Chapter 68 The Sky Curtain Made Me a White Moonlight in History The Sky Curtain, for publicity...

The emperor, completely unaware of his slip of the tongue, looked at the scene of the future in the sky, both astonished and amazed, and couldn't help but say, "Is this really the world a thousand years in the future, or is it the celestial palace?"

Rows of towering, glazed pagodas stand side by side, beautiful and grand. Even in the dead of night, they illuminate every household in the city as if it were daytime; surely the price of these candles must be extremely cheap!

How wonderful!

Candles are much more expensive than food, and they're not even necessities. If everyone could afford candles freely, then everyone could surely have enough to eat and afford education...

What a wonderful life!

The emperor yearned for the scene in the sky, fantasizing about whether his Qi state could one day achieve the same, and his heart was filled with excitement.

The thought that this kind of life originated from Si Qi made the emperor's desire to see Si Qi even more urgent, and he couldn't help but urge the ministers beside him: "Has the case not been investigated yet!"

The ministers were embarrassed.

How much time has passed? It's only been a short while, barely enough time to brew a cup of tea. There's no way we could have made it in time.

The Emperor exclaimed, "Eh!" and said, "Never mind all that for now, let's get Minister Si and his relatives out of prison first!"

How can we let Si Qi continue to suffer? Just thinking about it makes my heart ache!

The nobles standing nearby couldn't help but mutter, "Your Majesty, this is against etiquette!"

"The truth has not yet been ascertained. What if the truth is not what the immortals said? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

"We've already been locked up for so long, what's a little longer?"

These nobles knew that once the emperor released Si Qi, he would definitely vie for power with them, and they all wished Si Qi would suffer as much as possible.

It would be best to take advantage of this time and have the jailers kill Si Qi, this thin scholar, so that he would have no chance to turn the tables.

I wonder if those people are clever enough to understand the principle of killing to silence witnesses.

You should know that they had previously bribed the prison guards quite a bit, instructing them to "treat" Si Qi's family well in the cell.

If you don't want Si Qi to retaliate later, it's best to take drastic measures now to eliminate any future trouble.

otherwise……

Perhaps the emperor had considered this, for he turned to Chu Feng and said, "Crown Prince, you go and fetch him yourself!"

"What?!" The nobles immediately panicked and rushed forward to dissuade him: "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the nation, how can he treat his subjects with such arrogance—"

The emperor impatiently waved his arm to interrupt, "What I say goes, Crown Prince, you go!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly bring Minister Si here safely!" After a hurried bow, Chu Feng quickly walked away and ordered his men, "Prepare a horse for me!"

Only a group of ministers remained, staring anxiously at Chu Feng's retreating figure.

The prison where Si Qi is being held.

Shortly after the celestial curtain appeared, the gods in the sky cleared Si Qi's name and presented a great deal of evidence.

The investigators, who knew better than anyone whether the evidence was real or fake, and where it was currently located, were all terrified, their faces turning ashen. One of them immediately shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Go and dispose of those things right now!"

The others snapped out of their daze and hurried toward the place where the evidence was hidden. Some even gritted their teeth and rushed straight to the cell.

His confession completely contradicted Si Qi's account. If Si Qi were alive, his plot to murder a high-ranking official would be exposed!

He grabbed a jailer and shouted, "Take me to see Si Qi!"

The jailer stared blankly at the scene in the sky, where war, or rather, a one-sided massacre, was being projected.

The people inside screamed and cried out in agony under the swords and spears, their internal organs crushed by the hooves of horses, and blood flowed everywhere.

Meanwhile, the regent and his ministers in the palace, carrying treasures that couldn't even fill a cart, fled in disarray under heavy guard of soldiers, completely disregarding the fate of the people outside.

The jailer seemed to see the faces of his parents, wife, and children in the tragically dead corpse, and tears fell silently.

He couldn't understand how they, like ants, could survive when the entire country was corrupt and decadent, facing the enemy's iron cavalry.

At such times, the fear of power is at its lowest, replaced by deep-seated hatred.

At this moment, a man with a weathered and hunched back appeared, his face haggard, kneeling before the foreign emperor opposite him, pleading incessantly, trying his best to save the lives of his people—but in the next moment, he was pointed at and cursed by the people and ministers of both countries.

Tears blurred the jailer's vision, and he couldn't stop sobbing. For the first time in his life, he realized that there were officials who cared about the lives of lowly people like them, and that there were people fighting for them on the front lines, hoping they could live.

Just then, his superior found him, grabbed his collar, and demanded menacingly, "Where is Si Qi?!"

The jailer felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and he shivered.

He suddenly remembered that he had seen his colleagues being instructed by their superiors on how to "take good care" of that family.

I've also witnessed firsthand how unusually fast the trial was.

