always attacks in the winter and is fine the rest of the time."
"If we stop doing the fish selling business, the chilblains will heal naturally and won't recur."
"The truth is the same."
Everyone in the prison was stunned when they heard this.
"Is there a cool, dry cell in the sky prison?"
Li Shimin looked at the jailer and said,
"The ones that don't have sores are in better locations and are in ventilated areas."
"Find the one with the best location and let Hou Jun collect it!"
"According to the order." The jailer nodded obediently.
"Mr. Hou, I will clean the scar for you now, and then apply the sore medicine I developed myself on you."
Zhang Sudao,
"The process may take a little longer, and there may be some pain."
"You have to be patient for a little bit. After all, it's going to be a bit troublesome to get rid of the root of the disease."
Hou Junji nodded.
"I'm tired, Doctor Zhang." He cupped his hands slightly.
This polite look is nothing like the arrogant and domineering Hou Junji back then.
It seems that these two years have really changed him a lot...
Li Shimin watched Zhang Su start to get busy, and said with his hands behind his back:
"We won't interrupt, let's go outside first."
"It just so happens that I also have something to discuss with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked out of the cell.
Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling also followed Li Shimin to the original aisle.
Tsk.
Li Shimin faced the wall, lit a cigarette casually, puffed and puffed, and then slowly turned around.
"How to satisfy Hou Junji's wish?"
He looked at Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling and said in a deep voice,
"Give me an explanation."
Changsun Wuji looked at Fang Xuanling.
"I just arrived, let's listen to Xuan Ling's opinion." He kicked the ball at the speed of light.
Fang Xuanling: "..."
"Hou Junji wants to see his family. It's not a big deal."
Fang Xuanling thought about it for a while and then said in deep thought,
"I thought I could bring his family to the prison and arrange for them to meet."
"That's enough..."
Li Shimin frowned and blew out a puff of smoke from his nostrils.
"I want him to look decent."
He said displeasedly,
"Didn't you see how he blamed himself just now? He felt like he was dragging down his family."
"At this time, if we arrange for his family to meet in prison, wouldn't it hurt his dignity even more?"
"Jun Ji and I know that he is the one who cares about face the most, so... we must not arrange to meet in prison."
"Think again."
Fang Xuanling was in trouble now and turned to look at Changsun Wuji.
Changsun Wuji also hesitated and was speechless.
"Haha... after all, you were once colleagues and friends! How come you don't even have any sympathy now?"
Li Shimin looked unkind and said,
"You just watch him look so pitiful and you don't even think of a way to help him?"
"If one of you commits a crime and your colleagues ignore it, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"
Changsun Wuji: "..."
"Then Your Majesty, why don't you let Hou Junji dress up and clean up neatly, and then you arrange a place for him to meet his family secretly?"
He didn't want to be labeled as 'mean and ruthless' by Li Shimin, so he spoke up and said,
"In this case, is it still decent?"
When Li Shimin heard this, he shook his head again.
"Meet in secret? Why secret? Is it so shameful?"
He said unhappily,
"What are you afraid of? Who are you afraid of? Are you afraid of someone being unhappy?"
"It's not like we want to release Hou Junji, we just want him to meet his family! Why do you look like you don't dare to go too far?"
Li Shimin paused for a moment and said decisively:
"If you want me to tell you... let Hou Junji go home for a day, let him reunite with his family for a day, talk to each other, have a meal, sleep well at home, and then go back to Tianlao after settling his worries!"
"Is that possible?"
Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji were both stunned.
Good guy, let a condemned prisoner go home for a day?
"Your Majesty, this...there has never been such a precedent."
Fang Xuanling said a little embarrassed,
"Besides, if you do this and give Hou Junzhi freedom, I'm worried that the Grand Master... may have serious objections."
(End of chapter)
