Chapter 155 You said your relationship with me is extraordinary, how come I didn't know?
Xiao Qidi's pupils suddenly contracted. "Sir, the child is innocent. Why are you doing this?"
Lord You said menacingly:
"From now on, you will be serving me in place of the human traffickers you have killed. Inevitably, you will have to kill some who are disobedient or who might reveal secrets. If you don't even dare to kill a child, how can I completely trust you? Now that you know my secret, you either completely entrust your lives to me and share wealth and honor in the future, or you will become a dead man who can never speak again."
"I'm giving you two choices: either kill her yourself, and after you've eaten and drunk your fill, you can take this little thing's corpse with you, or you two will become corpses and never leave again."
At this moment, Xiao Qidi was separated from Lord You by the hot spring pool, and Lord You was protected by attendants and maids. Even if Xiao Qidi was skilled in martial arts, it would be difficult for him to subdue him in an instant.
Duan Wu, needless to say, was holding An'an in his arms.
Moreover, the two of them had neither weapons nor armor. Even if they managed to break out of the mansion, they would be unable to deal with the encirclement outside and would have almost no chance of breaking through.
"My lord...you..." Duan Wu tried his best to remain composed, forcing a smile, "You're not joking, are you?"
Lord You's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Do I look like I'm joking? I'll count to three. If this child is still breathing, I'll send you two to meet the King of Hell!"
"one!"
"two!"
The death knell sounded.
Duan Wu gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and he steeled himself, ready to risk everything.
"Lord You!" Xiao Qidi suddenly shouted, "To tell you the truth, General Duan is here to investigate the case on the orders of the imperial court!"
Upon hearing this, Duan Wu, who was prepared to fight to the death, was stunned for a moment.
Lord You was also taken aback.
Xiao Qidi immediately continued, "I was ordered by the general to come here first to collect clues and evidence. Now all the evidence is conclusive. If you do not pull back from the brink, your crime will only be compounded."
Lord You's face darkened. "Trying to scare me? Do you think I'd believe that?"
Xiao Qidi sneered, "Otherwise, do you really think someone who can defend Xitun Pass to the death, repeatedly repel powerful enemies, and was promoted to a border general by the current emperor at a young age would come here to rob and kill? All those previous statements were just an act to gain your trust and get you to investigate thoroughly."
Lord You had already been suspicious of Duan Wu's sudden appearance, but he still didn't believe these words. So he revealed a mocking smile and said, "If he really came to investigate the case on the orders of the court, how come I didn't know?"
Duan Wu stood tall and proud, "This is an order given to me by the capital city. What makes you think you know this?"
"Ha!" Lord You said with a look of utter contempt. "Do you think the money I give to certain court officials is just for show? If anyone in the court sends you here, I will know immediately."
"Well, you're really something, having court officials protecting you even in the capital," Duan Wu said angrily. "Aren't you afraid the emperor will find out?"
Lord You threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Hahahaha! Let me tell you the truth, even if you find so-called evidence and hand it over to the person who sent you to investigate the case, and even present it to His Majesty, His Majesty will not believe it!"
Duan Wu was stunned for a moment, then quickly glanced at Xiao Qidi, only to see a look of astonishment flash across Xiao Qidi's face as well.
"Why?" Duan Wu asked, "Where do you get such confidence?"
Lord You said smugly, “Because my relationship with His Majesty is extraordinary. His Majesty used to often host banquets for me in the capital, and we would drink and chat happily. Such a friendship is something that even the minister who sent you can only look up to, let alone you. In addition, I have the guarantee of my superiors. Do you think His Majesty will ultimately believe you or me?”
Duan Wu was dumbfounded. "The emperor hosted a banquet for you? And your relationship with him is quite special?"
Xiao Qidi frowned, looking puzzled. No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember ever hosting a banquet for this prefect.
Not to mention drinking and chatting happily.
He was quite certain that in his eighteen years of life, this was the first time he had met the Prefect of Longyuan County since arriving in Hewan County.
"General Duan," Lord You slowly sat down, drinking his wine as he spoke, "Even if you were truly sent by the court, I wouldn't take it seriously. But I do value talent, and the men lost because of you need your replacements. So I'll say it again: either kill this little brat and surrender to me, becoming my right-hand men, or I'll kill you."
"You even dared to kill a general who bore heavy responsibilities for the court. Do you not even respect the emperor?" Xiao Qidi said quietly.
Lord You immediately straightened his face and sternly rebuked, "Stop talking nonsense! I am utterly loyal to His Majesty! Without His Majesty, where would I be?!"
"Have you really met the current emperor?" Xiao Qidi asked.
Lord You said with a stern face, "Wasn't what I just said clear enough?"