This was a very common case of official framing, something the jailers had seen so many that they didn't think much of it.

But at this moment, the one who was framed, persecuted, and forced step by step to a foreign land, whose life was filled with misery and suffering, was the one who did his best to save them in their time of crisis!

The jailer had worked with Shangguan for many years, and he could tell what Shangguan was planning just by seeing a glance from him.

Therefore, he saw in Shangguan's eyes a madman, a vicious attempt to kill to silence him.

He suddenly snapped back to reality, his heart pounding wildly.

Although he hadn't read many books and didn't understand much, he knew that if the man in the prison cell really died, the prophecy would come true. When the enemy attacked, these officials would be able to escape unscathed with their gold and silver treasures, while he and his family would have no hope left and would all die!

He took two steps back in a panic, turned his head to look at the several prison guards beside him with different expressions, and said, "Sir, what do you want to do?"

The official snapped, "Shut up and take me there right now!"

"No, no..." the jailer said nervously, "This won't do..."

The official flew into a rage: "Do you want to die?!"

He snatched a long sword from the waist of one of the other jailers and slashed at the jailer opposite him who dared to defy him.

The situation is critical, so we should quickly make an example of them to show these people what to say and do next.

The jailer scrambled aside, shouting to his colleagues, "We can't let Lord Si get hurt! Without Lord Si, how will we survive?! Do you want your parents, wives, and children to die at the hands of the Liang people?!"

Upon hearing this, the previously hesitant man made up his mind, boldly pinned down the angry officer, and said indignantly, "Since you chose to abandon us and run away, don't blame us for disobeying your orders!"

"Once His Majesty discovers the truth, do you think you can still be our superior?"

The jailers quickly made a decision, leaving only a few jailers who had repeatedly bullied prisoners and had done many evil things to Si Qi's family during this period. They were sweating profusely.

Taking advantage of the chaos, they sneaked into the prison cells and quickly found Si Qi and his group. They drew their machetes and stabbed at the nearest, terrified family members who were screaming in panic!

Si Qi suddenly sat up from the ground, grabbed a broken bowl from the ground, and smashed it on the head of the jailer with the knife, knocking the man unconscious with a dull thud.

Then, Si Qi, supporting himself on his broken leg, stood up despite the pain, took out a weapon from his consciousness space and hid it in his palm, kicked open the cell door in front of him, rushed into the corridor, and fought with the three or four prison guards.

The original owner's parents, siblings, and other relatives were terrified by the large, white swords. Seeing their usually frail son/brother fighting a group of strong men wielding long swords, they were scared out of their wits and instinctively rushed over to fight the prison guards to the death.

Unfortunately, a group of peasants who had been starving and suffering physical torment for days were certainly not as strong and healthy as the well-fed and clothed jailers in the capital. They were kicked away in no time, and the jailers, now free, went to take Si Qi's life.

"No--!!"

"elder brother!!!"

Because of the original owner's involvement, his family members still harbor resentment towards him these days.

But when they actually saw Si Qi about to die in front of them, all their resentment vanished, leaving only heart-wrenching pain, and they wished they could take his place.

Si Qi let out a muffled groan, raising his arm to block the blow aimed at his neck. His broken legs and weakened body severely hampered his fighting ability. Frustrated, he was ready to finish them off decisively; how he would explain later how a frail scholar like himself could defeat so many prison guards was a matter for later.

Just then, a commotion of shouts and cries suddenly erupted from outside the corridor, followed by a familiar voice urgently commanding, "Take me to see Lord Si immediately!"

Then, the cell door was kicked open, and light from outside streamed in.

Standing outside the door, Chu Feng saw the scene inside the cell and was furious. "Stop right there!"

After saying that, he drew his weapon and rushed to Si Qi in three strides. With a few slashes, he sent the bloodthirsty jailers flying. He carefully pulled Si Qi behind him and glared angrily at the group of audacious traitors.

The jailers collapsed to the ground, finally regaining their senses. Realizing who was in front of them, they trembled, their faces filled with despair.

They're finished.

Chu Feng ordered the other jailers to tie up the group of thugs, and only then did he have time to pay attention to Si Qi, whom he was protecting behind him. He asked with great concern, "Lord Si, are you alright?"

Si Qi raised his head, his eyes clear and bright. "Your Highness, I am fine."

Chu Feng was stunned, staring straight at Si Qi's face.

The young man before me had a clear and bright expression, and his brows and eyes were clear. The dirty environment could not hide his demeanor. Even if he had fallen to the bottom, he would still be ethereal and otherworldly.

Call for help, call for help...

Chu Feng stared blankly at Si Qi, speechless for a long time, as if he had lost his soul.

"Lord Si..." he murmured unconsciously.

Si Qi grunted in response, "Your Majesty, what is it?" "Your Majesty, I am here. May I ask what business it is?"

