Chapter 298 They're all masters
Sure enough, a dark figure ran towards them from the dark and quiet alley.
"Master, I have drugged the guards and servants in the front yard with sleeping pills. They are all fast asleep now."
Everyone else was in the old lady's courtyard at this time; it was time to enter the mansion.
Upon hearing what the shadowy figure said, Li Yao immediately looked at Li Yongfeng.
Li Yongfeng waved to the men in black he had brought and said in a low voice, "Everyone, please keep your movements quiet."
Under the cover of night, the group entered the Marquis of Anping's residence as if it were empty.
The front courtyard of the Marquis's mansion was quiet, and there was no sign of the guards who came out to patrol.
The group successfully entered Li Yongfeng's former courtyard.
Sun had just been here during the day and moved everything out.
The courtyard gate was wide open, as was the door to the study; there was no one there.
Li Yongfeng entered the study with practiced ease, walked to the wall panel, and fumbled to open the wooden board, revealing the secret room inside.
Li Yao stared in astonishment.
He had been to this study countless times since he was a child.
I only found out today that there was a secret room behind the wall.
Thinking about the gold and silver his father had mentioned in the secret room, Li Yao felt his blood boil.
He excitedly lit a tinderbox, illuminating the steps of the secret chamber and the things inside.
Li Yongfeng stepped forward and cautiously opened the box, glancing inside. Seeing that the neatly stacked gold was still there, he quickly closed the box.
He waved to the man in black behind him.
"Quickly, move all these things upstairs immediately."
The man in black stepped forward, took out the rope he had prepared beforehand, and tied the boxes tightly. Two men carried one box.
Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all fifteen boxes of gold and silver were carried upstairs.
Li Yongfeng led everyone out of the Marquis of Anping's residence in a hurry.
Several carriages were already waiting outside the Marquis's residence to pick them up.
After placing all the gold and silver in the carriage, Li Yongfeng quickly pulled Li Yao into the first carriage.
The carriage departed silently.
Li Yao rubbed his hands together, looking at Li Yongfeng with excitement.
"Father, where are we going now? With so much gold and silver, we can live a worry-free life for the rest of our days."
Li Yongfeng frowned.
"Yao'er, even if we take this money and run away, we'll still be fugitives living under assumed names. Are you really willing to accept that?"
Li Yao gave a bitter smile.
"What can we do if we're not willing to accept it? We're criminals now, and we're lucky to be alive, let alone now that we have money."
Li Yongfeng shook his head.
“This gold and silver does not belong to us; it belongs to our master.”
"Master? What master?"
Li Yao looked completely bewildered.
Li Yongfeng cleared his throat and said, "Yao'er, there's something I've been keeping from you, and now it's time to tell you."
Over the years, I have actually been secretly helping my master with his work and managing his business in the capital.
At the same time, he secretly bribed officials in the court to make things easier for his master.
The gold and silver you just saw are just the profits from the master's shops over the years. The master trusts me and has always entrusted me with managing them.
Li Yao stared at him blankly for a long time before he reacted.
"Father, you've said so much, but you still haven't said who the master you're talking about is?"
Li Yongfeng's beard trembled as he slowly uttered two words.
"King Chen."
Li Yao's pupils contracted sharply, and he stood up abruptly in shock.
Forgetting that he was in a carriage, he bumped his head directly into the carriage roof, causing him to fall back down.
He was throbbing with a headache and felt dizzy. He covered his head and stared blankly at Li Yongfeng, his face pale.
"Prince Chen... he... he's a rebel! Father... how could you be involved with a rebel?"
Li Yongfeng gave a disdainful snort.
"Bah, what traitorous party? It's all just a matter of the victor taking all. Prince Chen was also a legitimate prince of the late emperor."
His mother was the late emperor's Noble Consort, but because of the defeat in battle, she didn't get the position and was therefore labeled a rebel.
"If Prince Chen had been in that position back then, the one who would be rebelling now would be Prince Xuan, Shen Cong!"
Li Yao was stunned.
Li Yongfeng's words completely overturned all his understanding from childhood to adulthood, leaving his mind buzzing in confusion.
"That may be true, but... the one on the dragon throne now was the crown prince personally appointed by the late emperor. In terms of legitimacy, he is the rightful heir."
Li Yongfeng scoffed.
"What do you mean by orthodoxy or not? If it weren't for his insistence on the eldest son inheriting the throne, you would have been the heir of the Marquis's mansion long ago."
Li Yao fell silent.
Li Yongfeng continued, "The principle of 'the victor is king, the loser is villain' remains unchanged throughout the ages. Prince Chen has been secretly accumulating power all these years."
As long as we follow Prince Chen, we will be great heroes who have helped him succeed in the future!
"When the time comes, being ennobled and appointed prime minister will be a piece of cake! What will a mere Marquis of Anping's mansion amount to then?"
"Think about it, is it more comfortable for us to hide and live as fugitives with unknown identities, or is it better to gamble on joining the cause and have a glorious future?"
Li Yao remained silent, his mind racing as he considered the whole situation.
Seeing this, Li Yongfeng uttered another statement that shocked him.
“Not only am I loyal to Prince Chen, but your mother has also been serving Prince Chen all these years!”
Li Yao was so shocked he almost lost his tongue.
"You mean my mother... How is that possible? Isn't my mother the matriarch of the Chen family in Quanzhou? Could it be... Could it be that the entire Chen family of Quanzhou is also serving Prince Chen?"
Li Yongfeng shook his head.
"Not at all. This matter is rather complicated. I'll tell you about it slowly when I have the chance. Today, I'll take you to pay your respects to Prince Chen."
"What? Prince Chen is in Bianjing?"
Li Yongfeng nodded.
"The prince has only just arrived in Bianjing."
"Yao'er, you must remember that I did all this for you. One day, we, father and son, will be able to return to the Li family with our heads held high."
With the merit of supporting the dragon, my son and I will be able to restore the glory of our Li ancestors in the future!
"Let Li Mu and all those members of the Li clan who expelled us from the family genealogy grovel at our feet!"
Li Yao was deeply moved by these words.
"Okay, I will do whatever Father says."
As they were talking, the carriage stopped in front of a very secluded house.
As the carriage drew near, several dark figures darted out from the shadows.
Who is it?
Li Yongfeng quickly got out of the car and whispered, "It's me. Is Master here?"
The figure in the shadows recognized Li Yongfeng and bowed slightly.
"Master has been waiting for a long time, please come in."
The gate of the mansion opened silently.
Li Yongfeng pointed to the carriage behind and said, "Move everything in."
Then he led Li Yao inside.
As Li Yao walked, he secretly observed his surroundings.
The house was somewhat dilapidated, and the yard was overgrown with weeds, suggesting it had been neglected for many years.
As they walked to the wall, they saw Li Yongfeng gently press a button on the wall, revealing a hidden door.
Entering through the hidden door reveals a completely different world inside.
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