There is no absolute transparency of power in this world, nor is there a perfect check on power.

Zhao Huan laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the emperor if you tell me all this?"

A smile appeared on Li Jingxian's pale and haggard face: "You jest, sir. What are you accusing us of? We haven't done anything. Is it a crime to invite you to become a friend of the Li family?"

Zhao Huan immediately understood that Li Shi had hidden herself very well.

Even if the imperial court sends people to the Northwest to investigate, they probably won't find any evidence that is detrimental to the Li family.

The same must be true for the other prominent families among the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families. Otherwise, how could the leader of the Hidden Origin Society dare to be so arrogant as to call himself "Emperor of the Night"?

This is how aristocratic families, living in the Song Dynasty where civil officials and scholars were spared execution, hid in the shadows and used the prosperous commerce of the Song Dynasty to infiltrate their influence into the common people and the officialdom.

How much wealth do they have?

Nobody knows.

Just like the top financial families active in Europe and the United States during the Industrial Revolution and the World Wars.

but……

They don't seem to have woken up yet. The reason they have fertile ground to live on is because of the indulgence of the previous emperors of the Song Dynasty.

The current emperor likes to execute nine generations of his family.

Even if they didn't actually execute nine generations of their families, they still liked to confiscate their property and exile them to the frontier.

When it comes to killing, no emperor in the Song Dynasty since its founding has been more capable of killing than the current emperor.

If the emperor were given a few more years, he would have almost wiped out the entire Song Dynasty.

It seems that for him, there is nothing that cannot be solved by killing; if killing a hundred doesn't work, then kill ten thousand.

Making friends is not a crime, but the ruthless officials of the Censorate are best at turning the elegant matter of making friends into forming cliques for personal gain and suppressing dissent.

Zhao Huan looked at Li Jingxian as if he were an idiot: You probably don't know how top-level politics works, do you?

Zhao Huan smiled and said, "Let's wait for Commander Sun, Li Sicao, and Shangguan Sixian."

Seeing that Zhao Huan was no longer in a hurry to attack him, Li Jingxian breathed a sigh of relief. The reason he said those things was just a delaying tactic. Once his uncle arrived, everything would be fine.

When Sun Bang was originally there, he was accompanied by the personal guards of the general's mansion, who cleaned the streets spotless.

He arrived, Li Yanjing arrived, and coincidentally, Shangguan Qing also arrived.

The three most powerful people on Yongxingjun Road have arrived.

They met each other and frowned when they saw the scene outside Qingping Tower.

Who on earth dares to act so recklessly in Chang'an?!

Of course we'd ignore them?

The soldiers, lined up in neat rows, arrived at the entrance of Qingping Tower. Archers stood behind them, took out their arrows, nocked them on their bowstrings, and were ready to fire at any moment.

Sun Bangyuan said, "Brother Li, Brother Shangguan, let's go in and see who is so bold as to act so arrogantly in our territory! The Emperor is about to arrive in Chang'an. If we don't handle this properly, we won't be able to explain it to the Emperor!"

Li Yanjing said, "General Sun is right, let's go!"

The soldiers protected the three big shots and led them into the restaurant.

Li Jingxian was overjoyed when he saw his uncle arrive.

Everything is over, everything is alright, and even my uncle has come.

Moreover, Marshal Sun also came in person.

Li Jingxian looked at Zhao Huan triumphantly. "The three most powerful men in Yongxing Army Road have come. You killed so many soldiers here. Now let's see how you explain yourself!"

Sun Bangyuan went in with a rage; he was determined to punish the person inside!

He's going to chop this guy up!

But as soon as he went inside and saw that person, he immediately...

He knelt down.

Li Yanjing and Shangguan Qing, who were standing next to them, were still completely bewildered.

Sun Shuai, what's wrong with you?

Could it be that my legs were weak from lying in bed for too long last night?

Sun Shuai, you're getting on in years, you need to take care of your health.

You're a military commissioner, after all, a step above the two of us. If you act like this, people will laugh at you.

Li Jingxian hurriedly said, "Uncle, please save me!"

Li Yanjing originally planned to start with a pretentious opening, but Sun Bangyuan spoke first, and what he said left Li Yanjing, Shangguan Qing, and Li Jingxian speechless.

"Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well!"

Holy crap!

Sun Bangyuan, have you taken the wrong medicine?!

I must have lost my mind last night!

Are you still half asleep?

Li Yanjing quickly realized that the only person present was Sun Bangyuan, the military commissioner who had recently visited the capital to meet the emperor, and therefore the only one who knew the current emperor's appearance.

Sun Bangyuan was originally the military commissioner, in charge of military and civil affairs in Yongxing Military Circuit. How could he have made a mistake!

Li Yanjing and Shangguan Qing were stunned on the spot...

He knelt down too.

Of course, they didn't actually have to kneel when they met the emperor.

However, due to the immense psychological impact, the thought of their own troops besieging the emperor left them with no other way to express their fear except by kneeling.

Li Jingxian's smile froze, and his pupils contracted sharply, as if he were wearing a comical mask.

Zhao Huan stood up, walked over, and helped Sun Bangyuan up, then helped Li Yanjing and Shangguan Qing up as well, his face full of smiles.

He was as kind and gentle as the well-mannered older brother next door.

"Your Majesty's presence is undeserved, and we, your humble servants, have failed to greet you from afar; we deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

"I came in haste; those who are unaware are not guilty."

Sun Bangyuan felt as if he had slit his own throat on the spot.

When he heard that the emperor was coming, he ordered the entire Yongxing military route to be under martial law to ensure the emperor's safe arrival.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!