In the morning light, the four gates of the capital slowly opened.
People entering and leaving the city line up and enter and exit in an orderly manner.
Hu Laosan was lying in his coffin, rocking with the oxcart. Lying next to him was an old man who had been dead for seven days.
Fortunately, the weather was not hot and the stench of the corpse was not strong, so it was bearable.
Yesterday, he made a big profit.
Thinking about it now, I still feel my blood boiling.
Even the presence of some bloated corpses around him couldn't stop him from worshipping himself.
It’s a pity that the mission failed.
Fortunately, arrangements had been made in advance, and regardless of whether the mission was successful or failed, everyone would retreat along the original route.
Long before the mission, he had already set his sights on the family holding the funeral.
While the Jinwu Guards launched a city-wide manhunt, he remained safely hidden in his coffin, waiting to escape the capital. By then, the sky would be high and free for birds to fly, and the Jinwu Guards would have no hope of catching him.
The ox cart stopped, and he pricked up his ears to listen through the thick coffin boards.
As a rule, the city gate guards would not search the funeral procession carefully because of bad luck.
As long as enough silver is paid, the funeral procession can leave the city smoothly.
Hu Laosan counted the time silently. He had counted to three hundred, but the ox cart still hadn't moved.
He was shocked. Could something have happened?
His hand had already grasped the hilt of the knife, ready to kill if anything happened.
The ox cart suddenly started moving, moving forward slowly.
Hu Laosan breathed a sigh of relief, it turned out to be just a false alarm.
It is estimated that the Jinwu Guards were searching the city, which delayed the time of leaving the city.
The coffin swayed gently along with the ox cart.
After just a few shakes, the ox cart stopped again.
Hu Laosan's forehead was covered with sweat, and he gripped the hilt of the knife again.
Bang, bang, bang...
No one spoke outside, only the sound of clanging could be heard.
What's going on?
Hu Laosan was soaked in sweat inside and out.
The coffin lid was pried open, and dazzling light poured into the coffin.
"Hu Laosan, your story has been exposed, get out of here right now."
The dazzling light affected Hu Laosan's vision.
He narrowed his eyes, not bothering to adjust to the light, and without thinking twice, he raised the hilt of the knife and rushed towards the person outside the coffin.
A fishing net fell from the sky.
Before Hu Laosan could kill anyone, he was already caught in the center of the net, and several spears pierced his body.
Puff, puff...
The metal pierced the body and blood splattered.
Hu Laosan was lying in the fishing net like a blood gourd.
"Your Excellency, Hu Lao San has been brought to justice."
Wei Zhong stepped forward and gave him a kick. "Are you sure this is the last one, Hu Lao San?"
"Confirmed, there's a big mole on the chin, no mistake."
"take away!"
At Wei Zhong's command, the Jinwu Guards strung together the fishing nets with sticks, lifted up Hu Lao San like a piglet, and walked away.
Hu Laosan's eyes were about to burst, and he suddenly shouted, "I don't accept it! I don't accept it..."
"Shut his mouth."
“Wuwuwu…”
Hu Laosan's mouth was blocked, but that couldn't stop him from struggling.
He couldn't believe that the Jinwu Guards could catch him so easily.
Why did the Jinwu Guards know his whereabouts?
Seeing him struggling fiercely, a Jinwu Guard advised him, "Don't move! Just give up. All your accomplices have been arrested. Not one has escaped. You are the last one. You scoundrels of Jianghu, you brag so loudly, you really think you are so great."
He was taken to our Jinwu Guard prison and given a beating, but he still confessed the truth. He even revealed the incident when he was a child, when he stole an old woman's panties."
"Why waste time talking to him? These scoundrels are worse than civil servants. Civil servants can at least withstand a few days of torture, but these people are all just strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They can't even withstand a single round of torture. It's a disgrace to the people of Jianghu."
"Pooh!"
A soldier from the Jinwu Guard spat at Hu Laosan.
Hu Laosan was so excited that he felt dizzy and fainted in a moment.
"He lost too much blood and fainted temporarily, but he won't die."
The Jinwu Guard soldier took a look and determined Hu Laosan's situation.
They have handled so many cases that they don't even need to get involved. Their sharp eyes are enough to see through many things.
…
An inconspicuous carriage set out from the imperial city and headed towards the Zongzheng Temple in the northwest.
The carriage swayed slowly and soon arrived at the gate of a house next to the Zongzheng Temple.
There was someone guarding the gate of the house.
Chang En jumped off the carriage and showed his badge. The guard at the door immediately lowered the threshold, and the carriage drove smoothly into the house.
The carriage stopped in the yard.
Chang En lifted the door curtain and said, "Your Majesty, we are here."
Emperor Wende hummed, took Chang En's hand, and got off the carriage.
"Where is the deposed King of Yan?"
"Your Majesty, the deposed Prince of Yan is not allowed to leave his room without your permission. He is currently in the small courtyard at the back."
The deposed King of Yan was imprisoned in this small courtyard with three entrances, but his activities were limited to the small courtyard where he lived.