Xiao Qidi's eyes held a menacing intensity. "Then may I ask, Lord You, when was the last time His Majesty hosted a banquet for you? If you cannot answer that, I can only assume that you are bluffing."
"How dare you question me?" Lord You was filled with nameless rage. "Guards! Bring up the item that His Majesty bestowed upon me on the Double Ninth Festival!"
Xiao Qidi was even more puzzled. The Double Ninth Festival? He had even given him a gift? What was going on?
Soon, a servant placed a magnificent bronze box on Lord You's table.
Lord You solemnly opened the box and took out a carefully preserved piece of golden silk.
"Do you know what this is?" He picked up the silk, a look of pride on his face.
Duan Wu looked closely and asked, "There are words on it? What does it say?"
Xiao Qidi vaguely felt that the silk looked familiar; it did indeed resemble something from the palace.
Lord You proudly declared, “On the Double Ninth Festival of a certain year, His Majesty wrote the twelve characters ‘May the five grains be plentiful, the weather be favorable, and the country be prosperous and the people at peace’ on this silk scroll and presented it to me. Although His Majesty was young, his calligraphy was already highly accomplished, vigorous and powerful, full of momentum, and unique. No matter how skilled a calligrapher is, they cannot imitate that domineering and sharp style. It is your good fortune to be able to see it today.”
Although Xiao Qidi was far away, he recognized that it was indeed his own handwriting.
With the information provided by the other party, he finally understood what was going on.
A faint smile appeared in Xiao Qidi's eyes. "Lord You, I also know a little about calligraphy. Why don't you take a look at how well I write?"
"I don't have time to look at your handwriting," Lord You narrowed his eyes. "Are you deliberately stalling for time?"
Xiao Qidi ignored him, swept aside the fine wine and delicacies on the table in front of him, picked up a bronze wine cup, used the foot of the cup as a pen, and wrote furiously on the wooden table, wood chips flying everywhere, several lines of words were completed in one go.
"My lord, please take a look!"
Xiao Qidi slammed his hand on the table.
Whoosh—the table flew across the hot spring pool between the two people.
Then, with a thud, it landed in front of Lord You, the table standing upright, directly facing him.
At first, Lord You was dismissive, but the moment those words came into view, he couldn't help but freeze in shock.
"May the five grains be plentiful, the weather be favorable, and the country be prosperous and the people at peace," Xiao Qidi said with a slight smile. "I wrote these twelve characters so that you can easily recognize them."
Lord You's eyes trembled violently as he stared intently at every single word written on the table in a powerful and flamboyant style, the sharp aura seemingly bursting forth from the table.
What he found even more unbelievable was that these words were exactly the same as Xiao Qidi's handwriting on the silk, and even more domineering and fierce.
"This...this...what...what happened..."
Lord You's mind went blank. He held the silk and compared it repeatedly. The more he compared, the more his scalp tingled.
Xiao Qidi said quietly, "You just claimed that your relationship with me is extraordinary. How come I didn't know that? You also said that I often hosted banquets for you and even bestowed a calligraphy upon you, but why haven't you recognized me yet? Have I changed that much over the years?"
The servants present were all shocked when they heard Xiao Qidi refer to himself as "I, the Lord".
Lord You suddenly looked up, pointing at Xiao Qidi, "You...you...it's impossible...this...how can your handwriting be the same as His Majesty's? It's...you imitated it, isn't it!"
Xiao Qidi laughed, "Didn't Lord You say that even the most skilled calligrapher can't imitate my handwriting?"
"Your Majesty!" Seeing that Xiao Qidi had taken the initiative to reveal his identity, Duan Wu no longer avoided using honorifics and asked loudly, "What's going on with this corrupt official trying to curry favor with you?"
Xiao Qidi spoke with a hint of amusement, "If Lord You hadn't reminded me and brought out that piece of silk again, I would have almost forgotten. It must have been the Double Ninth Festival of the year I ascended the throne. That year, the people of Da Xuan had an excellent harvest. At that time, Situ Wei was still the prime minister. He suggested setting up a Double Ninth Festival sacrificial banquet in the palace to worship the heavens and entertain the officials. He also summoned local officials from various places to the capital."
"I was wondering when I had ever hosted a banquet in the palace to invite the prefect. Now it seems it was on the Double Ninth Festival that year."
"At the banquet, there were hundreds of civil and military officials from the royal court, and countless local officials. The scene was very lively, and I was very happy. On a whim, I took the handkerchief I used to wipe my mouth during the meal and wrote those twelve characters on it. I asked Situ Wei to give them to the local officials. It turns out that they ended up in Lord You's hands."
The more Xiao Qidi spoke, the uglier Lord You's face became, his face covered in cold sweat.