When Si Qi's family heard him call Chu Feng "Your Highness," they immediately recognized him. Overwhelmed with grievances, they knelt down and cried out for Si Qi, "Your Highness! My child/brother is innocent!"

Chu Feng then came to his senses and quickly bent down to help the person up. "I already know. Don't worry, I've come here to ask you to leave."

The group was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, wailing, "Really? That's wonderful, wonderful..."

"I'm so sorry you've suffered this injustice." Chu Feng noticed the numerous wounds on the family's bodies and said with self-reproach, "The truth will definitely come out! The injustice you suffered will surely be avenged in blood!"

The Si family members didn't dare to hope for that. They would be grateful if they could be taken away from this hell and allowed to live peacefully.

The jailers couldn't help but feel puzzled as they watched the family embrace and weep.

Even though the voices of the gods outside were so clear, this family seemed not to hear anything at all.

Chu Feng happened to know the reason—he had been riding at full speed and hadn't looked up at the sky, and the sound in the sky disappeared after a while, as if those who didn't want to see it could choose not to.

Some people who don't want to see the bloody scene can simply lower their heads to avoid it, which also saves some young and naive children from psychological trauma.

Chu Feng said to the anxious family, "The matter is rather complicated. Please come with me outside. When you see the miracle in the sky, you will understand."

The original owner's family was completely bewildered, not understanding what the imposing Crown Prince was saying, and subconsciously chose to obey.

They dragged their aching steps out of the prison, and before they could even feel the joy of regaining their freedom, they noticed the unusual sky outside. They were so frightened that they shuddered, but thankfully they didn't scream.

How did it turn out like this that day?!

Then, a clear, youthful voice reached their ears from the sky. They recognized each word, but the combination left them completely bewildered.

"The notes left by the Chancellor were used by successive dynasties, and their contents are still relevant today..."

The original owner's family did not know who Si Xiang was referring to, nor did they know where the clear and melodious voice came from. They almost knelt down and kowtowed to the god who had performed the miracle.

Chu Feng explained at the right moment: "The gods in the heavens are telling everyone about Lord Si's deeds."

The original owner's family was shocked. "What...what did you say?"

The gods in heaven actually noticed their eldest son/brother and even told his story to the whole world?!

"It was because of the words of the immortals that we realized we had misunderstood Lord Si." Chu Feng said gently, "Lord Si, could you please have your family accompany me to the palace to meet my father, the Emperor?"

The eyes of the Si family members shone brightly, their gazes towards Si Qi filled with admiration.

That's an emperor! That's a god!

Their child/eldest brother is amazing!!!

Si Qi bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

The group followed closely behind Chu Feng and left the prison.

Outside the prison cell, on the street, everyone stood still, heads held high, gazing at the sky, their expressions filled with excitement.

Some of the people who noticed the commotion in the prison couldn't help but steal glances in this direction, seemingly wondering if the group of adults had rushed over to take away Lord Si, who was imprisoned.

Upon noticing that several people in prison uniforms had indeed been brought out, the crowd became agitated, and a cacophony of voices filled the air.

"Oh my god! They really got released!!"

"Could that refined scholar be Lord Si, the Minister of Justice?"

"May God protect us, may God protect us... Prime Minister Si must be safe and sound..."

Upon hearing that voice filled with barely concealed excitement, the Si family members were both thrilled and apprehensive—could it be that the whole world really knew about their child (the older brother)? Judging from their reactions, they seemed to hold Si Qi in the highest esteem. What extraordinary thing had Si Qi done to earn such love and respect from the people?

"Big Brother is truly a reincarnation of the God of Literature," Si Xiaodi assured his parents. "Look, even Big Brother's celestial friends in heaven have come to clear his name!"

"Yes, yes!" Si's parents suddenly realized and said repeatedly, "I heard from the scholars in town that your eldest brother passed the imperial examination with top honors in all three levels, becoming the top scholar in the first place. He must be the reincarnation of the God of Literature. I see, I see!"

Listening to the family's discussion, Chu Feng wanted to laugh—in this day and age, which top scholar wasn't praised as a reincarnation of the God of Literature? But then he couldn't help but ponder it deeply, thinking to himself, "Could it be that Lord Si is truly a celestial being descended to earth to receive such a grand assistance from the gods?"

He turned his head to secretly look at Si Qi and found that he was different from when he saw him in the court. Every curve and expression of Si Qi at this moment was so breathtaking that it made his heart beat out of control.

How could a mortal achieve such a feat? It must be a deity descended to earth!

Chu Feng thought about it more and more and felt that this was the case. He already had a very high opinion of Si Qi because of what Tian Mu said, and after seeing Si Qi in person, he couldn't help but feel even closer to Si Qi.