However, the wife, children and mother of the deposed King of Yan were not subject to this restriction and could move around the mansion, but they could not leave the gate.
"Lead the way!"
Chang En led the way in front.
This small house has long been surrounded tightly by the Yulin Guards, and not even a fly can fly in.
The wife, children and mother of the deposed King of Yan were also detained in the room and were not allowed to come out.
After passing through the corridor, we finally arrived at the small courtyard.
The Little Leap is truly small.
There are two main rooms, two side rooms, a square patio and a pear tree.
The pear blossoms are in bud, and I believe that in ten days or so, the tree will be full of pear blossoms.
By then, the scenery here will be unique.
The deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi, was standing under the eaves. He was thin, wearing thin clothes, with his hair loose and a wooden hairpin casually inserted on his head.
"Commoner Liu Yi pays homage to Your Majesty."
He bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.
However, noticing that his fingers were trembling slightly, it became clear that he was not as calm as he appeared.
"Brother, are you happy and excited that your brother is here to visit you?"
Emperor Wende laughed heartily and opened his arms to hug the deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi.
"Your Majesty, you cannot do that!"
Chang En quickly stopped him, "Your Majesty's safety is important."
Emperor Wende kicked Chang En and said, "How dare you doubt my brother, old man? Look at him, does he look like someone who would kill someone?"
Emperor Wende didn't waste any words. He stepped forward and hugged Liu Yi, the deposed King of Yan, and said excitedly, "Brother, I miss you so much."
The deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi, was stiff all over and had lost all response.
Chang En got up from the ground, wiped the dust off, and stared angrily at Liu Yi, the deposed King of Yan. He warned him with his eyes that if he made the slightest move, his blood would be splattered three feet.
The deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi, suddenly laughed, sweeping away his previous decadence and nervousness.
He pushed Emperor Wende away and said, "There are no court officials watching here, Your Majesty, there's no need to act. This whole brotherly love thing is disgusting."
"What's disgusting? What do you say is disgusting?"
Emperor Wende looked unconvinced. "I see you have always had this temper and always speaks so harshly. Come on, go inside first. You are wearing so little, be careful not to get sick."
Emperor Wende pushed the deposed Prince of Yan, Liu Yi, into the room.
It was a small quiet room with only a table and a cabinet.
Emperor Wende didn't care and just sat on the ground.
A eunuch prepared tea and brought it up.
"Brother, have some tea." Emperor Wende was very friendly and invited the deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi, to have some tea.
Liu Yi, the deposed Prince of Yan, stared at his teacup. "Your Majesty, you have come to such a humble place. You must have important business to attend to. Why don't you just get down to business? There's no need to exchange pleasantries. There's nothing to exchange between you and me. I can't ask you if being the emperor is a good idea."
"You can ask me. Ask me if it's good to be the emperor. As long as you ask, I will answer you."
Emperor Wende looked excited.
The corner of Liu Yi's mouth twitched. Is this person in front of him the emperor?
How can you be so indecent?
Like a street thug.
He snorted coldly, "If my father were still alive, seeing you like this, I'm afraid your coffin would not be able to cover you anymore."
"Hahaha... you're wrong. If my father were still alive, he would surely be pleased to see me acting as an emperor properly. Brother, do you know that in the first year of Wende, the Ministry of Revenue collected a full five million taels more in taxes than in the thirty-seventh year of Kaiyao? What is this? This is my achievement. I am a qualified emperor."
After Emperor Wende finished speaking, he smiled to himself. Then he continued:
"If the Prince of Zhao were to become emperor, guess how much more tax the Ministry of Revenue would have collected? I forgot to tell you, I didn't raise taxes on the people by a single penny. The extra 500 taels came entirely from commercial taxes. The burden on the people hasn't increased, and their lives are becoming increasingly prosperous. This is an auspicious sign for a prosperous era. I once said I would restore the prosperity of the Taizong Dynasty, and I've kept my word."
The expression of the deposed King of Yan, Liu Yi, kept changing, as if he couldn't believe it.
He looked at Emperor Wende with suspicion, "Your Majesty, go ahead and brag. No one will expose you anyway."
Emperor Wende scoffed, "I don't need to brag. If you're interested, ask the guards at the gate if the lives of the common people in the capital are getting better. And if the lives of the millions of villagers in the capital's surrounding areas are getting better."
Liu Yi, the deposed King of Yan, suddenly gnashed his teeth and said, "Does all this have anything to do with you? You're just lucky to have a good son and a good daughter-in-law. Do you really think that I don't know what's happening in the capital from my small world? Don't lie to me."
Emperor Wende laughed heartily, "Without my support, do you think my good son and daughter-in-law could have accomplished anything? If Liu Zhao had been reborn in the Zhao Palace and still married Gu Jiu, would he have achieved what he has today?
"As for that idiot King Zhao, even the best sons and daughters-in-law would be distracted by the chaotic inner court, leaving them with no energy for serious work. You're too one-sided. Denying for the sake of denying is not objective."
Liu Yi, the deposed King of Yan, was furious. "Your Majesty is in such a good mood that he has come here to ridicule me. I'm sorry, I won't accompany you!"
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