Not only did the handwriting match, but the circumstances at the time were also entirely correct.
It was only then that Lord You realized why he had felt a sense of déjà vu when he first saw the other person at the entrance of the county government hall.
The scene of attending a banquet in the royal palace a few years ago flashed through his mind.
Back then, I only saw the fourteen-year-old king sitting on the throne from afar. Although I couldn't see his face clearly, the impression that I couldn't describe in words was etched in my memory.
Looking at the eighteen-year-old boy in front of me now, he has become one with the impression I had in my memory.
"Oh, so it turns out Lord You was just bragging!" Duan Wu sneered loudly. "You have quite the thick skin, boasting in front of the emperor. I think you should just peel off your face and replace the cowhide on the drum at the entrance of the yamen. That would definitely last for hundreds or thousands of years!"
"Prefect of Longyuan!" Xiao Qidi roared, "Why don't you kneel down and confess your crimes!"
"Your Majesty..." Lord You's eyes were filled with fear, his legs trembled as he knelt down with a thud. "This humble official...this humble official was blind and failed to recognize you. Your Majesty, please spare my life."
When the servants present saw that he had already knelt down, a large number of them hurriedly knelt down as well, all lying on the ground, not daring to breathe.
Seeing this, Duan Wu breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had already gathered enough evidence against the governor of Longyuan, and the emperor had witnessed it himself. Even if this corrupt official had bribed officials in the court, he was already guilty of a capital offense. The emperor would also deal with the officials who had accepted the bribes.
“Not recognizing me is not a crime,” Xiao Qidi said, his brows furrowed with a dark and murderous aura. “As the prefect, you have harmed the region, and your crimes are too numerous to count!”
"I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong!" Lord You kept kowtowing.
Xiao Qidi didn't want to waste time with him here. He needed to take him back to the county government office for a thorough interrogation, clarify all the charges, and eradicate all the relevant offenders.
"Bring General Duan's and my clothes here," Xiao Qidi ordered. "And bring a rope too."
Lord You cooperated readily, urging his servants, "Go quickly, go quickly!"
Soon, the clothes, equipment, and ropes were delivered.
Xiao Qidi tied Lord You's hands behind his back and then changed back into his original clothes.
Duan Wu carried An'an to Xiao Qidi and whispered, "Your Majesty, I'll leave the child to you and escort that corrupt official away."
Xiao Qidi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “The governors of Daxuan are all exceptional individuals, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Their martial prowess is probably no less than yours, so it would be safer for me to escort them. Remember, we must not let our guard down until we leave this area.”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"An'an," Xiao Qidi smiled gently and patted the little girl's head, "You'll be able to leave here soon and see your mother."
An'an's eyes were red, and she nodded obediently.
Then, Xiao Qidi held a knife to Lord You's neck, ordered two servants to lead the way, and walked out of the house one after the other with Duan Wu.
It was another long, winding road.
Xiao Qidi remained vigilant throughout, making sure he followed the same route he had taken.
Lord You, whom he personally escorted, kept his head down and remained silent, seemingly having already submitted.
Having already walked more than halfway back, Duan Wu gradually felt his vision becoming increasingly blurry, and his body began to feel tired and weak.
"Your Majesty..." Duan Wu shook his head vigorously, "I... seem... a little unwell."
When Xiao Qidi turned around, he saw that he looked like he was completely drunk, and he could barely stand.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Qidi hurriedly turned around to support her, taking An'an into his arms.
Duan Wu said weakly, "I...I don't know what happened. Could it be...that I drank too much?"
Xiao Qidi felt a slight dizziness and a strong sense of unease rose in his heart. He hurriedly returned to Lord You's side, grabbed the corrupt official by the neck, and coldly questioned, "Did you do something?"
Lord You looked on in fear. “Your Majesty, I would never dare to do anything underhanded. General Duan is probably not used to the environment here, which is why he feels uncomfortable.”
"Really?" Xiao Qidi stared directly into his eyes, his fingers tightening rapidly. "I wouldn't mind executing you right now."
Lord You's face turned purple with frustration, but he refused to admit it.
Xiao Qidi continued to exert force, lifting him completely off the ground.
Just then, Xiao Qidi's dizziness became more and more obvious, and all his strength seemed to be flowing away rapidly like a flood. Even if he circulated his internal energy, it was useless, and he could only let go of Lord You.
Lord You landed firmly on his feet and immediately took several steps back. His previous fearful expression vanished, replaced by a sinister smile. "General Duan and His Majesty, the effects of the drug only kicked in now. I must admire your robust health, hehehehe..."
"You..." Duan Wu exclaimed in shock, "You poisoned us? When?!"
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