They arrived at the palace in a carriage, amidst the adoring gazes of the people. They weren't even allowed to disembark; they were taken directly to the council hall, where they met the emperor, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe.

The intense gazes of the court officials made the Si family members tremble with fear. They didn't even dare to look at the emperor's face. As soon as they got off the carriage, they knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The emperor strode over and personally helped Si Qi up, saying, "Please rise quickly."

After helping the man to his feet, the emperor stepped back and, in front of everyone's disbelief, bowed deeply to Si Qi and the others, saying, "This matter was due to my oversight, and I have caused you all to suffer!"

The Si family members were all stunned, their minds went blank, and they stood there dumbfounded, completely unable to react.

Si Qi pulled his family aside to avoid the bow and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, we are terrified."

The emperor rose and solemnly said, "I will order the crown prince to investigate this matter personally, and make sure the truth is revealed!"

Si Qi could only bow again: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

The emperor carefully observed Si Qi and saw that even though Si Qi had survived the ordeal, his demeanor remained calm and composed, showing little elation or disarray. His character was indeed extraordinary.

Of course, there's no sign of resentment towards the royal family or the Great Qi, which is good.

The emperor was increasingly pleased with Si Qi. No wonder even the gods in heaven thought highly of him; Si Qi truly deserved the title of a renowned prime minister.

They had to make amends quickly, so the emperor summoned the imperial physician who had been waiting nearby and said, "Quickly treat the Minister's family."

The imperial physicians were excited and rushed towards Si Qi. When they found that they couldn't get a spot, they turned to the other members of the Si family to examine their injuries.

The more the emperor looked, the worse the expressions of the imperial physicians became; clearly, this family had suffered greatly in prison. This made the emperor extremely anxious, and he couldn't help but vent his anger on those damned nobles and ministers.

The imperial physicians and others sighed and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Si and his family have suffered a great deal of physical pain and are severely depleted of their vital energy. They need careful recuperation."

The imperial physicians who treated Si Qi were even more furious and complained to the emperor: "Lord Si has not eaten or drunk properly for many days. His hands, feet, and sternum are all broken! There is a deep cut on his right wrist that exposes the bone, and he is almost unable to write again!"

The emperor felt dizzy upon hearing this and hurriedly shouted, "Quickly treat Minister Si's injuries! Use all the rare and precious medicinal herbs that are effective!"

The imperial physician acknowledged the order: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"We will certainly do our utmost!"

Their attitude seemed even more serious than when they treated the emperor himself before, which reassured the emperor considerably.

Chu Feng stared at Si Qi in shock. Si Qi had been too calm the whole way, and hadn't shown any signs of pain at all. He seemed much better than the other members of the Si family.

It turns out that Si Qi was the one with the most serious injuries?!

Si Qi's parents looked at him with heartache, covering their faces and weeping: "My son has suffered so much..."

The Si siblings were filled with remorse: "Big brother, we're so sorry!"

When the four of them were taken to be tortured, Si Qi was always tied up and watched from the sidelines. The whips lashed their bodies, and they couldn't bear the pain. When the pain became unbearable, they would resent Si Qi standing to the side and curse him, saying that it was all Si Qi's fault.

Looking back now, it's clear that Si Qi was the one who suffered the most. Si Qi did nothing wrong from beginning to end, yet he had to endure both physical and mental torment. How did he manage to get through all these days?

Look at our brother, who usually has fair skin and has never done much farm work, now he's covered in bruises. They wish they could slap their past selves and tell them they were lying!

Si Qi shook his head: "I'm fine. It's me who made you suffer."

The original owner witnessed his family members suffer because of him, and even lose their lives in the end. How could he blame them for the words they said when they were in extreme pain?

These are his closest family members. Over the years, they have made tremendous sacrifices to support his education, sometimes going hungry and sometimes full. How could he possibly complain?

Seeing that Si Qi's face was full of pain and he didn't blame them at all, the members of the Si family felt even more guilty and couldn't help but shed tears.

Seeing the deep bond between the five members of the Si family, the Emperor knew how to reassure Si Qi and comforted him, saying, "I will later order someone to arrange a residence for you, and also assign you servants and imperial physicians. Don't worry."

Si Qi's hand was pulled away to be bandaged, so he could only use his other hand to bow: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

The Si family members quickly followed suit, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities," the emperor said.

Giving people and houses is definitely not enough. Si Qi and the others have just come from their hometown and lack everything. They need to be given furniture, silk, books, medicine, and even gold and silver.

He looked at the Crown Prince standing to the side and saw that the Crown Prince looked concerned and had obvious pity on his face, which made him very satisfied.

We still need to help the Crown Prince build a good relationship with Minister Si. Let the Crown Prince handle all these matters personally!

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Author's Note: --

Chu Feng: Public funds (crossed out) to pursue people by imperial decree.

Emperor: Is this what I mean?